Evan Sung/Stick With Me Sweets(NEW YORK) -- Chocolate is the top gift for Valentine's Day with Americans spending $1.8 billion on candy for the holiday, according to the National Retail Federation.



But there's way more out there to delight your sweetie than the cliche box of dark or milk chocolates these days.



There's a booming group of small-batch makers and chocolatiers from around the country who are doubling down on craftsmanship and high-quality ingredients.



"This craft culture is promoting the idea that chocolate is very complex food and not candy that we mindlessly munch on throughout the day. People want to know more where their food comes from and where it's made," said Michael Laiskonis, the Institute of Culinary Education's creative director, who helms the New York City school's bean-to-bar Chocolate Lab.



Chocolatiers are making chocolates that are both beautiful and arguably more flavor-forward than ever before and while using their creations as canvas for storytelling.



"As complex and as interesting as chocolate on its own is, it's also a great platform for other flavors," Laiskonis said. "We are seeing this in food in general, [chocolatiers] are drawing influences from all over the world, building new flavor profiles that might be unfamiliar to many people -- whether its Asian flavors or flavors from the Indian subcontinent."



Stick with Me Sweets



At Stick With Me Sweets, a boutique chocolate shop in New York City, their signature chocolate bonbons are edible pieces of art.



Everyone is now eating with their eyes and not just on their mouths anymore, it becomes a whole other level of experience, Stick With Me Sweets founder and head chef Susanna Yoon said. Youre not just looking at square, dark chocolate. Youre looking at different colors, different art, different types of chocolate that didnt exist, like our dessert in a bonbon, which is very different to people.



Yoon, a Per Se alum, handcrafts their signature bonbons until they shine like exquisite jewels.



The entire production process takes two to three full days, she says. No detail is too small, starting with the finest of raw ingredients in the creative concoctions: 18 different kinds of chocolate, 10 different kinds of nuts, 22 different fruits and citrus like yuzu, kalamansi and passionfruit, etc., and 60 different colors.



When creating our designs, we [conceive] the flavor first. Once we create the recipe, we find colors and designs to bring life to the ingredients inside or the story behind its creation, Yoon said. No two pieces are alike. Each stroke is created similarly but different at the same time. Some are pressed harder or lighter, longer or shorter, more or less color, and so on. Each bonbon is genuinely unique.



The gourmet bonbons have scored Oprah Winfreys nod of approval on her annual Favorite Things list.



"Her style is colorful ... and the exterior decoration calls out what's in it. She's been doing a lot of interesting things with different textures -- not often you find a piece of a cookie inside of a chocolate bonbon -- or she'll do a riff on a lemon meringue pie, some of the more nostalgic things but done in very refined way," Laiskonis said.



Laiskonis lauds Yoo for her texture combinations and incorporating nostalgia at a highly-refined level.



"She's been doing a lot of interesting things with different textures -- not often you find a piece of a cookie inside of a chocolate bonbon," he said, "Or she'll do a riff on a lemon meringue pie, some of the more nostalgic things but done in very refined way."



For Valentines Day, Yoon has a special collection of limited-edition flavors inspired for the holiday.



Read on for some more chocolatiers that you can't go wrong with this Valentine's Day -- though you may end up needing to get a box for yourself too.



Compartes Chocolatier



Compartes chocolate bars are anything but basic. The Los Angeles-based company handcrafts their Instagram-worthy chocolate bars using gourmet chocolate and locally-sourced ingredients for a final product that's beautiful and playful. Unleash your inner kid with flavors like birthday cake, cereal bowl, animal cookies covered in dark chocolate, or try an exotic flavor like avocado or rose.



Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate



Pastry chef Marc Aumont is the mastermind behind Gabriel Kreuther's specialty chocolate store, adjacent to the restaurant in New York City. Aumont takes pride in different flavor combinations and an ever-changing seasonal menu. Laiskonis described Aumont as a philosopher when it comes to chocolate," drawing on deeply personal influences for his bonbons. Take a honey saffron flavor inspired by Aumont's mother who picked flowers where saffron comes from, and a pumpkin seed mole flavor with sesame praline, made using a mole from a taqueria in Jackson Heights in the ganache. The French chocolates are incredibly elegant and refined.



Michael Recchiuti



The premiere chocolatier in San Francisco is beloved for fan favorites like their signature burnt caramel truffles. They use a cold-infusion process for some of the truffles to steep fresh herb into the dairy cream, just as you would make tea, Recchiuti explained to ABC News. Then they squeeze that through an apple cider press to extract as much of the liquid to get the optimal flavor. The result: flavors like sesame nougat, to star anise and pink peppercorn infused in milk and semisweet ganache, or spring jasmine tea. Theres something for traditionalists and those looking to explore new and well-balanced flavor combinations here.

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1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
Beware the callow misfit who becomes part of the ruling class; rather than disrupt the social order that excluded him, he might just reap its spoils for himself. A number of the men depicted in Emily Changs Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys Club of Silicon Valley seem to be making up for lost experience, using their new-found wealth and power to get whatever it is they had previously been denied  mainly stuff, status and sex. From its earliest days, Ms Chang writes, the industry has self-selected for men: First, antisocial nerds, then, decades ...
Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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In an apparent disapproval of the government's proposed amendment of the master plan after traders protested against the sealing drive, the Delhi High Court has observed that a few people have "held the city to ransom".

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar further observed that by sitting on a dharna "you can get the master plan changed".

"Not because it is required nor after checking if the city can handle it. It is done because a few hundred people sit on a dharna", said the bench of justices.

"The master plan is being amended because the traders have held the city to ransom by pulling down their shutters," it said and asked the authorities whether an environmental impact assessment was conducted before proposing to amend the Master Plan-2021.

The Master Plan-2021 is a blueprint for urban planning and expansion in the metropolis to ensure overall development and the proposed amendments were for bringing a uniform floor area ratio (FAR) for shop-cum-residential plots and complexes on par with residential plots.

The observations by the bench came while hearing matters pertaining to unauthorised constructions and encroachment of public land.

The traders, across Delhi, had on February 2 shut down their shops in protest against the sealing of commercial establishments running from residential areas or premises.

The Delhi Development Authority had, thereafter, proposed to amend the master plan by providing uniform FAR for the shop- cum-residence plots or complexes on par with residential plots, as given to properties on the mixed-use street.

The FAR is the ratio of a building's total floor area (gross floor area) to the size of the piece of land on which it is built.

The Supreme Court had earlier observed that the rule of law over sanction to construct buildings had "completely broken down" in Delhi and expressed concern over illegal construction.

It had also ordered restoration of its 2006 monitoring committee to identify and seal such offending structures.

With the commencement of the sealing drive, the traders had protested by shutting their shops as well as going on dharnas.
Describing gender inequality as a global phenomenon, Sarah Hawkes, Professor at the University College of London (UCL), said that Indian culture had opened to gender as a non-binary idea much before the Western world.

"The younger generation in the West is understanding this now, while India recognised the much earlier," Prof Hawkes told PTI.

She said that gender inequality was related to a wide spectrum like expression and identity and was not just about male and female.

Prof Hawkes said that in the United Kingdom, opportunity gaps for men and women in education and employment were reducing with the younger generation understanding that gender was not just a binary idea.

She said that gender equality laws at the workplace were bringing a change as these laws enabled people to hold institutions to account, adding that now laws were needed to make society accountable.

India has a vibrant civil society that could make change happen, she said.

"It is people who bring about change while laws ensure sustainability and accountability. We need to work at the top and the bottom. We need to frame policies and strengthen institutions to support the change and we need people to demand a change," she stressed.
A Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Sunday visited the Sunjwan Army camp attacked by a group of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists and examined the evidence collected by the Army from the site of the gun battle, an official said.

Six people, including five Army personnel, were killed while ten others were injured in the attack by JeM terrorists.

Three terrorists were also killed in retaliatory action as the operation which began yesterday continued for a second day inside the sprawling military station along the Jammu- Pathankot bypass here.

Though a case has not been registered yet, the NIA team inspected the encounter site inside the camp and examined the evidence collected by the Army, the official said, on condition of anonymity.

The NIA is mandated to probe all terror-related cases in the country as per an act of Parliament.

NIA is already investigating the November 2016 Nagrota attack case in which seven Army personnel, including two officers, and three terrorists were killed.

It has already submitted a chargesheet in the Pathankot air base attack case in which it had named JeM founder Masood Azhar as an accused.

The attack on the Pathankot air base took place on the intervening night of January 1-2, 2016. It claimed the lives of seven security personnel. Four terrorists were also gunned down by the security forces while repulsing the attack.

Since this (Sunjwan) attack was also the handiwork of JeM terrorists, the NIA is looking for its link with previous cases which will help them in building a stronger case against Azhar and India can make a firm case at the United Nations, the official said.
Prime Minister on Sunday officially launched the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the first Hindu temple in the capital of the UAE, home to over three million people of Indian origin.

Modi witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony which was live-streamed to the Dubai Opera House where the prime minister was interacting with the Indian community.

He thanked Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on behalf of 1.25 billion (125 crore) Indians for the construction of the grand temple.

"I believe this temple will not be only unique in terms of architecture and splendour, but will also give a message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' to people across the world," he said.

Temple Committee members had presented the temple literature to Modi and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan last evening in Abu Dhabi.

This is the first stone temple to be built in Abu Dhabi off Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the country.





Indian community gives a warm welcome to PM @narendramodi at the community reception in Dubai. pic.twitter.com/IRUgCAJZ4x  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 11, 2018

The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi will come up on 55,000 square metres of land.

The temple will be hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the UAE. It will be completed by 2020, and open to people of all religious backgrounds.

It will be the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the Middle East, said a spokesperson from the BAPS.

Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), is a socio-spiritual Hindu organisation set up in 1907 that runs more than 1,100 temples and cultural compounds around the world.

The temple will incorporate all aspects and features of a traditional Hindu temple as part of a fully functional, social, cultural and spiritual complex.

It will replicate the BAPS temple in New Delhi and the one under construction in New Jersey.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday urged the Finance Ministry to remove the fee cap for children of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country.

Earlier in 2017, following a recommendation of the Seventh Pay Commission, the Defence Ministery capped the monthly expenditure on tuition and hostel charges at Rs 10000.

Sitharaman, however, decided to reconsider the decision.

The armed forces had also requested her to reconsider the defence ministry's decision to cap educational expenses of children of the soldiers killed in battles or anti-insurgency operations.

The scheme to provide financial aid to children of soldiers killed was announced in December 1971, days after the Indian victory in the war with Pakistan.



Children of the staff committee (CosC) comprising the Army, Navy and Airforce chiefs also wrote to the Defence ministry requesting it to remove the cap.



According to the previous scheme which was rolled out in 1972, tuition fee of children of the martyrs or those disabled in action were completely waived off and other professional educational institutions.Approximately 250 students were affected in the current financial year following the government's decision to cap the assistance.Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre last month had said that annual saving on account of putting the cap would be Rs 3.20 crore per annum. He sais highest amount drawn has been reported to be Rs 18.91 lakh per annum per student.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday voiced concern over attempts to radicalise the cyber space by jihadists and asked governments to guard against the misuse of technology, saying it must be used as a means to development, not destruction.

In a keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai on the second day of his two-day visit to the UAE, Modi rued that even after all the development, poverty and malnutrition have still not been eliminated.

"On the other side we are investing large portion of money, time and resources on missiles and bombs. We must use technology as a means to development, not destruction," he told the gathering that included Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and the ruler of Dubai.

He expressed concern over attempts by some people to radicalise the cyber space with the use of technology, referring to its use by jihadists to recruit cadres online.

India is the 'Guest Country' at the sixth edition of the World Government Summit, which is being attended by more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries.

"It is a matter of pride for not only me but also the 1.25 billion people of India that I have been called as the Chief Guest at the World Government Summit," Modi said.

He hailed the use of technology by the Dubai government, saying a desert has been transformed. "It's a miracle," he said, describing the Gulf emirate as an example for the world.

Noting that 9.5 per cent of the world's population lives below the poverty line, despite the tremendous population growth, he said, "today there are great challenges... Poverty, unemployment, education, housing and human catastrophes."



"We can all overcome them through development. This is what my Government is working on using technology," he said.

Stating that his government's mantra is "sabke saath, sabka vikas", Prime Minister Modi said India has focused on the key sectors to empower its 1.25 billion people i.e one-sixth of humanity, contributing to the development of mankind as a whole.

In the last 25 years, maternal mortality went down by one-third in India and by half across the world, he said.

Hailing India's satellite programme, Modi said the cost of the Mars orbital programme is Rs 7 per kilometre.

"If you take a cab in India, you may pay Rs 10. But the cost of India's access to Mars is just Rs 7 per kilometre," he told the gathering, amid big applause.

Modi said that 65 per cent of India's population is under 35 and the dream of a new India will be achieved by empowering the youth with technology.

"We have built a technology system, so that India has become a major innovation country in business ventures," he said, adding that by 2022, the income of farmers will be doubled.

Highlighting the importance of technology, Modi said the scientific achievements like stem cells and regeneration techniques have helped in treatment of disease and repair system for the body.

He said one aspect of the development is also that it took thousands of years from stone age to industrial revolution but after that, it took only 200 years to reach the information technology age and from there, the journey to the digital revolution was travelled in just a few years.

Modi said the ease of using technology and its spread has empowered the common man and this empowerment has been furthered by the minimum government and maximum governance.

"Technology is changing at the speed of thought. Technology has become a big medium of global change. It has empowered the common man via minimum government, maximum governance. In E-governance, the E stands for effective, efficient, easy, empower, and equity," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that sometimes it looks like the mankind is not only making technology an instrument to conquer the nature but also making a mistake of fighting with it.

"Its cost is very high. For the future of mankind, we should not fight with the nature but find a way to co-exist," he said.

"We need to follow the six Rs that stand for reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign and remanufacture, this will lead us to point where we can rejoice," he said.

The Prime Minister said he assess the ongoing infrastructure and developmental projects in the country through video-conferencing every month. In this, all relevant ministries of the states and the Centre come together. This assess is named as 'Pragati' meaning progress.

"We are living in the world of inter-linked, inter- connected and inter-dependent. To a great extent, our problems and their solutions are undividable. This is certain that we will have to work together to find the solution of problems that may arise in the coming decades before the world. And technology will play a big role in that," he added.

Modi arrived here yesterday on the second leg of his three-nation tour. From Dubai, Modi will travel to Oman.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India's relations with the UAE was much more than that of a buyer and a seller as he hailed the country's growing ties with the Gulf countries as "deep, broad and vibrant." Addressing the members of the Indian community at the Dubai Opera House here on the second day of his two-day visit to the UAE, Modi said his government was trying to bring India to a global benchmark. "Today, be it the UAE or other Gulf nations, our relation with them is not just that of a buyer and a seller.

It has become much more," Modi ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday discussed terrorism, defence and national security cooperation with Palestine and Jordan during his visit.

Saturday morning's "Jammu and Kashmir attack in [Sunjwan camp] was also discussed with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him that we should fight against terrorism together and added that it is well known where those actions are emanating from and India will take all necessary steps to ensure to fight terrorism," Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said in a media briefing in Abu Dhabi.

Gokhale also threw light on the fact that King of Jordan Abdullah II started Aqaba process and has worked on the issue of deradicalization.

"Both the leaders [Indian and the Jordanian] agreed that terrorism poses a huge challenge and has to be countered in unison. The King appreciated that India is a moderate society even after all these years," the Foreign Secretary added.

Dwelling upon the defence and security cooperation, Gokhale explained that, "Defence and security was discussed with Palestine but I am not at the liberty to disclose the particulars."

The Foreign Security also underscored that India does not have any specific defence cooperation with Jordan by far. Most recently a joint meeting in this regard was held in December.

"We are looking at some of the requests that the Jordanian side put forward for capacity building including in the area of cyber security and in the area of maintenance of equipment," he added.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri highlighted UAE's stance on combating terrorism.

"In terms of fight against terrorism, the UAE has zero tolerance policy and not only that, they have very aggressive programme to counter extremism and deradicalisation," Ambassador Suri added, "Not only do we talk about terrorism in general terms but also cooperate on specific terms ."

Outlining the details of the defence and security cooperation with the UAE, the Ambassador noted, "We have important and growing defence cooperation. We have had regular training exercises and regular exchange of visits. The new thing is the first ever bilateral naval exercise that will be conducted in March right here."

The Ambassador stated that both UAE and India have common interest in maritime security.
The report will contain regulations, likely in form of a draft law, on how to deal with cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin. While cryptocurrencies are illegal, the government and regulators are aware of the need to set the template for a cashless future, government officials told Business Standard. Bitcoin, or any other cryptocurrency, is just an algorithm, which lacks sovereign backing, and hence fails the standard definition of what a currency ...

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



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Digital Editor
The Reserve Bank will soon have greater flexibility in terms of managing its liquidity operations with the addition of one more tool 'Standing Deposit Facility Scheme' to its kit.

Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget has proposed to amend the RBI Act to empower the central bank to come up with an additional instrument for liquidity management.

The proposal forms part of the Bill 2018 which is scheduled to be approved by Parliament by March 31.

"That is to provide one more tool for liquidity management. There is no more MSS (market stabilisation scheme)," Economic Affairs Secretary S C Garg told PTI.

The Reserve Bank proposed in November 2015 the introduction of the SDF by suitably amending the RBI Act.

This will provide the RBI a new tool for liquidity management, particularly in times when the money market liquidity is in excess to deal with post-demonetisation like scenario.

Post-demonetisation, the RBI ran out of securities to offer as collateral and had to temporarily hike its cash reserve ratio (CRR) to force to park extra deposits with it.

The CRR is the portion of deposits that have to compulsorily park with the RBI. Currently, the CRR is pegged at 4 per cent.

When the liquidity position under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) is outside the comfort zone, the RBI uses a array of instruments to absorb/inject durable liquidity from/into the financial system and thus bring the residual liquidity gap as measured by the outstanding overnight LAF balance within the comfort zone.

These instruments include the CRR, Open Market Operations (OMO) and MSS at the moment.

"Introduction of this (SDF) facility would give greater flexibility to the Reserve Bank for managing its liquidity operations," the RBI had said in its April 2017 'Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies'.

The Urjit Patel Committee in January 2014 had suggested inclusion of new instruments in the toolkit of monetary policy for absorption of surplus liquidity from the system but without the need for providing collateral in exchange.

The standing deposit facility, the report opined could also be used for sterilisation operations with the advantage that it will not require the provision of collateral for liquidity absorption.

The provision of collateral for liquidity absorption had turned out to be a binding constraint on the reverse repo facility in the face of surges in capital flows during 2005- 08.

The Bill proposes to insert a new clause in the RBI Act to allow it to accept "...money as deposits, repayable with interest from or any other person under the Standing Deposit Facility Scheme...for the purposes of liquidity management".

Jaitley in the Budget Speech had said that to provide the central bank an instrument to manage excess liquidity, the RBI Act "is being amended to institutionalise an uncollateralised Deposit Facility".

(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.)
A Russian passenger plane carrying 71 people crashed outside Moscow on Sunday after taking off from the capital's Domodedovo airport, officials and local media said.

The Antonov An-148 plane operated by the domestic Saratov Airlines was flying to Orsk, a city in the Urals, and crashed in the Ramensky district on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian news agencies reported 65 passengers and 6 crew were on board and all were feared dead.

News agencies said witnesses in the village of Argunovo saw a burning plane falling from the sky.

A source from Russia's emergency services told Interfax that the 71 people on board "had no chance" of survival.

President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to the families of those on board.

"The president offers his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

State television aired a video of the crash site, showing parts of the wreckage in the snow. Russia has seen record high snowfalls in recent days and visibility was reportedly poor.

The Russian-made plane was 7 years-old and bought by Saratov Airlines from another Russian airline a year ago.

Russian media reported that the emergency services were unable to reach the crash site by road and that rescue workers walked to the scene on foot.

Emergency services said in a statement that over 150 rescue workers were deployed to the site.

A source at Domodedovo, Moscow's second largest airport, told agencies that the plane disappeared from radars within two minutes of take off.

The Russian transport minister was on his way to the crash site, agencies reported. The transport ministry said several causes for the crash are being considered, including weather conditions and human error.

The governor of the Orenburg region, where the plane was flying to, told Russian media that "more than 60 people" onboard the plane were from the region.

Prosecutors opened an investigation into Saratov Airlines following the crash.

Plane crashes are common in Russia, where airlines often operate ageing aircraft in testing flying conditions.

A light aircraft crashed in November in Russia's far east, killing six people on board.

In December 2016 a military plane carrying Russia's famed Red Army Choir crashed after taking off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, killing all 92 people on board.

The choir had been due to give a concert to Russian troops operating in Syria.

Pilot error was blamed for that crash.

In March 2016, all 62 passengers died when a FlyDubai jet crashed in bad weather during an aborted landing at Rostov- on-Don airport.
The multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in Gwadar port off the coast in Pakistan could be under threat if a catastrophe strikes the region, according to experts.

Gwadar, which is located close to the Makran Trench, last saw a huge earthquake of 8.1 magnitudes in 1945, which triggered a tsunami that battered Iran, Pakistan, Oman and India and killed around 4,000 people. The trench is the meeting point for two tectonic plates.

To prevent such a catastrophe, a team of 40 researchers from China and Pakistan boarded the Experimental 3 vessel for the trench last month and did a 'CT scan' (geological survey) in the region. However, not much is known about the zone, the South China Morning Post reported.

The Gwadar port has been leased to China for 40 years and any potential disaster in the area could undermine Beijing's ambitions to revive the ancient trade route from China through Asia to Africa and Europe.

The is also a part of China's 'Belt and Road Initiative', a vast infrastructure and trade programme to project China's infrastructural dominance abroad.

Seismologist Yang Hongfeng, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said scientific expeditions in the region were quite rare.

"A lot of important scientific questions remain unanswered. The results will definitely advance our understanding, [while] providing critical data to reduce the risk in the region," Yang said.

The expedition is being done to have a better understanding of the subduction zone. According to scientists, this is quite unusual since it has a thick deposit of soft sediment several kilometres below the Earth.

Asif Inam, the director general of National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) said, "The expedition is a joint effort by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology in Guangzhou and the NIO in Pakistan. It is funded largely by the Chinese government-funded Chinese Academy of Sciences".

"The information and data being collected during the expedition would make a significant contribution to coastal developers and planners," he added.

Meanwhile, the threat of an earthquake or tsunami near Gwadar port is a major concern for both the countries.

"There's a whole lot at stake. The port, if fully developed and operationalised, can be a critical asset for Pakistan, and there's no nation that Pakistan would be more comfortable entrusting it to than its close friend China," Michael Kugelman, said a senior associate for South Asia at the US-based think tank Wilson Centre.

Kugelman said the destructive impact that an earthquake or tsunami could have on the operations of the port should not be overstated, given that actual operations were still limited.

"Still, given issues of proximity and general vulnerability - Pakistan doesn't cope or respond well to natural disasters, given a lack of resources and incapacity - there's certainly reason to believe that intense earthquake activity would pose a clear and present danger to Gwadar," he was quoted as saying in the report.

India is already against the since it passes through the disputed Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) region. Reports of China's proposal of building a second overseas military base could create more headache for New Delhi.

"China, India, and Pakistan are on a collision course. This isn't to say we're about to see conflict, but escalations in tensions are highly likely as China steps up its activities in the region, and particularly in Pakistan", Kugelman said.
Faces of West Papua struggle from left to right: Andy Ayamiseba, Benny Wenda, Barak Sope, Rex Rumakiek, and Paula Makabory pose with final declarations
A monument to Chinas efforts to wean itself from coal rises on the outskirts of this village deep in the heart of the nations coal country. Scores of old coal stoves have been dumped in a lot, removed by government decree in recent months in favor of cleaner-burning natural gas furnaces. Defend blue sky and breathe together, an exhortation painted on the brick wall surrounding the lot says. Manage haze and work together. China has long faced skepticism over its pledges to wage a war on pollution and end its unrestrained ...
India and the UAE on Saturday signed five MoUs, including in the areas of energy and railways, following delegation-level talks headed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan here.

A MoU was signed between Indian Consortium comprising ONGC Videsh, Bharat PetroResources, Indian Oil and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was signed for the acquisition of 10 per cent participating interest in the offshore Lower Zakum Concession, according to the External Affairs Ministry.

The concession will be for 40 years (2018-2057). While 60 per cent of the participating interest will be retained by ADNOC, the remaining 30 per cent will be awarded to other oil companies.

This is the first Indian investment in the upstream oil sector of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), transforming the traditional buyer-seller relationship to a long-term investor relationship.

To cooperate in the field of manpower, the two sides signed a MoU that aims to institutionalise the collaborative administration of contractual employment of Indian workers in UAE.

Under this MoU, both sides will work to integrate their labour related e-platforms for ending the existing malpractices, combat trafficking and organise collaborative programmes for education and awareness of contractual workers.

A MoU for technical cooperation in the rail sector was also signed between Ministry of Railways of India and the Federal Transport Authority - Land and Maritime - of the UAE. This aims at cooperation in the infrastructure sector, especially railways and will facilitate the development of joint projects, knowledge sharing, joint research and technology transfer.

It envisages the formation of a joint working group for institutionalising the cooperation mechanism.

To deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of finance, an MoU between the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) was signed. It aims at enhancing cooperation between both the countries in the financial services industry.

The MoU envisages information exchange, exchange of experts and training for the mutual benefit of both the countries. It will facilitate investment in financial markets by investors from both the countries.

A separate MoU was also signed between the Jammu and Kashmir government and DP World to establish multi-modal logistics park and hub in Jammu comprising warehouses and specialised storage solutions.

During the delegation-level talks, the issues of security, investment and people-to-people ties figured, it is learned.

While the UAE is one of the largest suppliers of crude oil to India, it is also the 10th largest investor in India in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) having invested an estimated $8 billion.

As of 2016-17, India-UAE trade stood at around $52 billion, making India the largest trading partner of the UAE, while the Gulf nation is the fourth largest trading partner of India.

On Sunday, Modi will meet members of the Indian community here during the course of which he will lay the foundation stone of the first Indian temple in Abu Dhabi via video linking.

Following Saturday's agreement signing ceremony, members of the temple committee met both Modi and the Crown Prince and presented literature related to the religious project.

After laying the foundation stone on Sunday, Modi will travel to Dubai where he will deliver the keynote address at the Sixth World Government Summit, in which India is the guest of honour country this year.

Modi arrived here on Saturday evening on the second leg of his three-nation tour to West Asia and the Gulf.

He was personally received by the Crown Prince at the airport here and was accorded a ceremonial welcome.

This is Modi's second visit to the UAE, home to over three million expatriate Indians, after his visit in 2015, which was the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 34 years.

Earlier on Saturday, he visited Palestine in what was the first ever prime ministerial visit from India there.

After completing his engagements in Dubai on Sunday, Modi will leave for Oman on the third and last leg of his tour.
North Korea's delegation sent to the Winter Olympics held "frank and candid" talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the North Korean news agency said on Sunday, but it made no mention of the North's invitation to Moon to Pyongyang for a summit. The delegation, the highest-ranking to visit the South and led by the younger sister of the North's leader Kim Jong Un, concludes its visit on Sunday after charming and intriguing the South Korean public, but still faces deep scepticism over Pyongyang's sincerity towards improving relations. Any summit ...
President Donald Trump decried lives being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation at the end of a week that saw the departure of two White House aides amid accusations of domestic violence. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone, Trump tweeted. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process? Although Trump didnt specify to whom he was referring, the tweet followed remarks the president made on Friday, when asked about the departure of White House staff secretary Rob Porter, who resigned ...

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A short film has been released to encourage women to stand up to their stalkers and attackers.

Based on the accounts of a Chandigarh girl, who stood up against her attackers, the film has been released as a part of a campaign run by Population Foundation of India on ending violence against women.

The film is titled 'Bas Ab Bahut Ho Gaya - Enough is Enough!' and tells the story of Varnika Kundu who despite all offs stood up to her alleged sexual attackers and voiced her opinions on the subject matter.

Based in Chandigarh, Varnika's alleged stalkers were from an influential background and the film relays her fight against the patriarchy.

Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, Population Foundation of India said, "It is deeply saddening and regressive that the character of women who are out late at night is questioned. We need more women like Varnika but we definitely need more parents like hers who don't just fight against violence but also against the stigma that society associates with victims and survivors. The fact that Varnika was subjected to political pressure apart from societal pressure points to the challenges that girls and women face even today across the country".

This short film is a part of a series of films being released digitally to generate debate and promote positive change in cultural and social norms around the value of women in India.

Various celebrities have joined this campaign to relay messages that motivate young girls to stand up against violence, and show boys that violence is not a sign of masculinity.

A concert titled 'Lalkaar' was held in Mumbai in November 2017 as a part of this campaign, which witnessed performances by Farhan Akhtar, Salim-Sulaiman, Armaan Malik, Prakriti- Sukriti, Harshdeep Kaur, and Papon among others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board's (AIMPLB) member on Sunday informed that the committee has decided to remove Moulana Salman Hasni Nadvi's from the board.

"The board reiterated its uncompromising stand on Babri Masjid issue. Salman Nadvi is still speaking against the Board stand. So the board was left with no other option. The committee has unanimously decided to remove him," said Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, AIMPLB member.

Earlier, AIMPLB Chairman Zafayb Jilani had said they have handed over the Nadvi case to the committee.

Sunday is the last day of the plenary meeting and will end after the big public meet in the evening.

Earlier, talking to the media, Nadvi had threatened to remove Jilani from Sunni Waqf Board's lawyer.

Jilani, to this, said, "He can do whatever he wants. We have been fighting since 1986, the time when he (Nadvi) was not included in the fight (Babri Masjid)."

On February 9, Maulana Salman Husaini Nadvi spoke to ANI about his meeting with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar where he extended support to the construction of Ram temple and said that their priority is to join hearts of people.

He also hinted at an out of court settlement by saying, "The courts do not join people's heart as the verdict is always in favour of one and against the other."

Referring to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's issue, Jilani said howeber said that they cannot give the mosque to anyone.

The Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute is a century-old issue between Hindus and Muslims over a piece of land, which is claimed by the former to be the birthplace of Hindu Lord Ram and thus entitled for construction of a Ram Temple.

The Babri Masjid, built in 1528-29 CE, was demolished by Hindu Karsevaks on December 6, 1992 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, which caused massive riots across the country.

The case is now pending in the Supreme Court.

On Thursday, the three-judge Supreme Court bench fixed March 14 as the next date of hearing in Ayodhya case as some of the documents and translations were yet to be filed before the apex court.

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Akshay Kumar attended Honda Safety India at Auto Expo in Greater Noida, on Sunday.

Speaking on his association with Honda, Akshay told ANI, "I have been with Honda for 6 years. Honda is a global name. Everybody knows about Honda".

He addressed Honda as "sasta, majboot, tikau".

Minoru Kato, President and CEO, Honda 2 Wheerlers India, added, "Basically we want to concentrate to maximize customer satisfaction in India".

He added that Honda considers India to have a big potential for further growth of their brand. He confirmed the company's intention to increase further and launch more products in the country.

Honda has launched Honda Activa 5G and a brand new range of their favourite, Blade bike.

Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing Honda 2 Wheelers India, told ANI, "Blade's new look signifies agile styling and aggressive nature. The whole outlook is remodeled with robotic headlights and such".

Guleria further noted that nobody could have marketed the product better that Akshay Kumar as he is the original 'Khiladi' of Bollywood.

On their safety riding activity, Guleria added, "As Akshay is working in many social message oriented films, in the same way, Honda is trying to convey the message of safety through the event".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An army jawan was critically injured after being shot at allegedly by a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Madhya Pradesh's Morena on Sunday.

Jawan Anshu Tomar's friend, who was on the spot at the time of the incident, has accused Nitu Tomar of shooting the former.

The reason behind the attack is said to be an old dispute.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepali acting Diaspora is all set to get a Bollywood experience.

Despite the prevailing diversities, a group of 20 actors from Nepal is all set to visit India for about three weeks to gather knowledge about the acting and related aspects of Bollywood.

The actors represent various backgrounds - theaters, linguistic films, big movies and such, also known as 'Kollywood', Nepal's own version of the film industry.

Sabina Gopal, a renowned theatre artist to visit India, told ANI, "I am very excited that I will gain more knowledge about acting skills. I am very much confident that my new learning will help my career".

During the experience, the participants will receive rigorous training in acting. The participants will also get an opportunity to interact with a string of leading Bollywood celebrities.

Sayam Puri, a well known Nepali actor shared his excitement with ANI, "I think it's going to enhance us in every possible way - would it be acting or direct delivery or other things".

The selected group will visit the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) at Pune. The visit will be a 20-day affair starting from February 12 and move on to consequential Bollywood locations like The Film City of India, Mumbai among others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and Oman signed eight Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs), including pacts on tourism and military cooperation.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's last destination of his four-nation tour, the MoUs signed during the visit to Oman's Muscat were:

1) Agreement on legal and judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters.

2) Agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, service and official passports.

3) MoU on cooperation in the field of Health.

4) MoU for cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

5) MoU on cooperation between Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and Oman Diplomatic Institute.

6) MoU on academic and scholarly cooperation sectors between Defence College, Sultanate of Oman and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

7) MoU in the field of Tourism Cooperation between India and Oman.

8) Annexure to the MoU on Military Cooperation.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Muscat on Sunday.

On his arrival, the Prime Minister received a ceremonial reception at the Royal Airport by Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said, the Deputy Prime Minister for Council of Ministers of Oman.

Prime Minister Modi will return to India on February 12.

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Treading lightly on Tanna We go on a new ecotourism adventure tour in North Tanna
India on Saturday signed the first concessional agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the oil sector.

"The single most important agreement that was signed and which reflects a change in our energy relationship with the UAE was the one signed between a consortium of the Indian oil companies and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for the acquisition of 10% participating interest in the offshore Lower Zakum Concession," said Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri in a media briefing.

The Ambassador underscored that this is the first time ever that the Indian Consortium has received concession in the Gulf.

"It is the first concessional agreement which has been signed between ADNOC and India which will be for 40 years from 2018 to 2057," Ambassador Suri said.

The Ambassador also used the occasion to emphasis that the UAE's Etihad Railways is looking for a major expansion plan and that they are looking forward to India as their partner.

In a bid to consolidate the financial architecture, India and the UAE will sign two more agreements in upcoming days.

Ambassador Suri explained the currency agreement, according to which the businesses between the two countries will be executed directly in the Indian rupee and Emirati dirham (AED).

Furthermore, the Ambassador underscored another agreement wherein the Financial Intelligence Units of the two countries will function in cooperation to prevent money laundering.

In terms of education, Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Ahemdabad will expand its campus overseas in the UAE and Manipal University has announced

Manipal Insitute announced to open its first medical college in Dubai.

Briefing the press about the migration to the UAE, the Ambassador stated that, "We want to integrate our e-migrate system with the UAE. People visit here on tourist visa and then take up a job. If they come by e-migrate we'll have their details. We're trying to integrate with their labor laws so that contract is acceptable to them too."

In total, India and the UAE have signed five MoUs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Several guest lecturers, including women, got their head tonsured as a mark to protest against the state government in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal on Sunday.

The guest lecturers gathered to protest against the failure of the state government to regularise their jobs.

"We don't have any option rather than tonsuring our heads. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is not listening to our demands," said one of the lecturers who got her head tonsured.

Earlier in January, demanding equal pay for equal work, contractual male and female teachers in Madhya Pradesh shaved their heads as a mark of protest.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 13-year-old girl in Sustani village of Madhya Pradesh was burnt alive for trying to resist rape.

In a horrifying incident that took place on Friday, the accused tried to rape the minor on finding her alone at home. Enraged at the victim's cries of protest, he silenced her by burning her alive by pouring kerosene.

Thereafter, the culprit fled from the spot.

The victim was admitted in the district hospital on Saturday night, where the doctors said that 50 percent of her body sustained burn injuries. After a primary treatment, she was referred to Bhopal.

A complaint has been registered with Rajgarh Police, and a three-member team has been formed to nab the culprit, SDOP Shambhu Singh Ahirwal informed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of 20 actors from Nepal will visit India for a 20-day course, commencing from February 12, at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune.

The participants, hailing from different regions of Nepal, have been shortlisted on the basis of their performances and accomplishments in films and theatre.

"I am very excited and I know that I will grow by learning more acting skills and I am confident that I can learn a lot many things about acting. It will help my career as well," One of the renowned theater artists in Nepal Sabina Gopali told ANI.

The course is commencing on February 12 and is scheduled to finish on March 3.

During the course, the participants will receive rigorous training in acting, through rasa theory, sense memory, improvisation, scene-work and lip sync playback, the officials at the Indian Embassy informed.

Apart from training, the participants will also get an opportunity to interact with the leading Bollywood stars.

"The teacher, the faculty of FTII and the way this program is designed for us, I think it's going to help us grow in every possible way, be it acting or direct delivery or other things," well known actor in Nepali film industry Samyam Puri said.

The course entails contemporary dance workshops and yoga classes.

The FTII, Pune, established in 1960, is a premier film training institute of India and boasts of a rich legacy in quality Indian cinema.

The FTII is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India.

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A Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) senator on Friday targeted a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) senator, with a sexist remark about her wearing a saree, during a session.

According to The Dawn, Nasreen Jalil, the MQM senator was wearing a saree and was chairing a session on the Senate's Functional Committee on Human Rights when Mufti Abdul Sattar, the JUI-F senator, criticised her for wearing a saree and said that an "able and intellectual" woman like her should have an "appearance like Muslims".

"It is mandatory in Islam for women to cover all parts of their body except the face, hands, and feet," said Sattar.

"God has raised you to this status, you should become a role model for other women. What message will it send when the footage [of this meeting] is aired on TV?," he added.

At this, Jalil, a seasoned politician, reminded the senator that she was a 74-year-old lady who recently "dodged death" and asked him as to what, in his opinion, was the suitable way for a woman such as her to dress.

Twitterati came to life with the hastag #Saree and took a jibe at the senator who made the remark on the woman senator.

A user tweeted, "In this age of political correctness, the saree is the only Equal Opportunity Garment. Whether young or old, white or black, tall or short, fat or thin, the saree suits every woman!"

Another user wrote on Twitter, "That is another bizarre argument that people objecting Muslim women can't wear Saree. Why can't we?

Why all kinds of sicknesses only emerge from Pakistan? I am a Sindhi woman and I proudly wear #Saree More power to #NasreenJalil and all those who wear Saree"

Another one wrote on the micro-blogging site, "#Saree is a beautiful & an elegant dress. And how a woman dresses is no way allowing men to object, men can pick up their god, divine misogyny, religion, all the shit, pack it up in a bag and fuck off. This is 21st century.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a keynote address at the inauguration of the Government Summit here on Sunday.

Prior to the address, a Bharatnatyam performance was held.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi his Kyrgyz counterpart Sapar Isakov. He also held a meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) business leaders. He also called on the Vice President, Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

While addressing the Indian community at the Dubai Opera House earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi thanked the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for allowing India to construct the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Temple.

Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the BAPS Temple project via video conferencing.

The sprawling temple, spread over an area of 55,000 square meters will be located off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway at Al-Rahaba, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri told ANI.

The Prime Minister also paid tribute to the Emirati soldiers at Wahat Al Karama memorial in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. He was accompanied by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and other officials.

On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Modi arrived in the UAE after completing a successful historic visit in Palestine.

India and the UAE on Saturday signed five Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi. Also, the Crown Prince hosted Prime Minister Modi for a dinner meeting at the palace.

Foreign Secretary Vijay K. Gokhale said that the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi had described Prime Minister Modi as a friend.

After the events, the Prime Minister will leave for Oman, which is his last-leg of the four-nation Middle East tour and will return back to New Delhi on Monday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the Emirati soldiers at the Wahat Al Karama memorial here on Sunday.

Raveesh Kumar, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs wrote in Twitter, "Inspiring way to begin another hectic day! PM @narendramodi paid tributes to brave soldiers of UAE who made ultimate sacrifice in the service of UAE at Wahat Al Karama, "Oasis of Dignity"! in Abu Dhabi, #MarhabaNamaste"

The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and other United Arab Emirates' Government officials.

On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Modi arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after completing a successful historic visit in Palestine.

India and the UAE on Saturday signed five Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi.

Also, the Crown Prince hosted Prime Minister Modi for a dinner meeting at the palace. The Prime Minister was the first foreign leader to be invited to the palace by the Crown Prince.

Foreign Secretary Vijay K. Gokhale said that the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a friend.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to leave for Oman later in the day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prominent Pakistani senior lawyer and human rights activist, Asma Jahangir, passed away at the age of 66 here on Sunday.

The cause of her death has not been confirmed yet, but according to media reports, it was due to cardiac arrest.

Born in Lahore in Pakistan on January 27, 1952, she held LLB degree from Punjab University. In 1980, she was called to the Lahore High Court and to the Pakistan Supreme Court in 1982. She later went on to become the first woman to serve as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, The Dawn reported.

Jahangir had participated in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy and protested against former Pakistan President Zia-ul-Haq's oppressive military rule. She was arrested and jailed in 1983.

She was the co-founder of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Women's Action Forum.

Jahangir was also active in the 2007 Lawyers' Movement, for which she was put under house arrest.

In 2007, the renowned activist was put under house arrest, when she agitated along with lawyers in response to the former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf's decision of unconstitutionally suspending Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court.

She has received several awards, including a Hilal-i-Imtiaz and a Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2010.

She was also awarded a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights and an Officier de la Legion d'honneur by France.

Jahangir is also a recipient of the 2010 Freedom Award and 2014 Right Livelihood Award.

Many people took to Twitter and paid tribute to the prominent activist.

A user tweeted, "Hearing a really bad news about Asma Jahangir Sahiba and praying it isn't true."

"What a tragic day for Pakistan today. We lost a brave, fearless voice. She stood against dictators, she raised voices for those who did not have them. An irreplaceable loss. Irreplaceable. #RestinPeace #AsmaJahangir", wrote another user on Twitter.

Bakhtawar Zardari, the daughter of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto took to the micro-blogging site, "Shocked to hear @Asma_Jahangir passed away. Huge loss for us, for #Pakistan. She was courageous, fearless, invincible. In absolute disbelief. Please pray for her & her family."

Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of former Pakistan President, Nawaz Sharif, wrote on Twitter. "Democracy, human rights and resistance against oppression lost a great soldier- Asma Jehangir. It's everyone's loss. What a sad day!".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 'red alert' was sounded on Sunday at the Punjab-Jammu and Kashmir border in the wake of the terror attack at Sunjwan army camp.

A special checking was raised at Madhopur entry point from Punjab to the Valley.

"The Punjab police were put on alert and checking of vehicles is also going on since morning for the safety of the people," said Punjab Police officer on duty Satish Choudhary.

He added that they were also put a tight vigil on suspicious people.

The Sunjwan army camp in Jammu and Kashmir was attacked by the terrorists in the wee hours of Saturday, in which Subedar Madan Lal Choudhary and Subedar Mohd Ashraf Mir were killed and four others were injured, including a civilian.

The army was able to neutralise three terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the ongoing operation at Sunjwan army camp.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reflecting as a critical symbol in the battle for territory between the government and Maoists, the road construction in Kondasawli, the Jungle border area of Chhattisgarh's Sukma and Dantewada, will prove to be a last nail in the coffin of Naxalism.

The border, which touches Sukma and Dantewada, is seen as the worst Naxal affected area in the state.

According to the officials, it is believed that after construction of this particular road, the way to destroy naxals will be smooth.

Kondasawli falls around three km behind Sukma's Jagargonda area which was considered the world's second biggest tamarind market 15 years ago.

With the construction of this road, more than 24 villages and 15,000 people will receive the benefit.

It is said, that after the infamous Salwa Judum campaign in 2006 the road was closed. That time the area was dominated by the Naxals who destroyed the roads and blocked any sort of passage.

Earlier, many soldiers lost their lives in Dantewada's Aranpur.

From Aranpur to Jagargonda, several Improvised explosive device (IED) bombs and spike bombs were recovered in this particular patch.

The Chhattisgarh police, District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) are monitoring this project of road construction.

The area is covered with dense forests which is considered isolated and as the most terrorised area in Chhattisgarh.

Amid the ongoing construction process, the collector and the Superintendent of police (SP) spend two alternate nights to keep an eye.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camps have been deployed at each point and dog squad scans the road first before giving the green light for the construction to be pushed further.

Speaking to ANI, SP, Kamlochan Kashyap said, "We do not see this construction process as a hard task, although it was a core area of the naxals. We are moving forward steadily and till now we have not faced any difficulties. We will first connect Dantewada to Jagargonda from where the road will open to Sukma's Dornapal. It will eventually connect Bijapur's Basaguda and directly to Telangana".

He added that the troops of CRPF, district administration, state police and other concerned departments are working jointly on it.

"With the pace we are moving, I believe we will reach Jagargonda by the month of June this year," Kashyap stated.

The road will cover a distance of 30 km from Aranpur to Jagargonda, from Bijapur's Basaguda to Jagargonda in 49 km and from Sukma's Dornapal to Jagargonda in 58 km.

"This road construction is being done under a tight security. We will be able to provide basic amenities like hospital, electricity and water to people with this road, to around four to five villages. In the end we will win over Naxalism. Every family in this area will be able to access their basic rights they deserve," Collector, Saurabh Kumar told ANI.

According to the police, the route to Telangana will become easier after this construction.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A pregnant woman, who was injured in an attack by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists on the family quarters at the Sunjuwan military camp in Jammu, delivered a baby girl in the hospital.

The army doctors managed to save the life of the injured woman, who got into labour after receiving gunshots in the terror attack, helped her deliver a healthy baby through c-section on Saturday night.

"I am very thankful to them for saving me and my baby," said the woman.

The army doctor who conducted the operation said, "This wasn't a routine case. As a gynaecologist, it is always our motto that mother should come alone and go with a healthy baby in her lap. It's a very joyful moment for my hospital and our team. The Patient is really happy."

Speaking to ANI, the hospital commandant said that the case was challenging, but he was extremely happy and proud with the response his team has delivered.

"Yesterday evening, amid all other injury cases, there was a challenging case in which a lady in her advance pregnancy stage came with a gunshot wound. Am extremely happy and proud that my team took care of both and brought into this world a healthy crying female child," he added.

On Saturday, JeM terrorists attacked an army camp in Sunjwan area killing five security personnel and one civilian.

In addition, ten people were injured including the pregnant woman.

In the search operation thereafter, four terrorists were neutralised by the security forces.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday arrived in Srinagar and reviewed the security situation, a day after terrorists attacked the Sunjwan army camp.

The army chief was also briefed about the attack by the senior commanders.

In the attack, five security personnel and one civilian lost their lives.

The Army has successfully neutralised four Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists in the ongoing operation.

The state Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh lashed out at Pakistan and called the attack an "act of cowardice".

He further informed that the Army was taking precaution in cordoning the area as there were family quarters around the camp.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Sunday lashed out at Pakistan over the recent Sunjwan Army Camp attack.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "It's a condemnable act. This shows the cowardice of Pakistan who can't face India directly and sends its people to attack civilians here."

He further said that the Army is taking precaution in cordoning the area as there are family quarters around the camp.

The Sunjwan army camp in Jammu and Kashmir was attacked by the terrorists in the wee hours of Saturday killing two junior commissioned officers and injuring four others, including a civilian.

The Army later in the day successfully neutralised three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists in the ongoing operation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Sunday said they will not hesitate in breaking the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) if their demands are not met.

"Now it's not about political alliance or anything else. It's about getting rightfully what is due to the people of Andhra Pradesh. If snapping is what is required, we are ready to go to that extent also", Guntur MP Jayadev Galla told ANI.

"We have raised our voices in the Parliament and will keep on pressurising them till March 5. The BJP will have to give an action plan with time limit. There are five items which we consider as priority for the State including Polavaram, Amaravati, Budget Deficit, Special Package in lieu of special status and railway zone,"added Galla.

Accusing the state BJP of creating confusion Galla further said, "Mr Hari Babu, BJP President, had conducted a press meet yesterday and presented a 27 page report. While the BJP is indulging in delay tactics, the State BJP is now trying to create confusion with irrelevant information."

The TDP MP further reiterated that the BJP is trying to deviate the main issue and said, "Do not confuse the general budget allocations with the special package. The state has been promised special provisions. The BJP is diverting from the real issues. There is nothing special in releasing funds which are rightfully ours. They are avoiding talking about the 19 items which are still pending to be completed and the six assurances made by the Prime Minister made in Rajya Sabha while passing the act."

Echoing similar sentiments, another TDP leader K Rammohan Naidu told ANI that his party will not tolerate being left out.

"BJP hasn't provided anything to Andhra Pradesh under special consideration. The same goes to West Bengal, Kerala and Gujarat. We protested in Parliament because our rights under reorganisation act hasn't been provided to us after bifurcation. It won't work like this," Srikakulam MP K Rammohan Naidu told ANI.

Earlier in the day, TDP MPs met the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the connection.

K Rammohan Naidu, Srikakulam MP and Galla Jayadev, Guntur MP were among other prominent leaders present in the meeting.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday had said a solution will soon be arrived upon regarding the Centre's agreement to provide special assistance to the state of Andhra Pradesh.

"Central government had agreed to give special assistance measures to Andhra Pradesh for five years. Earlier, this assistance was to be given by externally aided program. However, in month of January, the state government suggested alternative methods, and solution is likely to be finalised soon," Jaitley said in his address at the Rajya Sabha.

The topic had become a cause for rift between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally in the state Telugu Desam Party (TDP), after the Union Budget presented on February 1 did not reflect the agreement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Finance Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley released the BJP vision document, here on Sunday.

The party, looking to expand its presence in the north-east states, is working in a systematic manner, according to Jaitley.

"In Tripura, during the last Assembly elections, we had limited support in the north-east states. The BJP through an organised and planner manner, worked in every state, to garner support and importance," Jaitley said.

Jaitley also went on to say that a wave of anger runs in the state today against Communist Party of India (Marxist).

"The people of Tripura have actually revolted against the traditional political parties which dominated the state's ever since the it got the designation of a full state. A wave of anger in the form of anti-incumbency against CPI (M) is present in the state today," he added.

BJP and CPI (M) will take on each other as tough contenders for the upcoming Tripura polls slated for February 18.

The results will be declared on March 3.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
According to the latest reports, 'PadMan' has been banned in Pakistan.

It however did not go well with the Twitterati and they took the microblogging site by storm. Many women in Pakistan slammed the decision and supported the release of the film in the country.

Ammara Ahwad, a Pakistani journalist, wrote on Twitter, "Yes, Pakistani Women menstruate too. I support #Padman and menstrual hygiene. Ban on @PadManTheFilm in Pakistan is senseless. Release it now."

Another journalist, named Gharidah Farooqi, expressed her anger and said, "Against our traditions & culture" Oh well, coz women don't menstruate here... What stupid people sitting at Censor Board ! #PadMan must be allowed in Pakistan ! "

Mehr Tarar, the Pakistani columnist who sparred on Twitter with Congress' Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar, was also not left behind.

"Banning PadMan in Pakistan is another one of those illogical things that simply affect the business of cinemas in Pakistan.

Menstruation is a fact of life, and bringing it to mainstream consciousness is neither immoral nor un-Islamic," she wrote on Twitter.

Mona Alam, a journalist, lashed the Pakistan censor board's move to ban PadMan.

"Insecurity, illiteracy & double standards of #Pakistani filmmakers who're okay with dirty raunchy item numbers but consider "unislamic" to film a social awareness topic of #menstruation on #WomenEmpowerment

Censor board, ??move," she wrote on the micro-blogging site.

A Pakistani woman wrote on Twitter as well, "Banning padman in Pakistan just shows how we havent mentally progressed as a nation. Utterly disappointing."

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Government wrote on its official handle, "The decision to issue an NOC by the Ministry of Information Broadcasting National History and Literary Heritage is yet to be taken on the release of a foreign feature film "Padman" as the film has not yet been pre-viewed by the Central Board of Film Censors."

On Saturday, Pakistan's Federal Censor Board refused to gives its nod for the release of 'PadMan' saying it was against "traditions and culture of the country."

Also, the members of Punjab Film Censor Board refused to watch the film saying it was based on a "taboo subject" and outrightly rejected any clearance certificate to it.

"We can't allow the screening of films on taboo subjects in our cinemas as it is not in our culture, society or even religion," a member of the Punjab Film Censor Board stated.

'PadMan' which stars Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor in pivotal roles, was released in India on February 8. The film deals with menstrual hygiene.

The film is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Tamil Nadu who introduced low-cost sanitary pads to villages in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Miami has always been a hot favourite destination as Valentine's Day getaway.

Specifically for Indians, its sandy beaches and beached-out environment have always been a draw to celebrate the most romantic day of the year.

Here is a list put together by the Miami New Times to be included in your survival guide to impress your date in the sand city of Miami, if you are planning one!

Miami Dining Guide: While the rest of America is freezing, Miami welcomes you with sun-kissed beaches and warm environment. Cafe Roval, Palme d'Or, La Mar by Gaston Acurio, Mandolin Aegean Bistro, Cecconi's Miami Beach, Casa Tua are some of the most recommended restaurants for fine dining on Valentine's Day 2018.

Miami Sweet-treats Guide: From doughnuts, ice-creams, cookies, and sweets - Love and seduction have always been related to sweety-goodnesses. Local food experts vouch for The Salty Donut, MdoughW, Serendipity Ice Cream, and Honeybee Doughnuts.

Maimi Chocolate Guide: Nothing says 'I love you' like a box of chocolates. Cao Chocolates, Romanicos Chocolates, Le Chocolatier, Miami Beach Chocolates are some of the best chocolatiers that the beach town has to offer.

Gal-entine's Day Guide: Miami has a plethora to offer to single girls as well. Dubbed as 'Gal-entine's, the concept offers night outs, drinks specials, boozy brunches and stuff for all the single girls out there.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for allowing India to construct the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Temple.

At a gathering of the Indian community at the Dubai Opera House, Modi said, "I want to thank His Highness Crown Price on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the grand temple which will be constructed."

"I believe this temple will not be only unique in terms of architecture and splendour, but will also give a message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' to people across the world", he added.

He also praised the peaceful and harmonious environment in the Gulf region, saying it was a home-like environment for the Indian diaspora.

"I thank the Gulf countries, which provided almost 30 Lakh people from India a home-like environment, away from home. The onus on all us Indians is that we must uphold the principles of tolerance and peace. A mini India resides in UAE," Prime Minister Modi stated.

The Prime Minister was optimistic on India's recent jump in the 'Ease of Business' rankings. However, he asserted that a lot of work had to be done.

"India's jump in Bank's Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented. But we are not satisfied with this, we want to improve even more. We will do whatever it takes to achieve it," Prime Minister Modi continued.

Prime Minister Modi thanked the Indian community for attending the event in large numbers and said that he was extremely touched.

"I had a very eventful meeting in Abu Dhabi and am very touched by your rousing welcome. I assure you that we will work together to bring to reality the dreams you see, here and in India," he concluded.

Before the address, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the BAPS Temple project via video conferencing.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi paid his tributes to the Emirati soldiers at Wahat Al Karama memorial in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

He was accompanied by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and other officials.

On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Modi arrived in the UAE after completing a successful historic visit in Palestine.

India and the UAE on Saturday signed five Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi. Also, the Crown Prince hosted Prime Minister Modi for a dinner meeting at the palace.

Foreign Secretary Vijay K. Gokhale said that the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a friend.

The Prime Minister other high-level engagements include a bilateral meeting with UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and other UAE government officials. He is also scheduled to give a keynote address at the Government Summit in Dubai on Sunday, in which India is the guest of honour.

After the events, the Prime Minister will leave for Oman, which is his last-leg of the four-nation Middle East tour and will return back to New Delhi on Monday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistani forces arrested 20 militants during raids conducted in Balochistan province on Sunday, the military said.

A statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations said the paramilitary Frontier Corps carried out intelligence-based raids in Buleda, Gish Kaur, Tratha and Pishin areas, reports Xinhua news agency.

The forces also recovered arms and ammunition along with laptops, GPS and other communication equipment, the statement said.

The raids are part of the ongoing anti-terror operation "Raddul Fassad" in Balochistan which was launched in February 2017.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A total of 3,400 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines and 77 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have arrived in poll-bound Nagaland, an election official said on Sunday.

Elections to the 60-member Nagaland Assembly are slated to be held on February 27, and counting of votes will be done on March 3.

Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said the VVPAT machines will be deployed in all 2,196 polling booths across the state. It will be the first time these printer-attached voting machines will be used in Nagaland, he said.

Of the 281 companies of CAPF to ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming assembly elections, the top poll official said 77 companies have already arrived in the state and have been sent to all districts.

Sinha said the companies which have arrived are being utilised for area domination, Mobile Vehicle Check Post, and for providing environmental security.

He said the remaining 204 companies will be arriving in Nagaland after completion of the Tripura assembly elections slated for February 18, adding that the companies which have arrived are from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Railway Protection Force (RPF).

Sinha said that a section of the CAPF are also being utilised at static police check posts for checking for cash, arms, liquor and other illegal items.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The All Indian Muslim Personal Law Board on Sunday announced that Maulana Salman Hussaini Nadvi who had defied it on Babri Masjid issue is no longer its member.

On the third and final day of its 26th plenary, the AIMPB accepted Nadvi's "disassociation" from the board.

The action against Nadvi, a member of the board's executive committee, came on the proposal of a four-member committee. Board Secretary Zafaryab Jilani told reporters that the committee's proposal was accepted unanimously at the general body meeting.

Nadvi, an eminent cleric, had triggered a row on the eve of the plenary by mooting a proposal after his meeting with Sri Sri Ravishankar that the disputed land in Ayodhya, where Babri Masjid stood till December 1992, may be handed over for construction of Ram temple.

Jilani, a member of Babri Masjid committee of the board, said Nadvi's proposal was against the consistent stand of the board that the land of mosque can never be sold, gifted or exchanged and that the matter should be decided by the Supreme Court.

Nadvi had attended the executive committee meeting on Friday night and some members demanded action against him for speaking publicly against the board's stand. Jilani said Nadvi was given an opportunity to clarify but he stood by his stand.

The next day he did not attend the plenary and in an interview, reiterated his proposal and made allegations against the board. He also announced that he will form a separate body.

Asked why no action was taken against Vice President Maulana Kalbe Sadiq for mooting a similar proposal last year, the board leaders said he had retracted his statement.

Jilani said the board had not authorized any of its members to meet Ravishankar or any other Hindu religious leader for talks on Ayodhya dispute. He said some members may have met them in their personal capacity. "I also met him (Ravishankar) in 2002 and asked him to send proposal for resolution of the issue to the board president and general secretary but he did not send any proposal," he said.

Jilani said the board in its Lucknow meeting in April last year clearly stated that there is no possibility of any settlement through negotiations and the issue should be decided by the Supreme Court.

Jilani said Haji Mahboob, a petitioner in Ayodhya case met Ravishankar but he did not favour surrendering Babri Masjid land.

Executive committee member Kalam Faruqui denied that he met Ravishankar in Delhi last year.

Board secretary Moulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said that all Islamic schools of thought are unanimous that the land on which a mosque is built can't be given for temple or for any other purpose and that it remains mosque for eternity.

He said some people in Hanbali sect are of the opinion that if an area is deserted and 'namaz' is not being offered in a mosque, it will not remain a mosque. "There are 5,000 Muslims in Ayodhya and namaz was offered in Babri Masjid till the night when some people kept idols there," he said.

--IANS

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Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi has asked the law enforcing agencies to help stop incidents of poaching of rhinos in the state's Kaziranga National Park.

Mukhi, who chaired a law and order review meeting on Saturday, also reviewed the situation in Assam's Golaghat district and asked the law enforcing agencies to be on their toes to thwart the recurrence of any inter-state border issue.

The Governor said Assam has earned its name and fame worldwide because of the Kaziranga National Park and its one-horned rhinoceros.

"Indiscriminate killing of the rhinos by the poachers is not only an attack on the creature, it is an attack on the pride of the state," said Mukhi, adding that although incidents of poaching over the months have reduced drastically, the security agencies must be on their toes to foil any nefarious design to harm the rhinos.

Mukhi also asked the district Superintendent of Police to ensure complete harmony along the boundary areas that the district shares with the other states.

He also hailed the efforts of the security forces that are on duty in the district for maintaining peace and normalcy.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Sunday met his Myanmar counterpart and de facto leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi here, a day after his visit to refugee camps in east Bangladesh sheltering around 690,000 Rohingya refugees.

In a statement ahead of the visit, the British Foreign Secretary said he would be "talking to State Counsellor Suu Kyi and other regional leaders about how we can work together to resolve this appalling crisis", reports Efe news.

On Saturday, Johnson visited Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh to hear first hand accounts of suffering by the members of the mostly Muslim minority at the hands of Myanmar security forces.

He described the current situation as "one of the most shocking humanitarian disasters of our time" and said his aim was to achieve a "safe, dignified return" for the Rohingya refugees.

Human rights organisations have documented widespread abuse by the Myanmar Army against the Rohingya, including murders and rapes, during its military campaign against the minority, which the UN has described as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".

The Myanmar Army denies the allegations, although in January it admitted to a case of extrajudicial killings of Rohingya, who were buried in a mass grave in Rakhine state where the minority has been living for centuries.

In November, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees by the end of January, but Dhaka suspended it at the last minute.

Members of the mostly Muslim minority community are not recognized by Myanmar's authorities, who consider them Bengali migrants and refuse to grant them citizenship.

--IANS

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Veteran actor Michael Douglas' son has Cameron has praised him and stepmother and actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, grandfather Kirk for their support when he was in jail.

Cameron, whose mother is Michael's first wife Diandra, was jailed for drug possession in 2010 and released in 2016. He is thankful that his family never gave up on him, even when he had his sentence almost doubled in 2011 after he was found trying to sell prescription pills to other inmates, reports dailymail.co.uk.

He said: "My family never gave up on me, not for one second. Catherine is a scrapper, she is someone who came from Wales and clawed her way up to the very top through sheer talent and determination.

"She never gives up on anything and she didn't quit on me. The love of my family got me through my darkest days," he added.

Cameron, 39, was also visited by Zeta-Jones and Michael's children, Dylan, 17, and Carys, 14, on a regular basis so they could see the reality of his situation.

It Runs In the Family' actor said: "She didn't want to sugar-coat what I was going through. I made mistakes and there were consequences. The kids barely could remember me outside a jail setting."

Kirk, who is now 101-year-old, also visited him at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, until he grew too frail to travel. After that he would send "at least two letters a month" to remind him he was "not forgotten".

Cameron said of Kirk: "Grandpa came and he wore shades the whole time, like a proper Hollywood star. He asked me, 'How many fights have you be in - and are you winning?' He's from tough stock."

But though he was thankful for his family's support, Cameron admits his famous name didn't help him behind bars.

He said: "If anything it put a target on my back. Celebrity means nothing inside. I found people I wanted to hang out with and they had my back and I had theirs. I have kept in touch with some of those guys. When you go through things in jail it bonds you in a way a war bonds men together."

The 'It Runs In the Family' actor is now clean and sober and has a daughter, Lua Izzy, with his girlfriend Viviane Thibes.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reeling under a financial crunch, a local committee of the CPI-M in East Burdwan district of West Bengal -- earlier known as the party's stronghold during the Left Front rule -- has leased out a party office building to meet its expenses.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist, leading the Left Front, was voted out of power in West Bengal in 2011, ending its 34-year rule in the state.

"We have two offices at a short distance from each other. We are facing difficulties to maintain the two assets and also to meet our (party) expenses. That is why we have taken a unanimous decision to rent out the office building for Rs 15,000 per month," a CPI-M leader in Guskara area of Ausgram Assembly constituency said.

The local committee's operation will be run from the zonal office, which is not far from the local committee office, he said.

The building -- Rabin Sen Bhawan -- was inaugurated on May 1, 1999 and funds for its construction were mobilised by local committee members.

The leased property is now undergoing renovation by the lessee, who has since removed photographs of Marxist icons put up in the CPI-M office.

When Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress stormed to power in 2011, the Left had retained the Ausgram seat though the Trinamool wrested it in 2016 elections.

--IANS

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The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the apex body of Indian Muslims, on Sunday accused the present government of making attempts to break its unity.

The AIMPLB at its 26th plenary, which concluded here on Sunday, said the government and some individuals with vested interests were trying to breaking the unity of the board.

"The Board is fully aware of the attempts of the present-day government and some individuals with their vested interests to break this unity to the detriment of the entire community. It shall be our endeavour not to allow these unscrupulous deeds of some vested interests to destroy this unity," said the Hyderabad Declaration passed by the three-day meet.

The declaration did not name anybody but the remarks assumed significance in the wake of executive member of the board Maulana Salman Hussaini Nadvi openly defying the board.

Nadvi, on the eve of the plenary, mooted a formula that the land of demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya should be given for construction of Ram temple. He went against the board's stand that the mosque land can never be sold, gifted or exchanged.

The plenary on the first day pulled up the cleric and decided to take action against him. The next day, Nadvi said he would not remain in the board. The board on Sunday unanimously decided to accept Nadvi's "disassociation".

At a massive public meeting organised by the board on Sunday night, the board leaders underlined the need for maintaining unity and targeted Nadvi without naming him.

The board in its declaration noted that it is a united platform of all the Muslims created for the protection of Shariah laws and to bring unity among the Muslims. "Unity among the Muslims is the best shield which should be protected at all costs," it said.

They said that need of the hour for the Muslims to close ranks and to have utmost confidence in the board. "All the unanimous decisions of the Board should be graciously accepted with open heart and each one of the Muslims should be ready for greater sacrifice for our endeavour," it added.

The board alleged that deliberate attempts are being made to sow the seeds of dissension and discord among Muslims by bringing to the fore such problems and issues which can create rift among various sections of the society and schools of thoughts.

It also called for removing misconceptions and misunderstanding about Islam and for explaining that Shariah laws are for welfare of the mankind.

--IANS

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Surrounded by a cluster of coconut trees and at a stone's throw from the tomb of 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan in this town near Mysuru, Darul Umoor at first glance looks like a farmhouse. But inside, it is a unique coming together of science and spirit, imparting scientific knowledge and nurturing multiple skills and abilities while promoting Islamic knowledge for a holistic view of life.

Turning madrassa graduates into change agents of society, Darul Umoor -- The Tipu Sultan Advanced Study and Research Centre -- is known as one of the first institutions to train madrassa graduates in modern subjects like management, history, biology, physics, chemistry, banking, personality development and leadership skills, along with knowledge of computers and English language. It offers an intensive one-year course with the help of a number of experts and retired professors in their fields.

Every year thousands of students graduate from a large number of madrassas across India, but critics say they only have religious knowledge, imbibe fundamentalism and don't have a grip on modern subjects. Darul Umoor is trying to fill this knowledge and perception gap.

Abdul Rahman Kamaruddin, general secretary of Darul Umoor, says the one-year programme is aimed at creating a well-informed, scientifically-oriented professional cadre to serve the community and the nation.

"Our dream is to train ulema (Muslim scholars having specialist knowledge of Islamic sacred law and theology) to take up both scientific and administrative positions and also act as community leaders specialised in not only religious subjects but in other subjects as well," Kamaruddin, who worked as an adviser to Unesco and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), told IANS.

"They will also act as community leaders to guide and support the educational and economic development of the neighbourhood and strive at giving the right perspective of Islam and opportunities available in the country," he added.

According to Kamaruddin, Tipu Sultan believed that all his staff should have good training in worldly affairs as well as religion, and Darul Umoor is a reflection of that thinking.

Without any public donation, the institution is run through the good offices of Bangalore-based philanthropist Ziaulla Sheriff. Students don't have to pay anything for tuition or the mess because everything is free and they also get a scholarship of Rs 1,000 per month.

Mohammad Hazique Nadvi, academic director of Darul Umoor, argues that its graduates are seen as leaders and guides in the community and some of them even play that role.

He says that, in the beginning, some clerics doubted the style of Darul Umoor's functioning because they were concerned that whatever they taught their students in seven to eight years would be washed away by this new institution.

"But due to the continuous guidance of a number of notable clerics, the institution has earned a good reputation across all schools of thoughts in the community."

Every year, about 30 students are selected through a written test and interview. These students come from the top madrassas of the country and also a few from Nepal. Their daily journey starts with the dawn prayer followed by a warm-up exercise. Then, as part of their routine, they teach moral science and Urdu to children in a nearby government school.

After breakfast, the first academic session starts with newspaper analysis and study of contemporary issues, followed by a lecture series on comparative religion, history, science and the English language. The afternoon session, of two hours, is for computers and information technology.

After sunset, students practise computer lessons, visit the campus library, prepare for seminars and finish their assignments.

Thursday is kept for field work, which includes a tour of slums, hospitals and sometimes centres of other religions.

The institution also provided space to M Power, an IT company in Bangalore, for professional training to newcomers in the IT sector. The company used the campus and facilities of Darul Umoor and trained about 100 IT professionals in five batches. One batch has to be trained for three months. They have separate classrooms and training, but each IT graduate has to befriend one madrassa student, which helps in further enhancing their knowledge about society, language, culture and

Darul Umoor also focuses on training its students to be good public speakers. Kamaruddin says that there are over 300,000 mosques in India where about 70 to 80 million Muslims go for Friday prayer as "united captive audience" to listen to the sermon.

Kamaruddin says that so far more than 370 scholars have been trained by Darul Umoor and are spread all over the country and abroad, and are making significant contributions both in their work and in social services.

"They are working in various capacities like professors, teachers, IT professionals, journalists and so on, in addition to becoming eminent religious scholars and teachers of Islam," Hazique adds.

Mohammad Athar is one of those who graduated from Darul Umoor in 2006 and is now teaching in MES Indian School in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

"Darul Umoor equipped me with broader thinking and imagination and also gave me a lot of confidence," said Athar, who graduated from the prestigious Darul Uloom Deoband.

"Apart from learning subjects like computer, accountancy, management, history, banking and website designing, it was a platform for me where I learned how to talk to people and how to address people in a big gathering confidently," he added.

Kamaruddin says that to achieve the aim of Darul Umoor, more such institutions should be started all over the country.

Hazique is hopeful that sooner or later, more madrassas will adopt the path of Darul Umoor. About 10 madrassas in the country are already doing so.

According to Kamaruddin, their goal is to establish an international university -- Tipu Sultan University -- to impart knowledge as an integrated presentation of scientific and spiritual learning.

"It is yet to take off fully. However, the nucleus of the Tipu Sultan University has been planned at Srirangapatna," Kamaruddin said.

(The weekly feature series is part of a positive-journalism project of IANS and the Frank Islam Foundation. Abu Zafar can be contacted at abuzafar@journalist.com)

--IANS

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Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan says he is tired of complaining about governmental inaction, and wants to recraft the polity.

"On February 21, 2018, as I embark on my political journey, I am announcing a plan to adopt one village in every district of Tamil Nadu with the vision and aspiration for them to be 'the best villages ever in India and later why not in the world'," Haasan said in his key note address at the annual Indian conference of Harvard University on Sunday.

"An exemplar of sorts for my state and country. These villages will be planned with an intention to be holistically sustainable, economically, ecologically, sociologically, technologically, and high on education, skills and health. All key faculties for a healthy society... I truly believe that a strong Tamil Nadu augurs well for a strong India."

The actor also said that he is practical and wants to start his journey by taking a "single step".

"Therefore, as a first measure we will take one village and re-imagine it for excellence. Later, we will scale it across the state. Let's re-imagine our villages, let's re-imagine society and let's leave a lasting impact on Tamil Nadu and India for posterity."

The father of two invited "all Indians and even global citizens" to contribute to this idea.

"Being a Tamilian is not a prerequisite or a condition, but as I have often said is merely a postal code."

With his political move, he is seeking "something more valuable than money".

"Your ideas, imagination and intellect to re-imagine our villages, your time and participation in pursuit of excellence. My political campaign begins here with the aspiration of forming a brain trust with my Tamil women and men here at Harvard."

Reflecting on his political aspirations, the "Vishwaroopam" star said: "I have embarked on a journey towards electoral I used to mimic the wary intelligentsia that looked down with disdain at electoral and later through learning and kind tutoring understood that need not be something below us.

"On the contrary it can and should be a civic duty. A duty that we have neglected and hence, are suffering its atrophying consequences. I am fed up of complaining about governmental inaction. Demanding good governance is my right and no government need take umbrage.

"This address is only a preamble, a primer for that dialogue that I want to have with my people. I am actually rehearsing it with vibrant minds, hopefully kind critics and partners in attendance here. Help me help Tamil Nadu."

He called himself a medium -- "a tool offered for your use, sharpen me, shape me to sculpt our little village".

"The time for lamenting is over. Everyone is in agreement that Tamil Nadu has touched its nadir. It is time to recraft the polity."

--IANS

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India and the UAE on Sunday condemned in all its forms and efforts by states to use religion to justify sponsoring of terrorism, said a joint statement issued following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the Gulf nation.

Sunday's joint statement comes after Saturday's delegation-level talks between Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan here.

"Both sides underlined that as diverse societies, India and UAE exemplify as credible models against the tendencies of extremism and radicalism.

"While appreciating the existing cooperation in this area, including through exchange of visits and best practices, both sides resolved to deepen cooperation on combating extremism and further strengthen their efforts in countering terrorism," it said.

The joint statement said both Modi and the Crown Prince "agreed that extremism and cannot be defeated by use of force only, and acknowledged the need for a holistic approach, which includes disrupting the use of web and social media for promotion of extremist and violent ideologies; preventing the use of religious centres to radicalise youth and recruit terrorist cadres; and promoting tolerance".

"The two leaders expressed strong condemnation of extremism and in all forms and manifestations, irrespective of who the perpetrators are and of their motivations.

"They reiterated their condemnation for efforts, including by states, to use religion to justify, support and sponsor terrorism against other countries, or to use terrorism as instrument of state policy."

The two leaders also expressed satisfaction at ongoing cooperation between India and the UAE in the identified areas of security, defence and space.

"They committed to augment this cooperation further to promote regional security, peace and prosperity and agreed to further deepen collaborations on maritime security, including joint anti-piracy, training and exercises, cyber space and outer space," the statement said.

The two sides also noted the growing defence cooperation "including through regular high-level visits, training programmes, joint exercises, participation in defence exhibitions and ship visits and port calls".

"The two sides renewed their commitment to work closely to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean region, which is vital for the security and prosperity of both countries," the joint statement said.

--IANS

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the spokesman for Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah Movement on Saturday held talks to discuss efforts to end war in Yemen, Tasnim news agency reported.

During the meeting, Zarif stressed the need for an immediate stop to the war and bombing of Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition.

Given the human catastrophe in Yemen, there is a necessity for the international community to send humanitarian assistance to Yemen immediately, he was quoted as saying.

Also, Abdulsalam briefed the Iranian foreign minister the current situation and developments in Yemen.

He underlined the need for what he called an urgent end to the bombardment and siege of the country, Press TV reported.

Last week, Ali Akbar Velayati, an international adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader said that Yemen war could be a "quagmire" for Saudi Arabia.

Saudi's involvement in the war in Yemen could lead to the same catastrophe that the U.S. government experienced in Vietnam. "Saudi Arabia should expect to see Yemen turn into another Vietnam for that country," Velayati said.

The Saudi-led coalition has intervened in the Yemeni conflict since March 2015 to roll back the Shiite Houthi rebels and support President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was forced into exile by the Houthis.

The war has killed over 10,000 Yemenis and displaced 3 million people, creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

--IANS

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The planned launch of a Russian Progress cargo spacecraft from Kazakhstan to the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday has been scrubbed, NASA said.

The launch was scheduled to take place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2.58 pm local time.

"The launch of Russia's Progress 69 resupply ship to the space station today has been aborted," NASA said on Sunday on its Twitter page for updates from the ISS.

The Progress 69 was scheduled to carry three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the space station.

"A backup launch date is under review," NASA scientists wrote in a blog post.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke has slammed the #MeToo movement, calling it a witch hunt.

The #MeToo movement was started last year by actresses and models and other powerful women in Hollywood against sexual misconduct at work against celebrities like disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Several celebrities including French actress Catherine Deneuve and German actress Ingrid Caven, signed an editorial in French daily Le Monde criticising the movement.

According to hollywoodreporter.com, Haneke said in an Austrian newspaper that "this new puritanism coloured by a hatred of men, arriving on the heels of the #MeToo movement, worries me".

"As artistes, w''re starting to be fearful since w''re faced with this crusade against any form of eroticism"" added the director of "Amour".

Haneke believes those guilty of rape or abuse should still be punished, however, he said: "I find the hysteria and condemnations without any trial totally disgusting""

He blamed the media for the "murdered lives and careers in the process" and condemned the movement as "a witch hunt".

--IANS

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Prime Minister on Sunday laid out the many reforms in the economic sphere which he said are significantly improving the ease of doing business in India.

He was addressing business leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in order to boost India's trade and investment relations with the Gulf nations.

At a meeting here with GCC corporate leaders, Modi outlined the changes that had resulted in India climbing 30 places last year in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business rankings to break into the top 100 countries.

Modi is on his second visit to the UAE, on route from an Indian Prime Minister's first visit to Palestine. The trip comes at a time of tensions within the GCC caused by a standoff between Qatar and some members led by Saudi Arabia.

"Taking India story to the business leaders! (Modi) painted the vision of a new India and shared the ease of doing business in India with the business leaders from GCC countries," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted following the meeting here.

Earlier, Modi met the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

"Strengthening our comprehensive strategic partnership! ... The two leaders had an engaging discussion on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contacts," Kumar added.

On Saturday, India and the UAE signed five MoUs, including in the areas of energy and railways, following delegation-level talks headed by Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan here.



While the UAE is one of the largest suppliers of crude oil to India, it is also the 10th largest investor in India in terms of foreign direct investment, having invested an estimated $8 billion.

As of 2016-17, India-UAE trade stood at around $52 billion, making India the largest trading partner of the UAE. The UAE the fourth largest trading partner of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held an "engaging discussion" with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on expanding defence and trade ties between the two countries, an Indian official said.

The two leaders also discussed ways to enhance cooperation in investment, security and people-to-people contacts to strengthen "our comprehensive strategic partnership", Indian External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said after the meeting between Modi and Al Maktoum, who is also the UAE Vice President and the ruler of Dubai.

Dubai is home to a majority of the 3.3 million expatriate Indians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Earlier in the day, Modi addressed a gathering of the Indian community. He also witnessed via videoconferencing the laying of a foundation stone of an Indian temple to be constructed on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway.

He also paid tributes at the UAE war memorial Wahat Al Karama near Abu Dhabi.

After visiting Palestine earlier on Saturday, Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi later in the evening on the second leg of his West Asia and the Gulf visit.

The Indian Prime Minister also held delegation-level talks with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The two sides signed five agreements on Saturday, including a historic one on energy cooperation that awarded a consortium of Indian oil companies led by ONGC Videsh a 10 per cent interest in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum concession.

This is Modi's second visit to the UAE after a 2015 trip.

After Dubai, Modi will leave for Oman on the third and final leg of his tour.

--IANS

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met his Kyrgyz counterpart Sapar Isakov on the sidelines of the World Government Summit here.

The two leaders shared views on bilateral and regional issues, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi visited Kyrgyzstan in 2015 in what was the first prime ministerial visit from India to that country in 20 years.

India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Kyrgyzstan when it became independent in 1991 after the Soviet Union broke up.

--IANS

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid a wreath at Wahat Al Karama, a war memorial of the UAE's brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

"Inspiring way to begin another hectic day! PM @narendramodi paid tributes to brave soldiers of UAE who made ultimate sacrifice in the service of UAE at Wahat Al Karama, 'Oasis of Dignity!' in Abu Dhabi," Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

After laying the wreath, Modi took a tour of the memorial and put his thoughts on the visitors' book.

Literally meaning "oasis of dignity", Wahat Al Karama comprises 31 massive aluminium-clad tablets, each leaning on the other, symbolising the unity, solidarity and mutual support that bind together the leadership and citizens of the United Arab Emirates with the servicemen and women who protect them.

The long spine at the rear of the memorial is engraved with the Pledge of Allegiance of the UAE Armed Forces and symbolically supports the other panels.

After visiting Palestine earlier on Saturday, Modi arrived here later in the evening on the second leg of his three-nation tour of West Asia and the Gulf.

Following delegation-level talks between Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, India and the UAE signed five agreements on Saturday, including a historic one on energy cooperation that awarded a consortium of Indian oil companies led by ONGC Videsh a 10 per cent interest in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum concession.

This is Modi's second visit to the UAE, home to over three million expatriate Indians, after his visit in 2015.

Later on Sunday, he will attend a community event in Dubai during the course of which he will lay the foundation stone of the first Indian temple in Abu Dhabi via video linking.

The Prime Minister will also deliver the keynote address of the Sixth World Government Summit, in which India is the guest of honour country this year.

After completing his engagements in Dubai, Modi will leave for Oman on the third and final leg of his tour.

--IANS

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The Ministry has approved the setting up of new cold stores in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), saying these don't the pollute air that causes yellowing of the Taj Mahal.

According to Ministry officials, based on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) findings, there was no improvement in the area's air quality after cold stores were shut or new ones not registered.

Since 2016, registration of several industries like hotels and cold stores was barred, leaving potato farmers in the area angry. There are over 250 cold stores in Agra alone.

Following protests by farmers, who faced huge losses due to limited options to store their produce, this decision now has come as a relief and an attempt to douse their anger.

TTZ is a defined area of 10,400 square km around the Taj Mahal to protect the monument from pollution. It includes parts of Agra, Mathura, Firozabad, and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur in Rajasthan, where potato is produced.

"We have found that maximum cold stores are not polluting. There is no link to pollution emissions. Also, the air quality did not improve after the ban on new cold stores or other industry.

"We have approved cold stores in the area. The TTZ Authority will now take a call on the matter," a senior Ministry official told IANS.

A CPCB official said: "The particulate matter is a matter of concern in the TTZ, because of stone-crushers and mining in the region. However, the yellowing of the monument by air pollution is due to oxides of nitrogen that is generated from liquid or gaseous fuels... there was no increase in that."

The TTZ comprises over 40 protected monuments, including three World Heritage Sites -- the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.

In 2001, polluting industries were shut down in this zone. The area was later declared a white zone, allowing only white-category industries with the most strict standards. The industrialists had since been demanding permission for green-category industries with slightly relaxed pollution standards to operate from the TTZ, also including cold stores.

"In 2017, several thousand metric tonnes of potato could not be stored due to space shortage, leading to wastage and resultant losses to growers. With only around 250 cold stores in the region, they were the ones to quote their price," Agra-based Potato Farmers Union President Rajeev Lavania told IANS.

The production cost of potato is about Rs 700 to Rs 900 per quintal, whereas the government offers only Rs 650 per quintal. Cold stores charge Rs 240 per quintal to store the crop from March onwards.

(Kushagra Dixit can be reached at kushagra.d@ians.in)

--IANS

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The gang rape and subsequent suicide of a minor tribal girl in Odisha's Koraput district has reached the Supreme Court which the victim's brother has moved for a CBI probe.

The brother sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe saying that he has no faith in the state police.

"I have no faith in the investigation by the state police. The probe should be handed over to the CBI for an impartial investigation," he said on Sunday.

The petition has been filed against several police officials, district administration and doctors treating the victim and officials of the State Forensic Science Laboratory for allegedly giving false reports on the gang rape.

The girl, a resident of Sorisapadar village, was allegedly gang raped by a group of security personnel on October 10 last year when she was returning from Kunduli market near the village in Koraput district. She committed suicide at her house on January 22.

The family members alleged that she hanged herself as she was denied justice by the state government.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Giridhar Gamang on Sunday urged Odisha Governor S.C. Jamir to direct the state government to hand over the Kunduli gang rape and suicide case to the CBI.

Recently, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed that the case be handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a probe under monitoring by the court.

Meanwhile, a team of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) arrived in Odisha on Sunday to probe the case and will visit the victim's village.

--IANS

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Sultan of Oman Qaboos Bin Said Al Said voiced his appreciation for the appreciation of the expatriation Indian for their contributions to his country's development during a meeting with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.

"Sultan Qaboos appreciated the contribution of honest and hard working Indian nationals in the development of Oman," Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted following the meeting between the two leaders late on Sunday evening.

Oman is home to over 800,000 expatriate Indians and Modi, in a community gathering earlier in the day, praised their role in the Gulf country's development.

He said that Indian and Omani authorities are constantly in touch with each other for addressing grievances of Indians in Oman.

He also praised the Omani royal family for maintaining a close relationship with India.

Following the meeting between Modi and Sultan Qaboos, eight agreements were signed between India and Oman.

These include three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on cooperation in the fields of health, outer space, diplomacy and defence studies and analyses.

The India-Oman defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Oman is a strategic partner of India in the Gulf and an important interlocutor at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) fora.

An annexure to an MoU on defence cooperation was also signed apart from an agreement on cooperation in legal and judicial cooperation in civil and cooperation matters.

Modi arrived here on Sunday evening on the third and final leg of his visit to West Asia and the Gulf that also took him to Palestine and the United Arab Emirates.

--IANS

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Indian actor Akshay Kumar's "Pad Man", a film highlighting awareness on menstrual hygiene, has not yet been released in Pakistan. But a senior official says it has not been denied a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for import into Pakistan.

"Pad Man" tells a story of a Arunachalam Muruganantham's journey to make affordable sanitary napkins. A section of the media have said that it has been banned in Pakistan due to its sensitive subject.

But Pakistan Censor Board chief Mobashir Hasan says the decision on NOC was yet to be taken as the film had not yet been "pre-viewed by the Central Board of Film Censors".

A statement, posted on Hasan's Twitter account and shared with IANS via a messaging app, read: "The decision to issue an NOC by the Ministry of Information Broadcasting National History and Literary Heritage is yet to be taken on the release of a foreign feature film 'Pad Man' as the film has not yet been pre-viewed by the ... Censors."

A Pakistani media report said Pakistani film importers have come under attack over the Akshay Kumar-starrer on grounds of ruining Islamic traditions, history and culture.

Hasan then said: "The decision to grant NOC to the subject film will be based on the merit and criteria of the ... Censors, not vexatious, false and irresponsible political motives being created on various media platforms on the back of the film.

"It is advisable to maintain principles of integrity whilst making statements on any issues... Good values are the foundation upon which we will build a prosperous Pakistan, not upon a decision of releasing a solitary film," he added.

Directed by R. Balki, "Pad Man" is based on a short story from Twinkle Khanna's book "The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad". It released in India, Russia, Ivory Coast and Iraq on Friday.

--IANS

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Renowned Pakistani human rights activist and lawyer Asma Jahangir passed away here on Sunday, She was 66.

The cause of her death has not been confirmed but media reports suggested that she died due to a cardiac arrest.

Jahangir was born on January 27, 1952 in Lahore.

She received a Bachelors' degree from Kinnaird College and an LLB from Punjab University. She was called to the Lahore High Court in 1980 and to the Supreme Court in 1982.

She later went on to become the first woman to serve as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Jahangir became a democracy activist and was jailed in 1983 for participating in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy, which rallied against military dictator Zia-ul-Haq's regime.

She was also active in the 2007 lawyers' movement for which she was put under house arrest, reports Dawn news.

The activist co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Women's Action Forum.

Jahangir was also awarded a UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights and an Officier de la Legion d'honneur by France.

She received the 2014 Right Livelihood Award and the 2010 Freedom Award.

--IANS

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Doughty Pakistani human rights activist Asma Jahangir, who fought her battle on the streets as well in courts, opposed military strongmen and steadfastly championed the rights of women, minorities and LGBTs, passed away here on Sunday. She was 66.

According to Geo TV, Jahangir, the first woman President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association, was shifted to a hospital on Saturday night after suffering cardiac arrest. She died while undergoing treatment.

While condolences poured in from all sections, there was a section on people who condemned her even after she passed away.

Born on January 27, 1952 to a progressive family in Lahore, Jahangir's path seemed set out with her father Malik Ghulam Jilani, a bureaucrat-turned-politician, opposing corruption at the fag end of Ayub Khan's rule and the brutal crackdown in then East Pakistan under Yahya Khan following the 1970 election.

After her graduation from the prestigious Kinnaird College and LLB from the Punjab University in 1978, she hit the headlines when she enthusiastically jumped into the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD) against the Zia ul-Haq dictatorship and was jailed.

In 1987, she co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and became its Secretary General until 1993 when she was elevated as its chairperson. She represented several clients who were denied their fundamental rights and defended cases of minorities, women and children in prisons.

A mother of one son and two daughters, Jahangir was also the co-chair of South Asians for Human Rights. She was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary or Summary Executions and later as the UN Rapporteur of Freedom of Religion or Belief.

She often had a tempestuous relation with the Pakistani state. While she received several national awards, including the Sitara-I-Imtiaz in 1995, Jahangir was again put under house arrest in November 2007 after President Pervez Musharraf imposed Emergency.

She penned two books -- "Divine Sanction? The Hadood Ordinance" (1988) and "Children of a Lesser God: Child Prisoners of Pakistan" (1992).

In recognition of her services in the field of human rights, Jahangir was awarded the American Bar Association International Human Rights Award in 1992, the Martin Ennals Award and the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1995.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi led the nation in paying tributes, terming her demise a great loss for the legal fraternity while President Mamnoon Hussain, Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar along with other politicians, lawyers and journalists also expressed grief.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif tweeted: "Pakistan has lost a passionate champion of human rights and a staunch supporter of democracy..."

Daily Times Editor Raza Ahmad Rumi called her a "hero".

"'Speaking truth to power' a phrase, we often use. Asma Jahangir lived, practiced till her last breath. Questioned mullahs, military, judges, politicians... defended downtrodden. Faced threats and attacks. Was never afraid. What a hero," he tweeted.

Journalist Naila Inayat, termed her death "the end to an era" while Mehreen Zahra-Malik, another journalist, tweeted: "A male friend once asked: why is Asma Jahangir always so angry? What disturbed him perhaps was why she always spoke up and appeared utterly unafraid in this world dominated by masculinity's apoplectic id. For me, this is what Asma Jahangir was: she was brave enough to be angry."

As one Twitter user called her the only "man" in Pakistan, author Bina Shah contested it, saying: "The only man? She was fully a woman in her courage and steadfastedness. A lioness. You don't get to claim her for your own gender."

Ziauddin Yousafzai -- the father of Malala, Pakistani activist and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate -- said Jahangir deserves a state funeral while Indian poet Javed Akhtar called it the loss of the whole subcontinent.

However, there were some who termed her a hypocrite, a traitor - posting a picture of her receiving an award from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina - and even an "Indian agent".

--IANS

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President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday urged people of higher castes to provide "special opportunity" to people of weaker sections.

The President made the remarks while delivering the fourth Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Lecture here.

"People from higher castes should promote people from lower castes. The effort should be to bring a smile on the face of the person standing last in the line of our society. This would be a true tribute to Dr Lohia," said Kovind.

Addressing the gathering, the President said Dr Lohia dedicated his life for the welfare of the people, mainly the deprived sections that included Dalits, tribals, women and backward castes.

Lohia had said if it were a choice between "equal opportunity" and "special opportunity", then "special opportunity" should be chosen, said the President, adding there can be talk of "equal opportunity" only when everyone has equal access to education, employment and livelihood.

Lohia could be called Sant Kabir of Indian due to his endless striving, ceaseless political journey, courage to abandon everything and ability to speak the truth, added Kovind.

The President said that Mahatma Gandhi, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Dr Lohia and Deendayal Upadhyaya dedicated their lives to the welfare of the last person in society.

"All of them emphasised a holistic and grounded agenda, rather than alien solutions to India's problems. Though their methods had some differences, their goal was the same -- to give equal rights to all the people of India, with a special emphasis on traditionally deprived sections," Kovind noted.

Earlier, the President declared Gwalior as a "Divyang friendly district" and distributed artificial limbs at a function. He praised the Madhya Pradesh government and NGOs for their efforts to make life better for the physically disabled.

He also addressed the convocation of Jiwaji University. The President emphasised that education needs to cope with the challenges as well as opportunities thrown up by technology and the era of artificial intelligence.

--IANS

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday condemned the terror attack on an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir in which five soldiers lost their lives.

Gandhi said all Indians cutting across political differences stood united with Army personnel at this time.

"I strongly condemn the terror attack on our Army camp in Jammu, in which 6 Indians have been martyred. All Indians, across political lines, stand united with our Army men and women. My prayers and thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured," the Congress chief said in a tweet.

Four militants have been gunned down by security personnel in the fighting that broke out since dawn on Saturday at the Sunjuwan Army station in Jammu city.

--IANS

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A local BJP leader in Rajasthan, who petitioned party President Amit Shah to change the state leadership if the party wanted to retain power in the state, says he is awaiting for a response to his letter.

Ashok Choudhary, the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Kota district OBC wing, who came under media spotlight last week after his letter to Amit Shah requesting for leadership change in Rajasthan BJP, told IANS that he was eagerly awaiting for a call from BJP's top leadership.

"I cannot expect justice from Jaipur team but I have all my hopes stuck to the Delhi BJP team," he said.

"There was a meeting called in the BJP state headquarters recently where this issue of leadership crisis was apparently discussed. I think the team is busy finding out a middle way to ensure we emerge winners in the ensuing elections," he claimed.

Terming the situation in Rajasthan "grim", Choudhary said that a party worker goes to an MLA with their problems and the MLA goes to an MP but no one has any solution to the problem.

"They (the workers) return empty-handed after listening to the same answer that our hands are tied up and we are unable to take it further," he said.

He reiterated that if elections were contested under Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and state unit Ashok Parnami, the BJP will lose in the 2018 Assembly elections as well as in 2019 general elections.

Choudhary also attributed the BJP's defeat in the recent by-polls to party infighting.

"The workers were demotivated; they didn't work, they didn't go to appeal to voters. Cross voting was too much... All this has led to a debacle for the party.

"Workers are not slaves, they are hardworking hands who have elevated party to such height. Hence it comes as a myth when someone says that this worker is of a lower rank or XYZ is a worker of a high cadre. This ranking hardly makes a difference in

"We still have time to learn from our mistakes from this election, there is a time to end the culture of slavery and bossism from state politics," he added.

Parnami could not be contacted for his comments to Choudhary's allegations.

The BJP lost two Lok Sabha seats and one Assembly seat in the recent by-polls in Rajasthan, the results of which were declared on February 1.

Choudhary wrote to Shah the next day, saying: "The people of the state are not happy with Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje's style of functioning. The party workers are losing confidence due to her working style."

--IANS

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A Russian passenger plane with 71 people on board crashed shortly after taking off from Moscow airport on Sunday, media reports say.

Emergency Services told Interfax news agency that there was little chance of anyone having survived after the aircraft crashed near the town of Argunovo in Moscow province, Efe news agency reported.

The AN-148 was flying to the city of Orsk when it disappeared from radar screens, Interfax said.

--IANS

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Some African National Congress (ANC) members will march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Monday until President Jacob Zuma resigns.

We want Zuma to resign to save the ANC from collapse, Xinhua quoted Lazarus Maumela, ANC Gauteng member, as saying on Sunday.

Maumela invited South Africans to join them in their march to the Union Buildings or stay home causing a total shutdown. He said that the march does not have the blessing of the party leadership.

"We are coming to the Union Buildings tomorrow and we are not apologetic about it, we are ready for everything," said Maumela.

"We are being in the forefront because we love our movement. We love our organization. Even if it means that we are going to be arrested, or beaten, or killed, we are ready for it. And we are not going to leave the Union Buildings, by the way, until he resigns," Maumela added.

The group called themselves the concerned ANC members who love their organisation and would love to save it.

They stated that the march would be attended by the South African Communist Party, Congress of South African Trade Unions, among other organisations.

The ANC national executive committee members will also meet on Monday to discuss about Zuma's future.

Maumela stated that they want the NEC to consider their demands in their meeting. He said that the march would be peaceful and is lawful, adding that Ramaphosa must fire Zuma.

--IANS

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The police have arrested a suspect involved in a knife attack at a shopping mall in Beijing on Sunday.

The attack took place at around 1 p.m. at Joy City in Xidan, reports Xinhua news agency.

The number of injured persons and their conditions remain unknown, the police said.

--IANS

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A suspected militant carrying a sword attacked a church congregation on Sunday in Indonesia's Yogyakarta province, injuring at least four people before he was shot by the police.

The attack occurred during the Sunday mass in St. Lidwina Bedhog Trihanggo church of Sleman district, a police official told Xinhua news agency.

"The incident took place between 7 to 7.30 a.m.," he said.

The injured, included a police officer who tried to shield the priest from the attacker.

--IANS

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In a powerful message before a global audience, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cautioned the world against mankind fashioning tools of destruction through technology and misuse of cyberspace for radicalisation.

Addressing the sixth edition of the World Government Summit hosted by the United Arab Emirates government as the "Guest of Honour" this year, he also gave a clarion call to the world to unite on issues like long-distance online education through which poor children can be provided education.

In his keynote address on the last leg of his two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, heard in rapt attention by Dubai's Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde packed to its capacity of over 1,000 in the auditorium, he also talked about humanity coexisting with nature and not in conflict with it.

Modi said poverty and malnutrition have not been wiped out from the world but still a large chunk of resources were being diverted towards augmenting missiles and other weapon technologies.

"Despite all the progress, poverty and malnutrition have not gone away from the world. On the other hand, a large sum of money is being spent on increasing the speed of missiles and (destructive) capacity of bombs. We have to be alert that we make technology an instrument of progress, not of destruction," he said.

He said governments should be alert to the challenges from changes in technology so that the use of technology remains constructive. "Technology is a gift whose user manual does not mention ethical values. The misuse of cyberspace for radicalisation is an example of abuse of technology by some people," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that the cost of mistake of making technology an instrument of struggle with the nature is very heavy. "For the future of humanity, we do not need struggle with the nature but coexistence. There are six important steps, six 'R's on this path: Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign, and remanufacture. The destinations these will take us will be "rejoice" or pleasure," he said to the applause from the audience.

Noting that people are living in "interconnected, interlinked and interdependent" world, he said "our problems are indivisible and so are there solutions to a large extent."

"This is certain that the problems that the world will face in the coming decades, their solution will have to be found jointly and technology will play a big role in this," he said.

Calling the 21st century as the century of Asia, Modi said that it took thousands of centuries to make progress from the stone age to industrial revolution but the communications revolution took 200 years whereas the distance to digital revolution has been covered in a few years.

"Technology is changing at the speed of thought and necessity is no more the mother of invention. Inventions are giving birth to needs," he said.

The Prime Minister said technology has become a big instrument of "disruptive change" and has empowered the common man.

"Technology and its spread have empowered the common man and this empowerment has got strength from 'minimum government, maximum governance. The 'e' of e-governance is the first alphabet of effective, efficient, easy, empower and equitable," he said.

He said technological achievements such as stem cells and regeneration techniques were not only showing the way for treatment of difficult diseases but in treatment of cases of damage to body limbs.

"Farmers can save their crop and increase its yield with advance weather information. Lives of millions can be saved through disaster management," he said.

Modi said he monitors the progress of infrastructure and other development works in the country every month through video conferencing and concerned states and central ministries are linked. "We call the programme 'Pragati' or progress," he said.

The Prime Minister said his government has created an innovation ecosystem in India via the Start-up India programme and India has become a start-up nation.

He said India's unique identity programme (Aadhaar) is the largest in the world and has stopped leaks of $8 billion.

Recalling the saying by Kautilya in Arthshastra, Modi said that rulers should ensure that improvement in technology is in the interest of people.

(V.S. Chandrasekar can be contacted at chandru.v@ians.in)

--IANS

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Actor Manoj Bajpayee says he has always explored performance-oriented characters throughout his career, but his job is getting tougher now.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. You are back in Chambal after how many years?

A. Yes. I am back in Chambal. The last time I shot here it was for Shekhar Kapur's "Bandit Queen". How many years ago was that? Maybe 22-23 years ago. Chambal has transformed completely. Firstly, the dacoits are gone. They've all been eliminated. That Chambal in our movies with galloping horses never existed. The little dusty and desolate villages we used to shoot in are now gone. In their place we've rapidly developing towns with sturdy roads, internet connection, satellite television. It's different world...Shining India.

Q. Your career is shining bright?

A. God has been kind. The audience has been kind, though demanding. They expect performances from me every time they come to see a film with me.

Q. Is that tough on you?

A. Very tough. Though I've pursued and explored performance-oriented characters throughout my career, the job is getting tougher now. We've a fresh crop of directors who watch cinema from all over the world on the internet and then expect themselves and their actors to match up to those international standards. The other day a director came to me with a Danish film for reference. I had never heard of it. I actually sat and watched the film to know what he wanted.

Q. Isn't this rather sad that our cinema looks increasingly westwards for approval? Aren't we losing touch with our own cultural heritage?

A. It isn't sad. It's the reality. If we want to keep up with the rest of the world we have to match global standards. And trust me, we are not losing our cultural identity. There are so many youngsters who come up to me and talk about my characters in "Gangs Of Wasseypur" and "Aligarh". These are films that are as Indian as they can get.

Q. Speaking of "Aligarh", it remains my most favourite performance of yours?

A. Loneliness was a new emotion for me. I've never experienced loneliness in my life. The professor in "Aligarh" was isolated by choice. Give him his Lata Mangeshkar songs and two pegs of rum and he was fine in his own company. I consider it the first in my trilogy of loneliness. I've done two more film that explore the dynamics of loneliness. One is "Bhosle" which I've just completed with director Devashish Makhija It's the story of a retired police constable. We had a tough time getting producers for the project. Finally we've somehow managed to get the funds to complete the film.

Q. And the third film on loneliness?

A. The third film in my loneliness trilogy is Deepesh Jain's "Gali Galaiyan" ("In The Shadows"). It is the most difficult character I've ever portrayed in my entire career. I play a man rapidly losing hold of reality. We shot the film in Old Delhi in complete isolation. I was locked away from all communication for weeks. I didn't even tell my immediate family where I was.

Q. Your wife Shabana didn't know where you were?

A. She knew I was shooting in Delhi, but that's about it. I was completely secluded. By the time we finished shooting I felt I was losing my mind. "Gali Galaiyan" is my most challenging role and film. The director Deepesh and I will now take it to festivals all across the world before releasing it in India.

Q. Do you still find it difficult to bridge that gap between mainstream and non-mainstream cinema?

A. Not any more. There are no separate rules for mainstream and non-mainstream acting. I am not asked to give a different style of performance in commercial cinema. In fact I am doing three major commercial films this year. One is Milap Zaveri's film where John Abraham and I will share some very intense scenes. I've asked Milap to write in some performance-oriented scenes for me since that's what audiences expect from me. I am also in "Baaghi 2".

Q. I didn't know that!

A. Yes, the director Ahmed Khan is a very dear old friend of mine. When he asked me to do a role I happily agreed. It is a small role. The film focuses on Tiger Shroff. But whatever I've done in the film I am happy with. The team took good care of me.

Q. What is it like shooting with Abhishek Choubey for "Son Chiraiya"?

A. That's my third commercial film this year. I loved Abhishek's work in "Dedh Ishqiya" and was keen to work with him. Again, mine is not the central role. But it's a very interesting character. Actually this is a very opportune time for me. I am doing exactly the work I want.

Q. Are you happy with the progress you have made?

A. Very content. My target has always been challenging roles. And they continue to come to me. In my new release "Aiyaary", I play an army man for the first time. This was an entirely new world for me. My director Neeraj Pandey helped me to enter and understand that world. With Neeraj, I feel I share a bonding that goes beyond cinema.We come from similar cultural backgrounds. I like to sit with Neeraj and share conversations on life and movies. We've worked well together in the past.I feel we've done something special in "Aiyaary".

Q. Apparently "Aiyaary" got delayed at the censor board?

A I've been told not to talk about this There were minor changes required as per the Defence Ministry's requirements. Those changes were made. Still we didn't have the censor certificate in our hands on time. So we postponed the release by a week.

Q. Do you feel the change of guard at the CBFC has made any difference?

A. It cannot! Until the guidelines change nothing will make a difference. My films have been chronic sufferers at the censor board. I've spoken enough on censorship.

Q. What other plans for 2018?

A. I am producing a short film with my wife Shabana and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead. It's being directed by Suparn Varma with whom I've worked earlier. I am also doing a web series called "A family Man" with the directorial duo Raj & DK. It's an entirely new unexplored world for me. I plan to devote four months this year to shooting it. Then I will take a break for a few months to spend time with my daughter and wife. I think I've earned my time away.

--IANS

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Oscar-nominated composer Johann Johannsson, who churned out music for films like "Arrival", "Sicario" and "The Theory of Everything", was found dead in his Berlin apartment, his manager said.

He was 48.

Tim Husom, his Los Angeles manager, said that Berlin authorities are investigating and that an autopsy would be performed. The cause of death, thus far, is not known, reports variety.com.

In a statement, his agency Gorfaine-Schwartz said: "We are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our client and dear friend Johann Johannsson, whose great talent, humility and kindness enriched our lives immeasurably. His music has inspired many new generations of filmmakers and composers. He will be so greatly missed by his Gorfaine/Schwartz family as well as the entire film music community."

Johannsson, who died on Friday, often blended electronics with conventional orchestra.

He received an Oscar, a BAFTA and Grammy nominations for his 2014 score for "The Theory of Everything" and won the Golden Globe for that score.

He received a second Oscar nomination for 2015's "Sicario" and Golden Globe, BAFTA and Grammy nominations for his music for "Arrival" in 2016.

His most recent score is "Mary Magdalene" with Rooney Mara for director Garth Davis, which is slated to release here in March.

Johannsson is survived by his parents, a daughter and three sisters.

--IANS

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Actor Diljit Dosanjh says he is trying to dub his upcoming Punjabi film "Rangroot" in Hindi and English for a wider reach.

"'Rangroot' is on first world war. It is a Punjabi film. We are trying to dub it in both Hindi and English. The trailer response was very good... I wanted to do a film like this since the past three-four years. But the budget was too high. A film is not made in such a budget according to Punjabi films," Diljit told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

The actor, 34, says a big budget is not considered "safe".

"It is not that safe but thankful to our producers that they made a film for me. If this goes well, then we would make more such films," he added.

Diljit will next be seen in "Welcome To New York", a comedy film, directed by Chakri Toleti.

The film also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Karan Johar, Riteish Deshmukh, Lara Dutta and Boman Irani.

--IANS

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The Turkish President's Security and Foreign Policy Adviser Ibrahim Kalin met US National Security Adviser Herbert Raymond McMaster here and discussed issues that are hurting bilateral ties, the Turkish media reported on Sunday.

Joint efforts against terrorism, long-term strategic partnership between Turkey and the US, and the latest developments in the region were among the topics under discussion, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Hurriyet daily.

The meeting came as Turkey is fighting for Afrin, a district in northwestern Syria being held by US-backed Kurdish militia known as People's Protection Units (YPG), since January 20. Ankara has threatened to move on to target YPG-held Manbij, while Washington has refused to withdraw the troops from the town as demanded by its NATO ally.

As part of efforts to ease tension in bilateral ties and avoid a direct confrontation in Syria, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected to visit Ankara in the coming days, while Turkish and US Defence Ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels next week.

--IANS

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Dubai, Feb 11 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France announced on Saturday the launch of a new cultural initiative to strengthen the long-standing and fruitful relationship between the two countries.

The new initiative, UAE-France Cultural Dialogue 2018, was co-inaugurated at the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum by Noura Bint Mohammed Al-Kaabi, the UAE minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, and Visiting French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

Philippe took a tour of the museum in the capital city, which was opened to the public in November 2017 after decade-long planning and construction.

The government of oil-rich Abu Dhabi, home to seven percent of the world's known "black gold" reserves, borrowed the name "Louvre" for 30 years and six months under a one-billion euro contract ($1.16 billion) as part of an inter-governmental agreement between the UAE and France in 2007.

The French prime minister also talked about expanding mutual cultural collaborations in line with the UAE's "Year of Zayed" in 2018, which was named after the country's first president Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan.

The UAE-France Cultural Dialogue 2018 will see significant events in the two countries, including the Lyon and Sharjah's Light Festivals, My French Film Festival and Francofilm festival.

--IANS/WAM

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A woman was killed in Pakistani firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, police said on Sunday.

The 65-year old victim was critically injured by a mortar fired by the Pakistan Army in Mendhar area on Saturday evening.

"Before she could be hospitalised, the woman succumbed to her injuries," a police official said.

"Pakistani troops used small arms, automatics and mortars to target defence and civilian areas in Mendhar. Indian positions effectively and strongly."

--IANS

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From "Easy A", "Friends with Benefits" and "Annie" to his forthcoming film "Peter Rabbit", Will Gluck's stories have always been tied together by a common string of strong female characters. The American director says he likes to write for women characters as they feel "much smarter" than the male parts.

"Most of my movies have very strong female protagonists. So, I always like writing for women characters. They feel much smarter to me than male characters. I have two daughters too and so that is something I always like to do," Gluck told IANS over phone from Los Angeles in an India exclusive interview.

"I don't plan on doing it, but it always ends up that way... Women characters have always seemed much more exciting to me to write about and direct."

Gluck spoke to IANS while promoting the Sony Pictures Animation's project in Los Angeles. He reflected upon how he has evolved as a storyteller, spoke of "Peter Rabbit" and also opened up about his curiosity regarding Indian culture and cinema.

Gluck, whose working credits include writer, producer and composer, likes to pick notes from his own life and narrate it through his projects.

"As you go through different stages of your life, different things interest you. When you are younger you want to tell stories about when you are in your 20s, when you have kids you want to tell stories you can involve your kids in.

"As we keep evolving, we keep doing different things which interest us. That is an important thing and that is the reason why I made 'Peter Rabbit'."

The film adaptation is based on the classic tale by Beatrix Potter about Peter Rabbit and his family.

"I have kids and I want to be able to participate in things (which they can enjoy). My next movie would probably be something else depending on what I am going through in my life," Gluck said.

"Peter Rabbit" is being brought to India by Sony Pictures. It will release in the country on February 23.

Gluck is excited for Indian fans to see the movie.

"I see a lot of Bollywood films. I would like to go to India -- that always interests me. I love watching Indian movies. Do you guys like rabbits? I am curious to see how it does in India."

The film narrates the adventures that Peter Rabbit (voiced by James Corden) and his sisters Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail (Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki and Daisy Ridley) undergo to reclaim their home. It highlights the tussle between humans and animals. It also stars Domhnall Gleeson and Rose Byrne.

Gluck, who started his career writing for "The John Larroquette Show", says giving a visual translation to the story was a tricky thing.

"I love Beatrix Potter. It was part of my growing up. I read it to my kids. I love the book so much and wish for blessing from Beatrix Potter. I wanted to make sure that we honour what was in the book and all the images and ideas. We just kind of want to bring it to life and have a new adventure."

He says he has "carefully" not "placed the movie in any time period".

"There is no references to that and no cell phones or headphones. It could happen in any time because we really wanted the story and the characters to remain in the focus."

As a writer-director, Gluck loves to take up new challenges.

"I like working on different genres. I have done lots of different types of movies and I think my next movie will be a completely different type of film. It is always fun to learn different stuff and challenge yourself in a different environment."

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)

--IANS

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Zimbabwean first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has relinquished her Chirumanzu-Zibagwe parliamentary seat to concentrate on her new role, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Saturday.

Addressing thousands of ZANU-PF supporters in the constituency that is in the president's home province of Midlands, Mnangagwa said his wife would now concentrate on her new role as the first lady of Zimbabwe, Xinhua reported.

Auxillia Mnangagwa took over as member of parliament for the constituency in 2015, replacing her husband, who had been elevated to vice president of the ruling party and state.

The departure of the first lady from parliament and active comes amid calls from within and outside the ruling party for her to resign from the parliamentary seat so she can fully concentrate on her new role.

--IANS

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The Cursed Assyrian Stele and the British Police

The broken top (CC BY NC SA 4.0) and bottom sections (CC BY ND) of the Assyrian stele. An unknown author inscribed a curse onto an Assyrian stele in 800 BC. The stele was eventually broken in two -- one half ended up in the hands of the British Museum and the other in Bonhams auction house. It was something of a surprise when news broke in 2014 that the British Museum decided against purchasing the second half of the rare artifact.

Whoever discards this image from the presence of Salmanu puts it into another place, whether he throws it into water or covers it with earth or brings and places it into a taboo house where it is inaccessible, may the god Salmanu, the great lord, overthrow his sovereignty; may his name and his seed disappear in the land; may he live in a contingent together with the slave women of his land... -- Translation of the curse on the Assyrian stele.

The fragment of the stele in the British Museum's collection was found in 1879 in Dur-Katlimmu (modern Sheikh Hamad) in Syria. It was formed in basalt to commemorate a military achievement of King Adad-Nirari III. The British Museum has the top of the statue with the image of the king's head in their portion of the stele. They had bought it from a private collector in 1881.

The lower portion of the stele was put up for auction by a private collector in Bonhams in London in 2014. The piece was estimated to fetch  600,000 - 800,000 (US$ 830,000 - 1,100,000) but was withdrawn. No information was provided at the time by the auctioneers regarding when or how the stele fragment had left Syria. They only reported the artifact as having been gifted "from father to son in the 1960s." The lack of detail led many experts and the authorities to wonder if the artifact had been illegally removed from Syria.

If the stele was united it would measure 2.1 meters (6.89 ft.) tall. The king depicted on the stele ruled between 810 BC and 783 BC. His stance shows the ruler alongside sacred symbols: the winged sun disc of Shamash; the star of Ishtar; and the thunderbolt of the weather god Adad. The king holds his right hand in a gesture of worship while his left hand contains a mace.

There is also cuneiform script on the sides and across the front of the king's body. It reads:

...Negal-eres, governor of the country of Rasappa... presented an image of Adad-nerari III, king of Assyria, his lord, to the god Salmanu, his lord, who protects the throne of his priesthood, to give into his hands the sceptre that shepherds the people, for the well-being of his seed, the well-being of the people of Assyria and the well-being of Assyria, to scatter his adversaries, to destroy his fierce foes, to subdue his enemy princes.

As with the first inscription, this too identifies Dur-Katlimmu as the seat of the god Salmanu. The inscriptions confirm documents which have previously been found at Tell Sheikh Hamad. The renovation of Salmanu's temple at Dur-Katlimmu is mentioned in the inscriptions as well as both a call to future rulers to care for the sacred site and a curse against anyone who dares to move the stele.

The stele was a gift to the temple by Nergal-eres, a governor in the region. Nergal-eres presented it along with a namsaru sword -- a blade which was believed to be fit for a god. The governor presented these gifts as a way to show his loyalty to his ruler as well as to bring Salmanu's blessings.

This is not the only stele which was placed at a temple. The monuments were seen as a symbol of Assyrian power and used as a tool of intimidation for foreigners -- many present images of the mighty Assyrian army. Statues and steles of rulers also were linked to the king's authority, so people would be required sometimes to swear oaths in front of them as if they were in the king's presence.

It was common practice for inscriptions to be addressed to future rulers with an appeal for the statue's care and respect. It's not surprising to consider that the monuments were also desired by rival kings; who would attempt to steal them and have their own name inscribed on the "trophy." Curses were written on the statues to prevent this.

The Assyrian Empire had expanded its lands from modern Iraq to the Nile during the 9th century BC. But in 612 BC the capital, Nineveh, fell to the Babylonian and the Medes armies. The rest of the empire soon collapsed as well.

In January 2017 the bottom half of the stele made international headlines once again. This time it was at the center of a dispute between its former owner and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in London. The Commissioner was being sued by a Lebanese antiquities dealer after the police confiscated the relic due to questions about its provenance.

The British Museum revealed at that time that they declined to purchase the bottom half when it went up for auction in 2014 due to doubts about how it came to be in the hands of the dealer. The former owner claimed he has proof that it was obtained legally and sued the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who ordered the removal of the stele from Bonhams auction house.
Paul,



Never met a RW conservative that did not have control issues. And, IMHO of course, this Trump-mania is about control or more correctly the fear of losing control.



For most of this country's history wealthy white males pretty much owned and/or controlled everything worth owning and controlling. This has been slowly changing over the past 100 years..slowly. End of Jim Crow laws, women getting the vote, Roe vs Wade, Civil Rights Act of 1964, etc. etc.

To those people the election to the Presidency of a black liberal man from a liberal northern city was a slap in the face, a rude wake-up call to just how much things were changing and how that was accelerating.



You add to that things that happened during his Presidency, gay-marriage and what the RW considers to be "attacks on Christianity and the 2nd Amendment", etc. etc.



THEN, immediately on top of that the possibility of a WOMAN, the wife of a disliked liberal President, being elected president to follow the BLACK LIBERAL was just TOO much for them and they snapped. Lost their reason, their fucking minds.



The older white males that support Trump, say guys my age or a little younger, are doing so in the belief he will bring back those "good old days." The young fools that support Trump do so in the belief that if they do they to can have a country that was like what the old guys tell them it was.



That and simple fear of the world in general. Trump promises them that if only the LOVE him enough, if only they OBEY him with enough passion, HE will keep them SAFE.



Many RW are basically cowards who will obey a strong father-figure that they believe will keep them safe...and in control, keep "the others" down for them. The RW Trumpsters are slaves looking for a good master and they think they have found him in Trump.

My personal opinions of course.

Here HW is your thoughtful analysis:
Arbitration placed in fast lane When the Commercial Courts Act is invoked as against the Arbitration and Conciliation Act in a dispute between companies, it is the latter which will prevail as it is a special law. The object of both laws is an expeditious settlement of disputes.

Therefore, in the interest of speedy decision, an appeal, which is not maintainable under the Arbitration Act, cannot be taken to a commercial court set up in the high courts. This observation was made by the Supreme Court last week while dismissing the appeal case, Kandla Export Corporation vs Oci ...
BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday asked the people to oust Tripura's 'Lal bhai' government, as he accused the Left cadres of pocketing public funds meant for development and promised to make the state a model one if his party is voted to power.

With the BJP being seen as putting up a strong challenge to the 25-year-old uninterrupted Left reign in the state, Shah led an eight-kilometre road show and addressed rallies in which he sought votes for the state's "transformation".

Ahead of the Assembly polls to be held next Sunday, Shah made a host of promises to the people of the state, including smart phones for youths, implementation of the seventh pay commission for government employees from the next day of his party being voted to power and action against chit fund scam accused.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi, he alleged that the Congress chief had put up candidates as 'vote-katva' (cutting into others' votes) to help the CPI(M) government headed by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar to come back to power.

The Congress was the main opposition party until the last Assembly polls but has seen a serious depletion in its ranks with many of its leaders, including MLAs, joining the BJP.

"The government of 'Lal bhai' and its cadres have looted Tripura for 25 years in the name of development... A BJP government is bound to come. It won't be merely a change of MLAs or government but will usher in its transformation," he said at a rally.

The Left government, he said, was made in the name of the poor but poverty increased in its 25 years of rule and the number of unemployed youths rose to 7.33 lakh from 25,000 during the period.

A BJP government will give employment to every household, Shah said.

Taking on Sarkar for his charge that that the Centre had not done much for the state's development, the BJP chief reeled out the names of a number of central schemes and noted that it had released Rs 25,396 crore to Tripura under the 14th finance commission against Rs 7,283 crore it had got under the 13th finance commission.

"Where has all this extra RS 18,000 crore gone? It has gone into pockets of Communist cadres. I dare Sarkar to give an account of this money in his public meeting," Shah said at the rally.

Raising the party's slogan, 'Chalo Paltai' (Let's change the government), Shah sought the Left's ouster from the state.

The BJP is contesting 51 out of the 60 Assembly seats, while its ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) is fighting on nine seats.

He also accused the Left parties of spreading rumours that the state would be divided if the BJP comes to power and asserted that there would no division and Tripura would remain as it is.

IPFT, which represents sections of tribals, had earlier raised the demand of a separate state but has not pushed for it following its alliance with the BJP, which is opposed to any division of Tripura.

Shah said a BJP government would protect and promote the cultural heritage and values of tribals.

Touching on cultural issues of the state, he said the Left government would celebrate birth anniversaries of Lenin and Stalin but not of Vivekananda, Tagore and a revered king of the state.

The Left has been finished off in the world and the Congress is fading away in the country, Shah claimed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ushered in an era of development and that the state should invest in his leadership, he said.

(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.)
Back in 1980, just before she sent the home secretary home without a posting, Indira Gandhi asked him his view of her 1977 defeat. He had been the home secretary in the Janata government. They had got along well before.

He had first been a joint secretary and then an additional secretary in the home ministry during 1967-75. She used to consult him frequently on political matters. He was as frank with her in January 28, 1980, as he had been at a meeting at her house on June 28, 1975, two days after the Emergency had been declared. That frankness had not gone down well, and by ...
At least 16 militants were killed today in raids by the military in Egypt's restive North Sinai region under a major operation started to tighten control of border districts.

The Egyptian army also said that 66 terrorist points, arms depots, eleven vehicles and 31 unlicensed motor-bikes used by militants in their attacks were destroyed during the raids.

The army also said that 30 suspected terrorists were arrested.

Last Friday, police and army announced that they will be on high alert for the duration of Operation Sinai 2018.

North Sinai has witnessed many terrorists attacks since the January 2011 revolution.

The attacks, mainly targeting police and military, increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

Hundreds of police and army personnel were killed since then.

The military has launched security campaigns in the North Sinai area, in which some terrorists are based.

The security forces have arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.

In November, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the military forces to restore security in Sinai within three months after militants killed more than 300 worshippers at a mosque.

In November last year, militants detonated a bomb inside a crowded mosque in the Sinai Peninsula and then sprayed gunfire on panicked worshippers as they fled, killing at least 305 people and wounding at least 128 others. The attack was said to be the deadliest terrorist attack in Egypt's modern history.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Twenty militants were arrested today by paramilitary Frontier Corps in an intelligence-based military operation in Pakistan's Balochistan province.

Army said that a cache of arms and ammunition, including RPG rockets, sub machine guns and sniper rifle ammunition, laptops and communication equipment were also recovered.

The arrest was made by paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) in Intelligence-Based Operation (IBO) in Buleda, Gish Kaur, Tratha and Pishin areas.

"During operation 20 suspected terrorists were apprehended," according to a statement issued by the Pakistan Army spokesman.

The Army didn't specify the association of militants but an official on the condition of anonymity said that they were linked to Baloch nationalists groups which are active in the province.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least three people were killed and 19 others were injured when a pick-up vehicle collided with a truck here today, an official said.

The collision took place in Chakalvanshi area of the district, said Ravi Kumar NG, the District Magistrate of Unnao.

"One of the deceased has been identified as Soni (40), while the other two deceased were women, whose identity could not ascertained," the district magistrate said.

The injured were rushed to Unnao district hospital and 11 critically injured people were referred to a hospital in Kanpur for treatment, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AAP today organised a 'Vikas Yatra' in all 70 Assembly constituencies of Delhi to highlight the "good work" done by the Kejriwal government, as part of events to mark its three years in power.

Delhi cabinet ministers, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and MLAs interacted with the people in their respective constituencies and apprised them of the works done by the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation in the last three years.

The move comes at a time when the party is facing possible bypolls following the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs in alleged office-of-profit case.

While interacting with people in his New Delhi constituency, Kejriwal said that he would meet people from Monday to Friday at 10 AM at his residence without appointment.

"The government is going to start 'doorstep delivery of services' through which people will be able to get various services like birth certificate, income certificate at their doorstep.

"Similarly, we will also provide ration at the doorstep of ration card holders," Kejriwal said.

The chief minister said that the AAP government is facing a lot of problems, but despite this, it has done a good job.

Without naming anyone, he said, "Have faith in us. So far, we have done half of work we could have done in the last three years because they are creating hurdles in our every file, but God is with us as we are moving on the path of truth."



Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, however, could not participate in the 'Vikas Yatra' as he is currently outside the country. The AAP government completes three years in power on February 14.

Development Minister Gopal Rai also organised a 'Vikas Yatra' and apprised people in Babarpur constituency about works which have been done by the AAP government in the last three years.

Other Cabinet ministers in the Aam Aadmi Party government, including Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot and Social Welfare Minister Rajender Pal Gautam, also interacted with people during the rally.

Last week, Rai had said that the AAP government has not only provided round-the-clock electricity but has also dramatically reduced electricity charges, wherein the rate for low consumption of below 400 units were slashed by half.

By providing free water for those whose consumption is less than 20,000 litres, the government has not only made water free for the poor, but also reduced water consumption, he had said.

"The work done on education and health is being lauded universally," Rai said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The administration in Ganjam district recently reviewed the infrastructure of villages situated along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border amid local media reports that people there are availing of benefits from the neighbouring state.

Berhampur sub-collector Siddharth Shankar Swain along with senior officers visited the Tumba and Burutala panchayat villages, along the border, and interacted with the locals to find out about their needs and grievances, a senior administration official said.

The people of Gudikhala, a village under Burutala panchayat in the district, were found to possess ration cards of both the states, the sub-collector noted.

Several development projects are underway in the border villages and the situation will change for better once these are complete, he asserted.

"We have taken note of the grievances of the local people and asked the officers to address them at the earliest," Swain said, adding that the district administration has allotted houses under Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) to the villagers.

A recent report in an Odia newspaper said that the children, especially the ones who speak Telugu, prefer going to nearby schools in Andhra Pradesh.

In Gudipadara village, most kids have taken admission in a primary school in Khajuria village of Andhra Pradesh, village head Y Mohan Rao said.

"Not just Gudipadara, the children of nearby villages, too, cross borders to study in schools run by the Andhra Pradesh government,"he said.

Asked about the facilities in the area, Swain said the district administration will be setting up schools at Gudipadara and Ralaba villages in the area.

"We will have to identify land for the schools. Once the schools are up and running, we will convince people to stop sending their wards to Andhra Pradesh," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fighting in Afghanistan has escalated with US and Afghan officials tipping 2018 to be a "game- changer" as relentless airstrikes pummel Islamist militant groups -- but others warn the 16-year war has simply become a more violent stalemate.

A traditional easing in fighting during the freezing winter months has been absent this year as the Taliban and Islamic State group respond to intensifying US and Afghan air assaults.

Since US President Donald Trump announced his new strategy for Afghanistan in August, giving the US Air Force more leeway to go after militants, American pilots have been bombarding Taliban and IS fighters, their training camps and drug-making laboratories.

"The gloves are off," Brigadier General Lance Bunch, who directs future air operations in Afghanistan, told reporters recently.

The new policy has "definitely been a game-changer and the Taliban is definitely feeling it", he added.

The US is deploying more troops and aircraft to Afghanistan, which has become the main theatre of operations for the US Air Force following a drawdown in Syria and Iraq. At the same time it is beefing up Afghanistan's fledgling air capabilities.

US aircraft dropped 4,361 munitions across the country in 2017 -- including more than 2,300 since August, which exceeded the combined total for 2015 and 2016.

With the help of huge B-52 bombers, the US has expanded its campaign to far northeastern Afghanistan near the China and Tajikistan borders where it is also targeting the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which neighbouring China blames for launching attacks on its soil.

"The days of old where you had fighting seasons are gone," Major General James Hecker, head of NATO's Air Command in Afghanistan, told AFP in Kabul last week.

Militants have reacted violently to the increased airstrikes, launching a wave of deadly attacks across the war-torn country, including in Kabul, in a devastating display of defiance.

The Taliban, by far Afghanistan's biggest militant group, claimed 472 attacks last month alone, the Washington, DC-based terrorism research group TRAC said, describing the number as "unprecedented" for January.

Combined with increased activity by relative newcomers IS, which has been expanding beyond its eastern stronghold, the country appeared to be "at a flashpoint almost to the point of no return", TRAC warned in a new report.

The escalation of the conflict foreshadows a "particularly bloody year", Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center in Washington, DC told AFP, forecasting more Afghan and US casualties.

Afghanistan's so-called "fighting season" traditionally starts in the spring before easing over the winter when freezing temperatures and heavy snow make combat more difficult.

But in recent years Taliban militants have continued to carry out attacks throughout the colder months.

This winter has been worse than ever, Borhan Osman, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, said in a report.

"Afghanistan is suffering more intense violence now than during any other winter... since 2001," Osman said, highlighting last month's attacks in the Afghan capital that killed more than 130 people in less than 10 days.

Among the worst of the attacks was an assault on Kabul's luxury Intercontinental Hotel on January 20, a terrifying hours-long ordeal which saw Taliban insurgents armed with Kalashnikovs and suicide vests charge from room to room searching for foreigners.

That was followed a week later by a devastating bombing involving an explosives-packed ambulance in a crowded street that killed more than 100 people, mostly civilians, and also claimed by the Taliban.

"This looks like a mutually escalating stalemate" as both sides adapt to the new tactics of the other, Afghanistan Analysts Network senior analyst Kate Clark told AFP.

The fighting this winter has been fuelled by more Taliban fighters remaining on the frozen battlefield instead of regrouping in Pakistan, which has long been accused of providing safe havens to the militants -- charges Islamabad denies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress, which has been out of power in Madhya Pradesh for the last 14 years, is leaving no stone unturned, it seems, to revive its political fortunes in the poll-bound state and stop the BJP from retaining power.

Removing the 'vastu dosh' (architectural defects) from its party's state headquarter office is one such move, which the opposition party feels, will bring good luck and improve its prospects to be back at the helm of affairs in the state.

After consulting 'vastu shastra' experts, the party has removed three toilets located near its spokespersons' room on the ground floor of the four-storey office complex - 'Indira Bhawan'- in Shivajinagar area in the state capital.

'Vastu shastra' is a traditional Hindu system of architecture, which literally means 'science of architecture'.

"We consulted 'vastu shastra' experts and as per their advice removed three toilets, including the one attached to my room," Madhya Pradesh Congress chief spokesman K K Mishra told PTI.

"The 'vastu dosh' (defects in the office complex) stand removed now," he added.

Another Congress leader said, "We have cast out the bad omen from our house. Now things will change for us."



Indira Bhawan, which had been inaugurated by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi in March 2006, is currently abuzz with activities and witnessing closed-door meetings ahead of the elections, due by the end of the year.

Party leaders from Delhi have been increasingly paying visits to the office to chalk out strategies for the elections.

"We are going to win the 2018 assembly elections for sure. The party leaders and workers have been working day in and day out," Mishra said.

When asked about how his party plans to tackle the factionalism and bickering that is plaguing the state unit, the Congress leader claimed that the party has almost got rid of it.

He, however, revealed that the party may not project a chief ministerial face for the polls as the infighting has not been completely obliterated.

"We are unlikely to project a chief ministerial face for the assembly polls. If we project one leader, the other groups may start creating trouble," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A false fire warning in the cockpit of Air India's Ahmedabad-bound flight tonight forced its pilot to abort take off at the last minute at the city airport.

is making necessary arrangements for an alternative aircraft to fly passengers to their destination, an spokesperson said.

The flight was carrying 182 passengers on board when its pilot aborted take-off after ground staff noticed a fire in the left side engine of the aircraft.

However, it turned out to be a false warning, according to the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said the pilot aborted the takeoff due to a false warning in the cockpit indicating fire.

The pilot immediately switched off both the engines and the Airbus A321 aircraft was towed to chokes, a source at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) said.

"Air India flight AI 091, operating on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, had rejected a take off," the source said.

"At 21.26 PM, the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) manager who was following the aircraft reported visible fire in port engine and the pilot-in-command (PIC) switched off both the engines," according to the source.

The aircraft was further towed to chokes on at 2145 hours, the source said, adding that at 2150 hrs the PIC reported that take-off was rejected due to a stall warning.

A stall warning is an electronic or mechanical device that sounds an audible warning as the stall speed is approached.

"However, no fire media was used by the ARFF team," the source added.
The way Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging, it will play a very important role in coming days, Founder and Executive Chairman of Globsyn Group Bikram Dasgupta said today.

"In this competitive world, where you will be joining different companies, make AI your hobby. Take it in the form of a lively game," Dasgupta told the graduating students at the annual convocation of Globsyn Business School here.

Dasgupta, who had joined tech firm HCL at its infancy and seen the emergence of IT sector in India in the past three decades, said Globsyn is now looking at AI as an area of focus.

"Students can only expect greater dependence on Machine Learning, Data Analytics," he said.

Former CEO of Prasar Bharati Jawhar Sircar said it is surprising that even after doing MBA and engineering from top notch institutions and also getting into plum jobs, many young people still sit for the IAS examinations after a few years.

"One must deliberate what will satisfy you. Clarity has to be there," the retired IAS told the students of Globsyn, a private All India Council for Technical (AICTE)-accredited B-School in the city.

Over 120 students from Globsyn Business School's Post Graduate Management Programmes were felicitated at the event.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla today condemned the terrorist attack on Jammu's Sunjuwan military camp and said an appropriate answer will be given to Pakistan.

Some Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists yesterday morning targeted the military camp in Sunjuwan, killing five Army men, including two junior commissioned officers (JCOs), and the father of a soldier.

In an operation launched by the Army, three terrorists have been gunned down by the forces so far.

"Our soldiers gave good answer to Pakistan. The terrorists had cowardly attacked the people who were sleeping. India will give an appropriate answer at the right time," Shukla said.

Taking a jibe at rival political parties, Shukla said, "BJP gave employment to more than 10 crore people under Mudra Yojana. We believe that people are God and they (rival political parties) want to make them beggars."



He further said, "We should see PM Modi's statement in which he said that people do many types of small businesses such as selling pakoda, making tea and they are leading a life with self-respect."



On BJP's candidate for the Lok Sabha bypoll (for Gorakhpur and Phulpur), Shukla said, "The party will decide the candidate and whosoever gets the ticket, will win.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Launching a "clearing" operation, the Army on Sunday fired mortar shells at the vacated residential quarters of the Sunjuwan military camp, setting them ablaze, a day after the pre-dawn audacious strike at the military station by suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists.

Pakistan on Sunday rejected allegations that it was involved in the terror attack on Sunjwan Army camp, saying Indian media and officials make "irresponsible" statements even before any investigation is initiated.

The Foreign Office spokesperson also accused India of carrying out a "smear campaign against Pakistan and the deliberate creation of war hysteria."



"It is a well-established pattern that Indian officials begin making irresponsible statements and levelling unfounded allegations, even before any proper investigation in any incident has been initiated," the Foreign Office spokesperson said, when asked about the attack on Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu.

"A particular segment in the Indian media runs with their innuendos to malign Pakistan and whips up public frenzy. We are confident that the world community would take due cognisance of India's smear campaign against Pakistan, and the deliberate creation of war hysteria," the spokesperson said.

Earlier, Army spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said the Army found the bodies of three of its personnel and a civilian, taking the toll to six in the attack, and gunned down three terrorists.

On the clearing operation launched tonight, he said there was no exchange of fire.

"The Army has launched a fire assault as a part of a sanatisation and clearing operation. There was no exchange of fire," the Jammu-based Army PRO told PTI.

A police official said, "Fresh gunfire took place and mortar shells were launched at the quarters vacated by the Army. It resulted in eruption of fire at the quarters."



Lt Col Anand said five Army men, including two junior commissioned officers(JCOs), and the father of a soldier were killed in the attackby the terrorists who struck at the sprawling camp of the 36 Brigade of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JKLI) yesterday.

In a statement, he said three heavily armed terrorists were killed in the operation.

While two were gunned down yesterday, the body a third terrorist was found today, he said, adding they were in combat gear.

The Army spokesperson said that AK-56 rifles, an under barrel grenade launcher, ammunition and grenades were from them.

ALSO READ: Attack on Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu: 2 JCOs martyred & top 10 developments



Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid had said that four terrorists had been killed.

In Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that the operation against terrorists would be successfully concluded.

"I think it is not proper for me to comment when the operation is still on. I'm sure that our jawans, who are in the operation, will successfully conclude it," he told reporters.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi condemned the attack and said all Indians across political lines stand united with the Army men and women.

Giving details, Lt Col Anand said, "So far, six fatal causalities have occurred. They include two JCOs, three jawans and one civilian dependent, all residents of Jammu and Kashmir."



Ten people, including Major Avijit Singh, have been injured of which six are women and children, he said.

One of the injured women was pregnant and she later delivered a baby girl through a caesarean operation, he said, adding both the mother and child were stable.





Army doctors saved life of a pregnant lady injured in terror attack on #SunjwanArmyCamp, she delivered a baby girl through c-section last night; lady says, 'I am very thankful to them for saving me and my baby' pic.twitter.com/iOSwLhsnrv  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

A 14-year-old boy had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was in a critical condition, the spokesperson said.

Those killed were identified as Subedar Madan Lal Choudhary, Subdebar Mohmmad Ashraf Mir, Havaldar Habib-Ullah Qurashi, Naik Manzoor Ahmed, Lance Naik Mohmmad Iqbal -- all from the JAKLI, besides the father of Lance Naik Mohmmad Iqbal, he said.

The officer said that a search operation of the family quarters in the Army complex for evacuation of people and to ascertain the situation was underway.

A number of families were still in the camp and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety, he said.

Vaid said that investigation is on to find out where from the terrorists came.

"Whether they infiltrated from Pakistan or came from Kashmir is being investigated," the DGP said.

A Investigation Agency (NIA) team today visited the camp and examined the evidence collected by the Army from the site of the gun battle, an official said.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven personnel, including two officers. Three terrorists were gunned down in the operation.

Yesterday, the terrorists had struck before dawn and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear end of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry guarding the periphery.

"The terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who were holed up in a few houses (inside the camp)," an official said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles were engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to prevent civilian casualties.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by the Pakistan-based JeM in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013, for the 2001 attack on Parliament House.
The terror attack on an Army camp here reflects the "failure and weakness" of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said today suggesting that a "policy paralysis" prevailed in the country.

"We do not want to play over the attack at a time when terrorists from the neighbouring country are targeting our forces and their families in their homes...(But) why are army installations are being attacked one after the other which means that the Central government has failed," Azad told reporters here.

The former chief minister said his party was "saddened" by the terror attack on the Army camp at Sunjuwan which left five soldiers and a civilian dead.

"We are saddened by the attack which is the latest in a series of attacks in the past several weeks in which a number of our soldiers were killed or injured. Civilians are also getting killed and injured on borders. We condemn Pakistan and its forces for such actions," he said.

Azad said he visited the injured soldiers and their family members in the hospital this morning and expressed grief to the families of the martyrs and prayed for speedy recovery of the injured on behalf of his party leadership.

However, the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha said the attack reflects the "failure and weakness" of the policies of the government.

"Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) talked about policy paralysis time and again. We want to know whether the policy paralysis is this time around or during our period," he said.

The Congress leader praised National Conference working president Omar Abdullah for disassociating from the action of one of his party MLAs in the legislative Assembly yesterday. He, however, criticized Speaker Kavinder Gupta's remark about Rohingya Muslims.

"With regret I am saying that one of the (NC) MLAs shouted Pakistan 'Zindabad' slogan but want to thank his party, National Conference, which disassociated from his action. Omar deserves praise for his prompt statement on the issue. It is very regretful that an MLA speaks like this," Azad said.

He added that like the statement of the MLA, the Speaker's statement on Rohingya Muslims was "equally irresponsible. The Army has made it clear that the terrorists belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JEM), he said.

"The irresponsible statements, whether by the Speaker or the MLA, arebound to divide the community," he said.

Asked about the stand of his party on the Rohingya settlers, he said the BJP had made it an issue, otherwise there was no input that any of them was involved in terror.

It is also part of the BJP's divide and rule formula, he alleged.

Earlier addressing the one-day convention of the party, he came down heavy on the BJP led NDA government and said it came to power by misleading people of the country on falsehood over security and other issues.

"The 56-inch chest has become the international prime minister and is least bothered and concerned over the happenings in the country. He has forget which country he is ruling. He is advising America, British, China and Japan," Azad said targeting Modi.

He said Jammu and Kashmir recorded highest ceasefire violations, killings of security personnel and civilians during the past four years.

Attacking the BJP, Azad said "they have exhausted all other weapons like security of the country, unemployment and farmers' issues, now they are out to divide the people in the name of religion," he alleged.

He said the incidence of rape had also assumed an alarming proportion and the government had miserably failed to deal with the problem.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Film composer Johann Johannsson, known for giving background scores to films such as "Arrival", "Sicario" and "The Theory of Everything", has died. He was 48.

The Icelandic composer was found dead at his apartment in Berlin, according to The Guardian.

No additional detail about his death is available till now.

Tim Husom, his Los Angeles manager, has confirmed the and said that Berlin authorities are investigating his death.

Johannsson won a Golden Globe and received an Academy Award nomination for his score for the James Marsh-directed film "The Theory of Everything", starring Eddie Redmayne as celebrated theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.

He secured another Academy Award nomination for his score in the Denis Villeneuve-directed crime thriller "Sicario".

Johannsson had frequently collaborated with Villeneuve, providing background score to his films "Arrival" and "Prisoners".

Redbird Music Management, the company that represents the Icelandic composer, also announced his death on Facebook.

"It is with profound sadness that we confirm the passing of our dear friend Johann Johannsson.

"We have lost one of the most talented and brilliant people who we had the privilege of knowing and working with. May his music continue to inspire us," the post read.

In addition to his film scores, Johannsson had a career as a solo musician and composed music for theatre, dance and television. His first solo album, 'Englaborn', was released in 2002.

"Mandy" and "Mary Magdalene" are the last two films for which Johannsson gave the score.

He is survived by his parents, sisters and daughter.

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Having played a sperm donor in his debut and a man suffering from erectile dysfunction in another, actor Ayushmann Khurrana wants to own the space of movies which tackle taboo subjects in a quirky manner.

In an interview with PTI, the actor said, "I want to own this space. I started like that and I have that in me as an actor. I would love to act in such subjects (like of a sperm donor, erectile dysfunction). It is important to have your own space as an actor," he said.

"At the same time, I have to shift gears like I am doing a thriller film with Sriram Raghavan, it is an exciting genre for me. I am happy in this kind of space and I will continue to choose films that are interesting," he added.

Year 2017 turned out to well for Ayushmann with three releases - "Meri Pyaari Bindu", "Bareilly Ki Barfi" and "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan" - receiving good reviews.

The new year too looks promising for the actor with films such as "Badhai Ho", "Manmarziyaan" and a film with Raghavan tentatively titled "Shoot The Piano Player".

"You need to see how interesting, engaging and novel a script is before saying 'yes' or 'no'. There are different medium available today to tell stories... In terms of films, you need to show the audience something that they have never experienced before," he added.

The 34-year-old actor has come a long way from being a contestant on a reality show to an RJ to a VJ, followed by hosting popular television shows.

Ayushmann also recently produced his wife Tahira Kashyap's directorial debut short film "Toffee" which highlights the practice of child marriage.

The actor also said he is open to the idea of exploring the digital platform.

"I have never thought about it as I am busy with acting in films. But anything that is radical and path-breaking, I would love to be part of it. I would love to act in it, be it as an actor or anchor on web.

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The election for Bihar State Bar Council will be held on March 27 and the process would begin tomorrow with filing of nomination papers, a top official of the Council said.

Advocate General Lalit Kishore, who is the chairman of the council, announced the dates for election and appointment of returning officer for the State Bar Council election.

Kishore is the chairman of the special committee of the State Bar Council after completion of its five year term that ended two years ago.

The Bihar State Bar Council, Patna, is a statutory legal body meant to regulate legal profession and education across the state.

The nominations to fill 25 members of the State Bar Council will be filed between February 12 and 17, 2018 while the polling for 25 members of the council will be held on March 27 between 9 am to 5 pm, Kishore told PTI.

Additional Advocate General S Raza Ahmad, a senior advocate of Patna high court, has been appointed as Returning Officer to conduct the polls, he said adding that there will be five Assistant Returning Officers to assist him.

Around 60,000 advocates from across the state will elect a 25 member council and later the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the State Bar Council will be elected by these 25 members.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the Bar Council of India to hold elections by the end of March 31.

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The body of a 3-year-old girl was found from the site of an abandoned college building here today, two days after she went missing, with the police stating that there was a possibility she was raped before being murdered.

"The body of the girl was found from an abandoned college building, not far from where she went missing after her uncle dropped her on Friday afternoon at a construction site where her parents work," an official of Thorala police station here said.

"Her injuries reveal that her head was smashed on a hard surface. There is a possibility of her being raped before being murdered, though it will be known only after we receive the post mortem report," the official said.

The victim's parents are tribals from Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh and worked in Rajkot as contract labourers, police said.

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The Indian film industry today mourned the death of Pakistan's renowned human rights lawyer and social activist, Asma Jahangir.

An outspoken critic of the country's powerful military establishment, Asma, 66, passed away in Lahore due to cardiac arrest.

Personalities including screenwriter-lyricist Javed Akhtar, actor Shabana Azmi, filmmakers Mahesh Bhatt and Nandita Das took to social media to offer their last tributes to the fearless activist.

Akhtar called Asma "undoubtedly the bravest and the most resilient fighter for human rights".

"(She) had the courage to face the wrath of the dictators and the fury of the fundamentalist Mulla has passed away. It is the loss of the whole subcontinent," he wrote.

Azmi remembered her friend, whom she deeply respected for her integrity and courage.

"Just heard the devastating that Asma Jehangir passed away... Pakistan has lost its most fearless crusader and the human rights movement its tallest leader. Our deepest condolences to the family," she wrote.

Nandita said Asma's death was a massive loss to the neighbouring country.

"Deeply shocked and saddened to hear of AsmaJahangir. She was a true defender of human rights, democracy and fought till her last breath against authoritarian power, orthodoxy and discrimination.

"She was and will remain an inspiration. A huge loss. Condolences to all whose lives she touched," the filmmaker wrote.

Director Mahesh Bhatt called Asma "an extraordinary woman who fought for ordinary people".

"An extraordinary woman who fought for ordinary people. Asmaji had the audacity and the courage to fight for a fairer world. Thank you for touching our lives," he added.

Pakistani actors Mahira Khan and Ali Zafar also took to Twitter to remember the human rights champion.

"Sad sad day for Pakistan... We say goodbye to a great great artist and a fearless activist. They shall live on through their work, always. #QaziWajid #AsmaJahangir," Mahira wrote, also mourning the death of TV and radio artist Qazi Wajid.

"Shocking to hear about the passing of this brave woman. Her honesty and sincerity to her cause remains an inspiration for our generation. Was always so full of life. We will miss you ma'am," Zafar wrote, tagging Asma in his tweet.

Asma was the first woman to serve as the President of Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.

Her daughter Munizae Jahangir confirmed the of her death on the microblogging site.

Senior lawyer Adeel Raja said Asma suffered heart attack today morning.

"She was rushed to Hameed Latif Hospital Lahore where she breathed her last. Doctors tried to save her life but couldn't," he added.

Born in January 1952 in Lahore, Asma co-founded and chaired the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

She has constantly raised the issue of "missing persons" in Pakistan and calling for grilling of intelligence agencies.

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A 14-year-old boy was critically injured when the object with which he was playing inside an abandoned hostel of a college here exploded today, police said.

Rintu Shaw was taken to the Calcutta Medical College Hospital when the round-shaped object he was playing with exploded inside the abandoned hostel of City College on Amherst Street at around 9.40 am, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.

"The reason why the boy had entered the abandoned premises was still yet not clear. He had picked up a bag lying there which had a round object inside. The object, was probably an explosive, went off when he tried to play with it," the investigating officer said.

Police personnel from the local Amherst Street police station besides the bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs were rushed to the place, he added.

The building, abandoned for several years, has become a den of all form of mischievous activities for miscreants, locals complained.

"We are looking into the matter. Our forensic experts are collecting evidences from the spot," the officer added.

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A provision in the draft National Medical Commission Bill of a bridge course for AYUSH doctors to enable them practice allopathy seeks to address the "acute shortage" of doctors in the country, the government has said.

The health ministry has put up on its website a section 'Frequently Asked Questions' about the bill, a move to address concerns of the medical fraternity about various provisions.

The bill has been referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee after it witnessed opposition regarding different provisions from the medical fraternity.

The ministry has also assured that the bridge course would not be unscientific and dangerous.

"NMC will be dominated by allopathic doctors. If all of them unanimously approve a bridge course after due consideration, then there is no reason to assume that it will be unscientific and dangerous.

"The course would be designed in such a manner that it would enable the participants to prescribe a limited set of medicines in a responsible manner," the ministry said to a question whether the bridge course would be unscientific and dangerous.

It said the NMC bill seeks to fill in the gaps of availability of healthcare personnel by facilitating trained AYUSH practitioners to expand their skill sets through the bridge course and provide preventive and promotive allopathic care.

It also said with growing incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCD), there is a need to provide holistic prevention and treatment of diseases and AYUSH plays an effective role in integrating the preventive and promotive aspect of healthcare.

"India has a doctor-population ratio of 1:1655 as compared with the WHO standards of 1:1000. In addition, city doctors are not willing to work in rural areas as can be seen in the urban rural ratio of doctor density (3.8:1).

"There are 7,71,468 AYUSH practitioners in India who can be leveraged to improve the health access situation of the country," the health ministry said.

According to the document on the website, there is already a policy for co-locating AYUSH and allopathy to ensure better utilisation of resources.

Further, with the government's target to revamp 1,50,000 sub health centres into health and wellness centres, there is a need of large human resource to meet this challenge.

Justifying its stand, the ministry said that countries such as Thailand, Mozambique, China and the US have regularised community health workers and non-allopathic health providers into mainstream health services, with improved health outcomes.

Further, it said that various states such as Maharashtra, Assam, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh among others have already amended their acts and permitted AYUSH professionals to practice modern systems and prescribe all modern medicines.

"We also need to take such kind of steps when we have acute shortage of doctors and specialists. The NMC bill seeks to fill in the gaps of availability of healthcare personnel by facilitating trained AYUSH practitioners to expand their skill sets through a bridge course," the ministry explained.

The bridge course may help address this demand and better utilisation of resources, and make the health sector a bigger provider of employment.

The NMC bill also promotes this through more exposure of such NCD patients to non-allopathic practitioners in addition to allopathic doctors.

"Thus, in order to homogenise and regulate the entry of AYUSH professionals towards practicing modern medicine through a strict regime, this bill has provided for the clause.

"Any bridge course will be introduced only by a unanimous vote as provided in Section 49(4) and hence each one of the allopathic doctors in the NMC will have a veto power," it said.

"Even if the bridge course is introduced, it will only be for prescribing specified medicines at specified levels. The provision is intended for prescribing a small number of medicines including OTC drugs at the sub-centre/PHC level," it stated.

The provision to allow doctors pursuing Indian systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, and homoeopathy to practice allopathy after clearing a bridge course has drawn opposition from the doctors' community with Indian Medical Association sternly protesting it.

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Terming the BSP-JD(S) alliance for the Karnataka Assembly elections a "negotiation" strategy, the Congress has said that Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has not learnt lessons from her defeat in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

The BSP and the Janata Dal (Secular) have announced they are entering into an alliance for the Karnataka polls. The partnership will continue in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BSP leader Satish Chandra Misra and JD(S)'s Danish Ali told reporters on Thursday.

"I think Mayawati's moves are often political. Her objective is to negotiate (for seats)," Congress leader M V Rajeev Gowda told PTI-Bhasha.

The Rajya Sabha MP from Karnakata said Mayawati had twice been taught lesson in Uttar Pradesh, when the opposition remained fractured.

The Congress had to face a triangular contest and the BJP swept the polls in the state. Mayawati managed to get 20 per cent votes, though her party did not win a seat.

The Congress has said the opposition parties will unite and accept Congress president Rahul Gandhi's leadership for the 2019 general elections, against the BJP's alleged communal agenda.

Asked who the next prime ministerial candidate from the Congress would be, Gowda said: "I believe it will be Rahul Gandhi."



He said the fight during the next general elections would be to "save India" and being the leader of the largest opposition party, Gandhi would be "acceptable to everyone".

He claimed the Sangh Parivar was constantly trying to vitiate the communal fabric of the country. He said the country's economy and the agriculture sector were going through a rough patch and the ruling BJP was unable to fulfil the promises it had made to people in its election manifesto.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks about "kabristan", "shamshaan" and "Pakistan", when he feels his poll campaign is not yielding results, Gowda said.

He asked what has Modi earned from his foreign visits and what was happening in Doklam area in the Sikkim sector?



"We are seeing that the Chinese troop deployment in the area has increased. In Pakistan, one day you go to a birthday party, the second day you talk (with them) and then on the third you invite the ISI to India to probe Pathankot attack."Gowda said Modi's "only focus is on managing headlines."He said there's trouble brewing in India's neighbourhood: "China is trying to encircle India. It is trying to intervene in the Maldives and Sri Lanka. What are we doing to challenge it?"Gowda is the chief of Congress's research department, which tries to bring the focus back on ideas, policies and facts.

He said during the Gujarat election his team focused the development issues in the state and by doing this they had effectively questioned the Gujarat model of development.

Gowda said his team also helps the Congress Parliamentary Party to effectively put forth the issues faced by people.

He claimed that the Rafale fighter deal was back in focus because of the questions he had asked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Gowda had asked the per unit cost of the French Rafale twin-engine fighter jet in parliament, but Sitharaman said the government will not be able to divulge the details because of a secrecy pact between the Indian and the French governments.

The Congress had tried to corner the BJP government at the Centre during the Budget session of Parliament over the deal.

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The Madhya Pradesh government has declined to share details of meetings of civil services board that decides on the postings of bureaucrats, saying they were "confidential" and barred under the RTI Act.

As per rules, all states should have a civil services board to decide on transfers and postings of bureaucrats-- mainly officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS).

The board is mandated to decide on the transfer of a civil servant before completion of his or her fixed tenure.

Anti-corruption activist Ajay Dubey had filed an RTI application with the state government to know the details of proceedings of board during the months of July, August and September 2017.

The state government in its reply said the information consisted of communication between the state government and the Centre, which was confidential in nature and it could not be shared.

It cited Section 8(1)(j) of the transparency law to decline the information.

The section bars "personal information the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual unless the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer or the appellate authority, as the case may be, is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure of such information".

The service rules, however, mandate the civil services board to submit an annual report on January 1 to the central government about the date of the meetings held by them and also to upload the same on the website of the concerned state government or Union territory in public domain.

Dubey said there is no such data in public domain on the proceedings of the civil services board of the Madhya Pradesh.

"The plea of secrecy or confidentiality is illogical. The state government is trying to hide something," he said.

The civil services board is headed by chief secretary of a state and has senior most additional chief secretary or chairman, Board of Revenue, financial commissioner or an officer of equivalent rank and status as member.

In addition, it will have principal secretary or secretary, Department of Personnel in the state government as member secretary.

To insulate the bureaucracy from political interference and to put an end to frequent transfers of civil servants by political bosses, the Supreme Court had in 2013 directed the Centre and the states to set up a civil services board to consider transfers and postings of bureaucrats among others.

The stability of all India services officers -- IAS, IPS and IFoS -- especially in the states, has been a matter of concern for a long time.

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In yet another third gender friendly initiative, the Kerala government today said it plans to set up co-operative societies for transgenders.

State Minister for Tourism and Co-operation Kadakampally Surendran said financial assistance, including grants, would be given through these societies, which would help transgenders become self-sufficient.

Claiming that such societies were the first of their kind in the country, he said these would be formed first at the district where they are enough numbers to form them, as per the co-operative law.

Makign the announcement at the ongoing eighth Co-operative Congress at Kannur today, Surendran said it was a continuation of the CPI(M) led LDF government's schemes to enhance the social status of transgenders in society.

Kerala was the first state to come out with a Transgender Policy, envisaging ending societal stigma towards them and ensure non-discriminatory treatment.

The state government has introduced a pension scheme for transgenders aged above 60-years. It is estimated that there are about 25,000 transgenders in Kerala.

Later talking to reporters, Surendran said special squads of co-operative banks would conduct inspection on pledged gold ornaments in co-operative banks across Kerala. The inspection would be completed in a month, he said.

The minister's announcement came in the wake of complaints of irregularities connected with pledged gold ornaments in banks.

It was also decided to constitute co-operative societies in colleges, including professional colleges, he said.

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A 54-year old head constable died in an alleged hit-and run incident near here today while bringing a suspected burglar to police station on a two-wheeler, police said.

A Sub-Inspector of Police, who was riding the two-wheeler, and the 'burglar', riding pillion, were seriously injured when a speeding unidentified four-wheeler hit the two-wheeler from behind at Kazhiyappanallur, they said.

Head constable Ilangovan was killed on the spot.

SI Subramanian and the accused had been admitted to government hospitals in Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai respectively, police said.

Ilangovan and Subramanian had gone to Singanodai village near Porayar, about 35 km from here, after being informed that a burglar had been caught red handed by locals.

After taking the accused into custody, the three were returning to the police station in the same motorcycle when the mishap occurred.

Police said a special team had been formed to identify the vehicle that caused the accident.

Nagapattinam District Superintendent of Police Deshmukh Shekar Sanjay placed a wreath on the body of the head constable.

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Tonga was braced today for "very destructive winds" as Cyclone Gita took aim at the Pacific island nation a day after it wreaked havoc in Samoa.

The kingdom's tropical cyclone centre has been activated and Red Cross, which is coordinating relief supplies, has warned islanders to be prepared.

"Very destructive hurricane force winds are expected from Monday morning," Tonga's Fua'amotu Weather Forecasting Centre said in a bulletin, forecasting gusts of 80 knots (148 kmh, 92 mph) with heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Tonga Red Cross secretary general Sione Taumoefolau said there was particular concern for the outer islands where houses may not be able to withstand the brutal force of the winds.

Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said Gita forced the evacuation of some 200 people and caused widespread flooding when it slammed into the island overnight Friday.

Gita had since intensified from a category two to category three storm as it took aim at Tonga and was expected to get stronger.

"The possibility is very high to intensify along the way up to our area, so we expect up to category four but we still monitoring the movement and strength," Tonga's acting chief meteorologist Gary Vite told Radio New Zealand.

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A Dalit man was taken into preventive custody in Muzaffarnagar after he threatened to commit suicide because his land was allegedly grabbed by a few influential people in the city, police said today.

Sudesh Kumar, 35, was arrested last evening for fear of law and order situation, they said.

Kumar had threatened to either kill himself or convert to Islam after his land was allegedly grabbed by a few influential people, city magistrate Vaibhav Mishra said.

Mishra said a case in connection with the land was pending before a court.

Kumar and other members of his community had staged a protest outside the magistrate's office yesterday. He has been taken into custody for breach of peace and creating public disorder under Section 107/151 of the CrPC.

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To remove the "doubts being planted in the minds of the common people" about the theory of evolution, and demonstrate with evidence how humans evolved from apes, scientists from across the country are celebrating 'Darwin Week' from tomorrow.

Recent statements by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Satyapal Singh have compelled the scientific community to step out of their laboratories and raise their voices against political interference in the field of science.

Singh had stated last month that the Darwin's theory of evolution was "scientifically wrong" and proposed to drop it from the school and college curriculum.

The February 12 to 18 'Darwin Week' is being organised by The India March for Science Organising Committee and the Breakthrough Science Society.

The committee had organised a protest march in August last year demanding greater financial support for scientific research and education.

"The objective of the Darwin Week will be to remove any doubt that has been planted in the minds of the common people about Darwin's theory of evolution," Soumitro Banerjee, Associate Professor at IISER Kolkata, told PTI.

During the proposed Darwin Week, scientists will mount a special drive to reach out to the people to disseminate the Darwin's theory of organic evolution through natural selection, which states that life evolved from single celled organisms over a course of millions of years.

Through a series of workshops and seminars, scientists will assert that Darwin's theory of evolution offers the correct explanation of the observed evolution in nature and is no longer a subject of debate within the scientific community.

"A seed of doubt has been planted among the common people and students that the theory may be wrong - that it's just a theory," said Banerjee, who is the General Secretary of the Breakthrough Science Society All India Committee.

"We will go to schools and colleges and remove doubts about Darwin's theory. We will show that it is not 'just a theory', and that there are a hundred ways to prove it right," he said.

Born on February 12 in 1809, Charles Darwin is best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, which means that humans and monkeys had a common ancestor at some point in history.

In a series of programmes organised in schools and colleges in different states, scientists will demonstrate with evidence how humans evolved from apes.

Apart from West Bengal, universities in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are also participating in the drive.

"In the current scenario, it has become important to establish that this is a very scientific theory. Whatever new developments have happened in science, have actually re- established that Darwin's theory of evolution is correct," said P P Rajeevan, a member of the Breakthrough Science Society Kerala Chapter.

According to Ashish Samanta, Treasurer of the Breakthrough Science Society West Bengal Chapter, it has become very important for scientists to become politically active.

"On August 9 this year, the first step was taken, when scientists and professors took to the streets for the first time protesting the scientific policy of the government," said Samanta.

"Still there are a large number of scientists and professors who have not come out in support. With this programme, we are also urging them to come out and protest," he said.

"Everyone maybe entitled to an opinion in a democracy, but in science you are either right or wrong. That is what makes exact sciences different from the arts - there is no subjectivity," said Ayan Bannerjee, Associate Professor at IISER.

According to him, ignorant remarks made by persons in government positions affect the scientific temperament of the citizens, which indirectly impacts the importance attached to funding research innovations in Indian universities.

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Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik today paid tributes to Hindutva icon Deendayal Upadhyay on his 50th death anniversary.

Naik said the leader had a magnetic personality and his simplicity and friendly behaviour attracted everyone.

"People who saw and heard Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay draw inspiration from his speech and thoughts. Those who have not seen him, they are making efforts to work on his thoughts. He had infused faith among people through his thoughts," Naik said.

The UP governor said, "We are moving ahead in different fields by imbibing his thoughts. Like Swami Vivekanand and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay also died at an younger age, but his thoughts have been immortal, and motivate everyone. In Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay's simplicity, there was a power of making someone understand sense of responsibility.

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But I dont want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you cant help that," said the Cat: "were all mad here. Im mad. Youre mad."

"How do you know Im mad?" said Alice.

"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldnt have come here.

 Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland





With freedom comes responsibility.

 Eleanor Roosevelt




Delhi is a victim of "step- motherly treatment" by the Centre, its Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has alleged and said that the federal government is confused if it should treat Delhi as a union territory or as a state.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has in the past accused the Centre of "disrupting an elected government" and creating hurdles in its functioning. It has also been demanding that the share in central taxes and duties for the city should be increased.

"Delhi is a victim of step-motherly treatment by the centre," Sisodia said yesterday during a panel discussion here on "Cooperative and Competitive Federalism" at the annual India Conference organised by the prestigious Harvard University.

Sisodia noted that this "step-motherly treatment" was also there during the previous governments at the Centre.

However, senior Haryana Cabinet Minister Captain Abhimanyu asserted that federalism has strengthened under the Narendra Modi government.

Implementation of GST Council is the best example of co- operative federalism in a highly complicated environment.

"This is a great era of cooperative and competitive federalism," Abhimanyu said.

Addressing the problem of air pollution, he said Delhi is another example of cooperative federalism and the states in and around the national capital need to cooperate on this issue.

Abhimanyu said the state governments have a thorough evaluation of investment proposals.

"It's not only ease of doing business, but as a government we consciously make efforts to reduce the cost of doing business," he said.

GST has ended tax arbitrage, Sisodia said, adding that as a result states are coming out with other incentives to attract investment.

"When it comes to Delhi, historically BJP and Congress governments have been treating Delhi step motherly," he said.

The coming out from West Bengal and Delhi needs to be answered on co-operative federalism.

He accused the centre of favouring state ruled by the same parties.

"On one hand centre says Delhi is a union territory, so we can't be treated as a state. In such case gives us funds that we need for example for e-buses," he said.

Responding to a question on recent incidents of rape, Abhimanyu said the state government is coming out with a legislation to proposal capital punishment for those responsible for it.

The session was moderated by the Indian Consul General in New York, Sandeep Chakravorty.

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NCP leader Dhananjay Munde today took potshots at former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane who recently quit the Congress and is awaiting his induction in the BJP-led NDA government in the state.

Munde, Leader of Opposition in state Legislative Council, said Rane got nothing after quitting the Congress.

Munde was in the city to participate in a "pakoda" protest organised by his party against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reported remarks that frying the snack was also a form of employment for the youth.

Hitting back at Munde, Rane said the former is still a greenhorn in



"Munde is very young and is not capable of speaking against me. If I will start replying, it would be difficult for him," Rane told reporters tonight.

After quitting the Congress, Rane had last October floated a political outfit Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha (MSP) which subsequently became part of the NDA.

Rane was reportedly assured a Cabinet berth by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Rane said the BJP-led government would not fall even if the alliance partner Shiv Sena withdraws support.

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Actors Diane Kruger and Eric Bana have been roped in to feature in the espionage thriller, "The Operative".

The film will be directed by Yuval Adler, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Kruger plays a rogue spy recruited by Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, to go undercover in Tehran only to be caught in a complex triangle with her handler (Bana) and her subject.

The actor duo has earlier shared screen space in historical drama, "Troy".

The film has been adapted from the Israeli best-seller "The English Teacher", penned by former Israeli intelligence officer Yiftach Reicher Atir.

Adler has written the screenplay for the movie.

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Downing Street has triggered what is being dubbed as a new 'Road to Brexit' campaign to counter claims of a lack of clarity on the part of the British government over the kind of relationship it wants with the European Union as a non-member.

The campaign will involve a series of six speeches by leading Cabinet ministers as well as a "showcase" policy speech by British Prime Minister Theresa May in the coming weeks, in an attempt to spell out the contours of a post- Brexit relationship with the EU.

"What the public want is, they want the vision and they want some meat on the bones," UK international development minister Penny Mordaunt said in reference to the campaign tomorrow.

It comes as a new opinion poll by BMG Research for 'The Independent' newspaper found that three-quarters of British public have little idea of what Theresa May wants from Brexit, specifically in relation to critical areas like trade and immigration.

On the "overall plans for Brexit" question, 74 per cent said May's plans were unclear, while just 17 per cent said they were clear.

The poll comes as there is mounting pressure on May to set out her vision for Britain after Brexit, something the showpiece speech within the next three weeks is expected to address.

Meanwhile, hard Brexiteers foreign minister Boris Johnson, Brexit minister David Davis and international trade Liam Fox will also set out their agenda while addressing sticky issues like the devolution of powers, workers' rights and trade.

There is also a plan for an "away day" crunch summit of the Brexit sub-committee at the prime minister's country retreat Chequers in the coming weeks to try and achieve a consensus within the UK Cabinet on Britains future relationship with the EU.

The away day is seen as crucial after two major "war cabinet" meetings of her Brexit sub-committee earlier this week failed to arrive at a decisive conclusion.

Meanwhile, the rebellious voices within the Conservative party have continued to raise their pitch, with a senior MP warning that Parliament could defeat Theresa May's final Brexit pitch unless she succeeds in laying out a decisive plan.

Asked if there was a House of Commons majority to defeat "the kind of Brexit the Prime Minister wants", Anna Soubry said: "If she's [Theresa May] not careful, yes."



May is also facing a growing discontent among Tory party donors, with one senior backer warning that the Tories will be "decimated" at an election unless the Prime Minister ends her indecision and shows leadership.

"She's got to take the bull by the horns and say, this is the road we are going. Do your damnedest if you want to vote me out, vote me out'," said John Hall, who has given the Conservatives more than 500,000 pounds since 2007 and helped fund May's snap general election in June 2017.

"It is up to Theresa now to convince everybody that she can be the leader who can stay. I think thats the way most people in the party are looking at it. Show us your leadership. This is the time to stand up and show it," he said.

All eyes will now be on Johnson, who is set to kick off the series of keynote Brexit speeches on Wednesday. The staunch Brexiteer is expected to make a rallying call for unityamong MPs on either side of the Brexit divide within the Conservative party.

His speech will come days after the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, warned an agreement over a transition period after Brexit was dependent on Britain making substantial choices on the future relationship with the 27- member economic bloc.

Both sides are working towards a timeline of the European Council meeting in Brussels in March to agree on the implementation period of Brexit in order to be able to move negotiations on to the next level.

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President Ram Nath Kovind today remembered Dr Ram Manohar Lohia as 'Sant Kabir' of Indian politics and said he had the courage to abandon everything for his beliefs.

Delivering the 4th Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Memorial Lecture here today, Kovind said that Dr Lohia could be called the 'Sant Kabir of Indian politics' due to his endless striving, ceaseless political journey, and courage to abandon everything for his beliefs, and ability to speak the truth directly.

"Lohia dedicated his life to the welfare of the people, and struggled relentlessly for the deprived sections of society. For Dr Lohia, the definition of weaker sections of society included Dalits, tribals, women and backward castes,' Kovind said.

"He suggested providing them special opportunity. Dr Lohia had said if it were a choice between "equal opportunity" and "special opportunity", then "special opportunity" should be chosen. There can be talk of "equal opportunity" only when everyone has equal access to education, employment,livelihood, etc," the President said.

The President said that Mahatma Gandhi, Dr BR Ambedkar, Dr Lohia and Deendayal Upadhyaya dedicated their lives to the welfare of the last person in society. All of them emphasised a holistic and grounded agenda, rather than alien solutions to India's problems, he said.

"Though their methods had some differences, their goal was the same - to give equal rights to all the people of India- with a special emphasis on traditionally deprived sections," he said.

He said there was a need to take inspiration from these great heroes to bring smile to the face of the last person in the last line of society. He termed such efforts as a true tribute to Dr Lohia.

Earlier in the day, the President, at function, declared Gwalior as a "Divyang friendly district" (disabled friendly district) and distributed artificial limbs. He also addressed the convocation of Jiwaji University, before returning to Delhi.

Speaking at the function to declare Gwalior as a "Divyang friendly district", the President praised the government and NGOs for their efforts to make life better and easier for differently-abled citizens.

He said the government was also making efforts to provide jobs to Divyangs by increasing the reservation for them from three to four per cent.

Addressing the convocation of Jiwaji University, the President emphasised that education needed to cope with the challenges as well as opportunities thrown up by technology and the era of artificial intelligence. In this regard, the role of university teachers was very important, he said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also addressed the Lohia Memorial Lecture series and recalled Dr Lohia's contribution to the society, especially in politics, education and culture.

Earlier in the morning, Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and others welcomed the President at the Gwalior airport.

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An elusive Maoist couple, trained in Karnataka in handling automatic weapons and jungle warfare, was arrested and a laptop, a smartphone and ultra- left, anti-government propaganda materials were seized from their possession, the police said today.

Maoist leader D Dasarathan, on the run since 2003, and his wife Shenbagavalli alias Kanimozhi, on the run for about a decade, were arrested yesterday, the police said.

Dasarathan's brother Vetri Veerapandian was also arrested for giving shelter to the couple and aiding their efforts to recruit cadres for the Maoist movement.

Based on specific intelligence inputs, a police party trailed Vetri Veerapandian. Subsequently, it came to be known that the Maoist couple was on their way to Chennai through Tiruvallur.

Vehicle checkings were intensified and the couple was arrested by a joint team of Tiruvallur police and 'Q' Branch (which deals with national security issues) sleuths.

The couple was arrested at the Pullarambakkam Koot Road, about 20 kms from the Andhra Pradesh border, when they tried to escape after alighting from an autorickshaw and Veerapandian was held from his residence off Poondi, near here, the police said.

Shenbagavalli, whose father Balan was a former Maoist, belongs to Singarapettai village, near Uthangarai, in Krishnagiri district and Dasarathan hails from Othambai village under Pullarambakkam police station limits in Tiruvallur.

"The Maoist couple was trained in Karnataka in modern automatic weapons and Shenbagavalli also got trained in weapons, along with Dharmapuri Naveen, who was killed in an encounter between the police and the Maoists in Kodaikanal in 2008," a police official told PTI.

The couple was planning to recruit cadres and carry out anti-national activities, he added.

A case was registered against the couple at the Pullarambakkam police station under the IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the police official said.

The 'Q' Branch is also looking into the matter. The police official said it was being ascertained as to who came in contact with the Maoist couple in Tamil Nadu and added that they would also be questioned.

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The Maharashtra government has decided to upgrade security at the state secretariat after a string of suicide bids at the premises in the past a few months.

The government also wants to ensure that grievances of people, who come with their pleas to the secretariat, are heard and addressed so that they do not resort to attempting suicide at the place.

A senior home department official said a comprehensive plan is being formulated to prevent such incidents at the seven-storey secretariat building, or 'Mantralaya', while keeping the premises open and accessible to people.

"We have held discussions on this issue and are working on a comprehensive plan to reduce such incidents that are an embarrassment for the government. The challenge before us is to keep the building's access to people while maintaining its security," he said.

He said maintaining security is easier for them if the access of the place is denied to a large number of people.

"However, we have to keep the Mantralaya easily accessible to people from all strata of the society," the official said.

He said modalities are being worked out to ensure the place is accessible to the people and their grievances are addressed so that they do not make attempts to commit suicide.

"We have had preliminary discussions and we have some thoughts and ideas on the table," the official said.

"To start with, we have decided to have CCTV cameras covering every nook and corner of the secretariat. Though we already have the police presence in Mantralaya, we will look at the deployment of security men on every floor to help guide the people and prevent such incidents," he said.

Another measure under consideration is fixing a safety net across the first floor, similar to the ones put up during the construction of high rises, the official added.

On January 22 this year, an 84-year-old farmer from Dhule district had consumed a poisonous chemical at the state secretariat, demanding a better compensation for his land.

On February 8, a 45-year-old man committed suicide by jumping off the fifth floor of Mantralaya. He was convicted of killing his sister and was out on parole since January 10.

Besides, on February 2, a farmer was taken into custody after police found a pesticide in his pocket during a search at the secretariat gate.

In another incident, a 32-year-old aspirant of a government job had attempted suicide at the Mantralaya gate last week.

On November 10 last year, a 28-year-old farmer from Osmanabad district had climbed on the parapet of the seventh floor of Mantralaya, demanding a slew of welfare measures for cultivators and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations.

Police later managed to convince him to climb down from the building.

In September 2016, a 30-year-old man from a slum in suburban Malad had tried to immolate himself in the main lobby of the secretariat building over an issue regarding his house.

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Unseasonal hailstorm and heavy showers in parts of Maharashtra today claimed a life and damaged various crops, state government officials said.

Two women were also injured in rain-related incidents, they said.

Dhule, Nandurbar, Beed and Jalna districts witnessed the untimely spell of rain and hailstorm.

"The hailstorm started around 7.30 am across this widespread region and continued for the next half-an-hour," a senior state revenue department official said.

"The disaster management department of the districts will soon conduct an assessment of the damage caused by the hailstorm," he said.

A 70-year-old farmer died in Jalna district after he was injured in the hailstorm.

"The farmer was going to his farm early this morning when he was caught in the heavy spell of hailstorm. He sustained severe injuries and died," Jalna district collector Shivajirao Jondhale said.

Besides, two women were injured in the hailstorm in Washim and Aurangabad districts, the official said.

Crops like wheat, orange and grapes were severely damaged in some areas, an official in the agriculture department said.

The India Meteorological Department had issued an advisory that hailstorm-like situation may develop over parts of Maharashtra.

Following the IMD's advisory, the Maharashtra government had urged farmers to prepare for untimely rains and hailstorm.

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The ministries of finance and health will hold first meeting this month on National Health Protection Scheme to discuss the modalities of its implementation, including whether to rope in insurance firms or through setting up of a trust to settle claims.

The scheme, which would be the world's largest government healthcare programme, was announced in 2018-19 Budget for providing medical cover of up to Rs 0.5 million to over 100 million poor and vulnerable families, constituting 40 per cent of India's total population.

"It would be deliberated on whether National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) will be run through a trust-based model or through general insurance companies," an official said.

Certain states are already successfully running healthcare schemes using trust-based model. Under this model, a trust will be set up by the government with funds being contributed by the Centre and states, which will settle hospital claims of beneficiaries, instead of insurers.

The health ministry will draft the scheme, which is likely to be launched either on August 15 or October 2, after consultation with states. There are states which run schemes for specific illnesses and it would be discussed how to streamline those along with NHPS, the official said.

"The health ministry would discuss with the states on how to go about with the existing state-run schemes once the NHPS is implemented. It has been discussed whether the schemes could be merged. At the central level the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) would be subsumed within NHPS," he added.

The mega healthcare plan to provide 100 million poor families with insurance cover against hospitalisation will cost up to Rs 120 billion annually.

The Budget has announced the initial allocation of Rs 20 billion for the scheme and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has promised more funds for the scheme as and when required.

"The 10 crore people would be identified on the basis of deprivation indicators under the Socio-Economic, Caste Census. As per the indicators, there are about 100 million destitute families, as was mentioned in Budget, and those would be covered under the new scheme," the official said.

The deprivation indicators would include households with only one room, kuchcha walls and kuchcha roof, no adult member between the ages of 16 and 59, female-headed households with no adult male member between 16 and 59, households with disabled member, households with no literate adult above 25 years and landless households deriving a major part of their income from manual casual labour.

The RSBY was launched in early 2008 and was initially designed to target only the below poverty line (BPL) households, but was expanded to cover other defined categories of unorganised workers like construction, porter, taxi drivers, Beedi workers and domestic workers.




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Prime Minister Theresa May and senior Cabinet ministers will set out "Britain's road map to Brexit" in a series of keynote speeches over the coming weeks, Downing Street said today.

The addresses will culminate in a speech by May outlining the government's ambitions for a future partnership with the European Union after the country's departure from the bloc in March, 2019.

"Brexit is a defining moment in the history of our nation," a Downing Street source said.

"We will be forging an ambitious new partnership with Europe and charting our own way in the world to become a truly global, free trading nation.

"As we move along the road to that future, we will set out more detail so people can see how this new relationship will benefit communities in every part of our country."



The series will begin next week when Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson makes "a rallying cry to those on both sides of the Brexit debate," according to Downing Street.

May will then detail hoped-for new security arrangements with the EU at the Munich Security Conference yesterday.

A further three speeches are planned for the next two weeks before she makes a second address.

Brexit Secretary David Davis will discuss business standards, Cabinet Officer minister David Lidington will talk about devolution, while Trade Secretary Liam Fox will detail future global trade deal strategy, No. 10 said.

Downing Street also confirmed May and top Cabinet ministers will hold an "away day" committee meeting at Chequers, British leaders' rural country residence.

There they will bid to thrash out substantial differences over the future relationship with Brussels.

Finance minister Philip Hammond, seen as a Brexit sceptic, is not slated to deliver one of the touted speeches.

Justice Secretary David Gauke denied today there was a "plot to gag a particular faction of ministers."



"I don't think that's a fair characterisation at all," he told ITV.

Meanwhile, after Japanese business leaders who met May in Downing Street this week expressed concern about the Brexit's potential impact, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said the coming weeks would give them "some answers".

"We've got to give business, but other organisations as well, a flavour of what they need to plan for and some certainty," she said.

Despite a warning on Friday from EU negotiator Michel Barnier that a post-Brexit transition period was being endangered by substantial ongoing disagreements, Mordaunt predicted "common sense will prevail".

"The other nations involved in this are very pragmatic and have not been impressed with some of the language that the Commission has used," she added.

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Four youths, including three students of Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna, have been arrested for consuming liquor on the institute's premises, police said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of officers from Jakkanpur police station raided the institute last night and found all four of them in an inebriated condition in their hostel room, SHO Abrar Ahmad Khan told PTI.

Four empty bottles of foreign liquor were also seized from the room, Khan said.

"The police got a call from the hostel last night that some students were creating nuisance under the influence of liquor," he said.

Three of them are residents of Patna while the fourth one, a common friend, hailed from Bhagalpur, he said.

All four of them were arrested under section 37(C) of Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act 2016 and sent to jail, the police officer said.

Bihar was declared a dry state by the state government on April 5, 2016.

As per the provisions of the act, an offender could be jailed for a term of not less than ten years, and with fine which shall not be anything below one lakh rupees.

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Without even a single MPhil and Phd seat allocated to the JNU's Kannada Studies Chair since its institution in 2015, its chairperson Purushothama Bilimale has now begun free language classes for university students and outsiders to ensure the Chair does not die a slow death.

Bilimale, who had strived to set up a library with more than 12,000 books crowd-sourced from Karnataka apart from preparing prospectus and curriculum, has also taken up the translation of Kannada classical literature into English.

"Presently, 40 students are attending basic Kannada classes for free of cost. Outsiders as well as students doing comparative studies have shown interest," he said.

He said no certificate will be provided for the course however. In six months, they will go to advance levels.

The classes are being held between 4pm and 6pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he added.

Bilimale was a professor of Kannada working in American Institute of Indian Studies. He quit his job and joined the JNU to head the Kannada Studies Chair in October 2015 with an aim to start MPhil and PhD programmes within three months.

It was a decade-long dream of the Kannada Development Authority and the Department of Kannada and Culture to have a Chair at the university.

The Chair was instituted after an MoU was signed between the Karnataka government and the JNU. It was planned for MPhil or PhD programme with Rs 43 lakh per annum contribution from the state.

But seat cuts announced by the university in December 2016 "violated" the MoU by not announcing even a single seat.

"It was a violation of the MoU and this continued for the subsequent admissions too, so far," Bilimale said.

With no hope from the administration, Bilimale has begun translating classical and non-classical Kannada literature into English.

"This process has been initiated with the translation of three major texts of 10th century Kavirajamargam of Srivijaya (completed), Vaddaradhane of Shivakotyacharya and Sahasa Bhima Vijayam of Ranna," he said.

The future of the Chair appears to be at stake with the tenure of Bilimale ending this December. Even if he gets an extension, according to the clause, the prospects for the Chair appears bleak with no positive sign yet from other quarters.

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A school in neighbouring Jagtial is in the process of getting toilets and washrooms after two of its students wrote a letter, about the lack of these facilities, to the district judge who in turn forwarded it to the Chief Justice of the High Court of Hyderabad.

The students, A Vaishnavi and M Rashmita, studying in Class 9 of the Zilla Parishad high school in Korutla in Jagtial district, had written to District Judge M Krishna Murthy on January 11 this year.

After the letter reached the HC, it ordered the Education department to provide the amenities.

"As per instructions, we have prepared an estimate of Rs 1.1 million to get the toilets and washrooms repaired and also to provide drinking water to the students," District Education Officer Sunkeshula Venkateshwarlu told PTI on Sunday.

The two students said they were happy that, thanks to judicial intervention, their school would have these amenities.
As the film "Pad Man", starring well-known actor Akshay Kumar, released in theatres two days back, there was a palpable excitement in a small nondescript village near here.

A group of women, who have beenfollowing in the footsteps of Tamil Nadu-based real life 'pad man' Arunchalam Muruganathan, were thrilled to watch the story of their mentor being enacted on screen.

Three years ago, the group of women from Mulgao village in Bicholim taluka, about 45 kms from here, started a small-time venture of producing bio-degradable sanitary pads out of pine wood paper, after being inspired by Muruganathan.

"The entire group went to watch the film on the second day of its release in a theatre at Bicholim. Muruganathan has been an inspiration for us and it was a treat to see his story on screen," says Jayashree Parwar, who heads the self-help group that produces the sanitary pads - named 'Sakhi'.

The brand, registered in the name of Teerathan Enterprises and having its headquarters in Bicholim, now has buyers across the globe.

"We knew the film was being produced. Muruganathan himself called us to inform about it. We were all waiting for its release," Parwar said excitedly.

A common friend had introduced Muruganathan to Parwar some years back, and then there was no looking back for her.

She put together a group of 10 women from the village who, after an initial reluctance, agreed to join hands.

However, she recalled how their initial phase was marked by struggle and challenges when they had to learn how to make the bio-degradable sanitary pads and sell them.

Though the pads were ready, there were no buyers as the group struggled to convince the users about the product.

The pads also failed to find a space in shelves in the markets among the other branded products, which were advertised on television and other media.

A few well-wishers of the group then decided to give this ambitious product an initial push and then came the online platforms, Parwar said.

"When we went to market with the product, we were told that no one will buy it as it is not advertised on TV. A few of our known people helped us in marketing, but on a small scale," she said.

The sanitary pads are now sold online and have even reached the international buyers, she further said.

"We did not get an overwhelming response from locals, it was moderate. But the online demand is huge," Parwar says.

"The basic problem with the regular sanitary pads is that they are not easily degradable in soil after use. But the pads that we manufacture are made of pine wood paper. So, after use, the pads are buried in mud and they get degraded within eight days," she claimed.

Besides the pine wood paper, they also use silicon paper, butter paper, non-woven cloth and cotton for making these eco-friendly pads, Parwar said.

The firm currently has four machines which can produce 100 pads a day. In the last two years, the group has produced and marketed about 2,000 pads, she said.

The pipe wood paper is procured from Tamil Nadu, she said, adding that the pads are disinfected with the ultra- violet radiation before being packed.

Parwar feels the release of the film "Pad Man" will not only encourage her 'comrades' but will also fuel the demand of their product in local markets.
Investors have pulled out Rs 1.1 billion from gold exchange-traded funds in January, taking the total outflow to Rs 6.79 billion in the first 10 months of the current fiscal, mainly on account of poor returns.

The outflow meant assets under management (AUM) of gold funds plunged by over 15 per cent during the period under review to Rs 49.06 billion from Rs 56.70 billion in the year-ago period, latest update with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed.

Trading in gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has been lukewarm in the previous four fiscals. It had witnessed an outflow of Rs 7.75 billion in 2016-17, Rs 9.03 billion in 2015-16, Rs 14.75 billion in 2014-15 and Rs 22.93 billion in 2013-14.

On the other hand, equity and equity-linked savings scheme (ELSS) saw an infusion of Rs 1.5 trillion during the first 10 months of 2017-18. This included an investment of over Rs 150 billion in the last month alone.

"Barring a couple of months, India has seen net negative flows in gold ETFs from February 2013. Even in terms of inflows, from triple-digit crore of inflows until 2012, it has now dwindled to low single-digit and almost nil in some months. Domestic gold's 3-year annualised returns at less than 3 per cent is lower than even savings bank rate today," said Vidya Bala, head of mutual fund research at Fundsindia.com.

"The sell-off in gold is in line with poor sentiments for gold worldwide. This comes on the back of stronger fundamentals in global economies, especially in the US. The expectation of faster rate hike in the US means that bonds yields will be expected to be more attractive than gold. Thus, the current sentiments do not bode well for gold as an asset class," she added.

Gold ETFs are passive investment instruments that are based on price movements and invest in the metal.

According to Amfi data, a net sum of Rs 1.1 billion was pulled out from 14 gold-linked ETFs in January, as compared to Rs 350 million in the same month in 2016-17.

In December, a net sum of Rs 580 million was withdrawn from the instrument.

With the latest outflow, the total pullout has reached to Rs 6.79 billion in the April-January period of the ongoing fiscal.

Gold ETFs have been continuously seeing a withdrawal. The segment last saw an inflow of Rs 200 million in October 2016. Prior to that, an inflow of Rs 50 million was witnessed in such instruments in May 2013.
The Centre has released nearly Rs 99.4 billion to the states so far for the Smart Cities Mission, with Maharashtra accounting for the highest amount of Rs 13.78 billion, followed by Madhya Pradesh getting Rs 9.84 billion, according to government data.

The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has announced 99 cities for central assistance under the BJP government's flagship programme.

The total proposed investment in these cities was Rs 2.03 trillion.

Maharashtra with eight cities, including Pune and Nashik, has received a central grant of Rs 13.78 billion so far, followed by Madhya Pradesh, with seven cities getting a central grant of Rs 9.84 billion, the ministry data shows.

Tamil Nadu, with the highest of 11 cities selected for the mission, has so far received Rs 8.48 billion. Karnataka with seven cities got Rs 8.36 billion. Rajasthan with four cities-- Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota and Ajmer--received Rs 7.84 billion.

Andhra Pradesh, whose four cities were selected, received a central assistance of Rs 5.88 billion, Uttar Pradesh with 10 cities received Rs 5.47 billion and Gujarat, whose six cities were chosen, got Rs 5.09 billion, the data showed.

Under the mission, the cities propose to take up various projects, including "smart" roads, rejuvenation of water bodies, cycle tracks, walking paths, smart classrooms, skill development centers, upgradation of health facilities, and pan-city projects like integrated command and control center.

The Centre released Rs 80 million to West Bengal whose New Town Kolkata was selected for the mission in May 2016. However, the state government had already announced that it would not participate in the Smart Cities Mission.

Earlier, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that as on January 17, there were 2,948 projects worth Rs 1.38 trillion in various stages of implementation, while 189 projects worth Rs 22.37 billion had been completed.

Stating that Smart City Mission was setting a benchmark in terms of implementation of projects, Puri had underlined that the progress of implementation depended on the round of selection of the city as it takes around 15-18 months after the selection to call tenders for the projects.

The Centre provides about Rs 5 billion to each city under the mission, with Rs 2 billion funding in the first year of its selection, followed by about Rs 1 billion over the next three years.

The release of funds depends on certain conditions, including satisfactory physical and financial progress indicated by utilisation certificate that the cities have to submit to the ministry.

States that have received around Rs 2 billion so far included Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala and Tripura.

States that got around Rs 1 billion included Manipur, Nagaland and Sikkim.
The government will soon come up with a policy on management of landfill sites in the country, a top official of the ministry has said.

The development assumes significance after the cave-in incident at the Ghazipur landfill site in east Delhi in which two persons were killed, triggering a debate on safety concerns and waste management.

"We are working on guidelines for management of landfill site and very soon, we will come up with a policy on that," Secretary C K Mishra said.

He said the policy will address the concerns raised after the Ghazipur incident.

A part of the massive dump had caved in September, prompting the Lt Governor to order the site for waste dumping to shut.

The Ghazipur landfill is the oldest of its kind in the national capital. It was started in 1984 and is spread over 29 acres.

According to officials, the permissible height for a garbage dump is 20 metres. Every day, 2,500 metric tonnes of garbage are disposed at the site.

Following the incident, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) and IIT-Delhi had joined hands to work on measures to stabilise the Ghazipur landfill, for a period of one year.

The other major dumping sites in the city are in Okhla in south Delhi and Narela-Bawana in north-west Delhi.

Post the cave-in incident, Leader of Congress in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mukesh Goel, had hit out at the BJP-led corporation and said the "situation of Bhalswa site is explosive" and if the waste dumping was not stopped there, there would be protests.

East Delhi Mayor Neema Bhagat said the 45-m high landfill at Ghazipur was saturated in 2002 only, and the civic body has been "looking for an alternative site for long time, but a clearance from the NGT is needed".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hiranandani Group-promoted H-Energy, which is executing a Rs 3,500-crore project to import and distribute LNG in West Bengal, has decided upon the shore-based regasification terminal model to expedite work.

The company expects to complete the liquefied natural gas project at Haldia within the next 18-24 months.

"We have decided a model that will have an off-shore LNG Floating Storage Unit (FSU) and a regasification terminal at shore near Digha for faster execution," H-Energy CEO Darshan Hiranandani told PTI.

Transportation major 'K' Line has a 26 per cent stake in a joint venture with H-Energy to execute and manage the storage and literage part (FSU) of the imported LNG project valued at USD 300 million, Hiranandani said.

'K' Line is estimated to supply 155,000 m3 LNG FSU.

However, the regasification terminal at the shore near Digha will require about USD 250 million, which will be executed solely by the Hiranandani Group, he said.

"We are very excited to bring natural gas in large quantities in West Bengal by January 2020. We are enthused with the response received from Haldia and Kolkata region, which can receive assured supply of this green fuel," Hiranandani said.

H-Energy intends to execute the LNG project in phases, slowly ramping up capacity from 1.0 to 4.0 million metric tonne per annum (MMTPA). It can be later scaled up to 6.0 MMTA.

The company will construct a station near Haldia to receive LNG by shuttle carriers, where it is stored and regasified in a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU), holding approximately 40,000 m3.

The initial capacity of this unit will be around 1.0 MMTPA.

H-Energy will be constructing pipelines of about 100 kilometre to supply gas in Haldia and West Bengal, Hiranadani said, adding, the natural gas is also proposed to be exported to Bangladesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top stories from the Western Region at 21:45 hrs.

BOM 10 GA-RAFALE-KHURSHID



Panaji: The Rafale fighter aircraft deal with France will prove to be the BJP's Achilles' heel, feels Congress leader Salman Khurshid.

BOM 15 GJ-MALIK-FIR



Ahmedabad: Former chief of Army Staff, General (retd) V P Malik demands withdrawal of an FIR registered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police against an Army officer in connection with the recent Shopian firing incident.

BOM 5 GA-RENUKA



Panaji: Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "Ramayana" jibe at her in Parliament, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury says there was no GST on laughter and she does not need anyone's permission to laugh.

I BOM 16 MH-LD-HAILSTORM



Mumbai: Hailstorm over the central parts of Maharashtra, Marathwada and parts of Vidarbha region claims three lives, with state government officials saying that an assessment of the damage caused has been ordered.

BOM 14 MP-LOHIA-KOVIND



Gwalior: President Ram Nath Kovind remembers Dr Ram Manohar Lohia as 'Sant Kabir' of Indian and says he had the courage to abandon everything for his beliefs.

BOM 17 MP-PADMAAVT-RELEASE



Indore: Screening of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmaavat" starts here amid tight security at the theatres with the police saying they received no report of any untoward incident.

BOM 6 AVI-FLIGHTS-NEAR MISS



Mumbai: A mid-air disaster averted in the Mumbai air space when a Vistara aircraft comes perilously close to an Air India plane, prompting the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to launch a probe.

BES 24 GJ-PATEL



Ahmedabad: Against the backdrop of an attack on an Army camp in Jammu, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel says the Centre should do something "concrete" to save lives of civilians and soldiers.

BES 5 MH-FIRE



Mumbai: A major fire breaks out at a scrap market in suburban Kurla.

LGB 1 MH-HC-HIRANANDANI



Mumbai: Prominent builder Niranjan Hiranandani approaches the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the charge sheet filed against him by the CBI in a case of alleged corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prominent builder Niranjan Hiranandani has approached the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the charge sheet filed against him by the CBI in a case of alleged corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating.

Hiranandani, 61, sought the quashing and setting aside of the charge sheet filed against him in September 2010 by the CBI's Anti-Corruption Bureau for not depositing provident funds of the employees of his group to the tune of Rs 9 crore.

The ACB had charged him under sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy, cheating and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice V K Tahilramani recently posted the petition for hearing on February 14 and granted an interim stay on the trial against Hiranandani.

The builder approached the high court after a co-accused, K Gopalan, was discharged from the case.

"The petitioner cannot be vicariously held responsible merely because he is a director of the company," the petition said.

According to the prosecution, the Hiranandani Group had not deposited provident funds of its employees between 2003 and 2006.

The alleged non-payment, as per a report submitted by the Employee Provident Fund Organisation in its departmental enquiry, was to the tune of Rs 9.36 crore.

Apart from Hiranandani, two employees of the group and four officers from the EPFO have been arraigned as accused in the case.

Following the EPFO's report, the CBI lodged an FIR in the case in March 2008.
Swedish home furnishing major Ikea has opened a Rs 1 billion distribution centre in Pune, and is also scouting for land in Maharashtra to build more facilities at an investment of Rs 7.5 billion, a senior company executive has said.

"We have opened a 2,30,000 sq ft distribution centre in Pune, on leased land and have pumped in Rs 1 billion into this. We will expand this to 3,70,000 sq ft by next year," Bimal Patel, the manager, distribution operations at Ikea India, told PTI.

"We are also scouting for more land in Maharashtra to build our own warehousing facilities over the next two to three years, and have earmarked an outlay of Rs 7.5 billion for this," he said.

The distribution centre has been set up to service its first store scheduled to be opened in Hyderabad by the middle of the year, followed by the second store in Mumbai in 2019.

The company has also purchased land in Bengaluru and Gurgaon to open more outlets. plans to set up 25 stores by 2025, investing Rs 105 billion.

The company has so far hired 100 people for its distribution operations in Pune, and is looking to employ at least 200 more there.

"We have hired about 100 people and 50 per cent of them are women. We are looking to hire another 200 people once our distribution operations are running in full steam," he said.

The company will employ 600-700 people per unit, he said.

Ikea will operate a non-bonded warehouse for domestic goods, and a custom warehouse which will stock imported goods, Patel said.

Last year, had committed to double its local sourcing from Euro 318 million to Euro 600 million by 2020.

According to the retail policy, the overseas have to mandatorily source 30 per cent of their wares locally, preferably from small suppliers.
Underlining that the political crisis in Maldives poses a threat to India's security, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha today urged the government to act immediately and said it should not remain a "mute spectator" with China strengthening its presence in the island nation.

Speaking to reporters at his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Noida, Sinha said the Indian government has diplomatic options, non-diplomatic options and it must exercise those in order to ensure India's security is not threatened amid the crisis in Maldives.

Sinha, expressing his views on behalf of the Rashtra Manch -- a new political platform he launched last month, said that the impression till now has been that "things have been allowed to drift".

He urged the government to act as it was the "best judge" of the situation and that every hour now was "precious".

"What's happening in Maldives is a threat to India's national security. Highest numbers of people (on per capita basis) from Maldives have joined the ISIS. These people will return to our nearest neighbour (Maldives) when ISIS is wiped out, posing threat to us," the former external affairs minister argued.

To a question whether India should consider sending troops to the island country, Sinha said that is one of the options. But, he added, that the government should select its option carefully.

The main concern is that time is not lost while India acts, Sinha said.

"We need not ask any nation before we act. Like in Bangladesh's case we have seen, if we act, world respects you. But if you don't, they will take you as weak and you keep taking advice," he said.

Sinha said that there were reports that China has already "taken over" 17-18 islands which were part of Maldives and asserted that it was a "matter of most serious concern".

"That Chinese should come and right under our nose, in our backyard, play these games, India should not remain a mute spectator," he said.

Sinha also said that both the present NDA and the previous UPA governments did not act "decisively" when it came to Maldives, which he claimed had become "hostile" to India.

He cited the example of how an Indian company operating at Male airport was "thrown out".

"We didn't intervene then too (during UPA regime). So the Maldives government is since feeling that India is finding itself as weak and not acting tough. Hence, it (Maldives) feels it can do what it wants," Sinha said.

The island nation, which has seen several political crises since the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed in 2012, plunged into chaos recently when the Supreme Court there ordered the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were "politically motivated and flawed".

India had earlier described as a matter of "concern" the arrests of the chief justice and political figures there.

However, earlier this week, the Supreme Court had revoked its order on the release of the opposition politicians.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and the UAE have agreed to further strengthen their economic and commercial ties especially in the sectors of civil aviation, climate and energy as Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the Gulf nation's interest in investing in infrastructure development in India.

Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held wide ranging bilateral talks yesterday.

The two leaders noted the excellent trade and economic ties between the two countries, as each other's major trading partners and expressed satisfaction at the current level of bilateral trade, which amounted to about USD 53 billion in 2016-17, according to a joint statement issued at the end of Modi's two-day visit to the UAE.

"The two sides agreed to further strengthen these ties, particularly through diversifying non-oil trade," it said.

With an aim to devise a long-term strategy on trade enhancement, the two leaders decided to examine various tariff and non-tariff barriers, and agreed to focus on encouraging trade in identified commodities and to expand access of goods and services in both markets.

"They acknowledged the positive effect presence of a number of Indian and UAE companies in each other's market has in bilateral trade promotion efforts," the statement said.

The two sides viewed the agreement between Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange concluded during this visit, as another "constructive mechanism" for furthering economic and commercial ties.

India and the UAE also agreed to further enhance their cooperation in areas of green energy and climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

"They took note of the strides made by the two countries in achieving the ambitious renewable energy targets," the statement said.

Nahyan valued the continued efforts by India to enhance economic growth, and the recent economic reforms undertaken by the India which would facilitate the ease of doing business and promote market integration.

"Both sides noted the improvement in the ease of doing business in India and the UAE as per the World Bank's latest global rankings," it said.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the cooperation in energy sector, noting that the UAE is one of the leading suppliers of crude oil to India.

"Prime Minister Modi thanked the UAE for being a reliable partner in India's energy security," according to the statement.

Both leaders reiterated their "common desire to transform the buyer-seller relationship in the energy-sector to one of deeper partnership with focus on investment and joint ventures in petrochemical complexes, and cooperation in joint exploration" in India, UAE and in third countries.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the Gulf country.

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Iraq has asked British energy giant BP to draft a study on boosting production in all the oilfields of northern Kirkuk province, Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaybi said today.

Luaybi told AFP he hoped to discuss the proposal with BP's head, who is due to visit Kirkuk in the coming days.

"I suggested they study my proposal and I am waiting for their reply," Luaybi said.

In 2014, the oil ministry and BP signed a consultancy deal under which the oil titan would study reserves in the Baba Gurgur and Havana fields and ways of developing them.

But Baghdad lost the Kirkuk fields to Kurdish forces that year during a sweeping offensive by the Islamic State group, and the deal was never implemented.

"Because of IS, it was frozen," Luaybi said.

Iraq signed a new memorandum with BP in January after the federal government took back control of the area.

Baba Gurgur, discovered in 1927, is Iraq's oldest oilfield.

Central government forces reseized it from the Kurds in October along with the fields of Havana, Bai Hassan, Jambu and Khabbaz.

The five fields have a total output of around 470,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) but production and export have been slow as the main pipeline linking Kirkuk to the Ceyhan oil terminal in Turkey was damaged and needs repairs.

A sixth oilfield, Khurmala, remains in Kurdish hands, but Luaybi insisted it belongs to Iraq's state-owned North Oil Company.

"Khurmala belongs to NOC and was discovered more than 30 years ago," he said. "We started developing it in 1995. NOC and the oil ministry have finished drilling 36 wells there."



Luaybi said the Iraqi oil ministry had launched a $37 million programme in 2004 to develop Khurmala.

The ministry of resources in the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq seized Khurmala in 2008-2009, Luaybi said.

"But it's a field that belongs to the oil ministry of the federal government," Luaybi said.

Iraq is the second largest producer in the OPEC cartel after Saudi Arabia.

It reported its oil exports at 109.6 million barrels in December last year, the same month that the government announced victory over IS.

Iraq in December 2017 earned around $6.5 billion (5.3 billion euros) from crude sales, at $59.3 per barrel.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that Israeli air strikes in Syria the previous day were a "heavy blow" to Iranian and Syrian forces in the war- torn country.

"We inflicted on Saturday a heavy blow to Iranian and Syrian forces," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting, referring to major Israeli air raids in Syria.

"We made clear to everyone that our rules of engagement will not change in any way. We will continue to harm anyone who tries to harm us. This was our policy and this will remain our policy.

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A prize-winning 'jallikattu' bull owned by a Tamil Nadu minister today died after it was injured when it hit a wall at the venue today, police said.

The bull, 'Komban', owned by health minister C Vijaya Baskar, was injured when it smashed into the wall near the 'vadivasal' (entry point) to the jallikattu arena, they added.

The 'jallikattu' (bull-taming event) was held at Thennalur near here in connection with a temple festival.

The bull was taken to a nearby hospital after being provided first aid, but succumbed to head injuries, police said.

about the death of the animal was passed on to the minister, who is presently in Singapore, they added.

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Jamia Millia Islamia University is set to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of its first chancellor Hakim Ajmal Khan -- a man who spent from his own pocket to sustain the institution that was formed out of resistance against the British rule.

Unanimously elected as the university's first chancellor on November 22, 1920, Khan along with Ali brothers, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari and Maulana Azad among others, were instrumental in the formation of the university, a product of the Khilafat and non-cooperation movements.

The university for the first time is gearing up to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of 'Masih-ul Mulk' Hakim Ajmal Khan with various events starting tomorrow.

Khan was born on February 11, 1868.

"When Jamia was inaugurated on October 29, 1920 in Aligarh, it started in a few tents with generous contribution of some well-wishers, especially one of its founders Hakim Ajmal Khan, to ensure the basic needs and countless essentials of the new set-up," Director of Jamia's Premchand Archives and Literary Centre Prof Sabiha A Zaidi said.

On November 22, 1920, Hakim Ajmal Khan was unanimously elected as its chancellor.

"During his tenure till 1927, Khan ensured the university overcame its formative issues including financial crunch by raising funds and often bailing it out using his own money and resources," she said.

Khan even oversaw the university being move to Delhi (Karol Bagh) from Aligarh in 1925, Zaidi said.

Khan, known for his secular values, was also the only Muslim to have held a one-time position of Chairman of the reception committee of Hindu Mahasabha in November 1921, apart from holding the presidential offices of the All India Muslim League, Indian National Congress and the All India Khilafat Committee.

As part of his birth celebrations, an exhibition showcasing photographs, testimonials, archives and other works of Khan, will be held from tomorrow till February 28.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by Jamia Vice Chancellor Talat Ahmed.

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An army jawan, who was injured in cross-border shelling by Pakistan, died at a military hospital in Udhamur district of Jammu and Kashmir today, taking the toll in the incidents of ceasefire violations this year to 20, an official said.

Gunner Kishore Kumar Munna had suffered splinter injuries in Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control in Shahpur sector of Poonch district on February 4 and was taken to the command military hospital at Udhampur for specialised treatment, an army officer said.

After battling for life for a week at the hospital, the jawan, who was from Barmaha village of Chautham in Bihar, breathed his last today, he said.

He said a ceremonial farewell with full military honours would be held at Nagrota here tomorrow following which the mortal remains of the jawan would be take to Patna in an aircraft and then to his home town via road on February 13.

Munna is survived by his mother Tolu Devi, the officer said adding, he was a brave and sincere soldier.

"The nation wijll always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," he said.

With his death, the toll in the Pakistani shelling from across the LoC and International Border (IB) has gone up to 20, which include nine civilians. Over 75 people were also injured in such incidents.

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Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today paid rich tribute to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on his death anniversary.

After garlanding the statue of Upadhyay, Das said that Upadhyay, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh which was the forerunner of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was a famous thinker and a great organiser.

Upadhyay laid emphasis on the development of the last person of the society, he said.

The chief minister said that the Jharkhand government was serving the people of the state on the teachings of Upadhyay.

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Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said a Dada-Dadi Park for senior citizens would be established in every city of the state soon, an official release said.

We will soon set up Dada-Dadi park in every city of the state to provide relief to people from hot summer, Das said while laying the foundation of three projects worth over Rs 300 crore at Jaiprakash Udyan, Adityapur, about half a km from here, in adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan district.

The projects include Adityapur Sewerage Yojna worth Rs 255.15 crore, Urban Water Project worth Rs 49.30 crore in Chakradharpur, West Singhbhum district and Multi-purpose Convention Hall in Jamshedpur here at a cost of Rs 9.81 crore.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Das said his government has been trying to lay impetus on the development project works.

Lauding the people of the state for reposing faith in his government, he said the mineral-rich state was moving fast on the path of development and his government was committed for all round development of the state.

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Kerala police in association with the local cops today arrested a man from the district for alleged involvement in the theft of 13 kg gold from a jewellery shop in Kerala 13 days back.

Kerala police, which reached Katihar this morning, arrested the man from his Bari chowk residence under town police station of the district, Town police station SHO Nirmal Kumar Yadavendu said adding that Kerala police took him to Kerala.

Yadavendu said the arrested had served in jail on two earlier occasions in two criminal cases including a mobile phone theft case.

Some youths had stolen 12.905 kg gold worth Rs 4.25 crore and Rs 6 lakh cash on January 29, 2018 from Adeshri jewellery in Thrissur district of Kerala, the SHO said adding that the accused has confessed to the crime and said that there are other persons involved in the theft.

They had stolen the gold by breaking open the locker with the help of a gas cutter, the SHO said adding that the recovery of gold could not be made so far.

Kerala police are conducting raids at Jharkhand's Sahebganj and other places of Kerala to nab other culprits, he said.

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Months after it announced a joint venture with the Adani Group, Swedish defence giant Saab has said it plans to partner with a few other Indian entities for manufacturing a broad portfolio of products in view of the improving business climate in India.

Mats Palmberg, Vice President of Saab's International Partnerships, said the company was also bringing its global partners to India to expand on its product range.

On the Indian Air Force looking to procure over 100 single-engine fighters and the Navy seeking to induct 57 jets for its aircraft carriers, he said it would be beneficial for India if the two acquisitions were combined.

The government is set to start the process soon for procuring a fleet of single-engine fighters for the IAF and had last year invited proposals from global fighter jet manufacturers for 57 combat aircraft.

"We will cooperate with other in India," Palmberg told PTI in an interview. He, however, declined to reveal the names of the with whom Saab was looking for collaboration.

In September last year, Saab and the Adani Group had announced a collaboration in defence manufacturing entailing billions of dollars of investment and said the joint venture would produce Gripen military jets in India if it won the single-engine aircraft deal.

"We are looking at involving other parties, for example, into the Gripen project as well. But it is important to be in the complete ecosystem and you should not put everything into one basket," he said.

Palmberg said Saab was looking at producing a broad portfolio of products in India considering the favourable business climate and policy initiatives of the government to promote defence production in the country.

He indicated Saab's interests in producing radars, unmanned aerial vehicles and futuristic platforms for the Indian armed forces.

"We have to look broadly. We should use the existing network of in India in the best possible way. We are also bringing in our international partners," he said.

Palmberg said Saab's association with the Adani Group will continue even if the joint venture fails to bag the deal to produce the single-engine fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.

Tony Ogilvy, General Manager Aeronautics and Head of Sea Gripen at Saab, also said it would be beneficial for India if the requirement for IAF and the Navy was combined.

"It is definitely going to be beneficial and it will give Indian manufacturing opportunities that really are going to be invaluable," he said, adding if Saab wins the two projects, both the aircraft will be manufactured in India.

Saab has offered its Gripen E for the IAF and its Gripen M for the Navy.

Ogilvy said Gripen E has already been crafted for IAF but Gripen M needs to be furthered designed in keeping with Indian requirements.

Boeing has also offered its F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet to the Indian Navy.

Hard selling Gripen M for the Navy, Ogilvy said it will be much better for India than the F/A-18.

"It's a question of a longer term requirement. The F/18, I guess, will have some problem in operating from India's aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya," he claimed.

Ogilvy said Saab had responded to the Navy's Request for Proposal and was now awaiting a response.
The Devendra Fadnavis government is looking to stitch up agreements entailing investments of over Rs 10 trillion from the investor summit next week, a top official has said.

Virgin Atlantic Group founder and chairman Richard Branson will be among the host of business leaders who will be attending the three-day event that will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi next Sunday.

"We expect agreements of Rs 10 trillion investments to be signed at Magnetic Maharashtra across several sectors," additional chief secretary, industries, Sunil Porwal, told PTI today.

The official said the government is expecting Rs 3.5 trillion investments into affordable housing, Rs 1.25 trillion into renewable energy projects, Rs 10,000 crore in agriculture and Rs 4,000 crore in tourism.

The rest would be in other sectors like auto, cement, fertilisers and information technology sectors, he added.

A bulk of these agreements will be with private and foreign investors, he said, adding that there will be a couple of investment announcements by state-run enterprises as well.

The state has announced a slew of sector-specific policies in the run-up to the summit beginning next Sunday.

It has received confirmations from 100 business leaders, including global ones like Virgin Atlantic's Branson, who will be attending the summit, Porwal said, adding that domestic industry leaders like Mukesh Ambani and Anand Mahindra will also be there.

The state had aggressively marketed itself as an investment destination at the first 'Make in India' summit held two years ago in the financial capital and secured investment commitments of over Rs 8 lakh crore in it.

Though most of them remain on paper even today, Porwal downplayed this saying some work has already been initiated on projects worth 65 per cent of the headline investment from that summit.

Porwal said the idea behind the Magnetic Maharashtra is not only to sign agreements, but also to showcase the state's potential for investments in the future and also learn from the best in the world.

When asked about pending investment proposals like the USD 5 billion investment by Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn, he admitted that not much ground has been covered.

Foxconn is in talks to check into the export-oriented special economic zone proposed by JNPT, which will benefit the state, he said, adding that the Taiwanese major already has rented some place in Navi Mumbai.

Asked about the conversion of Reliance Industries' proposed MahaMumbai SEZ's land into an industrial township, Porwal said the state will play the facilitator's role but the project promoters, including Cidco, Jai Corp and Ambani, will have to get investors for it.

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A major fire broke out at a scrap market in suburban Kurla this morning, a fire brigade official said.

No casualty has been reported in the incident, he said.

"The blaze started at a scrap shop in the market near Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road in Kurla around 6 am and spread to other adjacent galas (shops)," the official said.

The flames engulfed the packing material, stock of oil and chemicals, scrap material kept in the area, he added.

"As many as 17 fire engines have been pressed into service to bring the blaze under control," the official said.

According to another official, instructions have been given to the concerned authorities to demolish unauthorised structures and snap the electric supply to the area.

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A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court for brutally stabbing his wife to death 21 times with a peeler knife six years ago.

The court noted that the assault on the woman's head was "so brutal" that it resulted in fracture of underlying skull bone.

A bench of justices Sunil Gaur and Prathiba M Singh dismissed the appeal of Devender Dass saying it was without any substance and upheld his conviction and sentence of life imprisonment by the trial court.

The man had murdered his wife on the intervening night of October 31 and November 1, 2012 by stabbing her 21 times with a peeler knife and hitting with a brick. He committed the crime following a quarrel with his wife.

The bench said the man had acted in a "cruel manner" in brutally assaulting his wife without any provocation.

"It is quite evident that Dass had brutally assaulted his wife. So, in our opinion, in the instant case, it cannot be said that the offence committed by Dass is 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder'. It is a case of brutal murder," it said.

Dass had claimed that he was falsely implicated in this case.

The incident had come to light when the man's landlord informed the police.

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A district court here has given life imprisonment to a 56-year-old man for raping a six-year-old girl.

Additional sessions judge Sangita Kahlipe ordered that Afajuddin Mohammad Shaikh alias Takala Mama, who hails from Koparkhairane, would remain in jail till his death and asked the District Legal Services Authority to provide adequate compensation to the mother of the victim.

Shaikh was also fined with Rs 55,000 by the court.

Judge Khalipe ordered that "the accused is sentenced to suffer life imprisonment which shall mean the remainder of the natural life".

Additional Public Prosecutor Rekha Hiwrale informed the court that the victim and the accused stayed in the same slum colony in the creek area here.

On August 28, 2014, Shaikh gave the victim food laced with poison when she had gone to his home to watch television.

When she returned home in a distressed state, she was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors confirmed she had been raped.

Her parents filed a complaint and a case under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) was registered against Shaikh.

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A 24-year-old man wanted in five separate cases lodged against him in Uttar Pradesh has been arrested here, Delhi Police today said.

Mohsin, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested and a semi-automatic pistol, and a cartridge was seized from him, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Vijayanta Arya said Mohsin was wanted in an attempt to murder case lodged at a police station in Noida and was arrested in Sangam Vihar here.

"On seeing the patrolling party, he started running. He was nabbed after a chase," the police said, adding a case under the Arms Act has been lodged against him.

The police claimed that the accused, along with one of his associates, had yesterday fired at two persons in Noida, injuring them.

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US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says it's too early to tell if any of the overtures between North and South Korea during the Olympic Games are creating a chance for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

But he rejected any suggestion Sunday that even a temporary warming of relations between the North and South could drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington.

His remarks came after North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's sister, who is attending the Olympics, invited South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in, to visit Pyongyang.

Moon has not yet accepted the invitation from Kim Yo Jong, although he has said before he'd be willing to visit if it would help end the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons and its decades of hostility and threats against the South.

Mattis said it's unclear "if using the Olympics in a way to reduce tension if that's going to have any traction once the Olympics are over. We can't say right now."



Speaking to reporters traveling with him on a weeklong trip to Europe, Mattis said the North's decision to hold a recent military parade that highlighted its ballistic missiles confuses any messages of thawing tensions on the peninsula.

"I don't know if it's a sign," Mattis said. "That's a very strange time if, in fact, he's trying to show a warming to the country that he has attacked repeatedly as an American puppet."



He said that when he met South Korea's defense minister in January, it was made clear "there is no wedge that can be driven between us by North Korea."Mattis is scheduled to meet in Rome with about a dozen defense ministers who are involved in the coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. He will then go to a NATO meeting in Brussels and a security conference in Munich.

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A 45-year-old media professional, who was injured after sustaining a severe cut on her neck due to manja (kite string)on Wednesday, succumbed to her injuries today, police said.

According to police, Suvarna Mujumdar, who worked in the marketing department of a Marathi daily, was returning home from work when she was grievously injured by the nylon kite string near Shaniwarwada.

"We have registered a case under 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC against unidentified persons," said a police officer.

Following the incident, police have started a drive against the sale of nylon kite string as it was banned by the National Green Tribunal in 2007.

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Michael Haneke, the director of acclaimed film "Amour", has slammed the #MeToo movement and said the campaign leads to a "new puritanism" that worries him.

In an interview with Austrian daily Kurier, the Oscar- nominated director also blasted media for "murdered lives and careers in the process" and said the movement against sexual abuse is a "witch-hunt".

"This new puritanism coloured by a hatred of men, arriving on the heels of the #MeToo movement, worries me," Haneke said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"As artistes, we're starting to be fearful since we're faced with this crusade against any form of eroticism," he added.

However, Haneke said any act of "rape or sexual coercion" should be punished.

"But I find the hysteria and condemnations without any trial totally disgusting," he added.

Haneke joins veteran French actor Catherine Deneuve, who had earlier derided the #MeToo movement, which "unfairly punishes men for flirting".

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today officially launched a project for the construction of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, describing the holy place as a "catalytic agent" of humanity and harmony that will become a medium of India's identity.

Modi laid the foundation stone for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple via video conferencing from the Dubai Opera House, where he addressed the members of the Indian community.

"I would like to request all those associated with the construction of the temple that the rulers here have shown so much respect for India. They have been proud of India's cultural history. Now it's our responsibility that there is no mistake on our part," he told the gathering, amid applause.

Modi asked people associated with the construction of the temple and also the worshippers not to cause any harm to others. "This is my expectations from you," he added.

He thanked Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the construction of the grand temple in the Gulf emirate.

"People were surprised when Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince took forward the talks of building a temple in Abu Dhabi. I whole heartedly thank his highness on behalf of all 1.25 crore Indians," Modi said, amid applause.

Modi said this temple will also become a "medium of India's identity".

"We have grown in a culture where temples are a medium of humanity...Holy place is a catalytic agent of humanity and harmony," he told the gathering.

"I believe this temple will not be only unique in terms of architecture and splendour, but will also give a message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' to people across the world," he said.

Temple Committee members had presented the temple literature to Modi and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan last evening in Abu Dhabi.

"PM @narendramodi witnessed laying of foundation stone for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple on Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway! The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi being built on a generous gift of land by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi reflects UAE's commitment to tolerance and harmony," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the Gulf country.

The temple will come up on 55,000 square metres of land. The structure will be hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the UAE. It will be completed by 2020, and open to people of all religious backgrounds.

It will be the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the Middle East, said a spokesperson from the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a socio- spiritual Hindu organisation set up in 1907 that runs more than 1,100 temples and cultural compounds around the world.

The temple will incorporate all aspects and features of a traditional Hindu temple as part of a fully functional, social, cultural and spiritual complex.

It will replicate the BAPS temple in New Delhi and the one under construction in New Jersey.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met his French counterpart Edouard Philippe and had a "good discussion" on ways to boost bilateral strategic ties ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's first visit to India next month.

Modi met Philippe on the sidelines of the World Government Summit here.

"The two leaders had a good discussion on strengthening our strategic partnership. Modi said that he was looking forward to the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India next month," External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

There has been a significant progress in Indo-French cooperation through regular high-level exchanges and growing commercial exchanges, including in strategic areas such as defence, nuclear energy and space.

Last year, Modi visited France soon after Macron assumed office.

Modi also met Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sapar Isakov here and the two leaders shared their views on bilateral and regional issues, Kumar said.

Modi earlier today met UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, defence and people-to- people contacts.

Modi also met business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries and shared his vision of "new India" with them.

"Taking India story to the business leaders! Prime Minister Modi painted the vision of a new India and shared the ease of doing business in India with the business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries," Kumar said in another tweet.

"He spoke at length about the economic opportunities in India and the series of reforms undertaken in the last 3.5 years," the Prime Minister Office said in tweet.

Yesterday, Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, and held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements, including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in offshore oil concession.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the Gulf country.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, defence and people-to-people contacts.

Modi also met business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries and shared his vision of "new India" with them.

"Strengthening our comprehensive strategic partnership! Prime Minister Modi met with Vice President and PM of UAE Sheikh Mohammed in Dubai," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The two leaders had an engaging discussion on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contacts, Kumar said.

Modi also met Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sapar Isakov on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai.

Yesterday, Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, and held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements, including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in offshore oil concession.

"Taking India story to the business leaders! Prime Minister Modi painted the vision of a new India and shared the ease of doing business in India with the business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries," Kumar said in another tweet.

"He spoke at length about the economic opportunities in India and the series of reforms undertaken in the last 3.5 years," the Prime Minister Office said in tweet.

Modi, earlier, launched a project for the construction of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, describing the holy place as a "catalytic agent" of humanity and harmony that will become a medium of India's identity.

He laid the foundation stone for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple via video conferencing from the Dubai Opera House, where he addressed the members of the Indian community.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the Gulf country.

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Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today handed over a cheque of Rs one crore to Army rifleman Ram Avtar's family at Gwalior.

He reached the residence of the slain rifleman at village Baraua in Gwalior district today evening and handed over the cheque to Ram Avtar's wife Rachna Lodhi.

Chouhan announced a life long pension of Rs 5000 per month for the soldier's mother and a plot or a residential apartment for the family.

On the occasion, Chouhan announced that a statue of the martyr would be established.

Army rifleman Ram Avtar (27) lost his life in heavy firing from Pakistan forces along the Line of Control at Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir on February 4.

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A seven-year-old Muslim schoolboy of Pakistani-origin triggered a terror alert after he spoke about a new water pistol at his school in northern England.

His father, Mohammed Gulfraz, has accused Wycliffe CE Primary School in Shipley of targeting his son because he is "not white" and from a "Muslim family" when they sent West Yorkshire Police officers to their home last year.

"When the police showed up, my son was scared they would take him away," he told The Sunday Times.

Police landed at their home in June 2017 after the unnamed child expressed his excitement at being bought a small water pistol to play with during school holidays.

The school told the newspaper that its deputy lead for safeguarding was concerned when the boy "mentioned he had water pistols and then went on to say that his dad has guns".

Gulfraz said he is a licensed firearms holder who enjoys clay-shooting as a hobby and complained to the Tell MAMA group that monitors anti-Muslim crimes in the UK.

"All the school had to do was contact me and I could have talked it through with them," he said, demanding an apology from the school.

The school denied "racially discriminating", saying it takes "safeguarding of all pupils very seriously".

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State-run power giant NTPC may borrow about Rs 160 billion next financial year for adding 6,900 MW of fresh electricity generation capacity by March 2019.

"The corporation may hit the bonds or debt market to borrow about Rs 160 billion during the next financial year for financing the ongoing projects," a source said.

"NTPC is currently working on adding 21,000 MW capacities and projects are at different stage of execution... by March 2019 it plans to add about 6,900 MW.

"The company is comfortably placed and has enough leveraging potential. It will continue to fund the projects at debt to equity ratio of 70:30," the source added.

NTPC has planned capital expenditure of Rs 230 billion for 2018-19, which includes both debt and equity, essentially for capacity addition through the greenfield route.

However, this capital expenditure does not include the investment that may be required for other projects that the company is looking to acquire either from state utilities or stressed assets, tenders for which have been floated.

This fiscal, NTPC's capital expenditure is Rs 280 billion. Last fiscal, the capex was Rs 300 billion.

The company is counting on potential growth of power demand in the coming days with the government's focus on higher economic growth of around 8 per cent. NTPC intends to have the largest share of new capacities.

On capacity addition through the non-fossil fuel route, the source said NTPC will have the largest share of renewable capacities along with conventional ones.

NTPC is ramping up the share of renewables, especially solar, in its energy mix. Currently, renewables account for roughly 2 per cent of its total energy portfolio.

NTPC plans to improve this scenario and has therefore set a renewables target of 32 GW by 2032.

In fact, the company is also adding capacities by way of its joint ventures and the same have not been included in the capex plans.
The number of Indians holidaying abroad is likely to treble by 2025 and may account for 40 per cent of the international air trips from the country, according to an aviation think-tank report.

The growth in vacations in foreign countries will be driven by tourists from tier-2 Indian cities as well as an increase in budget carriers flying on international routes, the report jointly prepared by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation and Expedia group said.

In 2016, there were 21.9 million foreign departures from India, of which 4.8 million were leisure trips.

By 2025 there will be 13.9 million international leisure departures from India, accounting for 40.3 per cent of total projected 34.5 million international departures, according to the report.

The contribution of foreign vacations to the total outbound departures will grow by 10 per cent from 30 per cent in 2016.

Those who travel abroad are a mere 8 per cent of the high income group population of 55 million, which is expected to exceed 100 million people by 2025, said the report titled 'Inflection point for India Outbound Leisure travel'.

Holiday makers from tier-2 cities were expected to play a key role with the size of high income households as well as upper middle income households growing faster there than in metros.

The expanding middle-income segment will see an increase in demand for domestic and international travel, the report said.

"The phenomenon which could have a significant impact on stimulating outbound leisure travel is the long-haul, low-cost model, which has the potential to enhance affordable accessibility to some of the most aspirational destinations for Indian outbound travellers in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia," according to the CAPA report.

It said that by 2025, Indian low cost carriers will operate close to 40 wide-body aircraft, which could generate an additional 2 million annual outbound leisure travellers.

Spurred by greater demand, low-cost carriers have increased their international market share from 14.5 per cent in 2012 to 22.9 per cent in FY 2017-18, with relatively faster expansion in tier-2 cities such as Amritsar, Lucknow and Jaipur, among others, as per the report.

These smaller cities have seen a spurt in outbound travel in the last four years, with the number of foreign trips originating from there growing at nearly double the rate than those in metros.

"Tier-2 cities have seen faster growth over the last four years with a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 16.8 per cent compared with 9.1 per cent in tier-1 cities (ie Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata)," CAPA report said.

CAPA research indicates that the most popular leisure destinations for Indian travellers are Dubai, Thailand, France, Singapore and Malaysia. In fact, these five destinations alone accounted for just over 50 per cent of Indian leisure arrivals overseas.

These holiday spots were followed by Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Indonesia (primarily Bali), the US and Switzerland.

Millennials, who are more adventurous than their predecessors and are inclined to spend on travel rather than save, will drive the growth in tourism, the report said.

This is also likely to change travel patterns where there is likely to be more solo travelers or a bunch of friends undertaking a journey together instead of large family groups from India, it said.

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Okinawa Autotech is looking to sell 10,000 units of its electric scooters in India, fuelled by strong demand from tier I and II cities in the country.

The company, which has two models -- Ridge and Praise -- in its portfolio, also has plans to expand its retail presence to 500 outlets in the next three years.

"We launched the two models last year and have received tremendous response. We expect to close the fiscal with sales of 10,000 units," Okinawa Autotech Managing Director Jeetender Sharma told PTI.

He added that the company has already sold over 7,000 units of the two models.

Sharma said the company is witnessing demand across tier I and II cities and even remote parts of the country.

"In the next three years, we hope to have presence across 500 points. We currently have 150 dealers," he said.

Okinawa has recently introduced a prototype e-motorcycle, OKI 100 and the lithium-ion battery version of Ridge.

The OKI 100, which has a lithium-ion battery, has a maximum speed of 100km/hour. It can run a distance of 150km on a single charge of 2 hours.

Okinawa has already announced plans of investing around USD 40 million (over Rs 270 crore) over the next few years in the country to expand operations and introduce new products.

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The sixth anniversary of 'One Billion Rising Campaign' was observed in Delhi's Connaught Place area, with scores of people pledging to fight violence against women and girls.

Several activities like dance, music and theatre were organised at the Central Park of Connaught Place where women, men and children participated in the call given by civil society oganisations for justice and equality.

A statement by OBR Campaign stated that Regional Coordinator Kamla Bhasin, set the tone for the event saying, "We all need to rise to the occasion and rise until violence stops, patriarchy disappears, the values of our Constitutions become a reality because this war against gender-based violence is no longer just a women or girls issue."



According to the OBR Campaign, on its sixth anniversary, similar activities were organised in many part of South Asia today.

On the significance of the OBR Campaign, an activist from Azad Foundation, said having performed street plays in settlements and communities, it is clear that art and activism can be brought together to raise awareness and consciousness and help "survivors heal and make them feel emotionally cared for".

Participant organisation included Azad Foundation, Jagori, Manas, Breakthrough, Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), Joint Women Programme, Asmita Theatre, Srijanathmak Manushi Sansthan (SMS) and others.

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ONGC Videsh Ltd and its partners have acquired a 10 per cent stake in a large offshore oilfield in Abu Dhabi for USD 600 million, the first time any Indian company has set foot in the oil-rich UAE.

The contract for the oilfield in Lower Zakum Concession, as part of India's efforts to ensure the country's energy security, was signed in Abu Dhabi yesterday evening in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

While addressing a large gathering of the Indian community in Dubai today, Modi referred to the major deal and said it was the "beginning of a bright dimension in our partnership".

OVL, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and a unit of Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL), paid a signing amount of USD 600 million for a 10 per cent stake in Abu Dhabi National Oil Co's (ADNOC) 40-year Lower Zakum Concession, Offshore Abu Dhabi.

"The current production of this field is about 400,000 barrels of oil per day (20 million tonnes per annum) and Indian consortium's annual share shall be about 2 million tonnes," the OVL said in a press statement.

"This is the first Indian investment in upstream oil sector of the United Arab Emirates, transforming the traditional buyer-seller relationship to a long-term investor relationship," a statement issued by the Indian embassy here said.

The field is to achieve plateau target of 450,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025.

The concession, which has a term of 40 years with an effective date of March 9, 2018, was signed by ONGC Group Chairman Shashi Shanker and ADNOC Group Chief Executive Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.

"ADNOC is finalising the potential partners for the remaining 30 per cent of the available 40 per cent stake in the Lower Zakum Concession earmarked for international oil and gas companies," the statement said.

The deal "will help India meet its growing demand for energy and refined products, create opportunities for ADNOC to increase its market share in a key growth market, and build a solid foundation as ADNOC explores potential international investments, particularly focused on downstream opportunities," Sultan al-Jaber said.

Shanker hoped that the historic agreement will lead to further opportunities for Indian oil and gas companies to participate in the UAE's energy sector.

"The agreement reflects the vision of the Prime Minister of India towards strengthening hydrocarbon linkages with the UAE on a win-win basis," he said.

ADNOC chief executive said the pact supports company's strategy to maximise economic value and recovery from its offshore oil and gas resources. "This is an attractive and strategic agreement for both parties that will deliver competitive returns and long term growth opportunities."



ADNOC had in August last year said that it would split its ADMA-OPCO offshore concession into three areas - Lower Zakum, Umm Shaif and Nasr, and Sateh Al Razboot and Umm Lulu - with new terms to unlock greater value and increase opportunities for partnerships.

"The present transaction marks entry of OVL in highly prospective UAE region and is consistent with its stated strategic objective of adding high quality producing assets to its existing oil and gas exploration and production portfolio," the statement said.

OVL is India's largest international oil and gas company, having 39 projects in 18 countries, including Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Mozambique, Myanmar, Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, Namibia, Venezuela, Vietnam and New Zealand.

It currently produces about 277,000 barrels of oil and oil equivalent gas per day and has total oil and gas reserves (2P) of about 704 million tonnes of oil equivalent as on April 1, 2017.

ADNOC will have 60 per cent stake in the existing ADMA- OPCO concession, which produces around 700,000 barrels per day of oil and is projected to reach about 1 million barrels per day 2021.

Existing shareholders in ADMA-OPCO are BP plc with 14.67 per cent, Total SA with 13.33 per cent and Japan Oil Development Co with 12 per cent.

Alongside the concession award, ADNOC and the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) exchanged agreements, to implement the strategic crude oil storage facility in Mangalore.

The partnership with ISPRL, an Indian government- owned company mandated to store crude oil for strategic needs, covers the storage of 5.86 million barrels of ADNOC crude oil in underground facilities, at the Karnataka facility.

The oil storage facility will help ensure Indias energy security, as well as enable ADNOC to efficiently and competitively meet market demand in India and across the fast developing south east Asian economies.

The decision to establish the strategic reserve was announced in January 2017 during a visit to India by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed.

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Pakistani troops today launched heavy mortar shells at civilian areas along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner (Rajouri) Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said the Pakistan Army was launching heavy mortar shells in Naika, Panjgrain, Khorinar, Rajdhani forward areas besides the villages in Rajouri since this morning.

The shells fell deep inside the Indian territory, triggering panic and fear among the residents.

Last night, Parveen Akhter was killed in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control. They had fired in Khadi Karmara and Chakan Da Bagh forward areas in Poonch district.

On February 8, a 45-year-old woman was killed in shelling by the Pakistani troops along the LoC in the KG sector of Poonch.

Ten security personnel and nine civilians were killed and over 75 injured in Pakistani shelling along the LoC and the International Border in Jammu region this year.

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Pakistan today rejected allegations that it was involved in the terror attack on Sunjwan Army camp, saying Indian media and officials make "irresponsible" statements even before any investigation is initiated.

The Foreign Office spokesperson also accused India of carrying out a "smear campaign against Pakistan and the deliberate creation of war hysteria."



"It is a well established pattern that Indian officials begin making irresponsible statements and levelling unfounded allegations, even before any proper investigation in any incident has been initiated," the Foreign Office spokesperson said, when asked about the attack on Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu.

"A particular segment in the Indian media runs with their innuendos to malign Pakistan and whips up public frenzy. We are confident that the world community would take due cognisance of India's smear campaign against Pakistan, and the deliberate creation of war hysteria," the spokesperson said.

A group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in the early hours yesterday, triggering a gunbattle.

Security forces have neutralised three terrorists holed up in the Army camp while six people, including five Army personnel, were killed in the attack.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven Army personnel, including two officers. Three terrorists were gunned down in the operation.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013, for the 2001 attack on Parliament House.

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Biscuits and confectionery maker Parle Products is aiming to double its turnover and cross Rs 20,000 crore in the next five years, said, top officials.

The company also expects the staples and snacks segments to be its growth drivers in the coming years, they added.

"We are at least looking at, by 2023-24 to double our turnover from here," Parle Products Category Head Mayank Shah told PTI.

Parle Products, which is a privately held company, has a present turnover of Rs 10,000 crore plus, he added.

Shah further said: "This growth would be mostly going through the organic way rather than acquisitions."



As part of its growth strategy, the company is expanding its product portfolio, aiming to be a total food company, by filling up gaps in its offering.

"Eventually, we are looking at several other categories and whenever and wherever there are opportunities, we would grow into a total food company," he said.

The company has got into snacks, bakery items like cakes and rusks and ventured into staples such as pulses. It is present in the premium chocolate segment.

Parle Products is now tapping both - retail as well as institutional markets as hotels, which buys in bulks through its innovative offerings as Zeera Jeffs biscuit.

"While we consolidated our biscuits and confectionery portfolio we felt that was not very innovative. In the last couple of decades, we have made movements as a whole food company rather than as a company which has only couples of line," said Parle Products Category Head B Krishna Rao.

Parle Products which has ventured into staples segment by launching pulses six months back, plans to increase its offerings and distribution.

Presently, in pulses, Parle is present in two states- Maharashtra and Karnataka in five segments - arhar daal, Chanal, masoor, urad and moong daal.

"Pulses is a big opportunity and its a future for us," he said adding gradually Parle would expand its presence to a pan India level.

"There is a trend to buy more packed item. Moreover, people have become more sensitive towards quality and issue of adulteration, which is the biggest problem," he said adding that there is a trend of conversion of unorganized to the branded segment.

The company is expecting contribution from its Platina range to grow too.

"We are targeting one-fourth of total sales coming in next one and a half years," said Shah who handles management, advertising and promotions for biscuits and chocolates for the company.

Besides, it also expects the contribution from its Platina range of premium products to go up by 25 per cent in next three years in the biscuits segment, which presently adds 65 per cent of its total fold.

Platina handles its four premium brands as Hide & Seek Milano, Mexitos and Simply Good.
Petronet LNG Ltd, Indias biggest importer of gas, and its Japanese partners will invest USD 300 million to set up Sri Lanka's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal near Colombo, its CEO Prabhat Singh said.

The Indo-Japanese partnership will set up a 2.6-2.7 million tonnes a year floating LNG receipt facility off the island's western coast, bigger than the previously envisaged 1.5-2 million tonnes a year facility.

Petronet will hold 47.5 per cent stake in the project while Japan's Mitsubishi and Sojitz Corp will take 37.5 per cent stake. The remaining 15 per cent will be held by a Sri Lankan entity, he said.

"We are in the process of signing MoU with the Sri Lankan government for setting up of the LNG terminal," Singh said. "Once the MoU is signed this month, some project related studies will be done before beginning work on the terminal."



Explaining the reasons for setting up a bigger capacity LNG terminal, he said Sri Lanka requires 2.5-3 million tonnes of liquid gas to fire power plants. Besides, there is demand for CNG and smaller industries.

"Commercial details like exact size of the plant and investment will be worked out in the detailed feasibility report to be commissioned after signing of the MoU. Broadly, it would be about USD 300 million investment," he said.

Sri Lankan government had in September last year issued a Letter of Intent to the company to build a floating LNG import facility to supply gas to power plants and the transport sector in the island nation.

The import terminal is to be set up at Kerawalapitiya on the west coast.

Sri Lanka has plans to build a 300-mw gas-fired power plant in Kerawalapitiya adjoining an existing power plant. The existing plant, which uses oil to generate power, will also be converted to LNG once the terminal is set up and gas imports start.

LNG has become significantly cheaper in the last year and many countries have started switching their power plants to LNG.

The LNG terminal, which will import supercooled natural gas in ships, will take 2-3 years to build, the top executive said.

The terminal in Sri Lanka is part of Petronets vision to own 30 mt per annum of LNG import and regasification capacity by 2020.

Petronet already operates a 15 million tonnes per annum import facility at Dahej in Gujarat and has another 5 million tonnes terminal in Kochi in Kerala. It has signed preliminary agreement to build a 7.5 million tonnes tonnes LNG terminal in Bangladesh and is also looking at setting up a smaller facility in Mauritius.

Singh said Dahej is also being expanded to 17.5 mt over the next two years.

The India-Japan collaboration comes after a string of Chinese successes in Sri Lanka. China has managed to revive its flagship USD 1.4-billion Colombo Port City project and is also engaged in expansion of major infrastructure projects it built in the past.

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The Supreme Court has sought the Centre's response on a petition relating to sufferings of acid attack victims across India and questioning the sale of acid in open market.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, also issued notice to all the states and Union territories on the plea for a direction for compliance of the guidelines and various laws pertaining to the victims.

The petition has asked for a direction to increase the minimum compensation amount of Rs 3 lakh for the victims, as directed by the apex court earlier, to at least Rs 12 lakh for the loss caused by such incidents, which led to partial or total disability.

It claimed that acid attacks have gone up and the top court's guidelines on prohibition on sale of acid in open market was being violated.

Advocate Anuja Kapur, who has filed the PIL, referred to such incidents, including the attack in December last year on a 22-year-old woman in Gurgaon and a 2011 incident in Meerut in which a man was the victim.

The PIL claimed that the "procedure involved in the release of compensation and medical treatement (to such victims) are very tedious, lengthy and tiresome even after various guidelines and laws for it".

It submitted that since the existing laws and guidelines were not workable at the ground level, the victims underwent "secondary victimisation".

The plea sought a "one-window operation", which could facilitate, help and assist the acid attack victims for their survival and rehabilitation.

It alleged that compensation, to be awarded to the victims as per the apex court's guidelines, was not being provided to them.

"The PMO (Prime Minister's Office) has issued clear directions to the police departments of the states for taking strict actions against the culprits who indulged in open sale of acid, but no concrete action has been taken for the same," it said, adding that 1,189 acid attack cases were reported between 2010 to 2016.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived here on a two-day visit on the last leg of his tour of three West Asian countries during which he would hold talks with the Sultan of Oman and other key leaders.

Modi, who arrived here from Dubai, will also meet Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said.

Noting that Oman was a close maritime neighbour with whom India enjoys excellent relations, Modi had said ahead of his visit, "I shall also interact with leading businesspersons of Oman on developing stronger economic and business links with India."



India and Oman have thriving links rooted in centuries old people-to-people exchanges, Modi had said.

More than nine million Indians work and live in the Gulf region. In Oman, they constitute the largest expatriate community.

On the first leg of his trip, Modi had travelled to Ramallah, becoming the Indian prime minister to make an official visit to Palestine. From there he visited the UAE, Modi will travel to Oman.

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Poachers killed an adult rhino and escaped with its horn from the Western Range of the Kaziranga National Park in Biswanath district, a senior forest official said today.

According to Kaziranga National Park Divisional Forest Officer Rohini Ballav Saikia, the incident happened at around midnight at Polokata near Sitamari area -- a sandbar island in the Brahmaputra -- south of Baghmari powergrid station under Lahorijan forest camp.

"Poachers took its horn and fled the spot, which is an open area of about 200 metres from the forest camp. We have also found five rounds of empty cartridges of .303 rifle from the spot," Saikia told PTI.

Saikia, along with other senior forest officials, reached the spot this morning and a joint team of forest and police personnel launched an operation to nab the poachers, he added.

The incident took place in Biswanath within hours of Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi directing law enforcing agencies to take all measures to prevent cases of poaching of rhinos in Kaziranga National Park.

This is the second rhino poaching incident in Kaziranga this year.

On January 14, a female rhino was killed at Daflang camp area of Bagori range, but the poachers could not take its horn.

During the ongoing Budget Session in Assam Assembly, Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma has said that altogether 74 rhinos were killed by poachers in Assam since 2015 and 316 poachers were arrested during 2015-17.

As many as 21 rhinos were killed in 2015, 22 the next year and 9 in 2017, the minister had informed the House on February 8.

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Police seized 6.310 kg of charas worth Rs 70 lakh and arrested a person from Amwa Majhar village under Mufassil police station of Bihar's West Champaran district late last night, police said today.

Superintendent of Police Jayantkant said that police seized the contraband from a person identified as Vinay Mukhiya, a resident of Amwa Majhar village under Mufassil police station of the district.

The charas was kept in 15 packets which was brought from Nepal, the SP said.

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A pregnant woman, who was injured in an attack by armed terrorists on the family quarters at the Sunjuwan military camp here, delivered a baby girl in the hospital today.

Rifleman Nazir Ahmed and his pregnant wife were injured in the firing by the terrorists and were shifted to the Military Hospital at Satwari here, an army official said.

"The army doctors worked all night to save the life of the severely injured pregnant woman with gunshots wounds and helped her deliver a baby girl, following a caesarean section operation," Jammu-based army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.

"Both the mother and the baby are stable," he added.

Lt Col Anand said the condition of a 14-year-old boy, who was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound in his head, however remained critical.

Five armymen, including two junior commissioned officers (JCOs), and the father of an armyman died, 11 others were injured, besides three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists were killed in the two-day gunbattle, following the terror attack on the military camp yesterday.

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South Korean activists burned the North's flag today near a theatre where Kim Jong Un's sister and the South's President were to watch a Northern musical display in the culmination of their Olympic rapprochement.

Some 140 members of Pyongyang's Samjiyon Orchestra were to give a concert in Seoul as part of a cross-border deal in which the isolated, nuclear-armed North sent hundreds of athletes, cheerleaders and others to the Pyeongchang Winter Games in the South.

Kim yesterday invited President Moon Jae-in to a summit in the North, an offer extended by his sister and special envoy Kim Yo Jong, who made history as the first member of the North's ruling dynasty to visit the South since the Korean War.

But the rapprochement pushed by the dovish Moon has angered conservatives who accuse him of being a North Korea sympathiser.

"Having these red communists in the heart of Seoul is an utter humilation!" one shouted near the venue as dozens of others waved banners condemning both Moon and Kim Jong Un.

"We are against the ugly political Olympics!" read one banner.

Some set a North Korean flag on fire before police intervened, and others chanted "Let's tear Kim Jong Un to death!" as they ripped up posters bearing his portrait.

The North's presence has dominated the headlines in the early days of the Olympics, with all eyes turning to Swiss- educated Kim Yo Jong, believed to be 30, who is among her brother's closest confidantes.

The protesters accuse Moon of allowing North Korea to stage its "propaganda" in Seoul and undermining the military alliance with the US.

Today's concert -- the orchestra's second and final show -- was expected to feature South Korean pop songs as well as North Korean music, and to be watched by Moon, Kim Yo Jong, and Kim Yong Nam, the North's ceremonial head of state, who has become technically its highest-level official ever to visit the South.

Public interest in the show was huge, with nearly 120,000 people applying for just 1,000 tickets.

Civilian contact is strictly banned between the two Koreas, which have technically remained at war since the 1950 -53 Korean War ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty.

Tensions soared last year as the North staged a series of nuclear and missile tests in violation of UN resolutions, while leader Kim and US President Donald Trump traded colourful insults and threats of war.

Moon has long sought engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table, and for months has promoted Pyeongchang as a "peace Olympics".

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Former Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa's SLPP is heading towards a landslide victory at the local government election garnering, 45 per cent of the majority votes, media reports said.

Sri Lanka's ruling coalition yesterday faced its first polls test with over 15 million eligible voters participating in the election to appoint 340 of the island's 341 local councils, according to officials.

According to the results, the Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP) has garnered 703,117 votes along with 909 seats whereas the United National Party (UNP) has secured 469,986 votes with 459 seats, the Daily Mirror reported.

The SLPP is heading towards a landslide victory at the local government election garnering, 45 per cent of the majority votes, it said.

By morning, out of the 81 councils election results declared, Rajapaksa's SLPP had won 51 councils in an unexpected good show.

Both President Maithripala Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) are trounced.

The UNP had bagged only 10 councils out of the 81 and was in level terms with the north-based Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) who had also bagged 10 councils.

The voter turn out in the poll was expected to cross 65 per cent, election officials said.

Rajapaksa's good show indicates that he may return to the big arena after being sidelined with his January 2015 loss to Sirisena in the presidential election.

The two time president has been voted back with overwhelming support of the Sinhala Buddhist majority who view them as their hero for ending the 30 year separatist war of the LTTE.

In a statement, he thanked the voters and appealed for calm in celebrating the victory.

Sirisena was voted into office on the strength of support mainly from minority Tamil and Muslin communities.

The local polls victory for Rajapaksa may even lead to the change of government with the UNP coming under pressure to resign and sit in opposition once again, analysts say.

Sirisena faces a sterner challenge from his predecessor Rajapaksa.

Sirisena's relationship with Wickremesinghe, his main supporter when he defeated Rajapaksa in the presidency in 2015, has soured in recent months.

Sirisena has targeted the Wickremesinghe's UNP, dubbing it even more corrupt than the Rajapaksa government of which Sirisena walked out to become the then main opposition challenger.

His faction of the SLFP has been accused of delaying the election out of fear of losing them by the faction led by former president Rajapaksa.

The government had postponed the elections for over 330 local councils in the island nation since 2015 for electoral reforms.

In order to postpone the polls by a year, the government proposed an amendment to the Constitution to hold elections for all nine provincial councils on a single day.

The Supreme Court in September ruled that the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution to hold council elections on a single day requires two-third parliamentary majority and a nationwide referendum.

Also there is a 25 per cent guaranteed women's representation in each council.
Eminent Bengali writer Sanjib Chattopadhyay has lamented that Bengali and regional writers are not getting the respect they deserve in their own country in comparison to the adulation faced by foreign writers.

Chattopadhyay was speaking at a discussion, "Trends Forecasting in Bengali literature : What is the Future of Bengali writing and where is the reader?" yesterday evening.

"If a few thousands of our books are sold we are happy. But that is nothing if you compare with foreign publications including English and the writers here are asked by their families why they did not opt for some other professions," the Ananda Purashkar recipient said.

The 81-year old writer, however, did not blame local publishers who he said were doing their best to promote rich Bengali literature with their limited resources.

In the absence of institutional support from the central government, Bengali literature would continue to face neglect, said the author of 'Lota Kambal' and 'Shakha Prashakha'.

Echoing Chattopadhyay, popular Bengali poet-lyricist Srijato said, "Regional publications here cannot compete with English or foreign publications. You can see English paperbacks at all airports, but how many regional publications you come across at airport bookshops?"



Srijato, writer of books of poems such as 'Andhakar Lekhaguchcha' and 'Chhai Ronger Gram' said, "For regional languages the attitude seems to be like we will have contact with you but not accord you the due respect."



"The situation seems to be the same for regional language literature in India and Indian literature in the world," he said.

Both Srijato and Chattopadhyay, however, said the Bengali reader, a large section of them being young, have not turned their back to works in their own language and this is proved by the large following of young readers for their favourite writers in both poems and fiction genres.

But that was not enough for a regional literature to sustain in the face of global challenges, they said at the discussion held on the last day of the three-day Kolkata Literature Festival.

The moderator of the discussion, general secretary of International Kolkata Book Fair organisers, Publishers & Booksellers Guild, Tridib Chatterjee said, "What these writers say about neglect of regional literature at national level is true. The situation needs to be changed.

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As the operation to flush out JeM terrorists who stormed an Army camp here entered the second day, local residents have been frequenting the area to serve meals and snacks to police and paramilitary personnel camped there.

The admiring gesture by residents of Sainik Colony have also been well-received by the mediapersons stationed there.

The residents pooled their resources and have been serving meals, tea, snacks and water to hundreds of people, mostly police and paramilitary personnel and scribes, camping outside the main gate of the sprawling military station since yesterday.

"It's a small effort on our part... We want to contribute to the nation and decided to provide tea and snacks to the security forces deployed outside and to the mediapersons," Sanjeev Manmotra, who is leading the initiative, told PTI.

He said their effort was also aimed at sending a message to the misguided youth in the Kashmir Valley who target security forces with stones during anti-terrorist operations.

Two Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed and nine others injured when the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists stormed the camp early yesterday.

Two attackers in combat gear have been killed by the Army and a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from them. An operation to flush out surviving terrorists is still underway.

"They (security forces) are sacrificing their lives to ensure our safety and it is our responsibility to do whatever possible to help them especially during such a situation," Manmotra, state president of Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch, said.

However, another volunteer, Prakash Singh Jamwal, said the forum had nothing to do with the initiative. "We have come together and are spending from our own pockets," he said.

Jamwal said the Army was battling it out with the terrorists and "as nationalists, we want to contribute. Since we cannot fight the terrorists, we took this initiative."



Manmotra said they provided lunch, dinner and snacks to 500 people yesterday. "We are Indians and it is our responsibility to see that our forces do not go hungry while on duty."



He said they had to buy fresh stock this morning.

BJP and Bajrang Dal activists had visited the area yesterday and staged "anti-Pakistan" demonstrations to condemn the attack and express solidarity with the security forces.

The activists also raised pro-Army and pro-India slogans.

Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI that the operation against the terrorists was still on.

"There was no firing since last night," the officer said, adding that bodies of only two terrorists have been recovered from the encounter site.

Yesterday's attack on the Army camp happened nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of Jammu city, killing seven Army personnel including two officers. Three terrorists were also gunned down.

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Actor-activist Rose McGowan has condoled the death of her former manager Jill Messick, who died of an apparent suicide.

Messick, 50, who was battling from depression for years and was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, committed suicide in Los Angeles, her family had said in a statement.

McGowan paid her tributes to Messick on Instagram and without naming disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, blamed him, for causing "so much damage".

"For Jill: May your family find some measure of solace during this pain. That one man could cause so much damage is astounding, but tragically true.

"The bad man did this to us both. May you find peace on the astral plane. May you find serenity with the stars," she wrote alongside a photo of the sun behind the earth viewed from space.

Messick served as McGowan's manager in 1997, the same year when the "Charmed" actor alleged rape by Weinstein. She later served as a production executive at Miramax, a company owned by Harvey and his brother Bob Weinstein, from 1997 to 2003.

In the aftermath of multiple exposes that revealed the extent of Weinstein's sexual transgressions, McGowan went public with her own account.

She had claimed that ex-manager arranged the meeting with Weinstein, which took place in a hotel room.

Messick was named as a part of an email exchange released by Weinstein, where his attorney Ben Brafman showed a message from her to reveal how she allegedly defended his client.

Messick's family said the whole saga had a devastating effect on her as she was already battling depression.

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In continuing anti-smuggling operations, Air Intelligence officials of the Customs at the International airport here today seized over one kg of gold valued at Rs 32 lakh in two separate cases.

In the first case, five metal pieces, weighing 995 grams and valued at Rs 30.49 lakh were found concealed in a sub woofer brought in as check-in baggage of a passenger who arrived from Dubai, Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said.

The man was arrested, he said.

In the second incident, a male passenger who arrived here from Riyadh was found with two gold bars totally weighing 61 grams, valued at Rs 1.86 lakh.

The gold bars were hidden in a shaving cream tube in the man's check-in baggage, Kumar said.

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Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today accused the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) of resorting to "false propaganda" to malign former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's image.

Lashing out at SAD president Sukhbir Badal for raising questions about late Rajiv Gandhi's role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the chief minister alleged there were persistent efforts by Akali leaders to defame the former prime minister.

Rajiv Gandhi, he said, was not even in Delhi when the violence broke out.

"Rajiv was in Contai, some 150 kms from Kolkata, on an election tour of West Bengal," Amarinder Singh pointed out, accusing Sukhbir Badal of deliberately misinterpreting Jagdish Tytler's statements in a recent TV interview.

The chief minister criticised Badal for trying to link Rajiv Gandhi with a sting operation which, he emphasised, Tytler had dismissed as being "doctored".

"It is a matter of record that by the time Rajiv returned to Delhi, on being informed of his mother's assassination, rioting had already erupted," chief minister Singh said in a statement.

"In his TV interview Tytler has, in fact, categorically stated that Rajiv went around with him to try and control the situation, which had seriously escalated by the time he was sworn in as prime minister. Rajiv had issued clear instructions to all party MLAs to go back to their constituencies and defuse the situation at any cost," the Punjab chief minister said.

Media reports in the wake of the riots showed that Rajiv Gandhi unequivocally condemned the violence and warned of stringent action against anyone found to be indulging in communal violence, he said.

"After their botched attempts to spread false propaganda by misconstruing Tytler's TV interview, the Akalis were now taking refuge in a video, which the Congress leader had categorically rejected as metamorphosed, in a desperate bid to give credence to their fabrication," said the chief minister.

He was referring to a video released by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK on Monday. The video was of a purported sting operation recorded in 2011, which GK said was received by him from an unknown person on February 3.

Claiming that Badal was trying to allegedly fan passions by taking certain portions of Tytler's statement out of context, Amarinder Singh termed it "the height of irresponsible behaviour".

Had there been any involvement of Rajiv in the riots, the same would have been exposed long back, he said.

"Have not the people of Punjab already suffered enough due to the terrorism that swept the state in the wake of the 1984 riots," he asked Badal.

The chief minister said it was unfortunate that the Akalis were allegedly playing into the hands of divisive forces.

Badal had yesterday claimed that the central government has urged the Justice SN Dhingra-led special investigation team (SIT) to look into "the role of Rajiv Gandhi".

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The country's largest lender SBI wrote off bad loans worth Rs 203.39 billion in 2016-17, the highest among all the public sector banks, which had a collective write off of Rs 816.83 billion for the financial year.

The data pertains to the period when the associate of State Bank of India (SBI) were not merged with it.

Public sector banks' (PSBs) write-off stood at Rs 272.31 billion in 2012-13, government data showed.

The figure has jumped nearly three-fold in five years.

In 2013-14, the state-owned wrote off bad loans worth Rs 344.09 billion; Rs 490.18 billion in 2014-15; Rs 575.85 billion in 2015-16 and hitting Rs 816.83 billion in the fiscal ended March 2017.

Besides SBI, Punjab National Bank had a write-off of Rs 92.05 billion in 2016-17, followed by Bank of India (Rs 73.46 billion), Canara Bank (Rs 55.45 billion) and Bank of Baroda (Rs 43.48 billion).

In the current financial year, PSBs have written off loans worth Rs 536.25 billion in the six months to September.

As per data from the Reserve Bank, nine public sector banks, out of the total 21, had gross non-performing asset ratio of above 15 per cent (the percentage of bad loans in terms of total loans outstanding) as of September 30, 2017.

Fourteen PSBs have gross non-performing asset ratio of over 12 per cent.

PSBs are faced with mounting non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans, putting the financial sector under stress. The government has unveiled a Rs 2.11 trillion capital infusion plan for the PSBs, including via bonds, in the next two years.
A student studying in Class X of a local government school was allegedly raped by a contract labourer under Airport Police Station limits here today.

Police said that the accused, identified as S Vivek, was known to the victim and he took her to an isolated spot near her school and allegedly raped her.

A case had been registered based on the complaint of the victim's parents, officials added.

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A confluence of gaelic music and Indian ragas has enthralled the audience here and left them asking for more.

'Yatra; Journey, a live music concert' was organised by the British Council and Indian Museum in collaboration with Scotland arts centre 'An Lanntair' to pay a tribute to Scottish army officer Colonel Colin Mackenzie, Debanjan Chakrabarti, the director of British Council East, told PTI.

Mackenzie had travelled from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland to Indian shores in 1783 to study about the culture and languages of the country.

A group of musicians, led by tabla players Dalbir Singh Rattan, presented a diverse collection of musical scores at the hour-long concert.

"The programme gave the audience an opportunity to travel through time, between countries and cultures, with live music and moving images at the backdrop," Chakrabarti said.

Sujoy Banerjee, an IT professional and an audience member, said the combination of Scottish scores and Indian classical music is a rare thing to come by.

"I loved the fusion of Santoor and Cello. I wish the show lasted longer," he said.

A special exhibition of Mackenzie's collectibles was also arranged by the Indian Museum on this occasion.

"Mackenzie had produced some of the first cartographic maps of South India. His collection provided the context and inspiration for creative collaborations between artists, writers and musicians," Chakrabarti said.

An army officer in the British East India Company, Mackenzie became the first Surveyor General of India in 1810.

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Former chief of Army Staff, General (retd) V P Malik today demanded withdrawal of an FIR registered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police against an Army officer in connection with the recent Shopian firing incident.

Saying that a soldier has the right to defend himself, the former Army chief termed the J&K police's decision to book Major Aditya Kumar as "totally uncalled for and wrong", as the FIR was lodged without any inquiry into the incident.

"The decision to lodge an FIR against a soldier was totally uncalled for. Due to the stone pelting by the mob, one JCO was injured and eventually evacuated from the spot in a helicopter. The mob pelted huge stones on three to four army vehicles, which were separated," Malik told reporters at a press conference while referring to the incident.

Two civilians were killed when Army personnel fired at a stone-pelting mob in Ganovpora village in Shopian on January 27, prompting the chief minister to order an inquiry into the incident.

The FIR was registered against personnel of 10 Garhwal Rifles, including Major Aditya Kumar, under sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Ranbir Penal Code.

"The mob even tried to snatch a rifle. Only then the Army personnel opened fire in self defence. If you have that right, then I too have that right. But, it is utterly wrong to lodge an FIR (against Army), and showing a soldier, who was not even present at the spot, as an accused is totally wrong," General (retd) Malik said.

"While stone-pelters were let go (by the state government), saying they have not done anything wrong, then why an FIR against a soldier? It was wrong and uncalled for decision. If a citizen has the right to defend himself, then why not a soldier? This FIR should be withdrawn. If not, then we will talk about AFSPA," he added.

Major Aditya Kumar's father Karamveer Singh last week moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the FIR against his son.

Malik was accompanied by former Air Chief Marshal, Arup Raha, and former Vice Admiral, Pradeep Kaushiva at the press conference.

The trio were invited here by the Air Force Association, Gujarat, for the "Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon Annual Lecture Series".

Commenting on the Sunjwan Army camp attack in Jammu, the former Army chief said it was not possible to stop such incidents mainly due to the topography of the border as well as the support being extended by some locals to terrorists.

"The worst part is that some locals are helping the infiltrators. If there was no local support, those (terrorists) who have carried out attack in Jammu may not have succeeded...Such things are happening for decades and it is almost impossible to eliminate this activity," the former Army chief said.

Agreeing with Malik, former Vice Admiral Pradeep Kaushiva said it was up to the government to deal with those locals who are supporting terrorists.

"We cannot stop infiltration till the local support is there. Now, this is a political issue and it has to be handled politically," he said.

Cautioning about China's aggressive moves near the border, the former Army chief stressed the need to build infrastructure, such as roads and air fields.

Malik, however, also said it does not matter if China builds one or two posts near Doklam where Indian and the Chinese troops had engaged in a bitter stand-off last year.

"It does not matter if China builds one or two posts (near Doklam), because we dominate China from both the sides, be it India or Bhutan. As we have asked them not to build roads, they set up posts, which does not hold much significance," he said.

While avoiding a direct reply to a question about the controversy surrounding the Rafale deal, former Air chief marshal Raha said the government should not stop any procurement process, as it will only impact the capabilities of the armed forces.

"Even if there is a mistake, you take care of that but don't shut down the procurement process by making the issue much bigger than it should be," he told reporters during the joint press conference.

Delivering a lecture at the annual event after addressing the presser, Malik said political leaders need to "know more about how military works" to bridge the gap between them.

He said the present Union budget was "not sufficient" if seen against the requirement of the forces.

"Budget is a big handicap for us. This is the reason why private firms are not coming forward," he said.

Stressing the urgent need to stop dependency on imports of the military hardware, Malik said despite "Prime Minister's push for 'Make in India', it will take another 10 to 15 years to make up for our arms deficiencies".

Echoing Malik, Raha, in his lecture, stressed the need to "rejuvenate Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)" to meet the requirements.

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In its continuing assurances to traders, Singapore Exchange today said its entire India suite of products, including Nifty, will open and operate per normal tomorrow.

The SGX reiterated and reassured international traders of its Indian product trade from tomorrow.

This comes after the Indian Exchanges on February 9 announced a decision to stop the commercial licensing of their indices and market data with a number of foreign exchanges and other business partners.

"SGX wishes to assure market participants that we will take all measures to maintain orderly trading and clearing of SGX India equity derivatives for our global clients," the Singapore bourse said in a statement today.

"The market for our entire India suite of products including Nifty will open and operate per normal on Monday, 12 February 2018.

"Our licence agreement with NSE will ensure the continuity of listing and trading our Nifty suite of derivative products till August 2018 at a minimum," said SGX in the statement.

As Asia's leading risk management centre and clearing house, global market participants rely on SGX to access multiple markets and asset classes around the region, said the statement.

"We are committed to provide a commercially sustainable suite of solutions for our clients to manage their portfolio risks efficiently across markets and time-zones," it elaborated.

The SGX said it will develop and launch new India-access risk management solutions to allow global participants in SGX India equity index family of derivative products, to execute their investment activities with continuity. The details will be announced shortly.

"SGX and NSE (National Stock Exchagne) are long term partners and have collaborated since 2000 to develop and internationalise India's capital markets," stressed the statement.

The SGX said it will work jointly with NSE towards solutions for global investors, including developing solutions from NSE's International Exchange (NSE IFSC Limited) in Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) city International Financial Services Centre.

"The termination of this licence is not expected to have any material impact on SGX's immediate financial results.

"Our product development efforts detailed above will support the delivery of longer term financial results," said the exchange.

The SGX offers three families - Nifty family, MSCI family and Single Indian Stock of 50 companies in Nifty. The trading in the single stock began on 5 Feb 2018, which trade sources believe triggered the Indian Exchanges' action.

The SGX plans to increase its offer of this single stock futures contract of Indian top range listed companies hence on, responding to international market demand for trading in Indian companies' stocks and shares.

The Indian Exchanges announcement comes in a highly volatile market environment, which will make MSCI investors even more sensitive to changes like this, according to trading sources.

Most of the international interest in India, and inflows, comes through the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (MSCI EM) given MSCI India's 9 per cent weightage within this index, according market reports.

MSCI EM is the global EM benchmark consisting of 24 countries representing 10 per cent of world market capitalisation. It has USD 1.6 trillion in assets benchmarked to it.

MSCI India has 79 Indian stocks; the top 10 names include HDFC, Reliance, Infosys, TCS, Axis Bank, Maruti Suzuki, ITC, Hindustan Unilever, ICICI Bank and L&T.

MSCI India is the most popular India index amongst institutional investors outside of India, with over US$9.2 billion in total AUM for MSCI India family ETFs (vs USD 150 million for Nifty ETFs).

"If investors can't hedge their EM exposure then this impacts the status of India within the MSCI EM Index," said the sources.

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Passengers might soon be able to book tickets on Star Alliance member airlines through the website or app of any member carrier, thanks to the grouping's digital services initiative.

A 28-member strong Star Alliance, that also has national carrier Air India onboard, has launched the digital services platform in collaboration with technology major Accenture.

The platform can gather data provided by an individual member airline or third-party source and make it available to all member carriers as well as enable them to have their own customer-facing digital applications, according to the alliance.

"With India being the focus of Star Alliance for 2018, the country can expect a series of technological partnerships this year as the global airlines' grouping plans to sign contracts with certain firms later this year," Star Alliance's Chief Executive Jeffrey Goh told PTI.

The alliance has come out with a system wherein a person can choose seat in a member airline through the app of another member carrier.

The system is already operational for United Airlines and Singapore Airlines.

Elaborating on the facility, Goh said it means that now a United passenger can select a seat on a Singapore Airlines flight if he or she is travelling on a single ticket and change flights on these two airlines.

During a free-wheeling conversation here, Goh said that such a service would help generate "quite a chunk of ancillary revenues" for the airlines.

The modalities are being worked out on how each airline would divide the revenues earned from this service among themselves.

Besides, Lufthansa is now using a Star Alliance platform for baggage data, through which a passenger can locate his or her bag on whichever member airline (within the alliance) he or she is flying.

"Air India's baggage data from Delhi and Mumbai airports are now linked with the Star Alliance baggage hub," Goh said.

In the long term, the alliance aims to allow customers to use any member airline's website or mobile application to obtain all the information they need for travel on other member carriers, it said in a statement.

The alliance's platform offers real-time data exchange and standardised applications to improve a customer's travel experience for multiple carrier journeys and beyond, Robert Zippel, who leads technology consulting within Accenture's Travel practice, said in the statement.

Among others, the alliance has developed a system for online redemption of miles flown by frequent fliers.

"By the end of 2018, these member carrier FFP (frequent flyer programme) websites will allow customers to check flight availability and book redemption seats online for flights operated by all 28 Star Alliance member airlines," the alliance said in the statement.

Currently, the members of the alliance offers more than 18,400 daily flights to 1,300 airports spread across 191 countries.

Apart from Air India, other Star Alliance members include Adria Airways, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, South African Airways and Turkish Airlines.
Affordable housing player Sowparnika Projects and Infrastructure hopes to double its portfolio to 10 million sq ft and touch Rs 1,000 crore in revenue by 2022, a top company official said.

The Bengaluru-based firm, which currently has a portfolio of around 5 million sq ft across 27 projects, clocked revenues of Rs 230 crore in 2016-17.

"Our focus is predominantly the southern market where the demand for affordable housing is quite significant. Being an affordable housing focused developer, we are looking at expanding our presence in tier 2 and 3 cities," the company's Managing Director Ramji Subramaniam told PTI here.

Currently, the company has projects in cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru, Mysore, Guruvayoor, Kottayam, Thrissur, Cochin and Coimbatore. It now plans to expand its presence to cities such as Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Mangalore, Hubli, Dharwad, Calicut and Kannur.

Subramaniam further said the company is also looking at launching its initial public offer (IPO) by 2022.

"The dynamics of Indian real estate sector is changing with the renewed focus on affordable housing. We feel we are in the right market and at the right time. We are witnessing an improvement in investor sentiment and by 2022 we will launch our IPO," he said.

Asked whether the company is planning to raise funds for expanding its portfolio, Subramaniam said, "We will raise through debt as and when required. It could be through NBFCs and/or from international funds. Since all our projects are done in-house from designing to execution, we are able to provide homes at affordable rates.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President on Sunday asked him to stop giving speeches on the past and start working, saying he did not have much time before completing his term.

"You will have to tell the country during the elections what you did in the last five years. It is going to be five years and you have not even opened your account," he told Modi, making him the focal point of his attack in a series of roadside and public meetings.

On the second day of his ongoing "Janashirvada Yatra" in northern parts of the state in the poll-bound Karnataka, he said Modi was delving into the past to attack the Congress rather than accounting for his performance.

Gandhi said "BJP failed to create jobs, bring back black money and brought down the economy, but all Modi talks about is Congress is this, Congress is that."



He said the country had made Modi Prime Minister to provide employment to youth, to help farmers, to establish schools and hospitals and not to talk about Congress party.

"Modi ji stop giving speeches and start working, because you don't have much time.

Invoking the pithy saying "work is worship" of Karnataka's 12th century social reformer and philosopher, Basavanna, Gandhi said, "Modi ji you keep taking Basavanna's name, but you don't work. You keep talking, but you don't work. Even if you talk, you only talk about the past."



Claiming that the Congress "does what it says", Gandhi said his party always worked for the future, while Modi drove the vehiclelooking at the rearview mirror.

"That's the reason yourvehicle falls into ditch or faces accident... You only keep thinking about the past and then dosomething like demonetisation which created loss for crores ofpeople and implement GST 'Gabbar Singh Tax'," he charged.

He also claimed that the Modi government was "slowly" waiving the loans of businessmen who had debt of around Rs 10 lakh crore but refused to write off farmers debt.

Gandhi stepped up his attack on the BJP over the issue of corruption saying, "in the last five years there was not even a single scam" under Congress's Siddaramaiah government while the BJP had broken "world records" in graft in Karnataka.

The Congress president, continuing with the first leg of his four-day poll campaign in Hyderabad-Karnataka region, said when the BJP was in power in the state, there were "scams one after the other from mining to what not, different scams".

Hyderabad-Karnataka region comprises the districts of Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari and Kalaburagi which were part of the Nizam ruled Hyderabad state till 1948.

At the public meetings, Gandhi hit out at Modi for talking about corruption in Karnataka overlooking his own party's "track record" when it was in power in the state.

Pointing out that the previous BJP government (2008-13) had seen three chief ministers, he said four ministers had gone to jail and had to resign.

"But still Modiji comes here and speaks about corruption against us," he said.

The BJP government in the state had seen three chief ministers -- B S Yeddyurappa, Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar -- in five years from 2008.

"The previous BJP government in Karnataka broke world records in corruption and they come here and talk on corruption pointing at us," he added.

The Congress president, who is travelling by a special bus along with other state leaders, received an enthusiastic response from party workers and people who had gathered in large numbers on both sides of the road at different places.

Gandhi also alighted from the bus and walked some distance along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC President G Parameshwara at Kushtagi, giving anxious moments to security personnel as the surging crowds tried to get close to him.
The Congress in Goa today accused the state government of trying to harass the middle class people in Goa, through their controversial statements, to benefit a few people in the creamy layer in the tourism industry.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Girish Chodankar said that the string of statements by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and his ally, Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai, clearly exposed the "bhatkar" (landlord) mentality of the government.

Parrikar had accused Goan youth of being lazy and not hard working, while Sardesai had bluntly called a section of domestic low-end tourists, who he claimed had no civic sense and littered, as "scum of the earth".

Taking strong objection to the statements, Chodankar said that the "neo-rich elite" and the "bhatkar" mentality of the government was working overtime to deprive the poor of their earnings since the latter depended on these low-end tourists who stayed in budget hotels and shacks and used taxis and motorcycles as transport.

Accusing the BJP-Goa Foward Party of being "anti poor" and being unable to digest the prosperity of the middle and lower middle class, he alleged that Parrikar meticulously wound up mining in Goa because it was bringing riches to people in the lower economic strata.

"First, those who were dependent on the mining industry faced a disaster due to this government. Now, it is planning a similar fate for the people in the tourism sector who eke out their living from low-end tourists," he said.

He accused the government of trying to finish the "lower rung, middle-class" tourism to benefit casinos and five star hotels.

Chodankar said that if a miniscule section of tourists were misbehaving and acting uncivilized, one couldn't paint everyone with the same brush, adding that it was an insult to fellow Indians who came to the state and contributed to its economy.

He said that the government, while unable to provide new employement opportunities, was snatching away existing ones as well. He claimed that it was a conspiracy against "Goenkarponn" or Goanness.

On Parrikar's statement on how he had begun to fear as now even girls were drinking beer, Chodankar said, "I do not wish to comment on this utter foolish statement on girls drinking beer as the IITian should know that any effects of alcohol are gender neutral and no law can ban only girls from drinking beer. Such statements only flow from an obsolete traditional mindset.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The 'fidayeen' terror attack on an Army installation in the Sunjwan area of Jammu region is one of the many such attacks in J&K in the recent past.

Terrorists, especially foreigners, have been targeting the various installations of security forces in the state, mostly during the night, to inflict maximum damage.

On the last day of 2017, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants carried out a suicide attack at a CRPF camp at Lethpora in Pampore in Pulwama district, killing six CRPF personnel. Two of the terrorists were also shot dead.

On August 26 last year, eight security forces personnel, including four CRPF jawans, were killed when a group of terrorists attacked district police lines in Pulwama, triggering an encounter in which three militants were also killed.

Before that, on 16th June, six police personnel including, an SHO, were killed in Achabal in Anantnag district. Two civilians were also injured.

A group of militants had laid an ambush on a police party in the Achabal area. The terrorists surrounded the police party, opened fire from all directions and killed Achabal police station SHO, Feroz Ahmed Dar, and five others.

Days before that, on June 5, four militants were killed in retaliatory fire by security forces as they attempted to attack a CRPF camp at Sumbal in Bandipora District of J-K early morning.

In another fidayeen attack last year, JeM militants killed three Army troopers at Panjgaon of Chowkibal in Kupwara District on April 27 when they attacked the Army garrison.

Before that on January 9 last year, three civilians working as labourers were killed in a pre-dawn attack by militants on a GREF camp near LoC in Akhnoor sector of Jammu District.

In 2016, 18 Army personnel were killed when terrorists attacked an Army infantry battalion in Uri area in Baramulla district of north Kashmir on September 18. Four militants were also killed in the encounter.

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He faced a group of heavily armed desperate terrorists with bare hands, took scores of bullets on his chest and arms, yet ensured that the assailants could not inflict much harm on his family.

Subedar Madal Lal Choudhary, 50, eventually fell to the AK 47 bullets fired by the terrorists, who attacked his quarter at Sunjwan Army station in Jammu, but still foiled their plan to cause maximum damage.

A pall of gloom descended on this non-descript hamlet after the of Madan Lal Choudhary's death reached here.

Yet, the people of the border belt of Hiranagar in Kathua district are proud of the brave son of soil who took on armed intruders with bare hands and saved his family and kin.

Madan Lal Choudhary's family had come to his quarter in the Military Station, Sunjwan, as they need to shop for the wedding of a relative.

"He mustered a lot of courage and saved the life of other family members very tactically by not allowing the terrorists to enter his quarter," his brother Surinder Choudhary said.

Surinder Choudhary said his his brother managed to facilitate the exit of family members from the back as he blocked the entry of terrorists.

However, Madan Lal Choudhary's 20-year-old daughter Neha received a bullet injury in the leg while his sister-in-law Paramjeet also received minor injuries. But all of them managed to survive.

"I am proud of my younger brother who braved bullets, fought heavily armed militants with bare hands to save family members and kin. Had he failed to save them, the entire family would have been wiped out. He foiled the militants' plan to cause maximum causalities," Surinder Choudhary said.

Madan Lal Choudhary, who rose to the post of a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) - a Subedar - belonged to a family of defence force personnel.

His elder brother Shamsher Singh is an ex-serviceman, his son Ankush a Captain in the Indian Army, and his nephew Sandeep is in the Indian Air Force.

He is survived by father Inder Chand and mother Banti Devi besides three brothers.

The elderly parents father and mother were unaware about their loss till last evening even as the people and relatives thronged their residence.

It was only when Madan Lal Choudhary's wife Karamjeet and his elder brother Shamsher reached home, that they were told the of his death.

People of the village, who witnessed the terror of partition in 1947 and are refugees from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), were proud of Madan Lal Choudhary's sacrifice.

"We are proud of him. He has fought armed terrorists with bare hands and save all of the family members and some kin. He should be awarded," Dhyan Chand, a villager, said.

Family members, however, lament that at a time they were preparing for the marriage of his nephew Sandeep in April, they are forced to come to grips with this painful reality.

Five Armymen, including two JCOs, and a father of another personnel died and 11 injured in a attack by JeM terrorists on the Army camp in Sunjwan in Jammu city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security forces have neutralised three terrorists holed up in the Sunjwan Army camp here, while six people, including five Army personnel, have been killed in the attack by suspected JeM militants, Army officials said today.

A defence spokesperson in a statement said three terrorists had so far been killed in the ongoing operation.

A group of heavily armed men struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry before dawn yesterday. Five Army men, including two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), were killed in the attack.

The spokesperson said the third terrorist was also found wearing Army combats and was heavily armed like the other two.

AK-56 rifles, Under Barrel Grenade Launcher, ammunitions and grenades were seized from them, he said.

A senior police official had earlier said that four terrorists were killed by security forces.

A JCO and a jawan were killed yesterday.

The spokesperson said during sanitation of residential quarters by the Army commandos, bodies of another JCO, two jawans and an elderly man, the father of a soldier, were recovered.

All six of them had been killed by the terrorists in the initial stage of the attack yesterday.

Ten people, including six women and children, were injured in the attack, the spokesperson said.

One of the injured woman was pregnant. She later delivered a baby girl through a caesarean operation and both the mother and child were stable, the spokesperson said.

A 14-year-old boy had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was in a critical condition.

The sanitation and search operations were underway.

"The operation is on and the evacuation (of people from the family quarters) is in progress," Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.

He said a number of families were still in the camp and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety.

"There has been no firing since last night," the officer said.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven Army personnel, including two officers. Three terrorists were gunned down in the operation.

The terrorists had struck before dawn yesterday and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear end of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry guarding the periphery.

"The terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who are holed up in a few houses (inside the camp)," an official said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles were engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to prevent civilian casualties.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013, for the 2001 attack on Parliament House.

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Syrian regime air strikes killed six civilians including two children overnight in Eastern Ghouta after a day of respite from deadly bombardment of the rebel enclave, a monitor said today.

Since February 5, President Bashar al-Assad's regime has intensified its bombardment of the besieged region outside Damascus, killing more than 245 civilians including dozens of children.

Yesterday, the Damascus government eased up its strikes on Eastern Ghouta as it faced Israeli air raids on what Israel said were regime and Iranian targets inside the country.

But the regime raids picked up again on Saturday night, killing six civilians and wounding more than 50 others, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

Five of those, including two children, were killed in the region's main town of Douma, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Western powers have expressed alarm over the government's campaign against Eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people have been besieged since 2013, facing severe food and medicine shortages.

The UN Security Council is considering a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow for urgent deliveries of humanitarian aid, according to the text seen by AFP on Friday.

Sweden and Kuwait presented the measure that would also demand an immediate end to sieges, including in Eastern Ghouta.

Negotiations on the proposed measure are to begin on Monday, and diplomats said it could quickly come to a vote at the council.

Syria's war has killed more than 340,000 people and displaced millions since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

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Hailstorm over the central parts of Maharashtra, Marathwada and parts of Vidarbha region claimed three lives, with state government officials saying that an assessment of the damage caused has been ordered.

A senior revenue official said the hailstorm started around 7.30 am and continued for the next 30 minutes.

According to officials, two men from Jalna and a woman from Washim died in the hailstorm.

"Namdev Shinde, a 65-year-old farmer from Vanjar Umrad village in Jalna tehsil, and Asaram Jagtap (60), from Nivdunga village of Jafrabad tehsil, died today due to the hailstorm in Jalna district. As many as 180 villages from Jalna are badly hit," Collector of Jalna Shivajirao Jondhale told PTI.

A senior officer of the revenue departments said, "Yamunabai Humbad (60) from Washim district died when she was at her farm."



"The hailstorm has severely damaged crops including grapes, cotton, green gram and wheat among others. A sizeable loss of cattle and poultry has been reported. The damage assessment report will be finalised in the next couple of days," said a revenue official from Aurangabad divisional commissionerate.

State Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar, ordering assessment of the damage caused, said, "Every affected village should be visited, the losses should be documented and a report must be filed. The officials can email their final report to the state government."



He said a meeting with crop insurance companies would be held at Mantralaya on Monday.

Many districts such as Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Dhule, Nandurbar and Aurangabad also reported heavy rains this morning, revenue officials said.

According to an agriculture department official, farm produce like wheat, oranges and grapes were severely damaged in some areas.

Senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said the victims should get compensation before the start of the state's Budget session, scheduled for February 26.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an advisory that a hailstorm-like situation may develop over parts of Maharashtra.

Taking note of the IMD advisory, the state government had asked farmers to be prepared for the untimely rains and hailstorm.
A day after the pre-dawn audacious terror strike at the military camp here, the Army today said it has found the bodies of three of its personnel and a civilian, taking the toll to six, and gunned down three suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists.

Five Army men, including two junior commissioned officers (JCOs), and the father of a soldier have been killed in the attack by the terrorists who struck at the sprawling camp of the 36 Brigade of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JKLI) yesterday, an Army spokesperson said.

In a statement, Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said three heavily armed terrorists have been killed in the ongoing operation.

While two were gunned down yesterday, the body a third terrorist was found today, he said, adding they were in combat gear.

He said that AK-56 rifles, an under barrel grenade Launcher, ammunition and grenades were from them.

The spokesperson also said, "There has been no firing since last night."



Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid had said that four terrorists had been killed.

In Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that the ongoing operation against terrorists would be successfully concluded soon.

"I think it is not proper for me to comment when the operation is still on. I'm sure that our jawans, who are in the operation, will successfully conclude it," he told reporters.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi condemned the attack and said all Indians across political lines stand united with the Army men and women.

Giving details, Lt Col Anand said, "So far, six fatal causalities have occurred. They include two JCOs, three jawans and one civilian dependent, all residents of Jammu and Kashmir."



Ten people, including Major Avijit Singh, have been injured of which six are women and children, he said.

One of the injured women was pregnant and she later delivered a baby girl through a caesarean operation, he said, adding both the mother and child were stable.

A 14-year-old boy had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was in a critical condition, the spokesperson said.

Those killed were identified as Subedar Madan Lal Choudhary, Subdebar Mohmmad Ashraf Mir, Havaldar Habib-Ullah Qurashi, Naik Manzoor Ahmed, Lance Naik Mohmmad Iqbal -- all from the JAKLI, besides the father of Lance Naik Mohmmad Iqbal, he said.

The officer said that a search operation of the family quarters in the Army complex for evacuation of people and to ascertain the situation was underway. A number of families were still in the camp and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety, he said.

Vaid said that investigation is on to find out where from the terrorists came. "Whether they infiltrated from Pakistan or came from Kashmir is being investigated," the DGP said.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team today visited the camp and examined the evidence collected by the Army from the site of the gun battle, an official said.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven personnel, including two officers. Three terrorists were gunned down in the operation.

Yesterday, the terrorists had struck before dawn and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear end of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry guarding the periphery.

"The terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who were holed up in a few houses (inside the camp)," an official said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles were engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to prevent civilian casualties.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by the Pakistan-based JeM in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013, for the 2001 attack on Parliament House.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe promised lower taxes and a business-friendly France at a global summit in Dubai today, seeking investment from the oil-rich Gulf region.

"France is undergoing great transformation", Philippe said, addressing a thousand-strong audience at Dubai's World Government Summit.

The prime minister pledged a "favourable framework for business and investment" and a drop in corporate taxes in France.

The annual summit, often dubbed the Davos of the Middle East, brings together a cosmopolitan lineup of business and political figures -- with Indian premier Narendra Modi as this year's guest of honour.

Philippe sought to contrast the policies of President Emmanuel Macron with the isolationist trends of other Western nations, including Britain leaving the European Union and the election of US President Donald Trump.

Yesterday, the French premier met the heads of the two largest sovereign funds in the United Arab Emirates, as well as Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.

"What I felt was their continued interest in what we were doing and prospects available in France," he said.

No concrete agreements have yet been announced.

With sovereign funds worth more than USD 800 billion, but only a fraction of that -- around USD 3 billion -- invested in France, Paris is working to capture a larger share of UAE petrodollars.

"We must make our country more attractive to foreign investors, and there is work to be done," Philippe told members of the French community living in the United Arab Emirates late Saturday, speaking on board a French military vessel docked in Dubai harbour.

The United Arab Emirates hosts three French military bases.

It has also become a major contributor to the French- backed coalition fighting jihadists in Africa's Sahel region, pledging USD 30 million in December.

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A transgender activist, who has become a member of the judicial panel at a National Lok Adalat conducted here, says the society should not discriminate against the LGBT community and rather support such people.

Vidya Kamble (29), who has been working as a social activist for around 10 years, is the first transgender to be a panel member of the Lok Adalat in the state, district legal aid committee secretary Kunal Jadhav claimed.

The activist was on the panel of the Lok Adalat held in the Nagpur district court yesterday.

The panel resolved several disputes, including a Rs 19 lakh claim settlement between an insurance company and a medical insurance policy-holder, Kamble told PTI.

Asked what prompted her to be a part of the Lok Adalat, she said it gave her a feeling of pride.

"The (other) members of the panel were very supportive. The secretary of the district legal aid committee gave me the opportunity to be a part of the panel," she said.

"For the last nine days, I was involved in verification of cases (that were listed for the Lok Adalat). We were able to settle a case where a girl got her medical insurance claim of Rs 19 lakh," Kamble said.

She said the society should not discriminate against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community members and rather these people should be supported.

"If a child is born with a disability, he/she is not neglected or thrown out, then why transgenders are rejected?" she asked.

When a transgender is ostracised by the family, the person can go astray and take a wrong path, she further said.

On Kamble's inclusion in the Lok Adalat panel, Jadhav said such people such be recognised by the society.

"Many of these people are well educated. They should be recognised by the society. People do not accept them easily or employ them," he said.

People have fixed notions about transgenders, he said, adding that a platform like the Lok Adalat panel is required to improve their status in the eyes of the ordinary people.

He said even disabled persons have been a part of the Lok Adalat panels in the past.

Lauding Kamble's work efficiency, Jadhav said she did very well while dealing with the cases that came before the Lok Adalat.

The Lok Adalat panels comprise a sitting or a retired judge, a lawyer and a social activist.

The members of these alternative dispute redressal forums try to settle amicably the cases pending in courts, or disputes which are at a pre-litigation stage.

The Lok Adalats have a statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.

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The publishing industry should develop a mechanism which would enable people with immense knowledge to translate the information they possess into a book, Union minister Harsh Vardhan said today.

Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of the 32nd International Publishers Congress, organised by the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) here, the environment minister said every bit of information and knowledge should be transferred to the people.

Vardhan said if such a mechanism was institutionalised, it would give a great boost to the publishing industry while helping in knowledge dissemination.

Citing his own example, he said it took him over five to six years to put his thoughts to paper.

"There are many people who have a lot of great ideas, but they are not probably in the habit of writing what they have done," he said.

Vardhan, who also holds the portfolio of science and technology, said it was essential to record and transfer information and knowledge to the people.

"It should be made easy, accessible and affordable also. It should be available in all the possible languages so that everybody can have access to knowledge. That is I think one challenge we all face," the minister said.

The publishing industry was the "most important tool" as it helped society become a hub of knowledge, he added.

Vardhan assured publishers of all possible support from the central government.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar also addressed the gathering through a video message and said books had always played an important role in the development of society. The more books people read, the more civilised is society, he said.

In his speech, Asoke K Ghosh, chairman of the organising committee of the FIP, said the publishing industry had been spreading the light of knowledge and the publishers' congress would offer unique opportunities to young Indian participants.

FIP represents the Indian publishing industry as a member of the International Publishers Association, Geneva. The International Publishers' Congress is a biennial event.

This is the second time that India has hosted the event. The last time was in 1992.

Publishers from countries such as China and the United States are participating in the three-day congress.

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US President Donald Trump has asked the Democratic lawmakers to redo a classified memo about government surveillance of a former Trump campaign advisor before it is released.

Trump had earlier refused to approve the release of the 10-page memo written by Democratic minority members of the House Intelligence Committee.

"Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!" Trump said in a tweet yesterday.

"The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency," he said.

The Democrats slammed Trump for declining to give his consent to release the memo.

"The President's double standard when it comes to transparency is appalling. The rationale for releasing the Nunes memo, transparency, vanishes when it could show information that's harmful to him. Millions of Americans are asking one simple question: what is he hiding? Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

The House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley said that if Trump has nothing to hide, he should release the Democratic memo.

"This brazen attempt to keep the truth from Americans is a full-fledged attack on our Democracy," he said.

"This is particularly disturbing given that just one week ago, President Trump released a partisan memo drafted by his Republican allies. President Trump clearly doesn't want Americans to have access to the truth," Crowley said.

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Two collegians died after their two-wheeler collided with a mini-truck in suburban Dadar in the early hours today.

Police said that the incident happened around 1:15am when the motorcycle hit the four-wheeler head on while negotiating a turn at a junction near Veer Savarkar Road. The two were returning to their homes after a visit to Shivaji Park nearby, police said.

The two collegians, identified as Vedant Narvekar and Manish Thakur, were rushed to a nearby hospital where they succumbed to their wounds, police added.

The driver of the four-wheeler, used for transporting milk, was arrested and charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, police said, adding that further investigations were underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson stopped off in Myanmar today to press Aung San Suu Kyi on the need for an independent probe into violence in Rakhine state, as the country faces mounting pressure to punish troops accused of atrocities against the Muslim Rohingya.

Johnson met with the embattled Myanmar leader, whose reputation among the international community has crumbled over her handling of the Rohingya crisis, in the capital Naypyidaw while on a four-day tour in Asia.

The meeting followed Johnson's visit to a refugee camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, where nearly 700,000 Rohingya have sought sanctuary after fleeing a Myanmar army crackdown launched in northern Rakhine last August.

The UN has accused Myanmar security forces of driving the Muslim minority across the border in an ethnic cleansing campaign. Doctors Without Borders estimates at least 6,700 Rohingya died in the first month of violence.

But Myanmar has staunchly denied the charges and blocked UN investigators from the conflict zone, souring relations with a host of western allies.

Fresh reports of mass graves in Rakhine -- and the arrest of two Reuters journalists investigating an alleged massacre -- have heightened pressure on Suu Kyi to condemn the army, who she is in a delicate power-sharing arrangement with.

But the Nobel laureate has refused to change tack and is accused by critics of adopting a siege mentality.

Today Johnson and Suu Kyi "discussed in an open and friendly manner the latest developments in Rakhine State, including planning for the reception of returnees who fled", Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a Facebook post alongside photos of the pair meeting.

Johnson, who later flew to Rakhine state, wrote on Twitter that he raised the "importance of (Myanmar) authorities in carrying out full & independent investigation into the violence in Rakhine".

He said he also stressed the "urgent need to create the right conditions for Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Rakhine".

Myanmar and Bangladesh have inked a deal to bring back refugees, but repatriation has yet to begin.

Many Rohingya do not feel safe returning to a country where they have faced violent persecution and decades of discrimination at the hands of a state that has denied them citizenship.

Others have no home to return to after their villages were torched in the military crackdown.

After months of denying any abuses by its troops, Myanmar's military admitted in January that security officers had assisted with the killing of 10 Rohingya men in Rakhine's Inn Din village.

That public admission followed the arrests of the two Myanmar journalists who were investigating the massacre and are now facing up 14 years in prison on charges of possessing secret documents.

Johnson is scheduled to fly on to Bangkok later today for a visit that will include meetings with junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha and the Thai chairman of an advisory board on the Rohingya crisis.

The panel was thrown into the spotlight last month after veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson published a withering resignation letter saying he could not in "good conscience" sit on a board he feared would only "whitewash" the causes of the Rohingya crisis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 400 crore in Mathura on the death anniversary of Hindutva icon Deendayal Upadhyaya.

While schemes costing Rs 195 crore were inaugurated after completion, foundation stones were laid for projects worth Rs 214.15 crore in the district.

Governor Ram Naik unveiled the statue of Upadhyaya at the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Veterinary University here.

On the occasion, the chief minister asked his cabinet colleague S P Singh Baghel to introduce new courses in the university.

"Make arrangement for starting B.Tech in Dairying and Fisheries in Deen Dayal Veterinary University from forthcoming session", Adityanath asked Animal Husbandry, Minor Irrigation and Fisheries minister Baghel.

Terming Deen Dayal Upadhyaya a "Karmyogi", Naik said that it was only because of his stress on "Antyoday" that the 65 per cent "Jhuggi Jhopari" (slum dwellers) population of Mumbai, got the benefits.

He said it paid rich dividend to BJP since activists of the party followed the line and today the party has its government in different states and the Centre.

"The Indian politics, at the time of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya was revolving between capitalists and socialist", Naik said.

However, 'Ekatma Manavavad' and 'Antyoday' were welcomed ,since the development has no meaning unless person standing last in the queue gets benefits.

Upadhyaya was one of the top leaders of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the forerunner of the present-day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He had propounded the theory of "Antyodaya", or uplifting the last person in the queue.

He said installation of statue of Upadhyaya in the university is a befitting tribute to a "apostle of downtrodden."



Adityanath also drew a parallel between the ideologies of Upadhyaya and Mahatma Gandhi.

"While Gandhi had visualised 'gram swara', Upadhyaya used to see India with the Indian angle and not a foreign one", Adityanath said.

He said, Upadhyaya's thoughts on agriculture, industry, education, among others are novel and practical.

"An industrial policy would not be a success, unless it consists of man, money, management, material, market, motivation and machinery," the chief minister elaborated.

His ideology was different from that of Lohia and Marx , as these were "impractical," Adityanath said.

According to Marx, one who earns only has the right to eat, however, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya defined it from family perspective, he said.

The base of the unity of the country, according to Upadhyaya, lies in union of family, irrespective of who is the earning member, Adityanath said.

He rued that cow rearing, so far, has been "neglected" and noted that it has immense scope for agricultural farmer.

He asked the university vice chancellor to intensify research on cows, in order to turn them into high-yielding cattle.

He, however, added that researches should be limited to indigeneous cows only.

The chief minister earlier laid the foundation stone of Mahamana "Go Gram" scheme in Vrindaban for the development of 108 villages.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The UP Home Guards has sent a proposal to the Centre to engage personnel of the 95,000- strong auxiliary force to work in tandem with the frontier guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) along the India-Nepal border and also assist in flood relief operations.

"In a recent meeting with officials from the Centre, a proposal was mooted to engage 1,200 jawans of UP Home Guards in border security duties on the India-Nepal border during non-flood period of the year, and during floods, the jawans will be participating in flood relief operations," Surya Kumar Shukla, DG, Home Guards, told PTI today.

Shukla was in Kanpur yesterday to hold a review meeting.

"It will be a challenge for the home guards to guard Indo-Nepal border, as it is an open border, and there is no restriction of movement of people. The Home Guards are being imparted training in handling INSAS rifles. This will ensure effective action against anti-national elements at the India- Nepal border," he said.

The DG also said, "We are going to purchase INSAS rifles from government factories, and we will provide jawans for operational duties. As of now, as many as 1,200 home guard jawans have been trained in handling INSAS rifles. This will also prove effective in combating dreaded dacoits in ravines and other anti-dacoity operations. The training generally takes place in batches."



Shukla also informed that nearly 100 jawans of NDRF (National Disaster Relief Force) have been given accommodation at Home Guard headquarters to impart training to home guard jawans in flood-relief operations and other natural calamities. So far 1,200 jawans have already been trained in flood relief operations.

He also informed that 2,700 home guards are deployed with UP 'Dial 100' service in the capacity of drivers.

"Another 3,000 drivers are being imparted driving training in Sitapur," Shukla said.

Asked whether there are any plans to infuse a dose of confidence among the personnel, Shukla, also the Commandant General of UP Home Guards, said, "Jawans who grow big moustache will be felicitated. This will also enable the jawans to discharge their duties with more confidence and higher morale. Very soon you will see a dynamic home guard."



If the proposal is approved, the UP Home Guards would assist the SSB, which works under the command of the Union home ministry, in guarding a part of the 1,751 km long Indo- Nepal border.

Uttar Pradesh shares a 599.3 km long open border with Nepal touching seven districts - Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Khiri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Sidhharthnagar and Maharajganj.

Formed in 1962 during the India-China war, the Uttar Pradesh Home Guards is an independent department under the state government. Its personnel are engaged in maintaining peace, internal security also help in rescue operations during natural calamities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With a month left for the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls, the BJP is banking on "achievements of the Modi and Yogi governments" to retain the two seats while the Opposition is counting on the "failures of the Uttar Pradesh government" to wrest them from it.

Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies were vacated by chief minister Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya respectively, after they became members of the UP Legislative Council.

The bypolls will also be a test for the Congress after its impressive performance in Gujarat polls in December and more recently in bye-elections in Rajasthan.

For the BJP, Gorakhpur assumes significance as it is the bastion of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has represented it in Lok Sabha five times. Prior to Adityanath, Gorakhpur was represented in the Parliament by his mentor Avaidyanath three times.

Phulpur, on the other hand, which was once the bastion of the Congress, and represented by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, for the first time witnessed a saffron surge in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when Maurya emerged victorious.

The Lok Sabha bypolls are considered to be the first major battle of ballot, after the BJP stormed to power in UP in 2017 Assembly elections, bagging 325 out of 403 Assembly seats along with its allies.

The Election Commission had on Friday (February 9) announced that the bypolls on the seats will be held on March 11.

"The BJP is always ready for elections. We are a cadre- based party. I am confident that the party will improve its winning margin," UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi told PTI.

Exuding confidence that the BJP will sweep the bypolls, Tripathi said, "March 11 is a significant date for us, as it was on this day last year that the BJP and its allies had bagged 325 out of the 403 Assembly seats in UP. Then (in 2017) we had banked on the performance of Modi government only. Now, we have the achievements of Yogi and Modi governments (to show to the people)."



Taking a jibe at the Congress and the SP, he said, "The two opposition parties had forged a pre-poll alliance to contest the Assembly polls. Now, the Opposition is virtually scattered. When they could not damage the BJP unitedly then how can they damage (the BJP) by contesting individually."



However, the Congress claimed that an atmosphere of fear is prevailing in UP, and it will highlight failures of the Yogi Adityanath government before the people.

"We will contest from both parliamentary constituencies. The UP government has failed miserably on the law and order front. An atmosphere of fear is prevailing across the state. The problems are far from being resolved," UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh said.

Accusing the BJP of "not fulfilling" its poll promises, the Samajwadi Party said that voters will punish the BJP.

"We are confident that people of UP will teach the BJP a lesson for making false promises during the last election and not fulfilling them," SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan said.

"We are ready for polls. We are going to contest strongly on both the seats on our own strength."



Sajan also claimed that public mood was not favourable for the BJP-led state government because of the poor law and order situation.
The Trump administration has come out in strong support of the Israeli action against Iranian targets in Syria, saying the US backs its "staunch" ally's right to "defend" itself.

The Israeli military yesterday shot down an Iranian drone that infiltrated the country before launching a "large-scale attack" on at least a dozen Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria.

Israel called it a "severe and irregular violation of Israeli sovereignty" and warned of further action against the unprecedented Iranian aggression.

The White House came out in strong support of Israel, warning Iran to cease its provocative actions.

"Israel is a staunch ally of the United States, and we support its right to defend itself from the Iranian-backed Syrian and militia forces in southern Syria," the White House said in a statement.

"We call on Iran and its allies to cease provocative actions and work toward regional peace," the White House said.

Earlier, the State Department said it is deeply concerned about today's escalation of violence over Israel's border and strongly supports Israel's sovereign right to defend itself.

"Iran's calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance, places all the people of the? region - from Yemen to Lebanon - at risk," the State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

The US continues to push back on the totality of Iran's malign activities in the region and calls for an end to Iranian behaviour that threatens peace and stability, she said.

In a related development the Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon urged the Security Council to denounce alleged Iranian action.

"This is not the first time that we have warned you of Iran's dangerous actions that undermine the situation in our region. This incident proves every one of those warnings correct. Israel will defend its citizens and will not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty," he said in a letter to the Security Council.

Danon called upon the Security Council to condemn Irans actions.

"I call on the Security Council to condemn this dangerous act and to put an immediate end to Iranian provocations. Security Council members must not stand idly by while Iran is instigating dangerous escalations and violating Security Council," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vienna, the capital of Austria, is eyeing 15 per cent increase in footfalls from India this year with focus on the family traveller segment, an official said.

"Last year has been an exceptional year with over 58,000 Indians spending nearly 128,000 bed nights in Austria. It was 11 per cent increase over 2016.

"We feel the growth momentum has begun and this year we expect the tourist arrivals from India to be 15 per cent higher," Vienna Tourist Board Public Relations Manager Isabella Rauter told PTI here.

Moreover, she said, the growth will be driven by Vienna Tourist Board's active marketing in key focus markets and targeting the family segment.

Overall, Vienna hosted 15.5 million visitor bed nights for travellers across the world, she added.

"The welcoming attitude of the people of Vienna helped ensure that visitors have delightful experiences with wonderful memories," Rauter said.

Besides family, Vienna is ideal for weddings, honeymoon, Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) and young travellers.

"Each year we are focusing on one segment to build awareness about Vienna as a destination. Last year we promoted the young travellers segment in India, which did pretty well," she added.

With its coffee houses, culture, music concerts, theatre, museums, food and wine, open green spaces and countless parks, amusement parks, children's museums and zoo, Vienna has something for all age groups, she added.

Vienna, she said, is positioned as a premium luxury destination mainly targeting the upper middle class, middle class and first time travellers from India.

Moreover, the Austrian capital is well connected with other European countries, with major European trunk routes and inter-regional rail links passing through Vienna making it a convenient destination.

"Vienna is the starting point for trips along the Danube to Salzburg in Upper Austria, Bratislava in Slovakia, or Budapest in Hungary. The Vienna-Prague-Budapest Golden Triangle holiday combo is usually covered by most Indians," Rauter said.

Prague and Budapest are barely a three-hour road trip from Vienna, which makes the city a major attraction for Indians, she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two days after Goa minister Vijai Sardesai called a section of domestic tourists "scum of the earth", his cabinet colleague Manohar Ajgaonkar has threatened to "chase away" visitors who don't take care of "Goan culture and Goanness".

Tourism Minister Ajgaonkar also said that Goa does not want tourists who sell narcotics in the state.

"The tourists, who come here, should take care of Goa's culture and Goanness, otherwise I will chase them away," he said last evening at the inaugural function of the Food and Cultural Festival, organised by the state tourism department.

"I will not listen to anyone. I am saying this clearly," he added.

Ajagaonkar, a legislator from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), said: "We have to preserve our Goan culture and Goanness. We do not want tourists who sell drugs. We do not want hotels which sell drugs."



On Friday, Agriculture Minister Sardesai had described a section of domestic tourists as "scum of the earth" and urged Goa to look for "qualitative and not quantitative" tourists.

"Certain sections of tourists are creating nuisance and are actually the scum of the earth and we should not have such tourists in Goa," Sardesai had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Maharashtra government's ongoing tur procurement drive may face fresh troubles as it has planned to purchase only 25 per cent produce of every farmer based on an average productivity of the region.

The Maharashtra State Marketing Federation (MSMF), an arm of the state government, has shot a letter asking all the tur procurement centres to abide by the 25% norm, a government official said.

However, the move is being objected by farmers claiming it was an injustice towards them.

The government has opened tur (red gram) procurement centres in several districts of central Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.

The productivity of tur varies among these regions, but the state government has fixed it at 6.50 quintals per hectare.

The farmers from these regions have objected to it as they claimed to have higher productivity and demanded the state government to revise its earlier fixed productivity bar per hectare.

In its letter, dated January 31, to tur procurement centres, the MSMF fixed the 25% tur procurement norm along with 6.50 lakh quintal per hectare productivity.

Manik Kadam, a senior farmer leader of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna, said, "the state agriculture department's report on tur production maintains that productivity in Marathwada region is around 5.50 quintals to 12 quintals per hectare. The variation is based on quality of the soil."



"Despite such variation, the state has fixed the productivity at 6.50 quintal per hectare. It is sheer injustice, as state wants to buy less tur to save its money," he alleged.

Government officials on the other hand claimed that farmers are not completely unhappy with the decision of limited tur procurement.

"We have purchased more than 15,000 quintals of tur and the figures will jump in the coming days, as many farmers have brought their produce to the procurement centres. The farmers with very low land holding who have produced tur will benefit from it because their share of procured tur will be higher," they said.

However, Kadam said farmers have already held several meetings across Marathwada and parts of north Maharashtra against this "injustice".

"The state will soon see our protest on roads for revising the tur productivity norm and the 25% (limit). We want both to be revised," he said.

(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.)
An 18-year-old woman, who was injured during clashes between protesters and security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir last month, succumbed to her injuries at a hospital here, police said today.

Saima Wani breathed her last at the SKIMS hospital here after battling for life for 17 days, they said.

On January 24, two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces.

A 17-year-old boy, Shakir Ahmad, was killed and two women, including Wani, were injured during the clashes between protesters and the security forces near the encounter site.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kim Cattrall has slammed her "Sex and the City" co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, calling her a "hypocrite" after she expressed her condolences following the death of the actor's brother.

Earlier this week, Kim's brother, Christopher Cattrall, was found dead, a day after the actor believed he went missing.

Kim vented her ire towards Sarah on Instagram where she shared a text photo, that read "I don't need your love or support at this tragic time Sarah Jessica Parker".

"My Mom asked me today 'When will that Sarah Jessica Parker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?' Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now," Kim posted along side the photo.

"Let me make this very clear. (If I haven't already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I'm writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your 'nice girl' persona," she added.

Kim also included a link to a New York Post article that claimed there had been tension between her and Sarah during the filming of the "Sex and the City" movies.

Sarah has not yet responded to Kim's comments.

Last October, the actor had reportedly said that things would have been better on the sets of the film based on the hit HBO series, if Sarah had been "nicer".

After Sarah said she was "disappointed" the third movie never materialised, many speculated the project had fallen apart because of Kim, who reportedly made "outrageous demands" to appear.

"The only 'DEMAND' I ever made was that I didn't want to do a third film... And that was back in 2016," Kim had tweeted in response to the reports.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A consortium led by India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has become the first group to win a stake in Abu Dhabi National Oil Co's (ADNOC) 40-year offshore oil concession, a deal set to help the UAE expand its foothold in Asia. State-run ADNOC signed an agreement on Saturday with the ONGC Videsh-led consortium giving the group a 10 percent stake in the new Lower Zakum offshore concession, with a participation fee of 2.2 billion dirhams ($600 million), ADNOC said in a statement, confirming a report by Reuters. ONGC Videsh is the foreign investment arm of ONGC. Other ...
By Reem ShamseddineRIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian utility developer ACWA Power expects to submit tenders for projects this year worth $4.5 billion in Saudi Arabia and will also target projects in Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, its chief executive said.ACWA Power CEO Paddy Padmanathan also confirmed the developer of electricity and water projects in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia has shortlisted banks to arrange an initial public offering (IPO).He declined to name the banks or give a timeframe for an IPO. The company is looking to sell a 30 percent stake to investors and ...
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| BY Ricki Green |

Westfunds new brand campaign, via DDB Sydney, speaks to community spirit and traditional, human values.

The campaigns beautiful and authentic TVC tells the story of a woman with an illness and the community who rally behind her to help her recover.

Says Matt Banning, CEO, Westfund: Were not-for-profit, which means we exist purely for the member not for the benefit of shareholders. As a result, everything we do is centred aroung ensuring people in communities have access to affordable and sustainable health insurance.

We have members, not customers, and treat everyone like they are part of our big extended family. We understand real people and genuinely care about forming personal relationships and trying to help. It was important to show that in our new brand campaign.

Westfund has humble origins in regional Australia. Today, it is a successful not-for-profit private health insurer that has been operating across NSW and QLD for more than 50 years.

DDB managing director strategy and innovation Leif Stromnes said community spirit and human values are evident in everything that Westfund does, so thats exactly what DDB Sydney set out to bottle and deliver in this campaign.

Says Stromnes: We wanted to shine a light on the role of a health insurer as a smaller part of a bigger, community effort to help someone recover. Refreshingly, Westfund is saying its not about them  its about the every day people they support.

Says Michael Barnfield, creative partner, DDB Sydney: We set out to show Australia just how much caring and community really matter. Westfund offers the same level of care with their health fund as friends and family do when their loved ones need them, he said.

Agency: DDB Sydney

Chief Creative Officer  Ben Welsh

Executive Creative Director  Tara Ford

Creative Partner  Michael Barnfield

Senior Art Director  Jason Woelfl

Senior Account Director  Nick Stenmark

TV Producer  Alyce Guy

Client: Westfund

CEO  Matt Banning

Marketing Manager  Luke Walding

Engagement Manager  Georgie Hinrichsen
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Engineers have again called for a register of engineers in the ACT as the government struggles to explain why the move has dragged on for five years and counting. A register for engineers was recommended by an ACT government inquiry in 2012, following several high-profile construction incidents such as the 2010 Barton Highway bridge collapse. Peak body Engineers Australia has recently highlighted concerns about fire safety risks that could impact a "significant" number of buildings in the territory, including aged-care facilities. "The registration of engineers in the ACT is something we have been pushing for quite a few years now," Engineers Australia ACT general manager Keely Quinn said. "'Engineer' is not a protected term in Australia. You can't call yourself an architect unless you are trained and registered, but anyone can use the word engineer. "And this creates issues when it comes to things such as fire safety. You need to know what you are looking at." In 2012 then-Workplace Safety Minister Simon Corbell agreed to set up such a compulsory registration scheme, with a deadline of June 2014. Chief Minister Andrew Barr said as recently as October 2016 the government was "progressing" the register. The ACT planning directorate could not pinpoint why it had taken so long to implement the register, although did say there were difficulties in deciding what types of work it should apply to. A spokeswoman for the directorate said the government was working on a wider set of reforms to increase the accountability of engineers and others in the construction industry. "The work the government is doing under the building regulatory reforms will establish this broader system," she said. "It will also integrate the regulation of other building and construction practitioners. "This is a comprehensive piece of work but will be more effective in preventing major building defects and engineering failures rather than establishing a general register of engineers." Many engineers favour a registration scheme as a way of demonstrating expertise, as well as an enforcement tool for striking-off those not qualified to practise. "Because there is no regulator looking over your shoulder, in ten years we've had completely ridiculous passive fire solutions going around," said an ACT engineer who asked not to be named. "Certifiers should have known enough to see that the solutions used here weren't being used anywhere else in the country." Queensland is currently the only Australian state with a comprehensive engineers register in place, although Victoria is also moving in this direction. A spokeswoman for the ACT planning directorate said a registration scheme would establish some thresholds for expertise, but it was not the sole fix to prevent sub-standard work. "Registering or licensing people is only one component of an effective system for regulating engineering work," she said. "The types of work that require a licensed or registered person need to be clearly described." Engineers have also called into question the government's oversight of building certifiers who sign-off on construction plans in the territory. "Our members have said that the ACT government has in recent times streamlined the process in terms of record keeping, and there's a lot less documentation needed to hand over to the ACT Planning and Land Authority," Ms Quinn said. "The issue now is the competency of people signing-off on these documents. Are they qualified to sign off on it, or are they signing-off outside the scope of their knowledge and expertise?" An ACT planning spokeswoman said at least 10 per cent of every building certifier's work was audited by the government every year. "Additionally, investigations are also carried out when complaints are lodged specifically on the work of a building certifier." ACT Liberals deputy leader Nicole Lawder echoed engineers' concerns about the building certification process in the territory. "We have seen many cases over the past twelve months where buildings have not met the safety code. In any even, the government should be upfront about what the risks are and what it is doing about it."

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After more than a year of anticipation, and a 50-minute delay, the inaugural flight of Qatar Airways touched down in Canberra on Monday morning. A water cannon salute welcomed the Boeing B777 aircraft, marking the start of a new daily route from the capital to Doha via Sydney. At gate four, crowds gathered by the glass to toast the plane's arrival while a waiting media pack were served dates and Arabic coffee, a traditional Qatar "energy kick". The plane, which seats 358, touched down at 9.25am after a flyover of the city. But by 2pm, it had returned to the sky to begin the almost 18-hour journey to Doha, which includes another brief stopover in Sydney. Qatar Airways is now the second international carrier flying through the capital, after Singapore Airlines opened Canberra back up to the world in 2016. Senior manager of Australasia for Qatar Airways Adam Radwanski said he was excited to take Canberra customers to 150 destinations across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and was already working with government agencies to simplify their travel. "This is the home of government in Australia, it's just been named among the top destinations in the world to visit by Lonely Planet so Canberra is an important destination for us," Mr Radwanski said. Fares to Europe start at $1205 and he said Qatar's extensive network across the continent would make Greek Island hopping and other travel a lot easier for Canberrans. "It will give opportunities to explore destinations that otherwise they would struggle to get to with double, triple stops." Seating 42 in business class and 316 in economy, the large belly of the Boeing B777 aircraft would also allow for more freight and export opportunities out of the ACT, Mr Radwanksi said. Passengers on board Monday's inaugural flight included Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker and the Australian Ambassador for Qatar, Dr Axel Wabenhorst. Greeting them at the gate, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the new service would add more than 120,000 seats a year into the Canberra market, and formed part of the government's broader agenda to make it "easier and cheaper" to get to and from the capital. Canberra Airport executive chairman Terry Snow said "an airline of this stature" will boost Canberra's reputation as a leading tourist destination. Monday's near-brand new plane also came equipped with the airline's new business class Qsuite, featuring double beds and adjustable private cabins for up to four people. "We are very excited to showcase this aircraft here in Canberra, it's really elevating our business class experience," Mr Radwanski said. "It's something that no other airline has." On a tour of the aircraft, media were shown around the spacious new cabins. Lit purple, each seat is fully adjustable, with a retractable privacy screen, amenities and entertainment. Qsuite will soon become a permanent part of the Canberra route, Mr Radwanksi said, as other planes in the fleet were retro-fitted with the design. While Singapore Airlines axed its direct service from Canberra to Wellington this year, the airline has also ramped up flights to Singapore in a new daily service beginning in May. Travellers can fly to 64 destinations through its Changi Airport hub. Qatar Airlines' rapid expansion into Australia has been driven in part by a diplomatic crisis back home, which has seen Qatar cut off from trade with many of its Middle Eastern neighbours. Qatar is now looking beyond its oil and gas industries into tourism and education. It announced the new Canberra route in November 2016. But, this year, the Qatar brand has become a familiar sight in Canberra skies in more ways than one. On Thursday Balloon Aloft Canberra launched a new hot air balloon sponsored by the airline. The balloon is the largest passenger balloon to be flown in Canberra.

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New statistics from the Emergency Services Agency show Canberrans across the city and the suburbs should remain vigilant to the threat of fires. Annual figures show Canberra had more bush and grass fires in 2017 than the year prior, but overall numbers have decreased since 2013. The most common suburb for bush and grass fires in the ACT was Belconnen, despite it being one of the more central, with 61 recorded between 2013 and October 2017. That was followed by Kambah, with 28. An Emergency Services Agency spokeswoman said there were a variety of causes of these fires, including being deliberately lit and those occurring from accidental or natural causes. She said ACT Fire and Rescue and ACT Rural Fire Service investigate the cause and origin of non-suspicious fires in the ACT, while ACT Policing investigates those considered suspicious. The spokeswoman said the community played an important role in remaining vigilant during the fire season, to report suspicious activity or any sign of smoke immediately. "The ESA works in close collaboration with the ACT community and always encourages people to not hesitate to contact Emergency Triple Zero to report any sign of fire," the spokeswoman said. She said reports of active fires were posted on the ESA website, the Fires Near Me app and social media to keep the community up to date. "The Electronic Fire Danger Signs, located on most ACT arterial roads, can also be used to inform the community of emerging situations," she said. Meanwhile across the border in New South Wales, firefighters have battled more than 11,000 bush and grass fires so far this bushfire season. High temperatures are forecast to continue, and the bushfire season will continue through until the end of March. NSW Emergency Services Minister Troy Grant thanked firefighters and emergency services personnel for their hard work and continued service. "While milder weather last week provided our hardworking firefighters with a well-earned breather after fighting 2000 fires in January, conditions across the state remain very dry, with no indications of this weather pattern breaking. Any day with high temperatures and strong winds is likely to lead to increased fire danger," he said.

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I have just been reading stories about problems on Upper Sundance Rd in West Kelowna. What they describe are the exact same problems being experienced in Tower Ranch.

New homes, piles of garbage, condoms, drug sales, gangs of kids with no respect. We phone the police and they seem so busy, so powerless to maintain safety in our neighbourhood. From sundown to about 3 in the morning, it is like a convention of cars ripping around in circles.

I have contacted the mayor and council, and they refer me to Rutland RCMP, who attempt to be very helpful but end up being powerless. I voted for this mayor, but, I will not vote for him again. I will vote for any other candidate who decides to make neighbourhoods safe.

If you don't have a safe neighbourhood, you can't even really say you have a neighbourhood.

Morley Deters
You could have the missing piece of the puzzle that will help the RCMP put someone behind bars. Here are some recent crimes that Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers hope you can help solve by calling our anonymous tips line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit our website at www.crimestoppers.net or text to CRIMES (274637), keyword Ktown.

CRIME: THEFT OF PROPANE TANKS

DATE: February 8, 2018

RCMP FILE: 2018-6946

A resident living across from a store located on Bottom Wood Lake Road in Lake Country called 911 at 1:39 a.m. on February 8th to report a theft in progress while watching a suspect load propane tanks into a vehicle. According to the witness, police just missed the thief as he took off in a light-coloured 2012 Ford Escape, and searches for the vehicle in the area were unsuccessful. The thief had broken into a locked cage in the corner of the parking lot and stolen 9 propane tanks worth $50 each.

Photo: Crime Stoppers

If you know anything about this crime, or any other crime, call the Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers anonymous tips line at 1-800-222-TIPS or visit our website at www.crimestoppers.net. Your information will be kept confidential and could lead to a reward of up to $2000.00.

CRIME: LIQUOR STORE SHOPLIFTER

DATE: February 7, 2018

RCMP FILE: 2018-6852

The manager of a liquor store located on the 10,000 block of Highway 97 in Lake Country called the RCMP at 3:07 p.m. on February 7th to report a shoplifter who had stolen two 1.75 litre bottles of Smirnoff vodka valued at $54 each. When video surveillance was reviewed they could see the Caucasian male with a dark beard, wearing a black toque, red hoodie with a white circle on it and a black bandana with white skulls enter the store and go directly to the vodka section. He grabbed the two bottles of vodka and ran out of the store, fleeing south on Highway 97. Please contact Crime Stoppers if you can identify this alleged thief.

Photo: Crime Stoppers

You can help catch these suspects and qualify for a reward by calling Crime Stoppers anonymous tips line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit our website at www.crimestoppers.net or text to CRIMES (274637), keyword Ktown.
The big armoured vehicle, that's been tearing around the Okanagan for the last few weeks, was back in Kelowna Friday for a "special review".

The Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle, TAP-V for short, has been spotted on the streets of Kelowna and Vernon, which created a commotion according to Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran, "it's been turning a lot of heads and getting a lot of attention. I think the biggest thing is that the people who are protecting us have the best equipment and the best opportunities to train."

Turning heads is a good thing according to Captain Jeff Daley, because it's all part of their recruitment plan. "We are hiring, and what better way to get the word out than to show off our newest armoured vehicle."

Captain Howard Hisdal (retired) says he commanded the TAP-V's grandaddy, the Cougar, "this vehicle is amazing it could go on a United Nations peacekeeping operation, it's really nice to be trained on something that's new."

The Dragoons are also starting a recruitment drive, complete with a contest. So if you see the TAP-V around the Okanagan, snap a photo and send it to the BC Dragoons with the #I'mwiththeBCD, follow and post to the BC Dragoons Instagram site, and you're automatically entered for a chance to win a ride in the TAP-V.

Just be careful when you go to parallel park.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Kim Cattrall has a message for Sarah Jessica Parker: Spare me your sympathy.

Cattrall lashed out Saturday at her former "Sex and the City" co-star after Parker expressed her condolences over the death of Cattrall's brother, Chris.

"Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now," Cattrall wrote on Instagram. "Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven't already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I'm writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your 'nice girl' persona."

The two actresses reportedly have not gotten along for years.

Cattrall's brother was found dead last week. He was 55.
Photo: CTV

A couple in Coquitlam were assaulted when strangers tried to break into their home on Friday night.

The husband and wife answered their door when the doorbell rang at about 8:30 p.m. at their home on Poirier Street.

After opening the door, the couple said they were attacked by three men who pushed their way in.

They managed to push the invaders out in the front yard. The woman was allegedly choked and her husband had lacerations on his head from an ensuing confrontation.

The fight in the front yard ended when the couple's teenage daughter came out front and screamed and the assailants ran off, according to the family.

Police said they weren't sure why the home was targeted and believe the attack may have been random.

A section of Poirier Street was closed off while a K9 unit and an RCMP helicopter searched the area for suspects. No arrests have been made as a result of the incident.

- with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: CTV

The victim in a fatal shooting in Langley on Friday has been identified.

Surrey native Ali Al-Romeshi, 23, was gunned down near a townhouse complex in the 8200-block of 204B Street, at about 9 p.m. on Friday.

Langley RCMP arrived shortly after and found Al-Romeshi in a vehicle with gunshot wounds. He was taken to hospital and passed away shortly after.

Al-Romeshi's killing was targeted, according to IHIT.

Not long after the incident, police were called to a burning vehicle close by and found a burnt out 2009 white Nissan 370Z, at 206A Street and 84B Avenue.

IHIT is asking for information on Al-Romeshi's vehicle or the burned out vehicle.

The incident is similar to a fatal shooting in Abbotsford last month, when police found a burned-out vehicle abandoned in a rural area of Langley after 24-year-old Lovepreet Singh Dhaliwal was gunned down. IHIT believes Dhaliwal's killing was also targeted.
Photo: Twitter

UPDATED: 9:25 a.m.

Four survivors of a tour helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon were airlifted to a Nevada hospital Sunday while crews were recovering the bodies of three others, authorities said.

Six passengers and a pilot were on board the Papillion Grand Canyon Helicopters chopper when it crashed under unknown circumstances around 5:20 p.m. Saturday on the Hualapai Nation near Quartermaster Canyon, which is near the Grand Canyon's West Rim.

Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley said the survivors were taken to a Las Vegas hospital as of 2 a.m. Sunday.

Authorities said the four were level 1 trauma patients. The identities and nationalities of the dead and injured weren't immediately released.

"We are in the recovery and investigation mode now," Bradley told The Associated Press.

Bradley said National Transportation Safety Board officials were expected at the crash scene by Sunday afternoon to begin investigating the cause.

The Federal Aviation Administration also will be investigating the crash of the Eurocopter EC130, spokesman Allen Kenitzer said.

Bradley said rescue crews were hampered by high winds and darkness Saturday night along with rugged terrain.

"First responders had to be flown in and walk to the crash site," he said. "Quartermaster Canyon is an extremely remote area. We had to call in specially trained crews  people with night-vision goggles."

Calls and emails to Nevada-based Papillion for comment on the crash were not immediately returned Sunday.

The company's website says it flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year around the Grand Canyon and on other tours. It also notes that it "abides by flight safety rules and regulations that substantially exceed the regulations required by the Federal Aviation Administration."

Original: Saturday, 8:35 p.m.

Authorities say a tour helicopter has crashed in the Grand Canyon, killing three people.

Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley said six passengers and a pilot were on board the Papillion helicopter when it crashed around 5:20 p.m. The other four were injured, and were still being treated at the scene.

An after-hours phone call to aerial tour company Papillion was not immediately returned Saturday. The company's website says it flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year on Grand Canyon and other tours.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the Eurocopter EC130 crashed in unknown circumstances and sustained heavy damage.

Federal authorities will investigate.
Photo: Twitter

A Pakistani official says a passenger bus bound for the city of Karachi has skidded off a road and plunged into a ditch in southwestern Pakistan, killing eight people.

Salah Uddin, an official in Mastung district, says the bus was speeding in rainy conditions.

He says two women and three children among the dead and that 15 people were injured. He says the bus left from the Baluchistan provincial capital of Quetta on Saturday night.

Deadly road accidents are common in Pakistan, mainly because of bad road infrastructure and reckless driving, including disregard for traffic regulations and safety standards.
Photo: Contributed

Diana Koch never wanted to numb her pain and anxiety with opioids. After seeing family members struggle with addiction, she felt pharmaceuticals were not an option.

Medical marijuana freed the 36-year-old from her troubling symptoms. But with recreational weed legalization looming, she worries about her portion of the market being swallowed up.

"People who are using it for medical purposes, they actually are suffering from something, from a condition that's handicapping them in some way in their life," she said, speaking from her home in Toronto.

"The recreational users are not," she added. "There is a difference."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government plans to legalize recreational pot later this year, but medical users have been eligible to access cannabis since 2001. Patients can mail order from a licensed producer, grow their own or use a designated grower.

The government's proposal to impose an $1-per-gram excise tax on medical marijuana, equivalent to that of recreational weed, has left many patients fuming. Koch said the plan will drive patients to opioids or the black market.

"It basically puts medical cannabis into the same category as alcohol and cigarettes," she said.

Bill Blair, parliamentary secretary to the justice minister and lead on the legal pot program, has said the government doesn't want taxation levels to be an incentive for people to use the medical system inappropriately.

The excise tax adds "insult to injury," as cannabis patients are subject to federal sales tax, unlike prescription medicines, said Jonathan Zaid, founder of Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana.

Legalization is likely to open up more channels for medical pot research, as studies have been hobbled by the illegal status of marijuana, he said. But he's still calling on the government to fund research, given the limited patentability of weed.

Patients are also pushing for greater insurance coverage. Marijuana can be claimed as a medical expense on an income tax return, and about five major unions and employers cover the medicine, including Veterans Affairs, but it's still not broadly covered, Zaid said.

"The reality is that most patients still do struggle with affordability," he said.

Many licensed producers are eager to produce medical cannabis and be seen as medical companies, in part due to export potential, said Ivan Ross Vrana, an industry consultant and vice-president of public affairs at Hill and Knowlton Strategies.

"We'll be the first G7 nation that legalizes for recreational purposes, but all the other nations that are coming along, it's medical first," he said.

Canopy Growth Corp., Canada's largest licensed producer, exports medical pot to Germany that is distributed in pharmacies. International production is the next step, and it's building cultivation facilities in Jamaica and Denmark, said spokesman Jordan Sinclair.

"Any company that has a bunch of products sold all over the world, they've got a few main hubs, strategically, and then they just export from those hubs," he said. "It would be similar for us."

It's still illegal in Canada to buy medical cannabis in a store, but that hasn't stopped many patients from buying their pot from dispensaries that either operate in the black market or, in Vancouver and Victoria, have been licensed by the city.

Health Canada spokeswoman Tammy Jarbeau said it will be up to provinces to decide whether to licence medical cannabis dispensaries separately from recreational stores.
Photo: Contributed

Two Ohio police officers responding to a 911 hang-up call were fatally shot on Saturday after entering a townhome in a Columbus suburb and a suspect who police were once warned "carries a gun all the time" was taken into custody, authorities said.

Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said officer Eric Joering, 39, died at the scene and his colleague, Anthony Morelli, 54, died at a local hospital.

Morbitzer said the officers were responding to a "potential domestic situation." A neighbour who heard the gunfire said it happened at a home where the occupants were "always arguing and fighting."

"The officers gave their lives in defence of others," Morbitzer said during a news conference, struggling to keep his emotions in check. He called them "true American heroes."

Police did not identify the suspect at a news conference, but confirmed late Saturday that he was 30-year-old Quentin Lamar Smith. They released incident reports showing police had been to his home or had dealings with him several times since 2017, some for alleged domestic violence involving a woman identified in the reports as his wife, Candace Smith.

Authorities said he was wounded and was treated at a hospital.

In a Nov. 29 incident, Candace Smith, 33, went to a police station and asked about protection orders because she said she and her husband weren't getting along and she discovered she had a sexually transmitted disease. She also told police that when she "threatens to leave Quentin, he tells her that he would kill her, their daughter, and himself," the report said.

Candace Smith told police her husband "has a gun that he carries all of the time, and if it isn't on him, it is close by." Police were called to the home later that night to investigate a report of domestic violence.

The Columbus Police Department is investigating the shootings.

Republican Gov. John Kasich, who lives with his family in a nearby township, tweeted that he was "very saddened to learn of the deaths of two of my hometown police officers." He asked Ohio residents to join him in "lifting up these officers' families in prayer."

President Donald Trump tweeted: "My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers, their families, and everybody at the @WestervillePD."

Joering was a 16-year police veteran and Morelli was a 30-year veteran.

"These were two of the best we have," said Morbitzer. "This was their calling."

He added, that they "both gave their life for the protection of others and that's what they lived and breathed."

Trea Horne, 17, told The Associated Press he was upstairs in the townhome he shares with his mother when he heard five or six gunshots early Saturday afternoon. He said he came downstairs and saw police cars racing to a townhome directly across the street.

A couple had moved into the home about eight months ago, he said. "They're always arguing and fighting," said Horne, who graduated from Westerville South High School in December.
Photo: The Canadian Press

An Iranian-Canadian university professor detained in Tehran has died in custody, activists and a family member said Sunday, marking the latest suspicious death of a detainee in Iran after a crackdown on dissent following nationwide protests.

They identified the professor as Kavous Seyed-Emami, a 63-year-old professor of sociology at Imam Sadeq University in Tehran and the managing director of the Persian Heritage Wildlife Foundation. His son and the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran say that authorities told Seyed-Emami's family that he committed suicide in custody, something they described as suspicious following other detainee deaths.

Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi later confirmed the professor's death on Sunday, saying he had been detained in an alleged espionage ring. The prosecutor on Saturday announced the ring, saying it had targeted people who were "implementing scientific and environmental projects" to collect information on "strategic areas."

"He knew there were a lot of confessions against him and he also confessed himself," Dolatabadi was quoted as saying Sunday by the semi-official ILNA news agency. "Unfortunately, he committed suicide in prison."

The professor's son, musician Ramin Seyed-Emami who performs under the stage name King Raam, wrote on Instagram that his father had died following his arrest on Jan. 24.

"They say he committed suicide. I still can't believe this," he wrote.

Global Affairs Canada, the country's Foreign Ministry, said it was aware of reports of Seyed-Emami's death. An Iranian reformist lawmaker, Mahmoud Sadeghi, tweeted that he failed to get information on Seyed-Emami's death despite calls to "related officials."

"Some of them refused to comment, some others said we pursued (but) failed to get information," the lawmaker wrote.

Iran entered the New Year with nationwide protests sweeping across 75 cities and towns. The demonstrations initially focused on Iran's poor economy despite its nuclear deal with world powers, but quickly spiraled into chants directly challenging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and its theocratic government.

Authorities arrested nearly 5,000 people in the crackdown that followed, according to Alireza Rahimi, an Iranian lawmaker. At least 25 people were killed in clashes surrounding the demonstrations.

Activists say they have concerns about Iran's prisons and jails being overcrowded and dangerous, pointing to allegations of torture, abuse and deaths that followed the mass arrests during Iran's 2009 Green Movement protests. Since the most-recent protests, activists have said they also remain concerned by reported suicides within Iran's prison system.

Analysts and family members of dual nationals and others detained in Iran have suggested that hard-liners in the Islamic Republic's security agencies use the prisoners as bargaining chips for money or influence. A U.N. panel in September described "an emerging pattern involving the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of dual nationals" in Iran, which Tehran denies.

Iran does not recognize dual nationalities, so those detainees cannot receive consular assistance.

Others with ties to the West detained in Iran include Chinese-American graduate student Xiyue Wang, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly "infiltrating" the country while doing doctoral research on Iran's Qajar dynasty. Iranian-Canadian national Abdolrasoul Dorri Esfahani, a member of Iran's 2015 nuclear negotiating team, is believed to be serving a five-year sentence on espionage charges. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman, also is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly planning the "soft toppling" of Iran's government while travelling with her young daughter.

Iranian businessman Siamak Namazi and his 81-year-old father Baquer, a former UNICEF representative who served as governor of Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan province under the U.S.-backed shah, are both serving 10-year sentences on espionage charges. Iranian-American art dealer Karan Vafadari and his Iranian wife, Afarin Neyssari, recently received 27-year and 16-year prison sentences respectively.

Iranian-American Robin Shahini was released on bail last year after staging a hunger strike while serving an 18-year prison sentence for "collaboration with a hostile government." Shahini is believed to still be in Iran.

Also in an Iranian prison is Nizar Zakka, a U.S. permanent resident from Lebanon who advocated for internet freedom and has done work for the U.S. government. He was sentenced to 10 years last year on espionage-related charges.

Former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission, remains missing as well. Iran says that Levinson is not in the country and that it has no further information about him, though his family holds Tehran responsible for his disappearance.
Photo: CTV

Egypt's military has destroyed dozens of targets, killed 16 militants and detained over 30 suspects as part of its latest operation against Islamic militants in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula, the army said on Sunday.

Spokesman Col. Tamer el-Rifai said that airstrikes hit vehicles, weapons caches, communications centres and illegal opium fields in the sweep, which began on Friday and comes as a response to a pickup in extremist violence in Egypt.

"The air force targeted and destroyed 66 targets used by terrorist elements to hide from air and artillery attacks," for shelter during raids by security forces, he said in a statement. With North Sinai closed off for non-residents and journalists, the army's casualty figures could not be independently confirmed. Telephone connections to the area, both mobile and landlines, are often shut down as well.

The operation, which targets "terrorist and criminal elements and organizations," involves land, naval and air forces from the army and police, and covers north and central Sinai, the Nile Delta and the Western Desert along the porous border with Libya.

The offensive comes ahead of a March vote that will undoubtedly see President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi win a second four-year term, after all serious opponents have been sidelined or driven out of the race.

El-Sissi, who has waged one of the most sweeping crackdowns on dissent in Egypt's modern history, says he is the only one who can restore Egypt's security, and ordered the Sinai operation after militants struck.

In November, extremists killed 311 worshippers in a mosque attack in north Sinai, the deadliest such killing in Egypt's modern history, prompting el-Sissi to give security forces a three-month deadline to restore order using "all brute force" required.

But the militants launched another brazen attack in December, firing a missile at a helicopter that was part of the entourage of Egypt's defence and interior ministers, who were in the provincial capital el-Arish on an unannounced visit. Neither minister was in the aircraft when the attack took place but the missile killed an officer and wounded two others.

Militancy has long been a problem in Sinai, but it spiked dramatically after el-Sissi led the military's 2013 overthrow of elected but divisive Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Violence has been concentrated in north Sinai, but has also spread to the mainland.

Meanwhile, two militant groups that have carried out previous attacks on security forces denounced the new operation in statements posted online.

The group known as Hasm urged Egyptians to unite against the "traitorous regime" which was "digging its own grave" by "declaring open war on Sinai."

Another group, called Liwaa el-Thawra, said the offensive, involving tens of thousands of troops, was a sign the government was losing control of Sinai, where it vowed to continue it struggle.

Authorities believe both groups, which have been designated as terrorist organizations by Egypt and the United States, to be splinter groups of Morsi's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
Photo: Greg Lehmann

A moose has been spotted galavanting around the Glenrosa area of West Kelowna yesterday evening.

A resident of the area managed to snap a few photos of the moose Saturday evening at about 6 p.m. and sent them to Castanet.

"We see them in the field next to our house once in a while," said Greg Lehmann. "Saw two yesterday morning, and then was surprised by this one right by my neighbours fence."

The photo was captured on Glen Eagles Drive.

The beautiful animals aren't a common occurrence in the area.

Moose call the Okanagan home, but they are not as common in the Valley as they are in other parts of B.C., according to the provincial environment ministry.
Photo: Google Street View

The man found in serious condition in front of the Astoria Hotel in the Downtown Eastside Tuesday night has died.



Police and BC Ambulance were called on Feb. 6 at about 11:30 p.m. to East Hastings Street near Hawks Avenue by a passerby who discovered an unconscious man.

The victim, a 51-year-old Coquitlam resident was rushed to hospital where he was in critical condition but died Saturday Feb. 10.



The man has been identified as Martin James MacDonald.



MacDonald had been in a physical altercation prior to being found at a bus stop, according to RCMP.

The suspect, a 42-year-old Vancouver man, was arrested at the scene and has been released pending further investigation by the Vancouver Police Department Major Crime Section.



Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 604-717-2500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Alanna Kelly

UPDATED: 2:30 p.m.

RCMP have released more information following a fatal six-car crash on the Coquihalla Highway Sunday.

Police say a pedestrian was hit by a car while trying to help other drivers who were involved in another crash just before his death.

It all happened around 12:30 p.m. south of Merrit near Larson Hill.

The 35-year-old Lower Mainland man was struck and killed.

A 78-year-old man with critical injuries was taken to hospital in Kamloops by air ambulance; his condition has since been downgraded to serious.

Two other people were transported to a local area hospital with minor injuries.

The crash caused the northbound closure of the highway for 10 hours.

RCMP believe the cause is a combination of speed relative to road conditions and sudden changes in road condition in shaded areas.

Central Interior Traffic Services (CITS) RCMP, the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service and the BC Coroners Service continue to investigate this collision.

RCMP CITS in Merritt is asking that anyone with information regarding this collision who has not already spoken with police to contact Central Interior Traffic Services at 250-378-4262, quoting file 2018-644.

UPDATE: 9:40 a.m.

"At this time I do not have any (new) information. It is my understanding the highway is now open, but conditions at the time of the collision were icy, said Const. Mike Halskov with B.C. RCMP Traffic Services.

UPDATE: 9:30 p.m.

Police have finished their investigation at the scene of a fatal collision on the Coquihalla Highway Sunday.

Highway 5 is now fully open after the highway was closed between Hope and Merritt for over eight hours.

Drive BC said "vehicle recovery is in progress" at 9:06 p.m.

No further details have been released about the victim or how many people were injured in the incident.

UPDATE: 7:45 p.m.

Castanet has confirmed that at least one person is dead after a collision involving multiple vehicles on Highway 5 Sunday.

The collision is believed to have taken place at about 12:30 p.m., near the summit of Larson Hill south of Merritt.

Five vehicles including a tractor-trailer were involved, but it is unclear how many people were injured in the incident.

BCEHS paramedics said one patient was transported to hospital by air ambulance in serious condition earlier in the day.

Three other people were transported to hospital by road in stable condition.

UPDATE: 7 p.m.

Unconfirmed reports indicate at least one person has been killed in a multiple vehicle collision on the Coquihalla Highway Sunday.

Castanet has reached out to RCMP and are awaiting a response.

Highway 5 northbound between Hope and Merritt has been closed for over six hours.

"Southbound intermittent closures at Kingsvale for traffic analysts and crews working on the northbound closure. Expect delays to 20 minutes southbound," tweeted DriveBC at 7 p.m.

The section of Highway 5 is estimated to reopen at 10 p.m.

UPDATE: 2:50 p.m.

An air ambulance left the scene of a multiple vehicle collision involving a tractor-trailer just after 2 p.m.

Highway 5 remains closed northbound from Hope to Merritt, but one lane southbound at Kingsvale is open.

It is not clear the extent of injuries after the collision involving five vehicles.

UPDATE: 1:17 p.m.

Paramedics are rushing to the scene of a multiple vehicle collision that has closed a section of the Coquihalla Highway.

A Castanet reader who was at the scene said at least five vehicles were involved in the incident.

The collision is believed to have occurred about 10 kilometres past the old toll area near Larson Hill.

Three ambulances are on scene and one air ambulance.

UPDATE: 1:15 p.m.

Major delays are occurring on Highway 5 just outside of Merritt after a multiple vehicle collision involving a tractor-trailer.

Drive BC said "one lane southbound is getting through" at 1:15 p.m.

Highway 5 northbound is closed at Hope due to the incident.

Travellers are being advised to take Highway 1 or Highway 3 as an alternate routes.

ORIGINAL: 1 p.m.

A major collision involving multiple vehicles has closed a portion of the Coquihalla Highway Sunday.

Highway 5 is closed in both directions 35 kilometres south of Merritt, according to DriveBC.

A Castanet reader said at least five vehicles were involved including a tractor-trailer.

Police officers are on scene and it is not clear if anyone was injured in the incident.

The incident happened at about 12:25 p.m.

Drivers are being advised to take alternate routes.
Photo: Contributed

A late-night attempt to break into a food truck in Vancouver has landed two suspects in police custody.

Vancouver police were called around 1 a.m. Sunday for reports of someone using a grinding tool to try and break into the mobile eatery.

Const. Jason Doucette says a man driving a minivan picked up the would-be thief and drove off as officers readied to make an arrest.

He says police boxed in the van to prevent it from fleeing, but the driver rammed both police vehicles, leading to all three ending up in the front yard of a home.

The suspects allegedly ran from the van, and were arrested nearby following a foot chase with the help of a police dog team.

Doucette says two men in their 40s are now being investigated for a number of offences, including theft and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

He says an officer and one of the suspects were treated by paramedics for minor injuries.
Katherine Pracht brought a mezzo of size and quality, and confident dramatic presence, to the complicated title role. A bit more neurotic edge in the early scenes would have enhanced her nuanced performance. Christopher Burchetts sturdy baritone was equal to the dramatic vocal demands of John Cree, and his portrayal of this ambiguous character was honed to perfection. Baritone Levi Hernandez also was ideal as the clueless Kildare, the Scotland Yard inspector desperate to catch the serial killer so as to win himself a promotion and be hailed as a hero in Londons gutter press.
The fire was reported just before 9 a.m., and firefighters found a car on fire on the seventh floor of the buildings garage, said Dan Cunningham, district chief for the Chicago Fire Department. The fire was struck out within 10 minutes, but the smoke from the car spread to the eighth floor, prompting firefighters to raise their response to a 2-11 alarm, Cunningham said.
A man known to Larry or to someone he was with entered a home where Larry was and got into a dispute with people there, according to police. During the fight, the man took out a gun and shot Larry, then ran off, according to police.
"They, and we, know what we hit and it will take them some time for them to digest, understand and ask how Israel knew how to hit those sites," Israel's Intelligence Minister Israel Katz told the Army Radio station. "These were concealed sites and we have intelligence agencies and the ability to know everything that is going on there and yesterday we proved that."
After the initial hang-up call at noon, a dispatcher called the number back and reached a woman who was crying and can be heard saying, "won't let me in." Officers are then sent to the home. At 12:12 p.m., an officer tells a dispatcher that it's "all quiet right now," followed by a door knock. At 12:13 p.m., after a dispatcher confirms contact has been made, a man's voice can be yelling, "We have shots fired."
In addition to the country director, six other workers left the charity after its internal investigation: Two resigned and four were fired for offenses such as "use of prostitutes on Oxfam property" and possession of pornography, the Times reported. The misconduct also included bullying, harassment and intimidation, the nonprofit said in its statement.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., leaves the House Chamber following a vote to fund the government on Feb. 9, 2018 in Washington. (Zach Gibson / Getty Images)
Short, though, said Democrats also introduced political theater into the episode. "We believe that Congressman Schiff potentially put in there methods and sources that he knew would need to be redacted," he said. "And if we redacted it, then there would be an outcry that said the White House is trying to edit it. So we said take it back, work with the FBI, clean it up, and we'll release it." Asked if Democrats drafted a memo they knew would be blocked, Schiff said "of course not."
"When we roll out the budget on Monday ... you are going to get a chance to see how we can avoid that future," Mulvaney said. "The budget does bend the trajectory down. It does move us back towards balance. It does get us away from trillion dollar deficits. Just because this deal was signed does not mean the future is written in stone. We do have a chance still to change the trajectory. And that is what the budget will show tomorrow."
A man works on the Southern Nevada portion of Interstate 11 near Boulder City, Nev., on May 19, 2017. President Donald Trump on Feb. 12, 2018, will unveil his long-awaited infrastructure plan. (John Locher / AP)
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., a close ally of President Donald Trump who has become a fierce critic of the FBI and the Justice Department, strides to a GOP conference at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 6, 2018. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP)
In 1980, Scott became the CEO of IDS Financial Services, now known as Ameriprise Financial, in Minneapolis. He left the company in 1984 after its sale to American Express, and then began commuting to New Jersey, where he worked as chairman and CEO of the U.S. operations of leisure, manufacturing and property conglomerate Grand Metropolitan, which now is part of Diageo.
Art performance in Myanmar to welcome Tet. (Photo: VNA)

Delivering warm Tet greetings to the Vietnamese expats, Ambassador Luan Thuy Duong informed the participants of Vietnams achievements in 2017 like economic growth, corruption fighting and APEC Year 2017 as well as the sound bilateral relations with Myanmar.

She called on Vietnamese businesses and people in Myanmar to strengthen solidarity, obey rules and respect culture of the host nation. They should join hands to popularise Vietnams images to Myanmar friends, making contributions to nurturing the comprehensive cooperative partnership between the two countries, she said.

The Vietnamese diplomat noted that the embassy stands ready to support Vietnamese companies and people in Myanmar.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos organised a reception on February 9th to welcome Tet holiday.

The event was attended by Lao Minister of Defence Chansamone Chanyalath, head of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party Central Committees Commission for Propaganda and Training Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, representatives from Lao ministries and authorities, Vietnamese expats and businesses in Laos.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung noted that cooperative relations between the two countries have been deepened in the fields of politics-diplomacy, security-defence, culture-education. Particularly, 12 cooperative deals inked at the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee last month will create impetus for bilateral collaboration in the coming years.

He hailed the Vietnamese communitys contributions to the socio-economic development in both countries and thanked the Lao Government for creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese nationals living and doing business in Laos.

For his part, Lao Defence Minister Chansamone Chanyalath congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in national construction and socio-economic development.

He expressed his deep gratitude for Vietnamese Party, Government and peoples support for Laos during the national liberation, protection and development.

He affirmed that Laos will accompany with Vietnam to nurture and preserve the special traditional solidarity founded by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane.

The function featured Vietnamese traditional dishes and art performances extolling Vietnam-Laos solidarity.

Earlier on February 6th, Lao Ambassador to the US Mai Sayavongs delivered New Year greetings to Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh and all staff of the embassy in Washington D.C./.
The 1944 Democratic National Convention nominating Franklin Roosevelt for a fourth term as president and Harry Truman for vice president was held in Chicago. The party platform was very brief. It included the following: We favor legislation assuring equal pay for equal work, regardless of sex. We recommend to Congress the submission of a constitutional amendment on equal rights for women.
Immigrants come to this country illegally to find jobs. Those coming from south of our border scrape together money they dont have, risk their lives during dangerous crossings, and, if they arrive to their final U.S. destination, are constantly looking over their shoulders in fear of being caught. But the need to work to provide food, clothing, shelter and educational opportunities is a universal one that will not be diminished by constructing a physical barrier between where there is poverty and where there is relative wealth. If you wish to reduce the number of undocumented workers here in the U.S., you must reduce the incentive  i.e., jobs  to come here.
Sara Fetzer, 13, of Aurora, manages to get 10 balloons to stick to her hair as part of a static electricity experiment offered Feb. 11, 2018 during the annual Family Open House at the Fermilab in Batavia. (David Sharos / The Beacon-News)
"I've seen projects on Marshall Field  it's not the typical where they're researching Al Capone or people everybody would have widely heard of," she said. "The neat thing about this fair is it forces them to pick a very narrow topic that people may not have heard of and then research it."
"Commercial retail is just tough right now," Tucker said. "As we look to the future of commercial retail development and supporting this in our community, I think it's really going to be about a sense of place and creating an experience. Otherwise, you can just order on Amazon. I want to be cost conscious, but I think we also need to be looking to the future and what we want to deliver for our community."
Perez said the SWAT team did initially believe the suspect was barricaded in the home and not responding to commands to exit. It was later learned the suspect had an unspecified medical condition. When officers eventually made entry, they discovered the suspect unconscious.
World War II aircraft set for 3-day display at Pueblo Memorial Airport

The Commemorative Air Force is bringing a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and SNJ advanced trainer to the Pueblo airport for public tours and flights.
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
Chinese fashion designer Tao Wang, who has gained an international reputation among powerful, professional and modern women, is to debut the latest collection of her namesake brand TAORAY WANG on Saturday at the New York Fashion Week (NYFW).









According to a press release issued Friday by TAORAY WANG, the collection, inspired by Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia in the late 18th century, blends the classic and the modern, East and West in traditional military olive green and striking Russian red.





The Military uniform, often the symbol of men's power, is now brought back as armored grace with the feminine epaulet softening the bold lines which portrays a sense of freedom as portrayed by TAORAY WANG's signature slogan -- Powerful, Sexy and Edgy, it said.





Wang, a graduate of East China Normal University, has grown from an aspiring designer to one of Asia's most successful female entrepreneurs. She is well-known for putting a feminine touch on masculine work attire.





She said that her brand is created for elite woman leaders, including lawyers, bankers, politicians and entrepreneurs, who "are not afraid of appearing feminine and attractive."





Her most famous U.S. customer is Tiffany Trump, the youngest daughter of President Donald Trump. She wore a Taoray Wang outfit at her father's inauguration in January, 2017.





"I couldn't be happier if she comes," Wang told Xinhua via WeChat on Friday when asked if Tiffany would grace her Saturday's runway show.





Tiffany was there to support Wang in the last two consecutive seasons. The first time Tiffany met Wang was at her Spring/Summer 2017 show on Sept. 12, 2016 in New York.





"Tiffany got to know me from her friend's lookbook and she canceled her flight to Los Angeles to come to my show that day," Wang, who first debuted her brand at NYFW in the fall of 2014, recalled.





Held in February and September of each year, NYFW is a semi-annual series of events. It is one of the four major fashion weeks in the world, collectively known as the "Big Four," along with those in Paris, London and Milan.








You are here: Arts

The Chinese modern dance show, Oath-Midnight Rain, kicked off the celebrations of the Chinese New Year in Morocco, offering audience from different age categories a joyous journey into the Chinese culture.

At Morocco's prestigious Mohammed V National Theatre, the spoken language retreated, giving way to body creation on Friday night.

One after another, the six characters colourfully embodied the story line, dancing in a harmonious manner to Chinese music.

The performance starts with a bride who died during her wedding, and continues with her search for reborn.

A flower, a bird, a fish, an insect, and then a blade of grass are the forms the new creature took, thus representing the different stages in the soul's quest for balance.

Gaoyan Jinzi's Oath-Midnight Rain, had premiered in Venice, Italy, in 2006 by Beijing Modern Dance Company.

A Moroccan father accompanying his daughter to the show told Xinhua that he enjoyed the performance. "I saw a brilliant gestures and moves from the Chinese characters featuring the bird and rose."

"The show is at very high standards. The lighting is marvellous and the performance of the characters is top," Issam Grini, a young Moroccan student in arts said.

Apart from this show, this commemoration of the Chinese New Year is characterized by a diversified cultural program in both Rabat and Casablanca.

Until Feb. 12, the program features Chinese traditional fair, Chinese carnival, and exhibition of Chinese calligraphy as well as a photo exhibition.

"These festivities represent an opportunity to highlight a number of facets of Chinese culture to the Moroccan audience," Chinese ambassador to Morocco Li Li said before the show.

The celebration of this Chinese New Year in Morocco coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between Beijing and Rabat.

Li reiterated his country's willingness to further strengthen cultural ties between the countries.
Industry elites and style influencers from the U.S. and around the world were thrilled to see a spectacular runway show by leading Hong Kong fashion designers Friday at the New York Fashion Show.

"Hong Kong fashion is spectacular. It needs to be in the mainstream," Dora Chu, a U.S. fashion blogger famously known as Dora Spectacular, told Xinhua when asked her impression of the show staged by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) in America.

Ralph Chow, Regional Director, Americas, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, can agree no more.

"Hong Kong is well known for its unique culture, where both eastern and western culture can be reflected in our city, so you can find the uniqueness and also characteristics of all these design elements in the collections of fashion designers from Hong Kong," Chow said.

Designer Harrison Wong said it's his third time exhibiting on the New York runway. Wong's self-named collection is a contemporary apparel and accessories brand for urban men and women.

His current collection has many oversized sweaters and unisex-looking sweatshirts as well as boxy tops and bottoms made with high-end fabrics and clean lines.

"I would describe my style as understated elegance," said Wong, who received a master's degree from the London College of Fashion.

He said his pieces are made with the highest quality materials and craftsmanship but are also affordable to demonstrate that fine designs are not determined by a price tag.

Self-taught designer Annette Chan has been living in Hong Kong for decades and started her collection 11 years ago. She has since branched out on her own and now sees her clothes carried by Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong and Galeries Lafayette in Beijing. since 2013 she has been selling in the United States.

"I have a large number of customers here in New York. I want to reach out to more by attending the fashion week," she said.

As the theme of Chan's latest collection is L'Opera, the designs are conspicuously more glamorous and flamboyant compared to previous collections. Some unique characteristics include texturized leather that has been twisted or silk inserts to leather on dresses and skirts.

"The collection demonstrates my aesthetic through delicate application of different material combinations," Chan said, adding that she only use the finest lambskin leather with a touch of shearling and silk.

"Westerners used to think all the finest leather clothes come from Italy, now the situation has changed," she said.




A special Spring Festival gala evening has been held in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.

The event, hosted by Chinese embassy in Nepal and inaugurated by Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Friday evening, gave audience a vivid glimpse of China's rich culture and traditions.

Chinese Ambassador Yu Hong said such events provide an opportunity for the Nepali people to understand better about Chinese art and culture.

The China-Nepal relations have kept going forward in 2017, Yu said, noting that bilateral trade has grown 11.2 percent, while Chinese visitors to Nepal has increased 34 percent. The two sides have also agreed to cooperate under the Belt and Road Initiative, she said.

In the gala evening, a troupe from China's Yunnan Province showed the cultural heritage of their region, including unique customs and art. Jasmine dance, solo acrobatic show and shadow dance themed on China-Nepal friendship among others were the highlights of the event.

The audiences shared that they were amazed by such unique and grand performances by the Chinese artists.

"I am very much impressed by this event. I believe culture connects people, so such cultural exchanges boost the friendship between the people of two countries. The show reflected the history, culture and tradition of China so it helped us to know more about China," Sujata Koirala, Nepal's former deputy prime minister and former foreign minister, told Xinhua.

The show drew over 400 people, including former ministers, political leaders, government secretaries and officials, dignitaries, journalists and Chinese community living in Nepal.

"Culture is the bridge of people-to-people relationship and this event was the perfect example. I am thankful to China for hosting such beautiful event," former minister Hishila Yami told Xinhua.

Various cultural events, including music and dance performance, photo exhibitions, art shows are also being held in Nepal to celebrate the Spring Festival.




U.S. firm Cheniere Energy announced Friday that it has struck two long-term deals to sell liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).





According to the announcement, the Houston-based energy company will sell about 1.2 million tons of LNG a year to CNPC, as part of two sales agreements that extend through 2043. Shipments will begin this year.





"We are pleased to announce these LNG contracts with China National Petroleum Corporation, an important global energy player in one of the largest and fastest growing LNG markets worldwide," said Jack Fusco, Cheniere's president and CEO, in a statement.





The statement said that the deals are based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) it signed with the Chinese company last November. "We look forward to a successful long-term partnership with CNPC," said the statement.





During U.S. President Donald Trump's first visit to China in November, Cheniere Energy signed an MOU with CNPC for long-term LNG sales and purchase cooperation.





As the owner of the first LNG export terminal in the United States, Cheniere Energy is the leading exporter of U.S. liquefied natural gas.




The first Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Conference, co-hosted by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the General Administration of China Customs (GACC) , concluded in Beijing on Feb. 10.





Consensus was reached at the conference on improving the WCO Framework of Standards on Cross-Border E-Commerce, the first guiding document on how world customs can better regulate and provide services for cross-border e-commerce.





The document was drafted during the meetings of the WCO E-Commerce Sub-Groups held at the WCO headquarters in Brussels from Jan. 23 to 25 this year.





The Beijing Declaration was adopted as the conference's outcome, showcasing the consensus and vision of WCO member administrations and other stakeholders on boosting sound development of global cross-border e-commerce.





"The release of the declaration will help enhance consensus among all relevant parties on upgrading regulation principles, promote trade security and facilitation and achieve the balanced development of global cross-border e-commerce," said GACC Vice Minister Zou Zhiwu at a press briefing concluding the conference.





Another key outcome of the conference was the Initiative for Action of the Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Sector launched by representatives from cross-border e-commerce enterprises.





The initiative called for governments, the business community and third-party organizations to uphold the consensus achieved at the conference and jointly promote the development of global cross-border e-commerce.





"The conference will be held biennially to make the work on cross-border e-commerce more institutionalized," Zou announced.





Kunio Mikuriya, secretary-general of the WCO, stressed the significance of the conference, saying that the WCO would like to take stock of what progress has been made and what kind of technology is available for cross-border e-commerce, a new type of international trade.





Nearly 2,000 representatives from customs, government departments, international organizations, e-commerce enterprises and academia of 125 countries and regions attended the conference.





Themed "An Innovative, Inclusive, Strategic and Collaborative Approach to Sustainable Cross-Border E-Commerce," participants discussed trends in the development of cross-border e-commerce, and formulated regulatory rules and scalable solutions over the course of the two-day event.




At least 18 people were killed and 62 injured on Saturday after a double-decker bus overturned in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Authorities said 10 of the injured were in critical condition and 15 were seriously wounded.

Police said the 30-year-old driver was arrested.

Most of the injured and bodies of the deceased were found on the upper deck of the bus, and the deceased mostly died of trauma to the head, rescuers said.

The accident happened at around 6:15 p.m. local time (1015 GMT), when a bus on its way to Tai Po from Shatin racecourse toppled to its left on Tai Po Road, New Territories, destroying a bus station on roadside.

Police told Xinhua earlier that 19 people were killed but the death toll was later revised down to 18.

Most of the passengers were horse racing fans, as the bus was travelling on a special route for horse racing days.

The bus had been running on high speed before the accident, according to some of the passengers.

Rescuers cut open the top of the bus to save the passengers trapped inside.

The injured have been rushed to hospitals, while the site of the accident has been cordoned off.

Godwin So Wai-kei, general manager of Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited which the bus belonged to, said the company will offer 80,000 HK dollars (10,256 U.S. dollars) as a condolence allowance for the families of each victim.

The driver of the bus joined the company in 2014. So far there is no sign of fatigue driving when the accident occurred, said the general manager.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the injured in the Prince of Wales Hospital, HKSAR Chief Executive Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said she will order an independent inquiry to see whether there are any systemic problems with Hong Kong's bus operations.

She said the commission will be headed by a judge and she expected it to come up with suggestions to ensure Hong Kong's public transport system is reliable and safe.

Lam said the government is "deeply grieved" by the accident.

Various hospitals have set up emergency support stations to help families of the deceased and each affected family will receive support from social workers, she said.

Various charity groups have announced to offer emergent financial help to the victims' families.

The accident was the deadliest one in Hong Kong since 2003, when 21 people were killed after a double-decker bus plunged off a flyover following a collision with a container truck.

In September last year, three people were killed when a double-decker bus mounted a pavement in Sham Shui Po.




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Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi met here with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday to discuss bilateral ties and issues of mutual concern during a two-day visit.

The two sides also agreed to hold the second round of the Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in China during the first half of the year, which is a part of the four high-level dialogue mechanisms serving to boost better China-U.S. ties.

Bigger cake for cooperation

China and the United States could properly address their bilateral trade issues through more open markets and "making a bigger cake of cooperation," said Yang, who is on a two-day visit to Washington.

Noting that keeping the positive momentum of the China-U.S. relations is in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the common aspirations of international society, Yang said he hoped the U.S. side could meet China halfway to ensure the stable and healthy development of bilateral ties in the long run.

He said the China-U.S. economic and trade relations are reciprocal in nature, bringing huge benefits to the two peoples.

He also urged the two nations to cooperate on such areas as energy, infrastructure construction and the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as enhance coordination on international economic concerns.

For his part, Tillerson said the U.S. side is willing to work with China to fortify and expand reciprocal cooperation, and seek to solve bilateral economic and trade issues in a more effective manner.

China-U.S. trade ties have been bumpy since U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office. The Trump administration has threatened to limit Chinese investment, exports and visa application.

Stephen Roach, a Yale University senior fellow, said "America does not hold the trump card in its economic relations with China," noting that "Getting tough on China while ignoring those consequences could be a blunder of epic proportions."

Four dialogue mechanisms

China and the United States should maintain close contact and make good use of the existing four high-level dialogue channels to further boost ties, Yang said.

In addition to holding the second round of the Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in China, Beijing and Washington will hold a second round of dialogues on the economic, social and people-to-people exchanges, and law enforcement and cyber security within the year, Yang said.

The four high-level dialogue mechanisms were established during the Mar-a-Lago meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump at Palm Beach in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida last April.

The four channels have provided opportunities for Chinese and U.S. officials to talk about significant issues ranging from peace and stability in the South China Sea and military-to-military exchanges, to innovation cooperation and cyber crime.

Cheng Li, director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution, said that compared with previous communication mechanisms, the four dialogues are more outcome-oriented, emphasizing key areas of mutual concern.

Commitment to one-china policy

During the meeting, Tillerson said that the United States remains committed to the one-China policy.

For his part, Yang made China's stance clear on issues like Taiwan, requesting the U.S. side take China's concerns seriously.

Some politicians of the U.S. executive and legislative branches have become increasingly interested in playing the Taiwan card in dealing with U.S.-China relations.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed two Taiwan-related bills in January.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang has said that the United States should handle the Taiwan issue carefully, noting "the passage of the two bills seriously violates the principles of the one-China policy and three Sino-U.S. joint communiques."

Global support for inter-korean rapport

Yang urged global support for inter-Korean rapport and the continued easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula during the meeting.

China has always been committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and maintaining its peace and stability, said Yang, adding that issues on the Korean Peninsula should be solved through dialogue and negotiation.

The situation on the peninsula has been undergoing positive changes recently as South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are using the PyeongChang Winter Olympics to resume dialogue.

Despite tensions easing on the Korean Peninsula, Washington has been sticking to a strategy of "maximum pressure" on the DPRK to force it to abandon its nuclear weapons programs, but so far has failed to achieve its goals.

Richard Haass, president of the U.S. think tank Council on Foreign Relations, said it was "a mistake" for the United States to refuse to resume talks with the DPRK, adding that there is too much talk now about preconditions for denuclearization.
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The recent visit of Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi to the United States will help set course for bilateral engagement and cooperation in the future, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Saturday.





Lu told the media that Yang's two-day visit has enabled the two sides to exchange views on bilateral ties and important international and regional issues of mutual concern.





He said during Yang's visit on Feb. 8-9, the two sides announced to hold the second round of the Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in China during the first half of the year.





Beijing and Washington will also hold the Law Enforcement and Cyber Security Dialogue, the Social and Cultural Issues Dialogue, and the Comprehensive Economic Dialogue in 2018.





During the visit, Yang met with U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, as well as important personnel from various U.S. sectors, Lu added.





Yang said during the meetings that progress has been made in the bilateral relations over the past year under the guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump, who agreed during their meeting in Beijing last November that China and the United States have wide-ranging common interests and the significant responsibilities of securing world peace, prosperity and stability.





Yang said the two leaders also agreed that the China-U.S. ties have global relevance, and promoting the bilateral relationship is not only in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also meets the common aspirations of international society.





Yang said that the two sides are expected to implement the consensus reached by the two leaders at their Beijing meeting, maintain close contacts at all levels, make good use of the four high-level dialogue channels, and expand their cooperation in economy and trade, military, law enforcement, drug control and people-to-people exchanges, among other areas.





Yang said the two countries should manage and control their disputes and sensitive issues properly, in a bid to bring more positive elements to the bilateral relations.





According to Lu, the U.S. side agreed that the United States and China have made positive progress in dealing with bilateral ties, and Washington is willing to strengthen cooperation with Beijing to build a fruitful and constructive relationship.





It also said it is ready to work with China to consolidate and expand the win-win cooperation, and properly settle disputes with mutual respect so as to propel bilateral ties.





Talking about bilateral trade, Yang said China and the United States could properly address bilateral trade issue through two-way opening of markets, and "make a bigger cake of cooperation."





He said the China-U.S. economic and trade relations have been proved reciprocal in nature, bringing huge benefits to the two peoples.





For its part, the U.S. side agreed on the significance of China-U.S. trade ties, saying it is willing to work with China to fortify and seek to solve bilateral economic and trade issues in a more effective manner.





During the talks with U.S. officials, Yang also stressed that China has been committed to the peninsula denuclearization, peace and stability, and the ultimate settlement of disputes through dialogue and consultation.





Beijing is ready to keep communication and coordination with Washington on the basis of mutual trust and respect, so as to seek a proper solution to the peninsula issue, Yang said.





The situation on the peninsula is undergoing positive changes recently as South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are using the PyeongChang Winter Olympics to restart dialogue.
You are here: World

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At least 27 people were killed and 18 others seriously wounded when a bus collided with motorcycle in Indonesia's West Java province on Saturday, according to police and hospital earlier Sunday.

The incident occurred in Cicenang village of Subang district. The bus collapsed after it hit the motorcycles and hit a hill, said a police in Subang district.

"The incident happen today, there are many victims of it," the policeman told Xinhua on late Saturday by phone from the station.

The bus was carrying about 45 people, and police were investigating the deadly incident, he added.

Data from Subang General Hospital revealed that so far 27 people were killed and 18 others suffering from serious wounds.

All the wounded are being treated in intensive care unit of the hospital. Most of them suffered from broken bones and serious injuries at their heads.
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The Israeli army launched a large-scale attack against the Syrian aerial defense system and Iranian targets in Syria in response to an Israeli F-16 fighter shot down by missiles from Syria on Saturday morning.

A member of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) looks through binoculars from Mount Bental, an observation post in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights near the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria, on Feb. 10, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]



Twelve targets, including three aerial defense batteries and four Iranian targets that are part of Iran's military establishment in Syria were attacked, said a statement issued by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

During the attack, anti-aircraft missiles were fired towards Israel, triggering alarms that were heard in northern Israel, said the Israeli army.

The IDF will "act determinately against such severe violations of Israeli sovereignty by Iran and Syria and will continue to act as necessary," said the IDF in the statement.

The IDF is "ready for various scenarios and will continue to act according to situation assessments," added the IDF.

Israel aircraft attacked a number of Iranian targets in Syria in response to an Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that was launched at Israeli territory and was intercepted by the Israeli army earlier Saturday.

Israeli security personnel guard the remains of an Israeli F-16 fighter near Harduf, Israel, on Feb. 10, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]





The IDF confirmed with Xinhua that during the attack one Israeli F-16 fighter was hit and crashed. The two pilots of the fighter forced to abandon the fighter by parachute after the aircraft was hit. One pilot was in serious condition the other was lightly wounded.

Earlier, the IDF said that a combat helicopter successfully intercepted an Iranian UAV that was launched from Syria and infiltrated Israel. In response, the IDF targeted Iranian targets in Syria.

Iran denies involvement

Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday denied any involvement in downing the Israeli fighter jet in Syria's airspace.

The Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said the allegations that Iran had a role in downing the Israeli F-16 in Syria's airspace is "ridiculous."

Qasemi also rejected the reports that Iran had deployed drones in Syria.

Iran's presence in Syria is advisory at the request of Syrian government, he stressed.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday evening that Israel holds Iran and Syria responsible for the latest "aggression."

"We will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect our sovereignty and security", said Netanyahu in a statement.

The prime minister said he has been warning for some time about the dangers of Iran's military entrenchment in Syria.

"Iran seeks to use Syrian territory to attack Israel for its professed goal of destroying Israel," he noted.

Netanyahu accused Iran of violating Israel's sovereignty by dispatching a drone from Syrian territory into Israel on Saturday morning.

"This demonstrates that our warnings were 100 percent correct," he said.

During an earlier tour of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Northern Command, Netanyahu also expressed Israel's determination to defend itself.

"I am impressed by the major work the IDF is doing to defend our borders and our state. We want peace but we are prepared for any scenario and I suggest that no one test us," he said.

Meanwhile, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin commended security forces for their "firm and resolute defense measures in the face of further proof of the danger of Iranian consolidation in the region."

In a briefing at noon on Saturday, IDF Spokesman Jonathan Conricus warned that the Syrians and Iranians are "playing with fire."

"We are willing, prepared and capable to extract a heavy price from anyone that attacks us" despite the fact that Israel is "not interested to escalate the situation," Conricus said.

Earlier on Saturday, Israel launched a large-scale attack against Iranian and Syrian military targets in Syria in response to the downing of an Israeli F-16 fighter jet by missiles.

Four Iranian targets in Syria and eight Syrian ones belonging to the Fourth Syrian division near Damascus were attacked, according to the IDF.

The chain of events started at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, when an Iranian drone penetrated into Israeli air space, said the IDF.

The Israeli army intercepted the drone with an Apache helicopter over Israeli territories, and then launched an attack on the control facility of the drone located in Syria, it added.




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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday that Palestine counts on the pivotal Indian role in achieving peace and security cooperation between the two countries in combating terrorism, wherever it may be.





Abbas's statements came in a joint press conference he held with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on his first ever visit to Palestine.

Abbas said "we count on India's role, as a world power with significant weight and status to contribute to achieving just and aspired peace in our region, due to its impact on world security and stability."

Abbas stressed that Palestinians have "never rejected negotiations any day; we were and still are ready for it, and believe that forming a multilateral mechanism of several states is the best approach to overlook those negotiations."

Modi said he is "proud to be renewing friendship and support to Palestine" and that his country "holds on to the nobility of the Palestinian people's interests" and hoped for establishing the independent Palestinian state by peaceful means.

He highlighted that the support for the Palestinian cause has been a steady point in India's foreign policy.

The two countries signed four agreements worth 41 million U.S. dollars in various sectors, including education, health, media and women economic empowerment.

Abbas gave Modi the highest medal of the state of Palestine as a sign of valuing friendship with India.

Prior to this visit, Modi said that he has "de-hyphenated" relations with Palestine and Israel, establishing "mutually independent and exclusive relations with both partners."

India's relationship with Israel has seen a significant development in the past few years, crowned with a recent multi-million dollars deal with Israel in military and hi-tech sectors.

Modi made his first ever visit to Israel in July last year, and Israeli Prime Minister paid back the visit last month.

India was one of the 120 UN member states that voted in favor of Palestine in the UN General Assembly resolution calling on the U.S. to retract its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital last December.
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Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in has dismissed Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's call to resume the U.S.-South Korean military drills, Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday.

Abe's call came during a bilateral meeting on Friday before the opening ceremony of PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Stressing an "actual" change in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) behavior, Abe said it was not the right time for Seoul and Washington to delay their joint military exercises.

Moon rejected Abe's request, citing it was a violation of the country's sovereignty, an official from Seoul's presidential office told reporters.

"I understand what Prime Minister Abe said is not to delay South Korea-US military drills until there is progress in the denuclearization of North Korea (DPRK). But the issue is about our sovereignty and intervention in our domestic affairs," Moon told the Japanese leader, according to the official.

The United States and ROK agreed in January to delay annual joint military exercises, which had been scheduled to take place during the Winter Olympics, until after the Winter Paralympics Games concludes on March 18.

The decision to delay the Foal Eagle, one of the largest war games in the world, came after the DPRK expressed a new openness for high-level talks and reopened a key cross-border communication channel with ROK for the first time in nearly two years.




China Aviation Daily | Feb. 11, 2018

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced today it has signed a purchase agreement with both Vietnam Helicopter Corporation and its subsidiary, Northern Vietnam Helicopter Company (VNH North), for two Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters.

"As the first Bell commercial helicopter sale in Vietnam, we are pleased that Vietnam Helicopter Corporation and VNH North have chosen the Bell 505 for their operations in Vietnam and beyond," said Sameer A. Rehman, managing director of Bell Helicopter Asia Pacific. "The Bell 505 incorporates the latest advancements in safety and aviation technology while providing best-in-class value. We look forward to working closely and supporting both Vietnam Helicopter Corporation and VNH North as they expand their business to new territories and customers."

Vietnam Helicopter Corporation, a state-owned helicopter operator and its subsidiary VNH North operate a fleet of modern helicopters providing utility and transport services across a number of industries such as oil and gas, tourism, air ambulance, search and rescue and VIP transportation. Vietnam Helicopter Corporation and its subsidiaries also provide pilot training and maintenance, repair and overhaul services.

"We are confident that the versatility and state-of-the-art technology in the new Bell 505 will enable us to continue to serve our customers across many industries in a safe, reliable and efficient manner and support the expansion our business globally," said Capt. Do Xuan Hoa, director of VNH North.

The reliability, speed, performance, and maneuverability of the Bell 505 is integrated with a flat floor, open cabin that is configurable for a wide variety of missions and payloads. The spacious cabin can be configured to carry up to four passengers or configured for internal cargo missions by removing quick disconnect rear cabin seats and/or copilot seat. The Bell 505's flat floor cabin design and large rectangular baggage compartment lets the Bell 505 adapt to your changing mission needs. These features combined with a proven and reliable drivetrain and rotor system make the Bell 505 a true multi-mission aircraft in the short light single-engine market.

Contributed by Bell Helicopter
The Church of England could reportedly end up shelling out millions in compensation for the more than 3,000 child sex abuse complaints it had received by 2016.

The total number of sex abuse complaints that the Church of England had received by 2016 had reached 3,300. Although the new complaints were not set apart from the old ones, the Church could still end up paying millions in compensation to the victims, The Daily Mail reported.

In a case against deceased Bishop of Chichester George Bell, the Church had to pay 15,000 British pounds in compensation even though the abuse allegations were unproven. If each complaint would cost that amount, the Church could then end up shelling out almost 50 million pounds.

The specifics of the abuse complaints were handed to the Church of England's General Synod. This included the one filed against former bishop Peter Ball, who was imprisoned in 2015 for 32 months for abusing boys for more than 30 years.

On Feb. 5, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said the woman who had accused Bishop George Bell of sexual abuse could not be overlooked. He said the accuser ought to be "treated equally importantly" as the person being accused, The Church Times reported.

Lord Carlile's independent review criticized the Church of England's decision to reveal Bell's name in the case, and Welby also drew flak for saying that he could not clear the embattled bishop's name. The Archbishop defended the Church's decision to reveal the amount of compensation it had given to the woman, which was 16,800 pounds, and told the Church Times that he accepted Lord Carlile's recommendations except the one about naming the accused.

"We have to treat both Bishop Bell, his reputation a we have to hold that as something really precious and valuable," said Welby. "But the person who has brought the complaint is not an inconvenience to be overlooked: they are a human being of immense value and dignity, to be treated equally importantly. And it is very difficult to square that circle."

In addition, Archbishop Welby said safeguarding was the most difficult thing he had to do because it dealt with the sin of the Church and the damage that it had inflicted on the victims. He said the problem has to be addressed both in spiritual and "mechanistic" ways.
Iran is spending millions on Islamic propaganda and a religious crackdown targeting the growing population of Christian converts, but a mission group has revealed that these measures have done nothing to stop people from embracing Christianity.

The state-sponsored crackdown has seen a lot of Farsi churches closed and Christian converts imprisoned for praying and worshipping in their own homes. However, Elam Ministries said the targeted persecution has not stopped the growth of the Christian population from around 500 in 1979 to 360,000 at present, Mohabat News relayed.

Church leaders in Iran believe that their number will reach millions in the next few years because of the spiritual hunger among the people. Another reason that they see for this trend is the people's disillusionment with the Islamic country.

Elam team member Behrang Masoumi embraced the Christian faith after he attended a Christmas gathering he was invited to at a house church. He was shocked when he learned there that one of his relatives had been secretly practicing the faith for five years.

"I was shocked. I was even more shocked to discover that she had been secretly following Jesus for five years," said Masoumi. "And she had been praying for me all that time."

Other Christians who attend Christmas gatherings have met unfortunate circumstances, like five men who were arrested when plainclothes security forces raided a house church last Christmas Eve. As of this reporting, no one knows their location and situation.

Meanwhile, four United Nations human rights experts have recently pushed for Iran to ensure that three Christians who were sentenced to jail for practicing their faith are given a "fair and transparent final hearing." Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz, Hadi Asgari, and Amin Afshar Naderi were charged with "conducting evangelism" and involvement in "illegal house church activities," Radio Free Europe a Radio Liberty reported.

According to the U.N. human rights experts, the charges against the Christians violated the Islamic regime's obligations under international law. They also raised concerns that the incident was not unique and that there were other Christian converts who were being subjected to severe discrimination and persecution in the country.
Bridge maintenance workers work under the arch of the Beipanjiang railway bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jan. 26, 2018. The high-speed railway bridge, 721 meters in length, is a part of the Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway line, which links the country's prosperous eastern coast with the less-developed southwest. Maintenance workers examine the bridge everyday to make sure the safety of the railway line. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

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Authorities in Iran have been accused of covering up the real situation of Christians inside a notorious prison in Tehran when a special delegation of MPs visited the facility to investigate the allegations of detainees being killed while in custody.

Iranian authorities were criticized by Mohammad Kazemi, the deputy head of parliament's Judicial and Legal Commission, after an unusually large number of intelligence and security troops was sent to Evin Prison during the special visit of 11 MPs on Jan. 30. Judiciary officials had declared that the reports of detainees being killed inside the facility were baseless, Radio Farda detailed.

"The presence of officers at a prison is not unusual, but there were so many of them present at the time we were visiting Evin," Kazemi explained on Jan. 31. "It would have been better if they'd stayed away since we had to talk to the detainees in private."

He added: "The number of officers were far more than the number of visiting MPs, and that was not acceptable."

The special delegation was reportedly able to talk to only four out of the six detainees apprehended during the recent nationwide protests. Intelligence officers were also present during their interviews.

One of those arrested in the anti-government protests, Sina Ghanbari, 22, died in custody. Prison authorities said he had killed himself, but human rights campaigners claimed intelligence agents had beaten him to death during an interrogation.

Kazemi said Ghanbari's death is now being reviewed by a court in Tehran.

Iran Focus said the visit aimed to conceal the crimes that authorities carried out against the detainees. The publication also said it was likely the prisoners had been intimidated into withholding information about their real situation inside the facility.

News about the visit surfaced after a detainee named Khaled Qaisari reportedly died in Kermanshah Prison in the western region after being tortured. Around 12 people arrested in the recent uprisings have allegedly died because of torture.
Christians in North Korea will not pray for the demise or dethronement of their current leader, Kim Jong-un, and they are also calling for their co-believers to do the same, according to anti-persecution charity Release International.

The charity acknowledged that Christians can be sometimes tempted to ask for Kim Jong-un to be removed from his position. However, Release International said the persecuted believers know that there will be others who will succeed him if ever that happens, Premier relayed.

Release International partner Dr. Eric Foley noted that in his 15 years of working with North Korean refugees, he had "never encountered a North Korean Christian who has prayed for the regime to be overthrown." Instead, they hope that their national leader would soon "come to know Christ."

"Perhaps North Korean Christians know better than the rest of us, that it is not a change of government that will bring peace, but the entry of the Prince of Peace into our hearts," said Dr. Foley. "We should follow their lead and pray not for regime change, but for a change of the heart of the regime."

Release International's CEO Paul Robinson highlighted the plight of Christians in North Korea, saying the believers there were not merely persecuted but were also executed. For this reason, he called on all people to pray for Christians who were suffering because of the level of persecution there.

Open Doors USA said there were around 50,000 Christians held in prison or labor camps in North Korea because of their faith. The organization has labeled the reclusive state as the world's most dangerous country for Christians, the Christian Broadcasting Network reported.

In fact, North Korea has consistently clinched the top spot for 16 years in Open Doors' World Watch List of the 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted.

In light of the situation, Open Doors USA urged Christians to fight for their brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted. The organization reminded them that the Bible teaches them to serve as "a voice for the voiceless."
Christians in Syria are happy that the U.S. has offered new humanitarian aid for them, but a Franciscan priest based in Aleppo said on Feb.7 that they had yet to see the results despite President Donald Trump's promise about it.

During a press conference in Rome organized by Aid to the Church in Need, Fr. Frias Lutfi of the Custody of the Holy Land said many people in Syria were skeptical of America's policy. He explained that there was local gossip that the U.S. had funded the forces that shot down a Russian plane which was supposed to target residual Islamic State forces in Syria, Crux relayed.

While Lutfi acknowledged that the gossip had not been substantiated, he said it reflected the mindset of the people in Syria. The Franciscan priest mentioned that they were wary of the potential economic interests that the U.S. might have behind its humanitarian aid offer.

In addition, Lutfi noted that U.S. Vice President Mike Pence had announced in October that America would add humanitarian aid funding for ISIS victims. The promised funds would reportedly be available directly via local churches instead of passing through U.N. programs, but Lutfi said local Christians still do not see any concrete results.

"No new gestures of solidarity [from the U.S. government] are yet visible," Lutfi remarked.

Meanwhile, the U.S. drew praise from the Knights of Columbus after it pledged $55 million in aid for ISIS victims in Iraq's Nineveh Province. This amount will reportedly help rebuild the communities and restore power, water, sewage and other basic services in the province, the Catholic News Agency reported.

In a statement, Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson expressed gratitude to the U.S. for the increased humanitarian aid funding for persecuted religious minorities in Iraq. The organization also praised the American government for handling the atrocities against Christians in the region in the same way as other genocides.
Christian apologist Ken Ham was supposed to speak at the University of Central Oklahoma on March 5 about Creation Science, but the UCO Student Association had canceled the invitation after being pressured by an LGBT group to do so.

On Feb. 7, UCO student body president Stockton Duvall said student government leaders and another group called Valid World Views had invited Ham to talk about his Creation Science views. However, the invitation drew outcry from members of a group linked to the Women's Research Center/BGLTQ+Student Center at the university because of the Christian speaker's conservative stance on marriage, News OK detailed.

Duvall and the other student government leaders reportedly opted to revoke the invitation extended to Ham after pressure from the LGBT group. He clarified that it was not the school administration that had banned Ham since they had previously expressed support for whatever decision the student leaders made on the issue.

Ham, on the other hand, said he was surprised that such opposition had broken out in a state that was popular for being conservative. He revealed that he had no plans to talk about where he stood on marriage, but he refused to sign a statement agreeing to skip that topic if it were brought up during a question-and-answer question.

The Christian apologist will instead appear at the Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond on March 5.

Meanwhile, three lawmakers in the state questioned the decision to rescind Ham's invitation at the UCO. Rep. Kevin Calvey (R-Oklahoma City) spoke out against bullying and pressuring people into stifling free speech, especially in college campuses, while Rep. Chuck Strohm (R-Jenks) said Christians in the state should not be obliged to pay additional tax to fund "censorship and bigotry" at state colleges, The Edmond Sun reported.

"Those claiming to advocate for tolerance are often, and ironically, the most intolerant of all," Sen. Josh Brecheen (R-Coalgate) said. "This bullying by anti-Christian campus censors has to stop."

In light of what happened, the three Oklahoma lawmakers vowed to conduct a review on the Regents for Higher Education's use of taxpayer money. They also called for appropriate measures to prevent intolerance.
Billy Graham Rapid Response Team Chaplains in Westerville, Ohio, and Richardson, Texas, After Law Enforcement Officers Shot and Killed Contact: Erik Ogren, 704-401-2117, eogren@bgea.org



CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 11, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains have deployed to offer emotional and spiritual care in the communities of Westerville, Ohio, and Richardson, Texas, following violence that claimed the lives of police officers.



Officer David Sherrard of the Richardson Police Department was killed last Wednesday, Feb. 7, during a stand-off with a gunman. In Westerville, Officers Anthony Morelli and Eric Joering were responding to a 911 call on Saturday, Feb. 10, when they were killed.



"Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve their communities; to protect and serve all of us," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. "Each of these officers has a family that is left in shock and incalculable suffering, their departments are struggling with anguish of their own  while still having to fulfill their ongoing duty  and the communities at large are mourning. The need for prayer is great."



Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, shared, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Officer Anthony Morelli and Officer Eric Joering who were killed in the line of duty just outside of Columbus, Ohio. They were responding to a 911 call. Also pray for the entire Westerville Police Department during this difficult time."



Graham continued, "Pray for these heartbroken families, that they would have God's comfort and healing. The Bible tells us, 'The Lord is near to the brokenhearted' (Psalm 34:18)."



The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has deployed three times in 2018 following law enforcement-related tragedies. In January, the group offered hope and comfort following the shooting death of Det. Mike Doty of the York County (S.C.) Sheriff's Office.



For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit www.billygraham.org/rrt. Updates can also be found at www.facebook.com/RRTChaplains.



About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team:

The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 270 disaster sites, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.



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A member of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) looks through binoculars from Mount Bental, an observation post in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights near the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria, on Feb. 10, 2018. The Israeli army launched a large-scale attack against the Syrian aerial defense system and Iranian targets in Syria after an Israeli F-16 fighter was hit by missiles from Syria and crashed on Saturday morning. (Xinhua/JINI)

JERUSALEM, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army launched a large-scale attack against the Syrian aerial defense system and Iranian targets in Syria in response to an Israeli F-16 fighter shot down by missiles from Syria on Saturday morning.

Twelve targets, including three aerial defense batteries and four Iranian targets that are part of Iran's military establishment in Syria were attacked, said a statement issued by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

During the attack, anti-aircraft missiles were fired towards Israel, triggering alarms that were heard in northern Israel, said the Israeli army.

The IDF will "act determinately against such severe violations of Israeli sovereignty by Iran and Syria and will continue to act as necessary," said the IDF in the statement.

The IDF is "ready for various scenarios and will continue to act according to situation assessments," added the IDF.

Israel aircraft attacked a number of Iranian targets in Syria in response to an Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that was launched at Israeli territory and was intercepted by the Israeli army earlier Saturday.

The IDF confirmed with Xinhua that during the attack one Israeli F-16 fighter was hit and crashed. The two pilots of the fighter forced to abandon the fighter by parachute after the aircraft was hit. One pilot was in serious condition the other was lightly wounded.

Earlier, the IDF said that a combat helicopter successfully intercepted an Iranian UAV that was launched from Syria and infiltrated Israel. In response, the IDF targeted Iranian targets in Syria.

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ROME, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people marched in an anti-racism rally in the city of Macerata on Saturday, a week after a far-right extremist targeted African citizens in a racially motivated attack.

An estimated 15,000 demonstrators from all over the country -- some 30,000 according to organizers -- marched all around the medieval walls without entering the city center.

Macerata -- a town of about 41,000 inhabitants in central Marche region -- was on high alert ahead of the rally for fear of possible clashes between demonstrators and neo-fascist sympathizers.

Schools remained closed, many shops shut ahead of the demo, while local transport was halted for some hours.

Mayor Romano Carancini had asked to cancel the demonstration to allow the local community to calm down after the attack occurred last Saturday.

However, after rising pressure from several prominent anti-fascist figures and groups, authorities gave the green light, and the rally was broadcasted live by state TV channel RAI News 24.

Demonstrators were peaceful and marched holding anti-racist placards, chanting slogans against fascism, Ansa news agency reported.

The gathering especially drew people from leftist associations and anti-fascist groups, from NGOs, trade unions, and leftist political parties. Several migrants also joined it.

Tension had run high during all the past week, and national authorities had warned against an increasing climate of hatred, after the unprecedented shooting on Feb. 3, when six African citizens -- five men and one woman -- were randomly shot and wounded in a drive-by attack by far-right sympathizer Luca Traini, 28, who was arrested soon after the shooting.

Traini was arrested soon after the attack, and confessed to it. Police said he claimed his gesture was in retaliation for the death of an 18-year-old Italian Pamela Mastropietro, whose body had been found dismembered and hidden in some suitcases two days earlier.

A Nigerian failed asylum seeker was arrested in the case, and was currently in jail, but not charged with murder for lack of evidence. Authorities later also detained two other Nigerian nationals, including a drug dealer, in connection with the case.

The Feb. 3 attack shocked the country, which was already experiencing a tense campaign in view of general elections set on March 4.

Migration was the top issue in the public debate, as some 630,000 migrants and asylum-seekers have entered Italy from the Mediterranean -- most of them in an effort to reach other European countries -- since 2014.

Far-right and center-right parties based the campaign on strong anti-immigrants messages, and were now trying to capitalize on the gruesome death of the Italian girl.

On Thursday, some 40 supporters of far-right Forza Nuova party tried to hold an anti-immigrant rally in Macerata, defying a ban from the police chief. They clashed with police in riot gear, and were stopped before reaching the town's central square.

[ Editor: WPY ]
Apel de exprimare a interesului privind intentia de participare la serviciile de suport la formarea/consolidarea grupurilor de femei pentru accesarea granturilor din cadrul Proiectului de Rezilienta Rurala
BEREA, Ohio -- Every Ohio student must be able to read by the end of his or her third grade year in order to become a fourth-grader. In the Berea City School District, it is only through the dogged persistence of teachers, administrators, parents and the third-graders themselves that the state mandate continues to be met.

Director of Academic Affairs (Preschool-Grade 6) Jason Niedermeyer conveyed that message to the Berea Board of Education at its Jan. 29 meeting. Surprisingly, third-grade reading preparation actually begins in kindergarten.

"We have to diagnostically assess all of our students kindergarten through third grade prior to Sept. 30 every single year," Niedermeyer explained.

Third-grade students are provided five opportunities to meet reading literacy goals during that school year. If a student falls short, his or her parents receive a detailed Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plan, or RIMP, from the teacher. Some students attend summer school for additional intervention.

Niedermeyer showed a PowerPoint slide with 469 icons representing all third-graders as of the beginning of the 2016-17 school year. He then proceeded to update it by showing results after each of the five reading assessments was taken, highlighting those who reached the state-required target.

By the end of third grade, only four students had not achieved the goal and were partially retained. They were given more reading assistance over the summer, and one of them reached proficiency at the very beginning of the fourth-grade school year and was promoted. The remaining three, through yet even more intervention, reached proficiency after the late-fall assessment and became fourth-graders.

"We have never fully retained a third-grade student, because it's just not what's best for kids," Niedermeyer said.

The state's grade for third-grade reading proficiency in Berea was a C, but board member Jeffrey Duke said that doesn't tell the whole story.

"When you look at that score, it is so misleading," Duke emphasized. "I think it's great that we get to that 99 percentile passing third-grade reading proficiency because that, to me, tells more about what the staff is doing."

The entire process isn't easy, but Niedermeyer acknowledged the district's efforts expended on behalf of its third-grade students.

"As stressful as this is, I thank my lucky stars that we're in Berea, where we have quality programming," Niedermeyer said.
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - A proposed commercial redevelopment of the former 103-acre U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital at Brecksville and Miller roads would include a memorial park, under an agreement among the city, the VA and Ohio's State Historic Preservation Office.

The park would commemorate the site as a former VA hospital and would include a flagpole, monuments representing each military branch, a plaque with a brief history of the property and a walking trail leading to the park.

Also, all or part of the Brecksville VA property would be listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an example of a post-World War II veterans' hospital, the agreement says.

The hospital was built in 1959 and 1960 and dedicated in 1961.

City Council recently gave Mayor Jerry Hruby authority to enter into the agreement.

"We committed that an area of the property will be selected to provide a very prominent monument honoring the brave men and women who served our nation, and those who were trusted in some way with all phases of their care," Hruby said in an email to cleveland.com.

Hruby said the park will also honor military members who are still missing in action and the VA police. The park will include a monument to VA police officers Mark Decker and Leonard Wilcox, who were killed on duty on the hospital campus in January 1986.

Last week, council placed on first reading a resolution that would allow the city, after years of negotiations, to accept the deed for the VA property from the federal government.

Also last week, the city announced that it was close to choosing DiGeronimo Development LLC in Independence to redevelop the site into a multiple-use center that might include stores, restaurants, apartments, hotels, a hospital, manufacturing plants, warehouses, offices and laboratories.

The VA has determined that transferring the property makes it subject to the National Historic Preservation Act, meant to preserve historical and archaeological sites throughout the country, according to the agreement among the city, the VA and the State Historic Preservation Office.

The memorial park would mitigate any negative effects of the proposed commercial development on the historical site, the agreement says.

Meanwhile, the VA will keep offsite any records - including photos, site plans, maps, construction drawings and written narratives - of the former Brecksville hospital.

Hruby said the memorial park has not been designed yet and its precise location hasn't been determined. The city and DiGeronimo Development would share the cost.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Neck Deep decided to give its Cleveland fans a free meet-and-greet after its Northeast Ohio concert was canceled.

The UK pop-punk band hosted a "hangout" at the Grog Shop on Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m., free for anyone who had previously purchased tickets to the band's cancelled Agora concert. The concert was initially moved to Akron's Goodyear Theatre because of ongoing construction at the Agora. It was cancelled just days before it was set to take place.

Neck Deep is currently on a tour around the country supporting its latest album "The Peace And The Panic." The band played in Northeast Ohio most recently at Warped Tour this past summer, where a crowd filled with hundreds of young fans bounced to the band's high-energy music.

Neck Deep's cancelled show was also going to feature Seaway, Speak Low If You Speak Love and Creeper. The Agora concert was sold out of tickets.

Though all former ticket holders received a full refund after the cancellation, Neck Deep's band members wanted to do a little bit more for the disappointed fans. On Friday afternoon, the band posted a video to its social media channels announcing a free daytime hangout.

ATTENTION CLEVELAND! We're braving the snow to try and make up for the show cancelation. Tomorrow - Grog Shop - 12-5pm, daytime ND hangout. Free and open to all ticket holders, come and say what's up - pic.twitter.com/xZhkKb18hU  Neck Deep (@NeckDeepUK) February 9, 2018

When Feb. 10 arrived, hundreds of fans lined up around the Grog Shop, bundled up in hats and winter jackets. When they arrived at the venue, they were let inside in batches, where they got to take photos and talk with members of the band.

About 700 fans showed up for the meet and greet event, according to a band publicist.

"We were so glad we could make this happen for the fans who missed out on the show. We were just as devastated as they were about the venue cancelling the show last minute so it was great to make something happen at short notice," said Neck Deep bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans.

He continued: "Everybody was so thankful and understanding. It was really nice. It was a prime example to show we have the best fans ever."

Neck Deep is not the only concert that was moved from The Agora because of construction--Borns, Portugal. The Man, Architects, Machine Head and Enslaved are all February shows which have changed venue locations due to ongoing construction.

In the Neck Deep Facebook event, the Agora posted: "We are deeply sorry for the cancellation of the Neck Deep show. We understand your disappointment and that was the last thing we wanted to happen."

The next show scheduled to take place at the Agora is rock and roll band Y&T on March 1.
ENSCHEDE, The Netherlands, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- One week before the Chinese Spring Festival starts, Enschede, a 100,000-inhabitant municipality in the eastern Netherlands has savored the energy and joy of the Year of the Dog thanks to a colorful forum and gala staged by Chinese students.

"We are very honored that Chinese students from all over the Netherlands have come to our beautiful city," said Eelco Eerenberg, vice mayor of Enschede Eelco Eerenberg when welcoming nearly 1000 Chinese students and the guests of their gala who filled up the city's Muziekcentrum.

Enschede is the fourth Dutch city to support Chinese students' Talents Forum and Spring Festival gala. Chinese students take this event also as a platform for Sino-Dutch communication. The previous ones, for the Year of Goat (2015), of Monkey (2016) and of Rooster (2017) were staged in Rotterdam, Delft and Wageningen.

"I am proud of you. You are brave, you are smart, you have overcome all barriers and borders and take the challenges to study abroad. This makes a perfect match with our city," said the vice mayor of Enschede, "because Enschede is a smart city because it offers many opportunities for developing and testing smart technologies."

University of Twente (UT), one of the three technical universities in the Netherlands, besides Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven University of Technology, is located in Enschede.

Thom Palstra, Rector Magnificus of the UT, told the Chinese students that China has been an important partner of his university. "We are a very welcoming university and we wish you feel welcomed here," he said.

UT's International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation has been active in China for decades. The university now has about 120 Chinese stuff members, mostly PhD students, hundreds of Chinese bachelor and master students, as well as about 1500 alumina working in China.

Rectors from six other Dutch universities including Wageningen, Erasmus Rotterdam, Maasstricht, Tilburg and Radbout celebrated the Spring Festival with the Chinese students via video messages.

"The Netherlands and China have strong relations, not only in the fields of business, economic or science and technology, but also in high education...We strongly believe that academic cooperation is a bridge to further advance the research and education. And you, Chinese scholars and students in the Netherlands, are key to all this," said Drs. Kristel Baele, President of Executive Board of Erasmus.

Before the students stage their three-hour performance of songs, dances, ensemble music and chorus, Mao Xiao, winner of 2017 Rhodes Scholarships for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford, shared her experiences and passion for studies on international crime justice. She now studies at University of Amsterdam.

Around 10, 000 Chinese students are now studying in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is home to one of the world's oldest and highly respected systems of higher education. The QS World University Rankings 2018 includes 13 universities in the Netherlands, all ranked within the world's top 400.

[ Editor: WPY ]
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ohio - Philips Healthcare will soon stop all manufacturing at its Highland Heights plant as the company shifts focus and invests in research and development at the site, the company has announced.

"The Cleveland diagnostic imaging manufacturing operations... will fully cease in the second half of 2018," according to a news release on the Philips website. The Highland Heights manufacturing operation currently makes up less than 3 percent of the company's global sales volume.

Instead of manufacturing, Philips will invest in a "new R&D [research and development] facility," the new release says. The investment is part of a $600 million R&D commitment in North America by the Dutch company.

Additionally, an enhanced customer service hub will be added to the Highland Heights site, the news release states.

"The company will also invest to enhance its Cleveland facility to optimize its learning environment for the thousands of Philips field service engineers and for customers from across the globe."

In early 2014, manufacturing at the Highland Heights plant was temporarily shut down after federal regulators noticed some quality-control issues, Crain's Cleveland Business reported. However, full production of CT scanners and additional medical equipment resumed by 2015.

It was unclear Sunday afternoon if any workers at the manufacturing plant will lose their jobs.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For more than a decade, Dawn Brown told lies to boyfriends and husbands. Lies they wouldn't immediately question: that she was pregnant, and that she was dying of cancer.

She reaped the benefits. The boyfriends married her, showered her with gifts and trips to make her last few months as happy as possible. They didn't question her. Until they did.

Now, the 45-year-old Cleveland woman is under criminal investigation after accusations surfaced that she took donations under the false pretense that she had terminal breast cancer while she was pregnant.

And her seventh, and current husband, a 24-year veteran Cleveland police officer, retired amidst an internal investigation launched to see whether he had any knowledge that she lied about her illness.

Brown, whose maiden name is Vandevelde, has not been charged with any crime, but the investigation is on-going, according to Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia. She said investigators are still pulling together all of her medical records as part of the investigation.

Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Jeff Follmer said investigators have found that she was not pregnant and did not have cancer in late 2017, when she organized several fundraising accounts online.

It is unknown if what she did violates any laws. But a number of people contacted for this article, and several others who reached out to a reporter or took to social media to air their outrage about Brown's dishonesty, all believe it at least constitutes a moral crime.

Brown has no known criminal record. When contacted Friday by cleveland.com, she referred questions to her attorney, Joseph Patituce. He did not return multiple phone messages seeking comment on her behalf.

Interviews with ex-husbands, their family members, news articles and dozens of pages of court documents and divorce filings show a pattern that includes lying about having terminal cancer and pregnancies.

Her latest husband, Kenneth Brown, retired after the investigation was launched by his fellow officers. He was hired in 1993. An internal affairs investigation remains active despite his retirement. Attempts to reach him, both directly and through family members, were not successful.

Criminal and internal affairs investigators are looking into exactly what he knew about her claims of having Stage IV breast cancer.

Brown, according to blog postings and online fundraising accounts, claimed to have been in the late stages of pregnancy in late 2017. She told people in those posts that she expected to give birth Dec. 15 or Jan. 22.

But in her most recent divorce case, finalized on Nov. 14, the same day she married Kenneth Brown, a magistrate's order says she was not pregnant, according to court records.

That is a pattern consistent in at least some of her six other marriages dating to 1999. Her current situation closely mirrors her third marriage, including hospitals being alerted that she might try to steal babies from the maternity ward at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital.

On Thursday, after news of the investigation surfaced, Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital posted fliers in the maternity ward with Dawn Brown's photo that warned employees to be on the lookout for her because investigators thought she might try to steal someone's newborn baby.

The flier says that Brown is "currently running an ongoing scam involving a fake pregnancy." It goes on to say that Brown is "known to have scouted the Fairview Hospital Birthing Center" and that she's familiar with the hospital's procedures.

"The investigators are concerned that Brown could attempt to try and take a baby from the hospital," the flier goes on to state.

Ex-husband says she made similar claims in 2001

That struck her third husband, Jared Hoeh, as eerily similar to what he said he encountered during his brief marriage to Brown in 2001.

"There's something messed up with this girl," Hoeh said. "There's been something going on with her. There's something wrong. I don't ever want to see this happen to anyone else be anyone else. I know what it was like."

Hoeh, in an interview with cleveland.com, said it all started in January 2001, after he and a friend decided to move from their small Pennsylvania town, known to the world as the home of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog that alerts the country to the coming of spring. They wanted a fresh start in a different city.

They both took a job at an industrial manufacturing plant, but Hoeh was lonely. He didn't know anyone in Cleveland. So one day he saw a copy of The Plain Dealer lying around. The page facing him had an advertisement for a singles chat line.

"I saw it laying there and I thought, screw it, I'll call right now and see what happens," Hoeh said. "Big mistake."

It started out as phone calls. He and Brown would talk on the phone. She'd tell him about a daycare center that she ran and how she was going to school to be a corporate attorney. She'd tell him about an ex who emotionally abused her and was controlling. She'd flatter him.

"She just basically knew what to say, all the right things," he said. "She knew whatever guys wants to hear. It's been so long I don't really remember, but I was always interested in someone who was more independent, and willing to better themselves."

They finally met and started dating. He liked her because she was easy to talk to. It turned out she didn't own a daycare center, and she said her ex made her stop pursuing her dreams of being an attorney.

Then she came to him with big news: she was pregnant with triplets. After the initial shock, Hoeh said he was excited. His mother and grandmother were elated. It would be their first grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Then more news: she had leukemia and it was terminal. She told him it would be easier if they got married. That way they wouldn't have to worry about any legal entanglements if the babies were born and she died.

"I came from a separated home," Hoeh said. "She knew that at that point. Well, you know, her saying about the marriage thing. I did want to do the right thing. That was one of the reasons we got married. It would have been easier if something did happen, everything would have been taken care of."

They were married on May 3, 2001 by a judge in Berea Municipal Court. The bailiffs served as their witnesses. Hoeh estimated he spent some $10,000 buying her gifts, including many items from various Disney movies that his wife loved. She also used his credit cards to pay her mother's utility bills.

Hoeh always wanted to go with her to her doctor's appointments. He'd schedule days off work just to be with her. But every time, something would come up. When the day would come, she'd tell him she had already gone, that she needed to move up the appointments because she wasn't feeling well, or because something else came up. Every time she found a reason for Hoeh not to visit the doctor with her.

He and his mother questioned what was happening. Before one appointment, Hoeh called the hospital to confirm the date and time. A nurse told him there was no appointment and that the doctor his wife claimed she was seeing didn't handle patients who had multiple births.

The nurse, however, plugged her name into a system that searched all the hospitals in the region. She told him his wife had never been to any doctors in the area, Hoeh said. A few days later, he found himself alone after his wife left to run errands.

He took the sonogram she gave him and put it next to the computer as he searched the internet. He found the exact photo of the sonogram that someone else had posted online.

He immediately packed his bags, moved out and sought out an attorney. That was in late June, less than two months after they were married.

His attorney told him he would have to foot the bill for expensive tests that could prove she wasn't pregnant and didn't have cancer. So he advised they wait. Sooner or later she'd have to give birth, or not.

He lived separate from her and the two had little contact. But he started getting calls from anti-abortion groups and adoption agencies, saying that his wife was seeking an abortion or wanted to give the kids up for adoption once they were born. She called him one night out of nowhere, and Hoeh said he "blew up."

"I basically called her out," he said. "I told her she knew what was going on."

A few hours later, he said, she called back, and reported that she had miscarried the triplets because he made her so upset. What she didn't know is that Hoeh had been recording all their phone conversations.

He took the recordings to his attorney, and they officially filed for divorce on Sept. 13, 2001. In his complaint, he alleged fraud, among other issues.

A judge, however, allowed for an annulment rather than divorce, after Hoeh's attorney brought the recorded conversations to court. The annulment was finalized Dec. 10, 2001.

Hospital put on alert for 'infant abduction'

Nine days later, and three days after Brown married her fourth husband, the then-manager of Fairview Hospital's maternity ward sent out an alert to all the hospitals in the five surrounding counties with Brown's photo attached, according to Plain Dealer archives and news accounts at the time.

"There are aspects of her story that should put you on alert for infant abduction potential she may present to your hospital or clinic," said the memo, written by Dianne Magnani, director of women's and children's services at Fairview, according to Plain Dealer archives.

The memo said Brown had claimed to be pregnant with triplets and joined a support group for multiple-birth mothers. The group threw a baby shower for her, buying her three of everything, Plain Dealer archives said.



When the woman did not show up at meetings after that, her boyfriend, not Hoeh but the man who became her next husband, explained that the babies had been born prematurely and died. The support group grew suspicious and reported the woman to police and the hospital.

"If you look at profiles of infant abductors, there's a lot about this that frankly causes me to worry," Magnani told the Plain Dealer at the time. "It just seemed like it was worth raising the alarm."

Hoeh didn't know about Brown's two ex-husbands or the four that followed, including the marriage that happened six days after their divorce.

Divorced and re-married, sometimes the same day

A review of her six divorce cases also showed that Brown repeatedly claimed to be pregnant as far back as 2001. The records all say that she does not have any children.

A pattern emerged during her first three divorces. Her then-husbands would file for divorce, and in her answer to their divorce complaint, she would say she was pregnant.

All three husbands responded saying they were unaware of any pregnancies. And at the end of the case, a magistrate made findings that she was not pregnant at the time and that she never had any children during the marriages, the court records say.

Another pattern also emerged.

Within days of each divorce being finalized, she'd marry her next husband. Sometimes it was the same day. All of the divorce cases from 2000 to 2017 say she did not have any children.

Her first marriage lasted four months. The two were married on Nov. 12, 1999. That husband, John Yonkey II, said she was guilty of "extreme cruelty and gross neglect" in court filings. Brown claimed that she was pregnant and that the date of delivery was July 2000. She said that was the issue in their marriage, according to court records.

Yonkey responded in court filings by saying he was unaware of any pregnancy and a magistrate found on June 21, 2000, the day the divorce was finalized, that Brown was not pregnant and that the two had no children.

The day after that divorce was finalized, she married her second husband, Matthew Baon.

The records in that divorce case show a protracted legal battle that included a fight over the return of baby items that the couple bought together.

As part of the case, she was supposed to return certain items to him, but did not meet the deadline set by the court because she said she was hospitalized with an unidentified illness, according to court records.

Their divorce was finalized May 2, 2001. The next day, she married Hoeh. They divorced Dec. 10, 2001.

Then she married her fourth husband, Richard Parise, six days later.

Parise in his complaint accused his then-wife of fraud, among other issues. The records do not say why he suspected her of fraud. She denied any fraud in court records.

That divorce was finalized Oct. 21, 2005. Two months later, she married Shawn Castro in Cleveland. The two were married five years. They had no children and they jointly filed for dissolution in October, 2010.

Their divorce was finalized Nov. 24, 2010, the same day she married her sixth husband, Timothy Sutton of Canton.

Sutton said he spoke with Cleveland police investigators in their criminal investigation. But when asked to talk about his marriage to Brown, he declined to comment unless he was paid money for an interview.

Two of his family members, who asked to not have their names used because Timothy Sutton did not want them to speak to reporters, and a third person with knowledge of the criminal investigation, said Brown told Sutton that she had cancer and was pregnant with twins after they first started seeing each other in 2008.

They said she claimed to have a miscarriage, and that she continued saying she had terminal cancer throughout their seven years of marriage. They also said Brown would sometimes have him drive her to her doctor's appointments, but would never let him in the exam room.

'Chillin with Baby Pen'

That divorce was finalized Nov. 14, 2017, the same day she married Cleveland police officer Kenneth Brown.

Prior to their official marriage, Dawn Brown had been active on social media and on fundraising sites trying to raise money for cancer.

At some point, she began using a nickname for her team that helped her fight against cancer called "Chillin' with Baby Pen." Internet searches turn up several fundraising efforts and a Nov. 6 blog post on the website fightlikeagirlclub.com in which Dawn Brown details what she claims to be her life story.

The post says she's been battling cancer in various forms since she was a teenager. She said she was diagnosed the most recent time with Stage IV breast cancer, and that it was terminal. She wrote that she hoped she would live to see the birth of her daughter, whom she had already named Kassidy Marie.

"I live in constant, unrelenting pain every day," she wrote. "I know soon that I will be leaving my family and friends. Today, as I sat down to write this short speech, I saw how much this monster has taken away from my family. They had to watch me lose my hair, my body changing in size due to the treatments and disease, not knowing if I was going to be able to get out of bed, or even if I would wake up in the morning. They had to hear how doctors were unsure if I would survive the night and that they needed to be prepared to say goodbye."

Brown also wrote that she had lost twins to cancer about 18 months prior.

She also wrote in the post that she traveled with the American Cancer Society to Washington D.C. to help advocate for more cancer research funding, and spoke with several U.S. representatives, Sen. Susan Collins, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. She also wrote that she was invited back to Washington as special guests of the president.

Alexandra Houser Vukoder, the communications director for the American Cancer Society Action Network, which meets with lawmakers to ask for more money for cancer research, said in an email that Dawn Brown was not part of their contingent that went to Washington.

She did say that Brown was in Washington at the time, and had attended their Lights of Hope event Sept. 12. The event is open to the public, but Brown did not attend as an invited guest and she was not part of a group of volunteers that ended up speaking with lawmakers, Vukoder said.

Vukoder said those who were in attendance remembered Brown for her heartbreaking story. Vukoder said their organization is now cooperating the Cleveland police investigation.

The White House, Pence and Senator Susan Collins, through spokespeople, were contacted. The White House's and Collins' representatives said they were looking into the matter but have not yet responded with their findings.

Meanwhile, Brown raised $130 for Relay for Life in North Olmsted and another $35 for Relay for Life in Strongsville, according to the American Cancer Society's website. People are still able to donate to her "Chillin with Baby Pen" group through the American Cancer Society's website.

The American Cancer Society shut down her Relay for Life campaign. After this story was published, they shut down her Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign, Vukoder said.

The Cleveland Browns highlighted the group and Brown in an October post meant to showcase volunteers and fundraisers helping the community. There are also several posts on the Ronald McDonald House website talking about fundraisers and other volunteering that the group did.

She also had a baby registry set up through amazingregistry.com in which she and her husband registered for items from Babies 'R Us and Walmart. Dozens of items off that registry have been bought for the couple.

She and her husband also held a blood drive on Jan. 14 at the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association union hall.

A gofundme.com account set up to benefit her has since been removed from the crowdfunding website, showed that $725 was donated over one week.

The page says a friend built the page on behalf of Dawn Brown. It says the couple faced "mounting bills, medical bills and funeral expenses."

It goes on to say Dawn Brown has fought cancer since she was 14 years old and that she is a mother and grandmother. The post also says the cancer spread to her stomach, brain and bones and that she "will be leaving her family and friends."

The post says that Dawn Brown was due on Jan. 22, but that delivery was moved up because of the seriousness of her illness.

That due date, however, differed from one she posted on the fightlikeagirlclub.com post. That post said she was 26 weeks pregnant and due Dec. 15, more than a month before the due date given in the gofundme.com post.

That post also included an update that said Brown and her husband went to Chambers Funeral Home to set up arrangements for her impending death. Chambers Funeral Home President Daniel Chambers said the funeral home keeps records of everyone who meets with them, even if they don't end up paying for services. They have no record of a Dawn or Kenneth Brown coming in for a meeting, he said.

The accusations that Dawn Brown lied about having terminal cancer has sparked outrage among a close-knit community of women that do have the deadly illness.

Carol Smith, who has Stage IV breast cancer and is a volunteer in the Cleveland chapter of Metavivor, an organization that lobbies for more funding and research for metastatic breast cancer, said she is appalled that someone could lie about having cancer.

"To do this as a way to get attention, or money or sympathy, or whatever is awful," Smith said. "There are so many of us that really do have it, and it takes away from our legitimate fundraising efforts. For someone to usurp cancer for their own benefit is terrible."

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.
Update: The shelter alert ended at 11:47 p.m. and Cleveland State officials say the campus is safe.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland State University has asked students to shelter in place, according to an alert from the university.

CSU officials are following up on an off-campus unrelated incident and are encouraging everyone to avoid the Science and Research Building, the alert says.

This post will be updated if more information becomes available Saturday night.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ohio Supreme Court justices Terrence O'Donnell and Patrick DeWine have been accused of conflicts of interest going into Tuesday's hearing on the future of the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) online charter school.

ECOT and the Ohio Department of Education have been fighting for two years over state attempts to recover up to $80 million in alleged overpayments of tax dollars to the school. Two previous courts have backed the state but ECOT is asking the Supreme Court to overturn those rulings.

Two left-leaning advocacy groups - Common Cause Ohio and Progress Ohio - have asked Justice O'Donnell to step down from the case last week because he received a campaign donation from ECOT founder William Lager.

O'Donnell also has a previous relationship with the school, having spoken at its 2013 graduation.

Accusations against Justice DeWine are more muddled. DeWine also received a campaign donation from Lager, which some would perceive as bias toward the school.

But he is facing discplinary action for actions suggestive of the opposite bias - toward the state - because he is son of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. That complaint is not centered on ECOT, but has implications for any case that has the state as a party, which the ECOT case does.

Here are the basics of each concern:

Justice O'Donnell: O'Donnell, a former Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge, has served on the Ohio Supreme Court since 2003.

Common Cause Ohio and Progress Ohio on Jan. 31 asked him to step down from the ECOT case and asked the court's disciplinary counsel to investigate his ties to the school.

Those include a $3,450 campaign donation from Lager in 2012, his address to ECOT's 2013 graduates and O'Donnell already going against other justices in support of ECOT.

The court last July denied a request from ECOT to block the state from recovering money from the school while the appeal is pending. O'Donnell was the lone dissenting vote to take ECOT's side.

The graduation speech praises the students for persevering through challenges and talks about liberties protected under the Bill of Rights. O'Donnell also talks about receiving a personal invitation by phone to speak from Lager.

"It goes without saying that most people would be unable to get a sitting high court justice on the phone with such ease," the complaint states.

Click here to watch his speech. His introduction starts just after the 1-hour mark.

O'Donnell did not respond to the complaint or to questions The Plain Dealer emailed to his office.

Justice DeWine: A former Hamilton County Common Pleas and appeals court judge, DeWine was elected as a Supreme Court justice in 2016.

In December, 2015, he received a $3,600 donation from Lager.

But others have accused him of showing a bias toward the state in earlier matters, particularly in favor of positions taken by his father. Those concerns were just backed Jan. 30 by the findings of a special disciplinary counsel brought in to investigate DeWine.

Those findings called for DeWine to avoid involvement in any cases "in which his father is involved in any way."

In the past, the findings note, DeWine previously only avoided hearing issues that his father was personally handling.

"Before becoming a Supreme Court Justice, I sought legal guidance from the Supreme Court's in-house ethics expert, as well as another legal ethics expert, who is a respected former Appeals Court Judge," DeWine said in a prepared respnse to the findings. "I have followed that advice to the letter.

A panel of three judges from around the state will hold a hearing to see if any sanctions are merited for his handling of the earlier matters. That hearing has not been scheduled yet.

"The voters of Ohio knew my father was Attorney General when they sent me to the Supreme Court," DeWine added in his written response. "They did not perceive any conflict in a father and son serving in these two positions and I think the voters were correct."

The complaint and Jan. 30 findings do not include the ECOT case. But the Ohio Department of Education is officially represented by the attorney general. Though the department has hired an outsde firm to handle the ECOT case, those lawyers are listed in court filings as "Special Counsel to Attorney General Mike DeWine."

DeWine has not respond to emailed questions about the ECOT case.

Sandy Theiss of Progress Ohio said her organization did not ask DeWine to step down because his conflicts go both ways.

"We're watching it," she said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The two-year battle over state funding for the ECOT online charter school goes to the Ohio Supreme Court Tuesday, with at least $80 million in tax dollars, the future of the school and Ohio's approach to charter schools all hanging in the balance.

It's a fight that has shut down the once-powerful online giant - at least temporarily - and displaced 12,000 students in the middle of the school year.

It's also a fight that has ramifications how the state grapples with its nationally-ridiculed $1 billion-per-year charter school industry.

Here's what you should know as this case goes to court:

Can I watch it?

The hearing will be broadcast live on the Ohio Channel, starting at 9 a.m.

Lawyers for the school and for the Ohio Department of Education will have 15 minutes each to make oral arguments to the justices. Justices can then ask questions to clarify the arguments, with a ruling expected late in the spring or early summer.

Ohio has lots of charter schools. Why is this one so important?

Because the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) is the biggest charter school in Ohio - bigger than all but 13 school districts in the state - and was once the largest online school in the nation.

ECOT received more than $100 million in state tax dollars each year until the recent funding dispute, while drawing students and funding from 95 percent of the school districts in Ohio. Those include more than 800 from Cleveland, more than 200 from Akron and about 120 from districts like Parma and Elyria.

The state's attempt to make ECOT pay back up to $80 million in funding is also the strongest action Ohio has ever taken against a high-profile charter school. After a history of fudging rules to let some charters escape accountability, the Ohio Department of Education has has pressed its case against ECOT despite heated opposition.

That's a particularly dramatic shift for a politically-connected school, whose founder William Lager is a major donor to the Ohio Republican Party and Republican candidates.

What is this fight about?

Though many are critical of ECOT's academic record, that's not part of this dispute.

This case is instead about money - whether online schools like ECOT should be paid by the state based on their enrollment or whether schools have to document how much students participate in classes.

The Ohio Department of Education changed to the latter in 2016, after years of funding schools solely on enrollment. ECOT and its supporters say that violated state law and was imposed without warning.

Franklin County Common Pleas Court and a state appeals court have sided with the department so far, leaving it to the Ohio Supreme Court to decide.

How much of a difference did that change make?

Millions of dollars worth.

Under the new requirements, ECOT could document class participation of only 6,300 of its 15,300 students for the 2015-16 school year-- a 59% gap - leading the state school board to demand that ECOT repay $60 million.

Then again last September, the state found that for the 2016-17 school year ECOT can properly document about 11,600 of the 14,200 students it claimed. ECOT could not prove that the other 18.5 percent of its students did enough classwork to satisfy the state.

That's another $20 million for the state to recover.

The state has also found a lack of documentation at other e-schools in the state and is seeking to recover money from them too.

Why did ECOT close?

ECOT has returned about $26 million of that money to the state since last July, calculations by State Auditor Dave Yost show. But Yost and the school project that returnng money at the same $4 million-per-month pace would leave ECOT broke by March.

The school was shut down Jan. 19 - at the end of its second quarter - to avoid running out of money mid-term.

What happened to the students?

All lost their school mid-year and must seek new ones - a process that is not yet complete. In an update to the state school board, State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria estimated Monday that 7,600 have either enrolled in new schools or have started doing so.

Early trends had students looking to other online schools like Ohio Virtual Academy and Ohio Connections Academy more than traditional schools.

Could they return to ECOT if the school wins?

Not this year. A ruling won't come soon enough, but the school could re-open next year since ECOT reserved that right.

What does the law say about funding?

It's complicated, or the case would have been easily resolved.

Much of state law talks about funding for charter schools being based on enrollment, with no requirements for showing participation. Laws require schools to offer "learning opportunities" but do not spell out whether students have to take advantage of them.

Other portions, though, refer to hours of learning and how many hours can be counted in a given day. Lawyers for the Ohio Department of Education have seized on these.

ECOT says...

In court hearings, ECOT officials said they should be paid for students, even if they rarely sign on and do just enough to avoid being declared truant. They also note that other schools, including traditional districts, don't have to prove class participation and collect money for students who skip class constantly.

"The Ohio Department of Education has taken it upon itself to unilaterally re-write Ohio law pertaining to the funding of eschools (but not other types of schools, whether of the traditional or charter variety)," ECOT lawyers write in their appeal. "And, it has done so despite the lack of any type of legislative change in the statutory funding formula."

The state says...

Lawyers for the Ohio Department of Education have called ECOT's position absurd.

"ECOT is claiming that...(it)could have earned over $100 million in taxpayer funding for the 2015-16 school year, even if not a single one of its students accessed a single learning opportunity for the entire year," they wrote the court recently. "Thankfully for Ohio's taxpayers and the families who entrust their children's education to eschools, that is not what the Funding Statute says, as two courts have already ruled."

Others weigh in

State officials and candidates are picking sides, with Republicans often backing the school and Democrats backing the department. Some have filed their own briefs with the court in support of their side.

- The Democratic Caucus of both the Ohio House and Senate say the state should count how much time students spend on online classes to determine funding.

"Those who are paid to educate students must actually provide education to students," the brief co-signed by Sen. Joe Schiavonni, a candidate for governor, reads. "If ECOT is permitted to receive full funding after not providing education to students in their charge, it will compound the harm already done to the children who were not taught."

- Former Republican legislators, led by former House Speaker William Batchelder of Medina, say they voted for laws to specifically base charter school funding on enrollment, not participation, and that the state is going against their intent now.

"It was contrary to the clear legislative intent embodied in the statute," they said of the department's shift. "This Court should give effect to the legislative intent and reject ODE's attempt to make new policy."

Joining that brief were former Rep. Jim Trakas, who represented parts of Cuyahoga County, Chuck Calvert of Medina County and Bryan Williams of Summit County.

- The Ohio Coalition for Quality Education, a charter organization that has backed ECOT in several fights with the state, called the state's justification for the funding change a "tortured" reading of state law.

- And several other online schools - Akron Digital Academy, Newark Digital Academy, Phonenix Academy and Quaker Digital Academy - say the funding change caught them by surprise and that they lost money because they could not compile documentation retroactively.

They urged the court to reject "durational" requirements.

"The outcome will ultimately determine how the Academies are funded and, consequently, whether they will continue to exist in the future," they wrote.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - During the past 11 years nearly 4,000 Northeast Ohio veterans have flown on a free trip to Washington, D.C., to view our nation's military monuments and memorials.

That trip was made possible by Honor Flight Cleveland - a nonprofit organization that will be saluted, along with its president, Joe Benedict, in the annual Joint Veterans' Council of Cuyahoga County (JVCOCC) luncheon on February 17.

Benedict will receive the Outstanding Veteran of the Year Award at the luncheon. But he insists that it is Honor Flight Cleveland, not him, being recognized.

Yet his Navy experience during the war in Vietnam gave Benedict an understanding of the service and sacrifice of the vets who have made the flight- mostly from World War II, but in recent years, more who served in the Korean War.

Benedict had a career Navy father whose 50-year service started the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed during World War II.

That example influenced Benedict's decision to enlist in the Navy. He reported to boot camp a week after graduating from Parma High School in 1964.

"I always wanted to serve," Benedict, 71, of Old Brooklyn, said. "I suppose if you're raised that way, you're either going to love it or not like it."

Benedict loved it, and became an aviation electrician with a unit of F4-Phantom jets aboard the aircraft carrier USS Franklin Roosevelt -- the "Rustie Rosie" as this vintage World War II carrier was called by its crew.

"I liked being in the military," Benedict recalled. "I just liked everything about it, actually."

There were some tense times, such as a storm the carrier once hit while rounding South Africa. The storm "threw waves almost as high as the ship, 60 feet off the deck," Benedict recalled.

At times, the carrier listed at a 35-degree angle. "That was wild," Benedict said. "I don't think it was scary so much as a lot guys got seasick who never got seasick before."

The carrier was sent to support the air campaign in Vietnam in 1966.

There, Benedict learned the cost of military service. "We lost 25 guys on our ship, through accidents or pilots who were shot down," he said.

After Vietnam, the carrier made a cruise to the Mediterranean Sea and Benedict's term of enlistment ran out.

He decided to leave the Navy for reasons he can't fully explain, but still regrets. "Young and dumb," he said with a smile and a shrug.

After the service he worked for Warwick Communications, selling telecommunications equipment and systems for 37 years. He and his wife Kathy have been married for 47 years and have two daughters.

In 2007, a buddy at his Vietnam Veterans of America chapter asked Benedict if he'd be interested in being an Honor Flight Cleveland guardian - escorting veterans on free trips to Washington, D.C.

Benedict gave it a try and was hooked. "It's the greatest program I've ever been associated with," said Benedict, who also noted that he participates as a way of honoring the memory of his father (who died in 2004).

Honor Flight Cleveland is one of a network of 131 Honor Flight hubs, covering 45 states across the nation. More than 180,000 World War II, Korean War and Vietnam veterans have been flown to the capital since 2005.

Honor Flight Cleveland now makes seven flights a year, from April through October. Each flight carries 25 veterans, matched with a guardian, plus a nurse or paramedic, and chapter board members.

Vets fly free. Guardians pay $250 to cover the airfare, meals, transportation and training.

They're in for a long day, typically from 4 a.m. to midnight, to see sights including the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Air Force and Marine Corps War Memorials, Navy Memorial, and the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.

Benedict said the reaction of veterans to the memorials includes "everything you could possibly think of - they cry, they smile, they're solemn.

"The great reaction comes from other people who are visiting," he added. "They walk up and congratulate these guys. That's the fun part.

"At the airports, that's the most emotional," Benedict continued. "As we're going down the corridor, it's announced who we are, and we've got 25 World War II and Korean War guys in wheelchairs, going down in single file, and everybody in the airport stands up and claps, comes over and shakes their hands. Women come over and kiss 'em. These guys don't know what to do next."

For most veterans, the trip also brings back memories.

"They don't always give you all their memories, obviously, because they might be hard to express, or they'd sit there and cry all day," Benedict said.

But they do tell some unbelievable stories, "they had some tremendous experiences," he added. "This is living history were listening to."

Benedict said one Cleveland Honor Flight included two man who were Czechoslovakians imprisoned by the Nazis in a concentration camp during World War II. The camp was liberated by GIs including another man on the same flight.

"They ended up going on the same flight and told their story," Benedict said.

There was the veteran who wanted to be buried wearing a Marine uniform, and the group had one made for him to wear on the flight.

Benedict said he was told by the guardian of that vet who had dementia, that his father hadn't smiled in two years until taking the flight.

Invariably on the trip back home, while the exhausted guardians catch some sleep, the vets are usually still going strong.

"They are so pumped, and they talk and they talk," Benedict said. "They're just having a good time."

In recent years as the number of surviving World War II vets has decreased, Honor Flight Cleveland has been taking more Korean War veterans.

Top priority in flight reservations is given to terminally ill TLC ("their last chance") veterans of any era.

The program has relied on grants and donations to cover the $8,000 cost of each flight.

But it recently got a windfall from part of the ill-gotten gains of John Donald Cody, aka "Bobby Thompson," who was convicted in 2013 of running a bogus national veterans charity.

Cleveland Honor Flight received $115,000 from the Ohio Attorney General's Office, which prosecuted the con man.

The group also has used a grant from Parker Hannifin Corporation and a Krupp Foundation grant (through the Department of Veterans Affairs) to create a 19-minute virtual-reality flight, viewed through a headset, for vets too infirm to fly.

Benedict has been on some 80 flights and noted that it never gets old. "Never. Everything changes once you get to the airport. There's all different guys with all different stories, and all different views," he said.

There's a personal reward, too.

"I just feel good," Benedict said. "I'm glad to see these guys and gals enjoying it. You can see it on their faces, that's for sure. There's nothing phony about these people."

And if you miss the appreciation in their faces, you'll hear it in their words, Benedict added.

"When we get done, we get a lot of thank-yous," he said. "I can show you dozens and dozens of letters, saying at the end, 'This was the greatest day of my life.'

"What else can you ask?"

(The JVCOCC 93rd Anniversary Luncheon will be held February 17, 12 p.m., at Embassy Suites Cleveland-Independence 5800 Rockside Woods Boulevard, in Independence. Dinner is $40 per person. For further information e-mail info@jvcocc.org or call 216-373-7799.)
NEW YORK (AP) -- The maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin said it will stop marketing opioid drugs to doctors, bowing to a key demand of lawsuits - including one filed by the state of Ohio - that blame the company for helping trigger the current drug abuse epidemic.

OxyContin has long been the world's top-selling opioid painkiller, bringing in billions in sales for privately-held Purdue, which also sells a newer and longer-lasting opioid drug called Hysingla.

The company announced its surprise reversal on Saturday. Purdue's statement said it eliminated more than half its sales staff this week and will no longer send sales representatives to doctors' offices to discuss opioid drugs. Its remaining sales staff of about 200 will focus on other medications.

The OxyContin pill, a time-release version of oxycodone, was hailed as a breakthrough treatment for chronic pain when it was approved in late 1995. It worked over 12 hours to maintain a steady level of oxycodone in patients suffering from a wide range of pain ailments. But some users quickly discovered they could get a heroin-like high by crushing the pills and snorting or injecting the entire dose at once. In 2010 Purdue reformulated OxyContin to make it harder to crush and stopped selling the original form of the drug.

Purdue eventually acknowledged that its promotions exaggerated the drug's safety and minimized the risks of addiction. After federal investigations, the company and three executives pleaded guilty in 2007 and agreed to pay more than $600 million for misleading the public about the risks of OxyContin. But the drug continued to rack up blockbuster sales.

Dr. Andrew Kolodny, director of opioid policy research at Brandeis University and an advocate for stronger regulation of opioid drug companies, said Purdue's decision is helpful, but it won't make a major difference unless other opioid drug companies do the same.

"It is difficult to promote more cautious prescribing to the medical community because opioid manufacturers promote opioid use," he said.

Allergan, which makes three opioid pain medications, said it has not actively marketed those drugs in years, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, said it stopped marketing the medications in 2015. Both said opioid drugs make up a very small portion of their total revenue. Another drugmaker, Insys, said it was not able to comment immediately, while Teva Pharmaceutical Industries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kolodny said that opioids are useful for cancer patients who are suffering from severe pain, and for people who only need a pain medication for a few days. But he said the companies have promoted them as a treatment for chronic pain, where they are more harmful and less helpful, because it's more profitable.

"They are still doing this abroad," Kolodny added. "They are following the same playbook that they used in the United States."

Purdue Pharma only does business in the U.S. It is associated with two other companies, Mundipharma and Napp, that operate in other countries. It said those companies have separate leadership and operate according to local regulations.

Purdue and other opioid drugmakers and pharmaceutical distributors continue defending themselves against hundreds of local and state lawsuits seeking to hold the industry accountable for the drug overdose epidemic. The lawsuits say drugmakers misled doctors and patients about the risks of opioids by enlisting "front groups" and "key opinion leaders" who oversold the drugs' benefits and encouraged overprescribing. State and local governments are seeking money and changes to how the industry operates, including an end to the use of outside groups to push their drugs.

In May 2017, Ohio became the second state to sue five drug companies, including Purdue. On Sunday, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said Purdue's decision to cease marketing opioids to doctors is "a victory for everyone, but it's too little, too late."

"It is a decision that should have been made years ago and should be now made by all other makers of opioid pain medications," DeWine said. "If they [Purdue Pharma] are truly serious about this, they could lead the way in cleaning up the mess they created and pay their fare share to fund desperately needed treatment, prevention education, naloxone and expansion of the foster care system."

U.S. deaths linked to opioids have quadrupled since 2000 to roughly 42,000 in 2016, or about 115 lives lost per day. Although initially driven by prescription drugs, most opioid deaths now involve illicit drugs, including heroin and fentanyl.

cleveland.com reporter Jane Morice contributed to this report.
WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- Two Ohio police officers responding to a 911 hang-up call were fatally shot on Saturday after entering a townhome in a Columbus suburb and a suspect who police were once warned "carries a gun all the time" was taken into custody, authorities said.

Eric Joering

Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said officer Eric Joering, 39, died at the scene and his colleague, Anthony Morelli, 54, died at a local hospital.

Morbitzer said the officers were responding to a "potential domestic situation." A neighbor who heard the gunfire said it happened at a home where the occupants were "always arguing and fighting."

Anthony Morelli

"The officers gave their lives in defense of others," Morbitzer said during a news conference, struggling to keep his emotions in check. He called them "true American heroes."

Police did not identify the suspect at a news conference, but confirmed late Saturday that he was 30-year-old Quentin Lamar Smith. They released incident reports showing police had been to his home or had dealings with him several times since 2017, some for alleged domestic violence involving a woman identified in the reports as his wife, Candace Smith.

Authorities said he was wounded and was treated at a hospital.

In a Nov. 29 incident, Candace Smith, 33, went to a police station and asked about protection orders because she said she and her husband weren't getting along and she discovered she had a sexually transmitted disease. She also told police that when she "threatens to leave Quentin, he tells her that he would kill her, their daughter, and himself," the report said.

Candace Smith told police her husband "has a gun that he carries all of the time, and if it isn't on him, it is close by." Police were called to the home later that night to investigate a report of domestic violence.

The Columbus Police Department is investigating the shootings.

Republican Gov. John Kasich, who lives with his family in a nearby township, tweeted that he was "very saddened to learn of the deaths of two of my hometown police officers." He asked Ohio residents to join him in "lifting up these officers' families in prayer."

President Donald Trump also tweeted Saturday:

My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers, their families, and everybody at the @WestervillePD. https://t.co/AoingY77Ky  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2018

Joering was a 16-year police veteran and Morelli was a 30-year veteran.

"These were two of the best we have," said Morbitzer. "This was their calling."

He added, that they "both gave their life for the protection of others and that's what they lived and breathed."

Trea Horne, 17, told The Associated Press he was upstairs in the townhome he shares with his mother when he heard five or six gunshots early Saturday afternoon. He said he came downstairs and saw police cars racing to a townhome directly across the street.

A couple had moved into the home about eight months ago, he said. "They're always arguing and fighting," said Horne, who graduated from Westerville South High School in December.

Jennifer Ripperger, 46, said her neighborhood of townhomes has a mix of owners and renters. She said heard police pulling up on Saturday and watched as officers nearly dragged firefighters toward the residence where the officers had been shot.

"I've never known anything like this to happen," said Chad Temple, 32, who lives directly behind the townhome where the shooting happened. "It just kind of surprises me (that) in Westerville this happened."

Westerville, on the northeast side of Columbus, is a suburb of about 39,000 with a per capita income well above the rest of Ohio. It regularly tops lists of the country's best suburbs.

Kasich plans to give his last State of the State address March 6 at Otterbein University, a liberal arts college in downtown Westerville.

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The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party failed last month, by one vote, to endorse the renomination at May's primary of state Sen. Kenny Yuko of Richmond Heights - who, as the Ohio Senate's minority leader, is the Senate's No. 1 Democrat.

In most counties, either party would be pumped about having an Ohio General Assembly member, such as Yuko, among the legislature's Big Four - that is, a leader of one of the General Assembly's four caucuses, officeholders who tend to get their calls returned when they intercede for their home regions and constituents.

True, local Democratic Party leaders didn't endorse Yuko's primary election challenger, state Rep. John Barnes Jr. No endorsement was issued in the race.

But the growing animosity across racial lines the episode revealed -- Yuko is white and Barnes is African-American -- is a serious challenge for Cuyahoga County Democratic leaders in what is considered to be the most heavily Democratic of Ohio's populous counties.

It's also a bad sign for Democratic election hopes in Ohio generally.

Among those who can help heal these wounds instead of further aggravating them is U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge of Warrensville Heights.

Fudge was one of those who helped assure that the county Democratic Party-endorsed judicial slate was more diverse. Fudge was right to do so, but that episode, along with her successful backing of Shontel Brown, a former Warrensville Heights councilwoman and current County Council member, in last summer's leadership battle for chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party has roiled relationships.

Brown, who is African-American, is the first woman to head the county Democratic Party.

That was an historic win, but payback would tarnish it and is not a productive strategy; Yuko had supported Newburgh Heights Mayor Trevor Elkins over Brown in the August leadership contest.

Cleveland.com's Andrew J. Tobias reported that Brown abstained from voting on state Senate endorsements at last month's local party endorsement meeting, but that "committee members from her city, Warrensville Heights, voted unanimously for Barnes."

Ironically, Barnes is not universally beloved among Democrats. His receptivity to some GOP-backed measures in Columbus -- iconoclasm that he says has helped him achieve legislative wins for his constituents -- had previously drawn fire from Democrats. In 2014, Barnes sued the Ohio Democratic Party after it failed to endorse him in his primary re-election bid as state representative.

Factional fights and intramural feuds don't win elections. A division along racial lines is the last thing Greater Cleveland's Democrats need or should want in a year when they and other Ohio Democrats hope to make legislative gains. If Greater Cleveland Democrats continue to battle each other rather than Republicans, those wins may prove elusive.

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NEW DELHI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in Saturday's attack on an army station in India-controlled Kashmir rose to six on Sunday, while four militants were also killed during search operations, defence sources confirmed.

Those killed included five army men and one civilian, who was the father of a defence personnel.

A total of 11 persons were injured, including four army men and seven civilians.

Among the injured was a pregnant woman who received gunshot injuries in her lower back and later delivered a baby girl at a military hospital.

The attack took place in the wee hours of Saturday, and rescue operations resumed on Sunday morning. The body of the fourth militant was discovered. Combing operation continued inside the army station to find militants, if any, holed up inside the residential compound of junior commissioned officers.

Indian security forces have blamed the attack on Jaish-e-Mohammed based in Pakistan.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in the region since 1989.

Xinhuanet

6 killed, 11 injured in army camp attack in India-controlled Kashmir

Source: Xinhua2018-02-11 15:09:25

NEW DELHI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in Saturday's attack on an army station in India-controlled Kashmir rose to six on Sunday, while four militants were also killed during search operations, defence sources confirmed.

Those killed included five army men and one civilian, who was the father of a defence personnel.

A total of 11 persons were injured, including four army men and seven civilians.

Among the injured was a pregnant woman who received gunshot injuries in her lower back and later delivered a baby girl at a military hospital.

The attack took place in the wee hours of Saturday, and rescue operations resumed on Sunday morning. The body of the fourth militant was discovered. Combing operation continued inside the army station to find militants, if any, holed up inside the residential compound of junior commissioned officers.

[ Editor: WPY ]
BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Some 21.6 million companies were registered in the past five years in China, thanks to the government's push for entrepreneurship and innovation to bolster growth.

Since China introduced mass entrepreneurship and innovation policies in 2014, more than 4,200 new hackspace companies have been created, serving over 120,000 start-up businesses and raising over 5.5 billion yuan (870 million U.S. dollars)

In 2017, online sales increased by 28 percent and express delivery volume grew by nearly 30 percent. A string of new growth engines such as sharing and digital economies have been established.

The government has cut red tape, reduced taxes and slashed fees for enterprises.

Mass entrepreneurship and innovation has been an effective driver for both economic growth and the consistent transition between traditional and new growth engines. It has also significantly contributed to creation of new jobs and increase in income.

[ Editor: WPY ]
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Proteomics is the study of proteome which is a set of proteins present in the cell. Proteomes are different from one cell to another cell with requirements, stress, different time, and the organism.Proteomics help in the functioning and structure of the proteins used in the diagnosis, treatment, and drug discovery of various diseases. Moreover, proteomics also helps in the evaluation of protein production rate, the interaction between the proteins, protein modification, and involvement in the metabolic pathways. Proteomics needs various equipment, instruments, media, reagents, and, software for the identification, quantification, and interactions between the proteins.Increase in demand for personalized medicine, technological advancements for identification, increase in R&D activities by public and private sectors and rise in the prevalence of genetic disorders expected to boost the proteomics market over the forecast period.

Rise in the number of biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical companies, growing healthcare expenditure, and increasing innovations in the genomics field expected to propel the proteomics market. However, stringent regulatory policies, lack of professionals for R&D activities, and a high cost of the devices and drugs might dampen the proteomics market revenue growth over the forecast period.

A sample of this report is available upon request @

https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-proteomics-market/#ulp-4H8Z4LpNMLEuOnnx

Proteomics market is segmented on the basis of product type, application, service type, and end user

Based on the product type, proteomics market is segmented into the following:

 Instruments

 Protein micro array

 Spectroscopy

 X-ray Crystallography

 Chromatography

 Electrophoresis

 Protein fractionation system

 Others

 Reagents

 Software

Based on the service type, proteomics market is segmented into the following:

 Analytical laboratory services

 Protein sequencing

 Protein identification

 Protein separation

 Data analysis and maintenance

 Others

Based on the application, proteomics market is segmented into the following:

 Diagnosis

 Treatment

 Drug discovery

 Others

Based on the end user, proteomics market is segmented into the following:

 Biopharmaceutical and Pharmaceutical Companies

 Chemical industries

 Research institutes

 Others

To view TOC of this report is available upon request @

https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-proteomics-market/#ulp-c654SbFYO64MsOhu

Proteomics market is growing at a significant CAGR owing to increase in the demand for personalized medicine and rise R&D activities by Biopharmaceutical companies and research institutes. Governments initiatives for prevention the genetic disorders are a key factor for fuel the proteomics market over the forecast period. Acquisitions & mergers, collaborations, and innovations are some key strategies followed by the companies for increase their revenue in the proteomics market. For instance, in April 2014, Thermo Fisher Scientific has collaborated with Harward Medical School for the innovation of newer techniques for proteomics quantification. Similarly, in January 2012, Merck Millipore (Merck KGaA) has collaborated with Proteomics International for the evaluation of newly identified protein biomarkers under Mercks multiplex immunoassays.

Need more information about this report @

https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-proteomics-market/#ulp-14mlyhjMGhVjZqa3

Geographically, proteomics market is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East and Africa. The major factors anticipated to drive the North America proteomics market include the increase in funding from public and private sectors, developed healthcare infrastructure, increase in R&D activities, and increase in the demand for personalized medicine. Europe holds a key share in proteomics market, which is attributed to increase in the R&D activities for preventing the genetic disorders, technological advancements of instruments, and innovation of newer techniques are expected to propel the market in the region. Asia Pacific expected to exhibit lucrative growth over forecast timeframe owing to increase in the funding from public and private sectors, rise in demand for quality healthcare and personalized medicine in the region.

Some of the players in proteomics market are Merck KGaA (Germany), Waters Corporation (U.S.), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.), Agilent Technologies Inc. (U.S.), Bruker Corporation (U.S.), Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (U.S.), PerkinElmer Inc. (U.S.), GE Healthcare (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), and Luminex Corporation (U.S.) to name a few.

Get access to full summary @

https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-proteomics-market/
Plans were unveiled for Gigawatt Nevada, an initiative to build the single largest solar project portfolio in the United States, by Switch and Capital Dynamics.



Switch is a leading co-location data center operator with massive facilities in Nevada including its flagship campus in Las Vegas and a new campus in Reno. The company also has a marquee data center in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is building another regional data center in Atlanta.



The Gigawatt 1 assets will be owned and developed by Capital Dynamics, the second largest owner of solar projects in the country. Gigawatt 1 anchor tenants will include Switch and several of its Switch CORE client. The project is negotiating with multiple private and public sector access customers within Nevada and outside the state.



Gigawatt 1 is projecting energy costs substantially less than the renewable energy from NV Energy (Nevada Power).





The foundation of Gigawatt Nevada is that Nevada should harness the sun the same way Alaska harnesses its oil to significantly benefit all Nevadans, Rob Roy said. Nevada enjoys the best solar window in the nation and so we Nevadans should not only be using solar for ourselves, but exporting it throughout the Western U.S. to create new jobs, tax revenue, economic diversification, and raise energy independence.



Climate scientists have repeatedly warned that we must move to renewable energy as rapidly as possible, but many monopoly utilities continue to hold us back from making this transition, said Gary Cook, Senior IT Sector Analyst and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace. Gigawatt 1 shows that when Switch and other leading companies dont take no for an answer, they can work together and kick open the door to large-scale sources of renewable energy that are better for the planet, and better for the economy in Nevada.






KABUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two insurgents of the Taliban outfit were killed and nine others arrested in southern province of Helmand, Afghan Defense Ministry said Sunday.

"Two Taliban were killed and nine insurgents arrested following airstrikes and cordon operations in Nad Ali and Garmser districts, Helmand province Saturday," the ministry tweeted.

The ministry did not provide information about the arrested, adding that the captured were handed over to concerned departments for further questioning.

Helmand, notorious for poppy growing, is also a known Taliban stronghold.

The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency of more than 16 years, has yet to make comments.

Xinhuanet

Two Taliban insurgents killed, 9 arrested in Afghan province Helmand

Source: Xinhua2018-02-11 14:54:20

KABUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two insurgents of the Taliban outfit were killed and nine others arrested in southern province of Helmand, Afghan Defense Ministry said Sunday.

"Two Taliban were killed and nine insurgents arrested following airstrikes and cordon operations in Nad Ali and Garmser districts, Helmand province Saturday," the ministry tweeted.

The ministry did not provide information about the arrested, adding that the captured were handed over to concerned departments for further questioning.

Helmand, notorious for poppy growing, is also a known Taliban stronghold.

The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency of more than 16 years, has yet to make comments.

[ Editor: WPY ]
Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound derived from turmeric. It is known to possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.

In addition, preclinical studies indicate curcumin has therapeutic potential for a variety of diseases including cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), atherosclerosis, arthritis and aging, among others. Despite this potential, however, curcumin demonstrates low bioavailability due to its high rate of metabolism by the human body.

Various attempts have been made to improve the bioavailability of curcumin. However, the latest solid lipid particle form in a patent application from Capsugel/Lonza holds new promise.

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Solid lipid curcumin particles for increased bioavailability

U.S. Patent Application 20180036248

Publication date: Feb. 8, 2018

Assignee: Capsugel Belgium NV (Bornem, BE)

Specifically, this patent application describes solid lipid particles comprising a lipid hydrophobic matrix and from approx. 5.0% w/w to 30% w/w curcumin. Said lipid matrix is substantially free of water and the solid lipid particles have an average particle size diameter ranging from 100 m to 1,500 m.

In one embodiment, the lipid particles comprising curcumin enable the increased bioavailability of curcumin. The particles also provide benefits of masking taste and odor, stabilizing the active curcumin constituent, modulating the release profile of curcumin, improving curcumin's ease of handling, making dosing more predictable and minimizing any potential mucosal irritation, toxicity and/or gastro-toxicity.
It is one of the contents mentioned by Israeli Ambassador to Vietnam, Nadav Eshcar, in a recent interview that he granted to a reporter of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Online Newspaper.

The diplomat highlighted Israels strength in high-tech agriculture, stating that his country could bring technology to Vietnam to help the country with its agricultural development.

Concerning the signing of the Vietnam-Israel FTA, he said the negotiation process is taking place properly, voicing his hopes that Vietnam will be the first country in East Asia to sign an FTA with Israel, as there are ongoing FTA negotiations between Israel and other countries in the region.

When asked about what both countries should do to promote bilateral agricultural cooperation, Eshcar stated that the Israeli embassy will step up the development of experimental models and agricultural research centres in various parts of Vietnam, as well as promoting the exchange of information with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), aiming to introduce Israels high-tech models which can be applied effectively in Vietnam.

The embassy will also invite Vietnams experts, senior managers and agribusinesses to Israel to attend Agritech, scheduled for this May, a leading high-tech agriculture workshop gathering the leading experts and technologies in high-tech agriculture from around the world, he added.

Known as a startup country, Israel has become a global centre with the highest rate of startup companies per capita in the world, and also a powerful nation in economic development. Sharing about this, the ambassador revealed that renovation, innovation, and adaptability are the key to making Israel a startup country. Highlighting the important role of finding a solution to the problem in promoting startups, he suggested Vietnam and Israel need to step up cooperation to find solutions that can bring about the best benefits.

As 2018 marks the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-Israel relations, the diplomat voiced his hopes that there will be more visits made by Israeli leaders, experts, and businesses to Vietnam this year, and vice versa. After the Vietnam visit of Israeli President Reuven Ruvi Rivlin in 2017, Israel wishes to receive Vietnams high-ranking delegation on a visit the country in the near future, he said.

Regarding the embassys plans to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Eshcar noted that in addition to accelerating the Vietnam-Israel FTA, he would focus on facilitating bilateral academic cooperation.

Israel has very good universities that want to welcome Vietnamese students, he said, stressing his goal of opening more doors for bilateral academic cooperation.


D.H. Lawrence in Studies in Classic American Literature.

Never trust the artist. Trust the tale. The proper function of the critic is to save the tale from the artist who created it.
The delegation includes Governor of Svay Rieng province Men Vibol and Deputy Governor of Pray Veng province Chanh Tha.

Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Tran Van Can expressed his delight to welcome the delegation, saying that their visit is a vivid manifestation for the good neighbourliness and traditional friendship between the two countries.

The Cambodian officials expressed their hope for the further development of the two countries solidarity and friendship.
File photo shows a Su-35 fighter jet taking off. China has recently sent Su-35 fighter jets for a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea area, according to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force on Feb. 7, 2018. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, Feb. 10 -- China's Su-35 fighter jets for a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea area and its latest J-20 stealth fighters' commission in combat service will maintain airspace safety in the new era, a military expert said Saturday.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force announced on Wednesday that China has recently sent Su-35 fighter jets for a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea area.

The deployment is expected to improve the air force's adaptive capacity in complicated situation in the air and on the sea, and enhance its ability to maintain national sovereignty and security and maritime interests in the South China Sea area, said Wang Mingzhi, a professor with the PLA Air Force Command Academy.

The patrol mission is an annual training of combat readiness, embodying the air force's resolution to implement mission in the new era and firmly maintain national sovereignty and security and maritime interests, Wang said in an interview with Xinhua.

The air force will further increase real combat training on the sea and enhance the real combat capability especially under long-distance and high-sea conditions, he said.

Wang said that the air force will often carry out patrol missions and normalize the patrol in the South China Sea area.

On Friday, the air force also announced that China's latest J-20 stealth fighters have been commissioned into air force combat service.

The J-20 signals that China's air force has greatly increased its ability to deal with new security threats in airspace, and made steady progress in the aero equipment system, Wang said.

The stealth jets will enable the air force to improve ability to tackle conventional threat and enhance real combat capacity, he added.

The J-20 is China's fourth-generation medium and long-range fighter jet. It made its maiden flight in 2011 and was first shown to the public at the 11th Airshow China in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, in November 2016.

The fighters made their parade debut when the PLA marked its 90th anniversary in July 2017 at Zhurihe military training base in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The Government is in disarray.

Divisions now run so deep that the Cabinet is about to be incarcerated in Chequers and will reportedly not be released until they have finally agreed something resembling a Brexit strategy.

Tory 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady has been rechristened The Postman, such is the weight of letters he is reportedly carrying calling for Theresa Mays removal.

And yet no one seems to have informed the British people.

Last week three separate polls, from three separate companies, were published.

According to strategists, beyond the fetid Westminster hot-house, their private polling is beginning to detect a small but discernable and favourable move in attitudes towards the Prime Minister (above in Mansfield during general election campaign last year)

They all told the same story. Support for Mrs May and the Conservatives is increasing. Support for Jeremy Corbyn and Labour is in decline.

Such was the clarity of the trend that Downing Street lifted its monastic prohibition on commenting on opinion surveys. Just one poll but, tweeted Mrs Mays taciturn Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell, after YouGov showed the Tories with a four-point lead. He might have added,  we cant quite believe it, but well take it.

For months, Conservative Ministers and MPs have been waiting for political gravity to finally assert itself.

Labours going to open up a significant lead soon, and then people will move, one anti-May plotter told me hopefully before Christmas.

But they havent. In fact, the opposite has happened.

Within Conservative headquarters, people are beginning to whisper guardedly about The Silent May Majority.

According to strategists, beyond the fetid Westminster hot-house, their private polling is beginning to detect a small but discernable and favourable move in attitudes towards the Prime Minister.

And they hope that with it, they may finally begin to shift views of the Government and reverse their fortunes.

There is said to be growing tension between John McDonnell (pictured), who is keen on some cosmetic softening of the Corbynite brand, and hardcore Corbyn allies who remain wedded to a one more Socialist heave strategy

The Silent May Majority is a diverse group.

Firstly, it is made up of a large section of the electorate who are sick to the back teeth with politics.

People have had enough, one Tory adviser told me. Theyve had a PR referendum, a Scottish referendum, a Euro referendum, European elections, local elections and two general elections. Theyre tuning out. They just want the politicians to leave them in peace for a bit.

To these people who do not engage in the daily trench warfare of social media, or follow every twist and turn of the Brexit negotiations, Mrs May cuts a counter-culturally attractive figure.

In the heat of a general election campaign she was exposed.

But her unpretentious, awkward style grants her a staid authenticity during political peacetime.

Another thing that purportedly distinguishes The Silent May Majority is an agnostic attitude to Brexit.

There is a perception that Britain is now divided into two monolithic ideological blocks  the 52 per cent v the 48 per cent.

Conservative insiders are also heartened by what they now view as the formal end of Corbynmania

But within Downing Street they believe they have identified a third way, a tortuous but nonetheless navigable route between the kamikaze Remainers and Brexiteers.

OK, it looks like a mess, concedes one No 10 official, but this might be the only way to get this thing done. She nudges a bit here, then nudges a bit there. Everyone grumbles, but we keep moving forward.

As well as keeping the warring Cabinet factions at bay, its a strategy that Mays allies believe aligns her with the bulk of popular opinion.

This is where most people are, one explains. Theyre not hardcore Remainers or hardcore Leavers theyre hardcore Just-Get-On-With-Iters.

Conservative insiders are also heartened by what they now view as the formal end of Corbynmania.

While they are loathe to claim we have reached peak-Corbyn, they believe the sense of national crisis generated by last years shockingly close Election result, and the Grenfell tragedy, has dissipated.

Partly this is because Corbyns permanent campaign is no longer resonating with an exhausted electorate.

But its also because the spectacle of The Absolute Boy embarking on a year-long victory lap  in the wake of an Election he actually lost  is turning off the voters.

We were delighted when they announced another Corbyn victory concert for this summer, one Tory strategist told me, because its starting to shift the dynamic between him and Theresa. Its almost like hes becoming the Establishment figure, and shes the underdog and the outsider.

There is still trepidation at the way their internal polling failed to pick up the magnitude of the dramatic switch to Labour in the closing weeks of last years campaign, to the extent that new party chairman Brandon Lewis (pictured) has ordered a complete review of the partys analytics

Such views arent confined to the Conservative Party.

Despite a concerted attempt last week by Corbyns inner circle to pour cold water on the latest polls, theres even concern among some of his traditional supporters at Labours failure to  literally  maintain momentum after Junes upset.

There is said to be growing tension between John McDonnell, who is keen on some cosmetic softening of the Corbynite brand, and hardcore Corbyn allies who remain wedded to a one more Socialist heave strategy.

As one moderate Labour MP put it: When John McDonnell is the pragmatist in the room, it shows you how far the party still has to go.

Still not quite as far as those at the Conservatives Matthew Parker Street HQ would like.

There is still trepidation at the way their internal polling failed to pick up the magnitude of the dramatic switch to Labour in the closing weeks of last years campaign, to the extent that new party chairman Brandon Lewis has ordered a complete review of the partys analytics  the data modelling used to manage constituency targeting and communications planning.

There is also pessimism at what their internal numbers indicate for the forthcoming local elections, particularly in the Labour bastion of London.

But after the recent sense of disarray, last weeks polls have brought some unlikely respite.

The sound and fury at Westminster has become deafening.

But out in the country, The Silent Majority still has Theresa Mays back.
I am, it seems, a foreign plutocrat. The considerable sum of money Ive donated to the Remain side of the Brexit debate is tainted and should be handed back immediately. I should butt out of British politics. All of this grew out of a dinner party I hosted just a few days ago. I have never made any secret of my opposition to Brexit and, indeed, I made my case quite openly in the pages of The Mail on Sunday at the time of the referendum.

Yet, most damaging of all, I find myself accused of undermining democracy  and it is this rather serious charge I would like to address head on.

Perhaps I could say a little about my background and why this country and democracy matter quite so much to me.

George Soros, pictured here with his wife Tamiko Bolton said he has never made any secret of his opposition to Brexit and denies he is attempting to undermine democracy

Mr Soros said his experience as a Jew in Hungary under Nazi occupation in 1944 has stressed to him the importance of the kind of political regime that prevails

The formative experience of my life was the occupation of Hungary by Nazi Germany in 1944. Being Jewish, I would probably have perished had my father not arranged false identity papers and hiding places for his family and many other Jews. I learned at the age of 13 just how important it is what kind of political regime prevails.

Nazi occupation was followed by communist rule, which I found so stifling that I escaped Hungary and found refuge in England, where refugees were then treated much better than nowadays. I spent nine years in this country and became a confirmed Anglophile.

Work took me to New York in 1956, but Britain remained close to my heart. I still have a house in London and spend part of each year there.

While former Chancellor Lord Lamont might criticise my involvement as a foreigner, it might help him to know I also have long had businesses in Britain  in much the same way as has Rupert Murdoch, an American citizen and well-known Brexiteer.

The good thing is that both of us foreigners have been more than happy to bring jobs to the UK economy.

As A young man, I was greatly influenced by the years I spent in Britain. I was able to go to the London School of Economics, where I encountered the great Austrian philosopher Karl Popper, who became my mentor.

He said he wants to use his wealth to spread the benefits of open democracy which promoties calm, rational discussion and free from toxic personal criticism

Under his influence I came to distinguish between an open society  in which people elect their leaders, who are supposed to serve the interests of their electorate  and a closed society, in which rulers exploit the people under their control.

I believe passionately in the former, and this is why I eventually decided to establish the Open Society Foundations and devote my wealth to spreading the benefits of open democracy and helping those that suffer repression.

Open society is characterised by calm, rational discussion, free from the toxic, personal criticism we have seen in recent days.

I am a proud supporter of Best For Britain, a group that wants Britain to remain a member of the European Union. I consider Brexit a tragic mistake.

Prior to Brexit, Britain enjoyed the best of all possible worlds: it was a member of the European Union without adopting the euro.

Allowing a referendum on membership was a fatal error. Experience has shown that referenda often lead to bad decisions. Egged on by unscrupulous agitators, people use them to express their dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs rather than contemplating the consequences. The fact that conditions are unsatisfactory does not mean they cant get worse. That is what has happened in Britain.

Mr Soros said Brexit was a tragic mistake for both Britain and the European Union

Brexit is a lose-lose proposition both for Britain and for Europe. Politically, Europe without Britain will be weakened in its ability to defend and promote democratic values.

Europe will suffer from the absence of British pressure for the necessary institutional reforms. Economically, Europe will lose its third-largest economy and its strongest advocate of liberal economic policies.

Britain, outside Europe, will lose much of its global influence. Economically, Britain will suffer because 45 years of successful integration with Europe will go into reverse. Divorce is a very destructive process; there is no such thing as a friendly divorce.

It is an illusion to think economic separation can be accomplished in just two years. It will take at least five years and possibly much longer. This process will change Britain and Europe from friends into foes, at least during the transitional period. Before the referendum Britain was doing better economically than the rest of Europe. But this has now been reversed, with continental economies powering ahead while Britain lags behind.

The effect of the uncertainties created by Brexit on the UK economy will become much more painfully obvious in the next six months as the divorce process enters its most contentious phase.

Mr Soros said Britain and Europe should be uniting against the threat posed by Putin rather than embarking on a divorce process which will preoccupy both sides for years ahead

To make matters worse, the divorce process will preoccupy both Britain and Europe for years ahead, when they should be uniting to resist external enemies like Putins Russia and resolve the internal contradictions that made some people regard the EU as their enemy.

Brexit has rendered the two-party system outdated. The old distinction between Left and Right is overshadowed by being either pro- or anti-European. The Conservatives are clearly the party of the Right and Labour the party of the Left, but each is internally divided in its attitude towards Brexit.

This complicates the Brexit negotiations immensely and makes it difficult for Britain to decide its position towards Europe and even more difficult to modify it.

Brexit has also split British politics between young and old. Even though I am 87, I think a lot about young people who will live in a future I will never see. People under 35 voted overwhelmingly Remain and it was only over 55 that a majority of voters supported Brexit.

Old voters have overruled young voters who will have to live with the consequences of Brexit for decades ahead. This is aggravating the disillusionment with democracy among young people. It also raises the prospect that Britain will eventually want to rejoin the EU.

Mr Soros said Europe will be open to Britain rejoining the EU at a later stage although it will do on far less favourable terms than it has now

The doors of Europe may be open in the future, but if Britain leaves now it will never be able to rejoin the EU on the same favourable terms.

Since Brexit is a lose-lose proposition, it follows that a parliamentary vote to stop Brexit would be its opposite.

But a mere reversal of the 52:48 majority for Brexit is not enough. The majority for staying would have to be significantly larger to convince Europe that Britains attitude towards Europe has fundamentally changed and its decision deserves to be taken seriously.

The trend is moving in the right direction. The question is how its momentum can be accelerated so that it reaches a tipping point in the next six to nine months.

There is a chicken-or-egg problem: the electorate needs to push their MPs to give them the courage to rebel against the party leadership, and the electorate needs to be motivated not just to vote but to take an active role in politics.

Best For Britain seeks to break the logjam by bringing together all the various forces that are united by their aspiration for Britain to remain part of Europe. It has my wholehearted support.
Can everyone please shut up about the suffragettes? You would think, from the way the BBC is going on, that we lived in a society which still treated women unfairly.

Any conscious person knows this is rubbish. In reality, women are as equal as they can be, in the workplace, in politics, in education and in life in general, until someone finds a way of making men have babies.

The fact that the Hollywood salaries of some very senior BBC stars (unthinkably huge in the eyes of most men and women) are not all exactly the same does not really prove that women are an oppressed minority in the workplace.

But precisely because women are in charge of so much at the BBC, listeners have to endure ceaseless propaganda based on the absurd idea that this is a woman-hating, male-dominated country.

I let this twaddle float past me most of the time. But it was the BBC's decision to devote an entire three hours of its main radio news programme Today to droning on about the suffragettes that snapped my patience.

Can everyone please shut up about the suffragettes? You would think, from the way the BBC is going on, that we lived in a society which still treated women unfairly, writes Peter Hitchens. Pictueed: Women dressed up as suffragettes outside Parliament to mark the 100th anniversary of the Representation of People Act 1918

As it happened, there was a huge story which needed to be told and explained that day. There had been a violent convulsion on the world's stock markets which is not yet over, as far as I can see.

But you would barely have known it as the programme rambled, misleadingly, round the distant past.

Can we get something straight about the suffragettes? Many intelligent women hated them at the time, fearing that their violent tactics  arson, bombs and vandalism  were wrecking a good cause.

A lot of people who now lazily praise this behaviour would be furiously hostile to anyone who acted like this in the present day.

The suffragettes planted explosives in railway stations and in crowded streets, sent letter bombs to opponents and actually blew up David Lloyd George's house.

Any conscious person knows this is rubbish. In reality, women are as equal as they can be, in the workplace, in politics, in education and in life in general, until someone finds a way of making men have babies. Pictured: Women celebrating 100 years of female suffrage

Several postal workers (not rich enough to have the vote at the time) were badly injured in a fire at a sorting office started by suffragettes. Feminist militants argue they didn't actually kill anyone.

But that was probably because some of their more important bombs  especially one left outside the Bank of England  were defused by brave policemen, or didn't go off.

Anyone who plants a bomb in a public place knows it may kill, or maim horribly.

The historian Simon Webb has written: 'The terrorist bombings carried out by the suffragettes have today been almost wholly forgotten.

'Far from hastening the granting of votes for women, the suffragettes impeded the political progress towards this aim by their dangerous actions, causing most people to reject them as violent fanatics.

' Had it not been for the bombings, there is every chance that the vote would have been given to women before, rather than after, the First World War.'

The fact that the Hollywood salaries of some very senior BBC stars (unthinkably huge in the eyes of most men and women) are not all exactly the same does not really prove that women are an oppressed minority in the workplace. Pictured: Former BBC China editor Carrie Gracie who resigned over unequal pay at the Corporation

The idea that long-dead people should be pardoned today for doing things that are still crimes now is not just ridiculous and self-indulgent. It is legal and political nonsense.

I know of no evidence that their noisy and lawless campaign hastened the arrival of votes for women by a single second.

Britain was then, as it is now, a free country in which it was quite possible to campaign for a cause without violence or destruction.

Many men supported votes for women, as I believe I would have done at the time. There is no rational case against it.

The non-violent campaigner Millicent Fawcett welcomed men in her movement. The militant suffragettes rejected them.

This glorifying of the suffragettes is all part of a general rewriting of history to suit the prejudices of the Left-wing cultural revolutionaries who have now got control of almost everything in this country.

These revolutionaries have not yet finished. To pursue their final aims, they need to pretend that they have not won, that things are worse than they are.

They also like to spread the idea that only shouting, violent militancy gets results, because shouting, violent militancy is what they like.

It is not true. We have a long, proud record of peaceful constitutional and political reform and we should not despise it.

Suffragists pictured picketing outside the House of Commons in the early 20th century

Ignored... the secret evil of the Great War

The saddest event of modern history, the First World War, is once again portrayed on film in the new version of Journey's End, first performed on the stage in 1928. Its pessimism and sense of futile loss are astonishing.

To this day, nobody could successfully film such a drama about the Second World War, which is still regarded as a good and noble conflict, though I wonder how much longer that can last.

The other thing that strikes me is that Journey's End is set on the eve of Germany's last frantic offensive on the Western Front.

Yet it never even mentions the reason for this terrible, savage battle, in which the Germans came within inches of victory.

It followed the most cynical foreign policy action ever undertaken by a supposedly civilised power.

Germany, funnelling gold through the sinister middleman Parvus Helphand, financed and organised the Bolshevik putsch in Russia which has ever since been wrongly called the Russian Revolution.

They even arranged for the maniac Vladimir Lenin to travel to Russia.

The saddest event of modern history, the First World War, is once again portrayed on film in the new version of Journey's End (pictured), first performed on the stage in 1928. Its pessimism and sense of futile loss are astonishing, writes Peter Hitchens

Russia (as almost everyone forgets) was a democracy at the time. Lenin crushed that freedom with German-financed bayonets.

The German government cared nothing for the fate of the Russian people, whom they casually condemned to 70 years of state-sponsored murder and oppression.

Berlin simply wanted Russia out of the war so that they could send 50 divisions of soldiers westwards, to attack and defeat us. And it very nearly worked.

I am still waiting for the BBC to mark and examine this centenary properly.

They probably haven't heard of it, or perhaps they still believe (as many media folk do) that the communist takeover was 'progressive'.

Mike Barton, Durham's Chief Constable, claims to be distressed that parents at a primary school in his area have been smoking marijuana at the school gates.

He declares: 'If I had been stood next to someone who was smoking cannabis at the school gate, they would have been nicked  pure and simple  and any of my officers would have done the same.'

Would they? I somehow doubt it. Most police officers look the other way these days, when they see dope being smoked.

They don't want to spend hours of their day processing paperwork for an offence the courts ignore.

And if they had been arrested, what would have happened to them? I asked the Durham force for last year's figures.

During 2017, there were 129 arrests for simple possession of cannabis in Durham Constabulary area.

Mike Barton, Durham's Chief Constable (pictured), claims to be distressed that parents at a primary school in his area have been smoking marijuana at the school gates

Of those, a mere 28 were actually charged with possession (which generally results in a small fine).

A further 34 received a 'cannabis warning', which means they were completely let off. Another 11 were 'cautioned'.

Eight were told they faced 'No Further Action', 12 were released on bail, 33 were released without bail and three cases are still pending.

I should imagine that hundreds, more likely thousands, of cannabis offences went unnoticed, undeterred and undetected.

It is, in all but name, a decriminalised drug now, which is why parents smoke it outside schools. Actually, let's be fair to Mr Barton.

Despite his noisy, soft-on-drugs self-publicity, I doubt if his force is significantly feebler on this issue than any other.

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The fights between Downing Street cat Larry and his nemesis, Palmerston  the resident Foreign Office moggy  have taken their toll: Larry was last week rushed to a vet to have a war-wound cyst removed from his head, followed by two days bed rest. At least he was spared a long wait at A&E in Theresa Mays stricken NHS

The fights between Downing Street cat Larry (pictured) and his nemesis, Palmerston  the resident Foreign Office moggy  have taken their toll

New Tory chairman Brandon Lewiss attempt at humour at the Tories Black and White Ball at Londons Natural History Museum was as lame as some of the exhibits. I wont talk about fossils, he said. I get enough of that looking at Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell every day in the Commons. Yawn.

Vice-chairmen Kemi Badenoch (pictured)

Colourful entrance from Kemi and Ben

Bumbling Brandon was shown how to do it by the multi-ethnic double act of new party vice-chairmen Kemi Badenoch and Ben Bradley. Though only they could have got away with the joke: Its our great pleasure to welcome you  quite literally in our case  to the Black and White Ball.

Nadine Dorries has quit a Tory WhatsApp group after a spat with fellow Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski over a report that he pressured a female researcher into dating one of his pals. I wont be on the same site as someone who pimps out staff, Dorries said on WhatsApp. Outraged Kawczynski says the pimp allegation is totally untrue.

A miners milestone

Veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner has explained why he was so grumpy when Theresa May reminded him that today is his 86th birthday. I ate bein told Im 86, the ex-miner told Dog. Im still 60 in me ead. When I were a kid I got nothin for me birthday and an orange and a penny for Christmas, and that were only if I were good.

Veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner (pictured) has explained why he was so grumpy when Theresa May reminded him that today is his 86th birthday

Conservative MP Mark Garnier is hoping his Cornish holiday home, available on Airbnb for 299 a night, will help replace the ministerial salary he lost when he quit the Government after calling his secretary sugar t**s and sending her shopping in Soho. The main bedroom and bathroom are a Soho-esque purple. But not a sex toy in sight!

Not so long ago, macho Tory Minister Dominic Raab enraged feminists by railing against their obnoxious bigotry. Now Doms gone all PC. Last week, he sported the colours of the suffragettes, or as some might call them, the gender warfare campaigners who slayed the obnoxious bigotry of chauvinist Victorian Britain.

Mrs Mays former ideas guru, Tory MP George Freeman, is worried about his obsession with Das Boot, the account of a German U-boat in the Second World War. I keep forgetting myself and cheering on the Germans, he says. Lets hope the PM doesnt make the same mistake in the Brexit negotiations.
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor speaks to reporters in the Prince of Wales Hospital after visiting the injured of the earlier bus overturns on Feb. 10, 2018. At least 18 people were killed and 62 injured on Saturday after a double-decker bus overturned in Hong Kong.(Xinhua/Wang Xi)

HONG KONG, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 people were killed and 62 injured on Saturday after a double-decker bus overturned in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Authorities said 10 of the injured were in critical condition and 15 were seriously wounded.

Police said the 30-year-old driver was arrested.

Most of the injured and bodies of the deceased were found on the upper deck of the bus, and the deceased mostly died of trauma to the head, rescuers said.

Rescuers work at the accident site where a double-decker bus overturned in New Territories in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, south China, Feb. 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

The accident happened at around 6:15 p.m. local time (1015 GMT), when a bus on its way to Tai Po from Shatin racecourse toppled to its left on Tai Po Road, New Territories, destroying a bus station on roadside.

Police told Xinhua earlier that 19 people were killed but the death toll was later revised down to 18.

Most of the passengers were horse racing fans, as the bus was travelling on a special route for horse racing days.

The bus had been running on high speed before the accident, according to some of the passengers.

Rescuers cut open the top of the bus to save the passengers trapped inside.

The injured have been rushed to hospitals, while the site of the accident has been cordoned off.

Godwin So Wai-kei, general manager of Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited which the bus belonged to, said the company will offer 80,000 HK dollars (10,256 U.S. dollars) as a condolence allowance for the families of each victim.

The driver of the bus joined the company in 2014. So far there is no sign of fatigue driving when the accident occurred, said the general manager.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the injured in the Prince of Wales Hospital, HKSAR Chief Executive Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said she will order an independent inquiry to see whether there are any systemic problems with Hong Kong's bus operations.

She said the commission will be headed by a judge and she expected it to come up with suggestions to ensure Hong Kong's public transport system is reliable and safe.

Lam said the government is "deeply grieved" by the accident.

Rescuers work at the accident site where a double-decker bus overturned in New Territories in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, south China, Feb. 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

Various hospitals have set up emergency support stations to help families of the deceased and each affected family will receive support from social workers, she said.

Various charity groups have announced to offer emergent financial help to the victims' families.

The accident was the deadliest one in Hong Kong since 2003, when 21 people were killed after a double-decker bus plunged off a flyover following a collision with a container truck.

In September last year, three people were killed when a double-decker bus mounted a pavement in Sham Shui Po.
Oxfam's scandal is no surprise. Dutch journalist, Linda Polman, gave chapter and verse on the behaviour in aid charities, including their use of child prostitutes

The only surprise is that it has come as a surprise. I refer to the revelation that senior aid workers for Oxfam in earthquake-ravaged Haiti had indulged in orgies with prostitutes (some of them, allegedly, children).

Nor should it have come as a surprise that Oxfams bosses gently eased out those involved but told no one  not the Charities Commission, nor the Department for International Development (which hands it well over 30 million of taxpayers money a year)  that the man in charge of its Haiti operations, Roland van Hauwermeiren, had used his organisational skills to set up what were described, disgustingly, as young meat barbecues.

In an interview with the BBCs Andrew Marr yesterday, the Secretary of State for International Development (DfID), Penny Mordaunt, asked about what amounted to a cover-up, declared: I dont know what Oxfams motivation was for behaving in this way.

Really? Unless she is shatteringly naive, it must be obvious to Ms Mordaunt why Oxfam told no one exactly why its most senior man on the ground in Haiti and a number of his colleagues had been let go.

Scandal

It was for the same reason that in the 1980s both the Catholic and Anglican Churches had covered up sexual abuse by their own clerics. They wanted to protect the reputation of their organisations  and that was much more important to them than honesty.

But Oxfam brushed its scandal under a carpet of euphemisms and dissembling as recently as 2011: it is far from historic.

And in Oxfams case, it is also about money. You might think the charitable world is gentle. In reality, the big charities are in a ferocious competition with each other to persuade governments and individual donors that they are the most deserving recipients.

Pictured: Roland van Hauwermeiren, 68, who admitted to having sex with vulnerable prostitutes at his Oxfam villa

They call themselves the humanitarian community but they are as unscrupulous as any commercial business when it comes to competing for the publics cash.

I got an inkling of this after a friend who ran a charity told me she had been about to sign a contract with a printing firm for thousands of leaflets, when the printer called to say that the deal was off ... because he also printed leaflets for a much larger charity in the same field, and it had told him that if he did a deal with her, then it would take its business elsewhere.

In fact, such charities often behave much worse than profit-making enterprises, because they believe that everything they do is sanctified by being in a noble cause.

This is not the only reason why I say that the revelations about Oxfam should have come as no surprise. A brave and brilliant Dutch journalist, Linda Polman, gave chapter and verse on the scandalous behaviour in aid charities, including their use of child prostitutes, in her remarkable book, War Games: The Story Of Aid And War In Modern Times, published in 2010.

Chief executive Mark Goldring (pictured) apologised on behalf of the organisation

Polman, who had been based in a number of African countries, wrote: The humanitarian aid community that travels to war-torn crisis-riven countries feels no embarrassment about looking like an international jet-set on holiday.

Its Land Cruisers can be found triple-parked outside the restaurants, bars and discos of war-ravaged towns and cities every evening. Wherever aid workers go, prostitution instantly soars.

Ive often seen bar stools occupied by white agronomists, millennium-objective experts or gender-studies consultants with local teenage girls in their laps.

Ive known aid workers who cared for child soldiers and war orphans by day and relaxed by night in the arms of child prostitutes.

Polman was interviewed by the Left-wing newspaper, The Observer, the year her book came out.

When its interviewer put it to her that its neither shocking nor sinister that humanitarians are also human: they also need to relax after work, sometimes in a bar, she retorted ferociously: I think its shocking and sinister if aid workers engage in child prostitution... I do know of cases where aid organisations knew that employees were engaged in this and they decided to smother the case.

This, presumably, included Oxfam.

My advice to Ms Mordaunt is to use a minuscule proportion of her generous budget to pay Polman to come here to play a role in any DfID investigation.

Excesses

The Dutchwoman clearly knows more than the civil servants in Whitehall, none of whom, Id wager, have anything like her experience of what really goes on outside the sanitised and self-serving reports of sanctimonious aid organisations.

This is a much more important matter than just the personal excesses of aid executives, who spend more in an African bar in one night than the individuals working in it could earn in a month.

If the international aid business were a fabulous success, lifting millions out of poverty and bringing peace and harmony where none existed before, then, frankly, it would deserve our indulgence.

But it isnt, and it doesnt.

Polmans wider charge is that billions of pounds in international aid budgets have been wildly misspent, vacuumed up by government kleptocrats or local fixers in the recipient countries.

Here is what she witnessed in Liberia: Medical INGOS [international non-government organisations] had arranged for a batch of wheelchairs to be flown in to ease the suffering of local war invalids.

Three Oxfam employees were allowed to resign and four were sacked for gross misconduct after an internal investigation found some workers had used prostitutes in the war-torn region (file photo)

The chairs turned up in the streets of Monrovia [the capital] modified into ice-cream carts and mobile shops. Vendors who had nothing wrong with their legs were using the chairs, while amputees and cripples were dragging themselves on their hands and knees on the filthy streets.

Local government workers had distributed the wheelchairs among their own kith and kin, who in turn had rented them out to small-time entrepreneurs.

This illuminates a vital point. It is not aid that will transform the living standards of those in the most impoverished nations, but the elimination of corruption and the opening of trade with the developed world. In other words, full participation in the market economy.

It is precisely this which has already lifted billions out of poverty.

But that is the opposite of Oxfams philosophy. In recent years it has delivered a starkly anti-capitalist message, suggesting that all that is required is for more tax to be paid by high-earning people in this country  to be given to Oxfam to spend.

Waste

Yet the British people have already been co-opted to an extraordinary extent by the Oxfam agenda, as a result of legislation passed during the period of the previous Coalition government.

We are now committed to spending the equivalent of 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product on international aid  over and above whatever individuals choose to pay in the form of charitable donations (in which the British are already among the most generous in the world).

This commitment  which amounts now to 13.5 billion a year  actually encourages waste, as the civil servants principal target is not so much absolute need, but the (vast) amount to spend.

And we have hugely increased the amount going out in so-called multilateral aid  which means our own government cant even control how British taxpayers money is spent.

In September, when Hurricane Irma laid waste to British Overseas Territories such as Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, it emerged that we couldnt direct any of our aid budget to assisting those made homeless because international rules decreed these territories were too rich to be allowed as recipients.

Yet still Ms Mordaunt insisted yesterday that our aid budget of 13.5 billion  and growing  can be justified in its entirety.

She told Andrew Marr that it made Britain more prosperous, and that it alleviated pressure on the NHS.

I would have thought a better way of alleviating pressure on the NHS  and on the social care budget which our oldest and most disabled depend upon  would be for that money to go directly to them.

The problem is that Ms Mordaunt has to pretend that her entire budget could not be better spent in the national interest: statute, absurdly, now decrees it would be illegal for her to reduce it below 0.7 per cent of GDP, no matter how badly it is being spent.

So dont expect Oxfam to be detached from the taxpayers teat.
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Katherine Sabbath is a self-taught cake maker whose colourful and creative cakes brighten up people's newsfeeds on a daily basis.

She is also aware that when many parents decide they want to make cakes from scratch for their little one's birthdays, things can become immediately and incredibly stressful.

Speaking to FEMAIL, the Sydney native passed on her tips for cake baking and making your little one's birthday or event go as smoothly as possible.

Katherine Sabbath is a self taught cake queen and she has shared with FEMAIL how others can follow in her footsteps (pictured)

Katherine's first tip was that you don't need to leave everything until the day to make a cake:

'Feel free to bake cakes ahead of time, wrap in cling wrap, freeze, and then thaw when needed,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's been proven that mud cakes taste even better after freezing and thawing, due to the condensation making the taste and texture more rich. This also works well for buttercream.'

This means that you can prepare most of the cake the night before and the only thing left to do on the day is decorate.

When it comes to decorating, Katherine said you need to get your hands on a few tools:

'For decorating, invest in a trusty cake scraper and definitely a cake turntable - they both can be found at very affordable prices and make life so much easier when it comes to decorating cakes,' she shared.

When she posts a new picture to Instagram people are often left salivating thanks to Katherine's creations (pictured)

'For decorating, invest in a trusty cake scraper and definitely a cake turntable - they both can be found at very affordable prices and make life so much easier,' Katherine recommended

If you're making a cake for a child's birthday party she recommends baking it the night before

SOME OF KATHERINE'S BAKING TIPS Get to know your oven Invest in a cake scraper and cake turner Bake cakes ahead of time Freeze buttercream frosting if need be Advertisement

'Get to know your oven, because they all behave differently,' she also advised.

Once you have the basics of cake-making down, Katherine explained it's important to work on improving your skills if you want to get better, or if you want to make a name for yourself.

She recommended that you make sure you highlight what makes your cakes unique and don't forget that practice makes perfect.

'Seek constructive feedback from those you respect and allow yourself to be inspired by whatever it is that you love,' she said.

'Also, it definitely helps to brush up on photography skills for the sake of your own portfolio.'

Once you have the basics of cake-making down pat Katherine explained it's important to work on improving your skills if you want to get better

She recommended that you make sure you highlight what makes your cake unique

Katherine's career in cake started when she swapped her job as a high school teacher in 2015 to focus on the passion that she couldn't keep at bay.

'High school teaching was a wonderfully rewarding role, but I've always loved baking as a hobby, so I spent A LOT of time practising my baking and cake decorating during any spare moment,' she said.

'The prospect of a new career admittedly caught me by surprise at first, but thanks to being able to share my work on Instagram with other like-minded people and saying YES to exciting opportunities, baking as a career happened serendipitously.'

'Seek constructive feedback from those you respect and allow yourself to be inspired by whatever it is that you love,' she said

'It's such a pleasure to bake for those you love and even better when you're invited to the party,' Katherine said

Katherine's love affair with baked treats started during her own school days where she would bake cakes for friends

While Katherine's baking repertoire is varied, it is her bright cakes topped with colourful sprinkles, lollipops and fairy floss that attract the most attention.

Katherine previously told Daily Mail Australia that her love affair with baked treats started during her own school days.

'I'd make simple cupcakes for my friends' birthdays, and share them on the playground during recess,' she said.

'I started with packet mixes, and then in university I learned how to make cakes from scratch from my mother's cookbooks.

'I was baking for fun, and through trial error, I became good.'

While Katherine's baking repertoire is varied, it is her bright cakes topped with colourful sprinkles, lollipops, and fairy floss that attract the most attention

'I started with packet mixes, and then in university I learned how to make cakes from scratch from my mother's cookbooks,' she said

At the beginning of her cake-making journey, Katherine's Instagram followers were slowly beginning to climb, but now she has more than 406,000 fans.

Katherine makes cake-making look and sound like a breeze, but a lot of time, energy and thought goes into each one of her cakes.

Each sugary treat takes approximately one to two days depending on the size and the difficulty of the cake.

'Maybe one day of prep work, ingredient shopping, making the different layers, fillings, and elements of the cake, and then a few hours the next day assembling and decorating,' Katherine told FEMAIL.

'I try not to spend more than three days in total on a cake.'

At the beginning of her cake-making journey, her Instagram followers were slowly beginning to climb, but now she has more than 406,000 fans

Each one takes approximately one to two days depending on the size and the difficulty of the cake

Katherine also explained that how much thought she puts into a cake before she bakes it all depends how much time she has at hand.

'Sometimes I make the cake flavours and design up as I go along, and other times, especially with wedding cakes, the design has been planned weeks and even months in advance,' she said.

She shared that her favourite cakes to make are rich chocolate or zesty lemon cakes for her friends and family.

'It's such a pleasure to bake for those you love and even better when you're invited to the party,' Katherine said.

Katherine is inspired by a variety of things, including art, design, fashion and cookbooks

Flavour and good quality ingredients are the main things that inspire her spectacular creations.

'I'm also inspired by art, design, fashion, the cookbooks I read growing up, and the beautiful natural environment around us,' she said.

Katherine's final piece of advice? To focus on flavour first.

'The biggest shame when baking a cake is wasted cake,' she explained.
Bachelor star Anna Heinrich's upcoming wedding to her fiance Tim Robards will no doubt be a stunning affair.

And while a date is yet to be announced, the gorgeous 31-year-old bride-to-be is in full preparation mode.

The couple, who met on The Bachelor in 2013, were engaged last May. It's understood they'll will tie the knot in a romantic ceremony close to the beach.

Ahead of her beach-side wedding, Anna revealed how she's getting ready for her impending nuptials to Body + Soul - and the $3 product she swears by to help to fight inflammation.

A beach-side wedding is on the cards for Bachelor star Anna Heinrich (pictured)

Bachelor star Tim Robards (pictured right) and Anna (left) met and fell in love on the 2013 season of the popular reality television show

Like any bride, Anna wants to make sure her beauty shines through on the day and in order to do this her focus is on living a healthy lifestyle.

Naturally, exercise plays a big part in the star's life.

Though she works out daily, Anna said this is only possible because she finds a way to keep it interesting by making sure there's plenty of variety in the mix.

The star said she makes an effort to keep her workout routines interesting by adding variety into the mix

'I'll mix it up between a walk with my mum, or with friends, and then jumping on the bikes at Infinite Cycle. Then there's TRM [Tim Robards Method] with Tim,' she said.

As with any fitness routine, recovery also plays an important part.

Anna said that she always makes sure she stretches properly before and after any workout and looks after her body by taking regular baths laden with minerals.

'For my magnesium baths, I add Epsom salts to my bath which can be purchased from your supermarket or chemist for as little as $3,' she explained.

Though Anna's works out every day, she makes relaxation and recovery part of her routine

The couple have been engaged since May 2016, Tim and Anna have yet to announce the date they will be married

The brand ambassador for Oral B and Pantene also shared though she's conscious of eating as well as she can, there's always room for a daily treat.

She revealed her day starts with green tea and lemon followed by a cappuccino, however, her first meal - usually consisting of poached eggs, tomatoes and avocado - isn't until around 11am or midday.

What Anna Heinrich eats: *On waking up: Green tea with lemon followed by a cappucino *Breakfast (usually mid-morning): poached eggs, tomatoes, avocado *Lunch: a kale salad with salmon, tuna or chicken followed by some dark chocolate or a cookie *Dinner: a piece of grilled meat with vegetables or salad followed by fruit and yoghurt Advertisement

Later in the day the star said she will eat a salad that includes kale, and comes with a serving of salmon, tuna or chicken.

Anna admitted there's room for a small daily indulgence too and will allow herself a little treat such as some dark chocolate or a cookie from a favourite cafe.

For dinner, the star keeps it simple with a piece of grilled meat with vegetables or salad, followed by some fruit or yoghurt for dessert.

'When each of these things become part of your routine, and you're consistent, it becomes very easy,' she said.

In a previous interview, the part-time criminal lawyer also revealed her beauty routine ahead of her big day.

Anna's most favoured product is Skin Caviar from luxe Swiss skincare brand La Prairie, one she called her indulgent 'vice' due to its $575 price tag.

Anna, who is an ambassador for Oral B, shared her part of her skin care routine included using luxe Swiss brand La Prairie which she called her 'indulgent vice'

As well as her daily skincare routine, regular laser treatments are part of Anna's beauty prep.

'For my skin, I'm getting Clear and Brilliant laser treatments, and I'm so happy with the results. It leaves your skin looking fresh and glowy,' she explained previously.

I don't tend to use face masks  I'm not a facial girl, which is why I'm using laser treatments instead.'
As many will know, parenting comes with more than its fair share of challenges.

Adelaide mother, Krechelle Carter, 27, not only manages a hectic household, she also does it with a great sense of humour.

Sharing her thoughts on her blog, Eight at Home, the busy mum of six children under the age of six recently revealed life with her large family was a mix of 'the good, the bad, and the ugly'.

'We love our six kids, we love each and every one of their tiny little faces,' she wrote on her blog. 'We try and make it work the best we can but it is a lot.'

Mother-of-six under Krechelle Carter (pictured) with her brood who are all aged under six

The South Australian mum, who takes an honest approach to motherhood, said staying on top of school notices was one thing that constantly left her at her wits end.

'There is [sic] approximately ten different school, kindy, childcare notes per week.'

She continued: 'I lose them. I throw them out. I'm always the last one to hand them in.'

The busy mum said she struggled to keep up with an endless stream of school notes and that she was often the last parent to hand them in

Mrs Carter said the notes that did make their way home often had stains on them that she couldn't 'guarantee weren't blood'.

Although she does her best to action each one, she said the responses are often in bad shape by the time they made it back to school.

'Here you go teacher if you unfold it this way it won't tear into pieces.'

As well as dealing with the day-to-day problems of her kids' school schedules, the busy mum also shared how she struggled to stay on top of her own plans.

Mrs Carter said her children's many pairs of shoes cluttered up the front entrance way to her home and required combination of scented candles and Glen 20 to cover the smell

'Sometimes you miss meetings because all six kids get gastro or head lice or the plague,' she wrote.

Mrs Carter said her home also bears the brunt of so many young children on the go at once.

She wrote: 'My welcome mat is just an obstacle of shoes.'

'I remove 74 pairs of shoes from my foyer per week but it still ends up like some kind of shoe jumble sale.'

The Adelaide mother-of-six isn't afraid to lay bare the realities of life with her large family

Ms Carter confessed the smell of so many shoes often gets to the point where she had used scented candles and aerosol spray to cover the smell - usually at the same time.

'You may be thinking "but Krechelle glen 20 is flammable",' she said before adding: 'You would use both at the same time if you smelt my house too.'

The thrifty mum also touched on how she keeps her family's finances on track, while making sure there was still some money left over for fun.

While the family are thrifty, they do try to enjoy a meal out every now and then, even if it's a kids eat for free Monday night affair

'We eat out on Mondays because kids eat free, we do cheap Tuesday movies (ha just kidding movies are too expensive full stop).'

She also shared she not only keeps a sharp eye out for discounts, but she has been known to travel for 'give away furniture.'

Making time for romance is a priority for Krechelle Carter (pictured left) and her husband Dave (pictured right)

She said despite the fact having six kids was tough, she and her husband 'still love the s*** out of each other.'

Mrs Carter said though having a big family was hard she always felt surrounded by love

'It's that real kind of grab your bum, make you giggle, "can't wait to take him Home later" type love,' she revealed.

'I'd probably be pregnant again right now if it was possible.'

She wrapped up her touching post stating that despite all the difficulties she felt 'surrounded by love.'

'We juggle things and some things fall off and smash on the ground and other things pop up and you dodge them and do a pirouette and a backflip and then some how you land on your two feet again.'

'Having a big family is hard, it's crazy,' she concluded. 'And It was the best decision I ever made.'
An author has revealed how her sex addiction saw her host parties up to four nights a week so she could meet men, boast about hating condoms and ruined a relationship with a man she loved by cheating on him with a man she met on holiday and a French waiter.

In a provocative new memoir, Getting Off, Erica Garza, 35, from LA charts a struggle with addiction to casual sex and pornography addiction, which she battled for more than two decades.

Garza traveled to Bali, Indonesia in an effort to curb her porn and sex addiction. There, she met her husband

'What I got was an elaborate mixture of shame and sexual excitement I had come to depend on since I was 12 years old,' she said.

In her 20s, Garza would throw house parties up to four nights a week so she could meet men, attracting them by showing off her easy attitude to online porn.

'After Id had enough tequila and was feeling ballsy, Id rave about porn. Sometimes I took out my laptop and played some of the nicer clips as if I were simply turning on the radio,' The Sunday Times Magazine reports.

'And every time I did these things, or confessed to hating condoms, or to having an unusually high sex drive, I hoped the guys liked me even more than they seemed to.

'I was one of them, I thought, and not like other girls. When my confessions would elicit laughs or high-fives or nods of recognition, Id feel a rush of what I thought was intimacy.'

Garza as a teenager: Her battle against porn addiction began when she was 12 and progressed throughout her teens

Garza did have serious relationship but her engagement to one man broke down because she became obsessed with the idea he was having an affair.

Another three-year relationship with a man she loved broke down because she cheated on him with a Colombian man she met on holiday and then, instead of trying to repair the damage, she slept with a French waiter instead.

She described her shame over her addiction as: 'Sickening: letting daylight dissipate and with it all my plans and obligations for the day because I'd rather stay in bed with high definition clips of naughty secretaries, busty nurses, incestuous cheerleaders, drunk frat party girls and sad Thai hookers.'

Erica Garza, 35, has written a memoir called Getting Off: One Woman's Journey Through Sex and Porn Addiction

Garza's was broken in part due to the love of her now-husband, with whom she has a child, therapy and spending time at a yoga retreat.

Garza's porn addiction began while she was growing up in the Los Angeles area and needed to wear a back brace due to her scoliosis for which she was bullied.

She described in an essay written for Salon in 2014 how her habit began with watching soft-core pornography on Cinemax after her parents went to sleep.

As she matured, so did the internet, and she later moved on to watching more hardcore material on her computer.

One distinct mention in her upcoming book is the release of the sex tape made by Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. She was 15 when it was leaked to the public.

Boyfriends and sexual partners thought of her as a 'cool girl,' due to her open relationship with pornography, she explained.

'It felt like a relief for me because we had a sort of wall between us, and we didn't have to get as [emotionally] intimate as we could have,' she wrote.

Starting from the age of 17, when she lost her virginity, she details how she had sex with men that would leave her feeling 'broken, unlovable, worthless and used'.

In one anecdote in the book, per a preview from The Cut, she describes watching porn after intercourse with a partner, called Clay, and 'getting off' twice on her own despite not reaching orgasm with the man.

'My sexual habits were sick and shameful. My thoughts were sick and shameful. I was sick and shameful. But nothing would stop me from getting off,' she writes

'I give myself two orgasms in the wet spot of the bed.

'Once, to a three-minute clip of a teenage cheerleader having sex with her stepdad on the kitchen counter while her mom showers upstairs, and then again to the thought of what a miserable s**t I am to allow a guy like Clay to use me for sex.'

At one point in her book, she describes the sex tape between Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee leaked in 1997 (they are pictured together in 2015)

In the same segment, she described her favorite scene involving 'two sweaty women, 50 horny men, a warehouse, a harness, a hair dryer, and a taxicab'.

'You can put it all together in a dozen different ways and I bet you still cant imagine just how revolting the scene actually is,' she said.

In a different essay written for Salon, she described how she went down a rabbit hole of watching videos of 'gang bangs,' or scenes in which multiple men have sex with a woman, which culminated in her fascination with a video in which 620 men have sex with a single woman.

In other segments, she described her turbulent and promiscuous 20s during which she struggled to find ideas of love and intimacy in favor of orgasmic pleasure.

'My sexual habits were sick and shameful. My thoughts were sick and shameful. I was sick and shameful. But nothing would stop me from getting off,' she wrote in The Cut.

She describes how she was engaged to a man who encouraged her to attend Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous - but she rebuffed him and instead went on to sleep with multiple men.

She writes: 'I had lived a pretty normal life, I thought. I had good parents who loved me the best they could, and Id suffered no sexually traumatic events. Was I fundamentally flawed?'

At another point in the book, she writes of how she struggled to figure out the root cause of her addiction.

'I had lived a pretty normal life, I thought. I had good parents who loved me the best they could, and Id suffered no sexually traumatic events. Was I fundamentally flawed?' she asked.

Eventually, Garza decided to go to Bali, Indonesia in an effort to kick her porn habit.

Erica's book, released in January, reveals how she's finally overcome her addiction

There, she met her husband, who is 39 and works as an app designer, the Post reports.

She writes that he started asking her about why she was addicted to porn, which helped her analyze the root causes of her addiction.

She also went to therapy and practiced yoga in an effort to help curb her addiction, she writes.

Now, she says she uses porn only 'healthily'.

She wrote in an essay for Good Housekeeping: 'As new parents trying to function on little sleep and rushed meals between diapers and feedings, we sometimes use porn as a catalyst to slip into sexy time with ease.

'Afterward, in a tight embrace, our vomit-stained clothes in a heap beside the bed, I sometimes feel guilty.'

She continues: 'But then we'll have one of those miraculous days, where the baby's well rested and so are we.

'There's no need to rush or think about what we're doing wrong  and I can see a glimmer of the bright future that lies ahead.'
Her late father founded tech empire Apple, so it's no surprise that Eve Jobs finds it hard to be separated from her iPhone.

And the 19-year-old heiress, who is the youngest daughter of Steve Jobs, left her phone tucked into her belt as she attended the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.

Eve looked stylish in a white shirt and matching jodhpurs as she strolled around the arena ahead of Saturday night's show jumping event.

She joined 26-year-old Jessica Springsteen, the daughter of Bruce Springsteen, at the festival, with the show jumper looking similarly chic in her equestrian get-up.

Eve Jobs, who is the daughter of Apple founder Steve Jobs, looked stylish at this year's Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida - while leaving an iPhone tucked into her belt

Jessica Springsteen, 26, was seen competing in a show jumping event at the festival

Jessica was later seen competing on her horse in the Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI 5 on Saturday night.

Both women looked completely at home at the Winter Equestrian Festival, which is being held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center until the start of April.

The massive event sees competitors of all ages taking part in a range of disciplines over 12 weeks.

Eve, who currently attends Stanford University, is an accomplished equestrian with years of national and international competition experience.

Eve is an accomplished equestrian with years of national and international competition experience

The 19-year-old paired a crisp white shirt with a pair of matching jodhpurs for the event

She finished off her equestrian get-up with a pair of black riding boots and a black belt

Eve has competed at the Winter Equestrian Festival in the past, coming first and second in two of her classes

At last year's Winter Equestrian Festival, she placed first and second respectively in the Show Jumping Hall of Fame classes during weeks 8 and 9.

The previous year, her mother Laurene Powell-Jobs bought a $15million ranch in Wellington where she frequently competes and trains with Missy Clark.

The ranch features four bedrooms, a 40ft long screened-in pool, a detached barn for up to 20 horses, as well as a show-jumping training rink.

Jessica, who is the second child of father Bruce and mother Patti Scialfa, looked similarly chic in her equestrian outfit

The 26-year-old wore a navy blazer teamed with white jodhpurs and black riding boots

Jessica looked completely at home as she prepared to compete on her horse at The Winter Equestrian Festival

She later removed her jacket as she competed in a show jumping class during the event

Jessica has competed in the Royal Windsor Horse Show in the past, as well as winning the American Gold Cup

According to Business Insider, Eve has aced competitions around the world, including events in the Hamptons, Kentucky, Canada and the UK.

Eve is also dating equestrian and Miami School of Business student Eugenio Garza Perez.

Meanwhile, Jessica - who is the second child of father Bruce and mother Patti Scialfa - has also had years of show jumping experience.

Eve has also competed in events across the world, including the Hamptons, Kentucky, Canada and the UK

The accomplished show jumper is currently also a student at Stanford University

She looked at home at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Saturday

Eve's mother Laurene Powell-Jobs owns a $15 million ranch nearby where her daughter frequently competes and trains with Missy Clark

The ranch owned by Eve's mother has a detached barn for up to 20 horses, plus a show-jumping training rink

Eve is dating fellow equestrian and Miami School of Business student Eugenio Garza Perez

The Winter Equestrian Festival is a huge event that lasts for 12 weeks and sees competitors of all ages taking part across a range of disciplines

She has competed in the Royal Windsor Horse Show in the past, as well as winning the American Gold Cup.

As well as showjumping, the Duke University graduate has also modelled in the past, after being named as Gucci's equestrian ambassador.

Eve and Jessica often compete against other young heiresses, including Jennifer Gates, the daughter of Bill Gates, and Destry Spielberg, daughter of Steven Spielberg.
A charity that supports victims of Britains fastest-growing form of cancer is threatening to sue the NHS over its refusal to vaccinate boys against the virus that causes it.

The Throat Cancer Foundation argues the policy is blatant sex discrimination and will condemn thousands to a painful death or months of gruelling treatment in adulthood.

In a dramatic boost to this newspapers campaign to vaccinate boys aged 12 and 13 against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), lawyers representing the foundation last week told the NHS they will seek a High Court judicial review unless the policy is changed.

Michael Neill, left, husband of Mail on Sunday City Editor Ruth Sunderland, right, has been treated for HPV-associated tonsil cancer

Steve Bergman, pictured undergoing treatment for HPV cancer at the Roayl Marsden Hospital, London, described the ordeal as debilitating

Girls have been vaccinated since 2008, but the NHS Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) claims vaccinating boys would not be cost-effective  saying it is cheaper to treat the tumours than vaccinate lads, which would cost 22 million a year.

Spread by sexual contact and kissing, HPV causes thousands of mouth, throat, anal and genital cancers each year. In addition, the incidence of HPV-related head and neck cancers  already the fourth most common type among men  is projected to more than double by the early 2020s.

Patients go through months of surgery, chemo and radiotherapy, and if they survive, are usually left with permanent side-effects.

In an unrelated development last week, NHS England announced it will start offering HPV vaccine to gay and bisexual men who attend sexual health clinics up to the age of 45  but not adult women.

Critics argue this will only deepen the scope of the discrimination.

The Throat Cancer Foundations lawyer, Rosa Curling, from solicitors Leigh Day, said the vaccine apartheid policy breaches the Equality Act. She added: This situation cannot be allowed to continue. This cancer-preventing vaccine must be provided to both genders without further delay.

A recommendation by the JCVI to deny boys the HPV vaccination would be discriminatory, and in our view, unlawful.

The JCVI has been reviewing whether to recommend the vaccine for boys since 2013, but at one of its thrice-yearly meetings last week, it did not even discuss the matter.

Jamie Rae, the Throat Cancer Foundation chairman and an HPV cancer survivor, said: Throat cancer caused by HPV is a ticking time-bomb. The rates are going up and up, but this terrible disease is avoidable. Not offering the vaccine to boys directly discriminates against them and is putting their health at risk.

In not recommending vaccination for boys, the JCVI are acting unlawfully.

Mr Rae said offering vaccine to adult gay men was no solution. He said heterosexual men are just as much at risk, and to be offered a vaccine later in life is not equal to the protection offered to females who are typically immunised in their first year of high school.

Peter Baker, director of HPV Action  a campaign group supported by 40 leading health organisations including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal Society of Public Health  said: The decision to vaccinate gay men opens up new inequalities, and for those men, it is too little, too late.

Urging Mail on Sunday readers to support our campaign by writing to their MP, he pointed out that 80 per cent of all adults have been infected by HPV, of whom an increasing number will develop cancers.

Mr Baker said: Vaccinating adult men is a classic case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

They will be vaccinating people who have already been infected. The only way to protect men is to vaccinate boys.

Speaking on behalf of the NHS, Michael Edelstein, an epidemiologist who works for Public Health England, said gay men would be offered the vaccine because they are a high risk group.

He agreed that in theory, boys of 13 could demand the vaccine by saying they might be gay, but added: Our evidence shows that this is likely to be unusual. He added that a pilot programme had suggested that men arent coming to sexual health clinics just to request an HPV vaccine.

'Herd protection' strategy is dangerous gamble in age of Tinder

By PROFESSOR MARGARET STANLEY, leading expert in viral disease

Of course gay and bisexual men should be vaccinated against HPV. They suffer from HPV-related cancers disproportionately and ought to have been included years ago.

But last weeks decision to include them throws into sharp relief how profoundly unfair the vaccination campaign is.

Gay and bisexual men aged 16 to 45 are the only adult group to get HPV vaccination on the NHS.

The jab is equally good at preventing HPV infection in either sex. But to be most effective vaccination should take place before infection  before sexually activity commences  and so girls aged 12 and 13 are now vaccinated.

Why arent we vaccinating boys? As usual it boils down to money: NHS health economists say it isnt cost effective. They predict immunising girls will lead to such steep declines in HPV that males will be protected by default, a principle known as herd protection.

Gay and bisexual men are being offered the jab on the basis that vaccinating girls will give them little indirect protection, says Public Health England.

But straight males wont be protected either, if they happen to have sexual contact with someone who has not been immunised  such as a British woman who hasnt had the jab, or a woman from abroad.

Government experts argue their approach will protect the groups most likely to develop HPV-related cancers. But it ignores the fact many HPV cancers occur in other groups.

Herd protection is likely to be very incomplete.

How do you guarantee it will work on Tinder?
Twelve years ago, a homeless man in Amsterdam sat on a bench next to Emmy Abrahamson and asked her for the time. This is the unlikely romance that followed

Emmy and Vic in the garden of their home in Sweden

If someone had told me 12 years ago that I was going to end up marrying a homeless alcoholic, I would have presumed they were mad. But thats what happened. I was 30 years old, happily single, with a successful career as a writer, when I fell in love with a man who lived in a bush. A man with no income. Or career prospects. Or shoes.

I come from an academic family: my father was a foreign correspondent and I grew up in Sweden, the former Soviet Union, Austria, the Netherlands and the UK. Conversations over dinner were about politics, literature and recent world events. I loved school and I have a masters from Londons Rada in text and performance studies. By 2006 I was living in Vienna, in my own flat, with my beloved cat Whiskey. A four-year relationship had ended badly and, although I wasnt averse to meeting a man if he happened to fall into my lap, I was enjoying life on my own. I had lots of friends, a fun social life and a busy freelance career.

Vic was the funniest, happiest person I had ever met. His lust for life was mesmerising and contagious

Then, in September that year, I went to work in Amsterdam for a few weeks. One Sunday evening, I was sitting on a bench on Leidseplein, a busy square in the city centre, waiting for a friend, when a man sat down next to me.

Do you have the time? he asked.

Ten to seven, I replied, as there was a massive clock right in front of us. I glanced sideways  he looked like a vagrant. His clothes were dirty, his hair and beard dusty and, rather incongruously, he was holding a worn briefcase (I later found out that he kept his sweater, sleeping bag and beer in it). We started chatting and, to my surprise, he made me laugh several times. I couldnt help but notice that, despite his appearance, he was handsome, tall and had the biggest brown eyes I had ever seen.

Ten minutes later my friend arrived. I have to go, I said, a bit reluctantly. Before I could say anything further he stood up, pointed to the bench and said, Saturday, three oclock, same bench. Then he walked away. My friend and I stared at each other, unable to believe what had happened. Had a man who appeared to be destitute ordered me to come back on Saturday? How could he be so confident? It didnt make any sense.

I found myself thinking about him a lot during the next week. On the one hand I was put off by his dishevelled appearance, but on the other there was something about him that was so intriguing that I wanted to meet him again. Finally Saturday arrived and with a thumping heart I sat on the same bench at three oclock. And waited. And waited. And waited. After 20 minutes I was about to give up when he turned up. On a kids bike.

Emmy and Vic on their wedding day in 2008

Youre late! I said crossly.

I didnt think you would come. I came to check just in case. And youre here! he said with a smile. I smiled back and my anger melted away  perhaps because he was better looking than I remembered.

We spent the next six hours together, walking around Amsterdam, having a picnic and getting to know each other. I found out that his name was Vic, that he was born in Poland but grew up in Canada, was 25 (the beard made him look much older) and that he was currently living in Vondelpark. After working as a tow-trucker and in other various low-income jobs in Canada, he decided to travel around Europe. When his money ran out he saw no other option than to live on the streets while hitchhiking from country to country. If the weather was good he slept under the stars and if it rained he found a bridge to sleep under. At that time he was living in a bush that had a cardboard floor and a tarpaulin roof.

During our time together I realised that Vic was simply the funniest, happiest and most optimistic person I had ever met. He had a lust for life that was both mesmerising and contagious. I had never met anyone like him before  someone who found everything a huge adventure.

Vic and I met three more times before I had to go back to Vienna. As my return approached I had to face it: I had fallen in love with him. I tried to fight my feelings as there were so many things wrong with him according to my world-view: he had no education, no career prospects, drank way too much (as well as using other substances), was five years younger than me and was living in a bush! There was no way we could be together. Despite this I gave him my mobile phone number  even though he didnt have a phone. I am not sure that the Dutch postal service would have accepted letters addressed to the good-looking guy living in the bush in Vondelpark, Amsterdam, so I had no way of keeping in touch with him.

I returned to Vienna and wondered if I would ever see him again. Then, three weeks later, on a Monday morning as I was getting ready to go to work, my mobile phone rang. Im here, the voice said. It was Vic. Having earned enough money doing odd jobs he had bought a train ticket to Viennaand we have been together ever since. Two years after we met, we married at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna in the presence of both our families, and two years after that our beautiful twins Til and Desta were born. Vic is now a mechanical engineer and we live in my old family house in Sweden. Not only have I ended up with the funniest and most wonderful husband, but the twins couldnt have a better or more loving dad.

But the road to here wasnt easy. Vic was a severe alcoholic when we met. Living on the streets had turned him to booze as a way of keeping warm and as a survival mechanism. I wanted him to stop drinking (he usually started the day with a can of beer), but at the same time I knew that giving him an ultimatum wouldnt work. Thankfully Vic decided by himself that he needed to curb his drinking, and he did.

'People think I "saved" Vic, but I think its the other way around,' writes Emmy

Vic and I both had our prejudices to overcome. In my family education is everything and I soon realised Vics family had the opposite view. Vics dad was a bricklayer, his was mum a cleaner, and no one in his family had gone to university. Vic was raised on the mantra that real men dont study and he spent most of his high-school years getting high and skipping classes. Coming from a family of book lovers, I nearly fainted when I found out that Vic had never read a book in his life. And yet I believed in him and could see how intelligent he was and what a waste it would be if he didnt push himself. After a lot of convincing and encouragement he agreed to study mechanical engineering as he had always had an interest in machines.

I didnt tell my parents the full extent of Vics background  they only found out when they read my new novel, How to Fall in Love With a Man Who Lives in a Bush, based on how we met  but it bothered them that he didnt have an education. Before they met him my dad was also afraid that Vic was going to give me some terrible disease and my mum was worried that he was going to steal from me. But when they met they absolutely adored him. Hes the first real man youve ever dated, my dad said. And once they saw what an amazing cook he is (his steaks are always a big hit) and how he helps them around the house, he soon became an indispensable part of our family.

But sadly not everyone feels the same about Vic. When I married him I lost two of my oldest friends as they refused to accept him. Vic tries to comfort me by saying it just shows how narrow-minded and shallow they are  and he is right  but there are moments when I miss them and feel miserable about their decision. I also feel angry that they never took the time to get to know him properly and judged him on his background.

The first six years of our relationship were very hard financially as Vic was studying full-time and I was the sole breadwinner. I was working as a writer and although my second book had been nominated for an award, I wasnt earning a lot of money. Then the twins were born and our situation became even more strained. But we knew that we had to get through those rough years in order to make a better future for ourselves.

Vic with twins Til (right) and Desta

Some people see me as having saved Vic, but I think its the other way around. He showed me that you dont need much to be content and he makes me laugh every day. In the almost 12 years we have been together I have become calmer, more easygoing and have a better sense of humour. And that is all down to him.

He has also taught me valuable skills, such as how to break into a car (in case I locked myself out!), and opened my eyes to the lives of homeless people  a world I had always chosen to ignore and one most of us want to forget about. Theyre people who make us feel uncomfortable, and we try to get away from them as fast as possible.

I used to have so many preconceptions about homeless people, chiefly that they somehow deserved where they had ended up. Now I know that becoming homeless is a fate that could befall any one of us; Shelter estimates that there are more than 300,000 people who are homeless in the UK. I have also learnt that homelessness can sometimes be a lifestyle that people choose  as in Vics case  to get away from a less than satisfactory existence. Vic said he would rather live on the streets of Europe than have a crappy job (his words) in Canada. The world Vic has described to me couldnt be further from my own safe, middle-class one: the everyday struggle to find food, the rampant drug and alcohol abuse, but also the camaraderie and friendship.

We have been on an amazing journey together, and still are. Vic is a doting father and husband, working in a job he never dreamt of. I write full-time and have lots of exciting projects on the go, including a feature film, and will soon be publishing my seventh book. But we feel truly blessed and never take anything for granted.

Vic once told me that I was the first person who believed in him. And thats all it takes. Just saying I believe in you can change someones world. Sometimes even just making eye contact, smiling and saying hi to someone you wouldnt usually talk to can change their life. Or yours. You might even end up meeting your Prince Charming.
Jo and Sarah answer real questions from readers: to put your query, go to beautybible.com

Q Im worried about shedding my thick tights and showing my varicose veins at a summer wedding. I know it takes time to recover and wonder if Ive left it too late? Also how do I find a good clinic as I gather it cant be done on the NHS?

A Consultant vascular surgeon Mr John Scurr (www.jscurr.com) says recovery time is usually 12 weeks. The main problem is bruising and this varies from patient to patient, he says. So if you want to bare your legs, or sheath them in sheer tights, for May/June, you do have time if you organise it now.

For more information follow Beauty Bible online here or on Facebook and Twitter

These dilated blue veins, which are usually found on your legs, vary from tiny dilated veins through to bunch of grape-like structures behind the knee. They can cause discolouration of the skin and ulceration around the ankle, with aching or tingling legs, pain while standing and cramps, says Mr Scurr.

It is always worth consulting your GP, especially if you have any of the symptoms above. But if your concern is primarily cosmetic, there is, as you suspect, little likelihood of getting this treatment on the NHS (although you may be able to claim it on medical insurance).

Even if you did fulfill the criteria for NHS treatment, you would probably be on a long waiting list. According to NHS UK, if treatment is necessary, your doctor may first recommend up to six months of self care at home, eg compression stockings (see below), regular exercise, avoiding standing up for long periods and elevating the affected area when resting.

Your GP may know of a good private clinic but very often they dont. A practical route is to ask for recommendations from people who have had it done in your area. Be cautious and choosy. It is essential to have a proper assessment to assess the state of your veins both on the surface and deeper; Mr Scurr advises checking the clinic will offer a non-invasive ultrasound imaging assessment. He also warns that some private clinics are charging very high fees so do shop around.

There are various different techniques for removing varicose veins. Mr Scurr advises that early varicose veins can be managed successfully with sclerotherapy, where a sclerosant chemical is injected into the vein, damaging the internal lining and causing the blood to clot, so in time your body destroys the vein and it disappears.

Larger veins usually need either surgery or ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy, where medication in the form of foam is injected into the affected vein to shrink it.

Wearing compression tights after treatment can help recovery. Mr Scurr advises the best compression stockings are graduated exerting a greater pressure at the ankle than at the thigh. Class one is used to prevent blood clot's when lying down. Class two is typically worn by patients who have vein problems. That can include varicose veins, deep vein problems or in severe cases patients with ulcers around the ankles. They generally help all these patients.

There are several reliable brands available from any good pharmacist, including Mediven, Venosan and Sigvaris. They are available online but you should be measured for the right size so the correct pressure is exerted, Mr Scurr cautions. They should be worn as much of the time as possible but you can leave them off at night.

Beauty Bible loves

Marimekko for Clinique, 17 each.

Fact: Clinique are aceing it with their collaborations. Hot on the heels of the fab Jonathan Adler tie-in comes just the boldest, brightest, most cheeriest make-up collection weve seen in a l-o-n-g time.

Marimekko for Clinique, 17 each. Clinique are aceing it with their collaborations

Marimekko, of course, is the Finnish textile and fashion name which first came to prominence in the 1960s, but whose colourful designs are so timeless, they continue to delight today. The Clinique prints were all created by Marimekkos fabled fabric designer Annika Rimala (1936-2014).

Cliniques taken 10 different, cheering and very graphic designs, emblazoning them on the packaging for the super-quenching, weightless Pop Splash Lip Gloss + Hydration, and Pop Lip Colour + Primer, a product we love for its easy-glide, nourishing texture.

Make-up that gets us in the mood for a home makeover, as well as a make-up update? Whyever not?
Why on earth has it taken so long to reveal the full contents of an investigation into the maltreatment of small businesses at RBS?

For those who have not been keeping up, a report was produced three years ago into GRG, which was the provisional wing of Royal Bank of Scotland.

It was accused of whacking businesses for its own gain  a charge that seems amply supported by the dossier which The Mail on Sunday has finally revealed today.

An official report into RBS's Global Restructuring Group found emails that put senior managers at the heart of a plan to plunder small firms for cash

The public  which has been propping up the bank  certainly has a right to know how it has treated the small firms upon whom we rely for our prosperity.

Yet the Financial Conduct Authority, even as late as yesterday, has been resisting pressure from all sides to publish the report in full.

Its reasoning is that, legally, it needs the consent of individuals who have been criticised.

If those people decline, then the FCA argues it has to go through a process known as 'Maxwellisation.'

The practice was introduced after the then Department of Trade and Industry was castigated for labelling the late pension fraudster Robert Maxwell unfit to run a public company in the late 1960s  a verdict that was later proved to be quite right.

Derek Sach, pictured, head of global restructuring group of RBS, has raked in hundreds of thousands of pounds in consultancy fees since leaving the taxpayer-backed bank

It involves putting any criticism to individuals and giving them the chance to respond. That sounds vaguely reasonable but is actually bonkers.

People should be given a fair opportunity to put their side during the compilation of a report and therefore should not need Maxwellisation after it has been written.

Ironically enough, even Robert Maxwell himself was found not to be entitled to Maxwellisation  his pleas were ruled out twice by the Court of Appeal.

Despite this, and despite the fact it causes long delays in releasing critical reports, regulators seem wedded to Maxwellising anything that moves  in financial investigations and others such as the Chilcott inquiry.

Not only that, but they re-Maxwellise, in theory chasing their own tails ad infinitum.

Their attitude persists, even though a review for the Treasury Committee last year found that there is no rigid requirement that it must always be carried out, and that it ought to be used 'considerably more sparingly than is the case at present.'

The long delayed report into the downfall of HBOS is the most appalling example so far: the first wave of Maxwellisation resulted in 1425 representations from 35 people, and that was followed by re-Maxwellising.

Who does this serve? Ex-bosses trying to protect themselves, and, of course, the legal profession.

The risk of slighting a well-rewarded former executive who was involved in a bank collapse, is deemed to trump the rights of the public to know what went wrong.

One lesson of the financial crisis is that British regulators have a propensity to try to keep far too much a secret, for far too long.

The GRG investigation was carried out under 'Section 166' rules, meaning it is all supposed to remain private between the bank and the regulator.

Again, that's crazy. The allegations about GRG were incredibly serious, not just for the victims but, given RBS's status as a major lender to small firms, to the economy as a whole. There should have been a full scale public inquiry from the start.

Whatever the legal situation, the perception is terrible.

Andrew Bailey, who leads the FCA, is an excellent official in a very tough job.

Unfortunately, in this process, the FCA has created an impression it is reluctant to release damning information about RBS. And by its embrace of Maxwellisation, it appears to bend over backwards to be more than fair to executives when for years no one in authority would even listen to their victims.

Maxwellisation, like the man it is named after, should be consigned to unhappy memory.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Larry Nassar, the former U.S.A. Gymnastics doctor, who admitted to having sexually abused patients and possessing child pornography, started serving a 60-year federal sentence in state of Arizona on Saturday.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons website says Nassar is being housed at the U.S. Penitentiary (USP) in Tucson, a high security federal prison located in Arizona's desert.

A local news channel reported that 54-year-old Nassar will be serving a 60-year sentence for three counts of child pornography after he pleaded guilty to the charges in last July. If he is still alive after that he will be transferred to state of Michigan to begin serving two 40-year state sentences for the sexual abuse of 10 girls.

Nassar, former U.S. Olympic gymnastic doctor, was sentenced last month to 40 to 175 years in prison for molesting young girls under the guise of treatment after a week-long hearing that featured statements from 156 of his accusers.
If Persimmon boss Jeff Fairburn was praying for a respite from the criticism he has received over his controversial bonus, currently worth 115 million, his hopes are dashed today.

Both the Church of England and the Methodist Church, which have shareholdings in the housebuilder, have told the Mail on Sunday of their deep dismay over the size of the company's 'fat cat' incentive scheme.

Both churches are expected to publicly register their disapproval at Persimmon's annual shareholder meeting in April.

Jeff Fairburn, pictured, is in line for 115 million bonus and has been slammed by building rivals and now church leaders

Fairburn, whose payout has been branded 'obscene' by campaigners, has resisted calls to make a large public donation to charity.

The churches' criticism comes just days after Steve Morgan, boss of rival builder Redrow slammed Fairburn for giving the industry a bad name.

The scandal surrounding executive pay at Persimmon erupted in November when The Mail on Sunday revealed that the first chunk of the huge bonus was to be paid out in shares to bosses on New Year's Eve.

Fairburn received shares worth 50 million at that point.

His total windfall depends on the performance of the share price. Based on Friday's close, he is in line for 115 million.

In all, 140 senior Persimmon managers will share in a windfall of up to 800 million in one of the most lucrative pay deals in UK corporate history.

The Church of England, which prides itself on ethical investing, voted against the Persimmon board over executive pay at last year's annual shareholder meeting and it is considering a second protest vote this year, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Steve Morgan, pictured, slammed Fairburn for giving the industry a bad name.

The CoE is understood to have serious concerns around the performance targets for Fairburn and his fellow directors, and about the sheer size of the overall bonus scheme.

In a statement, the CoE said: 'Our review of Persimmon's corporate governance was very stringent and last year we felt we had to withdraw our support due to lack of transparency of the remuneration performance targets.'

The CoE has 10 billion of funds under management through the Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board.

It said it is 'reviewing its position' ahead of April's AGM and may vote against the company's pay plans again.

The Methodist Church, which has 1.3 billion under management, also voted against Persimmon's pay scheme last year.

Stephen Beer, chief investment officer of the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church, said: 'We don't like excessive pay policies and that's something we're determined to take a strong line on.'

Mr Beer said he could not comment on how it would vote at the AGM, but added: 'We will be looking at it closely, that's for sure'.

Last week, the Church Investors Group, which represents most mainstream churches in the UK and Ireland, said it had told the biggest listed companies it will take a harder line on fat cat pay this year.

Investors holding almost 10 per cent of Persimmon shares revolted over its pay last year. But that was not enough to make it onto the 'fat cat register' ordered by Theresa May last year, which names and shames firms where more than a fifth of shareholders have rebelled.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, pictured, has previously condemned excessive pay

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has in the past been outspoken on excessive pay, having criticised the banker bonus culture in 2013 when he was a member of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards.

Redrow's Morgan last week said fellow building chiefs were annoyed. 'Everybody in the industry is as p**d off with this Persimmon thing as the people outside it.'

Morgan, who gave 200 million to charity a year ago, added: 'It sticks in the craw, being called a greedy housebuilder because of that one company. It's not true and they are doing the whole of the industry a complete disservice.'

Persimmon has defended the bonus by claiming it was passed by a majority of shareholders in 2012 when the scheme was devised. Reports last week suggested investors are putting pressure on the firm to oust Fairburn unless he gives up most of the bonus.

Persimmon declined to comment.
Police have launched a formal investigation into allegations by TV star Noel Edmonds that he was a victim of fraud at the hands of HBOS.

The new probe is a massive setback for Lloyds Banking Group which bought HBOS in 2008 and is still reeling from a previous case that ended with the jailing of several employees last year.

The Mail on Sunday understands the fresh probe is focused on the former City headquarters of HBOS in Bishopsgate.

'VICTIM': TV star Noel Edmonds, pictured, is 'delighted' at the probe. Inset, our story last year

The force said it is looking at a former employee's transactions with a video-conferencing company partly-owned by Edmonds' Unique Group.

Inquiries are likely to focus on HBOS banker Mark Dobson, who was jailed for his part in scams at the Reading branch and another, unnamed, individual.

Edmonds said he was 'delighted' by the new investigation. It is understood that the

Lloyds board has been briefed on the new probe.

The bank said it welcomed the new inquiry and would fully assist police.
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An extremely well-preserved German First World War trench position containing the bodies of German and British soldiers will finally be excavated next year after archaeologists raised enough money to conduct a major dig, before housing developers build on the land.

Hill 80 near the Belgian village of Wijtschate (or Whitesheet as the British called it) was a German outpost from late 1914 to 7 June 1917, when it was captured by the British during the battle of Messines.

Because the Germans held the position for so long - while others frequently changed hands - they were able to build a network of trenches fortified like few others. To many German soldiers, Hill 80 became home.

After the guns fell silent, the trenches, which overlook Ypres, were filled back up with dirt and the position was forgotten about - until now.

Devastation: An advanced dressing station is pictured in one of the trenches during the battle of Messines Ridge, in 1917, Ypres, Belgium. Just over a century later, the extremely well-preserved German First World War trenches will now be excavated to preserve history after a successful crowdfunding campaign

British observers are pictured at a captured German observation post after an advance on the Messines Ridge during the Battle of Messines, in June 1917. Because the Germans held the position for so long (from late 1914 to 7 June 1917) they were able to build a network of trenches fortified like few others

Two German soldiers man a gun in the trenches at the Hill 80 outpost which overlooked Ypres. The position was taken in 1917

German soldiers parade near the town of Whitesheet with rifles over their shoulders before their position was taken in 1917. After the guns fell silent, the trenches, which overlook Ypres, were filled back up with dirt and the position was forgotten about - until now

This image shows a map of Whitesheet in 1912 and during the war - with trenches built - in 1915. The excavation project leader said: 'Given the importance and unique character of this site, it requires a full-scale excavation. There should be no half measures.'

The site was rediscovered in 2015 when housing companies wanting to build on it were forced by Belgian law to conduct initial archaeological tests.

Because no farming had taken place on the land, the trenches were found to be extremely well-preserved: Archaeologists discovered bullets, uniforms, water bottles, combs and even the bodies of German and British soldiers beneath the dirt.

Under Belgian law, housing companies have to conduct a minimum excavation before they can build - but no company has been prepared to pay for this meaning any building is on hold, for now.

This sparked a team of archaeologists to fundraise for a full and proper excavation before any housing company changes its mind and pays for a smaller excavation which scientists and historians say would be inadequate.

The Hill 80 project, organised by battlefield archeologist Simon Verdegem, successfully raised 123,000 from a kickstater campaign with the support of historian Dan Snow and comedian Al Murray. Their four-month excavation will start on 16 April 2018.

King George V and the Canadian General Currie view the captured ground at Vimy and Messines, 1917. The Battles of Vimy Ridge and Messines were notable Allied successes in 1917

German Prisoners of war appear in good spirits after being captured by British Forces at Battle of Messines, West Flanders, Belgium, in June 1917

The site was rediscovered in 2015 when housing companies wanting to build on it were forced by Belgian law to conduct initial archaeological tests. Pictured: The view of Ypres from Hill 80

A 250,000 project: Cost of excavation broken down Archaeological Team 100,000 Fieldwork, recording and mapping (supporting professional archaeologists in their work) On site Organisation 15,000 Office containers (to support team onsite) Storage containers (to contain tools and finds) Equipment (to ensure the appropriate tools and apparatus are on site) Sifting installation (to ensure no small items are lost) Excavators 30,000 Full-size Excavator (for initial excavation) Dumpers (to assist with removal) Mini excavator (for detailed work) EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) 45,000 UXO-expert (the guidance & support of Experts) Physical Anthropology 20,000 Exhuming human remains (understandably a delicate and painstaking activity) Analysis of human remains (gathering relevant information and to assist identification) Post-processing 40,000 Cleaning & conservation of artefacts (making sure that archaeological material is preserved) Report writing (the detailed and painstaking delivery of the findings) The money will come from private sponsorship, public investment and donations Advertisement

The Hill 80 project released these photos of previous digs on French and Belgian battlefields to show their experience ahead of the excavation

Hill 80 near the Belgian village of Wijtschate (or Whitesheet as the British called it) was a German outpost from late 1914 to 7 June 1917 when it was captured by the British during the battle of Messines. Pictured: The village of Whitesheet now

Because the Germans held the position for so long - while others frequently changed hands - they were able to build a network of trenches fortified like few others. To many German soldiers, Hill 80 became home. Pictured: The trenches

Project leader Mr Verdegem wants to find as many bodies as possible so he can possibly identify the soldiers and give them a proper burial.

He told MailOnline: 'I'm absolutely thrilled that we're going to be able to conduct this study before precious pieces of our history are lost forever.

'Our initial study has shown the presence of a mill factory, together with fighting and communication trenches. But of course you never know how good the preservation of these archaeological features is until you go into the field.

'Because parts of the site haven't been ploughed since the war, many things remained untouched. The preservation is unique.

'We're expecting to find a well and deep German fighting trenches with communication trenches, all connected to the preserved foundations of the farm buildings.

'We'll also find traces of the fighting from 1914 and 1917 including the remains of British and German soldiers.

'Hopefully we can find cellars underneath the farm buildings or tunnels connecting the village to the front lines. It would be amazing if we can find tunnels that start from the cellars of the buildings.'

The team will now start preparing for the excavation which will take place from April to August. There will then be a period of post-processing until December while the team analyse what they have found.

The Hill 80 project released these photos of previous digs on French and Belgian battle fields to show their experience ahead of the excavation

In 2015, during test trenching, a team of archaeologists discovered a well-preserved German strongpoint at a ridge top near the village of Wijtschate (also known as Wytschaete  orWhitesheet to the British). Pictured: German cartridges found

This image shows a water bottle that has rusted under the earth. The team will now start preparing for the excavation which will take place from April to August. There will then be a period of post-processing until December while the team analyse what they have found

This image shows a comb that was found in the test dig. The lead archaeologist said of the project: 'We're expecting to find a well and deep German fighting trenches with communication trenches, all connected to the preserved foundations of the farm buildings.'

This image shows the Hill 80 test excavation that was conducted by the team in 2015 when a housing development threatened to extend over the site

This is one of the trenches that was excavated in the initial dig. Project leader Mr Verdegem wants to find as many bodies as possible so he can possibly identify the soldiers and give them a proper burial

Project leader Mr Verdegem wants to find as many bodies as possible so he can possibly identify the soldiers and give them a proper burial. Pictured: A soldier's water bottle

This picture shows a German holster used by soldiers for carrying items such as cartridges. It was found in the test dig conducted in 2015 as a housing developer threatened to build on the site

As they dug, the archaeologists were amazed to find well-preserved and very deep German trenches. And poignantly they encountered the remains of soldiers found as they fell, both British and German, testimony to the ferocity of the fighting here. These men still lie were they fell, untouched, today

THE BATTLE OF MESSINES ON THE WESTERN FRONT - JUNE 7-14, 1917 The Battle of Messines was a major offensive conducted by the British Second Army, under the command of General Herbert Plumer, on the Western Front near the village of Messines, Belgium. Six army Corps were involved in the offensive - three carried out the attack, two remained on the northern flank and one was available at short notice if needed. The offensive forced the German Army to move reserves to Flanders from the Arras and Aisne fronts, which relieved pressure on the French Army. Morale among French troops was low after the Neville offensive in the preceding months failed to achieve its aims. The tactical objective of the attack at Messines was to capture the German defences along the length of the ridge, which ran from Ploegsteert Wood in the south through Messines and Wytschaete to Mount Sorrel, to deprive the German Fourth Army of the high ground south of Ypres. German soldiers with a 10.5cm Light Field Howitzer during the Battle of Messines, Belgium, in 1914 Remnants of the London Scottish after the Battle of Messines, 31st October, 1914. The ridge was captured by the Germans on 1 November, 1914 The Battle of Messines was an offensive conducted by the British Second Army, under the command of General Herbert Plumer, on the Western Front near the village of Messines in Belgian West Flanders during the First World War They included numerous divisions from Australia and New Zealand. The German Fourth Army divisions of Gruppe Wijtschate held the ridge; they were later reinforced by a division from Gruppe Ypern. The battle began with the detonation of 19 mines, which devastated the German front line defences. Ulster soldiers managed to take hill 80 on the first day. The forces then followed with a creeping barrage, 700 yards (640m) deep, which allowed the advancing British troops to secure the ridge with support from tanks, cavalry patrols and aircraft. British attacks from 814 June advanced the new front line beyond the former German line. The Battle of Messines is considered a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres campaign, the preliminary bombardment for which began a month later, on July 11 1917. The Battle of Messines took place on the Western Front in June 1917 in Belgium, around the village of Mesen Advertisement
An former convict jailed for a coward-punch attack has harnessed his understanding of the world of violent crime and turned it into an unlikely rap career.

Nathan Leonard Richards was released from prison last year for breaching his parole after punching a security guard and has since transformed into an entrepreneur with a record label and clothing business.

The heavily-tattooed Gold Coast man shares his expletive-laden raps to his 15,000 Instagram followers and has accrued a loyal fan base.

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Nathan Leonard Richards was released from prison last year for breaching his parole after punching a security guard and has since transformed into an entrepreneur with a record label and clothing business

The heavily-tattooed Gold Coast man (pictured) shares his expletive-laden raps to his 15,000 Instagram followers and he has accrued a loyal fan base

His lyrics are riddled with references to theft, gun violence, drugs and his links to Australia's criminal underbelly.

'Armed robbery, yeah I do it properly, deprivation liberty, yeah that don't mean sh*t to me,' he raps in one of his tracks named 'All About My Business'.

'Torture, extortion, f*k you up physically... bad men, bad blood, piss me off I'll f*** you up... Duct tapes, black masks, stealth yeah we're moving fast.'

In a professionally-filmed music video, members of the Bandidos motorcycle club stand in the background as Richards' raps about his links to the criminal lifestyle.

Richards claims his record label A-K Records has signed four 'world class' hip hop artists and his collaborative album 'A-K Untouchable Empire Vol. 1' peaked at number 5 on iTunes hip hop charts.

In a professionally-filmed music video, members of the Bandidos motorcycle club stand in the background as Richards' raps about his links to the criminal lifestyle

Richards claims his record label A-K Records has signed four 'world class' hip hop artists and his collaborative album 'A-K Untouchable Empire Vol. 1' peaked at number 5 on iTunes hip hop charts (Pictured from his music video)

His lyrics are riddled with references to theft, gun violence, drugs and his links to Australia's criminal underbelly

'When I started A-K Records haters said the label will never be sh*t now it's got 4 world class hip hop artists signed to deals and our first ever compilation album,' he told his followers.

'Now I started makin music myself haters sayin I'm sh*t and I'll never get anywhere with it... well sorry c***ksuckers u shoulda learnt not to doubt me last 2 times coz your hate makes me unstoppable.

To the people who think our money comes from crime, we sold 30,000 albums at $30 an album ... you do the math.'

Despite his bloodthirsty lyrics, Richards claims he is a '100% legitimate businessman'.

'Armed robbery, yeah I do it properly, deprivation liberty, yeah that don't mean sh*t to me,' he raps in one of his tracks named 'All About My Business' (Pictured is his music video)

Despite his bloodthirsty lyrics, Richards (pictured) claims he is a '100% legitimate businessman'

The convicted criminal (pictured left) admits it is his 15,000 Instagram followers who helped catapult his business into profitability

He did, however, run his two businesses from his jail cell for several months last year after he breached his parole by possessing a weapon.

'Both the music and the clothing has themes of guns, crime, that sort of thing because that's the environment we are involved in, but now I am a 100 per cent legitimate businessman,' he told news.com.au.

'I've gone from being a soldier earning my stripes to now being a certified boss. I'm what you call an OG. I don't gotta [sic] get my hands dirty anymore, my people look after that sort of thing for me.'

The heavily-tattooed businessman (pictured) regularly shares his music with his loyal followers

'Both the music and the clothing has themes of guns, crime, that sort of thing because that's the environment we are involved in, but now I am a 100 per cent legitimate businessman,' Richards (pictured) told news.com.au

Richards also brags about making a six-figure salary from his joint music and fashion ventures.

'When I started A-K Clothing haters said 'who tf gonna buy that sh*t',' he wrote in an impassioned Instagram post.

'Now it turns over 6 figures, I live off it, I work for myself, when I want, how I want, and it sells all over Aus and the world.'

Richards' 2015 coward-punch attack on a security guard on the Sunshine Coast saw him jailed for 18 months with immediate parole.
A troll accusing James Bulger's mother of letting him 'run around' the shopping centre where he was abducted have been branded 'heartless cretins' by her husband.

Two-year-old James was snatched by his killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables in Bootle, Merseyside in February 1993.

His mother Denise Fergus let go of his hand for a split second to pay for her shopping when the two 10-year-olds led him away.

But on the 25th anniversary of his death Mrs Fergus has been faced with 'sick' claims she 'didn't look after him' before he was taken.

Stuart Fergus (pictured) has hit out at claims his wife Denise (right) let her son James Bulger 'run around' the shopping centre he was taken from, tortured and killed in February 1993

Two-year-old James was snatched by his killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables (CCTV pictured) in Bootle, Merseyside in February 1993

Her husband has rubbished the troll's comments, telling the Sunday Mirror: 'Check the police records which state all CCTV was checked.

'He wasn't left to 'run' around the shopping centre.

'Denise states she let go of his hand to get her purse and pay for some food... turned round and he was gone. Read her book, you absolute cretin.

'Some people are so heartless and don't seem to care... what an idiot!'

On the 25th anniversary of his death Mrs Fergus has been faced with 'sick' claims she 'didn't look after' James (pictured)

The upsetting Facebook comments are believed to have been written by a grandmother living in north west England. Her account has since been blocked.

The heartless messages were posted after a harrowing ITV documentary that aired this week reflecting on Thompson and Venables shocking crimes a quarter of a century on.

Mrs Fergus said: 'The tiny number of people posting negative comments are not worthy of comment. They are just sickening.'

Despite the social media taunts James' mother says she has been 'overwhelmed' by the wave of supportive messages she received since the documentary debuted - James Bulger: A Mother's Story with Trevor McDonald.

She wrote: 'I've been overwhelmed by the many thousands of kind messages I've received and the generous donations sent to our 'For James' charity.

'I can hardly express how deeply moved and touched I have been at the support that has poured in.'

The upsetting Facebook comments are believed to have been written by a grandmother living in north west England. Her account has since been blocked.

The heartless messages were posted after a harrowing ITV documentary that aired this week reflecting on Thompson (right) and Venables (left) shocking crimes a quarter of a century on.

The support has also seen her petition demanding a public inquiry into the handling of the case and Venables subsequent re-offending rocket.

When the petition surpassed 100,000 signatures yesterday Denise tweeted: 'Wow we've done it again, thanks to everyone who have signed ad shared my petition.

'Your support has once again been amazing, I'm so lucky to have you all on board.

'You have been with me throughout my very long journey and have never given up. Thank you so much.'

The documentary saw Mrs Fergus open up her home, inviting broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald to see how she remembers James.

Disturbing police tapes also revealed how the child killers blamed each other, with Thompson bursting into tears after his confession.

Pictured: Denise Fergus and her husband Stuart. She is separated from James' father Ralph

Despite the social media taunts James' mother (pictured) says she has been 'overwhelmed' by the wave of supportive messages she received since the documentary debuted - James Bulger: A Mother's Story with Trevor McDonald

He told detectives: 'He [Venables] was walking around the Strand. He grabbed hold of the baby's hand and just walked around the Strand.

'I told him to take him back. I'm getting all the blame. I'm going to get all the blame.'

Venables denied what had happened, insisting: 'We never. We never. God's honest truth.

'We never. He's a liar. I never got the boy. I never killed him mum.'

As the documentary continued, Mrs Fergus revealed she was 'relieved' when the two young boys who turned out to be her son's killers walked off with him - assuming they would not harm another child.

She was 'almost positive' she was going to get her little boy back when it emerged it was two youngsters not adults that had abducted her son.

Thompson and Venables became the youngest killers in modern British history when they were convicted of James' murder in late 1993.

TIMELINE: JAMES BULGER'S MURDER AND THE CONVICTION OF TWO KILLERS 1993 February 12: Two-year-old James Bulger is snatched during a shopping trip to the Strand shopping centre, in Bootle, Merseyside.

February 14: The toddler's battered body is found by children playing on a freight railway line 200 yards from Walton Lane police station, Liverpool, and more than two miles from the Strand shopping centre.

February 18: Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both 10-year-olds, are arrested in connection with the murder of James, and later charged. They are the youngest to be charged with murder in the 20th century.

February 22: There are violent scenes outside South Sefton Magistrates' Court in Bootle, when the two primary school pupils, then known as Child A and Child B, make their first appearance.

November 24: Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, now both aged 11, are convicted of James Bulger's murder following a 17-day trial at Preston Crown Court. They are ordered to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure, the normal substitute sentence for life imprisonment when the offender is a juvenile. 1994 July: The eight year sentence tariff set by the trial judge, which has already been increased to 10 years by Lord Chief Justice Lord Taylor of Gosforth, is increased again to 15 years by the Home Secretary Michael Howard. 1997 June: The Law Lords rule by a majority that Mr Howard has acted illegally in raising the boys' tariff. 1999 March: The European Commission on Human Rights finds that Thompson and Venables were denied a fair trial and fair sentencing by an impartial and independent tribunal. 2000 March: Home Secretary Jack Straw says he will not set a date for Thompson and Venables' release.

October: Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf reinstates the trial judge's original tariff, paving the way for their release. 2001 January: James Bulger's killers win an unprecedented court order from High Court judge Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss which grants them anonymity for the rest of their lives.

June: Thompson and Venables are freed under new identities. 2008 September: Venables is arrested on suspicion of affray after he and another man become involved in a drunken street fight. He is given a formal warning by the Probation Service about breaching the good behaviour expected of him as a condition of his licence.

Later the same year he is cautioned for possession of cocaine after he was found with a small amount of the class A drug, which was said to be for personal use. The public remains unaware of both offences until 2010. 2010 March 2: Venables is returned to prison after breaching the terms of his release, the Ministry of Justice says. It kick-starts frenzied media speculation over the nature of the alleged breach.

April 16: Prosecutors handed a police file over the latest allegations.

June 21: A judge at the Old Bailey lifts media restrictions, allowing it to be reported that Venables has been charged with downloading and distributing child pornography.

July 23: Venables pleads guilty to the charges. He is sentenced to two years in prison. James Bulger's mother Denise Fergus attacks the length of sentence as 'simply not enough'.

July 30: A judge rules Venables' new identity must be kept secret because of the 'compelling evidence' of a threat to his safety, saying 'unpopular' defendants had as much right to protection from retribution as anyone else. 2013 April 26: Two users of social media who breached the injunction banning the revelation of the new identities of Venables and Thompson receive suspended jail sentences.

July 4: Sources reveal Venables has been granted parole. 2017 Veneables is in prison again after allegedly being caught with indecent images of children. 2018 January: He is charged with possession of child porn and awaiting trial Advertisement

She told the documentary: 'I had a sigh of relief to be honest with you because he wasn't with an adult, he was with two kids.

'I thought, kids aren't going to harm another child, so that's what kept me sane really, thinking, I was almost positive I was going to get James back alive and well.'

She described the decision to go to the Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle as 'last-minute' and says it was the first time James was allowed out of his buggy.

She said: 'He was out of his buggy  James was never out of his buggy so he felt a bit of freedom.

'I let go of his hand just for a moment to get my purse out of my bag.'

But when she realised he had gone she started panicking, running from shop to shop asking where he was.

She added: 'I was that distraught that one of the staff said to me, 'calm down, come and have a cup of coffee'.

'And I said to him, 'a cup of coffee isn't going to help me get my son back'.'

During the hour-long documentary Mrs Fergus also relived the nightmare moment she was told her son's body had been found three miles from where he disappeared at the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside.

Police officers who dealt with the crime describe her 'dropping to the floor in total distress', with another branding it 'the worst thing I've ever seen'.

Mrs Fergus said: 'I just blanked out. I just remember when I came round seeing a load of people around me.

'I'm thinking it can't be true, it can't be happening. One minute they're going to come through that door and say they've made a massive mistake.'
Chief Roger Gilbert Jr., 43, of Spartansburg, Pennsylvania is a sex offender and has been re-elected to a second term on the brigade

A registered sex offender has been re-elected as the volunteer fire chief of a small Pennsylvania town, stirring outrage as the Mayor stands by him.

Chief Roger Gilbert Jr. of Spartansburg was convicted of sexual intercourse with a four-year-old girl in 2001 and completed a five to 10 year sentence for 'involuntary deviate sexual intercourse'.

Since then Gilbert, 43, joined Spartansburg Volunteer Fire Department in 2010 and was recently re-elected to the position of fire chief for a second term, sparking outrage.

The news has stirred an online outcry demanding Gilbert be removed from the position.

The victim's mother also says Gilbert should not be in any position where he can interact with children.

Despite the critics, the town mayor Ann Louise Wagner supports Gilbert in his post.

Wagner said she and the volunteer firefighting department are aware of Gilbert's history, who is unpaid for the volunteer position.

'I support the fire department and their decision to have him as chief," Wagner told The Corry Journal.

Gilbert joined the volunteer fire service (building above) in 2010 and since risen to the highest rank

'The firemen have always elected their own officers and that's how it's always been done. We don't question their decisions,' she said.

However, the victim's mother does not believe Gilbert should be in a post where he could interact with children after his crime in 2000 in the nearby city of Corry.

Gilbert vows that he has changed since then.

Spartansburg Mayor Ann Louise Wagner supports Gilbert despite his 2001 conviction of having sex with a four-year-old girl

'That was 20 years ago. You know, the story you are telling kids is once you make mistake, you will be punished for the rest of your life. I've changed my life for the better,' he said to the Journal.

'Every day I get up and try to do good,' he added.

State police said it is up to each individual community to decide whether to allow sex offenders who have completed their sentences to serve in an office at the local level.

Spartansburg is a small town with around 300 residents.

The news has stirred an online outrage over his post with several demanding he leave the position.

'No grown man that has had intercourse with a four year old should still be alive! Much less fire chief where they are looked to as a refuge from harm,' Terry Sheets wrote on Facebook.

Despite the outcry against him Gilbert said 'I've changed my life for the better' since the crime'

'Why is he even allowed to work in a profession where children are taught to trust and turn to them?!?! His job should NEVER allow him to be in the vicinity of children. SICK,' another user Danielle Card wrote.

Others began to critic the people who elected him to the position.

'He needs to be in prison. What is wrong with the people who elected him? It doesn't say much for the mayor,' Barb Reynolds added.

'WTF!!!!!!! I don't care if it was 50 years ago and if the person was now 100-years-old, he should never be allowed to participate in areas where he has access to children,' user Reta Hull said.
Israel launched air raids in Syria yesterday after one of its fighter jets crashed while under Syrian anti-aircraft fire.

An Israeli spokesman said its aircraft had destroyed 12 military sites, including four allegedly occupied by Iranian forces.

The raids came after an Israeli F-16 was brought down as it returned to Israel on Saturday morning.

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Israel launched air raids in Syria yesterday after one of its fighter jets crashed (above) while under Syrian anti-aircraft fire. An Israeli spokesman said its aircraft had destroyed 12 military sites, including four allegedly occupied by Iranian forces

Investigators were seen picking through the remains of the downed F-16 fighter aircraft

The remains of an unidentified rocket that fell by a house in the town of Hasbaya, south Lebanon, near the Lebanese-Israeli-Syrian borders, as Israel conducted raids

Israel's military said the attacks were in retaliation for the violation of its airspace by an Iranian drone. Pictured is Shahed-129 drone on display at a rally commemorating the 37th anniversary of the Islamic revolution

Both aircrew managed to eject and landed in Israel. One was badly injured.

Syrian media said its air defences had struck the jet.

It is believed to be the first time Israel has lost an aircraft in the conflict.

Israel had earlier accused Iran of flying a drone into Israeli airspace from Syria  sparking the entire exchange  a claim which Iran denied.

The aircraft was an F-16, of the type pictured, that was taking part in strikes against a dozen targets in Syria (File picture)

The raids came after an Israeli F-16 (pictured) was brought down as it returned to Israel on Saturday morning

The Israeli crashed in the northern Israeli kibbutz of Harduf

Saturdays violence was one of the most severe incidents involving Israel, Iran and Syria during Syrias seven-year-old civil war.

The militant Islamic group Hezbollah said the downing of the jet marked the start of a new strategic phase.

Last night, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said: Israel will defend itself against any aggression and any attempt to violate its sovereignty.
Queenslanders are in for a week of warm weather , with temperatures soaring towards 40 degrees around the state.

While the coastal areas of the state will stay at about 35 degrees, inland towns like Emerald will swelter on Sunday, with no coastal breeze to ease the pain.

Weatherzone meteorologist Graeme Brittain told Daily Mail Australia temperatures were between five and eight degrees higher than average, and would stay high due to a large hot air mass across most of the state.

He explained there would be no relief for the state for more than a week, at which point there would be cooling rains.

'It's quite a stable area of hot air, but we're going to see storms as it breaks down towards the middle of next week,' he said.

Queensland will swelter this week as temperatures soar between five and eight degrees above average, into the 40s

While the heat is centred inland, coastal areas of the state are creeping ever closer to 40

The heatwave comes as part of the humidity expected throughout the rest of the month. Storms are expected to hit Queensland mid-next week

Humidity is expected throughout the month across all of eastern Australia - meaning hot, sweaty days and rainy nights are here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Mr Brittain explained low pressure troughs have been behind storms hitting Sydney over the past few nights.

Clouds will plague the city until early into next week, with temperatures struggling to reach 30 degrees.

Things aren't looking any better in Victoria or Tasmania, with damaging storms expected to hit around Wednesday and Thursday.

'The storm is going to produce decent wind gusts between 80/90 kilometres an hour on coastal parts of Tasmania and Victoria,' he said.

'The wind will definitely be noticeable.'

Sydney has been hit by storms over the past few days, and more are expected as humidity continues to plague the eastern half of Australia for the rest of the month

Wet season is well underway in the Top End, with Darwin expecting stormy weather all week, combined with temperatures in the early 30s

Victoria and Tasmania are expecting damaging storms next week, with winds up to 90km/hr

Mr Brittain said Perth has 'quite a good run' of weather coming up over the next week.

The western city will enjoy sunny and dry days, with above average temperatures from next Thursday.

Wet season is well underway in the Top End, with Darwin expecting stormy weather all week, combined with temperatures in the early 30s.

In the nation's capital, a change of clothes might be necessary for those heading on day trips, as temperatures swing from below 15 to over 30 in the course of just one day.
Clive Palmer's nephew Clive Mensink, who is wanted for questioning over the collapse of his uncle's Queensland Nickel refinery, has been found in Bulgaria.

News Corp Australia tracked Mr Mensink, 49, who has lost a significant amount of weight and now has a beard, to the Bulgarian capital Sofia last week.

He was with his Bulgarian girlfriend, Gabriela Konstantinova, and another friend leaving the movies after seeing 50 Shades Freed.

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Clive Palmer's nephew Clive Mensink has been found in Bulgaria after 20 months as a fugitive

Mr Mensink was spotted with his Bulgarian girlfriend Gabriela Konstantinova in Sofia last week

Mr Mensink is allegedly 'avoiding scrutiny' over the collapse of Queensland Nickel (pictured)

The Daily Telegraph allege that he is seeking to 'avoid scrutiny over his role in the $300 million collapse of the Queensland Nickel refinery'.

'[He] looked horrified and refused to answer ... questions as he ducked into a pedestrian subway after being approached last week,' the report said.

Ms Konstantinova defended him, saying 'I don't think it is correct to embarrass him and interrupt him.'

This is the first time that the elusive businessman has been seen in almost two years, although Newscorp confirmed that he has been 'jetting freely around the globe' and has visited Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin and Rome.

He has also been spotted at the home of Clive Palmers parents-in-law, Alexander and Stilyana Sokolov, who live in an apartment the Oborishte district in Sofia.

Businessman cum fugitive Mr Mensink was spotted in Sofia, Bulgaria (pictured) by News Corp

Former MP Clive Palmer (pictured) is allegedly sending Clive Mensink a $4000 weekly stipend

Nr Meksink has been spotted at the home of Clive Palmers parents-in-law at Oborisht in Sofia

In March last year, the Federal Court issued two warrants against Mr Mensink after he failed to appear in Brisbane for examination and questioning.

He had left Australia in June 2016, months after QN collapsed, leaving $300 million in debts and almost 800 people without a job.

It is also alleged in court that Palmer is funding his nephew's 'self-imposed exile'. It was revealed in Brisbane's Federal Court that Palmer is sending Mensink a weekly stipend of $4000 from two of his own companies.

He has reportedly splashed out on a two visits to a plastic surgeon, a physical makeover and designer clothes.

Dr Nikolay Georgiev (pictured) was allegedly paid $3885 by Mr Mensink for plastic surgery

Former Clive Palmer (left) is allegedly funding his nephew's (right) 'self-imposed exile' in Sofia

The Australian Federal Police told News Corp on Friday they were 'aware that an arrest warrant had been issued for Mr Mensink.'

News Corp has advised authorities of his whereabouts, but say it's unlikely Mr Mensink will face extradition as he has not been charged with criminal matters.

Liquidators are also chasing the former boss, in an effort to serve papers on him relating to a $500 million lawsuit alleging, among other matters, that 'he breached his directors duties and allowed Queensland Nickel to trade while insolvent before it collapsed'.

There are also two outstanding warrants for Mensinks arrest in Australia, but he previously claimed that he could not fit in an economy-sized plane seat and demanded $50,000 to fund his return to Australia.
Thousands of police officers in Colorado lined up in the falling snow to pay their respects to a cop who was gunned down in the line of duty earlier this week.

El Paso County Sheriff's Deputy Micah Flick was buried at Eastonville Cemetery in Colorado Springs on Saturday after a police procession made up of officers throughout the state escorted his remains to their final resting place.

Friends and family held a private burial for the 34-year-old law enforcement officer, who was shot and killed on Monday after struggling with a suspected car thief, according to local affiliate CBS Denver News.

Three other police officers were wounded in the incident. The suspect in the altercation was also shot and killed.

Courtesy: KRDO

El Paso County Sheriff's Deputy Micah Flick was buried at Eastonville Cemetery in Colorado Springs on Saturday

The hearse bearing the casket of El Paso County Dep. Flick arrives at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., before the funeral for the deputy on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018

Friends and family held a private burial for the 34-year-old law enforcement officer, who was shot and killed on Monday

Friends and family held a private burial for the 34-year-old law enforcement officer, who was shot and killed on Monday after struggling with a suspected car thief

A public funeral service was held at New Life Church on Voyager Parkway just before Flick was ushered to the cemetery by his law enforcement colleagues

'He was a hero, not for the way he died, but for the way he lived,' El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder

A public funeral service was held at New Life Church on Voyager Parkway just before Flick was ushered to the cemetery by his law enforcement colleagues.

Flick leaves behind his wife, Rachael (Pictured), and their 7-year-old twins, Eliana and Levi

New Life's Senior Pastor Brady Boyd said the ceremony was 'Very honoring to Micah.'

'He was a hero, not for the way he died, but for the way he lived,' El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder told Fox affiliate KWGN.

Few details of the events that led to Flick's death have been released, but the Colorado Springs Gazette said that Flick was killed during a gun-battle around 4pm on Monday afternoon.

Deputy Scott Stone was shot in the stomach, Sgt. Jacob Abendschan was sprayed with shrapnel, and Colorado Springs Police Officer Marcus Yanez was shot in the groin, The Gazette reported. Each officer is expected to make a full recovery.

A civilian, Thomas Villanueva, was also wounded in the crossfire and sustained critical injuries. It's unclear if he will ever walk again.

Flick was a Colorado Springs native described as someone who 'could be counted on for a solid handshake, a genuine conversation, a corny joke and his personal, humorous take on the latest hit pop song,' his obituary said.

The casket bearing the body of El Paso County Dep. Micah Flick arrives at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., before the funeral for the deputy on Saturday

Thousands of police officers line up in pouring snow to pay their respects to fallen cop Micha Flick, 34, who was killed during gun-battle with car thief

Law enforcement officers and first responders from across Colorado and other states attend the funeral of El Paso County Deputy Micah Flick at New Life Church in Colorado Springs

El Paso County Sheriff's Dept. Dep. Sean Ives with his horse salutes as the casket bearing the body of Dep. Micah Flick

'Everyone who met Micah would describe him as a man of integrity, honor and servitude; a true hero.'

Flick leaves behind his wife, Rachael, and their 7-year-old twins, Eliana and Levi.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper ordered all flags at half-staff after the shooting and condemned the 'senseless act of violence' which 'claimed the life of another member of Colorado's law enforcement family,' he said in a statement.

Flick's shooting marks the tenth officer who has been shot in Colorado while serving in the line of duty since Dec. 31 of last year.

His death is the third recorded in the state during involving five departments in that same time frame.

El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder looks over flowers and mementos for Deputy Micah Flick placed on a cruiser in front of the sheriff's office in Colorado Springs, Colo.
BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Gui Minhai, a Swedish national and Hong Kong bookseller, was detained again recently by Chinese police over suspected violations of Chinese law, about three months after his release from a Chinese prison.

Gui was freed on Oct. 17, 2017 after completing a two-year term over his drunken driving which killed a person more than a decade ago. He turned himself in to police in the Chinese mainland in 2015.

As Chinese authorities continued investigation into Gui's suspected illegal business operation, he was not allowed to leave the country according to law.

"When I was released, my illegal business operation case has not been put to an end. I resume an inmate's life, for which to a large extent, my thanks should be given to the Swedish government and you," said Gui in a letter he wrote on Jan. 27 to the Swedish ambassador to Beijing.

After his release, Gui said in a letter of commitment to police in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, that he would continue cooperation with authorities on the investigation into the illegal business case and would inform authorities if he leaves the city.

However, on Jan. 20, accompanied by two Swedish diplomats, Gui suddenly arrived in Shanghai riding a car with a diplomatic plate, and then boarded a high-speed train bound for Beijing.

According to Chinese police, Gui took with him many information materials concerning state secrets and was suspected of illegally providing state secrets and intelligence overseas and endangering state security.

Police contacted him many times and demanded he return and receive investigation, but the accompanying Swedish diplomats asked Gui to refuse cooperation. When the high-speed train stopped at Jinan West Railway Station in Shandong Province, police took Gui away and put him under custody according to law.

Some overseas media and Western countries such as Sweden pointed fingers at China over Gui's case, accusing China of violating international norms and interfering with consular affairs.

On Feb. 9, Gui applied to authorities and asked to speak the truth before media. Xinhua reporters interviewed him at his detention place in Ningbo.

"When I was in Sweden, they paid little attention to me. I felt I was not recognized by local Swedes," said Gui. "The Swedish have done this just out of their political purposes and to meet the need of some political figures for the 2018 elections in Sweden."

Gui said he had a Swedish nationality, but he did not live in Sweden almost in the past decade. Instead, he lived in Germany. It was just after he surrendered to Chinese police and especially his release that the Swedish government began to pay special attention to him, according to Gui.

"I do not want the Swedish side to continue hyping up my case. I have seen through the Swedish government. I may consider giving up my Swedish nationality if it continues to do so," said Gui.

"Under Sweden's continual instigation, I broke the law again. My happy life was destroyed," said Gui. "I just simply hope that my family will not be taken advantage of and I can stay in China to live a peaceful life."

During the three months after his release, Gui lived in a rented house in Ningbo and attended to his aged mother with his three sisters. "I feel like returning to my childhood and the life is really happy."

To accompany his mother, Gui applied for a residence permit to local police and the permit was approved.

Shortly afterwards, the Swedish side contacted Gui frequently and attempted to help him leave China, dispatching consulate staff to Ningbo to persuade him and offering him plans to go with them to Sweden.

"They told me I was just one step away from success. As long as I take the step, I will succeed in returning to Sweden," said Gui.

Gui suffered muscle atrophy in the hands. But the Swedish side claimed he suffered amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), asking him not to receive treatment in China and promising to send him back to Sweden for treatment.

In November 2017, Gui's family contacted a local key hospital in Ningbo to carry out a checkup of Gui. The doctors said his muscle atrophy was caused by cervical spondylosis.

Recently, five senior orthopedics and neurology doctors from Ningbo and Shanghai also ruled out the ALS disease for Gui, giving a diagnosis similar to that of the Ningbo hospital.

"Helping me treat my illness is just an excuse. Their purpose is to bring me back to Sweden as soon as possible," said Gui.

"I have lost trust in the Swedish government. I hope I handle my issue on my own," he said.

On Jan. 20, China's public security authorities informed the Embassy of Sweden of Gui's case through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shortly after Gui's arrest. China's foreign affairs authorities also informed their Swedish counterparts about Gui's case.

On Jan. 30, the Public Security Bureau of Ningbo visited the Consulate General of Sweden in Shanghai to inform Gui's case and his recent condition, and delivered Gui's letter to the ambassador.
A terror suspect and sex offender with 17 aliases has reportedly been working at Britain's busiest airport in an alarming security breach.

Career criminal Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamud is said to be on an official terror watchlist but reportedly had access to Heathrow's runway.

Mohamud, 31, has a criminal record stretching back 11 years including robbery, assault, money laundering and threats to kill.

Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamud, a terror suspect and sex offender with 17 aliases, has reportedly been working at Britain's busiest airport in an alarming security breach (file photo)

But airport bosses allegedly failed to carry out a full background check and he was handed a security pass and started work as a kitchen porter in a first-class lounge, according to the Sunday People.

A security source told the paper: 'How can somebody with a criminal past like this slip through the net?

'Even if he hadn't been a terror suspect his convictions should have meant he wasn't allowed anywhere near a plane  let alone our busiest airport.'

Mohamud is said to be known to the security services and has been interviewed five times in the past two years by anti-terror officers, it is claimed.

He reportedly had two terror charges - relating to alleged hoaxes involving a harmful substance and a bomb - dropped due to insufficient evidence.

He was convicted of sexual assault in 2015 and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and in total has served five years in prison.

Mohamud has been interviewed by Prevent, the Government's anti-radicalisation programme, but he contacted a newspaper this week telling them he had been offered a job at an airport.

He boasted no background checks were made and claimed he wanted to expose a security loophole.

Mohamud, 31, has a criminal record stretching back 11 years including robbery, assault, money laundering and threats to kill (file photo of Heathrow airport)

The sex offender even took a picture of a plane from the runway to prove how close he got to the aircraft.

It emerged he had lied about his lengthy criminal record to recruiters and took up the job through the SM Global Consultancy Ltd agency on Monday.

On Tuesday he arrived at Heathrow and began work at the business and first-class lounge.

Frighteningly, he spent five days at the airport and had airside access in Terminal 3.

Around 17.7 million passengers pass through the terminal on 89,000 flights each year.

No full background check was carried out before he arrived at the airport and he could have gone undetected for up to a month because a full criminal record check through the Disclosure and Barring Service search could have taken four weeks.

Airport bosses allegedly failed to carry out a full background check and he was handed a security pass and started work as a kitchen porter in a first-class lounge (file photo)

His security pass was revoked when airport bosses were alerted to the breach and Mohamed was sacked.

A spokesman for SM Global Consultancy told the People all security procedures set by Heathrow Airport and the Civil Aviation Agency had been followed.

A Heathrow spokesman said: 'We would like to reassure those who may be worried about this story that no security breaches have been made and Heathrow airport remains safe.

'The conditions of this temporary pass required the individual to be constantly escorted by a permanent member of staff. He was also subjected to robust and thorough airport security search, each time he gained access to certain areas.

'The UK has some of the most robust aviation security measures in the world and Heathrow follows and is compliant with Government regulations, which ensured checks were in place to limit airport access to this individual.'
A hidden camera in a palm tree was the undoing of a drug trade police estimate was worth $10million a year on the border of NSW and Queensland.

The 'Lane Boys' in Nimbin, NSW, would stand out the back of the Nimbin Museum, where police allege they would sell between two and three kilograms of cannabis a day.

But after Strike Force Cuppa, which saw 40 arrested, charged and found guilty, the booming local trade has died down, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Pictured: The tree that brought down the Nimbin drug trade, which police estimate was worth $10million a year

Officers installed a hidden camera within the fronds, and brought down a business which had been passed through generations since the 70s

Nimbin has enjoyed a publicly positive stance towards cannabis and an openly conducted drug trade for years. The town in northern NSW is even home to its own Hemp Embassy (pictured) - Daily Mail Australia does not suggest the Embassy is part of any illegal activity

Police allege the 'Lane Boys' were selling between two and three kilos of cannabis each day (pictured is cannabis seized during the lengthy take down of the trade)

Locals protested when the men appeared at Lismore court, arguing for those arrested cannabis had always been a normal part of their lives.

But a Magistrate told the men: 'I don't care what you grew up with, it's illegal', and sentenced at least seven of them to jail, The Northern Star reported.

After six of the men were arrested in June, Richmond Local Area Command Crime Manager Inspector Cameron Lindsay told reporters they had been using drug sales to fund a lifestyle of luxury.

'They were living a gangster lifestyle in the Gold Coast area,' he said.

'Living in lavish style houses and unsupported by any kind of work, frequenting casinos, driving flash cars and the like.'

Police allege the men arrested were living 'gangster lifestyles' on the Gold Coast and were rich because of the drug trade

Jesse Ward Howard (left) and Mahalie Bayles (right) received suspended sentences

Police alleged the group were 'unsupported by any kind of work' but drove luxury cars

Officers found stacks of cash in one man's wallet, allegedly from selling cannabis

Insp. Lindsay later told the Telegraph the men were a 'criminal gang' selling hydroponically grown cannabis as well as amphetamines, LSD and prescription drugs.

The gang was 'made of people with connections with Nimbin', he said, but the men lived on the Gold Coast.

'[They were] leading what I would describe as the gangster lifestyle  driving expensive cars, with expensive toys like jet skis and spending a lot of time at Jupiter's Casino,' he said.

Police shared photographs of the alleged syndicate's luxurious belongings, as well as of notes fallen onto the ground which contributed to a total seizure of $55,000 during one round of arrests

Police alleged the men had been spending 'a lot of time at Jupiter's Casino' on the Gold Coast and questioned how they could have afforded their lifestyle

During the execution of six search warrants on one day in June 2016, police also uncovered firearms

Police alleged the men were not only dealing cannabis, and claimed to have also found MDMA and amphetamines

Months on, the town has not recovered from the blow. While tourists continue to pour in, the drug trade in the town is no longer performed out in the open, if at all.

Locals have mourned the relaxed trade, which The Sydney Morning Herald reports has been running through generations of Lane Boys since the 1973 Aquarius Festival.

They complain ice is beginning to flood the area, and that all the dealers are 'too scared' to sell anymore, or are locked up in jail.

Others credit the boys entirely with keeping ice off the street for so long. In a video created by residents of Nimbin recently, one man notes there are needles scattered through the park, where previously there were none.

Locals have mourned the loss of the men, and say ice is taking over the small town
A teenage street gang is terrorising Brisbane, stealing cars, cash, jewellery and designer goods to fund their lavish lifestyles.

Members of the 'Northside gang', aged between 14 and 17, are facing upwards of 1000 charges stemming from a two-year crime spree across Brisbane's northern suburbs.

'We just do it for the money and the thrill, the adrenaline,' one member told Seven News.

With dirty money, one member said he bought designer clothing, and threw parties in expensive hotel rooms

'It's the adrenaline rush really, like, getting chased by the coppers, it's fun, high speeds,' another member told Viceland.

'We've stolen probably millions of dollars' worth of cars, the government would say, or the police would say.

'We don't steal s**tboxes, we don't steal 1992 camrys.'

The 17-year-old ringleader said he regularly stole cars worth up to $100,000 to gang members for as little as $500.

With the money he bought designer clothing, and threw parties in expensive hotel rooms, he told The Courier Mail.

Speaking to Viceland late last year, one gang member described the feeling he got while breaking into houses.

'Your heart goes through your chest, like, when you're walking through someone's house or something. And you think, oh s**t, what if he wakes up and he's 120 kilos and flattens you and puts you on your a**e.

The 16-year-old member said he started stealing cars when he dropped out of school.

The police said the offences were escalating from night-time break-ins, to brazen daylight robberies

The police said the offences were escalating from night-time break-ins, to brazen daylight robberies.

One police officer said social media was helping to drive the criminal activity.

The police said the young offenders were connecting with each other on social media, where they were also growing their criminal network.

The offenders have also used social media to boast about their crime sprees.

The number of juvenile robberies skyrocketed in 2016.

Robberies committed by juvenile offenders jumped 33 per cent between the 2015/2016 financial year and 2016/2017, while adult robberies only increased by 12 per cent.

Reports revealed females were responsible for 27 per cent of juvenile robberies.

A Queensland police officer said the justice system was failing to stop the teen offenders

The number of carjackings jumped from 402 in 2015/ 2016 to 470 in 2016/2017, according to Queensland Police statistics.

Teenage boys aged 15-19 years were found most likely to commit unlawful use of motor vehicle offences, in the 2016/2017 financial year.

A Queensland police officer said the justice system was failing to stop the teen offenders.

He told Seven News they got 'no real penalty' for their criminal, and often violent behaviour.

'Now with 17-year-olds being treated as juveniles instead of adults, it will give them another year to offend with anonymity and without ramifications,' the officer told the publication.

The officer said the system tried to prevent young offenders from prison sentences, or juvenile detention, because 'that's where the system lets them down'.
Dodging Taliban bullets in Helmand, RAF sniper Luke Huskisson drew on all his training just to stay alive.

Yet it was many months later, safely back at base in Suffolk, that the battlefield almost claimed him.

In Afghanistan, flushed with adrenaline, he was constantly tuned to life-threatening danger. Now, alone in his room, death and oblivion seemed enticing.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, Luke recalls: I was getting constant flashbacks and I couldnt take any more.

RAF sniper Luke Huskisson on duty in Afghanistan. In 2011 and 2012, he witnessed unimaginable horror in his role rescuing badly wounded frontline soldiers

Luke (centre) with his best friend Ryan Tomlin. It was the anniversary of the death of Ryan, killed during an insurgent attack in Helmand, that triggered Luke's breakdown. Both men were Senior Aircraftmen in 2 Squadron, RAF Regiment

In a race against time, his partner Charlotte McKenna, drove 200 miles to RAF Honington to save him. I have no doubt in my mind that if I hadnt gone to get Luke he wouldnt be here today, says Charlotte.

Six months earlier Luke, now 31, was diagnosed with chronic PTSD. Back in 2011 and 2012, he witnessed unimaginable horror in his role rescuing badly wounded frontline soldiers.

He also picked up the dead and brought them back to Camp Bastion by helicopter  among them his best friend.

What happened that night in February 2013, when Luke suffered a breakdown, brings into relief why round-the-clock care to prevent suicides is vital.

Luke says the nurses assigned to him and others were based in another county and went home at 5pm  and he suffered his breakdown at 2am. There was no out-of-hours provision.

For months previously his care, he says, was patchy. Mostly he saw a nurse just once a week. He was left to rot, Charlotte claims.

What happened that night in February 2013, when Luke suffered a breakdown, brings into relief why round-the-clock care to prevent suicides is vital. Luke says the nurses assigned to him and others were based in another county and went home at 5pm  and he suffered his breakdown at 2am. There was no out-of-hours provision. Pictured with his partner, Charlotte McKenna

It was the anniversary of the death of his best friend Ryan Tomlin, killed during an insurgent attack in Helmand, that triggered the breakdown. Both men were Senior Aircraftmen in 2 Squadron, RAF Regiment.

When he tries to speak of how he returned to Camp Bastion with Ryans body in a helicopter, he offers an apologetic half-smile while slowly shaking his head.

I have no doubt in my mind that if I hadnt gone to get Luke he wouldnt be here today Luke's partner, Charlotte McKenna

Twelve months later he visited Ryans grave in Hertfordshire. That night I was pacing the room, unable to focus on anything but the images replaying in my head, he says. I was going to end my life.

With the vague notion of saying goodbye, he called Charlotte and his parents in Cheshire.

Charlotte, 32, says: He was an absolute wreck, barely coherent. He kept saying that he was giving up, that it was the end. I was in a state of blind panic. She drove to Honington with Lukes father, Phil. On the way she kept trying to ring Luke but he didnt answer. We didnt know what wed face when we got there, says Charlotte.

Luke was in a terrible state. We took him home and he was placed under the care of an NHS crisis team who were fantastic. The base said he should have taken himself to A&E. Yet he was in no state to take himself anywhere.

During his Afghan tour, Luke was attached to the Medical Emergency Response Team, a flying A&E unit in a Chinook.

The couple have never stopped campaigning for a 24-hour helpline, with Luke even invading the pitch at Liverpools Anfield stadium during a match in 2015 in protest at the MoDs treatment of its soldiers

Mostly we would protect paramedics but often it was too dangerous for them and wed have to go on our own, administer first aid and get soldiers back to the Chinook, he says. There was a klaxon that went off at the camp when a call came in. At first, it was exhilarating but then  particularly after Ryan died  I came to dread that noise.

On one mission, he was called out to a helicopter crash that killed six American airmen. He risked his life trying to save them from the burning wreckage and was later commended for his courage when faced with an extraordinarily dangerous situation.

Since his breakdown Luke and Charlotte, who live on the west coast of Scotland with their two children, have fought with the RAF and Ministry of Defence.

A planned investigation into his treatment before his breakdown kept stalling  and the RAF failed, despite requests, to give Luke his full medical records.

Eventually a Medical Board dealt with his case in his absence and a decision was made to discharge him. He left the RAF last year without a pension  a decision he is appealing and which the couple describe as appalling.

In all this time, the couple have never stopped campaigning for a 24-hour helpline, with Luke even invading the pitch at Liverpools Anfield stadium during a match in 2015 in protest at the MoDs treatment of its soldiers.

Charlotte gave up a well-paid job with British Airways to care for her partner, who still suffers, often vomiting in his sleep because of nightmares.

She has written hundreds of letters and tirelessly lobbied politicians. Some offered words of encouragement but little else. Only Lord Dannatt, she says, took up their case with any gusto.

I wouldnt have fought for as long as I have if I didnt believe the military are putting peoples lives at risk, she says.

We are not fighting for ourselves any longer  its too late for Luke, his career has gone, they have taken it from him. We are fighting for serving soldiers.

The MoD said: We are committed to providing the best mental-health care possible and are spending 20 million this year on mental-health provisions.

First the Generals, now the troops  led by the most injured soldier to survive the Afghan conflict  demand action on 24-hour helpline

By MARK NICOL for the Mail On Sunday

The family of the most seriously wounded British soldier to survive the war in Afghanistan last night backed The Mail on Sundays campaign to provide round-the-clock care for traumatised troops.

Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson, 33, suffered 40 blast injuries, including severe brain damage, after his Land Rover hit a Taliban anti-tank mine in Helmand province in 2006.

Last night his mother Diane Dernie, 59, gave her familys support to our bid to convince defence chiefs to set up a 24/7 helpline to allow troops to speak directly to their carers.

The family of Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson, 33 - the most seriously wounded British soldier to survive the war in Afghanistan - last night backed The Mail on Sundays campaign to provide round-the-clock care for traumatised troops. Above, Ben meeting Prince Charles in 2010

She was joined by other British heroes of the Helmand province campaign, including Military Cross winner Colour Sergeant Trevor Coult, 43, and military historian Andrew Roberts.

Ms Dernie, from Doncaster, said: A helpline like this is such a small undertaking from the Ministry of Defences perspective that it is remarkable it doesnt have it as part of care provisions to troops.

We absolutely support this campaign and I know Ben is very aware of the rising problem of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which must be tackled urgently. Some of his Afghan comrades have tried to take their own lives.

Troops with mental health problems should know they can always speak to people who are familiar with their cases.

Our report last week on Nathan Hunts widow

Ben is actually the lucky one as hes been able to rebuild his life. That is a lot harder to do for the troops with full-blown PTSD who completely withdraw into themselves once the condition sets in.

Despite his injuries, L/Bdr Parkinson, who was awarded an MBE in 2013, remains a serving soldier and is not permitted to comment on MoD policies. Prince Charles described him as an inspiration.

The Mail on Sunday launched its campaign with former head of the British Army, Lord Dannatt, following the suicide last month of Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt.

More than 400 serving soldiers are believed to have taken their lives since 1995, while the number of troops suffering from PTSD has doubled to around 2,500 in the past ten years. Last night, Colour Sergeant Coult, of the Royal Irish Regiment, said: The provision of care for troops with PTSD isnt good enough and a helpline for serving personnel would be a big step in the right direction  24/7 care is a basic requirement.

Even though I was suffering from mental illness, the MoD forced me to leave my military accommodation, adding financial stress to my medical condition.

Andrew Roberts said: Britain has a long history of not taking care of her soldiers after conflicts, despite their being the best of the best of our society. What happened to Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt must never happen again.

The MoD said: We take the mental health of our Armed Forces very seriously.
As Mardi Gras festivities kicked off in the lead up to Fat Tuesday, revelers braved rainy conditions to enjoy the day's first parade.

The Krewe of Iris, the oldest and one of the largest female Carnival organization for women, went off without a hitch despite participants being cold and wet for most of the attraction.

It also celebrated its 100 year anniversary, as paraders at the Krewe threw out beads, cups, doubloons, and host of Iris-themed items.

Mardi Gras refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday

Mardi Gras, French for 'Fat Tuesday,' is scheduled to arrive in 'The Big Easy' on February 13, 2018

The biggest parade celebrations, however, like Endymion, Bacchus, Zulu, and Rex occur in the days prior to the grand event on Tuesday

Conditions will most likely 'turn out to be mild as temperatures peak in the 70s, above normal for this time of the year

'[The] Krewe of Iris includes 1500 members participating in the Carnival celebration featuring bands and entertainment from across the United States,' which includes '12-tandem floats, and 37 floats,' organizers state on their website at mardigrasneworleans.com .

Meteorologists predict that weather conditions for the festival will remain steady, keeping the Bacchus, Zulu, and Rex parades damp in the days prior to the grand event on Tuesday.

Rainy weather is not usually cause for a halt in the festivities, but city officials warn that thunder and lightning storms are a different matter

During this time, experts like AccuWeather meteorologist Jordan Root say party-goers should bring rain jackets and water-friendly shoes to the celebration, but says winter jackets, hats and gloves can be ledt behind.

'A sweatshirt or light jacket will be needed for those heading out [at night] as temperatures will fall to near 60 late,' Root said.

Mardi Gras fans were also treated to four other notable processions on Saturday, including the Krewe of NOMTOC (New Orleans Most Talked Of Club), Tucks, Endymion and the unfortunately named Isis parade.

'Founded in 1973, the all-female Krewe of Isis first started parading in Kenner before taking the standard Veterans Memorial Boulevard route in Jefferson Parish,' the organizers state.

'Comprised of 250 riders and 21 floats, this Egyptian-themed krewe features an assortment of marching bands, dance teams and specatularly attired maids.'

A man leads a marching band ahead of The Krewe of Tucks Parade during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana February 10, 2018

The Krewe of Iris Parade rolls down the street as a part of Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana

'Isis is an Ancient Egyptian goddess who was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife, as well as the patroness of nature and magic. She is known as a protector of the dead and goddess of children,' it adds.

The AccuWeather specialist also said that downpours and thunderstorms may crash the party, possibly interrupting and potentially postponing parades throughout the city.

Rainy weather is not usually cause for a halt in the festivities, but city officials warn that thunder and lightning storms are a different matter.

The showers are expected to stick around through Monday, but the threat for severe weather will decrease significantly by then, according to Accuweather.com.

'Weather conditions should turn out to be okay for Mardi Gras on Tuesday in New Orleans, though a front nearby will help keep clouds around and could produce stray showers during the afternoon,' Root said.

'Clouds on Tuesday night will prevent temperatures from falling too much so folks can expect a mild night as well.'

Mardi Gras refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday.

Carnival is a Western Christian and Greek Orthodox festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent, the solemn six week period before Easter Sunday.

The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer and self-denial in the run up to the holy holiday.

Parade participants make their way down the street ahead of the The Krewe of Iris Parade in Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana

The showers are expected to stick around through Monday, but the threat for severe weather will decrease significantly by then, according to Accuweather




Seventy-five per cent of Britons would keep a big lottery win secret from relatives, research shows.

Londoners were the most secretive, with 84 per cent saying they would keep the news under wraps.

The most honest region was Wales, where 68 per cent said they would keep quiet, according to the poll for online lottery website jackpot.com.
President Donald Trump announced Saturday his war on MS-13 declaring that the only way to take down the gang is to change the country's 'sad, weak and pathetic' immigration laws.

In a nearly three minute video posted to Twitter, Trump outlined his plan on combating the gang, which has thousands of members in at least 40 states and is responsible for dozens of gruesome deaths in the country.

MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, was started by Central American immigrants, mainly from El Salvador, in Los Angeles in the 1980s. The gang expanded to include Mexicans, Hondurans and other Central and South Americans.

According to the FBI, their motto is 'kill, rape, control, and its members engage in a wide range of criminal activity including murder, rape, prostitution, robbery, home invasions and kidnapping.

According to the commander in chief, part of his plan includes changing how immigrants enter the country.

President Donald Trump announced Saturday his war on the gang MS-13

Trump said in order to stop the gang the country needs to change its 'sad, weak and pathetic' immigration laws, which he said MS-13 members exploits

Trump said in his nearly three minute Twitter video that he plans to end chain migration because it's a 'disaster and very unfair' to the country

Trump said his administration identified three major priorities when it comes to strengthening the country's immigration system

'My Administration has identified three major priorities for creating a safe, modern and lawful immigration system: fully securing the border, ending chain migration, and canceling the visa lottery,' he said.

Trump said 'loopholes' in the immigration system has allowed for 'criminals and gang members to break into' the country because the laws are 'so weak, so sad and so pathetic'.

He said MS-13 and 'many other gangs' take advantage of those loopholes to not only enter the United States but find new recruits.

'The laws are bad and they have to be changed,' he said.

One way Trump plans to rectify the situation is by ending chain migration.

Under current law, immigrants already residing in the United States can petition for visas for their spouses and minor children.

Once the petitioner becomes a citizen they can ask for additional family members, like parents and adult children, to come over.

Trump also said in his speech that he wants to stop visa lottery, which allows immigrants to petition for certain family members to come to the country

MS-13 has thousands of members in the US and is active in 40 states

The gang was declared a 'priority' last yer by the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force allowing prosecutors to pursue any legal avenue to target members

Trump said chain migration is a 'disaster and very unfair' for the country.

He also reiterated his plan to stop the visa lottery, which Trump said should have never been allowed in the first place.

'People enter into a lottery to come into our country. What kind of a system is that? It is time for Congress to act and to protect Americans,' he said. 'Every member of Congress should chose the side of law enforcement and the side of the American people. That's the way it has to be.'

MS-13 was designated as a 'priority' last year by the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said prosecutors are able to pursue any legal avenue to target the gang.
She writes the 'furious little pocket rocket' ex-wife 'tore strips off' lover in public

Barnaby Joyce's ex-wife 'tore strips off' his new girlfriend in public and called her a 'homewrecker' in front of witnesses, it has been claimed.

Columnist Miranda Devine reveals explosive new information in Rendezview about how Natalie Joyce found out about the deputy prime minister's affair with his former staffer Vikki Campion, and her reaction to it.

'Last year, sometime around April, Natalie had wind of the affair,' Devine writes.

Scroll down for video

Barnaby Joyce's (right) ex-wife reportedly 'tore strips off' his new girlfriend (left) in public

Devine reveals Natalie Joyce (left) called Vikki a 'homewrecker' in front of witnesses

'Friends say the office stopped telling her what was in his diary and a wife's intuition kicked in.

'She stormed up to Vikki in Tamworth and tore strips off her, a furious little pocket rocket facing up to a frightened gazelle.

'She called Vikki a "homewrecker" in front of witnesses.

'Now she tells friends with black humour that Barnaby is hopeless with babies and never changed a nappy, so good luck, Vikki,' she added.

The alleged confrontation reportedly took place around the same time Ms Campion went from Mr Joyce's media adviser to a more senior position in the cabinet - something which media reports suggest Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull approved.

It's thought the two are expecting My Joyce's first boy together after it was revealed he split with his wife of 24-years, Natalie, with whom he shares four daughters with.

Ms Campion (pictured) worked as Mr Joyce's media adviser before the pair became a couple

Mr Joyce moved out of his Tamworth family home in December and later moved into the townhouse he now shares with Ms Campion.

The marital breakdown became public knowledge late last year when he returned to Parliament as Deputy Prime Minister.

Mrs Joyce said she felt 'deceived' by the news that Ms Campion is pregnant with her husband's fifth child and claimed the relationship began when she was a paid staffer.

The Deputy PM's (pictured) wife Natalie said the family was 'devastated' in a statement

'The situation is devastating, for my girls who are affected by the family breakdown and for me as a wife of 24 years who placed my own career on hold to support Barnaby through his political life,' she said in a statement.

'Our family has had to be shared during Barnaby's political career and it was with trust that we let campaign and office staff into our home and into our lives.

Naturally we feel deceived and hurt by the actions of Barnaby and the staff member involved.'
Schoolchildren are being taught offensive and absurd lessons that show suffragettes alongside other extremist activity, including the Nazis, Islamic terrorists and the IRA.

Classes devised by teachers with the Governments anti-terror Prevent programme feature the suffragettes in an online presentation called Extremism Isnt New.

The first slide of the presentation features a picture of suffragette Emily Davison, who in June 1913 threw herself under the Kings horse and died in order to attract attention to the campaign to secure votes for women.

Schoolchildren are being taught offensive and absurd lessons that show suffragettes alongside other extremist activity, including the Nazis, Islamic terrorists and the IRA (suffragette Emily Davison, left, and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, right)

The next slides show the Nazis; the IRAs Remembrance Day bombing of Enniskillen in 1987, the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attack in New York and Anders Breivik, the far-Right extremist who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011.

Sophie Walker, leader of the Womens Equality Party, said: It is ridiculous to list the tactics of suffragettes next to Nazism and 9/11 as an example of extremism. Inviting comparisons between acts of terror or the systematic extermination of millions of people and women fighting for their basic human rights is offensive and absurd.

Historian and suffragette author Diane Atkinson, a former teacher, said: I am extremely unhappy by the inclusion of the suffragettes in this. Violence was done against them and to them so it is absolutely outrageous that they are being used as an example of extremism. The lesson plans, taught to hundreds of pupils in Leicestershire, were designed by the Respect Programme, run by Leicester City Council, with support from the Prevent programme and teachers from six local secondary schools.

Will Baldet, Prevent co-ordinator for Leicester, said: It is ridiculous to suggest this implies the suffragette struggle is comparable to Nazism. The idea is to explore the concept of extremism through history and highlight how the use of violence hinders any cause, no matter how noble.
Transgender convicts can dictate how they are searched and addressed by prison officers under extraordinary privileges laid out in official guidance uncovered by The Mail on Sunday.

The special treatment has angered other inmates, who say some are changing gender just so that they can enjoy the advantages.

Transgender prisoners also have greater freedom in how they dress, have access to make-up and wigs, and can shower and wash their clothes in private.

The new rules came into force a year ago following a rapid rise in the number of transgender inmates and concern about their treatment.

Transgender convicts can dictate how they are searched and addressed by prison officers under extraordinary privileges laid out in official guidance (file photo)

Latest figures show there were 125 transgender prisoners in England and Wales at the end of March 2017, up from 70 a year earlier.

At least four have died in custody.

The new rules state that prison staff must communicate in ways that respect the gender prisoners identify with, including the name and pronoun they prefer.

They are also entitled to choose their hair styles, make-up and clothing.

Acknowledging this may cause resentment, the guidance adds: It may be helpful to explain this to other prisoners who are required to wear prison uniform.

Prison officers cannot ask to see a Gender Recognition Certificate  a legally recognised form  and governors must ask consent if they want to tell staff what an inmates gender was at birth.

Transgender prisoners, who can already choose whether they serve time in a male or female jail, will also have to be asked their view of the searching procedures.

According to a book by transgender prisoner Sarah Jane Baker, this means that men who are transitioning to women will have different parts of their bodies searched by male and female guards.

The special treatment has angered other inmates, who say some are changing gender just so that they can enjoy the advantages (file photo)

Pre-op, trans-women [male to female] will, by consent, have the top half of their bodies searched by two female officers. The lower half will be searched by two male officers, she wrote in Transgender: Behind Prison Walls.

Under the revised rules, transgender inmates are assured they will be given as much privacy as possible by having set times when they can use showers by themselves.

But those who change gender regularly are told staff must take pictures of them in both their male and female roles.

And they may not be allowed wigs because they present an escape risk.

Prison staff are also warned to watch out for male prisoners falsely claiming to be transgender so they can be sent to womens jails.

Meanwhile a transgender advisory board is being set up to consider introducing a gender-neutral uniform for all offenders.

Transgender prisoners also have greater freedom in how they dress, have access to make-up and wigs, and can shower and wash their clothes in private (file photo)

Letters sent to prisoners newspaper Inside Time reveal the suspicion and resentment of many other inmates.

A convict at Northumberland jail wrote: Transgender prisoners get to shower in private, while other prisoners, gay or straight, have to shower together in one big open room. Is this fair?

Transgender prisoners are allowed to put signs on their cell doors asking staff to knock before entering or looking through the observation hatch.

Why cant male prisoners be afforded the same courtesy?

Another wrote: The sickest part is that the system can do sod all about these trans bandwagon jumpers, because the policy states they must be treated as transgender prisoners if they say they are.

The Ministry of Justice said: There are stringent procedures in place to ensure transgender prisoners are managed safely and in accordance with the law. We have robust safeguards in place to ensure that the system is not abused.
Johannesburg-The musical show of "Tea Culture on Maritime Silk Road" brought by Consulate General of The People's Republic of China in Johannesburg and Fujian province of China was favored by guests in Johannesburg, included President Zumas wife, Bongi Ngema Zuma.

The musical show is about the tea culture comes from Fujian province and spreads to the whole world, which is also known as Maritime Silk Road.

Before the show, Bongi Ngema Zuma wrote South Africa in Chinese with Chinese brush, a traditional Chinese pen. She also tasted the Chinese tea with Consul General Ruan Ping and Deputy Minister of Tourism, Elizabeth Thabethe.

This year is the 20th Anniversary of establishment of China and South Africa diplomatic relations, and this kind of activities will help to enhance the mutual-understanding of culture. Both countries may find more opportunity of corporation in trade.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un chose the icy setting of the Winter Olympics yesterday to launch a charm offensive aimed at thawing relations with South Korea.

His younger sister Kim Yo Jong shook hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and gave him a handwritten note inviting him to take part in a summit at the earliest possible date.

Moon responded by saying: Let us make it happen by creating the necessary conditions in the future.

If it does take place, the meeting would be the first time the heads of state from North and South Korea have met for a decade.

Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong shook hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and gave him a handwritten note inviting him to take part in a summit at the earliest possible date

Ms Kim, 30, the regimes propaganda chief and an increasingly influential figure in North Korea, is the first member of Pyongyangs ruling dynasty to set foot in the South since the end of the Korean war in 1953.

She was accompanied by Kim Yong-nam, North Koreas ceremonial head of state.

The two sides spoke for three hours over lunch at the presidential palace in Seoul. Treats on the menu included kimchi  Korean pickled cabbage  and soju rice liquor.

US Vice President Mike Pence snubbed the lunch and avoided any interaction with Ms Kim when they sat just feet apart at the spectacular opening ceremony

According to reports, Ms Kim left a note at the palace expressing hope that Pyongyang and Seoul will become closer in the heart of Koreans and for unification and prosperity in the near future.

Earlier, the pair had exchanged pleasantries. You must have had a hard time due to the cold weather, Moon said as he greeted Ms Kim.

It was OK because you, Mr President, were kind enough to care, she reportedly replied.

Despite the early signs of relations thawing, the reaction from America remained decidedly frosty.

The day before the opening ceremony, Kim Jong Un staged a massive military parade with trucks carrying missiles that could be capable of striking the US mainland

US Vice President Mike Pence snubbed the lunch and avoided any interaction with Ms Kim when they sat just feet apart at the spectacular opening ceremony.

He only stood up for the US team, even though other dignitaries rose to their feet to applaud the joint arrival of athletes from both North and South Korea.

Later, Pence echoed the tough stance being taken by Donald Trump against Kim Jong Uns continued nuclear tests.

He told NBC News: Were going to continue to put all the pressure to bear economically and diplomatically, while preserving our military options.

The day before the opening ceremony, Kim Jong Un staged a massive military parade with trucks carrying missiles that could be capable of striking the US mainland.
For anyone who has seen a cringeworthy acceptance speech at the Oscars, this news may not come as a complete surprise  actors really are vain, self-obsessed and over-dramatic.

New research suggests that showbusiness professionals are riddled with personality disorders.

The study led by University College of London psychologist Adrian Furnham, reports: Both male and female actors scored significantly higher than non-actors on antisocial, narcissism, histrionic, borderline and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders.

New research suggests that showbusiness professionals are riddled with personality disorders (file photo)

These traits are strongly linked to the stereotype that exists of the actor  namely an attention-seeking, impulsive, self-loving, unstable individual.

Researchers studied 214 actors, comparing personalities to a similar group of non-actors.

The study, in the journal Psychology Of Popular Media Culture, suggested that some of the traits are an asset for an actor. Narcissism gives them the confidence to win over an audience and an obsessive compulsive personality can help when memorising scripts.
A second crossing link between the UK and Europe could be coming closer to reality with discussions intensifying.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was ridiculed in some quarters after he called for another permanent transport connection to the continent.

But Eurotunnel chiefs have now apparently requested a meeting with British officials about a possible new crossing.

The French chief executive of the firm has sent a letter to Theresa May saying he is very interested' in a second fixed link and would be 'delighted' to start detailed talks, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

Boris Johnson, pictured, mooted the possibility of a cross channel bridge to France

Eurotunnel suggested a second crossing should be considered even though they are only using 54 per cent of the current capacity

The note from Jacques Gounon states: 'The idea of a second fixed link is something that we regularly consider in our long-term plans and we would be delighted to engage with your officials to explore the possibility further,' according to the report.

Mr Gounon added: 'We are very interested in this possibility, albeit perhaps a little early as today we only use around 54 per cent of total Tunnel capacity.'

Mr Johnson put forward proposals for a second Channel crossing in meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron when he visited the UK last month.

If built, the structure would become Europe's longest bridge at 22 miles in length.

Current Channel Tunnel traffic only runs at about 54 per cent of total capacity but Eurotunnel has the rights to build any second crossing until 2086.

After Mr Johnson's call for a 'fixed link', some experts suggested that a bridge was a technical possibility, but critics ridiculed the idea.

The Foreign Secretary was understood to have told aides: They are two of the worlds biggest economies and they are linked by a single railway. It is ridiculous.

He had tweeted earlier in the day: So much important work in [the UK-France summit] outcomes, but Im especially pleased we are establishing a panel of experts to look at major projects together.

Our economic success depends on good infrastructure and good connections. Should the Channel Tunnel be just a first step?

Eurotunnel corporate affairs director John Keefe said last month that it would be 'decades' before the extra capacity was needed, but fluctuating growth rates and changes in technology made it difficult to be more precise.

He said: 'It's certainly right to be thinking about it and it's something we consider on a regular basis.

'We look at the forecasts and we look at where we see traffic growth going and when we have got a stable period ahead of us then we can plan and predict.'
The devastated family of an inmate, 54, who was killed inside his cell while on remand for his first alleged offence has demanded answers.

Alfredo Pengue was inside his unlocked cell at Silverwater Prison, west of Sydney, when he was set upon shortly after 2pm on Friday.

Mr Pengue was found unconscious in his cell, where he had been on remand since January 1, on a grievous bodily harm charge.

He was taken to Westmead Hospital, but could not be revived.

The prisoner died after being assaulted by another inmate inside his unlocked Silverwater Prison (pictured) cell

Mr Pengue's devastated family has now demanded to know how he died under the prison's watch, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Diane Elston called on the New South Wales government to explain.

'On behalf of my client's family I can say they are devastated by the loss of their son and brother,' Ms Elston said.

'His family await answers as to how his death occurred and why better security measures were not in place at the Silverwater MRRC.

'The family ask for their privacy to be respected during this terribly sad time.'

The 54-year-old was inside his unlocked cell on Friday when he was set on shortly after 2pm

Mr Pengue, who faced criminal charges for the first time, reportedly occupied a cell that opened onto a common yard.

New South Wales Police said Mr Pengue was attacked by another inmate at the prison, but are yet to lay any charges.

Mr Pengue appeared at Central Local Court on January 9, where he was referred for mental health treatment.

He was held on remand at the prison for allegedly causing grievous bodily harm with intent and being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence.

He reportedly had no connection with the criminal underworld and was serving time for his first offence.

Mr Pengue was expected to apply for bail when he faced the NSW Supreme Court on February 26.

An investigation into the incident and his cause of death has been launched by Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police.

A report into his death will be prepared for the coroner.
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Red Gerard is all smiles as he attends a press conference after winning gold

Red Gerard, one of the youngest members of Team USA, secured the country's first gold medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics - and couldn't quite believe what he had done.

Snowboarder Gerard, 17, who hopes to one day become a firefighter, turned the heat up on the freezing slopes to seal a late bid for Olympic glory.

Viewers could clearly hear the shocked teen say 'Holy s***' on tv as he finished his final run.

It's no surprise he was shocked. Gerard had been in last place before launching his board one last time at scintillating speed in the men's slopestyle final at Phoenix Snow Park to beat all comers.

His family joined in repeated chants of 'USAUSA' as he acknowledged the cheers and applause from supporters.

With youth on his side and in 11th place out of 11 athletes left vying for the medals, the teenager could easily have been dismissed as having arrived at the Olympics a few years too early.

Red Gerard, of the United States, smiles after winning gold in the men's slopestyle final at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

Red had been in last place before launching his board one last time at scintillating speed in the men's slopestyle final at Phoenix Snow Park to beat all comers

But the Colorado based Olympian, who stands at just 5'5 and won't turn 18 until June, finished the event with an incredible last run which saw him complete a risky last triple flip which shot his name to the top of the medal board.

The teen Gold medal winner said later: 'It feels incredible. I'm just really happy that I got to land a run and I'm just really excited right now.'

Speaking of his gold medal clincher last run, he added: 'It was awesome. I just told myself that I want to land a run I was a little bummed on my first two runs because I fell a couple of times.

Gerard (centre) of celebrates with Max Parrot (left) and Mark McMorris both of Canada after winning gold and enjoying the podium presentations (top)

'I'm just so happy that it all worked out. I was really happy when I saw I came in as first.

'I would have to guess that people are pretty surprised. I had a lot of fun and all I really want to do is just land runs.'

Speaking of the windy condition which led to some skiing events being cancelled Sunday, he said :'It was tough. The first two runs were a little weird. It was just off and on, the wind. The wind on this course affects it a lot.

'I think we got a break in the third run, which was really nice, but the first two runs were pretty difficult.'

He paid tribute to the support of 18 family members who turned out to cheer him on to the first US gold medal of the Olympics.

Snowboarder Gerard, 17, who hopes to one day become a firefighter, turned the heat up on the freezing slopes to seal a late bid for Olympic glory

Gerard was excited, and stunned, by the late surge that took him to glory

'It's crazy. Sometimes it can be too much, but it's really fun having your own family here. They definitely don't take things too seriously.

'They're a big party. It's cool to have them around to keep the nerves low.'

Speaking of his very vocally supportive family he said: 'I cannot wait to see them all and see what they have to say.'

He turned to hug his family members, including his brothers who had introduced him to the sport at the age of two, as the crowd went wild with excitement.

Some had cardboard cut outs of the teenager's face and carried the name of the boy who is the youngest of five brothers and second youngest of seven.

He was encouraged to take up the sport due to his siblings. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, he did not find it easy to do a lot of snowboarding.

But ten years ago his family decided on a trial move to Breckenridge, Colorado, where he was able to develop his skills further in ideal conditions.

He has a snowboarding training facility built by him and his older brothers at the back of his family home in Summit County, COwhich is equipped with down-bars, rope-tow and DIY jumps. Canadians Max Parrot and Mark McMorris took silver and gold.




Three people have been killed and four more injured after a tour helicopter crashed near the Grand Canyon.

A Eurocopter EC130 crashed in 'unknown circumstances' at around 5.30pm around 60 miles northwest of Peach Springs, Arizona.

The helicopter had seven people on board when it crashed on the Hualapai Nation reservation.

The Eurocopter EC130 crashed in 'unknown circumstances' at around 5.30pm

The helicopter was touring the area in Arizona when it crashed.

Witnesses rushed to the scene but the victims were 600ft down in the canyon.

Photographer Teddy Fujimoto told DailyMail.com he had flown to the Grand Canyon to take wedding pictures when he saw people rushing by.

'Our pilot and other pilots all started running,' he said.

'I followed them and I saw smoke. Immediately saw two girls. I could see that they were alive and conscious. They were in their 30s or 40s.

'A lot of chaos going on. They were down in the valley, around 600ft down from where we were.

'People made their way down. It was certainly dangerous and a mazy climb down for them.

It took around 10 minutes for the emergency services to arrive. By the time they did, most of the fire was out.'

Rescuers try to get to the crashed aircraft. Three people died and four were injured in the tragedy

'At approximately 5:20 p.m. (7:20 p.m. ET) a Papillon Airways EC-130 vessel carrying a pilot and six passengers was reported to have crashed near Quartermaster Canyon, within the Grand Canyon on the Hualapai Nation,' police chief Francis E. Bradley Sr. of the Hualapai reservation said.

'Three passengers are confirmed deceased and there are four level 1 trauma patients at the scene,' Bradley said.

The victims had all been on a tour of the Grand Canyon but their trip ended in tragedy.

The helicopter suffered 'sustained substantial damage' in the accident.

Mr Fujimoto said he was left numbed by what he had seen.

'Everybody was in shock. I just felt horrible,' he said.

'You could hear the screaming loudly, even from all that way away. I've never seen anything like it'.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
A cruise ship has been forced to turn back to Sydney after a brawl erupted after a girl allegedly 'hit a guy over the head with a bottle of wine'.

Police officers were seen arriving on board the ship at Bradley's Head, Sydney, on Sunday, where they removed six males and one female.

There was a 30 minute brawl on the P&O Explorer about 1am on Sunday involving at least 15 passengers, according to witnesses.

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Police officers were seen arriving on board the ship at Bradley's Head, Sydney, on Sunday, where they removed six males and one female

Those involved were detained in on-board cells, while the boat turned around and headed back to Sydney.

The cruise ship, which departed from White Bay near Balmain on Friday, arrived back at Bradley's Head, Sydney, where police became involved.

New South Wales police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia seven people were escorted off the ship.

A P&O spokesman told Daily Mail Australia it called authorities early on Sunday morning to remove 'a group of people from the ship as a result of their behaviour on board overnight'.

'This is in line with our strict policy of zero tolerance of excessive behaviour that affects the safety, comfort and enjoyment of other guests,' he said.

Police officers were seen arriving on board the ship at Bradley's Head, Sydney, on Sunday, where they removed six males and one female

The P&O spokesman confirmed police officers met the ship when it returned to Sydney to remove the group involved

He said the Pacific Explorer was on a three-night round trip cruise from Sydney when the brawl broke out.

The spokesman confirmed police officers met the ship when it returned to Sydney to remove the group involved.

'The group removed today will no longer be welcome to travel with P&O Cruises or any of its associated brands.'

One shocked witness said he saw 'a girl hit a guy over the head with a bottle of wine'.

'The cops escorted her off with her boyfriend and then the others on a separate boat,' he said.

A second witness said the brawl was between two bucks parties.

'Someone got glassed, we're waiting for cops to take them off,' he said.

A P&O spokesman told Daily Mail Australia it called authorities early on Sunday morning to remove 'a group of people from the ship as a result of their behaviour on board overnight'

'It was all over some girls who were dancing and some guys started harassing them,' a witness said (P&O cruise ship pictured)

Another passenger said they saw the brawl as it unfolded in a common area in front of about 100 passengers.

'It was all over some girls who were dancing and some guys started harassing them,' they said.

'Another guy who might work on the ship came over and told them to stop and they didn't like that so they started shoving. Soon lots of people got involved and were pushing and shoving, punches were thrown and people got tackled to the ground. Security got hit too.

'Eventually security and bystanders separated them but then someone would break free and they would go back at it. Others ran elsewhere on the ship to tell friends who came back and started the fight again.

'I'm sure someone was hurt with how much violence there was. Captain sent them straight to the cells and shut the casino down, apparently he doesn't take any s**t.

'It was really shocking to see on a cruise ship. At least it gave us a break from losing money in the casino but now everything on the ship is closed and our cruise is a little ruined.'
More than 100 people marched through the streets of Redfern on Sunday to protest the death of a local man who died trying to escape from police.

Patrick Fisher, 31, was wanted on outstanding warrants for stealing and assault when police kicked down the door of his girlfriend's home on Wednesday morning.

The father-of-three panicked and tried to escape, when he slipped off the 13th floor balcony of the apartment block.

Peaceful protesters arguing he would not have died if the police did not chase him stormed the streets of Redfern with a megaphone, yelling 'they say accident, we say murder', and 'too many coppers, not enough justice'.

More than 100 people marched through Sydney's Redfern on Sunday after a 31-year-old man died as he was being chased by police

One woman held a megaphone as the group stormed the inner city suburb (pictured)

A shrine was set up in his honour, where a snap back cap, colourful flowers, cards and candles were surrounded by bottles and gumnuts.

One attendee performed a traditional smoking ceremony as the crowd solemnly watched on.

Patrick is reportedly the first cousin of Australian Olympian Cathy Freeman.

Rachel Evans from the Indigenous Social Justice Association, who attended Sunday's march, told Daily Mail Australia many shared their stories of the young man.

'The stories today of Pat were moving - he was a really gentle, social man,' she said.

Patrick (left) was remembered as a 'gentle, social man' by attendees at Sunday's protest

The group put out a shrine for their beloved brother and friend, which was soon covered in colourful flowers, bottles, gumnuts and a snap back cap

A traditional smoking ceremony was held for the crowd, who held signs and pictures about the death

Ms Evans said attendees wanted Patrick's death looked at in an inquiry, and not brushed off as an accident.

'We're saying it's another death in custody,' she said.

'If they hadn't broken down the door, he wouldn't have tried to escape.

'This has to stop. There was no justice done.'

Locals of all ages were seen at Sunday's march, which began at the George St housing commission block where Patrick died and ended in Redfern Park

Two men were seen with traditional face markings as they farewelled Patrick and fought for justice over his death

A critical incident team from Botany Bay Local Area Command will investigate all of the circumstances surrounding Patrick's death, a statement from NSW Police says.

'The investigation will be subject to an independent review and a report will be prepared for the Coroner,' the statement read.

The investigation will be monitored by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Patrick's family and NSW Police for comment.
A new medicine can rid flu suffers of their symptoms in as little as a day, but the drug will be no good to this year's epidemic because it won't be available to the United States until 2019.

Scientists in Japan said they have developed an experimental pill that kills the influenza virus in 24 hours, three times faster than what it takes Tamiflu to rid the virus in sick patients. Tamiflu is one of the most popular drugs to treat people sick with the flu.

Researchers said a late-stage trial on American and Japanese flu patients showed that Shionogi & Co. compound wiped out the virus in as little as a day, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Scientists in Japan developed a new flu drug that is said to kill the virus in 24 hours

The Shionogi & Co. compound works three times faster than Tamiflu, one of the most popular flu medicine doctors and nurses use to treat patients sick with the virus

The Japanese company said they will apply for US approval this summer and the drug should be available in the country next year

It also only requires a single does, while Tamiflu requires two doses a day, for five days. Both drugs take roughly the same amount of time to completely contain flu symptoms, but researches said the experimental compound provides instant relief to patients.

The drug works by blocking the flu virus from hijacking other cells in the body

Shinogi, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, said the drugs fast response to killing off the virus is important because it reduces the risk of contagious it is.

The World Health Organization told the outlet that the Shionogi & Co. compound could change the way doctors and nurses treat people sick with the flu. The data that weve seen looks very promising, he said.

Shinogai's CEO Isao Teshirogi said the compound works by blocking the flu from hijacking other cells in the body, thus keeping it from spreading. Takeki Uehara, who led the compounds development, told the Wall Street Journal it was developed by researchers studying an anti-HIV drug that does the same thing.

The World Health Organization told the outlet that the Shionogi & Co. compound could change the way the flu is treated. Pictured above is Shinogi's CEO Isao Teshirogi

This year's flu virus is said to be the deadliest killing more than 4,000 Americans this year alone

'So we said: Why dont we build on our HIV knowledge to find a way to treat the flu? And we did, she said.

Shinoagi and Roche, the company that makes Tamiflu, said they are in the process of conducting a second-stage of global trials. They will then apply for US approval this summer. It could take up until next year to get a decision, Shinogai said.

The flu has been particularly deadly this year. According to Fortune, recent data from the CDC reveals that the virus was responsible for 10 per cent of deaths that occurred in the first few weeks of this year.

The outlet claims there were 40,414 deaths in the US during the third week of 2018 and 4,064 were from pneumonia or influenza.
Her revealing new book, Rebel With A Cause, is set to be published later this year

She explained that it was her 'turning point' to giving up both alcohol and drugs

The Tasmanian politician shared the details of her tragic suicide attempt in 2009

Embattled former senator Jacqui Lambie has finally broken her silence and opened up about her suicide attempt in the wake of her battle with depression and addiction almost a decade ago.

'I just remember thinking, "This is it, I've had it",' she shared with Lisa Wilkinson on Channel Ten show The Project on Sunday night.

The incumbent Tasmanian MP revealed that she tried to kill herself in 2009 and even wrote letters to her sons, explaining: 'I'd just given up and I just thought, "I've become a burden and I'm no use to them anymore".'

Embattled former senator Jacqui Lambie has opened up about her suicide attempt on Sunday

'Jacqui (right) doesn't hold back in our interview,' said Lisa Wilkinson (left) on Sunday night

Ms Lambie announced her resignation from the Senate in 2017, after revealing she held dual British-Australian citizenship which is prohibited by the Australian constitution.

In a previous interview, the single mother and candid politician opened up about how a military career-ending back injury in 1997 saw her slip into a cycle of depression.

'I got worse then the psychological side of it started to set in. Depression basically and then, you know, eventually over five or six years then it went into alcohol abuse, pharmaceutical,' Senator Lambie told news.com.au in 2014.

Her youngest son Dylan suffers from similar addiction issues, which Ms Lambie believes is partly a result of the pressure that was put on him having to help care for her from age seven.

She attempted suicide in 2009 by walking in front of a car after writing short letters to her sons, sustaining serious injuries and losing several teeth.

Jacqui Lambie's (right) youngest son Dylan (left) has struggled with an addiction to drugs

Jacqui Lambie (right) has talked about her struggle as a single mother with addiction issues

But she said the incident was a turning point for her. Ms Lambie gave up alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs and 'cleaned her act right up' - becoming a senator in 2014.

'One thing is for sure, Jacqui doesn't hold back in our interview. And from talking to people on the street, it's that same no-holds-barred honesty that means she will get their vote in the next election,' Wilkinson said on Sunday.

Her new book, Rebel With A Cause, will be published this year, and promises to reveal 'what she really thinks of Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce' as well as recount her time in the army and her dealings with Veterans' Affairs.

Ms Lambi's book promises to reveal what she really thinks of Turnbull (left) and Joyce (right)

Rebel With A Cause is due out later this year

Allen and Unwin describe her upcoming autobiography as 'not a political book'.

'It's the story of her life as an ordinary working class girl from Tasmania, and her journey through the army, her enforced medical retirement after 10 years when she suffered a horrendous back injury, her fight to get adequate treatment and compensation from the DVA,' the publisher wrote.

The book then details her 'struggles to raise two kids as a single mother on welfare, her son's ice addiction, the slow rebuilding that saw her determined to prevent other people experiencing the bureaucratic-inflicted torment that she was forced to survive'.

Finally, it addresses her roller coaster ride as a politician her resignation from the Senate and her plans for the future.
BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A total of 6,941 flu cases were confirmed among inbound passengers in December and January, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

It marked a yearly increase of 81.9 percent, the administration said.

Chinese inspection and quarantine authorities require inbound tourists to notify symptoms such as fever and cough.

Unlike cases of serious infectious diseases such as cholera, inbound passengers with flu do not require mandatory quarantine at places designated by authorities, Liu Maohua, an official with the administration was quoted as saying by China Daily.

The inspection and quarantine officers may give a note to inbound passengers suspected of having the flu, suggesting they get an official diagnosis, Liu said.

The upcoming Spring Festival holiday and winter vacations have brought an increasing number of Chinese travelling abroad.

The administration also warned that travellers should take flu precautions before heading to countries and regions with high flu infections.

Flu outbreaks have been reported worldwide including the United States, Canada, Britain, Italy, North Africa, Japan and South Korea since winter last year. In the United States, 14,000 people were hospitalized for treatment as a result of flu.

Chinese authorities will follow and evaluate flu outbreaks in these countries and regions and intensify disease prevention and control at the ports.
A man's body was found in a Melbourne marina, just metres from a music festival attended by thousands.

The body was seen by someone walking past, partially submerged in water opposite St Kilda Marina about 1.20pm, a spokeswoman from Victoria Police said.

Others helped to pull the man's body from the water before officers arrived on scene.

A man's body was pulled from the water at St Kilda Marina in Melbourne on Sunday afternoon

The body was discovered by a passer-by, who pulled the body out of the water with other passers by

Further down the foreshore, the 2018 St Kilda Festival was underway.

No cause of death has been determined, but the homicide squad is reported to be on the scene.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
Shocked relatives of a 'self-radicalised' woman who allegedly stabbed a father in Melbourne are struggling to come to terms with the allegations against her.

Bangladeshi national Momena Shoma, 24, is accused of stabbing nurse Roger Singaravelu in the neck and shoulder in front of his five-year-old daughter at his Mill Park home in Melbourne's northeast.

Shoma has been charged with engaging in a terrorist act over the allegedly Islamic State inspired attack.

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Momena Shoma wanted to become a university teacher and was previously a student at one of the top private universities in Bangladesh

Her uncle Mohammed Abdul Aziz, a senior university official in the capital of Dhaka says he doesn't know what would cause such a change in his niece who he described as a 'brilliant student'.

'She did not have anxiety, she was comfortable where she was. What went wrong, I don't know,' Dr Aziz told the Age.

She arrived in Melbourne this month on her first overseas trip to study linguistics at La Trobe University.

She had been lodging with Mr Singaravelu for one day before the alleged attack took place.

Dr Aziz said he had last talked to his niece on the phone in early February and she had told him everything was fine.

The father allegedly stabbed by a burqa-wearing woman inspired by Islamic State has been revealed as Roger Singaravelu (pictured)

Momena Shoma allegedly turned on the 56-year-old about 4.25pm Friday and allegedly stabbed him in his sleep while his five-year-old daughter watched on. Pictured: Court sketch of Shoma

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was told the alleged stabbing was an isolated incident but says it's a reminder of the relevance of terrorism.

'It does remind us that terrorism is not some distant concept that isn't relevant to us. It is,' he told reporters on Sunday.

The victim is in a stable condition after he underwent surgery at Royal Melbourne Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Shoma appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday and didn't apply for bail.

She appeared in a blue jumper with her black hair tied back and the court heard she had suffered an injury to her hand.

She was remanded in custody to reappear in court on May 2.

Mr Singaravelu has been described as a dedicated family man who opened his doors to international students, including Shoma.

Nearby residents described him as a 'nice guy' from a caring family who would share food with their neighbours.

Bangladeshi national Shoma was one student to take advantage of Mr Singaravelu's generosity, staying with the nurse at his home (pictured) in Mill Park, northeast Melbourne

'They are an absolutely beautiful family, they are very kind,' neighbour Aga told the Herald Sun.

'They always bring us around food, they're very kind.'

Another neighbour James told the publication Mr Singaravelu's partner is 'distraught' after recently opening their home to Shoma.

He added: 'He's a nice family man, he's a nice guy, it's so strange.'

Neighbour Safia said Mr Singaravelu called them to his home for help, where they found him lying in the garage in a pool of blood.

'Roger called us and just said 'run, run, run I've been stabbed',' Safia said.

Police arrested the 24-year-old woman following the alleged stabbing (Pictured is a chair from the Melbourne home)

The Bangladeshi national was arrested at the Melbourne home where she had been staying while studying

Detectives at the scene allege Shoama dressed in a black burka - used a knife to attack the father as his daughter watched on.

How and why the young Bangladeshi woman became radicalised will remain the subject of investigation, police said.

The horrified family of Mr Singaravelu have spoken out after the alleged stabbing.

'At this time our focus is on our the welfare of our family and his recovery. We would like to offer our thanks to our family, friendly neighbours and emergency services for their support and kindness,' they said in a statement.

'This is a very upsetting time and we ask that our privacy is respected to allow time to heal.'

Ian McCartney, AFP acting Deputy Commissioner, National Security, confirmed the incident was linked to Islamic State (Victoria Police stock pictured)
The New York's attorney general investigating Harvey Weinstein's old company over the last four months is questioning the validity of its possible sale in the coming months.

Eric Schneiderman's office has raised 'grave concerns' of the sale of the Weinstein Co. to a group of investors being led by Maria Contreras-Sweet.

Contreras-Sweet had previously been the head of the Small Business Administration under President Barack Obama.

Eric Schneiderman's office has raised 'grave concerns' of the sale of the Weinstein Co. to a group of investors being led by Maria Contreras-Sweet

Contreras-Sweet had previously been the head of the Small Business Administration under President Barack Obama

The imminent sale could wrap as soon as Sunday if contracts are signed in an adequate time. They would still have a 30 day wait until the deal was formally closed, a source revealed to the New York Daily News.

Schneiderman's issues spawn from the probability of Weinstein Co.'s former Chief Operating Officer David Glasser being tapped as the new CEO of the company, according to the source.

The source detailed how Glasser was seen as an 'enabler' of Weinstein by those conducting the civil rights investigation.

Schneiderman's issues spawn from the probability of Weinstein Co.'s former Chief Operating Officer David Glasser being tapped as the new CEO

More than 100 women have come forward and accused the disgraced Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, including actresses Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd.

Weinstein was fired from the company and resigned days later after the allegations went public in October.

Schneiderman is 'pushing to get Glasser out of (the new company) and other Weinstein company executives who may be given a leadership role,' according to the source.

The attorney general's office has also been in 'intense conversations' with Yucaipa Companies, Ron Burkle's company that is supporting the acquisition

The attorney general is planning to file the civil rights lawsuit against the company in the next few days. He could then request a temporary restraining order to stop the sale of the company, according to the source.

His office has also been in 'intense conversations' with Yucaipa Companies, Ron Burkle's company that is supporting the acquisition.

'Burkle tried to be in the background, with Contreras-Sweet the front person, even though she has no Hollywood experience,' the source added.

'But in reality, they are setting it up so one of Harvey's enablers, one of the people who failed to hold Harvey accountable, would be the CEO of the new company, He is the exact wrong person to be taking control of this company.'

The attorney general is also not fond of a promised victims compensation fund and a system set to deal with future employee complains about sexual misconduct, the source stated.
People attending the Winter Olympics in South Korea will get to see the world's darkest building, a massive pavilion created by a London-based architect that can absorb 99 per cent of the light that hits its surface.

Asif Khan built the 13,000 square foot building for car company Hyundai's 'global mobility initiative' at the Pyeongchang Olympics.

The pavilion, which stands 33 feet tall, made its debut on Saturday in Pyeongchangs Olympic Park in South Korea.

The 38-year-old architect told Fast Company's Co.Design the building is a nod to the light and space movement. He described it as a 'window looking into the depths of outer space'.

London-based architect Asif Khan built the world's darkest building. It will be displayed at Pyeongchangs Olympic Park in South Korea

Khan built the pavilion for Hyundai's 'global mobility initiative' for the Pyeongchang Olympics

The building is 13,000 square feet and 33 feet tall and is a nod to the light and space movement

On the outside of the pavilion are thousands of pinpricks of light on the end of rods to resemble stars. The rods are set at different depths to crate an illusion that the viewer is floating in outer space.

Once you enter inside the building, you are met with a crisp, bright white interior where water droplets dart around in little channels built into the floor. Hyundai said the droplets were inspired by 'individual Hydrogen molecules and the technology behind Hyundais new Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle.

The exterior of the building, the company told Co.Design 'represents the Universe the origin of Hydrogen'.

Khan's structure will be the first time the 'blackest black' has been used on a building.

The color was created by Surrey Nanosystems, an industrial equipment supplier company based in England, after artists and other industry professionals expressed an overwhelming interest in Vantablack, a chemical substance Surrey debuted in 2012 that was initially designed for satellites.

Vantablack is made up of carbon nanotubes that absorb 99.9 per cent of all light. The material is often compared to a black hole.

Khan painted the outside the building with a coating of Vantablack VBx 2 modeled after Vantablack, a chemical substance Surrey Nanosystems debuted in 2012 that was initially designed for satellites

The color is so dark that it's called the blackest black. It's the first time it has been used on a building

Vantablack is made up of carbon nanotubes that absorb 99.9 per cent of all light. The material is often compared to a black hole

The highly flammable paint is not available for retail sale and can only be applied by painters trained by Surrey Nanosystems personnel

Once you enter inside the building, you are met with a crisp, bright white interior where water droplets dart around in little channels built into the floor

Once artists and creators started reaching out to Surrey to get their hands on the material, the company launched 'super black' coatings, which includes the Vantablack VBx 2 paint Khan used on his building.

Vantablack VBx 2 was created for large scale spray application in areas such as architecture, ceiling blackouts, controlled lighting environments and other places where designers wish to create unique visual spaces, or control reflected light in ways that have previously been impossible on a large scale, the company said.

According to Co.Design, the highly flammable paint is not available for retail sale and can only be applied by painters trained by Surrey Nanosystems personnel.
Residents have been warned to evacuate as a bushfire continues to ravage central NSW.

The state rural fire service issued a fresh warning on Sunday afternoon.

'Fire activity has increased over the past few hours and the fire is moving in an easterly direction along Mount Canobolas Road,' the service said.

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Residents have been warned to evacuate as a bushfire continues to ravage central NSW

More than 100 firefighters are battling the blaze

'Residents on and to the West of Pinnancle Road and along Lake Canobolas Road should only remain if you and your property are well prepared, if not leave towards Orange if the path is clear.

'Residents in the vicinity of Boree Lane, Lidster and Borenore Road should also continue to monitor the situation and know what they will do in the event the fire threatens.'

More than 100 firefighters are battling the blaze.

Hot weather with temperatures up to 30C and light winds are expected in Mount Canobolas on Monday which could make conditions difficult for firefighters.

On Saturday the Rural Fire Service said the fire is 109 hectares in size, and those living in Mount Canobolas and Nashdale area have been warned not to stay unless well-prepared.

'Residents on Old Canobolas Road should only remain if you and your property are well prepared, if not leave now towards Orange if the path is clear,' they said.

The bushfire is burning on the western side of the mountain and is moving in a northerly direction.
Lord Carlile (pictured), the UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation from 2001 to 2011, said a British trial was the 'proper forum' for the 'Beatles'

The last two members of the notorious British terror cell dubbed 'The Beatles' should be sent back to the UK to face trial, a former counter-terrorism regulator has said.

Lord Carlile, the UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation from 2001 to 2011, said a British trial was the 'proper forum' for justice, as the debate continued over the fate of Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh.

The two men were captured in Syria, having fallen into the hands of Kurdish militia fighters in January, and are under guard in the caliphate's former heartland.

Radicalised Britons should be 'returned to the country of origin' and tried 'in a normal way with British rights, British duties, British obligations and British responsibilities', Lord Carlile told the Observer.

He said: 'If people are tried properly, as they would be in the British courts, it would show that the UK is taking a very serious approach to deradicalisation but also to dealing with extremism.'

He also said he was 'totally opposed' to the men being sent to Guantanamo Bay, telling the paper: 'I would expect the Foreign Secretary to urge the Americans and the Syrians to accept that British justice is a compliant and efficient system and that the most convenient forum and indeed the proper forum for such cases is the home country.'

Defence minister Tobias Ellwood had previously called for the men's trial to be held at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

But Lord Carlile raised concerns that sending the case there would cause too many delays.

Alexanda Kotey (right) and El Shafee Elsheikh (left) were part of the brutal terrorist group known as The Beatles

Speaking to the Sunday Express, he said: 'If there could be international agreement and such cases could take place in The Hague I would be content but I have my doubts whether we would get to that point quickly enough for trials to take place.'

He also added that he believed the victims' families would get 'satisfaction' and the certainty of a 'proper trial' if it took place in Britain.

The two men, along with Mohammed Emwazi  the killer nicknamed Jihadi John  and Aine Davis, are thought to have been part of a group named after the '60s band because of their English accents.

The four Londoners were linked to a string of hostage murders in Iraq and Syria during the bloody Islamist uprising and gained global notoriety.

US officials said Kotey and Elsheikh 'are suspected to have participated in the detention, exploitation and execution of Western detainees'.

The US Department of Defence previously said they were 'still considering options' with regards to the two men's future.
Michel Barnier is facing a backlash in some EU states for his 'aggressive' bid to force Britain into 'soft' Brexit.

The EU chief negotiator triggered a furious row with the UK last week when he claimed leaving the customs union would guarantee a hard Irish border.

He also threatened to call off the planned transition period if Britain does not obey EU laws and accept full free movement rules.

But the dramatic rhetoric has sparked deep concern among EU countries who fear it lead to the UK simply walking away from negotiations.

EU chief negotiator Michel triggered a furious row last week when he claimed at a press conference (pictured) that leaving the customs union would guarantee a hard Irish border

A Whitehall source told the Sunday Telegraph that French figures had voiced anger at the 'lack of consultation' on a draft document published by Mr Barnier on Wednesday.

It included a 'punishment' clause allowing Brussels to ground flights from the UK and impose tariffs if the EU rules during a transition.

Nordic and Eastern European countries were also 'fracturing' from the coalition following the 'aggressive political opening salvo'.

Mr Barnier is expected to face demands to drop the clause when he holds talks with representatives from EU states this week.

One diplomat from a country sympathetic to the UK told the newspaper:'Could anyone accept these terms?

'If I was Britain I would be tempted to say 'no' - walk away and then see how the EU does without the money.'

Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on Poland, said: 'In private, many Polish politicians are expressing regret at the Commission not treating Britain with due consideration and respect.'

Brexit Secretary David Davis blasted back at Mr Barnier on Friday saying there was a 'fundamental contradiction' in his claims to want an amicable transition and strong powers for the EU to punish Britain.

David Davis (pictured in 9 Downing Street last week) slammed Brussels for threatening to punish Britain during the Brexit transition period

Theresa May (pictured meeting Japanese investors in Downing Street last week) is trying to break the Cabinet deadlock over Brexit, with a series of keynote speeches by senior minister planned before she finally sets out her vision of Britain's post-EU future

The spat comes as Theresa May is trying to break the Cabinet deadlock over Brexit, with a series of keynote speeches by senior minister planned before she finally sets out her vision of Britain's post-EU future.

The Prime Minister, along with Mr Davis,Boris Johnson, and Liam Fox  all hard-Brexit Cabinet Ministers  will use the set-piece occasions to outline what No 10 is billing as 'Britain's road map to Brexit', ahead of next month's crunch negotiations with the EU.

As Mailonline revealed last week, Mr Johnson's speech on 'liberal Brexit' is due to happen on Valentine's Day.

But Mrs May risks a fresh rift with Chancellor Philip Hammond by freezing him out of the three-week process.
Deaths from the deadly synthetic opioid painkiller fentanyl have trebled over the past three years to eight a month, National Crime Agency data shows.

The medicine, which is prescribed to 1.2million on the NHS, is 40 times stronger than heroin, and 100 times more potent than morphine.

Black market sellers are being leaked the drug which they then mix with other class A drugs to create a stronger high.

Figures show fentanyl was linked to an average of eight deaths a month for the past 14 months, whereas in 2015 this was just 2.7 a month.

David Raynes of the National Drug Prevention Alliance told the Sunday Express: 'Fentanyl is the most dangerous illicit drug on the current horizon.

Deaths from the deadly synthetic opioid painkiller fentanyl have trebled over the past three years to eight a month, National Crime Agency data shows

'It has killed many people in the States, many here in the UK and is likely to kill many more.'

A CDC report from the end of last year showed that more than half of the U.S.'s overdose deaths were linked to fentanyl, including the artist Prince who died at his home in April 2016 after taking the drug.

Police are struggling to stop the drug being sold as it can easily be bought on the dark web or made in a home laboratory.

Last week Kyle Enos, from Newport, South Wales, was jailed for eight years for using the dark web to supply 168 people across the UK, U.S., and Europe with the opioid.

After searching his records, police discovered four of the people he supplied had died, although it is not possible to say whether or not they were linked to the fentanyl he sold them.

Following the hearing, Colin Williams, operations manager from the National Crime Agency said: 'He knew exactly how dangerous it was, yet continued to play Russian roulette with the lives of his customers.'

The medicine, which is prescribed to 1.2million on the NHS, is 40 times stronger than heroin, and 100 times more potent than morphine

Almost 10 per cent of illicit world sales of fentanyl are completed in the UK, making the nation the largest host of dark web sales in Europe.

Another worrying trend is the growing popularity of anxiety drug Xanax which contains highly-addictive benzodiazepine.

The use of the drug is relatively small but experts have warned the drug, which should only be available on private prescription, can be bought for as little as 1 from street dealers or the dark web.

One in 200 deaths are from drug misuse, which is nearly 60 per cent higher than it was 10 years ago, and the highest level in the UK since records began in 1993.

The number of prescription drugs being sold on to the black market has reached an estimated worth 115-200million.

Earlier this month it was revealed that both the London Bridge attackers and Westminster Bridge terrorist Khalid Masood took steroids before launching their attacks.
Shards once believed to have fallen from a UFO which crash landed in England have been reemerged nearly 60 years after they were first discovered.

The fragments of the 'Silpho saucer' were found inside a cigarette tin inside a storeroom inside London's Science Museum.

The discovery of the 'copper-bottomed flying saucer' on Silpho Moor near Scarborough sparked huge newspaper interest when discovered in 1957 - just a few weeks after Russia's first Sputnik satellite was launched.

Tests were carried out on the 17-inch wide metal saucer, which weighed 14kg and it had hieroglyphics emblazoned across it, similar to those observed at Roswell UFO site in New Mexico.

The fragments of the 'Silpho saucer' were rediscovered inside a cigarette tin inside a storeroom inside London's Science Museum

Inside the saucer was a 17 page copper book which had a 2,000-word message which some claimed was sent by an alien called Ullo to warn humans about the dangers of nuclear weapons.

The 'translation' reportedly said 'you will improve or disappear.'

Dr David Clarke, of Sheffield Hallam University, saw the remains at the Science Museum after giving a UFO talk.

He told the BBC: 'One of the museum staff tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was aware that 'bits of a flying saucer' had been kept in a cigarette tin for decades.

'I was absolutely amazed when later we opened the tin box and saw the wreckage.'

A number of tests were carried out at the Natural History Museum and the University of Manchester which concluded that the finding was an 'elaborate hoax'.

Dr David Clarke, of Sheffield Hallam University, saw the remains at the Science Museum after giving a UFO talk

Dr Clarke added: 'It was tinkered with and sliced into tiny pieces to be examined by various people.'

It is believed the saucer was made from a hot water cylinder and planted on the moor.

Despite scepticism regarding the origin of the saucer, tests revealed the object's shell was radiation-proofed with lead and the copper parts had an unusually high purity.

The incident back in 1957 was widely reported in newspapers at the time
Oxfam will have funding withdrawn if it fails to comply with authorities over safeguarding issues, the International Development Secretary warned today.

Penny Mordaunt condemned the 'horrific behaviour' of some Oxfam staff members and said it was 'utterly despicable' allegations of abuse persisted in the aid sector.

And the Cabinet minister said she needed to see the charity had the right 'moral leadership' at a crunch meeting tomorrow in order to keep pumping government money into the organisation.

Oxfam is facing a mounting outcry over allegations of sexual misconduct and how they were dealt with.

The charity has denied covering up the use of prostitutes by aid workers in Haiti in 2011 and said it publicly announced an investigation into the claims when they surfaced.

Oxfam was also accused of covering up evidence as the Charity Commission said it had never been shown the specific allegations of sexual abuse mentioned in the 2011 investigation report (file photo)

Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr show today, Penny Mordaunt said she needed to see Oxfam had the right 'moral leadership' at a crunch meeting tomorrow in order to keep pumping government money into the organisation

But in a stark warning today, Ms Mordaunt told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'I think it's shocking and it doesn't matter how good the safeguarding practices are in an organisation, if that organisation does not have the moral leadership to do the right thing, and where in particular they have evidence of criminal activity to pass that information to the relevant authorities including prosecuting authorities, that's an absolute absence of leadership.'

Asked if she thought Oxfam had 'failed in its moral leadership', Ms Mordaunt replied: 'Yes, I do.'

Ms Mordaunt said the charity had also 'categorically' stated to her department that no harm was done and beneficiaries were not involved.

Andrew Marr asked her: 'That was a lie, wasn't it?'

Ms Mordaunt replied: 'Well, quite.'

She added that Oxfam had done 'absolutely the wrong thing' by failing to inform authorities about the full details of the allegations.

Ms Mordaunt said she would meet Oxfam on Monday to discuss the scandal.

'I am affording them the opportunity to tell me in person what they did after these events and I'm going to be looking to see if they are displaying the moral leadership that I think they need to now.

EX-AID SECRETARY SAYS SHE KNEW OF CLAIMS ABOUT SEX ABUSE BY CHARITY WORKERS Former International Development Secretary Priti Patel The former International Development Secretary today said she was aware of abuse involving charity workers in disaster areas. Priti Patel told Pienaar's Politics BBC Radio 5 Live the allegations were 'well documented'. She said did her own research when she headed the department, speaking to people within the sector who have been whistle blowers. She told the programme: 'People knew in DfID, I raised this directly with my department at the time. 'I had quotes from the United Nations reports on the number of people. 'I think even the Secretary General last year said there were 120 cases involving something like over 300 people, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.' Ms Patel said she was not aware of allegations specifically in Oxfam, but that there were documented cases in other NGOs. 'There has been in my view, not just a cover-up with Oxfam, there is a denial, a culture of denial in the aid sector about the exploitation and sexual abuse that has taken place historically for decades,' she added. Advertisement

'We are talking about a historic case but it is in some respects still live, they still have information they should be giving to the authorities.'

She added: 'If the moral leadership at the top of the organisation is not there then we can not have you as a partner,' she said.

Ms Mordaunt said she was writing to all UK charities which receive UK aid, insisting that they spell out steps they are taking to ensure their safeguarding policies are fully in place and work properly.

'With regard to Oxfam and any other organisation that has safeguarding issues, we expect them to cooperate fully with such authorities, and we will cease to fund any organisation that does not,' she added.

'I am very clear: we will not work with any organisation that does not live up to the high standards on safeguarding and protection that we require.'

The Charity Commission revealed yesterday that it had written to Oxfam demanding 'clarity' on the allegations 'as a matter of urgency'.

The regulator said an Oxfam report on the investigation stated there had been no allegations of abuse of beneficiaries and made no mention of any potential sexual crimes involving minors.

'Our approach to this matter would have been different had the full details that have been reported been disclosed to us at the time,' the Charity Commission said.

Four members of Oxfam staff were dismissed and three, including the country director, resigned before the end of the 2011 investigation.

The charity said allegations that underage girls may have been involved were not proven.

Former International Development Secretary Priti Patel told BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics she was aware of abuse involving aid workers in disaster zones.

She said did her own research when she headed the department, speaking to people within the sector who have been whistle blowers, and looked at 'well-documented' evidence.

She told the programme: 'People knew in DfID, I raised this directly with my department at the time.

'I had quotes from the United Nations reports on the number of people.

'I think even the Secretary General last year said there were 120 cases involving something like over 300 people, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.'

Three Oxfam employees were allowed to resign and four were sacked for gross misconduct after an internal investigation found some workers had used prostitutes in the war-torn region (file photo)

Last week the Department for International Development (DfID) said the claims raised 'serious questions that Oxfam must answer' as it announced a review of its relationship with the charity.

Ms Mordaunt, who has requested talks with Oxfam's senior management 'at the earliest opportunity', will also meet the Charity Commission this week to discuss the regulation of UK charities overseas.

She said: 'My absolute priority is to keep the world's poorest and most vulnerable people safe from harm.

'In the 21st century, it is utterly despicable that sexual exploitation and abuse continues to exist in the aid sector.

'The horrific behaviour by some members of Oxfam staff in Haiti in 2011 is an example of a wider issue on which DfID is already taking action, both at home and with the international community via the UN.'
RAMALLAH, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday that Palestine counts on the pivotal Indian role in achieving peace and security cooperation between the two countries in combating terrorism, wherever it may be.

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a joint press conference after their meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Feb. 10, 2018. (Xinhua)

Abbas's statements came in a joint press conference he held with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on his first ever visit to Palestine.

Abbas said "we count on India's role, as a world power with significant weight and status to contribute to achieving just and aspired peace in our region, due to its impact on world security and stability."

Abbas stressed that Palestinians have "never rejected negotiations any day; we were and still are ready for it, and believe that forming a multilateral mechanism of several states is the best approach to overlook those negotiations."

Modi said he is "proud to be renewing friendship and support to Palestine" and that his country "holds on to the nobility of the Palestinian people's interests" and hoped for establishing the independent Palestinian state by peaceful means.

He highlighted that the support for the Palestinian cause has been a steady point in India's foreign policy.

The two countries signed four agreements worth 41 million U.S. dollars in various sectors, including education, health, media and women economic empowerment.

Abbas gave Modi the highest medal of the state of Palestine as a sign of valuing friendship with India.

Prior to this visit, Modi said that he has "de-hyphenated" relations with Palestine and Israel, establishing "mutually independent and exclusive relations with both partners."

India's relationship with Israel has seen a significant development in the past few years, crowned with a recent multi-million dollars deal with Israel in military and hi-tech sectors.

Modi made his first ever visit to Israel in July last year, and Israeli Prime Minister paid back the visit last month.

India was one of the 120 UN member states that voted in favor of Palestine in the UN General Assembly resolution calling on the U.S. to retract its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital last December.
A stripper friend of black cab rapist John Worboys (pictured) revealed he was using date-rape drugs years before the string of attacks he was jailed for

A stripper friend of black cab rapist John Worboys has revealed that he told him he gave women date rape drugs - years before his string of horrific sex attacks.

Dave Hanson said that he had worked with Worboys as a stripper around a dozen times in the 1990s and had heard him bragging about drugging women at least three times.

Hanson, 50 who is a father of five girls, said that Worboys had urged him to use the date rape drug GHB and had boasted that the drugged women would 'do whatever you want'.

Hanson said that Worboys, who he hadn't spoken to in 15 years, was never short of women, although he was more interested in the ones who were not interested in him.

He told the Mirror that when talking about GHB, Worboys said: 'They wont even know, theyll do whatever you want. Im telling you, it works.'

Hanson, who was known as Omega Man, now wants to do all he can to stop Worboys getting released.

He said: 'The way he described things to me I didn't feel I had enough details.

'But I'll do all I can now to ensure he doesn't get out of prison. I'll tell the police what he told me  it's not right that he should get away with it.'

He said that the first time Worboys mentioned GHB was in 1998, when both men were booked for an event at the Dorchester Hotel in London, with both male and female strippers.

On the second occasion, the pair met in the dressing room of a gay club in West London in 1999, where they were scheduled to perform.

At the time, Worboys asked Hanson if he had tried using GHB.

The new revelations come days after Worboys (pictured) faced one of his 'very, very scared' victims in court for the first time in a decade

The third time, and the last time Hanson spoke to the rapist, was in 2003, six years before Worboys was jailed.

Hanson admitted that in hindsight he wished he had spoken out sooner, but now wants to ensure that Worboys remains behind bars.

He says he realised that all of the rapist's victim are from his time as a taxi driver, years after he first told him about GHB.

The latest revelations come days after a 'very, very scared' victim of Worboys faced down her attacker for the first time in a decade as she successfully challenged the decision to free him.

The black cab rapist was dragged to the High Court as two of his victims launched their legal fight to stop the 60-year-old's impending release from prison.

Worboys, who sat emotionless in a caged dock at the Royal Courts of Justice, looked over to the victim occasionally as the judges ruled to allow a judicial review into the Parole Board's decision to set him free.

Meanwhile, Worboys was informed that a temporary order would see him remain behind bars until the review into why he was set for release was heard.

A two-day hearing will be held on March 13 to determine whether or not the Parole Board made an 'irrational' and illegal decision to free the predator.
Five men headed to the pub to continue their boozy bucks party after a drunken brawl saw them kicked off a P&0 cruise ship on Sunday.

Five of the six men escorted by police from the ship walked free, pending further police inquiries.

Not long after 7 News approached the group when they returned to shore, the news crew spotted the men back on the booze at a Balmain pub.

'It was just a very good buck's party,' one of them said

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The men appear to have no regrets as they continued the bucks party at a Balmain pub not long after being kicked off a cruise ship on Sunday

Five of the six men escorted by police from the ship walked free, pending further police inquiries.

Not long after 7 News approached the group when they returned to shore, the news crew spotted the men back on the booze at a Balmain pub.

'It was just a very good buck's party,' one of them said.

The group had little to say when approached by 7 News when they returned to shore. One man later said that 'It was just a very good buck's party.'

The P&O Explorer cruise ship had been forced to turn back to Sydney after a brawl erupted after a girl allegedly 'hit a guy over the head with a bottle of wine'.

There was a 30 minute brawl on the ship about 1am on Sunday involving at least 15 passengers, according to witnesses.

Police officers were seen arriving on board the ship at Bradley's Head, Sydney, on Sunday, where they removed six males and one female

Those involved were detained in on-board cells, while the boat turned around and headed back to Sydney.

A P&O spokesman told Daily Mail Australia it called authorities early on Sunday morning to remove 'a group of people from the ship as a result of their behaviour on board overnight'.

'This is in line with our strict policy of zero tolerance of excessive behaviour that affects the safety, comfort and enjoyment of other guests,' he said.

Police officers were seen arriving on board the ship at Bradley's Head, Sydney, on Sunday, where they removed six males and one female

The P&O spokesman confirmed police officers met the ship when it returned to Sydney to remove the group involved

He said the Pacific Explorer was on a three-night round trip cruise from Sydney when the brawl broke out.

The spokesman confirmed police officers met the ship when it returned to Sydney to remove the group involved.

'The group removed today will no longer be welcome to travel with P&O Cruises or any of its associated brands.'

One shocked witness said he saw 'a girl hit a guy over the head with a bottle of wine'.

'The cops escorted her off with her boyfriend and then the others on a separate boat,' he said.

A second witness said the brawl was between two bucks parties.

'Someone got glassed, we're waiting for cops to take them off,' he said.

A P&O spokesman told Daily Mail Australia it called authorities early on Sunday morning to remove 'a group of people from the ship as a result of their behaviour on board overnight'

'It was all over some girls who were dancing and some guys started harassing them,' a witness said (P&O cruise ship pictured)

Another passenger said they saw the brawl as it unfolded in a common area in front of about 100 passengers.

'It was all over some girls who were dancing and some guys started harassing them,' they said.

'Another guy who might work on the ship came over and told them to stop and they didn't like that so they started shoving. Soon lots of people got involved and were pushing and shoving, punches were thrown and people got tackled to the ground. Security got hit too.

'Eventually security and bystanders separated them but then someone would break free and they would go back at it. Others ran elsewhere on the ship to tell friends who came back and started the fight again.

'I'm sure someone was hurt with how much violence there was. Captain sent them straight to the cells and shut the casino down, apparently he doesn't take any s**t.

'It was really shocking to see on a cruise ship. At least it gave us a break from losing money in the casino but now everything on the ship is closed and our cruise is a little ruined.'

Some passengers have called for alcohol to be restricted on cruise ships.

"Obviously there is no lockout laws or anything here, so they can just keep on drinking,' a passenger told 7 News.
The career of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is 'over' according to prominent media commentator Nikki Savva.

The Canberra insider, whose husband works for the Prime Minister, told ABC Insiders the 'sun is setting' on the Nationals leader's career.

The embattled Deputy Prime Minister is expecting a child with former staffer Vikki Campion after it was revealed Mr Joyce split with his wife of 24-years, Natalie, with whom he shares four children.

Canberra Insider Nikki Savva speculated Barnaby Joyce's career may be over on television

'I think his career is over, maybe not in the short term, but certainly in the medium term,' she told the program.

'I would not expect to see Barnaby leading the Nationals into the next election.

'I just think the sun is setting on his career, and I can't see how he can survive.'

The media commentator also revealed a lot more Freedom of Information requests have been lodged.

Barnaby Joyce (right) and the mother (left) of his unborn child have allegedly moved into a townhouse gifted by the deputy PM's multi-millionaire friend

'That would be the finish if something came out about misuse,' she said.

Ms Savva also could not see the point of the Deputy Prime Minister's appearance on the ABC 7.30 Program.

'My understanding is they tried to talk him out of it, because they could not see the point of him going on to say it was a private matter,' she said.

Mr Joyce, 50, and his former staffer Vikki Campion, 33, (pictured) were given the keys to the three-bedroom townhouse

'He could have got out of it a bit better I thought if he had gone on and said, 'I really regret the pain that I have inflicted on my family, on my wife Natalie, and on my four daughters, I still really love my daughters.'

Savva has been generally a strong supporter of the Turnbull Government in the media and a critic of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Barnaby Joyce and the mother of his unborn child have allegedly moved into a townhouse gifted by the deputy PM's multi-millionaire friend.

The pair will be reportedly living rent-free for six months - saving a whopping $14,000 - in the New England property owned by businessman Greg Maguire, The Australian reports.

Mr Joyce moved out of his Tamworth family home in December and later moved into the townhouse he now shares with Ms Campion.

Mr Joyce (pictured) moved out of his Tamworth family home in December and later moved into the townhouse he now shares with Ms Campion

The two are expecting a child together after it was revealed Mr Joyce (pictured) split with his wife of 24-years, Natalie, with whom he shares four children

It was also revealed Ms Campion was moved to a $191,000-a-year senior advisor position on senator Matt Canavan's payroll after her relationship with Mr Joyce became the subject of rumour, the publication alleges.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting any wrongdoing on behalf of Mr Joyce, Ms Campion or Mr Maguire.

Independent MP Cathy McGowan has called for legislation to be introduced to Parliament to ban politicians entering relationships with staffers.

But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told media it would be 'very difficult' to draft legislation that could cross so easily into people's private lives.

'Government has no business in interfering in people's personal lives, we wouldn't want to,' she said.

Mr Joyce's marital breakdown became public knowledge late last year when he returned to Parliament as Deputy Prime Minister.

Natalie Joyce said she felt 'deceived' by the news that Ms Campion is pregnant with her husband's fifth child and claimed the relationship began when she was a paid staffer.

Mr Joyce's (pictured) marital breakdown became public knowledge late last year when he returned to Parliament as Deputy PM

The Deputy PM's (pictured) wife Natalie said she and her children were 'devastated' in a statement

It was revealed Mr Joyce (pictured) is expecting his fifth child with his former staffer after his marriage breakdown

'The situation is devastating, for my girls who are affected by the family breakdown and for me as a wife of 24 years who placed my own career on hold to support Barnaby through his political life,' she said in a statement.

'Our family has had to be shared during Barnaby's political career and it was with trust that we let campaign and office staff into our home and into our lives.

Naturally we feel deceived and hurt by the actions of Barnaby and the staff member involved.'

Media commentator Nikki Savva's husband works for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

The Deputy Prime Minister was photographed with Ms Campion at Different Drummer, a bar in inner-west Glebe, on February 23, 2017.

Photos obtained by Daily Mail Australia show the pair looking happy together almost a year before Mr Joyce's marriage break up and affair was revealed.

Daily Mail has contacted the Deputy Prime Ministers office for comment.
Boris Johnson confronted Aung San Suu Kyi over the plight of Rohingya muslim refugees yesterday morning before visiting a burned out Rohinya village in Myanmar.

He raised the persecution of the minority as he met the country's de facto leader in Naypyidaw.

The pair smiled for the cameras as they posed together, but the talks are thought to have been difficult amid a mounting international outcry.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson raised the persecution of the minority as he met Burma's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw today

The pair smiled for the cameras as they posed together, but the talks are thought to have been difficult amid a mounting international outcry

Mr Johnson said he urged Ms Suu Kyi to back a 'full and independent investigation' into persecution claims and called for refugees to be allowed to come home

More than 600,000 men, women and children are estimated to have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh following persecution from the Burmese military in their native state of Rakhine, which began in August.

The United Nations has described the exodus of Rohingya as a 'textbook example of ethnic cleansing'.

Burma and Bangladesh have agreed a schedule for repatriating the refugees.

Boris Johnson visited burnt out villages in Burma during the third day of his four day tour of Asia

He spoke to villagers in Pan Daw Pyin, Maungdaw, Burma, whose homes had been lain to waste

Wasteland: He picked his way through the wreckage where he discovered abandoned belongings

It marked the third day of a four day tour to Asia visiting Bangladesh, Burma and Thailand

But aid agencies have expressed fears at their safety, and at the slow progress, with only 1,500 expected to return per week.

After the talks Mr Johnson toured Rakhine State with representatives from the Burmese military.

He picked his way through the wreckage as he inspected a completely burnt out village in Pan Daw Pyin, Maungdaw.

Yesterday Mr Johnson visited a refugee camp at Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh ahead of his talks with Ms Suu Kyi.

The Foreign Secretary saw the effects of the tragedy in Rakhine for himself

Mr Johnson said: 'I have seen for my own eyes the horrendous living conditions the Rohingya people are having to endure and it has only further strengthened my commitment to working with international partners to improve the lives of these people in 2018'

'It is vital that the Rohingya refugees must be allowed to their homes in Rakhine voluntarily, in safety and with dignity'

He said during the visit: 'I have seen for my own eyes the horrendous living conditions the Rohingya people are having to endure and it has only further strengthened my commitment to working with international partners to improve the lives of these people in 2018.

'I pay tribute to the hospitality and compassion shown by the government of Bangladesh, who are facing an enormous challenge in providing humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya community.

'While I welcome steps by both the Burmese and Bangladeshi governments towards ensuring that these people can return home, it is vital that the Rohingya refugees must be allowed to their homes in Rakhine voluntarily, in safety and with dignity, under international oversight, and when the conditions in Burma are right.'

Boris Johnson called for Rohingya Muslim refugees to be able to return to Myanmar safely and with dignity after visiting a camp in Bangladesh yesterday (pictured)

Mr Johnson was pictured shaking the hands of refugees yesterday, ahead of his talks with Aung San Suu Kyi
A carnival queen suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction last night after her minuscule thong came undone while parading in front of the crowds.

Tarine Lopes, star of the X-9 Paulistana samba school in Sao Paulo, bravely carried on dancing while she kept the fallen fabric in place with her left hand.

At one point she turned around and danced with her back to the camera - revealing just how daring her attire was - in a vain attempt to readjust the skimpy strip of green tape.

Tarine Lopes suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction when her thong fell off midway through her carnival parade at the Sambodromo do Anhembi in Sao Paulo

The Brazilian beauty queen kept dancing and wowing the crowd with her moves despite having to hold up her costume with her left hand

Ms Lopes is the godmother of the X-9 Paulistana samba school in Sao Paulo, and was the first princess of the Sao Paulo carnival back in 2016 (pictured: the outfit before the malfunction)

The close shave on Saturday happened as Ms Lopes performed with her school at the city's famous Sambodromo do Anhembi.

Ms Lopes, from the city of Porto Seguro in the north-eastern state of Bahia, said: 'Unfortunately my thong came unstuck in the middle of the avenue but people couldn't stop.

'I had to keep on dancing while I tried to keep it from falling off completely.'

Shortly before the parade the Brazilian beauty queen had shown off her breathtaking outfit, boasting: 'It just covers up the bare minimum.'

The barely-there costume featured green tape wrapped around her body leaving most of her exposed.

In an interview afterwards where she wrapped a shirt around her waist to form a makeshift skirt, she added: 'I was really worried at first, but I carried on with my samba and did what I could so as not to stand out too much.'

Despite the embarrassing malfunction Ms Lopes continued to wow the crowds at the packed stadium which people travel from across the globe to visit.

One carnival attendee Ana Machado said: 'I have to say I admire the strength she showed carrying on. A lot of people would have lost it out of desperation.'

Ms Lopes also revealed that in preparation for her performance she followed a strict regime of exercise and healthy foods, including a rice and beans meal shortly before the carnival.

She said: 'I had to keep on dancing while I tried to keep it from falling off completely'

At one point she turned away from the camera so she could attempt, and fail, to fix her thong

As the school's godmother, Ms Lopes led the dancers by walking in front of the parade float.

Her outfit was designed to represent the forbidden fruit, while the whole parade told the story of Adam and Eve.

Back in 2016 Ms Lopes was the first princess of the Carnival of Sao Paulo.

Annual carnivals are taking place around the world this month, with those in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian cities attracting international celebrities.

Socialite Paris Hilton is DJing at the carnival in Salvador.

Samantha Flores, 37, the first ever British samba queen, stole the show on Friday as she paraded down the Sambradrome avenue in Rio de Janeiro for the first time as the principal muse for the Imperio de Tijuca school.

The Londoner moved to Brazil in 2006 after giving up her job as a PR exec.

She said afterwards: 'It's a privilege and responsibly to be leading the carnival.'

Ms Lopes had boasted about the outfit earlier in the day, saying: 'It just covers up the bare minimum'
A prison chaplain who claims he was ousted from his role after he was accused of promoting 'extreme' Christian views by his Muslim boss has revealed inmates are being forced to convert to Islam for protection behind bars.

Paul Song said he had been hit by Muslim inmates at HMP Brixton and that he believed the 'Christian faith is not equal' in prison.

The 48-year-old said: 'Some people have been forced to convert with violence. How do I know? Because three or four people come up to me to tell me. This is a very sensitive issue.'

One prisoner has come forward and made a signed statement that prisoners were forced to convert to Islam after serving time in 2015.

Paul Song (pictured) says he was removed from his job at Brixton prison in south London amid accusations that his teachings were 'too radical'

Mr Song says he was removed from his job south London amid accusations that his teachings were 'too radical'.

The former police officer maintains the sacking was also on the basis of false accusations from a Muslim inmate, who said Mr Song referred to him a 'terrorist'.

Mr Song said his position at HMP Brixton came under scrutiny after Mohammed Yusuf Ahmed became managing chaplain in 2015.

He told the Sunday Express: 'I never said those things. I would never make those comments. I have worked in the prisons for many years with many faiths and there were no complaints.

'They made a wrong allegation and I didn't know what was happening when I got an email telling me to come back.'

Mr Song (left) said his position at HMP Brixton, where he had served for 20 years, came under scrutiny after Mohammed Yusuf Ahmed (right) became managing chaplain in 2015

He claimed the imam told him he was intent on changing 'the Christian domination' within HMP Brixton, according to the Sunday Times.

Management said it sacked the 48-year-old following 'allegations of misconduct', and that Mr Ahmed had accused him of 'being unfavourable to the Christians'.

Mr Song, who now works as a pastor in Sutton, south London, was removed from his post in August.

He says he was offered no evidence to support the claims against him and was informed by the Ministry of Justice that he could work 'anywhere but HMP Brixton'.

A prison service spokesperson told the MailOnline: 'We do not comment on individual members of staff.

'However, we recognise the importance of faith and the positive impact that it can have on the lives of offenders, which is why there are multi-faith chaplaincy teams in every prison.'
Shocking footage has emerged of a tireless brawl that stopped traffic on a busy street outside a nightclub.

Two revellers came to blows in Melbourne's CBD on Sunday morning, blocking several cars attempting to pass the fight.

The clash however is almost comical, with the much larger man repeatedly knocking down his smaller opponent who fails to cause any damage with his weaker punches.

Two revellers came to blows in Melbourne's CBD on Sunday morning, blocking several cars attempting to pass the fight

The clash however is almost comical, with the much larger man repeatedly knocking down his smaller opponent who fails to cause any damage with his weaker punches

The incident occurred on King Street just after 7am outside a popular nightspot in the heart of the city.

The smaller man raises his fist to his much larger opponent, before being knocked over by a jab.

The large man throws up his hands and attempts to walk away, but the smaller man chases after him.

The smaller aggressor then begins throwing a series of punches from behind at the other man's head as he stands near a taxi.

The tall man again shakes him off, but he remains undaunted and continues to taunt his opponent.

'Let's go again, let's go again,' he says with fists raised.

The incident occurred on King Street just after 7am outside a popular nightspot in the heart of the city

The large man then gets significantly more aggressive, yelling at and even attacking bystanders attempting to stop the brawl. He then delivers another brutal hit to the smaller man, sending him to the ground

People gathered around the men can be heard mocking the smaller fighter, saying 'he's a big boy, he's going to kill him.'

The large man then gets significantly more aggressive, yelling at and even attacking bystanders attempting to stop the brawl.

He then delivers another brutal hit to the smaller man, sending him to the ground.

A 27-year-old man from North Fitzroy and a 28-year-old from Flemington have been interviewed by police over assault, affray and being drunk in a public place.

The two are expected to be charged and will face court at a later date.
A leading Tory Remainer today claimed that Brexit might never happen as she vowed to work with opposition MPs to force the government into a softer approach.

Former minister Anna Soubry refused to rule out the verdict of the referendum being reversed altogether as she was interviewed alongside Labour's Chuka Umunna.

She also admitted she was closer politically to Mr Umunna than fellow Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The intervention comes after Ms Soubry suggested she would quit her party and form a 'new alliance' if Theresa May does not rein in Brexiteers such as Mr Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson.

Ms Soubry was interviewed alongside Labour's Chuka Umunna and vowed to press the government to take a softer approach

Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr show with Mr Umunna this morning, Ms Soubry was asked if she thought Brexit would 'definitely happen'.

'Will it definitely happen? I genuinely don't know what is going to happen,' she replied.

Pressed on how it could be stopped, Ms Soubry pointed to the possibility of a second referendum or election.

'Well I'll tell you who might stop it, and that's the people of this country,' she said.

'We won't stop it. It is the people. We gave the people a referendum to start this process.'

Mr Umuna added: 'There is no majority in the House of Commons for us simply to jump off a cliff.'

Ms Soubry said Mrs May could alleviate her concerns by allowing the UK to remain in the customs union - something the Prime Minister has ruled out.

Failure to do that would be 'bad for our economy but it also fundamentally undermines the peace process that was achieved and this is really important'.

Appearing on the BBCs Andrew Marr show today, former minister Anna Soubry refused to rule out the verdict of the referendum being reversed altogether

Theresa May (pictured meeting Japanese investors in Downing Street last week) is trying to break the Cabinet deadlock over Brexit, with a series of keynote speeches by senior minister planned before she finally sets out her vision of Britain's post-EU future

Ms Soubry said Mrs May would be defeated on Brexit in the Commons 'if she's not careful'.

When presenter Andrew Marr suggested that Ms Soubry is closer in her politics to Mr Umuna than she is to Jacob Rees-Mogg, she replied: 'I'm not denying that.'

The comments risk fuelling tensions as Mrs May tries to break the Cabinet deadlock over Brexit, with a series of keynote speeches by senior minister planned before she finally sets out her vision of Britain's post-EU future.

The Prime Minister, along with Mr Davis,Boris Johnson, and Liam Fox  all hard-Brexit Cabinet Ministers  will use the set-piece occasions to outline what No 10 is billing as 'Britain's road map to Brexit', ahead of next month's crunch negotiations with the EU.

As Mailonline revealed last week, Mr Johnson's speech on 'liberal Brexit' is due to happen on Valentine's Day.

But Mrs May risks a fresh rift with Chancellor Philip Hammond by freezing him out of the three-week process.
A Central Queensland farmer got the shock of his life when a two metre long brown snake latched onto his leg after he rode over the reptile on Saturday.

The 34-year-old Charters Towers man was mustering cattle on a property near Clermont, west of Mackay when he rode over the top of the venomous reptile, which bit him through his jeans.

Central Queensland Helicopter Rescue air crewman Shane Bargh told the Brisbane Times the man fell off his bike and grabbed the snake behind the back of the head to pull it off his leg.

The brown snake is considered the world's second-most venomous land snake and is responsible for around 60 per cent of snake bite deaths in Australia

The patient told medical staff the snake was 'so big' it took his entire hand span to grab its head.

The farmer managed to alert other workers and was taken by road ambulance to Clermont Airfield to be airlifted to Mackay Base Hospital.

The farmer was the third snake bike victim Central Queensland Helicopter Rescue Service has airlifted in just six weeks.

'Fortunately, a pressure immobilisation bandage was applied immediately and this correct first aid might just have saved his life,' the service posted on its Facebook page.

'He wasn't in good shape with chest pains and feeling very unwell when we picked him up in the chopper and delivered him quickly to Mackay Base Hospital.'

The farmer managed to alert other workers and was taken by road ambulance to Clermont Airfield to be airlifted to Mackay Base Hospital

The farmer was the third snake bike victim Central Queensland Helicopter Rescue Service has airlifted in just six weeks

The man is now in a stable condition.

The brown snake is considered the world's second-most venomous land snake and is responsible for around 60 per cent of snake bite deaths in Australia.

Envenomation can result in paralysis, uncontrollable bleeding and death if left untreated.
An inmate who strangled his cellmate to death using shoelaces is now living life behind bars as a woman.

Daniel Eastwood, 32, has asked officers at Scotland's high-security HMP Shotts in Lanarkshire to call him 'Sophie', according to reports.

Yet Eastwood's request has sparked confusion at the prison as guards are now unsure whether routine checks on the prisoner should be carried out by a male of female.

Eastwood is not believed to have requested gender reassignment surgery or a move to Scotland's only female only prison, Cornton Vale in Stirling.

An insider said: 'Eastwood has asked to be called Sophie from now on and has changed appearance.

'Prison staff are concerned about who should be doing the daily 'rub-downs', which is when prisoners are searched when they come into another area and can take place several times a day.

Daniel Eastwood, 32, has asked that officers at Scotland's high-security HMP Shotts in Lanarkshire to call him 'Sophie'

'Prison bosses have said it could mean Sophie is shipped out to Cornton Vale if there is a row over whether male or female guards have responsibility for it but the problem won't go away for staff at Cornton Vale either. It's a safety issue for wardens.'

Eastwood, who has been hospitalised a number of times for deliberately eating razor blades, has a history of unstable behaviour behind bars and is known for his quick temper.

The inmate has been dubbed 'Hannibal Lecter' for the mind games he plays on inmates and guards at the prison.

It was revealed last year that he made a 22-year-old guard quit her role after he reeled off personal details about her, including details about her private life, the car she drove and where she lived.

In the past, Essex-born Eastwood has also launched attacks on inmates.

The Prison Officers' Association said it had 'concerns' about the number of prisoners changing their sex behind bars.

Phil Fairley of the Prison Officers' Association said: 'While a small number, more and more prisoners and undergoing gender changes.

'It makes our officers' jobs more difficult and there have been issues raised by guards who have to do things like searches.

'It has the potential to be misused by people as a way of getting moved jails.'

Eastwood was initially jailed for dangerous driving and sentenced to 12 months at Dumfries Young Offenders' Institution.

Yet during a stint behind bars in 2003, he strangled Paul Algie, 22, with a pair of shoelaces while a third inmate was sleeping in the same cell.

In his confession, he said: 'I held it very tight, and every time he moved I just made it tighter, tighter, tighter and tighter, until he was dead.'

Recent figures have revealed there were 15 transgender women and less than five transgender men in Scottish prisons.

A spokesperson for Scottish prisons said: 'We do not comment on individual prisoners. In line with our gender identity and gender reassignment policy, the Scottish Prison Service treats individuals according to the gender they choose.

'Individuals are managed in line with the policy and regular case conferences are held to ensure that they are fully supported.

'Risk assessments help to determine how individuals are managed and decisions can be reviewed at monthly case conferences.

'The safety and security of those who live and work in prisons is a priority for the SPS and, as such, our policy also recognises that there may be times when, for reasons of safety and risk management, decisions must be taken which differ from the individual's gender identity or gender reassignment.'
BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The report delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, to the 19th CPC National Congress has been published in 10 foreign languages.

The book, published by the Foreign Languages Press, is now available in English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Lao, according to an announcement on Sunday.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered the report on October 18, 2017. The report was entitled "Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era."
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An ice blast could cause phone signal to cut out across the country, with a severe weather warning forecasting snow and storms in the coming days.

Mobile reception could be lost across the UK if expected icy winds dry air moisture onto power cables and cause them to break.

Issuing two yellow weather warnings for snow and ice, the Met Office forecast potential power cuts and said mobile phones could be affected.

Conditions are expected to bring travel chaos and this afternoon a car was pictured having careered off an icy road in Scotland when it spun 180 degrees.

Snow covered rooftops in Overwater, Cumbria, this morning as more snow falls across the north of England and forecasters warn of potential mobile phone signal loss

A man shovels snow from the roadside in Nenthead, Cumbria, as the country gears up for worsening weather over the next few days

A snow plough clears snow from the A686 near Alston as more snow falls across the north of England and forecasters predict a prolonged spell of severe cold

This car came off the road while its driver was going from Edinburgh to Moffat as icy conditions threaten to bring more chaos to drivers

During Rangers Football Club's match with Ayr today, one brave fan watched the action without a top on. Plunging temperatures brought sleet and snow but the supporter spent part of the 90 minutes bare-chested

As the snow and sleet intensified, the fan eventually relented - but only put a vest on. Rangers' manager Graeme Murty praised the hardy supporter, saying it was 'insane' watching him and labelling him 'hardcore'

Rangers' cup match with Ayr today nearly fell victim to the weather, after a flurry of snow blanketed the ground on the west coast of Ayrshire.

But the game went ahead and one hardy fan was pictured braving the plummeting temperatures without a shirt on.

As the match wore on and the snow and sleet intensified, the brave supporter eventually relented - but still only put a vest on.

Rangers manager Graeme Murty praised the fan, telling the club's official website: 'If you are the guy sitting opposite me with a vest on all the way through the match, you are hardcore.

'It was insane looking over at you.'

Elsewhere, the weather left a walker stranded.

The hiker with badly frozen feet was rescued in blizzard conditions in a nine-hour operation in the Cairngorms this morning.

Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team found the man with hypothermia in the Munro mountains. The foreign national was stranded in a blizzard 3,000 feet up Carn Ban Mor. The 56-year-old was taken to be warmed up at the rescue base and required no further treatment.

Another two walkers were saved by mountain rescuers on a Snowdon ridge after they were stranded by snow and ice today.

Six Llanberis mountain rescue team members were airlifted up the peak by a coastguard helicopter and roped the men to the 3,560ft summit. They were then escorted down a path.

The Met Office has said a cold air mass will bring snow showers across the country this week, with East Anglia and London being most affected tonight. In the capital temperatures could plummet as low as -5C and -2C elsewhere.

A woman walks her dog in Overwater, Cumbria, as two weather warnings are in place until Tuesday afternoon and the Met Office says phone signal could be compromised

Nenthead was blanketed in snow this morning as the wintry weather looks set to move south to London and parts of East Anglia this evening

The Peak District's highest hill, Kinda Scout, is pictured this morning as Derbyshire experiences milder weather than areas such as Cumbria

Some areas of the south and the east of England will be better sheltered from snow showers but will still be affected. Showers may ease a little over night.

Ploughs were pictured clearing roads in Cumbria today where residents had to shovel snow from their drives, with the north-west expected to be the worst affected in the coming days.

Cumbria was covered in snow this morning as the north west of England looks set to continue being the worst-affected area of the country in the coming days

Kinda Scout was topped with snow this morning as Derbyshire as the south and east of England look set to be hit by snow tonight and weather worsens throughout the week

Overwater, Cumbria, covered in snow today as cold weather continues to blow across to the UK from Canada, with five centimetres of snow expected in parts of Scotland

There are fears of travel chaos as widespread permeating frost risks bringing traffic to a standstill and lightning is also a possibility.

Though the wind will ease off tomorrow the showers are expected to continue, with almost all of this week hit with heavy rain and snow.

Weather blowing in from the Atlantic is forecast bring five centimetres of snow to parts of Scotland and strong winds to the north of England.

Tomorrow's calm weather will be followed by heavy rain and wind that is set to last for four days, with sub-zero temperatures across the country. Public Health England has a cold weather health alert until Tuesday.
Theresa May, pictured heading for church in her Maidenhead constituency today, is struggling to break a Cabinet Brexit deadlock

Philip Hammond has been frozen out of a bid by Theresa May to break the Cabinet deadlock on Brexit.

Senior ministers including Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox are set to deliver keynote speeches on the UK's future outside the EU.

In around three weeks' time the Prime Minister will be outlining the government's vision - effectively setting a deadline for hammering out an agreed position for negotiations with Brussels.

But fresh questions have been raised about the Chancellor's future after he was excluded from the speeches - after widespread condemnation from Brexiteers of his negative attitude.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, who backed Leave in the referendum campaign, insisted today that the series of speeches would put 'meat on the bones' of the government's proposals.

'What the public want is they want the vision and they want some meat on the bones.

'And that's what they are going to get. And that will involve at the end of the process the Prime Minister setting out what that new partnership will look like, but it will also give some detail on our trading ambitions and relationship, what it means for devolution, and many other aspects.'

The round of speeches has been billed by Downing Street as setting out 'Britain's road map to Brexit' ahead of next month's crunch EU summit.

As MailOnline revealed last week, Mr Johnson will kick off the round of speeches by describing his vision of 'liberal Brexit' on Valentine's Day.

On Saturday Mrs May will speak on the UK's 'security partnership' with the EU, and the next fortnight will see speeches by Brexit Secretary Mr Davis and International Trade Secretary Mr Fox.

The only Remain backer giving a speech will be Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington.

Mrs May will then set out her goals in a speech billed within Whitehall as the successor to her Lancaster House address last year, when she first declared that she wanted the UK to leave the single market and customs union.

Justice Secretary David Gauke tried to play down the significance of Mr Hammond's absence from the schedule today, deying it was a 'plot' to sideline Remainers.

He told ITV's Peston on Sunday: 'He is not part of the set of speeches that have been outlined today, but that doesn't mean that the Chancellor is not expressing his views both internally in the Cabinet conversations, but also externally.

'So, I don't think that there really is anything in this that this is somehow any kind of plot to gag a particular faction of ministers. I don't think that's a fair characterisation at all.'

Philip Hammond (pictured in Downing Street last week) has been frozen out of series of keynote Brexit speeches by ministers

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, who backed Leave in the referendum campaign, insisted today that the series of speeches would put 'meat on the bones' of the government's proposals

On Friday EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier complained that there were still 'problems' in Brussels 'understanding the position of the British Government'.

He also threatened to pull the plug on plans for a transition deal unless the UK caves in on accepting free movement rules and all EU laws.

But asked if she thought a transition period was a given, Ms Mordaunt said: 'My personal view is I do because it's in our interest and it's in the EU's interest, so I think common sense will prevail.'

She added: 'What I would say to the public is that, actually, the other nations involved in this are very pragmatic and have not been impressed with some of the language that the (European) Commission has used.'

Asked if it was a Government red line to not have to grant full rights to EU migrants who come to Britain during a transition period, Ms Mordaunt said: 'It is what we are setting out in our position.

'Again, all of this is a negotiation. We are going to be setting out some more detail about our position on all of these issues over the coming months. But, that is something that we are looking for.

'Ultimately, it will be the negotiation, the phrase that is trotted out - nothing is decided until everything is decided. 'But, I think these things make sense and we are right to ask for them.'

Former minister Anna Soubry refused to rule out the verdict of the referendum being reversed altogether as she was interviewed alongside Labour's Chuka Umunna

On Friday EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier complained that there were still 'problems' in Brussels 'understanding the position of the British Government'

Meanwhile, a leading Tory Remainer today claimed that Brexit might never happen as she vowed to work with opposition MPs to force the government into a softer approach.

Former minister Anna Soubry refused to rule out the verdict of the referendum being reversed altogether as she was interviewed alongside Labour's Chuka Umunna.

She also admitted she was closer politically to Mr Umunna than fellow Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The intervention comes after Ms Soubry suggested she would quit her party and form a 'new alliance' if Mrs May does not rein in Brexiteers such as Mr Rees-Mogg and Mr Johnson.
A top European Union official has warned that migrant ghettos could become a 'nuclear bomb' of unrest and has urged the European Union to tackle the problem.

The EU has a war chest of 310 billion to spend by 2020 on its so-called cohesion policy as it tries to reduce inequality across the union.

European Commissioner for regional policy Corina Cretu says that the money is crucial to stop the segregation of migrants in harsh and dangerous ghettos.

European Commissioner for regional policy Corina Cretu has warned the EU that migrant ghettos could become a 'nuclear bomb' of civil arrest

Despite decades of spending on infrastructure in the poorer parts of Europe, the European Union is aiming to reduce inequality by pumping more money into countries in eastern and southern Europe.

Ms Cretu said that this is important for 'social integration'.

She told the Thomson Reuters Foundation this week at the World Urban Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 'Social integration will be crucial in the years to come.

'If we allow ghettos or segregation of migrants, this will become a nuclear bomb in the future.'

Corina Cretu (pictured) said: 'If we allow ghettos or segregation of migrants, this will become a nuclear bomb in the future'

The EU asylum system was on the brink of collapse in 2015 as a million refugees and migrants arrived by boat, overwhelming Greece and Italy.

Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic refused to take some of the new arrivals.

The dispute ended up in the courts and has weakened the bloc's unity, spilling over to other policy areas.

European Union interior ministers are now struggling with the politically charged issue of reforming the union's asylum system.

A group of migrants in Calais (pictured) as Ms Cretu says: 'If we allow ghettos or segregation of migrants, this will become a nuclear bomb in the future'

Former communist states continue to defy pressure from other European capitals to accept refugees travelling across the Mediterranean which would ease the burden on nations such as Greece and wealthy destination countries like Germany.

Ms Cretu, who oversees the cohesion policy, highlighted recent investments on the frontlines of Europe's migrant crisis - from the purchase of two rescue boats for Italian authorities to a support network for mayors of cities wrestling with migration.

When residents and migrants clash, 'mayors are in the middle', Ms Cretu said, citing the tiny Greek island of Chios, where arrivals of refugees and migrants have risen recently.

The European Union is using a new approach to measure inequality, which should give policy makers a better understanding of which areas are most in need, according to Cretu.

Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have refused to take migrants in the past, causing tensions with nations like Greece and Italy

She said: 'GDP per capita is not very accurate because it doesn't take into account these pockets of poverty unemployment.'

Ms Cretu also believes that while the cohesion policy's biggest achievements to-date have been in traditional infrastructure, basic needs have been neglected in many parts of eastern Europe.

She said: 'We have still people who are dying because of the quality of water, because the networks were built 40-50 years ago.'
Convicted acid attack brute Arthur Collins is set to splash out 50,000 on a top lawyer to help reduce his 25-year sentence.

The 25-year-old fears that he may be targeted in jail because of his relationship with The Only Way is Essex reality star Ferne McCann, as well as the horrific nature of his crimes.

Collins, of Broxbourne, Herts, who has a daughter with McCann, was convicted of GBH and ABH against 14 people after spraying partygoers with corrosive substance following an argument at the Mangle E8 nightclub in east London last year.

Now Michael Wolkind QC has been brought in by Collins to help reduce his sentence.

Wolkind has appeared on more than 240 murder cases and famous appealed against farmer Tony Martin's murder conviction after he shot dead a teenage burglar.

The leading barrister visited visited Collins at Full Sutton Prison in York on Friday, according to The Sun.

Collins was given a sentence of 20 years behind bars and five years on licence, but it is believed Collins feels his sentence is too harsh.

Arthur Collins (left) was given a sentence of 20 years behind bars and five years on licence, but it is believed Collins feels his sentence is too harsh. He has now hired Michael Wolkind in a bid to reduce his sentence (right)

Michael Wolkind is thought to have visited Arthur Collins at Full Sutton Prison on Friday

The horrific incident left 22 innocent clubbers injured, several of whom confronted him in court, with one woman recalling the moment she felt her skin 'come off'.

Collins denied the charges leveled against him, claiming he thought he was throwing a date rape drug, but he was labeled a 'calculating liar' who has not shown the 'slightest remorse' after the 'deliberate and calculated attack' by the judge.

Collins was recently given an additional eight months added onto his term after he was caught trying to smuggle a phone into prison.

A friend of Collins said: 'He was a target because of who his ex is and because of the horrific nature of his crime.

'He wasn't attacked but feared he might be one day. He hopes this appeal will cut his sentence.'

Collins, of Broxbourne, Herts, who has a daughter with Ferne McCann (pictured), was convicted of GBH and ABH against 14 people after spraying partygoers with corrosive substance following an argument at the Mangle E8 nightclub in east London last year
An undocumented man from Mexico whose five-year-old son is battling cancer is battling a deportation notice by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Jesus Berrones' request for an extension to remain in the United States was denied by ICE on Thursday.

The 30-year-old lives in Glendale, Arizona with his pregnant wife and five children, and has been ordered to appear on Monday to be deported, according to the Huffington Post.

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Jesus Berrones, an undocumented man from Mexico whose five-year-old son has leukemia is battling a deportation notice after ICE told him his request for an extension to remain in the United States with his sick son was denied on Thursday

The 30-year-old lives in Glendale, Arizona with his pregnant wife and five children, and has been ordered to appear on Monday to be deported, according to the Huffington Post

Berrones has been living in the US since he was one-and-a-half, when his parents brought him here. It's not clear if he initially entered the country lawfully.

When he was 19, in 2006, he was caught driving with a fake license and deported to Mexico, his wife Sonia told the Post. He has re-entered the country illegally twice to rejoin his family, all of whom live in Arizona.

Berrones' five-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia since 2016 and is currently undergoing chemotherapy, Sonia explained. She is a US citizen and the couple were married just after the new year.

When it was first learned his son had the disease ICE granted the father, who is the family's sole breadwinner, a stay of removal so he could be with his sick child. ICE has the ability to use its discretion to grant stays in certain cases - and has done so more than once on the grounds of a sick child.

But last year, under the new Trump administration, when Berrones went to refile a stay on the same grounds officials told him it wasn't necessary because he wasn't a deportation priority, Wilkes explained.

Then last month Berrones was issued a notice from ICE that he will be deported. His lawyer refiled a request for a stay almost immediately, but it was denied.

'He's a hard-working man,' Sonia told the Post as she wept.

'We're scared. The kids will ask me: "Where's daddy?"'

Berrones took refuge at Shadow Rock United Church of Christ in Phoenix Friday (pictured) - which is one of hundreds of 'sanctuary churches' nationwide that welcome immigrants facing deportation. Immigrants are invited to live at these churches until they are no longer under threat of being kicked out of the country

Berrones took refuge at Shadow Rock United Church of Christ in Phoenix Friday - which is one of hundreds of 'sanctuary churches' nationwide that welcome immigrants facing deportation. Immigrants are invited to live at these churches until they are no longer under threat of being kicked out of the country.

ICE has recognized that churches are 'sensitive' places that they do not go to when carrying out arrests.

'We're just fulfilling our mission to provide a safe place for people, to keep families together,' Reverend Ken Heintzelman told the Post.

'We think the immigration policy and its enforcement is unjust.'

Berrones plans to stay at the church until he is granted a stay or Wilkes finds a legal solution.

That resolution might involve Wilkes filing a petition arguing Berrones didn't have the opportunity to make a case before an immigration judge the first time he was deported as a teenager in 2006.

In June the ICE Acting Director Thomas Homan said undocumented immigrants should 'look over their shoulder,' a statement characteristic the Trump administration's emphasis on cracking down on illegal immigration.
A girl who had a one per cent chance of survival has miraculously been cured of a brain tumour after experimental treatment in Mexico, parents claim.

Annabelle Nguyen, five, from Perth, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer three years ago.

She now has 'no visible tumour, her mother Sandy Nguyen claimed in an update to family and friends on social media.

Annabelle Nguyen (pictured) has been cured of a fatal brain tumour Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) according to her parents

Her parents have sold their house and spent $300,000 trying to find a cure for Annabelle

Sandy Nguyen supplied the Daily Mail with a recent super scan which she says shows no tumour activity.

'We just had another meeting with Annabelle's doctors here in Monterrey to go over the last of her PET scans... where they added another tracer,' she posted.

'The results from these tests confirmed what the doctors expected and it's wonderful: Annabelle has no tumor activity in her brain.'

She was given just only one per cent chance of survival but her dedicated parents sold their family home in order to raise the $300,000 that would save her life.

Her parents travelled to Mexico in the last hope of saving their five-year-old daughter Annabelle Nguyen (pictured)

Mrs Nguyen claimed the treatment had killed Annabelle's tumor and all her 'current symptoms' are due to inflammation, which the doctor is 'addressing with a comprehensive plan'.

'What this means is that we can officially say that Annabelle has no evidence of the disease,' she said.

'She has beaten the diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma beast.'

Parents were elated when they were told on Sunday Annabelle (pictured) has been cured

The family have received 'the OK' from the doctors to go home but there are still some treatments remaining which means further trips to Mexico will be required.

On Friday Mrs Nguyen had expressed distress her plane had been postponed due to 'delayed treatment' but also thanked family and friends for support.

'We regret to announce, we are not going home anytime soon due to Annabelle well being,' she posted on Facebook Friday.

The decision to travel to Mexico came after an MRI showed progression, with Mrs Nguyen deciding she could not sit back and watch her daughter die

'She is doing fine, just had a treatment yesterday and got discharged this morning but due to the postponed of the treatment, weve decided to wait before we get on that crazy long hours of flight.

'We are very sad, extremely homesick and the Lunar New Year is approaching around the corner is not helping at all but its all for the better.'

Annabelle Nguyen was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a fatal brain tumour, in September 2015.

But unable to sit back and accept Annabelle had less than a year to live, her parents Trung and Sandy decided to take the little girl overseas for controversial treatment.

Doctors in Australia urge caution to other families considering the treatment overseas

Annabelle first began experiencing symptoms when she was two years old after complaining of impaired vision and night terrors.

Her concerned parents took her to Princess Margaret Hospital, where she was diagnosed with the deadly tumour, and given a survival estimation of less than one per cent.

Mrs Nguyen told the family at the time Annabelle had between six and nine months to live and that they should go home and 'make memories'.

'Annabelle was the only child in Perth diagnosed at the time and we were told to enjoy our precious time with her as there isn't a cure,' Mrs Nguyen said at the time.

After many sleepless nights Mr and Mrs Nguyen discovered an experimental treatment in Monterrey, Mexico and after speaking with other parents decided 'there was no looking back'

After undergoing 30 intense sessions of radiation at St Charles Gairdner Hospital, Annabelle's parents decided to return home to Vietnam.

Mrs Nguyen said: 'We wanted to spend some quality time with her and the family, so she would be surrounded by all that love her'.

'A fire lit within me and immediately we went on the hunt for any trials or treatments available.'

A GoFundMe Page set up by Mrs Nguyen has so far raised more than $19,000 with a $300,000 goal.
Oxfam staff could be prosecuted for sex crimes in the UK, a former UN chief claimed today as the charity faced new allegations against its staff.

Andrew MacLeod, the former chief of operations of the UN's Emergency Coordination Centre, said some offences committed by Britons in disaster zones could be pursued by police in the UK.

The warning came as Oxfam faces fresh allegations of sexual misconduct after former employees based in Chad claimed staff held sex parties attended by prostitutes back in 2006.

Women believed to be sex workers were reportedly invited to the Oxfam team house on a number of occasions and one senior member of staff in Chad was reportedly fired for his behaviour, it is claimed.

It is just the latest sex scandal to hit the charity, which made headlines last week after it was accused of concealing the findings of an inquiry into claims staff used prostitutes while delivering aid in Haiti in 2011.

Andrew MacLeod (pictured on Sky News today), the former chief of operations of the UN's Emergency Coordination Centre, said some offences committed by Britons in disaster zones could be pursued by police in the UK

Former Oxfam employees in Chad claimed staff held sex parties with prostitutes. Pictured: Roland van Hauwermeiren, 68, who admitted to having sex with vulnerable prostitutes at his Oxfam villa

Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring (left) and chairwoman Caroline Thompson were seen leaving the Department for International Development today (pictured) after crunch talks with ministers

Mr Goldring (pictured leaving Whitehall today) has admitted to a failure of leadership in Oxfam's Haiti relief effort

It emerged today the Charity Commission reveals 1,000 allegations a year of abuse in the sector.

Britain's aid minister has now said the government will cut aid funding from any charity that did not comply with a new review into their work overseas, calling reports of sexual exploitation in the sector 'utterly despicable.'

Mr MacLeod told the Today programme: ' The impact of sex tourism laws make it unlawful for anybody to have sex with children under the age of 16 anywhere in the world or aid, abet or support that.

'If they were adults, this man should be charged in front of the courts in Haiti because prostitution is illegal.

'If they are children, they should be charged in front of the courts here because he's broken the sex tourism laws. If they are uncertain, they should pass the dossier to the police for investigation.'

Charity Commission is handed 1,000 abuse complaints a YEAR The Charity Commission receives 1,000 complaints a year about abuse in the sector, it emerged today. The watchdog's director of investigations Michelle Russell said it was not told the full story at the time Oxfam first investigated allegations of misconduct in 2011. Ms Russell told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We've made very clear that had the details of what has come out over the last few days been told to us, we would have dealt with this very differently. 'We were categorically told there was no abuse of beneficiaries involved in the allegations. Nor were we told that there were issues or possible issues around possible crimes, including those involving minors. 'What we did know - and it was made public at the time - is that it resulted in the sacking of several members of staff and resignations. We were assured that Oxfam had investigated it fully.' Asked if the problem of exploitation could be more widespread in the charity sector, Ms Russell said: 'The charity sector is not immune from these sorts of allegations and incidents happening. We have about 1,000 incidents a year reported to us by charities involving safeguarding issues. 'What is really important - and perhaps this hasn't happened in the past so much - is that there is a light of transparency and accountability on it.' Advertisement

'Since 1999 the National Crime Authority, or its precursor, have been warning that predatory paedophiles, as we cracked down in the developed world, are now going to the developing world to get access to children.

'Their chosen methodology is through charity. If we going to wipe out this problem that's been known about for 30 years, people need to go to jail.'

Roland van Hauwermeiren, who has since become embroiled in the sexual misconduct scandal in Haiti, was head of Oxfam in Chad at the time. Van Hauwermeiren resigned from Oxfam in 2011, after admitting that prostitutes had visited his villa in Haiti.

The allegations echo those made against Roland van Hauwermeiren, 68, who admitted to having sex with vulnerable prostitutes at his Oxfam villa in the poverty-stricken country of Haiti where he was based as country director.

Van Hauwermeiren was head of Oxfam in Chad at the time of the alleged sex parties.

'They would invite women for parties, we knew they weren't just friends but something else,' said an anonymous former employee.

'I have so much respect for Oxfam, they do great work, but this is a sector wide problem', the former staffer told the Observer.

The source added staff members did not speak up for fear this might reduce donations to the most vulnerable at a time when funding is under pressure.

Oxfam, one of Britain's biggest charities, has condemned the behavior of some former staff in Haiti after a newspaper report said aid workers paid for sex while on a mission to help those affected by the 2010 earthquake.

Winnie Byanyima, who became executive director of Oxfam International in 2013, said she was saddened by what took place in 2010 and that it could not happen under systems and rules put in place since

The executive director of Oxfam International said yesterday that she was heartbroken by the sexual misconduct scandal.

Winnie Byanyima, who became executive director of Oxfam International in 2013, said she was saddened by what took place in 2010 and that it could not happen under systems and rules put in place since.

'I feel deeply, deeply hurt. ... What happened in Haiti was a few privileged men abusing the very people they were supposed to protect - using the power they had from Oxfam to abuse powerless women. It breaks my heart,' Byanyima said in an interview with Reuters TV in New York.

'We want to restore trust. We want to build that trust. We are committing to be honest, to be transparent and to be accountable in addressing this issue of sexual misconduct. We are in a different place today,' she said.

Byanyima said charities must stop people who do not share their values from joining their organizations.

'We need to do more in terms of investigations and sharing the results of those investigations so that offenders don't go on to offend in other organizations,' she said.

She said Oxfam would share with the relevant authorities all the information it had relating to the 2010 incident.

'You know it's not within our power to return people who are not our staff to Haiti to face prosecution,' she said. 'But we will avail everything that we know from the investigation to whoever authority, whichever authority wants to have this.

A spokesperson for Oxfam said the organisation was deeply shocked by the new allegations, admitting the problem was 'sector-wide'.

Sex workers were reportedly invited to the Oxfam team house on a number of occasions. Pictured: A Chadian woman at market

It said it could not confirm whether it had any records about a Chad staff member dismissed in 2006, adding that staff in Chad lived under a strict curfew due to security concerns.

'We are shocked and dismayed about the latest revelations from Chad. While we can't corroborate the information at the moment it highlights again unacceptable behaviour by a small number of people and the need for a sector-wide approach to tackle the problem.

'Since the Haiti case in 2011 we have introduced a range of measures to prevent sexual abuse and misconduct happening in the first place and improve how we handle any allegations.'

Caroline Thomson, Oxfam's chairwoman of trustees in the UK, said the charity was 'ashamed' of what had happened in Haiti, adding that it prides itself on 'being a transparent organisation'.

'It is clear that such behaviour is completely outside our values and should never be tolerated,' she said.

Chief executive Mark Goldring (pictured) apologised on behalf of the organisation

Ms Thomson said she was working closely with chief executive Mark Goldring to make improvements.

'We will continue to address the underlying cultural issues that allowed this behaviour to happen,' she said.

'We also want to satisfy ourselves that we do now have a culture of openness and transparency and that we fully learn the lessons of events in 2011.'

Goldring apologised yesterday and said he was 'deeply ashamed of Oxfam's behaviour [in Haiti]'.

He added: 'Everybody - the 25,000 staff and volunteers - are compromised by this, the hundreds of thousands of people who support Oxfam every month are compromised by this, and to everybody I apologise.

'What I'm apologising for is that nine Oxfam staff behaved in a way that was totally unacceptable and contrary to our values, and that led much more responsible staff to make decisions which are now seen by some as being marginal or inappropriate.

The boss then refused to apologise for the fact the charity continues to do work in Haiti.

It comes after it emerged Oxfam failed to share information with other organisations about the misconduct of their former employees.

The charity decided to allow Mr Van Hauwermeiren to step down from his position and crucially didn't share details of the termination of contract with his new employer.

The married 68-year-old went on to become head of mission for Action Against Hunger who told MailOnline it had 'no idea' about his background.

Secretary of State for International Development Penny Mordaunt has condemned the behaviour of some Oxfam staff members as a 'complete betrayal', as she warned the charity the 'scandal' had put its relationship with the Government at risk.

Ms Mordaunt told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show that the failure to pass on information to relevant authorities shows an 'absolute absence of leadership'.

Asked by Marr if she thought Oxfam had failed in its 'moral leadership', the Conservative MP replied: 'Yes, I do.'

Ms Mordaunt announced she would meet the charity on Monday to discuss the case, and said: 'If the moral leadership at the top of the organisation is not there then we can not have you as a partner.'

Secretary of State for International Development Penny Mordaunt attacked Oxfam, saying it had failed in its 'moral leadership'

Charities, including Oxfam, have been told they will have funding withdrawn if they fail to comply with authorities over safeguarding issues.

The Charity Commission said on Saturday that it had written to Oxfam 'as a matter of urgency' to request further information.

The regulator said an Oxfam report on the investigation stated there had been no allegations of abuse of beneficiaries and made no mention of any potential sexual crimes involving minors.

'Our approach to this matter would have been different had the full details that have been reported been disclosed to us at the time,' it said in a statement.

Ms Mordaunt said the charity had also 'categorically' stated to the Department for International Development (DfID) that no harm was done and beneficiaries were not involved.

Marr said: 'That was a lie, wasn't it?'

Ms Mordaunt replied: 'Well, quite.'

She added that Oxfam had done 'absolutely the wrong thing' by failing to inform authorities about the full details of the allegations.

In a further warning to the charity, she said: 'If they do not hand over all the information that they have from their investigation and subsequently to the relevant authorities, including the Charity Commission and prosecuting authorities, then I cannot work with them any more as an aid delivery partner.'
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Five people were arrested when counter-protesters took over a Republican rally at the University of Washington where dissenters burned the American flag as they booed the Trump administration.

The clash broke out after campus group the College Republicans invited right-leaning group the Patriot Prayer to speak on Saturday.

In retaliation hundreds of students and demonstrators, gathered to oppose the Trump supporting rally.

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Five were arrested after counter-protesters took over a Republican free speech rally held at the University of Washington

The rally held on Saturday by the College Republicans invited right-leaning group Patriot Prayer to speak on free speech

The Republican rally attendees wore pro-Trump hats and T-shirts and held signs saying 'Americans are Dreamers Too'

Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson spoke and around 75 minutes after the speech, protesters arrived to drown out the rally

The free speech rally took place in the campus's Red Square by students supportive of Trump chanting 'USA! USA! USA!' and several wearing Make American Great Again hats.

College Republicans President Chevy Swanson said the goal of the rally was to create a safe space for conservatives to share their views and promote free speech.

About 75 minutes after the rally, counter-protesters began to flood in, despite police barricades.

Although the College Republicans had worked with police to prepare for the day, security was unprepared to deal with the hundreds that marched through the square.

The dissenters marched in with signs saying 'Trump and Pence must go' and 'Trump is the symptom, Capitalism is the disease, Revolution is the cure' and 'Resist'.

'Were here to fight back against the far right and fascism on our campus,' one speaker of the counter-protest said.

Scuttles broke out between the two groups, causing campus police to use pepper spray and arrest five counter-protesters.

Police set up barricades at the campus' Red Square where the rally was held anticipating backlash and separating the crowds

Fight for your rights: Protesters took to the square with signs against the Trump administration and white supremacy

After scuttles broke out between the two sides police used pepper spray to quell the crowd, here a pepper spray victim has his eyes rinsed by a medic at the scene before he was later detained

A woman had her face pressed to the ground before she was detained by security police after scuttles broke out

Seattle Police were on the scene to assist university security in taming the counter-protester and rally supporter clashes

Escorted away: Police surround a man in a black hoodie they detained during the protest at the campus' Red Square

Rally supporters were distinct in the crowds of the clash as they proudly wore flags and Make America Great Again hats

One of the arrested was a man named Jamal yelled his name as he was arrested, according to The Daily newspaper at the university.

'He tried to get me and now he finally did,' he said as he was ushered into a police fan by the officer who had pepper sprayed then arrested him.

'As fights broke out, police quickly intervened with pepper spray and encircled the area with bikes,' counter-protester Brandon Gomez said.

Seattle Police assisted university officers to separate the two groups. Five people were arrested on misdemeanor charges.

The protest saw students and outside Trump dissenters arrive to drown out the Republican rally.

One of those protesters from outside campus was Tia Chicome, who traveled from her home on the Yakama Reservation.

'Whenever I go to protest, these people (Patriot Prayer members) ask me if I have papers. Its so disgusting because every generation in my family has served in the U.S. military,' the veteran said to the Seattle Times.

One student shared he was upset to see how many of his peers showed up for the Patriot Prayer speech.

A look back: This woman was also detained during the protest of the rally and was escorted away by police from the scene

Floored: This man was forced onto the ground and handcuffed before he too was detained in the counter-protest

Taking a breath: A rally supporter wheezes in pain after an altercation with a counter-protester on the scene

The last remains: A burned and shredded American flag was left on the ground in the aftermath of the clash

'I refuse to be scared away by Neo-Nazis. This is where I live and work and where my friends live and work, and Im not going to leave,' Junior Nick Peda said.

'The College Republicans keep pulling this stuff and Im tired of it. Its really disappointing to see so many of my classmates on the other side,' he added.

The square was cleared around 3pm that day.

A day before the rally, the University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce cautioned students to avoid the square the following day in anticipation of safety concerns.

The news follows one year after another right-wing protest on campus turned violent.

In January 2017 as British political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos spoke on campus to the College Republican group, a man was shot outside the speech.

Officials said that the suspect who fired the gun claimed he had been assaulted by the man he thought to be a type of white supremacist and shot in self-defense, according to the Seattle Times.

The College Republicans were charged an estimated $17,000 security fee for security for their rally, but the bill was blocked by a federal judge on Friday, who said that it would violate free-speech rights.
Bill Shorten is promising a $10 million 'Healing Fund' pledging compensation for survivors of the Stolen Generation should he be elected.

The Opposition Leader will announce the scheme on Monday, which will include one-off payments of $75,000 for Aboriginal people who lived through one of the darkest chapters in Australia's history.

The move comes despite the Labor leader's support for the current date of Australia Day, despite many Aboriginal people referring to the holiday as 'Invasion Day'.

Bill Shorten is promising a $10 million 'Healing Fund' pledging compensation for survivors of the Stolen Generation should he be elected

The Opposition Leader will announce the scheme which will include one-off payments of $75,000 for Aboriginals who lived through one of the darkest chapters in Australia's history

Between 1905 and 1969, thousands of Aboriginal children were taken from their families under the child removal policy, implemented to segregate communities and assimilate the younger population.

Experts believe as many as one-in-three children of Aboriginal families were forcibly removed from their parents during the period.

The initiative is set to commemorate the 10th anniversary of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologising to indigenous Australians for the acts committed against their people throughout the 20th century.

'The Apology was so much more than a set of well-chosen words,' extracts from Shorten's Monday speech read, as reported by News.com.au.

'It was not just an expression of sorrow or regret, but a declaration of intent, a promise for action.'

The initiative is set to commemorate the 10th anniversary of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologising to indigenous Australians for the acts committed against their people

Shorten will use the 'Healing Fund' as the next step in the process his predecessor started, saying it's time to match the apology with real action

Shorten will use the 'Healing Fund' as the next step in the process his predecessor started, saying it's time to match the apology with real action.

'They are still waiting for saying sorry, to be matched by making-good,' Mr Shorten will say today.

'It's time the Commonwealth lived-up to its rhetoric.'

Survivors in the Northern Territory and ACT will receive single payments of $75,000, and a further $7,000 for funeral arrangements.
Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, who is reportedly being eyed to replace Chief of Staff John Kelly, said Sunday that is 'absolutely not' the case.

'And I think all the stories about replacing General Kelly are mostly being fed by people unhappy that they've lost access to the president under General Kelly's leadership of chief of staff,' Mulvaney said on Fox News Sunday.

Kelly took a metaphorical beating this week after DailyMail.com reported that the president's now former staff secretary, Rob Porter, had abused both of his ex-wives.

Mulvaney, on both Fox News Sunday and CBS' Face the Nation, defended the White House's response to the controversy, calling it on the latter program 'completely reasonable and normal.'

As Kelly, and White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, who was dating Porter, first came to the embattled aide's defense, the timeline of who knew what, and when, is still in question.

The director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mick Mulvaney, said he's 'absolutely not' being eyed to replace President Trump's current Chief of Staff John Kelly, who's been taking the bulk of the blame for the handling of the situation with Staff Secretary Rob Porter

OMB Director Mick Mulvaney (left) sat down Sunday with Fox News Channel's Chris Wallace (right) and suggested that those predicting that John Kelly would be ousted are people upset that their access has been cut off

On Friday, a White House official told DailyMail.com that Kelly knew about the abuse allegations since October, being told personally about them from Porter's girlfriend at the time, something she now denies.

In an original statement, Kelly had defended Porter.

The Washington Post also reported on Friday that Kelly asked White House staffers to publicly communicate a timeline of events surrounding Porter's dismissal that many believed was untrue.

Within hours of Kelly issuing the directive, his push to do so was in the news.

In turn, CNN reported that White House staffers are mulling what a 'post-Kelly world looks like,' noting that 'the conversation keeps coming back to Mulvaney' because he 'doesn't have any enemies.'

On Sunday, Mulvaney indicated that neither the president nor anybody else on staff had talked to him about replacing Kelly.

'I'm extraordinarily pleased with the job the chief has been doing, everyone in the West Wing is, the president is as well,' Mulvaney added. 'I think the talk about the chief's departure is much ado about nothing.'

Mulvaney also tried making the point that media reports about West Wing chaos were over-dramatized.

'Keep in mind, when working in the West Wing and reading about it in the newspaper, watching on television, could not be more different,' he told Fox's Chris Wallace. 'The place is very stable, very quiet, so all of the media hype about all the disarray is just that.'

The OMB director also tried to suggest that the backlash against Kelly was coming from former members of the Trump inner circle who were cut off, and were now lashing out.

Wallace pointed out that by saying that, Mulvaney made it sound like those discontent with Kelly worked in the West Wing.

Mulvaney replied that wasn't the case.

'Keep in mind, before the general got there just about anybody could get access to the West Wing, so there was a bunch of people who are not inside the White House who are also upset,' Mulvaney said.

Wallace also asked Mulvaney about the root of the issue: how he would treat accusations of domestic violence.

'That we don't tolerate at all,' the OMB director answered, adding that in his own career 'it's never come up.'

Before taking the OMB post, Mulvaney was a lawyer and elected to both the South Carolina state House and the U.S. House of Representatives.

'Maybe I'm just fortunate with the people that I surround myself with,' he noted. 'You cannot put trust in people who would do that to their spouse of either gender, so we have a zero tolerance policy for it,' he added.

Wallace pointed out that President Trump hasn't said anything about 'zero tolerance' or said anything about Porter's victims.

Instead, on Friday, Trump told a gaggle of reporters that he wished Porter well.

On Saturday the president sent out a tweet, complaining about the lack of 'due process' in these domestic violence cases being aired out in the court of public opinion.

Mulvaney called what happened 'a very normal reaction to the circumstance.'

'Someone who we know and trust and work with, Rob Porter, came to the president of the United States and the chief of staff and said, "Look, I'm being accused of these things, they are not true,"' Mulvaney said. 'For the president and the chief of staff to give that person the benefit of the doubt is probably a very normal and human reaction.'

Mulvaney pointed to Wallace's cameraman and said if he had come forward and said he was going to be accused of something, but it's untrue, the Fox News Sunday host would probably give his associate the benefit of the doubt too.

'As soon as Rob Porter was proven wrong and it was proven that he was not telling us the truth, when the photos came out Wednesday, he was gone almost immediately,' Mulvaney said.

As for the president's tweet, Mulvaney suggested that it 'could be applied to a bunch of different people.'

'Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?' Trump wrote.

Mulvaney pointed out that Porter wasn't specifically mentioned in the tweet.

'I wondered if the president was talking about his friend Steve Wynn, who has been accused and essentially condemned without due process,' Mulvaney said.

Trump's OMB director also suggested that the president was still getting over his disappointment with Porter when he made supportive comments about the outgoing aide in the Oval Office.

'But what you saw there from the president was a certain sadness that somebody that he liked had let him down,' Mulvaney said.

On CBS, Mulvaney sang a similar tune.

The president, he said, was 'let down by somebody who he trusted, somebody who he put in a place of authority and then wasn't told the truth.'
[File Photo]

Gui Minhai, a Swedish national and Hong Kong bookseller, on Friday accused Swedish authorities of hyping up his case for political reasons after he was detained again in China for suspected involvement of illegally exporting national secrets.

I have lived as a prisoner before. To a large extent, I should blame you and the Swedish government for this, said Gui in a letter sent to Swedens ambassador to China on Jan. 27, a few days after his detention. Gui also noted that he has been used by Swedish authorities as a pawn.

Three months after Gui completed a two-year term for killing a person while driving drunk more than a decade ago, he was taken to Beijing from Shanghai by two Swedish diplomats on Jan. 20, despite the fact that Chinese law requires him not to leave the country until a case related to his illegal business operation is officially closed.

According to Xinhua News Agency, though Chinese police contacted Gui and demanded his return, the Swedish diplomats encouraged him to refuse cooperation, alluring him with the promise of treating his so-called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which turned out to be simple muscle atrophy in his hands.

They told me I was just one step away from success. As long as I take the step, I will succeed in returning to Sweden. Helping me treat my illness was just an excuse. I have lost all trust in the Swedish government, said Gui.

Gui's letter to the Swedish ambassador to China. [Xinhua]

Following Guis second detention, Western governments and media outlets have been blasting China for its judicial decision, doubting groundlessly that Guis statement was made under duress.

In response to such claims, Gui expressed hope to handle his own issues on his own, warning that he may consider giving up his Swedish nationality if Sweden continues to interfere in his case.

Chinese government and media outlets have also backed Guis position, with Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recently criticizing remarks and behaviors that ignore Chinas judicial sovereignty.

Chinese newspaper Global Times also bombarded Sweden for its saving mission, noting that Guis case was hyped by Western media and the Swedish foreign ministry seems to want to demonstrate its diplomatic heroism by saving the bookseller.

Other media outlets have also accused Swedish authorities of tricking Gui to break Chinese laws, noting that what they had offered Gui was far beyond the scope of consular support.

According to Xinhua, Chinese authorities have been informing its Swedish counterparts about Guis recent condition, without hiding or denying the latters access to the process of the case.

As of press time, Gui is still in detention, as he took with him lots of materials concerning state secrets and is suspected of illegally providing state secrets and intelligence overseas and endangering state security, according to Chinese police.
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway said Sunday that President Trump has 'full confidence' in both Chief of Staff John Kelly and Communications Director Hope Hicks.

Both Kelly and Hicks were ensnared in the White House's latest staffing scandal, with Staff Secretary Rob Porter leaving his position Thursday after being accused of abuse by both of his ex-wives.

Kelly had been alerted to the accusations as early as October, but did nothing, while Hicks had been dating Porter, and helped craft his original defense.

Talking to CNN's Jake Tapper, Conway said she had 'no reason not to believe the women.'

The president, on the other hand, has yet to acknowledge the accusers  ex-wives Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby  saying Friday in the Oval Office that he hoped Porter had a 'great career ahead of him,' expressing sadness that he had to let the aide go.

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway said on ABC's This Week that President Trump has 'full confidence' in his chief of staff and his communications director

Both Chief of Staff John Kelly (left) and Communications Director Hope Hicks (right) became ensnared in the latest White House staffing scandal, coming to the defense of Staff Secretary Rob Porter, who was accused by both of his ex-wives of domestic abuse

Staff Secretary Rob Porter (upper right) was gone by Thursday after his ex-wives told DailyMail.com that he had abused them during their marriages

'In this case, you have contemporaneous police reports, you have women speaking to the FBI under threat of perjury ... you have photographs, and when you look at all of that pulled together, Rob Porter did the right thing by resigning,' Conway said of the evidence of the abuse.

As for any staff fallout, speaking to ABC's George Stephanopoulos on This Week, Conway quickly pushed aside any speculation that she was being eyed to replace Kelly as chief of staff.

'Well, that would be news to me,' Conway replied.

She also told the newsman that she had spoken to Trump last night and asked him point blank about any staffing changes.

'He wanted me to reemphasize to everyone ... that he has full confidence in current chief of staff General John Kelly and that he's not actively searching for replacements,' Conway said. 'He also has full confidence in Hope Hicks as communications director.'

'There are a lot of, I think, unsourced stories out there, but when it comes to those two individuals, the president has full confidence in their performance,' Conway added.

She delivered a similar line to Tapper.

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (left) said she wasn't worried about White House Communications Director Hope Hicks (right), who was dating Staff Secretary Rob Porter when the abuse allegations came out. Conway described Hicks as 'strong' with 'excellent instincts'

Jake Tapper (right) pointed out that 'strong' women get abused too, which Kellyanne Conway (left) acknowledged. Conway argued Hope Hicks would get through the current situation with the help of her 'support system' including a 'beautiful family' and 'wonderful friends'

'I spoke to the president last night. I told him I would be with you today. And he said, "Please tell Jake that I have full faith in Chief of Staff John Kelly and that I'm not actively searching for replacements,' Conway said.

Another rumored Kelly replacement, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney answered 'absolutely not' when asked on Fox News Sunday if he had discussed a role change with the president or any members of the White House's senior staff.

CNN reported Friday that when staff has discussed what a 'post-Kelly world looks like,' Mulvaney's name would often come up because he 'doesn't have enemies.'

The network also reported that Trump believed Hicks' romantic relationship with Porter clouded her judgment as the White House initially stood by the staff secretary, until pictures of his ex-wife with a black eye came out.

Stephanopoulos asked Conway if the president had complained about Kelly or Hicks on the phone with his friends, as he is known to do.

'He hasn't complained to me, and I spoke with him last night and asked him this question pointedly,' she answered.

Over on Tapper's show Conway, who is close to Hicks, was asked about something Porter's second wife, Jennifer Willoughby told Anderson Cooper Thursday night: that Porter would eventually abuse Hicks.

Conway replied that she wasn't worried about Hicks 'in that respect' adding, I'm sorry for any suffering that this woman has endured.'

'But in the case of Hope, I have rarely met somebody so strong with such excellent instincts and loyalty and smarts. I didn't have the presence of mind and the professional capabilities at her age that I see in her every day,' Conway said.

Tapper pointed out that 'strong women get abused' too, which Conway acknowledged.

'There's a stigma of silence surrounding all of these issues, again, whether it's drug abuse, child abuse, certainly intimate partner and spousal abuse, there's no question that it knows no demographic or geographic bounds,' Conway said.

'But in the case of Hope, Hope carried on this week. She was at work every single day,' Conway said. 'She is doing her job as beautifully as she always does it.'

The counselor to the president also pointed to Trump's statements in support of his communications director.

'And we all feel that way about Hope, and that she, respectfully, she has got a great support system around her. And she's got a beautiful family, wonderful friends, colleagues, and a boss who respects her and relies upon her tremendously,' Conway said.
Hollywood star Robert De Niro took aim at the Trump administration's stance on climate change, telling a packed audience in the Middle East that he was visiting from a 'backward' country suffering from 'temporary insanity.'

De Niro made the remarks on Sunday at the Sunday at Dubai's World Government Summit in the United Arab Emirates.

The annual summit, often dubbed the Davos of the Middle East, brings together a cosmopolitan lineup of business and political figures.

De Niro said that in the country he's describing, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency suggested last week that global warming may be a good thing for humanity.

American actor Robert De Niro, speaks during the World Government Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Sunday

De Niro took aim at the Trump administration's stance on climate change, telling a packed audience that he was visiting from a 'backward' country suffering from 'temporary insanity'

'I am talking about my own country, the United States of America. We don't like to say we are a 'backward' country so let's just say we're suffering from a case of temporary insanity,' he added.

De Niro received applause and laughs when he said the US 'will eventually cure itself by voting our dangerous leader' out of office.

Other speakers at the event on Sunday included Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

Philippe promised lower taxes and a business-friendly France at the summit, seeking investment from the oil-rich Gulf region.

De Niro received applause and laughs when he said the US 'will eventually cure itself by voting our dangerous leader' out of office

The annual summit, often dubbed the Davos of the Middle East, brings together a cosmopolitan lineup of business and political figures

Philippe on Sunday oversaw the signing in Dubai of a $16 billion purchase by Emirates Airlines of the Airbus A380 superjumbo commercial airliner -- a lifeline for the company.

On Saturday, Modi oversaw the awarding of a 10 percent stake in an Abu Dhabi offshore concession to a consortium of Indian oil firms - a first according to UAE state media.

The Indian leader also unveiled a model of what will be the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, calling it a 'testament to tolerance' in the Muslim Gulf nation.

Later on Sunday, Modi flew to Oman where he met Sultan Qaboos and members of the Indian community in Muscat.
The wife of a Wall Street tycoon, who was found dead in the bedroom of his Costa Rican home, is maintaining her innocence as she faces a fourth murder trial.

John Bender died from a bullet wound to the back of his head in January 2010. His wife, Ann Patton, says he was trying to kill himself.

Patton says when she saw her husband holding their 9mm Ruger pistol, she went to wrestle the gun away from him when the gun went off.

Now for the fourth time in seven years, Patton will defend her innocence in her husband's death as Costa Rican prosecutors attempt to prove that she murdered the hedge fund manager.

The wife of a Wall Street tycoon, who was found dead in the bedroom of his Costa Rican home, is maintaining her innocence as she faces a fourth murder trial. John Bender (right) died from a bullet wound to the back of his head in January 2010. His wife, Ann Patton (left), says he was trying to kill himself.

Patton (pictured, September 2015) faced a first murder trial in 2013 and was acquitted. A retrial was held in 2014, however, where she was found guilty and sentenced to 22 years in prison. She served nine months of her sentence in El Buen Pastor prison before the verdict was thrown out

Patton (pictured)told 48 Hours that when she saw her husband holding their 9mm Ruger pistol, she went to wrestle the gun away from him when the gun went off

Within hours, investigators began to think Bender may have been shot in his sleep and died where he lay and Patton (pictured) was their prime suspect

Multiple questions were raised in the investigation following the Bender's death on the night of January 8, 2010, on being that the gunshot was behind the right ear but Bender was left-handed.

Also the gun would presumably would end up on the same side as the bullet hole but it ended on the opposite side of the wound.

Investigators were puzzled by the bullet's trajectory, entering just below the right ear and ending up behind the left eye. They also though tit was odd that the spent cartridge was found some 15 feet behind the bed, which they found inconsistent with Patton's story of a struggle.

Within hours, investigators began to think Bender may have been shot in his sleep and died where he lay. There were pools of blood on both sides of his body and the earplugs he always wore were still in place.

The death occurred in the couple's home in Boracayan, Costa Rica (picturd). It is four floors tall and nearly 50,000 square feet, with tons of gleaming granite and no windows or walls

Patton (front) has insisted however that Bender (back) was struggling with crippling depression. In a journal entry written just weeks before he died, Bender wrote:'I wish I were f*****g dead. I feel so f*****g horrible. I want to kill everyone and then myself'

Patton (pictured) first met Bender in March 1998 in Virginia. From their first encounter, the couple bonded over their struggle with bipolar disorder and depression

Patton faced a first murder trial in 2013 and was acquitted.

A retrial was held in 2014, however, where she was found guilty and sentenced to 22 years in prison.

She served nine months of her sentence in El Buen Pastor prison in Desamparados, south of San Jose, before the guilty verdict was thrown out by an appellate court in Cortago.

Then in September 2015, a three-judge panel acquitted the US expat of a murder. As soon as her passport was returned she left Costa Rica with no intention of going back.

But in June 2017, a new trial was ordered, to be held before a fresh trio of judges, with the intention of overturning the previous acquittal.

The Prosecutor's Office reported that the appellate judges ruled that Patton's last acquittal 'was not well-founded, as there was an inadequate analysis of the evidence provided during the trial'.

If successful in bringing Patton back from the US to stand trial, this will be her fourth murder trial in seven years. In Costa Rica, there are no laws against double jeopardy, and those accused can stand trial multiple times for the same exact crime.

Patton has insisted however that Bender was struggling with crippling depression.

In a journal entry written just weeks before he died, Bender wrote:'I wish I were f*****g dead. I feel so f*****g horrible. I want to kill everyone and then myself.'

The messages were a window into the life of a tormented soul, Patton told CBS's '48 Hours'.

'John was the...most tortured person I ever met,' she said. 'He had been wanting to kill himself for weeks.

''He became...suicidally depressed. He wanted to die.'

In between the second and third trials, 48 Hours brought in outside experts, Selma (left) and (center) Richard Eikelenboom to Boracayan and asked them to determine if the death was murder or suicide - they said suicide

'John was the...most tortured person I ever met,' Patton (pictured) said. 'He had been wanting to kill himself for weeks'

Bender (pictured), the son of a high-ranking Justice Department official, ran several arbitrage funds and had a personal net worth upward of $600million.

In between the second and third trials, 48 Hours brought in outside experts , Selma and Richard Eikelenboom to Boracayan and asked them to take a look.

'The prosecutor said: "If you're going to shoot yourself...Everyone knows it's here or it's here or it's here",' correspondent Susan Spencer said, pointing to her mouth, under her chin and her temple.

'Well, that's completely unscientific,' Selma replied. 'If that's an example of the logic they used in this case, then I'm really very worried.'

The couple several monumental mistakes: not immediately testing for gun powder residue, not fingerprinting the gun, not testing the sheets for blood spatter.

The successful investor (pictured) cashed out and decided to move to Costa Rica, where he and his wife - both avid outdoorsmen and nature lovers - planned to create a sprawling ecological preserve

Selma testified as a witness at the third murder trial, saying: 'In my opinion, as an expert, all the evidence that is available points clearly in the direction of a suicide.'

Patton first met Bender in March 1998 in Virginia. From their first encounter, the couple bonded over their struggle with bipolar disorder and depression.

Bender, the son of a high-ranking Justice Department official, ran several arbitrage funds and had a personal net worth upward of $600million. He was well on his way to becoming a billionaire when in 2000 he suffered a stroke.

Around the same time, the successful investor cashed out and decided to move to Costa Rica, where he and his wife - both avid outdoorsmen and nature lovers - planned to create a sprawling ecological preserve.

The Benders moved to Costa Rica in 1998 and spent four years building an elaborate secluded compound on 5,000 acres of land in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle, complete with a circular glass house atop a mountain overlooking a 600-foot waterfall.

It is four floors tall and nearly 50,000 square feet, with tons of gleaming granite and no windows or walls.

The Benders (pictured) mmoved to Costa Rica in 1998 and spent four years building an elaborate secluded compound on 5,000 acres of land in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle

Additionally, precious stones worth $7million that were found in the couple's home during the investigation into Bender's death were impounded (pictured)

In September 2015, a three-judge panel acquitted the US expat of a murder. But in June 2017, a new trial was ordered, to be held before a fresh trio of judges, with the intention of overturning the previous acquittal (pictured, Patton hugging a friend after her trial in 2015)

Additionally, precious stones worth $7million that were found in the couple's home during the investigation into Bender's death were impounded.

Authorities claim the couple didn't pay taxes on the stones and that they were smuggled into the country.

'My hope is that the verdict will be strong enough so that an appeal cannot be written or won't be accepted and that it can end now and John can finally rest,' Patton said.
Donald Trump is keen to have a tour of the Cabinet War Rooms when he visits the UK later this year.

The US president is said to have been inspired by Gary Oldman's portrayal of Winston Churchill in the blockbuster film Darkest Hour.

A trip to the historic Whitehall bunker is being pencilled into Mr Trump's itinerary after he enthused about the film during a phone call with Theresa May.

He is believed to have urged the PM to see the epic, which has been nominated for six Oscars, when they spoke before Christmas.

Mr Trump, pictured with Theresa May at the Davos summit last month, is believed to have urged the PM to see Darkest Hour, which has been nominated for six Oscars, when they spoke before Christmas

Gary Oldman has been praised for his portrayal of Churchill in the film Darkest Hour (pictured)

He also apparently told Mrs May that she could be 'this generation's Churchill'.

Insiders now expect Mr Trump's 'working' visit to take place in the Autumn, potentially in early October.

A source close to the White House told The Sunday Times the bunker, where the PM oversaw the fight against the Nazis, was high on the agenda.

'He wants to visit the Churchill war rooms and is very inspired by Darkest Hour,' the source said.

A senior Whitehall source said it is 'plausible that a visit to the Cabinet War Rooms will be included in the itinerary'.

However, plans are still at an early stage.

One of Mr Trump's first acts as president was to return a bust of Winston Churchill to the Oval Office.

He had accused Barack Obama of slighting the wartime leader by replacing his bust with one of Martin Luther King.

But in fact the bust had been on loan from the UK embassy in Washington, and Mr Obama had another statue of Churchill in his private White House residence.

The US president and Prime Minister ordered officials to hammer out plans for a trip as they put on a show of unity in Davos last month

His red-carpet state visit is still on ice, amid concerns about mass protests.

Mr Trump is known to be a huge fan of the famous British wartime leader Winston Churchill

The historic Whitehall bunker where the war effort was overseen has been turned into an exhibition (pictured) and is open to the public

But the lower-key 'working visit' is likely to include an encounter with the Queen, potentially over tea at the PM's country residence Chequers.

The leaders heaped praise on each other at the Davos summit in a bid to kill off claims of rising tensions.

There was an extraordinary public row last year after Mr Trump retweeted anti-Muslim posts by a British Far Right group. They have also disagreed about the NHS< the Iran nuclear deal and the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

A plan for Mr Trump to come to London to open the new US embassy this month was dramatically dropped.
An army veteran who later served as Prince Charles and Diana's chauffeur says he feels 'let down by his country' after being left on the streets while suffering from PTSD.

Gulf War hero Mark Roberts spent 23 years in the army and tours of both Afghanistan and Iraq left him battling the anxiety disorder.

Despite the fact that the 50-year-old has spent the past 18 months living in a tent on the streets of his home town Bournemouth, the local council have deemed his case to be a non-emergency.

Mr Roberts told the Sunday People: 'Its very hard. I sleep in bushes and rely on soup kitchens. Ive lost everything and I think about taking my life every day. Its like a nightmare.

Gulf War hero Mark Roberts has been living in a tent on the streets of Bournemouth for the past 18 months - and the council have deemed his case a non-emergency

'I feel let down by my country. I desperately need help from the authorities, but they dont seem to care. I sleep rough just yards from the council building. But I dont feel theres going to be any help for me any time soon.'

The former staff sergeant in the Queen's Royal Lancers is in a vulnerable position on the streets and has been repeatedly attacked for the little money he receives in disability payments for injury in combat.

After joining the army aged 15, he ended up serving as the royal couple's personal driver whenever they visited his area in southern England between 1988 and 1992.

Mr Roberts added: 'It was an honour. I remember when I told my mum I was going to be protecting Prince Charles, she laughed because of my height.

'She said: "Which bit of him are you going to be protecting? His knees?"

Following his PTSD diagnosis in 2007, he was discharged from service the year after.

He found himself on the streets after he was evicted from emergency accommodation after a panic attack - leading to him being classed as 'intentionally homeless'.

The 50-year-old, who served for 23 years and spent four years driving Prince Charles and Diana (pictured) around, says he feels 'let down by his country'

Mr Roberts lives in fear of attack from fellow homeless people taking drugs to numb the pain, and has seen three of his friends die on the streets over the past 18 months.

He said: 'Ive heard about people being beaten to death. There have been nights I thought I could die, shivering out in the open. Ive been beaten up twice and robbed twice.

'I still get flashbacks to Iraq whenever I hear a bang  even the sound of a car door slamming or seeing a plane in the sky.

'You get no help from the Army. When you go out the gatehouse, thats it. Youre not their problem any more. I have had some support from my Regimental Association.'

New forces organisation ExFor+ C.I.C. have started helping the army vet by giving him food and a phone.

Now he hopes to get his life back on track after some fellow veterans paid for his stay in a hostel for seven days.

Mr Roberts said: 'I just want to be able to find somewhere to call home again and try to get some work. Thats my focus.'
Dubai beat its own record on Sunday as it announced the opening of the world's new tallest hotel.

The gleaming gold 75-storey Gevora Hotel towers above the Dubai skyline, standing at 1,168 feet (356m), or nearly a quarter of a mile, tall.

The new record-holder is within sight of its predecessor, Dubai's JW Mariott Marquis, whose record it has surpassed by just one metre.

The Gevora's first guests are expected on Monday, according to Emirati daily The National.

Dubai beat its own record on Sunday as it announced the opening of the world's new tallest hotel

The gleaming gold 75-storey Gevora Hotel towers above the Dubai skyline, standing at 1,168 feet (356 metres), or nearly a quarter of a mile, tall

The new record-holder is within sight of its predecessor, Dubai's JW Mariott Marquis (right), whose record it has surpassed by just one metre

The hotel will have 528 rooms, and is situated next to the Rose Rayhaan by Rotana, which at 1,093 feet (333m) is itself a former holder of the title

The hotel will boast four restaurants, an open-air swimming pool, a luxury spa, health club and jacuzzi

The gigantic hotel's first guests are expected to take up their shining new rooms on Monday

Dubai is also home to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which pierces the city skyline at 828 metres (half a mile) high

The JW Marriott Marquis, which opened in 2013, boasts nine restaurants, five bars, two ballrooms, as well as a spa and health club

The newspaper reports that the hotel will have 528 rooms, and is situated next to the Rose Rayhaan by Rotana, which at 1,093 feet (333m) is itself a former holder of the title.

It says the hotel will boast four restaurants, an open-air swimming pool, a luxury spa, health club and jacuzzi.

The JW Marriott Marquis, which opened in 2013, boasts nine restaurants, five bars, two ballrooms, as well as a spa and health club.

Each of its two towers has 804 rooms, with a sprawling pool deck covering the seventh floor of the hotel.

Dubai is also home to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which pierces the city skyline at 828 metres (half a mile) high.

The city-state, one of seven sheikhdoms that make up the energy-rich United Arab Emirates, aims to attract 20 million visitors annually by 2020 when it hosts the global trade fair Expo 2020.

The desert emirate boasts opulent shopping malls, numerous luxury resorts and even an indoor ski resort.

A major transit hub situated on transcontinental air routes, Dubai airport was the world's busiest for international passengers in 2017 for the fourth year running, with 88.2 million travellers.
She is a 29-year-old virgin who is happier by herself and finds kissing 'awkward'.

But this hasn't stopped Lauren, from a deeply religious community in Manitoba, Canada, from finding a sperm donor and she is now expecting her first baby in June.

She has gone against advice from her family, friends and doctors, and says that she is looking forward to being a virgin mother.

Lauren, a 29-year-old virgin from Canada, is expecting her first baby in June after finding a sperm donor, against the advice of her family, friends and doctors (FILE photo)

Lauren says that she is happy to remain a virgin for the rest of her life and hopes that her baby will help her escape a dating market that she finds difficult to deal with.

However, Lauren also suffers with hypopituitarism, a rare disorder that affects her hormones and has had a significant impact on her from a young age.

She told VICE: 'I was born with hypopituitarism, which means my pituitary gland is not formed properly.

Despite being tempted after becoming pregnant, Lauren says she is happy to remain a virgin for the rest of her life and hopes that her baby will help her escape the dating market (FILE photo)

'It doesn't send the right hormonal messages to the other glands in the body, like the adrenaline gland or the ovaries.'

This means that Lauren experienced puberty far later in life than a lot of her friends and peers - something that they were well aware of.

She said: 'I got teased for being flat chested or having buck teeth. Kids would latch on to anything that was different.

'A lot of that teasing has given me social anxiety to this day. My life started improving when I started looking like everyone else.'

Lauren also admits that she finds dating to be pointless. She says that, although she has been on a few dates, it's 'just not for her' and she prefers to focus on herself.

However, she confessed that after becoming pregnant, there have been times when she has thought about having sex with someone just to see what it would be like.

Yet even her experiences with kissing have left her feeling awkward and unsure, and she says that kissing someone is not something that she wants 'to relive'.

Dating websites have also failed to attract her, with Lauren saying that some of the messages she received from men online left her shocked and disgusted.

However, the 29-year-old mother-to-be says the hardest challenged she's faced with her hormone issues is actually getting pregnant.

Lauren suffers with hypopituitarism, a rare disorder that affects her hormones and has had a significant impact on her from a young age (FILE photo)

She said: 'The hardest thing was probably getting pregnant. Initially my endocrinologist said it wont happen, that Ill need to get an egg donor and spend tens of thousands of dollars on IVF. I felt really shut down.'

Yet her doctor referred her to a fertility clinic anyway and, after an agonising year-long wait, Lauren said her life changed.

And yet, despite the pressures of her family and growing up in an extremely religious community, Lauren is adamant that religion is not her motivation for motherhood.

Speaking about people who said she couldn't have a baby until she was married, Lauren said: 'It's the opposite of a religious reason. If you're telling me I can't do this, I'm going to do it anyway.'
Two Ohio officers died Saturday afternoon while responding to an emergency call at a home police had visited three times prior for domestic disputes.

A memorial has been set up in Westerville City Hall to pay respects to the officers Officers Eric Joering, 39, and Anthony Morelli, 54.

President Donald Trump also offered his condolences to Ohio governor John Kasich on Twitter, calling the incident a tragedy.

Westerville officers Eric Joering, 39, (left) and Anthony Morelli, 54, (right) were shot on Saturday when they responded to an emergency call

Trump took to Twitter to share his condolences to Ohio Governor John Kasich

A memorial of flowers and balloons was set up in front of Westerville City Hall today as news rises that police had entered the home of the shooting three times prior for domestic disputes

Never forgotten: Candles and flowers were late out of respect for the fallen officers

'Just spoke to @JohnKasich to express condolences and prayers to all for the horrible shooting of two great police officers from @WestervillePD. This is a true tragedy!' Trump wrote.

The shooting took place Saturday at noon when police went to the Smith residence after they received a hang-up call.

When they called the number back a woman was heard saying 'won't let me in'.

When police arrived on the scene they found Candace hiding in the bushes in front of her home pleading for help for her young daughter inside.

Officer Joering, a 16-year veteran, and Morelli, a 30-year-veteran, proceeded to enter the townhome where they were fatally shot, Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said in a news conference.

The shooting took place in the home of Quentin Smith, 30, while his daughter was indoors and his wife hid outside

This is the third time Westerville police have been alerted to the home since September last year, although Joering and Morelli's names were listed on those calls.

On September 14, police responded to a call from Candace Smith that her husband was drunk and doing something to her car.

Candace Smith told officers they were separating, and that he left when she told him she was calling police.

A brief narrative from the officers says, 'No dispute or argument.'

'Female has his key so she is not concerned about him coming back,' the report also said.

The next visit occurred on November 29 when Candance went to Westerville police asking about a protection order.

Authorities investigate the scene of a shooting after the police officers were shot and killed

Police entered the home of Quentin and Candace Smith for details of the shooting

President Donald Trump shared his condolences on social media after the incident

She said Quentin had come home drunk that week and 'forced himself on her'. That day she found out she had been infected with a sexually transmitted disease, according to the report.

She also said her husband threatened to kill her, their daughter, and himself if she left him.

That same day police responded to a call from Quentin who said his wife had locked him out of the residence.

Quentin also carried a gun, despite being a convicted felon, according to Candace.

In 2009 he was conviction of felony burglary and misdemeanor domestic violence charges and served four years in prison.

The third visit came on January 20 after Quentin's mother called police to say the couple was arguing. They told police there weren't fighting.

Westerville police have not provided any details about what happened inside the townhome.

Columbus police are investigating the shooting, but dispatch calls reveal that the terror took place within minutes.

At 12:12pm an officer told a dispather 'all quiet right now' and then knocked on the door.

A minute later a man's voice can be heard yelling, 'We have shots fired'.

In a call at 12:14 Candace repeats 'Please help' and 'He shot the police officers' on the phone.

Four minutes later, someone, presumably a police officer, tells a dispatcher: 'We have two officers down. Child on couch, one at gunpoint.'
A giant 20 pound rodent in California has been discovered in Stanislaus County.

The giant nutria, also known as coypu, is around 2 feet, 6 inches long with a 12-inch tail and is capable of destroying roads, levees and wetlands.

They live in or near water and they can be very destructive.

A giant 20 pound rodent in California has been discovered in Stanislaus County

'They burrow in dikes, and levees, and road beds, so they weaken infrastructure, (which is) problematic for flood control systems,' California Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Peter Tira said.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a warning this week about the influx of these rodents as they were caught reproducing within the San Joaquin Valley.

Nutria can cause major wildlife destruction and they can consume 25 percent of their body weight each day in vegetation.

'They weaken infrastructure, (which is) problematic for flood control systems,' Tira said.

Since 2017, more than 20 nutria have been spotted in Stanislaus, Merced and Fresno counties. However, that number could increase if they aren't dealt with quickly as they can give birth to up to 200 offspring each year.

'We have traps out. We're setting traps. We have trail cameras,' Tira said. 'We're really asking for the public's help to report sightings so we can get a handle on the extent of the problem.'

If you spot a nutria immediately contact the CDFW Invasive Species Program online or by phone 866-440-9530.
A man was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday evening after he made his way onto a runway.

The intruder, who has been identified as Eduardo Hernandez, 31, was arrested just minutes after being spotted sprinting toward a plane, police officer Rob Pedregon said.

A Southwest Airlines pilot first saw the man running on the tarmac. He was spotted about 7:45 pm running toward a plane on the runway.

A man was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday evening after he made his way onto a runway

Police immediately rushed to Runway 24 Left and found a man who had scaled the 12-foot fence that surrounds the airfield.

'He actually reached into the wheel well and pulled a fire extinguisher line which caused an alarm to go off,' Pedregon said.

Police chased after Hernandez who attempted to escape, however he was bitten by a police dog.

According to Pedregon Hernandez was 'under the influence of some kind of narcotic or had mental illness.' He was taken to the hospital to be looked at.

Pedregon said Hernandez will be booked on a trespassing charge and may face other charges.

No one was injured and apparently the passengers were transferred to another Southwest flight which took off for Sacramento within about an hour of the incident.

The original plane is being repaired.
An electronic bracelet

Shanghai has approved 10 persons serving sentences to go back home to visit their families during the upcoming Spring Festival. They are required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Feb. 11.

An employee at Shanghai Prison said that the reason is to let well-behaving prisoners get together with their family members during the Spring Festival, the most important festival for all Chinese.

The 10 prisoners are required to wear an electronic bracelet so that they can be monitored by the prison. If the bracelet is removed, it will immediately report to the police. They also need to report their activities to the local police every day, the employee introduced.

The employee added that a lot of conditions have to be met before getting approval. For example, they must have served over half of their prison term, be well-behaved, and will not endanger the society after leaving prison.

Apart from Shanghai, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces also approved certain prisoners for family visits during Spring Festival this year.

As of 2007, Sichuan has approved 4,173 such family visits during the Spring Festival, and no public security accident was reported.
Caitlin Jeffery (pictured), 13, found a wallet stuffed with 1,000 in the street in Exeter, Devon

A schoolgirl handed in a wallet stuffed with 1,000 which a blind and deaf 80-year-old had dropped on a trip to the shops.

Caitlin Jeffery, 13, found the wallet lying in the road in Exeter, Devon, before handing it to a nearby shop keeper, who handed it in to the police station.

There was very little inside the wallet that could be used to identify its owner. However, there was an old picture of an unknown man.

Five strangers tried to claim the wallet, saying that it and the money inside was theirs.

Police started a social media appeal, hoping someone would come forward.

Eventually, it was revealed that 80-year-old Dennis Clatworthy was its rightful owner, told The Mirror.

More than 20 people had called his son Mark, who took his father to the police station where he was able to tell the police that the wallet contained one his old business cards.

Mr Clatworthy had misplaced his wallet on the way to the bank as he nipped into a local butcher.

She decided to hand it in and it was safely returned to 80-year-old Dennis Clatworthy after a social media appeal

In fact, the photo inside was off him about 30 years ago when he was in his 50s.

The grateful OAP admitted Caitlin's actions had brought a tear to his eye.

'I know people who would not have handed it in,' he said.

'I am so grateful to Caitlin. Teenagers get a hard time but I cannot thank her enough.'

Dennis's son Mark, 57, added: 'My dad sent Caitlin a 50 reward. She is saving up and doing jobs to raise 2,000 so she can go on a school trip to Malawi.

Caitlin said: 'I just saw the wallet lying in the road. There was a lot of money in it and just a photo of a man. I was really happy Dennis got it all back.'
Labour was blasted today for banning old, white, able-bodied straight men from an event.

The party is inviting people to apply to join an equalities conference in London next month.

An advert for the Young Labour event said that to attend, an applicant had to be under 27 and had to self-define as one or more of four groups.

These are BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic), disabled, LGBT (lesbian, gay bi or trans) and women.

An advert for the Young Labour event said that to attend, an applicant had to be under 27 and had to self-define as one or more of four groups

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has written to the Equality and Human Rights Commission to ask them to investigate whether the entry rules added up to discrimination.

He said: The Labour Party are no longer about equality or fighting against discrimination, they have been entirely taken over by identity politics and specific groups of activists.

They are a divisive party who want to put people into victim groups. They seem to believe that white, male heterosexuals have nothing to contribute to the subject of equalities.

It seems that in La La Labour land everyone is equal but some are more equal than others.

The row over the London Labour event comes just weeks after the party was forced to back down after offering people from ethnic minorities a discount to attend an East Midlands conference.

Members of the partys BAME wing were offered tickets to the event for 30; 10 cheaper than other party members.

Mr Bridgen complained to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, describing it as a racial surcharge.

Labour later withdrew the subsidised tickets.

James Cleverly, the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, said: This is yet another example of discrimination by Labour.

Their lazy assumption that straight white men cant fight for equality is shocking. It is essential that political parties represent each and every person irrespective of race, sexuality or age.

The Labour Party should take action now to ensure that this discrimination comes to an end.

A spokeswoman for Labour said: There is nothing new about spaces for people with protected characteristics meeting to discuss the inequalities and obstacles they face.

The purpose of this conference is to ensure that members from disadvantaged groups are able to elect representatives to Young Labour's National Committee.

James Cleverly, the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, said it was 'yet another example of discrimination by Labour'

Tory MP Mr Cleverly took to Twitter to brand the equalities conference a 'Labour fail'

All other positions on the Committee are elected online, via a one member one vote system.

The party said that in previous years there has been an annual Young Labour conference, open to all young members, where all representatives on the national committee were elected.

At the conference, equalities caucuses would elect the positions of womens, BAME, disabled and LGBT representatives.

Young Labour now fills its committee positions via online voting, but the equalities representatives cannot be voted for in this way because Labour does not have the relevant data on members identity.

A conference therefore has to be held. Labour said that, given that the main purpose of the conference is to hold these elections, there would be no benefit to someone attending who could not vote in any of those elections.
Police are extremely concerned for a mother and her young daughter who have been missing for more than 48 hours.

Eleanor Cutting, known as Ellie, and six-year-old daughter Lilliana Webb were last seen boarding a train bound for London Victoria at St Leonards Warrior Square station in Hastings at 1pm on Friday.

A police spokesman confirmed today that the 32-year-old and her child had not returned to their East Sussex home.

Eleanor Cutting, left, and her daughter Lilliana, right, were last seen boarding a train in Hastings, East Sussex, on Friday

Officers today said they were extremely concerned about the mother and daughter (pictured) who have been missing for more than 48 hours

He said: "They had been living in Warrior Square but have not returned home.

'Eleanor, 32, is white, 5' 8" with very long brown hair and her daughter has blonde hair.

'Anyone who has seen them or knows where they might be is urged to contact police immediately or give details online quoting serial 592 of 09/02.'
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A veterinary receptionist, her boyfriend and his brother were killed during a 'trip of a lifetime' when the helicopter they were in crashed and exploded into a fireball during a sightseeing tour of the Grand Canyon.

Becky Dobson, 27, her boyfriend Stuart Hill, 30, and his older brother Jason, 32, all died while Jason's girlfriend Jennifer Barham, 39, and newlyweds Ellie Milward, 29, and Jonathan Udall, 32 - who were on their honeymoon - are in a critical condition in hospital.

The six friends had spent a year saving for the trip to America to celebrate Stuart's 30th birthday when their chopper crashed during a 50mph storm on the Hualapai Nation reservation near the Grand Canyon's West Rim. Pilot Scott Booth, 42, was airlifted to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

Traumatised witnesses watched in horror as the chopper plummeted 600ft into the rocky canyon and burst into flames before survivors were seen staggering out of the inferno, with one woman heard screaming 'Jason'.

It is unclear whether the survivor pictured fleeing the wreckage is Ms Barham or Ms Milward.

Stuart and Jason's grief-stricken father, Reverend David Hill, said a 'light has truly gone out' but took comfort in the 'incredibly close' brothers dying together.

He choked back tears as described his sons, Stuart, a Mercedes car salesman, and Jason, a solicitor, as 'wonderful boys' who were 'inseparable'.

Becky's parents received the tragic news as they were enjoying a week-long holiday in Turkey and were flying back to the UK this morning. Her father said she was 'always happy' and looking forward to the trip.

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Becky Dobson (pictured left), 27, and Stuart Hill (right, with Becky) were killed in the Grand Canyon crash. They were among a group of friends including Stuart's older brother Jason, who had spent a year saving for the 'trip of a lifetime' to America to celebrate Stuart's 30th birthday

One terrified victim was seen running from the burning wreckage, as horrified witnesses looked on

British holidaymakers Ellie Milward, 29, and her husband Jonathan (Jon) Udall, 32, were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries

It is unclear whether the survivor pictured fleeing the wreckage in the Grand Canyon is Ms Barham or Ms Milward

Jason Hill, 32, (left) was a solicitor at Shoosmiths Solicitors and was about to become a partner. A law graduate from the University of Southampton, he qualified from The College of Law in Guildford. His girlfriend Jennifer Barham, 39, (right) is a partner at the law firm Bircham Dyson Bell and survived the crash

Ellie Milward and her husband Jonathan Udall (pictured left on their wedding day) were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries in a crash that killed their friends Becky Dobson and Stuart Hill (right)

As investigators try to piece together the events surrounding the tragedy, this is what we know so far about the crash:

Becky Dobson, 27, her boyfriend Stuart Hill, 30, and his brother Jason Hill, 32, all died

Ellie Milward, 29, her husband Jonathan Udall, 32, Jason's girlfriend Jennifer Barham, 39, and pilot Scott Booth, 42, were airlifted to hospital

The six friends had saved for one year for the trip to America to celebrate Stuart's 30th birthday and Ellie and Jonathan's honeymoon

The survivors were stuck in the deep gauge for nine hours while they waited for emergency crews to battle through a 50mph storm

Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter spin out of control before a woman staggered from the flames screaming

The Reverend David Hill said his sons Stuart and Jason were 'inseparable'

Becky Dobson's father Peter said his daughter was 'full of life and looking forward to going to Vegas for her boyfriend's 30th birthday'

The helicopter took off from Boulder City, Nevada, on Saturday evening. It crashed in Hualapai Nation reservation, near the Grand Canyon's West Rim

The Eurocopter EC130 crashed in 'unknown circumstances' at around 5.30pm on Saturday, 60 miles northwest of Peach Springs, Arizona.

The tragedy occurred just three months after Ellie and Jonathan got married in front of family and friends, including Becky and Stuart.

Mr Hill, 32, was a private equity solicitor for national law firm Shoosmiths, after joining as a trainee and had worked his way up to senior associate with the company.

Shoosmiths chief executive Claire Rowe said they were 'saddened' by the tragic passing of a 'respected' and 'loved' member of their firm.

She said: 'He was hardworking, full of energy and enjoyable to work with, and we are greatly saddened by the news of his death and that of his brother Stuart. Our immediate thoughts are with their family at this very difficult and tragic time.'

Stuart and Jason's cousin, Holly Campbell, confirmed that Jason was with girlfriend Jennifer when the crash took place.

Jonathan Udall and his wife Ellie Milward went on the trip as part of their honeymoon after getting married last year

She said: 'This is a devastating time for our family.

'We have spoken to my uncle and we all just trying to come to terms with what has happened.

'I saw them both at my son's christening in December. They were kind, caring and loved by all who knew and met them.'

Animal lover Becky Dobson described herself as an 'outgoing person, always up for having fun.'

Becky worked as a receptionist at the Vets4Pets practice in Worthing, West Sussex, and had dreams of becoming a veterinary nurse.

Ms Dobson's father Peter Dobson said his daughter was 'full of life and looking forward to going to Vegas for her boyfriend's 30th birthday to celebrate'.

He added: 'She was a lovely girl. Everyone liked her, she liked her travelling - she went to Australia for a year to travel round.'

'She was always happy. They just went for a long weekend; a four-night break. They were staying in Vegas, they had been looking forward to it for a long time.

'They [Stuart and Becky] have known each other quite a while, they both live in Worthing.

'They were really happy together, they were always going out and doing things, just enjoyed being with each other. The whole thing is just terrible.'

One witness told ABC News a young woman 'collapsed to the ground and began screaming the name Jason'.

Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley Sr. said the survivors were taken to a Las Vegas hospital at 2am on Sunday, some nine hours after the crash.

The four survivors are being treated as level one trauma patients, meaning they have critical, life-threatening injuries.

'Our only comfort is they died together': Tearful vicar pays tribute to his 'incredibly close' sons killed in Grand Canyon crash saying 'a light has truly gone out' Brothers Stuart and Jason Hill died in a helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon The vicar father of two brothers killed in a helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon has paid tribute to his 'wonderful boys'. Stuart, 30, and Jason, 32, were 'inseparable', their father said Reverent David Hill described his two sons, Stuart, 30, Jason, 32, as 'inseparable'. The pair had been saving for the trip with a group of friends for over a year, to celebrate Stuart's 30th birthday on Friday. Mr Hill, a chaplain, from Worthing, West Sussex, said: 'The boys had been saving for over a year for this trip and they were really looking forward to it. 'They and a group of friends had all flown out to celebrate Stuart's birthday and it was part of the trip for them to all go on a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. 'We found out yesterday about the crash and me and their mother, Sandra, are truly devastated. 'The boys were so close, they were born 22 months apart and were like twins. They were just inseparable. 'Jason worked as a solicitor and Stuart worked as a car salesman, they both lived very successful lives, we were so proud of them. 'We are so lucky to have had our boys for 30 years. We are so heartbroken.' Advertisement

Four survivors of a tour helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon were airlifted to a Nevada hospital on Sunday nine hours later while crews were recovering the bodies of three others

The helicopter crashed on the Hualapai Nation reservation near the Grand Canyon's West Rim - about 60 miles northwest of Peach Springs, Arizona

Newlywed couple Ellie Milward and Jonathan Udall (pictured on their wedding day) are fighting for their lives in hospital

Becky's parents booked return flights to the UK and her elder sister, Nicola Rugman, 32, was waiting for them to return today

Pilot Scott Booth (pictured, left and right), 42, was airlifted to hospital where he remains in a critical condition

Describing herself on the Vets4Pets website, Becky said: 'My favourite things to do are, spending time up the yard with my four legged, beautiful boy, Buddy the Irish sports horse, seeing friends and family and I also love to travel the world.

'I love my job and I am hoping to one day fulfil my dream of becoming a Veterinary Nurse!'

Becky's parents booked return flights to the UK and her elder sister, Nicola Rugman, 32, was waiting for them to return today.

Her mother-in-law Ellen Rugman said the whole family were 'absolutely devastated' by the shocking tragedy and the loss.

She said they were all struggling to comprehend how the accident had happened but were too upset to speak.

Jennifer Barham, 39, is a partner at the law firm Bircham Dyson Bell.

Jonathan Udall, 32 and his wife, Ellie Milward, 29, went on the trip for Mr Hill's birthday and as part of their honeymoon after getting married last year, according to Jonathan's father, Philip.

Ellie Milward is an agency support manager for Yorkshire Building Society and works alongside her husband Jonathan Udall, an area manager for the same company in the South East.

Speaking from the family home in Southampton, Philip Udall said the family were desperately trying to get a flight over to their son and daughter-in-law's bedside.

He said: 'We found out yesterday lunchtime that they Jonathan and Ellie had been involved in an accident.

'We don't know much more than what has been reported in the papers and we are just desperately trying to get a flight over at the moment.

'We have spoken to the hospital and they are in a critical condition but they told us they are currently stable.

'The information is currently quite sketchy but we know that other families will be suffering a lot worse than us at the moment. Others were not so lucky.

'Johnathan and Ellie were on their honeymoon after recently getting married.

'At this point, we don't know much more we are just in a rush to get out there. We're desperate for news.'

Jenni Birchmore, a friend and colleague of Ellie Milward, said: 'I'm so, so shocked by this because Ellie and I were only talking about her trip to the US a couple of weeks ago and she was looking forward to it so much.

'I'm just hoping and praying she is going to be alright and she's not too badly injured.

'That is should end so horribly is a tragedy. She's such a kind and compassionate person. Everyone she works with is praying for her.'

She said Ellie was always taking part in charity fundraisers and was a 'beautiful and kind' person.

Ellie Milward's parents, Terry and Maggie, are understood to be flying out to the US today to be at their daughter's bedside.

Hualapai Nation Police Chief, Francis Bradley Sr. (pictured) confirmed on Sunday the passengers who died were from the UK

Bradley said rescue crews were hampered by high winds and darkness on Saturday night along with rugged terrain

The helicopter - owned by Papillon, a sightseeing company that specialises in helicopter tours of the canyon (Pictured, rescuers arrive)

Chief Bradley said one of the survivors suffered severe burns and the pilot had 'a severe injury to one of his limbs.'

High-winds and rugged terrain initially delayed transportation and first responders worked to stabilise the injured for several hours.

Chief Bradley said rescue crews were hampered by high winds of up to 50mph and darkness on Saturday night along with rugged terrain.

How good is the safety record for Papillon helicopters? Grand Canyon crash that killed three Britons is not the company's first fatal accident The Grand Canyon helicopter crash that killed three Britons and injured their three friends is not the first tragedy to hit Papillon in recent years. Saturdays crash was its fourth fatal accident in the past 20 years, claiming ten lives. 1999: In 1999, a trainee pilot was killed and an instructor was seriously injured when a Papillon helicopter hit a tree. 2001: In August 2001, a Grand Canyon tour helicopter operated by Papillon crashed and burned near Meaview, Arizona. The pilot and five passengers - who were all from New York - died. Papillon's website says it flies 600,000 passengers a year around the Grand Canyon and on other tours (Pictured, rescuers arrive at scene of crash in February 2018) 2009: In 2009, a helicopter with six passengers lost engine power after the pilot heard a 'loud pop,' but no one was injured, according to ABC 15. 2002: In 2002, a pilot was injured during a botched landing. 2014: In 2014, one of the firm's pilots died when he was struck by rotor blades when he got out of a running helicopter to go to the toilet, according to ABC 15. The company's website states: 'With more than 50 years flying the Grand Canyon and beyond, Papillon is the largest and most experienced helicopter tour operator in the world. 'At Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, safety is our top priority.' Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the Eurocopter EC130 crashed in unknown circumstances and sustained heavy damage. An investigation will take place. Advertisement

He said: 'First responders had to be flown in and walk to the crash site. Quartermaster Canyon is an extremely remote area. We had to call in specially trained crews - people with night-vision goggles.'

Kaitlyn Rodriguez was on the same tour as the six friends and witnessed the tragedy.

She wrote on Facebook: 'I was on this tour and moments after our helicopter landed, witnessed the crash.

'My amazingly brave mother, along with several others, trekked down into the ravine to assist the survivors.

'We were stranded in the Grand Canyon for hours, my Mom being at the bottom administering medical attention to the survivors for over 10 hours.

'So very proud of her and all who helped the victims of the crash. Such a tragic accident.'

Photographer Teddy Fujimoto told DailyMail.com he had flown to the Grand Canyon to take wedding pictures when he saw people rushing by.

'Our pilot and other pilots all started running. I followed them and I saw smoke. Immediately saw two girls.

'I could see that they were alive and conscious. They were in their 30s or 40,' he said.

'People made their way down. It was certainly a dangerous climb down for them.

'It took around 10 minutes for the emergency services to arrive. By the time they did, most of the fire was out.'

Fujimoto said he was left numbed by what he had seen.

'Everybody was in shock. I just felt horrible,' he said.

'I saw these two ladies run out of it then the explosion. One of the survivors was bloody and her clothes had burned off.

'You could hear the screaming loudly, even from all that way away. I've never seen anything like it'.

The helicopter was owned by Papillon Airways, a sightseeing company that specialises in helicopter tours of the canyon.

The tour company released a statement on Sunday, promising full cooperation with crash investigators and offering sympathy.

'It is with extreme sadness we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families involved in this accident,' Papillon Group CEO Brenda Halvorson said.

'Our top priority is the care and needs of our passengers and our staff.'

Calls and emails to Nevada-based Papillon, which bills itself as the world's largest aerial sightseeing company, for comment on the crash were not immediately returned Sunday.

The company's website says it flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year around the Grand Canyon and on other tours.

It also notes that it 'abides by flight safety rules and regulations that substantially exceed the regulations required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the crash of the Eurocopter EC130, spokesman Allen Kenitzer said.

Lionel Douglass had been attending a wedding about 1,000 yards away from where the helicopter burst into flames.

He told ABC News: 'I had taken my phone and I was zooming in to see if I could see anybody and a lady walked out of the flames and I just lost it.'

The company's website says it flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year around the Grand Canyon and on other tours (Pictured, rescuers arrive)

Authorities said the four survivors were level one trauma patients, meaning they had critical, life-threatening injuries

A Eurocopter EC130 crashed in 'unknown circumstances' at around 5.20pm approximately 60 miles northwest of Peach Springs, Arizona, authorities said. The helicopter had seven people on board - six passengers and a pilot - when it crashed on the Hualapai Nation reservation (left and right)

He said he saw the helicopter fall and hit the bottom with the 'biggest explosion you ever heard and then flames like you never seen before'.

A series of smaller blasts followed, according to reports.

Hualapai Police chief Francis Bradley said: 'It's a very tragic incident. Yesterday, we were hampered by severe weather conditions, we had gusts up to 50mph. The terrain where the crash occurred... is extremely rugged.'

He told ABC News the tour originated in Boulder City, Nevada, and that a storm was rolling into the area at the time of the crash.

Mr Bradley described the weather conditions as 'not normal', but said no flight restrictions were in place.

He told News3LV that darkness and an initial lack of air support hampered the rescue effort.

'Trip of a lifetime' turns to nightmare for six British friends: Car salesman, vet worker and lawyer are killed and their three friends hurt in helicopter crash Becky Dobson, 27, had dreams of becoming a veterinary nurse Becky Dobson Animal lover Becky Dobson worked as a veterinary nurse at Vets4Pets in Worthing, West Sussex. The 27-year-old had dreams of becoming a veterinary nurse. She had travelled around Australia for one year and was looking forward to the holiday with her friends and her boyfriend, Stuart Hill. The pair died alongside one another in the crash. Ms Dobson's father Peter Dobson said his daughter was 'full of life and looking forward to going to Vegas for her boyfriend's 30th birthday to celebrate'. 'She was a lovely girl. Everyone liked her, she liked her travelling - she went to Australia for a year to travel round.' 'She was always happy. They just went for a long weekend - a four-night break. They were staying in Vegas, they had been looking forward to it for a long time. 'They [Stuart and Becky] have known each other quite a while, they both live in Worthing,' he said. 'They were really happy together, they were always going out and doing things, just enjoyed being with each other. The whole thing is just terrible.' Newlyweds Ellie Milward, 29, and Jonathan Udall, 32 Ellie Milward and Jonathan Udall Newlyweds Ellie Milward, 29, and Jonathan Udall, 32, were airlifted to hospital. The pair went on the trip for Mr Hill's birthday and as part of their honeymoon after getting married last year, according to Jonathan's father, Philip. Ellie Milward is an agency support manager for Yorkshire Building Society and works alongside her husband Jonathan Udall, an area manager for the same company in the South East. Jennifer Barham Jennifer Barham was on the trip with her boyfriend Jason Hill, who died. The 39-year-old is a partner at the law firm Bircham Dyson Bell, dealing with planning and infrastructure. Stuart and Jason Hill Stuart and Jason Hill died in the crash Stuart Hill, 30, was on the trip to America to celebrate his 30th birthday with his brother and friends. Stuart, a car salesman, died alongside his girlfriend Becky. Jason studied law at the University of Southampton, graduating in 2007 with a 2:1. He completed his training at the College of Law in Guildford, Surrey, before joining Shoosmiths. In September 2011, he became a corporate solicitor at the national firm. Their father David, a hospital chaplain, from Worthing, West Sussex, said: 'The boys had been saving for over a year for this trip and they were really looking forward to it. 'They and a group of friends had all flown out to celebrate Stuart's birthday and it was part of the trip for them to all go on a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. 'We found out yesterday about the crash and me and their mother, Sandra, are truly devastated. 'The boys were so close, they were born 22 months apart and were like twins.. They were just inseparable. 'Jason worked as a solicitor and Stuart worked as a car salesman, they both lived very successful lives, we were so proud of them. 'We are so lucky to have had our boys for 30 years. We are so heartbroken.' Advertisement
Angry residents of Manhattan's 'Billionaires' Row' packed a town hall meeting to protest plans to build a homeless shelter in their neighborhood.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his plan to open a homeless shelter in the ritzy section of Midtown last month.

As part of the mayor's plan, the former Park Savoy Hotel on West 58th Street is currently being converted into a shelter for 150 homeless men.

And on Thursday night, residents and neighbors of the area packed an auditorium to blast the city's plans to build the shelter.

Angry residents of Manhattan's 'Billionaire Row' packed a town hall meeting to protest plans to build a homeless shelter in their neighborhood

The former Park Savoy Hotel (pictured) on West 58th Street is currently being converted into a shelter for 150 homeless men

'How did you choose this neighborhood? It makes no sense to me,' one resident of Central Park South asked, according to Patch.com.

'Basically what you're telling us is this is a done deal,' the resident added.

Numerous residents said the area is just not appropriate to house the homeless.

One neighbor said the area is always filled with tourists visiting Central Park, and a shelter there would present a negative image of New York City to travelers, according to Patch.

Another resident claimed the future residents of the shelter would be driven to crime by the neighborhood's $6 coffees and the expensive dresses hanging in Bergdorf Goodmans.

Others cited safety concerns for their children.

Suzanne Silverstein, the president of the West 58th Street Coalition, posed the questioned: 'What does this mean for the safety of the people in the neighborhood, especially children?'

She said she's fighting for her children, ages 10 and 12.

Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration wants to open a total of 90 homeless shelters across New York's five boroughs within the next five years

Numerous residents (pictured) said the area is just not appropriate to house the homeless. One neighbor said the area is always filled with tourists visiting Central Park, and a shelter there would present a negative image of New York City to travelers

Representatives from the Department of Homeless Services and Westhab, the nonprofit that will operate the shelter, answered questions about security measures and what the city will do to prevent nearby property values from dropping.

Borough President Gale Brewer presided over the town hall meeting, She suggested that the only way to stop the proposal is to go to court, according to Patch.com.

Representatives from the nonprofit Westhab said the residents will be either employed or 'employable'.

The shelter at the Park Savoy Hotel will be called the Park Savoy Rapid Re-Housing and Employment Center.

Westhab will also provide around-the-clock security featuring guards posted at shelter entrances and 56 new security cameras in the facility.

The shelter would be just feet away from One57, the so-called 'Billionaire Building.'

The 75-story building, which sits at 157 West 57th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Midtown, is home to some of the richest residents of New York.

In January 2015, an unidentified buyer put down $100.5million for the penthouse at One57  making it the most expensive residential real estate purchase in New York City history, according to the New York Business Journal.

Another resident claimed the future residents of the shelter would be driven to crime by the neighborhood's $6 coffees and the expensive dresses hanging in Bergdorf Goodmans

The shelter would be just feet away from One57, the so-called 'Billionaire Building' (pictured with the curved rooftop)

A year earlier, the second-most expensive residential real estate deal ever was made  and it, too, was for a 13,554 square-foot duplex in One57.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman led a group of other investors who paid a grand total of $91.5million, according to The New York Times.

One57 is one of a number of 'supertall' skyscraper residents that together make up a cluster of high-end apartments near the southern end of Central Park known as 'Billionaires' Row.'

The new homeless shelter is slated to open just around the corner from the Ritz Carlton, a five-star hotel on Central Park South.

According to TripAdvisor, a room at the Ritz Carlton can range from anywhere between $689 and $1,677 per night.

What to do about New York's growing homeless population has proved to be one of the most contentious issues in city politics, particularly since de Blasio became mayor in 2014.

Other residents cited safety concerns for their children at the meeting

One57 is one of a number of 'supertall' skyscraper residents that together make up a cluster of high-end apartments near the southern end of Central Park known as 'Billionaires' Row' (pictured)

De Blasio's administration wants to open a total of 90 homeless shelters across New York's five boroughs within the next five years.

The city's homeless population has been estimated to number more than 63,000, according to amNewYork.

But local residents in some areas have expressed vehement opposition, including in Maspeth, Queens.

Residents there have staged protests and circulated online petitions demanding that the city abandon plans to convert a Holiday Inn hotel into a homeless shelter, according to the Village Voice.

'I told you well before the elections there would be 90 new shelters, they'll be in every kind of neighborhood,' de Blasio said last month.

Community District 5, which spans most of central Midtown between 14th Street and Central Park, is currently served by nine Department of Homeless Services facilities.

Currently, the city houses homeless families in seven commercial hotel facilities within Community District 5.

The Park Savoy Hotel shelter will result in the phasing out of all seven hotel facilities.

A Community Advisory Board for the shelter will also be established.

The proposed homeless shelter will likely open between April and May.
A man has defended his new business venture after opening the UK's first sex doll brothel - but he doesn't think his neighbours will be too pleased about it.

Steven Crawford said he was unashamed of his new company Date A Doll Services Ltd, which is open for business in the sleepy village of Quarter, South Lanarkshire, but admitted it's a bit sleazy and bound to upset a few locals.

The 25-year-old launched the controversial company earlier this month and is offering sex with his lifelike latex model, named Faith, for 60 an hour.

Steven Crawford, 25, from Quarter, South Lanarkshire, is offering sex with his lifelike latex model (pictured), named Faith, for 60 an hour

The services are advertised online (pictured) and Mr Crawford meets his clients at a meeting point where they sort out payments and deposits

Date A Doll Services Ltd is an official registered company and the entrepreneur says he's already had two paying clients.

Mr Crawford said he named his doll Faith because he has faith the company will succeed.

The entrepreneur claims he's had two paying customers come to see Faith already

'If someone thinks, "He's sleazy", they're absolutely entitled to think that but I really don't have any qualms about it,' he told The Sunday Mail.

'The neighbours won't be pleased but I hope that as long as the environment I'm creating is safe and legal, they'll understand.'

The services are advertised online and Mr Crawford meets his clients at a meeting point where they sort out payments and deposits.

He asks for one form of ID and a signature, then the customer is invited to the house at an agreed time between the opening hours of 9am to 9pm.

The entrepreneur says he's had around 50 enquiries, mostly from men over 30, and revealed his main reason for the business was to get money and flash cars.

And Mr Crawford dreams of investing in sex robots and expanding his business.

Banks have refused to allow him to open a business account and Facebook and Twitter have removed his ads.

But he says he's done plenty of research around the legalities of what he is doing.

He said: 'Im just hiring out equipment. Its really just a mutual agreement between two people within a safe environment.'
Former Homeland Security agent Christopher V. Ciccione II, 52, accepted bribes from Colombian drug lord

A former Homeland Security agent will spend three years behind bars after he accepted $20,000 in cash, prostitutes, dinner, and hotel bribes from a notorious Colombian drug lord.

Christopher V. Ciccione II, 52, was sentenced by Miami federal court on Friday.

Ciccione worked as a special agent for Homeland Security Investigations and helped remove cartel king Jose Bayron Piedrahita from indictment in the US.

Piedrahita worked for the once-powerful Cali Cartel that smuggled cocaine from Colombia and was indicted in 1993 in one of the biggest cocaine-smuggling cases in US history.

More than 100 other cartel members were also indicted in that case.

Communicating through liaison and informant Juan Carlos Velasco Cano, Ciccione was able to meet with Piedrahita.

In 2010 he traveled to Colombia where Piedrahita gave him $20,000 in cash, dinner, drinks, prostitutes, and paid for his stay at the Marriot Bogota in the country's capital, according to Velasco.

In return the agent altered records to report the kingpin as a 'former' rather than 'current' suspect in the investigation, according to Reuters.

He convinced Miami federal prosecutors to dismiss that charge from Piedrahita's name in October 2011.

Ciccione was arrested in September in his hometown of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

In November he pleaded guilty to a conspiracy of 'deceit, craft and trickery' against his own government, according to the Miami Herald.

He also admitted he 'falsified official records and lied to his supervisors and the U.S. Attorneys Office to cause' to dismiss Piedrahita's indictment.

Jose Bayron Piedrahita of the Cali Cartel bribed Ciccione with a lavish stay in Bogota in exchange for the dismissal of charges against him in the US

Piedrahita played a big role in the cocaine-smuggling cartel based in Colombia and the US is now seeking to extradite him

He was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday.

A new indictment accuses Ciccione, Piedrahita, and Juan Carlos Velasco Cano, who worked as the agent informant between the two, of conspiring to commit fraud and obstruction of justice.

Ciccione and Cano have pleaded guilty.

Cano was sentenced last month to more than two years in prison.

The US government is seeking to extradite Piedrahita, 58, from Colombia.

The founders of the Cali Cartel brothers Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela are serving prison terms in the US after admitting to shipping hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States from 1990 through 2002.

US authorities have said their underground empire once controlled 80 percent of the worlds cocaine supply.
It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631

In 2016 nearly 6.5 million people visited the stunning marble monument, which is India's biggest attraction

Indian judges told ministers more must be done to protect it from the smog coming from nearby industries

The Taj Mahal, one of the world's most famous buildings, is turning a yellow-brown colour due to pollution

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One of the world's most famous buildings - visited by world leaders, royalty and Hollywood stars - is turning a sludgy yellow-brown colour, prompting calls for urgent action.

The Taj Mahal, India's biggest attraction, is being badly affected by pollution which has caused the 400-year-old monument's white marble to become discoloured.

Now Indian judges have told ministers more must be done to protect the iconic building from the smog coming from polluting industries nearby, which conservationists have long fought to close.

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 Slide me  The Taj Mahal - one of the world's most famous buildings visited by world leaders, royalty and Hollywood stars - is turning a sludgy yellow-brown colour

Indias Supreme Court demanded a detailed plan to protect the historic site, warning the state governments ad hoc approach was putting it in jeopardy.

Judges told the state government of Uttar Pradesh to produce a vision document outlining its plan for protecting the wonder of the world, which must be published within a month.

But years of interventions - including using mudpacks to draw the stain from the stone - have failed to arrest the slow decay of the iconic building.

In particular the court expressed concern about a sudden flurry of activities in the buffer zone around the monument which was intended to protect it from pollution.

Leather industries and hotels are coming up there. Why? the court asked.

The state government was also told to notify the court how many trees had been planted in the buffer zone before any further greenery was felled for construction works.

Princess Diana was famously photographed alone on a marble seat at the iconic white marble monument in 1992

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sat on the same bench at the end of a week-long royal tour of India in April 2016

Hollywood couple Catherine Zeta-Jones, 48, and Michael Douglas, 73, also posed outside the famous monument with their children Dylan, 17, and Carys, 14, in December last year

The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth in 1631.

It has attracted world leaders and royalty, including Princess Diana, who was famously photographed alone on a marble seat there in 1992.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sat on the same bench at the end of a week-long royal tour of India in April 2016.

Hollywood couple Catherine Zeta-Jones, 48, and Michael Douglas, 73, also posed outside the famous monument with their children Dylan, 17, and Carys, 14, in December last year.

Building restoration has dragged into a fourth year, leaving scaffolding clinging to the exterior, with work yet to even begin on its imposing dome

In 2016 nearly 6.5 million people visited the monument, situated in the city of Agra on the banks of the Yamuna river in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

But last month the government announced plans to cap visitor numbers to reduce wear and tear.

Anyone wanting to see the main crypt, which houses the couples spectacular marble graves inlaid with semi-precious stones, will also have to pay for a more expensive ticket.

Building restoration has dragged into a fourth year, leaving scaffolding clinging to the exterior, with work yet to even begin on its imposing dome.
This is the unfortunate moment a man got his arm stuck in a toilet while trying to retrieve this iPhone 8.

The man had been drinking with his friends in Liuzhou, China, at a local hotel when he went to the toilet, Lznews reports.

He apparently was checking his phone while relieving himself when he dropped his new phone  which had cost him 8,000 yuan ($1,300)  into the squat toilet.

The man had been drinking with his friends in Liuzhou, China, at a local hotel when he went to the toilet

Determined not to let the money literally go down the drain, he stuck his arm inside to retrieve the device.

Too embarrassed to call for help, the man spent around 20 minutes trying to free himself.

But since his arm, now shoulder deep in the toilet, had swollen, he realised he wasnt getting out without help.

A janitor found him on the floor of the bathroom and called emergency services.

He suffered swelling in his right arm and some scratches, but wasn't able to get his phone

Firefighters had to dismantle the squat toilet in order to free the man, according to Lznews.

He suffered only some swelling in his right arm and some scratches.

Unfortunately, he was not able to recover his lost phone.
A New York man who was arrested at a casino after assaulting his girlfriend returned to the scene hours later and sexually assaulted a hotel employee.

Jamel Carlton, 32, of Saugerties, New York, was arrested on Saturday for a domestic violence assault and later for a sexual assault just before 5:30 am at Ballys Atlantic City.

Police were summoned to the Bally's parking garage where they found Carlton who earlier had been separated from his 41-year-old girlfriend by casino security after he allegedly assaulted her.

Pictured here is Bally's where they found Jamel Carlton who was arrested for sexually assaulting his 41-year-old girlfriend

Authorities said the woman had physical signs of abuse and was therefore treated at the scene by medical professionals.

Carlton was charged with simple assault and police released him around 9 am that day.

However, only a few hours later at 11:33 am police had to return to the scene after they heard of a sexual assault report on a 51-year-old hotel employee.

According to police the female victim was pushed into a hotel room where she was sexually and physically assaulted.

A few hours later police had to return to the scene (Bally's pictured) after they heard of a sexual assault report on a 51-year-old hotel employee

Pictured here is the Atlantic City skyline at night, where Carlton was arrested

Police saw Carlton walking along Atlantic Avenue, at first he tried to run away however they managed to catch him and take him into custody.

He is charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, burglary, aggravated assault, criminal restraint, obstruction of justice and resisting arrest.

He was remanded to the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
Ningbo runners to draw image of dog to celebrate Year of Dog

A total of 200 runners from eastern Chinas city of Ningbo celebrated the coming Year of the Dog on Saturday by turning their running route into art: an image of a puppy dog.

Runners created such creative images by recording their running routes with GPS technology.

The running activity was initiated by an engineer named Wen Linbo, who is also a running enthusiast, and it covered a length of 32 kilometers.

Running has always been considered dull sport, and route art is one way to excite the runners, Wen explained.

I hope every participant can have a special memory of the New Year by joining the activity, he said.
Oscar-winning director Michael Haneke has joined the list of numerous celebrities who have criticized the #MeToo movement by calling it a 'witch hunt'.

'I regard this hysteria of rash judgments that is spreading at the moment as absolutely disgusting,' director and screenwriter Haneke said in an interview with the Austrian Kurier.

The viral campaign #MeToo has gone global as victims of sexual assault and harassment used the hashtag to share their harrowing experiences online.

But Haneke believes that 'people are just being finished off in the media, [their] lives and careers are being ruined'.

Oscar-winning director Michael Haneke (pictured in May 2017) has joined the list of numerous celebrities who have criticized the #MeToo movement by calling it a 'witch hunt'

Haneke is the public figure to criticize the movement. Last month, French actress, Catherine Deneuve (left) and former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (right) also warned the movement was doing more harm than good

'Any kind of rape or [sexual] coercion should be punished,' he stressed, but what bothers him about the ongoing debate around allegations of sexual abuse targeting celebrities is its 'totally unperceived malignance, the blind rage that is not based on facts'.

Haneke did stress that his views have 'nothing to do with the fact that every sexual and every violent assault  both against women and men  should be condemned and punished', but, he said, 'a witch hunt should be left in the Middle Ages'.

'This new man-hating puritanism that comes in the wake of the #MeToo movement worries me,' he said.

Haneke also questioned the authenticity of some allegations. According to Haneke, many of the accusations are related to the incidents that happened '20 or 30 years ago'.

Michael Haneke is best known for such films as Funny Games (1997), Cache (2005), The White Ribbon (2009) and Amour (2012).

He has won two Palms d'Or and the Golden Globe Award. His film Amour also won an Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film and received four other nominations.

Haneke is the latest celebrity or public figure to criticize the movement.

Last month, French actress, Catherine Deneuve, led a group of 100 French artists and intellectuals in signing a letter suggesting the #MeToo movement had turned into a 'witch-hunt' that threatened sexual freedom.

The letter said men are being unfairly targeted by sexual misconduct allegations and should be free to hit on women.

Deneuve later apologized to sexual abuse victims, but stood by the letter.

The #MeToo phrase was created by social activist and community organizer, Tarana Burke (left) in 2006, but Alyssa Milano (right) resurrected the phrase shortly after the numerous sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations came out against Harvey Weinstein

Following the Weinstein (pictured) allegations, numerous women, and some men, came forward about alleged sexual harassment incidents in Hollywood

Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also warned the movement was doing more harm than good.

Rice said she believes the #MeToo movement is a good thing - but people need to be careful not to let it turn women into 'snowflakes'.

The former US Secretary of State discussed the movement, in an interview with CNN last month.

'Let's not turn women into snowflakes,' the 63-year-old said. 'Let's not infantilize women.'

The #MeToo phrase was created by social activist and community organizer, Tarana Burke in 2006 as a part of a grassroots campaign to promote 'empowerment through empathy' among women of color who have experienced sexual abuse, particularly within underprivileged communities.

Actress Alyssa Milano resurrected the phrase shortly after the numerous sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations came out against Harvey Weinstein.

Actresses Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan were two of the first women to come forward against Weinstein, followed by actress Asia Argento, who accused Weinstein of rape.

Then Hollywood A-listers Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie claimed that they were also harassed by Weinstein early on in their careers.

Following the Weinstein allegations, numerous women, and some men, came forward about alleged sexual harassment incidents in Hollywood.

Former Today host, Matt Lauer, music mogul Russell Simmons and former CBS anchor and TV legend Charlie Rose were all accused of sexual harassment. All were either fired or forced to step down from their positions.
Two men have died after one driver ran a red light in Geelong on Sunday night.

A 30-year-old man is believed to have driven a Ford Territory through a red light at the intersection of the Princes Highway and St Georges Road in Norlane about 11.50pm.

His car hit a Commodore sedan, being driven by a 46-year-old man along St Georges Road.

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Two men are dead after a high impact crash near Geelong late on Sunday night

Police believe a Ford Territory ran a red light, crashing into a Commodore (pictured) in the process

The high-impact crash sent car parts flying, and they were later seen scattered along the road.

Both drivers died at the scene, while a male passenger of the same vehicle, 37, was taken to Geelong University Public Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Norlane is about 70 kilometres south-west of Melbourne.

Traffic was diverted away from the scene overnight, but a spokesman for Vic Roads told Daily Mail Australia traffic was flowing as normal about 4.50am.
With ping-pong tables, video room, heated caravans and free internet, this farm could almost be a holiday resort.

So its little wonder these Eastern European daffodil pickers were shocked to see their bosses arrested in a police modern slavery raid last week.

The operation backfired as workers who had been rescued instead asked police to let them get back to work at RH Scrimshaw and Sons in Manaccan, Cornwall.

And the farm is now struggling to pay the workers because more than 10,000 in cash for wages was seized by officers.

All smiles: Workers holding daffodils at the farm in Manaccan, Cornwall where they earn up to 240 a day. About 100 protested when their bosses were arrested in a 'modern slavery' probe

Having fun: Some of the flower pickers at a party. The farm is now struggling to pay the workers because more than 10,000 in cash for wages was seized by officers

Owners Allen Scrimshaw, 68, his son Wolfe, 41, were arrested on Thursday and released under investigation, along with Lithuanian fork lift driver Robertas, 49.

About 200 pickers were questioned  but only 14 chose not to return to the job which can pay 240 a day.

Allen, who retired ten years ago, said he spent ten hours in a cell at Camborne police station after he was handcuffed at the farms office.

Wolfe was arrested at the home he shares with his wife and three children at about 6am. Allen said: We are all very shaken up. My son is just walking around in a daydream.

He hasnt eaten a thing since he was arrested. My wife is totally devastated by this. The idea that we are slavers is a complete joke.

The Lithuanian and Romanian workers are paid 8p per bunch and either receive their money daily or leave a record of their earnings with the Scrimshaws to collect later. But as well as cash, police also seized three computers used to track how much each picker was owed.

Allen said: They said they thought I was laundering it, but my wife told them it wasnt for me it was for the workers. Thats the irony  now the people police claimed to be helping cant get paid because theyve seized all this cash.

About 100 workers drove to the police station to protest their bosses arrests. More wanted to come apparently but there werent enough minibuses, Allen added.

Entertainment: The common room has pool tables and the pickers can play ping-pong. Around 100 workers drove to a police station to protest their bosses' arrests

Workers can play pool in their spare time at the farm. The father and son owners were arrested last week but have been released under investigation

He said the 12 men and two women who elected to seek help had not raised any issues, adding: We arent angels, I know, but we do try to look after them all as best we can. Up to about ten years ago we would have British workers do the picking, but no one from this country wants to do this sort of work any more.

My son took over about ten years ago and wanted to expand and the only way he could do that was to import foreign labour.

The daffodil farm is one of the UKs largest, with about 60million stems every season. Lithuanian Marius Alsauskas, 25, is back for his ninth year with his father, brother-in-law and 50-year-old mother, who is back for her 11th season. Its good money for me and I need to earn it to send home to my pregnant wife and three-year-old daughter, he said.

Yesterday I earned more than 110, the picking was okay, not great.

We dont understand why [the arrests] happened because if its bad you can just leave. Of course we arent slaves kept here, were workers. In Lithuania it is very hard to find work, and it is bad money and very hard jobs. I earn in a day here what I would in a week at home.

Comfort: The workers stay in 45 heated caravans on the farm in Cornwall

Field work is hard, it is not sitting in front of a computer, and you have to do it to get paid. I think the 14 who left didnt want to work this hard.

The pickers live in 45 on-site caravans which are heated by gas cylinders they buy themselves. Each pays 35 rent a week, but on days when the weather is too bad to pick they are not charged for accommodation.

Their common room has pool tables and ping-pong. There are even parties and discos in the recreation room, which has a permanent disco light. Mr Scrimshaw said: We sometimes give them alcohol when they have the next day off.

The workers stay from January 1 to the end of March, then either return home or look for other farm work in the UK.

English farm-hand Virginia Platt, 51, has worked there for 28 years and lives in a caravan near the pickers with her daughter.

She said: Obviously something was said and [police] had to follow it up, but I do wonder if it had to be such a large operation and it seems rather a waste of taxpayers money to send in so many officers to do a raid when a look around would tell you things are relatively comfortable. There were about 100 of them here.

Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said: There were reports in to police of alleged offences of modern slavery. There comes a point where we have to intervene.
There is mounting pressure on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to ask Barnaby Joyce to step down following his affair with a pregnant staffer, amid rumours there's more scandal to come.

Speaking on the Today show on Monday, Political Editor Chris Uhlmann said there was 'growing discontent' in the National Party, with party elders believing Mr Joyce was doing irreparable brand damage.

'One more mistake by Barnaby Joyce would see him lose his job,' Mr Uhlmann said.

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Barnaby Joyce (right) and Vikki Camption (left) have reportedly moved into a townhouse gifted by the deputy PM's multi-millionaire friend

While there were calls for Mr Turnbull to urge Mr Joyce to step down, the decision rests with the National Party.

'There will be a frank exchange in the National Party room today,' Mr Uhlmann said on Monday.

Appearing on The Project on Sunday night, political commentator Barrie Cassidy said Mr Joyce's relationship with former staffer Vikki Campion had turned into a 'toxic issue'.

'Not the affair itself, that's nobody's business. But it's the management of it, it's been so sloppy,' he said.

When Mr Cassidy was asked if there were any more 'revelations' involving the Deputy Prime Minister yet to surface, the conversation turned awkward.

Appearing on The Project on Sunday night, Barry Cassidy (pictured) was asked if there were any more 'revelations' involving the Deputy Prime Minister that were yet to surface

Mr Cassidy said 'there might be something' but refused to comment saying it could not be substantiated.

'I really don't know enough about it to be able to talk about it on television. Seriously, this stuff has to stack up before you start reporting it,' he said.

'But this is not the end of it.'

Meanwhile, Mr Joyce's career is 'over' according to prominent media commentator Nikki Savva.

The Canberra insider, whose husband works for the Prime Minister, told ABC Insiders the 'sun is setting' on the Nationals leader's career.

Mr Joyce is expecting a child with Ms Campion after it was revealed he with his wife of 24-years, Natalie, with whom he shares four children.

'I think his career is over, maybe not in the short term, but certainly in the medium term,' she told the program.

'I would not expect to see Barnaby leading the Nationals into the next election.

'I just think the sun is setting on his career, and I can't see how he can survive.'

The media commentator also revealed a lot more Freedom of Information requests have been lodged.

Canberra Insider Nikki Savva speculated Barnaby Joyce's career may be over on television

'That would be the finish if something came out about misuse,' she said.

Ms Savva also could not see the point of the Deputy Prime Minister's appearance on the ABC 7.30 Program.

'My understanding is they tried to talk him out of it, because they could not see the point of him going on to say it was a private matter,' she said.

'He could have got out of it a bit better I thought if he had gone on and said, 'I really regret the pain that I have inflicted on my family, on my wife Natalie, and on my four daughters, I still really love my daughters.'

Ms Savva has been generally a strong supporter of the Turnbull Government in the media and a critic of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Mr Joyce, 50, and his former staffer Vikki Campion, 33, (pictured) were given the keys to the three-bedroom townhouse

Mr Joyce and Ms Campion have reportedly moved into a townhouse gifted by the deputy PM's multi-millionaire friend.

The pair will be reportedly living rent-free for six months - saving a whopping $14,000 - in the New England property owned by businessman Greg Maguire, The Australian reports.

Mr Joyce moved out of his Tamworth family home in December and later moved into the townhouse he now shares with Ms Campion.

Mr Joyce moved out of his Tamworth family home in December and later moved into the townhouse he now shares with Ms Campion

The two are expecting a child together after it was revealed Mr Joyce split with his wife of 24-years, Natalie, with whom he shares four children

It was also revealed Ms Campion was moved to a $191,000-a-year senior advisor position on senator Matt Canavan's payroll after her relationship with Mr Joyce became the subject of rumour, the publication alleges.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting any wrongdoing on behalf of Mr Joyce, Ms Campion or Mr Maguire.

Independent MP Cathy McGowan has called for legislation to be introduced to Parliament to ban politicians entering relationships with staffers.

But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told media it would be 'very difficult' to draft legislation that could cross so easily into people's private lives.

'Government has no business interfering in people's personal lives, we wouldn't want to,' she said.

Mr Joyce's marital breakdown became public knowledge late last year when he returned to Parliament as Deputy Prime Minister.

Natalie Joyce said she felt 'deceived' by the news that Ms Campion is pregnant with her husband's fifth child and claimed the relationship began when she was a paid staffer.

Mr Joyce's marital breakdown became public knowledge late last year when he returned to Parliament as Deputy PM

The Deputy PM's wife Natalie said she and her children were 'devastated'

It was revealed Mr Joyce is expecting his fifth child with his former staffer after his marriage breakdown

'The situation is devastating, for my girls who are affected by the family breakdown and for me as a wife of 24 years who placed my own career on hold to support Barnaby through his political life,' she said in a statement.

'Our family has had to be shared during Barnaby's political career and it was with trust that we let campaign and office staff into our home and into our lives.

Naturally we feel deceived and hurt by the actions of Barnaby and the staff member involved.'

Media commentator Nikki Savva's husband works for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

Mr Joyce was photographed with Ms Campion at Different Drummer, a bar in inner-west Glebe, on February 23, 2017.

Photos obtained by Daily Mail Australia show the pair looking happy together almost a year before Mr Joyce's marriage break up and affair was revealed.
Oxfam's deputy chief executive Penny Lawrence resigned this afternoon admitting she is 'ashamed' the prostitute scandal happened on her watch

Oxfam's deputy chief executive Penny Lawrence resigned this afternoon admitting she is 'ashamed' the prostitute scandal happened on her watch.

Ms Lawrence was the programme director for Oxfam's Chad and Haiti relief efforts, which have been plunged into scandal after investigations revealed staff paid victims for sex.

Ms Lawrence's decision to quit her 99,000 a year post came after Oxfam chiefs were hauled into Whitehall amid claims they should lose millions in taxpayer funding.

And a whistleblower said the scandal extended to UK Oxfam stores, where dozens of cases of abuse had been referred to bosses in recent years.

The charity's bosses issued a groveling apology to International development Secretary Penny Mordaunt and 'told of the deep sense of disgrace and shame' they feel.

The Aid Secretary announced a fleet of measures to toughen up oversight of the charity sector - including the creation of a new unit to urgently review safeguarding across all parts of the aid sector.

And she gave Oxfam one week to prove they will meet the proper high standards in handling allegations - or face having their funding pulled.

Speaking after the meeting today, Ms Mordaunt said: 'This morning I met with Mark Goldring, Chief Executive of Oxfam, and Caroline Thomson, Oxfam Chair of Trustees.

'Oxfam made a full and unqualified apology  to me, and to the people of Britain and Haiti - for the appalling behaviour of some of their staff in Haiti in 2011, and for the wider failings of their organisation's response to it.

'They spoke of the deep sense of disgrace and shame that they and their organisation feel about what has happened, and set out the actions they will now take to put things right and prevent such horrific abuses happening in future.

'They did not inform the Department for International Development at the time that this case involved sexual misconduct or beneficiaries.'

The whistleblower, Helen Evans - Oxfam's former global head of safeguarding - told Channel 4 News she begged senior staff, ministers and the regulator to act about sexual abuse allegations.

Ms Evans detailed three new allegations made against Oxfam staff overseas in a single day.

She said: 'There was one of a woman being coerced to have sex in a humanitarian response by another aid worker, another case where a woman had been coerced in exchange for aid and another one where it had come to our attention where a member of staff had been struck off for sexual abuse and hadn't disclosed that, and we were then concerned about what he might be doing, and that was three allegations in one day.'

She also detailed what she termed 'abuse' of teenagers working in UK Oxfam shops by adult volunteers, many of whom were unchecked by authorities as to whether they were safe to be around youngsters.

She told the programme of several cases of inappropriate conduct with children between 2014 and 2015, with one concerning a shop manager alleged to have attempted to force a young volunteer to drop charges against an adult male colleague who was said to have assaulted them.

Today Oxfam promised to cooperate with all enquiries in Haiti and whatever country where abuse is alleged as it scrambles to try to regain trust and credibility.

But Ms Mordaunt said that assurances 'are not enough' and promised to beef up scrutiny of the sector.

She said: 'Right across the charitable sector, organisations need to show leadership, examine their systems, ensure they have clear whistleblowing policies and deal with historical allegations with confidence and trust.

'My absolute priority is to keep the world's poorest and most vulnerable people safe from harm. In the 21st century, it is utterly despicable that sexual exploitation and abuse continues to exist in the aid sector.'

EU JOINS THREAT TO PULL MILLIONS FROM OXFAM The EU became the latest major donor to threaten to pull funding from Oxfam in the aftermath of a major scandal today. Brussels spent almost 30million on aid with Oxfam last year. EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said: 'We expect Oxfam to fully clarify the allegations with maximum transparency as a matter of urgency, and we're ready to review and, if needed, cease funding to any partner who is not living up to the required high ethical standards.' The EU provided Oxfam with 1.7 million euros ($2.0 million) in funding for work in Haiti in 2011, she said. Advertisement

She has written a letter to all charities to demand that they step up their safeguarding procedures and is creating a unit to 'urgently review ' safeguarding across the sector.

And she also pledged to step up Britain's international efforts tackle child sexual exploitation.

The summons to Whitehall took place after ex-Aid Secretary Priti Patel has accused senior civil servants of ignoring abuse claims levelled against charity workers.

Ms Patel, who resigned in disgrace from the Department for International Development last year, warned the scandal was just the 'tip of the iceberg'.

Downing Street was unable to comment on whether Theresa May was aware of Ms Patel's concerns about senior civil servants or planned to act on them.

Ms Lawrence said: 'I am deeply sad to announce that I have resigned as deputy chief executive of Oxfam GB.

'Over the last few days we have become aware that concerns were raised about the behaviour of staff in Chad as well as Haiti that we failed to adequately act upon.

'It is now clear that these allegations - involving the use of prostitutes and which related to behaviour of both the Country Director and members of his team in Chad - were raised before he moved to Haiti.

'As programme director at the time, I am ashamed that this happened on my watch and I take full responsibility.

'I am desperately sorry for the harm and distress that this has caused to Oxfam's supporters, the wider development sector and most of all the vulnerable people who trusted us.

'It has been such a privilege to work for such an amazing organisation that has done and needs to continue to do such good in the world.'

Mark Goldring, Chief Executive of Oxfam GB, said: 'I deeply respect Penny's decision to accept personal responsibility.

'Like us, she is appalled at what happened and is determined to do what is best for Oxfam and the people we exist to help.

'I would like to place on record my sincere thanks for the years of dedicated service that Penny has given to Oxfam and the fight against poverty around the world.'

Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring (left) and chairwoman Caroline Thompson were seen leaving the Department for International Development today (pictured) after crunch talks with ministers

Mr Goldring (pictured leaving Whitehall today) has admitted to a failure of leadership in Oxfam's Haiti relief effort

The Oxfam chiefs were sped away from the department amid claims they should lose 32million in taxpayer funding over the scandal

Former aid secretary Priti Patel (file image before her resignation as aid secretary) has accused government officials of ignoring complaints about charity staff in disaster zones

Ms Patel's claims emerged yesterday as Oxfam was shamed into a grovelling apology for its sex scandal after the Government threatened to pull the plug on funding.

The charity's chief executive admitted there had been a failure of 'moral leadership' in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct by aid workers.

Ms Mordaunt, condemned the behaviour of some Oxfam staff as a 'complete betrayal', and warned it had put the charity's 32million-a-year UK aid funding at risk.

Speaking after the meeting with the Aid Secretary today, Caroline Thomson, Oxfam chair of Trustees, said: 'Oxfam is in total agreement with the Secretary of State's further proposals.

'We recognise that we have some way to go to persuade her that we have the right moral leadership to be fully entrusted with public money.

'But we are committed to working with her, DFID and the Charity Commission to prove we can meet her expectations.'

Miss Patel said she had not been aware of specific claims within Oxfam, but had raised the issue of abuse involving aid workers with Dfid while head of the department.

'There has been in my view, not just a cover-up with Oxfam, there is a culture of denial in the aid sector about the exploitation and sexual abuse that has taken place historically for decades,' she told BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics.

Oxfam was last night shamed into a grovelling apology for its sex scandal involving shamed director Roland Van Hauwermeiren (pictured) after a minister threatened to pull the plug on funding

Asked whether Whitehall was complicit in the cover-up, she said: 'Put it this way  my former department did not raise this issue with me, I raised it with them through my own investigations  I challenged them.

'This [sex abuse] is well documented  People knew in Dfid, I raised this directly with my department at the time  The UN said last year there were 120 cases involving 300 people  and that is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a culture of denial [of sexual abuse] in the aid sector.'

Oxfam is facing mounting criticism over its handling of the sex allegations, but has denied it tried to cover up the use of prostitutes by its aid workers in Haiti in 2011.

Four members of staff were dismissed and three, including the charity's country director Roland van Hauwermeiren, resigned before the end of the 2011 investigation.

The charity said claims that underage girls may have been involved were not proven.

It also emerged over the weekend that 87 Oxfam workers had been accused of sexual abuse in the past year alone. Other charities have also been caught up in the scandal. Save the Children reported 31 incidents in the past 12 months.

The charity's chief executive admitted there had been a failure of 'moral leadership' in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct by aid workers (file photo)

Ten of the allegations were passed to police and civil authorities. Workers for the British Red Cross and Christian Aid were also reported. All four charities receive millions of pounds from Dfid.

Yesterday, Oxfam said it was 'shamed' by what had happened in Haiti.

Caroline Thomson, the charity's chairman of UK trustees, said: 'It is clear that such behaviour is completely outside our values and should never be tolerated.'

Chief executive Mark Goldring added: 'I think there's no question that the people running the Haiti programme in 2011 failed in terms of moral leadership.'

Asked whether he could say for certain this 'was it' and there was 'nothing else out there', he told Channel 4 News: 'No.'

Mr Goldring added: 'We have been back through our records as thoroughly as we can and we will carry on doing that.

'What we did after 2011 was strengthen our whistleblowing lines, our complaints section, our training  that has not been enough. We have to carry on improving the commitment that we've made today.'

Last night Miss Mordaunt put all charities on notice that she will stop funding unless they fully co-operate with the authorities on abuse allegations.

She said she would be writing to all aid agencies which receive Dfid cash, ordering them to declare all abuse claims they are aware of and to confirm they have informed the relevant authorities.

The minister told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show the failure to pass on information showed an 'absolute absence of leadership'. Asked if she thought Oxfam had failed in its 'moral leadership', she replied: 'Yes, I do.'

Miss Mordaunt said she would meet executives from the charity today, adding: 'If the moral leadership at the top of the organisation is not there then we cannot have you as a partner.' She will also meet with the Charity Commission later this week.

The watchdog said it had written to Oxfam 'as a matter of urgency' for further information. It said an Oxfam report on the investigation stated there had been no allegations of abuse of beneficiaries and made no mention of any potential sex crimes involving minors.

'Our approach to this matter would have been different had the full details that have been reported been disclosed to us at the time,' it added. Miss Mordaunt said the charity had 'categorically' stated to Dfid that no harm was done and beneficiaries were not involved.

PAUL BRACCHI: Oxfam is the charity that's betrayed its humbled High Street roots... thanks to the revelations of sleaze and sexual exploitation in earthquake-torn Haiti

For many, Oxfam is still synonymous with kindly old ladies selling second-hand books and clothes in the charity's dusty shops up and down the country.

Leaflets and posters where they turn out tirelessly  day after day, week after week  remind us of the vital humanitarian work Oxfam carries out in conflict zones and disaster spots in every corner of the globe.

Volunteers wearing instantly recognisable green Oxfam T-shirts and vests have become a familiar sight on TV news coverage of the plight of Rohingya refugees sheltering in Bangladesh or families trying to escape the horrors of Syria.

'People have a right to life and security, to a sustainable livelihood, to be heard, to have an identity, and to have access to basic social services,' is the noble mission statement on Oxfam's website.

For many, Oxfam is still synonymous with kindly old ladies selling second-hand books and clothes in the charity's dusty shops up and down the country

So, in the eyes of the public Oxfam enjoys an almost unrivalled reputation as a force for good; a quaint, reassuringly old-fashioned organisation, epitomised by its High Street presence.

These outlets, the only point of contact most of us have with Oxfam, have 'become the generic name for [charity] shops, in the same way that vacuum cleaners are referred to as Hoovers,' says Oxfam's chief executive Mark Goldring. There could be no better indicator of how ubiquitous Oxfam has become.

In fact, Oxfam bears little resemblance to this popular image.

Oxfam has 1,200 shops worldwide (630 in the UK), employs around 10,000 staff (plus 23,000 volunteers) and has a turnover of 415million; it is a multi-national company  a corporate behemoth  in all but name.

Nevertheless, it has managed to maintain a heartfelt place in the hearts and minds of the British public; until now.

In 2011, we now know, senior aid workers in earthquake-torn Haiti indulged in orgies with prostitutes  'full-on Caligula orgies' described as 'young meat barbecues,' reportedly. Some of the women were allegedly younger than 16.

What a terrible betrayal of Oxfam's noble ideals  and those dedicated 'old ladies'  the revelations of sleaze and sexual exploitation now engulfing the charity represent.

The scandal  apart from anything else  sits uncomfortably with the steam of sanctimonious pronouncements emanating from the charity in recent times.

In 2011, we now know, senior aid workers in earthquake-torn Haiti indulged in orgies with prostitutes  'full-on Caligula orgies' described as 'young meat barbecues,' reportedly

All charities, by necessity, have to occupy the moral high ground, of course. But at the peak of this metaphorical summit is Oxfam.

So rarefied is the atmosphere at the organisation's 30million British headquarters in Oxford that you could be forgiven for thinking that staff have to be issued with oxygen masks to work here.

Among its many declarations is the claim that capitalism is to blame for creating global privation because 82 per cent of money generated last year went to the richest 1 per cent of the planet's population, apparently. Only Oxfam could get away with making such politicised (and spurious) statements; charities are supposed to remain politically neutral, after all.

What would Oxfam's founding father make of it all, one wonders? It was on October 5, 1942 that a group of citizens, mainly Quakers, concerned about civilians caught up in the battles of World War Two gathered in the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford and called for blockades so food could reach people starving in Europe  particularly famine-riven Greece.

The Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (now Oxfam) was born.

A party to mark the 75th anniversary of Oxfam, attended by 500 guests, was held in Oxford town hall in October. The hall was decorated with display boards showcasing Oxfam projects over the years  'striving for a world where it doesn't have to exist.'

Among the guests was 85-year-old Roger Baker, the charity's longest serving volunteer, who has been supporting Oxfam for 48 years. His father, Wilson Baker, a chemist, was part of the original committee which set up the first Oxfam shop in Oxford's Broad Street in 1945 (a live donkey, believe it or not, was among the early donations).

'When you join a family, you stay,' said Mr Baker.

The retired teacher said his involvement in Oxfam means 'helping the disadvantaged people of the world, allowing them to help themselves.'

By the early 1960s, the tweedy members of that first meeting  including Mr Baker Snr  would have been flabbergasted by Oxfam's expediential growth. The Beatles, no less, did a benefit concert for Oxfam in 1963

By the 1970s, Oxfam became active in Latin America and the Caribbean, and spearheaded the international campaign against apartheid in South Africa.

Oxfam has 1,200 shops worldwide (630 in the UK), employs around 10,000 staff (plus 23,000 volunteers) and has a turnover of 415million; it is a multi-national company  a corporate behemoth  in all but name

In the 90s, Oxfam sent the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse  on real horses  over Westminster Bridge to protect the consequences of cutting aid to developing countries. In 2010, a group of pregnant women recreated Charles Ebbet's iconic view of New York construction workers  'lunch atop a skyscraper'  to highlight the dangers of childbirth in the developing world.

And last year, Oxfam turned Trafalgar Square into a 'tropical tax haven' with palm trees, a sandy beach and businessmen in a call to end tax dodging that 'robs poor countries.'

'Our work providing life-saving aid and standing up for the rights of the world's poorest people would simply not be possible without the compassion and support of the British public,' said boss Mr Goldring.

Mr Goldring's current salary is 125,248  less than the bosses of other charities  but not an inconsiderable sum nonetheless.

Oxfam, incidentally, receives 300million a year from public donations and British government funds  and by implication taxpayers  including the kind of businesses Oxfam has gone out of its way to criticise when it blamed the ills of the world on capitalism.

How, embarrassingly ironic, that Oxfam now finds itself at the centre of a scandal that in days gone by would have made lurid front page headline for the News of the World.

Yet, the scandal goes beyond Haiti. Official figures collated by charities show that Oxfam reported 87 incidents of sexual harassment last year. Of those, 53 were referred to the police or other statutory authorities. A total of 20 staff or volunteers were dismissed.

The statistics raise troubling questions about regulation in the beleaguered charity sector already tarnished by allegations of hard-sell tactics.

Undercover reporters working for the Mail and its sister paper, The Mail on Sunday, revealed in 2015 how staff at a call centre raising funds for Oxfam employed unscrupulous tactics to squeeze cash from the elderly (in one case a 98-year-old) and cancer sufferers. New recruits were told to ignore the 'excuses' of potential donors pleading poverty and any requests to stop calling. Oxfam was later found to have breached the industry code following a six-month inquiry by the Fundraising Standards Board.

Could there be a more distasteful contrast to the old ladies and other volunteers who work in Oxfam's network of shops from Brighton to Blackpool?

There is an old saying which Mr Goldring and his PR team will no doubt be pondering today in the aftermath of the latest scandal: That it takes a lifetime to build a good reputation and only minutes to destroy it.
For many, Oxfam is still synonymous with kindly old ladies selling second-hand books and clothes in the charitys dusty shops up and down the country.

Leaflets and posters where they turn out tirelessly  day after day, week after week  remind us of the vital humanitarian work Oxfam carries out in conflict zones and disaster spots in every corner of the globe.

Volunteers wearing instantly recognisable green Oxfam T-shirts and vests have become a familiar sight on TV news coverage of the plight of Rohingya refugees sheltering in Bangladesh or families trying to escape the horrors of Syria.

People have a right to life and security, to a sustainable livelihood, to be heard, to have an identity, and to have access to basic social services, is the noble mission statement on Oxfams website.

For many, Oxfam is still synonymous with kindly old ladies selling second-hand books and clothes in the charitys dusty shops up and down the country

So, in the eyes of the public Oxfam enjoys an almost unrivalled reputation as a force for good; a quaint, reassuringly old-fashioned organisation, epitomised by its High Street presence.

These outlets, the only point of contact most of us have with Oxfam, have become the generic name for [charity] shops, in the same way that vacuum cleaners are referred to as Hoovers, says Oxfams chief executive Mark Goldring. There could be no better indicator of how ubiquitous Oxfam has become.

In fact, Oxfam bears little resemblance to this popular image.

Oxfam has 1,200 shops worldwide (630 in the UK), employs around 10,000 staff (plus 23,000 volunteers) and has a turnover of 415million; it is a multi-national company  a corporate behemoth  in all but name.

Nevertheless, it has managed to maintain a heartfelt place in the hearts and minds of the British public; until now.

In 2011, we now know, senior aid workers in earthquake-torn Haiti indulged in orgies with prostitutes  full-on Caligula orgies described as young meat barbecues, reportedly. Some of the women were allegedly younger than 16.

What a terrible betrayal of Oxfams noble ideals  and those dedicated old ladies  the revelations of sleaze and sexual exploitation now engulfing the charity represent.

The scandal  apart from anything else  sits uncomfortably with the steam of sanctimonious pronouncements emanating from the charity in recent times.

In 2011, we now know, senior aid workers in earthquake-torn Haiti indulged in orgies with prostitutes  full-on Caligula orgies described as young meat barbecues, reportedly

All charities, by necessity, have to occupy the moral high ground, of course. But at the peak of this metaphorical summit is Oxfam.

So rarefied is the atmosphere at the organisations 30million British headquarters in Oxford that you could be forgiven for thinking that staff have to be issued with oxygen masks to work here.

Among its many declarations is the claim that capitalism is to blame for creating global privation because 82 per cent of money generated last year went to the richest 1 per cent of the planets population, apparently.

Only Oxfam could get away with making such politicised (and spurious) statements; charities are supposed to remain politically neutral, after all.

What would Oxfams founding father make of it all, one wonders?

It was on October 5, 1942 that a group of citizens, mainly Quakers, concerned about civilians caught up in the battles of World War Two gathered in the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford and called for blockades so food could reach people starving in Europe  particularly famine-riven Greece.

The Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (now Oxfam) was born.

A party to mark the 75th anniversary of Oxfam, attended by 500 guests, was held in Oxford town hall in October. The hall was decorated with display boards showcasing Oxfam projects over the years  striving for a world where it doesnt have to exist.

Oxfam has 1,200 shops worldwide (630 in the UK), employs around 10,000 staff (plus 23,000 volunteers) and has a turnover of 415million; it is a multi-national company  a corporate behemoth  in all but name

Among the guests was 85-year-old Roger Baker, the charitys longest serving volunteer, who has been supporting Oxfam for 48 years.

His father, Wilson Baker, a chemist, was part of the original committee which set up the first Oxfam shop in Oxfords Broad Street in 1945 (a live donkey, believe it or not, was among the early donations).

When you join a family, you stay, said Mr Baker.

The retired teacher said his involvement in Oxfam means helping the disadvantaged people of the world, allowing them to help themselves.

By the early 1960s, the tweedy members of that first meeting  including Mr Baker Snr  would have been flabbergasted by Oxfams expediential growth. The Beatles, no less, did a benefit concert for Oxfam in 1963

By the 1970s, Oxfam became active in Latin America and the Caribbean, and spearheaded the international campaign against apartheid in South Africa.

In the 90s, Oxfam sent the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse  on real horses  over Westminster Bridge to protect the consequences of cutting aid to developing countries.

Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring has been forced to apologise for the sex scandal engulfing the charity

In 2010, a group of pregnant women recreated Charles Ebbets iconic view of New York construction workers  lunch atop a skyscraper  to highlight the dangers of childbirth in the developing world.

And last year, Oxfam turned Trafalgar Square into a tropical tax haven with palm trees, a sandy beach and businessmen in a call to end tax dodging that robs poor countries.

Our work providing life-saving aid and standing up for the rights of the worlds poorest people would simply not be possible without the compassion and support of the British public, said boss Mr Goldring.

Mr Goldrings current salary is 125,248  less than the bosses of other charities  but not an inconsiderable sum nonetheless.

Oxfam, incidentally, receives 300million a year from public donations and British government funds  and by implication taxpayers  including the kind of businesses Oxfam has gone out of its way to criticise when it blamed the ills of the world on capitalism.

How, embarrassingly ironic, that Oxfam now finds itself at the centre of a scandal that in days gone by would have made lurid front page headline for the News of the World.

Yet, the scandal goes beyond Haiti. Official figures collated by charities show that Oxfam reported 87 incidents of sexual harassment last year. Of those, 53 were referred to the police or other statutory authorities. A total of 20 staff or volunteers were dismissed.

The statistics raise troubling questions about regulation in the beleaguered charity sector already tarnished by allegations of hard-sell tactics.

Undercover reporters working for the Mail and its sister paper, The Mail on Sunday, revealed in 2015 how staff at a call centre raising funds for Oxfam employed unscrupulous tactics to squeeze cash from the elderly (in one case a 98-year-old) and cancer sufferers.

New recruits were told to ignore the excuses of potential donors pleading poverty and any requests to stop calling. Oxfam was later found to have breached the industry code following a six-month inquiry by the Fundraising Standards Board.

Could there be a more distasteful contrast to the old ladies and other volunteers who work in Oxfams network of shops from Brighton to Blackpool?

There is an old saying which Mr Goldring and his PR team will no doubt be pondering today in the aftermath of the latest scandal: That it takes a lifetime to build a good reputation and only minutes to destroy it.
The Trump administration is thinking about privatizing the International Space Station, according to NASA documents obtained by the Washington Post.

The White House wants to stop funding for the station after 2024, the documents indicate, and is working on a transition plan to hand the orbiting lab over to private industry.

'The decision to end direct federal support for the ISS in 2025 does not imply that the platform itself will be deorbited at that time  it is possible that industry could continue to operate certain elements or capabilities of the ISS as part of a future commercial platform,' the document read.

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The Washington Post obtained NASA documents that indicated that President Trump's (pictured) administration is mulling privatizing the International Space Station after 2014

A number of individuals have already spoken out against the idea of privatizing the International Space Station (pictured), including Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who thinks it would be a waste since American taxpayers have already spent so much money on it

'NASA will expand international and commercial partnerships over the next seven years in order to ensure continued human access to and presence in low Earth orbit,' the document said.

The White House will release its budget request on Monday, allocating $150 million in fiscal year 2019 for the space station, the Washington Post said.

More would be given to the project for additional years 'to enable the development and maturation of commercial entities and capabilities which will ensure that commercial successors to the ISS  potentially including elements of the ISS  are operational when they are needed.'

The International Space Station argued one of the Post's sources, Andrew Rush, the chief executive of Made in Space, 'is built for science and human exploration, it's not built for profit seeking.'

And while the move might seem like it would be palatable to fiscal conservatives, wanting a trimmer budget, so far it's not.

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, is already encouraging the White House to scrap this plan.

'As a fiscal conservative, you know one of the dumbest things you can do is cancel programs after billions in investment when there is still serious usable life ahead,' argued Cruz, according to the Post.

Approximately $100 billion in taxpayer cash has been used to build and operate the orbiting piece of real estate.

Cruz also said that he hoped the recent reports that NASA might cancel funding 'prove as unfounded as Bigfoot,' and blamed the decision on the 'numskulls' at the Office of Management and Budget.

A public-private partnership was more palatable to the Texas Republican.

'I think all of us are open to reasonable proposals that are cost effective and that are utilizing the investments we made in a way that maximizes their effectiveness,' Cruz said.

Boeing already operates the station for the U.S. government, with taxpayers paying the company around $3 to $4 billion annually.

Having heard last month about NASA's potential plans, Boeing's space station program manager Mark Mulqueen also said they were bad.

'[W]alking away from the International Space Station now would be a mistake, threatening American leadership and hurting the commercial market as well as the scientific community,' Mulqueen said, according to the Post.
As James Corden ponders a return to Britain from Hollywood, I hear he is lining up comedian Jack Whitehall to be his replacement as host of The Late Late Show.

My LA moles tell me that James and writing partner Ben Winston are trying to help Jack crack America by introducing him to the chat shows execs.

James and Marlborough-educated Jack are old pals, having appeared together on Sky 1s hit A League Of Their Own for 12 series.

But Jack, 29, announced on Friday that he has quit the programme, saying: I want to explore new opportunities  I would like to do more in America.

He is set to host the Brit Awards later this month and a source tells me: James will fly Jack over to meet his bosses. Jack just needs to get through the Brits first.

James and Marlborough-educated Jack are old pals, having appeared together on Sky 1s hit A League Of Their Own for 12 series
She's graced the cover of numerous international glossy magazines.

And Arizona Muse proved her model prowess as she stepped out in style at the Bottega Veneta fashion show during New York Fashion Week on Friday.

The 29-year-old American model commanded attention with her electrifying golden curls as she posed up a storm at the star-studded fashion bash.

Stylish: Arizona Muse, 29, commanded attention in her champagne satin jacket dress and golden curls as she stepped out for the Bottega Veneta show at NFW on Friday

Arizona continued to turn heads in her shimmering champagne satin jacket dress, cinched in at the waist to emphasis her model-honed figure.

The comfortable sartorial choice was paired with striking black Mary-Jane heels with a heavy black strap and overflowing soles.

Arizona matched her feminine look with a bold tan clutch bag, accented with decadent studs.

Her natural beauty shone through with her pink glossy lip and lashings of mascara, while her wild curled locks were left untamed.

Strike a pose: The American model commanded attention with her electrifying golden curls as she posed up a storm at the star-studded fashion bash - with Poppy Delevingne

Smiles: Arizona continued to turn heads in her shimmering champagne satin jacket dress, cinched in at the waist to emphasis her model-honed figure

Later on, she styled her strong mane with an elegant tan jacket, shielding herself from the wintry evening with a warming faux-fur collar.

The New Mexico native beamed next to fellow fashionista Poppy Delevingne, who rocked an stylish embellished crimson number and skyscraper black heels.

Runway favourite Jean Campbell also wrapped up against the cold in a cosy cream fur jumper over a grey satin camisole dress and eye-catching monochrome pumps.

Fashion forward: The comfortable sartorial choice was paired with striking black Mary-Jane heels with a heavy black strap and overflowing soles

Ultra glam: The catwalk queen styled her strong mane with an elegant tan jacket, shielding herself from the wintry evening with a warming faux-fur collar

While Arizona has been modelling from her tender teenage days, the beauty only found global fame after she had her son Nikko in 2009.

Arizona gushed about how she was feeling broody in an interview with Hello! Fashion monthly magazine in October.

'I can't wait to have more children,' she told the publication. The mother-of-one revealed she has 'no doubts' she will be with her husband Boniface Verney-Carron for the rest of her life after they got married in June.

Of their wedding day, she said: 'It was so nice. I loved getting married. I will be with him for the rest of my life  zero doubts about that.

'That was a big moment for him, he was really excited and had a great day.
She revealed she's 29 weeks into her pregnancy, earlier this week. A full term is 40 weeks which means she has 11 weeks to go.

But Khloe Kardashian showed no signs of slowing down her exercise regime as she worked up a sweat alongside best pal Malika Haqq on Saturday.

The 33-year-old shared her workout with Snapchat followers, as Malika complained: 'She's making me look bad...and she's pregnant!'

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Bumping along nicely: Khloe Kardashian showed no signs of slowing down her exercise regime as she worked up a sweat on Saturday

Looking good: The 33-year-old shared her workout with Snapchat followers

The besties posted their efforts to social media, adding animal filters and morphing their voices up a few octaves.

'Look who's working out with me today, ' Khloe squeaked to the camera.

After revealing Malika was with her, she shared an impressive image of her slamming ropes whilst kneeling on an upturned Bosu ball.

Well balanced: After revealing Malika was with her, she shared an impressive image of her slamming ropes whilst kneeling on an upturned Bosu ball

The Revenge Body host wore skin tight black leggings, teamed with a long-sleeved Nike top.

Her honey tresses were slicked into a casual bun, and she appeared to have made time to wear a full face of make-up.

The pals are reunited after Malika appeared on UK Celebrity Big Brother last month.

Abs fab! Malika complained: 'She's making me look bad...and she's pregnant!'

Glowing: Khloe's honey tresses were slicked into a casual bun, and she appeared to have made time to wear a full face of make-up

Curves: The besties posted their efforts to social media, adding animal filters and morphing their voices up a few octaves

Teamwork: The Revenge Body host wore skin tight black leggings, teamed with a long-sleeved Nike top

Mom-to-be Khloe didnt confirm her pregnancy until late December, almost three months after the news first broke  and she says she had a good reason.

'Honestly, at first its not safe to say anything and the doctor was like, "I would just want to wait, for you." So I was listening to doctors orders,' the KUWTK star revealed on Lorraine recently.

She added: 'And then people just become so obsessed. And Im like, "Trust me, you guys are all going to know eventually - Im just waiting until its the right time.

'But it feels good to announce and now be in tight clothes and feel like it doesnt matter anymore.'
Thanks to fast developing technologies, firecrackers, The Rabbit God, the character for Fu, and other traditions that stood test of time in China are now evolving and flourishing to celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year.

Happy Virtual Chinese New Year, a popular new documentary on the Discovery Channel, introduces people in the United States to up-to-date customs in Beijing, Harbin, Hangzhou, and Taipei in four parts.

The Rabbit God, a traditional clay figurine, adds to the festive atmosphere. The newest version is even cuter than the traditional one and is being sold online to more families. To pass on this craft, the process of how to create a clay rabbit is also live streamed. As a symbol of peace, prosperity, and blessings, it has reached out to numerous families in China and abroad.

Winter fishing before the New Year is a thousand-year tradition in freezing cold northeast China, as having fish is a sign of prosperity. Years ago, parents generally made new clothes and shoes for their children and prepared food and window flowers at the end of the lunar month December in the warmth of family. Up to now, without travelling 400 miles, the newly caught fish can be sent back home through online ordering, which makes bigger and faster sales of the must-have food of family reunion dinner.

The Fu character on red square paper, meaning luck and fortune, has been enhanced with AR technology. Smartphone users can scan the Chinese character with Alipay, Alibaba Groups solution to electronic payment, and collect five different cards of Fu to get a red envelope. While in Taipei, another creative celebration goes to the electronic firecracker, the 21st century replacement for the traditional firecracker.

Technologies like the internet, mobile payment, and AR are thriving in China and going out to the world, a number of senior producers said when they toured around China. The crossover of culture and technology is amazing according to foreign audiences. Chinese culture has won many likes and followers around the globe, and the amazing modern makeovers are well underway, adding charm and new definitions to the old customs.
Victoria Beckham has ruled out a rumored Spice Girls reunion tour.

The pop star-turned-fashion designer, 43, rejected reports the much-loved quintet would be playing live across the U.K. and U.S. this summer.

It comes after the group confirmed plans to work again on new projects following a reunion lunch at Geri Horners house in Hertfordshire, England last week.

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The latest: The Spice Girls, seen after reuniting for a lunch in the U.K. earlier this month, will not be taking their show on the road, Victoria Beckham said Saturday

'Im not going on tour,' Victoria told Vogue Saturday while at New York Fashion Week. 'The girls arent going on tour.'

Asked what their plans did involve, she said that 'theres something so strong in the message of what the Spice Girls stood for,' leading the five members to brainstorm about potential projects.

'What is that in the future?' she said. 'What does that look like? We were just bouncing ideas around.'

Victoria, known as Posh, said 'it was really, really, really lovely' to reconnect with her musical colleagues: Melanie Brown (Scary Spice), 42, Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), 42, Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice), 44, and Geri Horner (Ginger Spice), 45.

Fashionista: The songstress-designer was snapped last month in Madrid, Spain

'It was so great to see the girls,' she said. 'We had such a fun lunch ... I still speak to them all individually, but for us all to get together was really lovely.'

After debut single Wannabe hit number one in 1996, the Spice Girls became a smash-hit success before splitting in 2000.

The quintet, a 90s pop staple, embarked on a three-month tour of Europe and the US in 2008 to tie in with a greatest hits release and to act as a final farewell to fans.

They emerged once more to perform at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, but an expected comeback in 2016 with Brown, Horner and Bunton failed to materialize.

An insider told The Mail on Sunday earlier this month that Beckham had a change of heart about a potential comeback after the lunch rest of the group, who are slated to reconvene in Los Angeles this spring to continue to streamline details over a potential relaunch.

'Victoria was so cold on singing and performing with the Spice Girls again but Fridays meeting made her remember the good times,' the insider said. 'The girls sat together laughing and remembering the fun and special times and she is now very much in.'
Jeremy Sylvers was arrested on Saturday in Los Angeles for grand theft auto according to TMZ.

The 34-year-old actor best known for his role in Child's Play 3 the 1991 Chucky filmallegedly stole his mom's 2002 Honda CRV on Friday night after being denied a ride somewhere.

Jeremy's mother called the police and he was arrested shortly after returning to his home on Saturday morning.

Child's play! Actor Jeremy Sylvers was arrested on Saturday in Los Angeles for grand theft auto according to TMZ. He reportedly stole his mom's vehicle

More: Jeremy's mother called the police and he was arrested shortly after returning to his home on Saturday morning. Here he is seen in Child's Play 3

His mother told the police that he pushed her down and stole the keys from her the night prior.

But this is not Sylvers' first run in with the law according to the breaking news website.

Back in 2014, his ex-girlfriend Octavia Taylor filed a restraining order against him after he started multiple fights at a party and urinated on a few guests.

The missing car: His mother drove a 2002 Honda CRV

He has only acted in a few other TV shows.

On a 2001 episode of My Wife And Kids titled My Perfect Dad he played the role of Boy #3.

And on a 1992 episode of Saved By The Bell called Teen Line, he played Tommy.
Hilary Duff bundled up for California's 55F-degree winter while carrying a Starbucks to-go cup in Toluca Lake on Saturday morning.

The Houston-born 30-year-old - who relies on stylist Jacqueline Oknaian Demeterio - wore a beanie, long cardigan, sweatshirt, ripped skinny jeans, and booties for her errands.

It was a solo outing for the Younger actress, who's been dating music producer Matthew Koma on/off over the last year.

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Out and about: Hilary Duff bundled up for California's 55F-degree winter while carrying a Starbucks to-go cup in Toluca Lake on Saturday morning

That same day, Hilary - who boasts 22.6M social media followers - shared a bored-looking Insta-story selfie from what appeared to be her bedroom.

Duff also captured a b&w image of her hamster-loving son Luca - turning 6 next month - with ex-husband Mike Comrie, who was mesmerized by an ice-cream cone.

The GlassesUSA collaborator just wrapped her role Tuesday as the late Texan model-turned-actress Sharon Tate in Daniel Farrands' feature directorial debut, The Haunting of Sharon Tate.

Farrands' indie flick centers on the last days of the heavily pregnant 26-year-old who - along with her unborn son (with husband Roman Polanski) - was stabbed 16 times by members of the Manson Family in 1969.

Comfy: The Houston-born 30-year-old - who relies on stylist Jacqueline Oknaian Demeterio - wore a beanie, long cardigan, sweatshirt, ripped skinny jeans, and booties for her errands

Caffeine fix: It was a solo outing for the Younger actress, who's been dating music producer Matthew Koma on/off over the last year

Long lashes: That same day, Hilary - who boasts 22.6M social media followers - shared a bored-looking Insta-story selfie from what appeared to be her bedroom

Turning 6 next month! Duff also captured a b&w image of her hamster-loving son Luca with ex-husband Mike Comrie, who was mesmerized by an ice-cream cone

Real-life publishing heiress Lydia Hearst portrays Abigail Folger, the heiress to the Folger coffee fortune, who was stabbed 28 times on the lawn while trying to escape the Hollywood Hills house.

But Sharon's younger sister Debra - who was 16 at the time - blasted the film's premise involving an alleged death premonition Tate revealed in her final interview.

'I know for a fact she did not have a premonition - awake or in a dream - that she and [hairstylist Jay Sebring] would have their throat cut,' the outraged 65-year-old told People on Wednesday.

'I checked with all of her living friends. None of her friends had any knowledge of this. Tacky, tacky, tacky. It's a total fabrication.'

'It was a true honor': The GlassesUSA collaborator just wrapped her role Tuesday as the late Texan model-turned-actress Sharon Tate (L) in Daniel Farrands' feature directorial debut, The Haunting of Sharon Tate

Prosthetic bump: Farrands' indie flick centers on the last days of the heavily pregnant 26-year-old who - along with her unborn son (with husband Roman Polanski) - was stabbed 16 times by members of the Manson Family in 1969

Co-star: Real-life publishing heiress Lydia Hearst (pictured January 25) portrays Abigail Folger, the heiress to the Folger coffee fortune, who was stabbed 28 times on the lawn while trying to escape the Hollywood Hills house

Debra is equally horrified at planned Charles Manson-themed movies directed by Quentin Tarantino (with Margot Robbie in mind for Sharon) and Mary Harron, whose Charlie Says already cast Matt Smith as Manson.

'It doesnt matter who it is acting in it  it's just tasteless,' Tate blasted.

'It's classless how everyone is rushing to release something for the 50th anniversary of this horrific event.'

Charles Manson died November 19, age 83, while serving his life sentence for seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder at the California State Prison in Corcoran.

'It's a total fabrication': But Sharon's younger sister Debra - who was 16 at the time - blasted the 'tacky' film's premise involving an alleged death premonition Tate revealed in her final interview (pictured in 2012)

'It's classless how everyone is rushing to release something for the 50th anniversary of this horrific event': Debra is equally horrified at planned Charles Manson-themed movies directed by Quentin Tarantino (L) and Mary Harron (R)
She's one of New Zealand's most successful modelling exports who has walked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway for the past two years.

And on Sunday, Georgia Fowler took to social media to announce she had another impressive role to add to her resume.

Posting a photo to Instagram, the 25-year-old revealed this year would see her hosting the first season of Project Runway New Zealand.

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New role! On Sunday, Georgia Fowler revealed she would be the first host of New Zealand's Project Runway. Pictured on the Victoria's Secret runway in November 2017

'FINALLY!!!!! So excited to announce that I am going to be the host of the very first @ProjectRunwayNZ,' she shared.

'Can't wait to see what you've got designed for me NZ! See ya soon.'

The accompanying photo saw Georgia flaunting her enviable cleavage while she strutted her style on the catwalk.

Exciting news! 'FINALLY!!!!! So excited to announce that I am going to be the host of the very first @ProjectRunwayNZ,' Georgia wrote on Instagram

Next step: Speaking to TVNZ on Sunday, Georgia said she was 'thrilled' about her new role

Speaking to TVNZ on Sunday, the model - who has walked for the likes of Chanel, DKNY, Miu Miu and Jeremy Scott - said she was 'thrilled' about her new role.

'I couldn't be more thrilled to be coming home to be part of the very first season of Project Runway New Zealand,' she said.

'To help launch the career of a Kiwi designer, while giving people a glimpse into the world of fashion, is beyond exciting. Haere Ra, New York - and see you soon, Auckland!'

The show will see aspiring fashion designers compete to make the best designs for a panel of judges.

With other judges yet to be announced, the New Zealand show makes its debut following Heidi Klum's successful 16-season reign in the United States.

Georgia will be acting as both the host and top judge in the competition.
The call it the good life for a reason.

Robert De Niro was seen on the downtown Manhattan set of his upcoming film The Irishman Saturday rummaging through a tray stocked with dozens of pairs of high-end eyeglasses that was presented to him by crew members.

The Academy Award winner eventually settled on a dark pair of sunglasses, looking pleased with the choice as he cracked the familiar smile movie audiences have come to know from his comedies such as Dirty Grandpa, Analyze This and Meet the Parents.

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You're good you! Robert De Niro, 74, was seen on the downtown Manhattan set of his upcoming film The Irishman Saturday, sporting a pair of sunglasses he picked from of a tray

The 74-year-old actor has been in his native New York City filming the crime drama under the direction of his longtime associate Martin Scorsese, who he's collaborated with on past classics such as Goodfellas, Raging Bull and Cape Fear.

De Niro plays hit man Frank Sheeran in the period piece based on the 2004 Charles Brandt book I Heard You Paint Houses, was seen wearing a truck driver uniform as cameras rolled on the drama Saturday.

His outfit consisted of a light grey button-up shirt, with grey pants upheld by a black belt, black work shoes and an olive green cap. He kept warm on breaks in a clay brown leather jacket with a plaid scarf.

Scorsese was also snapped on the set, clad in a thick navy blue trench coat and dark blue pants.

That's the ticket: The actor looked pleased after crew members presented him with a vast assortment of glasses to pick between

Gifting suite on wheels: De Niro had dozens of upscale options to choose between

Directing traffic: Famed filmmaker Martin Scorsese kept warm in a navy blue trench coat on the set

He's one in an ensemble cast for the $125 million Netflix film, as his co-stars include Al Pacino as union head Jimmy Hoffa, Joe Pesci as mobster Russell Bufalino, Anna Paquin as Frank Sheeran's daughter Peggy, Ray Romano as Hoffa attorney Bill Bufalino and Harvey Keitel as mobster Angelo Bruno.

And while De Niro seemed to be in a pleasant mood Saturday, he's made headlines over the past few years amid his outspoken vitriol for President Donald Trump, with the most recent outburst coming last month when he spoke at a gala for the National Board of Review in New York City to honor Meryl Streep for her performance in The Post.

The veteran actor told the audience, 'It was fascinating to watch The Post; that story took place nearly 50 years ago, but there are many parallels today, obviously.

On the go: The Hollywood icon sported a workman outfit as he wore a truck driver outfit on the set of the movie

At the wheel: De Niro is one in an ensemble cast for the Scorsese movie, joining forces with Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, among others

'At the time of the story, Donald Trump was suffering from bone spurs,' he said, making air quotes. 'Today the world is suffering from the real Donald Trump.'

Encouraging applause, De Niro said, 'This f***ing idiot is the president - its The Emperors New Clothes - the guy is a f***ing fool.'

He later characterized Trump as a 'baby-in-chief' and 'jerk-off in chief' for his ongoing debasement of the media as 'fake news.'

He got one more zinger in on Trump in saying that The Post 'gave us glimpses of President Nixon as delusional, narcissistic, petty, vindictive, nasty, and bats*** f***ing crazy - ah, the good old days!'
She keeps her clothes ON for Fifty Shades Freed.

But that doesn't stop Arielle Kebbel's character, architect Gia Matteo, putting the moves on Jamie Dornan's handsome billionaire Christian Grey in the final part of the erotic trilogy.

And on Saturday the 32-year-old shared how she prepared for the role in an interview for DaMan magazines February/March issue, out now.

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Stripped down: Arielle Kebbed sizzled in a black bustier and stockings as she talked about her 'challenging' role in Fifty Shades Freed as predatory architect Gia Matteo in DaMan Saturday

'It was a challenge because shes the type of villain that, sadly, women everywhere are all too familiar with and one that we face in our everyday lives.

'But in Gias head, shes not a villain. So, instead of focusing on "Miss Provocative," I turned my attention to "UnfortunatelyGood-At-Her-Job." Because thats who Gia is.

'Shes someone who is so talented and driven that despite her provocative nature, Ana and Christian, people who wont settle for anything but the best, still hire her to build their home.'

But Ana, played by Dakota Johnson, is less than happy about the choice and puts the architect firmly in her place when she spots her getting too friendly with Christian.

Sexy star: The 32-year-old actress flashed her cleavage in this shot for the magazine

Arielle, who sizzled in a black leather bustier and stockings for the shoot, said she took the role because 'its always a challenge to play the antagonistand I love a good challenge!

'When I researched Gia and who she is in the books, I first thought, "woah." Then, I asked myself: "Ok. How can I justify who this woman is? How can I make Gias actions acceptable in her world?"

'And from there, I began adding ingredients to make my very own Gia Matteo recipe.

Too close: Arielle plays architect Gia Matteo who puts the moves on Jamie Dornan's handsome billionaire Christian Grey in the final part of the erotic trilogy

The movie is presently in theaters after being released on Friday.

Meanwhile, Arielle is helping to co-ordinate the search for her sister Julia.

The 36-year-old has been missing since she went out for a walk with her chocolate Labrador at 11 pm in the Silverlake district of Los Angeles on January 31.
She looked glam on Friday.

But Kendall Jenner, 22, dialed the fashion back a notch on Saturday, opting for a far more casual look as she head out during New York Fashion Week.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians mainstay stepped out in baggy sweatpants as she was escorted by her bodyguard from her hotel.

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That casual look! Kendall Jenner, 22, dialed the fashion back a notch on Saturday, opting for a far more casual look as she head out during New York Fashion Week

Rugged up against the chilly New York winter, the model wore a pair of Danielle Cathari-designed green windbreaker sweatpants, and a pair of white sneakers.

On top she wore a white, woolen wraparound sweater and accessorized with dark, round-framed shades and a small purse over her shoulder.

The Victoria's Secret model's dark tresses were pulled back in a loose bun.

Green with envy! The Keeping Up With The Kardashians mainstay stepped out in baggy sweatpants as she was escorted by her bodyguard from her hotel

White on! On top, Kendall wore a white, woolen wraparound sweater and accessorized with dark, round-framed shades and a small purse over her shoulder

On Friday, Jenner and her pal Hailey Baldwin, 21, were seen heading to a grocery store in the Big Apple, where they indulged in chocolate chip cookies.

During the outing Kendall stepped out wearing a chunky brown boat-neck sweater with ultra-short bottoms while the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin looked cool in barely-blue jeans and a vintage Pearl Jam tee.

Jenner's thin stems looked nearly endless stemming from her ribbed knitwear covered in cinnamon colored tights, while beneath her top, a sliver of a plaid skirt with garters could be seen peeking out.

Her outing comes over a week after sister Kylie Jenner welcomed her first child, a daughter, on February 1st with boyfriend Travis Scott.

Chic: On Friday, the Vogue covergirl was spotted looking glam in an oversized sweater and designer sunglasses

Goofing around: Kendall playfully fed friend Hailey Baldwin, 21, a cookie as the pair shopped for groceries

Getting chic done: She flashed her slender pins in a thigh-grazing black knit dress

On Tuesday, the 20-year-old Kylie Cosmetics founder revealed she named her daughter Stormi Webster. Travis, her boyfriend since April 2017, was born Jacques Webster.

On January 15, Kim welcomed her third child, daughter Chicago West, via surrogate. Kim and husband Kanye are also parents to kids North, four, and son Saint, two.

Sister Khloe Kardashian is 29 weeks pregnant with her first child; she and boyfriend Tristan Thompson will welcome their baby in March.

Style savvy: She showcased her signature style as she left the Four Seasons hotel in New York

Those boots are made for walking: Hailey accentuated her slender frame by working a pair of knee-high leather boots
She is best known for her television and radio presenting.

But Maya Jama proved she is a jack of all trades as she posed up a storm with model pals Jourdan Dunn, Kate Upton and Victoria Justice.

Attending the Jonathan Simkhai fashion show, as well as Philipp Plein, during New York Fashion Week on Saturday, the brunette, 23, was front row at the Maybelline sponsored event.

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Leggy look: Maya Jama looked chic in over-the-knee boots on Saturday, as she attended New York Fashion Week

Sitting comfortably with the catwalk queens, Maya looked at home as she posed for the cameras.

Showcasing a navy and white striped dress, matching jacket and bright white shirt, the former MTV presenter accessorised with burnt orange earrings and a jewelled bag.

Keeping it casual, the beauty paired her office-chic ensemble with grey trainers and minimal make-up as she scraped back her tresses into a loose bun.

She was a show girl: Jourdan Dunn was spotted party hopping across town

Beauties: Jourdan Dunn attend the Jonathan Simkhai fashion show during New York Fashion Week on Saturday

Model pals: Maya Jama, 23, posed up a storm with Jourdan Dunn at the Jonathan Simkhai fashion show during New York Fashion Week

Catwalk queens: Maya looked at home as she posed with Kate Upton (L) and Victoria Justice (R) for the cameras at the star-studded event

New York travels: Showcasing an oversized hoodie, minimal make-up, an eye mask and a blanket, Maya looked fit to travel for the long haul flight as she got comfy in her seat

The beauty was sure to keep her Instagram followers up to date as she posted a snap of her travels to New York as she attends Fashion Week.

Showcasing an oversized hoodie, minimal make-up, an eye mask and a blanket, Maya looked fit to travel for the long haul flight as she got comfy in her seat.

Captioning the post, the presenter said: 'Feel like a tired dry leaf (I forgot my face creams/masks - code red if you know me) but It's bless because I'm back in this cute pod bed and I'm gna be waking up in New York FASHION WEEK YAAA #deisel #gowiththeflaw @diesel'.

Chic: Showcasing a navy and white striped dress, matching jacket and bright white shirt, the former MTV presenter accessorised with burnt orange earrings and a jewelled bag

Instagramable? Enjoying the show, the ladies took to their phones to document their favourite styles

Enjoying the show, the ladies took to their phones to document their favourite styles.

As the beauties clapped, Maya was seemingly without grime and hip-hop artist boyfriend, Stormzy, 24, whose real name is Michael Omari Owuo, Jr.

The presenter, who started her career at MTV Base in 2014, was unveiled as Radio 1s new recruit last month.

The 23-year-old will front the weekly show on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm and will also co-host with Scott Mills and Chris Stark on Friday afternoons.

Career focused: As the beauties clapped, Maya was seemingly without grime and hip-hop artist boyfriend Stormzy, 24

Recently, the pair marked three years together as they posted on Instagram.

Stormzy shared a throwback of himself with the TV presenter and captioned the post: '3 years with the love of my life', followed by a heart emoji.

Maya shared the same picture, turned on its side, earlier in the week, but captioned: 'Lost summer files. 3 years deep'.

In a joint interview in Vogue earlier this month, Stormzy recalled how they got together in 2014, saying: 'We met in October, then we were going out by January'.

In an interview with Vogue, the brunette revealed: 'You know, if I'm really honest, I knew I fancied him from the start' after they first met at Red Bull Culture Clash

Maya revealed they met at a global music event, saying: 'We met at Red Bull Culture Clash.'

The brunette went on to say: 'You know, if I'm really honest, I knew I fancied him from the start.

But I didn't want anything yet, because, you know, you're trying to do the whole friend situation first, and then I'd do, like, obvious hints that I fancied him and then take it back because I didn't know if he definitely liked me.

'It was a childish phase. And then one day we just kissed, and that was that!'
Tonight sees the finale of McMafia - the most enjoyable, ludicrous, BBC thriller on Sunday evenings since Tom Hiddlestons own pitch to be the next Bond and so similar it should have just been called The Night McMafia or The Hedge Fund Manager.

Viewers will be hoping the last part contains answers to some key questions  ranging from still not quite understanding why it has that title to not being entirely sure whose side were meant to be on.

Is anyone in the whole series actually likeable? And will it turn out that the protagonists girlfriend, his sister, and his Israeli business partner arent the most irritating characters on television after all?

Upcoming showdown? Tonight sees the finale of McMafia - the most enjoyable, ludicrous, BBC thriller on Sunday evenings since Tom Hiddlestons own pitch to be the next Bond

These are the 12 questions we need answering in the finale of McMafia:

1.Why is it called McMafia?

Its not about the actual Mafia or the faction operating out of Glasgow or the Shetland isles. In fact none of the characters, in London or Moscow, would be seen dead in tartan. Or in Scotland...

2. Will the entire premise of the storyline be plausible when weve seen the denouement?

Asking us to accept the notion of a quintessentially English, improbably handsome, hotel concierge dashing round the globe pursuing revenge against a ruthless international criminal was one thing.

Emotive series: Alex Godman (James Norton) with beauty therapist Lyudmilla Nikolayeva (Sofia Lebedeva)

A trader on the London stock exchange taking on a powerful Moscow mobster on the other hand was surely totally ridiculous.

Especially as Alex Godman had spent his life building a law-abiding company that eschewed any connection with Russia, Russian crime/politics, and his criminal Russian uncle Boris.

The concept of family honour hardly applied when Boris tried to have Vadim Kalyagin killed in the first place so really deserved what he got.

What is he up to? Vadim Kalyagin (Merab Ninidze) is seen engaging in a tense conversation with Iryana (Elena Lyadova)

3. Whose side are we meant to be?

Alex Godman was a charmless, unappealing, hero when he was just a banker/hedge fund manager. Let alone after he started ensuring huge shipments of heroin and cocaine were imported into Europe by forming alliances with an Israeli sex-trafficker, the Mexican cartel, and a gangster in Mumbai.

The way Alex pressed Authorise Funds when he transferred a few million to the Virgin Islands really wasnt that cool. Deep down arent we all secretly rooting for Team Vadim and hoping the Russian crime boss disposes of the City banker, swiftly followed by Alexs irritating girlfriend Rebecca, his irritating sister Katya, and his irritating business partners Semiyon and Antonio?

4. Who will come out on top?

No not in the feud between Alex and Vadim, between James Norton and Tom Hiddleston in their battle to be the next James Bond. The Night Manager and The Night McMafia were clearly their auditions to show they could be suave, look good in a suit, and be surprisingly handy in a fight (having been unexpectedly trained by the SAS). Going into the last episode, Hiddleston is way ahead on points.

Intriguing: Alex's partner Rebecca Harper (Juliet Rylance) and his mother Oksana (Maria Shukshina) look into the distance during a cosy conversation

5. What will happen in the showdown in Moscow?

Its hard to see how Alex has any hope of triumphing or surviving now that hes on the plane without a bodyguard let alone a gun, unaware that a gunman hired by his father had just botched an assassination attempt on Vadim and shot the Russian crime boss daughter instead (fatally).

6. Will Alex Godman/James Norton ever manage a different facial expression other than looking like a stunned fish?

Godman/Norton has been a blank throughout  emotionally and morally - with nothing like the charisma of Vadim. In fact Alexs face and that walk that he does make him look as if hes either suffering from constipation or about to get diarrhoea. Theyve both had a child murdered in the course of their feud.

But when he learnt his unborn baby had not survived being shot by an assassin sent by Vadim, Godman reacted with his usual uptight silence. In contrast, ever since Vadims precious daughter Natasha was gunned down he hasnt stopped sobbing.

Sad: Ever since Vadims precious daughter Natasha (Anna Levanova) was gunned down he hasnt stopped sobbing

7. Are the police/Interpol/MI6 ever going to do anything?

There hasnt been much sign of them so far  despite all this drug dealing, people trafficking, and murders that have been going on in Prague, Mumbai, and Moscow. No one seems to be investigating Alexs irritating girlfriend and his uncle Boris both being shot in London by Russian assassins.

8. Could the head of the Russian Security Service really look like a supermodel?

Irina is certainly an upgrade on Rosa Klebb.

9. What will happen to Alexs irritating girlfriend Rebecca?

Will she get back together with Alex, cop off with her tiny Mexican stalker Antonio, or be killed by Vadims hitmen after all (second time lucky)?

His fate: Will Israeli businessman Semiyon Kleiman (David Strathairn) be bumped off by Vadim or Antonio in the finale?

10. What will happen to Alexs irritating Israeli ally, Semiyon Kleiman?

Will he be bumped off by Vadim or Antonio, help kill Alex for betraying him, or quit sex trafficking to concentrate on his career as an Eddie Jordan tribute act and play a meister in Game Of Thrones?

11. What will happen to Alexs bodyguard Joseph?

Will he live happily ever after with Lyudmilla, is he still working for Semiyon, and will he get to say more than one line of dialogue?

Loved-up: Will Joseph (Oshri Cohen) live happily ever after with Lyudmilla?

12. What will happen to Alexs father Dimitri?

Will Alexs mother forgive him or will he sober enough to remember that his daughters best friend is having his baby? Will he appear without his water bottle, recycled as a hip flask? When he fell off that roof did he survive thanks to the anaesthetising effect of the vodka?

And as the best character and the man who actually DID something about Vadim after weeks of his son making business deals instead, if Vadim does finally teach Alex a lesson for not sticking be banking will we see Dimitri avenge his sons death in his own spin-off series?

Or would that be far too plausible for McMafia 2?
They sealed their wedding vows with a kiss just one week ago in Los Angeles.

And John Stamos and Caitlin McHugh were reveling in their newlywed love as the honeymooners enjoyed an epic trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday.

The 54-year-old actor stood by his pregnant bride in an adorable selfie - complete with his-and-hers Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears - shared to his more than two million followers on Instagram.

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Love! John Stamos and Caitlin McHugh were reveling in their newlywed love as the honeymooners enjoyed an epic trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday

The Disney enthusiasts posed in front of Cinderella's castle as Caitlin leaned in to kiss her new husband on his cheek.

Stamos wrote, '#oneweek (and they said it wouldn't last)' followed by the hashtags #happiestmanonearth and #happiestplaceonearth.

The 31-year-old model donned a pair of white Minnie Mouse with a short white veil covering her chocolate brown hair.

Stamos opted for small black Mickey ears with 'Groom' embroidered in white on to one ear.

Baby on the way! John and Caitlin were married at The Little Brown Church in Studio City, California, on February 3; seen in January

Must be love: The sweet couple became engaged at Disneyland in October after years of dating, complete with an ultra-romantic proposal; shared on John's Instagram

John and Caitlin were married at The Little Brown Church in Studio City, California, on February 3.

The sweet couple became engaged at Disneyland in October after years of dating, complete with an ultra-romantic proposal.

Just months later, they revealed they are expecting their first child.

The brunette beauty will never forget breaking the news to John that she was pregnant, recalling: 'The look on John's face when I told him we were pregnant was priceless. It was the look of a man who has wanted a family of his own but wasn't sure it was going to happen for him. Now it is!'

Caitlin is an actress with previous roles in The Vampire Diaries, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and NCIS: Los Angeles.
Dalai Lamas top henchman has been boycotted in South Africa since he used U.S. passport to enter the country in February, with many locals and overseas Chinese slamming him for undermining the One China Policy and Sino-South African relations.

Lobsang Sangay, the so-called prime minister of Tibets government in exile, was reported to drop his plans to speak to the Law Faculty of the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa due to massive and fierce protests by hundreds of outraged South African locals and members of the Chinese community in South Africa.

According to an announcement released by the Chinese embassy in South Africa, Sangay sneaked into South Africa with his U.S. passport, which exempts him from acquiring a visa in advance. South Africas Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already admonished Dalai Lamas representative office in the country, while the latter promised not to hold any public events during Sangay's stay in South Africa.

The Chinese government has been resolutely opposing secessionist activities by the ringleaders of the Dalai Lama clique in any country, in any capacity, and under any name, as well as being firmly against any contacts between any foreign officials and the cliques leaders. The so-called Tibetan government in exile, which is deemed by the Chinese side as an illegal organization, was established after the Dalai Lama fled abroad in 1959.
Life can apparently be tough as the offspring of a famed television journalist.

And Jesse Willesee, son of veteran reporter Terry Willesee, has hit back at online critics who credit his obnoxious display of wealth to his father's personal fortune.

The 30-year-old shared an Instagram video on Saturday to reveal he had made a tidy sum purchasing Bitcoin shares and had even gifted his approving father a BMW X3, which is worth approximately $68,900 in Australia.

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'Quite frankly I'm rich, b***h': Jesse Willesee, son of veteran reporter Terry Willesee, has hit back at social media critics who credit his obnoxious display of wealth to his father's fortune

Filmed in their adopted hometown of Los Angeles, the footage featured Terry posing in his new luxury car and praising his son's sound investment in cryptocurrency.

'It's good you got out of Bitcoin when you did!' the newsman proclaimed.

Jesse explained to viewers how he has been able to afford his lavish lifestyle, which includes a fleet of vehicles, pricey new apartment and gold furnishings.

Proud dad! The 30-year-old shared an Instagram video on Saturday to reveal he had made a tidy sum purchasing Bitcoin shares and had even gifted his father a BMW X3 worth $68,900

'It's good you got out of Bitcoin when you did!' the veteran newsman proclaimed

'How do you think I afford gold beds and palm trees? How do you think I get little "J's" on my towels? Bitcoin money, b**ches,' he boasted.

'Quite frankly, I'm rich b***h. I've been thinking of legally changing my name to Lil' Bitcoin,' he continued.

The colourful personality told Daily Mail Australia he shared the post to Instagram in response to 'people talking s**t in the comments on my social'.

'Quite frankly I'm rich, b***h. I've been thinking of legally changing my name to Lil' Bitcoin,' announced Jesse in the video

'How do you think I afford gold beds and palm trees? How do you think I get little "J's" on my towels? Bitcoin money, b**ches,' he boasted

'I felt the need to address the petty ignorance,' he stated.

Jesse also shared his perspective on the current state of the Bitcoin payment system, offering: 'If you haven't got out already, it's too late.'

But not everybody was convinced by Jesse's video, with one follower writing: 'Trust fund baby, you didn't get rich from Bitcoin, you got that media family daddy money.'

Controversial: But not everybody was convinced by Jesse's video, with one follower writing: 'Trust fund baby, you didn't get rich from Bitcoin, you got that media family daddy money'

The Willesee family legacy is well-known, with Jesse's uncle Mike Willesee, 75, creating Channel Nine's A Current Affair and helping launch Paul Hogan's career.

Mike's younger brother and Jesse's father Terry, 72, first moved to America in 1992 to anchor A Current Affair Extra, returning to Australia three years later.

Their late father Don Willesee was a longtime member of the Australian senate and Whitlam Government minister.

WHAT IS CRYPTOCURRENCY? Bitcoin is a digital currency, known as cryptocurrency, which began in 2009 and were initially worth just a few cents. In 2013 they hit the USD$100 mark for the first time, before rising to USD$900 at the start of 2017. Today they are worth USD$12,000 (AUD$17,000). Thousands of amateur traders are now betting huge amounts, while start-up companies use bitcoin to raise money and avoid the transparency needed in a stock market float. But experts fear the currency has become a vast speculative bubble detached from reality. Watchdogs across the world have warned there could be a sudden massive crash if the market turns, losing investors billions of dollars. Economist Nouriel Roubini, who predicted the global financial crisis (GFC), is one who has called cryptocurrency a 'giant speculative bubble' bound to end in disaster. However cryptocurrency investors such as Mr Colosi and Mr Lenoci claim the price will continue to boom, potentially as high as USD$50,000 or AUD$100,000. Bitcoins are generated by using an open-source computer program to solve complex math problems. This process is known as 'mining'. Each Bitcoin has a unique fingerprint and is defined by a public address and a private key. Owners of bitcoin do not own a physical coin, but instead a string of numbers and letters that give a specific identity. Other types of coins are available online including Ethereum, LiteCoin, Neo and Monero  these non-bitcoin cryptocurrencies are often called altcoins. Advertisement

Distinguished career: Jesse's father Terry, now 72, first moved to America in 1992 to anchor A Current Affair Extra, then returned to Australia three years later to continue his TV career

Raised in the affluent Northern Beaches enclave of Avalon, Jesse has now adopted the moniker 'Jesse Sunset' in an attempt to launch his career in rap music.

When asked by Daily Mail Australia about his artistic ambitions, the cannabis activist's vision was resolute.

'(I'd like) a decent income and a sense of personal satisfaction. Just kidding - I wanna be the biggest pop star in the world,' he declared.
The world's best-selling girl group announced their highly-anticipated reunion earlier this month.

And it has been reported that the Spice Girls are looking to pass on the baton to the 'next generation international girl-band' through an exciting TV talent show.

A source revealed to The Sun that the iconic squad are on the search for a group compromised of females from around the globe, influenced by their original manager Simon Fuller.

Set to take over the world, again! It has been reported that the Spice Girls are looking to pass on the baton to the 'next generation international girl-band through a TV talent show

With the intention to add 'some diversity to the charts', the insider told the newspaper: 'For example, one member will be selected from China, another from India and then someone will be from the UK.'

The source also shared plans on the show's potential television network: 'Meetings have taken place with Nickelodeon about the show.'

This would come as a natural occupation for Mel B, Mel C, Emma Bunton and Geri Horner - who have judged widely-viewed talent shows, ranging from America's Got Talent to The X Factor.

Exciting: A source revealed that the iconic squad are on the search for a group compromised of females from around the globe, influenced by their original manager Simon Fuller

Also touching upon the idea of a clothing line, they continued: 'Its likely that any range will be sold in a high street store like H&M.'

MailOnline has contacted Spice Girls' representatives for comment.

After their gathering earlier this month, Mel C and Emma appeared on BBC Radio 2 and Heart FM respectively and divulged further details.

Chart-topping stars: The world's best-selling girl group announced their highly-anticipated reunion earlier this month

Emma, 42, teased to her Heart co-host Jamie Theakston: 'Its been a long time. Obviously, weve seen each other individually, but actually all together in one room was at the Olympics.'

'It was just like, Friday, we thought we would all catch up, everyone was in town, lets do this, lets catch up.

'But I dont think any of us were expecting, we had such a lovely afternoon. We sat down, we had lunch together, we sat round. We reminisced about the old times, we were talking about the kids, it was lovely.

Excitement: Emma Bunton teased the five-piece's highly-awaited reunion during her radio show on Heart, revealing that there's 'exciting things to come'

'And then we all sat around Geris table and we got takeaway in, got sushi and some salads and drank tea and a little bit of prosecco, and it was just so lovely to see everyone. I loved it, really good fun.

'Being together and figuring things out, theres lot of opportunities for us especially right now, needing a bit of girl power in the world.'

Mel C, 44, teased even more details of the gathering and what it might mean for the iconic girl group.

'It was so lovely to see everybody, we havent all been together the five of us since the Olympics, which is bonkers,' she told Dermot O'Leary during his Radio 2 Breakfast Show on last Saturday.

'Officially, we never broke up!' Mel C has teased MORE details of the Spice Girls reunion and that 'it's been bubbling under' for a while

'We did have a great afternoon and we're excited to see what the future holds,' she said. 'It was lovely to get together and we are talking about opportunities and ideas. But it is early stages and there's nothing set in stone.

'There's no big announcement  but it's just great to be back in Spice World and to see the reaction. It's so lovely to know that people out there still care.'

'Officially we never broke up!' she said of the band, who released their third and (thus far) final album Forever in 2000, toured the world again in 2007/08 and sung out the London Olympics in 2012.

'It had just been bubbling under. I think we now realise some of the impact that we did have on young people at the time and now we all have kids  there's another generation that enjoy our music.'

Quite a career: The Spice Girls released their third and (thus far) final album Forever in 2000, toured the world again in 2007/08 and sung out the London Olympics in 2012

She added: 'We just want to empower people, we want to empower girls. There are so many negative things going on in the world all the time, and we feel like Spice Girls was always a little bit of fun. Something to enjoy when there's tough times.'

New claims have also come to light that the Spice Girls will be embarking on a UK and US tour.

The quintet are said to be performing their plethora of hits up and down the country in England first, before jetting Stateside - according to TMZ.

Big plans: 'After the meeting there is growing confidence about a full-scale tour, at the end of this year or early next year,' the source went on. 'Mel C still needs to be convinced but Victoria is on board for the moment'

Getting together: In 2017, Emma along with Geri and Mel B, were set to embark on a new musical venture under the name GEM but plans to make their mark on the charts were halted

'Its been a long time!' Mel explained that 'we thought we would all catch up, everyone was in town, lets do this, lets catch up'

The publication also states that their meeting last week was for 'rough planning' and their 'goal is a world tour which will kick off in late summer.'

Victoria is said to be 'fully on board' with the reunion, despite her initial reservations.

The band's manager Simon Fuller is reportedly busy 'organising the tour' and the girls are said to be working on 'merchandising opportunities' associated with their new venture.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for the Spice Girls for further comment.

Comeback: The band reformed in 2007/08's Return Of The Spice Girls comeback

WHAT HAVE THE SPICE GIRLS BEEN UP TO? Victoria Beckham, 43 Aside from raising Brooklyn, 18, Romeo, 15, Cruz, 12 and Harper, six with her sports star husband David, Victoria has used her post-Spice Girls years making a firm footprint in the fashion industry. Fashion forward: Posh has gone on to front her own designer label She attempted to follow the path of her fellow Spice Girls and launch a solo career, which resulted in one album and two further albums that were recorded but never officially released. Known in her Posh Spice days to opt for little Gucci dresses, the aspiring designer launched her eponymous fashion label in the autumn of 2008 - the year the Spice Girls wrapped their Return of the Spice Girls world comeback tour. Between 2008 and 2011, the label went from small initial viewings to a global brand in the fashion industry. Over the course of the decade since its launch, the label has become a fixture at the likes of New York and London Fashion Weeks. The singer-turned-designer also introduced a lower-priced Victoria by Victoria Beckham label and was predicted to generate annual sales of more than 60 million in the same year. In November 2011, Victoria Beckham won Designer Brand of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. Victoria joined the girls for the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony, not letting her fashion career get in the way of the much-wanted reunion. She has since opened a flagship store in London, guest edited French Vogue and branched into children's wear, eye-wear and bags. Geri Horner, 45 Geri caused major upset when she quit the Spice Girls in May 1998, while the band were still promoting their sophomore album Spice World. Back and forth: Geri quit the band in 1998 but was back again in 2007 She went on to forge her own solo career, being the first of the band to do so. She released comeback single Look At Me and debut album Schizophonic. In the years that followed she released a further two albums before finally rejoining the Spice Girls for their tour in 2007/2008. Between 2008 and 2012 [when she took part in the Spice Girls Olympics comeback] she dabbled in children's literature and recorded a fourth album. This was shelved, however, and Geri threatened to quit music altogether. She went on to take part in talent shows Australia's Got Talent and The X Factor and has continued to work in TV - appearing on the likes of This Morning, Sex and the City and in a series of fitness DVDs. She is currently appearing on BBC series All Together Now. Geri has also been a UN Ambassador. Geri gave birth to daughter Bluebell in 2006. She had another baby in 2017 - a son named Monty - with her husband Christian Horner, whom she married in 2015. In 2016, Geri attempted to reform a lite version of the Spice Girls with Mel B and Emma Bunton. They named it GEM and did it to celebrate Wannabe's 20th birthday. Despite recording new music, Geri fell pregnant and GEM was axed. Mel B, 42 Mel's post Spice Girls solo career saw her release her debut album, Hot, for which she collaborated with the likes of Missy Elliott. She followed this up with 2005's LA State of Mind - but neither album rocked the pop world. Drama on and off screen: Mel has dabbled in acting, but has also been involved in legal woes She has since appeared on reality TV, appearing in her own 2010 fly-on-the-wall series Mel B: It's a Scary World which was commissioned shortly after the Return of the Spice Girls comeback tour. She took part in Dancing with the Stars, where she eventually placed second overall. She has been a judge on America's Got Talent, the UK and Australian X Factor and The Voice Kids, Australia. Mel is a mother to three children: Phoenix Chi is her daughter with Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar. The couple were married in 1998, had Phoenix in 1999, but divorced in 2000. Mel won custody of Phoenix and paid an alimony settlement of $2.8m to her ex - who was later prosecuted for threatening her and her sister. Mel dated film producer Christine Crokos between 2002 and 2006. After this, she dated actor Eddie Murphy whom she had a daughter with - Angel Iris, born 2007. This ended in a legal battle over paternity, resulting in a settlement of $7m once parentage had been proven. In 2007 she and producer Stephen Belafonte secretly married in Las Vegas and in 2011 Mel gave birth to her third child, daughter Madison. Again, this ended in the courts when she accused her husband of 'emotional and physical abuse'. The divorce was finalised in December 2017. Mel C, 44 Known as Sporty Spice in the band's heyday, Mel has arguably had the most successful musical career since the group disbanded. She has released seven studio albums between the years 1999 and 2016: Northern Star, Reason, Beautiful Intentions, This Time, The Sea, Stages and Version of Me. All about the music: Mel has arguably had the most successful musical career since the group disbanded She also forged a successful career in musical theatre, starring in Blood Brothers in 2009/10 as lead Mrs Johnstone and Jesus Christ Superstar in 2012/13 as Mary Magdalene. She also judged the accompanying TV talent show Superstar on ITV, which hunted for someone to star in the lead role of the musical. Mel took part with her four bandmates in 2007/08's Spice Girls comeback, and joined them once more for the 2012 Olympic performance. She has since, however, been adamant that a reunion will not happen unless all five girls do it - seen as one of the reasons the band is yet to reform, along with Victoria Beckham. Both of them sat out the Wannabe 20th Anniversary video recorded by Geri, Emma and Mel B. The two spent New Year's Eve 2016 together, and sang 2017 in with a rendition of 2 Become 1 while on holiday with their families. In 2002 Mel began a relationship with property developer Thomas Starr. In 2009 she gave birth to their daughter Scarlet. In 2012, after 10 years together, she split from Scarlet's father. Emma Bunton, 42 Baby Spice went on to record three solo records: A Girl Like Me (2001), Free Me (2004) and Life in Mono (2006). On the radio: Emma won the award for Radio Presenter of the Year in 2017 Like Victoria, she married her long-term partner, Jade Jones, who she had been with since 1998. The couple had split several times - with Emma reportedly dating the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Justin Timberlake in berween - but eventually got engaged to Jade in 2011. They welcomed sons Beau in 2007 and Tate in 2011. They are yet to get married, with Emma expressing no desire to actually go through with a ceremony. She regrouped with the Spice Girls for the Return of the Spice Girls world tour in 2007/08 and then again for the 2012 Olympics. She was a part of GEM in 2016. Emma has had a successful TV and radio career. On TV she has co-hosted the likes of This Morning, Loose Women and Channel 5 talent show Don't Stop Believin'. She also played herself in numerous episodes of Absolutely Fabulous. She has been a long-standing co-host on Heart FM's breakfast show, alongside Jamie Theakston. In March 2017, Emma won the awards for Radio Presenter of the Year and Digital Radio Programme at the annual Television and Radio Industries Club Awards. In January 2018, Emma began hosting a new Sunday night show. Advertisement




Princes William and Harry were the talk of Hollywood when The Mail on Sunday revealed they were playing Stormtroopers in the latest Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi.

And with the pair unrecognisable behind full-face helmets, cinema goers had fun trying to guess where the Princes were positioned among the ranks of the intergalactic soldiers for the first Royal movie cameo.

But now we can reveal they were cut from the final edit  because, say insiders, they are too tall. Harry is 6ft 1in and William an inch taller.

Princes William and Harry were the talk of Hollywood when The Mail on Sunday revealed they were playing Stormtroopers in the latest Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi

A source said: 'Stormtroopers have to be exactly 5ft 11in. At the time we shot it I think the feeling was that the scene would make the final movie.

'Everyone feels bad that William and Harry lost out on their big moment. However, the scene just didn't work for the final cut so it was left out.'

William and Harry visited the set of Pinewood Studios in April 2016 to shoot the scene.

The pair were filmed inside a lift, and one of them slaps Benicio del Toro's character DJ on the backside as he, along with rebels Rey and Finn  played by British actors Daisy Ridley and John Boyega  infiltrate a secret base.

Anthony Daniels, who plays C-3PO in the Star Wars films, told The Mail on Sunday the Princes were great company when they arrived at the studios.

Speaking at the Services To Film gala dinner in London last week, he said: 'I was very enchanted by them  they are absolutely charismatic.'

The Princes were first told they were not in the film at its premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in December, but a source said they were 'still gracious and fun all night'.

The pair were filmed inside a lift, and one of them slaps Benicio del Toro's character DJ on the backside as he, along with rebels Rey and Finn  played by British actors Daisy Ridley and John Boyega  infiltrate a secret base

Boyega landed himself in hot water in December when he told ITV's This Morning that the Royals had been cut from the final edit.

Within hours his representative announced he was joking.

The actor had told the programme: 'I did personally apologise to them [the Princes] yesterday and said,

'Sorry you were cut out of the film.' And Will was like, 'I probably just need to work more on the skills.' I was like, 'Maybe, bruv.' '

The Mail on Sunday also reported in December that pop star Ellie Goulding's role as a rebel army soldier did not make it into the film.

Prince William will be back at the Royal Albert Hall for the Bafta awards next Sunday, where he will present a fellowship award to director Sir Ridley Scott.

Lucasfilm and Disney, which produced and distributed The Last Jedi, did not respond to requests for comment.
She's a busy mother-of-three, who welcomed a baby girl just last month.

And while Kim Kardashian has her hands full with the infant, she also made sure to make time for her older children with a fun lunch prepared for daughter North, four, and son Saint, two.

The 37-year-old reality star got creative in the kitchen as she posted a snap of tiny hot dog sushi rolls, which she explained were dubbed due to her children's love for both sushi and hot dogs.

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Roll with it: Kim Kardashian has her hands full with the infant, she also made sure to make time for her older children with a fun lunch prepared for daughter North, four, and son Saint, two

Doting mom: The 37-year-old reality star got creative in the kitchen as she posted a snap of tiny hot dog sushi rolls, which she explained were dubbed due to her children's love for both sushi and hot dogs

Kim captioned the Instagram Story photo: 'when your kids LOVE sushi & hotdogs you get creative.'

The snap showed hot dog pieces chopped in half which were wrapped up in white rice and seaweed.

Kim seemed to be on top of her motherly duties, days after getting backlash for a photo she posted with her daughter North.

The mother-of-three was snapped by the four-year-old while she took of her bra, and proudly shared the shot with her fans on social media - but instantly got slammed for being too provocative in front of her daughter.

Backlash: The mother-of-three was snapped by the four-year-old while she took of her bra, and proudly shared the shot with her fans on social media - but instantly got slammed for being too provocative in front of her daughter

On the go: She's a busy mother-of-three, who welcomed a newborn baby girl just last month

Kim and her third husband Kanye West welcomed a daughter via surrogacy last month and have named her Chicago.

Meanwhile, Kim and Khloe's elder sister Kourtney, 38, has three children by her ex Scott Disick - Mason, eight, Penelope, five, and Reign, three.

The Kardashian sisters' younger brother Rob Kardashian, 30, and his ex-fiancee Blac Chyna have a one-year-old daughter named Dream.

Newborn: Kim and her third husband Kanye West welcomed a daughter via surrogacy last month and have named her Chicago

Cuties: Kim and her third husband Kanye West welcomed a daughter via surrogacy last month and have named her Chicago; seen with North on Instagram

Cousin love! North and Kourtney's daughter were photographed together last October

Kim's youngest sister Kylie and rapper Travis Scott caused a media storm last week after officially revealing that she gave birth to a baby girl named Stormi.

Joining the group of sisters in motherhood is Khloe, 33, who will be welcoming her bundle of joy later this year with beau Tristan Thompson.

This leaves Kendall Jenner, 22, as the only one of Kris Jenner's fleet of children not to have produced any offspring of her own.

Surprise! Joining the group of sisters in motherhood is Khloe, 33, who will be welcoming her bundle of joy later this year with beau Tristan Thompson
She confirmed last month she's expecting her first child with fiancee Jesse Plemons.

And on Saturday, Kirsten Dunst was spotted grabbing a coffee and some groceries while sporting her pronounced baby bump in Burbank, California.

The 35-year-old Spider-Man star wore a red cardigan over a white dress with floral appliques for the shopping excursion.

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Dunst bump! On Saturday, Kirsten Dunst was spotted grabbing a coffee and some groceries while sporting her pronounced bump in Burbank, California

The dual US-German citizen slipped on a red cardigan to insulate herself against the cool Californian day.

Her floral embroidered white dress accentuated the Fargo actress' pronounced baby bump, with delicate lace panels running vertical along the dress.

The starlet went makeup free for the outing and wore her blonde tresses untied and with an off-center part.

Lady in red: The dual US-German citizen slipped on a red cardigan to insulate herself against the cool Californian day

Kirsten and 29-year-old Jesse met on the set of their FX series Fargo during season two in 2015 playing married high school sweethearts Peggy and local butcher Ed.

Their friendship gradually evolved into romance and their engagement was confirmed in January 2017.

It had been reported for over a month that the couple were expecting a baby, but it wasn't until 2018 that they went public with the happy news.

White on! Her floral embroidered white dress featured lace paneling and accentuated the Fargo actress' pronounced baby bump

Back in July the Beguiled star hinted at what was to come when she told Marie Claire UK's July issue: 'It's time to have babies and chill.'

She explained: 'I wasn't one of those 'I need a baby!' people until my goddaughter was born. I love her so much.'

'That love is just like you can't experience that unless you have a kid. I put her to bed last night and she woke up this morning and said to her mom, 'Where's Kiki?' I just love that love. That's what I want.'
She's a hard-working actress with a lengthy resume.

But Emily Blunt played the role of doting mother as she picked up takeaway from Au Fudge in West Hollywood on Saturday afternoon.

The 34-year-old starlet showed her hands were never too full as she carried her adorable three-year-old daughter Hazel in her arms while leaving the trendy eatery.

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Family: Emily Blunt played the role of doting mother as she picked up takeaway from Au Fudge in West Hollywood on Saturday afternoon

The Edge of Tomorrow actress looked supremely comfortable sporting a slim pair of tight blue jeans.

Her adorable mustard yellow T-shirt was worn tucked into the top of her high-waisted trousers

Peeks of her ankles popped from beneath her pants to reveal a pair of worn-in, white-and-red sneakers.

Cuties: The 34-year-old starlet showed her hands were never too full as she carried her adorable three-year-old daughter Hazel in her arms while leaving the trendy eatery

The mother-of-two carried a long canvas takeaway bag by her side as her short blonde hair hit just above her shoulders.

She sported a pair of tortoise shell sunglasses over a seemingly makeup-free face.

Emily's adorable three-year-old daughter Hazel wore grey tights with delicate pink flowers and a white long-sleeved shirt.

Comfortable: The mother-of-two carried a long canvas takeaway bag by her side as her short blonde hair hit just above her shoulders

The little girl opted for extreme comfort as she left her shoes behind and caught the wind between her toes.

She's set to star alongside her husband John Krasinski in the upcoming thriller A Quiet Place.

The film, which debuts in March at South by Southwest, marks Krasinski's third directorial endeavor.

She's also been confirmed for Disney's Jungle Cruise film, as she'll act alongside Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in the upcoming live action-adventure film based on the famed ride at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
As the sun set over the vineyards at Jacob's Estate Cottage in South Australia's Barossa Valley, one of the world's biggest movie stars was busily assembling a wooden wine barrel.

Piece by piece, a relaxed Chris Hemsworth listened with interest as two local coopers talked him through their craft, while close by, wife Elsa Pataky mingled with viticulturists and winemakers and took photos among the vines.

The pair were guests at a barbecue held on Friday night at the cottage, during a visit to the region as part of Hemsworth's role as Jacob's Creek ambassador.

After his appearance in the company's latest advertising campaign 'Two Barrels, One Soul', Jacob's Creek unveiled a vineyard named after the star called the 'Hemsworth Block'. The vineyard will be used to produce the 2018 vintage of the 'Double Barrel', which is produced using whisky barrels.

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Cheers! Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky taste wines at Jacob's Estate Cottage in South Australia's Barossa Valley, as the Hollywood star debuts as a Jacob's Creek ambassador

'We've been warmly welcomed in the Barossa by the Jacob's Creek team, who have taken us into their home and shown us what makes this place and its wines world class,' the Thor star said.

Chris, 34, is the latest in a line of world-famous ambassadors for the Australian wine - others have included Novak Djokovic, Andre Agassi and Naomi Watts.

He also recently starred in a fake movie trailer for a new Crocodile Dundee film, revealed to be an ad for Tourism Australia when it aired during the Super Bowl.

In photos from Chris and Elsa's visit to the Barossa Valley, the Byron Bay-based couple are seen tasting wines and enjoying a friendly conversation with a local expert.

Wine expert: In photos from Chris and Elsa's visit to the Barossa Valley, the Byron Bay-based couple are seen tasting wines and enjoying a friendly conversation with a local expert

Over the weekend, the Hollywood star shared several Instagram posts from the trip to his 14million followers, including a photo of himself 'blessing the vineyard'.

In another snap, Chris is seen blending his own unique Shiraz under the watchful eye of a Jacob's Creek winemaker.

Chris recently claimed he would be open to a Crocodile Dundee remake, after the Super Bowl advert sparked a renewed interest in the film series.

Idyllic trip: Over the weekend, the Hollywood star shared several Instagram posts from the trip to his 14million followers, including a photo of himself 'blessing the vineyard'

'No I'm not drinking wine from a straw!': In another snap, Chris is seen blending his own unique Shiraz under the watchful eye of a Jacob's Creek winemaker

'Hearing such a positive response from a fan point of view, I would definitely be open to it,' he told News.com.au.

Chris added that he'd need a 'great script' before jumping on board, but admitted he is already thinking about his upcoming schedule and if a Crocodile Dundee reboot could work or not.

The spoof movie trailer was the Tourism Australia's biggest single US advertising campaign since Paul Hogan's Come Say G'Day ads in the 1980s.
She is currently enjoying a family getaway in Fiji.

And Lauren Brant shared a holiday snap with her partner Barry Hall and baby son Miller to Instagram on Sunday which left some of her fans rather concerned.

The 28-year-old posted a photo of Barry, who is a former professional AFL player, tossing Miller high into the air as she posed with her own arms outstretched.

'My anxiety levels have risen!' Lauren Brant shared a holiday snap with her partner Barry Hall and baby son Miller to Instagram on Sunday which left some of her fans rather concerned

Barry, 41, is considered to be one of the best forwards in the league's modern era, and so the couple's nine-month-old son appeared to be in perfectly safe hands.

But that didn't stop Lauren's social media followers from sharing their concern.

'Great shot, but my anxiety levels have risen looking at the flying bub,' remarked one fan in the photo's comments section.

'OMG that is so high': Some of Lauren's Instagram followers expressed concern, even though baby Miller was in safe hands as his father Barry is one of the AFL's most accomplished players

'I have a picture very similar of my son-in-law doing the same with my granddaughter, scary but great shot,' wrote another follower.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Lauren for comment.

The former I'm A Celebrity lovebirds are spending time on the idyllic island with their son to celebrate Barry's recent birthday.

Lauren, a former children's entertainer, recently revealed having a child of her own helped her readjust her attitude towards food.

In an Instagram post last month, she described wanting to teach Miller 'amazing health values from a young age'.

She also urged other women to 'love (themselves) for who (they) are', before adding the hash tags 'Mums supporting mums' and 'Girl power'.
It looks like a romantic Valentine's Day is on the horizon for Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.

The celebrity couple were snapped on Saturday heading toward Los Angeles International Airport in a black SUV, en route to a mystery location to commemorate the romantic holiday.

The Canadian crooner, 23, sported a shaggy blonde hairdo as cameras caught a glimpse of him seated in the vehicle, while the Texas-born beauty, 25, looked to be wearing a white top.

Sunday the couple popped up at the Montage hotel in Laguna Beach, looking relaxed underneath a sun umbrella, according to a photo obtained by TMZ. So they may not be jetting out of town just yet.

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Out and about: Justin Bieber, 23, was snapped on Saturday in a black SUV headed toward Los Angeles International Airport with Selena Gomez, en route to a mystery location ahead of Valentine's Day

The duo, who initially dated between 2011 and 2014, looks to be going stronger than ever as a couple after reconciling last year.

A social media user on Friday posted a shot of them passionately kissing on the street in Southern California.

Selena opened up on her 2018 aspirations to Harper's Bazaar this week, making clear she's beginning the young year with her physical and mental health a foremost priority.

'Anyone who knows me knows I will always start with my health and my well-being,' said Gomez, who got a kidney transplant last year thanks to her friend and donor, actress Francia Raisa.

Beauty: Selena Gomez had her back turned as she was deep in chat with her longtime love

PDA: A Twitter user shared a shot of the celebs kissing in LA on Friday

Ice to see you! He was pictured enjoying a game of ice hockey on Saturday night

Oh no! The Canadian singer fell to the ice during a challenge from a fellow competitor

Dedicated: Later on in the game, he was spotted on the ice once again as he attempted to stop a puck from going into the goal

In the chit-chat, Selena revealed that she doesn't believe she'll 'ever overcome' issues she's had 'with depression and anxiety.'

The Come and Get It songstress admitted she will never give up in striving to be the best she can in that regard.

'There wont be a day when I'm like, "Here I am in a pretty dress - I won!"' Gomez said. 'I think its a battle I'm gonna have to face for the rest of my life, and I'm okay with that because I know that Im choosing myself over anything else.

'I'm starting my year off with that thought. I want to make sure I'm healthy. If that's good, everything else will fall into place.'
She's the outspoken lawyer who stars on the Real Housewives of Melbourne.

And Gina Liano has timed her latest career move, that of marriage celebrant, to coincide with Australia's new marriage equality laws.

The 51-year-old spoke with the Herald Sun on Sunday to reveal she will officiate her first ceremony on Valentine's Day for a long-term gay couple.

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Making moves: Gina Liano has timed her latest career move, that of marriage celebrant, to coincide with Australia's new marriage equality laws

The popular personality explained her celebrant license was approved in October last year, but she decided to wait until the laws were recognised in December.

She was then approached by the lovebirds in early January, who let the reality TV star know of their desire to tie the knot on Valentine's Day.

'We quickly did all the paperwork, I have met with them and we have got a rehearsal tomorrow,' she enthused.

Overjoyed: The 51-year-old revealed she will officiate her first ceremony on Valentine's Day for a long-term gay couple

'It will be a lot of fun. These boys have been together for nine years, they met at a Britney Spears concert,' she said.

The Melbourne-born barrister, who has been divorced twice and is the mother of two boys, gushed over her new vocation.

'I feel like I am in my element doing this, because I love love,' she revealed.

'I feel like I am in my element doing this, because I love love,' she revealed

Gina has been feuding with her co-star Sally Bloomfield since the beginning of RHOM's latest season, with Gina recently accusing Sally of calling her a 'wog b***h'.

Sally denied she used the racist term in an interview with The Daily Telegraph earlier this month.

'Production have nothing on audio and we had microphones on the whole time,' she claimed.
ZHAOJUE, Sichuan, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping Sunday visited the homes of impoverished villagers of the Yi ethnic group who live deep in the Daliang Mountains of Zhaojue County, Sichuan Province in southwest China.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, asked the villagers about their lives and discussed poverty alleviation with local officials and villagers.
Its the hit reality show that sees total strangers wed each other in a bid to find everlasting love.

But a gaggle of Married at First Sight stars were out on the town without their on-screen spouses on Saturday, calling into question the longevity of their relationships.

Olly Davidson the boyfriend of hopeful Ashley Irvin's sister, Summer, shared a group shot that showed he, Ashley and Summer with fellow MAFS stars Nassar Sultan, Dean Wells, Justin Fischer and Ryan Gallagher, enjoying a boozy student night at the Sheaf Hotel in Sydney's Double Bay.

Big night: A gaggle of Married at First Sight stars were out on the town without their on screen spouses, calling into question the longevity of their relationships.

Interestingly, none of the assembled were with their spouses, and all seemed to be having a whale of a time regardless.

Dean especially looked as though he had been working up a sweat on the dance floor, with dark stains visible in the armpits of his dark blue T-shirt.

Great time: Dean especially looked as though he had been working up a sweat on the dance floor, with dark stains visible in the armpits of his dark blue T-shirt despite Tracey not attending

Nasser, too, looked to be having a great time, huddling close to the croup and Ashley's sister in particular.

Ryan's partner is Davina , Justin is betrothed to Carly, Dean wed Tracey, Ashley is with Troy and Nasser and Gabrielle are a couple on the show.

Ryan's on screen partner Davina threw a relationship cat amoung the pigeons on Thursday's explosive episode when she told the New South wales tradesman to go f**k himself during a dinner party.

Nasser, too, looked to be having a great time, huddling close to the croup and Ashley's sister in particular. Nasser is pictured with bride Gabrielle

Strong words: Ryan's on screen partner Davina threw a relationship cat amoung the pigeons on Thursday's explosive episode when she told the New South wales tradesman to go f**k himself during a dinner party

After Ryan accused Davina of wanting to replace him with a new husband, the model issued the strong invective, causing him to storm out.

Snapping, Davina raged at her partner: 'You're full of sh*t. Go f**k yourself. I hope you do find a new wife!'

The fracas started after the couple returned from their Cook Islands honeymoon when Davina told Ryan she would swap him for someone else at the upcoming dinner party.

A s they discussed the issue in their hotel room, Davina took issue with the accusation, hitting back: 'No I f**cking didn't!'

Davina later admitted that she was indeed looking for a partner, and keeping her eyes out for someone else wasn't hypothetically out of the question for either of them.
She's the Adelaide based mother-of-two who has won over Married At First Sight viewers with her effervescent personality.

But fans of the show saw a different side of Jo 'Foxy Jojo' Mcpharlin when she stood frozen with fear atop a five-storey high obstacle course during her honeymoon with TV husband Sean.

'I thought I was going to die!' the bubbly 38-year-old blonde said of the adventure, which saw her start to panic midway through the course.

'I thought I was going to die!' Married At First Sight star Jo Mcpharlin aka Foxy Jojo reflects on her panic attack on THAT highline adventure during her honeymoon in Singapore

'I couldn't move my legs. I think my fingernails are still in that tree trunk.'

Reflecting on the terrifying incident during a Facebook Live event on Sunday, the bubbly blonde opened-up to one of the show's psychologists, John Aiken.

The mother-of-two, however, said the anxiety-inducing moment was a turning point in her relationship with her more reserved husband, Sean.

While she was shaking on the ropes, the chivalrous groom ran-up to a landing in order to support her while she was becoming increasingly distressed.

'I think my fingernails are still in that tree trunk.' The bubbly blonde was highly emotional after the experience, with her event going as far as to say she was 'hysterical'

Good friends? In the wide-ranging conversation with the show's psychologist John Aitken, Jo said the moment was a turning point for the pair and seemed grateful for Sean's support while she was vulnerable

'I thought that was a real breaking of the ice moment in our relationship,' she spilled.

'This was four or five stories up and he's afraid of heights as well.'

Speaking ahead of Married At First Sight's first commitment ceremony, Jo had a wide-ranging conversation with the show's likable male expert.

On or off? Jo was matched with Sean, with the couple having a somewhat dull experience in Singapore. However, she admitted in the experience she's found she's gotten along well with fellow South Australian bride Alycia Galbraith, journalist Melissa and 'millionaire groom', Justin

She admitted that she clicked with fellow South Australian bride Alycia Galbraith, along with journalist Melissa and 'millionaire groom,' Justin.

Despite editing being a common complaint on reality shows, affable Jo said she has been pleased so far with how she's been portrayed.

On her being a hit with the viewers, she said: 'I think because I'm real, I'm genuine, I'm all me,' she said.
He's been celebrating his other half's 21st birthday over the past week with a number of date nights and enviable soirees.

But Brooklyn Beckham, 18, upped the ante when he brought his girlfriendChloe Moretz to a Spice Girls' themed drag show on Saturday.

Seeing the humour in an act that pays tribute to his mother Victoria's Nineties girlband - who have recently reunited - Brooklyn was spotted giggling in the corner of Hamburger Mary's Drag Show in West Hollywood, as they attended the brunch.

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Hilarious: Brooklyn Beckham (left) couldn't stop laughing as he brought his girlfriend Chloe Moretz to a Spice Girls' themed brunch on Saturday as she continued to celebrate her milestone birthday at the Hamburger Mary's Drag Show in West Hollywood

The Bad Neighbours 2 actress shared a number of thrilling clips on her Insta story from the fun-filled show and hilariously tagged her beau's mum Victoria as they watched a Geri Horner impersonator, clad in her iconic Union Jack dress.

Brooklyn appeared to cringe in the short clip as the Spice Girls' hit Wannabe filled the room while fellow drag show revellers clapped and sang along to the song during the famous drag brunch.

Earlier in her story, the American beauty - who rekindled her romance with the photographer in 2017 - shared a short clip of Brooklyn driving her to the show while nodding her head to Drake, captioning it: 'What 21 feels like'.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn's sheepish appearance comes after his mother Victoria, 43, ruled out a rumored Spice Girls reunion tour.

The pop star-turned-fashion designer rejected reports the much-loved quintet would be playing live across the U.K. and U.S. this summer.

Less than impressed: Brooklyn appeared red-faced in the short clip as the Spice Girls' hit Wannabe filled the room while fellow drag show revellers clapped and sang along to the song during the famous drag brunch

Girl power: Chloe has been celebrating her 21st birthday since last week

Girl power: The Bad Neighbours 2 actress shared a number of thrilling clips on her Insta story from the fun-filled show and hilariously tagged her beau's mum Victoria as they watched a Geri Horner impersonator, clad in her iconic Union Jack dress

Delighted: Brooklyn showcased his flair for fashion as he donned a baker boy cap

Who Do You Think You Are? The beauty captured every moment of the song on the photo-sharing platform

It comes after the group confirmed plans to work again on new projects following a reunion lunch at Geris house in Hertfordshire, England last week.

'Im not going on tour,' Victoria told Vogue Saturday while at New York Fashion Week. 'The girls arent going on tour.'

Asked what their plans did involve, she said that 'theres something so strong in the message of what the Spice Girls stood for,' leading the five members to brainstorm about potential projects.

'What is that in the future?' she said. 'What does that look like? We were just bouncing ideas around.'

A no go: His sheepish appearance comes after his mother Victoria, 43, ruled out a rumored Spice Girls reunion tour

Cringe: Brooklyn cringed as he listened to his mother's iconic chart hit while at the legendary brunch spot

Having fun: Earlier in her story, the American beauty - who rekindled her romance with the photographer in 2017 - shared a short clip of Brooklyn driving her to the show while nodding her head to Drake, captioning it: 'What 21 feels like'

Candid: She got Brooklyn in the shot as they drove to the brunch hotspot

Bite to eat: Brooklyn was later spotted at Joan's on Third grabbing a spot of dinner with pals

'It was so great to see the girls,' she said. 'We had such a fun lunch ... I still speak to them all individually, but for us all to get together was really lovely.'

After debut single Wannabe hit number one in 1996, the Spice Girls became a smash-hit success before splitting in 2000.

The quintet, a 90s pop staple, embarked on a three-month tour of Europe and the US in 2008 to tie in with a greatest hits release and to act as a final farewell to fans.

The latest: The Spice Girls, seen after reuniting for a lunch in the U.K. earlier this month, will not be taking their show on the road, Victoria Beckham said Saturday

They emerged once more to perform at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, but an expected comeback in 2016 with Brown, Horner and Bunton failed to materialize.

An insider told The Mail on Sunday earlier this month that Beckham had a change of heart about a potential comeback after the lunch rest of the group, who are slated to reconvene in Los Angeles this spring to continue to streamline details over a potential relaunch.

'Victoria was so cold on singing and performing with the Spice Girls again but Fridays meeting made her remember the good times,' the insider said. 'The girls sat together laughing and remembering the fun and special times and she is now very much in.'
They've been a picture of young love's dream ever since they began dating in January 2017.

Now Anwar Hadid, 18, and Nicola Peltz, 23, stepped out hand-in-hand as they attended the Alexander Wang AW18 runway show during New York Fashion Week to join his older sister Bella on the FROW on Saturday.

Making sure to command attention, Nicola slipped into a form-fitting black mini dress which highlighted her ample cleavage with it's plunging neckline as she arrived to the show's venue 4 Times Square.

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Love: Anwar Hadid, 18, and Nicola Peltz, 23, stepped out hand-in-hand as they attended the Alexander Wang AW18 runway show during New York Fashion Week to join his older sister Bella on the FROW on Saturday

The Hollywood starlet's chic garment drew attention to her narrow waist while the short hemline displayed her denier tight-covered pins with aplomb.

She added inches to her petite frame with a pair of matching pointed stilettos which complemented her oversized slim leather handbag that was draped over her shoulder.

Upping the beauty ante, the blonde beauty worked her golden tresses into a sleek ponytail that accentuated her flawless complexion and plump pout.

Following his other half's fashion lead, Anwar donned double denim for the occasion in a lightwash jean jacket and black zip-detailed denims.

All eyes: Making sure to command attention, Nicola slipped into a form-fitting black mini dress which highlighted her ample cleavage with it's plunging neckline as she arrived to the show's venue 4 Times Square

Walk this way: The Hollywood starlet's chic garment drew attention to her narrow waist while the short hemline displayed her denier tight-covered pins with aplomb

Strike a pose: Anwar's older Bella, 21, also attended the event and made sure to support her industry pal as she watched the show wearing a black silk robe worn off one shoulder

He teamed the look with a blue lightweight knit underneath his stylish jacket while he escorted his love inside the venue to watch the latest collection from the acclaimed designer and Kaia Gerber, 16, command the runway.

Monochrome looks ruled the runway for the designer's last show during NYFW, with Wang recently announcing he will present his collections in June and December.

Meanwhile, Anwar is the son of real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, 69, and former model Yolanda Hadid, 54.

And is the youngest sibling of a modelling dynasty with his older sisters Bella, 21, and Gigi, 22, have becoming the most sought-after fashion stars.

Back in black: Kaia Gerber looked absolutely stunning as she opened the Alexander Wang show

Chic: Monochrome looks ruled the runway for the designer's last show during NYFW, with Wang recently announcing he will present his collections in June and December

Flawless: Upping the beauty ante, the blonde beauty worked her golden tresses into a sleek ponytail that accentuated her flawless complexion and plump pout

The teenager signed with IMG Models - the same as his older sisters - in February 2016 and made his runway debut in June 2016 with Moschino.

He has carved a successful career himself after being named the face of the Hugo Boss menswear line HUGO in January 2017.

While Anwar's other half Nicola previously starred in 2010's The Last Airbender and in 2014's Transformers: Age Of Extinction.

She has the films Our House and Back Roads in the works for 2018 with both in post-production.
They each shared a honeymoon with a complete stranger last week after tying the knot on Nine's controversial dating show Married At First Sight.

And the unlucky-in-love stars reflected on their newfound relationships at the show's first commitment ceremony on Sunday night.

With loved-up kisses, meltdowns, walk outs and tears - can you guess which couples chose to 'stay' and which chose to 'leave' the experiment?

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Is this the most explosive commitment ceremony EVER? From tears and meltdowns, to a walk out and wandering eye... find out what couples want to call it quits

John and Melissa - Yes and Yes

MAFS favourite John returned to the series for a second chance at love, with his bride Melissa pleased when she recognised him at the altar.

Speaking to the experts, John said with a large grin: 'It's a lot different this time around. The girl's different. You said you had someone good for me and yeah.'

'You said you had someone good for me and yeah': MAFS favourite John returned to the series for a second chance at love, and he and his bride Melissa were pleased with their pairing and decided to 'stay' within the experiment

However, the couple admitted they had a little bump during their honeymoon, with Melissa revealing she felt uneasy with the journey.

She said she felt there was 'more pressure on me for this to be a wonderful fairytale relationship, because it's John's second chance on the show.'

Despite the hurdles, they both agreed they were excited to see where they could head and both voted to 'stay'.

Tracey and Dean - Yes and No

'Hit it and quit it, right? You're an a**hole!': MAFS Tracey slams husband Dean after he states his desire to leave her after being intimate with her... as 'villain' Davina quickly swoops in

'I don't know if we're really right for each other and I don't want to waste anybody's time': Dean revealed to a shocked Tracey that he didn't want to stay with her in the show

They're one of only a few Married at First Sight couples who have openly admitted to being sexually intimate with each other.

But bride Tracey Jewel was blindsided during the show's first commitment ceremony when TV husband Dean Wells chose to 'leave' his wife.

Shocked, Tracey lashed out: 'How can you call it so early? You're so physically affectionate with me. We were intimate this morning for crying out loud!'

Dean admitted that he didn't feel they were 'right for each other', which riled up his emotional bride further.

'It's intolerable for me to be treated like that. I'm done': Tracey appeared to have no desire to make things work with Dean in the upcoming week

'I'd be lying if i didn't say i wasn't a little bit excited': Meanwhile, the drama between Dean and Tracey piqued 'villain' Davina Rankin's interest, after previously admitted to having a crush on Dean

Tearing up in the presence of the other bride and grooms, Tracey hit back: 'Like hit it and quit it, right? That's pretty weak, I'm shocked.'

Meanwhile, the drama between Dean and Tracey piqued 'villain' Davina Rankin's interest, after previously admitted to having a crush on Dean.

Davina is heard telling the producers: 'I'd be lying if i didn't say i wasn't a little bit excited. It would be interesting if I was the type of girl that Dean would be looking for.'

Davina and Ryan - Yes and Yes

'We haven't got off to a good start, but I feel like we're doing okay... so, I'll stay!' After flirting up a storm with Dean during the show's debut dinner party last week, bride Davina seemed to have a change of heart for her tradie beau Ryan

Instagram model Davina Rankin has raised eyebrows on the show, admitting to fellow participants that she fancied Tracey's 'husband' Dean over her own, Ryan.

However, after flirting up a storm with Dean during the show's debut dinner party last week, she seemed to have a change of heart for her tradie beau.

'I came into this with an open heart and open mind... I really do want the happily ever after. and I did say that I wanted someone who challenges me, but in saying that I didn't expect to have someone like Ryan,' she said.

Ryan admitted at first she though Davina was 'giving me a hint' that she wanted to ditch him for someone else, which prompted the experts to ask Davina if she was entertaining the thought of meeting a new guy.

'I fully feel like I'm having an affair': Davina's thoughts quickly changed however, when she realised Dean could be in the market for a new wife, with a promo clip showing Dean and Davina sharing more flirty exchanges and text messages without their partner's knowing

She openly admitted, 'I was just entertaining myself in what could potentially be happening' but went on to say,'we haven't got off to a good start, but I feel like we're doing okay... so, I'll stay!'

A relieved Ryan revealed his 'stay' decision, adding: 'I was scared to move on with someone who I thought was going to ditch me for someone else, because I like being around her. A LOT!'

Davina's thoughts quickly changed however, when she realised Dean could be in the market for a new wife.

In a promo clip, she is seen kissing and texting Dean behind their partner's back as she cheekily confessed: 'I fully feel like I'm having an affair.'

Troy and Ashley - Yes and Yes

Pointing out his flaws! Bride Ashley chose the commitment ceremony as a chance to vent her frustrations with 'husband'Troy's personality traits and odd behaviour

'I think that is so disrespectful': Troy admitted to the strange behaviour, but insisted it was to impress his beautiful bride

Bride Ashley chose the commitment ceremony as a chance to vent her frustrations with 'husband'Troy's personality traits and odd behaviour.

'I wanted someone down to earth and not into looks and Troy is none of those,' she frankly told the experts, who had paired them.

Troy asked to cut in, but the experts said 'no' as the other couples laughed and giggled in shock.

'I have never met someone like him that's so into looks... the first day of our honeymoon he said "stay on the path here, I'm going back to the villa to do some push ups before breakfast." Did you not?' she said, turning to Troy.

'I'm not a quitter!': Despite their differences, they agreed the past few days they had got along a lot better and decided to both 'stay' within the experiment another week

'I think that is so disrespectful,' Ashley added.

Troy admitted to the strange behaviour, but insisted it was to impress his beautiful bride.

Shocked co-star Sarah could be heard saying: 'How did she not murder him on the honeymoon?'

Despite their differences, they agreed the past few days they had got along a lot better and decided to both 'stay' within the experiment another week.

Justin and Carly - Yes and Yes

'The only thing we're lacking is intimacy': Bride Carly was left confused during her honeymoon when she awoke to a 'pillow fort' built by soft-serve millionaire 'groom' Justin Fischer to keep them separated

'I'm definitely going to stay': to Carly's delight he revealed he wanted to make it work and admitted he refrained from intimacy because he was 'scared' and kept 'people at arm's length'

Bride Carly was left confused during her honeymoon when she awoke to a 'pillow fort' built by soft-serve millionaire 'groom' Justin Fischer to keep them separated.

And Carly wasted no time in bringing up the issue during the commitment ceremony on Sunday: 'The only thing we're lacking is intimacy.'

The experts asked if Justin desired to be intimate with Carly, but he hesitated and stumbled as he formed a response.

'Let me just process that question, hang on, um, I don't know... Right now, we're like really good friends. I get scared. I keep people at arm's length. If you let people get close to you, then you get hurt,' he shared.

However, to Carly's delight he revealed he wanted to make it work: 'I'm definitely going to stay.'

Sean and Blair - Yes and Yes

'I was in a relationship before when I was willing to settle down, and it didn't work out': Sean broke down revealing to bride Blair why he'd been distant

Sean revealed an element of his past to new 'bride' Blair on their honeymoon - that he had slept with more than 200 women.

But Blair admitted she was 'finding it hard to read' Sean and confessed the 'sparkle' has been lost in the process.

Sean admitted to producers: 'Blair doesn't know me that well, my last relationship was a disaster and she was cheating on me and now I have some trust issues.'

During the commitment ceremony, Blair said Sean would need to open up and let his walls down if they were to work.

Walk out! When pressed further on the issue by experts, Sean broke down, swore and stormed out of the room in tears

'I'm 100 per cent here for you. I'm not running away,' Blair insisted as she hugged her beau, both revealing they'd like to 'stay'

Sean chose to come clean with Blair, fidgeting and tearing up as he began: 'I was in a relationship before when I was willing to settle down, and it didn't work out, and... If you asked me five years ago to talk about this, it would be extremely difficult.'

When pressed further on the issue by experts, Sean broke down, swore and stormed out of the room in tears.

He later re-entered the room with his comforting wife Blair, adding: 'Being a dude, I just suppressed it, it's been hard. It was pretty intense- drinking, going out all the time, I gambled, womanized. I think to numb the pain.'

'I didn't realise it was such an issue, I'm 100 per cent here for you. I'm not running away,' Blair insisted as she hugged her beau, both revealing they'd like to 'stay'.

Sean later confessed: 'She(Blair) has a beautiful soul.. hopefully this goes a little further in gaining her trust.'

Patrick and Charlene

'We got along very well': Newlyweds Patrick and Charlene were clearly still in the honeymoon phase and gushed over each other during the ceremony

Patrick revealed his choice to 'stay', saying: 'I need that emotional connection, and I got that straight away. We got along very well.'

Charlene was seen smiling in awe at her main, also revealed a definitive 'stay'.

The pair were smitten on their wedding day, sharing multiple smooches, despite Patrick's mum appearing to disapprove of his new wife.

Mat and Alycia - Yes and Yes

'She deserves her prince charming': Husband Mat has previously expressed that he liked Alycia, but feared he wasn't good enough for the blonde. The pair decided to 'stay' and see if their relationship flourishes

Husband Mat has previously expressed that he liked Alycia, but feared he wasn't good enough for the blonde.

And he told experts on Sunday: 'She's the nicest, beautiful girl you'd ever seen, but that spark I'm struggling with... I feel like the protective older brother.'

Alycia felt something, but was confused by why they were paired: 'I feel very strongly towards him and feel very grateful we've met... can you please tell us why you've matched us?

The experts responded: 'You said you wanted a masculine man- a blokey bloke - and you certainly got one of those. But there's a lot more to Mat than just a bloke and you're both very optimistic.'

Mat said of Carly, before they both agreed to 'stay': 'She deserves her prince charming more than any person.'

Jo and Sean - Yes and No

'I chose to leave': Sean revealed he wanted to exit the experiment, unaware Jo had optimistically chosen to stay in attempt to see the pairing through

The Married At First Sight couple have shared a rocky start, with TV 'husband' Sean appearing to distance himself from bubbly bride Jo since they said 'I do'.

And Sean chose to voice his true feelings towards his wife during the show's first commitment ceremony - in the presence of the show's experts and co-stars.

Sean, who sat at the other end of the couch, didn't mince his words: 'So far it's just been friendship. There's no romantic spark.'

'Can I change my decision, because I'd love to go?' Sean's wife was distressed, pleading with experts in tears to also leave, because she didn't want to be with someone who didn't feel the same for her

Jo visibly teared up as Sean said he didn't want to stuff Jo around any longer: 'I chose to leave.'

Sean's wife was distressed, pleading with experts: 'Can I change my decision, because I'd love to go?'

'Now I have to sit here for anther week with someone who doesn't wan to be with me... I had the tiniest of hope,' the usually-energetic bride said deflated.

Jo gestured with her hands: 'You made me feel this big. You're a douchebag!'

Gabriella and Nasser - Yes and Yes

Sealed with a kiss! Husband Nasser praised his wife Gabrielle as being 'super hot', before kissing the blonde beauty as they revealed their intentions to 'stay'

Gabrielle and Nasser appear to have one of the strongest connections on the reality show so far.

Coming back from a picturesque beachside honeymoon in Samoa, the couple appeared comfortable and loved-up in front of the experts.

Nasser praised his wife as being 'super hot', before kissing the blonde beauty as they revealed their intentions to 'stay'.



Sarah and Telv - Yes and Yes

'We feel a little bit sorry for the other couples that aren't going as well': Sarah and Telv praised the experts for pairing them and felt bad for other struggling duos

Vivacious redhead bride Sarah praised the experts: 'You've done good, I'm pretty happy!'

Telv added in agreement: 'You've nailed it, by the way!'

'I even did it with a big love heart, because it's going into that nice zone,' Sarah said, revealing her 'stay' sign.

She even said: 'I'm quite happy with my relationship and we feel a little bit sorry for the other couples that aren't going as well.'

Married At First Sight airs on Nine from 7pm Sunday to Thursday
She's the superstar TV chef who is often pictured eating at London's most exclusive restaurants.

But Nigella Lawson proved she's not afraid to dine at more rustic establishments, as she was spotted at two popular local joints in the Central Coast during her tour of Australia.

The 58-year-old happily took selfies with starstruck chefs at the Fishermen's Wharf at Woy Woy and Bombini at Avoca Beach after sampling their menus.

Humble gal: Nigella Lawson proved she's not afraid to dine at a more rustic establishment down under, as she was spotted at two popular local joints in Australia's Central Coast

The mother-of-two paid a visit to the restaurants during a break from filming for Masterchef Australia, where she is a guest judge.

The culinary star popped in for lunch at the Woy Woy waterfront eatery and posed for a snap with owner, Jenni Cregan.

Jenni proudly shared the shot on Instagram, describing Nigella as one of her 'culinary heroes'.

'It was an honour and a pleasure to have Nigella Lawson and her friends for lunch with us,' the caption read.

Sweet: The 58-year-old happily took selfies with awestruck chefs at the Fishermen's Wharf at Woy Woy (pictured with owner Jenni Cregan)

Delicious: And Nigella was clearly taken with her meal at the eatery, sharing a slew of snaps of her dishes and writing: 'Beautiful lunch in Killcare'

And Nigella was clearly taken with the meal, sharing a slew of snaps of her dishes and writing: 'Beautiful lunch in Killcare.'

Meanwhile, over at fine dining spot Bombini, she posed happily for a quick snap with all the chefs in the kitchen.

Chef Cameron Cansdell shared the photo, gushing in the caption: 'Celebrity crush in the house.'

Nigella has been touring Australia this month to promote her latest cookery book At My Table and has stopped off at Tasmania and Sydney among other spots.

'Celebrity crush in the house:' She also popped into fine dining spot Bombini at Avoca Beach and posed with the chefs in the kitchen

During her tour, she was forced to hit back at accusations she deliberately included innuendos in her television shows.

The host of The Project Hamish MacDonald challenged the British star live on TV when he insisted he had 'quotes' to refute her previous claims she doesn't use euphemisms during her time on screen.

He said: 'I was really intrigued to read you rejecting all the analysis of your cooking shows containing innuendos, saying "I don't do it on purpose, it's not part of the plan."'

Not impressed: During her tour, she was forced to hit back at accusations she deliberately included innuendos in her television shows

Hamish read out some of Nigella's most suggestive instructions such as, 'My empty vessels are ready to be loaded; I adore the way it comes bulging up over the rims...'

Mortified, the celebrity chef cut Hamish off mid-sentence with denials when he listed off out of context quotes from her television series.

Nigella fought back: 'I have this way of people projecting things on me! I'm so not the kind of person who would do that intentionally.'

'I often don't get it, I need you to explain it to me' she replied, finally managing to smile about the awkward exchange.
She's the one time Big Brother star who loves to flaunt her bronzed body in sizzling bikini-clad shots.

But on Sunday, Skye Wheatley decided to change it up when she shared a picture of herself fully-clothed alongside hunky new boyfriend, Lachlan Waugh.

Taking to Instagram, the social media star seemed ecstatic as she nestled into her beau's shoulder.

'I can't breathe': Social media star Skye Wheatley has gushed over her new boyfriend Lachlan Waugh after sharing a string of sizzling bikini snaps

In the snap, the pair were seen out to dinner and sat in front of Asian food.

Despite their relationship being only three-months-old, the starlet appears to be crazy-in-love and captioned her picture: 'The calm before the storm last night ... and omg my boyfriend's so hot I can't breathe.'

The pair had an exchange on the social media platform, with her boyfriend Lachlan writing back: 'Such an amazing night babe thanks so much... love you.'

Crazy in love! The pair got together in November and have been hot and heavy ever since

Social media star Skye shared another happy snap of the couple kissing on Saturday, both giving a cheers with wine glasses.

It comes after the busty blonde posted a bathroom shot of herself in a skimpy camouflage bikini.

In the caption, the former Big Brother star lamented her return from holidaying overseas as she provided a glimpse of her tan line in the image.

Going commando! Earlier this week, Skye showcased her curves in skimpy orange and red camouflage bikini, giving a cheeky glimpse of her tan line

'Finding it a little hard to get back into the swing of things after Bali,' she wrote.

The snap comes after Skye appeared to have a light-bulb moment about her excessive Instagram snaps recently .

The bubbly blonde took to Instagram to defend her seemingly endless bikini snaps and told fans that if she died tomorrow, she would have no regrets.

'No regrets': Recently, former Big Brother star Skye Wheatley defended her seemingly endless bikini snaps on Instagram and told fans that if she died tomorrow, she would have no regrets

'I wonder if I died tomorrow would I regret posting 8 photos in one day?' she captioned alongside yet another swimsuit snap.

'The answer is no, no ragrets [sic],' the bronzed beauty then adding,'this shoot location was honestly like a movie set.'

The social media star modelled various swimsuits in recent bikini photos, including a nude-coloured bikini and a high-cut red two-piece.

Busting out! Skye showed off generous cleavage as she posed in barely-there swimwear on her recent Bali getaway

In another happy snap, summer siren Skye flaunts her pert derriere in a second white bikini while enjoying a 'floating breakfast.'

Earlier that week, the 24-year-old bronzed beauty struggled to contain her ample assets in her tiny bikini top as she posed by the edge of an infinity pool.

It was no surprise the saucy display got her plenty of likes, with Skye drawing the attention of her fans to the shiny spot in the centre of her cleavage.

She captioned the post: 'When you don't rub the oil in on your chest and it looks like dribble,' along with the hashtags #dontcare #nusaceningan.

Fans of the blonde beauty complimented her on the saucy snap, including one who enviously wrote: 'I feel like you've been on holiday for a year.'

Legs eleven! In another snap, the social media star showed off her endless bronzed legs while standing next to a villa
They are among the elite who storm the runway while clad in Victoria's Secret lingerie.

And Adriana Lima and Lais Riberio stole the show once again on Saturday as they soaked up the sun in Brazil wearing bikinis ahead of the Rio De Janeiro Carnival.

Lounging by the Hotel Fasanois pool, Lais, 27, flaunted her model physique in a skimpy burgundy bikini while Adriana, 36, opted for a plunging black kaftan.

Lais Riberio stole the show once again on Saturday as she soaked up the sun with Adriana Lima in Brazil

Lais looked every inch the lingerie model as she showcased her washboard abs and cleavage in the tiny two-piece while chatting to a group of girl pals.

She paired the pink-striped bikini top with a white maxi skirt, teasing a glimpse of her endless pins with a daring middle split.

The Brazilian beauty opted to go make-up free for the sunbathing session and let her raven locks tumble over her shoulders.

Happy: The raven-haired beauty, who has been a Victoria's Secret Angel since 1999, appeared in high spirits as she chatted to her friend Rodrigo Tudor on the hotel roof balcony

Soaking up the sun: Adriana opted to showcase her curves in a black kaftan, which featured a plunging neckline

Meanwhile, Adriana opted to showcase her curves in a black kaftan, which featured a plunging neckline.

The raven-haired beauty, who has been a Victoria's Secret Angel since 1999, appeared in high spirits as she chatted to her friend Rodrigo Tudor on the hotel roof balcony.

Her trip to Brazil comes a week after she packed on the PDA with her boyfriend Metin Hara in Miami.

Supermodel: Lais looked every inch the lingerie model as she showcased her washboard abs and cleavage in the tiny two-piece while chatting to a group of girl pals

Metin - a non-fiction book author - has been dating the lingerie model since June when they went public with their romance while enjoying a vacation in his native Turkey.

Last July, he told Daily Sabah: '[I] met with Adriana in Istanbul [on June 11]. We realized that we have feelings for each other. Both of us are still getting to know one another.'

Adriana ended her seven-month romance with New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, 31, last year.

In December of last year Adrian announced she was ready to stop showing off her body 'for empty causes'.

In a lengthy message posted to Instagram, the mother-of-three called for change, explaining that she's had enough of the pressure on women to 'look a certain way' from society, social media and fashion.

Alongside her long note, the Brazilian-born star hinted that she may be quitting the lingerie brand as she wrote in the caption: 'I decided to make that change..... I will not take of my clothes anymore for a empty cause'.

A representative for the Brazilian model later confirmed she is not leaving the Victoria's Secret brand.
She was left devastated when her Australia's Next Top Model mentor Charlotte Dawson committed suicide in 2014 aged just 47.

And Simone Holtznagel became emotional once again when I'm A Celebrity psychic Jackie Gillies discussed the tragedy on Sunday night.

The 37-year-old claimed Charlotte wanted to tell Simone she was 'so sorry for the way she left', during an emotional reading.

'She's so sorry for the way she left': I'm A Celebrity psychic Jackie Gillies discussed Charlotte Dawson's suicide with the model mentor's tearful 'best friend' Simone Holtznagel on Sunday's I'm A Celebrity

'She wrote a journal and in this journal, you are in it,' Jackie told Simone. 'She is also telling me you have a lot of anger as to why she did what she did.

'And she's telling me to tell you she had financial distress. She is telling me it all got too much for her. She is sorry with the way she left.'

Simone, 24, said Charlotte was 'one was of my best friends' and someone she was 'very close' to.

The Playboy model, who came third in the 2011 season of Australia's Next Top Model, was called to identify Charlotte's body following her tragic death in February 2014.

Tragedy: Simone, 24, was called to identify Charlotte's body after the 47-year-old committed suicide in 2014 amid battles with depression (pictured in 2011)

Charlotte, who had been battling depression, died in her Sydney flat and was found by a real estate agent just moments before an auction for her apartment was due to take place.

Jackie said: 'You've asked her to come to you and you want to know why she hasn't just appeared to prove that she is around you.

'She's come to you in a dream 10 times. She says she doesn't want to see you cry in the bed any more.

Awful: Jackie said: 'She's telling me to tell you she had financial distress. She is telling me it all got too much for her. She is sorry with the way she left'

Emotional: She added: 'She says she doesn't want to see you cry in the bed any more. She says when you do, she says that this is her touching her head, she loves you have much'

'She says when you do, she says that this is her touching her head, she loves you have much.

'I feel like I am going to cry. She says she misses you very much and she is sorry.'

Covering her face with her hands, Simone was overcome with emotion as she reflected on her friend's death.

She later said she felt positive about the reading, claiming a lot of what Jackie had said rang true with her, and gave the psychic a warm hug.

Too much: Covering her face with her hands, Simone was overcome with emotion as she reflected on her friend's death

Simone previously said she no longer felt 'angry' about Charlotte's death and often surrounded herself with her mentor's shoes and belonging that she gave to her before passing away.

'I miss her... I am not angry any more, I just wish she was here,' she told The Daily Telegraph.

Back in 2015, Simone claimed Charlotte's ghost had been haunting her, telling the New Zealand Herald that the ghost had visited her three times.

'It's happened once at my grandma's house, again when I moved into my place in LA and then just the other night in my hotel room in Amsterdam. It's the most surreal thing that's ever happened to me,' she said.
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Kylie Jenner welcomed her daughter Stormi on February 1 and already the reality TV star looks to be back in shape.

The 20-year-old Calabasas, California native was seen for the first time since having the child when she went out with best friend Jordyn Woods in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The Lip Kit founder wore a black shirt and tight bicycle shorts that showed off her toned frame. Little Stormi was not seen and neither was her rapper beau Travis Scott, 25.

New mommy: Kylie Jenner welcomed her daughter Stormi on February 1 and already the reality TV star looks to be back in shape as she was seen in Los Angeles on Saturday

Not in maternity wear: The Lip Kit founder wore a black shirt and tight bicycle shorts that showed off a toned frame. Little Stormi was not seen and neither was her beau Travis Scott

Kylie was busy getting out of her black SUV as her pal Woods, who has lost about 20lbs in recent months, followed behind her.

The youngest daughter of Kris Jenner, 62, added a beige jacket over her shoulders as well as a Prada fanny pack and grey-and-black Michael Jordan sneakers that were not laced up.

And the makeup mogul was also fully made up with heavy beige eye makeup, blush and a nice matte pink lipstick. Jenner wore her long, stick straight raven hair down after pulling her locks out of a ponytail.

BFF by her side: Kylie was busy getting out of her black SUV as her pal Jordyn Woods, who has lost about 20lbs in recent months, followed behind her

Le look: The youngest daughter of Kris Jenner, 62, added a beige jacket over her shoulders as well as a Prada fanny pack and grey-and-black Michael Jordan sneakers that were not laced up

The star was heading into an office building and was likely having a meeting about her immensely successful beauty line.

The star oversees lipsticks, lip kits, eye shadow and blush.

It's been quite a 10 days for Kylie who announced the birth of her baby on Super Bowl Sunday with an 11-minute tell-all video.

Her back story: The star was heading into an office building and was likely having a meeting about her immensely successful beauty line. The star oversees lipsticks, lip kits, eye shadow and blush

A lot has been learned since she broke the baby news.

Earlier this week People magazine reported that Kylie and Travis are doing fine, but are not living together.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star resides in her roomy Hidden Hills, California mansion while the Texas-born rapper is believed to have a residence 45-minutes away in the Hollywood Hills.

Their little girl: Kylie and Travis shared a photo of their baby earlier this week along with this photo

'Kylie and Travis are not officially living together. He has his own place. They are co-parenting though, and things are going great. They are together and happy,' a source told the publication.

And there is no pressure to get engaged: 'Theyre just enjoying their little family. There's no rush.'

But he sure likes being a father. The insider said he is 'sweet' with the little child.

Family: Stormi is Kylie and boyfriend Travis Scott's first child. They have been dating since April 2017

Gaga: The two appeared very happy together in her 11-minute baby reveal video shared on Super Bowl Sunday

And he knows how to treat the makeup mogul.

'He's very protective of Kylie, and his family embraced her, too,' said the source.

In her 11-minute baby reveal video, Kylie can be seen hugging his family as she serves them dinner in her home.

Sweet love: He appeared protective as he put his arms around the star at the beach

She's a fan too: She often goes to his concerts, as she did her during the video

The star also showered affection on her beau as she is also spotted hugging, holding hands with and kissing Travis. The two seem very smitten with each other.

Scott also seems to be a generous fellow who is grateful for his success. In December 2016, he bought his family a mansion.

He shared the story on Instagram with the caption, 'Merry Christmas. Gave my family a present I been working on my whole life. A home. Very thankful.'

He added on Twitter, 'Use to sleep on floors. Now we walk on marble.'

The friends also said that Kylie has come a long way since her romance with Tyga - who has a child with Blac Chyna - which was riddled with insecurity and obsession.

He was always there: Scott is seen in the hospital with Kylie before she gave birth

'Kylie has matured a lot since becoming pregnant. Shes much less dramatic than when she was with Tyga,' said the source.

And in another show that she is serious about Travis, Jenner has given her new girl his last name, Webster.

Travis' real name is Jacques Webster.

Kylie and Travis were first linked back in April 2017 following the KUWTK star's split from rapper Tyga after three years together.

The big reveal: She showed off her bump for the first time on Sunday, after Stormi was born

Bumping along: She retreated from the spotlight during her pregnancy, but finally gave fans a look at her changing form

Reclusive: Kylie was out of the spotlight but still in front of the camera

In her video, Kylie was quite candid.

'My pregnancy was one I chose not to do in front of the world. I knew for myself I needed to prepare for this role of a lifetime in the most positive, stress free, and healthy way I knew how,' Kylie said in her video.

'There was no gotcha moment, no big paid reveal I had planned. I knew my baby would feel every stress and every emotion so I chose to do it this way for my little life and our happiness.'

She has also been buying eco-friendly items for the nursery. Stormi has a $3500 changing table and a $400 organic mattress in her crib, according to gossip website TMZ.

The couple are also said to have forked out on a number of wooden, handmade bears from forests in south Chile which are covered in bees' wax and flaxseed oil and upscale infant mattresses by brand Pebble Pure.

Kylie is said to be keen to ensure her baby's products are environmentally-friendly, and good for the youngster.
On Friday morning, the Egyptian Armed Forces announced the launch of a new major operation to confront terrorism in north and middle Sinai and other areas in the Nile Delta and the desert areas west of the Nile valley.

Ahram Online provided an account of key events and statements by the army, police and public institutions throughout the day.

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20:00 Egypt's parliament fully supports the "honorable and just" ongoing operation by the Egyptian army to purge the country of terrorists, a statement by Egypt's parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said on Friday evening.

Abdel-Aal said that he is closely following Operation Sinai 2018, which aims to thwart all terrorist plots threatening the security of Egypt, the statement added.

The parliament values all the sacrifices of brave Egyptian soldiers, and calls on Egyptians to stand with police and the Armed Forces in the countrys war against terrorism, until the land of Egypt is cleansed of it forever, the statement said.

19:30 Egyptian authorities have decided to close all schools in North Sinai until further notice starting Saturday. The Ministry of Higher Education is also suspending studies at universities and other institutions of higher education for one week.

17:15 Hours after the Egyptian army started Operation Sinai 2018 to fight terrorism this morning, the interior ministry said it killed three members of the banned Hasm terrorist group in a shootout in an under-construction residential building in Cairo.

The ministry said its comprehensive security plan to curb the groups actions in Qalioubiya, Daqahliya, Beheira, Menoufiya, Sharqiya, Assiut, and Fayoum led to the arrest of 14 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood following raids on their hideouts on Friday, the ministry said.

In the framework of the interior ministrys efforts to abort the plans of terrorist the Muslim Brotherhood  which aims to compromise the countrys security and undermine its capabilities  the national security department has monitored the issuance of a mandate from the fugitive terrorist group leaders abroad to its elements who are members of Hasm, one of the armed wings of the Brotherhood, the interior ministry said.

The ministry said that the Hasm terrorists were instructed to execute a number of synchronised hostile operations on vital and important institutions as well as police and Armed Forces ahead of the presidential elections, to create a state of instability and present a negative image about the situation in the country.

16:00 Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, headed by Pope Tawadros II, declares its solidarity and support for the "comprehensive battle" of the Egyptian armed forces and the patriotic police that aims at purging "the forces of terrorism" all over the country, in accordance with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's directives, read a short statement on Friday afternoon.

"History will record the sacrifices of Egypt's brave army and police who sacrifice their lives for the sake of the country's stability; long live Egypt's unity," the church statement added.

14:15 Egypt's Al-Azhar announced on Friday afternoon its full support for Operation Sinai 2018, calling on all the Egyptian people "to support the brave men of the army and police in their fight against terrorist and criminal elements."

In a statement, the world's leading Sunni institution praised the sacrifices of the army and police in the confrontation against terrorists so "Egypt can be purged of these elements that have and terrorized and killed citizens," and in order "to foil the attempts to foster chaos and strife to harm the stability of the the homeland."

Al-Azhar also hailed the sacrifices of the residents of Sinai who "have endured suffering caused by "the criminality of such terrorist groups.

12:45 The General Command of the Armed Forces issued Communique Number 2 which provided details on the "comprehensive" Operation Sinai 2018.

The Communique was read by military spokesman Colonel Tamer El-Rafei on state TV.

"Great people of Egypt, in a continuation of law enforcement forces' efforts, elements of our air forces targeted some of the pits, hideouts, and ammunition and weapons warehouses used by terrorist elements as a base to target the law enforcement forces and civilian targets in North and Middle Sinai, he said.

Units from the naval forces are also tightening the security on the sea front, with the aim of cutting all supply lines to terrorist elements."

"The border guard forces and civilian police are also tightening security procedures at borders and on navigational courses."

"Joints elements from the armed forces and the police are also tightening the security procedures at vital ports and areas in different areas of the republic, he said.

12:15 Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said he is following with pride the heroics of the army and police in the "comprehensive" Operation Sinai 2018.

I follow with pride the heroics of my sons from the Armed Forces and the Police to purge the beloved land of Egypt from terrorists, the enemies of life. And always, long live Egypt, El-Sisi said in a post on his official Facebook page.

12:00 A senior interior ministry security source told state agency MENA that the countrys security alert level has been raised to its highest level nationwide, in light of the fierce war by the police in coordination with the armed forces to eradicate the roots of terrorism.

According to the source, security measures in the vicinity of major state institutions, houses of worship and tourist hotspots have been boosted.

He added that security patrols have been set up in squares and on major highways in each governorate, as well as on connecting roads between governorates, with a continuation of security campaigns to comb remote areas to eliminate threats to the security and stability of citizens.

11:15 Egypt's armed forces announced on Friday morning a major new military operation dubbed "comprehensive" Operation Sinai 2018 to purge country from terrorism.

Military spokesman Colonel Tamer El-Rafei read the army statement "Communique 1 from the General Command of the Armed Forces" on state TV, which announced the launch of the operation.

"Great people of Egypt, in accordance with the delegation issued by the president of the republic, the supreme commander of the Egyptian armed forces, to the general command of the Egyptian armed forces and the interior ministry to comprehensively confront terrorism as well other criminal activities in close cooperation with all state institutions, law enforcement troops started to implement the plan of comprehensive confrontation of terrorist and criminal elements and organizations in north and middle Sinai and other areas in the Nile Delta and the desert areas west of the Nile valley," he said.

"In addition, the operation will include the implementation of other military and training missions and exercises in all strategic directions with the aim of tightening of control of the borders of the Egyptian state and to ensure the achievement of the planned aims of the clearing of terrorist pits from the areas where they are found, and to protect Egyptian society from the evils of terrorism and extremism, while also confronting other crimes that affect internal security and stability."

The armed forces "call on all Egyptians in all parts of the republic to closely cooperate with the forces of law enforcement to confront terrorism and weed out its roots, and to promptly report any elements that threaten the security and stability of the homeland," the statement ended.

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Trayvon Martin passed away in 2012, but his memory is kept alive today by the African-American community and celebrities like Jay Z.

On Saturday in Miami, the 48-year-old rapper attended the 6th Annual Trayvon Martin Peace Walk and gave an inspiring speech to honour the late teenager.

Back in 2012, the 17-year-old was shot in his gated community by George Zimmerman, 34, a neighborhood watch volunteer who controversially claimed to have killed the adolescent in self-defense.

Inspiring: Jay-Z gave a powerful speech during the 6th Annual Trayvon Martin Peace Walk in Miami on Saturday to honour the late Trayvon Martin

Center stage: The Brooklyn star began by saying: 'It's very importantthe support you guys are showing and the strength that Sabrina and Tracy and the family are showing'

The Brooklyn star began by saying: 'It's very importantthe support you guys are showing and the strength that Sabrina and Tracy and the family are showing.'

The Family Feud rapper continued: 'And we want to make sure we stand in support and we never forget that Trayvon served as a beacon of light to all the people out thereso you guys would never have to go through the pain and hurt that these guys went through.

'His name will sit alongside some of the greats who lost their life to push our culture forward.

'The Martin Luther Kings, the Ghandis, that's the intention that we set, that his name serves as a beacon of light and hope to push us in a better direction.'

Natural speaker: Jay Z took the podium at the 2018 Pre-Grammy Gala and Grammy Salute to Industry Icons in New York during January

Jay Z has been a staunch supporter of the Martin family, and has frequently taken initiative to shed light on their experience and advocate on their behalf.

He and his wife Beyonce demonstrated their loyalty to the Martin family by attending an earlier rally for the adolescent during 2013 in New York.

The Grammy Award-winning artist announced in 2017 that he would be producing a documentary about the late teen called, Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story.

In loving memory: Jay Z and his wife Beyonce showed their support by previously attending a Trayvon Martin rally in New York City back during 2013

Controversial: George Zimmerman was acquitted by a Florida jury for the death of Trayvon Martin during his court trial in 2013

Young boy: Martin was only 17-years-old when he was shot to death in his gated community by Zimmerman

The rally comes three months after the late teen's father, Tracy Martin, got a tattoo on his back to memorialize the young man. Martin was inked by Chicago 9 Mag tattoo artist, Van Johnson, and the session was featured on VH1's Black Ink Crew Chicago during December.

The portrait features the 17-year-old drawn out like a pharaoh. The adolescent's father told the artist on-camera: 'I just thought how my son galvanized the country. To me, he's a king. And he was my king before his situation happened.

'I thought it would be fitting to take it back to Ancient Egypt. Like the sphinx is one of the wonders of the world. Trayvon was my wonder of the world.'

In loving memory: Martin's father Tracy decided to honor his son's legacy by getting a tattoo from Black Ink Chicago star Van Johnson; the tattoo artist shared this on Instagram in 2017

Johnson shared an Instagram photo of the memorial tattoo and wrote: 'This piece tonight on Black Ink Chicago for Tracy Martin, FATHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN, thank you Brother for this amazing experience...

'I've overcome so much adversity, so much hate, so many critics trying to bash me, but listen here... You m*******s think you can stop me when GOD got me out here making history lol Im laughing to the bank baby BELIEVE DAT... #RIP #trayvonmartin

'THE WORLD LOVES YOU BUT POP LOVES YOU MORE AND I GOT HIM RIGHT FA YOU YOUNG KING I DONT FIGHT FOR OWNERSHIP I FIGHT FOR MY TEAM.'
He has appeared in the famous franchise alongside action man Tom Cruise since 2006.

And Simon Pegg reprised his technical field agent character on Sunday, as he was spotted filming Mission Impossible 6 in London.

The actor, 47, was back to his quirky role as Benji Dunn in a bright green suit and clashing red bow tie, as he arrived at St Paul's Cathedral to shoot scenes for the upcoming flick.

Comeback kid: Simon Pegg reprised his technical field agent character of Benji Dunn on Sunday, as he was spotted filming Mission Impossible 6 in London

Dressed to the nines: The actor, 47, was back to his quirky role in a bright green suit and clashing red bow tie, as he arrived at St Paul's Cathedral to shoot scenes for the upcoming flick

The Hot Fuzz star certainly caught attention in his pastel green suit, layered atop a khaki knitted waistcoat and matching checked shirt.

With his character known for his quirky style, he also sported a clashing red bow tie and a bright yellow floral pocket square as he embarked on his newest stint of filming.

With his hair slicked back, Simon beamed for cameras as he arrived at the church - laughing and chatting with his co-stars as he retrieved his bags from the car.

Slick: The Hot Fuzz star certainly caught attention in his pastel green suit, layered atop a khaki knitted waistcoat and matching checked shirt

Colourful: He also sported a clashing red bow tie and a bright yellow floral pocket square as he retrieved his bags from the car ahead of filming

Raring to go: With his hair slicked back, Simon immersed himself in his character as he embarked on his latest stint of filming

After a busy afternoon however, the actor was later seen yawning as he took a break on set, layering a chunky black coat atop his costume to keep warm.

Simon arrived with Ving Rhames, who has played computer hacker Luther Stickell in every film since the first, released in 1996.

The actor sported a tan leather jacket and retro striped shirt, along with his character's trademark fedora hat.

Exhausted: After a busy afternoon however, the actor was later seen yawning as he took a break on set, layering a chunky black coat atop his costume to keep warm

Back again: Simon's character, technical field agent Benji Dunn, first appeared in the mega-popular film series in Mission: Impossible 3

Co-star: Simon arrived with Ving Rhames, who has played computer hacker Luther Stickell in every film since the first, released in 1996

Retro: The actor sported a tan leather jacket and retro striped shirt, along with his character's trademark fedora hat

However, Ving proved to be relaxed on set as he happily greeted fans and snapped selfies with his admirers upon arrival.

Simon's character first appeared in the mega-popular film series in Mission: Impossible 3 - helping Tom's character Ethan by analysing confidential information recovered via a stolen laptop.

Simon and Tom have formed a close friendship from the franchise, and the comic actor previously gushed over how surprisingly normal the Hollywood A-Lister is.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph in 2015, he said: 'It makes me laugh sometimes just how much of a bloke he is.

Say cheese! However, Ving proved to be relaxed on set as he happily snapped selfies with his admirers upon arrival

Catching up: He also chatted to waiting fans as he listened to music on set, ahead of his next scene

'I think he does get an unfair rap for a lot of things. People just don't know everything about him, but they think they do.'

When asked if they ever talk on a personal level, he added: 'Sometimes, we'll have heart-to-hearts at the end of the day.'

The famous landmark is no doubt a key part of the film's plot, as star Tom Cruise was seen shooting one of his usual death-defying stunts at the Cathedral on Wednesday.

Propelled by a harness, the actor, who plays Ethan Hunt in the franchise, took a running leap off the roof before sailing through the air in the gripping sequence.

tense: Simon was later seen filming a more tense scene in a leather biker jacket

Getting it right: The actor was seen chatting to members of the crew ahead of his next stint behind the camera

Tom has been seen filming a number of stunts over the last few days, despite breaking his ankle back in August - when he jumped off the top of a building and careened into a neighbouring wall at an awkward angle.

Production for the film was halted for two months while Tom recovered, though Paramount insisted the movie would still meet it's planned release date this coming summer.

The first full trailer for Mission: Impossible - Fallout was released this week, with the two-and-a-half minute video showing Tom taking a lot of punishment as he revives his character.

The plot for Mission: Impossible - Fallout sees Ethan once again facing off against the Syndicate's Solomon Lane, played by Sean Harris, and is set for release on July 27.

This time around, Vanessa Kirby and Henry Cavill both join in the ride along with Angela Bassett.
She was recently spotted sporting extensive white bandages across her nose, nearly two decades on from her septal perforation.

And Danniella Westbrook remained shy as she hid her nose while out for lunch in Liverpool on Sunday, following on from her surgical treatment last month.

The 44-year-old actress later appeared in high spirits as she embarked on a low-key stroll with pal and entrepreneur Zack Smith.

Reserved: Danniella Westbrook, 44, kept shy as she hid her nose while out for lunch in Liverpool on Sunday, following on from her surgical treatment last month

As she first stepped out, the Walthamstow native placed her hand under her nose as she engaged in a phone conversation

The former soap star hid her tresses under a bedazzled bobble hat, while she wrapped up in a ribbed knit scarf and a grey velvet tracksuit - embellished with pearl studs.

Danniella was later seen with her friend and Essex entrepuener Zack Smith, who also opted for low-key attire as he donned a white two-piece from Puma.

Friendly: The EastEnders icon later appeared in high spirits as she embarked on a low-key stroll with pal and entrepreneur Zack Smith

Cosmetic surgery enthusiast: The television personality underwent a face lift, as well as a breast augmentation in a bid to recapture her youth last year

This comes after the Celebrity Big Brother star was seen leaving a private hospital in Essex, where she wore a large bandage across her nose, 17 years after cocaine abuse resulted in her septum collapsing.

The television personality underwent a face lift, as well as a breast augmentation in a bid to recapture her youth last year.

And while it was unclear what procedure she underwent, it seemed as though the Faith, Hope and Clarity author was keen on continuing her quest for perfection.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Danniella for further comment.

The mother-of-two recently released her own revenge porn photos to defeat a stalker she claims stole the photos and threatened to kill her and her children.

Hitting back: Danniella released her own revenge porn photos to defeat a stalker she claims stole the photos and threatened to kill her and her children

Danniella was driven to release the personal photos after claiming the stalker had made threats against her life and that of her two children Kai, 21 and Jodie, 16, and to take control back reports The Sun.

The reality star said the stalker's two-year campaign of harrassment worsened after they threatened to release the intimate photos stolen from her iCloud account - sent during a sexting session with a 21-year-old personal trainer she met on a dating app.

The star said she was 'petrified' by the messages, is unable to sleep at night and has become ill due to the stress of the harrowing messages.

Private photo: The former EastEnders actress was driven to release the personal photos after claiming the stalker had made threats against her life and that of her two children

' Rather than let someone hold me over a barrel... I thought it's just easier to put these pictures out [myself] - and say 'This is what I'm up against.'

'I've been f****** petrified of this woman. It started in 2016. It's been constant, for two years... week in week out.'

MailOnline has contacted Danniella's representative for comment.

The former Dancing On Ice contestant said she had contacted police, handed over her phone and now wants to see her stalker thrown in prison.

Private: She says the stalker's two-year campaign of harrassment worsened after they threatened to release the intimate photos stolen from her iCloud account

Danniella said she has been bombarded with a stream of over 4,000 messages, with the tormentor also contacting her family and 90-year-old grandmother.

She also alleges her Facebook and Whatsapp accounts has been hacked by the stalker, who she claims has also set up fake accounts in her name.

Saying that 'every girl' takes underwear shots, the star said her stalker had even gotten access to photos that had not been sent out.

Hacked: Danniella said she has been bombarded with a stream of over 4,000 messages, with the tormentor also contacting her family and 90-year-old grandmother

Claim: Adding a chilling turn to the abuse, the star also said the unknown woman stalker had made threats to kill her son and her, as well as calling her a 'bad mother' and a 'paedophile'

Adding a chilling turn to the abuse, Danniella admitted the unknown woman stalker had made threats to kill her son and her, as well as calling her a 'bad mother' and a 'paedophile'.

She explained: 'She sent me one [message] saying 'You're out in Spain, your son's not safe, next time you'll see him he'll be in a box.

Candid Danniella said the threats have left her so concerned that she will ring Kai at 3 in the morning to check he is safe, as the stalker reportedly put his address online before.

She also believes the stalker, who she doesn't know the identity of, is someone 'close to home.'

Fear: The star said the stalker had been so detrimental to her health that she is unable to sleep at night and that her stint in rehab last year was because of stress caused by the abuse
She is frequently praised for her stunning displays on ITV's Dancing On Ice.

And this week proved no different as presenter Holly Willoughby wowed fans with her show-stopping appearance in a semi-sheer pink gown that exposed her cleavage on Sunday.

Gaining warm approval from her Instagram followers on the figure-hugging attire, the 37-year-old slipped into her flirty dress in theme with the skating show's 'love week'.

'It's love week!': Holly Willoughby, 37, proved she could do no wrong in the fashion department as she put on a stunning display in a semi-sheer gown for Sunday's edition of Dancing On Ice

The beaming host took to her widely-followed social media account to showcase her glamorous number by Basil Soda, which featured a fitted sleeve top with floral embellishments, before skimming her physique to the floor.

Giving a radiant smile to the camera, the ITV presenter stunned in pink-toned makeup, in which she enhanced her beauty with peach-toned highlighter, fluttery false lashes and a slash of fuchsia lipgloss.

Holly ensured all eyes were on her as she accessorised with sparkling diamond earrings and her flashy wedding band.

Beaming: The host showcased her glamorous number by Basil Soda on stage, which featured a fitted sleeve top with floral embellishments, before skimming her physique to the floor

While the former Voice UK host's platinum tresses grazed her shoulders, she opted for an alluring hairstyle as she dressed her locks into loose waves.

The Celebrity Juice captain made her keen fans aware that it was love week on the competition show, while she garnered a positive wave of compliments.

One fan gushed: 'No words can say how Gorgeous Holly looks ! Xx'

'Looking this look Holly you look amazing!', another rushed to comment.

Proving to be lost for words, another follower added: 'Wow, wow, wow xxx'

In awe! The Celebrity Juice captain made her keen fans aware that it was love week on the competition show, while she garnered a positive wave of compliments

While the majority of comments were centred on the Brighton native's beautiful ensemble, one fan poked fun at her co-presenter and close friend Phillip Schofield.

They hilariously wrote: 'Stunning... but can you have a word with @schofe about the polo necks please xxx'

The 55-year-old host looked dapper as he donned his signature turtlenecked jumper, stylishly teamed with a slick black suit.

Funny: While the majority of comments were centred on the Brighton native's beautiful ensemble, one fan poked fun at her co-presenter and close friend Phillip Schofield

All eyes on them! The 55-year-old host looked dapper as he donned his signature turtlenecked jumper, stylishly teamed with a slick black suit
Elsa Hosk wore a sexy bikini for a Solid & Striped Swim Team photo shoot in the Bahamas earlier this month.

But on Saturday the 29-year-old Swedish siren was all covered up for the chill of New York City.

The cover girl wore head-to-tie black leather as she went to an appointment with a friend.

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Far from bikini weather: Elsa Hosk was all covered up for the chill of NYC on Saturday

Tough look: The catwalk queen had on a black leather jacket with little studs as well as shiny black slacks with a zipper up the front

The catwalk queen had on a black leather jacket with little studs as well as shiny black slacks with a zipper up the front.

The head-turner also added black lace-up boots and a cap with black and grey material.

Underneath, she wore a cream colored sweater.

Details: The head-turner also added black lace-up boots and a cap with black and grey material

Pretty pal: Later she was seen walking in the rain with a female friend who also modeled a clever hat

And the star did not need an umbrella handler as she held her own black umbrella.

Later she was seen walking in the rain with a female friend who also modeled a clever hat.

Last week she posed in her dream bathing suit as part of their new campaign.

The results are riveting as the 5ft10in knockout crafted a clever black bikini with thin straps and high-waited briefs.

Model... and now designer: Hoskwas asked to design an item of clothing she was paid to model

A 10: The clever people at Solid & Striped Swim Team hired the 29-year-old Swedish siren to drum up her dream bathing suit as part of their new campaign

The star shared one of the images to her Instagram account with the caption: '#swimteam2018. The suits I designed for @solidandstriped is here.'

She is seen from the backside looking at the ocean in the image she selected.

'I wanted to create a suit inspired by 90s cotton underwear, that perfectly simple, chic and flattering suit you can always rely on,' explained the Vogue favorite.

Heating it up: The results are riveting as the 5ft10in knockout crafted a clever black bikini with thin straps and high-waited briefs

Proud of her work: The star shared one of the images to her Instagram account with the caption: '#swimteam2018. The suits I designed for @solidandstriped is here'

Work it: She is seen from the backside looking at the ocean in the image she selected. 'I wanted to create a suit inspired by 90s cotton underwear, that perfectly simple, chic and flattering suit you can always rely on,' explained the Vogue favorite

They went to the most beautiful place on earth: The breathtaking shoot was done on Harbor Island in the Bahamas

Top peeps: The team behind the stunning images are photographer Bjorn Iooss with Vogue vet and CR editor Carine Roitfeld doing the styling

Namaste in H2O: The Stockholm siren did some yoga moves in the tranquil water

The breathtaking shoot was done on Harbor Island in the Bahamas.

The team behind the stunning images are photographer Bjorn Iooss with Vogue vet and CR editor Carine Roitfeld doing the styling.

There were 12 other models that showed off the sporty swimwear.

The other team members include stars Lily Aldridge, Hailey Clauson, Jourdan Dunn, Hannah Ferguson, Isabeli Fontana, Toni Garrn, Jessica Hart, Eniko Mihalik, Carolyn Murphy, Barbara Palvin, Natasha Poly and Josephine Skriver.

Haute stuff in the surf: Josephine Skriver looked incredible in a white bikini she modeled for the Solid & Striped Swim Team

More to love: The ladies, who have worked for Sports Illustrated and Victoria's Secret, got to work on the designs

All pulling off their best Vogue moves: The team members include stars Lily Aldridge, Hailey Clauson, Jourdan Dunn, Hannah Ferguson, Isabeli Fontana, Toni Garrn, Jessica Hart, Hosk, Eniko Mihalik, Carolyn Murphy, Barbara Palvin, Natasha Poly and Skriver

Babe in the Bahamas: The ocean looked like a vast watery desert in this snap which was high on arty appeal

Solid & Striped's swimsuits is already a hit with models.

And now 13 of the top names have been asked to design her own swimsuit, whether it be a bikini or one-piece.

They used a variety of three colors: red, blue and white.

Australian sensation Hart said she had an inspiration when drumming up her unique red and blue design.

We Hart that: Australian sensation Jessica Hart said she had an inspiration when drumming up her unique red and blue design

Good choices, mate: 'I wanted it to have a vintage vibe, be wearable and comfortable. I think a high wasted brief is flattering on most figures and If I could only design one swimsuit I wanted it to be something that would appeal to more than one body type,' said the head-turner

They look like a very pretty Olympic team: All of the suits looked sporty as if the ladies could work out in them

'I wanted it to have a vintage vibe, be wearable and comfortable.

'I think a high wasted brief is flattering on most figures and If I could only design one swimsuit I wanted it to be something that would appeal to more than one body type.'

Solid & Striped founder Isaac Ross said he hopes to work on something group-oriented.

So he came up with the idea of a very gorgeous swim team, sort of like an all-female Baywatch squad.

'I wanted to work with women who had a perspective on bathing suits and had spent parts of their career modeling bathing suits and sort of reimagine the model/brand dynamic,' he told WWD.

'Usually we pay someone to model our bathing suits but I thought it would be interesting to have some of these women to create the perfect bathing suit for them.'

One-pieces are $168. Bikinis are $176 - that's $88 for a top and $88 for a bottom.

The collection launches February 6. The calendar will be available at solidandstriped.com for $98.
She recently sent fans raging as she accidentally revealed a cosy bedside snap of Ant McPartlin through a busty selfie, following dating predictions.

And Scarlett Moffatt garnered commentary from her followers in more ways than one on Saturday, as she shared another sensational image in her bedroom on Instagram, but this time, the picture with her co-host was not in sight.

Donning an oversized plaid shirt and skinny jeans, the stunning brunette, 27, boasted her gorgeous features as she enhanced her face in heavily lined eyes, sultry false lashes and a slash of red lipstick.

Refreshing your room? Scarlett Moffatt, 27 garnered commentary from her followers as the bedside pic of co-host Ant McPartlin was not in sight

Scarlett looked every inch the sensational doll as her brown tresses were curled to perfection.

Eagle-eyed fans pointed that there was a change to her bedroom aesthetic, as the framed image of her co-stars Ant and Dec with was not visible.

Taking to her social media account, fans commented: 'Changed the photo in the bedroom I see #instastory maybe it was a stunt after all.'

That's look different: Ant's picture was nowhere to be seen in Scarlett's latest bedroom selfie

Different: Eagle-eyed fans pointed that there was a change to her bedroom aesthetic, as the framed image of her co-stars Ant and Dec with was not visible

'Nice picture of Ant on your bedside!' The reality star sent fans wild with a sexy selfie as followers noticed a framed image of Ant following THOSE dating predictions

'The pic has been removed there was a pic frame side of the bed with a white paper covering it should of screen shot (sic)'.

' @scarlett_moffatt I like the way you have put white paper over the photo frame on the side of the bed was it the pic of you and ant just asking (sic)'.

Meanwhile Scarlett confirmed she is in the throes of a new romance with fitness model Lee Wilkinson, who she has reportedly known for ten years and has been dating since Christmas.

Captioned with a '#datenight', the former ASDA checkout operator appeared loved-up with her muscular companion for a intimate dinner.

Scarlett was clad in a thigh-skimming black dress which featured a plunging necklace - giving a peek at her busty cleavage.

New interest: Scarlett is said to be in the throes of a new romance with fitness model Lee Wilkinson, who she has reportedly known for ten years and has been dating since Christmas

New love: The Gogglebox star-turned-presenter seemed to confirm her reported romance with fitness model in a recent Instagram snap

Speaking of her reported new romance earlier this month, a source told The Sun that she hasn't been phased by the recent Ant speculation and is concentrating on her new flame.

Lee - who is also a successful model - is a student at a college in County Durham, where Scarlett used to live.

'She has always liked Lee but after making it in television and moving to London, Scarlett never expected to get together with him,' the source revealed.

It was continued: 'But after going back up north over the festive period they connected and have been in constant contact ever since.

'She is now living in the north again and it has enabled them to spend more time together, away from prying eyes,' it was continued.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for further comment.

'They are spending time away from prying eyes': Lee - who is a successful model - is a student at a college in County Durham, where Scarlett used to live

The star recently came under fire as she shared a snap which revealed a framed picture of her cuddled up to Ant and their shared co-star Declan Donnelly.

Scarlett was hoping to court attention with her very busty display but followers were much more interested in her cosy snap in the background.

'Look a picture of Scarlett and Ant in the background,' one fan wrote, leading the way on her social media post. Others remarked, 'If this is with Ant' as well as 'Ant be on the prowl tonight' (sic).

But Scarlett tried to dispel any rumours of romance when she revealed the picture was of her, Ant and Dec, although Dec seems to be partially cropped from the photo.

Is this the photo in question? She addressed the comments when she wrote the snap was 'of Ant and Dec and me dressed as Mary Poppins x'

'Nice pic of Ant on your bedside': The reality star hoped to court attention with her very busty display but followers were much more interested in her cosy snap in the background

The I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here winner addressed the comments when she wrote the snap was 'of Ant and Dec and me dressed as Mary Poppins x' (sic)

Despite dating predictions, Scarlett's firm friendship with Ant as well as Dec is no secret in the showbiz circuit.

The brunette beauty first struck up her close bond with the inseparable duo on their show Saturday Night Takeaway as well as her presenting stint for I'm A Celebrity's spin-off show Camp Extra.
There was precious little emotion on display at the end of McMafia  from James Nortons protagonist Alex Godman or the viewers I expect.

The finale was easy to enjoy but hard to take seriously and if Godman didnt seem to care a great deal about the type of man he had become then he and McMafias creators could hardly expect us to.

There was no sign of celebration or even relief from Godman when he won his war with ruthless Russian mobster Vadim Kalyagin: simultaneously the most predictable and improbable denouement possible.

Disappointing: There was precious little emotion on display at the end of McMafia  from James Nortons protagonist Alex Godman or the viewers I expect

Even though Godman had achieved his aim of destroying Vadim he was still negotiating deals that ensured huge amounts of heroin and cocaine would be safely smuggled into Europe.

I dont know who he is anymore, his irritating (ex)girlfriend Rebecca said, rolling off the cliches. I dont think he even knows himself.

That was one way of saying the character didnt really add up.

Indifferent: The finale was easy to enjoy but hard to take seriously and if Godman didnt seem to care a great deal about the type of man he had become then he and McMafias creators could hardly expect us to

How much better it would have been if Alex had been strangled, stabbed, or shot by Vadim (or all three, knowing him).

After all, settling feuds with violence was what Vadim did. By contrast, Godman was a hedge fund manager from the City and so hopelessly out of his depth he had chipped up in Moscow without a bodyguard let alone a gun, and just after Vadims daughter Natasha had been shot dead in a bungled attempt to assassinate Vadim ordered by Alexs father. Not great timing

Admittedly of the two Godman was the hero  or meant to be. But his moral compass was so corrupt, it mattered little to the audience and in any case was largely a hollow victory.

Lacklustre: There was no sign of celebration or even relief from Godman when he won his war with ruthless Russian mobster Vadim Kalyagin

Godman fired the shot that killed Vadim but if anything he was only putting him out of his misery. The hard part had been done by a hitman who had mown Vadim down with a sub-machine gun.

The previous episode with Alex on the plane heading for Moscow in blissful ignorance about Vadims daughter and his fathers assassin.

Their showdown was by delayed by three false alarms.

Godman was intercepted before hed even entered the country, pulled over at Passport Control, and put in a cell where he was greeted by Vadims lawyer/henchman Colonel Ilya Federova (still rocking a black polo neck, naturally).

Wheeling and dealing: Even though Godman had achieved his aim of destroying Vadim he was still negotiating deals that ensured huge amounts of heroin and cocaine would be safely smuggled into Europe

Im not sure what Im doing here, Godman stated with his trademark, stilted, simplicity, inexplicably oblivious to how much danger he was in taking on Kalyagin.

I also dont know what youre doing here! spat Federova in disbelief. Natasha was my Goddaughter! She had nothing to do with your feud.

Even when Godman heard what had happened to her, he reacted with virtually no emotion  as usual.

The chain of events from here either suggested Vadim wasnt quite as powerful and clinically efficient as we had been led to believe or simply didnt stack up.

Detained: Godman was intercepted before hed even entered the country, pulled over at Passport Control, and put in a cell

... where he was greeted by Vadims lawyer/henchman Colonel Ilya Federova (still rocking a black polo neck, naturally)

Even though Godman was in custody, with the complicity of the authorities, he was driven by two policemen (without being handcuffed) to a rendezvous with Vadim and his hitmen that Alex escaped when the dopey cops let him have a cigarette.

When Godman scurried into a Moscow subway station, Vadim and his henchmen lost him after an impressively tense chase scene whose purpose seemed to have been to use the brilliant location.

Vadims security was also (conveniently) slack as he emerged from his daughters funeral to be greeted by a blizzard of bullets.

This was intercut with shots of Alex Godman negotiating to take his enemys place.

Confused: Im not sure what Im doing here, Godman stated with his trademark, stilted, simplicity, inexplicably oblivious to how much danger he was in taking on Kalyagin

The symbolism wasnt subtle as Misha Glenny and the co-writers drove home the main theme: violent gangsters were being replaced by bankers/businessmen like Alex Godman in smart suits, sipping their water, conducting civilised meetings round stylish glass tables. Huge international drug deals were just another series of transactions and investments to be agreed.

The people I represent are looking to do business here worth $300 billion a year, Godman told the Russian contact provided by his father. If youd invested at the launch of my hedge fund youd have doubled your money. Investment with my associates would have given you a 5000% return over the same period.

Vadim was smuggling 300, 000 kilos of heroin into Russia a year, resulting in 50, 000 deaths.

Furious: I also dont know what youre doing here! spat Federova in disbelief. Natasha was my Goddaughter! She had nothing to do with your feud'

In exchange for a commission Godman was offering his backers protection for the product and assuring he could maximise profits and reduce such human costs.

The mafia culture is outdated. His methods are violent, inefficient and draw attention that doesnt reflect well on this country. He lets emotion get in the way of business, which isnt good for any of us.

Yes we get it.

His suggestion that the money they saved (and made) could be used to boost the Russian economy, build hospitals and schools was totally bogus, not to mention a poor imitation of Christopher Walkens gangster in King Of New York.

With the deal done Joseph drove Godman to Vadims safe-house to finish their war.

Flat: Even when Godman heard what had happened to her, he reacted with virtually no emotion  as usual

Your uncle would be so proud of you. Your father too, Vadim carped, slumped on the sofa bleeding.

Im sorry for what happened to your daughter, Alex said, without looking or sounding it.

How is your fiancee? Vadim pursued. Do you still love her? If you choose this life, if you want her to be safe, you have to give her up. Your family too. Everyone you love. You will be alone, every single day. Until someone comes to put you out of your misery.

He was clutching a photo of his daughter as Alex shot him. Godmans face was probably meant to indicate he was inwardly shaken but mostly he still mostly resembled a stunned fish.

That can't be right: Even though Godman was in custody, with the complicity of the authorities, he was driven by two policemen (without being handcuffed) to a rendezvous with Vadim and his hitmen that Alex escaped when the dopey cops let him have a cigarette

The fates of the other characters were considered worthy of only a quick montage.

Joseph and Yudmilla survived but were hardly loves young dream.

Alexs father tearfully doused his brother Boris grave with vodka.

Rebeccas creepy stalker Antonio Mendes had been hanging around like a bad smell when she was discharged from hospital but eventually put in his place by Godman  the new kingpin.

As for Godman, a visit to the tenement where he had grown up was presumably intended to indicate he still had a heart (somewhere). But this was followed by another business deal/drug deal with his suppliers for the deal - the Mexican cartel.

On the run: When Godman scurried into a Moscow subway station, Vadim and his henchmen lost him after an impressively tense chase scene whose purpose seemed to have been to use the brilliant location

Getting your product into Europe is the hardest part of your business, he told them. In return for an open door and protection for your shipments we want a 50% split of every consignment. Ill manage the sale and distribution of your product in any territories that dont conflict with your own. I work on your behalf not for you. I dont mean any disrespect. I simply think its the best way for all of us to make money.

Strictly business...

With the deal done as he swept out of the room (in slow motion), his phone rang.

Brutal: Vadims security was also (conveniently) slack as he emerged from his daughters funeral to be greeted by a blizzard of bullets

Nonplussed: I doubt many viewers will lose much sleep over Godman. He was bad enough as a banker. Now he was a banker making money from drug trafficking

His irritating girlfriend had returned to their mews flat and been tearfully looking through their photo albums before being unable to resist giving him another call.

But seeing her name on the screen Alex ignored it, seemingly heeding Vadims advice about how to lead his life as a pioneer in the new breed of international drug-dealers/bankers.

The swell of sad violins and his ashen face suggested Godman knew he had finally, totally, become the thing he hated and that somehow we were meant to feel sorry for him.

I doubt many viewers will lose much sleep over him though. He was bad enough as a banker.

Now he was a banker making money from drug trafficking.
Amy Schumer has tried to keep her relationship with beau of several months, Chris Fischer, quiet.

But that changed on Saturday evening when the 36-year-old star shared a kissing photo to Instagram that was taken at Ellen DeGeneres' 60th birthday party.

Also at the bash were Kim Kardashian with Kanye West and Chrissy Teigen with John Legend.

Sealed with a smooch: Amy Schumer kissed Chris Fischer on Saturday evening at Ellen DeGeneres' 60th birthday party in LA

Still in love: Schumer with Fischer on Thursday the lovebirds were spied leaving a building in Beverly Hills side by side

On Thursday the lovebirds were spied leaving a building in Beverly Hills side by side.

The funny lady was makeup free and appeared to have just left a workout session when she was seen with the dashing man.

Amy wore a maroon T-shirt as she held her black fuzzy dog. Chris was equally as casual.

That same day she was at the dentist, which she wrote about on Instagram. 'Just got photographed leaving the dentist. Left side full of Novocain! #ifeelpretty,' she said.

The A list: Also at the bash were Kim Kardashian with Kanye West and Chrissy Teigen with John Legend

The Snatched movie star and the chef-turned-farmer were last seen arriving at NBC Studios in New York City to watch Saturday Night Live in January.

They were also there to support friend Jessica Chastain who was on the show.

Amy had a big smile while wearing a vintage Eazy-E T-shirt.

The Trainwreck star added a blue cardigan and slacks as she led the way inside, followed by her boyfriend. Knee-high boots added an edge.

The food doctor had on a grey shirt over a blue T-shirt with dark jeans and brown boots. He failed to crack a smile as he held on to his cell phone.

Pain: That same day she was at the dentist, which she wrote about on Instagram

In November the actress was photographed on a romantic date with 37-year-old Fischer, who is reported to be her assistant's brother.

The two sipped glasses of wine and chatted intently, gazing into one another's eyes as they enjoyed a cozy night.

Fischer is the first man Amy has dated since she split from Ben Hanisch in May after 18 months.

NEW! Also on Thursday the first trailer for Amy's movie I Feel Pretty was released

Sexy Schumer: In the clip she can be seen playing the seductress

The comedienne previously admitted Ben - who she met on a dating app - was the perfect man for her as he wasn't phased by her celebrity status.

That's something that Fischer - a good friend of Jake Gyllenhaal - should also be able to handle.

And like furniture maker Ben, it seems Amy's new man is good with his hands.

Ouch: The comedy is about an insecure woman who thinks she's a supermodel after falling and hitting her head during a spinning session

Hmmm: Amy is supposed to be a less attractive girl in the movie, but in this scene she looks to be in great shape

Having made a name for himself at Mario Batali's upmarket Babbo in Manhattan and the famed River Cafe in London, Chris gave up his city life to take over the family farm in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

He wrote his critically acclaimed Beetlebung Farm Cookbook while working at New England farm-to-table restaurant Beach Plum, named as a favorite of Barack and Michelle Obama in 2013.

Chris took over Beetlebung in 2010 from his aunt Marie and his grandmother, who still owns the farm at the age of 102.

According to his website, Ben's grandparents Regina and Ozzie founded the five-acre Beetlebung Farm in 1961.

The two raised their four children there while farming cows, and growing vegetables and flowers they sold on a farm stand.

His Instagram feed shows his idyllic life, featuring plenty of moody shots of the countryside, beautifully plated vegetable-rich meals, and family photos.

Vogue model? The star also meets with Naomi Campbell and Michelle Williams to talk about possibly modeling

She made the cut: Lauren Hutton, a supermodel from the 1970s, was also in the film

And Chris sure seems to be living the good life. In an interview last year he talked of his annual Thanksgiving celebration with friends.

'Its a whole day spent cooking and takes a big effort to clean up the next day, but this work adds seasoning to our appetites,' he said. 'The festivities are always great with friends huddling around the fires to stay warm deep into the night, and as usual, I was too busy hosting and organizing to eat a proper meal on the night of the party.

'This year, I took home the tender boiled meats and ate them alone in my living room the following night, in front of my fire, having said goodbye to all those who made the trip.'

Another role for her: Model Emily Ratajkowski also was seen in the clip

Also on Thursday the first trailer for Amy's movie I Feel Pretty was released.

The comedy is about an insecure woman who thinks she's a supermodel after falling and hitting her head during a spinning session.

Amy looked fantastic as she danced around on stage, not only twerking but also throwing beer on her chest.

Amy is supposed to be a less attractive girl in the movie, but in this scene she looks to be in great shape.

At one point she shows off abs as she does her moves in a white top and red shorts.

The clip begins with her saying in voice over that only the pretty girls get noticed.

Mark your calendar: I Feel Pretty is set for theaters June 29, 2018

She is seen being blown off by bartenders in a bar then talking to her pals about how more simple girls do not get ahead.

Then she is spinning in a class. That's when she falls and hits her head. She comes to and looks in the mirror.

Obviously something shifted in her brain because now she thinks she looks like a supermodel, like a Kendall Jenner or Gigi Hadid.

Next Amy is seen in a mini skirt strutting into an office building as she displays her new confidence.

The star also meets with Naomi Campbell and Michelle Williams to talk about possibly modeling.

Along the way she also talks to Emily Ratajkowski.

And when a man asks for her number in line as she picks up her dry cleaning she thinks he is asking for her phone number.

The message of the movie seems to be it's not what you look like but rather how confident you are.

I Feel Pretty is set for theaters June 29, 2018.
Labor has rejected claims it is destabilising Australia's investment attractiveness through its scepticism of the controversial Adani Queensland coal mine.

Adani Australia chief executive Jayakumar Janakaraj told The Weekend Australian Labor's attacks on the project had cast doubt on Australia's ability to remain an attractive destination for capital.

Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek says none of Labor's criticism should harm Australia as an investment destination.

"It is a bit rich for a company who originally said that they didn't need taxpayer support for this project to go ahead and then five minutes later stuck their hand out for a $1 billion loan to be talking about whether we're an attractive investment destination," she told ABC TV on Sunday.

"We have every right as a nation to say we'll make decisions in our own best interests, in the best interests of our economy and our environment."

The $1 billion loan Adani had hoped to get to build a railway from the mine to its Abbott Point port won't be forthcoming after the Queensland government vowed to veto it.

And the project was dealt another blow on Friday when rail operator Aurizon withdrew its plans to build a freight line.

Ms Plibersek backed leader Bill Shorten's strident questioning of whether the jobs promised by Adani would eventuate, saying the company had "overinflated" their numbers.

'We do need to answer questions about jobs in central and northern Queensland but we also need to make sensible decisions about this project and really answer whether it stacks up environmentally and economically."

She denied Labor's increased vocalness about the massive mine in Queensland's Galilee Basin was prompted by its battle against the Greens in the by-election in inner-Melbourne seat of Batman.
The Closing the Gap strategy has failed to achieve many of the outcomes set a decade ago, Ken Wyatt concedes, although he insists there have been some wins for indigenous Australians.

In the Kimberley vaccinations are at 100 per cent, says the minister for indigenous health.

"Where in the country has that?" he said on Sky News on Sunday.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will hand down the 10th annual report card on the strategy on Monday amid expectations it will again show slow progress.

Mr Wyatt believes there are a number of reasons for this, including the way services are delivered by the state and territory governments from the funding provided by the commonwealth.

"There has been a change of government since the original signing of the agreement and new people always bring a different perspective," he added.

Labor's indigenous affairs spokesman Pat Dodson believes the problem is a lack of funding commitment and ten years was too long before reporting back.

"It could have been done earlier, it should have been done earlier," the indigenous senator told Sky News.

Mr Wyatt said it was difficult to ensure funding ends up with the frontline services.

"If it is going to administration then it means is not getting the impact on the ground which is where we need it," he said.

Senator Dodson agreed, adding indigenous people want to be part of the way services are delivered.

"There is a serious question of trust by the first nation's peoples ... because they don't feel they are getting a fair say," he said.

He said the government badly handled its response to the Uluru statement, which called for an indigenous voice in the parliament.

Both MPs said acting on indigenous disadvantage was more important that changing the date of Australia Day.

"It's a question of how do we bring justice to indigenous peoples of this nation," Senator Dodson said, adding there would always be contention around symbolic dates.

"Even changing Australia Day is not going to change what happens to our people at the community level or to families," Mr Wyatt added.
Sixteen militants have been killed and four arrested in northern and central Sinai in a massive anti-terrorism operation waged by military and security forces, Egypt's army said on Sunday, in the first announcement of casualties since the campaign was launched two days ago.

Thirty other suspects have been captured and 66 targets, 4x4 vehicles, motorbikes and arms caches used by militants were destroyed in extensive raids in the border region, the military said in its statement.

Operation Sinai 2018 was launched on Friday morning, involving land, naval and air forces, as well as the police and border guards, targeting "terrorist and criminal elements and organizations" in northern and central Sinai, as well as parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert.

"The air force targeted and destroyed 66 targets used by terrorist elements to hide from air and artillery attacks, and to escape from their bases during raids," the statement said.

"Sixteen militants have been killed," it added.

Egypt has for years been battling an Islamist militancy based in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula that mainly targets security forces. The army said it has killed hundreds of militants in military operations there.

Sunday's statement said that security forces also uncovered and destroyed a media centre with computers, wireless communication equipment, books and documents related to jihadi ideology. In addition, six farms used to grow illegal narcotics were found and destroyed.

Naval units from a Mistral helicopter carrier have continued to comb the coast of Arish, the capital of North Sinai governorate, while police and coast guards intensified security measures and patrols, including in Egypt's southern desert and through mountainous paths along the southern and western borders, to "thwart any attempt to sneak through international borders."

In late November, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sis ordered the military to defeat terrorists in North Sinai within three months, a deadline that will expire at the end of February. He authorized chief of staff Mohamed Hegazy to use "brute force."

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The "devastated" family of a NSW inmate who died in Silverwater maximum security prison has demanded answers as to why better security measures weren't in place.

Corrective Services and NSW Police have launched an investigation after Alfredo Pengue, 54, was found unconscious by guards on Friday afternoon following reports he had been bashed by another inmate.

"His family await answers as to how his death occurred and why better security measures were not in place at Silverwater MRRC (Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre)," Mr Pengue's family said in a statement through their lawyer Diane Elston.
A group of 22 refugees are on their way from Nauru to the United States where they will be resettled.

The 21 men and one woman - from Afghanistan, Pakistan and as well as stateless Rohingya refugees - will fly from Nauru airport to Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, refugee advocate Ian Rintoul says.

They make up the second group to depart the island and are among some 130 refugees who will leave Nauru this month under Australia's resettlement deal with the US.
Eighty great white sharks have been caught and tagged over five months during a trial of drum lines on NSW coasts and researchers say most swim away from beaches as a result.

The sharks, which were up to four metres long, were caught after 10 drum lines were placed between Coffs Harbour and Sawtell along with Foster and Tuncurry.

The trial finishes on Tuesday, however drum lines on the far north coast will remain until a similar trial there finishes.

Across NSW 320 white, bull and tiger sharks have been tagged and Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair says the trial has provided invaluable insight for scientists.

"We want to make sure we are continually testing the science, trialling world-first technology, while keeping our local communities part of the conversation," he said in a statement.

The trial has shown animals can be caught and released with minimal negative impacts.

"The movement of tagged sharks away from the coast after release reduces risk over the following days and weeks," the department said.

"Satellite tag data has shown that they mostly move offshore after release for extended periods."

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the government was pleased with the trial.

"The new technology is saving lives, but also now we see evidence that it's actually preventing or deterring sharks from even coming close to those areas," she told reporters in Sydney.

"If we can protect the environment but more importantly protect lives, of course we will look at those opportunities."
Melbourne City have reached the W-League decider at the expense of premiers Brisbane Roar after a 2-0 semi-final win on Sunday.

Former Roar midfielder Aivi Luik came back to haunt her old club, breaking a tense deadlock in the 66rd minute with a long-range effort that deflected off Brisbane skipper Clare Polkinghorne's shoulder.

Jess Fishlock added another six minutes later, the veteran Welsh international's shot passing through the outstretched gloves of Mackenzie Arnold to silence a stunned crowd at Perry Park.

It was a rich reward for City and a harsh but fitting punishment for the Roar, who had numerous chances but simply weren't clinical enough to finish them.

However, they had what looked a strong penalty claim turned down six minutes out from the break after Matildas attacker Hayley Raso was clattered by Luik.

Having not conceded a single goal against City all season, the two strikes brought an abrupt end to Brisbane's season and shattered their hopes of capturing the W-League double.

They rallied to find a way back into the match and nearly pegged one back in the 77th minute through substitute Abbey Lloyd.

Her headed attempt on goal rattled the crossbar and bounced straight down, but didn't cross the line.

Two-time reigning champions City, who finished fourth on the ladder, will now face Sydney in next Sunday's grand final having won it from the same position last season.

They can make history by repeating that feat as no team has ever won the W-League grand final three years in a row.

Drinks breaks were taken in both halves on a 34-degree scorcher in Brisbane, which tested the resolve of players and the 3870 in attendance.

The conditions clearly took their toll, with the first stanza an enthralling end-to-end affair dominated by the Roar.

But when it slowed down in the second half, City's big guns relished in the extra space.
Victorian parents would be able to obtain photos of serious sex offenders in their neighbourhood under a policy proposed by the state's opposition.

The radical coalition plan would allow concerned parents to apply to an official body to see photographs and other details of high-risk sex offenders living in their area.

"This policy is about protecting Victorians from the worst of the worst sex offenders," Opposition Leader Matthew Guy told Seven Network on Sunday.

"I think Victorians have a right to know if those people are living in their suburb."

Under the proposal, parents will be able to apply for details of nearby sex offenders as well as details of certain known offenders, Seven reports.

There will reportedly be heavy penalties for anyone who republishes the photos or takes vigilante action against offenders.

The state government said sweeping reforms had already been made in this area to keep Victorians safe, following the Harper Review into managing serious sex offenders.

But it said if police believed such a policy would improve community safety, then it would be examined with them.

"As we have always said, we will give Victoria Police whatever powers and resources they need to keep Victorians safe," a government spokesperson said in a statement.
Best-selling children's author Morris Gleitzman wants parents to turn off Netflix and start spending more time reading aloud to their kids.

As Australia's new Children's Laureate, Gleitzman plans to devote as much time as possible over the next two years "pestering" parents about the importance of reading to their children.

"Yes, you can sit down and watch a series on Netflix together, but reading to somebody else is a more intimate thing than even sharing those wonderful Netflix series," he told AAP.

"I will be recommending that to one and all."

The author behind the popular Felix series and titles including Boy Overboard and Two Weeks with the Queen will this week take up his prestigious new role, which was created in 2008 by the Australian Children's Literature Alliance and has previously been bestowed on authors including Leigh Hobbs and Alison Lester.

Gleitzman sees himself as an ambassador for stories and their characters, and as Laureate wants to remind adults and policy makers of the vital role they play in a child's development.

As a parent he understands the relief when a child is able to read by themselves, but also warns that's no reason to stop reading aloud to them.

"Good stories make us want to, once we finish the reading, to talk about what we've just read," he said.

"This is particularly true of middle and upper primary kids.

"If the adults in their life are able to make time to have these conversations, that's brilliant, but if as part of that they can share some of the reading of the books that's absolutely wonderful."

Gleitzman, whose books are sold in 20 countries, believes stories are key to children developing their confidence, determination and problem-solving skills - all qualities that can help them as they become grown-ups.

"Stories time and again show a process where a character finds himself trying to solve or at least survive a problem that at first seems insurmountable but they've got no choice," he said.

"So they go through a process of learning to work out what the problem is and what might be causing it, making new friendships if they need to to confront the problem, and realising that those problem-solving strategies almost never work immediately."

Gleitzman plans visiting education policy makers in Canberra to share his views on the importance of making enough resources and support available so all children become proficient and enthusiastic readers, particularly those having difficulties.

An international study released last December showed that while the reading skills of Year 4 students in Australia had improved, there's been little change in the number of kids who are struggling.

Gleitzman doesn't believe there's a "magic bullet" to fix the problem, but believes the answer lies in having education policies that prioritise the importance of reading stories along with teaching methods such as phonics.
It's been a decade since the nation embarked on its Closing the Gap strategy but the country still has work to do to improve the lives of indigenous Australians.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will hand down the 10th annual report on the strategy on Monday and its expected to reveal the most promising results since 2011.

But it will show the nation is on track to achieve only three of the seven targets set for closing the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

The aim to halve the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children by 2018 is back on track, having dropped 33 per cent since the plan began.

Indigenous education outcomes are also improving, with targets for early childhood enrolments and Year 12 completion both set to be met.

But the Close the Gap targets for life expectancy, employment, reading and numeracy, and school attendance are not being met.

Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt believes all levels of government, along with all members of the community, must work together if Australia is to close the gap.

"If we are to make a true and lasting difference, it has to be about doing it together at the community level," he said.

"We have to think about our roles and our responsibilities not only as governments, but also as individuals, as family members and our communities."
Tasmania's opposition leader has hit out at the Liberal party's re-election health pitch, saying the funding is back-ended.

Premier Will Hodgman on Sunday announced a Liberal government would put an extra $757 million into the state's health system over the next six years, if returned to power at a March 3 poll.

He said 298 new hospital beds would be created across the state, including 250 more at the Royal Hobart Hospital once the rebuild is finished next year.

An extra 1332 new full-time equivalent staff would be employed in the hospitals and health system.

"It is the biggest ever boost to health care in the state's history," Mr Hodgman told several hundred Liberal faithful during the party's official campaign launch at an aircraft hangar north of Hobart.

But Opposition Leader Rebecca White, who has declared health her party's top priority, labelled the plan a "con job".

Labor has pledged $560 million over six-years to fix the state's health "crisis".

"So much of what the Liberals are promising won't be delivered unless they win a third term in government," Ms White said.

"The bulk of the additional $560 million we have committed to the health and hospital system will be spent in the first two years of a Labor government.

"The Liberals are treating the public with contempt by back-ending their funding promises."
Bill Shorten will pledge to compensate survivors of the Stolen Generation in the nation's two territories, who have slipped through the cracks in the decade since the National Apology.

"They are still waiting for saying sorry to be matched by making-good" Mr Shorten will say in a statement to parliament on Monday.

He will also recognise the 10th anniversary of the Closing the Gap strategy by announcing a $10 million commitment to a National Healing Fund in recognition of the inter-generational effects of forced removal.

Mr Shorten says the apology given by former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd was more than a set of well-chosen words.

"It was not just an expression of sorrow or regret but a declaration of intent, a promise for action," he will say.

He says in the past 10-years, state Labor and Liberal governments - apart from Victoria - have established different forms of compensation for members of the Stolen Generations.

He said while these schemes are not perfect, first Australians in the Northern Territory and the Koori people of the ACT and Jervis Bay - which are the responsibility of the Commonwealth - have not received any financial compensation whatsoever.

Under the new plan, around 150 survivors of the Stolen Generation will receive an ex gratia payment of $75,000 as well as a one-off payment of $7000 to ensure the costs of a funeral are covered.

The National Healing Fund will be administered by the Healing Foundation, an indigenous-run organisation that supports the ongoing needs of the Stolen Generations with services such as counselling, family reunion, return to country and support for elderly survivors.

A Shorten government will also convene a National Summit on First Nations Children in its first 100 days, bringing together governments and experts to determine the different factors that lead to child removal and work on solutions to reduce the rates of out-of-home care.

In 2017, more than 17,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were living in out-of-home care compared with about 9000 a decade ago.
Brothers-in-law Tai Tuivasa and Tyson Pedro are crying foul after they missed out on bonuses during UFC 221 at Perth Arena.

Former Sydney Roosters junior Tuivasa performed Daniel Ricciardo's trademark "shoey" celebration on Sunday after winning his heavyweight showdown against Frenchman Cyril Asker.

Tuivasa, who has a young son with Pedro's sister, unleashed a series of powerful punches to win his bout by TKO in the first round.

Pedro also won in the first round, pulling off a stunning kimura submission to beat Russian Saparbek Safarov in their light heavyweight bout.

A kimura is a double-joint arm lock that applies painful pressure on the opponent's shoulder and is difficult to escape.

Before Sunday's UFC fight, Tuivasa and Pedro vowed to each win one of the $50,000 bonuses on offer.

The two fighters involved in the UFC fight of the night win $50,000 each, while another two bonuses of $50,000 are handed out for top performers.

Tuivasa and Pedro were overlooked for everything, leaving the pair to have a tongue-in-cheek vent afterwards.

"Who chooses the bonuses?" Pedro asked.

"I'm actually burning about that. Are you not entertained? What more do you what?"

Tuivasa, who skolled alcohol from a sneaker after his win, was also stunned to miss out on a bonus.

"I should have got 50k just for the shoey," Tuivasa said.

"I think we both should have got performance of the night.

"Old mate (Pedro) nearly ripped someone's arm off and I elbowed old bud back to France.

"And nothing. Now I've got to go home and cry all night."

Tuivasa (9-0) is fast becoming a cult favourite among fans, with his ruthless knockout displays making for entertaining viewing.

The 24-year-old nicknamed "Bam Bam" lamented that some heavyweight bouts had become too cat-and-mouse because of a fear of losing.

"There's heavyweights fighting for all three rounds (of three-round fights). I think it's boring," he said.

"What happened to the days of going out there and giving what the people want to see - some blood and the rest of it.

"But I suppose everyone doesn't want to get a one (loss) on their record.

"But I don't really care. I want to go out there and put on a show for the crowds."

Cuban Yoel Romero knocked out American Luke Rockhold in the main event middleweight battle on Sunday.

Both fighters were taken to hospital afterwards, with Romero battling a leg injury and Rockhold concussed.

A crowd of 12,437 attended the fight and UFC senior vice-president David Shaw said Perth was in line to get more UFC bouts in the future.
Egypt's Salafi Call, a group of ultra-orthodox Salafi Muslims, said it is backing Egypt's army it its battle against terrorism, two days after a major counterterrorism operation focused on Sinai was launched.



"The Salafi Call, like all the Egyptian people, stands behind its army in its war on terrorism, and prays to God to help it [the military] prevent [terrorists] from corrupting the land," the group said in a statement late on Saturday.



On Friday, Egypt launched Operation Sinai 2018, involving land, naval and air forces, as well as the police and border guards, targeting "terrorist and criminal elements and organizations" in northern and central Sinai, as well as parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert.



The Salafi Call, the parent organisation of Egypt's Salafist Nour Party, said terrorism in Egypt has become more dangerous than at any previous time and the threat is increasing. The Nour Party currently has 12 members in the Egyptian parliament.



It said many foreign countries have their eyes set on Sinai, claiming that terrorists carry out attacks in Sinai with "technological backing from intelligence [services] of countries hostile to Egypt."



"Egypt has for decades suffered from a variety of terrorist attacks, but terrorism in recent years has taken a very dangerous turn," targeting all Egyptians, including the army and police, as well as churches, to provoke sedition between Muslims and Christians, and even mosques, the group said in its statement.



The group, which has been involved in preaching, said militants have paid no heed to its "advice or guidance" against conducting attacks.



It referred to a November attack on a mosque in North Sinai that killed more than 300 worshippers, the deadliest such attack in Egypt's modern history, as well as the 2015 killing by militants of Nour Party leader Mostafa Abdel Rahman, secertary of the party in Arish, who was shot by unidentified gunmen.

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Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is on her way to the Middle East for talks with global leaders about defeating terror group Islamic State.

Ms Bishop will travel to Kuwait for a meeting with other foreign ministers over continuing plans to stop IS, following the group's military collapse in Iraq and Syria.

"(The meeting) is expected to consider continuing efforts to counter ISIL's destructive narrative and its global reach, including into our region," she said in a statement.

The meeting from February 12-14 will be co-chaired by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah.

Iraq declared victory over IS in December, having taken back all the territory captured by the militants, while Syria's army declared victory over the group in November.

While in Kuwait, Ms Bishop will also take part in an international conference on rebuilding Iraq.

She will highlight Australia's efforts in alleviating humanitarian suffering in the war-torn nation.

The Australian government has provided $613 million in response to the Iraq and Syria crises since 2011.

The visit will be Ms Bishop's first trip to Kuwait as foreign minister.
NSW residents near a bush fire outside Orange have spent the night on alert after the blaze flared.

The NSW Rural Fire Service said 100 firefighters were working on the blaze in the evening, however the threat was downgraded to "advice" level late on Sunday.

The officers were supported by a number of water-bombing aircraft and said westerly winds were pushing the fire in an easterly direction at Mount Canobolas.

The fire was about 730 hectares in size as crews continued to monitor it overnight.
Jason Day has left himself an uphill battle on his final round back nine to claim a maiden victory at the Pebble Beach Pro Am.

A sloppy bogey at the par-4 ninth leaves the Australian world No.10 at 13 under and four shots back of journeyman leader Ted Potter Jr.

The American, ranked 246th in the world, picked up three shots through his opening eight holes to set the early pace at 17 under.

Chez Reavie is two shots back at 15 under, while world No.1 Dustin Johnson and Troy Merritt lurk at 14 under.

Day made three birdies on his front side but missed several short putts for birdie and dropped shots at the par-3 fifth and another before making the turn.

The former world No.1 shares fifth with world No.2 Jon Rahm and Kevin Streelman.

Potter Jr is coming off a 62 in the third round, during which he flirted with a 59 at the easier Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth climbed to eight under but with nine holes remaining is unlikely to threaten the leaders.

Meanwhile, Rod Pampling has picked up a shot on Sunday to be next best of the Australians at four under while countryman Aaron Baddeley has dropped a shot on his round to be three under.
A man in his 20s has died and another man suffered serious injuries in a three-car smash in the NSW Hunter region.

The driver of a Toyota Camry died at the scene, while his female passenger escaped with minor injuries when their car and two others crashed on the New England Highway at Aberdeen about midnight on Sunday, police said.

The 26-year-old driver of the second vehicle suffered serious injuries to his legs and was taken to John Hunter Hospital, with one of his two dogs taken to a nearby vet.

The occupants of a third vehicle escaped unharmed, and police have established a crime scene as the investigation continues.
At Alexander Wang hair was swept back by banana clips, skirts short, tights black sheer and eyes hidden behind dark glasses

Alexander Wang, the designer who embodies the downtown New York cool so beloved of off-duty models, and Philipp Plein offered contrasting perspectives on the point of Fashion Week Saturday. Is it about the clothes or the mother of all stunts?

For Wang, the US wunderkind and ex-creative director of Balenciaga, the clothes spoke for themselves, giving fall/winter 2018 an ode to power dressing and the working woman in his trademark black.

His models, including Kaia Gerber, powered out under strip lighting on an office-cubicle set -- the kind of dull grey space that no one who can afford his clothes would ever get paid enough to work in.

For his final shebang before going off piste and showing in June and December, outside the traditional Fashion Week calendar, Wang's woman is very much post-#MeToo and the sexual harassment watershed.

She is no nonsense, zipped up and dressed for business, predominately kitted out in leather, and a sprinkling of hot pink -- the same color of the hats worn by women marching against the Trump administration.

Hair was swept back by banana clips, skirts short, tights black sheer and eyes hidden behind dark glasses. Silver studs covered backpacks and gloves, almost like armor.

There was little cleavage, but high necklines, sporty anoraks and digital bank account-style numbers printed onto leggings.

Wang did a victory lap of the runway at the end, his long dark hair flying, grinning from ear to ear and blowing a kiss to the audience.

- Space ship -

"The business model needs to change because the consumer has changed," Stephanie Horton, chief strategy officer at the label has said of the forthcoming timetable switch that some expect to catch on.

But for Plein, the so-called bad boy of fashion whose flamboyance, bling and flashiness has had the style establishment up in arms, the point is the experience, the buzz and the chaos.

Wang's woman is very much post-#MeToo and the sexual harassment watershed

The German-born, Swiss-based designer put on a futuristic display at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, fake snow falling from the ceiling and coating his guests, many of whom were soaked by heavy rain and infuriated by bouncers' seemingly chaotic policy on opening the doors.

Known for his extravagant staging, the show kicked off an hour late with hip hop trio Migos, Plein-branded snow mobiles roaring on the runway, a smoke-spewing, deafeningly loud space ship coming down to land and a Transformers-style robot walking hand in hand with a cat-suited model.

The backdrop was aluminum-foil style mountains, the room bathed in blue light and the music anything from hip hop and body-jarring thumping bass to Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me To The Moon."

His models wore skin-tight ski suits and giant knee-high fur boots, kicking up the fake snow with pink hair and silver teddy bear bags, while his men wore Philipp Plein-emblazoned leather jackets and Playboy hoodies.

At the end the models danced under the red strobe lighting of the make-believe space ship, writhing in aluminum colored puffer pants, sequined tracksuits and fur coats with transparent overlay.

"In fashion, we're all playing with the same weapons," the 39-year-old designer told BBC News in an interview.

- 'Black cowboy' -

"The difference is brand positioning and imaging," he added. "People in the luxury fashion industry buy brands, and when you buy a brand you buy a dream, an emotion, a name."

Other highlights saw designer Kerby Jean-Raymond, known for his political approach to fashion, debut his Pyer Moss collaboration with Reebok by paying homage to black cowboys and the history of minorities.

"What I wanted to do is start talking about subcultures of America, different people who were left out," the 30-year-old told AFP.

"We started," he explained, with "the story of the American cowboy, which was rewritten and whitewashed. But the original cowboy was a black man," he added.

Model Ashley Graham (C) walks the runway at the Christian Siriano fashion show during New York Fashion Week

Christian Siriano, a plus-size diversity advocate and red carpet designer who has dressed Hollywood and Michelle Obama, celebrated 10 years in the business with Whoopi Goldberg and Meg Ryan front row.

It was a collection that showcased diversity in all shapes, sizes and colors under a theme dubbed the "ultimate royal dinner party."

Men, women and trans models walked the red carpeted runway at the hallowed environs of New York's Masonic Hall for the London-trained designer's collection inspired by late 18th century British art.

"It isn't such a serious thing. Getting dressed should be a fun thing in the morning," he told Fashionista.com.
UN workers monitor the Israel-Syria border in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday called for an immediate de-escalation in Syria after Israel carried out raids inside the war-torn country.

Guterres is "following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Israel targeted what it said were Iranian positions inside Syria after one of its warplanes was hit by Syrian air defences and crashed.

The Israeli raids came after it intercepted what it said was an Iranian drone entering its airspace.

Guterres stressed that all concerned in Syria and in the region must abide by international law.

"He calls on all to work for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence and exercise restraint," Dujarric said.

It was the most serious confrontation between Iran and Israel since Syria's war began in 2011 and came amid growing alarm over Syrian government offensives against rebel-held Eastern Ghouta and Idlib.

The Syrian people are suffering "though one of the most violent periods in nearly seven years of conflict," said the UN statement.

"Over 1,000 civilian casualties from airstrikes were reported in the first week of February alone."

Guterres urged the parties to move quickly toward a political solution to end the war.

Israel's Ambassador Danny Danon called on the Security Council "to condemn this dangerous act and to put an immediate end to Iranian provocations."

Diplomats, however, said there were no immediate plans to convene a council meeting despite the sharp rise in tensions.

The council is due to discuss the crisis in Syria on Wednesday.
Two Ohio police officers were shot and killed while responding to an emergency call during a possible domestic violence incident Saturday, authorities said.

Officers Anthony Morelli, 54, and Eric Joering, 39, were "immediately met with gunfire" when they arrived around noon at an apartment in Westerville, Police Chief Joe Morbitzer told reporters.

Morelli had served on the force for 29 years, while Joering had been with Westerville police for 16 years.

The officers responded after police received a 911 call and the caller hung up.

"These were two of the best we have. This was their calling, and they did it right," Morbitzer said, choking back tears.

A procession was held in honor of the fallen officers.

The suspect, who was wounded and taken to a local hospital, is now in police custody. Police did not immediately confirm the suspect's condition.

The incident prompted President Donald Trump to share his condolences on Twitter.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers, their families, and everybody at the @WestervillePD," he wrote.

Ohio Governor John Kasich, who calls Westerville his home town, said the officers' "deaths are a terrible tragedy for my hometown of Westerville and all of Ohio."
Militants have reacted violently to the increased airstrikes, launching attacks across the war-torn country

Fighting in Afghanistan has escalated with US and Afghan officials tipping 2018 to be a "game-changer" as relentless airstrikes pummel Islamist militant groups -- but others warn the 16-year war has simply become a more violent stalemate.

A traditional easing in fighting during the freezing winter months has been absent this year as the Taliban and Islamic State group respond to intensifying US and Afghan air assaults.

Since US President Donald Trump announced his new strategy for Afghanistan in August, giving the US Air Force more leeway to go after militants, American pilots have been bombarding Taliban and IS fighters, their training camps and drug-making laboratories.

"The gloves are off," Brigadier General Lance Bunch, who directs future air operations in Afghanistan, told reporters recently.

The new policy has "definitely been a game-changer and the Taliban is definitely feeling it", he added.

The US is deploying more troops and aircraft to Afghanistan, which has become the main theatre of operations for the US Air Force following a drawdown in Syria and Iraq. At the same time it is beefing up Afghanistan's fledgling air capabilities.

US aircraft dropped 4,361 munitions across the country in 2017 -- including more than 2,300 since August, which exceeded the combined total for 2015 and 2016.

With the help of huge B-52 bombers, the US has expanded its campaign to far northeastern Afghanistan near the China and Tajikistan borders where it is also targeting the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which neighbouring China blames for launching attacks on its soil.

"The days of old where you had fighting seasons are gone," Major General James Hecker, head of NATO's Air Command in Afghanistan, told AFP in Kabul last week.

- 'Point of no return' -

Militants have reacted violently to the increased airstrikes, launching a wave of deadly attacks across the war-torn country, including in Kabul, in a devastating display of defiance.

The Taliban, by far Afghanistan's biggest militant group, claimed 472 attacks last month alone, the Washington, DC-based terrorism research group TRAC said, describing the number as "unprecedented" for January.

Combined with increased activity by relative newcomers IS, which has been expanding beyond its eastern stronghold, the country appeared to be "at a flashpoint almost to the point of no return", TRAC warned in a new report.

The escalation of the conflict foreshadows a "particularly bloody year", Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center in Washington, DC told AFP, forecasting more Afghan and US casualties.

Afghanistan's so-called "fighting season" traditionally starts in the spring before easing over the winter when freezing temperatures and heavy snow make combat more difficult.

But in recent years Taliban militants have continued to carry out attacks throughout the colder months.

This winter has been worse than ever, Borhan Osman, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, said in a report.

"Afghanistan is suffering more intense violence now than during any other winter... since 2001," Osman said, highlighting last month's attacks in the Afghan capital that killed more than 130 people in less than 10 days.

- 'Escalating stalemate' -

Among the worst of the attacks was an assault on Kabul's luxury Intercontinental Hotel on January 20, a terrifying hours-long ordeal which saw Taliban insurgents armed with Kalashnikovs and suicide vests charge from room to room searching for foreigners.

That was followed a week later by a devastating bombing involving an explosives-packed ambulance in a crowded street that killed more than 100 people, mostly civilians, and also claimed by the Taliban.

"This looks like a mutually escalating stalemate" as both sides adapt to the new tactics of the other, Afghanistan Analysts Network senior analyst Kate Clark told AFP.

The fighting this winter has been fuelled by more Taliban fighters remaining on the frozen battlefield instead of regrouping in Pakistan, which has long been accused of providing safe havens to the militants -- charges Islamabad denies.

Former general and military analyst Attiqullah Amarkhil told AFP that Taliban fighters had been ordered to "move forward instead of going back and forth" across the border.

"I have not been to Pakistan for a year and I will not go there," Mawlawi Ahmad, a Taliban commander in the restive southern province of Helmand, told AFP.

The escalation in fighting has all but dashed hopes for peace negotiations with the Taliban anytime soon.

Trump ruled out talks last month after the spate of attacks, an apparent reversal of the position set out in his Afghanistan strategy.

But Washington is still hoping to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan said last week following a trip to Kabul.

Sullivan's comments come as the Afghan capital gears up for the Kabul Process meeting at the end of February, where the central government is under pressure to present a framework for peace talks.

But expectations for progress are low.

"There's no way Kabul, or Washington for that matter, would agree to extend an olive branch to an outfit that is placing explosives in ambulances," Kugelman said.
Syrian refugee teaching assistant Hend al-Khabbaz at the Sigmund-Jaehn-Grundschule (primary school) in Fuerstenwalde left her home in Homs nearly three years ago.

Working at a German school is not just about reading and writing, maths and singing songs, says newly minted Syrian assistant teacher Hend al-Khabbaz.

She was surprised to discover there is also a mountain of paperwork and administrative tasks to perform.

The school "is better for the children, but it's a lot of work for the teachers," the 35-year-old says with a laugh, speaking in German which she has learnt since fleeing her war-torn homeland less than three years ago.

Khabbaz's new workplace is the Sigmund Jaehn primary school in Fuerstenwalde, a town of drab pre-fabricated housing blocks in Germany's formerly communist east, 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Berlin.

That's around 3,500 kilometres from the home she left in Homs, Syria, where she taught English before boarding an overcrowded boat for her escape to Europe.

After a gruelling trek along the Balkans route, she requested asylum in Germany in September 2015, at the peak of a mass influx that has since brought more than a million refugees and migrants.

While Germany has struggled to integrate many of the newcomers, Khabbaz got a lucky break and through her hard work now has a full-time job in her profession.

She is one of the first graduates of Potsdam University's pioneering Refugee Teachers Programme, which readies foreign teachers to enter the German school system.

Of the initial 700 applicants in 2016, 85 percent were Syrians.

"These are people who have had a good university education," says Miriam Vock, the professor who initiated the programme.

"We want to give them the chance to be able to work again here."

- Memories of war -

Syrian teaching assistant Hend al- Khabbaz (R) helps young Syrian refugee pupils in the German classrooms.

In the corridors of the Fuerstenwalde school, a bell cuts through the hubbub of recess and signals the return to class.

Among the children flocking to their desks in a classroom with paper butterflies on the green walls are four Syrian children -- Yasmine, Zaid and two boys named Mohamed.

Their colourful pencil cases in front of them, the pupils, aged nine to 11, listen intently to the lesson.

"What is this man doing?" asks a teaching assistant at a cinema workshop as the class watches a video.

Mohamed, wearing sweatpants, raises his hand and says eagerly in his newly-acquired language: "He is opening the door."

Standing beside the Syrian pupils is Khabbaz, ready to help out in those moments when the four youngsters need some extra help.

Yasmine, with long brown braids that fall down her back, turns to the young woman and whispers a question in Arabic.

"There are words they don't understand yet, or sometimes the teacher speaks too quickly," says Khabbaz.

School principal Ines Tesch explains that the refugee children "still struggle with the specialised language of biology or physics".

"When there's no other way, the children speak their mother tongue," says Tesch.

It means precious support for the children who, aside from having to find their way in an unknown country, carry the memories of war, upheaval and exodus.

- 'Building bridges' -

The Sigmund Jaehn School, named after the first East German cosmonaut in space, is currently hosting 92 refugee children, including 45 Syrians, among its total of 350 pupils.

Tesch says that Khabbaz "has allowed us to build bridges" with foreign-born parents who are often overwhelmed by the demands of a German bureaucracy ever hungry for official stamps and documents.

Khabbaz is one of the first graduates of Potsdam University's pioneering Refugee Teachers Programme.

Khabbaz says the biggest obstacle to resuming her profession was learning the new language, which made up the bulk of the Potsdam training course.

"It's very demanding because the participants have to acquire the level of German that is essential for teaching," says programme founder Vock.

It is the main reason that out of the first batch of 26 graduates in 2017, only 12 have so far joined a school. The others will have to sit their German exams again.

Still, the programme has been hailed a success, and other German universities are now following suit, at a time when some rural regions suffer a critical lack of teachers.

"It is clear that in the end they will all find a job in a school," says Vock.

However, the hurdles are higher for those who want to obtain the privileged status of civil servant, because "most of them are only licensed to teach one subject," Vock adds.

"In Germany you need a master's degree and two teaching subjects."

For now, Khabbaz is happy to be building a new life in the town where the Sputnik bakery and Yuri Gagarin Street, named after a Russian cosmonaut, recall the Cold War past.

Although the region has seen an upsurge in anti-foreigner sentiment since the mass migrant influx, Khabbaz says she has been spared open discrimination and racism.

"No-one has ever dared to say a thing about Ms al-Khabbaz," says Tesch, the energetic school principal.

"But I know I would probably have problems with some parents if she wore a Muslim face veil."
Rights groups have warned that the new transit centres do not meet the refugees' basic needs

Papua New Guinea is responsible for the human rights of refugees sent to a remote island by Australia, the UN human rights chief has said, as advocates warn the men are living in fear of violence from local residents.

Some 600 men were moved out of an Australian-run camp on PNG's Manus Island in November to three transit centres after a local court ruled the facility was unconstitutional.

The men have expressed fears for their safety at the centres, and also accused Australian and PNG authorities of not providing them with adequate healthcare.

In a day-long visit to PNG on Thursday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein raised his concerns about the refugees' plight during meetings with the government.

"The government has the responsibility to ensure that while these individuals are on their territory, they have access to their basic necessities and their basic rights, including the right to adequate housing and food," the High Commissioner's spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told AFP Sunday.

Shamdasani added that the High Commissioner had also raised such concerns with Australian officials on a number of occasions publicly and in private meetings.

"He will be following up on the cases of these detainees with Australia as well," she said.

The men were brought to Manus as part of a harsh Australian immigration policy that bars asylum-seekers who try to reach the country by boat from resettling there.

Their refugee applications are processed on Manus or at another remote camp on Nauru, before successful applicants are resettled in the Pacific nations or other countries.

- US resettlement deal -

But Canberra has struggled to resettle the refugees since the two Pacific sites opened in 2012.

In the past few months, just dozens of refugees from both facilities have been transferred to the United States under a deal struck with former American president Barack Obama, but criticised by current leader Donald Trump.

The Refugee Action Coalition said Sunday that a further 130 refugees on Nauru would be resettled in the United States this month as part of the deal. The advocacy group added that 22 of them would leave Nauru on Sunday.

There was no immediate comment from US officials.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International warned in early February that the new Manus transit centres offered less protection than the previous camps and "do not meet refugees' basic needs".

Amnesty added that violence from the local community was also a "constant threat".

"Refugees told us they had been robbed and assaulted in both Manus Island and Port Moresby. The police have refused to act even on the most serious cases of violence," Amnesty's Pacific researcher Kate Schuetze said.

"The bottom line is that Papua New Guinea does not provide a safe or sustainable solution for the refugees sent there by Australia."

Some 338 men, women and children are being held at the Nauru camp, according to Australian immigration figures ending December 31. Canberra no longer publishes figures for Manus after the camp's closure in November.
Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Sunday 17 defendants to life, nine others to 15 years, and acquitted 15 defendants for the 2014 murder of journalist Mayada Ashraf and others.

Ashraf was shot while covering clashes between the supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi and police in Cairo's Ain Shams district, 28 March 2014.

The court sentenced four other defendants to seven years, and one juvenile to 10 years in prison in the same case.

A group of armed Muslim Brotherhood members, including the convicted, fired randomly at citizens protesting against their group in Cairo's Ain Shams district on 28 March 2014, instantly killing Mayada Ashraf, a 22-year-old journalist, Sherif Abdel-Raouf, a child who was present at the scene of the events, as well as Mary Sameh George, a woman who was passing by in her vehicle.

The prosecution in the case accused 48 people of joining and heading a terrorist organisation, committing murder, possessing illegal arms and ammunition, disrupting public peace, and vandalising public and private property.

Prosecution investigations in the case accused leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood organisation and the affiliated National Coalition to Support Legitimacy of forming an armed wing aimed at targeting journalists as well as Christian citizens following a public uprising that toppled Morsi in July 2013.

In the months following July 2013, Egypt saw a series of attacks on churches and government facilities after security forces dispersed Muslim Brotherhood supporter sit-ins in Cairo against Morsi's ouster.

Authorities have repeatedly accused the Muslim Brotherhood of being behind violent incidents and terrorist attacks since the ouster of Morsi.

In December 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood was officially designated a terrorist group in Egypt.

Many of the Muslim Brotherhoods leaders, including Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, have been jailed on various charges.

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South Africa's political stalemate comes as the country readies celebrations marking 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela

The top decision-making body of South Africa's ruling ANC will meet on Monday following days of talks over President Jacob Zuma's expected departure from office, a party spokeswoman said Sunday.

"An NEC (national executive committee) meeting is scheduled for tomorrow in Pretoria," ANC spokeswoman Khusela Diko told AFP, declining to reveal the meeting's agenda.

South Africa's president-in-waiting Cyril Ramaphosa has said negotiations should be concluded within days.

But Zuma, whose presidency has been tainted by graft scandals, has clung to power after rejecting a request by senior officials of the African National Congress to resign a week ago.

The stalemate over Zuma leaving office has left South Africa in limbo, with a series of public events cancelled last week including Thursday's State of the Nation address to parliament in Cape Town.

Zuma's hold over the ANC was shaken in December, when his chosen successor -- his former wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma -- narrowly lost out to Ramaphosa in a vote to be the new party leader.

Ramaphosa will address a major ANC party rally in Cape Town on Sunday.

The rally is part of ANC celebrations marking 100 years since Mandela's birth, as Ramaphosa tries to revive the party's tarnished reputation.
A Sri Lankan election worker carries a ballot box before boarding a bus as he heads for a polling centre in Colombo in advance of the polls

Sri Lanka's ruling alliance was humiliated Sunday in local elections seen as a test of its leadership as the party of former strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse pulled off a stunning landslide victory, final results showed.

The mid-term polls further strained the uneasy coalition between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as they face a resurgent challenger in Rajapakse's new party.

Official results showed Rajapakse's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna -- SLPP or People's Front -- won 225 councils, or two thirds of the 340 up for grabs, at Saturday's election described by private poll monitors as the most peaceful in decades.

Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) was a distant second with 41 councils while Sirisena's Freedom Alliance languished with just 11.

Rajapakse's party comfortably won in all regions bar the battled-scarred north and east where, as president, he brutally crushed a separatist movement to end the island's ethnic war in 2009.

"I earnestly request all those who contested under the SLPP to celebrate this hard-won victory peacefully and with restraint and in a manner that will not inconvenience the defeated side," Rajapakse said in a statement.

The vote affects only the lowest rung of politics but the result is being seen as a stinging rebuke to the ruling coalition, which has struggled to pass promised post-war reforms.

The alliance between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe -- who teamed up to defeat Rajapakse in a presidential election in 2015 -- has frayed as both men have levelled allegations of corruption and backstabbing against the other.

Wickremesinghe's UNP had been the favourite to lead Saturday's poll while the parties led by Sirisena and Rajapakse were expected to fight for second.

Rajapakse's surprise dominance was proof the people no longer had faith in the tattered ruling alliance, said SLPP spokesman Gamini Lakshman Peiris.

"This was a referendum on the government. It has no legal or democratic right to remain in power," Peiris told reporters.

Neither the president or prime minister were commenting on the result. Official sources said both men -- who campaigned separately for their respective parties -- were meeting senior aides to discuss the next moves.

The UNP had indicated it may go it alone in the next general election in 2020 as the rift between Wickremesinghe and Sirisena and their supporters deepens.
Tanzania is one of the world's largest cannabis producers

Tanzanian authorities have stepped up an escalating war on cannabis by destroying 14 hectares (35 acres) of the crop in the northern province of Arusha in recent days.

Saturday alone saw eight hectares laid waste at the Meru forest reserve following another six acres earlier in the week in operation overseen by Interior Minister Mwigulu Nchemba.

Tanzania is one of the world's largest cannabis producers.

"We have decided to put a stop to the cannabis culture," Arumeru administrative secretary Timotheo Mzava said during Saturday's operation.

"Some local officials are themselves complicit (in the trade) and we cannot accept that," Mzava said, noting that three such officials were on the run.

"The government will carry out this operation in all corners of the country. We are going to arrest all persons implicated and nationalise all vehicles found to be carrying even the smallest quantity of cannabis," the minister vowed this week.

Tanzania sits on a clutch of major east African drugs routes with Arusha a key cannabis-producing area.

Much of its crop is well hidden in the country's vast swathes of natural forest.

Although the drug is illegal, a combination of corruption and limited resources mean the authorities have struggled to stamp out the trade.

In contrast, neighbouring states including Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Uganda have seen eradication campaigns enjoy some success.

In 2010, total seizures of the plant totalled 279.5 tons, behind only Mexico and the United States.
Indonesian police shot and wounded a man who attacked a church congregation with a sword during Sunday Mass, seriously injuring four people including a priest and destroying Christian imagery.

Around 100 people were attending the service in the town of Sleman in Yogyakarta province on Java island when a man barged in wielding a one-metre-long sword and began attacking terror-stricken people, seemingly indiscriminately.

"Four people have been injured in the incident -- quite seriously -- but we still cannot determine the perpetrator's motive," Yogyakarta police spokesman Yulianto told AFP.

Four people were seriously injured in the terrifying attack at the church in Indonesia

Police (pictured) shot and wounded the man responsible for the horrendous attack

Extremists in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country have mounted a series of attacks against Christians and other minorities.

A few minutes after the service started, a congregation member ran into the church with a bleeding head chased by a young man holding a sharp weapon, said worshipper Andhi Cahyo.

"Everybody started panicking and screaming. I was scrambling to save my wife and children," Cahyo told AFP.

People fled through another door as the attacker ran amok inside the church.

People started panicking and screaming as the attacker ran amok inside the church

He destroyed some books and a Virgin Mary statue with his sword, said Cahyo, and attacked 81-year-German priest Edmund Prier who was standing at the altar.

Prier, who has been living in Indonesia for decades, is now an Indonesian citizen.

Police arrived soon after the attack and fired a warning shot but the attacker refused to surrender.

Innocent people attending the service ran from the church and police investigated

A policeman investigates a holy statue which was also damaged by the attacker

"After the warning shot was fired, the attacker charged towards the officer with his sword. The officer then shot him below his stomach, but he managed to injure the cop before being subdued," Cahyo said.

All victims have been taken to hospital for treatment. Police said the man was a university student in his early 20s but could not confirm if the incident was related to terrorism.

"For now we cannot conclude this is related to terrorism. We need to dig out more details and question the perpetrator," said spokesman Yulianto.

Police could not confirm if the attack was terrorism-related

The man was currently being treated at Bhayangkara hospital and could not questioned, Yulianto said.

Indonesia is home to significant numbers of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists.

In 2016 several children were injured after a man threw Molotov cocktails at a church during a Sunday service.

On Christmas Eve 2000 the Al-Qaeda-linked group staged coordinated bombings of churches in and eight other cities which killed 18 people and injured many more.
An image grab from a video released by Egypt's defence ministry on February 9, 2018 shows army spokesman Tamer al-Rifai announcing the launch of a major operation against jihadists in parts of the country including the Sinai Peninsula

Egypt's army said Sunday it had killed 16 jihadists and detained 34 more in the Sinai Peninsula since launching a major operation against them on Friday.

The security sweep in the Sinai, heart of a persistent Islamic State group insurgency, comes as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi seeks re-election next month.

Army spokesman Tamer al-Rifai said 16 jihadists had been killed and 34 detained during a "sweep and raids... in northern and central Sinai".

The army destroyed 66 jihadist hideouts, 11 pickup vehicles and 31 motorbikes, he said in a statement.

It also discovered and destroyed an explosives-making laboratory and a communications centre, as well as six cannabis and opium fields, he said.

Egypt's security forces have been increasingly targeted by jihadists since the army in 2013 overthrew Sisi's predecessor, Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

In November, Sisi ordered his armed forces chief of staff to restore security in Sinai within three months after militants killed more than 300 worshippers at a mosque.

No group has claimed responsibility for that attack.

"Operation Sinai 2018", which involves the air force and navy, is also to target jihadists in the Nile Delta and Western Desert near the border with Libya.
A firefight erupted when an unknown number of heavily-armed militants stormed the base

The death toll from a militant attack on an army base in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir climbed to 10, police said, as a seige at the compound stretched into a second day.

A firefight erupted Saturday when an unknown number of heavily-armed militants stormed the base in Jammu, the second-largest city in the disputed Himalayan region bordering Pakistan.

Authorities initially said four people were killed in the brazen pre-dawn strike, but updated the death toll as elite Indian commandos flanked by armoured vehicles searched the sprawling compound.

"Five soldiers, one civilian and four terrorists have been killed so far," police chief Shesh Paul Vaid told AFP.

Nine others, including women and children, were injured in the attack that the Indian army blamed on Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Local broadcasters showed tanks rolling into the Sunjawan army camp late Saturday and a helicopter hovering overhead as the attack unfolded.

Police said the assault began around 4:55 am on Saturday (2325 GMT Friday) when guards came under a hail of bullets near the base's boundary wall.

The intruders took positions inside a residential complex meant for soldiers' families as the army launched a counter-offensive to drive them out.

It is still unclear whether any gunmen remain on the compound.

Hindu-majority Jammu, located in the foothills of the mountainous region, is relatively peaceful but has repeatedly seen militant assaults on military bases close to the frontier with Pakistan.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from Britain in 1947. Both claim the territory in full and have fought two wars over the region.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died in an armed insurgency that erupted in 1989 by militants demanding that Kashmir be granted independence or merged with Pakistan.

Saturday's attack comes 18 years after a similar militant attack on the base in 2003 that killed 12 soldiers.

Seven soldiers were killed in an attack in Jammu after suspected Pakistani militants in police uniforms stormed a major army base in November 2016.

New Delhi accuses Islamabad of sending armed militants, including JeM, across the border to attack the roughly half a million soldiers stationed in the Indian-administered part of the divided territory, a charge denied by Pakistan.

In late 2016, India said its soldiers destroyed militant bases inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir after 19 soldiers were killed in an assault on an army base.
Pedestrians walk down a street that leads to the Yun Tsui building on Friday

Rescuers Sunday ended their search of a Taiwan building partially toppled by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake as the last trapped pair were presumed dead, bringing the final death toll to 17.

Thousands of emergency workers had combed through rubble at the foot of the 12-storey Yun Tsui apartment block since the quake struck the eastern city of Hualien late Tuesday.

It was left leaning at around a 50-degree angle by the quake, complicating rescue efforts due to fears of an imminent collapse.

Hualien mayor Fu Kun-chi said the last two victims were pinned under heavy pillars that could not be removed without risking a total collapse of the building, and the rescue was called off with the consent of their relatives.

Excavators began digging through the building from the top later Sunday to try to recover the bodies, he added

"Seventeen people were unfortunately killed in the earthquake ... I believe their relatives will receive proper assistance," Premier William Lai said while paying his respects to victims in Hualien Sunday.

The last pair are believed to be members of a family from Beijing who arrived in Taiwan on Monday, authorities said. The bodies of three other members of the family including a boy aged 12 were recovered Saturday.

They were staying in a second-floor room at a hotel in the Yun Tsui building when the quake struck.

Fourteen of the 17 people who were killed perished in the building.

Three partially collapsed buildings in Hualien are being demolished, including the local landmark Marshal Hotel where one employee was killed.

Hualien, on Taiwan's picturesque east coast, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the quake-probe island.

Taiwan's worst tremor in recent decades was a 7.6-magnitude quake in September 1999 that killed around 2,400 people.

That quake ushered in stricter building codes but many of Taiwan's older buildings remain perilously vulnerable to even moderate tremors.
Few Pakistani rights activists have achieved the credibility of Jahangir

Leading Pakistani human rights advocate Asma Jahangir has died, her family said Sunday, in a major blow to the country's embattled rights community. She was 66.

The lawyer and co-founder of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan died of cardiac arrest, according to her sister.

"Unfortunately we have lost her," Hina Jilani, also a prominent rights activist and lawyer, told AFP.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced, according to a statement by her daughter Munizae Jahangir, as the family waited for relatives to return to their hometown of Lahore.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi expressed grief at Jahangir's death, praising her contribution to upholding the rule of law and safeguarding human rights.

Jahangir's supporters and former opponents alike took to social media to offer their condolences and express shock at news of her death.

"The best tribute to her is to continue her fight for human rights and democracy," tweeted Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, adding she had met Jahangir just last week in Oxford.

Journalist Wajahat Khan said on Twitter that he and many others did not agree with some of her views. "But she was a titan. And one of the brightest and bravest ever produced by this country."

Outside of Pakistan, Jahangir served as UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran.

In 2014 she received France's highest civilian award and Sweden's Right Livelihood Award, for her decades of rights work.

Few Pakistani rights activists have achieved the credibility of Jahangir.

She braved death threats, beatings and imprisonment to win landmark human rights cases while standing up to dictators.

The rights commission which she helped create made its name defending religious minorities and tackling highly charged blasphemy accusations along with cases of "honour" killings -- in which victims, normally women, are murdered by a relative for bringing shame on the family.

There is still terrible violence against women, discrimination against minorities and near-slavery for bonded labourers, Jahangir told AFP during an interview in 2014, but human rights have made greater strides in Pakistan than may be apparent.

"There was a time that human rights was not even an issue in this country. Then prisoners' rights became an issue," she said.

"Women's rights was thought of as a Western concept. Now people do talk about women's rights -- political parties talk about it, even religious parties talk about it."

Jahangir secured a number of victories during her life, from winning freedom for bonded labourers from their "owners" through pioneering litigation, to a landmark court case that allowed women to marry of their own volition.

She was also an outspoken critic of the powerful military establishment, including during her stint as the first-ever female leader of Pakistan's top bar association.

Jahangir was arrested in 2007 by the government of then-military ruler Pervez Musharraf and held under house arrest. In 2012 she claimed her life was in danger from the feared Inter Services Intelligence spy agency.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on February 11, 2018 a day after Israel carried out major air strikes in Syria against Syrian and Iranian targets

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli air strikes in Syria the previous day were a "heavy blow" to Iranian and Syrian forces in the war-torn country.

"We inflicted on Saturday a heavy blow to Iranian and Syrian forces," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting, referring to major Israeli air raids in Syria.

"We made clear to everyone that our rules of engagement will not change in any way. We will continue to harm anyone who tries to harm us. This was our policy and this will remain our policy."

Israel said its raids were against both Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria.

The raids came after an Israeli F16 fighter jet was shot down by Syrian air defences. The pilots survived, but it was the first time Israel had lost a warplane in battle since 1982.

The strikes began with Israel shooting down what it described as an Iranian drone that had entered its airspace from Syria -- calling it an "attack."

Iran denied the allegations regarding the drone and said Syria had the right to defend itself against Israeli attacks.
A picture from November 13, 2010 of Salah Abdallah Mohammed Salih, widely known as Salih Ghosh

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday replaced powerful intelligence chief Mohammed Atta, official news agency SUNA reported, amid a security crackdown on opposition protests against rising food prices.

Bashir issued a presidential decree announcing Salah Abdallah Mohammed Salih as the new head of the country's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), SUNA said, without providing further details.

Salih, widely known as Salih Ghosh, previously headed NISS and was replaced by his then deputy Atta in August 2009.

Atta's removal came after he returned this week from Cairo where he was part of a Sudanese delegation that held talks with Egyptian officials on several issues including security.

In recent weeks NISS has been leading a crackdown on sporadic opposition protests that have erupted since early January against rising food prices.

Protesters have taken to the streets after bread prices increased on the back of a government decision to leave wheat imports to the private sector that triggered a sharp rise in the cost of flour.

NISS agents and anti-riot police have swiftly broken up these rallies held in Khartoum and some other parts of the country.

The agency has also arrested several senior leaders of opposition groups since January in a bid to prevent the protests from spreading.

The authorities have detained several journalists covering the protests. Most of them have now been released.

"The NISS seems to be arresting just about any journalist it can catch," Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said in a statement this week.

"This wave of arrests and confiscations of newspapers since the start of the year is unprecedented."

Under Atta, NISS stepped up its overall crackdown on opposition activists and anti-government media coverage.

NISS agents confiscated entire print-runs of newspapers that criticised government policies or reported on anti-government protests.

- 'Strong guy' -

Salih, until Sunday a lawmaker for the ruling National Congress Party, worked on and off for NISS since the 1989 coup that brought Bashir to power, according to Sudanese media.

As its chief, he was credited with building NISS into one of the most powerful security agencies of Bashir's regime before his dismissal in 2009.

He was later jailed on accusations that he had planned a coup to topple Bashir, but no evidence was found against him and the president pardoned him.

Salih is still seen as a powerful and influential figure despite the coup accusations that were made against him, Magnus Taylor, Sudan analyst at International Crisis Group told AFP.

"He may be seen (by the president) as a strong guy who could handle the difficult political situation given the recent protests," Taylor said.

"It may suggest that President Bashir is shoring up the leadership of NISS behind him by appointing a very established powerful figure as its chief."
Egypt's presidential spokesman Bassam Rady affirmed in press statements on Sunday that the current "Sinai 2018" comprehensive military operation is a more sophistocated and extensive successor to a previous series of operations dubbed "Martyrs' Right," the first phase of which was launched in 2015 as part of Egypt's wider war on terror.

The current military operation involves all branches of Egyptian armed land, naval and air forces, as well as the police and border guards.

Rady said President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is following all hourly developments related to the operation.

The spokesman also noted that the counterterrorism efforts come at a key time for Egypt, as the state is facing challenges of economic reform, development and providing services and jobs.

"The use of brute force against terrorism comes in line with the ongoing internal development in all fields and with Egypt's moves to maintain and achieve its strategic interests and national goals," the statement added.

The Egyptian army has been battling Islamist militancy in North Sinai for a decade.

Most terrorist attacks carried out in North Sinai in recent years have been claimed by the Daesh-affiliated Ansar Beit al-Maqdis.

The Egyptian army launched operation "Martyrs' Right" to counter terrorism in Sinai in September 2015.

Its second and third phases began in January and April 2016, respectively, while the fourth phase started In August 2017, 10 days after 26 Egyptian security personnel were killed in an attack the North Sinai city of Rafah.

On Friday, Egypt's Army Spokesperson Tamer El-Refaay announced the onset of the current comprehensive operation "Sinai 2018," which was launched to implement the plan of comprehensive confrontation with terrorist and criminal elements and organizations in North and Central Sinai, and in other areas in the Nile Delta and desert areas west of the Nile Valley."

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President Magufuli took power just over two years ago promising to root out corruption - but detractors say he is an autocratic figure who has restricted freedom of speech

Tanzania's Catholic church on Sunday accused the government of President John Magufuli of violating democratic norms by limiting freedom of expression.

"Party political activities, such as public meetings, demonstrations, rallies, debates inside premises, which are after all every citizen's right, have been suspended until the next elections," said a letter penned by the country's Catholic bishops.

Denouncing "violations of the constitution and national laws," the bishops pointed to the temporary shutdown of some media outlets, saying it amounted to "restricting citizens' right to be informed" and hence freedom of expression.

The episcopal letter warned such a political climate would only foment "division and hatred."

"If we allow this to continue, we should not be surprised if we find ourselves embroiled in worse conflicts which will destroy the basis of peace and national unity," it said.

In recent months, the church has come under fire for its silence in the face of Magufuli's "dictatorial bent" and particularly over its failure to address the attempted murder of senior opposition lawmaker Tundu Lissu in September.

Lissu was shot at his home in the capital Dodoma and was rushed to the Kenyan capital Nairobi where he was in intensive care for several months before being transferred to a hospital in Brussels.

His CHADEMA party has accused the government of trying to assassinate Lissu, who is also president of Tanzania's bar association.

Magufuli, nicknamed the Bullzozer, took office in 2015 promising to tackle corruption.

But detractors say he is autocratic and has clamped down on freedom of expression with opposition party meetings routinely banned and several newspapers shut while several journalists and artists have suffered death threats for criticising his regime.
France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe speaks at the opening of the World Government Summit in Dubai on February 11, 2018

France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe promised lower taxes and a business-friendly France at a global summit in Dubai on Sunday, seeking investment from the oil-rich Gulf region.

"France is undergoing great transformation," Philippe said, addressing a thousand-strong audience at Dubai's World Government Summit.

Philippe pledged a "favourable framework for business and investment" and a drop in corporate taxes in France.

The annual summit, often dubbed the Davos of the Middle East, brings together a cosmopolitan lineup of business and political figures -- with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as this year's guest of honour.

The French premier sought to contrast the policies of President Emmanuel Macron with the isolationist trends of other Western nations, including Britain leaving the European Union and US President Donald Trump's election.

On Saturday, the French premier met the heads of the two largest sovereign funds in the United Arab Emirates, as well as Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.

"What I felt was their continued interest in what we were doing and prospects available in France," he said.

With sovereign funds worth more than $800 billion, but only a fraction of that -- around $3 billion -- invested in France, Paris is working to capture a larger share of UAE petrodollars.

Philippe on Sunday oversaw the signing in Dubai of a $16 billion purchase by Emirates Airlines of the Airbus A380 superjumbo commercial airliner -- a lifeline for the company.

"We must make our country more attractive to foreign investors, and there is work to be done," he told members of the French community in the United Arab Emirates late Saturday, speaking on board a French warship docked in Dubai.

The UAE hosts three French military bases.

It has also become a major contributor to the French-backed coalition fighting jihadists in Africa's Sahel region, pledging $30 million in December.
A picture from September 14, 2017 shows an Emirates Airbus A380 landing at Dubai's International Airport

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Sunday hailed the signing in Dubai of a $16 billion purchase by Emirates Airlines of the Airbus A380 superjumbo commercial airliner.

"This is obviously excellent news for the French aerospace industry and for the European industry as a whole, as it allows Airbus to consider continuing production of the A380," the visiting premier told reporters on the sidelines of the World Government Summit.

The deal was signed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Emirates chairman and CEO of Emirates, and Mikhail Houari, president of Airbus Middle East.

In December, Emirates agreed to buy 20 of the double-decker aircraft with an optional 16 more, just days after the European manufacturer said it would have to halt production if no new orders were received.

The economics of the 853-seat, four-engine A380 have proved daunting, with airlines having to operate every flight at full capacity in order to make a profit.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is in Dubai for the World Government Summit

The Emirates order was in question after the November Dubai Airshow, when the UAE airline inked a deal with competitor Boeing to buy 40 Dreamliners for more than $15 billion.

Sunday's closing of the deal represents a lifeline for Airbus.

A major transcontinental air routes transit hub, Dubai is one of several Gulf-based airports to have experienced prodigious growth in recent years.

Dubai airport was the world's busiest for international passengers in 2017 for the fourth year running, with 88.2 million travellers.
Leila Zerrougui, the new head of the UN's peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The new head of the UN's peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo took office on Sunday amid heightened tensions between the world body and the government.

As well as being charged with supporting the country's political process and ensuring the protection of its civilians, Leila Zerrougui of Algeria will offer to use her office to mediate the "full implementation of the political agreement of December 31, 2016", according to a statement obtained by AFP.

The agreement sets out the general principles for holding elections and the "peaceful transfer of power and the consolidation of stability in DR Congo," the statement said.

President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, refused to step down at end of his two-term limit in December 2016, 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, but they have since been pushed back to December 23, 2018.

In January Kabila claimed the UN's mission in the country, known as MONUSCO, had "eradicated" no armed group in nearly 20 years.

He also warned the mission not to consider the country "under the care of the United Nations".

Also in January, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed the UN's willingness to continue to address the country's security challenges, despite the tensions with the government.

Zerrougui served as the deputy head of MONUSCO from 2008 to 2012 and takes over as United Nations special representative and head of MONUSCO from Maman Sidikou.

MONUSCO is the largest UN mission and has been present in the country since 1999.

Sprawling, mineral-rich but mired in poverty, DR Congo is in the grip of overlapping political and ethnic crises, and much of the country's east is in the hands of rival militia groups competing over resources.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking to the World Government Summit in Dubai on February 11, 2018

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi capped a whirlwind visit to the UAE on Sunday, giving a keynote address as guest of honour at the World Government Summit in Dubai.

Modi praised the United Arab Emirates, home to 3.3 million Indian nationals, for having "harnessed technology" and "managing to create a unique economic miracle that we rarely see in the world".

Highlighting his government's cutting-edge initiatives, such as a unified ID system linked to mobile phones and bank accounts, Modi appeared right at home in the tech-obsessed emirate.

"We missed the industrial revolution, but we joined the digital revolution," he said.

But ties are also inextricably linked to the oil-based economy.

On Saturday, Modi oversaw the awarding of a 10 percent stake in an Abu Dhabi offshore concession to a consortium of Indian oil firms -- a first according to UAE state media.

"We have progressed from a buyer and seller relationship to an era of mutual investments in the oil and gas sector," Modi said, cited by the state news agency WAM.

The Indian leader also unveiled a model of what will be the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, calling it a "testament to tolerance" in the Muslim Gulf nation.

It is also a testament to the importance of the Indian diaspora, which counts a mammoth blue collar labour force as well as professionals among its ranks.

Later on Sunday, Modi flew to Oman where he met Sultan Qaboos and members of the Indian community in Muscat.
Dozens of Cameroon police and soldiers have been killed in the country's two English-speaking regions since October

Cameroon's national youth holiday was marred by violence on Sunday, with three soldiers killed and a local official feared kidnapped by suspected separatists in the country's restive English-speaking regions.

Dozens of people have been killed in the west African country's two anglophone regions since October after a violent crackdown on protests against the mainly French-speaking government.

Authorities imposed a week-long curfew in the troubled areas on Saturday, citing fears of an "imminent" attack by separatists after numerous online threats.

Army spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck on Sunday said the three soldiers were killed in the southwestern village of Kembong, adding that there had been some "scattered attacks".

The separatists had made threats on social media to disrupt celebrations on February 11, the date a referendum was held in 1961 on whether the English-speaking regions would join French-speaking Cameroon.

In 1966 the government turned the day into a youth festival.

On Sunday there were also fears that the deputy head of the anglophone Batibo region, Namata Diteng, had been kidnapped after his burnt-out car was found in an isolated area.

"I do not know if he was actually kidnapped or if he was able to flee," said local official Joseph Mbah-Ndam.

He added that the parade in Batibo for Cameroon Youth Day, which would have been organised by Diteng, did not take place.

"People have gone home in fear of possible violence in retaliation from the army," Mbah-Ndam said.

Cameroon's southwest and northwest regions are home to an English-speaking minority that accounts for about a fifth of the population.

Many English-speakers have accused the francophone majority of discrimination and that has fuelled a separatist movement.

In October, separatists declared the two anglophone regions as the self-proclaimed republic of "Ambazonia", prompting a forceful reaction by the government.

Twenty-six police and soldiers have been killed in the violence, according to an AFP count based on statements given by officials in the capital Yaounde.

President Paul Biya, who has held power since 1982, on Saturday called on young Cameroonians to be "patriotic internet users" and said the situation in the anglophone areas had improved after "troubles which sometimes sparked acts of violence".

His speech came after a string of grisly video clips circulated online alleging atrocities against separatists by Cameroonian soldiers, who have strongly denied responsibility.
Seized drugs and weapons are displayed by Morocco's Central Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Marrakesh on October 4, 2017

Moroccan authorities said Sunday they had seized nearly 541 kilos (1,200 pounds) of cocaine in a container from Latin America which arrived in Casablanca.

Six people including a Brazilian suspected of being the "mastermind of a criminal network" were arrested, according to the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ).

It also seized five vehicles and "large sums of money" in Moroccan dirhams and other currencies.

In a statement, the BCIJ said it was investigating a "dangerous" criminal network linked to Latin American cartels taking advantage of "the kingdom's strategic position as a transit point to European territory".

Cocaine traffickers have developed new routes to Europe over the past decade.

The drug is mostly sent from Central America via West African countries and more recently through North Africa, according to a recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

In recent years, the Moroccan authorities have reported increasing cocaine seizures, including a record 2.5-tonne haul in October last year.
New York state has filed a lawsuit against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein for "egregious violations" of civil rights

New York state sued Harvey Weinstein, his brother and their production company on Sunday for failing to protect employees from years of his alleged sexual misconduct despite multiple complaints from staff.

The lawsuit comes four months after the Hollywood mogul's downfall over allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape now leveled against the producer by more than 100 women over 40 years.

State prosecutors said the legal action, the result of an ongoing four-month investigation, was filed Sunday out of fear that an imminent sale of The Weinstein Company, now on the verge of bankruptcy, could leave victims without adequate redress.

The lawsuit, which could delay the sale, accuses the company's board and executives of repeatedly failing to take adequate steps to protect staff or curb Weinstein's behavior, despite multiple complaints to human resources.

It alleges that female assistants were required to facilitate Weinstein's sex life as a condition of employment and had copies of a manual, known as a "Bible," that included directions on how to do so.

Prosecutors said Weinstein made verbal threats to "kill" several staff or their families, and touted his connection to political figures and alleged Secret Service contacts that could "take care of problems."

They said one employee was flown from London to New York to teach his assistants "how to dress and smell more attractive" to Weinstein.

They also alleged that Weinstein's drivers in New York and Los Angeles were required to keep condoms and erectile dysfunction injections in the car at all times.

Prosecutors said Weinstein made a female employee take dictation while leering at her as he lay naked on his bed in 2014-15. He also put his hand on her upper thigh and buttocks near her genitalia to rub her without consent in the back of cars.

Largely female assistants allegedly contacted prospective sexual partners via text message or phone at his direction, and maintained space on his calendar for sexual activity.

- 'Vicious mistreatment' -

Female executives also allegedly had to meet prospective sexual conquests and follow through on promised job offers, which prosecutors said demeaned and humiliated them, fueling a hostile work environment.

The New York state attorney's office said that despite multiple complaints to the human resources department, there was no meaningful investigation or relief for victims, or consequences for Weinstein.

It said the company's toxic work environment was shrouded in secrecy because of a practice of reaching non-disclosure agreements -- a policy that has come under renewed scrutiny in the wake of the sexual harassment watershed that has followed Weinstein's downfall.

State attorney general Eric Schneiderman said the lawsuit, filed in the State Supreme Court in New York, included new allegations about Weinstein's "vicious and exploitative mistreatment" of employees.

"As alleged in our complaint, The Weinstein Company repeatedly broke New York law by failing to protect its employees from pervasive sexual harassment, intimidation and discrimination," said Schneiderman.

"Any sale of The Weinstein Company must ensure that victims will be compensated, employees will be protected going forward and that neither perpetrators nor enablers will be unjustly enriched."

Weinstein is reportedly in treatment for sex addiction and is under investigation by British and US police, although he has not been charged with any crime. He denies having non-consensual sex.

Last week, the district attorney's office in Los Angeles said police had submitted three Weinstein sexual assault cases to prosecutors.

A group of investors led by a former official who served in president Barack Obama's administration is understood to be in advanced talks to buy The Weinstein Company.

Deadline, the Hollywood insider website that first reported the advanced talks, said a roughly $500 million bid by the group led by Maria Contreras-Sweet included a fund to compensate victims.
SAO PAULO (AP) - Brazilian authorities are investigating two separate fires at residences where Venezuelans were living.

Civil police in the northern state of Roraima say two Venezuelan adults and their 4-year-old child suffered burns in a fire early Thursday. A total of 13 people were living in what police described as an abandoned residence in the state capital of Boa Vista.

The G1 news portal reported that a woman was burned in another fire earlier in the week in a Boa Vista house where around 30 Venezuelans were living. G1 posted security camera footage Friday that it said was from the incident. It showed a man setting something alight and then throwing it over a wall around the house.

Thousands of Venezuelans have migrated to Brazil to flee unrest in their country.
PAINTSVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Kentucky gunman killed his parents, his girlfriend and his girlfriend's mother in a weekend shooting spree before ending his own life, State Police said Sunday.

State Police Trooper William Petry on Sunday released the victims' names and their relationships with the presumed shooter, Joseph Nickell.

Nickell's parents, James and Arlene Nickell, were gunned down Saturday at a residence in the McKenzie Branch area of Flatgap, Kentucky, and Joseph Nickell's girlfriend, Lindsey Vanhoose, and her mother, Patricia Vanhoose, later were fatally shot at an apartment in nearby Paintsville, Petry said in a statement.

Johnson County Sheriff Dwayne Price said Joseph Nickell's body also was found at the apartment in what authorities described as a murder-suicide.

"This has been a horrific murder spree," Price said in a Facebook post Saturday night. "The lives of four innocent victims were taken. The perpetrator then took his own life. There are no words to describe the heartbreak in seeing four lives taken due to the actions of one man. I have worked in law enforcement for 34 years. This is one of the most disturbing acts of violence I have ever seen."

The statement didn't specify the ages of Joseph Nickell and the four other victims or give a motive for the shootings, which remain under investigation.

Price said authorities in Paintsville, about 190 miles (300 kilometers) east of Louisville, received a 911 call on Saturday afternoon about a shooting and two victims were found dead in the kitchen of the residence. After receiving a tip on the whereabouts of a suspect's vehicle, three more bodies, including that of Joseph Nickell, were later found at the apartment complex, Price said.

"As officers, one of our first concerns is for the surviving family members. Our intent is to honor them with as much privacy as possible during their time of grief," Price said later in another Facebook post. "Working a murder is never easy. Working the murders of four innocent people that are part of your community is even tougher."
Ambassador of Cyprus to Cairo Khris Moritissis held a meeting Sunday with Tareq Radwan, head of the Egyptian parliament's committee on foreign relations.

A statement issued by the committee said "Radwan welcomed the visit of the Cypriot ambassador to the Egyptian parliament, affirming that bilateral relations between Cairo and Nicosia are strong and that both seek to achieve their mutual interests on the regional and international levels."

The statement added: "The Cypriot ambassador expressed concern over the Turkish escalation in the Mediterranean."

"We have concerns about this escalation, but Egypt and Cyprus have already signed a maritime boundary demarcation agreement, and this has paved the way for exploring and producing gas, and so they (Turkey) do not have any power to direct any threats to our agreement or our interests," the statement said.

For his part, Radwan told reporters that an Egyptian parliamentary delegation will visit Cyprus after the end of presidential elections next month.

"We want to reinforce relations with Cyprus at all levels," said Radwan, adding that "preparations are under way to form a joint parliamentary Egyptian-Cypriot Friendship Association."

Radwan said Turkey's objection to the Egypt-Cyprus deal is based upon the grounds that Ankara refuses to recognise the government of Cyprus.

"But as all world countries recognise the Nicosia government, Turkey will not be able to take any action against the agreement," Radwan said.

Egypt warned Turkey last week not to breach Egyptian sovereignty in the East Mediterranean region, vowing to defend its maritime borders and interests there.

Ahmed Abu Zeid, Egypt's foreign ministry spokesperson, said in a statement 7 February that Egypt would not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty and interests over the economic zone in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Abu Zeid confirmed that Cairo had ratified the Cyprus deal with several international organisations, including the United Nations.

"No party can dispute the legality of the deal, which goes in line with international law," Abu Zeid said.

Abu Zeid's warning came two days after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevult Cavusoglu said Ankara does not recognise a maritime border demarcation agreement between Cyprus and Egypt.

"We do not recognise this agreement and we plan to explore oil and gas in the Eastern Mediterranean region," Cavusoglu said.

The agreement, signed in 2003, allows both Egypt and Cyprus to explore oil and gas in their economic zones and territorial waters in the East Mediterranean region.

Italian company Eni in 2015 discovered what was considered as the eastern Mediterranean's largest gas field off Egypt's coast. The so-called "Zohr" field was officially inaugurated in January and is expected to produce 2.7 billion cubic feet of gas a day by the end of 2019.

On Sunday, a number of Egyptian MPs attacked Turkey, accusing it of funding terrorist operations in Egypt.

Independent MP Mostafa Bakri said Turkey, as the largest supporter of the banned Muslim Brotherhood organisation, is trying its best to destabilise Egypt and its economic interests.

"We got news that they are trying to impede the work of the Italian company Eni in the East Mediterranean," Bakri said, adding that "both Turkey and Qatar give a lot of support to Muslim Brotherhood-linked terrorist organisations in many Arab countries, particularly Egypt and Libya."

On Sunday, Cyprus said the Turkish military was obstructing a drill rig contracted by Italy's Eni from approaching an area to explore for natural gas.

The Saipem 12000 drill ship had been heading from a location south-southwest of Cyprus towards an area southeast of the island when it was stopped by Turkish warships on Friday, Cyprus said.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the second day of his visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday by unveiling a model of the first Hindu temple that will be built in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, a testament to the stronger ties that both countries seek.

Standing on stage at the Dubai Opera, Modi spoke before hundreds of diplomats and Indian expatriates about the historical ties linking India with the small, but oil-rich and increasingly influential UAE, where 3.3 million Indians reside - far outnumbering the country's own local population.

Around half of the Indians living in the UAE are lower-wage migrant laborers. Many hold construction jobs, building the UAE's dazzling skyscrapers and shopping centers. The UAE is also home to wealthy Indian investors, some of whom run the country's largest hospitals, schools and supermarkets.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives a speech at the World Government Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

India's cultural and economic influence on the UAE is so great that Dubai's daily English newspaper, Gulfnews, created a video on its website titled: "How Indian is the UAE?" The video explains that, for example, the UAE used to use Indian rupees before the local currency, the dirham, and that many locals still refer to one dirham as a "rubiya".

"Today, whether it's the UAE or other countries in the Arabian Gulf, our relationship is no longer just that of a buyer and seller, it's a partnership that's been built," Modi told the audience in Dubai.

India and the UAE are key trading partners and seeking to boost investments. On Saturday, Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan oversaw the signing of several agreements, including a $600 million deal awarded to a consortium of Indian companies for a 10 percent stake in a major Abu Dhabi offshore oil concession.

The deal marks the first time Indian oil and gas companies will have a share in the UAE's crude production.

On Sunday, Modi unveiled the model of the traditional stone temple that will be built in Abu Dhabi, which is scheduled to be completed by 2020. The historically Muslim country already has one Hindu temple in the nearby emirate of Dubai.

On his first visit to the UAE as prime minister in 2015, Modi announced that the Abu Dhabi government had allotted land for the first Hindu temple there.

Modi, a Hindu like most of India's population, has in recent months spoken out to condemn vigilante killings of Muslims in his country. His comments last year came amid growing public pressure by Indian novelists, poets and other intellectuals who condemned the attacks by vigilante Hindus angry over beef-eating or what they believe is the abuse of cows, which many Hindus consider sacred.

Although Modi's nationalist Hindu party has an uneasy relationship with his country's roughly 120 million Muslims, Modi is still popular among a broad spectrum of Indians. He is expected to seek another five-year term in 2019.

His Mideast tour is strategically important for India as it seeks a greater foothold in the Muslim-majority region, particularly in the Gulf, which has one of the highest defense spending budgets in the world.

While in Dubai, Modi met with business leaders from across the Arabian Peninsula and Dubai's ruler and the UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He also spoke in Dubai at the World Government Summit, an annual gathering of influential policymakers and heads of state.

He said that more than half of India's population is under 35 years-old, linking its youthful population and its start-up culture to the theme of innovation and technology at the summit.

He also praised Dubai for its ability to virtually transform its deserts and sand "into gold" - a nod to the emirate's rapid transformation from a community of pearl divers to a metropolitan city of skyscrapers.

Modi is scheduled to head next to the neighboring Gulf state of Oman. He was in the Palestinian territories on Saturday and met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

___

Associated Press writers Malak Harb and Fay Abuelgasim contributed to this report from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacts during his speech at the World Government Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - The Ritz-Carlton in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, is reopening to the public, three months after it was transformed into a luxurious detention center holding dozens of princes, businessmen and officials swept up in an anti-corruption purge.

The hotel was accepting reservations on Sunday, with prices starting at $665 a night.

Billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a major investor in Western firms, was among those held at the hotel for more than 80 days until his release last month.

The iconic hotel is also where President Donald Trump stayed during his May visit to the kingdom.

The government says the campaign, which began in early November and was led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, netted more than $100 billion in financial settlements in exchange for most of the detainees' release.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Dimitris Koufodinas, a convicted terrorist and member of Greece's most notorious terrorist group, 17 November, has returned to prison after a 48-hour furlough, his second overall.

Koufodinas, 60, arrived at Athens' Korydallos prison about 30 minutes before the 48 hours expired, accompanied by his wife and son. He greeted the waiting media but made no statement.

Koufodinas, who was arrested in 2002, is serving 11 life terms plus 25 years for his role in assassinations of prominent people, including U.S., British and Turkish diplomats and military personnel. He has acknowledged his crimes and never repented.

As with his first furlough in November, his temporary release prompted protests. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said "convicted terrorists do not deserve a vacation from prison."
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - Turkey's foreign ministry criticized Cyprus again Sunday for a "unilateral" offshore hydrocarbons search after Turkish warships prevented an Italian rig from reaching an area off the east Mediterranean island nation where it was to start exploratory drilling for gas.

Turkish warships on Friday stopped a rig belonging to the Italian energy firm ENI as it headed toward an area southeast of Cyprus.

Turkey, in a statement Sunday, said Greek Cypriots were disregarding the "inalienable rights on natural resources" of Turkish Cypriots and jeopardizing the region's stability.

In this photo taken on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017 children play on a beach with a drilling platform seen in the background, on the outskirts of Larnaca port, in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Turkish warships on maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea have blocked a rig belonging to the Italian energy firm ENI from reaching an area off Cyprus to start searching for gas, officials said Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. Cyprus' Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides told state broadcaster RIK that the rig has halted its journey heading south of Cyprus and was waiting for directions from ENI. He says Cypriot authorities are in contact with the company and the Italian government. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Turkey's foreign ministry said the Cyprus government was acting like "the sole owner of the island" and warned it would be responsible for any consequences. It also urged foreign companies not to support the Cyprus' government's activities.

Cyprus was split into an internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and keeps more than 35,000 troops in the north.

An ENI spokesman told The Associated Press that the Turkish warships told the rig not to continue because there would be military activities at its destination. The spokesman said the rig would remain where it stopped until the situation is resolved.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said Sunday that Cypriot authorities are taking actions that will neither lead to an escalation of tensions nor overlook the fact that Turkey was violating international law.

The Cyprus government says a gas search is its sovereign right and that any potential hydrocarbon wealth generated will be equitably shared among all Cypriots after the island is reunified.

Italy's ENI, France's TOTAL and ExxonMobil of the U.S. are among the companies licensed to search for hydrocarbons off Cyprus' southern coast.

Last week, Cyprus announced that ENI and partner TOTAL had discovered a potentially sizeable gas field off its southwestern coast that's close to Egypt's Zohr deposit, which is the largest ever discovered in the Mediterranean.

In earlier drilling, Texas-based Noble Energy discovered a field off Cyprus estimated to hold more than 4 trillion cubic feet of gas.

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Bilginsoy reported from Istanbul.
LONDON (AP) - Sex predators are targeting aid organizations because of the chaotic environments in which they work, Britain's top development official warned Sunday as she threatened to pull public funding from Oxfam unless it came clean about a sexual misconduct scandal in Haiti.

Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt excoriated the leadership of Oxfam for its handling of allegations that some of the anti-poverty charity's staff in Haiti used prostitutes, including Haitians who might have been minors at the time.

Oxfam demonstrated a "failure of leadership" when it failed to fully inform authorities and because it didn't prevent the alleged perpetrators from going to work for other charities, she said.

FILE: In this file photo dated 21/05/2013 of an Oxfam store in London as the Government is reviewing its relationship with the charity in the wake of sex allegations against some of the charity's staff. Saturday Feb. 10, 2018. The Department for International Development (DfID) took the decision after the charity denied claims it had covered up the use of prostitutes by aid workers in Haiti. (Nick Ansell/PA via AP, file)

Mordaunt made clear that all aid agencies must show "moral leadership" in tackling sex abuse or risk losing their taxpayer funding.

"What is so disturbing about Oxfam is that when this was reported to them, they completely failed to do the right thing," Mordaunt told the BBC on Sunday. "That's what we need to focus on, and that's what ultimately will stop predatory individuals from being able to take advantage of vulnerable people."

Oxfam announced seven measures Sunday designed to strengthen its handling of sexual abuse allegations. The package includes improving the vetting of employees, creating an external complaint line for whistleblowers and working with other charities to overcome the "legal difficulties" that kept them from sharing information on sexual misconduct cases.

"We will continue to address the underlying cultural issues that allowed this behavior to happen," Caroline Thompson, the chair of Oxfam Great Britain's board of trustees, said in a statement. "We also want to satisfy ourselves that we do now have a culture of openness and transparency and that we fully learn the lessons of events in 2011."

The Times of London reported last week that seven former Oxfam staff members who worked in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake that devastated the country were the subject of misconduct allegations that included the use of prostitutes and downloading pornography. Oxfam's investigation into the charges was hampered by a "determination to keep it out of the public eye," the Times said.

The newspaper's sister publication, the Sunday Times, said the problem goes beyond Oxfam. More than 120 people working for British charities were accused of sexual abuse in the past year, the newspaper reported, though it did not specify the exact dates or the source of the information.

Oxfam had 87 cases, the largest number of any charity, but the Times also mentioned Save the Children, the British Red Cross and Christian Aid.

In response, Save the Children said it investigated 31 cases of sexual harassment last year, which resulted in 16 people being fired and 10 being referred to police or other authorities. None of the cases involved children and all of them occurred abroad, the charity said.

The British Red Cross said it hasn't dismissed staff members working overseas for sexual abuse, harassment or pedophilia in at least the past five years. There were a "small number" of sexual harassment cases last year in the U.K., and the Red Cross said that "appropriate was taken" in all cases, though it did not specify what the actions were.

Christian Aid said it investigated two sexual misconduct cases in the last 12 months, resulting in the dismissal of one worker and less severe disciplinary action in the other.

Oxfam has said it dismissed four people and allowed three others to resign after an internal 2011 investigation revealed that sexual misconduct, bullying, intimidation and a failure to protect staff hampered the charity's Haiti operation. Allegations that staff members had sex with minors were "not proven," it said.

The charity said it reported the findings to Britain's charity regulator and to major donors, including the Department for International Development, the department Mordaunt heads. The department gave Oxfam 31.7 million pounds ($43.8 million) last year.

Mordaunt took issue with the notion that her department had been fully informed, saying the charity didn't disclose that the Haiti case involved sexual misconduct. Oxfam also incorrectly told the government that no aid beneficiaries were harmed, she said.

When asked by BBC interviewer Andrew Marr whether the statement about no harm coming to Haitians was "a lie," Mordaunt replied: "Well, quite."

She said she would meet Oxfam leaders Monday to discuss the case.

"If they do not hand over all the information they have from their investigation and subsequently to the relevant authorities,... then I cannot work with them anymore as an aid delivery partner," Mordaunt said.
PRAGUE (AP) - The Czech Republic advanced to the Fed Cup semifinals after double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat Switzerland's Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-4 Sunday.

Kvitova's victory in the first reverse singles gave the Czechs an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the first-round match and secured a 10th straight appearance in the last four. They will face Germany or Belarus in the April semifinals.

The second reverse singles was not played but Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky and Jil Teichmann defeated Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova 1-6, 6-4, 10-8 in the doubles to make the final score 3-1 to the Czechs.

FILE - In this file photo dated Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018, Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in action during the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy-2018 tennis tournament final match in St.Petersburg, Russia. Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will face Viktorija Golubic in the opening match as the Czech Republic plays Switzerland in the first round of the upcoming Fed Cup. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, FILE)

The 27-year-old Kvitova, who triumphed at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, secured the win against Bencic on her first match point.

"It was better today than yesterday, when I played in the Fed Cup again after such a long time away and needed time to get used to it," she said. "It was a good game from both of us but I wasn't so nervous as yesterday."

The big-hitting Czech player put her opponent under pressure with aggressive strokes on the indoor hard court at Prague's O2 Arena, breaking serve twice in the opening set.

Kvitova, who hit a total of 10 aces, then got the decisive break for a 4-3 lead in the second set after Bencic sent a forehand long.

It was a memorable return to the Fed Cup for Kvitova after she was injured in a knife attack at her home in December 2016.

Kvitova, who won the St. Petersburg Open in Russia earlier this month, was a member of the Czech team that won five of the last seven Fed Cups.

Karolina Pliskova, the Czech No. 1, missed the first-round match against the Swiss because of illness.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man has been fatally shot by police after he allegedly threatened a relative with a machete.

The Tampa Police Department said in a news release that 48-year-old Sidney T. Richardson IV was shot by one officer Saturday night after he refused to drop the machete. Officers first tried to subdue him with a Taser but it was ineffective.

Police were responding to a call that Richardson had threatened relatives. Officers found him with his 17-year-old cousin in a room at his residence. She was not injured but police say they feared for her safety.

Authorities say the officers have been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) - Greek firefighters say a Macedonian man and woman have been found frozen to death at the summit of Mount Kaimaktsalan.

The man, 35, and the woman, 28, had been missing since Saturday morning. They were a part of a group of 40 Macedonians who were staying at the Greek ski resort of Voras.

The group had climbed the 2,524-meter (8,280-foot) mountain near the border between Greece and Macedonia early Saturday and had returned before noon. Rescue workers say the two who died reportedly set off again for the summit, believing, apparently erroneously, that one of the group was missing.

Firefighters were alerted to the missing couple Saturday afternoon but called off their search at sundown amid fog and driving snow. The search resumed Sunday morning.
CLEVELAND (AP) - The Latest on two Ohio officers fatally shot while responding to 911 hang-up call (all times local):

10 p.m.

A man accused of killing two Ohio police officers has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder.

Authorities investigate the scene of a shooting where two Westerville, Ohio, police officers were shot and killed responding to a hang-up 911 call, on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. Officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli were shot around noon after entering the residence in the Columbus suburb. (Tom Dodge/The Columbus Dispatch via AP)

Authorities filed the charges against 30-year-old Quentin Smith late Sunday afternoon.

Westerville police officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli were killed Saturday while responding to a 911 hang-up call at a townhome in the city.

Authorities say the officers shot and wounded Smith, who was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The hospital would not provide updates on his condition on Sunday.

Reports show police had previously gone to the home where the officers were shot for three domestic disputes but no arrests were ever made.

President Donald Trump on Sunday wrote on Twitter that he had reached out to Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sihk) to express his condolences over the officers' deaths.

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4:55 p.m.

President Donald Trump has called Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sihk) to express condolences over the deaths of two police officers.

Trump on Sunday tweeted that he reached out to Kasich, a Republican and frequent rival, to offer prayers after Westerville officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli were killed the day before.

Trump tweeted: "This is a true tragedy!"

Police had previously been to the home of the suspect, 30-year-old Quentin Smith, three times for domestic dispute calls.

Smith was shot and wounded by the officers and taken to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in critical condition.

Trump has long cast himself as a friend of law enforcement and has vowed to toughen punishments for those who wound or kill police officers.

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12:05 p.m.

Reports show that police in the Ohio city where two officers were fatally shot at a home had previously gone to the residence for domestic violence calls.

Westerville police officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli were killed early Saturday afternoon while responding to a 911 hang-up call at a townhome where the suspect, 30-year-old Quentin Smith, was wounded.

Police in this normally quiet Columbus suburb went to the townhome where Smith lives with his wife and young daughter on possible domestic violence three times since September. No arrests were made.

A November call came from Smith's wife, who said Smith cheated on her and gave her a sexually transmitted disease. Smith's mother called police when officers went to the home this January.

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This story has been corrected to show that Westerville police went to the home after Smith's mother contacted police in January 2018, not September 2017.

This undated photo provided by the City of Westerville, Ohio shows Officer Eric Joering, 39, who was fatally shot while responding to a hang-up 9-1-1 call on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. Officer Anthony Morelli, 54, was also killed in the incident. (Alan Geho/City of Westerville via AP)
The owner of an Indian restaurant accused of assaulting a customer who complained about his food by throwing chilli powder in his face has been cleared.

Chef Kamrul Islam was accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on David Evans at his restaurant the Prince of Bengal in Tonypandy, South Wales, on January 21, last year.

On Friday at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court after a five-day trial, a jury took three hours and 45 minutes to clear the 47-year-old father.

Judge Richard Twomlow said: Mr Islam you have been found not guilty, you are discharged and you may leave the dock.

The trial heard Mr Evans went to dine in the restaurant with his wife Michelle, arriving at around 6pm and ordering food and drinks.

The couple said their starters were not right but they did not complain, however they claimed the chicken in their main meals tasted of paraffin and was shiny, rubbery and tough.

The Evanses told jurors Mr Islam asked what the problem was in an aggressive way and then started swearing at them.

The court heard Mr Evans followed Mr Islam after he walked away and stood at the kitchen doorway, pointing and shouting, before having the hot spice thrown at him.

CCTV of the moment before chef and restaurant owner, Kamrul Islam (left), throws chilli powder in the face of customer David Evans (right), at the Prince of Bengal in Tonypandy, South Wales

In her closing speech to the jury, Ruth Smith, for Mr Islam, said the couple were were clearly unreliable witnesses who had tailored their account, which was riddled with inconsistencies to give a false impression of their behaviour.

She said there were vast chunks of the evening that they have no recollection of including the number of times various members went to their table, which was shown on CCTV.

She asked the jury to consider whether Mr and Mrs Evans were drunk in the restaurant and as a result of drink became abusive, on occasions using swear words and in the case of Mr Evans aggressive and threatening violence to Mr Islam.

The trial heard the couple ordered two bottles of wine and two Cobra beers but Mrs Evans told the jury they had not started the second bottle of wine by the time of the incident.

Ms Smith said Mrs Evans had exaggerated the effects of the chilli powder on her husbands eyes, claiming his vision was still not good and he had shadows, despite Mr Evans being discharged from hospital with good vision recorded, within a few days.

She added: It is clear that the consequences of the chilli going into Mr Evans eyes were unpleasant but just because one person ends up with an injury does not mean they are a victim

Mr Islam told you that through his years of experience he was alert to the sense of aggression and once the backing away and giving of space to Mr Evans had not worked, that he had continued to act aggressively he felt under threat.

Ms Smith said Mr Islam did not pick up a knife or something similar when he went back to the kitchen because his intention wasnt to hurt Mr Evans but to prevent violence being used against him.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo on Monday during the first leg of his visit to the region, a statement by Egypt's foreign ministry read.

Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said on Sunday that a press conference would be held between counterparts Tillerson and Shoukry, but did not provide information as to the nature of discussion between the two sides.

On Thursday, the US Embassy in Egypt announced Tillerson is set to travel to Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt and Kuwait during a regional visit beginning 11 February and lasting until 16 February.

"The secretary will meet with senior Egyptian officials in Cairo to discuss the US-Egypt partnership, how we can further strengthen it, and coordinate on key regional issues," read the statement by the US Embassy, which includes details about Tillerson's itinerary to other countries.

On Friday, a senior State Department official said during a special briefing that Tillerson will discuss "a range of issues with the Egyptians, including regional issues of mutual concern such as Libya and Syria, our shared commitment to fighting terrorism, Israeli-Palestinian issues and our efforts to move the prospects for peace forward, and other topics pertaining to the bilateral relationship and how it can be further strengthened."

He described the visit to Egypt, described as "a key stategic partner" of the US in the region, as an "opportunity for him [Tillerson] to further build upon the strengthening of the relationship that has occurred over the past year in the array of senior-level engagement that there has been  most recently the Vice Presidents visit just a few weeks ago."

In January, US Vice President Mike Pence met with Egyptian President El-Sisi in Cairo before heading to Jordan and Israel.

El-Sisi told Vice President Pence 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 would recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

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A serial conman who pretended his family died in the Grenfell Tower fire to obtain more than 10,000 meant for the victims has been jailed.

Anh Nhu Nguyen claimed his wife and son were killed in the June 14 disaster and was photographed beside the Prince of Wales when he met survivors.

As part of his deceit, Nguyen spun a cruel tale to family liaison officers, describing in detail how he lost sight of his family in the smoke-clogged stairwell.

But while a major recovery operation was under way on June 15, the fraudster was actually nine miles away at a housing charity, according to prosecutors.

The 53-year-old, of Beckenham, south-east London, showed no reaction as he was jailed for 21 months by Judge Philip Bartle QC at Southwark Court on Friday.

The judge said: I am sure from everything I have seen that despite your low IQ you knew full well what you were doing. You knew that you were taking advantage of these genuine victims at this terrible time of this terrible tragedy.

The court heard that Nguyen received around 11,270 from charities and Kensington and Chelsea Council.

Anh Nhu Nguyen

Some 71 people were killed in the blaze which swept through the west London block after cladding on the exterior caught fire.

Nguyen pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court in November to two counts of fraud by false representation and one count of making an untrue statement for the purpose of obtaining a passport.

Some 71 people died in the fire at Grenfell Tower in west London in June 2017 (Natalie Oxford/PA)

Nguyen was born in Vietnam, has been in the UK since the 1980s, is a British citizen and has 17 aliases.

He has 28 previous convictions for 56 offences spanning more than 30 years, including theft, dishonesty offences, arson and grievous bodily harm.
Tian Pengfei needed a blue ball shoot-out to edge past Mark King and advance to the third round of the Coral Shoot Out at Watford Colosseum.

The duo were locked at 47-47 after the 10-minute time limit in the one-frame format, meaning both players had to take alternative shots at a re-spotted blue ball until one was missed  similarly to a penalty shootout.

King and Pengfei both potted their first two attempts before the Englishman failed at his third try, with the Chinese cueman holding his nerve to sink his third successive blue ball to move into the last 32.

Tian Pengfei has reached round three (Mike Egerton/PA)

Mark Williams, the highest ranked player still in the tournament at world number seven, backed up his first-round whitewash of Li Hang with a 52 break to defeat James Wattana by a 55-45 scoreline, where he will take on Allan Taylor.

Akani Songsermsawad produced a wonderful 95 break to ease into the third round after beating David Gilbert 95-0, while 2016 runner-up Luca Brecel progressed alongside Ali Carter and Joe Perry.

Stuart Bingham, the 2015 world champion, racked up a 60 break to go through but veteran Jimmy White crashed out to Billy Joe Castle.
Sundays papers serve up a mixture of headlines  from the latest on Brexit to the continuing fallout from allegations against Oxfam workers.

The Sunday Telegraph keeps politics at the top of its agenda, with a story about the EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

The paper claims diplomats from EU states have raised concerns that Mr Barnier has fractured the coalition of 27 countries by dramatically stepping up his aggression towards Britain, and is risking a UK walkout.

What the papers say - February 11

'Barnier is risking a UK walkout, EU states fear' - tomorrow's front page of The Sunday @Telegraph #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/TxscT7Sbh7  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) February 10, 2018

Theresa May, meanwhile, is planning to set out her road map for Brexit, according to the Sunday Express.

The paper says the Prime Minister will spearhead a series of speeches to underline her vision for post-Brext Britain, amid growing pressure from backbenchers not to cave in to the bullying demands of Brussels.

SUNDAY EXPRESS: May sets out road map to Brexit #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/LXCjfHulsf  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) February 10, 2018

It comes as the Independent reports that a survey found people in the UK have little or no understanding of what the Government wants to achieve from Brexit.

Continuing with the politics theme, The Observer reports that Labour launched an attack on the privatised water industry, accusing firms of paying out a scandalous sum in dividends to shareholders since 2015, while forcing up prices for customers.

Observer front page, 11 February 2018: Private water payouts are a public scandal, says Labour pic.twitter.com/vfWA9T2TAJ  The Guardian (@guardian) February 10, 2018

The Sunday Times continues to follow-up on its story about Oxfam, which has denied claims it covered up the use of prostitutes by aid workers in Haiti in 2011.

The paper claims more than 120 workers for Britains leading charities were accused of sexual abuse in the past year alone.

Tomorrow's Sunday Times front page: Charities reel as 120 accused of sexual abuse #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/TBgGcn9qb2  The Sunday Times (@thesundaytimes) February 10, 2018

Both the Sunday Mirror and the Daily Star lead on stories about James Bulgers killer Jon Venables.

The Mirror carries an interview with a fellow prisoner, who claims he punched Venables after he bragged about the murder of the toddler.

The Star reports that Venables claims he was possessed by the devil when he committed the murder.

DAILY STAR: The Devil made me kill little Jamie #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/d3v3T09ch6  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) February 10, 2018

Elsewhere, the Sunday People claims a terror suspect secured a job at Heathrow Airport.
Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy has failed to make the cut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The 28-year-old had a five-putt on his Friday round to card a disappointing 74 and followed up with a par 72 to go one-under for the tournament in California.

Four dropped shots on the front nine appeared to put paid to his chances of making the three-under cut, but the Northern Irishman nearly finished with a flourish on the par-5 18th.

Rory McIlroy failed to make the cut (Eric Risberg/AP)

After driving it in the hazard, @McIlroyRory nearly makes the most unlikely eagle.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/LG4bZg6K7O  PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 10, 2018

After a penalty drop, McIlroy nearly struck an eagle from 240 yards with his shot striking the flag.

Ted Potter Junior put himself into contention on the third day  five birdies and an eagle on the front nine coming as part of a nine-under round of 62.

The American climbed 22 places to sit 14-under for the tournament and tied for the lead with Dustin Johnson who carded a 70.

Ted Potter, Jr. came out firing on Moving Day.



From T23 to T2 in nine holes. pic.twitter.com/Hka1aw1RTI  PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 10, 2018

Chasing the Americans going into the final round are Australian Jason Day, who sits two shots off the pace after going around in 69, and Troy Merritt, who also sits on 12-under.

Julian Suri sat joint third at the half-way point, but double bogeyed the par-5 14th in a miserable round of 76, while Paul Casey followed up Fridays 70 with the same score on Saturday and sits tied for 13th on eight under.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth followed his opening 72 with rounds of 66 and 70  with his Saturday round including a deft 82-yard approach shot to set up a birdie on the par-5 18th.
Nice striker Mario Balotelli was booked for protesting to the referee about alleged racist chants during his sides defeat at Dijon on Saturday night.

The former Manchester City, Liverpool and Italy striker was shown a yellow card by referee Nicolas Rainville in the second half after complaining about the home fans following a missed opportunity.

Balotelli was seen gesturing to the crowd while talking to Rainville in the 72nd minute, but was cautioned for his actions.

Mario Balotelli was unhappy during the game at Dijon (Nick Potts/PA)

Nice tweeted a picture of Rainville booking Balotelli with the caption: In the meantime, Mario Balotelli has inherited a yellow card, after getting annoyed with racist insults from the public.

Dans lintervalle, Mario Balotelli a herite dun carton jaune, apres setre agace dinsultes racistes du public. pic.twitter.com/5C1V8MXBYq  OGC Nice (@ogcnice) February 10, 2018

Nice were 2-1 ahead at the time before conceding two late goals, including a controversial penalty, to lose 3-2, dropping them to eighth in the Ligue 1 table.

Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere hit out at the standard of refereeing, telling the clubs official website: I am scandalised.

Its been four consecutive games that we have the feeling of playing at 11 against 12. The differences of refereeing from one match to the other are incomprehensible.
Oxfam lied and failed in its moral leadership in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct by aid workers, the International Development Secretary has said.

Penny Mordaunt condemned the behaviour of some Oxfam staff members as a complete betrayal, as she warned the charity the scandal had put its relationship with the Government at risk.

Oxfam is facing mounting criticism over its handling of sex allegations, but has denied it tried to cover up the use of prostitutes by workers in Haiti in 2011.

Penny Mordaunt has warned charities over safeguarding issues. (Nick Ansell/PA)

Ms Mordaunt told BBC1s The Andrew Marr Show that the failure to pass on information to relevant authorities shows an absolute absence of leadership.

International Development Secretary @PennyMordaunt tells #marr she will make clear to #Oxfam that If the moral leadership at the top of the organisation is not there, we cannot have you as a partner. #marr pic.twitter.com/JUlIMGvGlS  The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) February 11, 2018

Asked by Marr if she thought Oxfam had failed in its moral leadership, the Conservative MP replied: Yes, I do.

Ms Mordaunt announced she would meet the charity on Monday to discuss the case, and said: If the moral leadership at the top of the organisation is not there then we can not have you as a partner.

Charities, including Oxfam, have been told they will have funding withdrawn if they fail to comply with authorities over safeguarding issues.

The Charity Commission said on Saturday that it had written to Oxfam as a matter of urgency to request further information.

The regulator said an Oxfam report on the investigation stated there had been no allegations of abuse of beneficiaries and made no mention of any potential sexual crimes involving minors.

Our approach to this matter would have been different had the full details that have been reported been disclosed to us at the time, it said in a statement.

Ms Mordaunt said the charity had also categorically stated to the Department for International Development (DfID) that no harm was done and beneficiaries were not involved.

Marr said: That was a lie, wasnt it?

Ms Mordaunt replied: Well, quite.

"It is a scandal... I am meeting Oxfam tomorrow. I am affording them the opportunity to tell me what happened. To see whether they are showing leadership. They still have more information they have not given the authorities." - @PennyMordaunt on @AndrewMarr9  DFID (@DFID_UK) February 11, 2018

She added that Oxfam had done absolutely the wrong thing by failing to inform authorities about the full details of the allegations.

In a further warning to the charity, she said: If they do not hand over all the information that they have from their investigation and subsequently to the relevant authorities, including the Charity Commission and prosecuting authorities, then I cannot work with them any more as an aid delivery partner.

Four members of Oxfam staff were dismissed and three, including the country director, resigned before the end of the 2011 investigation.

The charity said allegations that under-age girls may have been involved were not proven.

Ms Mordaunt has written to all UK charities which receive UK aid urging them to declare any safeguarding issues, and will also meet the Charity Commission this week to discuss the regulation of organisations overseas.

Former International Secretary Priti Patel said there was a culture of denial in the aid sector about exploitation.

She told BBC Radio 5 Lives Pienaars Politics she was not aware of allegations within Oxfam, but had raised the issue of abuse involving aid workers in disaster zones with DfID while heading the department.

There has been in my view, not just a cover-up with Oxfam, there is a denial, a culture of denial in the aid sector about the exploitation and sexual abuse that has taken place historically for decades, she said.

My former department did not raise this issue with me, I raised it with them through my own investigations and my own research and I challenged them.
Theresa May is to put some meat on the bones of what she wants from Brexit as Tory divisions on withdrawal again broke into the open.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said a series of major speeches planned by the Prime Minister and Cabinet heavyweights would set out a Brexit vision over the next three weeks

She told BBC1s The Andrew Marr Show: What the public want is, they want the vision and they want some meat on the bones.

The upbeat message came as leading Tory rebel Anna Soubry delivered a warning to the PM.

Asked if she believed there is a majority in the House of Commons to defeat the kind of Brexit the Prime Minister wants, Ms Soubry told The Andrew Marr Show: If shes not careful, yes.

Pressed on whether she thought Brexit will definitely happen, Ms Soubry, who was making a joint TV appearance with pro-Europe Labour MP Chuka Umunna, said: Will it definitely happen? I genuinely dont know what is going to happen.

Parliament is not a bystander in the Brexit process, and will not give government a blank cheque. We will get a meaningful vote, and MPs across parties are willing to vote against the government if the deal is against the interests of our constituents. pic.twitter.com/qZXeEqtjsg  ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) February 11, 2018

When Mr Marr suggested that Ms Soubry is closer in her politics to Mr Umuna than she is to Jacob Rees-Mogg, she said: Im not denying that.

Ms Mordaunt insisted she believed a transition period was a given despite claims to the contrary by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

She said: What I would say to the public is that, actually, the other nations involved in this are very pragmatic and have not been impressed with some of the language that the (European) Commission has used.

Asked if it was a Government red line to not have to grant full rights to EU migrants who come to Britain during a transition period, Ms Mordaunt said: It is what we are setting out in our position. Again, all of this is a negotiation.

Ultimately, it will be the negotiation, the phrase that is trotted out  nothing is decided until everything is decided.

The Prime Minister is set to make two key note addresses in the coming weeks, and arch Brexiteers Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox will also set out their agendas.

However, Chancellor Philip Hammond is not slated to take part in what Downing Street sources dubbed a drive to set out Britains road map to Brexit.

The wave of speeches comes as a Tory party donor warned the Conservative Party would be decimated at an election unless Theresa May could take the bull by the horns and show strong leadership.

Michel Barnier met Brexit Secretary David Davis in Downing Street (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The public relations blitz is being seen as an attempt to try and set the tone in the run-up to another round of tough negotiations with Brussels over a transition deal.

In the first of the speeches on Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson will call for national unity over withdrawal.

This will be followed on Saturday by Prime Minister Theresa May detailing the security partnership the UK wants to maintain with the EU.

Brexit Secretary Mr Davis and International Trade Secretary Dr Fox will also set out their agendas, along with Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington, who backed Remain in the referendum.

Mrs May will then round off the process in an address setting out how she sees the overall relationship between Britain and Brussels after withdrawal.

Justice Secretary David Gauke said the fact Mr Hammond is not among the Cabinet Brexit speakers is not part of a plot.

He told ITVs Peston on Sunday: He is not part of the set of speeches that have been outlined today, but that doesnt mean that the Chancellor is not expressing his views both internally in the Cabinet conversations, but also externally.

So, I dont think that there really is anything in this that this is somehow any kind of plot to gag a particular faction of ministers. I dont think thats a fair characterisation at all.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will make a speech on Wednesday (Steve Parsons/PA)

After a rocky few weeks for the Government, in which Cabinet tensions over Brexit broke to the surface, Tory party donor Sir John Hall warned that the PM needed to stand up and convince everybody that she can be the leader who can stay.

He told the Observer: Shes got to take the bull by the horns and say, this is the road we are going. Do your damnedest  if you want to vote me out, vote me out.

But we have to appear stronger.

He added: If we had an election, I reckon wed be decimated. To me as a donor, the Conservative party has to look at itself in terms of where were going.

She has got to stay to such time that someone else comes forward. A new leader has to emerge  or she has to come through very strongly.

As well as the speeches, members of the Cabinets Brexit sub-committee will attend an away day summit at the Prime Ministers country residence Chequers.

Mr Barnier pointedly complained last week that there were still problems in Brussels understanding the position of the British Government.
Two people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 55-year-old woman at a flat in Camden, Scotland Yard said.

Police were called to Fellows Road, north west London, at 10.30am on Friday after paramedics reported a woman had been found with stab injuries.

The victim, who has not been formally identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two people have been arrested following the murder (Peter Byrne/PA)

Two arrests made in Camden murder investigation https://t.co/RL7K3tNZYH pic.twitter.com/06ROfOMD76  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 11, 2018

A 43-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of murder at separate addresses in Kilburn on Sunday morning and remain in police custody.

The victims next-of-kin have been informed and a post-mortem examination will be held on Monday.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0208 785 8244 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
The troubled son of Hollywood star Michael Douglas has said the love of his family got him through his darkest days in prison.

Cameron Douglas, 39, praised his famous father and his stepmother Catherine Zeta-Jones for standing by him while he was serving a seven-year sentence for drug offences.

My family never gave up on me, not for one second, he told the Mail on Sunday, following his release.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones (Ben Birchall/PA)

Catherine is a scrapper, shes someone who came from Wales and clawed her way up to the very top through sheer talent and determination.

She never gives up on anything and she didnt quit on me. The love of my family got me through my darkest days.

Cameron is the grandson of screen legend Kirk Douglas, and the eldest child of 73-year-old Michael Douglas  known for films including Wall Street and Fatal Attraction  and the actors first wife Diandra Luker.

An actor himself, Cameron has more often hit the headlines for his off-screen antics as he battled drug addiction and had run-ins with the law.

He now credits prison for making me a man, adding: I finally have my priorities in the right order. I want to make my family proud.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has replaced the intelligence chief, state news agency SUNA reported on Sunday.

It said that Salah Abdallah Mohamed Saleh, known as Gosh, was appointed head of the National Intelligence and Security Service, replacing Mohammed Atta al-Moula. Moula was part of a Sudanese delegation that visited Cairo last week for talks with Egyptian officials on security and water issues.

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Its London calling for Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise yet again as he films scenes for the latest instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise in the UK capital.

The star is known for performing his own stunts - and that looks to be the case here as a helicopter closes in

A pair of helicopters circle the chimney top of the Tate Modern gallery in London for another death-defying scene, set to appear in Mission: Impossible 6.

Cruise will star alongside series regulars Ving Rhames, Michelle Monaghan, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin and the UKs own Simon Pegg for Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Cruise is also co-producing the movie alongside JJ Abrams, with Christopher McQuarrie returning to the directors chair

The action star previously stopped traffic in Blackfriars as he filmed another scene for the film, scheduled for release in July
Is popular science capable of dismissing astrology as mumbo-jumbo?

Two years ago, NASA published a blog post aimed at kids and against astrology, dropping hints that the astrological signs of everyone had been changed and that there are thirteen constellations in the zodiac instead of the twelve.

Ultimately the article boomeranged.

NASA is a sacred place of science in popular culture and many people are fond of quoting statements by NASA. The blog post was severely misinterpreted and quoted erroneously by the rationalists and enemies of astrology.

Therefore NASA had to state their position clearly again. Using its academic power and authority against astrology, so-called superstitions and religions is not just limited to NASA. Some popular science writers such as Richard Dawkins also use propaganda against religion and astrology.

Can we say astrology is completely a myth? Is science really powerful enough to debunk astrology? We have to reexamine the arguments that those who are critical of astrology present to justify their claim.

The common attitude of the people who follow science in the popular culture is that astrology is a fable of fools who think that the earth is flat and the whole universe rotates around the earth.

This is clearly a straw man argument.

In fact, Western astrology developed according to the theories of Aristotle and Ptolemy. Aristotle is regarded as the first person in the Western world who stated that the earth was a globe.

On the other hand when we take Eastern astrology, the 53rd verse of the 12th Chapter of Surya Siddhantha, a fundamental book of Indian Astrology, clearly states that the earth is a globe.

53. and everywhere upon the globe of the earth, men think their own place to be uppermost but since it is a globe in the ether, where should there be an upper, or where an underside of it?

"If the behaviour of human society can be expressed mathematically in some aspects, then there would be periodical functions in human society. If these functions are coinciding with planetary motions then planetary motions can be used to predict the future"



 54. Owing to the littleness of their own bodies, men, looking in every direction from the position they occupy, behold this earth, although it is globular, as having the form of a wheel.

- Burgess, Ebenezer. Translation of the Surya-Siddhanta, a text-book of Hindu astronomy: with notes and an appendix.Minneapolis: Wizards Book Shelf, c1978. (1978).

Therefore it is crystal clear that the ancient astrologists knew that the earth is a globe. The word Bhu Gola (Earth Globe) was in Vedas and Puranas from very early time in India. The Buddhist text Milinda Panha also implies that the earth is a globe introducing the time differences between the countries.

Geocentrism (which says the sun revolves around the earth) is not a point to blame astrology either. Geocentrism and Heliocentrism (which says the earth revolves around the sun) is equally justifiable in a modern relativistic perspective. Astrology needs only kinematical calculations (calculations on the paths and not on the forces). Therefore even if we stick to Newtons classical physics, still theres nothing to denounce astrology.

Work of Aryabhatta, a famous Indian astrologer and astronomer shows that he used a heliocentric model and even ellipses for some of his calculations. According to the origin legend of Surya Siddhantha the inventor of astrology (Maya Asura) got that knowledge from a God who had lived in the sun and reincarnated in the city of Romaka.

A possible interpretation of the core of this legend is that the first theories of astrology were created with respect to the sun and then they were transformed with respect to the earth. Apparently if astrologists want to calculate the fate of people who are living on earth, by watching the night sky, they have to do calculations with respect to the earth. Therefore, it seems quite stupid to ask astrologists to do calculations with respect to the sun.

The next argument against the astrology is the one that was mentioned in the NASA issue mentioned above.

There are two kinds of astrologies in the world: Sidereal and Tropical. In tropical astrology the sign system is based on the vernal equinox of the Northern Hemisphere while the Sidereal sign system is based on the positions according to the fixed stars.

Those who reject astrology use this difference cunningly. They blame the tropical system saying the astronomical constellations are shifting gradually from sign boundaries while blaming the Sidereal system saying the Vernal Equinox is shifting.

However, a closer look at these arguments. The idea of the sign is something defined in the corresponding astrological system.

A sign is not a constellation. It is a different concept. Therefore scientists should not just criticise astrology by mixing up the terms sign and constellation.

"The Buddhist text Milinda Panha also implies that the earth is a globe introducing the time differences between the countries. "



Signs are given names of the constellations only because they are located close to that constellation. Therefore 13 constellations on the ecliptic do not require 13 astrological signs.

On the other hand, astronomers also use a Sidereal System. Sometimes, you hear and read arguments of so-called Astronomical Pundits in Sri Lanka when we are about to celebrate the Sinhala New Year.

They show us diagrams and stellar maps to say that the sun goes to Aries on the 18th and not on the 15th.

They blame astrology and also the cultural values of Sinhalese while pretending they are to be the fathers of civilisation and modern knowledge.

Sinhala New Year is a mythical festival, most of them say. But most of these pundits have missed the crucial point.

Yes, both astronomers and Sri Lankan astrologers use Sidereal System. But this does not say that the two sign systems are equal.

The astrological system is not strictly based on constellations. They divide the complete 360 angle of the ecliptic into 12 equal parts which are called signs. Astronomers work according to IAU (International Astronomical Union) sign system where they divide the ecliptic into thirteen uneven parts. It is clear that boundaries are different. Thats the reason why they find the Sun entering Aries on 18th April when they surf the internet. This has nothing to do with astrology. In astrology the boundaries are different.

Another point made by those who criticise astrology is that there is no force which is strong enough to affect people considering the huge distance from the stars and planets.

"Therefore it is crystal clear that the ancient astrologists knew that the earth is a globe. The word Bhu Gola (Earth Globe) was in Vedas and Puranas from very early time in India. "



This argument is invalid because there is no need of such forces for the existence of astrology.

If the behaviour of human society can be expressed mathematically in some aspects, then there would be periodical functions in human society.

If these functions are coinciding with planetary motions then planetary motions can be used to predict the future. Therefore, science does not provide us a proper reason to reject astrology.

Early scientists, Galileo and Kepler were astrologers. Galileo had his chair in the University Padua to teach astrology to medical students.

Kepler tried to reform Western Astrology and invented a new astrology which he called Science of Harmonics.

He wrote a book on his new astrology. Giordano Bruno who is identified as a martyr of science by the popular culture never was a scientist but an astrologer and occultist.

I am not an astrologer. What I want to say is that the claims of  science in popular culture against astrology are mostly uninformed and we cannot reject astrology in such a simple manner.



Thamalu is a freelance writer and a second year undergraduate in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering at the Moratuwa University. He could be contacted on thamalumaliththa@gmail.com
Rosy Senanayake, who has become the first Mayoress of Colombo, yesterday said she is prepared to face any challenge that would come her way.

"People talk about challenges when women were coming in for politics at this election but women also can take up any challenge a man can face, " Ms. Senanayake told Daily Mirror last afternoon.

Accordingly, Ms. Senanayake said she would take up the challenge of eradicating corruption and making Colombo a smart city.

She said she would work with all members of the council.

She further said she would start up with a three month delivery programme and then a six month programme and a one year programme.

"This is not going to be a one like the 100 day programme as it will be a serious programme three moths to one year, " she exclaimed.

She also said her ward is a predominantly Sinhalese one but thanked all voters belonging to all ethnic and religious groups.

The Colombo Municipal Council will have the highest number of women members in the history with the ruling party having nine women. (Yohan Perera)
President Maithripala Sirisena was expected to make a few changes to the Government in the near future, UPFA Secretary Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told the Daily Mirror.

The President conveyed this at a special meeting held with Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members in Colombo today, he said.

Meanwhile, Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said they, as the SLFP, allowed the President to decide whether the SLFP could continue in this manner.

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UNICEF and UN-Habitat announced on Sunday that one in four children in Iraq suffers from poverty as a result of the ongoing conflict against the Islamic State, which has pushed families to extreme measures to survive."

In a joint statement, both UN bodies called for urgent investment to restore basic infrastructure and services for families and children," warning that without such steps, the hard-won gains to end the conflict in Iraq are in jeopardy."

Children are hardest hit in times of conflict, and Iraq's urban recovery and reconstruction should be prioritized, adequately supported and quickly implemented, with special attention to vulnerable people, including children, Zena Ali Ahmad, Arab Region director of UN-Habitat, was quoted as saying.

According to the statement, the conflict in Iraq led to significant damage to civilian infrastructure such as homes, schools, hospitals, and recreation spaces.

It added that the UN verified 150 attacks on education facilities and 50 attacks on health centres and personnel since 2014, noting that half of schools in Iraq require repairs and more than 3 million children have had their education interrupted."

Meanwhile, the two UN agencies said that the poorest families have no other choice but to live in the ruins of their homes after they return to them, which is a potentially hazardous conditions for children."

Some have taken their children out of school and put them to work. Many children were forced to fight an adult's war," noted UNICEF and UN-Habitat.

They referred to the example of Mosul that saw either destruction or damage of more than 21,400 homes.

In December 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi declared final victory over the Islamic State (IS) militants after the latter captured roughly third of the territory three years earlier.

The statement comes one day ahead of the Kuwait Conference for Reconstruction in Iraq that will take place from 12 to 14 February.

UNICEF and UN-Habitat stressed that, during the conference, they will call for firm commitments to restore basic infrastructure and services for children, including in education, psycho-social support, health and water, sanitation and hygiene, and housing.

The Chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Ali Al-Ghanem, said that 1,850 companies from 50 states will participate in the conference, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported on Sunday

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Britain will cut off aid funding from any organisation that does not comply with a new review into charities work overseas, aid minister Penny Mordaunt said on Sunday, describing reports of sexual exploitation in the sector as "utterly despicable".

Oxfam, one of Britain's biggest charities, on Friday condemned the behaviour of some former staff in Haiti after a newspaper report said aid workers had paid for sex while on a mission to help those affected by the 2010 earthquake.

Mordaunt said she would write to British charities working overseas demanding they declare any problems relating to the duty they have to protect their staff and the people they work with from harm and abuse - so-called 'safeguarding'.

She also wanted charities to ensure any historical concerns have been properly handled, and spell out their policies for handling such cases. She will meet with the charities regulator this week.

"With regard to Oxfam and any other organisation that has safeguarding issues, we expect them to cooperate fully with such authorities, and we will cease to fund any organisation that does not," Mordaunt said in a statement.

Reuters could not independently verify the allegations contained in The Times report and was unable to reach any of the Oxfam staff who worked in Haiti.

Oxfam neither confirmed nor denied The Times newspaper report but said its misconduct findings had "related to offences including bullying, harassment, intimidation and failure to protect staff as well as sexual misconduct". "It is utterly despicable that sexual exploitation and abuse continues to exist in the aid sector," Mordaunt said.

"The horrific behaviour by some members of Oxfam staff in Haiti in 2011 is an example of a wider issue on which DFID (Department for International Development) is already taking action, both at home and with the international community via the UN."

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A delegation of over 50 UK companies arrived in Cairo on Sunday, the biggest British trade delegation in the country in almost two decades, the British embassy said.

The five-day visit, headed by British Trade Envoy to Egypt Jeffrey Donaldson, is aimed at fostering UK-Egyptian trade links and exploring investment opportunities across Egypt, with a focus on the oil-and-gas, education, infrastructure and health sectors.

Over 50 companies will be taking part in talks over the next few days, including existing investors in Egypt such as Bombardier, Fujitsu, Mott MacDonald, and GSK, as well as companies looking to put money into the North African country for the first time.

The visit "is a very encouraging sign of the vast potential British companies are seeing in investing in Egypts future," Jeffrey Donaldson said, according to a statement sent to Ahram Online by the British embassy.

The delegation includes 33 companies from Scottish Development International, six from the Energy Industries Council, 14 companies from the transport and healthcare sector, and four companies focused on opportunities in the education sector.

The UK is Egypt's largest foreign investor, with British investments in the country amounting to $30.5 billion since 2011, according to Egypt's State Information Service website.

Mutual trade between the two countries is worth over 1.5 billion per year, UK ambassador to Egypt John Casson said in mid-2016.

Donaldson has hailed an economic reform programme the Egyptian government embarked on in 2016, which includes tax increases, subsidy cuts and loosening capital control.

"Were seeing Egypt reaping the benefit of recent reforms, with a new wave of foreign investment and exports rising," he said.

"The next step is to ensure that these reforms have a real impact on the lives of everyday Egyptians, by creating jobs, and its exciting to see so many British companies looking to invest here in order to do just that."

"The UK, as Egypts top economic partner, is here to support Egypt  through our work with the Egyptian government, through StartEgypt, our new fund to support Egyptian start-ups, and through our business-to-business links."



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Energy group DEA plans to invest nearly $500 million in developing its oilfields in Egypt over the next three years, its chief executive office said.

We intend to pump around $500 million over the next three years in Egypt to develop the West Delta, Desouk and the Gulf of Suez fields, Maria Moraeus Hanssen told journalists in Cairo on Saturday evening.

The Hamburg-based company has been involved in exploration and development for oil and gas in Egypt since 1974. It is a partner of BP in the West Nile Delta gas fields.

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Two senior US diplomats visited the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) amid tight security on Saturday, marking the first official US visit to the GEM site since construction began.

Ambassador David M. Satterfield, who is the acting assistant secretary for Near East affairs, toured the site along with Thomas H. Goldberger, charge d'affaires to the US mission in Egypt.



They were led on the tour by Tarek Tawfik, the GEM's general supervisor, who explained the areas dedicated to King Tutankhamun, the most famous of pharaohs, who ruled Egypt thousands years ago.



Satterfield and Goldberger explored the lobby and nearby areas, stopping to have their photographs taken with the statue of King Ramses II.



The event was attended by US media outlets and cultural advisors at the US embassy, as well as Col. Waled Al-Sharkawi, director of the Tourism and Antiquities Police Department of Giza and Al-Haram, where the GEM is located.



Mohamed Atef, director of the project to transfer the statue of King Ramses II, was also present on the day.



The GEM, which is due to open later this year, is intended to provide a modern and spacious venue for the display of Egypt's antiquities, many of which are currently stored at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square.



In November, Tawfik said the world is awaiting the opening of the GEM, which will display the complete collection of King Tutankhamun's treasures for the first time since his tomb was discovered in 1922.



For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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A fashion show inspired by the #MeToo social media campaign aimed at exposing sexual misconduct across the United States opened on Friday in New York with models sporting angel wings handcuffed to men in pig masks.

Dressed in a floor-length black and white gown with leather trim and wings at her shoulders, Cheyenne Jacobs, 22, stopped at the end of the runway to declare herself a survivor of sexual abuse, giving the audience a brief account of being sexually assaulted in high school and raped in college.

I would like to take this moment as a stand of my healing, how far Ive grown and also to say that this is not only a movement, not just stories, but were real people who have gone through real things, she said.

The #MeToo Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week was the brainchild of Myriam Chalek, creative director of fashion website American Wardrobe.

I dont think this fashion show is going to change things overnight, but if it can be a step further then I guess Ive done my part. A woman who has been empowered is a woman who is unstoppable, Chalek told Reuters in an interview.

To the pace of trendy music, women from several walks of life, some smiling and others more serious, first strutted down a runway to display their designer clothes, then reappeared handcuffed to male models wearing pink pig masks.

Among them was Alicia Kozakiewicz, 29, who was abducted in 2002 near her home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by a man who contacted her online, a case that made international headlines as one of the first such kidnappings of the internet age.

Walking confidently down the runway in a black leather hood and dress cinched at the waist with a corset, Kozakiewicz paused to explain how she overcame victim-blaming, even by her family, and became a motivational speaker and aspiring actor.

The me-too movement is not about man-hating; it is not about fighting violence with violence, said Kozakiewicz. It is, however, empowering women and girls to live in a world free of fear so that they can be safe from sexual assault and sexual harassment.

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Ten days ago, US President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union (SOTU) address. Last year, he had spoken before the US Congress, in a joint session, a few weeks after being sworn into office as the 45th president of the United States.

On 1 February, he tweeted that his first SOTU was delivered from the heart, thanking the 45 million Americans who watched him, saying it was a record number.

According to Trump, the SOTU is strong and the economic achievements of his first year in office have been remarkable. On immigration issues, he tried to convey the message that he would be open to any proposals to reform the immigration system, but without compromising the promises he had made to his electoral base.

In this respect, he called for ending the Green Card lottery system, and called, instead, for a merit-based system. On the other hand, he thanked both chambers for passing the Tax Reform Bill, and called for an ambitious programme to modernise Americas infrastructure at a cost of $1.5 trillion.

He called on both Republicans as well as Democrats to join hands to build an America that is strong and proud. Maybe this part was the high point in this SOTU address, and will define it in comparison with others.

If President Trump was positive and forthcoming dealing with domestic questions, when it came to foreign policy, and the Middle East in particular, his tone changed and proved more combative.

In line with the new strategic and defence postures of the United States under his administration, he singled out Russia and China as powers that could undermine the national interests of the United States. In this context, he mentioned that the US would begin modernising its nuclear arsenal, a promise that would surely lead to a nuclear arms race among the three great powers.

He dealt with both North Korea and Iran. On the former, his tone was less aggressive and there were no threats. However, the tone and substance changed for the latter.

Beginning from the last quarter of 2017, American attitudes hardened towards Iran, which became enemy number one in US strategic thinking on the Middle East. It should be recalled that President Trump declined to certify to the US Congress that Iran is honouring its commitments according to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed in July 2015 between the P5+1 group and Iran.

The JCPOA was the signature foreign policy achievement of the Obama administration. The basic premise was to engage the Iranians instead of confronting them militarily, as the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu has advocated. In fact, Trumps position concerning Iran has completely aligned with that of Israel that calls for an open confrontation with Iran everywhere in the Middle East till it forsakes its anti-Israeli policies and recognises the state of Israel, something that is not expected to happen as long as the present Iranian regime remains in power.

Judging from Trumps SOTU address, we can say that his administrations strategy in the Middle East is the other side of the coin of Israels strategy; namely, playing up security concerns and future threats to Israeli and American interests in the region in order to relegate all other Middle East questions  like the peace process, for example  to the back burner.

SOTU 2018 did not include any reference to the Palestinian issue nor to any new American ideas for relaunching peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The only concrete reference was mentioning the decision of recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, part of the speech that was widely applauded, without toning down the American position in this regard to take into account the strong reactions this decision provoked worldwide.

On the contrary, President Trump implicitly asked the US Congress to cut American foreign assistance to countries that voted at the United Nations against what he termed an American sovereign decision. Although it is too early to discern how the US Congress will react to the idea, one thing is certain  the present US administration is reverting to worn-out tactics that caused the United States to lose friends in the past.

The case of Egypt in the 1950s and 1960s is an example that should not be lost on Washington. It remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will push for further cuts in economic assistance to Egypt, and whether it will release the suspended sum of $190 million in military assistance to Cairo, or subject Egypt for further cuts and suspensions of aid and military sales.

As far as the Palestinian Authority is concerned, the US administration has already decided to cut financial aid in addition to cutting financial assistance to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that has provided food and education for millions of Palestinian refugees in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, the innocent victims of the establishment of the state of Israel and the failure of the international community to bring them back to their homes in Palestine.

SOTU 2018 alarmingly failed to take into account human tragedies in the Middle East, instead dwelling on confronting Iran, on the one hand, and fighting extremism and terrorism on the other. It failed completely to take into consideration that one basis of the expansion of Iranian influence in the region is the absence of a just and comprehensive solution in accordance with UN resolutions to the Palestinian problem.

An acknowledgement on the part of the Trump administration of the two-state solution could help greatly in stemming both ever expanding Iranian influence in the Middle East and extremism and terrorism in the Arab world.

SOTU 2018 brought no good news to the Arab world, including the Palestinians.

Heading into the Arab Summit next month in Saudi Arabia, Arab leaders should take this into account. Peace and security in the Middle East do not appear close at hand. The least we expect from Arab leaders is not to align their countries to American positions in the region as expounded in SOTU 2018.

The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

*This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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Mumbai: Akshay Kumar's 'Padman', which deals the issue of menstrual hygiene, has been banned in Pakistan.

The country's Federal Censor Board has refused to give its nod for the release of the R Balki-directed film, which also stars Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor in pivotal roles.

"We can't allow our film distributors to import films which are against our traditions and culture," FCB member Ishaq Ahmed said.

The members of Punjab Film Censor Board also refused to watch the film saying it is based on a "taboo subject" and outrightly rejected any clearance certificate to it.

"We can't allow the screening of films on taboo subjects in our cinemas as it is not in our culture, society or even religion," a member said.

Well-known Pakistani filmmaker Syed Noor said that there was a need to speak to the local film distributors and exhibitors about the films they import from other countries.

"Not only this film 'Padman' but I think even 'Padmaavat' should not have been released in Pakistan as it portrays Muslims in a very negative light," Noor said.
She has proven her acting prowess with acclaimed commercial projects, down south, like U Turn, Urvi and Vikram Vedha. And now, at 27, Shraddha Srinaths kick-starting the year with bigger innings  a Bollywood debut as the leading lady in Milan Talkies, Tigmanshu Dhulias next. The flick, which will see Shraddha paired opposite Ali Fazal is centered around a rather interesting topic  the unfortunate plight of single screen theatres in the era of multiplexes.

That and a couple of interesting films in the pipeline are slated for release down south; Shraddha is juggling with lots in her hands and clearly loves the rush. In a tete-a-tete with Bengaluru Chronicle, she gets chatty with us...

While B-town is considered as the way forward for most artistes down south, Shraddha informs that she was never overwhelmed by the idea. I was never obsessed with (the idea of making an entry into) Bollywood. I dont ever remember being awe-struck about it, she smilingly states. The shooting for Milan Talkies is slated to start sometime in the mid of March. Hailing from an army background, playing the role of a UP girl with a rustic Hindi dialect was challenging but not impossible for Shraddha.  I play the role of a small town girl, who is street smart and willing to fight the odds that come her way. She doesnt look at her humble roots and lack to exposure as a handicap. The rich UP Hindi dialect was hard, but owing to my defense background, my hindi is pretty decent. More than thinking whether shades of the character are reflective of my real personality, Im hoping to be the character than just merely play the part.

Sans an illustrious filmi lineage, Shraddha has been able to bag interesting assignments that she has done complete justice to. So, it comes as little surprise to note how the quality of work and the depth of scripts matter to her  more than the cast, language or the frills around it. It is not often that scripts are written specially for actresses like me. So, when an acquaintance referred my name to Tigmanshu and when things started falling in place, I jumped at the offer and auditioned right away. I have a lot of respect for Tigmanshus work and have been a fan of his works in the past. There were a few changes back and forth but Im excited now!, states Shraddha. Shraddha is also all praises for Ali Fazals work, her co-star in the film. I havent met him yet, but I have watched some of his works and Im glad I will be working with a bunch of talented people, she enthuses.

Unlike most actors, Shraddha is in no mood to put her projects in the south in the backseat. I love the idea of juggling and being busy. Im almost done shooting for Godhra. Just need to wind up a song, and thats about it. A Telegu flick is also slated for release sometime in March or April. My hands are full, and I will be juggling between South and Bollywood at least in the near future, she signs off.
After the success of Kerintha, director Saikiran Adivi is planning another youthful entertainer. Apparently, the director is considering roping in a newcomer for this film, which will go on floors soon.

Sources say that the filmmakers have finalised Sasha Chettri as the lead actress for the breezy entertainer. The filmmakers wanted to cast a newcomer who could bring in a fresh appeal to the project. Since Sasha is popular nationally, the director thought she would be an ideal choice.

Sasha rose to fame with Airtels national ad campaign and this will be her first Telugu film.

A source informs, Sasha was auditioned for her part. After she impressed with her dialogue delivery and expressions, the former model happened to be a straight choice for the role.
The arrested were remanded in custody, said inspector, K. Satish. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Hayathnagar police on Saturday raided a spurious pesticides unit and arrested two persons running it. The suspects were identified as Tirupathi Pichi Reddy and Veena Naga Srinivas Reddy.

Farmers who had a tough time after buying spurious seeds were now at the receiving end of cheating by spurious pesticide manufacturers.

According to police, the suspects were selling spurious pesticides at Pedda Amberpet. Based on information, police raided the unit and found pesticide in huge quantity.

Spurious pesticides were seized and samples were sent to the laboratory for tests. The arrested were remanded in custody, said inspector, K. Satish.
Bengaluru: A 30-year-old techie was allegedly murdered by her husband at his restaurant in Sampangirama Nagar and he took the body to Kamandoddi forest in Tamil Nadu and burnt it. The incident took place a month ago, but came light after the husbands arrest on February 6. The deceased, Akshatha, worked as a software engineer in a private firm at Hebbal. She got married to Chandrakanth, who owns a restaurant, 10 years ago and they have a 4-year-old son. Chandrakanth suspected his wife was having an affair and the couple used to have frequent fights over this.

According to the police, on January 9 Chandrakanth fought with his wife and in fit of anger he strangulated her to death. He hid her body in his restaurant and called his friend Rajvindhar Singh for help. The duo waited till night and put the body into their car and drove it towards Tamil Nadu. They stopped their vehicle near Kamandoddi forest and burnt the body using diesel. Rajvindhar took her phone and went to Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and other cities, while Chandrakanth returned home and informed everyone that she was out on an official trip.

On January 23, Akshathas mother, Rekha filed a missing complaint with the Sampangirama Nagar police station. In her complaint she stated that on January 9, around 12 noon, she and her daughter had gone to Chandrakanths Silver Spoon hotel and restaurant to meet him.

Akshatha told her to wait till she returns and went inside the hotel. When she did not return after half an hour she went to enqire at the hotel. Chandrakath told her that she had left long ago after taking Rs 50,000 from him. She told the police that she initially thought Akshatha had gone to meet friends or relatives. But after she checked with everyone and later tried to contact Akshatha many times, which went unanswered, she realized that she was missing.

The police tried to trace her phone location, but it was constantly on move. During investigation the police found the couple used to fight often and they interrogated her husband, who confessed to the crime.

The Sampangirama Nagar police contacted the Shoolagiri police and her description matched with the burnt body found in their limits. The police arrested both the accused.
Chennai: Tiruvallur police arrested three persons, including a woman, suspected to be naxalites, on Saturday.

The arrested have been identified as Dasarathan, his wife Shenbagavalli and brother Vetri Veerapandian of Odhapai village, Tiruvallur district, sources said.

The district police and Q branch police had received a tip-off on naxalites movements in Tiruvallur district.

Following the secret information, police have conducted vehicle searches at possible naxal hideouts in the district on Saturday morning, the source added.

The police, who have been posted at Pullarambakkam at the vicinity of Poondi lake, stopped an auto-rickshaw and checked the vehicle.

During interrogation, the three occupants in the auto made contradictory statements and tried to flee the spot. However, the police succeeded in apprehending them, police sources said.

Meanwhile, Q branch police took custody of the arrested three and are interrogating them. Another police source said Shenbagavalli has a sabotage case pending against her at Kodaikanal police station.The details of the crimes that the trio had committed will be investigated and further details will be released once the investigation is over, Sibi Chakravarthy, superintendent of police, Tiruvallur said.
Mangaluru: In two separate incidents, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence of Mangalore seized about four kilogrammes gold, valued Rs 1 crore, at Mangalore International Airport and Mangaluru Junction Railway Station.

Hassan and Sameera, a couple hailing from Kasargod were arrested for trying to smuggle 2.13 kg of gold concealed in a specially made abdominal belt worn by them under their clothes. They had arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport from Dubai.

Their current market value was placed at around Rs 66 lakh. The contraband gold was later seized by the officers of DRI under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

Both the passengers were arrested and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangaluru and later released on conditional bail.

In another incident two passengers Moideen and Samsudheen travelling from Panvel to Kozhikode in Marusagar Express were caught hold of at Mangaluru Juction Railway station.

They had smuggled gold from Nepal and were travelling in train towards Kozhikode, Kerala. They had 16 gold biscuits in their possession, concealed in the inner pocket of their pants.

During personal examination of the two, the officers found some heavy objects around the waist band of the trousers. When cut open, the inside stitch of the waist band had 16 gold bars (8 gold bars each) in it.

Both the passengers admitted that 16 gold bars recovered from their possession were of foreign origin and were smuggled by them during their International trip from Dubai to Kathmandu, Nepal, a couple of days back. They further stated that after getting cleared from Kathmandu International Airport they crossed the land border at Birganj and entered India. DRI officers seized 16 gold bars of foreign origin totally weighing 1865.600 gm valued at Rs 56,33,880. Both the passengers were arrested and produced before the

Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangaluru. Further investigations are in progress in both the cases.
Ragging, or bullying, is the act of intimidating, belittling and humiliating another person. It's sad that this practice remains so rampant in our education system today, despite the technological and cognitive leaps our society has made over the last few decades. Despite this progress, the graphs are clearly on the rise today. I, for one, strongly condemn students and others who engage in destroying people. It must be said that the effects of ragging are long term and deep-seated, causing confusion and pain through the course of the victim's life.

The victims

As a college student, I was not exempt from the phenomenon. I had to deal with my fair share of ragging and the memories of this remain fresh in my mind. They are, of course, most unpleasant. That particular event changed the way I saw myself, I began to perceive myself as someone lacking and perhaps not even worthy of respect. Looking back, I could call it a turning point in my life and it is one of the major reasons why I am a strong advocate against issues of this nature even today.

Speak up!

The victims of bullying and ragging should never, ever, keep the pain to themselves - these incidents need to be reported to teachers, parents or authority figures, no matter how daunting this prospect may seem at the time to a terrified youngster who has just been through a traumatic experience. Students should recognise that solutions can be sought only when the mishap has been reported to a third party. This certainly isn't the time to lose hope, but taking the leap and reporting it is crucial.

As a professor and as a social worker, I have met a number of students and friends who have been victims of bullying at different stages in their lives. The consequences of these experiences continue to play out on their socio-cultural and psychological processes. When ragging takes place, it is done to make the victim feel low, unworthy and unwanted. In my opinion, the media is to blame for much of this. The manner in which the fourth estate has portrayed success and beauty, defined what is accepted and what is not in terms of behaviour and interpersonal relationships, has had a huge influence on the way we perceive each other.

This has had tragic consequences. If a boy wears pink, he is ridiculed for being homosexual or effete, for instance. Isn't it unfair, really, that a person is forced to behave, dress and live not in the way they choose but in the manner that is expected of them? We should learn to understand, hackneyed though this sounds, that every person is unique in more ways than we can understand and a mindset of tolerance needs to be cultivated within us all.

Myths

One myth continues to pervade and prolong this ghastly tradition: That ragging is a form of initiation, a process of creating a camaraderie between two individuals. Those who agree with this point of view must realise that demeaning another person is no way to strike up a friendship! It is important that values like tolerance and respect are inculcated in schools and colleges.

Strong policies must be put in place at institutions and strict action taken against perpetrators. Institutionally, colleges should condemn any sort of ragging and students must be made aware of the policy as well as the fact that it is a criminal offence. Strict action taken at the right levels will send the message that ragging must not be tolerated in any situation. Institutions should also offer courses on life skills and moral values. These programmes need to be inculcated into the curriculum with credits awarded to participants. A student monitoring committee that closely observes student behaviour could be instrumental in preventing bullying and ensuring that everybody is treated equally.

Parents, take note

Parents, being another major stakeholder of any institution should be provided with regular sessions on how to deal with teenagers as they progress. They need to be taught ways to monitor their children's behaviour, pick up on signs that they may be harassed and to help kids open up at home. They are responsible for everything that occurs in their children's lives and should be accessible to them at all times. As the child enters college, he or she is exposed to a whole new culture and lifestyle. If he or she is not taught how to adjust to the changes, this transition could be potentially dangerous.

Technology and the media have played a crucial role in influencing individual thoughts as well. With the advertisement of fairness creams and the like popping up even on social media, these gradually but deeply influence an individual's perspective of the world. The portrayal of characters in movies also sends negative images often, leading to them branding their counterparts in different senses as well.

As the upbringing of each child is important, parents should play an instrumental role to openly talk and discuss societal issues and manners, teaching them how to respect their peers. Patriarchal views should be totally avoided in all cases and each child should be taught that no male is more powerful than any female.

Social Media

Behaviour on social media should also be developed in a positive manner. As a Facebook user with 5000 friends, I have recently realised that my life has become totally fragile. At various instances I have stumbled upon places where people are given opportunities to use my views and pictures to threaten and bully in different ways. Phones in the hands of school students are also dangerous if you look at it this way. The government should have suitable mechanisms in place to control the use of certain apps which could end up preying on their young, impressionable users.

Law and order

Finally, the police department should educate institutions and children and help them understand that they are their friends. The largely pervasive fear of police personnel and the trend of victimising the victim should end to cultivate such a confidence.

Reach out

As a professor who teaches HRD as well to students, I make it a point to say this in class very frequently and I believe this is a message which should reach all, at the end of the day: "If you want to make the world a happy place, make it happy for another person. If someone else is suffering, never hesitate to offer a helping hand.

Ragging on Indian college campuses up by 70% in 2017

According to the University Grants Commission (UGC), 3,299 cases of student ragging in universities and colleges were registered across India between April 18, 2012 and December 12, 2017.

However, only 957 students were punished for ragging

The author is the PRO of St Joseph's College and a professor of Social Work

(As told to Ralph Alex Arakal)
Hassan: Deft and doe-like they sprint up the steep and rocky Vindhyagiri Hill carrying devotees to the statue of Bahubali that towers over Shravanabelagola. The dholiwallahs from Jharkhand take barely 20 minutes to reach the hill-top, finding it an easy call after the tough four hour climb up the Parasnath Hill in their state.

The Vindhyagiri journey is shorter, but a bit steeper, says Shivlal, one of the dholiwallahs who arrived in Shravanabelagola a week ago. Nearly 200 more dholiwallahs from Jharkhand are expected to arrive in the town on February 15 for the Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony when their services will be greatly in demand.

At Parasnath the dholiwallahs spend four hours travelling to the top, another four hours to take devotees around and three hours to climb down. But at Vindhyagiri Hill it takes 20-minute to reach the top, 15 minutes for the devotees to have their darshan and another 15 minutes to climb down, explains Shivlal.

Ramlal, a fellow villager, says, dholi is big business in Parasnath Hill with hundreds of dholiwallahs competing to ferry devotees to the top. But not all dholiwallahs are able to make a decent living this way, he laments.

Of medium built and short in stature, the dholiwallahs are sturdy enough to carry the devotees and not many complain of aches and pains.

While they charge about Rs 4,000 on Parasnath Hill, a sum that is distributed among four dolliwallahs, at Vindyagiri , they charge Rs 600 per devotee.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family at Abu Dhabi airport. (Photo: Twitter/@PMOIndia)

Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday as the two sides signed five agreements including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in offshore oil concession.

Modi, who arrived in Abu Dhabi from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour, was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family at the airport. The two leaders hugged each other and exchanged pleasantries.

The Prime Minister thanked the Crown Prince for the special gesture of receiving him at the airport and said his visit will have a positive impact on India-UAE ties.

"We warmly welcome our state guest and valued friend, the Indian Prime Minister to the UAE. His visit reflects our longstanding historical ties and is testament to our friendly bilateral relationship," Mohammed Bin Zayed, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, tweeted.

Modi, who is in Abu Dhabi on his second visit to the UAE, held wide-ranging talks with Mohammed Bin Zayed. The Prime Minister had visited the UAE in August, 2015.

After their talks, the two sides signed five agreements related to energy sector, railways, manpower and financial services.

An MoU between an Indian consortium comprising OVL, BPRL and IOCL and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was signed for acquisition of a 10 per cent participating interest in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum Concession, a statement issued by the Indian embassy said.

The concession will be for 40 years from 2018 to 2057. Sixty per cent of the participating interest will be retained by ADNOC and the remaining 30 per cent will be awarded to other international oil companies, the statement said.

"This is the first Indian Investment in upstream oil sector of UAE, transforming the traditional buyer-seller relationship to a long-term investor relationship," the statement said.

India and the UAE also signed an MoU that aims to institutionalise collaborative administration of contractual employment of Indian workers in the Gulf country.

Under the MoU, both sides will work to integrate their labour related e-platforms for ending malpractices, combat trafficking and organise collaborative programmes for education and awareness of contractual workers.

An MoU for technical cooperation in railways was also signed between the two sides. To deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of finance, an MoU between Bombay Stock Exchange and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was also signed.

Another MoU between Jammu and Kashmir government and DP World was also signed to set up a multi-modal logistics park and hub in Jammu comprising warehouses and specialised storage solutions.

Some buildings in Abu Dhabi were lit in the Indian tricolour as the city was decked up to welcome Modi, who also attended a state banquet hosted by the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.

The Prime Minister will visit Wahat Al Karama, the UAE martyr's war memorial, on Sunday before travelling to Dubai where he will interact with the Indian community at an event at the Dubai Opera House and will see a ceremony of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. The ceremony will be live-streamed to the Opera House.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will then speak at the World Government Summit in Dubai, where India is a guest of honour this year. He will make inaugural the address on the theme "technology for development".
Chennai: The late CM Jayalalithaa's portrait will be unveiled in the State Assembly on Monday by Speaker P. Dhanapal.

Chief Minister K. Palaniswami will preside over the function in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, according to a press release from the Assembly secretary K Boopathy here.

It may be recalled that Palaniswami had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi last May and submitted a letter urging him to unveil Jayalalithaa's portrait in the Assembly.

It now appears that the PM has chosen to ignore the request even as his itinerary includes a trip to Puducherry close by for participating in the Auroville golden jubilee on February 24.

"A towering personality and statesman like you, who has upheld the finest traditions of our vibrant democracy and maintained the cherished values of our Parliamentary system, would be the befitting person to unveil the portrait of our revered leader "Amma" (Jayalalithaa)", Palaniswami had said in his letter to PM, adding that the people of Tamil Nadu would be extremely happy if the PM unveiled the portrait in the Assembly.

The CM said Jayalalithaa had made significant contributions for TN, its growth on all fronts and for Tamil language and culture. Amma had dedicated her life for the Tamils and left an indelible mark on the Indian political landscape. He sought Modi's "convenience to grace the occasion on any day during the month of July, 2017 as the chief guest of the function to be held in the Assembly Chamber and to unveil the portrait".

The opposition parties, particularly the DMK, had opposed unveiling of Jayalalithaa's portrait in the Assembly, saying she had been convicted in the disproportionate assets case. Some PILs too were filed in the Madras high court seeking removal of all Jaya pictures from government offices.

CM Palaniswami had however defended his government's decision to unveil a portrait of Jayalalithaa, saying it would be a great honour for the Assembly.

Stating that there was nothing wrong in paying respect to Jayalalithaa, who was fully committed to people's welfare, he had said that 'Amma' was elected Chief Minister six times and regarded as a role model by Chief Ministers from other States.
"Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,

Who never to himself hath said,

This is my own, my native land?

Whose heart hath ne'er within him burn'd,

As home his footsteps he hath turn'd,

From wandering on a foreign strand?"

Now I don't really know for certain whether my friend, Pheno Menon, was inspired by Sir Walter Scott's immortal lines when he decided to relocate to India after a lengthy stint in the US or whether his decision stemmed from more mundane considerations such as idli-sambhar. At any rate, viewing the motherland through the romantic prism of a fifteen year absence, Pheno decided to come back as COO of an IT major. 'Into that heaven of cyber freedom, my father, let my country awake,' may well have been his goal as his plane touched down at BIAL. Then he woke up and smelt the coffee and decided that Starbucks was preferable to filter kaapi.

He and his lady wife were overwhelmed when professionalism was ignored while plumbing and electrical issues at Casa Menon were governed by Murphy's Law. His heartfelt lament, "Bad enough I have major shit to deal with at work and then I come home and the basement is flooded" fell on deaf ears. "Adjust maadi" is not part of the curriculum at Harvard; consequently Pheno and his missus were finding it impossible to cope with the chaos of daily life in namma Bengaluru. As any fule know the average citizen is relatively insulated from the slings and arrows of bureaucratic ineptitude in the West, while here in India, things are somewhat different. John Le Carre's pithy observation, 'When things work we are pathetically grateful and when they don't, such is life, comrade,' springs to mind.

However the Menons had one consolation: Mummy had sent them good domestic engineers.

Today Pheno Menon is a bitter, disillusioned man who can't to get back to homeland security. Initially the irritants were minor: doublespeak, lack of punctuality, incessant honking, chaotic traffic, heat, dirt and mosquitoes.'Oh gimme a break, these ABCD are only capable of moaning', said his colleagues behind his back. The final straw was a robbery at his plush apartment complex in which his neighbour's apartment was trashed in a manner resembling an unsupervised teenage party at Epsilon. 'There, but for the grace of God, go I,' could well have been his philosophic reaction, rather like the passenger who missed Flight MH 370 thanks to being stuck in traffic. Unfortunately his troubles were just starting.

The neighbour turned out to be that quintessentially Indian phenomenon: a rich businessman with connections. Pheno was away on a business trip during the robbery but that didn't stop the wheels of justice. His thugs entered Menon's apartment without a warrant or a by-your- leave, ransacked his cupboards, subjected his help to the third degree and finally ran their filthy paws over his wife's silky drawers in the forlorn hope that the stolen goods may have been concealed beneath Milady's lingerie. On his return, Menon was justifiably furious. As an upstanding citizen of the 'greatest nation on earth' where lowlifes, drug dealers, pimps and assorted sickos are read their rights before interrogation and arrest, he was livid to discover that extra-judicial methods are far more primitive back home.

His neighbour was totally taken aback by Menon's ire, 'Yaar, you were out of station and they didn't really maro them too much, just a couple of slaps. Dekko boss, my wife's jewellery was stolen, I should be the one who's shouting, yaar. Your flat tho kuch nahin hua. Here, first thing we suspect is inside job from these bloody servants. What to tell you? Even my own servants were taken to the station and hammered, yaar. Cool down.' As you can imagine, Pheno was by now apoplectic with rage since his maids were of unimpeachable integrity and were considered part of the family. "Do you know my maid brought back a $100 dollar bill when I threw my pants to the wash and you suspect them of thieving? Who allowed you to enter my house in my absence, you piece of $#it?' he roared.

Menon went to the cop station, dropped a few names, let off steam and went back home, sadder and wiser for the experience. But what truly shocked him subsequently was the total lack of empathy he faced when he recounted his experience at social gatherings. "How else do you expect the cops to do their jobs?" was the inevitable response. Basic human rights, concern for the underprivileged and respect for domestic workers is not the kind of thing that trends on Twitter or FB. We are like this only.
Mysuru: Agitators in Mandya flocked outside the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences, where they stayed through Friday night, protesting against the deaths of two children who had been given vaccinations at the anganavadi in Chindagiri Doddi village. The protest was led by the parents of the two victims. Villagers even exhumed the body of one child, who died on Thursday night, after it was handed over to the parents without a post mortem. The bodies of both victims are now being at the MIMS mortuary

The faulty vaccine was reportedly given to nine children, causing the death of two infants who were a little over a month old. Two more are in the ICU at MIMS, while the rest have also been kept under observation.

The agitators are demanding compensation and action against the Mandya DHO Dr. K Mohan. Meanwhlie, Nataraj, Director, Health Department, said a committee has been formed to look into the issue and that no action can be initiated until the report is out. This did not, however, pacify the protestors, who were joined by former MLS Srinivas and MP Puttaraju. BJP Leader R. Ashok also visited the spot along with the Mandya DC and SP.
Hyderabad: Good roads lead to the clean little village of Nandikandi, situated at a little distance from the village of Kandi, where Hyderabad IIT is expanding. The village got its name from the huge Nandi statue (Lord Shivas devoted dwara palak). Nandikandis claim to fame is the small but gorgeous temple of Ramalingeswara, whose main deity is Lord Shiva. A brass lingam sits on a beautiful, tall star-shaped granite pillar. The temple too is uniquely star shaped and was built in the 11th century. A large stone in the temple has some of its history inscribed on it and dates back to 1086. The hereditary priest of the temple, Joshi Venkatrao, says that the temple was built at the time of the valiant Kalyan Chalukya. He is supposed to have donated the temple, a Veda Pathashala, promised to do nitya annadanam to all saints who travelled long distances to do darshanam of the temple, and is also said to have adopted the neighbouring village of Kovvur. All of this is inscribed on the large single block of stone. The temple is small and single-storeyed. The base of the temple is star shape and it is built to open up into a lotus shape. Temple priest Venkatrao Joshi says that the pillar was probably built in the 10th century while the entrance could have been built in the 11th century.

The temple is an example of the Kalyana Chalukya style of architecture, and according to archaeologists, this temple might have been built during the rule of Vikaramaditya V. in 1014 AD attributed to someone else earlier-make up your mind. The entrance arch has seven inverted lotuses on top called a toranam, with gaps between each inverted lotus. It is said that the rays of the morning sun filter through each of these gaps and fall directly on the Shivalingam in the sanctum of the temple. Each gap apparently represents a season. The rays fall into the sanctum sanctorum, lighting it up. It is the great good luck of the devotee who catches this phenomenon.

There are exquisite sculptures in every corner of the temple. The four pillars in the Central Hall form a mandapa or navaranga, as it is called. Students apparently visit the temple to understand the skill involved in its construction all those centuries ago. The pillars, each made of a single block of stone, are decorated with figures of the Hindu pantheon - Lords Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Narasimha Swamy, Varaha Swamy, Nataraja Swamy, Devi Mahishasur Mardini, Devi Saraswati Mata and Gaja Lakshmi. Because both Shiva and Vishnu are represented, this becomes a Hari Hara Kshetra. In fact, one of the pillars is like a blueprint of the temple, with the design etched beautifully on one single pillar. There are also sculptures of dhikpalakas, (guardians of directions), beautiful women, demons etc. The sanctum sanctorum has been designed in the shape of a star, while the shikaram of the temple is designed like a lotus.

There is a four-foot tall statue of Lord Ganesha in the southern part of the sanctum. The other attraction is a humongous Nandi, carved out of black stone, quite the star of this temple. The temple is said to have been attacked by Muslim invaders and some of the statues bear the scars. The Ganesha statue has been repaired and painted, the Nandi too has been repaired but it still has a wounded look. There is a notation on one of the paws of the Nandi, which is presumed to be the name of the sculptor. Our family has been priests for the past 700 years, says Venkatrao Joshi, who is both temple priest and school teacher. He has no idea who the first priest was, but knows that he is a ninth generation priest for this temple. We did not maintain a family tree and there are a lot of missing links, he says. Though located on National Highway No 9 on the Mumbai route, this temple is not very well known. Since the priest also teaches, he finishes the prayers by 6.30 am; the evening puja is conducted only after 7 pm.

A tourist guest house was built nearby some two years ago but is still not in use. But a boundary wall has been built and the area around the temple has been paved to make walking easier. The temple is registered with the Endowments department, but that is in name alone. It is the villagers who help to run it. Small amounts are deposited in the hundi by those who believe that some of their wishes have been fulfilled. A curious fact about the village is that it has not a single potter or kumara family. The story goes that Lord Shiva had once been disturbed by the noise made by a potter family and so banished them forever from this village. A tall deepa stambham at the entrance of the temple is used to light the diya during Karthika Pournami night.
A group of heavily-armed Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who wore Army combat uniform attacked the family quarters in the camp on Saturday. (Photo: ANI)

Srinagar: Three more Army personnel and a civilian were killed in the Sunjwan Army camp attack in Jammu even as the operation to flush out the JeM militants entered the second day on Sunday, taking the toll to six.

Four of the terrorists have been gunned down in the anti-terror operation.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Sunday reached Sunjwan Army Camp to take stock of the situation after the terrorist attack.

A group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists who wore Army combat uniform had attacked the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry early on Saturday, triggering a gunbattle. Two Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) were killed on Saturday.

Also read: IAF Para commandos flown to Jammu to take on attackers at Army camp

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack. On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven Army personnel including two officers. Three terrorists were also gunned down.

The terrorists launched the attack on Sunjwan Military Station of 36 Brigade around 4.55 am on Saturday after entering from the rear side of the Army camp where family quarters are located.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat arrived at the camp late on Saturday night and was briefed on the situation by two commanders.

Also read: Sunjwan Army camp attack: Terrorists sported combat uniforms

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to avoid civilian casualties.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

The attack follows Intelligence inputs warning of an attack on the Army or the security establishment by JeM in view of the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

(With agency inputs)
He requested Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to impress upon the Centre that even the inputs must be tax-free.

Hyderabad: The endowments department has been feeling the pinch of GST on prasadam. Though prasadam has been exempted from GST by the GST Council, the tax is still levied on the inputs used in prasadam.

Big temples in Telangana such as Yadadri, Basar, and Vemulawada have requested the TS government to pay the tax.

Endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy on Saturday wanted to know how much GST was being paid for prasadam so that the amount can be included in the TS Budget proposals for 2018-19 so that temples can be compensated.

He requested Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to impress upon the Centre that even the inputs must be tax-free.

Prasadam costs have gone up by 50 per cent due to GST on ingredients used in their preparation. The temples are incurring losses on the sale of prasadam for rates lower than production costs. They are seeking financial assistance from the government to meet this burden, Mr Reddy said.

After GST came into force in July 2017, the Yadadri temple increased the price of laddu by 25 per cent in October 2017.

A 100-gram laddu costs Rs 20 from the earlier Rs 15. A 250-gm packet of pulihora and daddojnam has been increased to Rs 15 and a 75-gram vada to Rs 20, an increase of Rs 5.

Temples in Vemulawada and Basar are also seeking price hike citing increased production costs. The prasadam rates in these temples were last revised in 2015.

Mr Reddy said, The endowments department is not looking at earning profits by increasing prasadam rates. We want prasadam to be sold for no loss, no profit. But after GST, the temples are suffering losses on sale of prasadam and want the government to support them. We will request the Centre to exempt GST on inputs used in prasadams. If not, the government will have to support the temples and accordingly Budget proposals of endowments department are being prepared.
New Delhi/Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a three-nation tour, on Sunday delivered a keynote address at the World Government Summit on the theme: 'Technology for development' in Dubai.

Addressing the summit on the second day of his two-day visit to the UAE, Modi said it was an honour for him and the people of India that he has been called as the Chief Guest at the 6th edition of World Government Summit.

Technology is changing at the speed of thought, Modi said, adding that it has empowered the common man through minimum government, maximum governance.

"We must make technology a means of development, not a means of destruction," PM said while addressing the summit.

Modi voiced concern over massive global investment in missiles and bombs, and warned against the misuse of technology. He also expressed concern over attempts by some people to radicalise the cyber space with the use of technology, in an apparent reference to its use by jihadists to recruit cadres.

Citing Dubai as an example for the world, Modi said technology has transformed a desert.

Giving out his definition for E-governance, Modi said E stands for effective, efficient, easy, empower, and equity.

Modi earlier on Sunday inaugurated Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple project, the first Hindu temple to be built in Abu Dhabi.

Also Read: PM launches 1st Hindu temple project, addresses Indian diaspora in Dubai

The Prime Minister held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in an offshore oilfield in UAE.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the country.

(With agency inputs)
Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address students across the country on February 16 on how to deal with exam stress through a television show.

The commissioner and director of school education G. Kishan has instructed all the DEOs to make necessary arrangements for the students to watch the program.

The program will be aired on All India Radio Wave, All India radio FM, MHRD Youtube channels, Doordarshan, Facebook Live, MHRD Swayamprabha Channels. Students have been asked to send in their questions for the PM through the website innovate.mygov.in for any queries.
CHENNAI: In a shocker to technical institutions, not a single student from 43 engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu was able to clear first semester examinations, of which the results were declared last week.

Of 466 affiliated engineering colleges of which took part in the examinations, 141 colleges have got results in single digits, according to sources in Anna University.

The result details, which lay bare the quality of engineering education in the state, showed only 57 colleges register more than 50% pass percentage in the exam. The remaining colleges registered less than 50% passes.

The autonomous engineering colleges and Anna University departments are not part of the first semester exams conducted by Controller of Examinations, Anna University.

To give a proper perspective of the poor performance of the engineering colleges, only three colleges got zero results in the previous year (December 2016) and 12 engineering colleges alone got single digit results.

A document which contains the performance of all engineering colleges was circulated among self-financing engineering colleges on Sunday.

Some principals, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Deccan Chronicle that the result details were correct.

According to the document, PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research stood first on the list with 95.86% pass percentage. Other top engineering colleges like SSN Engineering College, Sri Sai Ram Engineering College and RMK Engineering College featured in the top 10.

Many engineering colleges with less than 10 students were featured in the top 200 with the results of 30% to 35% in the exams. Three colleges with just one student have registered nil results.

Many engineering colleges and their students are preparing to apply for revaluation. Anna University officials are hoping that the results will improve after the revaluation.

IIT Kanpurs former chairman M. Ananthakrishan said, The students who have prepared for class 12 exams based on blueprint method, are now struggling in the engineering courses The quality of the faculty members is also very poor.

Mr. Ananthakrishnan, who is also the Tamil Nadu Curriculum Framework Committee chairman, said, The blueprint method is being abolished in the public exams and I dont think the present trend will continue in the future.

He also identified the excessive engineering colleges as main problem of engineering education in the state. I would say this state does not need more than 200 engineering colleges and we have 530 colleges. The remaining 300 odd colleges have to be shut down, he observed.

He further said excess engineering colleges could be converted to skill development centres. Either they must be shut down or they should be converted into skill development centres where they can still give a degree but based on completely a different syllabus. So, students will able get employment or start new ventures, he proposed.

Career consultant and educationist Jayaprakash A.Gandhi said students this year struggled with tough maths paper. The math question paper was really good. The importance for application-oriented questions was increased from 50% and 70% which resulted in many students struggling in the exam. It is going to be very difficult for the students to clear exams as they have to reappear for internal exams, he said. He also forecast the poor results would affect the overall pass percentage after three years.

Though the overall pass percentage would come down after three years, it is a very good move on part of Anna University. It did not dilute the quality of question paper even in the crisis times, he added.
T.S. Vijayan, chairman, IRDAI, presents a memento to Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu at the valedictory function of International insurance conference at HICC on Sunday. (Photo: DECCAN CHRONICLE)

Hyderabad: Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday asked politicians to be more punctual, disciplined and transparent in public life and to rise as role models for the current generation.

He said that these qualities are lacking in present day politicians. He was speaking at a function to felicitate former Tamil Nadu Governor and AP Chief Minister Konijeti Rosaiah with a Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by Lalitha Kala Parishad founded by senior MP T. Subbarami Reddy.

Mr Venkaiah Naidu said that democratic foundations of the Nation would be safe and strong with stable governments. He said that a greater introspection is the need of the hour among politicians to respect the democratic principles and their behaviour in various Legislative Houses.

Mr Venkaiah Naidu said it is wrong to call someone as an enemy in politics and said that there are only opponents and adversaries in the political field.

He said Mr Rosaiah is a multi-talented person who is committed to core values of democracy and decency in public life.

Replying to this, Mr Rosaiah said his political career started in early 1960s and Mr Venkaiah Naidu became his friend during the Jai Andhra movement.

Rajya Sabha MP Mr Subbarami Reddy said that the credit of taking Telugu pride to international-level goes to Mr Venkaiah Naidu and Mr Rosaiah.
CHENNAI: BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan lashed out at Congress senior and former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram for criticising the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government and said he has no moral rights to talk about Mr Modi.

Alleging that Chidambaram had done precious little for Tamil Nadu when he served as Union Minister, Dr Tamilisai dared him for a debate on the issue. The Congress-led UPA regime I and II had not done anything for the peoples welfare. People will not believe his baseless allegations on Mr Modi, she said and added, let PC, who was the Finance Minister, name a single scheme that he or his government had brought to TN. I am willing to list out our achievements. Lets see if the Congress comes out with a list, if any.

Reacting to Mr Chidambarams charge that BJP government didnt do anything in its four year rule, Dr Tamilisai on Sunday claimed that despite Mr Chidambaram representing the state for many years, his constituency had not developed at all. His constituency falls in the list of 115 backward districts in India. He has not done anything noteworthy even for his home constituency, she charged.

The BJP president also hit out at TNCC chief Su. Thirunavukkarasar for criticising the PM and reminded him that he had been a Minister in the former PM A.B. Vajpayee Cabinet. The Congress is stooping to a political low harping on pakoda. But we say: look at the Budget. The youth will surely support our initiatives, Dr Tamilisai added.

To a query, she replied that her party would resolve the Cauvery issue if it was voted to power in Karnataka. We are firm that TN should get its due share of Cauvery water, she said.
Ever since he became a member of the Rajya Sabha, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah has been a regular visitor to the Central Hall of Parliament where he is immediately mobbed by mediapersons on the lookout for news. And Mr Shah has been happy to oblige them as he sits patiently and chats with them over steaming cups of coffee. Perhaps it is a coincidence but the political grapevine says that Mr Shahs informal interactions probably prompted former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to come to the Central Hall last week when the Lok Sabha was adjourned briefly. Since their visits are rare, the Congress leaders were equally sought-after by journalists. Though the conversation eventually veered around to the current political scene, it was preceded by a lengthy discussion on different types of dhoklas and Gujarati snacks. While Mr Gandhi attempted to describe the dhokla he recently ate which, he said, was like an idli, Mrs Gandhi said she was partial to dhokla but preferred those made at home to the ones available in the market as they are soaked in syrup. Lets be objective, she remarked, Gujarati snacks are delicious. She then proceeded to partake of the dhokla available in the Parliament canteen.

Sachin Pilot, president of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee, is the man of the moment after he led the party to a resounding victory in the three bypoll seats  Ajmer, Alwar and Mandalgarh. It now transpires that party president Rahul Gandhi was keen that Mr Pilot should contest the Ajmer Lok Sabha seat since it happens to be his constituency. However, he was dissuaded from fielding Mr Pilot when told that there was a possibility that Mr Pilot could lose the seat despite the public mood in the partys favour as former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, could sabotage the election to show down his bete noire. On the other hand, if Mr Pilot did win the parliamentary seat, he would have to shuttle between Delhi and Rajasthan and would not be able to concentrate on managing the partys state unit. This would leave the field open for Mr Gehlot, who still harbours ambitions of returning as chief minister in case of a Congress victory in the year-end Assembly polls. Mr Gandhi gave in after he was assured that Mr Pilot would deliver a victory in this crucial bypoll. It was deliberately decided to field Raghu Sharma, a Gehlot protege for the Ajmer seat, making it difficult for the former chief minister to play spoilsport in the election. In fact, all the Rajasthan Congress factions worked harmoniously to ensure a handsome victory for the party.

Ahmed Patel, former Congress president Sonia Gandhis political secretary, is reputed to be an excellent organiser with an eye for detail. This was evident at a recent function at the Teen Murti auditorium when former President Pranab Mukherjee released former finance minister P. Chidambarams new book, Speaking Truth to Power. Mr Mukherjee made a brief speech on the occasion but left before the panel discussion which followed the formal release. As the former President was on his way out, Mr Chidambaram was seen wending his way the stage for discussion. However, he was stopped by Mr Patel who was seated in the front row. Though their conversation was not audible, it was fairly obvious that Mr Patel suggested that Mr Chidambaram should escort Mr Mukherjee out. The former Union minister was seen nodding his head after which he changed direction and rushed towards the exit to see Mr Mukherjee to his car.

Like Congress members who never forget to pay obeisance to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in their public utterances, BJP ministers have also acquired the habit of showering praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their speeches. But finance minister Arun Jaitley chose to depart from this script in his Budget speech. In a refreshing change, there was no reference to Mr Modi while the Budget was described as My Budget. Needless to say, BJP members are busy decoding whether this omission was deliberate or an oversight.
The Opposition leader Khaleda Zia, her son and others have been jailed on charges of misusing international funds donated to a charitable childrens trust. The state has been busy handling the fallout of protests by supporters of her Bangladesh National Party. Khaleda, widow of the former Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman, became the countrys first female Prime Minister after her party was voted in at the countrys first democratic elections in 1991. Her two regimes, alternating with the ruling Awami League of her long-time rival and current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, have been dogged by graft charges.

The rivalry between the two Bangladeshi parties runs deep. They are diametrically opposed in ideologies, with the BNP being right wing and often accused of collaborating with Pakistan while Ms Hasinas party is seen as more liberal and pro-India. The BNP boycotted the last general elections in 2014, since when the problems have been exacerbated and there have been contentious issues on a number of fronts including that of acts of terrorism. Khaledas elder son Tarique Rahman, now resident in London, has also been sentenced, to 10 years in jail. It does appear that the BNPs charge that the government is trying to keep the party out of politics is serious as the party does not have a command structure now. If Khaleda (72) is kept out of the elections slated for the end of the year, the situation can remain as explosive as it is now and the democratic structure of Bangladesh would be under threat.
Whatever the reason, it is good that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Ramallah on Saturday, marking the first time an Indian Prime Minister has been in Palestine. It keeps alive Indias connection with that most significant of links with the idea of opposing colonial occupations. In practical terms, perhaps he went in order to balance the fact that he had visited Israel last year, the only Indian PM to do so. Earlier this year he received the Israel PM in New Delhi with extraordinary warmth and ceremony. In fact, before visiting Israel, the government had announced that the PM would also be going to the Palestinian territory afterward. By now it has become obvious to Israelis and to Indians that this Indian leader has taken a huge stride in getting India even closer to Israel than their very cooperative defence purchase relationship might warrant. There is an ideological affinity here, not an affinity based on transactional need alone.

But why should Mr Modi bother visiting Palestine at all? Why cant it be only Israel? After all, the RSS and the BJP, and its precursor the Jana Sangh, really had no sympathy for the Palestinian issue, which it saw as a Muslim issue and not one of colonial occupation. The reason is that if India pursued a pro-Israel path without bothering with Palestine, its diplomacy may have a tough time across West Asia and North Africa. Even the Europeans will not risk anything like that. Getting cut off from a politically important and resource-rich part of the world is a thoroughly bad idea even in pragmatic terms. However, it couldnt have been missed that Mr Modi had gone to Israel on a standalone visit, signalling a particular importance. He combined the trip to Palestine with two other countries. This wont matter to the Palestinians of course. But it does demarcate the nature of the relationship, as the government perceives it.

Besides, when Mr Modi flew into Ramallah from Jordan, he was escorted by Israeli helicopters. This would have raised questions in the minds of many, considering the state of the Palestine-Israel relationship. The Indian leader signed agreements with President Mahmoud Abbas and undertook projects worth $50 million for a hospital, printing press and schools. This is really a notional sum in pursuit of influence, and not too different from a well-funded international NGO may agree to do. The real question is whether Mr Modi will use his influence with Israel to give satisfaction to the Palestinian leadership on key questions relating to Palestinian sovereignty, as Mr Abbas would like. The Indian PM avoided the question of East Jerusalem being Palestines capital, though the Palestine President raised it. There was no India-Palestine ringing joint statement either. Perhaps Mr Modi would like just development ties, not political ones, with Palestine.
I want to write about violence in Kashmir, and I especially want to address Indias children who may only know one side of the story. In the last few days, there has been anger over the fact that FIRs were filed against Armymen for killing three citizens in Kashmir. In response, some children of soldiers took action. A report said: At a time when FIR against Armymen and withdrawal of cases against stone-pelters is a subject of hot debate in J&K, children of two Army officers took an unprecedented step to move the National Human Rights Commission, asking it to protect Army personnels human rights being violated daily by stone-pelters.

Preeti, Kajal and Prabhav, children of two Lt Colonels and a retired Naib Subedar, presented NHRC chief, justice H.L. Dattu with a complaint, which complimented the apex human rights body and Amnesty International for zealously protecting the human rights of locals in disturbed areas of J&K but complained that they are turning a blind eye towards the plight of Army personnel who face threat to life every day from stone-pelters. They said a sub-optimal war was being waged in J&K since Independence and the state as well as the Centre has decided to enforce AFSPA to require Army to assist the failed state machinery.

We are familiar with this narrative and I need not write about it further. I would like Indias children to know something else. In January, this question was asked in Parliament: Will the defence minister be pleased to state: a) the number of cases received by the Central government from the J&K government for sanction of prosecution of Armed Forces personnel under Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, (AFSPA), 1990; (b) the number of such cases in which sanctions were granted, denied and pending; (c) the details for each request received including its year of receiving, offences alleged, outcome of investigation, current status of the sanction for prosecution; and (d) the reasons for denying or pending status of sanction for prosecution?

The answer was provided by minister of state in the ministry of defence as follows:

(a) A total of 50 cases have been received by the Central government from the Government of Jammu and Kashmir for prosecution sanction against Armed Forces personnel under AFSPA, 1990. (b) & (c): A statement giving the details of the total number of cases received in each of the years, offence alleged and the current status of the sanction granted/ denied/ pending based on the investigation is annexed. (d) The reason for denial/pendency of prosecution sanction is on account of lack of sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case.

The cases against the Armymen are listed as follows:

In 2001, one FIR filed for killing (permission to prosecute soldiers denied). In 2005, two FIRs for killings (permission denied). In 2006, 17 FIRs, one for rape, one for molestation, six for kidnap and murder, the rest mostly for killings (in all cases permission denied, except for one case of kidnapping in which the permission is still pending). In 2007, 13 FIRs, one for rape, one for torture and murder, the others mostly for killing (permission denied). In 2008, three FIRs, for rape and theft and murder (permission denied). In 2009, two FIRs for murder and kidnap (permission denied). In 2010, four FIRs, all for murder (permission denied). In 2011, two FIRs, one for murder (permission denied) and one for kidnap (pending). In 2013, three FIRs for murder (permission denied). In 2014, two FIRs for killing (permission denied in one and is pending in another). In 2016, one FIR for killing (permission denied).

The total number of soldiers who have ever faced trial in a civilian court for a crime in Kashmir is zero. The Army children may feel offended at the fact that FIRs are filed against soldiers. The FIRs dont really matter as we have seen. There is no justice for Kashmiris in India, according to the data given by the government of India. We should all feel offended by this. The Army pretends to give justice in its own martial courts which are closed off to victims and survivors. If you are interested in how soldiers are let off through this route, read what has happened in the matters of Pathribal and Machil.

There is another thing we should feel offended by. The Indian Army is using children to demand protection from other Indians. The Indian Army is afraid of cases filed by Indian citizens in an Indian police station by an Indian policeman and of facing trial in an Indian court under an Indian judge. I do not find that offensive, I find it embarrassing. Fortunately for the Army, no matter what government is in power, it is immune from justice in India no matter what crime its soldiers commit. Jawans can rape, murder, kidnap and torture but they are guaranteed to get away because no government will ever change deniedand pending to be approved. Indian children, and all of us, should sometimes consider why thousands of Kashmiris are pelting stones in the first place.
Even as hectic political activity is on to form a common platform for the Opposition parties to take on the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, senior Trinamul Congress leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy says that a united Opposition is not on the horizon as of now. He, however, does not rule out the possibility of some kind of understanding between parties before 2019. In an interview to Sreeparna Chakrabarty, he says TMC leader Mamata Banerjee has made it clear that her party does not hanker for power. When asked to comment about UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhis statement that Rahul Gandhi is her boss, he remarked that Rahul Gandhi being the boss of the Congress is an internal matter of the political party.

How do you visualise the formation of an Opposition alliance ahead of 2019 general elections?

As far as the Opposition unity is concerned, there is floor coordination among different political parties, both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, to take on the various anti-people policies being followed by the Central government. This has resulted in closing of ranks among the Opposition parties in Parliament.

But, as of now, I do not know any Opposition unity. We do hold some joint meetings but those are restricted to certain specific issues. If politically, we define Opposition unity as an understanding formed before the elections and an understanding formed after the elections, which ultimately gives birth to political unity and the formation of a government then it is too early to answer this question. Having said that, I dont rule out the possibility of some sort of unity, keeping in view the current scenario in the country where democracy is at stake and the remedies as guaranteed in the Constitution to the citizens are not being followed in letter and spirit. The provisions of the Constitution are being violated.

What would be the Trinamool Congress role in such an alliance?

My party chief Mamata Banerjee has gone on record saying that we are in favour of Opposition unity against the tyrannical rule of the Central government, particularly when this government is destroying the federal spirit and structure of the country. Let the leadership be taken by anybody who wants to take the lead. She has said that our party would not go hankering after power.

Are there any conditions Trinamool Congress would put forward for participation in such an alliance?

Ms Banerjee has appealed to all the political parties. She was the first voice against demonetisation. She was the first voice against the wrong implementation of the GST. In fact, she was the only campaigner against these issues. She toured states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi besides holding meets in West Bengal. Ultimately, everybody understood that it was a myth to talk about the benefits of demonetisation and GST. The ruling party tried to convince the people that so many good things will come. But our campaign punctured the euphoria being sold by the ruling party.

Ms. Sonia Gandhi has said that Mr. Rahul Gandhi was her leader too. Would you be ready to accept him as your leader?

Mr Gandhis leadership is an internal matter of the Congress Party and we cannot comment on it. But the TMC has joined hands with the Congress on many issues. The Congress has also supported us, both inside and outside Parliament. So when we talk of Opposition unity, the Congress is included.

How would you interpret the Bengal by-poll results where the BJP has emerged as the second party after the TMC?

The BJP is not only the second party; it is the first among all the defeated parties. So they are in competition with other parties like the Congress and the CPI (M) to secure the position of one or two among defeated parties. There always exist some anti-government forces and possibly the erstwhile supporters of CPI (M) and the Congress voted for the BJP which is why they got so many votes.

What is your opinion on the pitch for simultaneous polls for state Assemblies and Parliament?

All of a sudden a pitch is being raised for simultaneous elections. Has the Election Commission, which is the constitutional authority, entrusted to look after elections, sent any proposal to the government yet? No. Is there any proposal from the government to the Election Commission to that effect? No. Then how come the head of the state and the head of the government are propagating simultaneous polls? The BJP says simultaneous polls will save money and time. But there is no such provision in the Constitution that both election to Parliament and legislatures are to be held simultaneously. Yes, Parliament can amend the Constitution. But the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgement, has ruled that though Parliament has the right to amend the Constitution, Parliament cannot destroy its basic structure. Further, there has to be some unanimity among all the political parties for doing this, but as of now there is none.
New India is Prime Minister Narendra Modis copyright. It wasnt in the BJP manifesto in 2014. It is a powerful rubric with which to attract youth power, and harness it. And yet, when nearly four years of the five are done, the best that Mr Modis BJP can do to bring the young Indian on board is to cook up the idiotic notion of pakora growth, and pakora politics, when unemployment is rampant among all classes. This little savoury on the snack menu cant surely be the lead symbol of the Asian century in which India thinks it has a part to play. Vending pakoras can hardly be said to the real meaning of India in the new era. But, surprisingly, Mr Modi believes it does. When questions on rising joblessness were being flung at him, he was far from defensive. His instinctive  and instant and heartless  reply was that making pakoras was also work. It is hard not to be reminded of the vicious mocking tone of Marie Antoinette  the French queen sent to the guillotine by the revolutionaries, and known for her taste for fancy clothes  when she said if Frenchmen could not eat bread, let them eat cakes.

The Modi governments achievement on the front of meaningful employment for the young people is less than shallow. The PM in all honesty cant point to employment or self-employment gains flowing from the much-hyped official programmes such as Skill India, Stand Up India, or the BHIM app spinning out processes that lead to gainful work for the youth in keeping with the aspirations of our times, which Mr Modis rhetorical highs helped fuel. The employment data is woeful. This should cause no surprise, windbag speeches aside. When private investment figures for the economy signal long-time lows, even a service-sector avenue like selling hot pakoras cannot have seen a massive expansion. Besides, there is not much value-addition involved in such a line of work, and the earnings are pitiable  hardly an advertisement for the shining glory promised in craftily designed government ads and slogans.

BJP president Amit Shah is the perfect acolyte and follows very closely in his masters footstep. Thus, hardly had Mr Modi uttered pakora than Mr Shah take up the idea with a devotees passion. He held forth on pakora employment in his maiden Rajya Sabha speech last week, attacking political opponents for mocking this as an example of meaningful economic activity. Let not a national party  the countrys ruling party  degrade itself in this manner because it has failed to live up to its promise of building the economy and seeking to expand it in directions that will yield a new future for young Indians. Its a disgrace and leaves a terrible impression of the country  not just of the BJP  among people around the world at a time when the BJP is planning to designate Mr Modi a Global Legend, no less.

For doing what exactly? Who knows? May be for getting the saffron party to have a parliamentary majority of its own, for there is no evidence whatsoever of this Indian Prime Minister leaving the slightest mark on the world stage  with his neighbourhood policy a shambles, and the relationship with America dependent only on selling India as a huge market and a military base. But for a party always on the lookout for propaganda punches, the PM is the new Nehru, the new Gandhi, the new Mao, the new Dalai Lama and even the new Marilyn Monroe rolled in one. However, propaganda fades and falsehood has a narrow shelf life; reality lives on. Last heard, the BJP was planning pakora parties and opening pakora stalls in a miserable attempt to mock the Opposition and to subliminally suggest to the poor that the saffron partys opponents were making fun of them for doing low-value work. This is technology for development of the Modi era. Chaiwala politics is long done. If the Prime Minister must offer the country hope, he must move on and invent fresh gags and new lines of enchantment. Mr Modi has gone places on the strength of volatile, hypocritical, speeches delivered mostly in the idiom of the poor Indian. These were aimed at self-glorification and the denigration of others in unbecoming language. People have seen through them, especially the poor who had swallowed the untruths and were fooled. Its time to move on.

Mostly these speeches were constructed on the basis of facts  either so-called current data or presumed historical information  that were manufactured to dupe the unsuspecting public in an era when many Indians derive their information almost solely from WhatsApp groups, treating the abounding rumours contained in them as gospel. Even by his own troubling standards, the PMs reply in Parliament to the motion of thanks to the Presidents address last week was startling. It made evident that Mr Modis principal agenda is to pull down Nehru and banish him even from the land of memory; it is not to create jobs or promote science and learning or better lives for Indians.

The agenda is to build a New India of the RSS imagination. Plainly put, the idea is to assert that all the science we know is embedded in the Vedas, and to deny that non-Hindu Indians had any contribution in the making of Indias culture and civilisation. In this New India, Deendayal Upadhyay, a deep votary of RSS fundamental tenets, which demonise Gandhi and his work, is the new Gandhi. Nehrus vision stands in the way of this egregious project. Hence, it must be denigrated even by inventing history, as Mr Modi did in Parliament.

To challenge the reasonable notion that it is hard to think of democracy without Nehru, the PM expounded that India had democracy even in the Lichchavi era! Then, the usual Patel card: If Vallabhbhai were PM, there will be no Kashmir problem. No one has informed Mr Modi that both Nehru and Patel had together told Maharaja Hari Singh that it wont be considered an anti-India act even if he chose to join Pakistan, but he should make up his mind before Independence came about. And no ones informed Mr Modi that it is Gandhi who made Nehru PM and that he didnt usurp the throne. Anyway, it is now too late for Narendrabhai to change. May be the people will change him.
Broadcom, which makes connectivity chips used in products ranging from mobile phones to servers, first approached Qualcomm in November.

In a filing that followed up on its letter to Broadcom Chief Executive Hock Tan rebutting his latest offer, the San Diego-based company laid out more detail on its reservations about the deal.

It said two customers who provide more than $1 Billion in chip revenue had said they would likely move designs away from Qualcomm if the deal went through, citing a lack of confidence in Broadcom's ability to continue to lead in technology.

Broadcom, which makes connectivity chips used in products ranging from mobile phones to servers, first approached Qualcomm in November. After its first offer was rejected, Broadcom nominated a slate of directors to replace Qualcomms board. Qualcomm shareholders are scheduled to vote on the nominations on March 6. With that in mind, the company is seeking to strike a balance between continued resistances to Broadcoms takeover and heeding the calls of shareholders who have urged the company to engage with its rival in case it can clinch an attractive deal.

Qualcomm counts Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd among its key customers. Other clients include Huawei Technologies, LG Electronics, Oppo, Sony Corp, Vivo and Xiaomi, all of which make smartphones.

In rejecting Broadcoms latest offer, Qualcomm offered to meet its rival to see if they can hammer out their differences. Broadcom welcomed the move but said it wanted to meet before Qualcomms proposed date on Tuesday, ahead of scheduled meetings with proxy advisory firms.

A date for a meeting between Qualcomm and Broadcom had not been finalised. In the filing, Qualcomm also raised concerns about potential antitrust issues and said Broadcom would damage, if not destroy, its licensing business that is valued at over $4 billion.

Broadcom completely ignores the reality that in the last five years, several large, complex international mergers involving multiple regulators have taken over 18 months. And at the moment, there is no next step, Qualcomm said.

Broadcom said it will pay Qualcomm $8 billion if the deal fails to win regulatory approval. Separately Qualcomm said it extended the cash tender offer to buy NXP Semiconductors NV by two weeks to Feb. 23. Broadcom had said earlier that its revised offer was contingent on either Qualcomm buying NXP at currently disclosed terms of $110 per share in cash or the $38 billion deal being terminated.

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The device is said to ditch fingerprint sensor on the rear and sport an under-display fingerprint reader along with facial recognition technology, alike to the iPhone X.

Xiaomi has been in the rumour mill for a considerable amount of time with release schedules and specifications fluctuating at a high rate. The Chinese company is said to be working on few interesting devices and might unveil at MWC 2018 globally. Some rumours suggest that Xiaomi might either launch their Mi 7 flagship or the Mi MIX 2s, successor to last years Mi MIX 2 smartphone.

A fresh report has revealed the design and specifications of the rumoured device  Mi MIX 2s. If rumours are to be believed, the smartphone could sport a 5.99-inch bezel-less display with a 95 per cent screen-to-body ratio similar to Mi MIX 2 but it features a 91.3 per cent screen-to-body ratio.

(Photo: Gears Today)

The smartphone is expected to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, carrying an octa-core CPU with a 2.8GHz clock speed. The Adreno 630 GPU is also on board. The Mi MIX 2s could come with 8GB RAM and 256GB of inbuilt storage. Also, the handset was recently spotted on AnTuTu with scores as high as 270461, demonstrating the prowess of the Snapdragon 845 chipset. The device is believed to be codenamed as polaris.

Furthermore, the leaked photo suggests that the Mi MIX 2S might feature vertical dual rear cameras and four-axis optical image stabilisation. Both the camera at the rear will apparently sport 12MP sensor. The device will have global 4G LTE bands and is said to ditch fingerprint sensor on the rear and sport an under-display fingerprint reader along with facial recognition technology, alike to the iPhone X, as per phoneArena.

(Photo: Weibo)

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The latest fidayeen (suicide) attack on Sunjwan Army camp was not the first of its kind in Jammu as the region has witnessed several deadly attacks in the last 16-years.

The attack in Sunjwan came 15 months after a similar attack in Nagrota on Jammu-Srinagar national highway on November 29, 2016, in which seven soldiers, including two officers, and three unidentified fidayeen militants were killed.



On March 20, 2015, two unidentified militants, three security personnel and a civilian were killed while 11 others including a Deputy Superintendent of Police were injured when terrorists disguised as army troopers created havoc in Kathua district of Jammu.

On November 27, 2014, 10 people, including three soldiers and an equal number of civilians, were killed in a deadly terror attack near the Arnia town, 2.5 km from the border with Pakistan, in R S Pura sector of Jammu.

On September 26, 2013, heavily armed terrorists in combat fatigues stormed a police station and an army formation in Samba district of Jammu killing four policemen, four army personnel and two civilians. Three terrorists involved in the attacks were subsequently eliminated by the troops.

On July 22, 2003, three terrorists stormed an army camp in Akhnoor area of Jammu killing eight security force personnel, including a Brigadier, and injuring 12 others.

The deadliest of the attacks came on May 14, 2002, when 36-people, including family members of armymen, were killed and 48 others injured in a fidayeen attack at an army cantonment in Kaluchak, Jammu.

Then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had termed the massacre most inhuman and brutal carnage.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti visited the Army Hospital at Satwari here this evening and enquired about the condition of those injured in today's militant attack on Sunjwan Army camp.



According to an official spokesperson, the chief minister met all the injured and wished them a speedy recovery.

She also interacted with the doctors and enquired about the condition of the injured. She assured all support from the state government in their treatment, the spokesperson was quoted as saying in a statement.

Director General of Police S P Vaid, Inspector General of Police, Jammu S D S Jamwal, senior Army officers and officials of police and civil administration were present there, he said.

Heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists today struck at the Army camp, killing two personnel and injuring nine others including a Major, nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

The injured included four Army personnel and five women and children.

Two terrorists, both in combat gear, were gunned down after the Army evacuated people from 150 family quarters within the sprawling camp of the 36 Brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, an officer said.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board today said there is no change in its stand on the Ayodhya issue as "once a masjid is built, till eternity that will be a Masjid".



AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who is also a member of the board, briefed reporters tonight on the proceedings of the second day of the 26th plenary of the board here.

Presidential address was given by AIMPLB president Maulana Rabey Hasni Nadvi in the morning session followed by an address by general secretary Maulana Wali Rehamani, he said.

"About Babri Masjid, it was clearly said that once a masjid is built, till eternity that will be a masjid. There will be no compromise. As far as the Babri Masjid is concerned, the people who compromise on the masjid issue will be answerable to the Almighty," Owaisi said.

The president and the general secretary also said in their addresses that the triple talaq bill proposed by the NDA government is not acceptable to the Muslim community, Owaisi said.

"Both of them in their addresses have said that triple talaq bill which is now pending in the Rajya Sabha is not acceptable to the Muslim community because it is against the Constitution. It is against the constitutional provisions which were given to the minorities," he said.

Earlier today, the board, in a press release, had quoted general secretary Rehamani as saying that the AIMPLB was ready for negotiations based on "fair justice and equal honour", though it also believed that a masjid, once built, remains a masjid forever.

The 26th plenary meeting of the board is underway here since yesterday.

Art Of Living (AOL) founder Sri Ravi Shankar had held a meeting in Bengaluru with Muslim leaders including members from the AIMPLB and the Sunni Waqf Board on February 8.

After the meeting, the AOL had said some eminent members of the Sunni Waqf Board, the AIMPLB and others met Ravi Shankar and expressed support for an out-of-court settlement of the Ayodhya dispute and "supported the proposal of shifting the Masjid outside to another place".
The operation to flush out JeM terrorists who stormed an Army camp here entered the second day today with the Army saying that there was no firing during the night and the focus continued to be the evacuation of people from the family quarters.



A group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in the early hours yesterday, triggering a gun battle which left two Army personnel including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) dead.

Two of the attackers in combat gear were also gunned down while nine people--a major, three personnel and five women and children--were injured in the day-long operation.

The condition of the major and another personnel was stated to be "critical".

"The operation is on and the evacuation (of people from the family quarters) is in progress," Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.

He said a number of families are still there and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety.

"There was no firing since last night," the officer said, adding that bodies of only two terrorists were recovered from the encounter site.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack. On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of Jammu city, killing seven Army personnel including two officers. Three terrorists were also gunned down.

The terrorists had struck before dawn yesterday and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear side of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry on its periphery.

"The terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who are holed up in a few houses (inside the camp)," officials said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to avoid civilian casualties.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru who was hanged on February 9, 2013.
A transgender activist, who has become a member of the judicial panel at a National Lok Adalat conducted here, says the society should not discriminate against the LGBT community and rather support such people.



Vidya Kamble (29), who has been working as a social activist for around 10 years, is the first transgender to be a panel member of the Lok Adalat in the state, district legal aid committee secretary Kunal Jadhav claimed.

The activist was on the panel of the Lok Adalat held in the Nagpur district court yesterday.

The panel resolved several disputes, including a Rs 19 lakh claim settlement between an insurance company and a medical insurance policy-holder, Kamble told PTI.

Asked what prompted her to be a part of the Lok Adalat, she said it gave her a feeling of pride.

"The (other) members of the panel were very supportive. The secretary of the district legal aid committee gave me the opportunity to be a part of the panel," she said.

"For the last nine days, I was involved in verification of cases (that were listed for the Lok Adalat). We were able to settle a case where a girl got her medical insurance claim of Rs 19 lakh," Kamble said.

She said the society should not discriminate against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community members and rather these people should be supported.

"If a child is born with a disability, he/she is not neglected or thrown out, then why transgenders are rejected?" she asked.

When a transgender is ostracised by the family, the person can go astray and take a wrong path, she further said.

On Kamble's inclusion in the Lok Adalat panel, Jadhav said such people such be recognised by the society.

"Many of these people are well educated. They should be recognised by the society. People do not accept them easily or employ them," he said.

People have fixed notions about transgenders, he said, adding that a platform like the Lok Adalat panel is required to improve their status in the eyes of the ordinary people.

He said even disabled persons have been a part of the Lok Adalat panels in the past.

Lauding Kamble's work efficiency, Jadhav said she did very well while dealing with the cases that came before the Lok Adalat.

The Lok Adalat panels comprise a sitting or a retired judge, a lawyer and a social activist.

The members of these alternative dispute redressal forums try to settle amicably the cases pending in courts, or disputes which are at a pre-litigation stage.

The Lok Adalats have a statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
As the operation to flush out JeM terrorists who stormed an Army camp here entered the second day, local residents have been frequenting the area to serve meals and snacks to police and paramilitary personnel camped there.



The admiring gesture by residents of Sainik Colony has also been well-received by the media persons stationed there.

The residents pooled their resources and have been serving meals, tea, snacks and water to hundreds of people, mostly police and paramilitary personnel and scribes, camping outside the main gate of the sprawling military station since yesterday.

"It's a small effort on our part... We want to contribute to the nation and decided to provide tea and snacks to the security forces deployed outside and to the media persons," Sanjeev Manmotra, who is leading the initiative, told PTI.

He said their effort was also aimed at sending a message to the misguided youth in the Kashmir Valley who target security forces with stones during anti-terrorist operations.

Two Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed and nine others injured when the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists stormed the camp early yesterday.

Two attackers in combat gear have been killed by the Army and a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from them. An operation to flush out surviving terrorists is still underway.

"They (security forces) are sacrificing their lives to ensure our safety and it is our responsibility to do whatever possible to help them especially during such a situation," Manmotra, state president of Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch, said.

However, another volunteer, Prakash Singh Jamwal, said the forum had nothing to do with the initiative. "We have come together and are spending from our own pockets," he said.

Jamwal said the Army was battling it out with the terrorists and "as nationalists, we want to contribute. Since we cannot fight the terrorists, we took this initiative."

Manmotra said they provided lunch, dinner and snacks to 500 people yesterday. "We are Indians and it is our responsibility to see that our forces do not go hungry while on duty."

He said they had to buy fresh stock this morning.

BJP and Bajrang Dal activists had visited the area yesterday and staged "anti-Pakistan" demonstrations to condemn the attack and express solidarity with the security forces.

The activists also raised pro-Army and pro-India slogans.

Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI that the operation against the terrorists was still on.

"There was no firing since last night," the officer said, adding that bodies of only two terrorists have been recovered from the encounter site.

Yesterday's attack on the Army camp happened nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of Jammu city, killing seven Army personnel including two officers. Three terrorists were also gunned down.
The death toll in the ongoing encounter between holed-up fidayeen (suicide) militants and security forces in Sunjwan, Jammu, reached 10 on Sunday, as the siege at the army compound entered the second day.



Five soldiers, four militants and a civilian have lost their lives so far in the operation which began at 4:55 am on Saturday after an unknown number of fidayeen militants stormed an army camp in Sunjwan area on the outskirts of Jammu city.



Eleven people, including Lt Col Rohit Solanki and Major Avijit Singh of 6th Mahar regiment, women and children, were also injured in the gun battle. Alite IAF commandos flanked by armoured vehicles continued their searches in the sprawling compound.



The slain army personnel were identified as Madan Lal Choudhary (1st Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, JAKLI), Sub. Mohd Ashraf Mir (1st JAKLI), Hav. Habib-Ullah Qurashi (1st JAKLI), NK Manzoor Ahmed (1st JAKLI), L/NK Mohd Iqbal (1st JAKLI).



Reports said the operation continued till late into Sunday night. No more gun shots were fired at the shootout site after the death of the fourth militant. Searches are now going on to sanitise the camp as it is still unclear whether any militants remain in the compound.



UAVs used



After a night-long halt, the army resumed the operation to flush out terrorists of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit close to the residential area of Sunjuwan military station, reports said.



Sources said after failing to locate the exact position of militants inside the compound, the army used Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) fitted with cameras.



The militants had struck before dawn on Saturday and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear side of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry on its periphery.



Army had on Saturday said that the search of belongings of the slain militants confirmed that the attack was carried out by JeM terrorists.



The camp is spread over many acres and lies in the heart of Jammu along the Jammu-Pathankot highway.



The army spokesman said that operations are in progress with "extreme caution and restraint" to safeguard the unarmed soldiers, women and children in the houses. He denied any hostage situation and claimed that over 150 houses in the complex were cleared and occupants moved to safer places.



Earlier attack

This is also the second attack on the Sunjwan military station in 15 years. In 2003, terrorists had barged into its premises and killed nearly a dozen soldiers. The latest attack came a day after the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged in Delhi's Tihar Jail on February 9, 2013. Following the attack, a high alert was sounded in Jammu and security was beefed up in and around the city.



Sunjwan is the third biggest army facility in Jammu and Kashmir after Northern Command's headquarters in Udhampur and Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar.
A woman was killed after Pakistani troops pounded border outposts (BoPs) and civilian areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.



Reports said a 65-year-old victim was killed after mortar shells fired by Pakistani troops fell in Mendhar area along the LoC on Saturday night. A Defence spokesperson said the Indian Army was retaliating strongly and effectively to the Pakistani firing and shelling.

There has been continuous ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC and International Border (IB) this year. On February 4, four soldiers, including an army officer, were killed and two others injured in the same district due to Pakistani shelling.

Since the third week of January, 20 persons, including 10 security personnel and an equal number of civilians, have been killed in Pakistani ceasefire violations along the LoC and the IB in Jammu.

The continuous ceasefire violations by Pakistan forced Army Chief General Bipin Rawat sent a stern message to Pakistan in January, saying it may escalate its offensive against terror groups and carry out the 'other action' if forced by the neighbouring country.

The Indian and Pakistani armies had agreed on a ceasefire along the LoC, the IB and along Actual Ground Position Line at Siachen glacier in November 2003. Although it held good for 10-years, in the last few years, Pakistani troops have violated the ceasefire agreement hundreds of times.



India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.
The RBI has said that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, returned to banks when the government demonetised high value currency 15 high-value, are still being "processed for their arithmetical accuracy and genuineness".



This is being done in an "expedited manner", the central bank said.

"Specific bank notes are being processed for their arithmetical accuracy and genuineness and the reconciliation for the same is ongoing. This information can, therefore, be shared on completion of the process and reconciliation," the RBI said in reply to an RTI application filed by a PTI correspondent.

To a query on the number of demonetised notes, it said, "...subject to future corrections if any, arising in the course of verification process, the estimated value of specified bank notes received as on June 30, 2017 is Rs 15.28 trillion (lakh crore)".

Asked to provide the details of the deadline for finishing the counting of demonetised notes, the RBI said "specified bank notes are being processed in an expedited manner".

As on date, 59 sophisticated Currency Verification and Processing (CVPS) machines are in operation in RBI for the purpose, it said.

The reply did not specify the location of the machines.

"Besides, eight CVPS machines available with commercial banks are also being used. In addition to this, seven more CVPS machines on lease basis have been installed at RBI regional offices," the RTI reply said.

The government had on November 8, 2016 banned the use of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and allowed the holders of these currency bills to deposit them with banks or use them at certain notified utilities.

In its annual report for 2016-17 released on August 30 last year, the RBI said Rs 15.28 lakh crore, or 99 per cent of the demonetised notes, had returned to the banking system.

The central bank said in the report, for the year ended June 30, 2017, that only Rs 16,050 crore of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore in old high denomination notes had not returned.

As on November 8, 2016, there were 1,716.5 crore pieces of Rs 500 and 685.8 crore pieces of Rs 1,000 notes in circulation, totalling Rs 15.44 lakh crore, it had said.
Pakistani troops today launched heavy mortar shells at civilian areas along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said.



Deputy Commissioner (Rajouri) Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said the Pakistan Army was launching heavy mortar shells in Naika, Panjgrain, Khorinar, Rajdhani forward areas besides the villages in Rajouri since this morning.

The shells fell deep inside the Indian territory, triggering panic and fear among the residents.

Last night, Parveen Akhter was killed in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control.

They had fired in Khadi Karmara and Chakan Da Bagh forward areas in Poonch district.

On February 8, a 45-year-old woman was killed in shelling by the Pakistani troops along the LoC in the KG sector of Poonch.

Ten security personnel and nine civilians were killed and over 75 injured in Pakistani shelling along the LoC and the International Border in Jammu region this year.
The Trump administration has come out in strong support of the Israeli action against Iranian targets in Syria, saying the US backs its "staunch" ally's right to "defend" itself.



The Israeli military yesterday shot down an Iranian drone that infiltrated the country before launching a "large-scale attack" on at least a dozen Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria.

Israel called it a "severe and irregular violation of Israeli sovereignty" and warned of further action against the unprecedented Iranian aggression.

The White House came out in strong support of Israel, warning Iran to cease its provocative actions.

"Israel is a staunch ally of the United States, and we support its right to defend itself from the Iranian-backed Syrian and militia forces in southern Syria," the White House said in a statement.

"We call on Iran and its allies to cease provocative actions and work toward regional peace," the White House said.

Earlier, the State Department said it is deeply concerned about today's escalation of violence over Israel's border and strongly supports Israel's sovereign right to defend itself.

"Iran's calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance, places all the people of the? region - from Yemen to Lebanon - at risk," the State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

The US continues to push back on the totality of Iran's malign activities in the region and calls for an end to Iranian behaviour that threatens peace and stability, she said.

In a related development the Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon urged the Security Council to denounce alleged Iranian action.

"This is not the first time that we have warned you of Iran's dangerous actions that undermine the situation in our region. This incident proves every one of those warnings correct. Israel will defend its citizens and will not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty," he said in a letter to the Security Council.

Danon called upon the Security Council to condemn Irans actions.

"I call on the Security Council to condemn this dangerous act and to put an immediate end to Iranian provocations. Security Council members must not stand idly by while Iran is instigating dangerous escalations and violating Security Council," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today voiced concern over attempts to radicalise the cyberspace by jihadists and asked governments to guard against the misuse of technology, saying it must be used as a means to development, not destruction.



In a keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai on the second day of his two-day visit to the UAE, Modi rued that even after all the development, poverty and malnutrition have still not been eliminated.



"On the other side, we are investing a large portion of money, time and resources on missiles and bombs. We must use technology as a means to development, not destruction," he told the gathering that included Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and the ruler of Dubai.



He expressed concern over attempts by some people to radicalise the cyberspace with the use of technology, referring to its use by jihadists to recruit cadres online.



India is the 'Guest Country' at the sixth edition of the World Government Summit, which is being attended by more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries.



"It is a matter of pride for not only me but also the 125 crore people of India that I have been called as the Chief Guest at the World Government Summit," Modi said.



He hailed the use of technology by the Dubai government, saying a desert has been transformed. "It's a miracle," he said, describing the Gulf emirate as an example for the world.



Noting that 9.5 percent of the world's population lives below the poverty line, despite the tremendous population growth, he said, "today there are great challenges... Poverty, unemployment, education, housing and human catastrophes."



"We can all overcome them through development. This is what my Government is working on using technology," he said.



Stating that his government's mantra is "sabke saath, sabka vikas", Prime Minister Modi said India has focused on the key sectors to empower its 125 crore people i.e one-sixth of humanity, contributing to the development of mankind as a whole.



In the last 25 years, maternal mortality went down by one-third in India and by half across the world, he said.



Hailing India's satellite programme, Modi said the cost of the Mars orbital programme is Rs 7 per kilometre.



"If you take a cab in India, you may pay Rs 10. But the cost of India's access to Mars is just Rs 7 per kilometre," he told the gathering, amid big applause.



Modi said that 65 percent of India's population is under 35 and the dream of a new India will be achieved by empowering the youth with technology.



"We have built a technology system so that India has become a major innovation country in business ventures," he said, adding that by 2022, the income of farmers will be doubled.



Highlighting the importance of technology, Modi said the scientific achievements like stem cells and regeneration techniques have helped in the treatment of disease and repair system for the body.



He said one aspect of the development is also that it took thousands of years from stone age to industrial revolution but after that, it took only 200 years to reach the information technology age and from there, the journey to the digital revolution was travelled in just a few years.



Modi said the ease of using technology and its spread has empowered the common man and this empowerment has been furthered by the minimum government and maximum governance.



"Technology is changing at the speed of thought. Technology has become a big medium of global change. It has empowered the common man via minimum government, maximum governance. In E-governance, the E stands for effective, efficient, easy, empower, and equity," Modi said.



The Prime Minister said that sometimes it looks like the mankind is not only making technology an instrument to conquer the nature but also making a mistake of fighting with it.



"Its cost is very high. For the future of mankind, we should not fight with nature but find a way to co-exist," he said.



"We need to follow the six Rs that stand for reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign and remanufacture, this will lead us to point where we can rejoice," he said.



The Prime Minister said he assess the ongoing infrastructure and developmental projects in the country through video-conferencing every month. In this, all relevant ministries of the states and the Centre come together. This assess is named as 'Pragati' meaning progress.



"We are living in the world of inter-linked, interconnected and inter-dependent. To a great extent, our problems and their solutions are undividable. This is certain that we will have to work together to find the solution of problems that may arise in the coming decades before the world. And technology will play a big role in that," he added.



Modi arrived here yesterday on the second leg of his three-nation tour. From Dubai, Modi will travel to Oman.
A scuffle occurred between JD(S) MLA M T Krishnappa's supporters and the people of Chakuvalli village, Turvekere taluk, on Sunday.



The skirmish occurred when Krishnappa's supporters were involved in the 'Mane-manege-Kumaranna' pre-poll campaign, near the Ammasandra Birla Circle.

The skirmish occurred when Krishnappa's supporters were involved in the 'Mane-manege-Kumaranna' pre-poll campaign, near the Ammasandra Birla Circle. pic.twitter.com/yULDPfqAeC  Deccan Herald (@DeccanHerald) February 11, 2018





What sparked off the fracas was, the villagers questioning the MLA's supporters what Krishnappa had done for them in the last four plus years.

Enraged by this poser, JD(S) workers assaulted the villagers.

The Dandinashivara police intervened and restored calm.

Following this incident, Congress and BJP workers staged a dharna at the Birla Circle condemning the assault by the MLA's supporters and JD(S) workers on the villagers.






President of Brahim outfit, Sarv Brahmin Mahashaba (SBM), Suresh Mishra said, "Kamal Jain, producer of the film, met and assured us that the film had no such storyline. After they gave us a written assurance to this effect, we have decided to withdraw our protest". Producer Kamal Jain has also assured that film was not based on Jaishree Misra's book 'Rani', as speculated by the Mahasabha and others.







Since February 6, the outfit from Rajasthan had raised objection over the film, alleging it features a romantic scene between Rani Laxmibai and a British East India company agent. The objections against the film come close on the heels of a similar controversy involving Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmaavat", which faced protests by Rajput groups.







Two days ago Kangana, who was in the city to shoot for the film, said the crew is hurt by such allegations. She had also dismissed rumours saying those spreading such stories are actually defaming the queen.







The Mahasabha's president had also met Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh, on Thursday demanding that the filmmaker be directed to give an affidavit that there is no such scene in the film.






The 'Afzal Guru squad' of Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit believed to be behind Saturday's deadly attack on Sunjuwan army camp in Jammu, is emerging as the biggest challenge for security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir.



The fidayeen (suicide) militants of the squad have carried out audacious attacks at will on security forces including the army. The squad is part of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit headed by Moulana Masood Azhar.



Five years since Afzal Guru was hanged in Delhi's Tihar jail for his role in carrying out attack on Parliament in 2001, Jaish has carried nearly a dozen deadly attacks in Guru's name. On October 2 last year the squad carried out a similar attack on a BSF camp near Srinagar airport. The responsibility for the fidayeen attack on district police lines in Pulwama in August 2017, in which eight security personnel were killed, was also claimed by 'Afzal Guru squad.'



The terror attack that killed seven officers in Nagrota in Jammu in November 2016 was also reportedly carried out by the outfit to avenge the hanging of Guru. Before that the Pathankot attackers had reportedly left a handwritten note, which said, "Jaish-e-Muhammad Zindabad - Tangdhar se le kar Samba Kathua, Rajbagh aur Delhi tak, Afzal Guru shaheed kay jaanisar tum ko miltay rahega inshallah A G S 25-12-15" (Long live Jaish-e-Muhammad - From Tangdhar (in Kupwara) to Sambha Kathua (in Jammu), Rajbagh (Srinagar) and Delhi, you will keep meeting with Afzal Guru's fervid loyalists who are ready to lay down their lives for him).



Earlier Jaish, to which Guru belonged, was instrumental in carrying fidayeen phase of attacks in Kashmir from early to mid last decade. Less than two and half months before the fidayeen attack on Parliament, one of the deadliest attacks carried on the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly in Srinagar, using a car bomb on 1 October 2001 was the handiwork of Jaish. More than 40 people were killed and many more injured in that incident.



However, the graph of Jaish went down after 2004 when Pakistani establishment started a crackdown after it carried an abortive bid to assassinate then Pakistan president and military dictator General Parvez Musharaf. Its Kashmir chief and mastermind of Parliament attack Ghazi Baba was killed in an encounter with the Border Security Force (BSF) in Srinagar on August 30, 2003.



A senior police officer told Deccan Herald that the Jaish has made a comeback and is encashing Guru's hanging an opportunity to connect Kashmir to its larger project in the entire region from Afghanistan to India.



"There are evidence on the ground that Jaish, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen are operating jointly and sharing their resources to revive the lethal phase of militancy in Kashmir. Jaish is trying to exploit the sympathy wave in Kashmir which was generated after Guru's hanging," he said.



"With ground ripe for radicalization and fidayeen attacks in Kashmir, we fear more violence in coming months and years," the officer warned.


A top education official in Uttar Pradesh's Baharaich district got a notice pasted on the bulletin board of his office strictly prohibiting the culture of 'Touching Feet' in the office.



The officer through notice conveyed to all concerned that they must not touch his feet under any circumstances.

The district inspector of schools (DIOS) Rajendra Kumar Pandey, who got the notice pasted in his office, said that he was tired of the ''sycophants'', and hence the notice.

''Touching of the feet of the elders is part of our tradition...it is aimed at getting the blessings of the elders but here people touch feet as part of flattery to get their works done...there is no respect involved,'' Pandey said.

The official said that his subordinates and others, including senior teachers, would rush to touch his feet the moment he alighted from his vehicle, which was not only sycophancy but also resulted in wastage of time.

The teachers and other employees, however, expressed doubts if the step would prevent the 'sycophants' from getting their works done.

''The senior officials themselves encourage sycophancy....they like people to bow before them and to pay them respect,'' said an employee.

They also said that such a step would deter those, who touch the feet of their elders to pay their genuine respect and get their blessings, which was unfortunate.
Art of Living (AOL) founder and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar and sacked All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Salman Nadawi may be trying for an out of court solution to the vexed Ram Temple-Babri Masjid issue.



However, there are few takers for their mediation efforts in Ayodhya.

Barring Shia Waqf Board chairperson Waseem Rizvi and Nadwi, none of the Hindu and Muslim parties in the dispute has evinced any interest in the mediation efforts and some even out rightly rejected an out of court settlement.

Chairman of the Ram Janambhoomi Trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das said that only the parties in the dispute could resolve the matter out of the court.

"Anyone, who is not a party in the case, can not have any role in this matter," the mahant said in Ayodhya.

The VHP also expressed its doubt over the success of mediation efforts.

"There is no question of accepting any mosque in the disputed land," said a senior VHP leader in Ayodhya.

Haji Mehboob, one of the Muslim plaintiffs in the case, questioned the locus standi of the AIMPLB in the matter.

Iqbal Ansari, another Muslim plaintiff also said that any formula that called for shifting the Babri Mosque out of Ayodhya would not be acceptable to him.

"There should be give and take if any solution is to be found," he said.

Earlier also, senior VHP leader and former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti had termed the mediation attempts by Ravishankar "useless".

Rizvi had, however, supported the mediation efforts and had also favoured surrendering the entire disputed land to Hindus for construction of a Ram temple.
The Board decided to take up campaigns to create awareness among the masses and, in particular, among the Muslims, as how the present government, under the garb of Talaq bill, wants to put restrictions on the Muslims.





The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) rejected a proposal by one of its members Maulana Salman Nadvi who reportedly supports construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, ruling out any compromise on Babri Masjid."Babri Masjid is a Masjid and it shall remain a Masjid till eternity. By demolishing Babri Masjid, it never loses its identity as a Masjid. And according to Shariah, it always remains a Masjid," the Board in a statement said summing up the 26 plenary of the AIMPLB concluded here on Sunday.President of AIMPLB, Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi, presided over the meet which was attended by 400 members and special invitees. The board decided that the fight for reconstruction of Babri Masjid will continue with all the resources available at the disposal of the Board. The country's topmost lawyers will be appearing on behalf of the Muslims and the Board expressed hope that the Supreme Court's judgment will be in favour of the Muslims.Triple Talaq IssueThe plenary said that the Talaq-e-Biddat bill moved by the central government is anti-women. The board believes that the Bill will create more difficulties for women. "It is against Shariah and it is against the Constitution. The Board will continue to stop this bill in the Rajya Sabha". The Board will start a country-wide awareness campaign against this Bill and will also coordinate with the opposition parties which are opposing the Bill. Country-wide, women's empowerment meetings will also be held.No interference in Sharia will be toleratedThe Board also said that Muslims will not accept any amendments or any proposals for amendments in the Shariah. India is a secular, democratic country which allows the Muslims and other communities to practice their religion according to their religious laws and customs.
Hailstorm and unseasonal rains in Maharashtra's Marathwada and Vidarbha region resulted in a large scale destruction of crops and claimed the lives of two farmers on Sunday.



According to reports, the hailstorm has also destroyed standing crops of wheat, grapes and chickpea in Jalna, Beed, Buldhana, Washim, Amravati and Akola districts of Vidarbha and Marathwada region.

Nearly 15 minutes of a hailstorm in part of Mantha tehsil in Jalna transformed the fields white and appeared like snow-covered plains of Jammu & Kashmir. Crops like grams, chickpeas, orange, banana, wheat, jawar were damaged.

The agro-met advisory service of the Pune-based facility of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast hailstorms from 10-12 February.



"In Madhya Maharashtra, in view of hailstorm likely at isolated places, farmers are advised to complete harvesting of rabi crops before 12 February and keep the produce in a safer place," the IMD advisory stated.

Based on the IMD alerts, the Maharashtra government had on Saturday issued advisories to farmers on the climate forecast.

"The government would help the farmers, we are with them," said Co-operation Minister Subhash Deshmukh.

Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar said that the district collectors and tehsildars have been asked to complete the panchanamas of the fields and assess the damage. "On Monday a meeting of the insurance companies has been convened," he said.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and his counterpart in the Council Dhananjay Munde has asked the government to help out the farmers without any delay.

"The assessment of damage has to be conducted as early as possible," said Vikhe-Patil. "Compensation to farmers needs to be extended fast," added Munde.
The defence ministry has sanctioned Rs 1,487 crore to the Army to improve the perimeter security of its bases in the next 10 months.



The green signal came days before yet another terror attack on yet another army camp in Jammu region.

The terror strike on Sunjuwan military camp led to the killing of five Army men and a civilian so far even though three terrorists were gunned down.

The Sunjuwan attack is in the same category as previous suicidal missions on Uri, Nagrota and Kupwara army camps and Pathankot IAF base in the last two years, as terrorists continue to target high-value establishments from the defence forces.

While clearing the long-awaited project, the defence ministry has set a 10-month deadline for the project's execution.

The Army headquarters will keep an eye on the quick implementation of the key programme that seeks to beef up the security of army bases in six commands.

The new financial sanction would be in addition to an earlier allocation of nearly 800 crore each to the Vice Chiefs of the Army, Air Force and Navy to improve the outside security of the military stations without any ministerial approval.

This comes one and half years after a high-powered panel, headed by former Army Vice Chief Lt Gen Philip Campose looked into the loopholes of perimeter security of military stations and forward bases, and suggested improvements.

Set up in the aftermath of January 2016 terror attack on Pathankot IAF base, the panel submitted its report in May 2016.

While the Standard Operating Procedures were modified following the Campose panel recommendation, many other suggestions could not be implemented in the absence of resources.

After a detailed security audit of nearly 3,000 military units including 600 highly sensitive installations, the five-member panel recommended multiple short and long-term measures including introduction of technological solutions to improve the security of armed forces establishments.
Women trying bangles of different sizes and colours at cosmetic shops in markets is a common sight.



And incidentally, it is the shopkeeper who helps women put on bangles.

However, Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, Deoband, has issued a "fatwa" (religious decree) against such a practice.

It has said that Muslim women should not allow anyone, apart from their blood relatives, to help them put on bangles.

"Wearing bangles from a strange man is against Shariat (Islamic law)," the fatwa, issued by the Darul Ifta (department of fatwa) of the seminary in response to a query, said.

In the query, a man from Deoband, situated in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district, about 500 km from here, stated that usually the males did the work of putting the bangles on the hands of the women and sought to know if it was allowed in Islam.

Clerics replied that wearing the bangles was allowed but the women should themselves do it and not let anyone, other than their blood relatives, to do that.

Darul Uloom has in the past issued a number of fatwas, especially on issues concerning women.

It had earlier banned women from wearing tight burqa saying that it exposed the shape of their bodies and was against Islam.

A few days ago, a fatwa by Darul Uloom termed insurance "un-Islamic" and asked Muslims not to get insured.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Sunday reached Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu to take stock of the situation after the fidayeen (suicide) attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad militants.



Sources told DH that the NIA team reached Jammu from Delhi on Sunday afternoon.

"On their arrival in Jammu, the NIA team had a brief discussion with senior Army officers in the area. Before initiating the probe, the team will look into all aspects as how the heavily armed terrorists managed to sneak into a heavily guarded military installation," they said and added that the NIA sleuths are likely to talk to some of the injured soldiers.

The central probe agency reached Jammu a day after the deadly pre-dawn terror attack, in which 10 people, including five soldiers, four militants and a civilian were killed, while 11 others injured.

A senior police officer said the NIA will fix the responsibility as for how the attackers managed to infiltrate the highly guarded military installation.

"Besides, the NIA's job is to get evidence and prepare a dossier which could be presented to the international community to expose the Pakistani hand in the attack," he said.

"The attack is a major lapse. How did the militants manage to reach Sunjuwan has to be investigated. The nearest border fence in RS Pura sector is at least 35 kilometer from the Sunjuwan Military Station," the officer said.

"During the investigations, the NIA would try to ascertain the area from where the militants had come and the route taken by them to reach the Military station. The possibility is also that militants might have travelled from south Kashmir to carry out the attack. but how they managed to reach Jammu despite such strict security is a cause of concern," he revealed.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is also in Jammu to review the security situation. He had landed in the city of temples on Saturday evening, hours after heavily armed fidayeen managed to enter the army camp.
He faced a group of heavily armed desperate terrorists with bare hands, took scores of bullets on his chest and arms, yet ensured that the assailants could not inflict much harm on his family.



Subedar Madan Lal Choudhary, 50, eventually fell to the AK 47 bullets fired by the terrorists, who attacked his quarter at Sunjwan Army station in Jammu but still foiled their plan to cause maximum damage.

A pall of gloom descended on this non-descript hamlet after the news of Madan Lal Choudhary's death reached here.

Yet, the people of the border belt of Hiranagar in Kathua district are proud of the brave son of the soil who took on armed intruders with bare hands and saved his family and kin.

Madan Lal Choudhary's family had come to his quarters in the Military Station, Sunjwan, as they need to shop for the wedding of a relative.

"He mustered a lot of courage and saved the lives of other family members very tactically by not allowing the terrorists to enter his quarter," his brother Surinder Choudhary said.

Surinder Choudhary said his brother managed to facilitate the exit of family members from the back as he blocked the entry of terrorists.

However, Madan Lal Choudhary's 20-year-old daughter Neha received a bullet injury in the leg while his sister-in-law Paramjeet also received minor injuries. But all of them managed to survive.

"I am proud of my younger brother who braved bullets, fought heavily armed militants with bare hands to save family members and kin. Had he failed to save them, the entire family would have been wiped out. He foiled the militants' plan to cause maximum causalities," Surinder Choudhary said.

Madan Lal Choudhary, who rose to the post of a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) - a Subedar - belonged to a family of defence force personnel.

His elder brother Shamsher Singh is an ex-serviceman, his son Ankush a Captain in the Indian Army, and his nephew Sandeep is in the Indian Air Force.

He is survived by father Inder Chand and mother Banti Devi besides three brothers.

The elderly parents' father and mother were unaware about their loss till last evening even as the people and relatives thronged their residence.

It was only when Madan Lal Choudhary's wife Karamjeet and his elder brother Shamsher reached home, that they were told the news of his death.

People of the village, who witnessed the terror of partition in 1947 and are refugees from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), were proud of Madan Lal Choudhary's sacrifice.

"We are proud of him. He has fought armed terrorists with bare hands and save all of the family members and some kin. He should be awarded," Dhyan Chand, a villager, said.

Family members, however, lament that at a time they were preparing for the marriage of his nephew Sandeep in April, they are forced to come to grips with this painful reality.

Five Armymen, including two JCOs, and a father of another personnel died and 11 injured in an attack by JeM terrorists on the Army camp in Sunjwan in Jammu city.
A Dalit youth was lynched allegedly by a group of people following an argument at a restaurant in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad town.



The victim, identified as Dileep Kumar Saroj, a student of law at Allahabad University, was hit with belts, sticks and bricks by the assailants outside the restaurant on Saturday night.

Saroj, sustained serious injuries on his face, chest and neck and slipped into a coma, was rushed to the hospital by his friends. He succumbed to his injuries at the hospital on Sunday, police sources here said.

Police said that Saroj and his friends had an argument with a group of people at the restaurant after which the latter assaulted the youth.

A CCTV at the restaurant captured the entire incident. The footage showed some people repeatedly hitting Saroj with bricks and sticks. They left the spot after the youth slumped to the ground. The footage showed that Dileep was hit even after he lay prostrate on the ground.

Police said that one of the attackers had been identified and efforts were on to identify the others. One of the assailants was reportedly a railway employee, the police added.

The owner of the restaurant Amit Upadhyaya has been detained in connection with the incident, the police said.

A senior police official said in Allahabad that several teams had been formed to conduct raids in different parts of the town to nab the culprits.
A five-member National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Sunday reached Jammu to examine the evidence collected by the army after the fidayeen (suicide) attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad militants on Sunjwan Army formation.



Sources told DH that the NIA team reached Jammu from Delhi on Sunday afternoon, though a case has not been registered yet in the incident.



"On their arrival in Jammu, the NIA team inspected the encounter site inside the camp and examined the evidence collected by the army," they said.



"The team had a brief discussion with senior army officers in the area. Before initiating the probe, the team will look into all aspects like how the heavily armed terrorists managed to sneak in to a heavily guarded military installation," sources said. The NIA sleuths are likely to talk to some of the injured soldiers.



The NIA is mandated to probe all terror-related cases in the country as per an act of Parliament.



The central probe agency reached Jammu a day after the deadly pre-dawn terror attack in which 10 people, including five soldiers, four militants and a civilian, have been killed so far.



A senior police officer said the NIA will fix the responsibility of how the attackers managed to infiltrate the highly guarded military installation. "Besides, the NIA's job is to get evidences and prepare a dossier which could be presented to the international community to expose the Pakistani hand in the attack," he said.



"The attack is a major lapse. How the militants managed to reach Sunjuwan has to be investigated. The nearest border fence in RS Pura sector is at least 35 km from the Sunjuwan Military Station," the officer said.



"During the investigation, the NIA will try to ascertain the area from where the militants had come and the route taken by them to reach the military station. There is also a possibility that the militants might have travelled from south Kashmir to carry out the attack. But how they managed to reach Jammu despite such strict security is a cause of concern," he said.



The premier central probe agency is already investigating the November 2016 Nagrota attack case in which seven army personnel, including two officers, and three terrorists were killed. It also investigated the September 2016 Uri fidayeen attack, in which 19 army personnel were killed in a similar attack.



The NIA has already submitted a charge-sheet in the January 2016 Pathankot air base attack case in which it had named JeM founder Moualana Masood Azhar as an accused.



Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is also in Jammu to review the security situation. He had landed in the city of temples on Saturday evening, hours after heavily armed militants managed to enter the army camp.
Amazon.com Inc is testing a program to ship its sellers' goods, sending shares in FedEx and UPS tumbling even though analysts and the companies played down any near-term threat to the two global delivery businesses.



Amazon is running "Shipping with Amazon" in Los Angeles and possibly other locations, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

News of the test sparked investor concern that the world's largest online retailer would upend the shipping market. FedEx Corp and United Parcel Service Inc shares were down more than 4% in Friday trading.FedEx, UPS and analysts played down the idea that a trial poses a near-term threat to the couriers' businesses.

Cowen and Co analyst Helane Becker estimated Amazon would have to invest $100 billion to build a global network of facilities, planes and trucks to compete with FedEx and UPS. The program, while still at an early stage, aims to reduce hurdles that some sellers face getting their inventory to Amazon's facilities.

Under the new process being tested, Amazon sends a truck to pick up sellers' products, which then takes inventory either directly to an Amazon fulfillment center or to the US Postal Service or to couriers like FedEx, depending on what's most cost-effective, said the person who spoke to Reuters. Amazon has run a number of experiments in Los Angeles because the city is spread out and is a big market for deliveries. "Shipping with Amazon" is currently intended for select third-party sellers in the test, not for businesses in general, and still it is not yet ready to roll out widely to sellers on Amazon, said the person.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority will reintroduce tigers in three tiger reserves, where the number of the big cats has dwindled to the minimum.



Tiger restocking will happen at the Satkosia forest in Odisha, the western part of Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand and Buxa in West Bengal.

For Satkosia reintroduction, the Madhya Pradesh government has given in-principle approval to take out three pairs of breeding tigers from Panna, said Debabrata Swain, member secretary NTCA.

The picturesque Odisha tiger reserve is left with only two predators, both of which are more than 13 years old and beyond their reproductive age, said Siddhanta Das, director general of forest in the ministry of environment and forest.

For the reintroduction, people from two villages were moved out of the core area of the forest, located at a place where the Mahanadi river passes through a 22 km-long gorge in the Eastern Ghats mountains.

The striped animals would also be brought in the western part of the Rajaji either from the eastern part of the jungle or from the Corbett.

For Buxa, located in the northern part of West Bengal, a prey augmentation programme is going on.

Once the prey base is enhanced, tigers would be brought in from Kaziranga.

NTCA plans tiger reintroduction at three sites because of its experience in Sariska and Panna.

"In Sariska, tigers were reintroduced in 2005-06 and now there are 14 tigers. Similarly in Panna, the animals were brought in from outside in 2008 and there are 41 tigers in Panna now," Swain told DH.

There are other tiger reserves like Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, Indravati in Chhattishgarh and Palamu in Jharkhand as well as national parks like Guru Ghasidas National Park in Chhattishgarh and Kailadevi National Park in Rajasthan where the striped cat could be brought in from outside, said Y V Jhala, a senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.

With India accounting for nearly 70% of close to 4,000 worldwide population of tigers, Indian authorities are exploring new avenues to raise the number of the big cats.

The government has undertaken India's biggest tiger counting exercise that will conclude in 2019.

Experts from Myanmar are being trained to carry out a similar tiger estimation exercise in neighbouring nation.
The country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) wrote off bad loans worth Rs 20,339 crore in 2016-17, the highest among all the public sector banks, which had a collective write off of Rs 81,683 crore for the fiscal.



The data pertains to the period when the associate banks of SBI were not merged with it.

PSBs' write-off stood at Rs 27,231 crore in 2012-13, government data showed.

The figure has jumped nearly three-fold in five years.

In 2013-14, state-owned banks wrote off bad loans worth Rs 34,409 crore; Rs 49,018 crore in 2014-15; Rs 57,585 crore in 2015-16; and hitting Rs 81,683 in the fiscal ended March 2017.

Besides SBI, Punjab National Bank had a write-off of Rs 9,205 crore in 2016-17, followed by Bank of India (Rs 7,346 crore), Canara Bank (Rs 5,545 crore) and Bank of Baroda (Rs 4,348 crore).

In the current financial year, PSBs have written off loans worth Rs 53,625 crore in the six months to September.

As per data from the Reserve Bank, nine public sector banks, out of the total 21, had gross non-performing asset ratio of above 15% (the percentage of bad loans in terms of total loans outstanding) as of September 30, 2017.

Fourteen PSBs have gross non-performing asset ratio of over 12%. PSBs are faced with mounting NPAs or bad loans, putting the financial sector under stress. The government has unveiled a Rs 2.11 lakh crore capital infusion plan for the PSBs, including via bonds, in the next two years.
In a haul involving two separate incidents, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Mangaluru seized about 4 kg of gold, valued at more than Rs 1 crore, at the Mangaluru International Airport and the Mangaluru Junction railway station on Saturday.



DRI deputy director Vinayak Bhat said in the first case, a couple from Kasargod were arrested for trying to smuggle 2.14 kg gold concealed in a belt worn by them. In the second incident, two passengers, who had smuggled gold from Nepal and were travelling in a train to Kozhikode, were nabbed with 16 gold biscuits concealed in the inner pockets of their pants.

Gold in belt

Acting on credible intelligence that two international passengers by name Hassan and Sameera of Kasargod are arriving by Spicejet Flight No SG-60 from Dubai and would attempt to smuggle gold into the country, the officers of the DRI mounted surveillance at the airport. On arrival of the aircraft, the said passengers were identified and intercepted at the Customs Green Channel and escorted to Customs Arrival area. During the check, both were found wearing skin-coloured waist belts with a heavy, brown-coloured rubber-like compound stuffed inside.

The compound was examined by a jeweller and taken to a gold-testing extraction centre. Under the supervision of DRI officers and independent witnesses, gold extraction was carried out. Gold of 23.99 carat purity weighing 2.14 kg was extracted from the compound. The value of the seized gold is around Rs 66 lakh, said Vinayak Bhat.

The contraband gold was later seized by the officers of DRI under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. The couple was arrested and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangaluru, and later released on conditional bail.

Gold in waistband

In another incident, based on a tip-off, the officers caught two passengers travelling from Panvel to Kozhikode in Marusagar Express at Mangaluru Junction railway station. During personal examination, the officers found heavy objects around the waistbands of their trousers. Cutting open the waistband, they recovered eight gold bars in each band. Both the passengers Moideen and Samsudheen admitted that the 16 gold bars recovered from their possession were of foreign origin and smuggled by them while travelling from Dubai to Kathmandu a few days ago.

During the interrogation, they added that after being cleared at the Kathmandu International Airport they entered India from at Birganj. They boarded the Marusagar Express (No 12978) at Panvel and were on their way to Kozhikode. The 16 gold bars weighed 1.865 kg and were worth around Rs 56 lakh

The passengers were arrested and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate on Sunday. Further investigation is in progress.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday went all out to woo Karnataka farmers even as he launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to tackle India's agrarian distress.



As part of the Janaarshivada Yatra, Rahul interacted with farmers and gave a patient hearing to their questions that were asked in Kannada, Hindi and English.

"Farmers are not getting the right price for their crops because the BJP has stopped protecting you," Rahul told the audience. "Congress considers farmers India's backbone. If we come to power in Delhi, we will establish a revolving fund to help farmers in distress, provide the right minimum support price and waive farm loans," he said.

Reviving his 'suit-boot ki sarkar' jibe, Rahul said the NDA government had last year written off loans of "India's richest" worth a1.30 lakh crore. "I went inside Modi's office only once to ask if he will waive farmers' loans. He didn't answer. The Centre will write off the loans of top ten capitalists within minutes, but not farmers' loans," he said, adding that Congress-ruled Karnataka and Punjab had waived farm loans. "Neeyat (intent) is most important in politics. And the Siddaramaiah government's intent is right."

He said the Congress was fighting the 10-15 capitalists that he said the BJP is working for. "That's the BJP agenda: Farmers, small businesses and labourers should work and capitalists should simply enjoy," he said.

Farmers grilled Rahul and Siddaramaiah with specific questions on the problems they faced, including reduced storage capacity of the Tungabhadra dam and increasing power supply for farmers. Siddaramaiah said the government is exploring an alternative to augment Tungabhadra dam, while promising farmers that the government will look at how power supply can be increased by a couple of hours from the existing 7-hours per day.

Liquor ban



A woman farmer demanded a ban on sale of alcohol. "If our husbands stop drinking, they won't raise loans," she said. Rahul found the demand was a justified one and that people of Karnataka should discuss it. Alcohol prohibition was easier said than done, he added. "In Bihar, there is prohibition but it enters the state illegally from nearby states." Rahul warned that drugs could replace alcohol as it happened overseas.



Siddaramaiah categorically said that Karnataka alone banning alcohol will not work. "There's need for a national policy and all states have to be on the same page," he said. "Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu tried, but went back. The prohibition isn't total in Gujarat also," he said. He quipped that after arrack was banned, drinkers had moved to whiskey.



Box - Dalit activists detained

Rahul and Siddaramaiah were shown black flags in Gangavathi by Dalit activists demanding implementation of the Sadashiva Commission report on internal reservation. The police rushed to detain them.
Egypt has reverted to full-scale military rule in the seven years since millions of Egyptians staged the most dramatic popular uprising on the face of the globe. Egyptians stormed Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square on January 25, 2011,

and over the next 17 days demanded the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, who had been president for 30 years. Although Tunisia became the first Arab state to depose its dictator, Egypt became the trendsetter.



Egyptians captured the imagination of the world when satellite television broadcast images of them protesting peacefully or facing the onslaught of black-clad, heavily armed riot police. After the entire country rose up, he capitulated and handed over to the military. Protesters remained in the streets demanding "Bread, Freedom, and Social Justice."

None of these demands were met but Egyptians did get a brief taste of democracy when they voted for parliament in late 2011 and for president in 2012. Unfortunately, Egypt's only organised political party, the Muslim Brotherhood, won most seats in parliament and the presidency, ushering in a period of instability and violence exploited by the military to return to power in the person of ex-armed forces commander-in-chief Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

In mid-2014, he won the presidency by a landslide, promising to bring security to Egypt after more than three years of turmoil caused by the uprising, the Brotherhood's power grab, and deadly terrorist attacks by radical fundamentalists allied to IS. Sisi has jailed Brotherhood leaders and members and cracked down on progressive young men and women who made the uprising which, ultimately, brought him to power.

As he opened his campaign for re-election at the end of March, he made it clear that "the people" will not have another chance to bring down the country's leadership. He stated, "What happened seven or eight years ago will never happen again in Egypt." He has obviously never heard the saying, "Never say never." Certainly not in West Asian politics.

He is determined to outflank critics, opponents and dissidents. Half a dozen potential electoral rivals - two of them serious challengers - have been either jailed, intimidated or otherwise prevented from entering the presidential race. Sisi is set to stand against Mousa Mustafa Mousa who heads the small Ghad party and had, until deciding to enter the race, backed Sisi, who has castigated eight political parties and dozens of non-governmental organisations calling for a boycott of the election.

It is ironic that Mousa has joined the campaign. In the last presidential race under Mubarak, in 2005, the only serious contender was the founder of Ghad, Ayman Nour, who was jailed for his presumption.

The other eight candidates in the 2005 contest, Egypt's first multi-party poll, secured fractions of the vote. Turn-out was low, said to be between 17-30%, with Mubarak taking 80% of that vote. During his long reign, participation in parliamentary elections was 10%. Egypt has come full circle from the reign of an air force chief to rule by an army intelligence officer.

Like Egypt, other countries of West Asia caught up in the Arab Spring have either been subjected to deepening authoritarianism or torn apart by warfare. During 2011, Arabs cherished the hope that democracy might prevail in a region where autocracy has been the norm for more than 60 years. There is no "Bread, Freedom and Social Justice."

Tunisia remains the only country to have adopted a democratic model but today its government remains under threat from protests over unemployment and the rising cost of living. Islamic State is feeding off the discontents of jobless young men on the margins of society.

Yemen suffered more than three years of instability before and after the 2012 ouster of veteran ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh. This was followed by a rebellion by northern tribesmen against his Saudi-sponsored successor and a war on the rebels prosecuted by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Divided and devastated Yemen has become the world's most horrendous humanitarian disaster.

In Syria, unrest morphed into full-scale civil war in 2011 after the government cracked down on protesters. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, and Western powers intervened with the aim of toppling the government which survived due to support from Iran and Russia. Warfare continues, although IS - which infiltrated from conflicted Iraq and took root in Syria in 2014 - has largely been defeated.

Protests by Bahrain's Shia majority against repressive rule by a Sunni monarch were put down by the kingdom's security forces bolstered by Pakistani officers and men and by Saudi and Emirati army units.

Regional destabilisation has shaken Gulf states, where the number of Indians in employment is falling. Saudi Arabia has come under the one-man-rule of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Sultan, the king's favourite son and heir, who intends to replace skilled foreign workers with Saudis.

The strategic land bridge between Europe and the Indian Sub-Continent, West Asia, has been transformed from a political partner and trading hub into the source of discord and destruction threatening India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Philippines and Indonesia to the east as well as Europe to the west.
An increasing number of deaths of Spot Billed Pelicans and Painted Storks at Kokkarebellur has raised alarm bells among local residents, conservationists and forest department officials.

The village of Kokkarebellur, 80 km from Bengaluru in Mandya district en route to Mysuru, is abuzz with tourists. But the village now looks deserted.

"Last week, five birds died. It is shocking. It is a clear sign of polluted water around Mandya," Shivaraj N, deputy conservator of forests, Mandya, told DH.

"So far, no records have been kept. But now, we have decided to keep records of the number of deaths. It has been observed that there is an increase in bird deaths. Local residents don't harm birds. We have written a letter to the Mandya deputy commissioner (DC) to maintain water quality. We are also educating the local residents to keep the water bodies clean," Shivaraj said.

Forest officials from Bengaluru will also be writing to the Bengaluru DC and civic authorities, requesting to keep the water bodies clean. Polluted water flowing downstream from Bengaluru's lakes and valleys, including Arkavathy and Vrushabhavathy, are contaminating water bodies in neighbouring districts also, they say.

Around 450 families stay in Kokkarebellur, spread across 773 acres. Residents take great care of the birds. They believe that the birds bring them good fortune. The droppings of the birds are good manure for their fields. So, they do not harm the birds, he added.
A man and his son died while 45 others fell ill after drinking contaminated water at Maidolalu village in Bhadravati taluk on Sunday.



The deceased are Shivappa (75) and Hanumanthappa (35)

Three people Shivappa, Hanumanthappa and Siddamma were rushed to McGann in Shivamogga on Saturday as they fell ill after they consumed drinking water supplied through taps by the gram panchayat. Shivappa and Hanumanthappa died on Sunday as they did not respond to the treatment.

About 45 others, who fell ill after consuming the contaminated water were treated at private clinics and primya health centres. Twleve of them were shifted to McGann and Subbaiah hospitals in Shivamogga after their condition deteriorated.

The gram panchayat authorities have advised villagers to boil the water before drinking.

The water samples have been sent to a laboratory for a test.

District Health Officer Dr Hanumanthappa has directed the gram panchayat officers to clean the overhead tank through which drinking water is supplied in the village.

He has also directed them to supply the drinking water through tankers till a report from the laboratory about the contaminated water comes.

Villagers charged that the gram panchayat members did not clean the overhead tank in the last one year. They sought stern action against the authorities and sought compensation for the victims.

Over 20 students fall ill

More than 20 students of Rani Kitturu Channamma residential school at Hulikunte in Koratagere taluk in Tumakuru district fell ill after consuming puliyogare for breakfast on Sunday.

The students, who complained of stomach ache and vomiting, were rushed to Koratagere government hospital.

The students had taken ill after eating puliyogare on Friday too, sources said.

DHO Dr Rangaswamy told DH, "The samples of drinking water and vomit have been sent to the laboratory. In the morning, 14 students were admitted to the hospital, of which six were discharged. The rest 8 students too have recovered and will be discharged soon."
Lecturers and principals of government pre-university colleges have decided to observe "Black Shivaratri" on February 13 to mark their protest against the Sixth Pay Commission for not accepting their pay hike demand.

The decision was taken at a meeting called by the lecturers' and principals' associations here on Sunday. They will be holding a symbolic protest at the Gandhi statue near Maurya Circle. Thimmaiah Purle, president of the Lecturers' Association, said they would meet again on February 27 to decide the future course of their struggle.

The ex-gratia of Rs 500 being paid to lecturers and Rs 1,000 to principals has not been included in the basic pay. The Commission has also not made any proposal for separate pay scale for principals, the associations said.

If their demands had been considered, the basic pay for the lecturers would be Rs 52,260 instead of the Rs 43,100 proposed now. "For these reasons, we are rejecting the Commission's proposal," Purle said.

During their earlier struggle, the chief minister had promised that the Commission's proposal would address their demands but this promise has not been kept, said MLC K T Srikante Gowda.
In a year's time, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike wants to declare the city Open Defecation Free (ODF).



"We will declare 157 wards of the 198 wards as Open Defecation Free soon," said Sarfaraz Khan, BBMP Joint Commissioner for Health and Solid Waste Management.

This would mean 79.2% of the city is ODF, while 41 wards still practice open defecation. The Bangalore South and Mahadevapura zones will be the first to go ODF as all the wards have complied with the norms. Conversely, no wards in the Yelahanka zone could be declared ODF as yet.

The Union government's Swachh Bharat Mission has provided a set of guidelines to declare a city or a place ODF. A key aspect of the guideline is to build community toilets in every 500 metres.

"Providing necessary infrastructure is a massive task, given the city's large and exploding population. The municipal body is beginning to do it now," solid waste management expert Sandhya Narayan said.

In addition, the civic body should also get declaration forms from school students, teachers and self-help groups that they are using the toilets available in their areas. The forms will be submitted to the councillor, who in turn will give them to the mayor or municipal commissioner for scrutiny.

The forms will then be sent to the Swachh Bharat Mission, which would inspect the ward and declare it ODF.

But the BBMP is still far from building the requisite community toilets.

A recent survey by IChangeMyCity revealed that the civic body is yet to build 1,100 toilet sheds to reach the ODF targets.

"The BMTC bus stations are where people can easily access toilets, but the BBMP doesn't maintain them," said Sapna Karim, head of citizen participation at Janaagraha. "No toilets exist in the peripheral areas and the ones available have accessibility issues."

B'luru vs Mysuru

Khan pointed out that Bengaluru is a sprawling city with several complications compared to Mysuru.

"We have written to the Swachh Bharat Mission for funds to build 2,500 public toilets, especially in slum areas to ensure people don't defecate in the open," he said.

The civic body is particularly struggling to find land to build toilets.

The BBMP will soon publish details of wards declared ODF in the public domain and invite people's opinion.
As the government fast-tracks the alternative road to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), the change in its alignment has resulted in several families being displaced twice in three years.



Four siblings in Mylanahalli - Appaiahyappa, Sriramappa, Kempanna and Krishnappa - first parted with their land for the airport and another piece of land and a house for the road to the airport. Later, the four built a new house with the compensation they received. But just as they were rebuilding their lives, the state government again issued them a notice for acquiring whatever they are left with.



Kempanna, a retired schoolteacher, told DH: "We built a new house after we were displaced. Now, the government says it wants this too for the changed alignment of the road.



"There is government land on the other side of the road, but the government insists it wants our land and has fixed a compensation of Rs 9.10 lakh per gunta. It is the only piece of land left with us. Where will we go?"



Kempanna's family is among the 100 affected by the new alignment.



Another villager Prakash said, "The government had earlier planned to lay the road through the village and acquired houses and land after offering transferable development rights (TDR) to owners. Soon after we built new houses on the outskirts of the village, we received notices after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the alternative road stretch in November 2016.



"The alignment of the road was shifted to the periphery of the village instead of through it. We will now lose our land and houses again. "The value of the land on the new alignment near Begur and surrounding areas is high and politicians and businessmen who had bought land here will get a higher compensation than what is offered to us," he said.



No jobs either



Villagers said that though the government promises jobs to the land losers, only 10% of them have got jobs at the airport.



Santhosh Kumar, a 24-year-old ITI diploma-holder, said that the KIA has overlooked his qualification and offered him a sweeper's job.



M Lakshminarayana, additional chief secretary, public works department, said all farmers have been given compensation and the three-lane road from Mylanahalli to the airport will be open to the public in 40 days.



Agriculture minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who represents the Byatarayanapura Assembly constituency under which this village falls, said the alignment was changed since the KIA objected to the second entry at Mylanahalli due to the presence of the runway.



Hence, the airport authorities and the Public Works Department have decided on an alternative entry from Begur, he said.
An undertrial has used Facebook to silence a witness in a murder case, revealing the modern methods criminals adopt to influence cases.



Srinivas alias Robbery Kitti is doing time for a different crime. But he sent the chilling message to Vijaya Kumar, witness to the murder of his father Marahanumaiah (48), vice president KPCC (SC/ST cell) in Bengaluru.

In a complaint with the Kengeri Police, Kumar said Srinivas asked him not to give any statements against the accused facing trial in his father's murder.

A group of men had murdered Marahanumaiah on June 27, 2016, near Kengeri. The police had arrested Kiran alias Tamate, Sunil alias Cylinder, Chethan and Praveen alias Subbu, all of whom are lodged in prison.

Kumar said the trial court has notified him to record his statement. The information had gone to the accused, who had taken Srinivas' help to threaten him.

Kumar said he received a friend request from Srinivas on February 7. Soon after he accepted the request, Srinivas began sending threatening messages. The undertrial said Sunil, one of the accused in Marahanumaiah's murder, is his brother-in-law.

Srinivas offered to meet Kumar after his release and work out a settlement. But when Kumar rejected the offer, the prisoner sent a series of voice messages, threatening to kill him if he gives witness statements in the court.

Kumar asked the Kengeri police for protection to him and his family, while also asking them to take action against the person who posted the threat.

The police confirmed that the messages were sent by Srinivas, who is in jail for the past six months. They are finding out if the messages were are actually sent by Srinivas or if someone else is operating his Facebook account from the outside.

The Kengeri police said Srinivas would be taken into custody on body warrant and will be questioned in the matter.
"No means no" is a new battle cry for Brazilian women mobilising against assault at carnival, a raucous party whose free-wheeling atmosphere leaves women particularly vulnerable to unwanted sexual contact.



In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein episode that triggered the #MeToo campaign against harassment in the United States, Brazilian women are out in full force - with some even sporting temporary tattoos with the message emblazoned across their shoulders, arms and chests.



Rio's carnival - the world's largest - falls during the city's pre-Lenten blowout which draws millions of near-naked revelers dancing as the alcohol flows, and flows.



The feast of excess is also often the backdrop for a slew of sexual assaults, particularly against women.



Luka Borges therefore is tirelessly distributing the temporary "No Means No" tattoos as part of a street parade - known as a "bloco" - set to samba tunes in Rio's center.



"There is a lot of machismo in Brazil - so doing this for carnival is really pressing," the 28-year-old project manager told AFP. "We women spend much more time out in the streets, wearing less clothing -- then this is their pretext for aggression."



Borges created with four friends "No Means No" tattoos, and began distributing them to women last year during some of the city's blocos, after one of them was harassed.



Thanks to social media and a crowdfunding campaign, some 27,000 tattoos have been produced for the 2018 carnival, in Rio as well as cities including Salvador, Sao Paulo and Olinda. "A lot of the time, at past carnivals, we were harassed and did not even realize it," said Anna Studard, a 27-year-old theater producer. "We thought it was normal! But I think in the past couple of years we've started to realize that 'no means no.'"



Carnival, with its totally uninhibited and ultra-sexy atmosphere is widely seen as a moment partiers can kiss and touch strangers without concern. Yet far from taking a puritanical turn, the women behind this campaign simply say they're simply trying to bolster the "my body, my rules" concept already familiar to many in Brazil.



"If we continue to cover ourselves, to hide, the youngest girls will have to continue to protect themselves," said Borges. "I think it's a political act to walk around with bare breasts, for example."
Asma Jahangir, Pakistan's renowned human rights icon, social activist and an outspoken critic of the country's powerful military establishment, died on Sunday at the age of 66.



Known for her outspoken nature and unrelenting pursuit for human rights, Asma was the first woman to serve as the President of Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.

"Asma suffered heart attack today morning and she was rushed to Hameed Latif Hospital Lahore where she breathed her last," said senior lawyer Adeel Raja on Sunday.

Born in January 1952 in Lahore, Asma co-founded and chaired the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She has also been Supreme Court Bar Association president.

Asma became a champion democracy activist and was imprisoned in 1983 for participating in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy against the military rule of Pakistan's longest-serving president Ziaul Haq. She has constantly raised the issue of "missing persons" and has called for grilling of intelligence agencies. She was critical of the Supreme Court for "judicial activism" and criticised it for disqualifying Nawaz Sharif from the office of prime minister in July last year.

She has also been an outspoken critic of the Pakistan's powerful military establishment, including during her tenure as the first-ever female leader of Pakistan's top bar association.

Asma was arrested in 2007 by the government of the then military dictator Pervez Musharraf.
A property monitoring service that alerts landlords to unauthorised subletting through Airbnb and other rental websites has been launched by Sydney-based tech startup BnbGuard.

The brainchild of serial entrepreneurs Reuben Schwarz and Richard Frey, BnbGuard is an automated technology platform that monitors long-term and short-term rental websites such as Airbnb, Flatmates.com.au and Stayz for clients, sending them an instant notification when a listing for one of their properties is found online.

Schwarz told Dynamic Business that he and Frey co-founded BnbGuard, last year, to give landlords peace of mind that their properties werent  due to unauthorised subletting by tenants  getting trashed by out-of-control parties or pop-up brothels, sustaining uninsured damage, or incurring excessive wear and tear.

He added that while unauthorised subletting is an age-old problem, the risk has been heightened by the emergence and popularity of sites like Airbnb, where it is estimated 35% of properties are listed by tenants.

Its difficult for landlords to catch out illegal subletters online, he said. Airbnb, for instance, doesnt reveal a propertys exact address  it gives you a fake geolocation within a certain radius of the real address, which restricts search results.

Further, landlords have to check sites very regularly because listings come and go pretty quickly, especially around peak season. For instance, it wouldnt be easy for a landlord to find out if their tenant is subletting their property over Christmas  the listing may only be up for a week and if youre not actively looking, youll miss it. One of our team members, not naming names, has had experience as an illegal subletter, so we know how easy it is to get away with.

Schwarz said that landlords, through their property managers, carefully vet their tenants whereas the tenants themselves dont necessarily care who theyre subletting to.

In 99 per cent of cases, people who stay in short- or long-term sublets are good people who dont cause any problems, he said. Its the other 1 per cent of subletters who are the issue. If a property is sublet on a commercial basis (or a basis deemed to be commercial), the landlords insurance wont cover that. If a tenant, without their landlords knowledge or permission, sublets a property and the subletter, say, burns it down, the tenant is liable for the damages but good luck getting that money out of the tenant.

Although BnbGuard was initially intended to protect landlords, Schwarz said the startup has been helping the strata sector to control the risks of short-term stays.

In Australia, a lot of strata management companies have a problem with owner-occupiers subletting their properties for short-term stays, he explained. Theyre worried about the security risk and damage to common areas, which their insurance might not cover.

Although the laws around strata and short-term stays are very vague, courts have generally come down in favour of owners-occupiers being able to do what they want with their properties, leaving stratas relatively powerless to stop sublets in their buildings.

Stratas know they cant stop owner-occupiers from subletting their properties for short-term stays so theyre just trying to keep an eye on it and share the costs more equitably amongst all their landlords.

To date, BnbGuard has been bootstrapped, with Schwarz revealing that he and Frey developed the MVP themselves, using loans and credit cards to polish it up for market. He noted, however, that discussions are currently happening with potential seed investors.

Although BnbGuard is currently focused on building up clientele in Australia  in particular, tourist hotpots Sydney and Melbourne  Schwarz said there are plans to launch the service into New Zealand, where he rents properties.

Describing existing regulations to prevent illegal subletting through short-term stay sites as ineffective, Schwarz said BnbGuard could play an important role in helping governments enforce good policies around short-term stays and keeping subletters honest.

Asked whether BnbGuard would partner with a rental website such as Airbnb, he replied: Not at this stage. Its something wed like to do but we also want to be independent from the big players, so we can keep subletters honest across all sites.
Theres no argument about it. Cyber security is tough for small and medium sized businesses. Most SMBs dont have a dedicated IT staff member, meaning it falls on the owner or manager to be on top of computer security matters.

One of the key milestones in cyber security is the upcoming data breach laws in Australia. These laws, which come into effect in February 2018, mean that any organisation that is subject to the Australian Privacy Act must report any data breaches from that date to the Office of the Information Commissioner, and to the public.

Many SMBs wont be subject to this law, which applies to organisations with a turn-over of more than $3 million, but many will be. And whether or not it applies to you, the upshot is the same: if you are subject to a data breach, then customers will lose trust in you and your organisation, and they will take their business elsewhere. So what can you do to ensure that youre not hacked?

One of the first things you can do is check out the Australian Signals Directorates (ASD) Essential Eight. Now the ASD sounds like a pretty scary organisation. After all, theyre involved in protecting Australia from IT security threats. But they also have some practical, common sense rules for making sure your IT systems are protected against hackers. Of the eight guidelines, the top four make for essential reading.

The first is to check your applications whitelisting. What does this mean? Whitelisting means that only approved applications can run on your systems. One of the common ways hackers get access is through malware, or malicious software that is installed through poor browser settings and insecure programs. With whitelisting, malware simply cannot run on your system, protecting it. If youre unsure about whitelisting, contact your software vendor.

The other Essential rules include patching applications and operating systems. Many software vendors make this really easy by bundling together security patches into software updates. Its just a matter of clicking the update button, and protecting yourself.

The ASD also recommends that you restrict administrative privileges. This sounds complicated, but its a matter of making sure that you are the only person who can apply things like patches and software updates to your computers.

One of the most common ways that hackers gain access to systems is through the use of insecure passwords. According to the Verizon Data Breach Report 2017, a reputable publication that looks at how organisations are attacked by hackers, 61 per cent of the businesses that suffered a data breach in the last 12 months had under 1000 employees. This puts the bulk of hacking right in the middle of the SMB zone.

More importantly, the same report found that 80 per cent of hacking-related breaches came down to stolen or weak passwords. So what should you do about password security? There are numerous third party companies out there that offer password management, and their services are generally good. They encrypt passwords, manage the passwords for you, and generally make it hard for a hacker to guess what youre using for identification.

Its also critical that you change passwords on things like computer and WiFi routers. Out of the box, many come with a default password such as admin, which is easily guessed. Change it to something that someone would have a hard time guessing (so kids and pet names are out) or, as discussed above, use a password manager.

Protecting your systems also means protecting files from malware and from disaster, such as a hardware failure or the network going down. Some NAS storage solutions guard your files against hacking and from things like ransomware. Ones to look out for are those that enable you to create a private cloud  this means being able to access your files over the network, and from anywhere you need to access them from.

Other sensible protections against hacking and data breaches includes using the latest anti-virus software, and keeping it updated. Anti-virus companies regularly release what are called virus definitions which protect against the latest viruses being found out on the internet. Another benefit of using anti-virus software is that it can protect against things like malware and adware, which can be used by hackers to break into your systems.

The final protection against hacking is human. Be aware of tricks like phishing, which are emails that look legitimate but are from hackers. With these emails, they will generally ask for log-ins and passwords, so the rule of thumb is to never send your credentials to an email you dont trust. Banks and other institutions will never ask for these via email, so if youre unsure, make a phone call.

While protecting your computer systems against hacking isnt easy for an SMB owner or manager, there are things you can do every day to make sure youre not a victim. Be vigilant, apply patches, and educate your staff and youre on your way to a safer IT environment.

About the author

Brad Little is the Managing Director and President of NETGEAR ANZ.
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Alert: MANAGE invites applications for PG Diploma in Agri Business Management Last date for receipt of applications is December 31, 2021

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Shanghai chef Fu Zhuwei (center) wins the China heat of the Bocuse d'Or cooking competition. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The China selection of the biennial Bocuse d'Or cooking competition was recently held in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Shanghai chef Fu Zhuwei was named the winner and will attend the Asia-Pacific finals, to be held in Guangzhou on May 8 and 9.

Fu was among six candidates who prepared a fish course in three hours using sea bass and crustaceans as the main ingredients.

The dishes were judged according to the quality of ingredients, technical skill, sophistication, creativity and aesthetic presentation.

The Bocuse d'Or, created by Paul Bocuse in 1987, is one of the world's most prestigious competitions in the cooking industry. The award is given during the Sirha Trade Show in Lyon, France, to the most illustrious chef.

In 2018, selections will be held in 62 countries and regions, followed by continental heats in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Africa. The semifinalists will gather in Lyon in 2019.




http://www.elkgrovenews.net/2018/02/climate-leaders-justin-trudeau-jerry.html









By Dan Bacher | February 10, 2018 |





After going to yesterdays Save Our Coast rally against offshore oil drilling in Sacramento, where not one single politician mentioned the massive expansion of offshore drilling in state waters under climate leader Jerry Brown, I felt very frustrated.





One politician after another delivered the false narrative that California would resist Trumps plan to open the coast to new offshore oil drilling when Jerry Brown has already done in the state waters off Ventura and Los Angeles counties what Trump would like to do in federal waters - expand offshore oil drilling.

However, I was elated this morning to receive the following statement from Patrick McCully, Climate and Energy Program Director at the Rainforest Action Network, about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus visit to meet with Brown here in California. McCully gets it right, unlike many politicians, NGOs and media outlets:





Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor Jerry Brown are birds of a feather in claiming climate leadership while encouraging the expansion of the oil industry. Trudeau is currently bullying British Columbia into accepting Texas company Kinder Morgans dirty tar sands mega-pipeline, which the provinces government and its First Nations have made clear they dont want. Meanwhile Brown has long refused to take action against fracking and other dirty oil extraction in California. We cant afford for our climate leaders to be fossil fuel pushers.





Patrick, thanks so much for having the courage to reveal what is really going with the current oil drilling expansion in both California and Canada!





On Friday, local climate justice activists opposed to the Kinder Morgans pipeline protested outside the hotel where Trudeau was staying: globalnews.ca/.





Today, Brown met with Trudeau in San Francisco, where the two leaders pledged to "expand cooperation on climate action, trade and criminal justice reform."





We've got a lot to do with Canada while our Washington government is temporarily missing in action, claimed Governor Brown at the opening of todays meeting. In terms of climate action, California and more than a dozen other [U.S.] states are taking real action. I'm looking forward to forging agreements with various provinces in Canada and particularly in zero-emission vehicles - electric cars, hydrogen cars. I'm hoping Canada, California and the rest of America can really commit to developing the technologies that will allow us to have zero-emission vehicles be a big part of our future.





However, it appears that Brown is also "missing in action" when it comes to stopping the expansion of fracking, steam injection and other extreme oil extraction techniques in California.





Here are the facts: Jerry Browns regulators have approved 238 new offshore oil wells in state waters under existing leases, an increase of 17 percent since 2012, according to analysis by the nonprofit FracTracker Alliance.





According to the Fracktracker Alliance:

"FracTracker Alliance reviewed the data published by DOGGR on permitted offshore wells. (DOGGR refers to the Division of Oil, Gas, & Geothermal Resources, which regulates drilling in CA). Using API identification numbers as a timeline, we actually find that it is likely that 238 wells have been drilled offshore since the start of 2012. The DOGGR database only lists spud (drilling) and completion dates for 71  a mere 1.3% of the 5,435 total offshore wells. DOGGR reports that 1,366 offshore wells are currently active production wells. It must be noted that these numbers are only estimations, since operators have a 2-year window to drill wells after receiving a permit and API number.

Using these methods of deduction, we find that since the beginning of 2012 the majority of offshore wells have been drilled offshore of Los Angeles County in the Wilmington Oil Field (204 in total); followed by 25 offshore in the Huntington Beach field; 7 in the West Montalvo field offshore of Ventura County, and 1 in the Belmont field, also offshore of Ventura County. Additionally, the Center for Biological Diversity reports that at least 200 of the wells off Californias coast have been hydraulically fractured."



The FracTacker Alliance report is available here: https://www.fractracker.org/2017/02/more-offshore-drilling-ca/





Why is Jerry Brown such a loyal servant of the oil industry? It might have something to do with the fact that Brown has received over $9.8 million from oil companies, gas companies and utilities since he ran for his third term as governor, according to Consumer Watchdog. For more information on Governor Brown and his so-called "green" policies, see: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/sites/default/files/2017-09/how_green_is_brown.pdf





Big Oil also wields enormous influence over the California Legislature, such huge influence that every bill except one opposed by the oil industry has failed to make it out of the Legislature over the past three years. Big Oil dominated three out of the four top spots of expenditures by all lobbying organizations in 2017, according to documents from the California Secretary of States Office.





Outspending all of their competition, Chevron placed first with $8.2 million and the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), the trade association for the oil industry in the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona, spent $6.2 million. Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company finished fourth with $3.2 million. You can find the information on spending by employers of lobbyists here: cal-access.sos.ca.gov/





Thats a total of $17.6 million dumped into lobbying by the three top oil industry lobbying organizations alone. That figure exceeds the $14,577,314 expended by all 16 oil lobby organizations in 2016.





The California Oil Lobby was the biggest spender in the 2015-16 legislative session, spending an amazing $36.1 million on lobbying over the two-year period. Big Oil spending last session amounted to $1.5 million per month - nearly $50,000 per day.





WSPA and Big Oil use their money and power in 5 ways: through (1) lobbying; (2) campaign spending; (3) creating Astroturf groups: 4) working in collaboration with media; and (5) getting appointed to positions on and influencing regulatory panels, as in the case of the privately Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative to create faux marine protected areas in Southern California.




After swearing off marriage because of two divorces, Idris Elba shocked the world -- and broke a few hearts, when he asked his girlfriend, model Sabrina Dhowre, to marry him.

The two began dating after Elba "fell in love" with Dhowre while filming the movie The Mountain Between Us.

Elba Finds Love Again

Elba asked his beautiful new bride for her hand in marriage during the screening of his new film, Yardie, which is Elba's first film that he directed. The private screening was held at Rio Cinema in London. The moment was captured on video by one audience member who later shared the video on social media.

When the Luther star sat down for an interview with Essence Magazine in July 2017, he gave an apprehensive answer about getting married again.

"Am I ever gonna get remarried? I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think so. Marriage is an institution of sorts. And I've done it. It's not for everybody. It's not my life's calling," Elba stated.

In December 2017, the couple made their first public appearance at the Toronto premiere for Molly's Game.

The Dark Tower actor was married twice before, the first time to Hanne Norgaard with whom he has a 15-year-old daughter, Isan. His second marriage was to Sonya Hamlin. Elba also has a son, Winston, with make-up artist Naiyana Garth.

And The Women Wept

News of Elba's engagement sent social media into a frenzy with mainly women heartbroken that the handsome British actor is off the market.

Check out some funny and emotional responses to Elba's engagement from Twitter users:

My wife seemed a lil too gutted when I told her Idris Elba was off the market...  Cyrus McQueen (@CyrusMMcQueen) February 10, 2018

Just found out Idris Elba is engaged. Please keep me in your prayers during this difficult time.  shauna (@goldengateblond) February 10, 2018

No I'm not crying and staring longingly at a picture of Idris Elba while listening to "My Heart Will Go On." Why do you ask?  Julie Kedzie (@julesk_fighter) February 10, 2018

You can watch Elba propose to Dhowre through the tweet below!
As Meghan Markle prepares to become royalty, Wendy Williams revealed that Markle's future could've been very different. According to Williams, Markle tried her hands in the talk show industry and applied to work for her.

That's right, the soon-to be princess allegedly had high hopes of working for Williams.

On a new episode of The Wendy Williams Show, Williams sat down with her guest, 90210 star Annalynne McCord. The two chatted about Markle and her brief guest appearance on 90210.

It wasn't too long before things took a shady turn. McCord explained that although she and Markle appeared on the series together, they didn't actually work together. However, she recalled that Markle had a scandalous role in 90210 as she was the girl that her boyfriend was cheating on her with. McCord's recollection of Markle's appearance caused Williams to remark with a side eye and claim that Markle had "quite" the past.

"She applied for a job here too, yeah. Random princess," Williams added.

Williams Throws Shade At Markle

The 53-year-old host further elaborated that Markle has been in her building and came to find out what she could do at the show's studio.

This isn't the first time Williams expressed some hesitation about the Suits alum becoming royalty. In December 2017, she called Markle a wild card and explained that she's looking for a game.

"I respect Meghan Markle's hustle and I respect her game. However, she's a bit of a wild card, you know, because she goes from being the 'Deal or No Deal girl,' so this is a girl looking for a game," Williams stated.

Markle's Road To Royalty

Markle is busy off-screen these days and obviously doesn't have to apply for any job applications as she gears up to tie the knot with Prince Harry. The two announced their engagement in November 2017 only after a year of dating.

With the wedding only two months away, the couple has been on the move ever since. They began 2018 by visiting a radio station in London and will make their way to Scotland for their first joint visit to the state for Valentine's Day.

Harry and Markle will wed on May 19 at the St. George's Chapel at the Windsor Castle.
After being accused of sexual misconduct by over eight women and recently getting slammed with a $5 million lawsuit, Russell Simmons has decided to flee the United States.

According to Page Six, Simmons is reportedly on an extended stay at a yoga retreat in Ubud, Bali after being incriminated of sexual harassment and assault.

The center's website describes their facility as "a gem in sacred paradise." The Yoga Barn offers cleansing and detox, meditation, healing and ayurvedic therapy, spiritual guidance, and colonics.

"Russell is focusing on yoga and meditation, as well as his spiritual and emotional health. He has also been seen wearing robes, walking the streets and markets of Ubud, the yoga town in the jungle," a source claimed.

This isn't Simmons's first yoga experience as the music mogul discovered yoga way back in 1994 and has practiced it every day ever since. Simmons specifically practices Jivamukti yoga, which focuses on vegeterianisim and social and environmental activisim.

The insider further elaborated that Simmons has plans to write a book about spirituality, healing, and yoga and will not discuss the sexual misconduct allegations.

Simmons Denies Allegations

Simmons's trip to Bali comes weeks after he was hit with a $5 million lawsuit from his most recent accuser, Jennifer Jarosik. The filmmaker claims that she and the Def Jam co-founder bonded over common interests such as yoga and meditation. She also stated that Simmons told her he would help finance and produce her documentary film.

In 2016, after developing a relationship with the music mogul, Jarosik explained that Simmons invited her to his Los Angeles home and then asked her to have sex with him. When Jarosik refused, Simmons became aggressive and forced himself onto her.

Following Jarosik's claims, Simmons denied the rape allegations and released a statement via his spokeswoman.

"I look forward to having my day in court -- where, unlike the court of public opinion, I will have the ability to make use of fair processes that ensure that justice will be done and that the full truth will be known," Simmons said.

Prior to Jarosik's claims, the 60-year-old was accused of sexual assault and rape by other women such as model Keri Claussen Khaligi, fashion publicist Kelly Cutrone, and writer Jenny Lumet.

The allegations have even inspired Simmons's ex-wife, Kimora Lee Simmons, to address the claims.

"These allegations against him are nothing like the person I have known in all that time. I have known him to be a caring and supporting father and someone who has worked tirelessly to uplift disenfranchised communities," Kimora wrote.

Although Simmons has made his way to Bali, two of the rape claims are still currently being investigated by the NYPD.
Though there was a lot of speculation surrounding Khloe Kardashian's pregnancy since September, it wasn't until December that the reality star officially confirmed the news.

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star has now revealed why she waited so long to announce that she's expecting her first child with boyfriend, Tristan Thompson.

Why Did Khloe Wait To Reveal Baby News?

During a recent interview with ITV's Lorraine, the Kardashian sister said she waited to publicly announce her pregnancy because of miscarriage fears.

The 33-year-old noted that in her first trimester, her doctor told her to wait because the danger of miscarrying a child is very real. She added that she had no intention to keep her fans in the dark and was only following the doctor's advice.

"Honestly, at first it's not safe to say anything and the doctor was like, 'I would just want to wait, for you.' So I was listening to doctor's orders," Kardashian said. "And then people just become so obsessed. And I'm like, 'Trust me, you guys are all going to know eventually  I'm just waiting until it's the right time.'"

The Big Announcement

Kardashian announced that she and the Cleveland Cavaliers player were going to welcome their first child together on Dec. 20 along with a heartfelt note on Instagram.

She also pointed out that she was very relieved after the big announcement and could finally wear tight clothes. She had previously been wearing loose fitting and carried strategically placed handbags to conceal her belly.

A few days ago, Kardashian shared a photo of her growing baby bump on Instagram and also noted that she was 29 weeks along.

KoKo's sisters, Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian recently became mothers as well. Jenner announced the arrival of her beautiful baby daughter, named Stormi Webster, with rapper boyfriend Travis Scott last week. Meanwhile, Kim K and hubby Kanye West welcomed baby girl Chicago West via surrogate last month.

Is It A Boy Or A Girl?

Khloe has not yet revealed the gender of the baby. Last month, she told Ellen DeGeneres she did not know the gender of the baby.

However, she sparked speculation that she was expecting a girl after posting a Snapchat story from her dinner party.

Even though the soon-to-be-mother clarified that it was not her baby shower, pink seemed to be the theme of the party, leading many to believe that she and Thompson will soon welcome a daughter.
Written by ACM

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- A Strong Majority in EU Parliament, adopting a last-minute Amendment Today, "Warned" Turkey "against the Continuaton of disproportionate actions" with its "Military Intervention in (the) Kurdish Majority Region of Syria" in "Afrin". The Text had been Tabled by the 2 Biggest Political Groups : those of ChristianDemocrats/EPP and Socialists, together with the Rightists of "EFDD".

----------------------------



This comes shortly after French Army Minister, Florence Parly, reportedly called Turkey to Stop its operations inside Syria, while President Emmanuel Macron, in 2 successive Statements, had also Warned Ankara that, if the Turkish Military did not stay where it was until that Day, then, its Attacks would be assimilated to an "Invasion", provoking "a Serious Problem", (which would be Raised inside the EU, NATO, etc).



+ Moreover, about 100 MEPs, mainly of Rightist Groups, (such as ENF and EFDD, where participate Parties in Coalition Governments Chairing the EU during 2018, as Bulgaria and Austria, etc), as well as several Other MEPs from Various Political Horizons, Voted Today an Amendment "Calling for an Immediate Retreat of Turkish Armed Forces from Syrian Territory" in general, "and for an Immediate CeaseFire", while also "Heavily Condemning Any further Military Action in Syria by the Turkish Military".



++ They were practically Added to anOther 100 MEPs, mainly of Leftist Groups, (such as EuroLeft, Greens, etc), but also from various Other Political Horizons (f.ex. Socialists, Liberals, etc), who had Already Signed a Written Statement, from the Beginning of this Week, "Urging the EU Commission and EU Member States to ... Ask Turkey to immediately Stop its Military Attacks" "against Afrin, a Kurdish Region at Northern Syria", which "occurs withOut Any Provocation, Nor Attack from those Kurds or from Syria", as they observed.

-------------------------------------

The Total Number of MEPs Voting to Stop and/or Withdraw Turkish troops from Afrin would have, normally, been quite Bigger, if the President of the ENF Group (Rightists), Dr. Edouard Ferrand, father of 5, had Not Died, Suddenly, aged Only 53 y.o., at the Eve of this Plenary Session, as EU Parliament's President, Antonio Tajani, announced officially Last Monday, asking to keep 1 Minute of Silence in his Memory.

ENF Group MEPs asked to Postpone the Votes, in order to Attend Ferrand's Funeral in Paris, but this was Refused by a majority of opposed MEPs, so, it's obvious that, in fact, there were More MEPs who really Wanted to Vote for the "Immediate Retreat" of Turkish Military from the Kurdish Region of Syria, But were Hindered....





----------------------



+++ Almost 200 MEPs, from Various Political Horizons and/or EU Countries, went on to Vote another Amendment (tabled by the "EuroLeft") aiming to Explicitate the "illegal" nature of the "Turkish Military Intervention in Afrin".



--------------------



Meanwhile, EU Commission's vice-President, and EU High Representative on External Action, Frederica Mogherini, during an EU Parliament's Debate on Tuesday, expressed "Deep Concern" First of all about "the Humanitarian Consequences" of Turkey's Military Attack in Syria's Kurdish Region of Afrin, where many Civilian People (reportedly More than 151, including Children) were already Killed, while several Thousands are becoming Refugees/Displaced People, in Addition to obvious "Political" Risks to Hamper International Efforts to Find a Peacefull Solution to the Syrian Conflict, (mainly through UN Geneva Talks), while also Not making Turkey's security better, (if it doesn't even Worsen it), as she Carefully Warned...

----------------------------

This was Echoed at the above-Mentioned Amendment, Adopted Today (Thursday Noon) by EU Parliament in Strasbourg, expressing "Serious Concern about the Humanitarian Consequences of the (Turkish) Military Intervention", which were also Denounced by Many MEPs during Tuesday's relevant Public Debate.

--------------------------------------------



+ Moreover, several Mainstream Medias, in France, the UK, USA, etc., had just Strongly Denounced the Horrible spectacle of the Mutilated body of a Kurdish Woman Militant, Sullied and Trampled UnderFoot by a Band of Cowards Islamist Gangs systematically used by the Turkish Army for its Invasion at Afrin, as revealed a Video obtained by the well-known London-based NGO "Observatory on Human Rights in Syria", the Atrocious Images of which were Published and/or Described also at Establishment's Newspapers both of the Right (as f.ex. "Figaro"), and of the Left (f.ex. "Guardian"), or others, (f.ex. "Independent"), etc.



Shocked by such a Blatant and Sadic War Crime, Exceptionaly, "Figaro "publised an Article stressing at its Headlines, that France was now Obliged to "Choose" between "Islamists" Radicals around Turkey, and the Syrian Kurdish People, who notoriously helped Save many People and Liberate most Territories from ISIS and other Deadly Islamist Terrorists targetting innocent Civilians...



This also gave, inevitably, a Topical Feeling to the (otherwise naive) Headline of a parallel Article, recently published at Mainstream "Jerusalem Post" by a Couple of Writers linked to USA's Washington DC, with the premonitory claim that the Syrian "Kurdish Fight is Humanity's Fight" : Indeed, it was naturally Awfull and Scandalous to see that those People who notoriously Risked their Lives to Help EU, Russia and USA, as well as other Allies, to succesfully Fight against ISIS' Deadly Islamist Terrorists (cowardly Targetting innocent Civilian People everywhere, with particularly Bloody Massacres throughout the EU, in Russia, USA, etc), Faced Nowadays, Deadly Military Attacks added to Vile, Atrociously InHuman and Degrading Treatments, without any elementary Respect not even for their Body after being Killed by the Turkish Military and its Cronies, who notoriously were, during many Years, ...ISIL's Islamist Terrorists' local Suppliers, massively Offering and Exploiting Jihadists' arrivals and departures, Traffics of Arms, Stolen Oil/Gas or Cultural Heritage Artworks, Money Laundering, even Fake Passports/ID Cards' traffic for infiltration of Terrorists, etc, as it's well known...



Leftist Turkish MEP from Germany, Kurkcu, recently Reminded, at CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly, at the End of January 2018, in Strasbourg, that a Popular "Symbol" of that Heroic Resistance and finally succesfull Fight had become also thoe World Famous Syrian Kurdish Women, who helped Liberate also many Yazidi a.o. Women kidnapped and abused as "Sex Slaves" etc. by ISIS' Jihadists, (as those 2 Vistims who were awarded CoE's and EU's Prizes for Human Rights and Freedom of Conscience recently in Strasbourg : See ... + ...), Pictured at Global Mainstream Medias' FrontPage Headlines, such as in "TIMES" Magazine, etc., (See relevant Photo, and "Eurofora"s NewsReport from PACE's Debate at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/pacebureauslamsturkishinvasioninsyria.html).







Such Facts, apparently Moved some Officials inside EU Parliament, given that it Symbolically Decided to place, this Week in Strasbourg, its Debate on Turkey on Tuesday Afternoon, after an Introductory Debate on ..." Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation", and Locating the Turkish Problem only Between ...ZImbabwe and Venezuela (sic !), (even if it might be quite Unfair for Zimbabwe at the current situation, as an "Eurofora"s fan observed... See: http://www.eurofora.net/forum/index.php/topic,870.msg1152.html + relevant Photo of EU's Agenda)...

------------------------



=> So that Many MEPs, from Various Political Horizons, both from the Right and from the Left, asked (during the Debate of Tuesday) for "Sanctions" to be Imposed on Turkey.



+ Around 70 MEPs went, Today, as far as to Vote even a very "Hot" Amendment, (Tabled by Rightists, but Voted by 2 Political Groups and Various Other MEPs), "Calling (EU)'s Member States to put a Definitive End to the (Controversial and UnPopular) Negotiations on the Accession of Turkey to the EU withOut Delay", and to "Definitively Suspend the Pre-Accession Funds", as well as "to Stop Negotiations on the (Extension of) Customs Union between the EU and Turkey".



Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the Biggest Political Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, on Tuesday's Debate, even Romanian MEP Cristian Dan Preda, who had, in the Past, personally Supported Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU Accession bid, (as he Reminded), nevertheless, "Now", "Believed" that it was "Inconcievable to Continue Talking about Turkey's Accession into the EU", but, on the Contrary, EU should Better think about a kind of "Partnership" with Ankara, instead, and "Focus on Human Rights", (as concluded the New vice President of EU Parliament's Human Rights' Committee).



=> EU Parliament's Resolution, Adopted Today (Thursday Noon) by a Strong Majority, Reminds, in this regard, that, Already, recently, the "Parliament called, in November 2016, for the Accession process with Turkey to be Frozen, and, in July 2017, to be Suspended", particularly "if" the Controversial "Constitutional Changes" pushed by a seriously Contested Referendum, "were implemented unchanged", (i.e. something which, reportedly, has already started to be done).



+ Moreover, Today's Resolution, topically "Reiterates" EU Parliament's "position of November 2017, in which it Called for Funds destinated to Turkish Authorities" as "Pre-Accession Assistance", "to be Made Conditional on Improvements in the field of Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law".



Already, "Turkeys pre-accession funds have been Cut by EUR 105 million, ...with a further EUR 70 million held in Reserve, Until the country makes measurable Sufficient Improvements" in this regard, the Adopted Resolution also Reminds.



+ EU Parliament also Adopted Today, by a Strong Majority, an Amendment to "Condemn the most Recent Arrests", by Ankara's Regime, of reportedly More than 600 Dissidents inside Turkey itself, "for expessing their Opposition to the Turkish Military Intervention in Afrin".



Those +600 Oppressed Anti-War Dissidents include "Journalists, Activists, Doctors and Ordinary Citizens", reportedly publishing mainly at the World Wide Web, and they were Added to "at least 148 Academics, from public and private Universities, who Signed the "Academics for Peace" Petition", and whose "Detention and Trial" was Also "Condemned" by EU Parliament today.



__________________________



The moves came at the Eve of EU's Foreign Ministers' "Gymnich" Meeting, Next Week in Sofia (Bulgaria) on February 15-16., and in the run-up of an EU - Turkey Summit Next Month, which has just been Pushed for Later than Initially expected (from 7 to 26 March) and, Exceptionally, far Away from Brussels, in Bulgaria (Varna) too..., (between the Presidents of EU Commission and Council, Juncker and Tusk, with Bulgarian Prime Minister Borissov, current EU Chairman-in-office, due to meet Turkish President Erdogan). Meanhwile, the 27 EU Member States' Leaders will be holding a normal Summit in Brussels, on Mars 22-23, focused on Europe's foreseable Future, where Financial and other aspects of EU Enlargement process could be reviewed.

-------------------------





+ Previously, the PanEuropean Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, the CoE, is holding Important Meetings of its Parliamentary Assembly's Political and Standing Committees (the latter being Equivalent to a Plenary), in the Middle of March in Paris, France, where its New Rapporteur on Syria, former Foreign Minister, Dora Bakoganni, (which has Recently issued a Critical Statement on Turkey's Military Attack in the Syrian Kurdish Region of Afrin : See http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coerapporteurslamsturkishinvasionofsyriankurds.html), is due to actively participate. By a coincidence, Bakogianni had already Voiced CoE's 1st Succesfull Call to Save assieged Kobane City from ISIS' Deadly Islamist Terrorists cowardly Targetting even innocent Civilians, back on 2014 (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeforimmediateinternationalhelptosyriankurds.html, etc).
Hello All,



I am in a tricky situation. My employer has sponsored me 186 visa and has submitted nomination application successfully 3 months back. I need to submit my application with ACS and other details. I would like to apply 189 visa too because the relationship with my current employer is not so good of late, if my employer asks me to leave the company after me paying the visa fee of around 5000 AUD(assuming that i need to pay the visa fee once i submit my application), i will be in soup.



Hence i would like to apply 189 visa on my own,however I was told that if you submit a 186 application, any of your 189/190 EOI's will be cancelled.



Any thoughts or suggestions



Regards

SJ
rexleonis said: Hi Expats!



I own an used car here in Italy and I'm selling it online. Somebody just called me and said he can pay half now and half in installments (rate). He said I can choose whichever bank I want. I don't speak Italian well to ask him more.



I have no idea how this works. Has anybody done something like this? Click to expand...

Doesn't sit right for me. When something is paid in installments full payment is made to someone somewhere.Example: I want to buy a new phone for 500.Option A: I pay the shop 500 euros, shop gives me the phone.Option B: I ask a credit company to pay the shop, I pay the credit company in installments. This brings in a 3rd party. Credit company pays shop 500 (Full payment) and I would pay the credit company 50 a month for however long.How you have described it working is: I go to the shop, pay half the money, and say to the shop, dont worry I will pay the 2nd half in installments but I want the phone today.... The shop will have half the money but none of the phone... not a fair trade.Would you give him half the car in installments if he paid the full price now... would he be happy with that?If he is paying something in installments it is for him to find the bank and make the agreement with them, so he can pay you in full. Do not give him your car unless you have full payment!I hope that explains this better.Kenzo
How do i find out if anyone has space to bring some toos over for me here...



Thankyou lots

Tamar xxx
WITH the cattle market holding its own, producers can invest in new sires with confidence.

With an extensive catalogue of bulls representing numerous breeds, what better place to stock up than the Farm Weekly WA Supreme Bull Sale.

The sale will be held at the Brunswick Selling Complex on Thursday, February 15 and will feature a top quality catalogue of European and British breed bulls.

Being a multi-vendor sale, there will be a smorgasbord of genetics on offer which will allow purchasers the luxury to compare bulls between various vendors and breeds and allow them to select from a wide range of genetics.

With 137 bulls nominated from 24 studs, representing eight breeds, the event is a highlight on the WA bull selling calendar and is the biggest multi-vendor bull sale in the south of the State.

The Angus breed will lead this years sale with an offering of 35 bulls.

The Kitchen familys Carenda stud, Katanning, will offer 21 Angus bulls while Jutland Park, Serpentine, has three black bulls for sale.

White Valley stud, Dardanup, returns to the Supreme sale with a single Angus sire while two Angus vendors will make their sale debuts.

Whispering Pines stud, Busselton and the Trafalgar stud, Dunsborough, will offer teams of seven bulls and three bulls respectively.

The Herefords/Poll Herefords will be the second breed into the sale ring with an offering of 23 bulls.

Regular vendors the Francis family, Yallaroo stud, Busselton, will offer their annual team of 10 bulls, which are both horned and polled.

The House stud, Dardanup, will again offer seven Poll Hereford sires, the Greenland stud, Pemberton, is presenting three Poll Herefords while the Lynn family, Eskdale stud, Cunderdin, returns to the Supreme sale with a team of four Poll Hereford bulls.

The Simmental breed will be up next with an offering of 21 sires.

The Bullock Hills stud, Woodanilling, has nominated 18 bulls, which comprises traditional and black Simmentals, Brighton Farms stud, Donnybrook, will have two bulls while the Mubarn stud, Pinjarra, has a single sire up for grabs.

Three studs will offer Blonde dAquitaine sires  the Weeronga stud, McAlinden, has nominated two bulls, Belini stud, Dardanup, has three bulls in the sale, while Uranongo stud, Bridgetown, has one bull in the sale.

The Charolais breed will have a slightly increased offering of 35 bulls from four studs.

The Elgin Park stud, Elgin, will lead the breed with a team of nine bulls followed by seven bulls from the Bellevue stud, Bellevue.

Copplestone stud, Dardanup, has the largest team of bulls with 16 nominated while the King familys Spring Valley stud, Donnybrook, will round out the breed with two Charolais bulls.

Murray Greys will follow the Charolais breed into the sale ring with a combined team of 14 bulls.

Leading the Murray Grey charge will be the Nangara stud, Manjimup, with four bulls, Mighty stud, Boyup Brook, has six bulls set for the sale and Wundam Park stud, Boyup Brook, will present four sires.

Lincoln Reds will make their first appearance at the Supreme sale with the Turner familys Tone Park stud, Tone Bridge, nominating two bulls.

The sale will finish with a single Shorthorn entry from the Quilty familys Shorthorn stud, Elgin.

The Supreme sale teams have been diligently inspected in recent weeks by Elders stud stock representative Don Morgan and Landmark South West livestock manager Michael Rose.

Both Mr Morgan and Mr Rose have agreed it is a very good line-up of bulls across all breeds and buyers wont be disappointed.

Mr Morgan said there were some exceptionally good bulls in the offering and congratulated vendors on the teams they were putting up.

The sale will be a great opportunity for producers to purchase from a range of breeds, he said.

For a large number of bulls the quality of the offering hasnt been compromised and will be similar to past years sales.

Farm Weekly will be a major sponsor, offering a lucky purchaser and vendor prize, both valued at $600.
Model aims to combat flush and bust

If you talk to most farmers, they will tell you there is one word that strikes fear into them more than any other - and that is drought.
Drake has donated $50,000 to a homeless shelter.

Drake

The 'Hold On (We're Going Home)' hitmaker stopped by Lotus House Shelter, which is for women and children in Miami, Florida, where he handed them a cheque for the hefty amount.

They wrote on Instagram: "Part of the surprise from @champagnepapi included ... With this donation, we are going to be able to serve so many meals. Did you know that $10 a day serves 3 meals at Lotus House?! This year - we will serve 500,000 meals in our new Lotus Village kitchen. (sic)"

Drake also gifted one young boy a pair of trainers, with Lotus House adding in their post: "Thank you @champagnepapi for the amazing surprise. We are so thankful for your generosity. (sic)"

Meanwhile, Drake recently presented $25,000 dollars to Miami Senior High School after shooting his latest music video there.

He was on campus to shoot the video for his latest hit single 'God's Plan'. Following filming, he thanked the kids for being extras in the video by donating $25,000 dollars to the school and promising to design and supply them all with new uniforms.

The rapper also presented student Destiny James, whose Facebook profile says she is studying biology, with a $50,000 dollar university scholarship.

After performing 'God's Plan' on a raised terrace while camera's filmed the crowd, Drake said: "I'll tell you one thing. I've been to a lot of places in the world. I don't think I've ever been to a more turnt [excited] school than this. I wish you all the best in life, a lot of love, a lot of happiness for you, your friends and your family."
Jay-Z paid a touching tribute to Trayvon Martin at the sixth annual Peace Walk and Talk in Miami on Saturday (10.02.18).

Jay-Z

The '99 Problems' hitmaker spoke about the legacy of the late 17 year old - who was shot and killed by neighbour George Zimmerman in 2013 - and said he would be a "beacon of light" alongside the likes of Martin Luther King and Ghandi.

He told the crowd gathered at the Betty T. Ferguson Amphitheatre: "Trayvon serves as a beacon of light to all the people out here so you guys would never have to go through the pain and the hurt these guys went through.

"His name will sit alongside some of the greats whom lost their life to push our culture forward.

"The Martin Luther Kings, the Ghandis, that's the intention that we set, that his name serves as a beacon of light and hope and push us in a better direction."

Trayvon's death sparked outrage and debates on gun laws and racial profiling after Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges over the teenager's death because of Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law, which meant he could protect himself from what he perceived to be a threat.

And Trayvon's loved ones were pleased to have Jay - whose real name is Shawn Carter - turn out to offer support at the rally.

Brenda Martin Providence, a friend of his mother, Sybrina Fulton, told Complex: "It means a lot to the community when you see people like Jay Z who come out to support your cause.

"With everything going on, we all need to support the cause because our youth are dying in the streets. A lot of mothers are missing their children. For me, personally, my son will be 40 in a couple of days, and I have two grandsons. We all need to come out and show our support and walk for the community."

The 48-year-old rapper previously announced plans to team up with the Weinstein company for a movie and docuseries about the murdered teenager, but because of the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal, it is unclear what will happen to the project now.
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HE PRESIDENT JIOJI KONROTE AT THE 2018 CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS





Xie, Xie, Thank you, Vinaka Vakalevu and May Almighty God bless you all and our beloved Fiji.

 Mrs. Jenny Seeto, President of the Fiji Chinese Association Your Excellency the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Fiji, Ambassador Dr. Qian Bo Your Excellencies Members of the Diplomatic Corps Distinguished Guests Ladies and gentlemenNi Hao and Ni sa bula vinakaIt gives me great pleasure to be here today to celebrate this auspicious occasion in the Chinese calendar year of 2018.On behalf the Government and people of Fiji, I extend to you our very best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year.This year is the Year of the Earth Dog. According to Chinese mythology, I understand that those who are born in the Year of the Dog are destined to be sincere, loyal, independent, decisive, responsible, courageous and active personnel. They are supposed to get on well with people and are able to deal with the challenges of everyday life better than their contemporaries.The Earth Dog is very persistent and never gives up. These are qualities we should all aspire to possess as responsible and law-abiding citizens of our beloved Fiji.The latest Fiji Census statistics revealed that the average age of Fijis population today is below the age of 28, and those young people will come to shape the future of Fiji.By instilling our youth with the drive, courage, and passion - like that of the Earth Dog - they will continue to build upon our progress, strengthening Fiji with the same drive that has brought our great nation to where it is today.The Peoples Republic of China has been a very close ally of Fiji for decades extending back to the establishment of diplomatic ties between our two countries in 1975, and strengthening even further in the recent decade.As a result of expanding Fiji-China relations, Fiji has, since then, continued to experience a surge in growth opportunities in the areas of social development, trade and investment, as well as a renewed commitment of support towards Fijis stand on climate change and its aspiration to successfully achieve the targets within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs.Recognising the Fijian Governments infrastructural development needs in both our urban and rural sectors, the Peoples Republic of China has continued to respond with viable solutions that have resulted in real-time benefits for the people of Fiji.I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of the Peoples Republic of China, through its Embassy here in Suva, for its diplomacy through humanitarian assistance, the most recent being the financial support extended to the Fiji Government and the people of Fiji following the devastation of Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016.I also acknowledge the Peoples Republic of Chinas unwavering support of the United Nations Climate Change negotiations and of Fijis presidency of COP23.Ladies and gentlemen, tourism is another area in which we have mutually benefitted with chartered flights from Hangzhou, China, bringing Chinese tourists into Fiji.To our visitors, I would like to extend to you all a very warm Fijian Bula and welcome to our shores. I hope that you will enjoy our traditional Fijian hospitality.With our tourism industry leaning increasingly towards niche markets, Fiji has established a capacity to better target the discerning international traveler.The ties between the Peoples Republic of China and Fiji has been further strengthened with the establishment of the Confucius Institute at the University of the South Pacific. Not only does the Institute foster the learning of the Chinese language, it also bridges the cultural gap between our two countries through country-to-country exchanges and cultural programmes.As the regional University celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, indeed a momentous achievement, USPs Confucius Institute should celebrate with it as it solidifies its foundation as the centre for premium Chinese language and cultural learning.To all our Chinese partners in development, and the friends of Fiji who strove, over the years, to further promote the mutually beneficial relations that now exists between our two nations and have been most helpful in assisting us in dealing with our socio-economic and political challenges, I would like to acknowledge, commend and more importantly, thank you for your efforts as we commemorate and celebrate the Chinese New Year today.Ladies and gentlemen, as we enter the Year of the Earth Dog, we are reminded that the last time this sign of the Chinese Zodiac was upon us was in 2006  a very different time for Fiji indeed.And now, as we stand here today after journeying through a full 12-year cycle, I ask you to reflect on the progress that we have made together, and of the changes we have witnessed all around us. The nation we see around us today is unlike anything we have seen before in Fijian history.Our system of governance is free and fair, giving equal rights to all Fijians. Our students are more educated, more skilled, and more prepared to enter the workforce  a workforce with more career options, and higher-quality career options, at their feet than ever. Our deep rural and maritime communities have a higher quality of life, and access to more resources. And our voice on the global stage is louder and prouder than it has ever been. We have witnessed eight straight years of economic growth, and our unemployment rate is at a 30-year low.Ladies and gentlemen, in short, Fiji is a changed nation. We are stronger than ever.We come into this Year of the Earth Dog a very different animal than we did a mere 12 years ago  and the best accomplishment of all is that all Fijians, regardless of ethnicity, background, or socio-economic standing, can celebrate these successes as equals. As a prospering Fijian family, united as one.To those who have gathered here this morning, I am pleased to see that you have all made an effort, despite the heavy rains - and the threat of a tropical cyclone - to attend and enjoy the festivities that the members of the Chinese community have organised. Thank you for your support.Today, we celebrate the beginning of the Chinese New Year. The beginning of any New Year is always a cause for celebration because it is an opportunity to renew our commitments to a fulfilling life, including a peaceful and prosperous future.In China, the New Year also marks the Spring Festival and the start of Spring, which is to commemorate the beginning of the planting season, indeed, a celebration of life.To all our Chinese friends and all Fijians of Chinese ancestry, I wish you continued prosperity and good health.Kung Hei Fat Choy (Best wishes for happiness and prosperity in Cantonese).
SBI wrote off bad loans worth Rs 20,339 crore in 2016-17, highest among all public sector banks, which had a collective write off of Rs 81,683 crore

New Delhi: The country's largest lender SBI wrote off bad loans worth Rs 20,339 crore in 2016-17, the highest among all the public sector banks, which had a collective write off of Rs 81,683 crore for the fiscal.

The data pertains to the period when the associate banks of State Bank of India (SBI) were not merged with it.

Public sector banks' (PSBs) write-off stood at Rs 27,231 crore in 2012-13, government data showed.

The figure has jumped nearly three-fold in five years.

In 2013-14, the state-owned banks wrote off bad loans worth Rs 34,409 crore; Rs 49,018 crore in 2014-15; Rs 57,585 crore in 2015-16 and hitting Rs 81,683 in the fiscal ended March 2017.

Besides SBI, Punjab National Bank had a write-off of Rs 9,205 crore in 2016-17, followed by Bank of India (Rs 7,346 crore), Canara Bank (Rs 5,545 crore) and Bank of Baroda (Rs 4,348 crore).

In the current financial year, PSBs have written off loans worth Rs 53,625 crore in the six months to September.

As per data from the Reserve Bank, nine public sector banks, out of the total 21, had gross non-performing asset ratio of above 15 percent (the percentage of bad loans in terms of total loans outstanding) as of 30 September, 2017.

Fourteen PSBs have gross non-performing asset ratio of over 12 percent.

PSBs are faced with mounting non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans, putting the financial sector under stress. The government has unveiled a Rs 2.11 lakh crore capital infusion plan for the PSBs, including via bonds, in the next two years.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board's (AIMPLB) executive member Maulana Syed Salman Hussain Nadvi, who on Sunday said shifting of the mosque is permissible, was expelled from the board soon after.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Sunday expelled cleric Syed Salman Hussain Nadvi, who said shifting of the mosque is permissible, according to several media reports. Nadvi, however, said that AIMPLB behaved in a dictatorial manner, CNN-News 18 reported.

#BREAKING - Maulana Syed Salman Al Husaini Nadwi has been expelled from AIMPLB. pic.twitter.com/Mu3vtz8AkX  News18 (@CNNnews18) February 11, 2018

Committee announced AIMPLB Board will continue with its old stand that Mosque cannot be gifted, sold or shifted. Because Salman Nadwi has gone against this unanimous stand, he has been expelled: Qasim Ilyas (AIMPLB member) on Salman Nadwi pic.twitter.com/VsU6GmD6e0  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

An AIMPLB spokesperson confirmed that Nadvi was expelled after the recommendations of the disciplinary committee, formed to look into the matter, News 18 reported. On Saturday, at the general body meeting of AIMPLB, many of the 500 participants said Nadvi should be removed from the board, the report added. While briefing the media, AIMPLB referred to the Nadvi's statement and said it is not acceptable and the remarks were made in his personal capacity. The AIMPLB member also said, "As India is a secular country, Muslims have the right to follow their religion and to not allow any interference in it."

According to a report in The Times of India, a source close to Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani, who is also a board member, said he was vehemently opposed to Nadvi's suggestion, which he likened to sabotaging Muslim claims over the disputed site.

According to PTI, on Sunday, Nadvi, who met Art of Living (AOL) founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar earlier this week, said he favoured an amicable settlement of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute.

"The atmosphere should be good (between the two communities)... there is permission for this in the Sharia. As per the Hanbali school of (Islamic) thought, a mosque can be shifted," Nadvi said.

The AIMPLB on Sunday said there is no change in its stand on the Ayodhya issue as "once a masjid is built, till eternity that will be a masjid". AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who is also a member of the board, briefed reporters on the proceedings of the second day of the 26th plenary of the board. AIMPLB also defended its decision by saying "only Supreme Court can decide on this decision", CNN-News 18 reported.

On 8 February, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar held a meeting in Bengaluru with Muslim leaders including members from the AIMPLB and the Sunni Waqf Board.

After the meeting, the AOL said some eminent members of the Sunni Waqf Board, the AIMPLB and others met Ravi Shankar and expressed support for an out-of-court settlement of the Ayodhya dispute and "supported the proposal of shifting the Masjid outside to another place".

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar also reacted to Nadvi's expulsion through a tweet.

Maulana Salman Husaini Nadwis expulsion from the AIMPLB comes as a surprise, as several members of the board have met with me & expressed their commitment to foster amity amongst Hindus & Muslims & to peacefully resolve this issue.  Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (@SriSri) February 11, 2018

With inputs from PTI
Jammu and Kashmir MLA Mohammad Akbar Lone must be drummed out of the House, shorn of his powers and not allowed to enjoy the privileges of the Assembly

Indian Air Force Group Captain Arun Marwaha fell head first into the honey trap and even though it is a moot point what great depth there were in the 'secrets' that he was posting on an open forum like facebook, if there's proof then the book can be thrown at him.

It is likely that his indiscretion was predicated to showing off his seniority and importance, and the level of access that he has to the ISI 'girl' on the social networking platform, and somewhere in a cell he is probably kicking himself for being such an idiot. But that is not an excuse and he will pay the price. Even if he shared one top-secret document in this virtual reality affair, it is enough to indict him and if that is what he has done then so be it.

On the other hand, we have Mohammad Akbar Lone, a senior National Conference leader, former minister and onetime speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, shouting "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans on the floor of the House, against the backdrop of a terrorist attack in which two soldiers were killed and five civilians are injured.

Talk about a complete lack of empathy and sensitivity. Lone is walking free and thumping his chest.

While the Indian Army is busy searching and eliminating these terror merchants ostensibly linked to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lone comes on TV utterly without regret or remorse, almost absurdly proud of his stance.

This tawdry drama then progresses with National Conference legislators Javed Rana, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Abdul Majid Larmi and others along with Lone trooping into the Well of the House seeking an apology from Speaker Kavinder Gupta for making superfluous comments about the attack occurring as a result of the Rohingya refugee camp near the armys Sunjuwan facility.

While Gupta may not get many marks for his thoughtless and unsubstantiated assessment, the Lone statement stands alone and that is not a pun.

How is he any less treacherous and unthinking than Marwaha? In fact, the Group Captain's lovelorn foolishness appears faded in comparison to an elected individual who has held high office and stands there in the House and belts out pro-Pakistan slogans on a day of terrorism.

The National Conference says it has distanced itself from these remarks. This is not enough. Clearly, the implication is that it has not distanced itself from the man. If you watch Lone explain himself, he is openly defiant.

We cannot have different rules for activities that are blatantly anti-national. These are not 'mind in the clouds, daddy pays for us' JNU students with bleeding hearts. These are people in positions of responsibility and it is the duty of their superiors to take appropriate action.

If the Centre and the state government allow Lone to get away with this, they compromise the integrity of this coalition. And just condemning the one-man demonstration against his country is not be enough for the BJP members.

Lone must be drummed out of the House, shorn of his powers and not allowed to enjoy the privileges of the Assembly. He must be given the same treatment that is being given to the Indian Air Force officer. Otherwise, two messages are clear: politicians are above the law, and in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, you can be pro-Pakistan (read anti-Indian) and wear it as a badge of honour. No one is doing anything to rectify it.
BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he was conferred the 'Grand Collar of the State of Palestine', the highest Palestinian honour for foreign dignitaries.

New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he was conferred the 'Grand Collar of the State of Palestine', the highest Palestinian honour for foreign dignitaries.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas Shah presented the honour to Modi in Ramallah on Saturday, recognising his contributions to promoting relations between India and Palestine.

Shah said the recognition is a matter of "great pride and honour" for the entire nation and the BJP and also it "underlines India's increasing role in the world order, which is increasingly looking towards us for leadership".

He said Modi deserved all credit for it and that this was also a recognition of his leadership and stature as a world leader.

"I congratulate Prime Minister @narendramodi on being conferred the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine, Highest Palestinian honour for a foreign dignitary. This is a recognition of PM Modi's inspiring leadership and stature as a world leader," Shah tweeted.

I congratulate Prime Minister @narendramodi on being conferred the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine, Highest Palestinian honour for a foreign dignitary. This is a recognition of PM Modis inspiring leadership and stature as a world leader. pic.twitter.com/8FrFv1eJuW  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 10, 2018

The BJP president said Modi was earlier presented the 'King Abdulaziz Sash', Saudi Arabia's top civilian award by its king Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Modi was also awarded the 'Amir Amanullah Khan Award', Afghanistan's highest civilian honour.

Modi was on an official visit to Palestine on Saturday.
The Andhra Pradesh Commissionerate of School Education (CSE) has released the admit cards for the 2017 Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (APTET) for Papers I and III

The Andhra Pradesh Commissionerate of School Education (CSE) has released admit cards for the 2017 Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (APTET) for Papers I and III. Hall tickets for the other papers will be made available online soon.

Those who have applied for the examination can check and download their hall tickets from the Andhra Pradesh CSE's official website: aptet.apcfss.in.

APTET 2017 will be held between 21 February to 3 March, according to NDTV. The examination will be held in two sessions. The first session will take place between 9.30 am and 12 pm while the second part of the exam will be conducted between 2.30 pm and 5 pm.

One can follow the following to download the hall ticket for APTET 2017:

Go to the official website of Andhra Pradesh CSE.

Click on the "Download Hall ticket" link.

It will lead the candidate to this page.

Enter your Candidate ID or Reference ID.

Enter your date of birth

Click "Submit".

Download your admit card and take a print out for future reference.

The APTET is a computer-based test, conducted by the Department of School Education in Andhra Pradesh, to test teachers' ability to qualify for teaching jobs in state government, district, municipality, private-aided and unaided schools, according to News18.
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team visited the Sunjuwan Army camp attacked by a group of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists and examined the evidence collected by the army from the site of the gun battle, an official said

Jammu: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Sunday visited the Sunjuwan Army camp attacked by a group of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists and examined the evidence collected by the army from the site of the gun battle, an official said.

Six people, including five army personnel, were killed while ten others were injured in the attack by JeM terrorists.

Three terrorists were also killed in retaliatory action as the operation which began yesterday continued for a second day inside the sprawling military station along the Jammu-Pathankot bypass in Jammu.

Though a case has not been registered yet, the NIA team inspected the encounter site inside the camp and examined the evidence collected by the army, the official said, on condition of anonymity.

The NIA is mandated to probe all terror-related cases in the country as per an act of Parliament.

NIA is already investigating the November 2016 Nagrota attack case in which seven Army personnel, including two officers, and three terrorists were killed.

It has already submitted a chargesheet in the Pathankot air base attack case in which it had named JeM founder Masood Azhar as an accused.

The attack on the Pathankot air base took place on the intervening night of 1-2 January, 2016. It claimed the lives of seven security personnel. Four terrorists were also gunned down by the security forces while repulsing the attack.

Since this (Sunjuwan) attack was also the handiwork of JeM terrorists, the NIA is looking for its link with previous cases which will help them in building a stronger case against Azhar and India can make a firm case at the United Nations, the official said.
A fire broke out in Mumbai's eastern suburb of Mankhurd on Sunday morning, reports said. No casualty reported so far.

A fire broke out at a scrap yard in Mumbai's eastern suburb of Mankhurd on Sunday morning, reports said. There have been no reports of any casualty so far, media reports said.

According to ANI, 20 fire tenders are at the location trying to douse the fire.

#UPDATE Fire breaks out in a shop near Maya Hotel in Mankhurd. Now 20 fire tenders at the spot. #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/8nWI3mjB4U  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

A report in The Times of India said that the fire was first spotted at around 6 am after it spread through the 500x500 square metre scrap yard, which is located on the Mankhurd-Ghatkopar Link Road.

Mumbai and its neighbouring areas have been witnessing a number of fire-related incidents since the last few months.

A fire broke out at an industrial estate in suburban Mulund last Saturday, while in neighbouring Thane, firefighters brought a raging fire at a godown in Bhiwandi under control.

A sound engineer lost his life in 6 January's fire at Cinevista studio in Mumbai's eastern suburb of Kanjurmarg. On 4 January 2018, four members of a family, including two children, were burnt to death after a fire broke out in a residential building in Marol located in Mumbai's Andheri East area.

On 29 December 2017, a fire broke out inside the Kamala Mills Compound in Lower Parel area of Mumbai killing at least 14 people, including 12 women. The fire engulfed portions of three separate pubs which were situated adjacent to each other.

With inputs from agencies
The Shia Waqf Board called the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) a 'terrorist organisation' and said that it should be banned

The Shia Waqf Board on Sunday called the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) a "terrorist organisation" and said that it should be banned.

Syed Waseem Rizvi, the chairman of the Shia Waqf Board, made this statement after the ouster of cleric Salman Nadvi from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) for suggesting an out-of-court settlement in the Ayodhya dispute.

Terrorist orgs of Pak & Saudi Arabia take major decisions related to Muslims in India. AIMPLB is a branch of such terrorist orgs which is spoiling the atmosphere of the country by following their ideologies. AIMPLB should be banned considering it as a terrorist org: Wasim Rizvi pic.twitter.com/AhmDB7VuGo

According to News18, Rizvi said that board did not take any action against Nadvi when he had written a letter to Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, but had thrown him out when he has spoke in favour of peace. "Salman Nadvi also shared the same sentiments as Shia Waqf Board to shift the mosque (Babri Masjid) from the disputed site as it is the only way to keep peace and harmony in the country," Rizvi said about Nadvi's sentiments on the Babri Masjid issue.

The AIMPLB had on Sunday announced that Maulana Salman Hussaini Nadvi is no longer its member. The action against Nadvi, a member of the board's executive committee, came on the proposal of a four-member committee. Board Secretary Zafaryab Jilani told reporters that the committee's proposal was accepted unanimously at the general body meeting.

Nadvi, an eminent cleric, had triggered a row on the eve of the 26th plenary of the board by mooting a proposal after his meeting with Sri Sri Ravishankar that the disputed land in Ayodhya, where Babri Masjid stood till 6 December 1992, may be handed over for the construction of the Ram temple.

The AIMPLB, the apex body of the Indian Muslims, also declared that Muslims will not give up Babri Masjid and that the struggle for its reconstruction will continue. It reiterated this stand in 'Hyderabad Declaration', passed on the third and final day of the plenary in Hyderabad. "Babri Masjid is an essential part of faith in Islam and Muslims can never abdicate the Masjid nor they can exchange land for Masjid or gift the Masjid land. Babri Masjid is a Masjid and it shall remain a Masjid till eternity," said a statement released by the board.

"Without any doubt, we make it clear that the struggle for the reconstruction of Babri Masjid continues and the appeal in Supreme Court is being fought rigorously with all the resources available at the disposal of the Board. The country's topmost lawyers are appearing on behalf of the Muslims and we believe that the Almighty Allah will make us successful in the Supreme Court," it added.

With inputs from agencies
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Mahmoud Abbas on a historic visit to Palestine during which the Palestinian president sought India's support for a multi-country mechanism to achieve a 'just and desired peace' with Israel in accordance with the two-state solution

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Mahmoud Abbas during a historic visit to Palestine. In the meeting, the Palestinian president sought India's support for a multi-country mechanism to achieve a "just and desired peace" with Israel in accordance with the two-state solution.

President Abbas accorded a red carpet welcome to Modi, the first Indian prime minister to make an official visit to Palestine, in an official ceremony at the presidential compound, also known as Muqata'a, in Ramallah  the Palestinian seat of government.

His visit to Palestine comes amid heightened tensions in the region after US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

This time Modi skipped Israel in a clear message that India is de-hyphenating its ties with Israel and Palestine. Palestine was the first leg of Modi's three-nation tour of West Asia and the Gulf, which also saw him going to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. Here is the full text of Modi'spress statement during his visit to Palestine:

Your Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas

Members of the Palestinian and Indian delegations,

Members of the Media, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Sabah-al-kher (Good Morning)

It is a matter of great happiness for an Indian prime minister to come to Ramallah for his first ever visit.

President Abbas, I would like to thank you for the words that you said in my honor and also for the very warm and grand welcome extended to me and my delegation.

Excellency, you have very cordially bestowed me with the highest honor of Palestine. This is a matter of great respect for the entire India and it is also a symbol of Palestines friendship and goodwill for India.

The old and strong historical relations between India and Palestine have stood the test of time. Our incessant and steadfast support to the Palestinian cause has always been on top of our foreign policy.

Therefore I am happy to stand here in Ramallah with President Mahmoud Abbas who is a very old friend of India. I was privileged to welcome him during his New Delhi visit last May. I am happy to renew our friendship and Indias support.

During this visit I got the opportunity to pay my tributes at the tomb of Abu Omar. He was among the top leaders of his time. His role in Palestinian struggle is unprecedented. Abu Omar was also a distinguished friend of India. Visiting the museum dedicated to him has also been an unforgettable experience for me. Once again I offer my heartfelt tributes to Abu Omar.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Remarkable courage and perseverance has been displayed by the people of Palestine in the face of constant challenges and crises. You have demonstrated rock like determination to deal with the circumstances and that too at a time when there was an atmosphere of instability and insecurity which hampers progress and which puts in jeopardy the benefits which have been acquired after significant struggle.

The difficulties and challenges against which you have moved ahead is really commendable. We appreciate your spirit and your faith in your efforts for a better tomorrow.

India is a very old ally in Palestine's nation-building efforts. We have cooperation in the areas of training, technology, infrastructure development, project assistance and budgetary support.

As a part of our new initiative, we have started a Technology Park project here in Ramallah which is currently under construction. After its creation, we hope that this institution will work as a center which enhances employment skills and services.

India is also collaborating to set up an Institute of Diplomacy in Ramallah. We believe that this institute will emerge as a world-class training institute for the young diplomats of Palestine.

Our capacity building cooperation involves mutual training for long and short-term courses. Training and scholarship slots for Palestine in leading Indian educational institutions of different sectors such as finance, management, rural development and information technology were recently extended.

I am happy that during this visit we are extending our development cooperation. India will continue to invest in Palestine in the projects of health, educational infrastructure and women empowerment center and also in a printing press.

We consider this contribution as building blocks for the creation of an energetic Palestine State.

At the bilateral level, we have agreed to make our relations deeper through the Ministerial level Joint Commission Meeting.

Last year, for the first time, there was an exchange between the youth delegations of India and Palestine. Investing in our youth and cooperating in their skill development and relationships is a shared priority.

India is also a young country like Palestine. Our aspirations for the Palestinian youth are the same which we have for Indian youths and which offers opportunities for progress, prosperity and self-reliance. They are our future and inheritors of our friendship.

I am happy to announce that we will increase the exchange of young persons from 50 to 100 from this year.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

In our discussion today, I once again assured President Abbas that India is committed to take care of the interests of the Palestinian people.

India hopes that Palestine soon becomes a sovereign and independent country in a peaceful atmosphere.

President Abbas and I had discussions on recent regional and global developments related to the peace and security of Palestine and its peace process.

India greatly hopes for peace and stability in this region.

We believe that permanent solution to the issue of Palestine is ultimately contained in negotiations and understanding through which a path to a peaceful coexistence can be obtained.

Intense diplomacy and judiciousness alone can help to achieve freedom from this cycle of violence and from the burden of the history.

We know it is not easy. But we must constantly keep on trying because there is so much at stake.

Your Excellency, I express my heartfelt gratitude for your wonderful hospitality.

I, on behalf of 1.25 billion Indians, also extend warm greetings for the progress and prosperity of the people of Palestine.

Thank you.

Shukaran Zajeelan!

The entire text has been taken exactly as posted on mea.gov.in and has not been edited by Firstpost for style or content.
Narendra Modi met Mahmoud Abbas on a historic visit to Palestine during which the Palestinian president sought India's support for a multi-country mechanism to achieve a 'just and desired peace' with Israel in accordance with the two-state solution.

Ramallah: In his historic visit to Palestine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled in a Jordanian army helicopter to Ramallah from Amman, where he was received by his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah. Modi's chopper was escorted by choppers from the Israel Air Force.

According to NDTV, Israeli force control all entry and exit points to West Bank, including the its 150 kilometre border with Jordan and the air space above. External ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also shared a video of chopper on its way to Ramallah and called it "history in the making".

History in the making. In a first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Palestine, PM @narendramodi on the way to Ramallah in a chopper provided by Jordan government and escorted by choppers from Israel Air Force. pic.twitter.com/Nx7AtyLS8W  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 10, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Mahmoud Abbas during which the Palestinian president sought India's support for a multi-country mechanism to achieve a "just and desired peace" with Israel in accordance with the two-state solution.

President Abbas accorded a red carpet welcome to Modi, the first Indian prime minister to make an official visit to Palestine, in an official ceremony at the presidential compound, also known as Muqata'a, in Ramallah - the Palestinian seat of government.

They discussed the full range of India-Palestine ties following which the two sides signed six agreements worth around $50 million that includes setting up of a $30 million super speciality hospital in Beit Sahur.

Three agreements in the education sector worth $5 million, one MoU for procurement of equipment and machinery for the National Printing Press and one for construction of a centre for empowering women were also signed.

At a joint press statement with Modi, President Abbas acknowledged that the Indian leadership has always stood by peace in Palestine.

Abbas said he had "fruitful and constructive" talks with Prime Minister Modi and he updated the Indian leader on the overall developing situation in Palestine and in the region.

"We have never rejected negotiations; we have been and are still ready for negotiations," he said.

Abbas said the formation of a multi-lateral mechanism that is produced by an international peace convention is the most ideal way to broker negotiations with Israel, which is India's strategic partner and among its top arms suppliers.

"We rely on India's role as an international voice of great standing and weigh through its historical role in the Non-Aligned Movement and in all international forum and its increasingly growing power on the strategic and economic levels, in a way that is conducive to just and desired peace in our region," President Abbas said.

The two-state solution envisions independent Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting side by side peacefully. The Palestinians see East Jerusalem as their future capital.

Prime Minister Modi assured President Abbas that India is committed to the Palestinian people's interests. "The support for Palestinian interests in our foreign policy has always been a priority - continuous and steadfast," Modi said.

"Friendship between India and Palestine has stood the test of time. The people of Palestine have shown remarkable courage in the face of several challenges. India will always support Palestines development journey," Modi said, adding that India is hopeful of peace and stability in the region.

India hopes for Palestine to soon become a sovereign and independent country in a peaceful environment through dialogue, Prime Minister Modi said, amid applause.

"We hope for peace and stability in Palestine. We believe a permanent solution is possible with dialogue. Only diplomacy and farsightedness can set free from violence and baggage of the past. We know it is not easy but we need to keep trying as a lot is at stake," Modi said, re-iterating New Delhi's well-known stand on the issue.

Though India has shied away from becoming a party in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the Palestinian leader on several occasions has stressed on a possible role for New Delhi in the West Asia peace process.

India believes in a two-state solution in which both Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist peacefully.

Modi had hosted Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month and the two leaders had vowed to further strengthen the friendship between Israel and India.

His visit to Palestine comes amid heightened tensions in the region after US president Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The unilateral US decision to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was challenged at the UN General Assembly where 128 nations, including India, voted to turn down the move as "null and void".

Trump's decision to declare Jerusalem as Israel's capital angered the Palestinians, sparked protests in West Asia and raised concern that it could further destabilise the region, marred by decades of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Prime Minister Modi had visited Israel in July 2017 to commemorate 25 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, becoming the first Indian premier to do so.

During his visit to Israel, Modi did not travel to Ramallah. His standalone visit to Israel had led to many analysts questioning the future of the India-Palestine ties.

This time Modi skipped Israel in a clear message that India is de-hyphenating its ties with Israel and Palestine.

The announcement regarding Modi's visit to Ramallah took many by surprise given the growing bonhomie around the India-Israel ties. However, senior sources in Israel said on condition of anonymity that India had sounded them off about it long time back, much ahead of Netanyahu's visit to Delhi.

President Abbas also conferred the 'Grand Collar of the State of Palestine' on Prime Minister Modi, recognising his key contribution to promote ties between India and Palestine.

Modi, on his part, said, that bestowing the honour on him was a matter of proud moment for India. This was also reflective of the friendship between India and Palestine.

Earlier, the two leaders exchanged hugs and stood for the national anthem of the two countries and then inspected the guard of honour before their bilateral talks.

Archbishop of Catholic Church, Poulos Marcuzzo, and religious leaders of the Al-Aqsa mosque were also at the Muqata'a to greet Modi.

Soon after his arrival, Modi visited the Mausoleum of Yasser Arafat and laid a wreath at the grave of the iconic Palestinian leader. He also took a short tour of the Arafat Museum located adjacent to the mausoleum.

With inputs from PTI
In keeping with India's role as a major development aid partner for Palestine, the two sides signed six MoUs, including in the areas of health and education

Ramallah: In keeping with India's role as a major development aid partner for Palestine, the two sides on Saturday signed six memorandums of understanding (MoUs), including in the areas of health and education, following a bilateral meeting between Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and Palestine president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

An MoU was signed for setting up of an India-Palestine super-specialty hospital at Beit Sahour in Bethelhem governorate at a cost of $30 million.

A second MoU was signed for construction of the India-Palestine centre for empowering women called "Turathi" at a cost of $5 million.

Another MoU was signed for setting up of a new National Printing Press at Ramallah at a cost of $5 million.

Two MoUs worth $1.1 million and $1 million envisage construction of two schools at Tamoon village in Tubas governorate and Muthalth Al Shuhada village respectively.

A sixth MoU was signed for the construction of an additional floor at Jawahar Lal Nehru School for Boys at Abu Dees.

Prime Minister Modi arrived earlier in the day on a three-hour visit, the first ever by an Indian prime minister to Palestine.

Palestine is the first leg of Modi's three-nation tour of West Asia and the Gulf that will also see him going to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.
The operation to flush out JeM terrorists who stormed an Army camp in Jammu's Sunjwan entered the second day on Sunday with the Army saying that there was no firing during the night and the focus continued to be the evacuation of people from the family quarters.

Another JeM militant was killed by the security forces on Sunday as the operation to flush out JeM terrorists who stormed an Army camp in Jammu's Sunjuwan entered the second day, TV reports said. So far, four militants have been eliminated by the Indian Army.

The Army said on Sunday that there was no firing during the night and the focus will continue to be on evacuating people from the family quarters.

The death toll of security personnel rose to six after three more army jawans died on Sunday. A group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in the early hours on Saturday, triggering a gunbattle which had left two army personnel including a one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) dead.

A top police official said that a civilian, who was the father of an Army personnel, was also killed in the attack.

Three of the attackers in combat gear were also gunned down while nine people  a major, three personnel and five women and children  were injured in the day long operation, reported NDTV.

Condition of the major and another personnel was stated to be "critical".

"The operation is on and the evacuation (of people from the family quarters) is in progress," Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.

He said a number of families are still there and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety.

"There was no firing since last night," the officer said, adding that bodies of only two terrorists were recovered from the encounter site.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack. On 29 November, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of Jammu city, killing seven Army personnel including two officers. Three terrorists were also gunned down.

The terrorists had struck before dawn on Saturday and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear side of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry on its periphery.

"The terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who are holed up in a few houses (inside the camp)," officials said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to avoid civilian casualties.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru who was hanged on 9 February, 2013.

With inputs from PTI
Launching a 'clearing' operation, the army on Sunday night fired mortar shells at the vacated residential quarters of the Sunjuwan military camp, setting them ablaze, a day after the pre-dawn strike at the military station by suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists

Sunjuwan (Jammu): Launching a "clearing" operation, the army on Sunday night fired mortar shells at the vacated residential quarters of the Sunjuwan military camp, setting them ablaze, a day after the pre-dawn strike at the military station by suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists.

Earlier, Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said the army found the bodies of three of its personnel and a civilian, taking the toll to six in the attack, and gunned down four terrorists.

On the clearing operation launched on Sunday night, he said there was no exchange of fire.

"The army has launched a fire assault as a part of a sanitisation and clearing operation. There was no exchange of fire," the Jammu-based Army PRO told PTI.

A police official said, "Fresh gunfire took place and mortar shells were launched at the quarters vacated by the army. It resulted in an eruption of fire at the quarters."

#WATCH Heavy blast heard and fire explosion seen inside #SunjwanArmyCamp in Jammu pic.twitter.com/YNPJjwayle  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

Lieutenant Colonel Anand said five army men, including two junior commissioned officers (JCOs), and the father of a soldier was killed in the attack by the terrorists who struck at the sprawling camp of the 36 Brigade of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) on Saturday.

In a statement, he said three heavily armed terrorists were killed in the operation. While two were gunned down on Saturday, the body a third terrorist was found on Sunday, he said, adding they were in combat gear.

The army spokesperson said that AK-56 rifles, an under barrel grenade launcher, ammunition and grenades were from them. Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) SP Vaid had said that four terrorists had been killed.

In Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that the operation against terrorists would be successfully concluded. "I think it is not proper for me to comment when the operation is still on. I'm sure that our jawans, who are in the operation, will successfully conclude it," he told reporters.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi condemned the attack and said all Indians across political lines stand united with the army men and women.

Giving details, Lieutenant Colonel Anand said, "So far, six fatal causalities have occurred. They include two JCOs, three jawans and one civilian dependent, all residents of Jammu and Kashmir."

Ten people, including Major Avijit Singh, have been injured of which six are women and children, he said.

One of the injured women was pregnant and she later delivered a baby girl through a caesarean operation, he said, adding both the mother and child were stable.

Army doctors saved life of a pregnant lady injured in terror attack on #SunjwanArmyCamp, she delivered a baby girl through c-section last night; lady says, 'I am very thankful to them for saving me and my baby' pic.twitter.com/iOSwLhsnrv  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

A 14-year-old boy had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was in a critical condition, the spokesperson said.

Those killed were identified as Subedar Madan Lal Choudhary, Subdebar Mohmmad Ashraf Mir, Havaldar Habib-Ullah Qurashi, Naik Manzoor Ahmed, Lance Naik Mohmmad Iqbal  all from the JAKLI, besides the father of Lance Naik Mohmmad Iqbal, he said.

The officer said that a search operation of the family quarters in the army complex for evacuation of people and to ascertain the situation was underway.

A number of families were still in the camp and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety, he said.

Vaid said that investigation is on to find out where from the terrorists came.

"Whether they infiltrated from Pakistan or came from Kashmir is being investigated," the DGP said.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Sunday visited the camp and examined the evidence collected by the army from the site of the gun battle, an official said.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On 29 November, 2016, terrorists had stormed the army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven personnel, including two officers. Three terrorists were gunned down in the operation.

On Saturday, the terrorists had struck before dawn and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear end of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry guarding the periphery.

"The terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who were holed up in a few houses (inside the camp)," an official said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles were engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to prevent civilian casualties.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an army or security establishment by the Pakistan-based JeM in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on 9 February, 2013, for the 2001 attack on Parliament House.

With inputs from agencies
The attack on the 36 Brigade Sunjuwan military station by heavily-armed militants in the wee hours on Saturday caught both the army and the police off guard.

The attack on the 36 Brigade Sunjuwan military station in the wee hours on Saturday by heavily-armed militants caught both the army and the police off guard. The army has confirmed the death of at least two personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) at the base  which houses over 3,500 troops, including those of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI).

According to latest reports, three militants have been neutralised, and one is believed to be still holed up inside. Nine including one major and women were injured in the incident.

The militants had sneaked in from the canal on the rear end of the premises. A defence spokesperson based in Jammu said that the forces "checked the entry of militants at the periphery". He further said, The militants managed to enter due to the darkness and the grass.

The attack, carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants, resembled the 2016 attack at the Pathankot air force station, in which seven security personnel were killed. In that attack, heavily armed militants had breached the wall of the army camp from the rear side.

The attack at Sunjuwan, which lies on the outskirts of Jammu, comes only three days after the shootout at SMHS hospital at Srinagar. While two policemen died in the shootout, top militant commander Mohammad Naveed Jaat escaped from police custody.

The Sunjuwan terror strike took place despite the alert in the state due to the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Police officials have described the attack as well-planned.

The police had claimed to have put in place heavy security arrangements after intelligence inputs pointed out that militants may attack the installations of the government forces in view of the protest call given by separatists to observe the death anniversary of Afzal Guru. On Friday, Kashmir remained shut to observe the fifth death anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack convict.

However, even personnel at the Channi police station, which is a few kilometers away, were taken off guard and only woke up after the gunshots.

The incident caused an uproar in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Minister for Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs AR Veeri said that after the initial call was received at the Police Control Room (PCR) Jammu at around 5 am, all the concerned police establishments, as well as civil administration, were alerted about the incident".

A police official said that the militants got inside through the canal on the rear end of the camp.

"It looks like the militants had recently infiltrated and breached the wall of the camp to sneak in. They entered from the wall which had already broken down from the side of the family quarters, he said.

The official further stated that the militants avoided making an entry from the side where the civilian population is housed to avoid getting spotted".

Police officials said that militants, after opening heavy fire on the troops, entered into the JCO quarters, where they were engaged in a gunfight for several hours. The military station serves as a base for army regiments including JAKLI that draws a large number of personnel from the restive state.

During the day, while army personnel engaged the militants inside the military station, the outer perimeter of the camp was ringed by the personnel of the police and the CRPF. An outer cordon was maintained by the CRPF and police to ensure that the militants dont manage to escape from the place, said a police official.

Officials said that after the militants were confined inside one of the buildings of the camp, intermittent firing continued till late in the afternoon. While the army was engaging the militants inside the camp, they managed to shift the injured to the military hospital at Satwari. Some of the injured were later shifted from the military hospital to the Government Medical College, Jammu.

Police officials said that the operation was protracted as families of the army personnel resided in the quarters. The army deployed personnel from a para commando unit to eliminate the militants.
The army children may feel offended at the fact that FIRs are filed against soldiers, but based on Government of India data on FIRs filed and actions taken, there is no justice for Kashmiris in India

I want to write about violence in Kashmir, and I want to especially address Indias children who may only know one side of the story. In the last few days, there has been anger over the fact that FIRs were filed against army men for killing three citizens in Kashmir. In response, some children of soldiers took action. A report said: "At a time when FIR against army men and withdrawal of cases against stone-pelters is a subject of hot debate in Jammu and Kashmir, children of two army officers took an unprecedented step to move the National Human Rights Commission, asking it to protect army personnel's human rights being violated daily by stone-pelters."

"Preeti, Kajal and Prabhav, children of two Lt Colonels and a retired Naib Subedar, presented NHRC chief Justice HL Dattu with a complaint, which complimented the apex human rights body and Amnesty International for zealously protecting the human rights of locals in disturbed areas of Jammu and Kashmir but complained that they are turning a blind eye towards the plight of army personnel who face threat to life daily from stone-pelters. They said a sub-optimal war was being waged in Jammu and Kashmir since independence and the state, as well as the Centre, have decided to enforce AFSPA to require Indian Army to assist the 'failed state machinery."

We are familiar with this narrative and I need not write about it further. I would like Indias children to know something else. In January, this question was asked in the Parliament:

Will the defence minister be pleased to state: a) the number of cases received by the Central Government from Jammu and Kashmir Government for sanction of prosecution of Armed Forces personnel, under Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, (AFSPA), 1990; (b) the number of such cases in which sanctions were granted, denied and pending; (c) the details for each request received including its year of receiving, offences alleged, outcome of investigation, current status of the sanction for prosecution; and (d) the reasons for denying or pending status of sanction for prosecution?"

The answer was provided by a minister of state in the Ministry of Defence as follows:

"(a) A total of 50 cases have been received by the Union Government from the Government of Jammu and Kashmir for prosecution sanction against armed forces personnel under AFSPA, 1990 (b) and (c) a statement giving the details of the total number of cases received in each of the years, offence alleged and the current status of the sanction granted/denied/pending based on the investigation is annexed. (d) The reason for denial/pendency of prosecution sanction is on account of lack of sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case."

The cases against the army men are listed as follows:

In 2001, one FIR filed for killing (permission to prosecute soldiers denied). In 2005, two FIRs filed for killings (permission denied). In 2006, 17 FIRs, one for rape, one for molestation, six for kidnap and murder, the rest mostly for killings (in all cases permission denied, except for one case of kidnapping in which the permission is still pending).

In 2007, 13 FIRs, one for rape, one for torture and murder, the others mostly for killing (permission denied). In 2008, three FIRs filed for rape and theft and murder (permission denied). In 2009, two FIRs for murder and kidnap (permission denied), and in 2010, four FIRs, all for murder (permission denied).

In 2011, two FIRs, one for murder (permission denied) and one for kidnap (pending). In 2013, three FIRs for murder (permission denied). In 2014, two FIRs for killing (permission denied in one and pending in another). In 2016, one FIR for killing (permission denied).

The total number of soldiers who have ever faced trial in a civilian court for a crime in Kashmir is zero. The army children may feel offended at the fact that FIRs are filed against soldiers. The FIRs dont really matter as we have seen. There is no justice for Kashmiris in India, according to the data given by the Government of India. We should all feel offended by this. The army pretends to give justice in its own martial courts, which are closed off to victims and survivors. If you are interested in how soldiers are let off through this route, read what has happened in the matters of Pathribal and Machil.

There is another thing: the Indian Army is using children to demand protection from other Indians. The Indian Army is afraid of cases filed by Indian citizens in an Indian police station by an Indian policeman and of facing trial in an Indian court under an Indian judge.

I do not find that offensive, I find it embarrassing. Fortunately for the army, no matter what government is in power, it is immune from justice in India irrespective of the crime committed by its soldiers. Jawans can rape, murder, kidnap and torture but they are guaranteed to get away because no government will ever change "denied" and "pending" to "approved".

The Indian children and all of us should sometimes consider why thousands of Kashmiris are pelting stones in the first place.
Outlining that India's relationship with UAE isn't just one of a buyer and seller, but that of a partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian diaspora at the packed Dubai Opera House

Outlining that India's relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) isn't just of a buyer and seller, but that of a partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the country's growing ties with the Gulf countries as "deep, broad and vibrant."

Modi was addressing the Indian diaspora at the packed Dubai Opera House on Sunday. He also unveiled the model of the first Hindu temple in the capital of the UAE, home to over three million people of Indian origin. He witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony which was live-streamed to the Dubai Opera House.

This is how the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi would look like once completed! PM @narendramodi unveiled the model of the temple and thanked the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi for gracious donation of the land. The temple will be a testimony to UAE's commitment to tolerance & harmony pic.twitter.com/YvJFmzv6VZ  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 11, 2018

He thanked Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the construction of the grand temple. "I believe this temple will not be only unique in terms of architecture and splendour, but will also give a message of 'vasudhaiva kutumbakam' to people across the world," he said.

"India is proud of the fact that more than 30 lakh Indians are part of the development process of Gulf countries," said Modi adding that a "small India" lives in the Gulf countries. He added that the Indian diaspora has also accepted the Gulf as its home.

Speaking of India's growth and development, he said the country is changing at a rapid pace. "125 crore Indians are moving forward with self-belief. I ask one thing of you. The rulers here have upheld the Indian traditions. It is thus our responsibility to ensure we don't make any mistakes on our part," Modi said.

Talking about the four years of NDA governance at the Centre, Modi said that the government has helped fulfill the dreams of the common people. "We all have experienced days of disappointment, doubt and difficulty where we've felt nothing could work out. Earlier the common man would ask if something was possible. Today, within four years, we have changed that mentality and thinking. Today people ask, 'Modi ji, tell us when it will happen'," Modi said to a thunderous applause. He added that there was faith, not wonder, in that question.

The prime minister also brought up the jump in rankings in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business. "In 2014, India was placed 142 in the Ease of Doing Business rankings. It was easier to spot us if we started from below. Today, we are ranked 100. India's leap in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented. But we are not satisfied at this, we want to do better. We will do whatever it takes to make it possible," said Modi to the crowds. He also claimed no other country had ever improved its rankings as fast as India.

Speaking of demonetisation and GST, Modi said that even the poor appreciated the move. "When demonetisation took place, even the poor understood that it was a tough step in the right direction. Those who were disturbed by it are crying even two years later," he said.

"GST also happened after seven years. Change is always tough. We have cleared the hiccups in GST within a short period of time. The country is changing," said Modi.

Modi ended his address saying, "We will fulfill the dreams that you dream, the dreams the people in India dream. I guarantee you that."

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the country. He arrived in Abu Dhabi from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour, and was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family at the airport.

After their talks, the two sides signed five agreements related to energy sector, railways, workforce and financial services.

An MoU between Indian Consortium (OVL, BPRL & IOCL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was signed for the acquisition of a 10 percent participating interest in the Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum Concession, a statement issued by the Indian embassy said.

Modi will also deliver a keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai where India is a guest of honour this year. He will make inaugural address on the theme: 'Technology for development'. From the UAE, Modi will travel to Oman.

With inputs from PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Muscat on a two-day visit on the last leg of his tour of three West Asian countries during which he would hold talks with the Sultan of Oman and other key leaders

Muscat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Muscat on a two-day visit on the last leg of his tour of three West Asian countries during which he would hold talks with the Sultan of Oman and other key leaders.

Modi, who arrived in Muscat from Dubai, will also meet Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said.

"A ceremonial and traditional welcome for PM @narendramodi on arrival in Muscat, capital of Oman on his first State visit! Warmly received by Deputy PM of Oman. India accords very high importance to relations with Oman, a key strategic partner in the region," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

A ceremonial and traditional welcome for PM @narendramodi on arrival in Muscat, capital of Oman on his first State visit! Warmly received by Deputy PM of Oman. India accords very high importance to relations with Oman, a key strategic partner in the region. #ExtendedNeighbourhood pic.twitter.com/URY5XBxZ1U  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 11, 2018

Noting that Oman was a close maritime neighbour with whom India enjoys excellent relations, Modi had said ahead of his visit, "I shall also interact with leading businesspersons of Oman on developing stronger economic and business links with India."

India and Oman have thriving links rooted in centuries-old people-to-people exchanges, Modi had said.

More than nine million Indians work and live in the Gulf region. In Oman, they constitute the largest expatriate community.

On the first leg of his trip, Modi had travelled to Ramallah, becoming the Indian prime minister to make an official visit to Palestine. From there he visited the UAE, before arriving in Oman.
Speaking at World Government Summit in Dubai on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said technology must be used as a means to development and not destruction

Expressing concern over global investment into missiles and bombs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned against the misuse of technology, saying it must be used as a means to development and not destruction.

The prime minister, who is in Dubai for the second leg of his three-nation West Asia tour, delivered the keynote address at the sixth World Government Summit in Dubai, which is being attended by more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries. It is Modi's second state visit to the UAE since August 2015.

In his speech, Modi said that technology is changing at the speed of thought and that it is becoming a beacon of disruptive change.

"Technology has empowered the common man," however, despite all the development, Modi said that poverty and malnutrition have still not been eliminated.

"On the other side, we're investing large amounts of money, time and resources on missiles and bombs. We will have to stay alert and use technology as a means to development and not destruction," Modi said, adding, "Some people are radicalising cyberspace with the use of technology... the cost of misuse of technology is very high."

Reiterating the benefits of technology to the common man, Modi said, "It has empowered the common man through minimum government and maximum governance. In e-governance, the 'e' stands for effective, efficient, easy, empowered, and equitable."

Modi also recommended a path of "six R's" for the world to follow for progress. "We need to follow the six R's which stand for reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign and remanufacture, which will lead us to rejoice," Modi said in Dubai.

The prime minister also spoke of the Startup India initiative. "We have created an innovation ecosystem in India through the Startup India programme. India has become a start-up nation," he said. Watch the full speech here:

Speaking of the role of the youth, Modi said, "Sixty-five percent of India's population is under 35, the dream of a new India will be achieved by empowering the youth with technology."

Modi hailed the implementation of Aadhaar cards to provide over 400 schemes to the public. He said that the government's use of technology aligns with their mantra of "sabka saath, sabka vikas".

"With Aadhaar card, over $8 billion worth of leakages have been plugged in India," Modi said in his speech. He also spoke of a "digital payment and cashless revolution" occurring in India, adding that GST has become a reality in the country. Modi also told the audience that India is aspiring to assume a leadership position in Artificial Intelligence, nanotechnology, cybersecurity and cloud computing.

In a point reminiscent of his speech in Davos, Modi spoke of the need of coexistence with nature. Modi also spoke about India's efforts to harness solar energy. "The sun is the soul of the world.... India has set a target to generate 175 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy. In the last three years, 62 GW renewable energy generated. I feel that the next technology revolution will be linked to the power of the sun," Modi said.

Modi also hailed the Mars Orbiter Mission (MoM), saying that India's satellite programme crossed the century mark, with some of the lowest costs in the world. "If you travel by taxi, the cost of your ride would be Rs 10 per kilometre, but in the Mars mission, it was just Rs 7 per kilometre," Modi said about the ISRO mission, adding that it cost "less than the budget of a Hollywood film".

The prime minister said he assesses the ongoing infrastructure and developmental projects in the country through video-conferencing every month. In this, all relevant ministries of the states and the Centre come together. This assess is named as "pragati" after the Hindi word for progress. "We are living in the world of inter-linked, inter-connected and inter-dependent. To a great extent, our problems and their solutions are undividable. This is certain that we will have to work together to find the solution of problems that may arise in the coming decades before the world. And

technology will play a big role in that," Modi said.

Modi concluded by saying that India is focusing on the key sectors of today to empower its 1.25 billion population, which constitutes one-sixth of the humanity. "We are contributing to the development of mankind as a whole," he said.

The prime minister was greeted by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan after concluding his keynote address at the summit. The Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was also present to mark the occasion. According to NDTV, Modi also met the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sapar Isakov on the sidelines of the Dubai World Government Summit.

Modi is scheduled to leave for Muscat, Oman on Sunday evening.

With inputs from agencies
Narendra Modi, during an address in Oman, reiterated his commitment to 'minimum government, maximum governance' and took jibes at the previous UPA government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a public address in Oman on Sunday, lauded the country's culture of respecting diversity, reiterated his commitment to 'minimum government, maximum governance' and took thinly-veiled jibes at the previous UPA government.

"The entire system  the bureaucrats, the files, the constraints  is the same as it was earlier. But now, the results are different," Modi said to cheering crowds at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat.

The prime minister further said that India's image had suffered due to a long list of scams in the previous regime and his government worked hard to change the "style of misgovernance".

Modi also made a reference to the health insurance scheme announced in the Budget unveiled on 1 February. He claimed that the 'Ayushman Bharat' scheme will benefit 40-50 crore people, and said, "After we announced the scheme, there were some who praised the idea but wondered how it will be implemented. However, it is the nature of Indians to achieve things that we set our sights on."

Claiming that no allegations of corruption have been made against the present government, the prime minister said, "Four years have passed that we came to power. However, no one has asked, 'Modi ne kitna liya?' (How much did Modi take away?)"

PM @narendramodi landed to a warm welcome in Oman a short while ago. pic.twitter.com/F9bmtoGXb3  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 11, 2018

He further stated, "We renegotiated the oil deals (signed by the previous regimes) with Qatar and Australia and now we have to pay Rs 12,000 crores less that what we would have paid."

Modi arrived in Oman  the last leg of his tour to the Gulf and West Asia  on Sunday afternoon from Dubai. He is slated to hold talks with the Sultan of Oman and other key leaders. He will also meet Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said.

The prime minister also made references to the government's initiative to do away with outdated laws and the country's improvement in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings. He further told the gathering, "When you come to India in 2022-23, you will find the bullet train, which will take people from Mumbai to Ahmedabad in just two to two-and-a-half hours.

Watch the full speech here:

With inputs from PTI
Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday as the two sides signed five agreements

Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday as the two sides signed five agreements including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in offshore oil concession.

Modi, who arrived in Abu Dhabi from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour, was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family at the airport. The two leaders hugged each other and exchanged pleasantries.

The prime minister thanked the crown prince for the special gesture of receiving him at the airport and said his visit will have a positive impact on India-UAE ties.

"We warmly welcome our state guest and valued friend, the Indian prime minister HE @narendramodi to the UAE. His visit reflects our longstanding historical ties and is testament to our friendly bilateral relationship," Mohammed Bin Zayed, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, tweeted.

Modi, who is in Abu Dhabi on his second visit to the UAE, held wide-ranging talks with and Mohammed Bin Zayed. Modi had first visited the UAE as prime minister in August 2015.

After their talks, the two sides signed five agreements related to energy sector, railways, manpower and financial services.

An MoU between Indian Consortium (OVL, BPRL & IOCL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was signed for the acquisition of a 10 percent participating interest in the Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum Concession, a statement issued by the Indian embassy said.

The concession will be for 40 years from 2018 to 2057. Sixty percent of the participating interest will be retained by ADNOC and remaining 30 percent will be awarded to other international oil companies, the statement said.

"This is the first Indian investment in the upstream oil sector of UAE, transforming the traditional buyer-seller relationship to a long-term investor relationship," it added.

To cooperate in the field of manpower, India and the UAE signed an MoU that aims to institutionalise the collaborative administration of contractual employment of Indian workers in the Gulf country.

Under the MoU, both the sides will work to integrate their labour related e-platforms for ending the existing malpractices, combat trafficking and organise collaborative programs for education and awareness of contractual workers.

An MoU for technical cooperation in railways was also signed between the two sides. The MoU aims at cooperation in infrastructure sector, especially railways.

"The MoU will facilitate development of joint projects, knowledge sharing, joint research and technology transfer. The MoU envisages formation of a Joint Working Group for institutionalising the cooperation mechanism," the statement said.

To deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of finance, an MoU between Bombay Stock Exchange and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was also signed. It aims at enhancing cooperation between both the countries in financial services industry.

The MoU would facilitate investment in financial markets by investors from both the countries.

An MoU between Government of Jammu and Kashmir and DP World was also signed to establish multi-modal logistics park and hub in Jammu comprising warehouses and specialised storage solutions.

Various buildings in Abu Dhabi were lit in the Indian tricolor as the city was decked up to welcome Modi, who also attended a state banquet hosted by the Abu Dhabi crown prince.

The prime minister will visit Wahat Al Karama, the UAE martyr's war memorial on Sunday, before travelling to Dubai where he will interact with the Indian community at an event at the Dubai Opera House and will witness the groundbreaking ceremony of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. The ceremony will be live-streamed to the Opera House.

Modi will also deliver a keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai where India is a guest of honour this year. He will make inaugural address on the theme: 'Technology for development'.

On the first led of his trip, Modi earlier in the day travelled to Ramallah, becoming the first Indian prime minister to make an official visit to Palestine.

In Ramallah, Modi met Mahmoud Abbas during which the Palestinian President sought India's support for a multi-country mechanism to achieve a "just and desired peace" with Israel in accordance with the two-state solution.

They discussed the full range of India-Palestine ties following which the two sides signed six agreements worth around USD 50 million that includes setting up of a $30 million super speciality hospital in Beit Sahur.

From the UAE, Modi will travel to Oman.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his French counterpart Edouard Philippe and had a 'good discussion' on ways to boost bilateral strategic ties ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's first visit to India next month

Dubai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met his French counterpart Edouard Philippe and had a "good discussion" on ways to boost bilateral strategic ties ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's first visit to India next month.

Modi met Philippe on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai.

"The two leaders had a good discussion on strengthening our strategic partnership. Modi said that he was looking forward to the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India next month," External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

There has been a significant progress in Indo-French cooperation through regular high-level exchanges and growing commercial exchanges, including in strategic areas such as defence, nuclear energy and space.

PM @narendramodi met PM of France Edouard Philippe on the sidelines of the @WorldGovSummit in Dubai. The two leaders had a good discussion on strengthening our strategic partnership. PM said that he was looking forward to the visit of French President Macron to India next month. pic.twitter.com/FA6rbICcPU  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 11, 2018

Last year, Modi visited France soon after Macron assumed office. Modi also met Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sapar Isakov in Dubai and the two leaders shared their views on bilateral and regional issues, Kumar said. Modi earlier today met UAE vice-president and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, defence and people-to-people contacts. Modi also met business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries and shared his vision of "new India" with them. "Taking India story to the business leaders! Prime Minister Modi painted the vision of a new India and shared the ease of doing business in India with the business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries," Kumar said in another tweet.

Taking India story to the business leaders! PM @narendramodi painted the vision of a new India and shared the ease of doing business in India with the business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries. #MarhabaNamaste pic.twitter.com/uiRv5PLvW9  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 11, 2018

"He spoke at length about the economic opportunities in India and the series of reforms undertaken in the last 3.5 years," the Prime Minister Office said in tweet.

On Saturday, Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, and held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements, including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 percent stake in offshore oil concession.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the Gulf country.
Narendra Modi will witness foundation stone-laying ceremony for first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, home to over three million people of Indian origin

Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday will witness the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the first Hindu temple in the capital of the UAE, home to over three million people of Indian origin.

Temple committee members presented the temple literature to Modi, who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted:

Temple Committee members presenting the temple literature to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and PM @narendramodi. This will be the first stone temple to be built in Abu Dhabi off Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway. pic.twitter.com/Bw8sh6WW2d  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 10, 2018

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the country.

"The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi will come up on 55,000 square metres of land and the groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday will be a historic event," said Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri.

The Indian prime minister will flag off laying of the temple's foundation stone during the community event.

"On Sunday, you will see a groundbreaking ceremony, which is going to be live-streamed into Dubai Opera House. It's going to be tradition meeting technology," Suri said.

Modi will hold a meeting with the Indian community at Dubai Opera House, he said, adding that representatives of all major organisations and a number of Indian professionals have been invited.

"The occasion is going to be historic for a different reason because it will also see the commencement of the first Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi. We are very pleased that we have received 55,000 square metres of land near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway," Suri said.

The temple will be hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the UAE. It will be completed by 2020, and open to people of all religious backgrounds.

It will be the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the Middle East, said a spokesperson from the BAPS.

Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), is a socio-spiritual Hindu organisation set up in 1907 that runs more than 1,100 temples and cultural compounds around the world.

The temple will incorporate all aspects and features of a traditional Hindu temple as part of a fully functional, social, cultural and spiritual complex.

It will replicate the BAPS temple in New Delhi and the one under construction in New Jersey, a trust member told Khaleej Times.

The investment from the UAE to India exceed $11 billion.
Narendra Modi's outreach to the Palestinian people reaffirms that the Indian government wants to continue its historic engagement with the Palestinian cause.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's outreach to the Palestinian people reaffirms that the Indian government wants to continue its historic engagement with the Palestinian cause. India and Palestine have had trying times despite a long-standing friendship.

Notably, the first-ever visit by an Indian prime minister to Palestine is seen as "history in the making", as described in a tweet by external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. He also wrote:

In a significant gesture, President Abbas conferred PM @narendramodi with Grand Collar Honour, which is Palestine's highest honour, in recognition of PM's wise leadership. PM termed the award as an honour for the people of India. pic.twitter.com/OV9KZiCqjl  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 10, 2018

As a matter of fact, it was not only a token of appreciation to Modi, but also to an age-old relationship, in which India has supported the independent identity of the Palestinian people. Historically, India has referred to the liberation of the Palestinian state as the cause of all the free peoples in the world. After the 1948 ArabIsrael war, India went to the extent of severing relations with Israel.

The Modi government is increasing its engagement with Israel, while at the same time reaching out to the Palestinian people. The premise of this policy, essentially, is that making new friends does not mean giving up old and dear ones. This principle was upheld through voting against the United States on shifting Israels capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This is precisely why the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas himself emphatically asserted that "any state has the right to establish relations with other countries".

Even after President Donald Trumps announcement that the United States administration would begin a process of moving the countrys embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, India maintained its historic independent stance on the issue. An Indian foreign ministry statement said on 7 December, 2017: Indias position on Palestine is independent and consistent. It is shaped by our views and interests, and not determined by any third country.

Thus, the message which goes to the Muslim community is that India does not favour Israel and Jews at the cost of Palestine and Muslims. Now, in the wake of Modis outreach to Palestine, the mainstream view emerging in the broader Muslim intellectual circles is that it is a good balancing act after the Israeli prime ministers latest visit to India.

Speaking to Firstpost, Dr Arshad Alam, an independent Indian Muslim researcher with a background in West Asian studies, opines, There was concern in diplomatic circles that India is getting too close to Israel, and that Pakistan will exploit the situation. This visit is aimed to put those anxieties to rest.

Interestingly, after India and Pakistan gained independence from the British, there was a rivalry between the two countries with respect to asserting support for the Palestinian cause. While Pakistan cited its Islamic credentials, India clearly articulated its narrative of secularism and anti-imperialism to establish its pro-Palestinian track record, as JNU professor P R Kumaraswamy notes.

In an article titled Prime Ministers visit to Palestine: Ray of hope for resolution of issues, senior editor at ETV Urdu Tehsin Munawwar wrote in the Urdu daily Inquilab on Sunday, In dealing with the Palestine-Israel conflict, India is trying to find a path which would be slightly different from its earlier policy, but not entirely opposed to it.

The 1948 war was the first war which was fought between Israel and a military coalition of Arab states over the control of Palestine, forming the second stage of the 1948 Palestine war. At this critical juncture, India showed an avowed support to the Palestinian people.

In 1974-75, India became the first non-Arab nation to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the legitimate representative of the people of Palestine. It was a tough time for the Palestinian people, when their leader Yasser Arafat was castigated as a terrorist. But the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who built strong bilateral ties with Yasser Arafats leadership, effectively upgraded the Palestinian mission in India to embassy status in 1980.

More to the point, in 1988, India formally recognised the Palestinian National Councils declaration of independence, maintaining a principled position of support for the two-state solution. At that time, India shunned a diplomatic relationship with Israel on the grounds that it was a colonising power. Indian leaders, particularly Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, championed the cause of a sovereign, independent, united Palestine since the emergence of the issue.

Thus, the Indian position of supporting the Palestinian cause through the two-state solution is long-standing. Now, at a time when Palestine is working to establish an international multilateral mechanism of negotiations, Narendra Modis outreach to Palestine can go a long way to achieve the peace process. It is high time that the Indian government strengthens its historical ties with the Palestinian leadership in conjunction with its long-standing role as peacemaker in the regions conflicts.

Ahead of this visit, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas hailed Indias role in the West Asia peace process and the creation of a multilateral forum of negotiations to strike a final deal with Israel. Describing India as a very respected country in the international arena, the Palestinian President said that Modis visit to the region reflects Indias long-held position of supporting peace and stability in the region. We believe in the importance of a possible Indian role to reach a final agreement based on international consensus and resolutions, President Abbas said. This visit will culminate the historic ties between the two brotherly people, and will help in increasing and strengthening these ties that we possess, he added.

It is interesting to note that Modi has sought to send meaningful messages to both Israel and Palestine. Remarkably, he expressed great happiness while visiting the tomb of Yasser Arafat, saying that he was one of the world's top leaders and a close friend of India. He also said that his contribution to Palestine was historic ", as several Arabic media outlets prominently reported.

It is common knowledge that Israeli circles often criticise the late Palestinian president and even try to blame him for the instability in the region and the freezing of the Oslo Accords  a set of peace agreements between the Israeli and Palestinian governments.

Therefore, Modi's eagerness in visiting the late Palestinian presidents grave and laying a wreath on it was a crucial gesture. In particular, Israel and its various media outlets would have observed it. In fact, this entire visit has attracted the attention of Israeli observers, given the strength that India-Israel relations can potentially achieve in future.

Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is a scholar of classical Arabic and Islamic studies, cultural analyst and researcher in Media and Communication Studies. He tweets at @GRDehlvi and can be reached at grdehlavi@gmail.com
Mohammad Akbar Lone is one of the many Kashmiri leaders playing both separatist and a mainstream politician; doublespeaking is an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir politics and one of the main reason behind the never-ending cycle of violence

Pro-Pakistan slogans shouted in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Saturday are only the latest indication of just how ephemeral the dividing line between the so-called 'mainstream' and 'separatist' politics is in Kashmir.

It also shows how inter-changeably religion becomes part of politics. Former house speaker Akbar Lone explained to reporters after shouting "Pakistan Zindabad" in the house that, "I am a Muslim first. My sentiments were hurt when they (BJP MLAs) were shouting 'Pakistan Murdabad' slogans. I couldnt control my emotions and raised Pakistan Zindabad slogans."

This sort of talk is condemnable, not just from a nationalist Indian perspective but also from the perspective of all those who value secular as well as inclusive society and politics in the contemporary world. It is a mirror image of the Hindutva-based rhetoric that has alienated so many.

Lone, who was nominated by his party, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, to be the Assembly speaker when they were in power, brought the chair into controversy by the sort of language, tone, and innuendo that he used on Saturday. But then the party had also made him the minister for higher education during their tenure.

A long tradition

Playing both sides is not new in Kashmir. For example, take the Plebiscite Front. It had backed Sheikh Abdullah even though he was never officially part of the organisation.

The 1977 elections in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a battle of green. NC leader Afzal Beg went around showing rock salt, which used to come to Kashmir from Pakistan, and the green lining of his waistcoat. And the Janata Partys Mirwaiz Farooq presided over campaigns extolling Prime Minister Morarji Desai as a 'ghazi' (slayer of infidels) from Pakistan!

The continuation of this sort of humbug is particularly unsavoury at a time when there is a near-war along the Line of Control even more so on a day like Saturday when there was a lethal attack at an army camp in Jammu.

Yet, this trend has quickened over the past couple of years. Farooq Abdullah, president, National Conference, dissociated the party from Lones statement (through a spokesperson), but Abdullah too played footsie with separatist politics in the run-up to the by-election last April through which he became a Member of the Parliament.

Abdullah enjoys the salary, perks, privileges, security, and freebies of an MP after eight persons were killed in violence around that by-election, in which large numbers of paramilitary and army men were put to extraordinary tests.

Accommodative rulers

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is no better. During the extended uprising that followed the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani, top-level activists arranged a job for the grandson of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani at a prestigious conference centre in Srinagar.

When a team of the National Investigating Agency (NIA) went to Srinagar last July to arrest several separatist leaders, including Geelanis son-in-law, a team of the state police tried to stop them from taking the arrested persons to Delhi. Such was the high drama at Srinagar airport that the home minister had to intervene.

The PDP has also drawn covert support from Jamaat-e-Islami, particularly in south Kashmir strongholds such as Pulwama and Kulgam, in several elections since the party was formed in 1999.

Geelani has had a long and deep association with the Jamaat-e-Islami, although he is not a part of the organisation now. He also played a key role in running the Hizb-ul Mujahideen from 1990 on, through his acolyte Syed Salahuddin. Hizb-ul Mujahideen was at the time seen as the militant wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami are said to have played a key role in some areas during the uprising that followed Wanis killing in 2016.

Tragic consequences

The most tragic aspect of all this doublespeak is that it creates a miasma of uncertainty, layered with anguish and hope, in which poor young people beyond the network of power and influence get killed. No relative of any of the politicians on either side of the artificial mainstream-separatist divide ever gets killed.

More and more young people are dying in the vicious cycle of violence that has been going on over the past three years.

At least in this context, basic human decency demands that the entire range of politicians clear their positions. If they stand for separatism, let them take a resolute stand. But if they want to work within the Indian constitutional arrangement, let them stand firm on that.
Authorities imposed restrictions in Srinagar and some other parts of the Kashmir Valley on Sunday to prevent separatist-called protests to mark the 34th death anniversary of Maqbool Bhat

Srinagar: Authorities imposed restrictions in Srinagar and some other parts of the Kashmir Valley on Sunday to prevent separatist-called protests to mark the 34th death anniversary of Maqbool Bhat, founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).

Bhat was hanged on 11 February, 1984, in Tihar Jail.

Besides Srinagar, restrictions were imposed in north Kashmir's Kupwara district and Sopore town.

Bhat belonged to Kupwara's Trehgam village.

Senior separatist leaders, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, have been placed under detention to prevent their participation.

Contingents of police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in full riot gear have been deployed in the restriction imposed areas.

Public transport remained off the roads in Srinagar and most of the places in the Valley.

Meanwhile, Saima Wani, 18, injured during gunfight in Shaigam village of Shopian district on 24 January, succumbed in a Srinagar hospital.

Two militants and a civilian were killed in the gunfight and two girls including Saima were injured.
An attempt by seven people to self-immolate in front of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' official residence was foiled on Sunday.

An attempt by seven people to self-immolate in front of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' official residence was foiled on Sunday, according to ETV Nagpur. All the seven people, who were previously employees of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), were reportedly arrested.

The seven people arrested on Sunday were among the 17 people who have yet not been reinstated by NMC following the sacking of 106 surplus employees in 2002.

According to ETV Nagpur, a few others might try to self-immolate in Mantralaya, the administrative building of the Government of Maharashtra in Mumbai, as well.

The Sunday incident, however, is not the only suicide attempt made in the state, either inside or near a government building.

On 7 February 2018, a 32-year-old unemployed man attempted suicide near the Mantralaya. The man, according to PTI, was apparently upset over failing to clear the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examination. He had taken the MPSC examination in 2013 for the post of an assistant in the agriculture department but failed to clear the test, a police official said.

The police, quoted in The Indian Express report, said that Avinash Shete poured kerosene on himself but was stopped when he was about to light a match-stick in an attempt to set himself on fire. A police officer also said that upon questioning, they learnt that Shete had alerted the office of the chief minister and the district collector stating that he would commit suicide if his voice was unheard.

In another case, last month, a Muslim family was detained when they attempted self-immolation during the Republic Day Parade at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. According to The Pioneer, eight members of the family tried to set themselves on fire by pouring kerosene on their bodies but the attempt was foiled by the police. The family members were demanding justice for Shamsher Khan, who was allegedly beaten to death by Parbhani cops in December 2016, according to Mid-Day.

In November 2017, a 22-year-old man immolated himself outside the Vasai deputy superintendent office after being accused of molesting a woman, according to a report in The Times of India. He alleged that he was falsely implicated in the case. According to the report, he tried to set the deputy superintendent on fire as well by trying to embrace him but the police officer escaped unhurt.

Ashish and Amit Kothale, brothers of Aniket Kothale, also tried to immolate themselves in November last year. Aniket, arrested under the suspicion of robbery, was killed in Sangli while in police custody and the brothers were not satisfied with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe, reported Hindustan Times.

Even in 2014, an Aurangabad lawyer was detained after he tried to immolate himself during the Independence Day parade outside the Mantralaya state headquarters in south Mumbai. DNA reported that the lawyer had poured kerosene over his body and was about to set himself ablaze when the cops spotted him and stopped him.

That's not all, though. According to PTI, the Maharashtra Secretariat building in Mumbai alone has witnessed four cases of suicide since September 2016, one of which involved self-immolation.

On 8 February 2018, a 45-year-old man committed suicide by jumping off the fifth floor of Mantralaya. He was convicted of killing his sister and was out on parole since 10 January.

In another incident, on 22 January this year, an 84-year-old farmer from Dhule district had consumed a poisonous chemical at the state secretariat, demanding a better compensation for his land.

On 10 November last year, a 28-year-old farmer from Osmanabad district had climbed on the parapet of the seventh floor of Mantralaya, demanding a slew of welfare measures for cultivators and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations.

Police later managed to convince him to climb down from the building.

In September 2016, a 30-year-old man from a slum in suburban Malad had tried to immolate himself in the main lobby of the secretariat building over an issue regarding his house.

With inputs from agencies
Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that the ongoing operation against terrorists, who attacked Sunjuwan army camp in Jammu, would be concluded successfully soon

New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday exuded confidence that the ongoing operation against terrorists, who attacked Sunjuwan army camp in Jammu, would be concluded successfully soon.

"Operation is still undergoing," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi.

"I think it is not proper for me to comment on when the operation is still on. I'm sure that our jawans, who are in the operation, will successfully conclude it," he said.

A group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in the early hours yesterday, triggering a gunbattle.

Two of the attackers in combat gear were gunned down on Saturday.

Security forces killed two more terrorists holed up in the Sunjuwan army camp, while the toll in the attack rose to six with the death of three more army men and a civilian, a senior police official said on Sunday.
As the operation to flush out JeM terrorists who stormed an army camp in Sunjuwan entered the second day, locals have been frequenting the area to serve meals and snacks to police and paramilitary personnel

Sunjuwan: As the operation to flush out JeM terrorists who stormed an army camp in Sunjuwan entered the second day, local residents have been frequenting the area to serve meals and snacks to police and paramilitary personnel camped nearby.

The admiring gesture by residents of Sainik Colony have also been well-received by the mediapersons stationed in Sunjuwan.

The residents pooled their resources and have been serving meals, tea, snacks and water to hundreds of people, mostly police and paramilitary personnel and scribes, camping outside the main gate of the sprawling military station since Saturday.

"It's a small effort on our part... We want to contribute to the nation and decided to provide tea and snacks to the security forces deployed outside and to the mediapersons," Sanjeev Manmotra, who is leading the initiative, told PTI.

He said their effort was also aimed at sending a message to the misguided youth in the Kashmir Valley who target security forces with stones during anti-terrorist operations.

Two army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed and nine others injured when the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists stormed the camp early on Saturday.

Two attackers in combat gear have been killed by the army and a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from them. An operation to flush out surviving terrorists is still underway.

"They (security forces) are sacrificing their lives to ensure our safety and it is our responsibility to do whatever possible to help them especially during such a situation," Manmotra, state president of Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch, said.

However, another volunteer, Prakash Singh Jamwal, said the forum had nothing to do with the initiative. "We have come together and are spending from our own pockets," he said.

Jamwal said the army was battling it out with the terrorists and "as nationalists, we want to contribute. Since we cannot fight the terrorists, we took this initiative."

Manmotra said they provided lunch, dinner and snacks to 500 people on Saturday. "We are Indians and it is our responsibility to see that our forces do not go hungry while on duty."

He said they had to buy fresh stock on Sunday morning.

BJP and Bajrang Dal activists had visited the area on Saturday and staged "anti-Pakistan" demonstrations to condemn the attack and express solidarity with the security forces.

The activists also raised pro-army and pro-India slogans.

Jammu-based army PRO Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand told PTI that the operation against the terrorists was still on.

"There was no firing since last night," the officer said, adding that bodies of only two terrorists have been recovered from the encounter site.

Saturday's attack on the army camp happened nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On 29 November 2016, terrorists had stormed the army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of Jammu city, killing seven Army personnel including two officers. Three terrorists were also gunned down.
Uzbek foreign minister Abdulaziz Kamilov will arrive on a two-day visit to India on Monday during which he would meet his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj,

New Delhi: Uzbek foreign minister Abdulaziz Kamilov will arrive on a two-day visit to India on Monday during which he would meet his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, the external affairs ministry said.

Kamilov will meet Swaraj on Monday and the two are expected to discuss bilateral issues.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held bilateral talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in June last year.

India has also expressed interest in buying Uranium from Uzbekistan, in a bid to diversify its sources of procuring

nuclear fuel.
A doctor at Varanasi's Sir Sunderlal Hospita left syringes inside a woman's body while she underwent an operation for surgical sterilisation in 2017

A doctor at Varanasi's Sir Sunderlal Hospital, which is affiliated with the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, left syringes inside a woman's body while she underwent an operation for surgical sterilisation in 2017, said media reports.

Varanasi: A doctor at Sir Sunderlal Hospital left syringes inside a woman's body while she underwent an operation for surgical sterilisation there in 2017, woman says 'they had also left pieces of cotton & flesh inside me while I there went for my child's delivery in 2013'. pic.twitter.com/J9dI8YXnTj  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 10, 2018

This is not the first time such incident happened at the hospital. The woman claimed that the medical staff "had also left pieces of cotton and flesh inside her while she went there for her child's delivery in 2013", according to ANI.

"In 2017 she underwent surgical sterilisation, following which she began experiencing pain. We took her to the doctor and they operated on her finding 2 syringes inside her body. Then they asked her to get an X-Ray done and we found there were 3 more syringes inside," the woman's husband was quoted as saying by ANI.

The city police said that they have received a complaint from the woman's husband and that investigation in the case has begun.

In another case of medical negligence, a woman had died in December last year at a private hospital in Soraon town of Allahabad after doctors allegedly left scissors in her abdomen during a caesarean delivery, Hindustan Times had reported.

The woman was admitted to the Mother and Child Hospital in Soraon for the delivery of her child. She delivered a baby in October via caesarean section and the hospital discharged her after a few days.

However, the woman continued to complain of severe pain in her abdomen and died eventually. An ultrasound test had showed scissors in her abdomen, the report had said.
On 7 February, a Vistara flight and an Air India flight averted a mid-air collision by seconds.

A Vistara flight and an Air India flight averted a mid-air collision by seconds in the Mumbai airspace on 7 February, according to reports. The Vistara flight had descended to an altitude while the Air India plane was flying in the opposite direction, according to The Times Of India. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has launched a probe in the incident.

The Vistara flight, UK 997, was on its way from Delhi to Pune, while Air India's AI 631 was flying from Mumbai to Bhopal, reported Mid-Day. The report further said that while the Air India aircraft was maintaining a level of 27,000 feet, Vistara's Airbus descended to a height of 27,100 feet, which means that the vertical separation between the two aircrafts was merely 100 feet.

Sources, quoted in an International Business Times report, said proximity of the two aircrafts had set off traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) alarms in the cockpits of the two flights, thus helping the pilots avoid the crash.

The commander of the Air India flight acted swiftly on the instrument warning and steered the aircraft to a safer distance, a senior official of the airline told PTI.

The two pilots of the Vistara flight have been grounded, pending investigation, while the Air India pilots have been cleared for flying by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau for not being at fault, the official added.

Following the incident, a Vistara spokesperson said in a statement, "The safety of our customers and staff is of paramount importance to us, and at Vistara, we diligently follow all the safety regulations and guidelines. In this particular incident, the resolution advisory (RA) got triggered due to conflicting traffic. Our pilot followed the SOP (standard operating procedure) to avoid it and carried out an uneventful landing. The matter is under investigation by relevant authorities," said the statement mentioned in the International Business Times report.

Meanwhile an Air India official said, "The Air India aircraft was going as per the ATC instructions. There was no confusion. But it seems that something had gone wrong between the Vistara pilot and the ATC as the Vistara aircraft kept descending while the ATC was giving different instructions. There was some kind of an argument between them."

"The Vistara aircraft continued descending. So, finally, when our pilot saw the warning (the Vistara aircraft breaching the mandatory separation) on board, she just took the corrective action and turned the aircraft from the collision point," the airline said.

The Air India pilot's action was perfect as she followed the resolution advisory and steered the aircraft to a safer distance, it added.

"The AAIB has cleared our pilot for flying," the Air India official said.

On 28 January, in a similar incident, an IndiGo and Emirates flight breached the minimum distance over Nagpur when the IndiGo A-320 was flying from Hyderabad to Raipur and the Emirates Boeing 777 was on its way from Singapore to Dubai, according to another The Times of India report.

With inputs from PTI
'I went from being a hateful child to the person I am today,' says Gurmehar Kaur | #FirstCulture

When Gurmehar Kaur was six years old, she tried to stab a lady in a burqa. For a little girl whose father had been killed in the Kargil War in 1999, all Muslims were Pakistanis, and Pakistan, the enemy. On another occasion, after a fight with her best friend, she went home to fetch a dagger from her fathers trunk. Surrounded by stories of his valour  how she was the brave daughter of a brave soldier  she was convinced that power was about strength, that strong people hit harder and win.

Kaurs mother then intervened, explaining that she couldnt win people over with authority and dictatorship. That day I learnt one of the most important lessons of my life: my fathers weapons may have been guns and ammunition, but my weapon had to be peace. Always, she writes in her memoir, Small Acts of Freedom.

It was a perspective Kaur stood by firmly since, and in February last year, stood up against the violence unleashed by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) goons at Ramjas University in Delhi. After uploading a photo of herself holding a placard stating that she was not afraid of the ABVP, she found herself in the middle of a vitriolic social media storm. An older video she had been a part of, where she held up a silent call for peace between India and Pakistan, surfaced and accusations of being anti-national and unpatriotic were hurled at her.

A 20-year-old first-year college student suddenly became a primetime news talking point, with even prominent celebrities jumping on the bandwagon, questioning her intentions. Initially, it felt like I had no control over what was happening to me. A couple of months later, I realised that I did have some control. I felt like this is where I can steer the narrative and that was the moment I felt very powerful, says Kaur, on the sidelines of a recently concluded literature festival in Bengaluru. She began writing Small Acts of Freedom shortly after.

While the book provides an introductory context to the Ramjas college fracas, it doesnt dwell on the incident. Instead, in a back-and-forth narrative, Kaur strings together the story of her childhood interspersed with chapters narrated in her mother Rajinder and grandmother Amarjeets voice, both women who raised strong, resilient daughters after losing their husbands at a young age. We meet a two-year-old Gulgul at home in Jalandhar, peeking into her fathers coffin as she struggles to understand why everyone around her is upset. She conjures up fond memories  rushing to greet him at the gate of her nanis house as he returns from the Valley, the pockets of his cargo jacket stocked with chocolates; throwing up on her sweater during a road trip to the hills, but sitting quietly in the backseat not wanting to disappoint him.

I never really had to look for these memories because Ive thought about them every single day of my life. Thats why theyre so fresh. A lot of the credit goes to my mother because she kept probing me to talk about him when I was little so I dont forget him, and then it just became a habit. My father was like a puzzle to me, and I kept picking pieces up from everywhere to complete it, says Kaur.

In a poignant chapter in the book she writes of her first day at school, watching other kids get dropped off by their fathers, mentally rehearsing the words Rajinder has taught her to say if anyone asks about her father  died in war. I had no idea what they meant. Everyone around me would be taken aback but for me, they were just words that I had to cram. I had to say this at the start of every single year till the sixth standard  standard introductory questions on what your parents do  after which I was homeschooled. It played a part in me leaving school because I was so traumatised. I didnt want to be this black sheep.

Kaur took to reading and writing at an early age, seeking solace in words to make up for the inability to socialise. She had trouble making friends in school for she had nothing in common with the other girls  they spoke about play dates and their mothers meeting for tea, something her mother couldnt do because she had to go to work. I was always the girl who made conversations awkward because I didnt understand anything. I would go to the library and read, I became friends with my librarian. She gave me a copy of Little Women on my last day at school.

She would stay back in school for two hours after it ended, for thats when her mother could come pick her up after work. Since I was waiting, my teacher would ask me to write an essay on the school. I would sit there writing about the chipped walls, the door, my teacher, the colour of her dupatta. Id make up stories in my head, Kaur recalls.

While she grew up on her fathers glorified stories of bravery she soon started to realise, and acknowledge, all the sacrifices her mother had made for her and her sister, making her aspire to be like her. I have so much respect for her and nani. Even now when I think of it, I cant imagine how they did it. The kind of life they provided for me, the education and the comforts. The fact that I grew up the way I did, with opinions and the courage to say them out loud without worrying says so much about them. Now, I want to be that person who can make the world around someone so comfortable that they can say what they want to and feel safe, she says.

From the shy, awkward child at school, Kaur says that shes surrounded by, and seeks inspiration, from all the women in her life. I study in a womens college so all my closet friends are women, as are my favourite teachers and even my editors. I just gravitate towards strong women. While shes often hailed as a free speech warrior and social activist, she doesnt think too much of the labels. I dont want to get ahead of myself. Im young and I have so many things to achieve.

The 21-year-old spent sleepless nights writing Small Acts of Freedom, working on drafts through the night while juggling college, assignments and exams. Despite the challenges, this was important for her because the timing felt right  amidst a climate of religious and hate politics, she didnt want media houses telling her story for her. Were living in times when were teaching children to hate, instead of teaching them love, compassion and tolerance. I went from being a hateful child to the person I am today. If my story shifts even one percent in somebody reading it, Ive done my part.
If Amish Tripathis enormous popularity means that a sizeable part of the educated class shares his attitudes, it could be a cause for alarm | #FirstCulture

Amish Tripathi is Indias biggest selling author, and his six books have together sold four million copies. This means that his writing touches a chord with todays educated Indians, and this becomes especially pertinent when we consider that his books are essentially efforts at creating a glorious India of the past  a cultural undertaking which cannot but find reflections in the political life of the country.

The past, as is not recognised widely, is a creation of the present. Historians and those who recreate the past through fiction both do so to emphasise the concerns of the day, either overtly or covertly. After Independence there has been an attempt to interpret the past as leading to a modern India. The narratives pertaining to monarchs like Ashoka and Akbar and duly imbibed by us are products of such reconstruction. All histories may be biased because historians cannot be content with chronicling but must find patterns; still, a historical interpretation of the past should be convincing and supported by argument. There is more freedom involved in fictional recreations of the past, but they should still exhibit the following characteristics:

Their basic premises about the past need not be plausible like history, but they should be consistently applied Pertinent characteristics of the present-day world should be taken into account, since the recreation of the past is basically a projection backward of the present.

Amish Tripathis novels are marketed as fantasy and compared by fans to JRR Tolkiens writing, but unlike Tolkien who writes about an imaginary land called Middle-earth, Tripathi invokes India. Taking only the two novels of the Ram Chandra series into account he makes an attempt to present Rama, Raavan and Sita as people from the actual past and India as a notion stretching back several millennia. Neither the actual Mahabharata nor the Ramayana invoke a political or cultural entity called India. Tripathi eliminates the magic from mythology by providing mechanistic explanations and his ancient India emerges as modern India replete with its problems; these problems being slight and made manageable. In fact, one finds correspondence between ancient India of 3400 BCE that the writer is imagining and a simplified version of India as presented by someone who is a manager. (Tripathi is an IIM alumnus.)

The Rama Chandra series is eventually intended to become a four-novel retelling of the Ramayana but only the first two (Ram: Scion of Ikshvaku, 2015, and Sita: Warrior of Mithila, 2017) have come out so far. The two novels trace the trajectories of Ram and Sita respectively, both concluding with Sitas abduction by Raavan. The epics are an entanglement of interconnected, often contradictory stories, which means that it is difficult to make out exactly where Tripathi is being faithful to the original and where he is not. But it is evident that making Sita a warrior in her own right is an original turn on his part, to introduce gender parity into the narrative. The first event in the story of Ram: Scion of Ikshvaku is Dasharaths defeat at the hands of the Lankan King Kubaer  whose general is Raavan  and one does not know how authentic the tale is, though there is material suggesting such an association between Kubaer and Raavan.

In the beginning, Dasharath engages Kubaer and his general Raavan in battle in Karachappa, which I take to be Karachi. Tripathi does not make it clear why the battle should be fought there, far away from both Ayodhya and Lanka. But Dasharath, apart from being king of Kosala is also emperor of Sapth Sindhu, which apparently represents India. Since trading is not a vocation encouraged in Sapth Sindhu and trading is impeded through a draconian system of licences and controls (reminiscent of socialist India), Kubaer of Lanka, a trader king, sensed an opportunity and undertook the job of providing trading services for all of Sapth Sindhu against a high compensation. The battle of Karachappa is a consequence of Kubaer (on the advice of Raavan) unilaterally reducing the commission payable for sole trading rights on Sapth Sindhu territory. Dasharath loses the battle because of Raavans strategic capabilities, and the commission payable by Lanka is further reduced. Consequently, Lanka becomes rich while Sapth Sindhu faces financial troubles. Ram is born at the moment of Dasharaths defeat and is therefore taken by his father to be a harbinger of bad luck. It is only when Ram demonstrates his abilities by saving his fathers life  when attacked by a wild beast  that he becomes his favourite, at which time he also demonstrates to Dasharath his wisdom as a potential statesman.

Tripathi, it must be admitted, takes an enormous amount of trouble to make the story of Ram contemporary. Ram is not an avatar of Vishnu since Vishnu is only a title accorded to illustrious people (Tripathi does not use the term achievers); he is only due to become one more in a long line of Vishnus and is named after the last bearer of the title, Lord Parshu Ram. Tripathi neglects to mention how Kurma and Varaha fit into this scheme although there is an attempt to accommodate Matsya. Much of the wisdom Tripathi offers is introduced through conversations led by wise men, often sages. Vashishta, for instance, invokes two great civilizations in India, in an even more ancient past which ended with the ice age  the Sangamtamil civilization which included a part of Lanka which went under the sea with the melting of the ice and the civilization in Dwarka, which also went under the sea. Krishna does not feature since he is due only to be a later Vishnu, and one wonders what to make of an ancient Dwarka. In any case, Tripathi hastily clarifies that the Dwarkans are not to be confused with the Yadavs around the Yamuna (whose descendants populate present-day Uttar Pradesh).

The effort to make the story of Ram rests on two key devices, of which the first is to give scientific explanations for elements like somras and pushpaka vimana, the latter evidently functioning on noisy rotor blades. Animal affiliates of Ram like Jatayu and Hanuman (who appears only in Sita: Warrior of Mithila) are accounted for as human beings from a tribe of Nagas with biological disfigurements: Jatayu has a mouth shaped like a beak and Hanuman has the proboscis of a monkey; both are hirsute.

The second has to do with philosophical arguments on socio-political issues. One of the philosophical conflicts is the one between the masculine and feminine cultures. The feminine principle in politics focuses on freedom, tolerance and compassion with the weak being protected, while the masculine principle insists on society not interfering with the natural law but allowing those with ability to flower. Tripathi evidently favours the latter, which may be equated with a laissez faire system. Another conflict is the one between monotheism (the Asuras) and polytheism (the Devas) and Tripathi tries to see the logic of both sides, perhaps fearing its interpretation as the conflict between Hindus and Muslims. Here is Vashishta on the subject: . rigid intolerance creates mortal enemies with whom negotiation is impossible. But the feminine way has other problems; most importantly, of how to unite their own behind a larger cause. The followers of the feminine way are usually so divided that it takes a miracle for them to come together for any one purpose, under a single banner.

The free coalescing of ancient India with contemporary issues and current-day dialogue (You are ridiculously formal, a tribal girl tells Ram) would be easy to lampoon and dismiss, but I would take Tripathis writing seriously, especially given that there is so much issue-based reflection in it that touches his readers. But I would still like to raise issues that point to serious lacunae in his vision of an ancient India.

The first aspect that merits comment is his idea that ancient India was technologically advanced  it had missiles and helicopters; Tripathi also uses the term big bang to describe the creation of the universe. An aspect about technology that people who hold Tripathis views miss is that technology and scientific knowledge advance along a common front, as it were, and there cannot be isolated inventions or elements of profound knowledge amidst general scientific unawareness. A helicopter would imply the internal combustion engine and liquid fuel; horse-driven chariots and fortresses would hardly be consistent with them. Similarly, socio-political ideas depend on the social organisation prevailing; laissez faire notions could arise only when equal opportunity was prevalent, which in turn implies mass education (rather than the gurukul system) and, quite naturally, the printing press.

In describing ancient India of 3400 BCE Tripathi makes it appear that everyone in society is accommodated within the varna system (that is, the four castes: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra). The varna system, he suggests, decides what vocation a person should follow and he adds, generously, that vocation should not be determined by birth but by propensity. The notion that the varna system is so inclusive is a falsehood once propagated and the majority does not fall under it. Some 30 percent of Indians belong to the scheduled castes and tribes which were once not even acknowledged by caste society; there is an even larger number who figure in the OBC group. If ancient India did not have these categories, the issue is where they emerged from. Tripathi acknowledges the poor, but we are talking about outcastes, not simply those who are not well-off. Travellers to medieval India (like Abdul Razzaq, Nicolo de Conti and Duarte Barbosa) noted the wide incidence of slavery and this suggests a murky aspect of the past glossed over by cultural nationalists. The vast disparities in India have come to us from a hoary past and only the electoral process has made an enormous public visible, but this section still seems invisible to Tripathi and his ilk. If a novel is only recounting mythology this would be unexceptionable but not when the writer is associating mythology with an actual past.

Amish Tripathis vision of ancient India is evidently a Brahminical one but more significant is what it makes of knowledge, its creation and propagation. I failed to detect a single instance when Tripathi does not make a sage the ultimate possessor of superior knowledge and when he is surprised by what someone else knows or says. When anyone demonstrates that they have wisdom it is still received wisdom from some scripture or smriti. One misses instances in Tripathis philosophical musings in which people learn from experience; it is always as though all knowledge is already accumulated and codified by wise people of the past. The experience of spending 14 years in the wilderness should have taught a prince something, but it is as though Ram has full knowledge of living in a jungle before he goes into exile.

The term knowledge could pertain to a large number of things including flying the pushpaka vimana and farming but it is as though the Brahmin is always its ultimate custodian; Rams martial skills are taught to him by Vashishta. A superficial response to this attitude is to describe it as hierarchical or Brahminical  as I have already done  but it also suggests serious problems with our view of how knowledge is created. Knowledge I would contend, is not something held by the teacher to be merely disseminated, but which proceeds by falsifying what is already known since nothing is certain for all time. No one becomes great without improving upon their teacher at some point.

If Amish Tripathis enormous popularity means that a sizeable part of the educated class shares his attitudes, it could be a cause for alarm. It implies that caste hierarchy is alive and well despite the decades in which the state has attempted to eradicate it. But more unexpectedly, I propose, it suggests that the educated public values second-hand knowledge far too much for the countrys good; the independent thinking needed for India to become a leader in its own right may be hard to find.

MK Raghavendra is a film scholar and author of seven books including The Oxford India Short Introduction to Bollywood (2016)
Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday said Muslims in Tripura are patriots who did not go to Pakistan after Independence though the state shares a long border with Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan

Kulubari (Tripura): Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday said Muslims in Tripura are patriots who did not go to Pakistan after Independence though the state shares a long border with Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan.

Thousands of Muslims were killed while performing 'namaz' at mosques in Pakistan, but not a single such incident had ever occurred in India, Hussain said at an election meeting in Kulubari in Sipahijala district.

"BJP is not a party of only Narendra Modi, but also a party of Shahnawaz Hussain. It is a party of the common people and it is a secular party, not a communal party," he said at the meeting in support of the party candidate in the Muslim majority Boxanagar constituency.

After the partition of India in 1947, Muslims did not migrate to East Pakistan and chose to stay in Tripura because they are a patriotic force, Hussain, also the BJP spokesman said.

Muslims comprise around 8 percent of the population of Tripura.

The state has a long border with Bangladesh and many Muslims living near the border were evicted or faced various other problems due to the erection of the border fencing, but Chief Minister Manik Sarkar never took up the matter with the Centre, he alleged.

Hussain said when he was the civil aviation minister, he had arranged for a direct flight to Mecca from Guwahati.

Criticising the ruling CPM led Left Front for allegedly branding the BJP as a communal party, Hussain claimed actually communists are communal.

"Before the crumbling of USSR, many provinces of the country were Muslim majorities such as Kazakstan and Uzbekistan. The communist rulers there had demolished mosques," he said.

The former union minister said the BJP had won in various states with a sizable portion of Muslim population because they supported the party.

He cited the examples of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir.

"Our best friends are Hindus. We all Muslims should be proud that we were born in India. You would never find friends like Hindus and a country like India," Hussain said.

However, he admitted that in a country of 125 crores there might be some stray incidents of communal violence.
Congress's social media team does not have enough access to resources and information unlike that of the ruling BJP, Divya Spandana, the head of the Social Media and Digital Communications team, has rued

Cambridge (US): Congress's social media team does not have enough access to resources and information unlike that of the ruling BJP, Divya Spandana, the head of the Social Media and Digital Communications team, has rued.

Participating in a panel discussion at the Harvard Kennedy School on "social media in Indian politics" organised by the university in Cambridge, the movie star-turned-politician said that despite these limitations Rahul Gandhi's team is doing a really good job with tweeting for the party president.

"The fact that they have access to a lot of resources and therefore they can use a lot of tools is something that I envy. We don't have any resources. We are limited in our resources sort of access, of tools and software," Spandana said.

"I think, his team is doing a really good job with tweeting for him. For example, when it comes to festivals and wishing people, they are pretty prompt and pretty quick. The team is doing a really good job," Spandana said.

Spandana was repeatedly asked questions on who writes the tweet for Gandhi.

"Gandhi himself," she answered.

The BJP leader Madhukeshwar Desai, responded by saying that the social media team of Rahul Gandhi has a good sense of humour.

"His (Rahul Gandhi) team has a good sense of humour," he said towards the end of an hour-long debate which among others also included Ankit Lal of the Aam Admi Party and Ghanshyam Tiwari of the Samajwadi Party.

Desai said since 2014 elections, the BJP has used social media effectively to dispense the message that they have gone the last mile using social media.

The number of people using phones and social media is increasing.

The BJP leader faced questions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi not tweeting on some of the burning issues.

And Desai was being asked why BJP and its supporters spread fake news on social media.

These individuals, websites or channels are "not owned or controlled by the party," Desai said.
The Congress in Goa on Sunday accused the state government of trying to harass the middle-class people in Goa, through their controversial statements, to benefit a few people in the creamy layer in the tourism industry.

Panaji: The Congress in Goa on Sunday accused the state government of trying to harass the middle-class people in Goa, through their controversial statements, to benefit a few people in the creamy layer in the tourism industry.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Girish Chodankar said that the string of statements by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and his ally, Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai, clearly exposed the "bhatkar" (landlord) mentality of the government.

Parrikar had accused Goan youth of being lazy and not hard working, while Sardesai had bluntly called a section of domestic low-end tourists, who he claimed had no civic sense and littered, as "scum of the earth".

Taking strong objection to the statements, Chodankar said that the "neo-rich elite" and the "bhatkar" mentality of the government was working overtime to deprive the poor of their earnings since the latter depended on these low-end tourists who stayed in budget hotels and shacks and used taxis and motorcycles as transport.

Accusing the BJP-Goa Foward Party of being "anti-poor" and being unable to digest the prosperity of the middle and lower middle class, he alleged that Parrikar meticulously wound up mining in Goa because it was bringing riches to people in the lower economic strata.

"First, those who were dependent on the mining industry faced a disaster due to this government. Now, it is planning a similar fate for the people in the tourism sector who eke out their living from low-end tourists," he said.

He accused the government of trying to finish the "lower rung, middle-class" tourism to benefit casinos and five-star hotels.

Chodankar said that if a minuscule section of tourists were misbehaving and acting uncivilized, one couldn't paint everyone with the same brush, adding that it was an insult to fellow Indians who came to the state and contributed to its economy.

He said that the government, while unable to provide new employment opportunities, was snatching away existing ones as well. He claimed that it was a conspiracy against "Goenkarponn" or Goanness.

On Parrikar's statement on how he had begun to fear as now even girls were drinking beer, Chodankar said, "I do not wish to comment on this utter foolish statement on girls drinking beer as the IITian should know that any effects of alcohol are gender neutral and no law can ban only girls from drinking beer. Such statements only flow from an obsolete traditional mindset."
Movie actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has made it clear that any political alliance with superstar Rajinikanth is unlikely if his colour is 'saffron', in an apparent reference to the BJP

Cambridge (Massachusetts): Movie actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has made it clear that any political alliance with superstar Kamal Haasan is unlikely if his colour is "saffron", in an apparent reference to the BJP.

Haasan, who had recently announced his foray into the electoral politics, said that his "true purpose today is to challenge the status quo and mediocrity in politics, that is plaguing the state of Tamil Nadu."

Responding to a question on Rajinikanth joining politics, Haasan did not rule out an electoral alliance with him if there is some commonality of thoughts and ideas between them and similarities in their manifestos. But, he quickly referred to the sharp differences between them  on religion and on 'saffron', which was interpreted as the BJP.

"I hope Rajini's colour is not saffron. Alliance with Rajini is unlikely if his colour is saffron," Haasan said at the annual Indian conference of the prestigious Harvard University.

"I cannot see a clear understanding now," Haasan said when pressed by moderator Barkha Dutt on the sharp ideological differences he has with Rajinikanth.

But he kept the doors open.

"If necessary (I will hold hands with others)," Haasan said, noting that this is unlikely to be the case.

He also ruled out a post-poll alliance.

"If there is no majority, it's the people's verdict. Then I would not have to sit but stand and wait for the next time," he said, indicating that he would prefer to be in the Opposition if his party does not get a majority.

"The reason that I have started a new political party itself shows that I want to walk with the people and not politicians," he said.

"All is not well with Tamil Nadu," he said, slamming the current lot of political class in his state.

The entry of the two top Tamil film stars comes against the backdrop of a perceived vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics after former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's death in 2016 and the ill-health of DMK chief M Karunanidhi for over a year following which he was inactive in politics.

Responding to a question on the so-called love jihad, the actor said, "I think that a new revolution is on its way. I do not know about jihad, but love would triumph hate."

Haasan said Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party head Arvind Kejriwal had met him in Chennai and offered an alliance with his party.

"I intend to take it (the experience) not only from Mr Kejriwal but from others as well," he said.

In his keynote address, Haasan rued that there are status quo and mediocrity in Tamil Nadu.

Confident of raising funds for the elections, Haasan called upon the Tamil community across the world to come up with ideas. He will a major announcement on 21 February.

He also announced to adopt a village each in every district of the state as part of his objective to reimagining and rebuilding Tamil Nadu.

"I am announcing a plan of adopting a village in every district of Tail Nadu... With the vision of making them the best villages in the world," he said.

Hasan said that he will begin with one village and then scale up it to every district of Tamil Nadu.

The film star quoted Mahatma Gandhi's idea of a self-reliant and self-sustainable village.
Rahul Gandhi said while the Congress' Siddaramaiah government had a scam-free rule, the BJP had broken 'world records' in graft in Karnataka.

Koppal: Stepping up his attack on the BJP over the issue of corruption, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said while the Congress' Siddaramaiah government had a scam-free rule, the BJP had broken "world records" in graft in Karnataka.

The Congress president, continuing with the first leg of his poll campaign in north Karnataka for the second day, said when the BJP was in power in the state, there were "scams one after the other".

"In the last five years, there was not even a single scam, and during their (BJP) time there were scams one after the other, from mining to what not, different scams," he said.

At roadside meetings in Koppal district during his ongoing 'Janashirvad Yatra' ahead of Assembly polls in the state, Gandhi said, "Elections are coming, support the Congress party and Siddaramaiah. Once again bring our government here so that we can together work for you."

The Congress president, who is travelling by a special bus along with other state leaders, received an enthusiastic response from party workers and people who had gathered in large numbers on both sides of the road at different places.

Gandhi also alighted from the bus and walked some distance along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC President G Parameshwara at Kushtagi, giving anxious moments to security personnel as the surging crowds tried to get close to him.

At the public meetings, Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talking about corruption in Karnataka overlooking his own party's "track record" while running the government in the state.

Pointing out that the previous BJP government had seen three chief ministers, he said four ministers had gone to jail and had to resign.

"But still Modiji comes here and speaks about corruption against us," he said.

The BJP government in the state had seen three chief ministers  BS Yeddyurappa, Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar  in five years from 2008.

"The previous BJP government in Karnataka broke world records in corruption and they come here and talk on corruption pointing at us," he added.

Asking the people to support Congress in the coming elections, Gandhi urged them to thereby contribute towards the progress of Karnataka at a much "faster pace".

Claiming credit for implementing Article 371(J) of the Constitution, giving special status to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, where he is now on tour, he said during the NDA rule, then deputy prime minister LK Advani had said it (giving special status) could not be done, holding that it would open up a "Pandora's box" with others making similar demands.

Attacking the Central government for not waiving farmers' loans despite agrarian distress, Gandhi appreciated the Karnataka government's move writing off loans.

"This is the difference between the Congress and BJP," he said.

He targeted Modi on issues of unemployment, demonetisation and the GST, referring to the tax regime as the "Gabbar Singh Tax".
A week ahead of the 18 February Assembly elections, a sitting CPM MLA and candidate in Charilam in western Tripura died on Sunday evening due to cardiac arrest, an official said.

Agartala: A week ahead of the 18 February Assembly elections, a sitting CPM MLA and candidate in Charilam in western Tripura died on Sunday evening due to cardiac arrest, an official said.

"The sitting MLA and Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate for Charilam (Scheduled Tribe) seat, Ramendra Narayan Debbarma, died at the Gobinda Ballav Panth Medical College and Hospital, where he was admitted in the afternoon with chest pain," an Election Department official said.

The official said the election in Charilam would be countermanded as per electoral laws. There were five candidates, including Debbarma, in the fray.

Debbarma, 68, after his retirement from government service in 2012, had contested the 2013 Assembly polls from Charilam in western Tripura and won. The CPM renominated him this time.

CPM State Secretary Bijan Dhar expressed shock over the death.

The CPM-led Left Front has fielded Nimal Biswas as its candidate in Khowai seat in western Tripura in place of Biswajit Datta, who was hospitalised for a few days due to serious illness.

Biswas is a former State Secretary of the CPM's student wing Student Federation of India.

CPM candidate for Krishnapur (ST) and Fisheries Minister Khagendra Jamatia too remained admitted in GBP Medical College and Hospital for several days due to illness.

Polling will be held for the 60-seat Tripura Assembly on 18 February and counting of votes will be on 3 March.
IANS

In a reminder of the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, a Florida resident's Apple AirPod (right bud) caught fire and exploded, the media reported.

"Jason Colon of Tampa, Florida was listening to a dance mix at LA Fitness in St. Petersburg when he noticed something strange.

"He saw white smoke billowing out and left the AirPods on a piece of workout equipment and got help," NBC-affiliated channel WFLA-TV reported late on 9 February.

"I did not see it happen, but I mean, it was already fried! You can see flame damage," Colon was quoted as saying by the channel.

It is not clear what led to the incident but Apple is said to be investigating.

Notably, this is not the first time a popular device has gone up in flames.

At least half a dozen cases of Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus batteries swelling and phones left split-apart were reported in October 2017.

The first case was reported in Taiwan where a woman found her iPhone 8 swollen and in two pieces after plugging it in to charge.

In 2016, Samsung recalled Galaxy Note 7 after some devices caught fire due to a defect in the batteries.
IANS

US intelligence officials used Twitter to send "nearly a dozen" coded messages to a Russian spy who claimed to have in his possession the National Security Agency (NSA) data stolen by the hacking group called Shadow Brokers, the media reported.

The Russian was known to American and European officials for his ties to Russian intelligence and cybercriminals  two groups suspected in the theft of the NSA and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) hacking tools in the past, The New York Times reported this week.

The tweets were sent throughout 2017 and reportedly, the NSA officials would tell the Russian to expect public tweets in advance.

The tweets would appear plain to a lay person but they were coded messages either to signal an intent to make contact or to prove that it was involved and was open to further chats with the contact, Engadget reported on 9 February.

Some tweets were the usual self-promotion and others were historical facts, such as celebrating the 177th anniversary of the telegraph patent.

The NSA reportedly paid about $100,000 to the Russian in hopes of recovering Shadow Brokers data, but cut off the deal when he instead presented information claiming to link US President Donald Trump and associates to Russia.
Noted Pakistani lawyer and haman rights activist Asma Jahangir passed away on Sunday after a cardiac arrest, media reports said.

Noted Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jahangir passed away on Sunday after a cardiac arrest, media reports said.

Jahangir, who previously served as a UN Rapporteur of Freedom of religion or belief, was shifted on Saturday to a private hospital in Lahore, where she breathed her last, The News International reported.

Born in 1952, Jahangir was renowned for defending the rights of persecuted minorities in Pakistan.

"The eagle-eyed lawyer has championed battered wives, defended people accused of blasphemy, and sought justice for the victims of honour killings. These battles have won her admirers and enemies in great number," a 2013 Firstpost report noted.

After graduating from the University of the Punjab in 1978, she co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and was its chairperson between 2005 and 2010. She was also the first woman president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Jahangir, a Ramon Magsaysay award recipient, fought against the military regime of General Zia-ul-Haq and was imprisoned in 1983 for participating in the pro-democracy movement. She was known as a leading critic of the Pakistani establishment,

In 2013, a US intelligence report claimed that some military officials had planned to kill her during her 2012 India visit.
Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson stopped off in Myanmar on Sunday to press Aung San Suu Kyi on the need for an independent probe into violence in Rakhine state.

Naypyidaw: Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson stopped off in Myanmar on Sunday to press Aung San Suu Kyi on the need for an independent probe into violence in Rakhine state, as the country faces mounting pressure to punish troops accused of atrocities against the Muslim Rohingya.

Johnson met with the embattled Myanmar leader, whose reputation among the international community has crumbled over her handling of the Rohingya crisis, in the capital Naypyidaw while on a four-day tour in Asia.

The meeting followed Johnson's visit to a refugee camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, where nearly 700,000 Rohingya have sought sanctuary after fleeing a Myanmar army crackdown launched in northern Rakhine last August.

The UN has accused Myanmar security forces of driving the Muslim minority across the border in an ethnic cleansing campaign. Doctors Without Borders estimates at least 6,700 Rohingya died in the first month of violence.

But Myanmar has staunchly denied the charges and blocked UN investigators from the conflict zone, souring relations with a host of western allies.

Fresh reports of mass graves in Rakhine  and the arrest of two Reuters journalists investigating an alleged massacre  have heightened pressure on Suu Kyi to condemn the army, who she is in a delicate power-sharing arrangement with.

But the Nobel laureate has refused to change tack and is accused by critics of adopting a siege mentality.

On Sunday Johnson and Suu Kyi "discussed in an open and friendly manner the latest developments in Rakhine State, including planning for the reception of returnees who fled", Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a Facebook post alongside photos of the pair meeting.

Johnson, who later flew to Rakhine state, wrote on Twitter that he raised the "importance of (Myanmar) authorities in carrying out full & independent investigation into the violence in Rakhine".

Held talks with Aung San Suu Kyi. Discussed importance of Burmese authorities in carrying out full & independent investigation into the violence in #Rakhine & urgent need to create the right conditions for #Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Rakhine. pic.twitter.com/aUxwW0EWaZ  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 11, 2018

He said he also stressed the "urgent need to create the right conditions for Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Rakhine".

Myanmar and Bangladesh have inked a deal to bring back refugees, but repatriation has yet to begin.

Many Rohingya do not feel safe returning to a country where they have faced violent persecution and decades of discrimination at the hands of a state that has denied them citizenship.

Others have no home to return to after their villages were torched in the military crackdown.

After months of denying any abuses by its troops, Myanmar's military admitted in January that security officers had assisted with the killing of ten Rohingya men in Rakhine's Inn Din village.

That public admission followed the arrests of the two Myanmar journalists who were investigating the massacre and are now facing up 14 years in prison on charges of possessing secret documents.

Johnson is scheduled to fly on to Bangkok later Sunday for a visit that will include meetings with junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha and the Thai chairman of an advisory board on the Rohingya crisis.

The panel was thrown into the spotlight last month after veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson published a withering resignation letter saying he could not in "good conscience" sit on a board he feared would only "whitewash" the causes of the Rohingya crisis.
Police in Bolivia say six people were killed and dozens injured when a street vendor's gas canister exploded near the route of the Carnival in the city of Orura.

La Paz: Police in Bolivia say six people were killed and dozens injured when a street vendor's gas canister exploded near the route of the Carnival in the city of Oruro.

Deputy Commander Freddy Betancurt says the blast took place on a street parallel to where participants were making the folkloric entrance to Orura's Carnival, one of the most important in Bolivia. It created an expansive wave of at least 50 metres.

Betancurt said police believe Saturday's accident was caused by hot oil weakening the hose to the vendor's gas canister.

Regional police Commander Romel Rana said the explosion left six people dead and 28 injured.

Oruro's Carnival draws tourists from Bolivia and around the world, and was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.
Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson met with Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar's capital on Sunday to press for action on the Rohingya crisis

Naypyidaw: Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson met with Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar's capital on Sunday to press for action on the Rohingya crisis, as the country faces mounting pressure to punish troops accused of atrocities against the Muslim minority.

Johnson spoke with the embattled Myanmar leader, whose reputation among the international community has plunged over her handling of the crisis, in Naypyidaw while on a four-day tour in Asia.

The meeting followed Johnson's visit to a refugee camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, where nearly 700,000 Rohingya have sought sanctuary in squalid settlements since a Myanmar army crackdown in northern Rakhine last August.

The UN has accused Myanmar of driving the Muslim minority across the border in an ethnic cleansing campaign. Doctors Without Borders estimates at least 6,700 Rohingya died in the first month of violence.

But Myanmar has staunchly denied the charges and blocked UN investigators from the conflict zone, souring relations with a host of western allies.

Fresh reports of mass graves in Rakhine  and the arrest of two Reuters journalists investigating an alleged massacre  have heaped new pressure on Suu Kyi to condemn the army, who she is in a delicate power-sharing arrangement with.

But the Nobel laureate has refused to change tack and is accused by critics of bunkering down in a siege mentality.

On Sunday. Johnson and Suu Kyi "discussed in an open and friendly manner the latest developments in Rakhine State, including planning for the reception of returnees who fled", Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a Facebook post alongside photos of the pair meeting.

Ahead of the talks the UK's foreign office said Johnson would press for an "end to the suffering in Rakhine and the safe and voluntary return of the refugees".

Johnson is scheduled to visit Rakhine later on Sunday.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have inked a deal to bring refugees back to northern Rakhine, but repatriation has yet to begin.

Many Rohingya do not feel safe returning to a country where they have faced violent persecution and decades of discrimination at the hands of a state that has denied them citizenship.

Others have no home to return to after their villages were torched in the military crackdown.

Johnson is scheduled to fly on to Bangkok Sunday for a two-day visit that will include meetings with junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha and the Thai chairman of an advisory board on the Rohingya crisis.

Veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson dramatically stepped down from the board last month, saying he could not in "good conscience" sit on a panel he feared would only "whitewash" the causes of the Rohingya crisis.
20:32 (ist)

Rescuers say there are bodies 'everywhere'

One witness told The Sun there was an "explosion" while the plane was still in the air. Images on the internet show parts of the plane lying in a snowy field as rescuers described seeing bodies "everywhere". The explosion led to windows trembling, the witness said. Local sources also said that investigator were looking into whether one of the engines on the An-148 had exploded just 10 minutes after take-off.
A Russian domestic passenger plane crashed on the outskirts of the Russian capital on Sunday after taking off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport, Russian media reported.

In a massive aircraft accident, a Russian domestic passenger plane crashed on the outskirts of the Russian capital on Sunday after taking off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport, Russian media reported.

The Antonov An-148 plane operated by the domestic Saratov Airlines was flying to Orsk, a city in the Urals, and crashed in the Ramensky district outside Moscow.

Russian news agencies reported 65 passengers and 6 crew were on board.

Earlier, a BBC report had reported that the aircraft had vanished from radar screens after it left Moscow for the Urals.

CNN reports that rescue teams are on the way to the site where the plane is believed to have crashed.

A Reuters report quoted by NDTV says that the debris of the aircraft has been found and that there are no survivors.

With inputs from AFP
A passenger plane in Russia carrying 71 people crashed outside Moscow after taking off from the capital's Domodedovo airport, officials and local media said.

Moscow: A Russian passenger plane carrying 71 people crashed outside Moscow on Sunday after taking off from the capital's Domodedovo airport, officials and local media said.

The Antonov An-148 plane operated by the domestic Saratov Airlines was flying to Orsk, a city in the Urals, and crashed in the Ramensky district on the outskirts of Moscow. Russian news agencies reported 65 passengers and 6 crew were on board and all were feared dead.

News agencies said witnesses in the village of Argunovo saw a burning plane falling from the sky.

A source from Russia's emergency services told Interfax that the 71 people on board "had no chance" of survival.

President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to the families of those on board. "The president offers his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

State television aired a video of the crash site, showing parts of the wreckage in the snow. Russia has seen record high snowfalls in recent days and visibility was reportedly poor.

The Russian-made plane was 7 years-old and bought by Saratov Airlines from another Russian airline a year ago.

Russian media reported that the emergency services were unable to reach the crash site by road and that rescue workers walked to the scene on foot. Emergency services said in a statement that over 150 rescue workers were deployed to the site.

A source at Domodedovo, Moscow's second largest airport, told agencies that the plane disappeared from radars within two minutes of take off.

The Russian transport minister was on his way to the crash site, agencies reported. The transport ministry said several causes for the crash are being considered, including weather conditions and human error.

The governor of the Orenburg region, where the plane was flying to, told Russian media that "more than 60 people" onboard the plane were from the region.

Prosecutors opened an investigation into Saratov Airlines following the crash.

Plane crashes are common in Russia, where airlines often operate ageing aircraft in testing flying conditions.

A light aircraft crashed in November in Russia's far east, killing six people on board.

In December 2016 a military plane carrying Russia's famed Red Army Choir crashed after taking off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, killing all 92 people on board.

The choir had been due to give a concert to Russian troops operating in Syria.

Pilot error was blamed for that crash.

In March 2016, all 62 passengers died when a FlyDubai jet crashed in bad weather during an aborted landing at Rostov-on-Don airport.
In a major crash on Sunday, a Russian plane of Saratov Airlines carrying 71 people crashed after it went missing near Moscow following its take-off from the capital's Domodedovo airport, officials and local media said.

A Russian Saratov Airlines plane carrying 71 people crashed on Sunday after it went missing near Moscow following its take-off from the capital's Domodedovo airport, officials and local media said. Officials have confirmed that all 71 people on board are dead.

This was the second such incident in Russia in a little over a year. In December 2016, a military plane had crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 92 people.

#UPDATE Russian plane carrying 71 people crashes in Ramensky district on outskirts of Moscow, Russian media report https://t.co/vM7aGoKqTa  AFP news agency (@AFP) February 11, 2018

Saratov Airlines flight #6W703 has crashed about 5-6 minutes after take off from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. During the last seconds before it crashed the aircraft was falling with up to 22,000 feet per minute. The aircraft involved was a 7 year old Antonov An-148. pic.twitter.com/0ENfhyI9Ts  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 11, 2018

The Antonov An-148 plane operated by the domestic Saratov Airlines was flying to Orsk, a city in the Urals, and crashed in the Ramensky district on the outskirts of Moscow. Russian news agencies reported 65 passengers and six crew were on board and all were feared dead.

News agencies said witnesses in the village of Argunovo saw a burning plane falling from the sky.

A source from Russia's emergency services told Interfax that the 71 people on board "had no chance" of survival.

President Vladimir Putin offered "his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Soon after the incident was reported, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed also expressed his condolences on Twitter.

Deepest condolences on the tragic loss of life in today's air crash in Moscow. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2018

Russian state television aired a video of the crash site, showing parts of the wreckage in the snow.

Russia has seen record high snowfall in recent days and visibility was reportedly poor.

The Russian-made plane was reportedly seven years old and bought by Saratov Airlines from another Russian airline a year ago.

Russian media reported that the emergency services were unable to reach the crash site by road and that rescue workers walked to the scene on foot. Emergency services said in a statement that more than 150 rescue workers were deployed to the site.

A source at Domodedovo, Moscow's second largest airport, told agencies that the plane disappeared from radars within two minutes of takeoff.

The Russian transport minister was on his way to the crash site, agencies reported. The transport ministry said several causes for the crash were being considered, including weather conditions and human error.

The governor of the Orenburg region, where the plane was flying to, told Russian media that "more than 60 people" on board the plane were from the region.

Prosecutors opened an investigation into Saratov Airlines following the crash. Russia's Investigative Committee will consider all possible causes, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Saratov Airlines was founded in the 1930s and flies to 35 Russian cities. Its hub is Saratov Central Airport in southern Russia.

Local media website Ural56.ru in the Orenburg region showed footage of distressed relatives at Orsk airport, where the plane was due to land.

Andrei Odintsov, the mayor of the city of Orsk, told Russian state television that six psychologists and four ambulances with medics are working with the relatives in the small airport.

Orsk is the second biggest city in the Orenburg region, near Russia's border with Kazakhstan.

Russia has suffered numerous plane crashes, with airlines often operating ageing aircraft in dangerous flying conditions.

A light aircraft crashed in November in Russia's far east, killing six people on board.

In December 2016, a military plane carrying Russia's famed Red Army Choir crashed after taking off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, killing all 92 people on board. The choir had been due to give a concert to Russian troops operating in Syria.

Pilot error was blamed for that crash.

In March 2016, all 62 passengers died when a FlyDubai jet crashed in bad weather during an aborted landing at Rostov-on-Don airport.

With inputs from AFP
South Korean activists burned North Korea's flag near theatre in Seoul where Kim Jong-un's sister and the South's President were to watch a Northern musical display

Seoul: South Korean activists burned the North's flag on Sunday near a theatre where Kim Jong-un's sister and the South's President were to watch a Northern musical display in the culmination of their Olympic rapprochement.

Some 140 members of Pyongyang's Samjiyon Orchestra were to give a concert in Seoul as part of a cross-border deal in which the isolated, nuclear-armed North sent hundreds of athletes, cheerleaders and others to the Pyeongchang Winter Games in the South.

Kim on Saturday invited President Moon Jae-in to a summit in the North, an offer extended by his sister and special envoy Kim Yo Jong, who made history as the first member of the North's ruling dynasty to visit the South since the Korean War.

But the rapprochement pushed by the dovish Moon has angered conservatives who accuse him of being a North Korea sympathiser.

"Having these red communists in the heart of Seoul is an utter humilation!" one shouted near the venue as dozens of others waved banners condemning both Moon and Kim Jong-un.

"We are against the ugly political Olympics!" read one banner.

Some set a North Korean flag on fire before police intervened, and others chanted "Let's tear Kim Jong-un to death!" as they ripped up posters bearing his portrait.

The North's presence has dominated the headlines in the early days of the Olympics, with all eyes turning to Swiss- educated Kim Yo Jong, believed to be 30, who is among her brother's closest confidantes.

The protesters accuse Moon of allowing North Korea to stage its "propaganda" in Seoul and undermining the military alliance with the US.

Sunday's concert - the orchestra's second and final show -- was expected to feature South Korean pop songs as well as North Korean music, and to be watched by Moon, Kim Yo Jong, and Kim Yong Nam, the North's ceremonial head of state, who has become technically its highest-level official ever to visit the South.

Public interest in the show was huge, with nearly 120,000 people applying for just 1,000 tickets.

Civilian contact is strictly banned between the two Koreas, which have technically remained at war since the 1950 -53 Korean War ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty.

Tensions soared last year as the North staged a series of nuclear and missile tests in violation of UN resolutions, while leader Kim and US President Donald Trump traded colourful insults and threats of war.

Moon has long sought engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table, and for months has promoted Pyeongchang as a "peace Olympics".
Syrian regime air strikes killed six civilians including two children overnight in Eastern Ghouta after a day of respite from deadly bombardment of the rebel enclave,

Beirut: Syrian regime air strikes killed six civilians including two children overnight in Eastern Ghouta after a day of respite from deadly bombardment of the rebel enclave, a monitor said on Sunday.

Since 5 February, President Bashar al-Assad's regime has intensified its bombardment of the besieged region outside Damascus, killing more than 245 civilians including dozens of children.

On Saturday, the Damascus government eased up its strikes on Eastern Ghouta as it faced Israeli air raids on what Israel said were regime and Iranian targets inside the country. But the regime raids picked up again on Saturday night, killing six civilians and wounding more than 50 others, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

Five of those, including two children, were killed in the region's main town of Douma, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. Western powers have expressed alarm over the government's campaign against Eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people have been besieged since 2013, facing severe food and medicine shortages.

The UN Security Council is considering a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow for urgent

deliveries of humanitarian aid, according to the text seen by AFP on Friday.

Sweden and Kuwait presented the measure that would also demand an immediate end to sieges, including in Eastern

Ghouta. Negotiations on the proposed measure are to begin on Monday, and diplomats said it could quickly come to a vote at the council.

Syria's war has killed more than 340,000 people and displaced millions since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal

repression of anti-government protests.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate de-escalation in Syria after Israel carried out raids inside the war-torn country.

United Nations: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate de-escalation in Syria after Israel carried out raids inside the war-torn country.

Guterres is "following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Israel targeted what it said were Iranian positions inside Syria after one of its warplanes was hit by Syrian air defences and crashed.

The Israeli raids came after it intercepted what it said was an Iranian drone entering its airspace.

Guterres stressed that all concerned in Syria and in the region must abide by international law.

"He calls on all to work for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence and exercise restraint," Dujarric said.

It was the most serious confrontation between Iran and Israel since Syria's war began in 2011 and came amid growing alarm over Syrian government offensives against rebel-held Eastern Ghouta and Idlib.

The Syrian people are suffering "though one of the most violent periods in nearly seven years of conflict," said the UN statement.

"Over 1,000 civilian casualties from airstrikes were reported in the first week of February alone."

Guterres urged the parties to move quickly toward a political solution to end the war.

Israel's Ambassador Danny Danon called on the Security Council "to condemn this dangerous act and to put an immediate end to Iranian provocations."

Diplomats, however, said there were no immediate plans to convene a council meeting despite the sharp rise in tensions.

The council is due to discuss the crisis in Syria on Wednesday.
Underlining that the political crisis in Maldives poses a threat to India's security, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Sunday urged the government to act immediately.

New Delhi: Underlining that the political crisis in Maldives poses a threat to India's security, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Sunday urged the government to act immediately and said it should not remain a "mute spectator" with China strengthening its presence in the island nation.

Speaking to reporters at his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Noida, Sinha said the Indian government has diplomatic options, non-diplomatic options and it must exercise those in order to ensure India's security is not threatened amid the crisis in Maldives.

Sinha, expressing his views on behalf of the Rashtra Manch  a new political platform he launched last month, said that the impression till now has been that "things have been allowed to drift".

He urged the government to act as it was the "best judge" of the situation and that every hour now was "precious".

"What's happening in Maldives is a threat to India's national security. Highest numbers of people (on per capita basis) from Maldives have joined the Islamic State. These people will return to our nearest neighbour (Maldives) when Islamic State is wiped out, posing threat to us," the former external affairs minister argued.

To a question whether India should consider sending troops to the island country, Sinha said that is one of the options. But, he added, that the government should select its option carefully.

The main concern is that time is not lost while India acts, Sinha said.

"We need not ask any nation before we act. Like in Bangladesh's case we have seen, if we act, world respects you. But if you don't, they will take you as weak and you keep taking advice," he said.

Sinha said that there were reports that China has already "taken over" 17-18 islands which were part of Maldives and asserted that it was a "matter of most serious concern".

"That Chinese should come and right under our nose, in our backyard, play these games, India should not remain a mute spectator," he said.

Sinha also said that both the present NDA and the previous UPA governments did not act "decisively" when it came to Maldives, which he claimed had become "hostile" to India. He cited the example of how an Indian company operating at Male airport was "thrown out".

"We didn't intervene then too (during UPA regime). So the Maldives government is since feeling that India is finding itself as weak and not acting tough. Hence, it (Maldives) feels it can do what it wants," Sinha said.

The island nation, which has seen several political crises since the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed in 2012, plunged into chaos recently when the Supreme Court there ordered the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were "politically motivated and flawed".

India had earlier described as a matter of "concern" the arrests of the chief justice and political figures there. However, earlier this week, the Supreme Court had revoked its order on the release of the opposition politicians.
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WILMINGTON, Del., Feb 11 (Reuters) - Takata Corp's U.S. unit reached a settlement with its creditors, lawyers for those injured by its deadly air bags and automakers that smoothes the way to end its Chapter 11 bankruptcy and sell its viable operations, according to court papers.

The Japanese company's air bags can explode with too much force and have been linked to hundreds of injuries and at least 21 deaths, prompting the largest recall in automotive history and forcing Takata and its U.S. unit, TK Holdings Inc, into bankruptcy.

The U.S. unit was gearing up for a court fight starting on Tuesday to get a judge's approval for its plan to exit bankruptcy over the opposition of a committee for injured drivers and a separate committee of unsecured creditors.

However, those two committees, automakers and Key Safety Systems, which is acquiring the viable business lines of Takata, reached a deal that resolves the biggest objections to the plan, according to court documents filed on Saturday.

Under the agreement, a trust will be established to pay compensation for those injured or killed by the air bags, which will be funded in part by automakers surrendering some of their claims against Takata.

The 13 automakers which joined the agreement include General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co, Toyota Motor Corp , and the U.S. affiliates of Honda Motor Co Ltd and Volkswagen AG.

An amended plan of reorganization that incorporates the settlements will be filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court soon, according to Takata's U.S. unit.

A spokesman for the U.S. unit and lawyers for the committee of injured drivers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Takata proposed the trust last year, with compensation payments based on the injury, ranging from $10,000 for bruising to $5 million for death or loss of eyesight, according to court documents.

If the agreement is approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware, an injunction will prevent injured drivers from suing the automakers that joined the agreement.

A lawyer appointed to represent drivers who will be injured in the future also joined the settlement, as did Key Safety Systems, a unit of China's Ningo Joyson Electric Corp .

Key Safety Systems plans to acquire Takata's viable operations for $1.6 billion. The proceeds will fund restitution claims for automakers and help pay personal injury and wrongful death claims as part of a plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice.

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
The Latest on President Donald Trump's budget proposal (all times local):

9 p.m.

President Donald Trump's budget for the 2019 fiscal year surpasses $4 trillion and seeks big increases in money to combat the opioid epidemic and billions for his long-promised border wall.

The budget was written before last Friday's budget pact, making the fiscal plan being released Monday all but irrelevant.

In a preview of the 2019 budget, the White House says it will ask for a $13 billion increase over two years for opioid prevention, treatment and long-term recovery.

Trump also is requesting $23 billion for border security, including $18 billion for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition, the money would pay for more detention beds for detained immigrants.

Border security funding may well depend on legislation dealing with young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

___

4:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump's 2019 budget heading for Congress is already outdated, thanks to last Friday's bipartisan budget deal.

The president's proposed fiscal blueprint was completed before the budget pact delivered a two-year, almost $300 billion increase above prior "caps" on spending. That separate agreement drives a stake into White House promises last year to take a meat ax to domestic agencies and eventually bring the budget back into the black.

The 2019 budget to be unveiled Monday was designed to double down on last year's proposals to slash foreign aid, the Environmental Protection Agency, home heating assistance and other nondefense programs funded by Congress each year.

Trump would again spare Social Security retirement benefits and Medicare.

___

11:37 a.m.

President Donald Trump's budget director says the budget that the administration sends to Congress on Monday will seek to move some of the billions of dollars in extra spending that Congress approved last week to areas that will reflect the president's priorities.

Budget Director Mick Mulvaney says the administration's budget plan will include $3 billion for the wall along the southern border that Trump has made a priority, but there will be a contingency for $25 billion in spending on the wall over two years if Congress passes legislation to deal with young immigrants known as Dreamers.

Mulvaney acknowledged the new spending approved last week will result in annual deficits in future years of $1 trillion and higher, but he says the administration will propose ways to avoid that fate.
New York's attorney general is accusing Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein of "repeatedly and persistently" sexually harassing female employees at his film company, according to a lawsuit filed on Sunday by the state prosecutor that could impact the company's potential sale.

"As alleged in our complaint, The Weinstein Company repeatedly broke New York law by failing to protect its employees from pervasive sexual harassment, intimidation, and discrimination," state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in court papers filed against Weinstein and the company.

Schneiderman launched a civil rights probe into the New York City-based company in October after The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed allegations of sexual assault and harassment spanning decades.

Weinstein's attorney, Ben Brafman, released a statement Sunday evening saying many of the allegations against his client are "without merit."

"While Mr. Weinstein's behavior was not without fault, there certainly was no criminality, and at the end of the inquiry it will be clear that Harvey Weinstein promoted more women to key executive positions than any other industry leader and there was zero discrimination at either Miramax or TWC," Brafman said.

Scores of women, including well-known actresses, have come forward with stories of forced sexual encounters. Weinstein was fired by the film company he founded with his brother Robert and expelled from Hollywood's movie academy.

The attorney general's office said the lawsuit was filed on Sunday partly due to reports of the company's imminent sale, saying it believed it would leave victims without adequate redress.

"Any sale of The Weinstein Company must ensure that victims will be compensated, employees will be protected going forward, and that neither perpetrators nor enables will be unjustly enriched," court papers said.

Schneiderman's investigation found that employees were subjected to various verbal threats from Weinstein such as "I will kill you, I will kill your family, and "you don't know what I can do."

"To work for Harvey Weinstein was to work under a persistent barrage of gender-based obscenities, vulgar name-calling, sexualized interactions, threats of violence, and a workplace general hostile to women," according to court papers.

In one case, the probe found that "in a fit of rage against one female employee, he yelled that she should leave the company and make babies since that was all she was good for."

Female executives were forced to facilitate Weinstein's sexual conquests with promises of employment opportunities to women who met his favor, according to the lawsuit, which also accused the company of being "responsible for the unlawful conduct" by failing to stop the abuse.

The company and co-owner Robert "are liable because they were aware of and acquiesced in repeated and persistent unlawful conduct by failing to investigate or stop it," court papers said.

Representatives for Weinstein have previously denied all accusations of non-consensual sex.
Turkey's foreign ministry criticized Cyprus again Sunday for a "unilateral" offshore hydrocarbons search after Turkish warships prevented an Italian rig from reaching an area off the east Mediterranean island nation where it was to start exploratory drilling for gas.

Turkish warships on Friday stopped a rig belonging to the Italian energy firm ENI as it headed toward an area southeast of Cyprus.

Turkey, in a statement Sunday, said Greek Cypriots were disregarding the "inalienable rights on natural resources" of Turkish Cypriots and jeopardizing the region's stability.

Turkey's foreign ministry said the Cyprus government was acting like "the sole owner of the island" and warned it would be responsible for any consequences. It also urged foreign companies not to support the Cyprus' government's activities.

Cyprus was split into an internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and keeps more than 35,000 troops in the north.

An ENI spokesman told The Associated Press that the Turkish warships told the rig not to continue because there would be military activities at its destination. The spokesman said the rig would remain where it stopped until the situation is resolved.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said Sunday that Cypriot authorities are taking actions that will neither lead to an escalation of tensions nor overlook the fact that Turkey was violating international law.

The Cyprus government says a gas search is its sovereign right and that any potential hydrocarbon wealth generated will be equitably shared among all Cypriots after the island is reunified.

Italy's ENI, France's TOTAL and ExxonMobil of the U.S. are among the companies licensed to search for hydrocarbons off Cyprus' southern coast.

Last week, Cyprus announced that ENI and partner TOTAL had discovered a potentially sizeable gas field off its southwestern coast that's close to Egypt's Zohr deposit, which is the largest ever discovered in the Mediterranean.

In earlier drilling, Texas-based Noble Energy discovered a field off Cyprus estimated to hold more than 4 trillion cubic feet of gas.

___

Bilginsoy reported from Istanbul.
CNN is getting dragged online for writing a glowing puff piece about North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns sister appearing at the Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea  with a headline claiming she was stealing the show.

The article, published Saturday afternoon, began with these cooing words about the woman who gave South Korean President Moon Jae-in an invite to visit North Korea:

If diplomatic dance were an event at the Winter Olympics, Kim Jong Uns younger sister would be favored to win gold. With a smile, a handshake and a warm message in South Koreas presidential guest book, Kim Yo Jong has struck a chord with the public just one day into the PyeongChang Games.

It barely referenced the North Korean regime's murderous ways -- and critics called out CNN for it. Still, despite the almost-immediate backlash from people on both sides of the political aisle, CNN has not taken down its story.

When Fox News reached out for comment, CNN would not say whether it would remove the story or discipline any editors over the controversial article.

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo defended his left-leaning network by throwing in a dig at President Donald Trump. He tweeted to one reader, You dont think having a President who lies about what is fake and actively maligns the free press out of convenience is a bigger reason for animosity toward us than how some decide to cover this?

He also bashed a Reuters story on Kim Yo Jong, writing, This is a murderous regime that is stifling a population. Progress has to be evidenced by a lot more than this no?

Jonathan Chait, writer for New York magazine, mockingly cheered the CNN piece: Also stealing her countrys meager wealth to live in opulence while they starve. But doing it in style. You go, girl!

Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin chimed in, tweeting: Next up: An EXCLUSIVE @CNN investigative report on Kim Jong Uns sisters workout playlist, favorite boba tea flavors, and nighttime skin care routine. #SLAYGIRLFRIEND

Fox News Brit Hume tweeted: Does this puff piece mean shes gotten over her dictator brothers murder of her other brother?

Speaking for the millennial audience, David Mack of BuzzFeed tweeted: yasss kweeen! werk it as you oppress your people! gettttt that crime against humanity, gurlllll!

The CNN piece did mention at one point that Kim Yo Jong's brother, the North Korean Supreme Leader, has ruled with an iron fist since coming to power, running prison camps and killing senior officers to preserve his power.

The article did not mention the reign of terror brought about by their father, Kim Jong Il.

The New York Times put out a story of its own about Kim Yo Jong on Sunday. It included quotes from multiple critics slamming the dictatorship.

Kim Yo Jong, 30, is an increasingly prominent figure in her brothers government and the first member of the Norths ruling family to visit the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. The North Korean delegation to the Olympics in Pyeongchang also included the countrys 90-year-old head of state, Kim Yong Nam.

In dispatching the highest level of government officials the North has ever sent to the South, Kim Jong Un revealed a sense of urgency to break out of deep diplomatic isolation in the face of toughening sanctions over his nuclear program.

Honestly, I didnt know I would come here so suddenly. I thought things would be strange and very different, but I found a lot of things being similar, Kim said while proposing a toast at Sundays dinner, according to the office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Heres to hoping that we could see the pleasant people (of the South) again in Pyeongchang and bring closer the future where we are one again.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hollywood actor Robert De Niro blasted the Trump administrations stance on climate change, calling America a backward country during a speech Sunday in the Middle East.

De Niro, a frequent critic of President Trump, said that in the country hes describing, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency suggested last week that global warming may be a good thing for humanity.

I am talking about my own country, the United States of America. We dont like to say we are a backward country so lets just say we are suffering from a case of temporary insanity, he said during remarks Sunday at the World Government Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

EPA Chief Scott Pruitt, who has said in the past that carbon dioxide is not to blame for global warming, noted last week that a warming climate may not be so bad.

We know humans have most flourished during times of warming trends. There are assumptions made that because the climate is warming that necessarily is a bad thing, Pruitt said during an interview with KSNV in Las Vegas.

Although the EPA itself is unequivocal that a warming planet, and resulting environmental changes, is a danger to society and will likely lead to more fires, floods and other disasters, Pruitt questioned whether we know enough about how much temperatures will actually rise.

Do we know what the ideal surface temperature should be in the year 2100 or year 2018? he told the Nevada TV station. Its fairly arrogant for us to think we know exactly what it should be in 2100.

Trump has questioned the science of climate change a few times, tweeting during a cold snap late last year that America could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against.

ROBERT DE NIRO ATTACKS TRUMP IN PROFANE RANT AT AWARDS GALA

National security experts in America and globally have warned that climate change will be one of the top humanitarian challenges facing our speciesas millions of people are forced to adapt or migrate due to rising seas or frequent weather disasters in a warmer world.

De Niro, who called Trump a f---ing fool and other expletive-laced adjectives during a speech introducing Meryl Streep at the National Board of Review awards gala in January, drew applause and laughs when he told the gathered audience at Dubais World Government Summit that America will eventually cure itself by voting our dangerous leader out of office.

Since being installed by Trump to lead the EPA, Pruitt has overseen the repeal or delay of dozens of environmental rules, including the Obama administrations clean power plan, which sought to curb greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants.

There was a declared war on coal, a war on fossil fuels, Pruitt said in his Nevada interview. The EPA was weaponized against certain sectors of our economy and thats not the role of a regulator. Renewables need to be part of our energy mix, but to think that will be the dominant fuel is simply fanciful.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Florida police officer who claimed he was ousted from a McDonalds drive-thru on Friday for his profession said he was shocked and disappointed at how the fast-food worker treated him.

Lt. Tim Lancaster, of the Palm Bay Police Department, wrote on Facebook that on Feb. 9 he ordered lunch at a McDonalds in Palm Bay. He paid for his meal at the drive-thrus first window, and drove to the second window to pick up his food.

Lancaster, a 23-year veteran of the force, stated that once he got to the second window  while decked out in a full uniform and [inside] an unmarked car  the employee looked at me with my drink in hand and stopped.

The McDonalds employee, according to Lancaster, handed his drink to another employee and walked away in disgust. The employee told Lancaster that the clerk who dissed him doesnt serve cops.

I was embarrassed and upset, Lancaster wrote, adding he brought the issue to the restaurants general manager, who said hed address the situation.

Lancasters post  in which he said he stated he will never eat at a McDonalds again  has been shared almost 6,000 times.

I never thought Id be at a point in my career when Id see something like this, the officer told Florida Today. But, he also said he thought McDonalds would handle the situation appropriately.

OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN 2018

A McDonalds corporation spokesperson told the news outlet that the company had respect for all first responders and was looking into the incident. The behavior described in this Facebook post is unacceptable and not tolerated in our restaurant, the spokesperson added.

It would not be the first time a fast-food worker gave police the cold shoulder -- far from it.

A McDonalds employee at a Virginia restaurant was fired in July for not serving a police officer. The officers wife told Fox & Friends the employee told her husband: I aint serving no police.

In August, a Dunkin Donuts worker at a New York City store reportedly told two NYPD officers that he doesnt serve cops.

And, a Texas Whataburger employee who alleged that cops beat up my boyfriend and are racist was fired after she failed to serve two police officers.
Sony Pictures Entertainment has issued an apology over a controversial scene in its new film "Peter Rabbit," during which a character with an allergy to blackberries is attacked with the offending foodstuff.

Food allergies are a serious issue," wrote representatives for Sony Pictures Entertainment, reports The New York Times. "Our film should not have made light of Peter Rabbits archnemesis, Mr. McGregor, being allergic to blackberries, even in a cartoonish, slapstick way.

We sincerely regret not being more aware and sensitive to this issue, and we truly apologize," the statement concluded.

OFFICER CLAIMS MCDONALD'S WORKER REFUSED TO SERVE HIM

The new film "Peter Rabbit," based on Beatrix Potters childrens book of the same name, was released on Feb. 9, but soon began receiving backlash on social media over its treatment of the allergy-afflicted character.

In the film, Mr. McGregor, Peter Rabbits enemy, passes away and his nephew Tom comes to oversee the vegetable patch and exterminate the vermin.

It is Tom McGregor, the villain of the film, whom the audience  and Peter Rabbit  learns has an allergy to blackberries. In one scene, the rabbits throw blackberries at Tom, aiming for his mouth. Tom goes into anaphylactic shock and turns red before stabbing himself with an EpiPen.

A charity organization called Allergy UK has since said the scene mocks allergy sufferers, and is an irresponsible move on the part of the filmmakers.

Carla Jones, the charitys CEO, told the Telegraph: Anaphylaxis can and does kill. To include a scene in a childrens film that includes a serious allergic reaction and not to do it responsibly is unacceptable, as is bullying.

Mocking allergic disease shows a complete lack of understanding of the seriousness of food allergy and trivialises the challenges faced by those who live with this condition, particularly parents who live in fear of their child suffering a life threatening reaction.

Jones also said they will be communicating with the production company about the films withdrawal.

Others who feel the film is grossly offensive have taken to Twitter with the hashtag #boycottpeterrabbit.

Please update your Peter Rabbit listing to warn parents of kids with food allergies about the violent food allergy bullying scene. Pure and unnecessary violence. #BoycottPeterRabbit, one wrote on Twitter.

Food allergies are serious- we must educate children to be aware and respectful #FoodAllergies #Bullying, another wrote.

4 WEIRD THINGS THAT MAY TRIGGER FOOD ALLERGIES IN ADULTS

A Change.org petition was started to ask for Sony Pictures to apologize, called the scene allergy bullying. The petition also says the film mocks the seriousness of allergic disease and is heartbreakingly disrespectful to the families of those that have lost loved ones to anaphylaxis. The petition had attracted a little over 10,000 signatures as of Monday morning, around 5,000 shy of its goal.

The Food Allergy Research & Education organization also warned families on their Facebook about the allergy scene:

PLEASE BE ADVISED:

Reviews of the movie Peter Rabbit as well as personal accounts from members of our community indicate there is a scene in the new family film released this weekend in which a character experiences a life-threatening reaction after being purposely targeted with his allergen. Feedback from members of the food allergy community on this scene, including the depiction of the character being treated with epinephrine, is mixed. We want to make you aware that viewing this scene may be upsetting to some children, and are sharing the feedback we have received so that families are able to make an informed choice before seeing this movie.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX TRAVEL NEWS

While many have come out in support of the boycott, there have been dissenters, however, who have called the concerned parents snowflakes.

Peak snowflake, one wrote about the controversy.

I think that being PC goes a little too far these days #PeterRabbit Peter Rabbit film criticised for depicting 'allergy bullying, another wrote.

Meanwhile, nearly 1 in 13 children in America are reported to have a food allergy.
In a surprise reversal, the maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin said Saturday that it will stop promoting opioid drugs to doctors.

Manufacturer Purdue bowed to a key demand of lawsuits that blame the Connecticut-based company for helping trigger the opioid epidemic.

The company's statement said it eliminated more than half its sales staff this week and will no longer send sales representatives to doctors' offices to discuss opioid drugs.

Its remaining sales staff of about 200 will focus on other medications.

"The genie is already out of the bottle," said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, director of opioid policy research at Brandeis University and an advocate for stronger regulation of opioid drug companies. "Millions of Americans are now opioid-addicted because the campaign that Purdue and other opioid manufacturers used to increase prescribing worked well. "

He said Purdue's decision is helpful, but it won't make a major difference unless other opioid drug companies do the same.

WEST VIRGINIA CALLS IN NATIONAL GUARD TO TACKLE OPIOID CRISIS

"We would have more success in encouraging cautious prescribing if drug companies stopped promoting aggressive prescribing," he told the Los Angeles Times.

U.S. deaths linked to opioids have quadrupled since 2000 to roughly 42,000 in 2016, or about 115 lives lost per day. More than 7 million Americans are estimated to have abused OxyContin since its 1996 debut, the Times reported.

The report said states where OxyContin abuse rates were the highest "experienced the largest increases in heroin deaths," a research from Penns Wharton School and Rand said.

OxyContin has long been the world's top-selling opioid painkiller, bringing in billions in sales for the privately-held company.

HERBAL SUPPLEMENT KRATOM CONTAINS OPIOIDS, REGULATORS SAY

Eventually, Purdue acknowledged that its promotions exaggerated the drug's safety and minimized the risks of addiction.

"They are still doing this abroad," Kolodny said of their international arm Mundipharma. "They are following the same playbook that they used in the United States."

Purdue and other opioid drugmakers and pharmaceutical distributors continue defending themselves against hundreds of local and state lawsuits seeking to hold the industry accountable for the drug overdose epidemic.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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I recently had dinner in Beijing with a close friend. We chatted about work, travels and kids. Like me, she is a professor and a mom. Unlike me, she is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

I thought of my friend recently when President Trump described China during his State of the Union address as a rival that challenges our interests, our economy and our values.

The economic, security and geopolitical challenges of a rising China are certainly serious and should be met with a strong response. At the same time, concerns are stirring about a broader anti-Chinese backlash in the U.S. Earlier this month, my fellow Fulbright Scholarship recipient Wang Xiaofeng warned of this in an op-ed in Caixin Global News (a Chinese website).

The op-ed was headlined: Understanding Americas China-Phobia. Wang wrote: Why is Chinas business activity in the U.S. often linked to national security risks, with typical China-phobic rhetoric? Why does the panic towards Chinese economic influence still prevail in the U.S., even as the two countries economies become increasingly interconnected?

Concern that protecting national interests can tip towards xenophobia is not limited to U.S. relations with China. The post-World War II anti-Communist Red Scare and the Trump administrations travel bans targeting some Muslim-majority countries underscore this point.

Nor is anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States new, as epitomized by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States.

What is cause for concern today is that we have entered a period when disagreements between the governments of China and the United States threaten to breed hostility between their citizens.

The Chinese government  meaning the Chinese Communist Party, which has a monopoly on power  is increasingly assertive abroad and repressive at home. I am a vocal critic of its rampant human rights violations.

However, I also believe that we need to distinguish the Chinese government from the approximately 1.4 billion Chinese citizens. During my time living abroad, I have appreciated when people treat me as an individual. I am American, but I am not America.

Likewise, using China is a convenient shorthand, but it lumps together the many viewpoints of people who hold Chinese citizenship. At this moment of escalating tensions, individual Americans and Chinese need to forge relationships rather than resign ourselves to existing as rivals.

Despite threats to slash the budget for the flagship Fulbright Program, the Trump administration recognized the importance of people-to-people ties at the inaugural U.S.-China Social and Cultural Dialogue held in September, stating that exchanges between the United States and China  have been effective at building understanding, breaking down barriers to a more constructive relationship, and connecting our peoples.

As Sen. J. William Fulbright explained of the program bearing his name, it aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby to increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship.

People-to-people ties are not a panacea for the tensions between the United States and China. President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will not end up holding hands and singing Kumbaya around the proverbial campfire because of increased interactions among their countries citizens.

Interpersonal contacts can, however, cultivate a more nuanced understanding of the various facets of the bilateral relationship. They can also encourage an appreciation for why individual Chinese citizens support or oppose the current leadership, and why many are hesitant to express political opinions outside of intimate conversations.

I do not necessarily agree with the decisions that my friend in the Chinese Communist Party has made, but I understand why she has made them.

Pushing past a simplistic China-as-rival mentality does not require befriending a member of the nations Communist Party. Start today by picking up one of these books or checking out the many excellent online resources such as SupChina, Women and Gender in China (WAGIC), ChinaFile, and Sixth Tone.

Then reach out to learn about China, in person, from people from China. Invite one of the hundreds of thousands of Chinese students studying in the United States to lunch. Attend an event with a speaker from China hosted by a local world affairs council or university.

If your resources allow, visit China with an inquisitive attitude that takes you beyond the normal off-and-on bus visits to tourist sites. The more numerous and varied the contacts between American and Chinese citizens, the better the chance of breaking down a monolithic us-versus-them mentality and tackling disagreements in an informed, thoughtful and dignified manner.

The health of the long-term U.S.-China relationship depends on the strength of interpersonal bonds. I started studying Chinese in the fall of 1989. It was an unusual choice, especially in the wake of the massacre of demonstrators in Tiananmen Square and other areas of Beijing.

My choice was less surprising when viewed from the perspective that an exchange teacher from Shanghai had lived with my family. At the dinner table, I gained a glimpse into the complexities of life in China through her gradual revealing of personal struggles as an intellectual during the tumultuous decades after the beginning of Communist rule in China.

Three decades later, we need people from the United States and China sitting down for dinner together now more than ever.
Jim Messina, a former campaign manager for Barack Obama, apparently isn't one to mince words.

During an appearance Friday on MSNBCs Morning Joe, Messina spoke about the irrelevance of public polls so early in an election year, Mediaite reported.

Then he underscored the point to host Joe Scarborough.

"Joe, you know how I feel about public polls," he said. "I think all public pollsters should be shot.

Messina said there were other, more important yardsticks at this point to determine a candidate's viability.

What you care more about is passion and intensity, he said. When I ran President Obamas campaign, the number I looked at every day was intensity. Are my voters more motivated than Republican voters?

He said in the interview that our voters are more intense, the report said.

Messina said recent Democratic electoral performances in Missouri, New Jersey and Virginia demonstrate that intensity levels are in the Democrats,' the Washington Times reported.

A recent column by Fox News contributor Jen Kerns, however, may have revealed the source of Messina's frustration.

According to Kerns, new polling shows that Democrats have lost a recent 15-point lead over Republicans, dropping to only a 2-point lead heading toward the 2018 midterms.
The Amtrak passenger rail line receives more than $1 billion in annual federal subsidies, but private railroads own 97 percent of the tracks upon which Amtrak trains travel.

As part of the relationship between the publicly financed passenger rail service and the private carriers, its the tax-supported railroad that will typically foot the legal bill when accidents happen  even when a private railroad is at fault, the Associated Press reported.

So as federal investigators look at how crews from privately owned CSX routed an Amtrak train into a parked freight train in Cayce, S.C., last weekend, tax-supported Amtrak will likely end up paying crash victims' legal claims with public money -- even if CSX should bear sole responsibility for the accident, AP reported.

Both Amtrak and freight railroads fight to keep their contracts secret in legal proceedings, AP reported. But whatever the precise legal language, plaintiffs' lawyers and former Amtrak officials say Amtrak generally bears the full cost of damages to its trains, passengers, employees and other crash victims -- even in instances where crashes occurred as the result of a freight rail company's negligence or misconduct.

Railroad industry advocates say that freight railways have ample incentive to keep their tracks safe for their employees, customers and investors. But the Surface Transportation Board and even some federal courts have long concluded that allowing railroads to escape liability for gross negligence is bad public policy.

The freight railroads don't have an iron in the fire when it comes to making the safety improvements necessary to protect members of the public," said Bob Pottroff, a Manhattan, Kan., rail injury attorney who has sued CSX on behalf of an injured passenger from the Cayce crash. "They're not paying the damages."

"The freight railroads don't have an iron in the fire when it comes to making the safety improvements necessary to protect members of the public. They're not paying the damages."  Bob Pottroff, rail injury attorney, Manhattan, Kan.

Beyond CSX's specific activities in the hours before the accident, the company's safety record has deteriorated in recent years, according to a standard metric provided by the Federal Railroad Administration. Since 2013, CSX's rate of major accidents per million miles traveled has jumped by more than half, from 2 to 3.08 -- significantly worse than the industry average. And rail passenger advocates raised concerns after the CSX CEO at the time pushed hard last year to route freight more directly by altering its routes.

CSX denied that safety had slipped at the company, blaming the change in the major accident index on a reduction of total miles traveled combined with changes in its cargo and train length.

"Our goal remains zero accidents," CSX spokesman Bryan Tucker wrote in a statement provided to the AP. CSX's new system of train routing "will create a safer, more efficient railroad resulting in a better service product for our customers," he wrote.

Amtrak's ability to offer national rail service is governed by separately negotiated track usage agreements with 30 different railroads. All the deals share a common trait: They're "no fault," according to a September 2017 presentation delivered by Amtrak executive Jim Blair as part of a Federal Highway Administration seminar.

No fault means Amtrak takes full responsibility for its property and passengers and the injuries of anyone hit by a train. The "host railroad" that operates the tracks must only be responsible for its property and employees. Blair called the decades-long arrangement "a good way for Amtrak and the host partners to work together to get things resolved quickly and not fight over issues of responsibility."

Amtrak declined to comment on Blair's presentation. But Amtrak's history of not pursuing liability claims against freight railroads doesn't fit well with federal officials and courts' past declarations that the railroads should be held accountable for gross negligence and willful misconduct.

After a 1987 crash in Chase, Md., in which a Conrail train crew smoked marijuana then drove a train with disabled safety features past multiple stop signals and into an Amtrak train -- killing 16 -- a federal judge ruled that forcing Amtrak to take financial responsibility for "reckless, wanton, willful, or grossly negligent acts by Conrail" was contrary to good public policy.

Conrail paid. But instead of taking on more responsibility going forward, railroads went in the opposite direction, recalls a former Amtrak board member who spoke to the AP. After Conrail was held responsible in the Chase crash, he said, Amtrak got "a lot of threats from the other railroads."

The former board member requested anonymity because he said that Amtrak's internal legal discussions were supposed to remain confidential and he did not wish to harm his own business relationships by airing a contentious issue.

Because Amtrak operates on the freight railroads' tracks and relies on the railroads' dispatchers to get passenger trains to their destinations on time, Amtrak executives concluded they couldn't afford to pick a fight, the former Amtrak board member said.

"The law says that Amtrak is guaranteed access" to freights' tracks, he said. "But it's up to the goodwill of the railroad as to whether they'll put you ahead or behind a long freight train."

A 2004 New York Times series on train crossing safety drew attention to avoidable accidents at railroad crossings and involving passenger trains -- and to railroads' ability to shirk financial responsibility for passenger accidents. In the wake of the reporting, the Surface Transportation Board ruled that railroads "cannot be indemnified for its own gross negligence, recklessness, willful or wanton misconduct," according to a 2010 letter by then-Surface Transportation Board chairman Dan Elliott to members of Congress.

That ruling gives Amtrak grounds to pursue gross negligence claims against freight railroads-- if it wanted to.

"If Amtrak felt that if they didn't want to pay, they'd have to litigate it," said Elliott, now an attorney at Conner & Winters.

The AP was unable to find an instance where the railroad has brought such a claim against a freight railroad since the 1987 Chase, Md., disaster. The AP also asked Amtrak, CSX and the Association of American Railroads to identify any example within the last decade of a railroad contributing to a settlement or judgment in a passenger rail accident that occurred on its track. All entities declined to provide such an example.

Even in court cases where establishing gross negligence by a freight railroad is possible, said Potrroff, the plaintiff's attorney, he has never seen any indication that the railroad and Amtrak are at odds.

"You'll frequently see Amtrak hire the same lawyers the freight railroads use," he said.

Ron Goldman, a California plaintiff attorney who has also represented passenger rail accident victims, agreed. While Goldman's sole duty is to get the best possible settlement for his client, he said he'd long been curious about whether it was Amtrak or freight railroads which ended up paying for settlements and judgments.

"The question of how they share that liability is cloaked in secrecy," he said, adding: "The money is coming from Amtrak when our clients get the check."

"The question of how they share that liability is cloaked in secrecy. The money is coming from Amtrak when our clients get the check."  Ron Goldman, California plaintiff attorney

Pottroff said he has long wanted Amtrak to stand up to the freight railroads on liability matters. Not only would it make safety a bigger financial consideration for railroads, he said, it would simply be fair.

"Amtrak has a beautiful defense -- the freight railroad is in control of all the infrastructure," he said. But he's not expecting Amtrak to use it during litigation over the Cayce crash.

"Amtrak always pays," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said Sunday that the administration doesnt tolerate domestic violence at all, amid ongoing questions about whether Staff Secretary Rob Porter was allowed to keep his job amid such allegations and dismissed rumors that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly could be fired over his handling of the matter.

Absolutely not, Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday. I think all of these stories about replacing General Kelly are mostly being fed by people who are unhappy that theyve lost access to the president under General Kellys leadership.  I'm extraordinarily pleased with the job the chief has been doing.  I think the president is as well. I think all this talk about the chief's departure is much ado about nothing.

Kelly reportedly offered his resignation over the matter, amid allegations he knew about Porters problems but allowed him to keep his White House post -- without full FBI security clearance.

Porter was fired after news reports late Tuesday and Wednesday in which Porters two ex-wives made domestic violence allegations against him, with one story including a picture of one of the wives with a black eye.

We dont tolerate it at all, Mulvaney said Sunday, amid criticism that President Trump didnt clearly say his administration has no tolerance for such behavior. You cannot put trust in people who would do that to their significant other.  We have a zero-tolerance policy for it.

He also attempted to provide some clarity -- or timeline -- about what the president and Kelly knew and when. And he suggested his bosses wanted to give Porter the benefit of the doubt.

Someone whom we know and trusted and worked with came to the president and the chief of staff and said, Im being accused of these things. They are not true. As soon as Rob Porter was proven wrong, he was not telling the truth, when the photos came out Wednesday, he was gone almost immediately.

Mulvaney is set Monday to announce the details of the new budget on which Congress agreed last week, but found himself Sunday mostly answering questions about the Porter situation.

He also responded to Trumps tweet Saturday in which he didnt mention a zero-tolerance policy but said: Peoples (sic) lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?

Mulvaney pointed out the tweet didnt mention Porter and wondered whether it was referring to Trumps business friend Steve Wynn, the Las Vegas hotel/casino mogul accused of sexual misconduct.

He also suggested that what you also saw from the president (in the tweet) was a certain madness about somebody whom he liked who let him down.
With a spending deal now completed, Congress begins efforts this week to pass bipartisan immigration reform -- starting on Monday with a rare, open-ended Senate debate set to focus largely on the future of tens of thousands of illegal immigrants known as "Dreamers."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently vowed that as long as the federal government stays solvent and open that he would allow such debate and see that proposals get a floor vote -- with the Dreamers temporary deportation protections expiring March 5.

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., expressed optimism Sunday that Democratic and Republican senators could agree soon on legislation that President Trump would sign into law.

I do think that we can get something done this week, he told NBC News Meet the Press. We're going to have something in the Senate that we haven't had in a while. It's a real debate on an issue.

Despite such optimism, Flake allowed that Congress must at least do something to protect the Dreamers before their protections under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program expires next month.

But, if there is a problem in the end, and we can't reach that, I think that these Dreamers need to be protected, said Flake, who already has talked about an alternative or scaled-back immigration-reform plan limited to border security funding and a three-year extension on DACA, which protects the roughly 700,000 Dreamers, brought into the U.S. illegally as children.

Meanwhile, the possibility of immigration reform in the GOP-controlled House appears perhaps less likely.

Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also has vowed to hold a robust, bipartisan debate on the issue but has suggested hed allow votes only on proposals that Trump would sign into law.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi last week pushed the issue  particularly protection for Dreamers  with an eight-hour floor speech that essentially called for Ryan to make the same deal with chamber Democrats that McConnell made with Senate Democrats.

Bring everything to the floor, the California Democrat said the next day.

Ryan also appeared to be headed for a showdown over immigration with the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative group pushing a hardline reform plan.

The bill by Virginia Republican Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, offers a legislative fix to DACA, border security funding, changes to so-called chain migration that allows people to bring extended family into the country, and changing a federal immigration program from lottery-based to merit-based.

The Freedom Caucus is going to be in the middle of that, group member and Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan told Fox News Sunday.

GOP congressional leaders have suggested the bill would have little chance of passing in the Senate, where Republicans would need support from at least nine chamber Democrats to get the minimum 60 votes for passage.

Still, the most influential voice in the debate may be on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue.

If the aim is to pass a legislative solution soon, Trump remains a crucial and, at times, complicating player.

Democrats and Republicans have said they cannot read Trumps position on key points, which apparently has led some to urge the White House to minimize his role in the debate.

Yet Trumps ultimate support will be vital if Congress is to overcome election-year pressures against compromise. No deal crafted in the Senate is likely to see the light of day in the more conservative House without the president's blessing and promise to sell compromise to his base.

Trump has said publicly that he wants to help the Dreamers. Hes even proposed a path to citizenship for as many as 1.8 million illegal immigrants, though in exchange for $25 billion for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall and significant curbs to legal immigration.

For Democrats, perhaps its most radioactive proposal would bar legal immigrants from sponsoring their parents or siblings to live in the U.S.

McConnell, R-Ky., has scheduled an initial procedural vote for Monday evening to start debate. It is expected to succeed easily, and then the Senate will spend days or weeks sorting through proposals.

Sunday evening, a group of seven Republican senators led by Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announced they would propose legislation mirroring the framework put out by the White House. That framework includes an end to both the diversity visa lottery and an end to chain migration.

Votes are also possible on a compromise by a small bipartisan group led by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. It would provide possible citizenship for hundreds of thousands of Dreamers, $2.7 billion for border security and some changes in legal immigration rules.

And, Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Chris Coons, D-Del., would offer legal status but not necessarily citizenship, and require tougher border security without promising wall money. But Trump has rejected both proposals.

Underscoring how hard it's been for lawmakers to find an immigration compromise, some two dozen moderates from both parties have met for weeks to seek common ground. So have the No. 2 Democratic and GOP House and Senate leaders. Neither group has come forward with a deal.

In January, Trump invited two dozen lawmakers from both parties to the White House in what became a nearly hour-long immigration negotiating session. He asked them to craft a "bill of love" and said he'd sign a solution they'd send him.

At another White House session days later, he told Durbin and Graham he was rejecting their bipartisan offer. He used a profanity to describe African nations and said he'd prefer immigrants from Norway, comments that have soured many Democrats about Trump's intentions.

Trump made a clamp-down on immigration a staple of his 2016 presidential campaign. As president he has shown mixed expressions of sympathy for Dreamers with rhetoric linking immigration to crime and drugs.

Last September he said he was ending DACA, arguing former President Barack Obama had lacked the legal power to create DACA. Trump gave Congress until March 5 to somehow replace it, though a federal court has forced him to continue its protections.

The court's blunting of the deadline has made congressional action even less likely. Lawmakers rarely take difficult votes without a forcing mechanism -- particularly in an election year. That has raised the prospect that the Senate debate launching Monday would serve largely to frame a bigger fight over the issue on the campaign trail.

Trump seemed to acknowledge that in a tweet Saturday: "Republicans want to fix DACA far more than the Democrats do. The Dems had all three branches of government back in 2008-2011, and they decided not to do anything about DACA. They only want to use it as a campaign issue. Vote Republican!"

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Conservative Capitol Hill lawmakers Rep. Jim Jordan and Sen. Rand Paul railed Sunday against fellow Republicans agreeing to a recent budget deal that increases federal spending by $400 billion and insisted that the Tea Party movement and other fiscal-minded groups are still alive.

This was not consistent with what the American people elected us to do, Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Sunday two days after Congress passed the two-year deal that includes roughly $400 billion in new spending for the Pentagon and disaster relief and extends several health-care provisions, but also increases the federal deficit to $1.2 trillion by 2019.

Paul, the Kentucky Republican whose opposition to the bipartisan budget deal forced a temporary government shutdown overnight Friday, said Sunday that Republicans who voted like he did for the recent tax cuts should have voted for spending cuts -- to offset the loss in federal revenue from the cuts and to hold down the deficit.

"I voted for the tax cuts and I voted for spending cuts, Paul told CBS Face the Nation.

Paul, elected to the Senate during the anti-tax, 2010 Tea Party wave, also suggested those who voted for the recent tax cuts and spending increases are not serious about the debt.

"I'm still against deficit spending, he said. Just because Republicans are doing it, it doesn't make it any better."

The Tea Party-backed Jordan, who is also a member of the fiscally conservative House Freedom Caucus, argued Sunday that they were poised to win earlier this month in negotiations with Senate Democrats over a deal involving spending and immigration reforms.

But fiscal conservatives ultimately failed, he suggested, because the budget deal included Democrats demands for increases in domestic spending.

They gave in to the Democrats, Jordan said about Republican leaders of the GOP-controlled Congress. We're going to have to fight harder now as the Freedom Caucus and conservatives to get things back on track . People have been trying to write off the Freedom Caucus since the last election.

Jordan also acknowledged that he puts much of the blame on House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose chamber initiates spending bills.

The person most responsible for the spending bill is the speaker of the House. He could have stood firm for the position that we passed earlier in the week, Jordan said. So, do I think the speaker has problems? Yes I do.  There are big concerns because he just presided over one of the biggest spending increases in the history of this country.

The small-but-powerful Freedom Caucus was instrumental in ousting GOP House Speaker John Boehner in 2015.

Still, Jordan deferred on whether now is time to talk about replacing Ryan, considering the immigration debate in Congress starts in full swing this week and the speaker has promised House conservatives that their preferred proposal, sponsored by Virginia GOP Rep. Bob Goodlatte, would get a full floor vote.

The bill by Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, appears to match all of President Trumps requirements -- a legislative solution to the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought into the U.S. illegally as children; border security funding; changes to so-called chain migration that allows people to bring extended family into the country and changing a federal immigration program from lottery-based to merit-based.

However, Republican congressional leaders are concerned that the bill will have little chance of passing in the Senate, where Republicans would need support from at least nine chamber Democrats to get the minimum 60 votes for passage.

The Freedom Caucus is going to be in the middle of that, Jordan said.
The White House will unveil a plan to increase infrastructure spending by $1.5 trillion that relies heavily on state and local governments, a senior administration official revealed Sunday.

The plan, which the administration is set to announce officially on Monday, also would cut the permitting process for new projects from ten years to two years and boost investment for projects in rural America -- including transportation, broadband, water, waste, power, flood management and ports -- by $50 billion in a bid to address criticism from some Republican senators that the Trump administration's initial emphasis on public-private partnerships would do little to help rural, traditionally GOP-leaning states.

Just $200 billion of the proposed spending would be in federal dollars, which the official said would come from "reductions in other areas of the budget." Half of that amount would go to grants for transportation, water, flood control, cleanup at some of the country's most polluted sites and other projects.

States, local governments and other project sponsors could use the grants -- which administration officials view as incentives -- for no more than 20 percent of the cost. Transit agencies generally count on the federal government for half the cost of major construction projects, and federal dollars can make up as much as 80 percent of some highway projects.

"Every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with state and local governments and -- where appropriate -- tapping into private sector investment to permanently fix the infrastructure deficit," President Trump said at last month's State of the Union address.

Trump has repeatedly blamed the "crumbling" state of the nation's roads and highways for preventing the American economy from reaching its full potential. Many in Washington believe that Trump should have begun his term a year ago with an infrastructure push, one that could have garnered bipartisan support or, at minimum, placed Democrats in a bind for opposing a popular political measure.

But the administration chose to begin with health care and relations with Democrats have only grown more strained during a turbulent, contentious year.

The president, in remarks last week to Republican lawmakers at a West Virginia retreat, emphasized efforts to "streamline the horrible approval process  roadways that take 12, 13, 14 years to get approved."

"We used to build them in three months, and now it takes years and years of approvals. We're going to bring that down, ideally, to one year. Two years is our goal, but one year is our real goal," Trump said.

Early reaction to the proposal was divided.

Jay Timmons, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, saluted Trump "for providing the leadership we have desperately needed to reclaim our rightful place as global leader on true 21st-century infrastructure."

"When ports are clogged, trucks are delayed, power is down, water is shut off, or the internet has a lapse, modern manufacturers' ability to compete is threatened and jobs are put at risk," said Timmons. "There is no excuse for inaction, and manufacturers are committed to ensuring that America seizes this opportunity."

But a number of Democrats and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have pushed the administration to commit far more federal dollars, funded by tax increases, or by closing tax loopholes. And environmental groups expressed worry about its impact.

"President Trump's infrastructure proposal is a disaster," said Shelley Poticha, of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "It fails to offer the investment needed to bring our country into the 21st century. Even worse, his plan includes an unacceptable corporate giveaway by truncating environmental reviews."

Fox News' Jennifer Bowman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
BMGEx-Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora and his girlfriend, Australian guitar whiz Orianthi, released the latest in their series of collaborative recordings on Friday -- a pair of love-themed singles that arrive just in time for Valentine's Day.

One track is a rocking cover of the chart-topping 1965 Sonny & Cher duet "I Got You Babe," while the second is an original ballad called "Forever All the Way."

Both songs got their premiere Thursday at People.com and also can be heard at the duo's official website and YouTube channel.

"'I Got You Babe' is one of the best duets of all time, and it's a song that reminds us that true affection has no limitations," says Sambora in a statement. "Ori and I loved paying homage to this timeless Sonny & Cher classic."

About the other track, the couple -- who've been releasing their music under the moniker RSO -- says, "We've been doing our own duets and writing so much music together as RSO, and 'Forever All The Way' is a song we wrote about sincere commitment. And just like Valentine's Day, this song isn't only about romance, it's also about love for a child, a parent, a friend or a family member."

Prior to the new singles, Sambora and Orianthi released a pair of EPs: Rise in September of 2017 and Making History in December. Their debut album is scheduled to arrive in April, the same month Richie will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bon Jovi.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Oh, rats!

An Alaska Airlines flight got altogether cancelled after a rat was seen getting into the aircraft at the Californias Oakland International Airport.

The critter presumably hopped from the jetway to the plane as passengers were boarding the Portland, Ore.-bound flight on Jan. 2, the Associated Press reported. Flight Alaska 915 was originally scheduled to depart at 8:30 a.m., according to KPIX 5.

MECHANICAL ISSUE ON AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT SENDS 4 TO HOSPITAL

Passengers who had already boarded were asked to exit the aircraft, and most of the 110 travelers were rescheduled to fly on a later trip to Portland.

The plane is currently out of service. It will be returned to operations once its certified rodent-free by a professional exterminator, Alaska Airlines confirmed via email to KPIX 5. The aircraft will also be thoroughly inspected to ensure no damage has been done.

BIRD FLIES INTO COCKPIT, FORCES DELTA FLIGHT TO TURN AROUND

Some took to Twitter to voice their displeasure with the inconvenience of the situation.

In other recent aircraft stowaway news, on Dec. 30 an Atlanta-bound Delta flight was forced to return to Detroit to Atlanta shortly after takeoff after a sparrow was found in the cockpit.

Sneaking in during boarding, the bird was apparently so small that neither the crews nor the captain could locate it after searching for over an hour before takeoff, Fox 5 Atlanta reports.

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A Russian passenger plane carrying 71 people crashed Sunday near Moscow, officials said.

The plane was carrying 65 passengers and six crewmembers. All of them died, the press service for the Moscow Inter-Regional Transport Prosecutors Office told Interfax.

The news of Sundays crash involving the Saratov Airlines flight may prompt travelers to take a look at the airlines they use.

Around the world

In January, AirlineRatings.com published what it said were its Top 20 safest airlines for 2018 from the 409 it monitors. All the airlines were listed alphabetically.

Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair and Hawaiian Airlines were included.

Also making the top 20 were Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Scandinavian Airline System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia.

RUSSIAN PLANE CRASH OUTSIDE MOSCOW LEAVES 71 DEAD

It is extraordinary that Qantas has been the lead airline in virtually every major operational safety advancement over the past 60 years and has not had a fatality in the jet era, AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas said in a statement.

But Qantas is not alone. Long established airlines such as Hawaiian and Finnair have perfect records in the jet era, he added.

AirlineRatings.com said that it looked at multiple components, with Thomas saying that it only examines serious incidents.

All airlines have incidents every day and many are aircraft manufacture issues, not airline operational problems. And it is the way the flight crew handles incidents that determines a good airline from an unsafe one. So just lumping all incidents together is very misleading, he said.

Another take

The Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (JACDEC) last month revealed its 2018 safety rankings, after looking at the 100 biggest carriers.

All airlines start with a virtual ideal value of 100%, it explained. Then every accident or incident, every dead person, every injured person, every benchmark, every audit and every risk reduced this value by a calculated penalty. The more penalty values an airline collects, the lower (or worse) its risk index will be.

Emirates was in the number-one spot (93.61 percent) on the JACDEC list. Norwegian AS and Virgin Atlantic AW were second and third, respectively.

GRAND CANYON HELICOPTER CRASH KILLS AT LEAST THREE

After that, the rest of the top 20 included KLM, EasyJet, Finnair, Etihad Airways, Spirit Airlines, JetStar Airways, Air Arabia, Cathay Pacific, EL AL, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, Eurowings, JetBlue Airways, Capital Airlines, Oman Air and Air Canada.

Again we strongly recommend that the current safety state of each airline is expressed best by the Risk-Index and not by the ranking number, JACDEC cautioned.

Fox News Travis Fedschun and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A science fair project at a California high school faced criticism earlier this week after it compared race and IQ levels in connection to participation in an elite program at the school, The Sacramento Bee reported Saturday.

The project, titled Race and IQ, was put together by a C.K. McClatchy High School student who is part of the schools elite Humanities and International Studies Program. It was displayed in the fair on Monday, the outlet said.

In comparing intelligence levels, the project reportedly questioned whether particular races were smart enough for the schools magnet program and whether a racial disparity was justified.

If the average IQs of blacks, Southeast Asians, and Hispanics are lower than the average IQs of non-Hispanic whites and Northeast Asians, then the racial disproportionality in (HISP) is justified, the hypothesis said, according to the outlet.

HISP, according to The Bee, is a separate program at the school that is meant to encourage cultural awareness and helps to provide students with different perspectives on historic moments.

Of about 500 students, there are a dozen African-Americans, 80 Latino students and about 100 Asian-American students, according to data from the school district that was obtained by the outlet. The program has reportedly been criticized for its lack of racial and ethnic diversity.

The student who conducted the experiment was not spoken to or identified by The Bee.

To test the proposed theory, the student had a variety of unidentified teenagers with different racial backgrounds take an internet IQ test, the outlet said.

The projects final conclusion reportedly found that the lower average IQs of blacks, Southeast Asians, and nonwhite Hispanics means that they are not as likely as non-Hispanic whites and Northeast Asians to be accepted into a more academically rigorous program such as HISP, the report said. Therefore the racial disproportionality of HISP is justified.

After complaints from students, parents and faculty, the project was removed from the science fair on Wednesday, the outlet said, and the district is currently investigating the incident, Alex Barrios, said the spokesman for Sacramento Unified district.

We are looking into the appropriate response to a situation like this, Barrios told The Bee. We understand it concerns a lot of people and doesnt reflect our culture here.

In a Thursday email to parents, the schools principal Peter Lambert said they were taking the incident very seriously and noted that the school strived to promote and embrace an inclusive environment and way of thinking which excludes any form of discrimination.

Chrysanthe Vidal, a senior high school student in the program, told The Bee, I think that a lot of people, especially of color, are really hurt and upset by this.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An unusual parental tussle ended Friday when a Milwaukee judge granted exclusive custody of a young girls body to her estranged father over the girls mother, who is implicated in her death.

Amina Krousers body remained in a morgue for two months after she succumbed to a brain infection and alleged abuse by her mother.

According to a criminal complaint, the young girl became ill on Nov. 26, and her mother, Azlyza Ababneh, thinking her lazy, beat her with a belt and plastic pipe. Amina was taken to the hospital, where she died on Dec. 10.

The girl and her two siblings lived with their mother in house that had no heat or running water, the criminal complaint also said.

The girls body had remained in the county morgue since her death because her mother, who is Muslim, objected to plans by the father, Michael Krouser, to cremate the body on religious grounds, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Because Ababneh is not charged with homicide, she retained the right under Wisconsin law to determine how her daughter's remains should be handled, which led to the ongoing custody battle.

Krouser admitted to being absent and said that since his divorce, he had paid little if any child support.

Circuit Court Judge David Borowski, while granting sole custody of the body to the father, criticized the man for being absent from his childrens lives for years.

"You show up on the scene after your 14-year-old, who you haven't seen in eight or nine years, is beaten to death. Allegedly. It's a classic situation of too little, too late. Had you been an actual father, involved father, involved parent, you might have been able to prevent this, Borowski said in court.

He ordered Krouser to arrange a funeral, saying it would be a further indignity to this poor child" to leave her in the morgue for any longer.

Ababneh has been charged with abusing and neglecting her daughter, resulting in the girl's death.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A gunman shot and killed four people at two locations Saturday afternoon in Johnson County, Ky., before turning the gun on himself, authorities said.

The county sheriffs office identified the killer as Joseph Nickell, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. The names of the four victims were not immediately released.

This has been a horrific murder spree. The lives of four innocent victims were taken. The perpetrator then took his own life, Sheriff Dwayne Price wrote in a Facebook post Saturday night.

There are no words to describe the heartbreak in seeing four lives taken due to the actions of one man, Price wrote. I have worked in law enforcement for 34 years. This is one of the most disturbing acts of violence I have ever seen.

Price wrote that police in Paintsville received a 911 call at 3:33 p.m. about a shooting in the McKenzie Branch neighborhood.

When the sheriff and two deputies arrived at the scene, they found two dead bodies in the kitchen of an apartment, the Herald-Leader reported. Pictures posted to Facebook by Nickell show he had a gun collection.

During their investigation, authorities received a tip about a vehicle at an apartment complex elsewhere in Paintsville. When officers arrived, they found two more bodies, plus that of Nickell, WKYT-TV reported.

Authorities determined that Nickell fatally shot the four other people, the station reported.

Price said his office is working the case along with Kentucky State Police.

"Working a murder is never easy," Price said. "Working the murders of four innocent people that are part of your community is even tougher."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A 19-year-old man in a Seattle suburb was charged Friday with second-degree rape, manslaughter and controlled substance homicide after police say he raped a high school student as she was dying from an overdose and then texted explicit photos of her to friends.

Authorities said the suspect, identified as Brian Roberto Varela, of Lynnwood, Wash., was arrested Tuesday after police found the 18-year-old woman's body stuffed in a plastic crate in the suspects home.

Varela reportedly told investigators he planned to bury the body with onions to mask the smell.

He told investigators that he met Alyssa Mae Noceda at a party in a mobile home park, the Herald, in Everett, Wash., reported.

During the evening, the woman snorted Percocet and ingested liquid marijuana before collapsing in Varela's room, authorities said. But instead of helping the woman, they said, Varela took lewd photos of her and sent them to her friends with a text reading LOL, I think she odd, still breathing.

Police said one of Varelas co-workers contacted them after Varela reportedly said he didnt know if Noceda was still alive when he was having sex with her. Court records say he told a friend that "she died having sex with me," and that he was having sex with her "to pass the time."

Valera also admitted using the woman's thumb to unlock her cellphone after she died to make it appear that she had run away, authorities said.

He was charged Friday in Snohomish County Superior Court.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Five people were arrested as fights broke out and at least one American flag was burned Saturday after a college Republican rally in Seattle drew counter-protesters.

College Republicans at the University of Washington had invited members of Patriot Prayer, a group in Vancouver, Wash., to speak in the university's Red Square for a "freedom rally," the Seattle Times reported.

The goals were to bring conservatives together and promote free-speech rights, College Republicans President Chevy Swanson told the Times. As the event got underway, supporters chanted "U-S-A!, U-S-A!," and signs included one that read, "We died for liberty not socialism."

But more than 1,000 counter-protesters showed up to oppose the event.

"I learned that they thought my vote was a hate crime, Kathryn Townsend, who said she voted for Donald Trump in 2016, told Seattle's Q13 Fox.

"I learned that they thought my vote was a hate crime."  Kathryn Townsend, supporter of President Donald Trump

Some counter-protesters voiced their goals.

Were here to fight back against the far right and fascism on our campus, one counter-protester said.

Added another: Im not a fan of the president, and these people are fans. So I want to come out here and say this is not OK. And what youre doing is not OK.

After several skirmishes broke out, police responded with pepper spray. University of Washington police said those arrested were charged with disorderly conduct.

No officers were injured, they said.

University officials were worried about the potential for violence at the rally, and the school's president had warned students to avoid the area.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Three British nationals were killed and four other people were in critical condition after a tourist helicopter crashed in an "extremely remote area" of the Grand Canyon, officials said Sunday.

Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley told the Associated Press that six passengers and a pilot were on board the Papillion Grand Canyon Helicopters chopper when it crashed around 5:20 p.m. on Saturday near Quartermaster Canyon, located near the Grand Canyon's West Rim.

"First responders had to be flown in and walk to the crash site," he told the AP. "Quartermaster Canyon is an extremely remote area. We had to call in specially trained crews  people with night-vision goggles."

Late Sunday, a spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office told Sky News the government was "providing support to the families of six British visitors involved in a helicopter accident at the Grand Canyon on February 10, and we are in close contact with the US emergency services."

The four survivors of the crash, who were "level 1 trauma patients," were airlifted to a hospital in Las Vegas, according to Bradley. UMC Hospital in Las Vegas told FOX10 the four people in the Grand Canyon chopper crash are in critical condition.

The victims' identities were not immediately released.

The police chief said rescue crews were hampered by high winds and darkness Saturday night along with rugged terrain, but now officials are in the "the recovery and investigation mode."

"This morning, our hearts and our prayers are with the victims of this very tragic crash in the Grand Canyon, as well as all the first responders and medics involved in critical rescue efforts," Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted early Sunday.

RUSSIAN PLANE CRASH OUTSIDE MOSCOW LEAVES 71 DEAD

Winds in the area picked up in the Saturday afternoon with gusts up to 45 mph, but the cause of the crash is not immediately known.

The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter it was investigating the crash 3 miles east of Grand Canyon West Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration also will be investigating the crash of the Eurocopter EC130, spokesman Allen Kenitzer said.

Calls and emails to Nevada-based Papillon for comment by Fox News on the crash were not immediately returned Sunday.

The company's website says it flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year around the Grand Canyon and on other tours.

It also notes that it "abides by flight safety rules and regulations that substantially exceed the regulations required by the Federal Aviation Administration."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Larry Nassar, the disgraced doctor who was convicted of sexually abusing girls and young women -- including U.S. Olympic gymnasts -- has been transferred to a federal prison in Arizona that houses a notorious kidnapper and a former New York cop-turned-hitman.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons online inmate registry on Saturday showed that 54-year-old Nassar was listed as an inmate at U.S. Penitentiary Tucson -- a high-security prison that houses 1,387 inmates along with a satellite minimum security facility in Pima County that houses 149 inmates, the Arizona Republic reported.

One inmate serving a life sentence there is Brian David Mitchell, the former Utah street preacher who kidnapped 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart and held her captive for nine months, the newspaper reported.

Louis Eppolito -- the New York City police detective-turned-hitman for organized crime -- is reportedly also an inmate there.

Other notable inmates who served time at the Tucson facility include former south Boston crime boss, James J. "Whitey" Bulgar, convicted mass shooter Jared Loughner, and former U.S. Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham, the California Republican who resigned in 2005 after pleading guilty to corruption charges.

Nassar faces two long prison sentences in Michigan for molestation. But first he must serve 60 years in federal prison his child pornography conviction.

More than 250 women and girls gave statements about the abuse in two Michigan courtrooms in recent weeks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In what authorities said was a premeditated beatdown, a gang of six Rikers Island prison inmates attacked a New York City correction officer Saturday.

The unidentified 39-year-old officer was hospitalized in serious condition, Michael Skelly, a spokesman for the Correction Officers Benevolent Association, told the New York Post.

Media reports said the officer had suffered a broken neck or "fractured spine."

According to internal records, the beating took place in the George Motchan Detention Center around 6:30 p.m. A known Bloods gang member -- identified as Steven Espinal -- struck the officer in the head before five other inmates joined in, the New York Daily News reported.

Responding officers used pepper spray on the attackers to stop the beating, records said.

A jail insider reportedly overheard Espinal planning the attack while talking on the phone earlier Saturday, the Daily News reported.

Jail officer unions have slammed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for enacting policies that they say have facilitated more violence in the prison. In 2015, De Blasio ended solitary confinement for inmates 21 and younger, and instead ordered them sent them to "Transitional Restoration Units" for counseling.

All of the inmates in Saturday's attack were 21 or younger, said Elias Husamudeen, president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association.

The mayors policies are going to get one of us killed, he said. Tomorrow they will get visits and shop in the commissary like everyone else.

The inmates will face additional criminal charges, a department official said.
An attorney for white nationalist Richard Spencer is threatening legal action against Kent State University in Ohio for rejecting a proposed speaking event in May.

The school reiterated its refusal to host an event featuring Spencer, who is figurehead of the alt-right movement and leader of the National Policy Institute think-tank, the Washington Times reported.

Eric Mansfield, the executive director of university media relations, issued a statement Friday evening that read, Kent State has responded to Kyle Bristow reaffirming our earlier response that we cannot accommodate this request as no suitable space is available during the April 30-May 12 time frame.

Spencers attorney, Kyle Bristow, said the universitys dismissal of the event is unconstitutional and that he intends to sue.

I will not tolerate left-wing university bureaucrats spitting upon the First Amendment rights of right-wingers, Bristow told The Record-Courier in Kent. The Constitution trumps their liberal feelings.

Cameron Padgett, a student from George State University, approached Kent State University to lease a space for the event on May 4, coinciding with the 48th anniversary of four students who were fatally shot by National Guardsman.

The director of University Media Relation at KSU said, we cannot accommodate this request as no suitable space is available during the April 30-May 12 time frame.

Bristow told the Record-Courier, To borrow a line from Game of Throne, I will make Kent State Universitys administrators bend the knee like the others. I will bring them all to heel. The First Amendment is nonnegotiable.
The common problems of eroded beaches and clogged inlets hazardous for boat traffic have a mutual solution.

Coastal areas around the country are dredging clogged inlets to make them easier and safer to navigate, and using the sand they suck from the bottom to widen beaches damaged by natural erosion or serious storms.

It's not cheap, but it is popular from Cape Cod to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and along the Pacific coast. One project in New Jersey alone will cost more than $18 million.

The sand pumped ashore is clean, but some conservationists worry about disturbing wildlife habitat or altering the shape of coastlines.
A 911 operator took a call after two Ohio cops were killed and heard a woman say my husband shot the police officers as she hid in the bushes, it was reported Sunday.

Veteran officers Anthony Morelli, 54, and Eric Joering, 39, were killed in a gun battle with violent criminal Quentin Smith in the Columbus suburb of Westerville Saturday. The officers had responded to Smiths home after a 911 hang-up call related to a domestic incident.

In subsequent 911 calls a female voice is heard crying as she identifies Smith as the man who shot the officers, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

The caller says please help, please help and my husband shot the police officers, the paper reported.

She also says, my daughter is in there.

When she is asked where she is, the woman says she is hiding in the bushes.

Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said Sunday at a press briefing that Morelli and Joering exchanged gunfire with Smith after making contact with him.

Authorities said Smith was wounded and was being treated at a hospital. Late Sunday, they announced that he was charged with two counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Morelli and Joering.

The groups that we have been thinking about over the past 24 hours, of course have been the families of both officers, Morbitzer said at police headquarters in front of makeshift-memorial for the officers.

Police released incident reports late Saturday showing police had been to the Smith home or had dealings with him several times since 2017, some for alleged domestic violence involving a woman identified in the reports as his 33-year-old wife, Candace Smith.

In a Nov. 29 incident, Candace Smith went to a police station and asked about protection orders because she said she and her husband weren't getting along and she discovered she had a sexually transmitted disease. She also told police that when she "threatens to leave Quentin, he tells her that he would kill her, their daughter, and himself," the report said.

Candace Smith told police her husband "has a gun that he carries all of the time, and if it isn't on him, it is close by." Police were called to the home later that night to investigate a report of domestic violence.

TWO SLAIN OHIO OFFICERS WERE 'TRUE AMERICAN HEROES,' POLICE CHIEF SAYS

Police had been called to the home as recently as three weeks ago for a reported disturbance, the Enquirer reported. The homes residents, however, told police at the time there was nothing wrong.

Smith had a rap sheet that included indictments for violent crimes like burglary, domestic violence and felony assault when he lived near Cleveland about a decade ago, Fox 28 Columbus reported. He had pleaded guilty to the burglary and domestic violence charges, and spent some time in jail, pending trial.

Joering had been a Westerville officer for 17 years. Morelli had been a member of the force for 30 years.

At Sundays news conference Morbitzer lashed out at people who were trying to benefit from the tragedy by establishing phony GoFundMe pages to solicit funds.

Chief Morbitzer also said people have been calling the police department screaming threats, obscenities and vulgarities. "Quite frankly, there's a special place in hell for those people," he said. "And my wish is that it comes very soon."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iranians took to the streets of Tehran on Sunday to mark the 39th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The demonstration comes just weeks after anti-government protests rocked cities across the country.

It also follows last week's return to an Iranian prison of 81-year-old American hostage Baquer Namazi, after a four-day leave for health reasons. Namazi's son Siamek, 41, is also a hostage.

For Americans, the events of 1979 conjure painful memories of 52 U.S. diplomats and citizens being held captive for 444 days, from November 1979 to January 1981. The hostage crisis helped lead to Republican Ronald Reagan's defeat of Democratic incumbent President Jimmy Carter in November 1980.

For Iranians, the era represents the overthrow of U.S.-backed Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlav, aka "the Shah of Iran," and the return from exile of Sayyid Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, aka the Islamic ruler Ayatollah Khomeini.

Sunday's demonstration, in support of iran's government, included traditional slogans against the United States and Israel. Hundreds of thousands converged on the capital city's central Azadi Square, where President Hassan Rouhani was to address the crowd.

In its successes abroad, Iran has helped push back the Islamic State group in Iraq and assisted embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad in regaining strategic ground in his country's long war.

Domestically, however, the country's economy still struggles despite its 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers.

In late December and early January, protests erupted across the country over the economy and later morphed into demonstrations directly challenging the government.

The Namazis are not the only Americans being unjustly detained by Iran: Retired FBI agent Robert Levinson has been held since 2007.

Princeton graduate student Xiyue Wang was arrested in 2016 while conducting research for his dissertation. Another American, Karan Vafadari, who ran an art gallery in Tehran, was just sentenced for 27 years because of his religious identity.

President Donald Trump has vowed to impose sanctions on Iran if the American prisoners are not released immediately.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin and Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Israel's minister of intelligence says that by striking key Iranian sites in Syria, Israel has sent a clear message to Iran that it won't tolerate an Iranian military foothold on its doorstep.

Israel Katz said on Sunday it will take the Iranians time to "digest, understand and ask how Israel knew how to hit those sites."

After shooting down an Iranian drone that infiltrated its airspace, Israel launched a widespread offensive on Saturday in Syria. The military says it hit four Iranian positions and eight Syrian sites, causing significant damage.

Israel has recently issued several stern warnings about the increased Iranian involvement along its borders with Syria and Lebanon.

Israel also says it destroyed the Syrian military's main command and control bunker in its most devastating assault there in decades.
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The Latest on the escalation between Israel and Syria and Israel's offensive against Iranian targets in Syria (all times local):

9:25 a.m.

A Syria war monitor says an unprecedented wave of Israeli airstrikes in Syria killed at least six Syrian troops and allied militiamen.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the six were killed in Saturday's Israeli strikes, which the Israeli military said struck Iranian targets in several parts of Syria.

Sunday's report by the Observatory says they included Syrian troops as well as Syrian and non-Syrian allied troops. The Britain-based Observatory monitors the war in Syria through a network of activists on the ground.

The Israeli strikes marked Israel's most serious engagement in neighboring Syria since fighting there began in 2011. Israel says the strikes were launched after it shot down an infiltrating Iranian drone.

___

9:20 a.m.

The United States has backed Israel and expressed deep concern over the latest escalation following Israel's downing of an infiltrating Iranian drone and striking of Iranian targets deep in Syria.

Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman, said late on Saturday that the U.S. "strongly supports Israel's sovereign right to defend itself."

Nauert says that "Iran's calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance, places all the people of the? region  from Yemen to Lebanon  at risk."

She says ?the "U.S. continues to push back on the totality of Iran's malign activities in the region and calls for an end to Iranian behavior that threatens peace and stability."

___

9:10 a.m.

Israel's minister of intelligence says that by striking key Iranian sites in Syria, Israel has sent a clear message to Iran that it won't tolerate an Iranian military foothold on its doorstep.

Israel Katz said on Sunday it will take the Iranians time to "digest, understand and ask how Israel knew how to hit those sites."

After shooting down an Iranian drone that infiltrated its airspace, Israel launched a widespread offensive on Saturday in Syria. The military says it hit four Iranian positions and eight Syrian sites, causing significant damage.

Israel has recently issued several stern warnings about the increased Iranian involvement along its borders with Syria and Lebanon.

Israel also says it destroyed the Syrian military's main command and control bunker in its most devastating assault there in decades.
A 22-year-old Mexican woman plunged off a 20-foot cliff while trying to cross the border into the U.S. illegally, landing her in the hospital with a fractured spine, investigators said last week.

U.S. Border Patrol agents around 9 p.m. on Thursday spotted a man on surveillance footage walking near Highway 98 near Ocotillo in California and quickly made contact with him, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release.

The man, a 44-year-old Mexican national who was waving his hands to grab the attention of anyone passing by, told agents that his girlfriend had dropped off the cliff trying to cross the border illegally into the U.S.

The responding agents came to the rescue of the woman  a 22-year-old Mexican national  and immediately called emergency rescue authorities, who placed the woman on a gurney and air-lifted her from the scene, the agency stated.

An MRI at a nearby trauma hospital found she had fractured her spine in the fall. Her current medical status was unclear.

The man was detained for processing. The woman will get sent back to Mexico once she's out of the hospital, officials said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has applauded the "vibrant relationship" shared between his country and Gulf Arab nations during a visit to Dubai.

Modi made the comments on Sunday at a speech at an invitation-only gala at the Dubai Opera.

Modi said: "Today, whether it's the UAE or other countries in the Arabian Gulf, our relationship is no longer just that of a buyer and seller, it's a partnership that's been built."

Indian laborers, taxi drivers and white-collar workers can be found everywhere in the United Arab Emirates, as well as other Gulf Arab nations.

Modi will later address the World Government Summit in Dubai before heading to Oman. He was in the Palestinian territories on Saturday and met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Two junior-level officers of the Indian army and two militants were killed while nine others, including women and children, wounded Saturday in an ongoing gunfight in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The fierce gunfight broke out early Saturday morning after gunmen believed to be fidayeen (suicide attackers) indiscriminately opened fire and entered a highly fortified military camp at Sunjawan in Jammu, the winter capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"The army has killed two militants in the ongoing operations inside the camp," an army official told Xinhua. "We have also lost two officers. Four soldiers, and five women and children were also wounded."

A statement issued by the Indian army said over 150 houses inside the camp were cleared and their inmates evacuated to safer locations.

Local government minister Abdul Rehman Veeri also confirmed that two officers were killed and three troopers including an officer of the rank of colonel were wounded. The minister said a daughter of a slain army officer was also wounded.

Officials said no sooner the militants entered the camp, they took refuge inside the family headquarters and engaged the troopers in a fierce gunfight.

The army had to rush reinforcements of police and paramilitary to take on militants inside the camp. It also used helicopters to locate the positions of militants. Around 500 meters around the camp have been sealed.

Reports said the stand-off continued.

"The operation will continue until the area is completely cleared of militants," the army official said.

Following the attack, the region's Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti chaired a high level security meeting in Jammu with top police and civil officers attending.

Officials suspect four to five militants have managed to enter the highly guarded camp to take on army personnel present there.

In December last year, a similar attack on highly fortified paramilitary camp in the region ended with killing of five Central Reserve Police Force personnel and three militants.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in the region since 1989.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
A Russian airliner crashed minutes after takeoff from one of Moscow's airports on Sunday, killing all 65 passengers and six crew members on board, officials said.

The plane was an An-148, a regional jet belonging to Saratov Airlines, that had taken off from Domodedovo Airport and was headed to Orsk about 1,000 miles southeast of Moscow, REN-TV reported.

The Moscow Inter-Regional Transport Prosecutor's Office said in a statement to Interfax that all people on board the plane have died. "The plane was carrying 65 passengers and six crewmembers. All of them died," the agency said.

Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov added that "judging by everything, no one has survived this crash."

Authorities have found a black box belonging to the aircraft and have cordoned off the area of the crash site, regional head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations Sergei Poletykin said in a conference call.

"One recorder was found at the crash site," Poletykin said.

The crew of the doomed aircraft did not report any malfunctions, Svetlana Petrenko, an official representative of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, told Interfax.

"At the moment it has been established that there have been no reports of aircraft failure from the crew," Petrenko said.

All of the passengers aboard the airliner are believed to have been residents of the region that was the plane's destination. The Interfax news agency quoted Sergei Sheremetsinsky, a spokesman for the regional governor, as saying that all passengers were residents of the Orenburg region along the border with Kazakhstan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin postponed a planned trip to Sochi to closely monitor the investigation and offered his condolences to the families of those killed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a statement to Interfax that Putin "expresses deep condolences to all those who lost their relatives and friends in this disaster."

"The president instructed the government to set up a special commission in connection with the plane crash in the Moscow region and instructed the relevant agencies to conduct the necessary search operations," Peskov told Interfax.

Putin was to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Monday in the Black Sea resort where the president has an official residence. Instead, Abbas will meet with Putin in Moscow in the latter part of Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.

Fragments of the jet were found in the Ramenskoye area about 25 miles from the airport, according to REN-TV. Footage on state television showed them strewn across a snowy field with no buildings nearby. No on the ground casualties were reported.

The flight took off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport and spent about 5 minutes in the air before a signal was lost about 12 miles southeast of the airport, according to Flightradar24, a flight-tracking website.

Witnesses in the village told local media they saw a burning plane falling from the sky, according to Sky News.

A local resident told REN-TV she heard an explosion.

"I left the house, saw the plane, an explosion was heard and the sky turned red," the unnamed woman told the television station.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry said in a series of tweets the recovery process would involve up to 300 people, and that the crash scene was only accessible on foot due to weather conditions.

It is not immediately clear what caused the crash, with weather conditions and pilot error said to be among the possible reasons. Russia's Investigative Committee said all possible crash causes were being looked into.

Russia's state news agency Tass said the plane had been flying since 2010, with a two-year break because of a shortage of parts.

The plane, an Antonov An-148 jet, was ordered by Rossiya Airlines, a subsidiary of Aeroflot, but was put into storage during 2015-2017 because of a lack of parts. Tass reports it re-entered service for Saratov Airlines in February 2017. The jet was developed by Ukraine's Antonov company in the early 2000s, and was manufactured in both Ukraine and Russia.

While it remains to be seen what caused the crash on Sunday, shabby equipment and poor supervision had plagued Russian civil aviation for years after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, but its safety record has improved markedly in recent years.

The last large-scale crash in Russia occurred on Dec. 25, 2016, when a Tu-154 operated by the Russian Defense Ministry on its way to Syria crashed into the Black Sea minutes after takeoff from the southern Russian city of Sochi. All 92 people on board were killed.

In March 2016, a Boeing 737-800 flown by FlyDubai crashed while landing at Rostov-on-Don, killing all 62 people aboard.

An onboard bomb destroyed a Russian Metrojet airliner soon after taking off from Egypt's Sharm al-Sheikh resort, killing 224 people in October 2015.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police in Beijing say a 35-year-old man with a personal grievance attacked 13 people with a knife in a busy shopping mall in the city, killing one.

In a brief statement, the city's Public Security Bureau said the 12 other victims in Sunday's attack suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

Police provided only the man's surname, Zhu, and said he confessed to the authorities that he carried out the attack at Joy City, a mall in Beijing's Xidan district, to "vent his personal discontent."

Because Chinese law tightly restricts the sale and possession of firearms, mass attacks are generally carried out with knives or homemade explosives.

Perpetrators of similar attacks in the past have been described as mentally ill or bearing grudges against society.
By Zhang Zhixin

US President Donald Trump has told the Pentagon that he wants a grand military parade in Washington to celebrate military strength, according to reports in US media outlets. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders later confirmed the request, saying the president expects the Department of Defense to "explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation." Nonetheless, the latest marching orders of Trump have triggered frustration even before being elaborated. Why do so many people object to Trump's plan of hosting a military parade?

Major military parades have not been common in modern US history. In January 1946, a victory parade was held in New York City to celebrate the end of World War II. During the Cold War, former US presidents Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy hosted displays of military might to deter the Soviet Union. The last time Washington organized a military parade was in June 1991 under the George H. W. Bush administration to mark the US victory in the first Gulf War. Now after nearly a 30-year hiatus, Trump wants a military parade again. It is hard to think of a reason for a muscular military parade without celebrating a war victory or to awe the enemy.

Rand Paul, US Senator from Kentucky, wrote in an opinion piece on February 7, "So I propose we declare victory in Afghanistan, bring home our 14,000 troops and hold a victory parade." By this, he meant that the reasons for Trump's idea are thin on the ground now that US troops remain engaged in battles across the world.

Trump mused about the plan of an attention-grabbing military parade out of his eagerness to show off US power. In addition, he was dazzled by the traditional Bastille Day military parade he watched with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris last July. He reminisced about uniformed French soldiers marching down the Champs-Elysees avenue, tanks, armored vehicles, carriers rolling down the boulevard, fighter jets painting a tricolor flag over the Arc de Triomphe. He called it one of the greatest parades he has ever seen.

However, many are worried that hosting a military parade may become part of Trump's "reality show" as a nontraditional president and may politicize the homage to the military. It has been one year since Trump entered the White House but his approval ratings have all along been hovering at historic lows. Perhaps he's also attempting to earn more support by honoring the troops, as the daunting mid-term elections approach.

Actually, the US does not need to flex its muscles. As a leading military power in the world, the US boasts of a huge military budget many times more than any other country, and advanced weaponry and professional combat systems that the rest of the world can hardly match. Furthermore, it has had its arms and military tactics tested in battlefields in many places in the world. Therefore, Trump's idea is indeed an unnecessary move.

And, an important reason that affects the feasibility of a military parade, though not a decisive one, is that it will be a waste of money and manpower. For one, neither the New York City nor Washington has a boulevard solid enough for heavy tanks and armored vehicles to roll on. There's one concern which is quite practical: "70-ton tanks built for the battlefield would chew up Pennsylvania Avenue blacktop." The muscle show may end up in an exposure of tattered infrastructure.

For the other, shipping tanks and other jumbo military equipment to Washington could cost millions of dollars. Who will pay for it especially when Democrats and Republicans are at odds over budget bills? The Trump administration is expected to release its fiscal 2019 budget proposal on Monday and expand military expenditure. Spending on a military parade will likely exacerbate the row between the two parties. No wonder why so many Republicans, along with Democrats, say no to the president's grand military parade plan.

The author is a vice research fellow with the Institute of American Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
Shanghais NEV promotion keeps ahead

By:Zheng Qian | From:english.eastday.com | 2018-02-09 10:00

Shanghais new-energy vehicles (NEVs) industry has developed rapidly in 2017 with 61354 new energy vehicles promoted, an increase of 35% over the previous year, achieving a GDP of 23.238 billion yuan, a comparable increase of 42.6%, according to Shanghai New Energy Vehicle Promotion Office.

The increase was mainly attributed to three indicators. Fuel cell vehicles and pure electric vehicles have increased from 30.87% in 2016 to 36.2% in 2017. The share of NEVs in the private sector increased from 51% in 2016 to 62.7%, of which more than 19% privately purchased pure electric cars.

In Shanghai's NEVs market, the top five share brands are: Roewe, BYD, Tesla, BAIC and Shenlong. As of the end of December 2017, a total of 129,986 facilities for charging and battery swap were connected to the charging facility management platform in Shanghai, of which 25,707 were public charging piles, 21,332 special charging piles and 82,947 private charging piles.
Foreign students celebrate Spring Festival in Hongqiao

From:Shine | 2018-02-09 19:29

A foreign student with Changning International School learns to make rice cakes with a wooden hammer. Making rice cakes is a traditional custom dating back some 3,000 years ago.

Over 500 foreign students and their teachers took part in a series of traditional celebrations for the coming Chinese New Year in downtown Changning District today.

The Hongqiao Subdistrict organized the event at Changning International School, where students and teachers were encouraged to guess lantern riddles, make sugar figures, learn to write the Chinese character fu (blessing), paint traditional masks and make rice cakes.

These celebrations are traditional cultural events in various Chinese provinces for Chinese New Year, which falls next Friday.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Foreign students learn to paint Peking Opera facial masks in a celebration at Changning International School.

The event aims to let foreign students feel the traditional Chinese culture and the festive celebration, according to the subdistrict.

I am quite impressed by the dragon dance as well as the spun sugar and other traditional events, said Ryan Grady, a senior student from the United States who studies at the school. Grady said though he has been in the city for nine years, it was rare for him to witness and take part in such traditional celebrations.

Im willing to learn these traditional skills and help to promote them, the 17-year-oldsaid.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Foreign students learn to paint on traditional lanternsin a celebration at Changning International School.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Foreign students learn to make sugar figures in a celebration at Changning International School.

I think the mask painting is very cool, said Sofia Rizzoli, a ninth grade freshman. A craftsman painted the Peking Opera facial masks and taught students how to make their own. Rizzoli, from Italy, said she has learnt Mandarin and Chinese cultures that she feels are interesting.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

A foreign student guesses lantern riddles in a celebration at Changning International School.
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Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Tropical storm conditions likely. Windy with rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 82F. SW winds at 40 to 60 mph, decreasing to 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Rain showers, with winds diminishing late. Low near 75F. WSW winds at 25 to 35 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Research finds long COVID may spike early risk of dementia

Apart from neurological symptoms like the loss of taste and smell, those who have long COVID should also be on the lookout for mental fog, problems with attention and concentration.




Haiti - National Carnival 2018 : D-Day, Message of the First Lady





Martine Moise, the First Lady of Haiti, a few hours before the start of the 2018 National Carnival festivities that will take place in Port-au-Prince starting this Sunday, February 11 and will continue Monday and Tuesday 13, addressed a message and advice for this carnival to unfold in peace, respect, love and safety.



She recalls the important device deployed all along the way to help those in need of care https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23529-haiti-flash-carnival-national-d-1-everything-is-ready-important-informations.html calling the entire population and not succumbing to violence and recalling the prohibition of carrying weapons and any objects that could injure.



Among other things, she reminds the population not to take a risks that face the AIDS and other communicable diseases and recommends the use of condoms. To avoid regrets of unwanted birth after 9 months, she advises girls and women to take protective measures.



Full message (in Creole) of Martine Moise :







Recall that HaitiLibre as every year, gives you a rendezvous on www.haitilibre.com from Sunday to follow during the 3 days the live broadcast of the Carnival National 2018. Happy Carnival to all and be careful.



Carnival, important informations :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23529-haiti-flash-carnival-national-d-1-everything-is-ready-important-informations.html



S/ HaitiLibre


















Rise and Fall of a Cocaine Ring: A chart of cocaine abuse in Honolulu shows sharp increase from 1990-1997 then a sharp decline about the time the Cocaine Ring was busted. Source HHIC.org

Former Cocaine Dealers Wife Running for Honolulu Council

by Andrew Walden

Should ex-coke dealers get more political representation?

After years as office staff for outgoing North Shore Councilman Ernie Martin, Heidi Tsuneyoshi February 9, 2018, pulled papers to run for the soon-to-be vacant Council District 2 seat.

Her campaign website wisely avoids naming her husband, but her Pinterest site mentions, Husband: Chad Tsuneyoshi who served 4 years in the United States Army as a Combat Medic. For some reason, she does not mention Chads other servicein Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution.

In an article titled Drug ring boss gets 40 years, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin January 19, 2000 explains :

The head of an international drug-trafficking organization must serve 40 years in federal prison, U.S. District Judge David Ezra has ordered. Richard Brown Taumoepeau was one of five co-defendants convicted last year in U.S. District Court of conspiring to transport multikilogram quantities of cocaine from the United States to Pacific Rim locations including Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand between 1990 and 1997. Ezra said at a sentencing hearing yesterday that Taumoepeau, who had successfully and creatively trafficked drugs for nearly a decade, was in every sense an "international drug kingpin." He said Taumoepeau showed no remorse and that there was no way to measure the harm done to the community. U.S. Attorney Steve Alm said evidence presented during the six-week trial that lasted from April to June showed Taumoepeau headed the organization that began in San Francisco in the late 1980s and established itself in Hawaii 10 years later. The ring had expanded to Australia and New Zealand by 1996. The government estimated between 500 and 1,000 kilograms were transported by the conspirators. Also convicted last year were Siokatame Hafoka, also known as "Big Joe"; Sosaia Liufau, also known as "Big Saia"; and Chad Tsuneyoshi.

On April 4, 2000, for his role in the conspiracy, Tsuneyoshi was handed a sentence of five years in a federal penitentiary and an additional five years of parole.

He was released on parole March 5, 2004. Unlike other ex-cons who come out of prison broke, Tsuneyoshi quickly became involved in business as a promoter of cage fighting matches.

Federal Probation Officers indeed had found that Tsuneyoshi violated terms of his supervised release by associating with two convicted felons in 2005 and again in May and June, 2006. On June 15, 2006, Judge Ezra sentenced Tsuneyoshi to two months home detention during non-working hours.

He also has three Hawaii misdemeanor convictions from 1990 and 1992.

In spite of this, in 2011 Chad was appointed Martins campaign Treasurer---until Hawaii Free Press exposed the history.

Heidi Tsuneyoshis Honolulu Council District 2 opponent is former State Senator Robert Bunda .

---30---
1 / 3 In this Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 photo, Abby Hobson, who's developing Tiny Estates, stands outside one of the new tiny houses near Elizabethtown, Pa. (Richard Hertzler/LNP via AP) Richard Hertzler, LNP via AP 2 / 3 In this Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 photo, Abby Hobson, one of the owners of Tiny Estates, a new resort made up of tiny homes, stands at the door of one of the tiny houses near Elizabethtown, Pa. The Hobson family finalized the purchase of the property in early January. (Richard Hertzler /LNP via AP) Richard Hertzler, LNP via AP 3 / 3 In this Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 photo, Cody Makarevitz works in his tiny shop that is at one end of his tiny home in Tiny Estates, a new resort made of up tiny houses, near Elizabethtown, Pa. (Richard Hertzler/LNP via AP) Richard Hertzler, LNP via AP  

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa.  A campground in Elizabethtown is undergoing a transformation of sorts, one that will give it a unique selling point on the East Coast:

Its cabins will be tiny houses.

Tiny Estates will open with about half a dozen tiny houses this spring on the grounds of the former Ridge Run Campground. The Hobson family, which finalized the propertys purchase earlier this month, has long-term plans that include dozens more tiny homes, each with a slightly different design; a large event space; off-grid units; and typical campground amenities.

Were expecting a lot of millennials because it is sort of a novelty, a unique lodging experience, said Abby Hobson, who is developing Tiny Estates. We can target someone who would come (to the area) every week or every month for lodging and want something different each time, and we expect a lot of try before you buyers who want to test the (tiny house) experience in different models.

The project is a good fit with what was there before it, said Justin Evans, Mount Joy Township manager and zoning officer. And it can be grandfathered in to the pre-existing use, so zoning wasnt a hurdle the way it is in much of Lancaster County.

The start of Tiny Estates

So what is a tiny house?

Its size typically maxes out at 400 square feet. Its built on a wheeled trailer, so its mobile. Beyond that, styles, locations, power and uses vary widely.

Hobson became interested in tiny houses a couple years ago and, after a family trip to the Tiny House & Simple Living Jamboree in Colorado, the Hobsons arrived home with an aluminum Volstrukt frame and plans to build one of their own.

So we completed the shell and said, Well, where do we put it? Hobson recalled. We took it to an antiques store (that her parents, Dan and Joy Hobson, own) in Strasburg, but the township didnt want it there. We tried to move it to several places, with the same result. So now I see peoples issue  its not that they cant build them, its that (then) they dont have somewhere to put them.

That led to Hobson earning her real estate license to better figure out a solution, and that, eventually, led to the idea for a tiny house resort and the search for appropriate land.

The former campground already had some residents who were living full time in recreational vehicles  not typically an accepted use  as well as abandoned units. Those residents have moved out, Hobson said, and a 19th-century house and barn on the property, which no longer were usable, are being demolished.

By April, Hobson said, they hope to have the existing roads improved, trash cleared out, power pedestals updated or replaced, and spaces prepared for the Tiny Estates-owned tiny houses that will rent for about $135 a night.

There also will be other options. One will be dedicated space for people who already own a tiny house to bring it onsite and stay temporarily. Another will be a 50-50 arrangement: tiny homes owned by other people but maintained, cleaned and rented out by Tiny Estates, with the revenue split between the owner and the business. None of the options, though, involves full-time residency.

A tiny house hub

Hobson said Lancaster County is well-positioned to support not only Tiny Estates, but the tiny house trend as well.

Theres a lot of local skill, she said. You might have a contractor in the family, and there are a lot of Amish with strong construction skills.

When you go into a well-built tiny house, she said, its built to the quality of a typical home, with the same supplies. Your plumbing and electric are a bit smaller  but your appliances and everything are standard size and quality. Theres insulation. They are a lot more livable full time.

Hobson works out of the Leola offices of Neverwet, a company that develops water-repelling products; her father is a founding partner. The company building Tiny Estates initial lineup of six cottages, Liberation Tiny Homes, is just down the road. There, Marcus Stoltzfus, head of marketing and sales, said that even beyond the Tiny Estates contract, business is booming.

Were booked out solid until about July, Stoltzfus said, adding that demand has been so great that the business focus this year will be on systemizing the company so operations can scale up without loss of quality.

With projects such as Tiny Estates, attention being paid to zoning issues and continued demand for tiny house designs and units, This is a pivot for the industry as a whole. Its moving forward, Stoltzfus said.

A draft zoning amendment that would allow accessory dwelling units  such as tiny houses  is in the works in East Lampeter.

The term accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, refers to an approach used in many areas to regulate where tiny houses and other secondary, self-contained dwellings can be located. The units can take different forms, but essentially they are dwellings added to a lot that already contains another house.

Ethan Demme, an East Lampeter Township supervisor, has been working since last year on a draft zoning amendment that would remove many barriers to ADUs there. It was inspired, he says, by his work with Lancasters Coalition for Sustainable Housing and his experience with elder care housing ordinances such as those governing the separate residence, sometimes called the dawdi haus, some Amish families create for older family members.

I started with the concept of how do we end the requirement that the person (living in an ADU) be related by blood, remove that to allow more people to take advantage of that possibility of either setting up an ADU on their property or renting one.

Demme said he hopes to start getting public feedback on his draft ADU amendment this spring or summer.
1 / 2 Sister Jean B. Bingham, general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaks at World Women's Interfaith Conference on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. Courtesy LDS Church 2 / 2 Sister Joy Jones, general president of the Primary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaks during World Women's Interfaith Conference on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018, in Wales. It was the beginning of a 10-day European tour. Courtesy LDS Church. Courtesy LDS Church  

Two top woman leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  Sister Jean B. Bingham and Sister Joy D. Jones  began a 10-day trip to Europe by attending the World Womens Interfaith Conference on Friday, Feb. 9, in Newport, Wales.

According to an LDS Church press release, local and international womens leaders from Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Christian communities gathered to engage in dialogue about Living faithfully in an increasingly secular world.

Speakers at the World Womens Interfaith Conference offered personal experience on how their religious conviction has helped them navigate life in a positive way, the release said.

When we unite together as women of faith, we not only strengthen the relationship between religions, but individual lives are touched as we reach out to those in need, said Bingham, general president of the LDS Churchs Relief Society in front of over 300 attendees.

The Relief Society is one of the oldest and largest womens organizations in the world.

Bingham was accompanied by Jones, general president of the Primary for the LDS Church. The Primary presidency oversees the churchs organization that teaches children ages 18 months to 11 years.

At this time of religious misunderstanding, its refreshing to meet with like-minded women who focus on sharing our common values and have a desire to benefit communities, said Amanda Morris, Muslim Council of Wales, about her participation in the conference in the press release.

As part of the conference, those in attendance had the opportunity to participate in a service project benefiting Samaras Aid Appeal. One hundred bags for women and girls were assembled from donations gathered beforehand.

One hundred percent of everything used for the service project has been donated for the benefit of Samaras Aid, said Julie Jones, member of the Wales Interfaith Council and event coordinator. Working together for a good cause, side by side, brings women of all faiths together in a special way.

Samaras Aid Appeal is an initiative based in the United Kingdom and provides humanitarian aid in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Bingham and Jones will continue their trip by visiting with congregations to lend counsel and encouragement to Mormons in several European countries.
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More than 55 per cent of the world's estimated 7.4 billion people live in cities. In the context of climate change and resource scarcity, a move to more efficient, healthier urban environments is a necessity. But the good news is that from Paris to Mexico City, Copenhagen to Shenzhen, 2018 will see many initiatives to make city centres that work for people, rather than cars and trucks with high emissions.

2018 will be the year of the smart city. We'll be reaching a point where the term ceases to be just a buzzword and becomes a reality for many living in the most progressive conurbations.

Key progress will be made on reducing carbon and NOx emissions, increasing access for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport and by the rapid adoption of autonomous, electric delivery systems.

By the end of 2018, urban centres will be healthier and safer, and less traffic will mean that commuting by foot, bike or public transport will become the norm for many. Paris has already established a car-free zone near the Seine. In the autumn of 2018, the area will extend by 1km, with the addition of a guided bus route and extra bike lanes.

In Copenhagen, where more than 50 per cent of commuters already cycle to work every day, the city authorities are working on a huge infrastructure initiative to support more bike and pedestrian access. This includes the launch of 37 safe bike routes by the end of 2018. Shenzhen, cited in 2016 by the Urban China Initiative as China's most sustainable city at 353 square metres of green space per capita, is greener than US and European cities. It will continue to make swift progress in cutting particulates and sulphur oxide emissions, with investment in parks and an expanded metro system underway. Europe's greenest city, Vitoria-Gasteiz, in Spain, manages only 300 square metres per capita and New York survives on 26 square metres per person.

In London, local authorities will build on recent initiatives such as banning cars from the key Bank junction in the City's financial district. In 2018, London Mayor Sadiq Khan hopes to launch a new transport strategy which has "healthy streets" as a key objective. This includes targets for getting people out of cars to achieve an average of 20 minutes of exercise via bike or foot during their commute. Khan has already committed to making Europe's most polluted road, Oxford Street, fully pedestrianised by 2020.

My startup, Pavegen, has been involved in a pilot scheme there to convert a forgotten side road into the world's first smart street. Our technology harvests the kinetic energy of footsteps and converts it into off-grid electricity to power light and sound. We're also providing a data feed on power generated and rewarding footsteps via a smartphone app. Alongside air-cleaning startups such as Airlabs and Airlite, we have been able to show how technology can make urban spaces more exciting and interesting while improving health and environmental performance.

Trials of cleaner, electric autonomous personal transportation will increase throughout 2018. Safety means that autonomous ways of moving goods around are likely to be accepted by communities much more rapidly. Companies such as Starship Technologies and Dispatch are proving effective at surface level, achieving reliable last-mile deliveries. UAV specialist Flirtey is already delivering Domino's pizzas in New Zealand and Slurpees in Nevada. In addition, rival Zipline has been flying medical supplies to Rwandan citizens.

For aerial drones, there will be teething troubles, especially in cities such as London, which has narrow streets and a haphazard layout. But being able to drop large quantities of goods closer to customers, avoiding traffic and with less emissions is inevitable, as Amazon's recent patent filings for drone "hive" fulfilment centres for aerial vehicles demonstrate. Expect a swarm near you soon.

These changes are being driven not by ideology, but by pragmatic business people, communities and the scientists and engineers that empower them. Like many great ideas, the smart city is an easy thing to say but a lot harder to execute. My prediction is that we'll look back at 2018 and ask ourselves why we didn't start to get smarter, sooner.

Source: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/carbon-free-cities-pollution-cleaner-air-autonomous-deliveries
Pittsfield Asked to Join Lawsuit Against Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The City Council will consider joining a lawsuit against opioid wholesalers to recoup some of the cost the city has incurred combating the drug epidemic.

The law firm Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty & Proctor is taking on major drug manufacturers and distributors for fueling the illicit opioid market. The firm isn't asking for a city contribution for the case but is rather working for 25 percent of any settlement.

Cities and towns throughout the nation have already joined the effort to recoup some of the costs associated with a municipality's efforts to combat the crisis.

"This litigation is intended to address a significant problem in the city. The litigation focuses on the wholesale distributors and manufacturers of opioids and their role in the diversion of millions of prescription opiates into the illicit market which has resulted in opioid addiction, abuse, morbidity, and mortality. There is no easy solution and no precedent for such an action against this sector of the industry," reads a proposed agreement between the city and the law firm.

"Many of the facts of the case are locked behind closed doors. The billion-dollar industry denies liability. The litigation will be very expensive and the litigation expenses will be advanced by the firm with reimbursement contingent upon a successful recovery. The outcome is uncertain, as is all civil litigation, with compensation contingent upon a successful recovery."

The lawsuit claims that companies did not comply with federal regulations in regards to distribution of painkillers and flooded the market, fueling the epidemic.

Municipalities are often burdened with significant costs for such things as first responders responding to overdoses, police enforcement, rehabilitation, and in the school system. The firm believes some of the major manufacturers are responsible and should pay for the damage caused to cities and towns.

"The purpose of the lawsuit is to seek reimbursement of the costs incurred in the past fighting the opioid epidemic and/or recover the funds necessary to abate the health and safety crisis caused by the unlawful conduct of the wholesale distributors and manufacturers of opioids," the agreement reads.

The Pensacola, Fla., firm has already received much support in Massachusetts. The litigation may or may not end up with a payout.

The agreement is on the City Council's agenda for Tuesday.




iciHaiti - Croix-des-Bouquets : The Municipal Council honors te Carnival Groups and DJs





Friday, February 9 at the initiative of the Municipal Council of Croix-des-Bouquets, a tribute dinner was organized at the City Hall, in honor of the musical groups, DJs and walking bands who participated in the 2nd Edition of the communal carnival, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23439-haiti-flash-carnival-croix-des-bouquets-list-of-groups-dj-s-and-walking-bands.html on 3 and 4 February 2018, around the theme "Kwadebouke Reveye"



During a ceremony, in the presence of Mayor Rony Colin, of his deputies Jean Jonas Saint-Juste and Mrs. Geraldine Cetoute, of Jacky C. Pierre, the Chief of Cabinet of the Mayor, members of the Assemblies of Communal Sections (ASEC) and Communal Section Boards (CASEC), guests, police authorities, politicians and civilians, executives and employees of the City Council and the press, the Municipal Council of concert with the Carnival Committee handed over of plaques of honor and merit and a check of encouragement to those who distinguished themselves during this 2nd edition of the carnival of the commune.



plaques of honor and merit and a check of encouragement to those who distinguished themselves during this 2nd edition of the carnival of the town.



Thus, Djakout # 1 was honored as guest of honor, DJ Swag for his best performance, DJ Dave for his discipline and Gazolin Rara for his best animation. A total amount of 125,000 Gdes was awarded as bonuses to the best.



The lucky recipients were moved and thanked the Municipal Council for this great gesture towards them.



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-23518-icihaiti-social-children-with-disabilities-at-the-carnival-of-croix-des-bouquets.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23439-haiti-flash-carnival-croix-des-bouquets-list-of-groups-dj-s-and-walking-bands.html



IH/ iciHaiti


















Both politicians and industry leaders have been exaggerating the potential of future fracking operations in the UK, an unreleased 2016 government report has suggested.

It estimated that 155 fracking wells will be constructed by 2025, a fraction of the number predicted by a prominent industry report that has stated 4,000 horizontal wells could be drilled by 2032, with 400 wells per year at the peak phase of construction.

The projected boom for employment and investment in the UK these would bring have been cited by ministers to justify the controversial practice.

The Implementation Unit Report on Shale Gas predicted the much lower number.

It was released after a Freedom of Information request revealed by Unearthed, Greenpeaces investigative platform.

Though it was made in 2016 for the Cabinet Office, the report was never released despite its discrepancies with other projections.

Another industry report supported by the Government predicted fracking could create over 64,000 jobs and bring 33bn of investment to the UK, but this was based on the estimate of 4,000 wells.

The new figures, therefore, raise questions over the economic benefits of fracking used by ministers and industry representatives to drum up support for it.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract shale gas involves injecting water mixtures into wells to release underground fuel reserves. The technique has been opposed by many environmental campaigners and local residents in designated fracking areas due to environmental concerns.

Previous research has called into question the sustainability of fracking, and currently the US is the only nation carrying it out on a large scale.

How fracking works and where it could happen Show all 2 1 /2 How fracking works and where it could happen How fracking works and where it could happen 02-FrackingHowItWorks.jpg How fracking works and where it could happen 02-FrackingMapWeb.jpg

Dan Lewis, senior adviser at the Institute of Directors, which helped produce the higher estimate of 4,000 wells, said it was disappointing that fracking has not delivered on its initial promise.

The 2013 projection that, at peak, the UKs drilling schedule could see 400 new laterals installed hasnt come to pass, for a variety of reasons, he told Unearthed.

One major factor behind this is that further research into the UKs geology has been held back by planning. Another is the fall in gas prices that have made exploration harder to justify.

Advances in technology that mean fewer drilling sites are required to extract gas could also be responsible for the discrepancy in the figures, according to industry representatives.

These findings come at a time of particular uncertainty for UK fracking, as operations in North Yorkshire stall due to an investigation into the financial resilience of Third Energy, the company responsible.

Operations were supposed to begin near the North York Moors several months ago, but now Third Energy will remove its equipment from the contentious site while the investigation is ongoing.

There have been no fracking operations in the UK since 2011, and opponents have said the 2016 report provides further evidence of the industrys uncertain future.

This is further evidence that the fracking industry is doomed, Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party, told Unearthed.

Though ministers like to talk up fracking in public, and the industry boasts of its own potential, it simply isnt looking viable even by its own measures.

These estimates from the heart of government are a far cry from the US-style fracking boom forecast by shale advocates, said Greenpeace UKs head of energy, Hannah Martin.

Yet instead of publishing the figures, ministers decided to bury them in a Cabinet Office drawer. This is despite the fact that this analysis seriously undermines the promises of fracking jobs and investment repeated by government and industry for years.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: The UK Government is committed to ensuring we have secure energy supplies that are reliable, affordable and clean.

As part of this, shale gas has the potential to be a homegrown energy source which can lead to jobs and economic growth, contribute to our diverse energy mix to further enhance our security of supply, and help us achieve our climate change objectives.
Statistics from food banks across England show a frightening rise in the number of people using their services, meaning that more and more people dont have enough money to feed themselves. Between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017, the Trussell Trust provided 1,182,954 three-day emergency food packages  up 73,645 from the previous year.

People affected by food poverty face severe threats to their health and wellbeing. As well as the stress, depression and anxiety that can result from not having enough money to feed their families, people experiencing food poverty also face a higher risk of obesity, because the only foods they can afford tend to be cheap, sugary, processed and fattening.

Some researchers have already mapped out who is using food banks, which is a big step towards understanding the problem. But academics like ourselves are increasingly concerned that just focusing on food bank data means we are not seeing the whole picture. After all, some people in need do not live near a food bank, or do not know about local services, or are too embarrassed or worried about what will happen if they tell people they cannot afford to feed their children properly.

These people are extremely vulnerable, since theyre not getting the crucial emergency support offered by food banks. Identifying and helping the unseen victims of food poverty should be a national priority. The obvious answer is to create a national measure of food poverty, like the ones used in the US and Canada. This would allow the Government to identify those in need, and target resources accordingly.

Shockingly, no such measure is used in England, though some efforts are being made in Wales and Scotland. But there is a way to use existing data to figure out not just how many, but crucially where vulnerable people might need emergency food.

Mapping out food poverty

We already know what types of people are more likely to experience food poverty: single pensioners, low-income households with children and people claiming benefits are at greater risk. By combining this knowledge with big datasets such as the Census and data from the Department for Work and Pensions, its possible to find out where populations at risk of food poverty live.

The areas most at risk of food poverty are also the areas with the smallest number of food banks (Dianna Smith and Claire Thompso)

As part of new research, we mapped out the number of people at higher risk of food poverty across all of England. Our map shows that some areas of the country face much higher levels of risk  and theyre not always the ones you might expect.

For example, when we updated our maps with the most recent data on benefits claimants, we found that areas in London such as Croydon and Southwark have a large proportion of residents facing a high risk of food poverty. Outside of London, some urban areas in the north (Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle) have higher risk  even where these areas dont always appear to be deprived from using other measures.

When we compared those areas with a higher risk of food poverty with the locations of food banks from the Trussell Trust, we found that those areas dont always have a lot of food banks. In fact, based on the available data, we couldnt find a statistical relationship between the number of food banks in an area and the 2015 Index of Multiple Deprivation score, meaning that food banks are not always concentrated in the poorest areas.

Making a difference

Of course, this is not a criticism of food banks. They offer vital and often life-changing services. But more information about exactly where these invaluable services are needed could mean more vulnerable people receive the help and support they need to get through a difficult time.

Our maps can help with this, by helping local authorities put together food poverty action plans that target their resources more effectively. The data can be tailored for localities to account for the specific local problems that contribute to food poverty  such as the high housing costs in London boroughs, and the high rates of unemployment in many communities in the North-east of England. We are already working with local authorities around the country to this end.

This type of work is becoming more important, as controversial policy changes and cuts take hold. The roll-out of universal credit looks set to make food poverty worse in some areas. By looking for food poverty hot spots in the local communities, researchers can help charities and local government to reach those in need.

Dianna Smith is a lecturer in GIS at the University of Southampton and Claire Thompson is an assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com)
A mother has been left outraged after her daughters school introduced a policy that states students arent allowed to say no when asked to dance.

Natalie Richard, from Utah, was speaking to her sixth-grade daughter about the upcoming Valentines Day dance at her school, Kanesville Elementary, when she was told about the controversial rule.

Her daughter explained that teachers had told the students, aged between 11 and 12, that they had to say yes when someone asked them to dance.

Recommended A quick guide on how to talk to your children about mental health

In disbelief, Ms Richard said that she must have misunderstood what they were saying.

However, after speaking to the school she soon realised that the statement was accurate.

The teacher said she cant. She has to say yes. She has to accept, and I said, Excuse me, Ms Richard told Fox 13.

Shocked by the policy, the mother took her concerns to the school principal but was told that thats just how they organise their dances.

Lane Findlay, community relations specialist with the Weber School District, confirmed that it is in fact a rule, but added that its meant to teach students how to be inclusive.

Natalie Richard says that this method sends children the wrong message (Fox 13)

Please be respectful, be polite, Mr Findlay said.

We want to promote kindness, and so we want you to say yes when someone asks you to dance.

However, Ms Richard believes there are other ways to teach children how to be accepting and that this method sends the wrong message.

It sends a bad message to girls that girls have to say yes; sends a bad message to boys that girls cant say no, she explained.

Psychologically, my daughter keeps coming to me and saying I cant say no to a boy.

Unintentionally terrifying children's movies Show all 7 1 /7 Unintentionally terrifying children's movies Unintentionally terrifying children's movies Most people know to steer well clear of this one by now. If not, you obviously escaped one of the most scarring childhood memories, that of cute baby Bambis mother being shot dead by hunters, leaving him sad and alone in the woods. Rex Features Unintentionally terrifying children's movies Ursula makes a pact with mermaid Ariel that she will make her human in return for her voice. Her voice! She must then get a man to fall in love with her, without being able to speak. Every feminists nightmare. Unintentionally terrifying children's movies This one is seriously trippy. Its Disneys third ever movie but instead of pretty dresses and Prince Charmings and happily ever afters, all we got was a visit to Satans lair in Night on Bald Mountain. Unintentionally terrifying children's movies That fairground is enough to put you off any old-fashioned fun for life. Its called Pleasure Island but there is absolutely zero pleasure involved whatsoever. Naughty boys are turned into donkeys and the whole wooden puppet coming alive thing doesnt really do it for us either. Unintentionally terrifying children's movies There are plenty of frankly horrifying moments in this supposed childrens film from 1941, but none so harrowing as the scene when Dumbo visits his imprisoned, supposedly mad mummy elephant and she sings him a lullaby while cradling him in her trunk. Unintentionally terrifying children's movies This movie about bunnies may look cute enough but Watership Down is proof that animation does not equal adorable. Its possibly the most traumatic film youll have seen in, well, forever. Its really bloody in parts and should quite clearly never have been rated a U, even in 1978. Unintentionally terrifying children's movies Tiny Thumbelina is kidnapped by toads shortly after birth, nearly drowns in a waterfall, betrothed to a blind old mole who lives underground, forced to dress as a bug and dance at a freaky insect ball, spanked by Mr Beetle with a cane and her lover Prince Cornelius is frozen in an ice block. Oh and her best friend nearly dies. Lovely.

Thats the message kids are getting.

After Fox 13 posted the story on its Facebook page, hordes of alarmed parents commented in agreement.

Many were worried that teaching children to believe that no is an unacceptable answer could make them vulnerable.

This is a terrible policy, one person wrote.

Inclusiveness is not nearly as important as teaching children that they have no obligation to allow anyone to touch them or invade their personal space if it makes them uncomfortable.

Another agreed adding, This sends the wrong message. Anyone should have the right to say no. Teaching children how to say no respectfully is a more important lesson.

As it stands, Kanesville Elementary say that the rule remains in place.
More than 120 workers from a range of Britains leading charities have reportedly been accused of sexual abuse in the past year alone.

New figures collated by the charities revealed that Oxfam recorded 87 allegations of sexual misconduct between April 2016 and March 2017, of which 53 were referred to the police, Save the Children had 31, ten of which were referred to the police, and Christian Aid two.

The British Red Cross also admitted a small number of cases of harassment reported in the UK.

It is believed that that is up to five incidents took place in the last year, according to The Times which originally reported the story.

The new statistics come as Oxfam was forced to deny covering up the use of prostitutes by its aid workers in Haiti.

Oxfam said four members of staff were dismissed. Three, including Roland van Hauwermeiren, who served as the country director for Haiti, were allowed to resign before the end of the investigation.

A confidential report by the charity, seen by the Times, said there had been a culture of impunity among some staff in Haiti.

It also concluded that children may have been among those sexually exploited by aid workers.

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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Former staff who worked for Oxfam in Chad also alleged that women believed to be prostitutes were repeatedly invited to the Oxfam team house there, with one adding that a senior member of staff had been fired for his behaviour in 2006.

The Government has announced it is reviewing all of its work with Oxfam, which receives 300 million a year.

Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, described the news as shocking and has threatened to withdraw funding from Oxfam and any other organisation that has safeguarding issues.
Oxfams chief executive said he was deeply ashamed by allegations its aid workers paid for prostitutes in earthquake-torn Haiti.

Mark Goldring admitted anyone involved with the charity will be compromised by claims staff regularly used prostitutes while providing disaster relief in the aftermath of the Caribbean countrys 2010 earthquake.

Four workers were dismissed and a further three were allowed to resign from the organisation following an internal investigation into the allegations in 2011.

I am deeply ashamed about Oxfams behaviour then, Mr Goldring told ITV News. Everybody, the 250,000 staff and volunteers, is compromised by this.

The hundreds of thousands of people who support Oxfam every month are compromised by this and to everybody I do apologise.

A whistleblower alleged to The Times that workers for the 76-year-old charity had organised sex parties at the residence rented for them by the charity.

Oxfams subsequent investigation into the situation, noted a culture of impunity which meant other staff members did not feel they could speak up about inappropriate behaviour.

The charity has been accused of attempting to cover up the scandal after it did not disclose at the time disciplinary action against staff was related to sexual misconduct.

It has also emerged Oxfams country director for Haiti, Roland van Hauwermeiren, was allowed to tender his resignation after he admitted using prostitutes during his time in there in 2011.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has threatened to cut funding to charities like Oxfam that receive taxpayer funding if they fail to report safeguarding concerns to relevant authorities.

Mr Goldring, who joined Oxfam in 2013 after five years as chief executive of Mencap, denied a cover-up had taken place.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 Arsenals Takehiro Tomiyasu attempts to control the ball during the Premier League match at The Emirates Stadium PA UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA 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. 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However, he did concede the charity should have been clear about allegations related to sexual misconduct at the time they surfaced.

Oxfam had no formal obligation to tell anybody anything, Mr Goldring added: This was not a public story it was an internal investigation. Oxfam chose to go to the public and say we have got this wrong and we are trying to get this right.

I think we should have been open that there was sexual misconduct and that involved the use of prostitutes.
Oxfam reported the matter of sexual misconduct by aid workers to the Department for International Development (DfID) but did not reveal the nature of the allegations, the former Secretary for International Development has said.

Andrew Mitchell, who was in the role from May 2010 to September 2012, said he was not informed about allegations that Oxfam workers hired prostitutes in earthquake-torn Haiti in 2011, which later led to claims of a cover-up by the charity.

Speaking on LBC Radio, Mr Mitchell said this was because while the charity did report the matter to the various regulators and to DfID, they did not specify the nature of the misdemeanours that had taken place.

I was not informed of the specific allegations and the case at the time, or indeed afterwards. The first I knew about this was when it appeared in The Times last week, he said.

The reason for that is that although to be fair to Oxfam they did report the matter to the various regulators and to DfID, they did not specify the nature of the allegations or the nature of the misdemeanours that had taken place.

"And because of that the department did not escalate it to ministers. They did not tell me and I was never aware of it.

Had the nature of the misdemeanours and the allegations been made clear to Dfid then there is no doubt that I wouldve been told and of course I wouldve taken the appropriate action immediately.

Concerns over exploitation by aid workers were sparked on Friday after it emerged Oxfam workers who were accused of hiring prostitutes in earthquake-torn Haiti had been able to go on and work for other aid agencies.

Three members of staff were allowed to resign from the charity and four others were dismissed after an investigation unearthed sexual misconduct, bullying and intimidation, The Times reported.

Oxfam said it had publicly announced an investigation into the allegations when they surfaced in 2011 and denied a cover-up. Nonetheless, the charity's chief executive Mark Goldring said he was deeply ashamed by what had happened.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt warned on Sunday morning that the NGO would be stripped of UK aid money unless it handed over all information about its workers use of prostitutes,

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Ms Mordaunt also threatened to cut aid funding to charities that fall short on safeguarding and do not cooperate with authorities investigating alleged sexual abuse.

The scandal-hit charity will be confronted at a showdown meeting on Monday, following the revelations about misconduct and possibly abuse in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake.

It has since emerged more than 120 charity workers in Britain have been accused of sexual abuse in the past year alone, sparking fears that overseas NGOs are being targeted by paedophiles who exploit their position.
The Government has threatened to cut aid funding to charities that fall short on safeguarding and do not cooperate with authorities investigating alleged sexual abuse.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said she was taking action to ensure charities were properly regulated following allegations that Oxfam failed to disclose the use of prostitutes by aid workers in Haiti in 2011.

Ms Mordaunt warned UK charities which receive taxpayer funds that they must declare all safeguarding concerns and refer them to relevant authorities. She said the Government would cease to fund any organisation that fails to do so.

Condemning the horrific behaviour of some Oxfam staff members, Ms Mordaunt said it was utterly despicable that allegations of abuse persisted in the aid sector.

Her announcement comes as it emerged more than 120 charity workers in Britain were accused of sexual abuse in the past years alone, sparking fears that overseas NGOs are being targeted by paedophiles who exploit their position.

Figures reported by The Sunday Times show Oxfam recorded 87 incidents last year, Save the Children 31 and Christian Aid two, while the British Red Cross admitted there had been a small number of cases of harassment reported in the UK.

Concerns over exploitation by aid workers were sparked on Friday after it emerged Oxfam workers who were accused of hiring prostitutes in earthquake-torn Haiti had been able to go on and work for other aid agencies.

Three members of staff were allowed to resign from the charity and four others were dismissed after an investigation unearthed sexual misconduct, bullying and intimidation, The Times reported.

Oxfam said it had publicly announced an investigation into the allegations when they surfaced in 2011 and denied a cover-up.

In light of the allegations, Ms Mordaunt said she was writing to all British charities which receive UK aid insisting that they spell out the steps they are taking to ensure their safeguarding policies are "fully in place and work properly".

She said they must also declare "all safeguarding concerns they are aware of", and confirm they have referred all concerns they have about specific cases and individuals to the relevant authorities.

With regard to Oxfam and any other organisation that has safeguarding issues, we expect them to cooperate fully with such authorities, and we will cease to fund any organisation that does not, she added

I am very clear: we will not work with any organisation that does not live up to the high standards on safeguarding and protection that we require.

The Department for International Development (DfID) earlier said the allegations raised serious questions that Oxfam must answer as it announced a review of its relationship with the charity.

Ms Mordaunt, who has requested talks with Oxfam's senior management at the earliest opportunity, will also meet the Charity Commission this week to discuss the regulation of UK charities overseas.

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She said: My absolute priority is to keep the world's poorest and most vulnerable people safe from harm. In the 21st century, it is utterly despicable that sexual exploitation and abuse continues to exist in the aid sector.

The horrific behaviour by some members of Oxfam staff in Haiti in 2011 is an example of a wider issue on which DfID is already taking action, both at home and with the international community via the UN.

Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring denied a cover-up, telling BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Saturday: With hindsight, I would much prefer that we had talked about sexual misconduct, but I dont think it was in anyones best interest to be describing the details of the behaviour in a way that was was actually going to draw extreme attention to it.
Schools that try to ban pupils from fasting and wearing hijabs will get backing from the Government if they face a backlash, the schools minister has said.

Lord Agnew of Oulton said he would help head teachers make difficult and sensitive decisions if they came up against opposition and would not allow a culture of fear and intimidation to pass through the school gates.

Writing in The Times on Saturday, Lord Agnew said teachers, school leaders and governors were completely within their right to make decisions on how to run their schools in the best interests of their pupils [...] and we back their right to do so.

It comes after a primary school in the London borough of Newham banned girls under eight from wearing the hijab and told parents their children should not fast during the school day in the month of Ramadan.

St Stephens primary school's head of governors, Arif Qawi, had taken advice from clerics who said pupils should only fast once they reach puberty. He announced his resignation following complaints from parents.

Lord Agnew said: We must not allow a culture of fear and intimidation to pass through the school gates. What example do we set to the next generation if we fail to show tolerance and respect in how we engage in these debates? Particularly when these are values we are promoting in our classrooms.

He gave his personal backing to Neena Lall, the head of St Stephens, following the events of last month, saying she had suffered vitriolic abuse from opponents to the hijab and fasting ban.

In a stern warning, Lord Agnew said the Government would "not hesitate to take action" if there were allegations of schools promoting religious ideologies that undermine British values or evidence of discrimination in the classroom.

"This can include reforming a schools leadership, changing an academys sponsor or, in the case of an independent school, taking enforcement action which can result in the closure of the school," he added.

"All schools have to take into account the need to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and the mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs."

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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

It follows calls from head teachers who have faced opposition for the Government to go further and provide legal protection from intimidation.

A number were caught up in the alleged Trojan Horse plots in Birmingham, in which a number of schools in the city were investigated following claims a plot to control them had been set out by hardline Islamists.

The head of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, last week urged schools to adopt a muscular liberalism and not cave in to the most conservative or zealous voices in a community when setting policy.
Rebel Tory Anna Soubry has warned Theresa May she is on course to lose the crucial Commons vote on the final Brexit deal unless she changes course.

The former minister said she and pro-EU Labour MPs are absolutely united in fighting a hard Brexit, with a growing number of Conservatives ready to join them.

Asked if there would be a majority to vote down the deal this autumn, Ms Soubry said: If she is not careful  yes. There is a real shift.

She added: If this Government does not get this right, it will end up in a position whereby the majority of Members of Parliament  putting their constituents first  will find themselves unable to vote for a withdrawal agreement.

Ms Soubry said her talks in Brussels had convinced her, and other pro-EU MPs, that the EU was ready to let Britain think again, if Parliament rejected the Prime Ministers exit terms.

One of the big messages was that, if we dont take a withdrawal agreement, there are other options, Ms Soubry told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA 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. 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

Those options included either staying in the EU or agreeing to the Norway model, under which the UK would stay in the single market  currently ruled out by the Government.

And, sitting alongside pro-EU Labour MP Chuka Umunna, Ms Soubry said: This is bigger than anything. This is the big issue on which we are absolutely united.

Labour is keeping its options open for the vote on the final deal, although it has suggested it will have to deliver the exact same benefits as EU membership  as David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, once promised.

But Mr Umunna said it was unthinkable that Jeremy Corbyn  who was open minded  would whip his MPs to vote for a hard Brexit deal.

There is no majority for us in the House of Commons for us to simply jump off the cliff, he said. I cannot conceive of circumstances where Labour MPs are marshalled to go through the lobby to vote against us staying in the single market and customs union with the likes of Jacob Rees Mogg, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove.

Both Ms Soubry and Mr Umunna dismissed Mrs Mays threat to crash out of the EU with no deal, in March next year, if the agreement she strikes is rejected at Westminster.

The meaningful vote, secured by MPs before Christmas, will prevent the regulations to trigger Brexit being enacted without parliamentary approval.

Ms Soubry is the only Conservative MP to publicly support a further referendum on the deal, as favoured by the Liberal Democrats and many Labour MPs. Asked if Brexit would definitely go ahead, she said: I genuinely dont know what is going to happen. I tell you who might stop it  the people of this country.

Meanwhile, Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, admitted the Prime Minister had yet to make her Brexit plans clear.

Mrs May is now poised to make her third big speech on EU withdrawal by the start of next month, after an away day for warring cabinet ministers at Chequers, her country retreat.

Ms Mordaunt said the speech would provide answers, admitting: The public want some vision and some meat on the bones. The Government needed to give business leaders, and other organisations, the certainty they are looking for, she acknowledged.
The Foreign Office is accused today of failing to speak up for Britains Iraqi Kurd allies over corruption and breaches of democracy, following military clashes with Baghdad.

Boris Johnsons department is also criticised for an incoherent stance on the future of the Kurds in neighbouring Syria, where Turkey has mounted a bombing campaign and there is a high risk of further conflict.

The criticism comes in a report by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, which urges Britain to play a role in helping to resolve both conflicts.

In Iraq  where the Iraqi government recaptured disputed Kurd-held territory after an independence referendum  the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said there had been limited clashes and loss of life.

But todays report warns ministers had little to say to the committee about signs of corruption or the curtailment of democracy in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

They also appeared reluctant to criticise Baghdad over the role of Shia militias connected with Iran, or restrictions placed on the KRI that will only likely drive the Kurds towards departure.

The FCO should not shy away from speaking out over these issues, the Foreign Affairs Committee concluded.

Last September, against overwhelming international advice, Kurdistan held a vote on independence  prompting Baghdad to take back by force disputed territories, including Kirkuk and the surrounding oilfields.

During its inquiry, the committee heard evidence that UK ministers possessed detailed intelligence warning of the links between Tehran and the Baghdad-backed Shia militia operating against the Kurds.

There have since been numerous claims of human rights abuses being carried out by these militia to remove Kurds from Kirkuk.

Todays report concludes, nevertheless, that a negotiated solution is possible, urging the Foreign Office to offer to play an enhanced role in facilitating dialogue.

Meanwhile, in Syria, Mr Johnsons department had failed to take a clear view on the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG)  which Turkey regards as a terrorist group.

The YPG has formed a major part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which the UK has been supporting with air strikes in the fight Isis (also known as Daesh).

Turkey views the group, and its political wing the Democratic Union Party (PYD), as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)  which is classed as a terrorist organisation by both Ankara and the UK.

The MPs warned there was a high risk that the expansion of the PYD/YPG will result in new conflict in the region as Turkey has already moved against the group and the Syrian government has threatened to do so.

The FCOs view is currently incoherent. The evidence to our inquiry argued that this group was linked to the PKK, even though the nature and extent of these links is debatable, said Tom Tugendhat, the committees Conservative chairman.

But the FCO seemed uncertain about whether these links existed at all. That is not credible, and the FCO should have a clear view of its own rather than repeatedly referring to reported links.

But a Foreign Office spokesperson said: The situation in northern Syria is extremely complex.

UK policy is about working with the international community to secure the lasting defeat of Daesh and to advance a political settlement which will end the Syrian conflict. We will carefully consider the reports recommendations.
Britain may not challenge a possible decision by Donald Trump to send the British jihadi suspects dubbed the Beatles to Guantanamo Bay, the Justice Secretary suggested.

David Gauke said Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh  captured by US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria  should face due process rather than be locked up without trial.

But he refused to say the Government would intervene if the US President opted to send the pair to the notorious detention centre in Cuba for suspected terrorists.

Mr Gauke said Britain had yet to make any representations to Washington, because it first needed to consider our options and determine what is the right way forward.

And, asked if President Trump would be challenged if necessary, he replied: We need to consider what our options are first before I say precisely what actions we will take to pursue that.

It emerged on Thursday that the two Londoners, part of a four-man cell nicknamed the Beatles because of its members English accents, were in custody in northern Syria.

Led by Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John  who was killed in a drone strike carried out jointly by the US and the UK in 2016  their victims included UK aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning.

It is suspected that some members of the Trump administration will push for Kotey and Elsheikh to be sent to Guantanamo Bay indefinitely, after the President vowed the camp would remain open.

Another mooted destination, which would follow a trial, is the brutal ADX Florence supermax jail in Colorado and solitary confinement in the prisons notorious H-Unit.

It has been reported that they would be virtually starved of human contact, spending up to 23 hours a day in a tiny concrete and metal cell, eating meals alone and only allowed to exercise in an isolated cage nearby.

Tobias Ellwood, the defence minister, has said they should be tried by an international court at The Hague, after they were reportedly stripped of British citizenship.

Speaking on ITVs Peston on Sunday programme, Mr Gauke said The Hague was clearly one of the options.

As someone who believes in our principles of the rule of law and so on, my belief is that they need to be properly brought to justice. But, I think we need to consider what are the practical options in these circumstances, he said.

He added: Ultimately, everybody should be brought to justice. And that includes due process.
Oxfam will be stripped of UK aid money unless it hands over all information about its workers use of prostitutes, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has warned.

The scandal-hit charity will be confronted at a showdown meeting on Monday, following the revelations about misconduct and possibly abuse in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake.

If the moral leadership at the top of the organisation is not there, we cannot have you as a partner, Ms Mordaunt said.

She added: If they do not hand over all the information that they have, from their investigation and subsequently, to the relevant authorities  including the Charity Commission and the prosecuting authorities  then I cannot work with them any more as an aid agency.

Oxfam would be given a last opportunity to tell me their side of the story, so I have all the facts, she told the BBCs The Andrew Marr Show.

The charity, which received nearly 32m from the Government in the last financial year, has denied a cover-up over the events in Haiti and promised full co-operation with authorities.

Its own investigation into the allegations led to four people being sacked and three others resigning.

However, Oxfam is now facing further allegations, reported in The Observer, that its staff also used prostitutes in Chad in 2006  a mission led by the same senior staff member, Roland van Hauwermeiren, who resigned from Oxfam in 2011.

 Andrew Mitchell MP: 'Oxfam must respond with complete transparency'

During the interview, Ms Mordaunt suggested Oxfam had lied and had failed in its moral leadership  condemning the behaviour of some staff members as a complete betrayal.

The charity had categorically stated to the Department for International Development (DfID) that no harm had been done in Haiti and that beneficiaries were not involved.

When Mr Marr said: That was a lie, wasnt it?, Ms Mordaunt replied: Well, quite.

She added that Oxfam had done absolutely the wrong thing by failing to inform authorities about the full details of the allegations.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA 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. 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

The Charity Commission said that it had written to Oxfam as a matter of urgency to request further information.

The regulator said an Oxfam report on the investigation stated there had been no allegations of abuse of beneficiaries and made no mention of any potential sexual crimes involving minors.

Our approach to this matter would have been different had the full details that have been reported been disclosed to us at the time, the Commission said in a statement.

Oxfam has said that allegations that under-age girls may have been involved were not proven.

The UK-based charity said it had already set up a whistleblowing hotline to prevent sexual abuse and misconduct.

The International Development Secretary has written to all charities, warning they will have funding withdrawn if they fail to comply with authorities over safeguarding issues.
Theresa May will seek to clear up confusion about her Brexit plans in a major speech by the start of next month, Downing Street says.

The decision to make a showpiece address  which the Prime Minister had appeared to back away from  is revealed as No 10 confirmed an away day for warring cabinet ministers at Chequers.

That get-together will aim to somehow achieve a consensus between ministers seeking to hug the EU close after Brexit and those demanding a clean break from the single market and customs union.

Recommended Relations between Britain and the EU sink to a new low in Brexit talks

The scale of the task was underlined this week, when a two-day meeting of the inner Cabinet broke up with no agreement on trading rules, immigration or the Irish border.

On Friday, an exasperated Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator, said he was mystified by the Governments approach to the negotiations, as he warned a transitional deal is not a given.

Ms May has been accused of still trying to her have her cake and eat it by rejecting alignment with EU rules, while demanding tariff-free and frictionless trade.

Now Downing Street has revealed that a string of senior cabinet ministers will make key speeches in the next few weeks, a period during which the Brexit subcommittee will stage its away day.

First up will be Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary and arch-Brexiteer, with a rallying cry to those on both sides of the Brexit debate next Wednesday, a No 10 source suggested.

The Prime Minister herself will set out the new security relationship Britain is seeking with the EU, when she addresses an international security conference in Munich next Saturday.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

Further speeches will be delivered by David Davis, the Brexit Secretary (on how Britains businesses maintain high standards), Cabinet Office minister David Lidington (devolution) and Trade Secretary Liam Fox (how Britain will forge new trade deals).

The process will culminate in a further speech by Ms May, who will set out the Governments ambitions for Britains partnership with the EU after we have left.

It will be her third on Brexit, following the Lancaster House speech in January 2017, which announced the UK would leave the single market and customs union, and the Florence speech, in September, which set out hopes for a transition.

Both wings of the Tory party have urged the Prime Minister to stop fudging her Brexit plans, some MPs warning further dither will bring a vote of no confidence in her leadership closer.

Meanwhile, business leaders have warned they will start to implement plans to move part of their operations out of the UK unless the transition deal is nailed down by the end of March.

But  even if that is achieved  the clock is ticking on agreeing a framework for a long-term trade deal by the EUs deadline of the autumn.

The Downing Street source said: Brexit is a defining moment in the history of our nation. We will be forging an ambitious new partnership with Europe and charting our own way in the world to become a truly global, free trading nation.

As we move along the road to that future, we will set out more detail so people can see how this new relationship will benefit communities in every part of our country.
The New York Attorney General is suing the company of former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein for "egregious violations of New York's civil rights, human rights and business laws."

Eric Schneiderman said in a statement that the Weinstein Company "repeatedly broke New York law by failing to protect its employees from pervasive sexual harassment, intimidation, and discrimination."

The lawsuit, filed in New York County Supreme Court, was brought on by the attempted $500m sale of the movie studio to a former official of President Barack Obama's administration, Maria Contreras-Sweet.

Recommended Harvey Weinstein sexual assault cases under review by LA prosecutors

Mr Weinstein has been accused by several women, including actresses Selma Hayek, Ashley Judd, and Lupita Nyong'o, of sexual harassment or abuse. Mr Weinstein has repeatedly said the allegations are false.

"Any sale of the company must ensure victims are adequately compensated, employees are protected, and that enablers of sexual misconduct will not be unjustly enriched," Mr Schneiderman tweeted.

The statement said that "every New Yorker has a right to a workplace free of sexual harassment, intimidation and fear."

Ms Sweet, who ran the US Small Business Administration from 2014 to 2017, had been in negotiations for several weeks and had promised to set up a majority female board and set up a fund to assist women who claimed Mr Weinstein sexually harassed them, according to the LA Times.

Mr Weinstein was fired from the company in the wake of the many allegations, which he ran with his brother Bob Weinstein.

 Rose McGowan: 'everybody knew' in Hollywood of Harvey Weinstein allegations

Police in Los Angeles, New York, and London are all investigating the claims against the Oscar-winning producer.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The company is also facing multiple lawsuits, one alleging the company allowed Mr Weinstein's supposed behaviour to continue.

Mr Schneiderman also launched a civil rights investigation in October 2017.

His office has demanded an escrow be established for any money from the sale that would go to the Weinsteins as well as government oversight of the sale in order to ensure protection of employees.

The Weinstein Company may have to file for bankruptcy should the sale not go through.

The explosive New York Magazine report which first made public the charges against Mr Weinstein also sparked the #metoo social media movement for people to come forward about sexual harassment and abuse.
Five people have been killed, including a gunman thought to have taken his own life, during a horrific shooting spree in Kentucky.

Police received an emergency call on Saturday afternoon reporting a shooting at a rural home near the small city of Paintsville, in the northeast of the state.

Officers found two people dead and began to search the area for the shooter, Johnson County Sheriff Dwayne Price said in the statement.

The sheriff added a second 911 call led deputies and police to an apartment in Paintsville, where three more people were found fatally shot, including the gunman.

"This has been a horrific murder spree," Sheriff Price said. "There are no words to describe the heartbreak in seeing four lives taken due to the actions of one man.

I have worked in law enforcement for 34 years. This is one of the most disturbing acts of violence I have ever seen."

Officials identified the gunman as Joseph Nickell, but no other information about him was made available.

The identities of victims have also not been released as law enforcement representatives were attempting to notify their next of kin.

Working a murder is never easy. Sheriff Price added in a later statement posted on Facebook, Working the murders of four innocent people that are part of your community is even tougher.

The scenes are never the same but the chilling outcome is always heart wrenching.

No matter how many deaths you have seen or how many scenes you have been on, it never gets easier."

The murders come little more than a fortnight after a shooting spree at a Kentucky high school left two students dead and 16 injured.

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 that case, the suspect opened fire at the Marshall County High School on a group of teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18.

Several outlets reported the editor of a local news website rushed to the scene, where she apparently discovered the alleged gunman was her son.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene and charged as a minor with two counts of murder and 12 counts of first degree assault.

Assistant County Attorney Jason Darnall told reporters that his office would move to have the boy tried as an adult.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar has been transferred to a high security prison following his conviction for molesting young athletes.

The 54-year-old had been sent to the United States Penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona, The Federal Bureau of Prisons said. The facility holds around 1,390 inmates.

Nassar, who also worked as a doctor at Michigan State University, is thought to have sexually assaulted at least 265 young women and girls, often under the guise of treatment.

Several high-profile victims have come forward, including 2012 Olympic gold medal-winning gymnasts McKayla Maroney, and Aly Raisman.

The physician admitted to assaulting at least 10 of the women who have made complaints.

However, at his sentencing hearing last month in Michigan, Eaton County Judge Janice Cunningham said there could be an infinite number of unidentified victims affected by the scandal.

Nassar was first sentenced to 60 years in a federal jail in July 2017 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.

He was then sentenced to 40 to 175 years behind bars after admitting seven counts of sexual assault of minors in January.

At a final hearing last week, Nassar received an additional 40 to 125-year sentence for three additional counts of sexual assault.

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

His sentences will run consecutively, ensuring he will die in prison.

United States Olympic Committee chief executive Larry Probst told a press conference ahead of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, that the system had failed young athletes subject to abuse.

A string of senior officials at both USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University have also been forced to resign in recent weeks as the scale of Nassars abuse became clear.
Footage has emerged of flames engulfing a train carriage after a man doused in paint thinner attempted to set himself on fire.

In CCTV pictures released this week by the Chicago Transport Authority, suspect David Ferguson, 28, is seen tussling with a railway worker at Argyle station in the north of the city.

The employee is seen aiming a kick at a tin of flammable paint thinner being held by Mr Ferguson in an apparent attempt to knock it out of his hand.

Police officers then become involved in the tussle in an attempt to remove the man from the carriage.

The paint thinner spilled on the floor of the train then ignites, forcing officers to drag the suspect out of harms way.

As I reached the downstairs of the station a man started running and tells us to run because the guy was throwing gas everywhere and had a lighter, an eyewitness, Jennifer Moran, told Chicagos NBC 5 TV station.

As soon as I stepped out the station the train went up in flames and the entire train was filled with pitch black smoke and the cops talking to him had also bolted.

Mr Ferguson was later charged with aggravated arson and aggravated battery, and was held without bail, according to NBC5.

A police officer and a CTA worker were both taken to hospital to receive treatment for minor injuries following the incident.
Westerville, Ohio, police chief Joe Mortbitzer gave a tearful tribute to two police officers killed while responding to a 911 call.

Eric Joering, 39, and Anthony Morelli, 54, were fatally shot during the middle of the day after checking on a potential domestic situation in the Columbus, Ohio suburb.

Mr Morbitzer said the officers were "true American heroes" who "gave their lives in defence of others".

"These were two of the best we have. This was their calling, and they did it right," he said.

According to a neighbour, the couple who lived in the home where the officers were killed had moved in approximately eight months ago.

Police had come to the home numerous times since then, responding to loud arguments and fighting.

Mr Morbitzer said the officers were "immediately met with gunfire" as he choked back his tears.

Neighbours said they heard five to six shots.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The suspect, Quentin Lamar Smith, is in custody at this time.

A police spokesperson said that Mr Smith was wounded when police returned fire but his condition has not been disclosed as yet.

They knew how to do policing the right way, both of them, Mr Morbitzer said, adding that both gave their lives for the protection of others, and thats what they lived and breathed.

US President Donald Trump tweeted his condolences, and Ohio Governor John Kasich said on Twitter that he was saddened to learn of the deaths of two of my hometown police officers.

Everyone should be as upset about this as Americas law enforcement officers are. No cop, anywhere, signed up to be murdered, New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill tweeted.

Mr Morelli had been with the police force for nearly 30 years and Mr Joering was an officer for 16 years.
A convicted murderer has won more than $65,000 (47,000) in damages after claiming an instructor at a notorious US jail turned him into her "sex slave".

William Cordoba, 57, claimed Silvia Pulido started sexually abusing him after hiring him as a clerk in her office trailer at California's San Quentin State Prison.

He described in his legal action how Ms Pulido started flirting with him by saying "Get closer, I don't bite".

Cordoba said they first had sex in May 2010 after she put her hand over his on a computer mouse and said: "Here, let me help you do this faster."

Three days later Ms Pulido, a janitorial vocational instructor, changed the locks on her office so that nobody could walk in on them during sex, he said.

Cordoba was forced to be her "sex slave" after she promised to help pay for a lawyer to work on his case, according to his legal claim.

When he tried to back out of the abuse, Ms Pulido took revenge accusing him of harassment and he ended up spending nine months in solitary confinement, he said.

The prison worker's attorney argued Cordoba was delusional.

A jury awarded Cordoba $15,414 (11.145) for harm and $50,000 (36,153) in punitive damages following a six-day trial at the US District Court in Oakland, California..

All people have the right to be free from sexual abuse," Cordoba's lawyer Julia Allen told the New York Daily News.

"That doesn't change just because a person is incarcerated.

Cordoba is serving a life sentence for a second-degree murder and robbery in San Francisco in 1981.
Pakistani human rights campaigner Asma Jahangir, who risked her life fighting for democracy and free speech, has died aged 66.

Ms Jahangir's daughter Munizae said her mother had died in Lahore on Sunday after suffering a heart attack.

The campaigner dedicated her life to defending the rights of women, children and religious minorities in her home country.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi lauded her "immense contributions towards upholding rule of law, democracy and safeguarding human rights".

Activist Malala Yousafzai paid tribute to her on Twitter.

Heartbroken that we lost Asma Jahangir - a saviour of democracy and human rights, she wrote.

I met her a week ago in Oxford. I cannot believe she is no more among us. The best tribute to her is to continue her fight for human rights and democracy.

Ms Jahangir was a staunch critic of Pakistans strict blasphemy laws, introduced during General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's Islamisation programme during the 1980s.

Her campaign to restore democracy in the country led to her being imprisoned in 1983 and she was later put under house arrest in 2007 for opposing Pakistans then-president Pervez Musharraf.

In 2012, US intelligence agencies discovered evidence Pakistani officials had devised a plot to assassinate Ms Jahangir in an attempt to "quiet public criticism of the military".

She had served as a UN special rapporteur for freedom of religion from 2004 to 2010 and before her death had been working for the organisation in a similar role overseeing human rights in Iran.

A lawyer by background, she was also a founding member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

She represented several civil society organisations that were threatened with shutdown, as well as families of several missing activists in recent years.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Action will be taken against 10 members of Myanmars security forces in connection with the killing of captured Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, a government spokesman has said.

A report published by the Reuters news agency last week laid out events that led up to the killing of 10 Rohingya men in the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din. They were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers.

A Myanmar government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said that action according to the law would be taken against seven soldiers, three members of the police force and six villagers as part of an army investigation.

The arrests were not because of Reuters news. The investigation was being conducted even before Reuters news, he said, adding that he was unable to specify what action would be taken against the 16 people.

On 10 January, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 terrorists who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military said, adding that it would take action against those involved.

The militarys version of events is contradicted by accounts given by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses.

Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Show all 15 1 /15 Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Badiul Alam, 52, appointed as the manager of one grouping of refugees, shows the rifle-butt injury he sustained during his flight from Myanmar Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Abdur Rahim, 50, fled Myanmar with his family of seven. It took a month for them to walk to Bangladesh, carrying all their possessions on their shoulders. They havent yet found a place to put down their belongings after a gruelling journey Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Various refugee camps  Kutupalong, Balukhali and Moinerghona  have merged into one vast sprawl spread over many muddy hills that just a few months ago were a rolling green nature reserve Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps A Red Cross aid-worker supervises an aid distribution point on the edge of the Moinerghona camp, saying they have never known refugees anywhere in the world stand so patiently in line in such heat to be registered and receive aid without any tension or anger Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Last week the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a deal to return the Rohingya to Rakhine. But many worry that they will face further reprisals if they return, and there was no mention of what would happen to those who refused to go back Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps A quiet calm pervades the camps. Is it relief at being free from fear, or do feelings about the horrors witnessed remain suppressed? Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps The aid response is focused on providing food, water and shelter for people who fled with nothing Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps The effort is now well-organised and trucks delivering supplies move up and down the main road between Coxs Bazar and Teknaf all day long Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Only men are in the aid queue, as separate queues are often set up for men and women. Sixty-five-year-old Nur Ahmed wears his ID card which shows he has been formally registered to receive aid Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Ajmin Ara, 70, wanders around disorientated. She has lost her entire family and fled to Bangladesh alone; she is painfully thin/skeletal and very weak, but is receiving medical care from a small clinic set up to the side of the aid queue Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Its estimated that 620,000 Rohingya people have fled violence in Myanmars Rakhine State in the last three months. Many say they were doing their morning prayers or cooking food when their villages were attacked and they fled, often with only the clothes they were wearing Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Nur Asha, 47, sits quietly in the crowd until she can no longer restrain herself and her story comes out in a torrent: how she fled with her son when the military attacked her village but doesnt know where her other relatives are, how throats were slashed, how children were thrown into fires, how rice paddy fields were filled with bodies left for the dogs to eat Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Mohammed Sayed, 24, fled Myanmar about a month ago with his parents, wife and sister after their home was burnt down and many people in their village were killed Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Children flock around the queue and one boy has made a hat from an empty medicine package to shield himself from the heat, but other boys playing nearby tease him and knock it off his head and soon it is ripped to pieces Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Children who have fled with nothing make toy cars from empty bottles and kites from plastic bags. Despite the horrors they will have witnessed, children still laugh and play for the camera

Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din, and Rohingya witnesses said that soldiers plucked the 10 from among hundreds of men, women and children who had sought safety on a nearby beach.

Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since August, when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said may amount to genocide.

The Reuters investigation of the Inn Din massacre was what prompted the arrest of two of the news agencys reporters. Myanmar citizens Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were detained on 12 December for allegedly obtaining confidential documents. The police has said two police officers were also arrested.

 Boris Johnson on Rohingya crisis 'We need to find a political solution'

Prosecutors are seeking to charge Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo under Myanmars official secrets act, which dates back to the time of colonial British rule and carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence.

Asked about the evidence Reuters had uncovered about the massacre the government spokesman said on Thursday, before publication of the Reuters report: We are not denying the allegations about violations of human rights. And we are not giving blanket denials. If there was strong and reliable primary evidence of abuses, the government would investigate, he said.

There has been no official comment from the government following the publication of the report.

It is understood that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson raised the case of the two journalists during a meeting with the countrys de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Sunday.

The United States and the United Nations have called the military campaign against the Rohingya ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing and says its security forces mounted legitimate counter-insurgency clearance operations.

Reuters
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By seven oclock local time, there was no hope of finding survivors, but the recovery effort continued regardless.

A convoy of official vehicles, several miles long, lined the narrow country road heading towards Stepanovskoye village, about 30 south-east of Moscow. Nearer the village itself, tractors, monster trucks and snowmobiles ploughed through the snow-covered fields. It was here that locals found the first fragments of bodies and metal.

Saratov Airlines ill-fated Flight 703 left Moscows Domodedovo airport at 2.21pm local time. It was bound for Orsk, a provincial city on the Kazakhstan border, with a total of 71 people on board. Some time between two and eight minutes after take off, air traffic control lost contact with the crew.

The news broke shortly after 3pm and a range of explanations began to circulate almost immediately.

First, there were reports of a collision with a postal helicopter, franked letters having been found at the scene. This version was quickly denied by the postal service, who said they only use large planes. Flight 703 had simply been carrying a 20kg bag of correspondence. Then, local media suggested that the plane had reported technical problems and had requested an emergency landing at the nearby Zhukovsky airport. This too was denied by the airport and, later, by official investigators.

A short distance away from the crash scene in Stepanovskoye village, locals told The Independent they had heard a loud bang in the moments before the plane fell. Other witnesses reported seeing a flash under the planes wing. There was some confusion as to whether the plane was on fire as it fell  some said yes, others no.

 Emergency services at the scene of a deadly plane crash near Moscow in Russia

Roman Blinok, 45, was at home when he heard the bang. Initially, he feared his roof had fallen in from the snow. But then he realised something more terrible had happened.

The strange thing was there was just one almighty crash, and nothing else, he told The Independent. There was no second thump on the ground and the fragments of the engine I saw were very small. Whatever happened, happened in the air, before it hit the ground.

By evening, emergency workers and the army had cordoned off the crash zone. A police officer, who asked not to be named, said fragments of bodies and metal had been scattered over an area half a kilometre square.

Aviation expert Vadim Lukashevich said there would be a number of possible explanations for the crash. Weather, technical problems, human error and terrorism were all factors that had to be considered, he 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

We cant be sure until we decipher the black box recordings but weather is unlikely, since conditions were not extreme, and it was a take-off rather than a landing, he said. It is likely to be something else.

 Animation shows moment flight passenger plane with 71 people on board disappears from radar

The Ukrainian-designed An-148 passenger jet was eight years old, reasonably young in aviation terms. While the aircraft model has been criticised for frequent technical issues, Mr Lukashevich said there it was not inherently dangerous. This plane has not been involved in a serious incident outside of testing and so it should not have been an issue, he said.

A spokesman for Saratov Airlines said the plane in question was in good working order and under the control of an experienced pilot. The small regional operator has an unexceptional safety record, with its last major incident in 1991. As per standard procedure, investigators have launched a criminal case into violations of air safety rules.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered a special commission to investigate the crash, his spokesman confirmed.
One in four Iraqi children are in poverty and 4 million in need of assistance as a result of the countrys war with Isis, the United Nations children agency (Unicef) has warned.

There were 150 attacks on education facilities and 50 attacks on health centres and personnel since 2014, it said in a statement. Half of Iraqs schools need repairs and more than 3 million children have had their education interrupted, it said.

Iraq is seeking $100bn (72bn) in foreign investment in transport, energy and agriculture as part of a plan to rebuild parts of the country and revive the economy after declaring victory over Isis in December.

The country has now regained all of the territory captured by the militants in 2014 and 2015.

Children are Iraqs future, Geert Cappelaere, Unicefs regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said.

He added that a conference in Kuwait about the rebuilding of Iraq was an opportunity for world leaders to show that we are willing to invest in children  and through investing in children, that we are willing to invest in rebuilding a stable Iraq.

Across Iraq, Unicef has supported local authorities to rehabilitate 576 schools and has provided school supplies to 1.7 million children. The organisation recently appealed for $186m to allow it to respond to the needs of Iraqi children throughout 2018.

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 a recent statement, Mr Cappelaere said that during last year alone 270 children were killed, while more than 1 million children had been forced to leave their homes.

The United States, which leads an international coalition that provided Iraq with key air support in the fight against Isis, does not plan to contribute any money at the Kuwait conference, US and Western officials said.

With additional reporting from agencies
Hundreds of foreign women who joined Isis have been captured by Kurdish forces in Syria, it has been reported.

Approximately 800 women from multiple western countries have been detained and are being kept at detention sites.

They have apparently complained they were beaten and humiliated during interrogations and have been forced to live in unhygienic conditions with their babies.

About 800 Isis women with children are in four camps ... they come from around 40 countries. There are women from Canada, France, Great Britain, Tunisia, Yemen, Turkey and Australia, Human Rights Watchs terrorism and counterterrorism programme director, Nadim Houry, told Die Welt.

These women are in a very difficult situation. For the little kids especially, the circumstances are by no means good.

Mr Houry added that many of the women had said they hoped to return to their home countries, or at the very least, send their children back.

The children have not committed any crimes, they are the victims of the war and often their radicalised parents, Mr Houry said.

Kurdish authorities have said they do not wish to prosecute the women and would rather send them back to their home nations.

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

Several of these countries are opposing the move as they are currently dealing with thousands of returning jihadi fighters.

If a fair trial can be guaranteed the French government has called for any French jihadis who are detained in Syria and Iraq to be tried there.
After the worlds best ever year for aviation safety, the grim statistics of history indicated a fair chance that the next major fatal accident would involve a Russian airline.

So it proved, with Saratov Airlines flight 703 making a routine take off from Moscows Domodedovo airport, destination Orsk, but crashing 50 miles south-east of the capital with the loss of 65 passengers and six crew.

The scale of concern about aviation safety in Russia and its neighbours becomes clear when you consult the respected aviation safety website, Airsafe.com. It records fatal crashes involving passenger planes since the start of the Jumbo jet era in January 1970.

The number of European airlines without loss of life reassuringly exceeds those that have suffered a fatal crash. But there is a special page for the region that has suffered more than 40 losses since 1990 alone: the former Soviet Union.

The chronology of tragedy mostly involves Russian airlines, and contains a number of recurrent themes. The leading cause of fatal accidents appears to be a combination of severe weather and poor pilot decision-making.

The Russian climate is more extreme than that of any other nation; today, in the north-east Siberian city of Yakutsk, the highest the temperature climbed was minus 30C. Operations continue year-round through the winter, and in summer powerful storms add to the challenges.

Technical failures are also more common with ageing aircraft designed in the Soviet era. When Aeroflot was a pan-USSR airline and the biggest carrier in the world, the workhorse was the Tupolev 154. Even though it has been progressively modernised, the three-engined jet is still unsophisticated compared with contemporary Western aircraft, and dozens have crashed.

One example of formidably good flying, though, involved a Tu154 belonging to Alrosa Mirny Air Enterprise; in 2010, it suffered a complete systems failure at almost 35,000 feet, but landed without loss of life on an abandoned runway.

At the other extreme, pilot irresponsibility caused the loss of Aeroflot flight 593 from Moscow to Hong Kong in 1994, when the Airbus captain allowed his 16-year-old son to sit in his seat. The teenager inadvertently disengaged the autopilot, and a series of subsequent errors took the lives of all 75 people on board when the Airbus A310 crashed in Siberia.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Some losses have been due to terrorism, including the dreadful night of 24 August 2008 when two successive planes leaving Moscow Domodedovo exploded in flight. All 87 passenger and crew died.

The highest loss of life took place on 31 October 2015, when a Metrojet Airbus A321 crashed in the Sinai desert shortly after take-off from Sharm el Sheikh. All 224 passengers and crew on the charter flight to St Petersburg died.

It is widely believed that the plane was downed by a bomb placed on board at the Egyptian airport. Shortly afterwards, the UK imposed a ban on British aircraft flying to Sharm el Sheikh, which continues in force.

Aviation safety requires the alignment of security, training, culture and regulation. Russia is improving, with Aeroflot and S7 Airlines achieving global standards; their alliances, Skyteam and Oneworld insist upon it. But smaller carriers engaged in the monumental task of binding together the worlds biggest nation do not have the same reserves of constant vigilance.
Since the Modern Slavery Act of 2015, the issues of human trafficking and enforced slavery have become more embedded in the public consciousness. However, when we think of a typical victim, who immediately springs to mind? Runaways who no one will miss until its too late? Young girls stolen for sex? Vulnerable men falling prey to criminal gangs? Or could it be someone just like you?

Trafficking gangs target children and adults from all kinds of demographics, no matter what their education, lifestyle or age. As Natasha  a young woman I have recently got to know  found out to her horror.

Imagine finishing university, going on holiday to meet your boyfriends family, and then finding yourself betrayed by your love, trapped in a brothel nearly 1500 miles away from home and forced into prostitution. That is just what happened to Natasha, and she wants to share her story to make it clear that anyone can be manipulated by traffickers intent to do harm.

 Victim of sex trafficker sentenced to 472 years in prison: 'I honestly don't think it's enough'

Two years ago, aged 21, she was at the end of her university career in Albania. She had been dating a fellow student, Peter, for several months, and was excited about an upcoming trip to see his family in Belgium. It would be the first time she would be leaving Albania, and the plan was to spend several weeks in Europe so she could get to know her partners family, with a view to getting married. Little did Natasha know that she would spend the next year in enforced prostitution.

What happened to Natasha is by no means unusual. The numbers are chilling.

In the past five years, 89 million people experienced some form of modern slavery, according to the International Labour Organisation 2017 report. That same report stated that on any given day in 2016, 40 million people were victims of modern slavery  with an estimated 25 million people in forced labour. Women and girls accounted for 71 per cent of modern slavery victims.

Though she has been safe in the UK for over a year, Natasha still fights tears when she relives her ordeal. She explains what happened to her with a detached exhaustion.

I have tried hard, very hard, to wipe it out. But sometimes it comes back.

On arriving in Belgium, Peter had taken her to a friends house. He said to me, Im not going to come back again. Youre going to stay here, and you will see what happens later on.

Peter left the house, and she never saw him again.

That same night, she was taken to a bedroom with a man she had never met before. He became her first client.

Initially, Natasha was in shock, but she soon grew despondent and depressed. As the punters came and went, so did her hope. She tried to take control of the situation by refusing to take care of herself, so men wouldnt choose her when they came to the house.

Months later, Natasha found out she was pregnant. Terrified, she was too far gone for a termination, and her captors told her they would still keep her working once the baby arrived.

I had to do something to get out of this situation, she says. The only thing that stayed in my mind was to get out of this place. I would have done everything so that I wouldnt have to go through what I did again.

Anti-Slavery Day: One victim of child sex trafficking is one too many Show all 2 1 /2 Anti-Slavery Day: One victim of child sex trafficking is one too many Anti-Slavery Day: One victim of child sex trafficking is one too many 6462-000039.jpg Getty Creative Anti-Slavery Day: One victim of child sex trafficking is one too many chart.jpg

And one summer evening, when she was seven months pregnant, an opportunity presented itself to escape. Her housemates were distracted, and Natasha managed to break out of the brothel and leave. She grabbed what she could, and after walking for about an hour she managed to persuade a lorry driver to come to her aide. She told him she didnt care where he was going, she just begged him to take her wherever that was.

Hours later, the lorry doors opened and Natasha realised she was in the UK. She doesnt know where the driver left her, but says, It was my good luck that he helped me.

Recounting this moment, Natasha breaks down.

What I had seen on TV about the UK I was far away I am going so far away so I was thinking of my family and the baby in my tummy.

Her baby was born safely two months after her escape.

Its now almost 18 months since Natasha fled her captors, and after receiving support from Hestia, an organisation which works with victims of modern slavery, in conjunction with the Salvation Army, she has begun to rebuild her life in a safe environment. Being reunited with her family in Albania seems doubtful, as she fears their judgement.

Natasha cant yet work as she is still awaiting a decision on her asylum status, so her future is still uncertain.

Yet, despite her vulnerability, Natasha chose to speak out about her ordeal in order to tell the world that anyone, no matter what their background, can fall victim to modern slavery.

Can you Spot the Signs of Modern Slavery?

Louise Hulland is a journalist, presenter and documentary maker @LouiseOnAir
Foreign Policy for Sale: Greeces Dangerous Alliance with Israel

By Ramzy Baroud

February 11, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - For a brief historical moment, Alexis Tsipras and his political party, Syriza, ignited hope that Greece could resurrect a long-dormant Leftist tide in Europe.

A new Greece was being born out of the pangs of pain of economic austerity, imposed by the European Union and its overpowering economic institutions  a troika so ruthless, it cared little while the Greek economy collapsed and millions of people experienced the bitterness of poverty, unemployment and despair.

The Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza) came to power in January 2015 as a direct outcome of popular discontent with the EU. It was a time where ordinary people took a stance to fend for whatever semblance of sovereignty that was not wrestled away from them by politicians, bankers and powerful bureaucratic institutions.

The result, however, was quite disappointing. Tsipras, now a Prime Minister, transformed his political discourse, and gradually adopted one that that is more consistent with the very neoliberal policies that pushed his country to its knees in the first place.

Syriza sold out, not only politically and ideologically, but in an actual physical sense as well.

In exchange for bailout loans that Greece received from European banks within the period 2010 to 2015 (estimated at $262 billion), the country is being dismembered. Greeces regional airports are now operated by German companies and the countrys main telecommunication firm has been privatized, with sizable shares of it owned by Deutsche Telekom.

The only thing missing outside the office of Greeces privatization agency is a sign that reads: A Nation for Sale, wrote Greek political economist, C. J. Polychroniou.

Unsurprisingly, economic subservience is often a prelude to political bondage as well. Not only did Syriza betray the aspirations of the Greek people who voted against austerity and bailouts, it also betrayed the countrys long legacy of maintaining amicable relationships with its neighbors.

Since his arrival at the helm of Greek politics, Tsipras has moved his country further into the Israeli camp, forging unwise regional alliances aimed at exploiting new gas finds in the Mediterranean and participating in multiple Israeli-led military drills.

While Israel sees an opportunity to advance its political agenda in Greeces economic woes, the Greek government is playing along without fully assessing the possible repercussions of engaging with a country that is regionally viewed as a pariah, while internationally becoming condemned for its military occupation and terrible human rights record.

Israel moved to pull Athens into its own camp in 2010, shortly after the Turkish-Israeli spat over the Mavi Marmara attack ensued. Israeli commandos attacked the Turkish Gaza-bound boat, killing nine Turkish nationals and injuring many more.

Although Turkey and Israel have, since then, reached a diplomatic understanding, Tel Aviv has moved forward to create alternative allies among Balkan countries, exploiting historical conflicts between some of these countries and Turkey.

Bilateral agreements were signed, high diplomatic visits exchanged and military exercises conducted in the name of deterring international Jihad and fighting terrorism.

Greece and Cyprus received greater Israeli attention since they, on the one hand, were seen as political counterweight to Turkey and, on the other, because of the great economic potential that they offered.

Just one month after the Mavi Marmara attack, the then Greek Prime Minister, George Papandrous, visited Israel, followed by an official visit by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to Greece  the first of its kind. That was the start of a love-affair that is growing deeper .

The main motivation behind the closeness in relations is the Leviathan and Tamar gas fields, located in the territorial waters of several countries, including Lebanon. If Israel continues with its plans to extract gas from an energy source located off the coast of Lebanon, it will increase the chances of yet another regional war .

When Tsipras came to power on the shoulders of a populous political movement, Palestinians too hoped that he would be different.

It was not exactly wishful thinking, either. Syriza was openly critical of Israel and had vowed to cut military ties with Israel upon coming to office, wrote Patrick Strickland, reporting from Athens. Instead the ties have, nonetheless, been deepened.

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Indeed, soon after taking power, the radical left-led Greek government signed a major military agreement with Israel, the status of forces accord, followed by yet more military exercises.

All of this was reinforced by a propaganda campaign in Israel hailing the new alliance, coupled with a changing narrative in Greek media regarding Israel and Palestine.

One George N. Tzogopoulos has been particularity buoyant about the Israel-Greek friendship. Writing a series of articles in various media, including the rightwing Israeli newspaper , the Jerusalem Post, Tzogopoulos suggests that, unlike the older generation of Greeks who have sided with Palestinians in the past, the young generation is likely to be pro-Israel.

This process (of converting Greeks to loving Israel) will take time, of course, because it is principally related to school education, he wrote in Algemeiner. But the change in coverage of Israel by Greek journalists is a good omen.

That change of coverage was also notable in the recent official visit by Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin, and his meeting with Tsipras and other Greek officials.

In the meetings, Rivlin complained of Palestinian obstinacy and refusal to return to the peace process, thus causing a serious crisis.

The radical left leader said little to challenge Rivlins falsehoods.

Greece was not always this way, of course. Who could forget Andreas Papandreou, the late Greek leader who gave the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) diplomatic status in 1981, and stood by Palestinians despite American and Israeli threats?

It is that generation that Tzogopoulos and his likes would like to be gone forever, and replaced by morally-flexible leaders like Tsipras.

However, signing off to join an Israel-led economic and military alliance in an area replete with conflict, is a terribly irresponsible move, even for politically inexperienced and opportunistic politicians.

For Greece to be the strong arm of imperialism in the region  as described by the leader of the Socialist Workers Revolutionary Party in Greece  is completely stupid as it will, in the long run, bring catastrophic results for (the) Greek people.

But Tsipras seems incapable of looking that far ahead.

Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and editor of Palestine Chronicle. His forthcoming book is The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story (Pluto Press, London). Baroud has a Ph.D. in Palestine Studies from the University of Exeter and is a Non-Resident Scholar at Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies, University of California Santa Barbara. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net.

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Pentagons Nuclear Doctrine  Retrograde and Reckless

Editorial

February 11, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - I n its latest Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), the American Pentagon declares at one point in the document that the Cold War is long over. Apart from that fleeting mention, however, one would think from reading the entire review that the Cold War, for Washington, has never been so palpable.

It is a fear-laden document, relentlessly portraying the world as fraught with existential danger to US national security.

Russia and China, as with two other recent strategic policy papers out of Washington, are again painted as adversaries who must be confronted with ever-greater US military power.

The latest NPR asserts that since the last such review in 2010, America confronts an international security situation that is more complex and demanding than any since the end of the Cold War.

It is clear from reading the 74-page document that Russia and China are the main source of security concern for the Pentagon  albeit the reasons for the concern are far from convincing. Indeed one might say downright alarmist.

Washington accuses Russia and China of pursuing nuclear weapons development which is threatening. It accuses Russia in particular of violating arms controls treaties and threatening American allies with its nuclear arsenal. There are several other such unsubstantiated claims made by the Pentagon in the document.

Russia and China responded by condemning the aggressive nature of the Pentagons latest doctrine, as they have done with regard to two other recent strategic papers published by the Trump administration.

It is deplorable that Washington seems to go out of its way to portray the world in such bellicose terms. The corollary of this attitude is the repudiation of diplomacy and multilateralism.

Washington, it seems, is a hostage to its own imperative need to generate a world of hostile relations in order to justify its rampant militarism, which is, in turn, fundamental to its capitalist economy.

The lamentable, even criminal, danger of this strategy is that it foments unnecessary tensions and animosity in world relations. Russia and China have repeatedly called for normal, multilateral relations. Yet, remorselessly, Washington demonizes the two military powers in ways that are retrograde and reckless.

The Pentagons latest nuclear doctrine goes even further in its provocations. Based on dubious accusations of Russias threatening behavior (annexation of Crimea, aggression in Ukraine), the Pentagon has declared it will rely more on nuclear force for deterrence.

That can be taken as a warning that Washington is, in effect, lowering its threshold for deploying nuclear weapons. It overtly states that it will consider use of nuclear weapons to defend American interests and allies from nuclear and conventional threats. The language is chilling. It talks about inflicting incalculable and intolerable costs on adversaries. This is nothing short of Washington terrorizing the rest of the world into conforming to its geopolitical demands.

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Another sinister development is that Washington has now declared that it will be acquiring low-yield nuclear weapons. These so-called mini-nukes will again lower the threshold for possible deployment of nuclear warheads in the misplaced belief that such deployment will not escalate to strategic weapons.

Whats disturbing is that the US is evidently moving toward a policy of greater reliance on nuclear force to underpin its international power objectives. It is also broadening, in a provocative and reckless way, what it considers aggression by other adversaries, principally Russia. Taken together, Washington is increasingly setting itself on a more hostile course.

Some 57 years ago, in 1961, then US President Dwight Eisenhower gave a farewell address to the nation in which he issued a grave forewarning about the growing control of the military-industrial complex over American life. Back then, the American military-industrial complex could disguise its insatiable appetite with the pretext of the Cold War and the Soviet enemy.

Today, the American federal government spends about $700 billion a year on military  over half its discretionary budget. The US spends more on military than at any time during the Cold War  in constant dollar terms.

The US military-industrial complex has become a voracious monster way beyond anything that Eisenhower may have feared. It is no longer a threat merely to American life. It is a threat to the life of the entire planet.

Objectively, the US has no foreign enemy endangering its existence; neither Russia nor China. Not even North Korea, despite its anti-American rhetoric, poses a direct threat to the US.

The Pentagon  on behalf of the military-industrial complex  is stretching credulity when it depicts the world as a more threatening place. Fingering Russia and China is absurd.

In order to try to shore up its scare-mongering with a semblance of credibility, the Pentagon is escalating the rhetoric about nuclear weapons and the need to deploy them. There is no objective justification for this nuclear posturing by the US, only as a way to dramatize alleged national security fears, in order to keep the military-industrial racket going.

The despicable danger from this retrograde Cold War strategy is that the US is recklessly pushing the world toward war and possibly nuclear catastrophe.

Fortunately, Russia and China have highly developed military defenses to keep American insanity in check. Nevertheless, American belligerence is pushing the world to combustible tensions.

The problem is that American rulers have become a rogue state. The American people need to somehow sack their rogue rulers and their military madness, and return the nation to a democratic function.

Until then, Russia and the rest of the world must be on guard.

This article was originally published by " Strategic Culture Foundation " -

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A Slight Bump to Israeli Arrogance



Decades of air supremacy led Israel to act as if were alone in the skies of the Middle East. This ended when Syria shot down an Israeli fighter jet



By Gideon Levy

February 11, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Israeli arrogance might not have ended Saturday, but it surely cracked. Suddenly it became clear that Israel is not alone in the Middle Eastern, that even its immense military power has its limits. There could be a silver lining, if Israel accepts that it cannot forever live by the sword, nor even by advanced airplanes. Perhaps the F-16 that was downed took down with it the doctrine according to which everything can and should be resolved by force; first of all force, always force, only force.

Decades of air supremacy  and often, as in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, air exclusivity  have led Israel to behave as if it is not only the strongest power in the skies of the Middle East, but the only one. On Saturday this assumption reached its end. Israel is not alone in the sky and the price is painful. The comic relief was when Israel claimed the Iranian drone had violated its sovereignty. Israel can violate anyones sovereignty  overflying Lebanon, bombing in Syria, Sudan and of course helpless Gaza  but only the Iranian drone violated sovereignty.

Nothing could have been more predictable than the downing of the plane Saturday. Despite all efforts to disguise it, the plane fell, and Israel took a slight blow to the wing. After dozens of ostensibly successful sorties in Syria, it was clear that it would happen. An omnipotent Israeli plane will be downed. No one thought about what would happen afterward and where that could lead. Drunk with success, Israel increased the bombings frequency, thinking that its strength increased with each one. No one said a word. No one said stop. The airstrike hasnt been invented that doesnt get wall-to-wall support here. Are we bombing? Theres nothing better. Syrias bleeding, after all, so what could be bad?

Few know whether all the airstrikes were necessary, and if the benefit outweighed the harm. Everybody kept quiet or cheered. These bombings also do damage and have a cumulative cost. Sometimes they actually spur on the enemy, sometimes they plant a desire for vengeance. And when the Israeli commentators say for months that neither side wants war, its time to get the bomb shelters ready; they say that before every war.

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The genuine danger of an Iranian military buildup across the border should not be taken lightly. Its dangerous and frightening. Iranian expansionary plots are worrisome. But not everything can be solved, certainly not with bombing raids. This must be acknowledged. In Israel, with an army of pundits who can only parrot what is dictated to them, an issue like the airstrikes in Syria isnt even raised for discussion. In Israel there is also no significant opposition to anything. On Saturday too, the center-left broke out in cheers of encouragement and support, as it does after every bombing raid and before every war.

Nor has Israels overall policy on Iran ever been tabled for debate. The nation of the army and the sword is always against agreements and in favor of every war. In Israel, the only opposition is to agreements. For the prime minister and the ruling right, every agreement is a Munich Agreement. Few opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus campaign against the Iranian nuclear accord . Its doubtful that Israel saw any benefit from it. The Israeli Churchill brought the country to the edge of an abyss.

Its difficult of course to know what would have happened had Israel supported the agreement, but the fact is that Israel now faces the danger of a war with Iran. It doesnt get much worse than that. Arrogance has its price.

Its arrogance that says that the Gaza Strip can be allowed to starve and the West Bank to roil forever, simply because we are strong. Its arrogance that determines that only Israel can arm itself endlessly, and everyone else must bow their heads in surrender forever. And then a man falls from a plane one night, or one morning, and Israel suddenly wakes up to reality: It is not alone, it is not omnipotent and it certainly cannot depend forever solely on its military might.

This article was originally published by " Haaretz " -

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Israeli Strikes in Syria Risk Forcing Russia to Adopt pro-Iranian Stance

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Syria - Is War With Israel Imminent By Moon Of Alabama February 11, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Around 6 am GMT the Syrian air defense shot downed an Israeli fighter jet that was attacking the country. There is now the chance that a larger war will ensue. (The whole story behind this will surely be covered in Elijah Magnier's upcoming book on Hizbullah .) [This is a developing story that will be updated below as new information comes in. - The latest update (below) is a video interview with Elijah Magnier on the implications of today's developments.] This escalation comes after a series of recent provocations against the Russian forces in Syria, yesterday's U.S. attack on Syrian forces, last week's Israeli threats against Lebanon and dozens of Israeli air attacks on alleged Hizbullah or Iranian installations in Syria. Tonight's events developed after Israel shot down what it called an "Iranian drone" allegedly in air space over the Israel occupied Syrian Golan Heights. Syria denies that its drone violated Israeli air space. Israel then attacked ground targets in Syria. One attacking Israeli F-16 fighter jet was taken down by Syrian air defense. The pilot ejected and parachuted into Israeli territory. He is wounded but survived. It is the first downing of an Israeli jet by Syrian air defense since 1982! Further Israeli "retaliation" followed. This is another paragraph in the long history of Israeli aggression against Syria .

Older map with an approximate timeline of events - Source: LeBeck - bigger There are some unconfirmed vague reports of a second damaged F-16 and a destroyed Israeli Apache helicopter. Today's development as covered in Eljiah Magnier's timeline (emphasis added): Elijah J. Magnier @ejmalrai - 5:06 AM - 10 Feb 2018

Missiles launched over #Damascus; Rockets over the Golan Heights and a drone downed over #Israel: all in the last hour.

Israel said it is "an #Iranian drone". If that is the case, it is a "forced reconnaissance" to exhaust the Israeli defence system, #Hezbollah's style. #Breakingnews:

#Israel F-16 downed by what seems to be #Syria air defence system #BreakingNews: Private source

All Syrian military and intelligence and their allies (#Hezbollah) positions in #Syria and #Lebanon on full alert Source: #Israel recognition of downing an F-16 means Syria is on alert waiting for any Israeli violation, as is #Hezbolah and #Iran. Would Israel be dragged to war? How #Russia will react in #Syria? The front is very hot now. #Israel changing version from "an #Iranian drone" to admit the downing of an F-16 was a first attempt to accuse #Tehran but later had to admit the reality showing a confusion in decision makers in the first hour. #Syria is used to war as its leadership has been engaged in it fully for the last 6-7 years. Therefore #Damascus's Gov is ready for another front following the liberation of #ISIS last pocket in the north (except the one under #USA control). Level of escalation in #Damascus response was a warning to #Israel that #TelAviv didn't take onboard. #Israel may limit itself bombing few Syrian positions from afar (flying over #Lebanon) or be dragged into escalation on a front from #Lebanon to #Syria #Israel can't ignore the downing of its F-16, never happen in the last decades over #Syria and #Lebanon. Therefore what is important is the level of response: will the response bring a retaliation? If so, the long waited war may began. This is a new Rule of Engagement and a new situation where #Israel is finding itself incapable of dominating the #Syria/n air space. It also shows #Damascus freedom (unlike many analysts believed) to respond regardless what #Russia's position is. #Syria/n officials believe more than 1 F-16 were hit by its anti-Air missiles, showing the Syrian air-defence capability and the challenging attitude of #Damascus towards #Israel (not accepting the Israeli version of only 1 F-16 downed). One conclusion: The Sky over #Syria is no longer an #Israeli/i promenade and the Syrian Army is now ready for another confrontation. This blows up all (ridiculous) assessment by analysts that "the Syrian Army stretched..., skinny..., few thousands only...) #Israel admitted, indirectly, of the efficiency of the #Syrian Air-defence system by saying:" We study a retaliation". The question is and remain: How #Russia will behave? Allow #Israel to hit its Syrian ally and remain on the side? Or stop the escalation? It is in the disadvantage of #Russia to see another war in #Syria on the southern front, with a #USA intervention, #Hezbollah #Iran the #Palestinians... all that may lead to a general war unless the Israeli response is limited. #Hezbollah, on full alert in #Syria and #Lebanon, expected the reaction. Its leader Said Hasan Nasrallah warned to open a general war from Naqoura to the Golan Heights in the forthcoming war. This escalation coincide with the approval of #Lebanon to start its oil exploration in Block 9. Just a thought: If this is a #Russian tit-for-tat, we could say that it is #Russia response to the downing of the Russian jet over #Idlib. Russia accused the #USA of providing anti-air missiles to #AQ allies. It is likely that #Damascus issues a communique to confirm its air defence fired the missiles against the F-16 hitting more than one jet to counter the #Israeli version claiming that #Iran is directly involved in this event. It seems #Israel warning Sirens blare in Northern #Israel over the Golan, the Galilee and the northern of Israel, closing the airspace over the north of Israel. 7:35 AM - 10 Feb 2018

#BreakingNews: A second #Israel/i air bombing against #Syria. #Damascus open fire again against Israel Jets and Golan Heights positions. Siren over Israel continue. Escalation (for now). Should Israel escalate to a bigger war it will be covered with hundreds of missiles per hour. Hizbullah has enough reserves to submit Israel to weeks of uninterrupted fire. Normal civil life will come to a stand still. Lebanon and Syria would also be under severe attacks but they are better positioned to endure such a situation. A downed F-16 is already a bloody nose for Israel. It is not in its interest to further escalate. Russia as well as the U.S. could become involved and into direct conflict. This must be avoided at all cost. But the current personal in White House, especially the military triumvirate behind the president, is of dubious quality. Moscow is hopefully aware of this. Never Miss Another Story Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter [Update 12 am GMT] The parties are now deescalating. In the last round Israel claimed to have hit several Syrian air-defense positions and "Hizbullah depots" while Syria claimed to have shot down more incoming missiles. Israel signaled that it is not interested in further escalation and Russia called for both sides to calm down. There has been no statement from Washington. If this outcome persists we can state that there are now new "rules of engagement" and new "red lines". Further Israeli attacks on Syria will be responded to by effective means. The Russian officers who are co-located with the Syrian air defense will not intervene to Israel's advantage. That fact is in itself a message from Moscow to Israel to stop its open and its clandestine provocations. [Update: 1:30 pm GMT] Elijah J. Magnier @ejmalrai - 1:03 PM - 10 Feb 2018

This is the end of it guys: #Israel decided to stand down and de-escalate. #Russia received an Israeli request to mediate to stop the escalation. Israel has lost the first battle against #Damascus when Syria was ready, after eliminating ISIS in central Syria #BreakingNews:

Commander in #Syria confirmed to me: It was not an S-200 that hit the F-16. "It was a prepared ambushed". Read more tomorrow via @AlraiMediaGroup [Update: 7:00 pm GMT] Elijah just gave an interview (video) to 108morris about the implications of today's development. ==== Join the Discussion It is not necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. This website encourages readers to use the "Report" link found at the base of each comment. When a predetermined number of ICH readers click on the "Report" link, the comment will be automatically sent to "moderation". This would appear to be the most logical way to allow open comments, where you the reader/supporter, can determine what is acceptable speech. Please don't use the report feature simply because you disagree with the author point of view. Treat others with respect, remembering that "A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still."- Benjamin Franklin. Please read our Comment Policy before posting -
Vietnams Lessons and the U.S. Culture of Violence

By Lawrence Davidson

Natural Born Killers?

February 11, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Back in October 2016 I wrote an analysis entitled "Natural Born Killers? It described and commented on research on the origins of human violence published in the science journal Nature. The conclusion offered in the article is that humans come from an evolutionary line that has the capability for violent behavior genetically built into it. It is a reasonable hypothesis. As just about every serious historian knows, the human propensity for lethal violence goes back as far as the evidence can take us -- so far that there can be little doubt that this trait is inherited from our pre-human ancestors.

Yet, as the Nature scholars also point out, in the case of our species, culture has the ability to "modulate our bloodthirsty tendencies."

I bring this up now because there is new interest in the slaughter and massacres that took place during the Vietnam War. This may in part be a response to the fact that last month (January 2018) marked the 50th anniversary of that war's Tet offensive.

America waged war in Vietnam roughly from 1961 to 1975. The starting date is a "rough" one because the United States never actually declared war. In this 14-year span it is generally accepted that the turning point in the struggle came during the Tet offensive of 1968. Tet is the term used for the Vietnamese new year, and that celebratory time in 1968 was when the North Vietnamese and the Vietcong launched attacks in some 100 South Vietnamese towns and cities, in an effort to change the course of the war in their favor. Though very costly (an estimated 50,000 Vietnamese casualties) the offensive worked, at least in the long run. Within a year the United States started a gradual withdrawal from the country. Although the fighting dragged on for another seven years (until the fall of Saigon in 1975) it was Washington's stubborn search for face-saving terms that largely kept it going.

By the time of the Tet offensive, the war had degenerated into mutual slaughter. The U.S. ended up killing some 3 million Vietnamese, many of them civilians. The massacre at My Lai on 16 March 1968, has often been cited as the "singular" American example of such criminal behavior. It was on this date that a company of soldiers of the 23rd Americal Division murdered, without provocation, 504 peasant villagers of all ages and both sexes. The massacre itself, and its background year of 1968, have been accurately described in a recent book, My Lai: Vietnam,1968 and the Descent into Darkness, by Howard Jones (Oxford University Press, 2017). In turn the book has been expertly reviewed and elaborated upon in the popular London Review of Books (LRB) (25 January 2018) by Max Hastings.

It is to be noted that both the publisher and the reviewing magazine are located in the United Kingdom. The reviews of the book offered in the United States have been, to date, in academic journals, including the U.S. Army's own Army University Press. Just about all of them have described Jones's work as definitive and a seminally important read. Whether this will translate into public attention in the U.S. is doubtful.

Explaining Wartime Massacres

Modern efforts to explain happenings like the My Lai massacre usually bring up the problem of waging war when it has become hard to know who the enemy is -- in other words, when not everyone is wearing a uniform and a lot of resistance is coming from irregular forces. The Army University Press review raises this issue.

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Another possibility is that such behavior is an "inevitable consequence of combat." In his LRB review, Max Hastings gives a long introductory account of a number of other massacres committed by soldiers in modern times, including in Vietnam. As a consequence one comes away with the feeling that, within a war zone, these criminal acts are almost common.

While it is no doubt true that a combat situation (or perhaps we can say the culture of combat) does raise the probability of massacres, they do not make them "inevitable." Suggesting that they are, sounds more like an excuse than an explanation. After all, most combat soldiers are not participants in massacres.

This brings us back to the judgment of the research published in Nature -- we all might well be potential natural born killers who are restrained or encouraged by cultural variables. Within the combat scenario, Hastings suggests that a culture of self-restraint accepted and enforced by the officer corps can forestall mass killings.

This is of particular interest when it comes to the peculiar culture of the United States. In Vietnam many of the massacres (My Lai was by no means unique) were perpetrated by soldiers as well as their officers from the so-called "land of the free." I use this descriptive term intentionally because one of the things that is often declared to be constitutionally "free" from rational regulation in the U.S. are guns. And, as a consequence, these troops came out of a "gun culture."

It should be kept in mind that the American gun culture, with its accompanying violence, is not new. The 2014 book Gun Violence and Public Life documents this history. If anything has changed from the 1960s to today it is that the public now has access to military grade weapons. What also existed then as now is a culture of bigotry and racism. In the 1960s this was just being confronted by the Civil Rights Movement. It all made for an explosive mix that carried over to influence perceptions of and behavior toward the Vietnamese.

Manipulating Culture

If the Nature study's conclusions can be believed, modern violence both of military and civilian origin can be moderated by manipulating culture. In the American case this means overcoming the gun culture as well as racism. There are many ways to do this. It can be done through public education as well as the way a society designs and applies its laws. However, if any of these approaches to a safer, less violent society is to work, citizens must commit to a consistently enforced, long-term, indeed multi-generational, effort of reform.

None of this will happen until politicians and the courts understand the Second Amendment of the Constitution (the present interpretation of which underpins the nation's gun culture) in a more literal and reasonable way. And that won't happen until public opinion overwhelms the ideological rigidity of the U.S. gun lobby.

In the United States the desire for rational reform of the gun laws goes up after each mass shooting and then is stymied by a rigid, but very politically influential, gun lobby. This scenario is part of a "culture war" that is ongoing within the American body politic. It involves not only the issue of gun control but also other issues such as abortion, gay rights, the promotion of racial equality and immigrant rights. So heated is this "culture war" that one might see it as a (so far) non-violent form of civil war.

The lessons of Vietnam, and a greater awareness of the massacres that occurred during this war, speak to the need to reform U.S. culture -- to make it less violent and more tolerant. Thus the Vietnam experience should be incorporated into the current debate about guns in America. It would be a major achievement if the 1968 slaughter at My Lai could help stop today's slaughter on the streets of the U.S.

====

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In the Beginning

Anini was born in a village about 20 miles from Benin City in present-day Edo State. Anini, dreadfully called The Law or Ovbigbo. He migrated to Benin at an early age, learned to drive and became a skilled taxi driver. He became known in Benin motor parks as a man who could control the varied competing interests among motor park touts and operators. He later dived into the criminal business in the city and soon became a driver and transporter for gangs, criminal godfathers and thieves.

Forming a gang

he decided to create his own gang which included, Monday Osunbor, Friday Ofege, Henry Ekponwan, Eweka and Alhaji zed zed or Zegezege who was never captured. They started out as car hijackers, bus robbers and bank thieves. Gradually, he extended his criminal acts to other towns and cities far north and east of Benin.

Hatred for Police

The complicity of the police is believed to have triggered Aninis reign of terror in 1986. In early 1986, two members of his gang were tried and prosecuted against an earlier under-the-table agreement with the police to destroy evidence against the gang members. The incident, and Aninis view of police betrayal, is believed to have spurred retaliatory actions by Anini. In August, 1986, a fatal bank robbery linked to Anini was reported in which a police officer (Nathaniel Egharevba)and others were killed. That same month, two officers on duty were shot at a barricade while trying to stop Aninis car. During a span of three months, he was known to have killed nine police officers.

The height of Aninis exploits, however, took place on October 1, 1986, the Independence Day when the states Commissioner of Police, Casmir Igbokwe was ambushed by the gang in Benin, and nearly yanked off his nose in a hail of bullets.

Nigerias historic Armed Robber

Aninis image thus loomed larger than life, dwarfing those of Ishola Oyenusi, the king of robbers in the 1970s and Youpelle Dakuro, the army deserter who masterminded the most vicious daylight robbery in Lagos in 1978, in which two policemen were killed. Anini thus spearheaded a four-month reign of terror between August and December 1986. Anini also reportedly wrote numerous letters to media houses using political tones of Robin Hood-like words, to describe his criminal acts.

Hopes were fading

Worried by the seeming elusiveness of Anini and his gang members, the military President, General Ibrahim Babangida then ordered a massive manhunt for the kingpin and his fellow robbers. The police thus went after them, combing every part of Bendel State where they were reportedly operating and living. The whole nation was gripped with fear of the robbers and their daredevil exploits. However, Police manhunt failed to stop their activities; the more they were hunted, the more intensified their activities became.

How he was caught

Finally, it took the courage of Superintendent of Police, Kayode Uanreroro to bring the Anini reign of terror to an end. On December 3, 1986, Uanreroro caught Anini at No 26, Oyemwosa Street, opposite Iguodala Primary School, Benin City, in company with six women. Acting on a tip-off from the locals, the policeman went straight to the house where Anini was hiding and apprehended him with very little resistance. Uanreroro led a crack 10-man team to the house, knocked on the door of the room, and Anini himself, clad in underpants, opened the door. Where is Anini, the police officer quickly enquired.

Dazed as he was caught off guard and having no escape route, Anini all the same tried to be smart. Oh, Anini is under the bed in the inner room. As he said it, he made some moves to walk past Uanreroro and his team. In the process, he shoved and head-butted the police officer but it was an exercise in futility. Uanreroro promptly reached for his gun, stepped hard on Aninis right toes and shot at his left ankle. Anini surged forward but the policemen took hold of him and put him in a sitting position. They then pumped more bullets into his shot leg and almost severed the ankle from his entire leg. Already, anguished by the excruciating pains, the policemen asked him, Are you Anini? And he replied, My brother, I wont deceive you; I wont tell you lie, Im Anini.

Confession Time

Anini was shot in the leg, transferred to a military hospital, and had one of his legs amputated. That was after Monday Osunbor was also captured. When Aninis hideout was searched, police recovered assorted charms, including the one he usually wore around his waist during operations. It was instructive that after Anini was captured and dispossessed of his charms, the man who terrorised a whole state and who was supposed to be fearless suddenly became remorseful, making confessions.

The Police Who Assisted Them

Shortly after the arrest of Anini and co, the dare-devil robbers began to squeal, revealing the roles played by key police officers and men, in the aiding and abetting of criminals in Bendel State and the entire country. Anini particularly revealed that Iyamu, who was the most senior police officer shielding the robbers, would reveal police secrets to them and then, give them logistic supports such as arms, to carry out robbery operations. He further revealed that Iyamu, after each operation, would join them in sharing the loot.

Trial and execution Edit

Due to amputation of his leg, Anini was confined to a wheelchair throughout his trial. Iyamu, on his part, denied ever knowing and collaborating with Anini, but Anini The Law furiously retorted, You are a shameless liar! Anini had accused him before Justice James Omo-Agege in the High Court of Justice, off Sapele Road in Benin City. Of the 10 police officers Anini implicated, five were convicted. The robbery suspects, including Iyamu, were sentenced to death.

Judgement

But in passing his judgement, Justice Omo-Agege remarked, Anini will forever be remembered in the history of crime in this country, but it would be of unblessed memory. Few people if ever, would give the name to their children. Their execution took place on March 29, 1987.

-Wikipedia
One-half of popular social media comedians, Oshisko Twins, Adigun Valentina, speaks about her partner and their comedy career

Whats your educational history?

I started my elementary education at Hayzed Schools in Port Harcourt, and I completed it at St. Bernadette Primary School in Ipaja, Lagos. I had my post-elementary education at Roshallom International Secondary School located in Gowon Estate, Egbeda, Lagos, and Towergate Private School also in Lagos. I have an Ordinary National Diploma in Mass Communication from The Polytechnic, Ibadan. After that, I proceeded to the University of Ibadan, where I obtained a bachelors degree in Theatre Arts. Right now, Im studying for a masters degree in Theatre Arts in the same university.

What were your ambitions as a child?

I wanted to become a lawyer, and thats because when I was a child, I used to watch a particular advertisement in which a child acted as a lawyer; it really captivated me. However, man proposes and God disposes. I tried to study Law but it just did not work out. Meanwhile, acting had always been my second choice.

How did your online skits come about?

I was on set on a particular day with my partner but we didnt have scenes to shoot at that particular time; so, we were at the hotel. At a point, boredom took over and we decided to keep ourselves busy. We made a recording of ourselves mimicking Yoruba movie adverts and when other people on the set, such as Jude Orhorha, watched the skit, they found it very hilarious. They advised us to upload it on social media. Largely, I am a very gentle and reserved person though I may be crazy around my friends; so, I was a bit shy about making the video public. However, we eventually posted it online, and the response was overwhelming. We got a lot of followers, friend requests and phone calls, telling us that a lot of blogs had shared our video. We also got messages from some senior colleagues in the industry and they encouraged us. That gave us the push to do another recording, which we titled Iyare, and it was even bigger than the first. From then, people started calling us to make special adverts for them.

How lucrative has this venture been for you?

I believe that God actually chose this path for us because it has been quite lucrative. Most of the adverts on our Instagram page right now are paid for. People often tell us that our style of comedy is different because we make our viewers laugh and also advertise their products. However, it has also been challenging because we always have to be creative in advertising diverse products and services.

What informed the name, Oshisko Twins?

We noticed that in most movie adverts, they sing before giving out any information; so, when we wanted to record our first skit, we just randomly chose the name, Oshisko Films and Recording, and used it in our soundtrack. When it was time to choose an official name for our brand, we decided to go with Oshisko Twins. Our name used to be Entidel Media which was gotten from our names, Valentina (Enti) and Oyedele (del).

Youve also worked with Basketmouth. How did that come about?

Basketmouth called for an online contest where he asked people to submit videos of themselves advertising his show; that he would pick the most creative. We got to know about the contest through another comedian, Omobaba. He had watched some of our skits online; so, when he met us at a show, he was very excited and he urged us to participate in the contest. We eventually won and the win boosted our career. However, we had already recorded some skits that went viral before that particular one.

Do you do stand-up comedy?

Yes, we do but our style is different. When we are to perform stand-up comedy, we have to adapt our style to suit stage performance.

How would you describe your relationship with your partner?

We met at the University of Ibadan where we both studied Theatre Arts. There was a sort of communal spirit in our department because we mostly had practical sessions and rehearsals. There were lots of opportunities to bond with one another. We also have similar stature which even made us even closer. We used to refer to ourselves as twin sisters. However, she is more dramatic, while I am gentle. After we graduated from the university, we went our separate ways but we met again at a movie location after our National Youth Service Corps programme. She is actually more than a sister to me, especially now, because we are so much into each other. A lot of people think that we are biological twin sisters and we dont tell them otherwise because we enjoy the prayers and attention we get.

How do you like to dress?

I love dressing well and looking good. In our videos, we dont really pay attention to how we look; the focus is more on the message we intend to pass. Sometimes, we even shoot the skits before having our bath. Outside the videos, it is a different ball game. When people meet us in real life, they tell us that we are more beautiful than we appear in our videos.

Whats your favourite fashion item?

I love shoes and recently, I have developed love for sunglasses.

source: Punch
Change the Color of a Car in Photoshop (Fast & Easy)

2/11/2018 ISO 1200 Magazine 0 Comments

You may also like: Night Shot Lighting Techniques For Car Photography

About Moe Zainal:

An Automotive Photographer & a Digital Marketing Hero from the little island - Bahrain. Captivating Carreras. Alluring Audis. Photographically capturing vehicles in still frames is an acquired taste many take for granted.

Let's Get Connected: www.zainals.com An Automotive Photographer & a Digital Marketing Hero from the little island - Bahrain. Captivating Carreras. Alluring Audis. Photographically capturing vehicles in still frames is an acquired taste many take for granted.

Text, image and video via Moe Zainal





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Here is a quick and easy way to change the color of a car in Adobe Photoshop. Photographer Moe Zainal will also be showing you two cool effects that you can play around with to either create color transition from one side of the car or just color single parts of the car in Photoshop. Enjoy!
Krissi Goetz is happy to report that Sevi is doing very well in Montana. Contact Goetz, a trainer with JH Positive Training, via columnists@jhnewsandguide.com.
Diana Koch poses in this undated handout photo. Diana Koch never wanted to turn to opioids for her pain and anxiety. After seeing family members struggle with addiction, she felt pharmaceuticals were not an option. Medical marijuana finally freed her from her debilitating symptoms. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Diana Koch *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Former businessman and entrepreneur Lino Zambito responds to reporter's questions before attending a legislature committee on Unity permanente anti-corruption (UPAC) at the legislature in Quebec City on May 4, 2017. A former construction entrepreneur turned star whistleblower at Quebec's corruption inquiry announced today that he's suspending his collaboration with the province's anti-corruption unit. Lino Zambito, who pleaded guilty to fraud-related charges in 2015, is also calling for Quebec's public security minister to launch an independent investigation into the unit before the Quebec government adopts a bill to give it increased powers. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
Leader of the Opposition Andrew Scheer speaks with the media following Question Period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on January 31, 2018. The president of the federal Conservatives says the party is reviewing all internal policies in the wake of sexual misconduct allegation against former MPs. Scott Lamb says that's on top of a promised third-party investigation into how one, Rick Dykstra, remained a candidate in 2015 despite senior party officials knowing he'd been accused of sexual assault. Party leader Andrew Scheer ordered an external investigation after high-ranking party staff disclosed they'd discussed removing Dykstra from the ballot but decided against it. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Israeli security stands around the wreckage of an F-16 that crashed in northern Israel, near kibbutz of Harduf, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. The Israeli military shot down an Iranian drone it said infiltrated the country early Saturday before launching a "large-scale attack" on at least a dozen Iranian and Syrian targets inside Syria, in its most significant engagement since the fighting in neighboring Syria began in 2011. Responding anti-aircraft fire led to the downing of an Israeli fighter plane. (AP Photo/Rami Slush) ***ISRAEL OUT***
EUGENE, Ore. -- A church in Eugene is taking safety into their own hands, by having a team at ready to respond to any type of situation. They're hoping to share what they know to help churches across western Oregon have peace of mind.

The Safety Team at New Hope Eugene is at every church service, ready to respond to any type of situation.

"I nickname ours the sheepdogs. We're a bunch of sheep and they're dogs looking out for us," said New Hope Eugene Pastor Aaron Sutherland.

They want to help other churches be ready too.

"This is something that we do out of our love for our church and we want to spread that to other churches," said New Hope's Safety Team Co-Director Tom Eichhorn.

He said they're providing free classes to churches across western Oregon, showing them how help people in crisis and those suffering from medical emergencies.

"Practice is so important, because it puts stress on you...the same type of stress that you would have in real life," said Eichhorn.

He said the class they taught Thursday night was based on scenario training. It focuses on awareness and intervention, to prevent a violent incident from occurring.

"We have actors who create actual scenarios that we've encountered through our church here," said Eichhorn. One of those scenarios is someone coming into the church after having too much to drink.

The Safety Team in traing is tasked with finding him, but there are added obstacles. Eichhorn said they have people approaching them during the scenario, causing distractions.

During each of the scenarios, the Safety Team's goal is to not let a person of crisis into the sanctuary, where hundreds of people sit during weekend services.

Another scenario they ran through, was someone with a backpack who was acting suspicious.

"It used to be something you didn't think about, but our world has changed," said Sutherland. He said the concern of violence inside a church has become all too real.

"The shooting in Texas really sparked the situation that we need to have our people safe," said Marc Strobel, the Pastor at River Road Baptist Church.

After the deadly shooting inside a Texas church last November, Strobel decided it was time for his church to have a Safety Team. He said that's when they began training with New Hope Eugene.

"This program is just amazing and we're just really grateful that this is available," said Strobel.

It's a program that the congregation at New Hope said they're also grateful for.

"I have the utmost confidence in these guys and I feel safe every Sunday knowing that they're here," said Winston Arblaster, a member of New Hope.

"I think every church could use some sheepdogs around," said Sutherland.

If you're interested in attending a class, all you have to do is get in touch with New Hope Eugene, (click here for more information).
EUGENE, Ore.  The frigid, 45 degree Willamette River didn't keep hundreds of people from taking a plunge Saturday morning.

The annual Oregon Law Enforcement Polar Plunge is an annual fundraising event that benefits Special Olympics of Oregon.

The Polar Plunge was organized by several law enforcement agencies including the Eugene Police Department, Springfield Police Department, University of Oregon Police Department, and Lane County Sheriffs Office.

Other small groups, schools, and businesses also joined in the fun. KEZI 9 News also joined in on the frigid fun with several of our team members jumping into the river.

Carmen Dowell showed up with her team made up of 14 members, the Cottage Grove Ice Cubes. She said this is their eighth year participating.

The Special Olympics Summer Games wouldnt happen without us doing this fundraiser, Dowell said. If anyone hasn't been to the Summer Games, I highly encourage them to because they are life changing. By just going one time, I would fundraise and jump in the river every weekend.

Special Olympics benefits more than 13,000 athletes. Eugene is one of five Oregon cities hosting the annual fundraiser.

The Plunge is made possible through the support of various sponsors. KEZI 9 News is a proud sponsor.

Make sure to check out the photo gallery, captured by Morning Anchor Bryan Anderson.
GARNER, Iowa  Two teens have now been sentenced for a gunpoint robbery.

Authorities say 20-year-old Kyren-Ray Valentine, 19-year-old Samuel Christopher Swanson, and 17-year-old Isaiah Zion Lewis robbed several people at a party near Klemme on July 31, 2017. No one was hurt but law enforcement says an AF15 rifle and a handgun were used in the crime and shots were fired.



Samuel Swanson Samuel Swanson

Kyren-Ray Valentine Kyren-Ray Valentine

Lewis was sentenced Tuesday to up to 25 years in prison for pleading guilty to 1st degree robbery. He must serve at least five years before being eligible for parole.

Swanson previously pleaded guilty to 2nd and 3rd degree burglary and accessory after the fact. He got five years of probation for each burglary count and two years for being an accessory.

Valentine is charged with seven counts of 1st degree robbery, three counts of assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, one count of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and one count of 2nd degree burglary. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 20 in Hancock County District Court.
FOREST CITY, Iowa  A southern Minnesota man is pleading not guilty to a high speed chase that started in North Iowa.

35-year-old Weston William Zuehl of Albert Lea is charged with eluding and possession of marijuana  second offense. Police say they tried to stop Zuehl on North Harrison Street in Lake Mills on November 17, 2017 but he sped away, hitting speeds of 110 miles per hour before finally abandoning his vehicle in a cornfield in Minnesota. Police say a baggie of marijuana was found in the vehicle.

Officers say Zuehl could not be found that day and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was taken into custody on January 12 in Albert Lea.

Zuehl is now set to stand trial on March 28 in Winnebago County District Court.
CRESCO, Iowa  A traffic stop for speeding led to multiple charges against a Howard County man.

The Cresco Police Department says 27-year-old Lester Wallace Erickson III of Cresco was pulled over the morning of February 2 for driving over the speed limit in the area of 110th Street and Yankee Avenue. Police say there were valid arrest warrants for Erickson and he was driving with a suspended license, so he was taken into custody.

The arresting officer says Erickson asked for a cell phone from his vehicle. When the officer retrieved it, he says he noticed a plastic bag containing a green leafy substance. Authorities say a search of the vehicle found 5.2 grams of marijuana, 4 grams of methamphetamine, and a two-sided bayonet. As Erickson was being processed at the jail, police say another 3 grams of meth was found in his possession.

In addition, Cresco police say Erickson had bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils and admitted smoking marijuana in the days before his arrest but refused a sobriety test. Court documents state Erickson was convicted of OWI in 2009 and 2013 in the state of Iowa.

Erickson has been charged with possession with the intent to deliver meth, a drug tax stamp violation, possession of marijuana, carrying weapons, operating while intoxicated, and possession of contraband in a jail. He has not yet entered a plea.

Erickson has also been served at the Winneshiek County Jail with warrants for probation violation, failure to appear in court, possession of meth, unlawful possession of a prescription drug, providing false identification, and intererence with official acts.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Quarry Hill Nature Center in Rochester held a family, outdoor fundraising event called Snow Crazy.

Kids got to ice bowl, eat snow candy, and blow ice bubbles.

A kid-crowd favorite? Snow Snakes.

"You throw it up and over and it just slides and buries into the snow," four year old Kirra said.

"I think my favorite was snow snakes...Because I like throwing stuff," nine year old Zech said.

Parents also got in on the fun throwing snow snakes, and warming up with a fire pit and hot chocolate.

"Anytime you get to be outside in Minnesota and be with your family, it's a lot of good times," Tryg Jensen, Kirra's father, said.

He was impressed by all the activities.

"The activities they have here today are a great mix of things that they can figure out by themselves, things you can teach them...it's a fun mix," he said.

The event costs $5 and all proceeds go back into the Quarry Hill Nature Center.
KIMT NEWS 3 - A plane landed on Clear Lake around 1:10 p.m. Saturday.

It happened near the 3700 block of North Shore Drive.

The Clear Lake Police Department say they received numerous reports of an airplane down on Clear Lake and notified the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office. A deputy was dispatched to the scene.

Officials say Iowa D-N-R officers were on scene almost immediately and spoke with the pilot. The situation was handled before the deputy arrived on scene.

The plane has since returned to the airport.

Our reporter on scene talked with residents in the area.

Mark Lundberg said he was sitting in his living room when he look out and saw the plane, which he said had landed on its left side and had lost the ski to help with landing.

We reached out to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office and will keep you updated with information as we learn it.
HONG KONG, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Chinese state-owned nuclear company CGN Power Co Ltd said Sunday it plans to raise up to $794 million in a domestic listing on the Shenzhen stock exchange.

The firm said in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing it plans to offer no more than 5,049,861,100 new shares at 1 yuan ($0.16) per piece for the listing and will use the proceeds for the construction of nuclear power units and for working capital.

CGN Power said its Shenzhen listing plan has received approval from the company's board but is still subject to approval from shareholders and regulatory authorities including the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

Shenzhen-based CGN Power has a current market cap of around $12 billion.

(Reporting by Kane Wu; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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Higher PE ratio, accounting issues cited as major concerns



By Kim Yoo-chul



Celltrion, a biosimilar drug maker that has moved to the country's main KOSPI, is expected to rise further on continued money inflow from foreign funds, analysts said Sunday.



Last Friday was the first trading day for the company on KOSPI and results were impressive as the drug manufacturer rose 6.08 percent to end with a price of 288,000 won per share. Institutional investors snapped up the shares to power the price.



In Korea, a transfer to the main bourse from a junior one tends to boost the stock price by fueling a buying spree.



Now, it is the country's third-largest company in terms of market capitalization of 35.32 trillion won ahead of Hyundai Motor.



The Incheon-based outfit is little known to foreign investors despite its amazing run on the tech-heavy Kosdaq market _ it added $23.5 billion to its market capitalization during the past six months.



Analysts were cautious about their target on Celltrion as there are controversies on its true value despite the meteoric rise on the bourse.



But many seem to think that Celltrion will attract more big foreign funds and institutional investors including Korea's pension funds.



"It's hard to present Celltrion's target price as its current market value as it very much includes its growth potential as a promising biosimilar maker," IBK Securities analyst Lee Chang-hwa said.



Biosimilars are types of drugs for which patents have expired. The biosimilar industry is still in its early stages although demand for cheaper drugs for use in treating cancer, for example, remains high.



Celltrion said it expects to receive approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for Truxima, similar to Roche's lymphoma drug Rituxan by the end of this year.



The approval will give Celltrion access to a $4 billion market. Also, it plans to launch more copycat cancer drugs in Europe beginning in the first quarter of this year.



"Some say Celltrion stocks went too far. But no one knows about the limit of the biosimilar market. The one clear point is that demand for copycat drugs will rise over the next five years," said Choi Chang-kyu at NH Investment & Securities.



"And in terms of growth, Celltrion goes ahead of its cross-town rival Samsung Biologics. We expect Celltrion may get up to 1.5 trillion won in fresh cash inflows on its stocks."



Celltrion reported 828 billion in sales last year with its operating profit reaching 517 billion won, up 43.5 percent and 104.7 percent from a year ago, respectively. The company is projected to report some 600 billion won in operating profit this year.



Its chairman Seo Jung-jin said it plans to decide about the location of its third overseas factory during the first half of 2018.



"We are responding swiftly to market changes. Celltrion is planning to supply diabetes copycat drugs across the world," Seo said in a recent meeting held in Italy.



By contrast, critics say Celltrion would reverse course as the company's current price-to-earnings ratio (PER), a barometer to gauge the proper value of a company's stock price, is too high.



Based on last year's earnings, its PER stands at 97.05, higher than the Korean bio-industry average of 69.28. Korean firms' total PER is less than 15 but that of the bio-industry is typically high thanks to its bright prospects.



Still, some worry Celltrion's figure is way too high even in comparison to its overseas rivals such as Biocon of India and Mylan of the United States.



"Celltrion's current PER is too high and that has spurred concerns that Celltrion's stock price would be overshooting beyond its fundamentals," a Seoul analyst said.



Earlier, Deutsche Bank criticized Celltrion's accounting in research spending. It claimed its stocks should fall 70 percent. Due to similar reasons, Nomura Securities also said investors should sell Celltrion.


Pohang citizens gather at Heunghae Stadium in Pohang, Sunday, after a 4.6-magnitude quake hit the city early in the morning. / Yonhap



A magnitude 4.6 quake rocked the industrial city of Pohang early Sunday, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said later the same day, and some cases of damage have been reported.



The quake, an aftershock of the magnitude 5.4 tremor that hit the region November 15 of last year, was felt throughout the city, located 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The tremor caused nearby residents to take shelter, the weather agency said.

It said the tremor took place at 05:03 with the epicenter located 14 kilometers underground and 5 kilometers north of Buk-gu, a ward in the city. The aftershock was the strongest since the magnitude 4.3 jolt that occurred three months earlier.



Emergency services in the city reported 16 cases of damages as of 6 a.m., with efforts being made to assess exact extent of the quake. Pohang municipal authorities said they are inspecting buildings throughout the city to check for serious damage.



POSCO, South Korea's largest steelmaker, which has its main mill in the city, said its operations have not been disrupted, while Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), the country's atomic energy operator, said none of its nuclear plants have been affected.



The KHNP added that no damage has been reported at the nearby nuclear waste repository. (Yonhap)
Poet Ko Un

By Kim Se-jeong



The Seoul Metropolitan Government is between a rock and hard place over a replica it created of poet Ko Un's own study room.



The room opened last November in the old City Hall building _ the city spent 300 million won _ and the city is planning to display original literary works by independence activists next year when Korea celebrates the 100th anniversary of its independence movement.



Ko is Korea's most respected and prolific poet and often touted as Korea's best chance at winning a Nobel Prize in literature.



Yet, last week's sexual harassment allegations against Ko has put the brakes on the plan.



The allegations came forward when poet Choi Young-mi disclosed Ko harassed her, along with many other female poets.



Choi criticized Ko's misconduct in her recent poem, "Monster," which was published in a literary magazine in December and the piece became a symbol of #MeToo movement in Korea's literary community. Choi did not identify him in the poem or in interviews but many suspected she was referring to Ko. In response, Ko apologized to Choi.



The allegations drew questions and complaints about the room.



"One citizen questioned what the city would do with the room when Ko's symbolic significance has been tarnished," one city government official said. Others insisted the city should close the room which is also named after one of his books.



The city hasn't decided on its closure, but what's certain is it will stop organizing events involving Ko and the room.



The city was planning a forum in April with the poet and a French scholar studying Ko's works. It was also pushing to make a digital archive of Ko's works.



"We planned many other things this year to drum up support for the centennial celebration next year but I think they will likely be canceled," the city official said.








By David-Pierre Jalicon





After his election in May 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron has undertaken structural reforms that France had long awaited.
By Kwon Bong-woon





Recently reported high levels of fine dust have drawn the public's attention to staying safe and avoiding health risks. Noxious fine dust is one of the many causes of bronchial and respiratory diseases, lung cancer and cardiovascular problems. In Korea, particularly in winter, people suffer from fine dust pollution, which is aggravated by "yellow dust" from the Mongolian desert



Worsening air pollution is significantly affecting citizens' lives by restricting their outdoor activities. Fine dust pollution is caused by fine particulates, which largely come from exhaust fumes from internal combustion engines and smoke from factory chimneys among others. This form of pollution, which has been discussed under the broad umbrella of climate change and energy policies, needs to be addressed as a separate issue.



Air pollution in Korea has been getting out of hand. Yellow dust, once an occasional unwelcome guest, is now a year-round problem. Fine dust and other airborne pollutants have raised concerns about the negative effects on people's outdoor activities. Whenever I go out, I find it hard to breathe; I can feel how much pollution has worsened the air quality. At home, I hesitate to open the window. Over the past decade, the number of days a year with bad air quality has risen, and the trend will continue over the next few years, according to the air quality forecasting center at the National Institute of Environmental Research.



One way to protect oneself from the worsening air quality and fine dust pollution is to wear a mask. I'm aware of respiratory diseases caused by such pollution, and I believe wearing a mask is important to protect myself. More people are wearing masks amid the worsening air quality. Wearing a mask is also important, as it helps prevent the spread of airborne diseases to others.



Doctors and experts advise that after returning home, people should wash off the dust off of their bodies thoroughly, drink a sufficient amount of water and take vitamin C supplements. People also need to manage indoor air quality, wipe dust of surfaces and mop floors.



Coal burning is a key source of fine dust emissions, which, coupled with the yellow dust largely originates from China, is increasingly becoming a health hazard. China has been cited as the main culprit for the increased fine dust pollution on the Korea Peninsula, in addition to power plants and fossil-fuel vehicles. However, while some of the blame falls on the pollution from China, experts say it would be more effective to focus on reducing fine dust that is generated right here.



The public's concerns about air pollution and its effects indicate their awareness of diseases and health in general. The government needs to join forces with experts and citizens to map out a comprehensive package of measures to improve air quality, to ensure the citizens' right to safety, security and happiness in life. It is very important to address fine dust pollution for the sake of our own. The people will be watching to see whether the government's efforts are effective.





The writer lives in Dongjak-gu in Seoul. His email address is kbw8234664@naver.com.






Members of YRD ride in the mountains of Gangwon-do in May last year. / Photo by YRD



By John Redmond



With the warmer spring weather just around the corner, clubs and groups whose activities involve participating in outdoor events are gearing up for a year of adventure and excitement.



One such group is the Yongsan Road Dragons (YRD), a riding club of local and expat motorcycle enthusiasts with a chapter based in Seoul.



The group welcomes anyone who rides or is thinking about riding in Korea.



"We are an open riding club made up of DoD (Department of Defense) personnel, expats and local nationals in Seoul," the club Facebook page states.



The YRD is a riding club, not to be confused with a motorcycle club, whose primary purpose is to ride motorcycles.





YRD members ride in the mountains of Songnisan National Park in October last year. / Photo by YRD



Members of riding clubs get together to enjoy rides, with YRD trips spanning the entire peninsula, some lasting for days.



Motorcycle clubs are more about the social aspects of being together, the brotherhood, or creating a framework by which members can find their place in a common goal.



The YRD is considered to be the oldest riding club in Korea, dating back to the early 1980s, and specializes in mountain rides.



"We're known for hardcore riding, we're mountain riders," club president Robert Edwards, aka Curly, told The Korea Times. "We don't spend our time on straight and narrow, or straight and flat roads. That's just how we get to the mountains."





Members of YRD ride the Naksan Beach Run in October last year. / Photo by YRD



"We ride in the mountains. We stay in the mountains. Everything we do is in the mountains"



In keeping with the spirit of a riding club, the YRD is not about speed, but embraces what many consider to be some of the better motorcycle rides.



"The aim of the group is to ride and see Korea," Edwards said. "The best way to see Korea is from a motorcycle."



The group welcomes any motorcycle make or model, as long as it is over 400cc. And for safety reasons, new members must pass a check ride with the club safety officer and/or road captain(s) before joining a club ride.





YRD President Robert Edwards, aka Curly, at the Upper Deck in Seoul Monday. / Photo by John Redmond



"Our requirements to be a member are your bike has to be at least 400cc or better, and we prefer better, and you have to pass a check ride," Edwards said. "The check ride determines the minimum standard for riding with us. Not how hard and fast we usually ride, that's where our mentorship program comes in. Once a person passes the check ride, we then mentor him further on. Even if you don't pass the check ride, you can still ride with us and we will mentor you to bring you up to our standard."



Government sanctioned and approved by the United States Department of Defense (DoD), membership is not open to members or prospects associated with the "one-percent."



Some outlaw motorcycle clubs can be distinguished by a "one-percent" patch worn on the colors. This is said to refer to a comment by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) that 99 percent of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, implying the last 1 percent were outlaws.





Members of the Yongsan Road Dragons and the Daegu Road Dragons pause during a "Chase the Sun" ride on the east coast near Sokcho in May last year. / Photo by YRD




By Jacco Zwetsloot





Since North Korea is somewhat in the spotlight lately, this is an appropriate blog post in which to outline how my interest in North Korea began.



In early 1997 I moved from Geumchon to Beobweon-ri, to a 5-storey building of one-room flats where teachers whose actual homes were elsewhere lived during the week. It was very close to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). I'd heard that people living in such proximity could hear music playing from loudspeakers just across the border, but I don't think I ever heard any. I did, however, manage to pick up North Korean broadcasting on my television. Every day from about 5 or 6pm through to 11pm, there was Korean Central Television on my telly. It was a mix of news  including footage of then leader Kim Jong Il giving "on the spot guidance" at factories and rice fields _ operatic singing by men in military costumes, education programs, films, and so on. I couldn't yet understand enough spoken Korean to follow it, and the unusual vocal delivery and highly emotive pitch of all the broadcasters made that even more difficult.



Under the National Security Law of 1948, viewing all manner of North Korean materials in South Korea is tightly controlled, and forbidden to civilians without clearance. Undeterred, I was fascinated, and would generally watch for a couple of minutes a day. The signal was never clear, because of a jamming beacon broadcast at the same frequency by the South Korean military. On my television it meant that one image was overlaid on top of the other, which made viewing for more than ten minutes at a time headache inducing. Just a few kilometers away, a Korean friend was unable to pick up the signal on her television, so I just happened to reside in a spot where the jamming was not working properly.



By coincidence, I was reading Orwell's Animal Farm at the same time, and this piqued my interest in what I was seeing on screen even more. Before coming to Korea, I had long had an interest in techniques of ideological persuasion, like religious tracts, pro- and anti-war flyers, enemy demonizing posters, and more. Here was the perfect place to learn more about it.



Driving around in Paju near the DMZ in colleagues' cars, I occasionally caught sight of groups of giant letters up on mountainsides. They told me that these were slogans to encourage North Korean soldiers to defect, telling them how much better life in the South was. These giant slogans were lit up at night, so they could be visible from the other side if a soldier had binoculars, I supposed. I wondered whether many soldiers were moved by these messages. There wasn't a lot of information on defectors then; indeed there weren't many defectors at all. Numbers never exceeded 100 until 1999, and most were young enlisted men who came across alone. Thanks to the Internet, I was able to read some stories of the few American soldiers who had defected across the DMZ in previous decades.



In 1999, I taught at a middle school in Gimpo City. Here I first came into contact with propaganda leaflets or flyers. These small pieces of paper contained messages and images to convince South Koreans that their government was a corrupt puppet of American imperialists and that things would be better if only the two Koreas would together kick out the foreign invaders and unify the country. They were flown across the DMZ attached to balloons, with a timed explosive that would scatter the papers over a wide area. It was illegal to possess them, so the students were encouraged to pick them up and turn them in to their teachers at school in exchange for items of stationery. These leaflets were then deposited into a white wooden box, labeled "Seditious Literature" in red paint, located in the staff room. Periodically this locked box's contents were handed over to the local police for analysis and record keeping. Seeing my curiosity, the principal allowed me to view some of them. I saw photos of the leader of North Korea, parades, happily smiling North Korean citizens and soldiers, and crude caricatures of South Korean politicians. Although the leaflet drops ceased during the Sunshine Policy period of the early 2000s, they started again in 2015, during the renewed propaganda war of nerves between the two Koreas.



Returning to Australia in late 1999, I went back to university and completed a second degree, this time in Korean Studies. My graduate dissertation was on the resettlement difficulties faced by North Korean refugees in South Korea, with some comparisons to the united Germany. Many years later, for a belated Master's degree, I researched North Korean graphic novels, literary works replete with propaganda messages to pass on a certain world view to the next generation of North Koreans. Now, besides my day job at a law firm, I host a weekly podcast for NK News, interviewing analysts, journalists and experts about developments north of the DMZ. The seeds for all this were sown in that tiny teacher's flat in Beobwonri in 1997, when I was flicking through the channels on my television.





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.


By Michael R. Czinkota and Charles Skuba





The Super Bowl reached viewers around the world, but Olympic advertisers will be communicating with a much broader audience from diverse cultures who will bring with them a different set of interests and emotions.

To persuade such a multicultural audience, advertising will need to seek commonalities of the mind and heart. Global advertising agencies have the expertise to create messages that work across borders and avoid the danger of leaving broad groups of viewers bewildered or, worse, offended.







We offer five winning techniques (not exclusive to each other) for creative messaging for global audiences during the Olympics in national and global media campaigns.







Universal human emotions come first. The best brands inspire and capture positive, if not joyful, emotion in their customers. Marketers know that emotion often trumps reason in purchasing decisions.







Dig deep into any customer psyche, whether of a business decision-maker or a teenage gamer, and you'll find a bundle of emotions that are common to people across cultures. Although there are cultural differences in what stirs emotion, some things are universal, like love stories and the pursuit of dreams.







For the 2012 London Olympic Games, P&G launched the global "Thank You Mom" campaign that celebrated the love of young Olympic athletes and their mothers. There may be no more powerful bond than the love between a mom and her child and that love is a universal emotion which is why P&G has renewed the theme for 2018.







Expansive imagery is also of major impact. The film industry has conditioned viewers across the world to crave dramatic, expansive imagery.







The most successful global films create a powerful impact of sight and sound. The Olympics are a key opportunity for grand imagery. Marketers regularly use striking visuals to capture attention but the bar is being raised.







Inspiring sounds and music follow hand-in-hand with expansive imagery. Music enhances visuals for dramatic and emotional impact. Marketers must be careful with music selection. Coca Cola has long used "happiness" music to appeal to young people around the world. Naturally, if the music is great, people will want to share it.







Then there is symbolism. For simple communication of an idea, it's hard to beat. Marketers often employ symbolism to enhance and distinguish their campaign and product messaging.







If you can show product advantage in advertising, your marketing effort is working. The trick is to get people's attention to your message and also sell. Also, marketers would be smart to walk away from messaging that depends upon slang or references to national pop culture.







If you didn't grow up watching American television, you might not understand a lot of pop culture references that U.S. audiences instantly absorb.







Super Bowl advertising is uniquely tuned to American audiences while that of the Olympics must be globally focused. Both will employ many of the techniques identified here. Marketers are literally going for the global gold. For the audience, the Olympic marketing messages will be quite different from the ones of the Super Bowl but well worth waiting for.









Prof. Michael Czinkota (

czinkotm@georgetown.edu ) researches international marketing and business issues at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He served in trade policy positions in the George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan administrations. His "International Marketing" text is now in its 10th edition. Charles Skuba (cjs29@georgetown.edu) teaches international business and marketing at Georgetown University. He served in the George W. Bush administration in trade policy positions in the U.S. Department of Commerce and previously was a senior executive in advertising.
Wait. That's it? That's the blockbuster secret memo? That's the Four Pages of the Apocalypse, the document that's supposed to cleanse the FBI and shake the Mueller investigation to its core?



We're ... underwhelmed. There was no blockbuster in the four pages released by the House Intelligence Committee Friday. What those pages contained instead was an allegation that the FBI obtained a FISA surveillance warrant on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page based on information supplied by a source who didn't like Donald Trump.



Even that allegation might not be true. The FBI says the memo is rife with inaccuracies. So do Democrats in a rebuttal the same committee refuses to release. Also left out was any supporting documentation, such as the actual FISA application.



Instead, what America got was speculation without evidence, accusations without facts, about a small part of a massive Russia investigation. Really, that's it?



This is what Republicans thought was worth risking the good name of the FBI and its agents. This is what Donald Trump thought was worth further corroding his relationship with the nation's law enforcement agencies.



That last part, at least, shouldn't be surprising. Trump has long been at war with the FBI, along with the CIA and any agency he feels isn't sufficiently on his team. He apparently believes the memo helps justify his desire to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, which would allow the president to find a friendlier replacement who could help slow or stop Robert Mueller's investigation.



The memo offers no such justification. It is classic conspiracy weaving and Talk Radio 101, a declaration that if one fraction of an FBI investigation has a sniff of partisanship, the whole probe must be tainted. The only people who will believe that are those who already have their eyes closed before reading it, because the president already has persuaded them the Russia probe is a political witch hunt.



In that way, allowing the memo's release was a clumsy political move on Trump's part. It had already done its job before Friday, prompting breathless alarm about the FBI and sowing doubt about the origins of Mueller's investigation. The smart play for Trump would have been to somberly keep the memo secret and let the spores of conspiracy continue to flourish in the dark.



Instead, the president turned on the light on. What did we learn? Not much. But the memo reminded us of plenty.

It reminded us that House Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes is a bumbling Trump sycophant who already had to step away from the Russia investigation once and now should be relieved of his chairmanship.



It reminded us which Republicans are willing to inflict foundational damage to our country's top law enforcement agency for the sake of protecting the president and their party.



It reminded us which Republicans (hello, Thom Tillis and Richard Burr) are willing to meekly watch them do so.



If anything, the memo might leave President Trump more vulnerable with the public. After all, it's hard not to wonder how desperate he must be to participate in such a political stunt.



Which is exactly what this was. The blockbuster secret memo is a dud. It's Geraldo's vault. It's Y2K. It's almost comical, except that it's something more. It's dangerous.





The above article appeared in the Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.). It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




Pyongyang should first commit to denuclearization



North Korea's high-level delegation to the PyeongChang Olympics stole the show Saturday by extending its leader Kim Jong-un's invitation for South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit Pyongyang. The North's rare charm offensive, which began with the start of the New Year, culminated in the invitation just one day after the opening of the Winter Games.



The offer does not necessarily come as a surprise as there were already some reports Kim would invite Moon for an inter-Korean summit to thaw the chilly bilateral ties. Rather it is seen as a challenge for Moon as he risks playing into the hands of the North if he accepts the offer immediately and unconditionally.



Well aware of this, President Moon gave an appropriate reaction to the invitation, orally delivered by Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong, who acted as a special envoy for the North Korea leader. During a luncheon meeting with her and other northern delegates, Moon said, "Let's make it happen by creating the necessary conditions in the future." This implies he has accepted the offer conditionally.



The President cited conditions necessary for an inter-Korean summit which would be the third of its kind, if realized, following two previous ones. He stressed the need for Pyongyang to resume dialogue with Washington. "An early resumption of dialogue between the United States and the North is needed also for the development of the South-North Korean relationship," a presidential spokesman quoted Moon as saying.



The President was not straightforward in calling on the North to have denuclearization talks with the U.S. This was because he did not want to irritate the North by mentioning the North's denuclearization directly. This made clear his intention to keep the momentum of inter-Korean detente which has been prompted by the North's participation in the Winter Games.



Nothing can make a breakthrough in the strained South-North ties better than an inter-Korean summit. Any president of the South is eager for it as seen in the case of the late President Kim Dae-jung and his successor Roh Moo-hyun who held summits with Kim Jong-un's father Kim Jong-il in 2000 and 2007, respectively, both in Pyongyang. The same goes for liberal President Moon, an advocate for active engagement with the North.



But President Moon recognizes fully he cannot meet Kim Jong-un without any progress in the North's denuclearization. In other words, improving ties between the two Koreas are necessary but not sufficient for a summit meeting. For this reason, Moon is striving to see the inter-Korean thaw lead to a Washington-Pyongyang dialogue.



Now it is important for Moon to work together with U.S. President Donald Trump more closely to prod the North to take the path toward denuclearization. But this is not easy given the Kim Jong-un regime has no sign of giving up its nuclear program, while the Trump administration seeks to bring the North to its knees with maximum pressure and sanctions.



Another problem is the North might try to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington and seek sanctions relief by using the Olympics and the brewing inter-Korean rapprochement. Skeptics warn the North may demand the South and the U.S. scale back or stop their annual joint military exercises which have been delayed until after the Olympics and the Paralympics.



We urge North Korea not to test President Moon and the South-U.S. alliance. Kim Jong-un should show his sincerity in defusing tension on the Korean Peninsula and making peace in Northeast Asia before holding a summit with Moon. Or the summit proposal will only prove to be a disguised peace campaign.




By Tong Kim





Events leading up to the opening of the PyeongChang Olympics have proven once again how difficult it is to make progress on the most pressing issue of peace on the Korean Peninsula.



While a significant breakthrough was noticed in inter-Korean relations, an open disagreement was disclosed between Seoul and Washington over what to do now or how to move toward the eventual denuclearization of North Korea.



Vice President Mike Pence's hawkish statements on the North and his deliberate boycott of an opening reception hosted by President Moon, where he would sit at the same table with Pyongyang's nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam, made it blindingly clear that the U.S. does not support Moon's reconciliatory approach to the North.



Pence simply ignored Kim. It created an awkward moment for Moon, and raised a question of diplomatic courtesy.



Watching Pence's visit to Japan, Pyongyang had said they had no intention of meeting with him during the Olympics nor would they "beg for talks."



On the other hand, Moon all along wanted to see his dialogue with the North lead to talks between the North and the U.S. After a failed bilateral encounter, the North accused Washington of spoiling resumed inter-Korean relations.



Activities by the North Korean participants, including a joint entry parade and the performances by Pyongyang's troupe, have received favorable responses in the South.



The North Koreans are dominating the South Korean media, outpacing the coverage of the U.S. vice president who denounces at every opportunity the tyrannical regime in the North and its abuses of human rights. Some feared that the Trump administration's aggressive attack on the depravity of the North was designed to build a justification to launch a strike.



North Koreans masterminded a sophisticated choreography in capturing world attention to their participation in the Winter Olympics, sending its leader's sister Kim Yo-jong, the second most powerful person in the Kim dynasty, and sending a delegation of over 500 members by land, sea, and air, circumventing U.N. sanctions, albeit with temporary waivers.



In Washington, talk of a preventive strike against the North seems to have lost its momentum not because the North's nuclear threat was overlooked, but because of concerns over a catastrophic calamity, likely if not certainly, to follow any actual military strike out of several options that may have been "locked and loaded."



An argument against a limited strike by Victor Cha, while being considered for U.S. ambassador to Seoul, spurred a debate of a "bloody nose" strike in Congress and Washington's foreign policy establishment. And a dominant view was against such a strike.



Some senators questioned a lack of presidential authority or a legal basis to launch such a strike. In this sense, the aborted nomination of Dr. Cha has done a great service for the security interest of the U.S.-ROK alliance.



The real challenge for the alliance will follow the closure of the Olympics. Trump has said it will be "tricky, we will see." Pence's visit only underscores the difference with Seoul. Washington cannot afford to lose Seoul as an ally in the region.



It is the same for Seoul as long as the North remains as an existential threat to it. Allies can overcome some differences if their common goal remains the same: deterrence for peace. Seoul and Washington also have the same goal of a denuclearized peninsula.



The first test will begin with discussions to resume joint military exercises suspended until after the Olympics. The discussions could deal with the timing, scale, or duration of resumed joint drills. Kim Jong-un has already demanded an end to them.



It may be worth considering a quip pro quo between a freeze on North Korea's nuclear missile program and a moderation of the joint exercises. The North would also be asked to reduce their costly drills.



There were some signs of self-restraint in Pyongyang's military parade last week, avoiding a real-time television broadcast, without foreign media coverage, and a much shorter ceremony, although the parade included some ICBMs that had earlier been tested, but not showing new advanced weapons.



What will follow the Olympics will depend a lot on what the North may do or may not.



This column shares the view that North Korea is not so suicidal to use nuclear weapons first, except on a miscalculation.



It is important to prevent the chances of any miscalculation by controlling inflammatory rhetoric. There are many new strategic ideas and strategies to exhaust beyond sanctions and pressure before considering a military option.





Tong Kim (tong.kim8@yahoo.com) is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Korean-American Studies.






By Kang Seung-woo

ASUS, once simply known as a budget laptop maker, is shifting its focus to delivering a range of products in Korea, believing such an approach will help boost the firm's mindshare of customers.

The Taiwanese company, which was established in 1988 and entered the Korean market in 2006, is currently trying to appeal to local consumers with high-end devices.





Jason Wu, country general manager of ASUS Korea / Courtesy of ASUS Korea

It is also offering computers with top of the line specifications for high-end games, eyeing the largest gaming population among Northeast Asian countries excluding China.

"Our philosophy is to be a very popular and well-respected IT company and that means we don't fulfill just a certain demand," said Jason Wu, country general manager of ASUS Korea, in a recent interview with The Korea Times.

"We give equal focus to different user needs."

When it comes to laptops, ASUS has a deep roster of portable computers to meet different user needs and wants, according to the general manager, saying the PC supplier does not only go for students.

"Prosumers -- short for professional consumers -- use one single device for different purposes and we have the ZenBook lineup," Wu said, adding it is designed to challenge Apple's MacBook.

His company also provides devices to mid- or higher-consumers, aged 18 to 28, who look for better performance and design but with a low budget.

"The fact that they don't have much of a budget doesn't mean they do not deserve good products," he said.

The Korean office chief explained the VivoBook S and Pro series are fit for the age group.

Along with them, ASUS also offers a different two-in-one convertible laptop.

No. 1 gaming PC brand

In 2006, ASUS launched a gaming-specific sub-brand Republic of Gamers (ROG) and it encompasses a range of computer hardware, personal computers, peripherals and accessories for PC gaming, which helped the company establish itself as the No. 1 player in the global gaming PC market.

"Korea is, among all Asia-Pacific countries excluding China, the No. 1 country enjoying PC games," Wu said.

"We have good products for the gaming business, so we have confidence through the two brand strategies -- ROG and ASUS -- through different price bands."

He added it is similar to Toyota and its luxury vehicle division Lexus.

"Toyota has good technology, but if people can spend more, they want better technology and selection. (That's why) we have ROG," he said.

Given that ROG is ASUS' version of Toyota's premium brand Lexus, some ROG products have steep prices -- for example, $5,000 for a high-spec gaming desktop.

Despite agreeing that its flagship models are not affordable for every household, Wu said it is impossible to get something for nothing.

"Something I need to highlight is there are some people in the industry who want the lower the price, but there is no free lunch for everyone," he said.

"If you disassemble the product, you will see the product structure that is always behind the cost. We always want to deliver the best quality."

According to him, its high-end graphic cards sold better than expected last month.

"We continue to introduce our products to different users and more people actually accept them because they love them and are willing to pay for them," he added.

In Korea, after-sale service is one of the biggest deciding factors in purchasing electronic devices, but local consumers do not give credit to ASUS' service as much as they do to the nation's two big giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.

According to ASUS, it had only one service center in Korea three years ago.

That being said, the general manager stressed that its after sale services are improving.

"Korean consumers said, Don't just serve your dealer, the most important is consumers,'" he said.

"We listened to them and now we have more than 50 service centers taking care of all the cities."

He added more than 90 percent of the customers who bring products to any service center to be repaired, can receive their products back within three days.
Nissan Leaf / Courtesy of Nissan



By Park Hyong-ki



SINGAPORE  Different people have different tastes and preferences for cars.



Some like their cars to look hot and sexy, and sound rough and tough as soon as they fire up the engine.



And some may go for the casual style of normal, practical and everyday use.



Of course, there are others who seek and drive cars for totally different reasons.



If you like small, sporty and fast cars such as the Mini Coopers in "The Italian Job" or the Porsche Turbo driven by Will Smith in "Bad Boys" and likes to drive offensively, Nissan's Leaf may not be your car. Warning, this review can be seen as highly subjective.



The Leaf does not look sexy, nor does it sound rough and tough.



My first impression of the car on press release photos and while parked at an event was: Who would want to drive this car?



It looks boring, unadventurous and like other models out there that promote themselves as "dynamic," when they don't look dynamic at all. It begs the question why they all say they are dynamic.



But  and there's always a but in this imperfect world  looks can be deceiving.



At the very outset, the Leaf lies to us, it questions us, and it tests us.



And one would get the answers as soon as they jump in and drive this electric vehicle (EV).



Although driven around Nanyang Technological University's car track under the safest environment for a very short time, it was a pleasure getting to know the Leaf and the EV world.



The Leaf is practical, economical and above all, like what Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president of Nissan's global design said, it is made for "simple, comfortable and clean" driving.



The car is not meant for fans of fast loud cars.



It is for everyday people who put safety first above all else, who have to drive to work during rush hour, who want to feel relaxed while heading toward their destination.



Fast cars may look cool, but are not very comfortable. Remember Martin Lawrence's character in "Bad Boys" complaining about the Porsche not having a cup holder?



The Leaf looks very conventional, but is designed to be unconventional.





Nissan Leaf's interior / Courtesy of Nissan
By Park Hyong-ki





Kazuhiro Doi, alliance global director of Nissan / Courtesy of Nissan
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Partly cloudy in the morning followed by scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 86F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening, then mainly cloudy overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 59F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Janice Bryant Howroyd, 65, is founder and chief executive of Act 1 Group, an employment agency that also provides consulting and business services, including background checks and screening. Shes the first African American woman to operate a company that generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue, according to Black Enterprise Magazine. Act 1, which includes other brands such as Agile 1, A-Check Global and AppleOne, has contracts with 17,000 clients in 19 countries.

If you visit any of our offices, Howroyd said, youll see that we live by the mantra that the applicant is the center of our universe. Its always been our belief that if you get that applicant in the right job, then they will be the best representation of who we are as a company.

Early lessons

Growing up in Tarboro, N.C., as one of 11 children, Howroyd had early lessons in team building. Each sibling was assigned an older one to act as a mentor.

My sister Sandy was my appointed guardian angel, Howroyd said, so it was up to her to see that Id gotten my homework done, my hair was done, and my thoughts and process were in line with what the family wanted. We were very organized.

Big move

After studying humanities and English at North Carolina A&T, Howroyd faced culture shock when she moved to Los Angeles in 1976 with just $900. Her older sister again provided welcome advice to settle myself into knowing who I was, learning the power of that and understanding it.

Brother-in-law Tom provided a temporary job at Billboard and saw entrepreneurial talents in the way Howroyd interacted with clients. Even when she was ill at ease, I would revert to what I do well, which is strategize. I love to look at a problem, break it apart, find the better potential, knowing when to eliminate what doesnt need to be there.

Word of mouth

Howroyd, who didnt even own a fax machine, opened Act 1 in a small office in Beverly Hills in 1978. She started out by making full-time job placements for companies needing workers, then shifting to temporary placements. Pleased clients were her best advertisements.

It still matters in business more what someone else says about you than what you say about yourself, Howroyd said. You can have the best advertising, but unless someone else certifies what they are saying, you wont last long. Word of mouth has always been my best referral system.

More success stories from How I Made It 

Never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally. Janice Bryant Howroyd

Standing out

Early on, Howroyd employed a strategy that allowed her to compete against bigger companies, preparing her prospective hires by training them in what their employers were looking for in new workers.

It always works best when you can tailor a hire to fit into a companys philosophy, Howroyd said. They walk in better prepared and its more likely to be a very good fit for your client.

Standing up

Whether it was dealing with racist students and teachers in her youth or businesspeople who uttered the most stunningly insensitive remarks, Howroyd said there were times when she was forced to bite her tongue and muddle through and other times when it was clear a stand had to be made, as frightening as that might clearly be.

In order to be outstanding, sometimes, youre just going to have to stand out and not hide, Howroyd said. My personal business protocol, my life mantra: Never compromise who you are personally to become what you wish to be professionally.

Adding niches

Theres a reason why its called the Act 1 Group; the company kept adding new divisions to fill new employer needs, sometimes unexpectedly. Once a client called on Howroyd and a small team to come and help with an emergency without even being able to explain it over the telephone. The company then wanted to buy the technology that Act 1 developed to solve the problem.

My brother encouraged me, Howroyd said. Dont sell the technology. Sell them the service. Make them keep you in it. Thats why you see the evolution of our different brands.

Security conscious

Everyone, these days, is a little more concerned about avoiding problem employees, especially when it turns out they were poorly vetted.

When companies began demanding that we screen and do background checks on the people we were sending them, we felt, wow, this is a service to the community. Its also really important for us to get it right, Howroyd said, so thats how we got into that business.

Hostile climate

Many young women have grown up with the perspective of the denigration of women, Howroyd said, by what they heard in music, in social activity. So they started to face this before they faced the reality of it in an employment relationship. While they cant accept that this is right, they can accept this as common and believe then that they have a need to figure out how to navigate that.

Advice

Howroyd suggests that young people sample potential careers and employers through internships. Figure out not only if you like the work but also if you like the company, she said. Explore all of your opportunities before you dedicate yourself to one because you may surprise yourself.

Personal

Howroyd has been married to her husband, Bernard, for nearly 40 years. Hes a fantastic husband; make sure you quote me on that, she said. They have two grown children, a son and a daughter. Even now, theres not a lot of downtime. Howroyd remains a sought-after speaker and a huge supporter of her alma mater. She also devotes considerable time to philanthropy. In 2017, for the second consecutive year, Forbes magazine listed her among the nations wealthiest self-made women, with a family net worth of $420 million.

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ronald.white@latimes.com

Twitter: @RonWLATimes
Astaire Dances American Contemporary Ballet re-creates four of movie legend Fred Astaires classic dance routines. The Bloc, 32nd floor, 700 S. Flower St., L.A. Sun., 4 p.m.; Tue.-Wed., 8 p.m.; ends Feb. 14. $40-$105. (213) 304-3408.

Louise Reichlin & Dancers/ Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers The company performs A Jewish Childs Story and more. Culver City Senior Center, 4095 Overland Ave., Culver City. Sun., 1 p.m. Free. (310) 253-6700.

Okwui Okpokwasili: Poor Peoples TV Room The Bessie Award winner and company celebrate womens movements in Nigeria. REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., L.A. Sun., 7 p.m. $26-$35. (213) 237-2800.

Betroffenheit Canadas Kidd Pivot and Electric Company Theatre join forces for choreographer Crystal Pite and writer Jonathon Youngs dance theater work about coping with a tragic personal loss; not recommended for children. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. Wed.-Fri., 7:30 p.m. $45 and up. (310) 434-3200.

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Bhumi: Mother Earth Balinese dance-and-music troupe Cudamani presents the U.S. premiere of this nature-inspired fable. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. Next Sun., 2 p.m. (family show) and 7 p.m. (full performance). $15-$50. (424) 232-8423.
Kim Cattrall is tired of playing nice with her former "Sex and the City" costar Sarah Jessica Parker. In an Instagram post Saturday, Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones in the hit HBO show and two spinoff movies, responded to Parker's condolences following Cattrall's brother's death last week.

"Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now," Cattrall wrote on Instagram. "Let me make this VERY clear. (If I havent already) You are not my family. You are not my friend."

Cattrall's brother, Chris, was found dead Feb. 4 after having been reported missing. Parker, who played Carrie Bradshaw on the show, extended her sympathies to Cattrall in a comment on the Instagram post Cattrall made announcing the death.

Dearest Kim, my love and condolences to you and yours and Godspeed to your beloved brother. Xx, Parker wrote.

She also spoke about the tragedy to Extra: I can't begin to know how her family is managing such a loss. We all send her our love and condolences and grant her the privacy that she's asked for."

But neither Cattrall nor her family appear interested in what Parker has to say.

"Im writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your nice girl persona," Cattrall wrote in another post, after noting that her mother called Parker "that hypocrite."

Cattrall ended her remarks with the link to a New York Post article from late last year that detailed "the mean-girls culture that destroyed Sex and the City.'"

Speculation last year about a possible new Sex and The City film was squashed when Cattrall said she had no interest in participating.

Check out the full post below:

Follow me on Twitter (@TrevellAnderson) or email me: trevell.anderson@latimes.com.
Luke Rockhold vs. Yoel Romero live round-by-round coverage

This was originally supposed to be a homecoming title defense for UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Unfortunately, Whittaker had to pull out following a severe staph infection and now Romero and Rockhold will compete in the main event. Rockhold can earn the distinction of interim champion if he wins but Romero missed weight and cannot. Rockhold and Romero have different strengths and weaknesses. Rockhold is a submission grappler and loves kicks on the feet while Romero has an Olympic wrestling background and is a knockout artist on the feet.

Round 1. Rockhold opens with some low kicks. Romero mostly just observes and defends. Rockholds shin is cut from Romero checking a kick. Rockhold lands a nice straight right hand. Rockhold continues to attack the lead leg of Romero. Romero throws a couple leg kicks of his own and Rockhold moves back awkwardly. Romero then starts throwing some power punches at the head. Rockhold continues to attack Romeros leg with kicks. That has been the most common weapon of the fight. 10-9 Rockhold.

Round 2. Romero charges in with punches. He rocks Rockhold and looks for the finish. Romero throws a series of looping punches by the cage and connects with some hard shots. Romero backs off and slows down, but explodes with some punches moments later that also do some damage. Rockhold has a weird growth on the side of his forehead from Romeros punches. After another delay, Romero charges in again with heavy punches. It feels like he has connected solidly at least a time or two in each of his charges. Rockhold connects with a strong jab and continues to mix in his leg kicks. Rockhold follows with a few more jabs. 10-9 Romero.

Round 3. Rockhold throws some jabs to keep Romero at bay. Romero attacks the body with some punches. Romero drops Rockhold with a left hand and then knocks him unconscious with a followup.

Winner: Yoel Romero, KO, round 3.

That was an absolutely brutal finish. Romero has so much power and explosiveness. Romero had trouble standing afterwards, his leg apparently damaged badly by Rockholds kicks. This would appear to set up a rematch between Romero and Robert Whittaker for the UFC middleweight title.
GRAND CANYON

Workshop

REI experts will help you discover the beauty and adventures you can plan for and experience throughout Grand Canyon National Park.

When, where: 7 p.m. Feb. 14 at the REI store in Manhattan Beach, 1800 Rosecrans Ave., Suite E

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Admission, info: Free. (310) 727-0728

AFRICA

Presentation

Scott Petersen will discuss his documentary Hitchhiking to the Edge of Insanity, about the social upheaval of the early 70s and a road trip across the Sahara Desert.

When, where: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Adventure 16 store, 11161 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles

Admission, info: Free. (310) 473-4574.

Please email announcements at least three weeks before the event to travel@latimes.com.
Childs death: In the Jan. 28 California section, an article about the death of an infant in Altadena said that the childs mother, Dora Yoder, had a pending bench warrant for her arrest. The warrant was dismissed and Yoder pleaded no contest Dec. 29 to petty theft, according to the Los Angeles city attorneys office. If Yoder completes the terms of a diversion program, including Narcotics Anonymous meetings and community labor, the case could be dismissed in December 2018.

If you believe that we have made an error, or you have questions about The Times journalistic standards and practices, you may contact Deirdre Edgar, readers representative, by email at readers.representative@latimes.com, by phone at (877) 554-4000, by fax at (213) 237-3535 or by mail at 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. The readers representative office is online at latimes.com/readersrep.
Even before California legalized recreational marijuana Jan. 1, pot was enjoying a gray renaissance.

From 2006 to 2013, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported a 250% rise in marijuana use by Americans 65 and older. It is still a small share, climbing from 0.4% to 1.4% of that population, but local dispensaries see plenty of silver-haired shoppers.

This is probably the most interested  and wariest  group, said Lincoln Fish, chief executive of cannabis company Outco, noting that the average customer at his Outliers Collective in El Cajon is over 58 years old.

Older consumers add a new wrinkle to the legal cannabis trade. Retirees tend to be less interested in getting high and more interested in getting relief from pain, anxiety and insomnia. Many are skittish about being identified as a user. (Many seniors interviewed for this story declined to be photographed or give their full names.)

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Theres a stigma around marijuana use, said Michelle Sexton, a naturopathic practitioner assisting in a medical cannabis study at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. Its got this whole negative connotation. They think theyll be viewed as druggies or hippies.

Moreover, a fog of mystery clouds this topic. More research is needed into cannabinoids, marijuanas active chemical compounds, said Dr. Mark Wallace, chair of the Division of Pain Medicine at UC San Diego Health. Effects vary depending on strains, delivery methods  whether its smoked, consumed in brownies and gummies, or administered in tinctures  and the users age.

Wallace has no qualms about recommending medical cannabis to his patients. Im completely comfortable that it is safe, he said.

Yet he notes that buying products from a dispensary is a crapshoot. The clerks or budtenders are not medical professionals, and seniors often buy products that are too strong or ineffective.

Still, older users  like their younger counterparts  are not exclusively focused on therapy. Some just want to recapture the sweet buzz of youth.

I smoke every night, said Terri Graham, 61, a visitor from Wisconsin who had stopped to admire the Cannabus, a black bus with tinted windows that runs from Ocean Beach to a dispensary in Bay Park. Why not?

On a recent morning, half the customers inside Torrey Holistics were in their 60s and 70s. Some attended a free Cannabis 101 class on how marijuana products can combat insomnia. Others hoped to ease nagging aches and pains.

That search can be complicated and frustrating. Beth, a 73-year-old Carlsbad resident, originally bought a vape pen to treat her spondylitis, a form of arthritis that targets the spine.

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It was too strong for me, she said. I dont want to get high, I just want to be able to get out of pain.

This was her second trip to Torrey Holistics, and this time she was considering its edible offerings. If this doesnt work, she said, I am through.

Bill, 71, hadnt bought or used weed for 50 years. That streak ended on this morning, when he purchased cannabis-infused soda, brownies and gummies. He hoped they would reduce the inflammation around his eyelids, a condition known as blepharitis.

Making his dispensary debut, he looked as jittery as a teen buying condoms. But the green buds and sweet fragrance stirred old memories.

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It was hard to go through college in the 60s without using marijuana, he said with a laugh.

Thats no exaggeration. In the 1960s and 70s, Gallup surveyed college students about marijuana usage. Between 1967 and 1971, the number of undergraduates who admitted trying the then-illegal substance zoomed from 5% to 51%.

For some, this kindled a lifelong passion.

Walking into Urbn Leaf wearing a faded T-shirt with psychedelic Yellow Submarine images, Kerry Durrell looked like aging hippie straight out of central casting. Now 61, shes been smoking pot off and on  Ive gone through phases  since 1969.

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It helps me sleep, she said, inspecting buds at Urbn Leaf. And its recreational.

For some veteran users, the advent of legal marijuana is like an endless Christmas. Joe, 60, said hes been smoking weed since his teens. This week, the semi-retired truck driver from Encinitas was thrilled by his first visit to Torrey Holistics.

Like a kid in a candy shop, he said. I just love it.

Lee, a 70-year-old real estate agent, was equally enthusiastic. Although he grows marijuana at home, he happily bought a pocket-sized pack of edibles for $18.

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The thing I like about buying it here, he said, you know what you are getting. When you grow it, sometimes you dont get high and sometimes you get too high. Here, the quality and consistency seem better.

Lees peers, though, generally frown upon marijuana. In 2010, the Pew Research Center found that only 22% of Americans 65 and older favored legalization of marijuana. That number had grown to 30% by 2017, but its still a minority of seniors.

Among those who disapprove: Bills wife. Though eager to treat his blepharitis with cannabis-laced soda, Bill doesnt expect his spouse to take a sip.

My wife is too conservative, he said. I dont think shed indulge.

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When properly dosed, UC San Diegos Wallace said, cannabis is often a better choice than more traditional painkillers. I see medical cannabis as a more conservative treatment than opioids, he said.

He starts clients on microdoses, then adjusts the amount. This is a gradual process, he said, because it is easy to over- and under-prescribe THC, a mood-enhancing and painkilling compound in marijuana.

As THC levels go up, the pain will reduce, he said, until you get too much THC and then the pain will increase.

Studies indicate that cannabis pain-relieving properties are best with a mild 3.4% THC content, Sexton said, but commercial products are often stronger.

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My patients cant tolerate 10 milligrams and they dont need it, she said. The doctors arent driving this change or deciding whats available for patients. Its the people making the products.

Cannabis isnt for everyone, which is true for former users as well as marijuana virgins. Researchers have found ones tolerance for weed changes with age.

peter.rowe@sduniontribune.com

Rowe writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
When he needed to clear his head as a boy, Clarence Lone Wolf Tyler would head to the western shore of Smith Island to look for Indian arrowheads.

Tyler, a Native American of the Accohannock tribe, learned the technique from his father: look in the clumps of roots of the marsh reeds after a high tide. The grass died off from exposure to saltwater, but the roots remained intact.

For centuries, Tyler says, his people concealed their Native identity in Maryland, hiding in plain sight from the white man, to avoid discrimination.

Tylers family took a crab boat to secret Native meetings, he says, where they invoked the creator and learned Native ways.

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Tyler, now the 64-year-old chief of the Accohannock, says they are ready to emerge from the shadows. In December, the 81-member Accohannock became the third Native American tribe in Maryland to be recognized by the state.

It didnt sink in right away, said Mike Hinman, 76, the tribes historian and chairman. Weve had so many disappointments.

But not everyone is celebrating. Other Native Americans are questioning the Accohannocks historical claims.

It would have been impossible, they say, for an entire tribe to keep its identity secret in a town as small as Crisfield, on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Even if the members do have Native blood, they say, the fact that they concealed their heritage means they havent paid their dues  and shouldnt be recognized by the state.

Norris Howard, a Pocomoke Indian, is an outspoken critic of Accohannock recognition.

Norris Howard, right, and his son Buddy are members of the Pocomoke tribe. They opposed state recognition of the Accohannock tribe. (Christina Tkacik / Baltimore Sun )

When a group gets recognized, its going to be put in textbooks, its going to be put in lesson plans for the curriculum of the public schools, he said. To me, thats a lie.

Reminders of the Eastern Shores Indian past come in fragments: road signs bearing names such as Nanticoke and Pocomoke City, arrowheads in the marsh reeds.

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Ancient arrowheads cover the shelves in Tylers home in the town of Princess Anne. Outside, a flag waves with a Native American emblazoned on the Stars and Stripes. Some of his neighbors dont like it, Tyler says, but hes quick to point out the image doesnt cover the stars.

The Accohannock join two other tribes recognized by the state: the Piscataway Indian Nation and the Piscataway Conoy Tribe.

Unlike federal recognition, state recognition does not bring specific benefits, but might help win donations and grants. It does not confer rights to property, or to operate casinos.

Tribes seeking recognition file a petition containing members genealogies. An advisory committee reviews the data and makes a recommendation to the governor.

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The Accohannock first sought recognition in 2010. The committee, which includes members of Native heritage, voted against forwarding it to then-Gov. Martin OMalley.

Tribal leaders tried again last year, using a genealogy compiled using ancestry.com. Tyler says he traced his family line back to the Occohannock nation in Virginia.

This time, the committee agreed.

They had to fight to prove that this is their land, said committee member Diana Purnell, a Worcester County commissioner who is part Native American. And they did it. They absolutely did it.

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Gov. Larry Hogan signed an executive order in December. State Sen. Jim Mathias Jr., who has worked with the Accohannock, called it a proud day for the Eastern Shore. Quite frankly the history, to me, was solid, he said.

Mathias says he looks forward to working with the tribe to obtain whatever state grants they might be eligible to receive.

Hinman hopes recognition will enable the tribe to receive additional money and support. He says the tribe plans to apply for federal recognition.

The tribes critics consider the state recognition an affront.

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On a clear day in January, Norris Howard lumbered into the Crisfield public library with his son, Buddy, carting stacks of books and thick binders bearing the title Accohannock debacle.

For as long as the Accohannock has pursued recognition, Howard has fought to prevent it.

Like Hinman, Tyler and some other members of the Accohannock tribe, Howard, 79, grew up in the Crisfield area. He is paramount chief of the Pocomoke Indian Nation  a tribe that has not sought state recognition.

He says his Native identity was always known to those in Crisfield  and he experienced discrimination because of it. Being Native in Crisfield, Howard says, meant being put in the back, facing racism and feeling powerless to fight it, being reluctant to speak up for fear of retribution.

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Those life experiences have become part of his heritage.

It wasnt hidden in plain sight  which is the most ridiculous thing Ive ever heard in my life, he said.

Tyler insists the Accohannock did conceal their Native ties for generations, a strategy he says was advocated by clan mothers, who believed members should intermarry with Europeans, then allow their Native heritage to reemerge at a later time.

Howard is deeply skeptical.

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You couldnt hide a mouse in Crisfield, he said.

Others see recognition as helping a Native community.

Kerry Hawk Lessard is executive director of Native American Lifelines in Baltimore. The group, which receives federal Urban Indian Health Program funds, offers free dental care, behavioral health services and patient advocacy to the areas Indians.

Receiving the state recognition is really going to help the Accohannock people, Hawk Lessard said.

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She said she was familiar with questions about the Accohannocks authenticity, but is uncomfortable with Native Americans criticizing one anothers legitimacy.

If anyone is trying to make the claim that they are more Indian than other people, thats just an act of lateral violence, she said. Particularly on the East Coast, she said, centuries of intermarriage means people with Native blood  herself included  might not conform to peoples ideas of what a Native American looks like.

On a recent weekday, a few Accohannock members sat in Clarence Tylers living room, each wearing subtle emblems of their Indian culture: beaded earrings, suede moccasins.

At what should be a time of celebration for the tribe, the group was downcast. Their future is now uncertain, they say, because the state recognition has come with a rift among tribal leaders.

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Since recognition, Tyler says, Hinman, the tribe historian, has made decisions that should have been made by the full Native council. Tyler says Hinman rescinded the membership of a clan the Accohannock had adopted into its ranks, and sold some tribal assets, including a van and a cook wagon.

Clarence Long Wolf Tyler displays a collection of Native American artifacts. He says most were collected by his father. (Algerina Perna / Baltimore Sun )

Once Mike realized we were getting recognition, he went rogue, said tribal member Diane Baldwin.

Tyler says he hasnt spoken with Hinman since last summer. He says he wasnt invited to the Annapolis ceremony announcing the state recognition.

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They couldnt have hurt me no more if theyd take a knife and cut my heart out, he said.

Hinman acknowledges selling the cook wagon and van. He says the tribes bylaws give him the authority to do so.

As for critics of the Accohannocks history and the state recognition, he said: We played by the book. We got all the documentation.

He says Native Americans have withstood centuries of cultural erasure  and continue to face skepticism.

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Were the only ethnic group in the world that has to prove who we are, Hinman said.

Think about it. If youre Irish, no one questions it.

Tkacik writes for the Baltimore Sun.
The Trump administration and California officials  particularly local leaders in Los Angeles  have consistently clashed on crucial policy issues from immigration to health care. But now comes an unusual twist.

A senior administration official, speaking in advance of Mondays release of the White Houses infrastructure principles, singled out for praise a Los Angeles County sales-tax increase that was a top initiative of Mayor Eric Garcetti.

But the unaccustomed compliment from the White House underscores an element that will make a sweeping infrastructure plan  intended to repair and revitalize roads, bridges and transit systems  a tough sell for many lawmakers.

The rub: who will provide the money.

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President Trump has called for investing $1.5 trillion to fix and upgrade critical infrastructure across the country, much of which is in a dilapidated state. Under the administrations proposal, however, the federal government would provide only $200 billion of the total.

That means state and local governments would need to step up, with incentives to do so.

When were thinking of revenues at the state and local level a good case study would be Measure M in Los Angeles, the administration official said, noting approvingly that the ballot-approved tax increase is the ultimate sustainable source of revenue for projects.

While fixing crumbling infrastructure is a broadly popular notion, most Democrats want direct federal spending to do so, and Republicans generally oppose just the kind of tax increases that the plan envisions.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief reporters, said the White House aims to stimulate $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment. It also envisions shortening the permit process, the official said  a step environmentalists are likely to vehemently oppose.

Rural areas will be a particular investment target under the plan, which also calls for improvements in workforce training so Americans are prepared to take advantage of jobs that will be created as we build out and improve our workforce, according to the official.

The 2016 Los Angeles ballot measure cited by the White House as a model to be emulated elsewhere increased the county-wide sales tax by half a cent in 2016, despite fierce opposition from conservative groups.

Improvements and projects funded by the measure include bringing light rail to Los Angeles International Airport, extending the Purple Line subway to Westwood, renovating streets and sidewalks, and retrofitting bridges to better withstand earthquakes.

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The tax, which will remain in place unless voters act to end it, is projected to bring in $860 million annually, funding transit projects for decades to come.

Infrastructure was a popular Trump topic on the campaign trail, and the president also used his State of the Union address last month to talk up his infrastructure ambitions.

Together, we can reclaim our building heritage, he said. We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways, and waterways across our land.

Trump has mused previously that perhaps he should have tackled infrastructure last year prior to a debilitating legislative showdown over healthcare, which deepened partisan divides. He also has a record of rejecting carefully crafted bipartisan compromises, such as an immigration plan that could have staved off a three-day government shutdown last month.

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The official who briefed reporters, though, expressed confidence in the White Houses ability to sell the plan to lawmakers and the public alike, touting it as in line with the presidents often-professed disdain for heavy-handed decision making in the national capital.

All of infrastructure is paid for by taxpayers, by users of the infrastructure, the official said. If you go and ask the public what their preference is, they would prefer to invest locally as opposed to sending money to Washington.

laura.king@latimes.com

@laurakingLAT
President Trump, who has pushed out a string of senior aides since taking office, is upset with Chief of Staff John F. Kelly and would like to replace him, but Republican congressional leaders and strategists are strongly counseling him against feeding the perception of an inner circle in nonstop disarray, a person close to the White House said.

Hoping to quell the furor, the White House scrambled aides Sunday to publicly defend Kelly and his handling of the domestic violence allegations against staff secretary Rob Porter, who resigned or was fired Wednesday, a day after Kelly had praised him as a man of integrity and honor.

The aides denied reports that Kelly had offered his resignation, but they continued to hedge on when Kelly and other senior White House officials learned that Porters two ex-wives had accused him of physical and emotional abuse. Porter has denied the allegations.

By reminding voters of Trumps own problems with the #MeToo movement against abuse of women, the latest White House turmoil threatened to overshadow, at least for now, the broader GOP efforts to craft a positive message about the economy and the tax cut bill before the November elections.

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Three top White House officials  legislative director Marc Short, budget director Mick Mulvaney and senior advisor Kellyanne Conway  fanned out to Sunday talk shows to say Trump has full confidence in Kelly despite the questions about when he learned that Porters two ex-wives had told the FBI of his violent outbursts.

That placed the White House in the awkward position of accepting as credible the womens allegations against Porter, even as Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to defend the right of due process for those accused of abusive behavior or sexual misconduct  not to defend the victims.

Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation, Trump wrote. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?

More than a dozen women have publicly accused Trump of sexual harassment or assault over a period of many years. He says they are all lying and has dismissed a 2005 audio recording from the TV show Access Hollywood that captured him boasting in vulgar terms about such behavior as locker room talk.

The Porter controversy has brought intense scrutiny of Kellys role in protecting him, but Conway said on ABCs This Week that Trump is not actively searching for replacements for the retired Marine four-star general, who has sought to impose discipline on a chaotic West Wing.

Conway said Trump also has full confidence in Hope Hicks, a former campaign aide who became White House communications director. News reports have said Hicks was romantically involved with Porter and helped craft an initial forceful White House statement defending him.

A person close to the White House, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the president had not authorized him to characterize their private conversations, said he expects Trump to keep Kelly rather than choose a third chief of staff. Kelly replaced Reince Priebus, who served in the White House for only six months.

I would say 95% certain that Kelly will stay, the person said, adding that the president was disturbed and caught by surprise by the Porter episode, particularly since it involved Hicks, whom he trusts deeply.

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But Kellys ability to be effective has suffered. Over and over again the past few days, various White House aides have buttonholed reporters to tell them  anonymously  that they think Kelly either lied to them or tried to get them to lie about what he knew when.

In their Sunday talk-show appearances, the White House aides sought to downplay those concerns.

Speaking on NBCs Meet the Press, Short said he did not know who knew what when about the ex-wives statements to the FBI regarding Porter, which apparently prevented him from obtaining more than an interim security clearance.

More than a year into the Trump administration, Short also defended the White Houses practice of allowing people with only interim security clearances to access some of the nations most highly classified intelligence materials.

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Those staffers include Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a senior advisor with a portfolio that includes a search for peace in the Middle East. Kushner also has been caught up in the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election for his meetings with Russian officials during the campaign.

The churn of turnover has been a constant in an otherwise unpredictable White House.

Trump lost his national security advisor Michael Flynn within weeks due to his own meetings with Russians, and he was followed out the door by short-lived communications director Anthony Scaramucci, Priebus and chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon.

Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. So has another Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos. Paul Manafort, who served as Trumps campaign manager, was arrested last October and is awaiting trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy. So is Richard Gates, who was deputy chair of the Trump campaign.

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The wrenching departures have taken their toll on the president.

He was just completely isolated, said the person close to the White House. People with him from the start are gone.

As is often the case, the president made the task of those trying to smooth over a controversy more difficult. Both Conway and Short said the White House takes the issue of domestic violence very seriously despite the presidents tweet Saturday that seemed to defend the accused, not the victim.

Asked about the tweet on CNNs State of the Union, Conway said she had no reason not to believe the women who accused Porter of violence when the FBI interviewed them in connection with his security clearance.

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In this case, you have contemporaneous police reports, you have women speaking to the FBI under threat of perjury ... you have photographs, and when you look at all of that pulled together, Rob Porter did the right thing by resigning, Conway said.

Short said on NBC that he believes Trump is very disturbed by the allegations. But he also said Trumps attitude was shaped by a lot of false accusations against him [Trump] in the past.

Kelly and other senior aides were aware by late last fall of Porters difficulty in obtaining a clearance due to accusations by his former wives, but it was not clear whether Kelly was aware of the extent of the alleged physical abuse.

Some Democrats piled on, questioning Kellys viability in the job.

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Hard to see how Kelly survives, David Axelrod, a former senior aide to President Obama, tweeted. He said either Kelly didnt know what he should have, or likely truth, based on the timeline: He knew and looked the other way.

Axelrod, now a commentator, called the handling of the matter a textbook case of how not to deal with a bad situation  which he said was made worse not only by Kelly, but also by Trump.

Mulvaney, whose name has been floated as a possible replacement for Kelly, sought to dispel any indication he was seeking the position.

I dont want that job, Mulvaney said on CBS Face the Nation. He added: I think the chief of staff is doing a really good job  and most importantly, I think the president thinks hes doing a great job as well.

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laura.king@latimes.com | Twitter: @laurakingLAT

michael.finnegan@latimes.com | Twitter: @finneganLAT

UPDATES:

2:28 p.m.: This story was updated with additional quotes and background on staff problems at the White House.

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11:59 a.m.: This article was updated with comment from person close to Trump, background on White House personnel changes, other details.

This article was originally published at 10:55 a.m.
Its not long  just two pages  but a notice recently issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a reminder of the challenges, legal and otherwise, facing President Trumps promised border wall.

The corps issued a notice to contractors Friday saying it might soon accept bids to construct a 3-mile section of border wall in south Texas, with an estimated cost of anywhere from $25 million to $100 million  if the corps gets the money.

The notice drew alarm from environmentalists, who say the wall will undoubtedly be built on the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. The 2,088-acre parcel has been dubbed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the jewel of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge proposal is truly an outrage, said Brian Segee, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. I dont say that lightly. It will effectively destroy the refuge because the proposed border wall will be built toward the northern part of the refuge so it will cut off not only wildlife, but also  have ecological, economic and cultural impacts.

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The debate over the refuge as a proposed location for a 3-mile section of the wall is reminder of the various complexities that face an attempt to strengthen border security from San Diego to Brownsville, Texas.

Here are some of the difficulties that come with Trumps build the wall campaign promise:

How long is the border? How many miles of wall already exist?

The U.S.-Mexico border, which is about 2,000 miles, has barriers that block people and vehicles along 653 miles of it, according to the think tank Washington Office on Latin America, or WOLA.

Theres no fencing on about 1,300 miles of the border, but the Rio Grande forms a natural border along several of those miles. The river, however, can be crossed many ways  sometimes by boat, sometimes by floating on inner tubes. In places where it runs shallow, migrants can wade across.

How much funding has been requested for 2018?

The White House has requested $1.6 billion to build 74 miles of border wall in 2018, with 60 miles constructed in new areas. The other 14 would replace or enhance existing barriers. Additionally, the White House wants $18 billion for 722 miles of new or replacement wall over the next 10 years, according to WOLA.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One during his flight to Paris in July that there are enough natural barriers along the border that a 2,000-mile wall is not necessary.

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You have mountains. You have some rivers that are violent and vicious. You have some areas that are so far away that you dont really have people crossing. So you dont need that, Trump said. Youll need anywhere from 700 to 900 miles.

What are the environmental concerns about the wall?

Border barriers have been proposed on local, state and federal lands that have been protected from development to ensure that plant and animal populations thrive. The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1943 to protect migratory birds. Now, 400 bird species, 450 types of plants and half of all butterfly species in North America can be found there.

Overall, theres concern over the impact a wall would have on the wide range of animals that live along the U.S.-Mexico border. For example, jaguars and ocelots have both been making somewhat of a comeback in recent years, but the wall would significantly limit their range, affecting their mating and hunting habits, said Javier Sierra, an associate communications director at The Sierra Club.

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The wall could keep Sonoran pronghorns and black bear from important food and water sources, especially during drought, according to the Wildlands Network, a Seattle-based conservation group. Additionally, a border wall could permanently divide Mexican wolf populations, leading to a lack of genetic diversity and an increase in the chance of local extinction.

The wall would be a tremendous disruption in the flow of wildlife throughout not only Texas ... were talking about the entire 2,000-mile border with Mexico, Sierra said.

What legal challenges has the Trump administration faced in building the wall?

One legal challenge argues the Trump administration violated the law in its rush to build border wall and prototype projects near San Diego. Attorneys for environmental and wildlife advocacy groups say the federal government cannot ignore various environmental laws in order to proceed with the wall project.

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A hearing on the case, which consolidates three lawsuits, was held in San Diego on Friday, the same day the Army Corps issued the notice about bids for wall construction.

Hearing the case is U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel. He did not rule Friday but asked for the attorneys for additional information, due Tuesday, and will likely issue a written order later this week.

Curiel is a familiar face to the Trump administration. He presided over the lawsuit against Trump University and was heavily criticized by then-candidate Donald Trump, who questioned whether Curiel could act impartially in the case because he was a member of a club or society very strongly pro-Mexican. Curiel, who is of Mexican descent, was born in Indiana.

What challenges are there in the actual location of where the wall would sit?

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Building near the Rio Grande presents special challenges. A wall cant be built too close to the river in case of flooding. One delicate issue: Some people own land that abuts the river.

Some portions of a wall would have to be built on private property, prompting many Texans to oppose fencing not just on political grounds (the border area is largely Democratic and Latino), but because barriers split their land. Its possible that someone could own land thats north of the Rio Grande, but south of the border wall  cutting them off from their own property.

To the east in Brownsville, near where the Rio Grande meets the Gulf of Mexico, the federal government seized land in 2009 to erect a stretch of fence on Eloisa Tamezs ancestral home, a Spanish land grant from 1767.

Although she wants the area secure, Tamez complained that she had no input before the fence was built and, in an interview with The Times, called it a monstrosity.

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What are the next steps in Washington?

Congress and the White House this month set aside immigration to forge a budget deal. Among the issues still to be addressed is the fate of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, the Obama-era program that allowed young people brought to the U.S. as children to live and work legally in the country. Some of these Dreamers crossed the border illegally, others entered legally but then overstayed visas.

This week the Senate plans to have an open debate on an immigration bill. Into the mix will be a new idea floated by White House officials: It calls for maintaining legal immigration levels at about 1.1 million a year.

To read this article in Spanish, click here

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jaclyn.cosgrove@latimes.com

@jaclyncosgrove

Kristina Davis with the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.
Hundreds of people rallied Saturday in support of an immigration activist from Trinidad and Tobago whos fighting deportation, accusing authorities of targeting him for speaking out.

Ravi Ragbir had been facing removal from the United States on Saturday. But a judge in Newark, N.J., ruled Friday that he could stay in the country while a lawsuit filed on his behalf is argued.

Ragbir, 53, still had to check in Saturday with immigration officials at a federal office in Lower Manhattan. That is where the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City, an organization of 150 faith-based, pro-immigrant groups, staged the rally.

Beforehand, Ragbir led demonstrators on a march and told them he believes the countrys immigration policies are racist.

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Am I a national security problem? Ragbir said. Am I colluding with Russia? ... We know that there is a movement to remove people of color, to learn that there is an ethnic cleansing being created by this administration. And its very hard words, but lets be real about what we are seeing.

Ragbir was detained last month during a check-in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over a 2001 conviction for a mortgage fraud scheme. He was released last week by a federal judge who expressed grave concerns about his treatment.

The government had said he should be deported because of the conviction involving a New Jersey mortgage company where Ragbir worked that was caught up in the fraud. Hes fighting to vacate the conviction in federal court in New Jersey, contending that he was just an employee doing his job, unaware of any fraudulent activity.

ICE officials have said repeatedly that Ragbir and the other activists were being deported because of their serious criminal records, not because of their politics.

At the rally, other speakers praised the decision to grant Ragbir a temporary stay and called on lawmakers to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. President Trump has moved to end the Obama-era DACA program.

Debbie Mullins, 64, who attended the rally in support of Ragbir, said she was pleasantly surprised to learn he was allowed to stay in the country for now.

Traditionally America has been a country that welcomed people that were poor and oppressed, Mullins said. You just have to read whats written on the Statue of Liberty.

Dozens of police officers surrounded the protest, while a small contingent of counter-protesters at the rear of the gathering could be heard heckling during speeches. One, Karen Braun, held a sign reading: Thank you ICE.

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If youre not here legally, you should be deported, said the 50-year-old Braun.
Two Ohio police officers responding to a 911 hang-up call were fatally shot on Saturday after entering an apartment in a Columbus suburb, and a suspect was taken into custody, authorities said.

Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said officer Eric Joering, 39, died at the scene and his colleague Tony Morelli, 54, died at a local hospital. He said the officers were responding to a potential domestic situation.

The officers gave their lives in defense of others, Morbitzer said, struggling to keep his emotions in check. He called the officers true American heroes.

Police provided no details about the suspect during a brief news conference. The Columbus Dispatch reported that the suspect was wounded and treated at a hospital.

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Republican Gov. John Kasich, who lives with his family in a nearby township, tweeted that he was very saddened to learn of the deaths of two of my hometown police officers. He asked Ohio residents to join him in lifting up these officers families in prayer.

President Trump tweeted: My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers, their families, and everybody at the @WestervillePD.

Joering was a 17-year police veteran and Morelli was a 30-year veteran.

These were two of the best we have, said Morbitzer. This was their calling.

He added that they both gave their life for the protection of others and thats what they lived and breathed.

Westerville, on the northeast side of Columbus, is a suburb of about 39,000 with a per capita income well above the rest of Ohio. It regularly tops lists of the countrys best suburbs.

UPDATES:

4:45 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer.

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This article was originally published at 3:25 p.m.
Gov. Jerry Browns answer to a reporters question during a January news conference was both evasive and, by the end, unflinchingly honest. The topic was his search for a new California Supreme Court justice.

Its going very well, Brown said cagily. Im searching my mind very carefully.

Moments later came the bottom line: Ive appointed three. The fourth could be very decisive.

Its now been almost six months since former Justice Kathryn Werdegar retired after more than 23 years, one of the longest runs in state history. And it wasnt as though she quit suddenly, having given Brown more than five months notice. But summer turned to fall and now winter, and the governor has still not appointed someone to take Werdegars place, leaving the court with six of its seven members. There is no deadline for Brown to make his selection.

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This kind of cautious approach  on a decision that will profoundly affect Californias highest court  is perhaps one of the most significant changes between Brown 1.0, the man who governed from 1975 to 1983, and Brown 2.0, whos been on the job since 2011.

Ive appointed three. The fourth could be very decisive. Gov. Jerry Brown, on filling a vacancy on the California Supreme Court

In his first tour of duty, Brown appointed seven justices, one shy of the record held jointly by his father, the late Gov. Edmund Pat Brown, and Gov. George Deukmejian. But it was the 1977 selection of a chief justice who had never been a judge, Rose Bird, that left a lingering impression about the man who selected her. Criticized for relying on her personal beliefs as much as the law on topics like the death penalty, Bird was removed by voters in 1986. Two other Brown appointees also were dismissed in that election.

Column: Heres how Californias U.S. Senate race could pose a big problem for Republicans 

Brown, who also served as Californias attorney general from 2007 to 2010, has appeared more deliberate in his choices this time around: Justices Goodwin Liu, Mariano-Florentino Cuellar and Leondra Kruger. The governor again has selected men and women who had not previously served as judges. And the three justices hes already chosen have the kind of legal resumes that seem to align with Browns cerebral approach to the law and governing.

While voters must agree to retain California Supreme Court justices at least every 12 years, each of Browns current appointees is in their 40s and poised to serve long enough to become one of his greatest legacies.

A number of items on the 2018 docket for the high court pose fascinating questions about life and work in the Golden State. From cases on the rules regarding overtime pay to local taxation to potential liabilities in the world of online advertising, the six justices could no doubt use some help.

And then there are a handful of cases involving public employee pensions, cases that have sparked great interest in Californias political world. The justices will be asked to rule on the core premise of the states long-standing principle that pension promises made on the day a public sector worker is hired cant be taken back, even if that employee wont retire until years later.

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In one of the cases, Brown has filed his own brief to defend a 2012 law he signed that eliminated a pension perk boosting retirement benefits. The person hes soon to select could be a key vote on that very case.

Which gets us back to what the governor said about this next state Supreme Court pick being decisive. I want to understand how that decisiveness should work, Brown told reporters. So, too, do a lot of other Californians. Its anyones guess when the governor will come to that understanding.

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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A crowd at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts Julianne and George Argyros Plaza rang in the Year of the Dog during an event Saturday celebrating the Chinese New Year.

Held ahead of the start of the new year next Friday, the free event in Costa Mesa included traditional foods, Chinese folk dancing, a tai chi demonstration and a musical performance by the Lotus Bud Guzheng Ensemble of Irvine.

Also on Saturday, the Pacific Symphony presented a Chinese New Year concert in the nearby Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, featuring an array of cultural music and dance performances.
Tuesday morning yoga is canceled.

The call comes 15 minutes before it was supposed to start, leaving Iran Giusti no time to let students know their teacher wont make it to the Casa 1 community center in downtown Sao Paulo for the 10 a.m. class.

As he hangs up the phone, two students walk into the large, high-ceilinged former garage where Giusti is working, his laptop sitting on a long wooden tabletop supported by trestle-style legs.

Casa 1, a home for LGBTQ youth kicked out by their families because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, opened the doors of its community center in September, but the original house, just up the street and around the corner, celebrated its first anniversary on Jan. 25.

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It was much needed. While Sao Paulo is known for having the largest Gay Pride Parade in the world and same-sex marriage has been legal in Brazil since 2013, violent deaths of LGBTQ people in the country hit an all-time high last year, when at least 445 Brazilians died because of violence related to homophobia, according to the watchdog Gay Group of Bahia. Of that total, 387 were homicides and 58 were suicides.

Sorry, there wont be a class today, Giusti says to the young men coming in through the side door from the centers main lobby area. Giustis three dogs circle the room, tails wagging as they walk out the open garage door to the front gate and back again.

One of the students walks across the room and hands Giusti a white plastic grocery bag filled with toilet paper, toothpaste, soap and shampoo.

I brought some donations, so it was still worth the trip, he says with a smile.

Giusti thanks him and gives him a hug.

Giusti sets the bag next to his feet and looks back at his computer. Even with the garage door open and two fans spinning at maximum speed, the summer heat is stifling. Hes trying to access Casa 1s books to see what he has to work with this month, but the internet is out in the whole neighborhood.

We run this place just like any other Brazilian household: one month you pay the gas bill, the next you pay the lights, he says with a laugh. Then at least nothing gets shut off.

The second floor of Casa 1s red brick building was originally expected to house eight people, but Giusti had to make room for 12 in its first week. Now, Casa 1 is home to up to 20 at a time. The gender identity of residents tends to be split down the middle: 50% transgender, 50% cisgender (someone whose gender identity matches their gender at birth). In its first year, 78 people between the ages of 18 and 25 passed through its doors, staying for up to four months each. While there, finding permanent housing and employment, finishing education, and taking care of both physical and mental health are made priorities. Most of the volunteers at Casa 1 are healthcare professionals and educators who help residents get back on track when they have nowhere else to go.

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Max Milliano Melo, a student in Casa 1s sewing class, learns to draw a pattern. (Jill Langlois / For the Los Angeles Times )

Below the residence on the first floor are three spaces that are open to the public: a library, a gallery showcasing LGBTQ art, and a clothing shop that donates the items it receives to people who are homeless.

Workshops and courses used to take place here, but the space was too small, leading Giusti to open Casa 1s nearby community center. While residents are given first pick, the free activities are also open to the public, and many of the centers neighbors come to take classes in subjects as varied as yoga, sewing, English and computer basics.

Its just before 2 p.m. when Reinaldo da Silva Freitas Jr. walks into the space where the mornings yoga class was supposed to take place. He spent his morning handing out resumes and walked from his home at Casa 1 to the community center after having a lunch of roast beef, rice, beans and salad left over from an event the day before.

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Reinaldo da Silva Freitas Jr., a resident of Casa 1, stands outside its community center. (Jill Langlois / For the Los Angeles Times )

A second wooden table has been set up parallel to the first to make room for this afternoons sewing class. Two students are already sitting across from each other at one. Freitas pulls a white plastic chair from a stack in the corner and sits next to Andrea Ferrara, who is talking to Max Milliano Melo. She waves to him.

Hey Reinaldo, did you remember to bring your measurements? she asks.

He pulls a notebook from his bag and takes out a small sheet of paper.

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I thought I forgot them, but theyre here, he says.

Other students trickle in as the three wait for their teacher to arrive.

How long have you been at Casa 1 now? Ferrara asks.

Since the end of November, so just over a month, Freitas says.

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Freitas is 19 and Casa 1 is the fourth home in his tumultuous life. His mother died when he was a baby and his father sent him to live with family friends in a rural area of Mato Grosso do Sul state. When he was 7, his father returned to send him to Sao Paulo to live with a woman he was told was an aunt, although he would later learn she was not a relative. Despite that, he came to regard her as his mother, someone he could trust to accept him when he told her about his sexuality. Instead, she gave him two days to get out of her house.

Its been great so far, he says to Ferrara and Melo of his time at Casa 1. All I need now is a job. Then I can save some money so I can rent a room and go to college one day. I want to study fashion.

Just then, their sewing teacher, Nawira Scarano, comes through the open garage door.

Sorry Im late, everyone.

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She puts her bag down on the other table and explains that todays class will be about the theory of pattern making.

Im going to show you the hard way so that everything else you do going forward will seem easy.

As she hands out mini French curve templates shes made out of paper, Freitas swipes down on his cellphone screen with his thumb.

Reinaldo, get off that phone, she says with a smile. Theres no Facebook in this class.

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I dont even have Facebook on here anymore, he says. It was way too much.

Instagram then. I know how much you love it.

Freitas grins and puts his phone on the table as Scarano explains the patterns theyll make will only be half of the garment, a shirt, since the fabric will be folded to make each side identical.

Scarano asks her students to take out the sheets of paper with the measurements they took last week. She circles the table to make sure everyone understands how to do the math to make the pattern.

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Anyone who has a body with curves or who wants pleats at the waist, you can put them in now, she says. Unfortunately, when you look up patterns online, theyll all be labeled as either male or female. Patterns without genders dont exist yet.

Freitas practices folding a pleat with a sheet of paper. When he manages to get it just right, he holds it up to show Scarano.

Nailed it! he says.

If we have enough time, Ill show you a video on construction from Dior, she says.

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Ah, always with the Dior.

As they continue to draw their patterns, a student new to the class comments that his father was a tailor and he has French curves at home they can use.

A tailor? says Freitas. So where are all your luxury clothes?

At home in my closet, he says, laughing. Just like I used to be.

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Langlois is a special correspondent.

To read this article in Spanish, click here

ALSO:

Brazil has seen a wave of inmate riots. The latest one left 10 people dead

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Despite his corruption conviction, Brazils Lula says hes running for president again. Can he really?

Onetime popular president eyed a return to power. Ecuador voters had other ideas
In orchestrated rallies across the country, Iranians took to the streets Sunday to mark the 39th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, a show of strength by the ruling theocracy in the wake of antigovernment protests last month.

Demonstrations in Tehran and hundreds of other cities and towns, according to state-run media, showed that the government could still mobilize supporters. Civil servants and high-schoolers, children and grandparents turned out to commemorate the overthrow in 1979 of a secular, pro-Western monarchy.

This years festivities in Tehran took place in a relaxed, carnival-like atmosphere, lacking some of the bombast of previous anniversaries. American and Israeli flags were burned and the state-run Fars news agency published photos of one mockup of a ballistic missile.

But otherwise the rally in Tehran was marked by street vendors selling toys and handing out cookies to children walking with their parents under mild sunshine.

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When I was a kid, I was very poor. Now I have a decent life. Why should I be unhappy? Bagher Ashiyani, a 54-year-old demonstrator

Participants in the rally played down the recent wave of antigovernment demonstrations, which began in late December and spread to scores of cities nationwide. Thousands were arrested and at least 21 people died as demonstrators protested rising prices and official corruption, the most significant unrest to hit Iran in nearly a decade.

Yadollah Karimi, a 76-year-old sporting a white beard and walking with a cane, said he came out to celebrate the benefits of the revolution.

The recent protesters were childish and simple; they have no idea what it was like before the revolution, Karimi said.

Bagher Ashiyani, a 54-year-old demonstrator, held a placard quoting Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as saying: In the 1970s we kicked America out from Iran; now we will kick America out of the region.

When I was a kid, I was very poor. Now I have a decent life, he said. Why should I be unhappy? Those who protested, they have economic problems but some thugs are misusing their anger to subvert the system.

Addressing a crowd in Tehrans central Azadi Square, President Hassan Rouhani called for all Iranians, from hardliners who support the conservative theocracy to reformists calling for greater political and social freedoms, to come together to support the revolution.

I request that the 40th year of the revolution, the coming year, be the year of unity, Rouhani said.

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He also said Iran would continue to adhere to its commitments in the 2015 nuclear agreement it signed with the United States and other world powers, striking a typically defiant tone toward President Trump, who has threatened to back out of the deal.

The rallies in Tehran, as in previous years, afforded a chance for peddlers to sell fruits, olive oil, shoes, sweaters and shirts. Hundreds of makeshift kiosks were set up where people dispensed goods and nutritional advice.

One man sipping a free cup of tea sat brooding on one main road where demonstrators had gathered. Giving his name only as Ali, he said he was unemployed and disenchanted with the ruling system. He had planned to come to the rallies to sell belts, but couldnt afford to purchase the inventory from a wholesaler.

The revolution cant do anything for me, he said.

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Special correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran and Times staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Shashank Bengali covers Iran for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @SBengali
Feb 11, 2018, 2:59am ET

Musk wants tunnel network to shoot Tesla parts underground

Tesla\'s CEO envisions a system of underground conveyor belts to streamline the production process.

Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk recently pitched his tunnel project to Los Angeles officials. It's a way to end what he describes as soul-crushing traffic. Tunnels could also make it easier for Tesla to transport people, parts, and cars from one facility to another.

"We are looking at building tunnels, using The Boring Company's thing, because we have, for example, our seats production is at a separate building on Page. And we have a bunch of trucks moving seats back and forth between both the primary Fremont production and the seat factory," Musk said during a recent conference call.

He added there is a limit to the number of trucks Tesla can dock at the seat factory. Building a tunnel that houses a conveyor belt-like system would significantly streamline the production process. It would also reduce emissions and traffic congestion by removing trucks from one of America's busiest road network.

The factory that builds Tesla's seats is located on 901 Page Avenue in Fremont, California. The company's main factory (which started life in 1962 as a General Motors plant) lies 3.4 miles north, a straight shot up interstate 880. Google Maps estimates driving from Page to Fremont takes six minutes; it's unclear how traveling by tunnel would take.

Musk hasn't revealed when his team will decide whether to move forward with the project, so it's far too early to speculate on its completion date. The company needs, at the very least, to obtain permission from Fremont city officials before it begins shooting leather-upholstered seats through Silicon Valley's intestines.
What's new in Gov. Tom Wolf's budget proposal for 2018-19?

Other than the Eagles cap adorning his head at Tuesday's budget presentation -- which drew bipartisan cheers -- not much.

In fact, Wolf's primary budget-fixers are the same as last year:

A severance tax on shale gas drilling, which Wolf projects would bring in an additional $250 million a year.

An increase in the minimum wage, from $7.25 to $12 an hour. Wolf says this would boost income tax revenue and help low wage earners, but also save up to $100 million by reducing demand for social services.

Charging municipalities $25 per capita for state police coverage, generating $63 million. Wolf would pump much of that back into hiring and training of state troopers to upgrade service to rural towns.

All of those ideas died in bitter negotiations with Republican legislative leaders last year. They eventually agreed -- four months after the June 30 budget deadline -- on a revenue package that relies on $1.5 billion in borrowing and another gambling expansion. In other words, a Band-Aid to replace the previous year's tourniquet.

With Wolf seeking re-election -- and butting heads with GOP leaders seeking to replace him, House Speaker Mike Turzai and state Sen. Scott Wagner -- a government shutdown or prolonged budget standoff seems unlikely.

Equally improbable is a budget plan that addresses the state's recurring structural deficits.

We don't know yet whether new forms of gambling, including mini-casinos, will provide much help this year, but there's one ray of hope. State revenues aren't tanking as they did in previous years, and may benefit from business activity stemming from federal corporate tax cuts.

Wolf proposes to increase spending by about 3 percent, about $1 billion more on a total package of $33 billion. The extra money would go to public schools, job training, support for state prisons, public employee pensions, and social services for children, seniors, and people with disabilities.

School officials across the state are modestly hopeful about Wolf's proposed 2 percent hike in K-12 spending, but that will provide limited property tax offsets in many districts. The Easton Area School District, for example, is forecasting a property tax hike of up to 2.5 percent for 2018-19.

Nothing in Wolf's budget speaks to lasting property tax relief. That's disappointing. Voters signaled their support for lower property taxes in a November referendum, authorizing higher homestead tax exemptions. House Bill 76 and Senate Bill 76 -- which would replace school property taxes with higher sales and income taxes -- remain on the shelf.

In an era of bleak expectations, Pennsylvanians have voiced support for one of Wolf's priorities -- a tax on shale gas extraction. While it's true this tax would be passed on to consumers, thousands of homeowners across the state are relinquishing a share of property rights to accommodate natural gas pipelines -- including many in Northampton County. Much of that product will flow out of the state. Some for export.

Pennsylvania remains the only major gas-producing state without an extraction tax. Why should its taxpayers subsidize the price of fuel for users elsewhere?
Business SOLOMOTO RELEASES REVOLUTIONARY FEATURE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POST SCHEDULING



11.02.2018 14:45:58 - Solomoto Announces a New Release to Benefit its Users: A Pre Generated Social Media Post Library.



(live-PR.com) - Miami, February 2, 2018: Solomoto is pleased to announce its latest feature, a social media post library filled with relevant premade content that is ready to publish to multiple social networks simultaneously with the click of a button. This release is in line with Solomotos continuous commitment for the convenience and simplicity of managing web presence, allowing small business owners - Miami, February 2, 2018: Solomoto is pleased to announce its latest feature, a social media post library filled with relevant premade content that is ready to publish to multiple social networks simultaneously with the click of a button. This release is in line with Solomotos continuous commitment for the convenience and simplicity of managing web presence, allowing small business owners to manage their online presence with ease while saving them heaps of time they can allot to other tasks.



Solomoto provides a platform that centralizes all the tools small and medium-sized businesses need in order to grow digitally and compete with their large competitors. Solomoto focuses on efficiency and ease of use to save SMB owners precious time. With the newly available pre-written post library, Solomoto provides SMBs with an instant service that could not only save business owners time but also additional precious resources such as manpower and funds. This combined with other services provided by Solomoto make it possible for entrepreneurs to build their own websites, eCommerce stores, social media campaigns, search engine advertising, and much more, thereby empowering them.



Guy Israeli, COO and Co-founder of Solomoto, states: We continue to develop new tools that help enable small businesses to succeed and flourish within the boundaries of their available resources while maintaining the professionalism and excellence oftentimes found only in enterprises or competitors with large backings.



The company provides business owners with a complete small business operating system, filled with online tools and ready-to-use content libraries, so they can transition seamlessly into the digital age and maximize their growth. Now it is easier than ever before to publish the perfect content on a variety of social networks, thanks to this new feature. Solomoto is constantly on the lookout for cutting-edge tools to add to their platform in order to improve the experience and cut down the time it takes small business owners to manage their online presence, turning them into fierce competition for other enterprises in similar markets.



In addition to generating a positive ROI for SMB Owners, Solomoto offers an enterprise solution that helps their marketing teams create and distribute materials for their local digital marketing plans to resellers. Distributors and resellers can then implement the plan in a few clicks, maintaining brand consistency, all without deep knowledge in Google Adwords, Bing or any marketing technology.



Solomoto was founded with the concept of making as many tools as possible easily accessible to SMBs, making it plausible for them to compete within their respective marketplaces. Todays technology has made it possible for a greater online presence to outrival a superior product. Solomoto allows SMB owners to capitalize on their use of time and money in the most efficient way possible, by encouraging them to manage their web presence on their own instead of hiring a whole team of professionals. The platform enables business owners to use these marketing tools with zero previous experience. Given the budget and manpower of big corporations, the smaller companies face seemingly insurmountable challenges. In spite of those advantages, Solomoto will never stop chasing its dream of helping SMBs consummate their full potential.

to manage their online presence with ease while saving them heaps of time they can allot to other tasks.Solomoto provides a platform that centralizes all the tools small and medium-sized businesses need in order to grow digitally and compete with their large competitors. Solomoto focuses on efficiency and ease of use to save SMB owners precious time. With the newly available pre-written post library, Solomoto provides SMBs with an instant service that could not only save business owners time but also additional precious resources such as manpower and funds. This combined with other services provided by Solomoto make it possible for entrepreneurs to build their own websites, eCommerce stores, social media campaigns, search engine advertising, and much more, thereby empowering them.Guy Israeli, COO and Co-founder of Solomoto, states: We continue to develop new tools that help enable small businesses to succeed and flourish within the boundaries of their available resources while maintaining the professionalism and excellence oftentimes found only in enterprises or competitors with large backings.The company provides business owners with a complete small business operating system, filled with online tools and ready-to-use content libraries, so they can transition seamlessly into the digital age and maximize their growth. Now it is easier than ever before to publish the perfect content on a variety of social networks, thanks to this new feature. Solomoto is constantly on the lookout for cutting-edge tools to add to their platform in order to improve the experience and cut down the time it takes small business owners to manage their online presence, turning them into fierce competition for other enterprises in similar markets.In addition to generating a positive ROI for SMB Owners, Solomoto offers an enterprise solution that helps their marketing teams create and distribute materials for their local digital marketing plans to resellers. Distributors and resellers can then implement the plan in a few clicks, maintaining brand consistency, all without deep knowledge in Google Adwords, Bing or any marketing technology.Solomoto was founded with the concept of making as many tools as possible easily accessible to SMBs, making it plausible for them to compete within their respective marketplaces. Todays technology has made it possible for a greater online presence to outrival a superior product. Solomoto allows SMB owners to capitalize on their use of time and money in the most efficient way possible, by encouraging them to manage their web presence on their own instead of hiring a whole team of professionals. The platform enables business owners to use these marketing tools with zero previous experience. Given the budget and manpower of big corporations, the smaller companies face seemingly insurmountable challenges. In spite of those advantages, Solomoto will never stop chasing its dream of helping SMBs consummate their full potential. Contact information:

Solomoto



2875 Ne 191st Street, 5th Floor, Aventura, FL 33180, United States



Contact Person:

Liat Kisos



Phone: +1 347-809-3306

eMail: eMail



Web: http://www.solomoto.com

Author:

Liat Kisos

e-mail

Web: http://www.solomoto.com

Phone: 3478093306 11.02.2018 14:45:58 -

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.
As most of you already know, people often do not buy a premade PC, they create their own configuration. Pre-made still sells though, some people just dont want to go through all that trouble and simply ask for an opinion on what is in store,
The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks!

Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics.

The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc.

The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics.

The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates.

Access to college recruiters and advisors  its harder to line up higher education.

Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family.

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The Republican party held their precinct caucus on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at the Blue Earth Area High School Commons. A total of 46 voters participated in a straw poll to gauge local opinion on the gubernatorial race.

Jeff Johnson, the 2014 Republican nominee for governor and current Hennepin County commissioner, placed first in the local poll and received 18 votes.

Meanwhile, Woodbury mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens finished second as she collected 13 votes. Blue Earth native and United States Navy veteran Phillip Parrish rounded out the top three with 12 votes.

Former chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota Keith Downey received a single vote. He was the only other candidate who received consideration in the poll.According to Republican caucus convener Bill Erickson, the low turnout number was to be expected. By comparison, a total of 340 votes were received at the 2016 Faribault County GOP Caucus.

Turnout for the 2016 Republican caucus was far higher given the fact it was a presidential election year. In addition, the caucus featured a large pool of Republican candidates running for president.

That year, it was Ted Cruz who finished first in the Republican caucus with 135 votes. Ironically, eventual president Donald Trump finished in third place with 68 votes locally.

Despite the small turnout, Erickson still stressed the state-wide importance of this years election season.

We will be electing a new governor and a new congressman in the First District this fall, as neither incumbent is running, Erickson said. As well as having both our U.S. Senator seats up for election at the same time.

Its really quite a big year for us as Minnesotans to hopefully change the balance of power in our state, he continued.
Ramallah: Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday met Mahmoud Abbas on a historic visit to Palestine during which the Palestinian President sought India's support for a multi-country mechanism to achieve a "just and desired peace" with Israel in accordance with the two-state solution.

President Abbas accorded a red carpet welcome to Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to make an official visit to Palestine, in an official ceremony at the presidential compound, also known as Muqata'a, in Ramallah - the Palestinian seat of government.

They discussed the full range of India-Palestine ties following which the two sides signed six agreements worth around USD 50 million that includes setting up of a USD 30 million super specialty hospital in Beit Sahur.

Three agreements in the education sector worth USD 5 million, one MoU for procurement of equipment and machinery for the National Printing Press and one for construction of a centre for empowering women were also signed.

At a joint press statement with Modi, President Abbas acknowledged that the Indian leadership has always stood by peace in Palestine.
Ramallah: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine, the highest Palestinian honour for foreign dignitaries, recognising his contributions to promoting relations between India and Palestine.

President Mahmoud Abbas bestowed the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine on Modi after the conclusion of their bilateral meeting in Ramallah.

Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to make an official visit to Palestine. The Grand Collar is highest order given to foreign dignitaries - Kings, Heads of State/Government and persons of similar rank.
The domain fishinghd.com may be for sale. Please click here to inquire
CHICOPEE - In the early 1980s, when the state was shuttering its schools and hospitals for the disabled, three concerned residents of Hampden County were worried about the security of those being so abruptly re-introduced into mainstream communities.



The trio created MicroTek so that people with intellectual and physical disabilities would have a path to earn an income.

A nonprofit with an altruistic mission, Chicopee's MicroTek manufactures custom cable and wire configurations for equipment used globally in the medical, scientific and security industries.

Its first customer was a powerhouse tech company that needed workers to build cable assemblies. Still a client 33 years later, that $17-billion corporation is widely known, but Phil D'Entremont, MicroTek's current chief executive officer, can't name it because of non-disclosure agreements. Likewise, other clients are in the Fortune 500 realm; most are smaller firms.

"They didn't know anything about the wire and cable industry," said D'Entremont, of the firm's founding partners. "They went looking for the types of work the individuals could do, work using their hands. The founders hoped the business would allow these employees to live productive and meaningful lives."

There were only a handful of employees in the early years after MicroTek opened in 1983, and most of them had a disability. Now, the nonprofit employs 136 people, 19 of whom are disabled.



Microtek grossed $12 million in 2017 and sits on five acres of land in Chicopee. Employees work in a 54,000-square-foot location that houses offices, shipping and receiving, a production and storage space, and a gathering space for staff.

One afternoon last fall, inside a sprawling yet extremely tidy production area, employees sat at roughly a dozen stations. Some were testing completed products as a final quality-control measure, but most were getting assemblies started, cutting, stripping or crimping wire.

D'Entremont said those three actions are integral in all of the work at the factory, and all employees receive the same training in the skills and workflow. Some progress into assembly more quickly than others.

"A new hire could be on that team for a couple of weeks or a couple of months," he explained.

MicroTek's board of directors, comprised of all volunteers, is also all women, according to D'Entremont. The former CEO was a woman as well, Anne Paradis. MicroTek received multiple awards as a women-led company, and in November, it also received state certification as a women-led nonprofit.

Today, since Paradis' departure in July, the business is in the hands of D'Entremont, who previously served as vice president of sales. He says he has big shoes to fill.

Finding employees is a current challenge in what D'Entremont describes as a tight labor market. "We have an entry-level pay scale because the product is not high-cost," he says, adding another obstacle is finding more high-volume assemblies to produce. "We used to produce quantities of 5,000 and 10,000. Now, 1,000 is more like it, and they are more complex."

The hope at MicroTek is that the business will grow by 10 percent in sales in 2018.

"We want more of the complex work, as it's more profitable. For every $1 sale it's less labor and less impactful on the workforce," D'Entremont said.

He explained that everything MicroTek builds is designed by its customers.

Because there is much engineering and set-up involved, "Once a customer has awarded us the business ... it's likely we will be building the product for the long-term. The products we create are less prone to competitive forces."
Fifty years ago. 1968. Do you remember where you shopped? The restaurants where you went out to eat? The banks where you saved your money?

Take a peek at a street listing for virtually any city or town here in Western Massachusetts, and you can chart the evolutionary course of retail business during the past half century.

For the 12-year-old me growing up in Northampton in 1968, my neighborhood markers were two variety stores, Pushkin's on Franklin Street (I can still taste the banana Popsicles I loved getting there) and MacCaffrey's on Prospect Street. Both had those old, hardwood floors that creaked when you walked in the door to find penny candy, soda in glass bottles in the coolers, newspapers and the daily staples of life.

For my family, MacCaffrey's was most special as it's where we'd walk early on Sunday mornings to pick up the newspaper and a wax-paper bag of doughnuts made fresh each day at Maloney's Bakery, one of too many bakeries to count back in the day in my hometown.

Most every neighborhood in almost any city had one or more of these small, family-run stores, and most of us who came of age back then can share stories about how special they were.

Along Main Street in downtown Northampton circa 1968, there were nearly a half-dozen shoe stores, men's and women's clothing stores, four banks, two markets (my mother swore by the freshly-ground hamburger from Pleasant Market where today's Toasted Owl serves up cocktails), four department stores, gifts shops and a litany of small businesses from a milliner's store to the soda shop run by one of the city's mayors to several drug stores and my grandfather's tailor shop.

My best estimate is that only a handful of those businesses survive today, and only one, the Cedar Chest, may still be doing business in Northampton's downtown. The venerable Foster Farrar hardware store, Smith Glass and Contemporary Trends (now known as Danco) do business elsewhere in the city. And, McCallum's department store took on a new life as Thornes Market. None of Main Street's four banks, including the First National Bank of Northampton at the corner of King, where my dad was a teller, exist.

Some 50 small and large business owners packed a hearing this week in Northampton where members of the state Senate's Retail Task Force heard testimony about the challenges facing retail business today. As e-commerce grows and increasing numbers of Americans shop online, brick-and-mortar retailers face what could be the greatest challenge of their existence.

"This is the most challenging year that we have faced, and a lot of the challenges are from legislation that have been passed that are really unfriendly to small businesses, especially brick-and-mortar retailers," David Ratner, who has owned Dave's Soda and Pet City since 1975, told the panel.

The work of the task force will include examining initiatives taken by retailers and by government to encourage local purchasing and looking at trends relating to the closure of retail establishments.

In The Republican's Outlook 2018 edition, published today and tomorrow, you'll read about businesses large and small coping with the economic realities of the 21st century. You'll learn there are new retailers, like Northampton's Beerology store, with owners who are working through the challenges to connect with customers. You'll read about young entrepreneurs like Jennifer Remillard, who dreams of having a brick-and-mortar shop to sell her cupcakes in the not-too-distant future.

You'll read about how Michael J. Kittredge's reimagined Kringle Kandle carries on the entrepreneurial Pioneer Valley success story of his father, the founder of Yankee Candle.

You'll be reminded of how the D'Amour family, now more than 80 years into a story of great economic success here in Western Massachusetts and now into the Connecticut and eastern Massachusetts markets, has risen to the challenges and demands of customers over the course of generations. (For the record, the Big Y supermarket in Northampton still does business at the same site where it was situated in 1968.)

State Sen. Donald F. Humason Jr., R-Westfield, and Judy Herrell, owner of Herrell's Ice Cream and Bakery in Northampton, are our region's representatives on the Senate's task force on retail business. The panel has one more hearing, this one in Merrimack Valley, just south of the New Hampshire border to tax-free purchasing 365 days a year. The group is then expected to prepare a list of recommendations to deliver to the Legislature by June.

Humason says the group has received consistent messages during each of three hearings so far in Boston, Cape Cod and Northampton, where retailers, chambers of commerce and business leaders have shared their news, good and bad. It's messages about how things like the sales tax, increases in the minimum wage, paid medical leave requirements, paying time-and-a-half for Sunday shifts and abiding by regulations that online retailers don't have to confront all threaten their survival to say nothing of abolish hope for expansion and job growth, he says.

Bring back the summer sales tax holiday that's been shelved for the past two years is another message the task force keeps getting, according to Humason.

"What they said and what we heard time and time again is that once you get people back in the stores, they are able to look around and see how many more things they can get by shopping locally," he says. "The reason that helps so much is you can get on the internet and buy so many things, but you can't buy the service you get in a local retailer."

Humason is a firm believer in buying local, and he says he's truly fortunate to have a district that spans 11 cities and towns, giving him access to some of the best restaurants and small businesses from which he can buy just about anything that he, his wife and 6-year-old son need or want.

Humason says he's very concerned about an underlying message coming through at the hearings: "There is a feeling out there that the state doesn't really do much to help the businesses on our Main Streets."

As a Republican, Humason knows he's already a minority at the Statehouse, and, while he hopes otherwise, he fears there may be no appetite for major changes that could help the retail community, such as a reduction in the sales tax.

"I'm a little cynical because, after all, this is a Legislature that gave us a 6.25 percent sales tax," he says. "I hope they're willing to do what they need to do, or we're going to lose our downtowns and our main streets. There's going to be nothing left to take their children to. We have a lot of people (in the Legislature) with big hearts that want to offer paid sick time and other benefits, but we must remember that comes with a cost. Ultimately, a higher minimum wage can have a bad impact on us all. It might make it less possible to get jobs, and, for young people, a group so important to get into the workforce, they may not be able to find employment to build the skills they need for their future because retailers won't be able to afford to hire them."

Cynthia G. Simison is managing editor of The Republican. She may be reached at csimison@repub.com.
AMHERST -- When he was walking 300 miles across Massachusetts last year, Ken Johnston felt he could hear the voices of his ancestors as he saw Civil War statues and the names of those who died fighting again slavery.

"I sensed that I needed to keep going," he wrote on his blog. "I heard the whispers of our ancestors in the words of the great Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman: 'Keep going, if you want a taste of freedom, keep going!'"

On Feb. 25, Johnston, of Amherst, with those ancestors in mind, will begin another long walk -- a 400-mile trek from Selma, Alabama, to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

"I'm hoping on this walk, that as I follow the footsteps of our ancestors, I will hear their spirits," he said this week in an interview with The Republican.

Johnston's walk will continue through Montgomery, Alabama, and trace the path of the Underground Railroad. The walk will end April 4, the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and he'll participate in the National Civil Rights Museum's observance.

Selma and Montgomery were seminal points on the journey for civil rights.

Those seeking voting rights were beaten at Edmund Pettus Bridge outside of Selma as they attempted to march to the state capital in Montgomery on March 7, 1965, which became known as "Bloody Sunday."

After several more attempts and the intervention of President Lyndon Johnson, King and others completed the journey on March 25.

When Johnston learned the National Civil Rights Museum was going to mark the 50th anniversary of King's assassination, he started thinking about what he could do. He decided on the historic walk.

Johnston will be a "community partner" with the museum, which was looking for people to get involved in the commemoration. His walk will be included on the museum's website as part of the activities related to the King assassination anniversary.

He has mapped his route, created a GoFundMe page and he's trying to find families to host him. Johnston hopes to raise $5,000 to help pay expenses. He will donate anything beyond that to organizations he learns about on his way.

His walk will begin after he attends services at the Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, which hosted voting rights advocates and was the starting point for the voting rights marches.

He plans to walk 12 to 15 miles a day starting at about 8:30 and finishing early afternoon, giving him to time talk to people and write about his journey for his blog.

Johnston, 57, loves walking. "Sitting at a computer all day, my body yearned for movement," he said.

The University of Massachusetts graduate works part-time in marketing at Yankee Candle in South Deerfield, which he said gives him the flexibility to prepare for the walk. He has worked in other capacities there as well.

He said when people are at a computer, they see only 5 feet in front of them. Outside, he said, walkers can see 100 feet away. "It's fuller, enriched movement," he said.

Johnston said he loves the "solitary open space, the nutritious movement (of a walk.)" He also enjoys meeting and talking to people along the way, and he wants to talk to them about the importance of movement and how "it improves our health ... how overall, (walking is) really good for (health)."

And while he said he's no expert on civil rights, he hopes to engage people in a discussion "about how our civil rights are being eroded." He cited U.S. Border Patrol agents who boarded a bus in Florida and asked riders for identification.

With the Selma to Memphis walk he also wants "to create a pathway for myself and future (self)." He said he will be "listening to our ancestors crossing the (Pettus) bridge."

When he walked across Massachusetts last summer, he said, "I felt like I was crossing time" -- an experience he expects to replicate as he journeys from Selma to Memphis.
A 24-year-old man is accused of fatally stabbing his girlfriend inside a Needham apartment then driving 25 minutes to a family gathering at a restaurant and attacking his two parents Saturday.

Family members were able to tie up Benjamin Walsh after he stabbed his parents and held him inside the Millis restaurant until police arrived, authorities said during a press conference Sunday.

Once Walsh was in custody, police learned they should head to his third-floor apartment on Marshall Street in Needham and conduct a well-being check inside.

Police found the body of Walsh's 20-year-old girlfriend inside the apartment, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said. She had been stabbed multiple times.

Authorities identified the woman Sunday night as Olivia Bergstrom of Needham. Walsh will be arraigned Monday in Wrentham District Court in connection with the Millis stabbings.

"It is anticipated that the defendant will be arraigned in Dedham District Court for the Needham murder subsequent to his arraignment in Wrentham District Court," the district attorney's office said.

The discovery of the body and the attack inside the restaurant began to unfold sometime around 7 p.m. Saturday when Millis police were called to the Primavera restaurant.

"When police arrived they found two individuals needing medical attention from stab wounds," Morrissey said.

Family members told police Walsh had stabbed his parents, who are both in their 50s. Police did not release their names. The father is in good condition, but the mother remains in serious condition at a Boston hospital.

It appears the Walsh family had a function at the restaurant. It is unclear if Walsh was invited or not.

As Walsh began to attack, other family members subdued the 24-year-old and tied him up, investigators said.

"Shortly after that period of time, police learned and gained information that it was necessary to do a well-being check at the defendant's apartment," Morrissey said.

Police found the body of Walsh's girlfriend inside the apartment at 64 Marshall St. Authorities have not determined how long she was dead.

It is unclear if the same knife used in the attack on Walsh's parents was the same knife used in the fatal stabbing, but Morrissey said detectives did retrieve a knife that is "of interest" to police.

Walsh is currently in police custody in Millis where he faces numerous assault charges in connection with the alleged attack on his parents. Investigators anticipate filing charges in connection with the killing in Needham.

Authorities declined to say if Walsh uttered any statements while in custody.

Millis Police Chief Chris Soffayer said the Walsh family lived in Millis their entire lives and are held in "high regard" by people in the community.

Needham Police Chief John Schlittler said Walsh and his girlfriend lived together in the Marshall Street apartment, but only for a short time.
SOUTHBRIDGE - Police arrested a man and a woman and allegedly confiscated three unlawful guns, heroin, cocaine and a bulletproof vest during a raid on two apartments in the same building this week.

The arrests came after a long investigation by police with the assistance of the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council and the South Worcester County Counter Crime and Drug Task Force, Police Chief Shane D. Woodson said in writing.

Yomayra Vazquez, 26 and Eliud Irizarry, 36, who live in different apartments at 99 Cross St. were arrested Friday. A warrant has been issued for a third suspect in the drug trafficking ring who was not home at the time. That person was not named.

Vazquez, who lives in the third-floor rear apartment, was charged with possession of a large capacity firearm without a license to carry, improper storage of a large capacity firearm, possession of a firearm without a license to carry, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to violate the drug law, Woodson said.

Irizarry, who lives on the first-floor rear, was charged with possession of a firearm without a license to carry, unlawful possession of ammunition, improper storage of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute class E Gabapentin. He was also arrested on an unrelated warrant, he said.

Police and members of a SWAT team from the enforcement council raided the apartment building at about 6:12 a.m. During the search of the two apartments they allegedly found a 9 mm large capacity firearm, a .22-caliber revolver, a .380-caliber gun, ammunition, a bulletproof vest, approximately 17 grams of packaged cocaine, 25 grams of packaged heroin, pills suspected to be Gabapentin, drug paraphernalia and cash believed to have come from drug sales, Woodson said.

A 6-year-old and two 10-year-olds were in the third-floor apartment at the time of the raid. A relative not involved with the investigation took custody of them, police said.
LAWRENCE - Separate arrests by Massachusetts State Police in Lawrence on Friday resulted in heroin trafficking charges for two different men.

In both cases, police claim the men were initially pulled over for texting while driving, as well as other motor vehicle violations.

Manuel Morel-Rodriguez, 26, of Lawrence, was taken into custody around 3:45 p.m. after a trooper stopped his 2011 Ford Edge on Woodland Street for texting while driving and found him to be unlicensed.

When police searched his vehicle they discovered 130 grams of suspected heroin hidden inside. They also found 12 grams of what is believed to be cocaine.

Morel-Rodriguez now faces a number of charges, including:

Trafficking in over 100 grams of a Class A substance

Possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance

Texting while driving

Marked lanes violation

Defective equipment

Police also arrested Carlos Valdez-Santiago, 46, of Dorchester. Valdez-Santiago was driving a 2005 Ford Escape on Lawrence Street when he was also pulled over for texting while driving around 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The trooper determined that Valdez-Santiago had a forged license. After searching the Ford, the trooper discovered approximately 500 grams of suspected heroin hidden inside.

Valdez-Santiago now faces the following charges:

Trafficking in over 200 grams of a Class A substance

Forging a RMV document

Number plate violation

Texting while driving

Both men are being held in the Middleton jail on $100,000 cash bail pending their arraignment in Lawrence District Court on Monday.
WORCESTER - Police stopped a man driving on a suspended license and allegedly found an unlawful gun and illegal drugs in his car.

Javier Cruz, 25, of Worcester, was arrested at about 8:15 p.m., Saturday, and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition without a permit, possession of a class C substance, operating after suspension and other motor vehicle charges, Massachusetts State Police said.

Trooper Evan Brent, who recently graduated from the Police Academy, was on patrol with his training officer Trooper Jeremiah Dwyer when they saw the driver of a 2003 Infinity on Southbridge Street allegedly committing motor vehicle violations, police said.

When they pulled over Cruz they realized his license was suspended. After he was arrested, they allegedly found a .40-caliber Glock with a high capacity magazine and drugs believed to be concentrated THC and marijuana beyond the legal amount in his car, police said.

Cruz is being held on $4,500 bail and will be arraigned in Worcester District Court Monday, police said.
CANTON - A 74-year-old man was fatally struck by a truck in Canton on Saturday morning, police said.

Ralph Hawkins, of Canton, was killed when a GMC Sierra pickup veered off a Canton roadway and hit him.

At the time Hawkins was standing on the property of 147 High Street, police said. The truck was headed High Street when it veered off of it onto the property. It is unclear why the truck left the roadway.

The driver of the truck is a 48-year-old Stoughton man. Police did not release details on whether he would be facing charges.

Hawkins was taken to Boston Medical Center for treatment, where he was pronounced dead.

The crash remains under investigation by a number of law enforcement agencies.
A Fitchburg man was sentenced to serve four years in jail Friday after a jury found him guilty of pistol whipping his former girlfriend and trying to drown her in a bathtub.

The Worcester County District Attorney's Office said Hector Pereira was found guilty by a Fitchburg District Court jury of assault and battery on a family/household member, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (handgun), carrying a firearm without a license, suffocation and assault with a dangerous weapon (handgun).

Pereira, who was 35 at the time, confronted his former girlfriend and a man she was giving a ride to work on Oct. 13, 2016 in Fitchburg. She was in front of her Fitchburg home at the time.

Authorities said Pereira then went back to the home, this time carrying a gun. He struck the woman on the side of the face with the gun.

"He then went into her home where he continued to attack her and tried to drown her in the bathtub," the district attorney's office said. "The man who was with her escaped the vehicle and ran to a nearby business to call police."

Pereira was arrested two days later in Houston, Texas, and a handgun was found in the vehicle along with several of the woman's credit cards.
By Eric P. Lesser, Senator for the First Hampden & Hampshire District

While division and strife mark the national news, the news here in Western Massachusetts is about coordination and collaboration - especially among an emerging group of young leaders in government, business and the nonprofit sector who are tackling our region's longtime challenges with new energy and fresh perspectives.

As co-chair of the state Senate's Millennial Engagement Initiative, I've traveled to every corner of our commonwealth to meet with young people who are stepping up to lead. Millennials, in particular, are ready to reject old dogmas and divisions and to, instead, focus on solving problems through collaboration and building bridges across diverse viewpoints and cultures.



Western Massachusetts has been at the vanguard of this change. Two Western Massachusetts cities are led by millennials: Alex Morse in Holyoke and Will Reichelt in West Springfield. A near majority of the Springfield City Council is now under 40. This fall, Chicopee elected a new School Committee member and two new city councilors, each in their early 20s.

These young leaders are already changing their communities and bringing forward new ideas. Last month, the Springfield City Council increased the age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21, after a group of young people organized a campaign to change the law. Chicopee is exploring options to improve broadband Internet service, and both Holyoke and West Springfield are better leveraging technology to make government more transparent and responsive. Young people are driving each of these initiatives.

By bringing a more activist perspective to municipal government, millennials are also expanding the circle of people involved in government decision-making, offering new pathways for women and minorities to enter public service, regardless of age.

Our business community is similarly benefiting from an emerging generation of young entrepreneurs who are creating jobs and adding vibrancy to the economy here in Western Massachusetts.

Companies like Paragus Strategic IT, owned by Delcie Bean, who is 31, are creating new technology jobs and experimenting with new management models, like employee ownership sharing, that have the potential to become models nationwide. Tech Foundry, another initiative launched by Bean, is successfully training unemployed and high-school-aged individuals for IT jobs in local companies, and has received plaudits (and grants) from leaders in Boston.

Iron Duke Brewing, founded by young brew masters Mike Marcoux and Nick Morin, both in their 30s, has become a must-stop for craft brewery enthusiasts, expanding to dozens of bars and package stores in just a few years of operation.

These are just a few examples of many millennial-run businesses from across Western Massachusetts, revitalizing our cities and towns. In 2018, I'm confident we will see even more millennials here open new businesses and create new jobs.

It's a good thing we have so many young people willing to step up, because the next several years, while filled with opportunity, will continue to present challenges that require creativity and outside-the-box thinking.

A lack of connectivity is putting a ceiling on our region's growth, and, if we don't make some substantial changes, we will continue to fall further and further behind the Greater Boston area.

An opiate epidemic is hollowing out our families and burdening our health and justice systems. Persistent economic inequality is limiting our region's full potential, and too many areas of Western Massachusetts remain too segregated and too isolated from each other.

Luckily, our region is blessed with many institutions bringing people together to take on these challenges. And again, millennials are stepping up and taking leadership roles.



The Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts offers training for young women interested in running for public office. Valley Venture Mentors is supporting young entrepreneurs who want to start their business here and Leadership Pioneer Valley is providing a forum for young leaders in business, nonprofits, and politics to come together to tackle these common challenges with one voice.

This is how millennials solve problems, and this is how our region's young leaders will make lasting change for our communities.

This is the challenge of 2018, as MGM Springfield opens its doors, CRRC Massachusetts comes on line, and new rail service connects Springfield with Hartford and New Haven. Now is the time to take these very important gains even further, by making sure we lock-in new opportunities and new jobs for generations to come.

As one young man said at our millennial discussion at the Edward Kennedy Institute in Boston, "If you give young people opportunity, they will create opportunity."

Yes, they will. With a renewed spirit of collaboration and optimism, our region's emerging leaders will help turn these developments into real benefits for our families and communities.

But doing that will take time, and it will require the determination to see good ideas through to implementation. It will also demand the participation of young people unafraid to stand up and lead.

Eric P. Lesser, of Longmeadow, is senator for the First Hampden & Hampshire District, serves as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development & Emerging Technologies, and leads Millennial Outreach for the state Senate.
The Cubs have signed Yu Darvish -- the top free agent starting pitching on this year's market -- to a six-year, $126-million contract, per multiple reports, including The Chicago Tribune.

That's an average annual value of $21 million per season.

It's hardly huge money when considering the contracts top free agent hurlers have signed in recent years.

Zack Greinke received an average annual value of $34.42 million (six years, $206.5 million) before the 2016 season. David Price received a $31 million average annual value (seven years, $217 million) the same offseason.

Max Scherzer received $30 million per season (seven years, $210 million) before the 2015 season.

Even Jon Lester received more from the Cubs than Darvish when he signed in December 2014. Lester is earning a $25.8 million average annual salary (six years, $155 million).

What did this mean for the remaining top free agents?

We knew this offseason's market was hardly robust. After all, approximately 100 free agents still remain unsigned with spring training opening this coming week.

"He was eyeing that Zack Greinke six-year, $206.5 million deal, or perhaps that seven-year, $217 million David Price pact of 2015. He didn't get close to either," USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale wrote about Darvish.

The top three remaining free agents, Martinez, Eric Hosmer and Jake Arrieta, are Scott Boras' clients. It certainly will be interesting to see how long Martinez and other top names are willing to hold out.

Martinez might need to accept that the reported five-year, $125-million ($25M average annual value) offer he received from the Red Sox is the most he'll receive from any club.

Nightengale projects Martinez will sign with Boston for five years, $130 million (including an opt-out after 2019).

The Cubs signing Darvish also likely eliminates Chicago as a potential destination for Martinez.

The Red Sox perhaps could be somewhat flexible, increasing their offer $5-10 million to get Martinez to spring training for the first full-squad workout Feb. 19.

The MLB Players' Association plans to hold a spring training camp for unsigned free agents. But Boras clients reportedly aren't expected to attend.

The Red Sox and Martinez need each other. And the Red Sox certainly wouldn't want Martinez to start slow in April because he missed much of spring training. So increasing the offer slightly to get him to camp on time seems reasonable.
Sinclairs policy "violates every standard of conduct that has existed in newsroom for the past 40 or 50 years," said Lewis Friedland, a journalism professor at the University of Wisconsin and a former TV news producer. "Ive never seen anything like this. They certainly have the right to do it, but its blatantly unethical."

Sinclair Broadcast Group http://sbgi.net/ is asking its executives  including the news directors at its many stations  to contribute to its political action committee, a move that journalism ethics experts say is highly unusual and troubling.

By Paul Farhi

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/sinclair-broadcast-group-solicits-its-news-directors-for-its-political-fundraising-efforts/2018/02/10/0e3d8a08-0c54-11e8-8b0d-891602206fb7_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories-2_sinclair329pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.abd2add9f56d
A proposal introduced in the Wyoming Legislature advocates for imposing a fee at Yellowstone National Park to help pay for wildlife conservation efforts in the states surrounding the park.

Sublette County Rep. and cattleman Albert Sommers, the proposed resolutions primary sponsor, said the idea is to generate money for the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho to deal with issues like wildlife collisions, large-carnivore conflicts and preserving migration routes.

"The idea came up that theres 4 million people going through Yellowstone National Park every year, and these animals exist in and out of the park, depending on the time of year," Sommers, R-Pinedale, said. "Really, its Wyomings wildlife, and we have to maintain them and be responsible for impacts that can happen to them and because of them. So why not ask American citizens to pony up and contribute to that?"

http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/wyoming-legislation-seeks-conservation-fee-at-yellowstone/article_90235742-592f-5873-9b4c-eeede24536ba.html
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Though a safe and effective vaccine for hepatitis B is available and used worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates that still some 257 million people are living with the viral infection. The virus is treatable but still causes liver scarring and in some cases liver cancer. Intravenous drug users who share needles are especially at risk of infection and are likely to abuse multiple substances, including alcohol, which causes liver damage as well. Given that damage to the liver affects how the organ creates and clears cholesterol and given that studies have found that hepatitis B alone and alcohol alone affect cholesterol homeostasis, a research team led by Qin Ning at Tongji Hospotal at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan China wanted to learn more about the combined effects of hepatitis B and alcohol consumption on cholesterol deposition in the liver. In a new paper in the, the team reports that the virus and alcohol have a "synergistic effect" on cholesterol metabolism. That is to say that the combination increases cholesterol biosynthesis, decreases cholesterol utilization and impairs cholesterol uptake. To figure this out, the team created a mouse model with chronic hepatitis B and administered it ethanol. This resulted in increased cholesterol accumulation in the liver. Later experiments, using only cells, produced results that the researchers say indicate it is the HBc protein specifically that activates cholesterol biosynthesis and inhibits cholesterol degradation in the presence of alcohol.Perhaps you have heard that brushing your teeth can be good for your heart. Bacteria of the Bacteroidetes phylum may be the main culprits behind the association between gum disease and atherosclerosis, the accumulation of plaque in the arteries that can lead to heart attack or stroke. In a recent paper in the, researchers from the University of Connecticut reported on their investigation into how Bacteriodetes in the mouth and gut may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. They found deposits of a lipid made by these bacteria in the wall of healthy carotid arteries. A human enzyme can convert the bacterial lipid into a closely related molecule that is known to trigger inflammation. Patients with atherosclerosis, who were undergoing surgery to reduce the risk of stroke, had much more of the modified, inflammation-associated molecule than the original lipid. The study's senior author, Frank Nichols, told ASBMB that "Many think that atherosclerosis is caused by eating fatty foods, but it is now apparent that other lipids produced by oral and intestinal bacteria accumulate in diseased arteries." It remains to be determined whether accumulation of the original lipid and conversion to the inflammatory molecule can cause heart disease, or are a side effect.Source: Eurekalert
ANN ARBOR, MI - As snow continues to fall across southeast Michigan, snow plow drivers from the Washtenaw County Road Commission are working almost nonstop to keep roads clear.

Emily Kizer, spokesperson for the road commission, said drivers are on 14-plus hours shifts for a third straight day. She said the roads are looking better but the weather has been hard to keep up with.

"It's incredibly difficult," she said. "When it keeps snowing we have to keep heading back to primary routes and can't get to subdivisions or gravel roads. We ask that people give us room to work, especially in subdivisions. People need to park their cars off the street so we can get around them."

Washtenaw County received about 8.5 inches of snow on Friday and possibly added 4 inches Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Another 1 to 3 inches of snow is possible Sunday, Feb. 11. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 4 p.m. in Washtenaw, Wayne, Lenawee and Monroe counties, per the weather service.

Between 40 and 50 drivers are currently plowing across Washtenaw County and every piece of equipment is being used, Kizer said.

The drivers were able to clear some subdivisions and gravel roads on Saturday and are focused Sunday on primary roads, Kizer said.

U.S. 23 and l-94 are clear, but the left lanes still have slush and fair amounts of ice, Kizer said.

The weather service expects freezing rain throughout most of the afternoon, which could mix with snow and make for slippery conditions.

Both the weather service and road commission encourage drivers to stay indoors if possible.
WEBSTER TOWNSHIP, MI - More than 100 trees are expected to be cut down along a stretch of Mast Road north of the city of Dexter because drivers are going off the road and hitting them.

Webster Township resident Carl Schneider said he's concerned about the impending loss of "a number of historic giant trees," including oaks he believes may be around 200 to 300 years old.

"If you travel down Mast, you will see pink spray paint on the trees about to meet their doom," he said, suggesting a guardrail would be a better option to improve safety without losing the trees.

The Washtenaw County Road Commission, which is undertaking the project, reports there have been at least six crashes involving vehicles leaving Mast Road and hitting trees between North Territorial and Strawberry Lake Road since 2012.

"Of those six, one was a fatality," said Road Commission spokeswoman Emily Kizer, noting crash stats for 2017 aren't available yet.

"There may have been other crashes along this road during that time, but these are the stats for tree-related crashes."

The Road Commission is planning to use federal safety grant funds to remove the trees along the roadway in Webster Township, saying the trees are too close to the road and pose a safety risk.

The work is expected to begin in a few weeks, with all tree removals to be done by March 31.

Schneider said he realizes some tree cutting has to be done along county roads, but in this case he believes it goes to far.

He said trees that date back farther than the founding of the state of Michigan are among those about to be cut down.

He said there's one oak that measures about 13 feet around and it may be up to a few hundred years old.

Even if it was only about 250 years old, Schneider said, it still would have started growing around 1770 when New York was still a British colony and there was not yet an American flag.

He said some 10-foot-circumference oaks marked for removal may be close to 200 years old.

He said there are some other big trees along the road, but those are the only ones measured so far.

Schneider said local residents who are concerned are looking for other options to avoid losing some of the historic trees, such as putting up a guardrail instead, but so far the Road Commission isn't budging.

If the trees are cut down, Schneider said, people will be "up in arms" over the "permanent blight and devastation."

Kizer said the Road Commission plans to proceed with the tree removals in a few weeks in the name of safety.

"We have a responsibility to maintain the public road right-of-way and keep it as safe as possible for the traveling public," she said. "This grant is an opportunity for us to improve safety along a road that sees approximately 3,400 vehicles per day."

She said the plan is to remove trees and brush within 10 feet from the edge of the pavement within the public right-of-way. Additional dead trees also may be removed from the public right-of-way.

When planning for the grant application, Kizer said, the Road Commission came up with a compromise on which trees would be cleared. She said traffic standards recommend a clear zone 20 to 30 feet wide from the edge of the roadway, depending on the slope.

She said the commission knew this would be a sensitive project, so it decided to plan for removing living trees within 10 feet of the roadway instead of the full 20 to 30 feet.

Kizer said cutting down the trees close to the road, rather than putting up a guardrail, completely removes the potential hazard.

"Putting guardrail in front of a large tree that is already too close to the road does not mitigate the risk," she said.

"The guardrail itself acts as a fixed object and is not an appropriate solution to mitigate the risk of trees too close to the road."

That said, Kizer noted the Road Commission is installing some guardrail as part of the project. She said guardrail is the appropriate choice in certain situations to prevent cars from going off the road down a steep slope or over a bridge.

"We will be installing guardrail on both sides of a culvert that we are replacing near Strawberry Lake Road," she said.

Kizer said the Road Commission will be cutting down just over 100 living trees along Mast Road, trimming others and removing other dead trees. She said there are four trees larger than 37 inches in diameter. She said the Road Commission did not catalogue the type of trees, so it does not have that information to share.

The Road Commission also is drawing some opposition to its plans to cut down hundreds of trees as part of plans for the paving of Textile Road and the creation of a 1.3-mile non-motorized path through a Pittsfield Township nature preserve.

The Road Commission also is removing trees within 10 feet of either side of North Territorial Road from Gotfredson Road in Salem Township to Spencer Road in Northfield Township as part of another safety improvement project using federal grant funds.

Kizer said there also are other smaller projects the Road Commission is doing this year, including culvert replacements, that require cutting down trees ahead of time.
For years after his conviction, a 78-year-old Detroit business owner who shot and killed a man, remained free because the court forgot to sentence him.

"I've been on this bench for 35 years," Wayne County Chief Circuit Judge Robert J. Colombo Jr. "I don't' remember this ever happening before."

Colombo said the court is investigating what led to the oversight.

Leroy Moon, who was accused of shooting Shawn Johnson, 36, in the back after catching Johnson urinating on the wall of his fish market in Detroit's Eastern Market in February 2009, pleaded guilty to a count of manslaughter in December 2011.

He accepted a plea deal in order to avoid a second trial. His first in 2010 ended in a mistrial with a hung jury.

Moon was originally charged with first-degree murder.

Wayne County Circuit Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway, whose court lost track of the case, sentenced Moon on Wednesday, Jan. 31, to a year in jail with 37 days credit for time served and five years probation. Moon was also ordered to pay over $10,006 in restitution and fines. Moon will be allowed to leave the jail for work and medical appointments.

Colombo, who apologized for the oversight, says judges receive a weekly case docket with a listing of their unresolved court cases, but for some reason, possibly a clerical error, Moon's case stopped appearing on the list.

"As a result, (Hathaway) lost track of it and didn't really know about the case until someone from the prosecutor's office alerted us in November of this past year," Colombo said. ""i tend to think that this would not be something Judge Hathaway would be culpable for. It could have been a computer error, it could have been an error performed by some other person making an entry."

According to Detroit News reporter Oralandar Brand-Williams, who attended the sentencing, Hathaway said: "This judge feels very, very bad about the missteps that have taken place. What I'm concerned about is that there was no backup system that caught this. I don't know how it happened, but it happened."

Usually, Colombo said, if something like this were to occur, the prosecutor or another attorney involved in the case would bring it to the judge's attention.

Wayne County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Maria Miller agreed, but said the assistant prosecutor who was handling the case retired while the case was in the sentencing phase and it was overlooked when the retirees cases were reassigned.

According to online court records, Moon's sentencing and other post-conviction hearings were adjourned at least a dozen times between the 2012 and 2014, usually at the request of Moon's attorney, but also by Hathaway and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

Despite being a divisive case that drew national attention, prompting debates about property rights and self defense, even media seemed to overlook the sentencing until late 2017.

WDIV-TV, Channel 4 News reported on the unusual sentencing lapse in December.

"I think everybody has some blame here," Colombo said.
Brenda Barr, a native of Holland, has suffered from a genetic kidney disease her entire life. She had been on a waiting list for a new kidney for over six years when she received a call one early January morning in 2016. She had a donor.



The donor was Mike Musselman. When Musselman passed away, his family chose to donate both of his kidneys, one of which Barr received. She had been using a dialysis machine until then, and while it sustained her life, Barr knew it was a treatment, not a solution.



But, as she got in her car and made the tear-filled drive from Holland to Grand Rapids for her surgery, she knew that was about to change.



A full two years later, on the afternoon of Saturday, February 10, 2018, Brenda Barr was finally able to meet the family of the man that saved her life. She, along with her family, was greeted by the late Musselman's wife, Michelle, along with his parents and children at Mercy Health Saint Mary's Lacks Cancer Center in Grand Rapids.

Kidney transplant recipient meets donor's family for first time 20 Gallery: Kidney transplant recipient meets donor's family for first time





The exchange was emotional for both parties.



"Seeing her was like hugging my husband again," says Musselman.














KALAMAZOO, MI - A former Kentwood Schools worker accused in a teen's sex assault last year is "unfairly being treated as a suspect" in her death, the man's attorney said.

Quinn Anthony James, 42, was charged in November with four sex-assault charges against Kentwood High School student Mujey Dumbuya, 16.

Then on Jan. 28, she was found dead in a wooded area along North Prairie Avenue in Kalamazoo and positively identified Jan.31.

James, a former schools grounds and maintenance worker, was arrested Feb. 1 for an unrelated 2014 sex assault that prosecutors declined to pursue when it allegedly happened.

James' attorney, public defender Jonathan Schildgen, has concerns that the 2014 case is being used to hold James in jail while police investigate the homicide.

A magistrate set a $500,000 bond at James' arraignment Feb. 2 -- an amount Schildgen says seems inflated given that prosecutors apparently believed there was insufficient evidence to bring the case earlier.

James' bond report, a document judges use to justify bond, has no mention of the Kalamazoo investigation, Schildgen said.

Schildgen said he's not accusing any court officials or prosecutors of impropriety, but is investigating how the bond was set.

Kalamazoo police have been reluctant to publicly call James a person-of-interest in the killing. But Schildgen said Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety detectives were involved in a Feb. 1 "raid" at James' residence and then, two hours later, he was arrested for the 2014 case.

Schildgen said his client denies any involvement in Dumbuya's death and says his whereabouts are accounted from the time Dumbuya went missing Jan. 24 in Grand Rapids until her body was found. He said James had a home security system that recorded his movements and police have that evidence.

"What (police) appear to be doing is drumming up a 2014 case so they get a free shot at (talking to) my guy," Schildgen said.

According to court documents, James contended that he had consensual sex with Dumbuya during the summer months of 2017, and not on school property. He was a relative of her boyfriend, records showed.

She told police he forced her to have sex with him at four different places, including a vehicle at charter school parking lot near her home and at James' home on McKee Avenue SW in Wyoming.

He had been free on $100,000 bond on the charges involving Dumbuya pending an April trial. But after the killing, Kent County sheriff's detectives sought and obtained a warrant charging him with the 2014 sexual assault of another female.

That woman said she had known James for a year, and had never had sex with him. She said she was at his apartment when "she was grabbed around the neck and thrown to the couch. James threatened to kill her and she took her clothes off so that he would stop choking her," sheriff's Detective Jason Russo wrote in an affidavit.

The victim told police she thought he would kill her. He "bear hugged" her and dragged her to his bedroom, Russo wrote.

After he raped her, he "then said if she was going to call the police to give him an hour apparently so he could flee," the detective wrote.

Michael Milroy, the 63rd District Court magistrate, cited the other sex-assault case in setting James' bond at $500,000 on Feb. 2.

Attorney Christine Yared, representing the slaying victim's family, said they were "not making assumptions" about who killed the teen and were waiting to see who is charged.

In a statement, the family of Mujey Dumbuya said: "We are heartbroken, devastated and overwhelmed with grief over the death of our beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece and cousin.

"Mujey was a generous, energetic young woman with a radiant smile and an adventurous spirit.

"Mujey was a very good student who loved school. She had a close circle of friends, and was loved by everyone that knew her. Mujey loved music and dancing. She took classes in dance, martial arts and archery. Mujey was looking forward to graduating from high school next year. She wanted to be a police officer to help fight against social injustice, including racism."

The school district, meanwhile, said that James - whose criminal record includes a 1991 armed-robbery conviction in Kent County, and two counts of attempted prisoner possession of weapons in Baraga County - was fired on Nov. 30 after school officials learned of the allegations involving the student.

The victim met James through one of his family members in Saginaw, the school district said.

"He had very little contact with students, and none as part of his job responsibilities," the school district said in a statement.

"However, when the criminal charges came to the attention of school leadership the district took immediate action to investigate, interview and subsequently terminate the employment of Mr. James."

The district said it works with authorities to investigate and act, and also support victim students and families with counseling services and addressing safety issues.

"The safety of our students and staff is our first priority."

MLive reporter John Agar contributed to this report
SPRINGFIELD, MI - An off-duty Battle Creek police officer was arrested and charged with drunk driving Sunday morning after a single-vehicle crash in the officer's personal vehicle.

The crash occurred just before 4 a.m. in Springfield when the officer struck a utility pole, according to a Battle Creek Police Department news release.

The officer, whose name was not released by police, was not injured.

The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office is handling the case.

In the news release, Battle Creek Police Chief Jim Blocker said the officer is expected to cooperate and will not receive special treatment. An internal investigation has begun, he said, and the officer will remain on administrative leave until its conclusion.

The officer is lodged in the Kalamazoo County Jail. The officer's arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 26, according to police.

"I have said many times to our community that we hire from the human race, not the super-human race," Blocker said. "And to that end, I am not making excuses, or justifying the behavior of this officer. However, I am acknowledging that, as an employer, this is a personnel issue through which we must work with this employee.

"Further, I have thanked the Calhoun County Sheriff for the good work; no law enforcement officer wants to have to arrest a fellow officer. We will get through this through open and honest communication."
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- A 16-year-old Muskegon teen and two other juveniles crashed stolen vehicle and were caught by police after a chase Sunday.

The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office released additional details of the incident, which began at 7:57 a.m. on Feb. 11. Dispatchers received a notification from OnStar that a stolen GMC Denali was headed westbound on I-96 near 88th Avenue.

A deputy in the area reported within a minute that they were following the vehicle, which belongs to an elderly Muskegon Heights woman.

Less than 10 miles later, the Denali drove off the roadway and became stuck in snow. The 16-year-old drive immediately fled on foot, pursued by deputies Michigan State Police troopers and a K-9 unit.

The teen headed south from I-96, then turned north across the interstate highway. He was apprehended near the 8200 block of Cleveland Street in Polkton Township.

"This was great coordination of effort between multiple jurisdictions to return stolen property to the owner, apprehend and identify the suspects," said Muskegon Heights Sgt. Scott D. Sinclair.

Police said the teen was lodged at the Ottawa County Youth Home, while two other juveniles that were in the car were returned to their parents.

The teen is facing charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting and obstructing an officer.

The stolen car was returned.
Brandon Terbeek

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - A man convicted of a group assault on a woman that involved pliers has decided to withdraw his plan to withdraw his plea and serve his sentence.

After hearing his 8-month sentence from a Muskegon County judge, Brandon Terbeek notified the court he wanted to withdraw his guilty plea to attempted assault with intent to do great bodily harm.

Terbeek, 25, of Holland was warned by the assistant prosecutor he would face a much stiffer sentence if he took the case to trial. Terbeek stood firm after taking a long break to discuss the matter with his attorney and family.

But after more discussion with court personnel, Terbeek agreed to stick with his plea. Part of Terbeek's concern regarding his sentence was he wanted to be present for the birth of his child this month. The baby's mother is Chelsea Barkley, another defendant in the case.

Muskegon County Circuit Judge William Marietti ordered Terbeek to report to jail on Feb. 24 to begin serving his eight-month sentence. He was given credit for 27 already served.

Terbeek had also expressed concern about the length of his sentence, having asked for community service or to be placed on tether.

Terbeek was part of a group of seven who brutally assaulted a young woman in Muskegon in January 2017. At one point, an effort was made to remove one of her fingers with a pair of pliers. The effort wasn't successful, but she did suffer a severe laceration to her right index finger, Muskegon County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Maat said earlier.

The female victim could neither see nor speak when officers with the Muskegon Police Department went to interview her at a local emergency room following the assault, Maat said earlier. Her eyes were swollen shut and her tongue was so swollen that she couldn't talk, he said.

Matthew Henderson pleaded to the most serious charge - assault with intent to do great bodily harm and was sentenced in November to 28 months to 10 years in prison. The others are awaiting sentencing on pleas to attempted assault with intent to do great bodily harm. In return for their pleas, charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm were dropped.

Other defendants, all of whom pleaded either no contest or guilty to attempted assault with intent to do great bodily harm, are Barkley, who faces sentencing April 9 under an agreement for no more than eight months jail time; Austin Applegate, who will be sentenced Feb. 13 to not more than seven months; Keaizza Mathews, who will be sentenced to no more than 13 months on March 13; and Crystal Kautz, whose sentencing will occur following the trial of Spencer Greeno, which begins Feb. 13.
MUSKEGON, MI - One week after its leasing office opened, Highpoint Flats downtown Muskegon has 36 apartments left.

So far, 11 of the 47 market-rate apartments are reserved, said Jon Rooks, of Parkland Properties.

Construction on the $7-million project commenced during May 2017, and will finish by May 1, 2018, with move-ins starting June 1.

"There's never been a place like this to live in Muskegon," Rooks said. "The city is your living room."

The building, at the corner of West Western Avenue and First Street, was Muskegon's first "skyscraper" when it was finished in 1918 - 100 years ago.

Views from the apartments show Muskegon Lake, Western Market shops, Frauenthal Center, Muskegon Farmers Market, 18th Amendment Spirits, Unruly Brewing, the Hackley Administration Building clock tower and even Lake Michigan on clear days.

The face of the former Hackley Union National Bank building was changed in the 1960s with the addition of white marble and black serpentine that remain today. But the original brick walls and cement beams, pillars and floors remained inside, covered in plaster. Much of that has been exposed in the apartments.

Rooks' company has held the property since 2008. It was for sale during much of that time.

Finally, in 2016, an architect was hired to begin the process of transforming the former Hackley Union National Bank into six floors of apartments and two stories of commercial space.

Highpoint Flats' rooftop remains the highest manmade point in Muskegon County, Rooks said, and that's what inspired the name. The renovation shows off that fact with a rooftop deck and clubhouse.

The clubhouse - a free amenity for residents - will include a restroom, couches, high-top tables and a wet bar, Rooks said. The space was previously the elevator control room.

Ground-floor amenities include a fitness center and game room lounge. There's also on-site parking.

About half of the units are now finished, and a model is open. The leasing office opened last week. The website went live on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

So far, there have been 55 tours and more than 110 people have contacted the office for information, Rooks said.

There are 14 floor plans that feature one to two bedrooms, high-end finishes, walk-in closets in most units, in-unit laundry, exposed brick walls, exposed concrete pillars and beams and 7-foot by 4.5-foot windows. The building is also pet-friendly.

Monthly rates range from $795-$1,750 on floors three to seven. On the eighth floor, penthouse level, rates range from $1,075-$1,950.

Every unit has a view of Muskegon Lake.

The penthouse level features 12-foot ceilings, more exposed brick and direct access to the rooftop deck and clubhouse.

Only three two-bedroom units are still available, said Colleen Nowacki, leasing agent and property manager.

Commercial and retail spaces - 10,000 square feet - are still available one the first two floors.

The leasing office is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, noon-8 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

"It's exciting to hear all the positive feedback," Nowacki said. The apartments have been shown to people considering moving to Muskegon from Grand Rapids and Grand Haven, and of varying ages.

Nowacki recently moved back to Muskegon from Florida.

"I was blown away by downtown," she said.

Downtown Muskegon has undergone a transformation in the past 10 years and fast-paced development continues.

About 175 residential units that are under development in downtown's core, including Terrace Point Landing, Birkshire Muskegon, Lake View Lofts, Heritage Square Commons and Terrace Flats Apartments.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Widespread snow is expected to make travel "a bit tricky" from Sunday morning through afternoon, the National Weather Service cautions.

Another snowmaker moving through the state means steady snow through Sunday morning, tapering off by afternoon.

"A large swath of 2-4 inches is forecast through Lower Michigan, which will make travel a bit tricky Sunday morning into Sunday afternoon. Snow will end by Sunday evening," the NWS in Grand Rapids said today in a forecast update.

MLive Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa said while Lansing and some Southeast Michigan cities should see 3 to 4 inches of snow on Sunday, West Michigan cities like Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Kalamazoo are expected to get only 2 to 3 inches of snow.
Congress

The Congress, which has been out of power in Madhya Pradesh for the last 14 years, is leaving no stone unturned, it seems, to revive its political fortunes in the poll-bound state and stop the BJP from retaining power.

Removing the 'vastu dosh' (architectural defects) from its party's state headquarter office is one such move, which the opposition party feels, will bring good luck and improve its prospects to be back at the helm of affairs in the state.

After consulting 'vastu shastra' experts, the party has removed three toilets located near its spokespersons' room on the ground floor of the four-storey office complex - 'Indira Bhawan'- in Shivajinagar area in the state capital.

'Vastu shastra' is a traditional Hindu system of architecture, which literally means 'science of architecture'.

"We consulted 'vastu shastra' experts and as per their advice removed three toilets, including the one attached to my room," Madhya Pradesh Congress chief spokesman K K Mishra told PTI.

"The 'vastu dosh' (defects in the office complex) stand removed now," he added.

Another Congress leader said, "We have cast out the bad omen from our house. Now things will change for us."

Indira Bhawan, which had been inaugurated by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi in March 2006, is currently abuzz with activities and witnessing closed-door meetings ahead of the elections, due by the end of the year.

Party leaders from Delhi have been increasingly paying visits to the office to chalk out strategies for the elections.

"We are going to win the 2018 assembly elections for sure. The party leaders and workers have been working day in and day out," Mishra said.

When asked about how his party plans to tackle the factionalism and bickering that is plaguing the state unit, the Congress leader claimed that the party has almost got rid of it.

He, however, revealed that the party may not project a chief ministerial face for the polls as the infighting has not been completely obliterated.

"We are unlikely to project a chief ministerial face for the assembly polls. If we project one leader, the other groups may start creating trouble," he added.
Karti Chidambaram

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, in connection with the INX Media money laundering case, official sources said.

They said Karti has been asked to depose before the investigating officer (IO) of the case on February 15.

Karti could not be reached for a comment on the development.

The central probe agency had earlier summoned Karti on February 2 after which he informed them that he would be unable to depose as he has an interlocutory application pending in the Supreme Court in this case.

He was earlier grilled by the agency in this case on January 18.

Talking to reporters, Karti had said that he told the investigators what he had earlier "clearly stated in his petitions in the court" (in the case).

The former Union minister's son was referring to his moving of various courts, including the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court, in response to the ED's action against him.

The central probe agency had registered the case against him and others in May last year.

It had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED's equivalent of a police FIR, against the accused named in a CBI complaint, including Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors -- Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.

The ECIR was lodged under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The sources said the ED was probing the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated in this case.

It was the Enforcement Directorate which had provided information about the alleged illegal payments made by INX Media, based on which the CBI had filed its FIR.

The CBI had also carried out searches at the houses and offices of Karti Chidambaram across four cities for allegedly receiving money from the media firm owned by the Mukerjeas to scuttle a tax probe.

The Chidambarams, however, have denied all the charges made against them.

The CBI had filed the FIR against Karti and the Mukerjeas on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.

The agency has alleged that Karti received money from INX Media for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in a case of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) conditions to receive investment from Mauritius.

The CBI has said that it also seized vouchers of Rs 10 lakh which were allegedly paid for the services.

The vouchers were issued in favour of the Advantage Strategic Consulting (P) Limited, a firm "indirectly" owned by Chidambaram's son.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram, after the CBI searches on May 16 last year, had issued a strong statement against the raids, saying the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son.

"The FIPB approval was granted in hundreds of cases," the senior Congress leader had said.

The CBI FIR was made out against Karti, his company Chess Management Services, the Mukerjeas (currently in jail on charges of murder of their daughter Sheena Bora), INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services and its director Padma Vishwanathan.
Mayawati: The Uttar Pradesh-based satrap had polled 4.27 percent of the vote share in 2013 polls, but its candidates had polled more than 10 percent of the vote share in 12 seats, and more than 20 percent in five. This makes her party and her role in the elections important. This is especially considering her party's vote share.

Terming the BSP-JD(S) alliance for the Karnataka Assembly elections a "negotiation" strategy, the Congress has said that Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has not learnt lessons from her defeat in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

The BSP and the Janata Dal (Secular) have announced they are entering into an alliance for the Karnataka polls. The partnership will continue in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BSP leader Satish Chandra Misra and JD(S)'s Danish Ali told reporters on Thursday.

"I think Mayawati's moves are often political. Her objective is to negotiate (for seats)," Congress leader MV Rajeev Gowda told PTI-Bhasha.

The Rajya Sabha MP from Karnakata said Mayawati had twice been taught lesson in Uttar Pradesh, when the opposition remained fractured.

The Congress had to face a triangular contest and the BJP swept the polls in the state. Mayawati managed to get 20 per cent votes, though her party did not win a seat.

The Congress has said the opposition parties will unite and accept Congress president Rahul Gandhi's leadership for the 2019 general elections, against the BJP's alleged communal agenda.

Asked who the next prime ministerial candidate from the Congress would be, Gowda said: "I believe it will be Rahul Gandhi."

He said the fight during the next general elections would be to "save India" and being the leader of the largest opposition party, Gandhi would be "acceptable to everyone".

He claimed the Sangh Parivar was constantly trying to vitiate the communal fabric of the country. He said the country's economy and the agriculture sector were going through a rough patch and the ruling BJP was unable to fulfil the promises it had made to people in its election manifesto.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks about "kabristan", "shamshaan" and "Pakistan", when he feels his poll campaign is not yielding results, Gowda said.

He asked what has Modi earned from his foreign visits and what was happening in Doklam area in the Sikkim sector?

"We are seeing that the Chinese troop deployment in the area has increased. In Pakistan, one day you go to a birthday party, the second day you talk (with them) and then on the third you invite the ISI to India to probe Pathankot attack."

Gowda said Modi's "only focus is on managing headlines."

He said there's trouble brewing in India's neighbourhood: "China is trying to encircle India. It is trying to intervene in the Maldives and Sri Lanka. What are we doing to challenge it?"

Gowda is the chief of Congress's research department, which tries to bring the focus back on ideas, policies and facts.

He said during the Gujarat election his team focused the development issues in the state and by doing this they had effectively questioned the Gujarat model of development.

Gowda said his team also helps the Congress Parliamentary Party to effectively put forth the issues faced by people.

He claimed that the Rafale fighter deal was back in focus because of the questions he had asked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Gowda had asked the per unit cost of the French Rafale twin-engine fighter jet in parliament, but Sitharaman said the government will not be able to divulge the details because of a secrecy pact between the Indian and the French governments.

The Congress had tried to corner the BJP government at the Centre during the Budget session of Parliament over the deal.
21:42 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has concluded his address to the Indian diaspora in Muscat, Oman.

21:32

Next generation infrastructure is being developed in the country keeping in mind the needs of the 21st century. We are working towards making transportation sector co-dependent. Highways, airways, railways and waterways are being integrated together according to each other's needs: PM Modi

21:24 "Aaj koi nahi kehta ki Modi kitna le gaya. Pehle log puchte the ki kitna gaya, ab Modi ko puchte hain ki kitna aaya," PM Modi has said.

21:19 "Insurance sunte hi lagta tha ki ye to ameeron ka kaam hai. Aaj Delhi me ek aisi sarkaar ko kaam karne ka awsar diya hai ki gaarebon ko sirf 90 paise prati din aur 1 rupya mahine ke premium par jeevan aur suraksha bima diya jaa raha hai," PM Modi said.

"90 paise, main chai waala hun isiliye mujhe maloom hai ki chai bhi nahi aati 90 paise mein," he added.

21:13 Making procedures simpler, abolishing unnecessary laws, reducing form pages in government offices from 40-50 to 4-5, bringing them on online platform, listening to people's grievances with sincerity and taking action on them: PM Modi

21:09 With the mantra of 'minimum government, maximum governance', we are working to make life of our citizens easier. We are working towards ease of living: PM Modi

21:01 His Majesty Sultan has an inseparable bond with India. My presence in the stadium named after His Majesty holds a huge significance: PM Modi

20:54 Addressing the Indian diaspora in Muscat, PM Modi said, "Ten years ago, I was to visit Africa as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. I passed by Salalah, stayed there for some time, met some people and today I again got the opportunity to meet them. I wanted to visit Oman since a long time."

20:50 "Today, I am seeing a mini-India outside India. Desh ke alag-alag konon se aaye hue Bharatiye, alag-alag kshetron mein kaam karne wale Bharatiye ek bhavya tasveer ka nirmaan kar rahe hain," PM Narendra Modi has said.

20:43 The prime minister has begun his address.

20:37 PM Modi has arrived at the venue. His address is expected to begin shortly.

20:14 Prime Minister Modi is expected to address the Indian diaspora at Muscat's Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex shortly.

18:37 PM Modi has arrived in Muscat, Oman. He was received by Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Council of Ministers of Oman.

17:01 PM Modi meets French PM Edouard Philippe

PM Narendra Modi has met French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai.

The MEA Twitter has said that the two leaders had a good discussion on strengthening our strategic partnership. PM said that he was looking forward to the visit of French President Macron to India next month.

15:47 PM Narendra Modi will begin the third leg of his West Asia trip to Muscat, Oman in a short while.

He will be given a ceremonial welcome in Oman and later attend a community event with NRIs.

PM Modi will then call on Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman later tonight.

15:34 PM Modi has concluded his address at the World Government Summit.

15:32 PM Modi said: India has set a target to generate 175 gigawatt (GW) renewable energy. In the last three years, 62 GW renewable energy generated. I feel that the next technology revolution will be linked to the power of the sun (renewable energy).

15:26 India's 'Mars Orbital Mission' cost less than what it takes to make a Hollywood movie: PM Modi

15:23 PM Modi has said, "Even after all the development, poverty and malnutrition have still not been eliminated. On the other side we are investing large portion of money, time and resources on missiles and bombs. We will have to be alert and use technology as a means to development and not destruction."

15:20 We need to follow the 'six Rs' that stand for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Redesign and Remanufacture. This will lead to rejoice meaning 'Anand': PM Narendra Modi.

15:17 Necessity is no longer the mother of inventions. Invention is giving birth to necessities: PM Narendra Modi.

15:15 PM Modi has said, "In the last 25 years, the maternal mortality went down by 1/3rd in India and by half across the world."

"For development, Dubai is a great driver of technology. It has converted a desert into an ocean, a miraculous feat," he added.

15:08 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai.

PM Modi has said that 'technology and innovation are reasons for Dubai's success'.

15:01 Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sapar Isakov and shared their views on bilateral and regional issues at the World Government Summit in Dubai, according to an ANI tweet.

14:50 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently attending the World Government Summit in Dubai, according to an ANI tweet.

13:47 Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Vice President and the Prime Minister of the UAE His Highness Sheikh Mohammad in Dubai. According to a tweet by Raveesh Kumar, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders had an engaging discussion on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contacts.

12:25 PM Modi addressing Indian diaspora in Dubai

The Prime Minister speaks to the Indian diaspora at the Dubai Opera House in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. He spoke about the progress of the country in the four years of the current government. The Prime Minister spoke about the ease of doing business, as well as reiterating the commitment to make India adhere to the 'Global Benchmarks' of the country.

This is the second day of the Prime Minister's visit to the country. Modi was previously in Abu Dhabi where he iaugurated a temple, and signed close to five MOUs with the UAE.

12:32 Modi restated India's jump in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100, which was an unprecedented jump. He stated India's commitment to further improvement, and its intent of not shying away from the steps necessary to achieve these targets.

Modi previously inaugurated the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Temple project at Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE.

12:28 PM Modi thanked the Crown Price on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the grand temple which will be constructed in Abu Dhabi. Modi attended the laying of the founding stone in the capital city yesterday. The only other temple in the country was present in Dubai.
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Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
Enjoy two sirloin steak dinners, cooked to your satisfaction with choice of two sides (we recommend either a baked potato or sweet potato casserole and a veggie). The meal includes a beverage. You and your valentine can split a large dessert or get two mini-desserts  all this is included at $15.99 each meal. All dinner meals at The Golden Jersey Inn start with complimentary sweet potato bread.

No reservations necessary  just come on in!
Les lunettes de marque ne sont pas ce qui manque dans les commerces. Il y en a de toutes les sortes dont les lunettes de []
In Focus with Allison Walker is a 30-minute public affairs program, featuring a roundtable of newsmakers representing a range of perspectives, including local officials and expert analysts as they tackle topical issues of importance to Floridians.

In Focus airs Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., right after Political Connections.
Your next trip to Walt Disney World just got a little more expensive.

Disney World ticket prices rise again

Prices for Florida-resident annual passes also increase



Hike comes after Disney reported increase attendance at parks

RELATED: Disney's theme parks and resorts boost earnings



Prices for tickets and annual passes have once again increased, effective Sunday.

The hike comes after Disney reported increased attendance at its theme parks in its first-quarter.

Disney World operates under a tiered pricing system, meaning the cost of tickets will depend on when you visit.

At Magic Kingdom, a single-day regular ticket now costs $119 for adults. Thats a $4 increase.

A value ticket costs $109, a $2 increase from 2017. During peak times, expect to pay $129 for a single-day ticket.

Prices for tickets to Epcot, Disneys Hollywood Studios, and Disneys Animal Kingdom have also increased.

A single-day regular ticket now cost $114, a $7 increase from last year. A value ticket is $102, while a peak ticket costs $122, up from $119.

We know how important making memories at Disney theme parks is to families and we will continue to evolve our pricing in a way that gives families a range of options to meet their budget and helps better spread attendance throughout the year so they can make the most of every visit," Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said.



Disney also raised prices for annual passes.

The Florida-resident Platinum pass, with has no blockout dates, now costs $729, up from $679. The Gold pass, which has two blockout periods costs $589, a $30 increase. And the Silver pass with blockout dates during Christmas, spring break, and the summer costs $439, up from $419.

Disney also plans to sell multi-day tickets with date-specific pricing later this year.

Prices for parking is also increasing. Standard parking will now cost $22 per day, while preferred parking will cost $45 per day.

The price increases comes months ahead of the opening of Toy Story Land at Disneys Hollywood Studios this summer.

Disney has several projects in the works including Star Wars: Galaxys Edge, set to open in 2019, a Guardians of the Galaxy coaster at Epcot and a Tron coaster at Magic Kingdom.

All prices changes are reflected on the official Disney Parks website.

CHECK OUT ATTRACTIONS INSIDER: Your all-in-one source for news, pictures and video from Floridas theme parks. Just go to our Attractions Insider page. Sign up to get breaking theme park news alerts and subscribe to our newsletter, Theme Park Roundup, delivered to your inbox or mobile phone.
By PTI

SUNJWAN: Security forces have neutralised three terrorists holed up in the Sunjwan Army camp here, while six people, including five Army personnel, have been killed in the attack by suspected JeM militants, Army officials said today.

A defence spokesperson in a statement said three terrorists had so far been killed in the ongoing operation.

A group of heavily armed men struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry before dawn yesterday. Five Army men, including two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), were killed in the attack.

The spokesperson said the third terrorist was also found wearing Army combats and was heavily armed like the other two.

AK-56 rifles, Under Barrel Grenade Launcher, ammunitions and grenades were seized from them, he said.

A senior police official had earlier said that four terrorists were killed by security forces.

A JCO and a jawan were killed yesterday.

The spokesperson said during sanitation of residential quarters by the Army commandos, bodies of another JCO, two jawans and an elderly man, the father of a soldier, were recovered.

All six of them had been killed by the terrorists in the initial stage of the attack yesterday.

Ten people, including six women and children, were injured in the attack, the spokesperson said.

One of the injured woman was pregnant. She later delivered a baby girl through a caesarean operation and both the mother and child were stable, the spokesperson said.

A 14-year-old boy had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was in a critical condition.

The sanitation and search operations were underway.

"The operation is on and the evacuation (of people from the family quarters) is in progress," Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.

He said a number of families were still in the camp and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety.

"There has been no firing since last night," the officer said.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven Army personnel, including two officers. Three terrorists were gunned down in the operation.

The terrorists had struck before dawn yesterday and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear end of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry guarding the periphery.

"The terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who are holed up in a few houses (inside the camp)," an official said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles were engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to prevent civilian casualties.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013, for the 2001 attack on Parliament House.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Partly cloudy in the morning followed by scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening followed by a few showers overnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 59F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
New Delhi: The RBI has said that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, returned to banks when the government demonetised high value currency 15 months ago, are still being "processed for their arithmetical accuracy and genuineness".

This is being done in an "expedited manner", the central bank said.

"Specific bank notes are being processed for their arithmetical accuracy and genuineness and the reconciliation for the same is ongoing. This information can, therefore, be shared on completion of the process and reconciliation," the RBI said in reply to an RTI application filed by a PTI correspondent.

To a query on the number of demonetised notes, it said, "...subject to future corrections if any, arising in the course of verification process, the estimated value of specified bank notes received as on June 30, 2017 is Rs 15.28 trillion (lakh crore)".

Asked to provide the details of the deadline for finishing the counting of demonetised notes, the RBI said "specified bank notes are being processed in an expedited manner".

As on date, 59 sophisticated Currency Verification and Processing (CVPS) machines are in operation in RBI for the purpose, it said.

The reply did not specify the location of the machines. "Besides, eight CVPS machines available with commercial banks are also being used. In addition to this, seven more CVPS machines on lease basis have been installed at RBI regional offices," the RTI reply said.

The government had on November 8, 2016 banned the use of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and allowed the holders of these currency bills to deposit them with banks or use them at certain notified utilities.

In its annual report for 2016-17 released on August 30 last year, the RBI said Rs 15.28 lakh crore, or 99 per cent of the demonetised notes, had returned to the banking system.

The central bank said in the report, for the year ended June 30, 2017, that only Rs 16,050 crore of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore in old high denomination notes had not returned.

As on November 8, 2016, there were 1,716.5 crore pieces of Rs 500 and 685.8 crore pieces of Rs 1,000 notes in circulation, totalling Rs 15.44 lakh crore, it had said.
Mumbai: Vienna, the capital of Austria, is eyeing 15 per cent increase in footfalls from India this year with focus on the family traveller segment, an official said.

"Last year has been an exceptional year with over 58,000 Indians spending nearly 128,000 bed nights in Austria. It was 11 per cent increase over 2016.

"We feel the growth momentum has begun and this year we expect the tourist arrivals from India to be 15 per cent higher," Vienna Tourist Board Public Relations Manager Isabella Rauter told PTI in Mumbai.

Moreover, she said, the growth will be driven by Vienna Tourist Board's active marketing in key focus markets and targeting the family segment.

Overall, Vienna hosted 15.5 million visitor bed nights for travellers across the world, she added.

"The welcoming attitude of the people of Vienna helped ensure that visitors have delightful experiences with wonderful memories," Rauter said.

Besides family, Vienna is ideal for weddings, honeymoon, Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) and young travellers.

"Each year we are focusing on one segment to build awareness about Vienna as a destination. Last year we promoted the young travellers segment in India, which did pretty well," she added.

With its coffee houses, culture, music concerts, theatre, museums, food and wine, open green spaces and countless parks, amusement parks, children's museums and zoo, Vienna has something for all age groups, she added.

Vienna, she said, is positioned as a premium luxury destination mainly targeting the upper middle class, middle class and first time travellers from India.

Moreover, the Austrian capital is well connected with other European countries, with major European trunk routes and inter-regional rail links passing through Vienna making it a convenient destination.

"Vienna is the starting point for trips along the Danube to Salzburg in Upper Austria, Bratislava in Slovakia, or Budapest in Hungary. The Vienna-Prague-Budapest Golden Triangle holiday combo is usually covered by most Indians," Rauter said.

Prague and Budapest are barely a three-hour road trip from Vienna, which makes the city a major attraction for Indians, she added.
Lucknow: After the ouster of cleric Salman Nadwi from the All India Mulsim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) for suggesting an out-of-court settlement in the Ayodhya dispute, chairman of Shia Waqf Board, Syed Waseem Rizvi, has said the group is a branch of an international terrorist organisation and should be banned.

"The Muslim personal law board is being governed by terrorist organisations of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and is spoiling the environment of brotherhood in the country. Salman Nadwi also shared same sentiments as Shia Waqf Board to shift the mosque (Babri masjid) from the disputed site as it is the only way to keep peace and harmony in the country," he said.

Rizvi said that AIMPLB did not take action against Nadwi even when he wrote a letter to ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi three years ago, but has thrown him out when he has spoken in favour of peace and harmony.

Salman Nadwi was expelled from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Sunday after a disciplinary committee was formed by the board to look into the matter.

After his ouster, Nadwi reached Lucknow and said the decision reeked of "dictatorship prevalent in the board".

Speaking to News18, he said, "I want peace should prevail in the society but the board certainly is not in this favour. I was not given any show cause notice before being ousted; neither any answer was sought from me. I think it's time to dissolve the board. At the same time I want the culprits who demolished the mosque must be punished."
Long, long ago, water was more dangerous than alcohol.

You name a disease and all microorganisms that caused it were dutifully present in drinking water. One sip of the murky water and youd be rushed to an abbey nearby to be administered with medicines steeped in alcohol.

Are you health-conscious? Drink beer. Yes, drink beer. It was pretty much the only way to stay out of murky water those days. Just like we buy packaged drinking water, they sought spirits to stay away from dirt and disease.

They called the drink aqua vitae aka elixir of life aka water of life.

Sadly, long before we were born, drinking water became potable. Alcohol was knocked off its throne and asked to wear that disgraceful statutory tag around its neck. The warnings shooed away customers and alcohols services to mankind were forgotten.

Times may have changed, priorities and tastes reset, but many abbeys in Europe cannot shake away the hangover of the Middle Ages when they tended the sick and the poor with the mysterious elixirs they concocted.

On the banks of Meuse River in Belgium, one such abbey sits with its walls reverberating the horrid memories of its struggle against misfortunes which struck it, wave-after-wave.

The poor monks of the Leffe Abbey were making an ale with secret ingredients even in the 12th century.

Disaster hit Leffe, for the first time in the 15th century. The dark plague struck the shores of Meuse and Leffe had to sacrifice the lives of the Abbot and seven monks.

It was just the beginning.

In 1460, a flood hit the abbey, drowning the then Abbot. The deluge left only the four walls around the abbey and a tower where the remaining monks sought refuge. The monks hardly had any time to repair the buildings when Charles the Bold and his forces hit them. The army looted and vandalised the abbey, leaving it nearly gutted in the fire.

When the going got tough, only the monks got going. Patiently, meditatively, they continued with their tradition of making beer through all the adversities.

By the 18th century, the abbey had been rebuilt but had to welcome a regiment of Polish Hussars, mercenaries who were notorious for their cruelty. They had scant regard for the abbeys religious nature and plundered everything, including the brewery. What they did not guzzle down was broken and flushed out through the drains.

Even the Hussars, though, were far more kind when compared to the next group which stormed in  the French Republican Troops. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. They brought none of these to the portals of the abbey and stormed into the religious centre. Churches were anathema to French revolutionaries and in 1796, the abbey was officially abolished and declared a state property.

Brewing of Leffe ale continued on a small note with the monks working day and night from dark corners of the village. The abbey, meanwhile, was being sold piece-by-piece and passed from generation to generation. It was shut down completely in the 19th century.

During the First and Second World War, the occupying forces melted down most of the brewing equipment from Leffe to make weapons.

Was that the end to the great brewing history of Leffe? Did fate get satiated when it saw the last nail being driven into the coffin?

In 1952, when Father Abbot Nys met Albert Lootvoet, a brewer at Overijse, they had only one thing in their mind  The Leffe ale. They leafed through mouldered, dog-eared papers to study the queer distilling processes and to revive the miraculous potion.

The new beer  Leffe, the flagship of Abbey  was born. No, reborn. It only had to hark back to its long tradition and the travails of monks, who stood stoically against the rage of the elements, diseases and insensitive men, to become an instant hit around the world.

Smooth and fruity with a spicy aftertaste, Leffe Blonde is now available in India as well.

The next time you go to get a pint, dont forget the abbey. Remember its long run through history with all the dark forces behind the poor monks. Hold a glass of pale Leffe, with a rich foamy head, in your hands.

Imagine the monks working, meditatively, in dingy holes besieged by flood, fire and war to make that amber you hold in your hand.

Now take a slow sip. Eyes closed.

(Manu Remakant is a freelance writer who also runs a video blog - A Cup of Kavitha - introducing world poetry to Malayalees. Views expressed here are personal)
Mumbai: Hailstorm over the central parts of Maharashtra, Marathwada and parts of Vidarbha region claimed three lives, with state government officials saying that an assessment of the damage caused has been ordered.

A senior revenue official said the hailstorm started around 7.30 am and continued for the next 30 minutes. According to officials, two men from Jalna and a woman from Washim died in the hailstorm.

"Namdev Shinde, a 65-year-old farmer from Vanjar Umrad village in Jalna tehsil, and Asaram Jagtap (60), from Nivdunga village of Jafrabad tehsil, died today due to the hailstorm in Jalna district. As many as 180 villages from Jalna are badly hit," Collector of Jalna Shivajirao Jondhale told PTI.

A senior officer of the revenue departments said, "Yamunabai Humbad (60) from Washim district died when she was at her farm."

"The hailstorm has severely damaged crops including grapes, cotton, green gram and wheat among others. A sizeable loss of cattle and poultry has been reported. The damage assessment report will be finalised in the next couple of days," said a revenue official from Aurangabad divisional commissionerate.

State Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar, ordering assessment of the damage caused, said, "Every affected village should be visited, the losses should be documented and a report must be filed. The officials can email their final report to the state government."

He said a meeting with crop insurance companies would be held at Mantralaya on Monday.

Many districts such as Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Dhule, Nandurbar and Aurangabad also reported heavy rains this morning, revenue officials said. According to an agriculture department official, farm produce like wheat, oranges and grapes were severely damaged in some areas.

Senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said the victims should get compensation before the start of the state's Budget session, scheduled for February 26. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an advisory that a hailstorm-like situation may develop over parts of Maharashtra.

Taking note of the IMD advisory, the state government had asked farmers to be prepared for the untimely rains and hailstorm.
New Delhi: India is likely to raise with the Trump administration the use of US-made anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) by Pakistan Army to target Indian troops along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, defence ministry sources indicated today.

The Pakistan Army had used the ATMGs during heavy shelling on an Indian Army team along the LoC in Rajouri district of J-K last Sunday in which four army men including a captain were killed, the sources said.

Army sources had said that the Pakistan Army used 120mm mortars and the ATGMs in the Rajouri attack, adding usually Pakistan uses 80mm mortars to target Indian posts along the LoC.

The security establishment here is understood to have been concerned over use of US-made ATGMs by Pakistan considering the expanding Indo-US strategic ties. "We are going to raise the issue with them (the US)", said a source.

The defence and security ties between India and the US have been on an upswing. In June 2016, the US had designated India a "Major Defence Partner" intending to elevate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners.

The Army last week had clearly indicated that it would take retaliatory action against the killing of four army men.

The sources said that Pakistan has been escalating the hostilities along the LoC and in hinterland in J-K to vitiate the atmosphere ahead of panchayat polls in the state.
Panaji: Describing gender inequality as a global phenomenon, Sarah Hawkes, Professor at the University College of London (UCL), said that Indian culture had opened to gender as a non-binary idea much before the Western world.

"The younger generation in the West is understanding this now, while India recognised the third gender much earlier," Prof Hawkes told PTI.

She said that gender inequality was related to a wide spectrum like expression and identity and was not just about male and female.

Prof Hawkes said that in the United Kingdom, opportunity gaps for men and women in education and employment were reducing with the younger generation understanding that gender was not just a binary idea.

She said that gender equality laws at the workplace were bringing a change as these laws enabled people to hold institutions to account, adding that now laws were needed to make society accountable.

India has a vibrant civil society that could make change happen, she said.

"It is people who bring about change while laws ensure sustainability and accountability. We need to work at the top and the bottom. We need to frame policies and strengthen institutions to support the change and we need people to demand a change," she stressed.
New Delhi: A fear of exams has been created among students, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said, emphasising on the need to make examinations simpler after over 10 lakh examinees skipped the state board tests in the last four days.

The sharp dip in the figure comes in the wake of steps taken by the Uttar Pradesh government against the education mafia that aid in the use of unfair means.

"When we said let's conduct a cheating-free exam (then) 10 lakhs students dropped out. This is the figure until now. I don't know what will happen in future," Adityanath said.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister was speaking at the book launch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Exam Warrior' in its Hindi version.

"A fear of exams is being created among students," the chief minister said, adding the book by the prime minister will help address this aspect.

"We are observing and we will not leave it at this. It is necessary to think on how exams could be further simplified," he said.

The chief minister noted that exams should not be looked like as a challenge but as a part of the daily routine.

He gave an example of a Kanwar yatra from Ghaziabad- Haridwar in which, he claimed, over 4 crore people took part last year.

"When I took stock of the situation, I was told that several instructions had been given to avoid any untoward incident. The officials said we have stopped the use of mikes, conches, and bells," he said.

Adityanath said he asked the officials as to why were they trying to impose a ban on the yatra.

He said the officials told him that its route was passing through sensitive areas and it was difficult to man them.

"I said permit people to use mike, conches and bells as per the Supreme Court guidelines. Inspire people so that they themselves welcome the yatra and be part of it," Yogi said, adding that there were no disturbances during the procession.

He asserted that had the government put barriers then it would not have been easy to undertake the pilgrimage.

"So, parents and teachers should not impose any kind of barriers on students and provide them with a conducive climate to cope with exams," he said drawing a parallel.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister claimed that nearly six lakh youths had enrolled for a skill development programme in the last 10 months.

Of these 2.5 lakh youth cleared the tests and more than 1.4 lakh got placement and were earning between Rs 15,000 to 40,000 sitting in villages.

He said that use of technology in 14,000 ration shops in the state was helping to save of Rs 35 crore a month.
Bhubaneswar: A group of people with BJP flags raised slogans, barged into the official residence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's private secretary V K Pandian and vandalised it, the police said.

Following the incident, at least four people were arrested, Commissioner of Police Y B Khurania said.

The miscreants stormed into the compound of the official quarter of Pandian and damaged flower pots. They also hurled cow dung at the main gate accusing the official of working for the ruling BJD and interfering in political affairs, the police said.

Patnaik said, "It is truly a shocking incident as the members of a national party are involved."

The BJP and suspended BJD MP Baijayant Panda had earlier accused Pandian, a 2000 batch IAS officer, of indulging in politics despite being in the civil service.

The Opposition Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Samajwadi Party and the Foward Block strongly condemned the incident and accused the BJP of creating an atmosphere of terror in the state.

"The BJP's terror politics will not succeed in Odisha.

They created such a situation in Gujarat, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and now trying it in Odisha. We condemn such attack on a civil servant," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of the Congress said.

Meanwhile, IAS, IPS, OAS associations, Odisha Karmachari Sangharsh Samiti and other employees bodies strongly condemned the incident and demanded action against the culprits.

"Action should be taken against the culprits as per the law," Odisha IAS association secretary Vishan Dev told reporters.

However, the BJP's state vice-president Samir Mohanty said, "Why is the BJD so worried when Pandian's house is attacked? Many officers across the state are facing vandalism and the ruling party is silent over the matter."

He said it was not proper on the part of a government official to be active in political matters and work for the ruling party.

Hours after the attack on Pandian's house, a BJP delegation lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha against four senior officers, including Pandian, accusing them of violating the model code of conduct which is in force in the state for the February 24 Bijepur Assembly bypoll.

The BJP urged the CEO to direct the four officers to go on leave till completion of the Bijepur bypoll as they were allegedly misusing their official posts in furthering the interests of the ruling BJD.

BJD spokesperson and MP Pratap Deb said the attack was "unfortunate and it exposed the real mindset of BJP leaders".

Asserting that such violent acts and intolerance were unacceptable in a democracy, he said those involved in the incident would be arrested and action would be taken as per the law.
Feb 11, 2018 22:07 (IST)

PM Modi: Sab ka saath, sab ka vikaas is gaining resonance across the globe. You as Indian diaspora are partners in realising the vision of New India. In New India, we no longer procrastinate. In New India, there are no scams. Those who visit India between 2022 and 2024, bullet train project will be a reality. This will not only provide a boost to the railway network but will also give a boost to the innovation and technology sector.
Seoul: North Korea's state news agency said on Sunday its delegation sent to the Winter Olympics held "frank and candid" talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in but there was no mention of the North's invitation to Moon to Pyongyang for a summit.

The delegation, the highest-ranking to visit the South, concludes its visit later on Sunday having charmed and intrigued the South Korean public, but still faces deep scepticism over the North's sincerity towards improving relations.

Any summit between the two still-officially warring Koreas would be a coup for Moon, who has been pushing for a diplomatic solution to the standoff over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of Kim Jong Un, "courteously" handed over a personal letter from the North Korean leader to Moon during talks on Saturday and also told Moon of her brother's "intention", KCNA said, without elaborating on what that was.

South Korean officials have said Moon was invited to Pyongyang to speak with Kim Jong Un during the talks and lunch that Moon hosted at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on Saturday.

Such a summit, if it came about, would mark the first time that leaders of the two Koreas have met since 2007.

US Vice President Mike Pence, who has left South Korea for Washington, said the United States, South Korea and Japan were in complete agreement on isolating North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme.

"There is no daylight between the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan on the need to continue to isolate North Korea economically and diplomatically until they abandon their nuclear and ballistic missile programme," Pence told reporters during the return flight to the United States.

A White House official said that, although Moon did not discuss the invitation with Pence on Saturday, the South Korean president made it very clear that only when North Korea actually starts to take steps to denuclearise would anyone even consider beginning to take the pressure off.

'EARLIEST CONVENIENCE'

According to the Blue House, Kim Jong Un wanted to meet Moon "in the near future" and would like for him to visit North Korea "at his earliest convenience", his sister told Moon.

The South Korean leader said in response "let's create the environment for that to be able to happen", Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a news briefing.

The KCNA report cited Moon as saying inter-Korean relations should be mended by the parties concerned "at any cost as indicated by Chairman Kim Jong Un in his New Year Address".

Kim Yong Nam, the North's nominal head of state who was also at Saturday's meeting, said "even unexpected difficulties and ordeals could be surely overcome and the future of reunification brought earlier when having a firm will and taking courage and determination to usher in a new heyday of inter-Korean relations".

However, South Korea's main opposition party warned any talks between the two Koreas where the scrapping of North Korea's nuclear programme was not a precondition would only "benefit the enemy".

"We should firmly keep in mind any talks where denuclearisation is not a precondition only buy North Korea more time to complete its nuclear capabilities while they fool us with their peace offensive facade," said Chang Je-won, spokesman for the Liberty Korea Party.

Japanese editorials sounded a similar warning, saying dialogue would be meaningless unless it led to denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

"What cannot be overlooked is that Moon did not directly demand North Korea to abandon its nuclear development... Moon should be aware that he has to urge denuclearisation to North Korea by himself, not depending on dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea," an editorial in the Yomiuri Newspaper read.

The North Korean delegation was invited to lunch with South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon at the five-star Walkerhill Hotel in eastern Seoul on Sunday, an official at the prime minister's office told Reuters.
Sunjwan (Jammu): Five soldiers and a civilian were killed after Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists stormed an Army camp in Jammu's Sunjwan. Sources told News18 that three of the soldiers succumbed to their injuries on Sunday.

The security forces killed one more terrorist holed up in the Sunjwan Army camp. The forces had killed two terrorists on Saturday after a group of heavily armed men attacked the camp, leaving two Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) dead, the police had said.

"Total three terrorists have been killed," the army said.

The operation to flush out JeM terrorists entered the second day on Sunday with the Army saying that there was no firing during the night and the focus continued to be the evacuation of people from the family quarters.

A group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in the early hours on Saturday, triggering a gun battle which left two Army personnel including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) dead.

Two of the attackers in combat gear were also gunned down while nine people  a major, three personnel and five women and children  were injured in the day-long operation.

"The operation is on and the evacuation (of people from the family quarters) is in progress," Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.

He said a number of families are still there and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety.

"There was no firing since Saturday night," the officer said, adding that bodies of only two terrorists were recovered from the encounter site.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack. On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of Jammu city, killing seven Army personnel including two officers. Three terrorists were also gunned down.

The terrorists had struck before dawn on Saturday and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear side of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry on its periphery.

"The terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who are holed up in a few houses (inside the camp)," officials said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to avoid civilian casualties.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru who was hanged on February 9, 2013.

(with PTI inputs)
Islamabad: Pakistan today rejected allegations that it was involved in the terror attack on Sunjwan Army camp, saying Indian media and officials make "irresponsible" statements even before any investigation is initiated.

The Foreign Office spokesperson also accused India of carrying out a "smear campaign against Pakistan and the deliberate creation of war hysteria."

"It is a well-established pattern that Indian officials begin making irresponsible statements and levelling unfounded allegations, even before any proper investigation in any incident has been initiated," the Foreign Office spokesperson said, when asked about the attack on Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu.

"A particular segment in the Indian media runs with their innuendos to malign Pakistan and whips up public frenzy. We are confident that the world community would take due cognisance of India's smear campaign against Pakistan, and the deliberate creation of war hysteria," the spokesperson said.

A group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in the early hours yesterday, triggering a gunbattle.

Security forces have neutralised three terrorists holed up in the Army camp while six people, including five Army personnel, were killed in the attack.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack. On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven Army personnel, including two officers. Three terrorists were gunned down in the operation.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013, for the 2001 attack on Parliament House.
Jammu: When the Army was trying to take out the terrorists who attacked the Sunjuwan camp in Jammu, rifleman Nazir Ahmad was not only countering them, but also managed to get her pregnant wife out of harm's way.

He dodged bullets to ensure his wife reached a hospital safely. The woman, who was injured in the firing by the terrorists, delivered a baby girl. Both mother and baby are stable, according to army sources.

"The army doctors worked all night to save the life of the severely injured pregnant woman with gunshots wounds and helped her deliver a baby girl, following a caesarean section operation," Jammu-based army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said.

Former Jammu Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah termed the development as good news. Omar tweeted: Amidst the tragedy reports of some good news - an injured wife of one of the soldiers delivered a baby at the Military Hospital in Jammu.

Five armymen, including two junior commissioned officers (JCOs), and the father of an armyman died, 11 others were injured, besides three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists were killed in the two-day gunbattle, following the terror attack on the military camp on Saturday.
Guwahati: In the second poaching incident in Kaziranga National Park this year, the body of a 20-year-old dehorned rhino was found in the Northern range of the park at Biswanath Chariali on Sunday.

Meanwhile, five elephants were run over and killed by a speeding passenger train in Assams Hojai district late on Saturday.

An adult male rhino was killed by poachers at Polokata Tapu near Silamari area in Kaziranga National Park's sixth addition in northern range. Five rounds of .303 empty cartridges have been recovered from the site, said Divisional Forest Officer of Kaziranga National Park, Rohini Saikia.

Biswanath police are assisting forest officials in a search operation launched in the area with the dog squad pressed into service.

Locals in Biswanth have demanded of the forest department to ensure security to the other rhinos presently taking shelter at the Northern Range. Six rhinos were killed in Kaziranga National Park last year.

The herd of elephants were mowed down by the speeding 15611 Guwahati-Silchar Fast passenger train between Hawaipur and Lumakhang station under Lumding Division of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), an elephant corridor. Assam Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma announced that an FIR would be lodged against NFR for the incident.

Despite having regular talks with the railway authorities, and the imposition of speed restriction of 30kmph along elephant corridors, I fail to understand the repeated negligence on their part. They have built a fence around the elephant corridor restricting free movement of animals. That needs to be removed immediately, Brahma said.

Minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain said that a train cant slow down at will.

We are adhering to speed restrictions along all elephant corridors. In some cases, elephant herds appear in areas that are not notified corridors, said Gohain.

However, a notification issued by the forest department in 2016, a copy of which is available with News18, designated the area as an elephant corridor.

So far, six elephants have been killed by speeding trains this year in Assam. In 2017, nine elephants were killed while in 2016, the figure stood at eight.
New Delhi: Five soldiers and a civilian have been killed in the terror strike at family quarters of army's Sunjawan camp in Jammu and the death toll is expected to climb further as the forces comb through the residential buildings after the encounter.

With the deaths, a total of 23 Indians have lost their lives in cross-border firings and terror incidents in 2018. Not for the last one decade have so many lives been lost in the state within the first two months.

It was in 2007 when under similar circumstances - heavy cross border fire and multiple terror strikes - that 43 security personnel and civilians were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in January and February.

The state has also not seen as many ceasefire violations at the beginning of the year. More than 240 ceasefire violations have been reported by the forces stationed at the border with Pakistan till now.

Pakistan-based terror groups and its troops stationed at the border have made 2018 an especially violent year, which is a serious concern in itself, and also because the present violence is unfolding right after a remarkably bloody year.

Over 1,000 incidents of violence were reported on and around the Pakistan border last year. In these, 19 security personnel lost their lives. Over 40 civilians also died in Jammu and Kashmir last year, some of them in stone pelting incidents, taking the overall civilian plus security personnel toll to 87.

This is excluding the 213 terrorists killed in various encounters. The state has not seen so many deaths and such mass scale violence in more than a decade.

While ceasefire violations are increasing on one hand - 152 in 2015, 228 in 2016, 860 in 2017 and 240 in 2018 already, Pakistan-based terror groups have also stepped up recruitment in the valley - 64 in 2015, 87 in 2016 and 126 in 2017.

The increase in cross-border firing was 400 per cent compared to the previous year and the hike in terror recruitment has been 70 per cent.

The total cadre of various terror groups in the valley - Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, apart from some smaller groups - is estimated to be around 360. Around 203 local militants and 155 from Pakistan are believed to be active in the valley right now, officials said.

Pakistan has not just stepped up the offensive on the border - by attacking the Indian posts with sniper fire, mortar shells and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), it has also facilitated the entry of its home grown terrorists, mostly from JeM, over two dozen of whose cadre are said to have infiltrated into the country.

Forces from both India and Pakistan have gone behind enemy lines and carried out operations in this year only. Four soldiers have been killed on either side in limited scale cross-LoC operations.

And with snow melting in the higher passes of the Pir Panjal range, more infiltration and greater violence can be expected in the coming days. Last week, the forces received another huge jolt when Pakistani LeT commander Naveed Jutt, who was the deputy chief of Lashkar operations in 2014 when he was captured alive, was freed from a Srinagar hospital in a strike in which two policemen were also killed.

The fact that both Lashkar and Hizbul Mujahideen are now grouping together is also well known given that Hizb took responsibility for arranging his escape and killing policemen. Jutt was also seen with photos of Hizb's valley chief Riyaaz Naikoo in recently released photographs.

All signs in the valley point towards increasing violence in J&K for the rest of the year. This is why 2018 may be the most challenging year for New Delhi vis-a-vis J&K in over a decade.
Bhopal: Two girls were seriously injured when two masked men on a bike threw acid on them in Madhya Pradesh's Dindori district.

The incident took place in Gadasarai when the girls were returning home after their examinations. Both the victims, students of class XI, had been rushed to a government hospital with facial injuries, Superintendent of Police K Kartikeyan said.

The police booked the two unidentified men under sections 307(attempt to murder), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention, 326A (punishment for acid throwing) of the IPC.

Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Bhagat Singh Gothria said the man riding the bike was wearing a helmet while his associate hid his face with a mask. He further added that a manhunt had been mounted for the motorcycle-borne men.

Officials quoting eyewitnesses said the attackers had also covered their bike's number plate.
Indian director Ritesh Batra will direct The Handmaid's Tale star Elisabeth Moss in A Letter From Rosemary Kennedy, a biopic on John F. Kennedy's troubled sister. The film, based on a script by Nick Yarborough, portrays the story of John F. Kennedy's troubled older sister who was kept from public view and was eventually institutionalized, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

"The movies about the Kennedy family are deservedly stormy affairs, but here's a story about the storms within all of us. This is why I am excited to tell this story, and to collaborate with Elisabeth, a fabulously talented actor," Batra said in a statement.

Rose Marie aka Rosemary, the daughter of Joseph Kennedy Sr and Rose Fitzgerald, showed signs of mental disability that the family kept hidden. When she was 23, Rosemary was one of the first people to receive a prefrontal lobotomy, but its failure left her permanently incapacitated.

Jason Michael Berman of Mandalay Pictures, Kevin Turen of Guy Grand Productions and Moss share the producer credits for the movie. The project will be unveiled to foreign buyers at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Batra is known for films like "The Lunchbox and Netflix dramas "The Sense Of An Ending" and "Our Souls At Night"
Congress and NCP leaders in Maharashtra have electrified the state politics by giving an in-principle go-ahead to a pre-poll alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The move by the two opposition parties will trigger churning in the state politics.

Significantly, the decision has come close on the heels of Shiv Sena announcing its decision to part ways with long-time ally BJP and contest the next elections on its own.

The division in the Hindutva vote bank  if the BJP and the Sena do not mend fences  is bound to alter electoral calculations in Maharashtra which sends the largest contingent of lawmakers to the Lok Sabha after Uttar Pradesh.

In the last elections, the BJP won over 20 Lok Sabha seats and 122 Assembly seats in the state. Shiv Sena, once the senior partner in the saffron alliance, won 18 Lok Sabha and 63 Assembly seats. The Congress and the NCP who fought the 2014 General Election together got less than 10 seats.

Maratha strongman Sharad Pawars initiative to work with the Congress and like-minded parties has revived the defunct United Progressive Alliance (UPA) after the electoral set back in 2014.

Although it is unclear whether the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the DMK have formally joined the UPA, these parties and the NCP have been by and large seen to be consistently opposing policies of the government and the BJP.

Now, the key issue is what will the Shiv Sena gain by announcing to go alone in Maharashtra. Currently, it is the second largest party in the Maharashtra Assembly after the BJP.

Its leaders are claiming that it will emerge strong and will win more seats if it gets an opportunity to field candidates in all seats.

The problem for Sena is its restricted footprint in a demographically diverse province. The party does not have a face in Vidarbha, Western Maharashtra and there is no guarantee whether its Hindutva card could damage the BJP and give a winning advantage to the Congress and the NCP in north Maharashtra and western Maharashtra.

But Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut is confident that the partys strong cadre and following among OBCs, lower class and middle class in urban and rural areas, would make it relevant after the polls.

According to Sena sources, the BJP would be its main target in the coming battle. We will finish politically if we go back to the BJP before the polls and we cannot afford to have tactical understand with the Congress and the NCP, another Sena leader said.

The BJP leaders privately say that the party would get votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi conceding that neither the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis nor Union minister Nitin Gadkari are the vote catchers.

In the Congress, the party leaders from Vidarbha want the AICC to take a lead in forging a pre-poll alliance with the BSP which will attract Dalits across the state. But BSP supremo Mayawati firmly believes in the post-poll bargaining than a pre-poll alliance.

Marathas and minorities together have been UPAs base vote bank. Congress ability to mobiles the third critical link in this combination  the Mahars or the Dalits  will significantly impact the electoral outcome.

Dalit leaders like Prakash Ambedkar of the BRP-Bahujan Mahasangh are seen to be close to the UPA. While the RPI(A) led by Ramdas Athavale is with the BJP.

But Sharad Pawar can bring the Left, the Samajwadi Party, Janata Parivar, the PWP and some Dalit factions closer to the Congress-NCP if the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi gives him a free hand. This is because neither the state Congress chief Ashok Chavan nor the CM Prithviraj Chavan shares the kind of personal rapport with these leaders as old warhorse Pawar does. Besides, Chavan and the NCP are not comfortable with each other.

A revival of UPA in Maharashtra is bound to strengthen the Congress in other states, especially in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Karnataka who share borders with Maharashtra.

(The author is a senior journalist)
Bhopal: The Congress, which has been out of power in Madhya Pradesh for the last 14 years, is leaving no stone unturned, it seems, to revive its political fortunes in the poll-bound state and stop the BJP from retaining power.

Removing the 'Vastu dosh' (architectural defects) from its party's state headquarters is one such move, which the opposition party feels, will bring good luck and improve its prospects to be back at the helm of affairs in the state.

After consulting 'Vastu Shastra' experts, the party has removed three toilets located near its spokespersons' room on the ground floor of the four-storey office complex  'Indira Bhawan'- in Shivajinagar area in the state capital.

'Vastu Shastra' is a traditional Hindu system of architecture, which literally means 'science of architecture'.

"We consulted 'Vastu Shastra' experts and as per their advice removed three toilets, including the one attached to my room," Madhya Pradesh Congress chief spokesman K K Mishra told PTI.

"The 'Vastu dosh' (defects in the office complex) stand removed now," he added.

Another Congress leader said, "We have cast out the bad omen from our house. Now things will change for us."

Indira Bhawan, which had been inaugurated by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi in March 2006, is currently abuzz with activities and witnessing closed-door meetings ahead of the elections, due by the end of the year.

Party leaders from Delhi have been increasingly paying visits to the office to chalk out strategies for the elections.

"We are going to win the 2018 assembly elections for sure. The party leaders and workers have been working day in and day out," Mishra said.

When asked about how his party plans to tackle the factionalism and bickering that is plaguing the state unit, the Congress leader claimed that the party has almost got rid of it.

He, however, revealed that the party may not project a chief ministerial face for the polls as the infighting has not been completely obliterated.

"We are unlikely to project a chief ministerial face for the assembly polls. If we project one leader, the other groups may start creating trouble," he added.
Jammu: The terror attack on an Army camp in Jammu reflects the "failure and weakness" of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Sunday suggesting that a "policy paralysis" prevailed in the country.

"We do not want to play politics over the attack at a time when terrorists from the neighbouring country are targeting our forces and their families in their homes...(But) why are army installations are being attacked one after the other which means that the Central government has failed," Azad told reporters in Jammu.

The former chief minister said his party was "saddened" by the terror attack on the Army camp at Sunjuwan which left five soldiers and a civilian dead.

"We are saddened by the attack which is the latest in a series of attacks in the past several weeks in which a number of our soldiers were killed or injured. Civilians are also getting killed and injured on borders. We condemn Pakistan and its forces for such actions," he said.

Azad said he visited the injured soldiers and their family members in the hospital this morning and expressed grief to the families of the martyrs and prayed for speedy recovery of the injured on behalf of his party leadership. However, the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha said the attack reflects the "failure and weakness" of the policies of the government.

"Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) talked about policy paralysis time and again. We want to know whether the policy paralysis is this time around or during our period," he said.

The Congress leader praised National Conference working president Omar Abdullah for disassociating from the action of one of his party MLAs in the legislative Assembly on Saturday. He, however, criticized Speaker Kavinder Gupta's remark about Rohingya Muslims.

"With regret I am saying that one of the (NC) MLAs shouted Pakistan 'Zindabad' slogan but want to thank his party, National Conference, which disassociated from his action. Omar deserves praise for his prompt statement on the issue. It is very regretful that an MLA speaks like this," Azad said.

He added that like the statement of the MLA, the Speaker's statement on Rohingya Muslims was "equally irresponsible. The Army has made it clear that the terrorists belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JEM), he said.

"The irresponsible statements, whether by the Speaker or the MLA, arebound to divide the community," he said.

Asked about the stand of his party on the Rohingya settlers, he said the BJP had made it an issue, otherwise there was no input that any of them was involved in terror. It is also part of the BJP's divide and rule formula, he alleged.

Earlier addressing the one-day convention of the party, he came down heavy on the BJP led NDA government and said it came to power by misleading people of the country on falsehood over security and other issues.

"The 56-inch chest has become the international prime minister and is least bothered and concerned over the happenings in the country. He has forget which country he is ruling. He is advising America, British, China and Japan," Azad said targeting Modi.

He said Jammu and Kashmir recorded highest ceasefire violations, killings of security personnel and civilians during the past four years.

Attacking the BJP, Azad said "they have exhausted all other weapons like security of the country, unemployment and farmers' issues, now they are out to divide the people in the name of religion," he alleged.

He said the incidence of rape had also assumed an alarming proportion and the government had miserably failed to deal with the problem.
New Delhi: Actor Kamal Haasan, who has often been questioned about a possible political alliance with superstar Rajinikanth, has said a tie-up seems unlikely as of now and hoped that Rajinikanths colour is not saffron.

Our approach is different... His (Rajinikanths) very first announcements came in a particular hue. I hope it is not saffron, said Haasan in Harvard University on Saturday. The actor-politician delivered an address at Harvard where he talked about various issues that plague Tamil Nadu.

The actor also announced his plan of adopting a village in every district of Tail Nadu. "With the vision of making them the best villages in the world," Hasaan said in his keynote address at the annual Indian conference of the prestigious Harvard University.

Hasaan added that all was not well within Tamil Nadu and slammed the current political class in his state. "The reason I have started a new political party itself shows that I want to walk with the people, not the politicians," he said.

Haasan had recently said that both he and Rajinikanth needed to contemplate if it was necessary for them to join hands and face the election.

Haasan said both of them were being asked repeatedly if they would face the polls together and added that he endorsed the view of Rajinikanth in this respect. "Rajini sir, to this question had said that only time will give an answer and I had seconded that view. Truly, only time will answer," he said in his weekly column in Tamil magazine 'Ananda Vikatan.'

Haasan, who is set to unveil his political party's name and go on a political tour on February 21, said both of them should first formally launch their respective political parties.

Following this, policies should be spelt out and it needed to be seen if these were compatible, he said. "Hence, it is not a decision that can be taken now... Also, both of us need to ponder if that is necessary," he said.

Haasan said the question of aligning with Rajinikanth was not like choosing the star cast for films as both were entirely different things.

On January 17, to a query on forging ties with Haasan, Rajinikanth had said, "Only time will be able to tell that. Let us see in due course of time."

The entry of two top Tamil film stars comes against the backdrop of a perceived vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics after former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's death. The perception gained currency in view of the ill-health of DMK chief M Karunanidhi for over a year following which he was inactive in politics.

(With PTI inputs)
Mohanpur (Tripura): BJP president Amit Shah today asked the people to oust Tripura's 'Lal bhai' government, as he accused the Left cadres of pocketing public funds meant for development and promised to make the state a model one if his party is voted to power.

With the BJP being seen as putting up a strong challenge to the 25-year-old uninterrupted Left reign in the state, Shah led an eight-kilometre road show and addressed rallies in which he sought votes for the state's "transformation".

Ahead of the Assembly polls to be held next Sunday, Shah made a host of promises to the people of the state, including smartphones for youths, implementation of the seventh pay commission for government employees from the next day of his party being voted to power and action against chit fund scam accused.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi, he alleged that the Congress chief had put up candidates as 'vote-katva' (cutting into others' votes) to help the CPI(M) government headed by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar to come back to power.

The Congress was the main opposition party until the last Assembly polls but has seen a serious depletion in its ranks with many of its leaders, including MLAs, joining the BJP.

"The government of 'Lal bhai' and its cadres have looted Tripura for 25 years in the name of development... A BJP government is bound to come. It won't be merely a change of MLAs or government but will usher in its transformation," he said at a rally.

The Left government, he said, was made in the name of the poor but poverty increased in its 25 years of rule and the number of unemployed youths rose to 7.33 lakh from 25,000 during the period.

A BJP government will give employment to every household, Shah said. Taking on Sarkar for his charge that that the Centre had not done much for the state's development, the BJP chief reeled out the names of a number of central schemes and noted that it had released Rs 25,396 crore to Tripura under the 14th finance commission against Rs 7,283 crore it had got under the 13th finance commission.

"Where has all this extra RS 18,000 crore gone? It has gone into pockets of Communist cadres. I dare Sarkar to give an account of this money in his public meeting," Shah said at the rally. Raising the party's slogan, 'Chalo Paltai' (Let's change the government), Shah sought the Left's ouster from the state.

The BJP is contesting 51 out of the 60 Assembly seats, while its ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) is fighting on nine seats. He also accused the Left parties of spreading rumours that the state would be divided if the BJP comes to power and asserted that there would no division and Tripura would remain as it is.

IPFT, which represents sections of tribals, had earlier raised the demand of a separate state but has not pushed for it following its alliance with the BJP, which is opposed to any division of Tripura. Shah said a BJP government would protect and promote the cultural heritage and values of tribals.

Touching on cultural issues of the state, he said the Left government would celebrate birth anniversaries of Lenin and Stalin but not of Vivekananda, Tagore and a revered king of the state. The Left has been finished off in the world and the

Congress is fading away in the country, Shah claimed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ushered in an era of development and that the state should invest in his leadership, he said. At another rally in Chawmanu, Shah accused the Left government of practising politics of violence and said a BJP government will end this and usher an era of development. The Communist government of Tripura has done nothing in last 25 years of its rule, Shah claimed.
Bengaluru: Terming the BSP-JD(S) alliance for the Karnataka Assembly elections a "negotiation" strategy, the Congress has said that Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has not learnt lessons from her defeat in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

The BSP and the Janata Dal (Secular) have announced they are entering into an alliance for the Karnataka polls. The partnership will continue in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BSP leader Satish Chandra Misra and JD(S)'s Danish Ali told reporters on Thursday.

"I think Mayawati's moves are often political. Her objective is to negotiate (for seats)," Congress leader M V Rajeev Gowda said.

The Rajya Sabha MP from Karnakata said Mayawati had twice been taught lesson in Uttar Pradesh, when the opposition remained fractured.

The Congress had to face a triangular contest and the BJP swept the polls in the state. Mayawati managed to get 20 per cent votes, though her party did not win a seat.

The Congress has said the opposition parties will unite and accept Congress president Rahul Gandhi's leadership for the 2019 general elections, against the BJP's alleged communal agenda.

Asked who the next prime ministerial candidate from the Congress would be, Gowda said: "I believe it will be Rahul Gandhi."

He said the fight during the next general elections would be to "save India" and being the leader of the largest opposition party, Gandhi would be "acceptable to everyone".

He claimed the Sangh Parivar was constantly trying to vitiate the communal fabric of the country. He said the country's economy and the agriculture sector were going through a rough patch and the ruling BJP was unable to fulfil the promises it had made to people in its election manifesto.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks about "kabristan", "shamshaan" and "Pakistan", when he feels his poll campaign is not yielding results, Gowda said.

He asked what has Modi earned from his foreign visits and what was happening in Doklam area in the Sikkim sector. "We are seeing that the Chinese troop deployment in the area has increased. In Pakistan, one day you go to a birthday party, the second day you talk (with them) and then on the third you invite the ISI to India to probe Pathankot attack."

Gowda said Modi's "only focus is on managing headlines."

He said there's trouble brewing in India's neighbourhood: "China is trying to encircle India. It is trying to intervene in the Maldives and Sri Lanka. What are we doing to challenge it?"

Gowda is the chief of Congress's research department, which tries to bring the focus back on ideas, policies and facts. He said during the Gujarat election his team focused the development issues in the state and by doing this they had effectively questioned the Gujarat model of development.

Gowda said his team also helps the Congress Parliamentary Party to effectively put forth the issues faced by people. He claimed that the Rafale fighter deal was back in focus because of the questions he had asked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Gowda had asked the per unit cost of the French Rafale twin-engine fighter jet in parliament, but Sitharaman said the government will not be able to divulge the details because of a secrecy pact between the Indian and the French governments. The Congress had tried to corner the BJP government at the Centre during the Budget session of Parliament over the deal.
New Delhi: The Budget session in Parliament had many firsts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced persistent and determined heckling on the floor of the House for the first time. The opposition, which had held its fire to survive and fight another day, came out all guns blazing. And perhaps NDA allies, who have been biding their time, reminded the BJP that it was time they are heard, counted.

During the two Parliamentary party meetings this session, the BJP leadership clearly told its MPs to gear up for battle. Party president Amit Shah insisted MPs get more active on social media for 2019 as "two-thirds of the electorate would be covered" by the internet.

General Secretary Ram Lal is working actively with party whips to ensure that lawmakers are well and truly online.

The Prime Minister, whose recent publication which guides examinees is set to be released in Hindi, is going to address a town hall on February 16. MPs have been told to make the best use of the occasion to reach out to people in their respective constituencies.

Those organising a Satyanarayan Puja (worship of Lord Vishnu) arent the only ones to be blessed, the MPs were told, other participants also get their share of the Punya (good credit).

Some BJP allies, like Shiv Sena, have already opted to go solo. Others, like TDP, are weighing their options. Even smaller parties like Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Upendra Kushwahas Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) are increasingly growing restless. Worryingly, Ram Vilas Paswan had maintained a conspicuous silence but he generally tends to take decisions much closer to the polling date.

The Congress Party has also begun chalking out its plan for Lok Sabha elections. Calls have started going out to potential candidates. In fact, a ticket aspirant from Bihar was asked to list two options if allies need to be accommodated.

Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar last month led an opposition march in Mumbai. Post the Bhima-Koregaon violence, NCP-Congress are also attempting to mobilise Marathas, Muslims and Mahars to take on the BJP.

There are even signs that Arvind Kejriwal, hitherto a persona non grata, is being accommodated in the opposition ranks. Newly elected Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh has been seen accompanying UPA leaders to President House.

Silence among all of this is coming from Mayawati and the Bahujan Samaj Party. The political outfit has decided to forge an alliance with the JD(S) in Karnataka, ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

These two, along with Naveen Patnaiks BJD, were the major parties to not take part in the opposition delegation, led by Rahul Gandhi, to push President Ram Nath Kovind to seek a probe in Justice Loyas case.

The Mahayagna (ritual sacrifice), to elect the next government at the Centre, has well and truly begun. What remains to be seen is, who will get ahuti (offering), and from which side of the fence.
New Delhi: Taking a leaf out of PM Narendra Modi's book, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday held a 'chai par charcha' session in Gwalior.

The session was organised to provide the Bihar chief minister an opportunity to interact with Biharis living in Gwalior.

"It is a specialty of Bihar that its people are spread to all corners of the country. Bihar is an ancient land, like Gwalior. Our link is ancient," he said.

"People from Bihar are not a burden of any land. Instead, they help lift burdens," he added.

Talking about his alcohol prohibition policy in Bihar, Kumar said, "A lot of states in this country have been unable to implement the policy though Bihar has showed them how to do it."

Apart from the interactive session, Kumar also visited a camp for the differently abled in the city, where he was the chief guest for a function. The function was also attended by President Ram Nath Kovind, Governor of MP Anandiben Patel, Haryana Governor Captain Singh Solanki, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with Central ministers Thawarchand Gehlot and Narendra Singh Tomar.

Kumar was in Gwalior to attend a program honouring Ram Manohar Lohiya.
Koppal: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has set the ball for the Karnataka Assembly election campaign rolling. The newly elected party president launched 'Janaashirwada Yatra' from Hospet in Bellary district on Saturday.

During the first leg of campaigning, Rahul has chosen to visit six backward districts in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, namely Hospet, Koppal, Raichur, Yadgir, Gulbarga and Bidar.

It began with a public rally at Hospet. It was attended by a rousing crowd, who were mostly supporters of Anand Singh, an ex-BJP MLA from the constituency who recently joined the Congress.

The Congress scion reminded those present of the benefits they've received since the UPA government amended the constitution to grant the region a special status under Article 371 (J).

He went on to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi about false promises on jobs and corruption while asking him to learn a lesson or two from Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah.

The praises for Siddaramaiah kept coming, leaving no doubt that he will be the chief ministerial candidate for the Congress in Karnataka.

"Chief Minister Siddaramaiah runs the Karnataka vehicle by looking ahead but PM Modi is someone who drives his vehicle looking into the rearview mirror. He doesnt know what is in front of him. If there's a pothole, the vehicle falls," said Rahul.

BJP was quick to respond to that jibe with State party president, BS Yeddyurappa hitting out at the Congress.

Dear #ElectionHindu @OfficeOfRG, did the #RearViewMirror help you spot Santosh Lad, Anand Singh & Venugopal seated behind you and remind you of the land, mining & 'rape scam' (still wondering what it means)? Are Objects in the mirror closer than they appear? #Dare2Answer (sic), tweeted the former CM.

Dear #ElectionHindu @OfficeOfRG, did the #RearViewMirror help you spot Santosh Lad, Anand Singh & Venugopal seated behind you and remind you of the land, mining & 'rape scam' (still wondering what it means)? Are Objects in the mirror closer than they appear? #Dare2Answer pic.twitter.com/XGflqEiyKC B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) February 10, 2018

Rahul continued his temple run in Karnataka as well. After the public meeting, the Congress leader sat in the Yatra vehicle and visited the Huligemma Temple. The 700-year-old worship spot is devoted to the self-manifestation of Goddess Durga and is located near the Tungabhadra River.

Next stop was the Gavi Siddeshwara Mutt in Koppal. Run by the Lingayat community, Rahuls visit here is a sign that he was willing to reach out to traditional BJP voters as well. Children studying at an ashram run by the mutt trust came to receive the leader. He spent nearly 20 minutes inside.

On the last day of his trip, Rahul is scheduled to visit another Lingayat Mutt, Anubhav Mantapa, in Bidar. It is dedicated to the 12th-century reformer, Basavanna.

The Congress leader ended the day addressing two more public rallies in Koppal and Yelburga, where he reiterated that the public would soon have to make a choice and that their futures depended upon this.

On the second day of his rally, Rahul will travel through Koppal and Raichur and address a meeting with Farmers Union representatives at Sindanur in Raichur.
Koppal (Karnataka): Stepping up his attack on the BJP over the issue of corruption, Rahul Gandhi today said while the Congress's Siddaramaiah government had a scam-free rule, the BJP had broken "world records" in graft in Karnataka.

The Congress president, continuing with the first leg of his poll campaign in north Karnataka for the second day, said when the BJP was in power in the state, there were "scams one after the other".

"In the last five years there was not even a single scam, and during their (BJP) time there were scams one after the other, from mining to what not, different scams," he said.

At roadside meetings in Koppal district during his ongoing 'Janashirvad Yatra' here ahead of Assembly polls in the state, Gandhi said, "Elections are coming, support the Congress party and Siddaramaiah. Once again bring our government here so that we can together work for you."

The Congress president, who is travelling by a special bus along with other state leaders, received an enthusiastic response from party workers and people who had gathered in large numbers on both sides of the road at different places. Gandhi also alighted from the bus and walked some distance along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC President G Parameshwara at Kushtagi, giving anxious moments to security personnel as the surging crowds tried to get close to him.

At the public meetings, Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talking about corruption in Karnataka overlooking his own party's "track record" while running the government in the state.

Pointing out that the previous BJP government had seen three chief ministers, he said four ministers had gone to jail and had to resign. "But still Modiji comes here and speaks about corruption against us," he said. The BJP government in the state had seen three chief ministers -- B S Yeddyurappa, Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar -- in five years from 2008. "The previous BJP government in Karnataka broke world records in corruption and they come here and talk on corruption pointing at us," he added.

Asking the people to support Congress in the coming elections, Gandhi urged them to thereby contribute towards the progress of Karnataka at a much "faster pace".

Claiming credit for implementing Article 371(J) of the Constitution, giving special status to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, where he is now on tour, he said during the NDA rule, then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani had said it (giving special status) could not be done, holding that it would open up a "Pandora's box" with others making similar demands.

Attacking the central government for not waiving farmers' loans despite agrarian distress, Gandhi appreciated the Karnataka government's move writing off loans. "This is the difference between the Congress and BJP," he said. He targeted Modi on issues of unemployment, demonetisation and the GST, referring to the tax regime as the "Gabbar Singh Tax".
Hyderabad: The Centres 1,269 crore dole out to Andhra Pradesh has failed to pacify the Telugu Desam Party as unhappy party MPs reminded the BJP that their demand of a special package for the state has support cutting across party lines, in a veiled threat that it would have no shortage of partners if it decides to walk out of the alliance.

All parties and all MPs, even BJP MPs, from Congress, NCP, TMC, BJD, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, TRS  all parties are supporting our demands, Guntur MP Jayadev Galla said at a press conference on Sunday.

The reason why there is such comprehensive support cutting across ruling party, alliance partners, neutral parties and opposition parties is because they have seen that our demands are genuine and justified and necessary for our state to recover financially after the severe negative impact of bifurcation, he added.

Galla, who was flanked by state party chief Kala Venkat Rao, MP Ram Mohan Naidu and party leader Kutumaba Rao, said that BJP was trying to avoid the real issue of giving special status to the state by releasing funds that were already rightfully theirs. General budgetary allocations should not be confused with the special package, he said.

The Centre had on Saturday released the sum under different heads in what was seen as a sweetener amid a strain in ties. The gross grant included Rs 417.44 crore for the Polavaram multipurpose project, one of the issues of contention between the allies.

But Galla said that Polavaram was just one of the pressing issues. There are five items which we consider as priority for the state including Polavaram, Amaravati, budget deficit, special package in lieu of special status and a railway zone, he said.

The TDP has been at loggerheads with the Centre over the "raw deal" given to AP in the Union Budget 2018-19 and the party MPs have protested in Parliament on the issue saying no specific allocations were made to the state.

TDP leaders said they have been pushed to the corner by the BJP leadership and have no option but to take on its ally to get their due. AP chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has repeatedly voiced concerns about the special package, held emergency meetings with party leaders and had also threatened to go his own way if needed.

Galla also took on Andhra Pradeshs BJP chief, Hari Babu, who had presented a 27-page report on Saturday, by saying that he is just trying to bring in confusion by quoting irrelevant figures for funds which are rightfully theirs.

MP Ram Mohan Naidu went a step further and said that BJP has made a mockery of the issue by distorting facts, together with the YSR Congress Party.

On one hand we have school children signing one lakh cards to send to PM asking special status to state. On other hand we have YSRCP and BJP distorting the facts and making this serious issue a mere mockery for the state, he said.
Kulubari (Tripura): Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain on Saturday said Muslims in Tripura are patriots who did not go to Pakistan after Independence though the state shares a long border with Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan.

Thousands of Muslims were killed while performing 'namaz' at mosques in Pakistan, but not a single such incident had ever occurred in India, Hussain said at an election meeting in Kulubari in Sipahijala district.

"BJP is not a party of only Narendra Modi, but also a party of Shahnawaz Hussain. It is a party of the common people and it is a secular party, not communal party," he said at the meeting in support of the party candidate in the Muslim majority Boxanagar constituency.

After the partition of India in 1947, Muslims did not migrate to East Pakistan and chose to stay in Tripura because they are a patriotic force, Hussain, also BJP spokesman, said. Muslims comprise around 8 per cent of the population of Tripura.

The state has a long border with Bangladesh and many Muslims living near the border were evicted or faced various other problems due to erection of the border fencing, but Chief Minister Manik Sarkar never took up the matter with the Centre, he alleged.

Hussain said when he was the civil aviation minister, he had arranged for direct flight to Mecca from Guwahati.

Criticising the ruling CPI(M) led Left Front for allegedly branding the BJP as a communal party, Hussain claimed actually communists are communal.

"Before the crumbling of USSR, many provinces of the country were Muslim majority such as Kazakstan and Uzbekistan. The communist rulers there had demolished mosques," he said.

The former union minister said the BJP had won in various states with a sizable portion of Muslim population because they supported the party.

He cited the examples of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir.

"Our best friends are Hindus. We all Muslims should be proud that we were born in India. You would never find friends like Hindus and a country like India," Hussain said.

However, he admitted that in a country of 125 crore there might be some stray incidents of communal violence.
Lucknow: With a month left for the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls, the BJP is banking on "achievements of the Modi and Yogi governments" to retain the two seats while the Opposition is counting on the "failures of the Uttar Pradesh government" to wrest them from it.

The BJP is counting on the "achievements of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath," to gain electoral success even as the Congress has said it will highlight the "failures of the state government" before the people.

Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies were vacated by chief minister Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya respectively, after they became members of the UP Legislative Council.

The bypolls will also be a test for the Congress after its impressive performance in Gujarat polls in December and more recently in bye-elections in Rajasthan.

For the BJP, Gorakhpur assumes significance as it is the bastion of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has represented it in Lok Sabha five times. Prior to Adityanath, Gorakhpur was represented in the Parliament by his mentor Avaidyanath three times.

Phulpur, on the other hand, which was once the bastion of the Congress, and represented by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, for the first time witnessed a saffron surge in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when Maurya emerged victorious.

The Lok Sabha bypolls are considered to be the first major battle of ballot, after the BJP stormed to power in UP in 2017 Assembly elections, bagging 325 out of 403 Assembly seats along with its allies. The Election Commission had on Friday (February 9) announced that the bypolls on the seats will be held on March 11.

"The BJP is always ready for elections. We are a cadre-based party. I am confident that the party will improve its winning margin," UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi told PTI. Exuding confidence that the BJP will sweep the bypolls, Tripathi said, "March 11 is a significant date for us, as it was on this day last year that the BJP and its allies had bagged 325 out of the 403 Assembly seats in UP.

Then (in 2017) we had banked on the performance of Modi government only. Now, we have the achievements of Yogi and Modi governments (to show to the people)." Taking a jibe at the Congress and the SP, he said, "The two opposition parties had forged a pre-poll alliance to contest the Assembly polls. Now, the Opposition is virtually scattered. When they could not damage the BJP unitedly then how can they damage (the BJP) by contesting individually."

However, the Congress claimed that an atmosphere of fear is prevailing in UP, and it will highlight failures of the Yogi Adityanath government before the people.

"We will contest from both parliamentary constituencies. The UP government has failed miserably on the law and order front. An atmosphere of fear is prevailing across the state. The problems are far from being resolved," UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh said.

Accusing the BJP of "not fulfilling" its poll promises, the Samajwadi Party said that voters will punish the BJP. "We are confident that people of UP will teach the BJP a lesson for making false promises during the last election and not fulfilling them," SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan said.

"We are ready for polls. We are going to contest strongly on both the seats on our own strength." Sajan also claimed that public mood was not favourable for the BJP-led state government because of the poor law and order situation.
Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday witness the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the first Hindu temple in the capital of the UAE, home to over three million people of Indian origin.

Temple Committee members presented the temple literature to Modi, who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

"This will be the first stone temple to be built in Abu Dhabi off Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the country.

"The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi will come up on 55,000 square metres of land and the groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday will be a historic event," said Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri.

The Indian Prime Minister will flag off laying of the temple's foundation stone during the community event.

"On Sunday, you will see a groundbreaking ceremony, which is going to be live-streamed into Dubai Opera House. It's going to be tradition meeting technology," Suri said.

Modi will hold a meeting with the Indian community at Dubai Opera House, he said, adding that representatives of all major organisations and a number of Indian professionals have been invited.

"The occasion is going to be historic for a different reason because it will also see the commencement of the first Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi. We are very pleased that we have received 55,000 square metres of land near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway," Suri said.

The temple will be hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the UAE. It will be completed by 2020, and open to people of all religious backgrounds.

It will be the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the Middle East, said a spokesperson from the BAPS.

Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), is a socio-spiritual Hindu organisation set up in 1907 that runs more than 1,100 temples and cultural compounds around the world.

The temple will incorporate all aspects and features of a traditional Hindu temple as part of a fully functional, social, cultural and spiritual complex.

It will replicate the BAPS temple in New Delhi and the one under construction in New Jersey, a trust member told Khaleej Times.

The investment from the UAE to India exceeds USD 11 billion.
Lahore: Asma Jahangir, Pakistan's renowned human rights lawyer, social activist and an outspoken critic of the country's powerful military establishment, died here today of cardiac arrest, her daughter said.

Known for her outspoken nature and unrelenting pursuit for human rights, Asma, 66, was the first woman to serve as the President of Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.

"I am devastated @ loss of my mother Asma Jahangir. We shall B announcing the date of funeral soon. We R waiting 4 our relatives 2 return 2 Lahore," her daughter Muneezay Jehangir said in a tweet.

"Asma suffered heart attack today morning and she was rushed to Hameed Latif Hospital Lahore where she breathed her last. Doctors tried to save her life but couldn't," said senior lawyer Adeel Raja.

As the news of her death broke, condolences started pouring in from lawyers, rights activists and politicians. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan condoled the death of Asma and termed it an "unbearable loss" for the country.

"Deeply saddened by the news of sudden demise of renowned lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jahangir sahiba. Pakistan has lost a passionate champion of human rights and a staunch supporter of democracy. May her soul rest in peace!," Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said in a tweet. "Democracy, human rights and resistance against oppression lost a great soldier- Asma Jehangir. It's everyone's loss. What a sad day!," Maryan Nawaz, daughter of Nawaz Sharif, tweeted.

Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Ali Ahmad Kurd termed Asma was the "champion" human rights activist. "She was the brave rights activist who inspired many in the country and abroad. The vacuum from her death may not be filled," he said.

"Asma Jahangir was an icon of our times  fearless defender of human rights. She inspired so many and left a rich legacy. Pakistan is a poorer place without her," said noted Pakistani journalist Raza Rumi.

Asma is survived by two daughters and a son. Her daughter Muneezay is a TV anchor. Born in January 1952 in Lahore, Asma co-founded and chaired the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She has also been Supreme Court Bar Association president. After obtaining LLB degree from the Punjab University in 1978, she started her career as an advocate at high and Supreme courts.

Asma became a champion democracy activist and was subsequently imprisoned in 1983 for participating in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy against the military rule of Pakistan's longest-serving President Ziaul Haq.

In 1986, she moved to Geneva and became the vice-chair of the Defence for Children International. She remained there until 1988 before moving back to Pakistan. In 1987, she co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and became its Secretary General until 1993 when she was elevated as commission's chairperson.

Asma also played an active role in the famous Lawyers' Movement to restore Iftikhar Chaudhry as the chief justice of Pakistan. She has constantly raised the issue of "missing persons" in Pakistan and calling for grilling of intelligence agencies.

She was critical of the Supreme Court for "judicial activism" and also criticised the apex court for disqualifying Nawaz Sharif from the office of prime minister in July last year. Asma has received several awards including the 2014 Right Livelihood Award, 2010 Freedom Award, Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2010 and Sitara-e-Imtiaz.

She was also been an outspoken critic of Pakistan's powerful military establishment, including during her tenure as the first-ever female leader of Pakistan's top bar association. Asma was arrested in 2007 by the government of then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, and in 2012 claimed her life was in danger from the country's top spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Jakarta: Indonesian police have shot a sword-wielding man who attacked church congregation during Sunday Mass, injuring four people including a priest.

Around 100 people were attending the mass at the church in Sleman town, Yogyakarta province when a man barged in wielding a one-metre-long sword and began attacking people seemingly indiscriminately.

"Four people have been injured in the incident  quite seriously  but we still cannot determine the perpetrator's motive," Yogyakarta police spokesman Yulianto told AFP.

A congregation member Andhi Cahyo said a few minutes after the mass started, a congregation member barged into the church with a bleeding head. A young man holding a sharp weapon was chasing him.

"Everybody started panicking and screaming, I was scrambling to save my wife and children," Cahyo told AFP.

People in the church ran out through another door and the assailant pursued them while also destroying church property.

He also attacked a priest who was standing at the altar.

Police arrived on the scene shortly after the attack and fired a warning shot into the air to subdue the perpetrator, who refused to surrender.

"After the warning shot was fired, the attacked charged towards the officer with his sword. The officer then shot him below his stomach, but he managed to injure the cop before being subdued," Cahyo said.

All victims have been taken to Panti Rapih hospital for treatment.

The incident was the latest attack in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country against a minority group in Indonesia, which is home to significant numbers of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists.

In 2016 several children were injured after a man allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at a church during a Sunday service.
Colombo: A political party backed by Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa looks set for a landslide victory in local polls, results showed on Sunday, potentially undermining the island nation's unity government and its reform agenda.

The unexpectedly strong showing could lead to defections away from the centre-left party led by President Maithripala Sirisena, a partner in the country's coalition government, analysts said, creating instability in the legislature.

The local polls were the first elections since the unity government of Sirisena's centre-left Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's centre-right United National Party (UNP) took office in August 2015.

Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a party formed by breakaway members of Sirisena's party, had won control of 223 local councils out of a total 328 that had declared results as of 1545 GMT. The UNP took control of 42 councils and SLFP 10.

Results for a further 42 local councils have not yet been announced.

The local elections were long delayed. The councils were dissolved more than two years ago after their tenure ended.

"Rajapaksa's electoral performance comes as a surprise and will be problematic for President Sirisena," Shailesh Kumar, director with political risk consultants Eurasia Group, told Reuters.

Dinesh Gunawardena, an SLPP legislator, told reporters in Colombo the Sirisena "government has lost the people's mandate and should resign now".

CORRUPTION CHARGES

Family members of Rajapaksa, now a legislator on the opposition benches, are facing corruption charges ranging from misappropriation of state properties to unexplainable assets

Two of Rajapaksas sons, Namal and Yoshitha, have been arrested and released on bail over money laundering allegations.

His brother, Basil, who headed the economic development ministry, has also been arrested at least three times - twice over suspicion of misuse of anti-poverty funds and once over suspicion of laundering money and released on bail.

All three men deny any wrongdoing.

"The Rajapaksas will try to use this victory and destabilise the government to cover up their corruption charges," Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told Reuters. "But we will stand united and maintain political stability in parliament."

Rajapaksa, 72, commands the backing of 54 members of parliament who have defected from Sirisena's party. The president's party has 41 legislators and the prime minister's party commands 106 MPs in the 225-member parliament.

"The parliament is likely to see defections, and Rajapaksa will call the shots," Kusal Perera, a local political columnist, told Reuters.

Lakshman Yapa Abeyawardene, a junior minister in Sirisena's party, said the president had discussed the situation with members of his SLFP and had said the results represented a vote against the prime minister's reform agenda.

"The president wanted to tell the media that he is going to make a big change," he told Reuters, without elaborating.

Rajapaksa campaigned against the government's failure to curb the cost of living and to take action against corruption, as well as against higher taxes, the privatisation of state assets, and reduced welfare for the poor and retired soldiers.

The government has promised a new constitution that devolves power, the facilitation of an international probe into alleged war crimes during the final phase of a 26-year civil war, IMF-backed fiscal discipline and post-war reconciliation.

However, it has yet to deliver on these reforms or on promised anti-corruption measures.

The two coalition parties' unexpected defeat follows a bitter fight between them, with each blaming the other for the failures in the run-up to the local polls.

The president and his supporters have opposed or neutralised many of the UNP reforms. Under the constitution, Sirisena cannot dissolve the parliament until early 2020, while the parliament needs a two-thirds majority to impeach the president.

Sirisena has said he wants to take charge of the economy, which is currently handled by the UNP.

Danushka Samarasinghe, research head at Softlogic Stockbrokers said the results could bring more uncertainty to the market and ongoing economic reforms could be overshadowed by parliamentary politics.
Istanbul: A Turkish army helicopter was shot down by Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters near the north Syrian town of Afrin, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, and the Turkish military said two soldiers on board the aircraft were killed.

YPG sources separately confirmed the downing of the helicopter.

"One of our helicopters was downed just recently," Erdogan told members of his AK Party in Istanbul. "These things will happen, we are in a war ... We might lose a helicopter, but they'll pay the price for this."

A statement from the Turkish military did not specify a reason for why the helicopter crashed. It said two soldiers on board were killed and technical crews were investigating the crash.

The downed helicopter was the first officially confirmed loss of a Turkish aircraft over Syria since the start of the country's long-running civil war.

In another statement, the Turkish military said a total of nine soldiers were killed and 11 wounded on Saturday in clashes with mainly Kurdish forces near Afrin. It said it had killed 39 militants.

Ankara launched an air and ground offensive last month against Kurdish fighters in Syria's Afrin region on its border, opening a new front in the multi-sided Syrian war.

Separately, the Turkish military said on Friday the construction of a fifth military post near Syria's northwestern region of Idlib had begun.

Turkey agreed to set up 12 observation posts in Idlib and neighbouring provinces under a deal reached with Tehran and Moscow to try to reduce fighting between pro-government forces and mainly Islamist insurgents in northwest Syria.

However, the "de-escalation" in violence they were meant to monitor has collapsed. The Syrian army, alongside Iranian-backed militias and heavy Russian air power, launched a major offensive in December to take territory in Idlib province.

Idlib is one of the last main strongholds of rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad, who have been driven from most of their bastions in Syria since Russia joined the war on the side of Assad's government in 2015. Turkey has long been one of the main allies of the anti-Assad rebels.
Two Ohio police officers were shot to death on Saturday while responding to a domestic disturbance in the Columbus suburb of Westerville, and a suspect was wounded and is in custody, officials said.

The two officers were immediately fired upon when they entered an apartment responding to a 911 call that had hung up, Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said at a news conference.

"These were two of the best we had. This was their calling and they did it right," said Morbitzer, his voice halting and thick with emotion.

Officer Eric Joering, 39, died at the scene, and Officer Anthony Morelli, 54, died from his wounds at a hospital. Morbitzer said they had been responding to a "domestic situation."

The suspect was wounded and taken to a hospital, a city spokeswoman said. The suspect's condition and identity have not been released.

Columbus police are heading the investigation into the shooting, Morbitzer said.

Excluding Saturday's shootings in Ohio, 12 U.S. law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty this year, nine in firearms-related incidents, according to the non-profit National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

The Westerville shootings came a day after a Georgia police officer was shot and killed and two sheriff's deputies were wounded by a gunman who was then killed.

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter, "My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers, their families, and everybody at the @WestervillePD."
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Africas richest man, Mr Aliko Dangote, interacted last week on the multi-billionaires plan to expand investments in Zimbabwe.



The Sunday Mail understands Mr Dangote is likely to venture into agriculture in addition to already stated interests in cement manufacturing, coal mining and thermal power.



Brandme International executive director Mrs Josey Mahachi-Agbeniyi facilitated the conversation between President Mnangagwa and Mr Dangote; and the President subsequently met Dangote Group CEO (Agriculture) Mr Robert Coleman in Harare on Friday.





Geologists from Dangote Group are expected in Zimbabwe this week while Mr Dangote will likely come in March.





Mrs Mahachi-Agbeniyi told The Sunday Mail: I decided to revive communication links with Mr Dangote because a lot happened before, and he believes the messages that are being made by this new dispensation.





Mr Dangotes technical teams will be in the country in a few days time and I am in the process of sorting their visas. There are things that went wrong the last time, but the ministers are committed to correcting what went wrong. He is very keen on coming back to Zimbabwe and investing in the country.





He has added another interest, which is agriculture; this is why Mr Robert Coleman, the CEO of Dangote Groups agriculture firm, came to the country to meet President Mnangagwa.





On his first visit to Zimbabwe in 2015, Mr Dangote met then President Robert Mugabe, pledging to invest in coal mining, cement manufacturing and power generation.

Forbes magazine estimates Mr Dangotes net worth at over US$14 billion.

Last week, Russian billionaire Mr Dmitry Mazepin was in Zimbabwe to explore fertiliser manufacturing and mining opportunities.





He met President Mnangagwa and held discussions with Cabinet ministers and representatives of fetiliser giant Chemplex. Mr Mazepin owns one of Russias largest fertiliser manufacturers, Uralchem, which specialises in potash.





According to Forbes magazine, he has an estimated net worth of US$7,7 billion. Sunday Mail
THE Governments business-friendly policies have restored confidence in Zimbabwes economy as seen in the surging number of investors flocking into the country, President Mnangagwa has said.



The President expressed satisfaction with the way Zimbabwe was now attracting high-value investors, among them Russian billionaire, Mr Dmitry Mazepin, who was in the country last week to explore fertiliser manufacturing and mining investments. President Mnangagwa was addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters here yesterday.



The President said, We are now saying Zimbabwe is open for business, Zimbabwe is open for business.



He said soon after he became President, he visited South African President Jacob Zuma as the chairman of Sadc, and also had the opportunity to meet business people based outside the country who promised to invest back home.



On foreign relations, President Mnangagwa said British Prime Minister Mrs Theresa May, an hour after his inauguration in November, sent her envoy to discuss possible re-engagement with

Zimbabwe.



One hour of the new dispensation, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mrs Theresa May sent her minister saying lets go back to the old ties. I told him that I was still to come up with a Cabinet and then work on our relationship. Another Minister was sent to me and so we agreed to restore relations with Britain but the issue of land reform is not reversible. So Britain will have to open its doors on that condition because they are the ones who closed them in the first place, he said.



President Mnangagwa said reports by the media that Harare was going to give back land to former white owners were false. He reiterated that there was no way the Government would take back the land from the previously marginalised black people and give it back to whites saying that would be

tantamount to selling out the liberation struggle.



When the media report, they say we are going to give back our land to the white people, no, that is not correct. Gains of the land reform programme are not reversible. Now we are under this new political dispensation and we are saying we are open for business. The last 18 years saw the country remaining isolated and received sanctions from the West. But we thank you Zimbabweans for remaining resolute, for remaining united. We were given a choice of either taking back our land or getting sanctions and we chose to get our land and faced sanctions and you remained resolute, said President Mnangagwa.



President Mnangagwa said the coming in of Prime Minister May reminded him of 1979 when Britain was being led by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher whom he said played a crucial in the Lancaster House Conference which culminated in the independence of Zimbabwe.





During the 1979 Lancaster House Conference, there was Margaret Thatcher. Now we have Prime Minister May and relations (between Harare and London) have started (to improve). Then came the likes of (Tony) Blair and our relations were strained. So I think Britain should be ruled by females and our relations will be cordial, he said.





The President said Government has put in place the Land Commission to do a national audit of how land was parcelled out to the masses. President Mnangagwa said multiple farm owners will lose some farms while those with very big farms will have them downsized.





We want to allocate land to landless people and some are set to lose farms while others will be downsized. Now we are giving out 99-year leases which are bankable. We are an agro-based country and Government decided to support the agriculture sector through programmes like the Command Agriculture and Presidential Input Support Scheme, he said.





President Mnangagwa said now that Zimbabweans had land at their disposal, it was time that the Government assisted them in modernising operations, equipping them with modern machinery and value addition of crops such as cotton.





The President said the harmonised elections will be held by July urging the ruling party supporters to go and register to vote. He said new political parties were sprouting all over like mushrooms while others were disintegrating because they had no rich history of the liberation struggle.





We all know that the only party that has gone through a long journey is Zanu-PF, a journey which can be described, a journey from the liberation struggle to empowerment of people. There is no other party with such a rich history and a lot small opposition parties are now sprouting all over like mushrooms but Zanu-PF will continue ruling. So we urge you to vote wisely, he said.





President Mnangagwa said the country was going to hold peaceful elections.

We want a peaceful election; we want a peaceful election. We want a united people, non-violence, non-violence. There is no reason for Zanu-PF to be violent. There is no reason for any other political party to be violent. There is no reason for any Zimbabwean to be violent. We are a peaceful people. Go and look at the transition in November last year where hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people came to Harare, marched in Harare peacefully and not even a single window of the shops was broken. It was peaceful.





He went on, The entire (African Union) said to me, when we were at the Summit, that they are proud as an African continent, they are proud that Zimbabwe showed that an African country can resolve its problems peacefully.





Because we are going to have a peaceful election, a free election, a transparent election, why would we not allow our election to be observed? Generally, Sadc observes our elections, the AU observes our elections.





This time around, I am opening (it to) the (European Union) and the United Nations to also come and observe our elections. There is nothing to hide. Sunday Mail
Norton legislator Mr Temba Mliswa (Independent) has described President Mnangagwa as a workaholic and visionary who is driven by an indomitable willpower to deliver, and noted that his lieutenants needed to shape up in order to match his work ethic.



The straight-talking Member of Parliament told The Herald on Wednesday last week on the sidelines of the 2018 Mining Indaba that the President had represented the country so well, so genuinely and so sincerely.



To me, the President (Mnangagwa) has a vision and the goodwill is amazing. I have always said this and I keep saying this to people: our President is a brand and he is rebranding the country, which is important. He is the number one Statesman; he is the chief spokesperson for us wherever he goes, and he has done it so well, so genuinely, so sincerely, and I am just afraid that his team probably might not be up to it.



If not, they have to pull up their socks, said Honourable Mliswa. For public officials, he said, part of being patriotic involves resigning from roles they feel ill-suited for.







I have always said . . . if they realise that the socks are not coming up, its best for them to allow those who have their socks up already to be in office. Because we dont want a situation where people are fired. I think part of patriotism is resigning because you cannot fit into the vision, he said.





The often abrasive legislator  who attended the week-long meeting of global investors and government representatives, particularly from Africa, in his capacity as the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development  also noted that while people are beginning to talk about President Mnangagwas work ethic, he has always been like that, even before he assumed the highest office in the land.





He (President Mnangagwa) works. People are saying he goes in the office at the weekend and so forth  that has always been his style. If you understand the President that we have, he has always operated like that  he is an early bird, finishes late and he has hit the ground running.





Our minister of mines, which I preside over (sic), has certainly hit the ground sprinting, which is good. But Parliament is concerned about companies that continue to hold claims without exploiting them, including the high royalties and taxes that are allegedly putting off most investors, he said.





He also noted that there must be renewed effort to implement the use it and lose it policy in order to ensure that mining companies do not unnecessarily hold land for speculative purposes. Honourable Mliswa questioned the time it is taking to consummate the $4,8 billion-dollar platinum mining project in Darwendale. On September 16, 2014, Zimbabwe and Russia signed several agreements, one of which involved the proposed $4,8 billion deal.





The envisaged venture was between Pen East Investments, a Zimbabwean company, and Afronet, a consortium of three Russian partners. The two entities ultimately formed Great Dyke Investments (GDI). Honourable Mliswa said: Why are we not allowing companies like GDI in Darwendale to operate? Why are we speculating? Its a big project. The Russians are involved as well. And as Parliament, we are not happy.





We dont care who is involved. We are another arm of the State, which has oversight on another arm, and we shall be bringing them before us. Why are they sitting on this multi-billion-dollar asset and yet the economy is struggling?





According to the legislator, President Mnangagwa has been shrewd in not rushing to put in place a law to give legal underpinning to the revised Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act in order to let the market dictate the ideal arrangement.





I think the President has done well  he being a lawyer  from a legal point of view to say allow the legal framework to be dictated by the events on the ground.





In an economic sense, you would say allow the price to be determined by the market and so forth. To me, it is all in order; I dont see anything wrong in that, he said. This weeks Mining Indaba allowed Government the opportunity to continue its charm offensive under the new political administration, which took over in November last year.Herald
Zanu-PF has the final say over Government policy as the ruling party and people seconded to be ministers should not boast about their positions becuse they are subordinate to the party, Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga (Retired), has said.



VP Chiwenga, who is also Zanu-PF Second Secretary, said this while addressing the ruling partys Mashonaland East Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting yesterday.



We should know that the party is supreme. Whatever the Government does it would have come from the party, the Government does not tell the party what to do.





The party tells the Government what to do and that is why we have party manifestos so that we give direction to those who will be appointed to Government.





The party is supreme so no one should boast that they are a minister because you only become a minister when the party is elected. So, if we all keep that in our minds we will all work towards strengthening the party. If we build our party then we can be able to develop the country, VP Chiwenga said.





He warned party cadres against infighting saying the new dispensation required unity to ensure the development of the country.





We will soon be going for elections and we do not need people to be plotting against each other.

Whoever is elected in the primary elections should be supported by everyone in the constituency but I hope you will elect capable leaders who will able to lead development programmes in your areas.

The dates for primary elections have not been announced so we should work with those who are there at the moment, he said.





VP Chiwenga said party members should also choose people that understood the ethos and ideology of the revolutionary party not those who wanted to use it for personal gains.





VP Chiwenga said he was a national leader and did not represent Mashonaland East only.

I might have been born here but I am not for Mashonaland East only but for all Zimbabweans.

Even Central Committee and Politburo members are national leaders they should be known by the whole country.





They should not concentrate on their areas of origin because that was where divisions and gossiping start, he said.





The Vice President urged Mashonaland East to be united saying it had been tainted by past events after its former leaders were at the forefront of the Bhora Musango phenomena, the Gamatox and G40 cabals.





He also narrated events that led the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to launch Operation Restore Legacy last November.





What happened in November last year was the reason why the Defence Forces, the party and Parliament and all Zimbabweans including war veterans came out being led by God because things were getting out of hand.





Young people were disparaging war veterans and our icon the former President who is the only surviving elder statesman had been surrounded by people who wanted to bring the party down.





The party would have died and future generations would not have had a reference point, he said.

VP Chiwenga said Zanu PF was at the risk of sinking into oblivion like what happened to United National Independence Party of Zambia.





He, however, reiterated that Government would continue looking after the welfare of former President Robert Mugabe.





Meanwhile, the VP Chiwenga said the Politburo at its sitting on Thursday agreed that all cadres that were part of the General Staff or High Command in the Zanla and Zipra forces would automatically become members of the National Consultative Assembly. Herald
(Newser)  As the former co-host of What Not to Wear, Stacy London dished out straight-up, honest fashion advice. So while you might expect her to be candid in all things, London's recent essay for Refinery 29 is somehow still surprisingly frank. The celeb holds little back: First her body broke, then her relationship broke, then she found out she was going broke. Everything came crashing down on Dec. 13, she writes. It was exactly a year after she had a much-needed spinal surgery to try to put an end to her back pain. She was anticipating a six-week recoverysomething she thought she could weather both physically and financially. It turned out to be much longer. Out of a job and stuck at home recovering, she started blowing through cash: on a "full-time driver I couldn't take anywhere" and "giant vintage sterling chandelier earrings by some fancy Italian designer that were so heavy my lobes literally rejected them."

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"This sounds almost ridiculous as I type it," she writes, "I consider myself to be a smart person. Smart people dont spend money recklessly." By July she was well enough to go on a trip, and thought a blowout vacation could fix what was wrong with her rocky relationship. She booked a path through Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Bruges, and Mallorca. She paid for extravagant hotel rooms and packed an entire suitcase full of "dope" items specifically to wear while taking "art-y" photos. But along the way, she realized the relationship couldn't be saved. And after deciding not to go to Brugesand forfeiting the entire cost of the hotel thereshe started feeling uneasy about money ... but kept spending. Then came Dec. 13, where her accountant informed her she was "not, in any way, as solvent as I thought I was." And so she woke "the f--- up." Read her full story here. (Read more Longform stories.)
(Newser)  President Trump on Saturday seemed to frame the downfall of a pivotal aide accused of abusing his wives as a character assassination, adding to the tumult that has engulfed the White House, splintered staff, and imperiled chief of staff John Kelly. Trump vented in a tweet that appeared to take aim at the #MeToo movement and echoed his own denials of sexual impropriety in the face of accusations from more than a dozen women. "Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation," Trump wrote, per the AP. "Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?" His response also reflected his growing discontent with Kelly, once hailed for bringing discipline to the West Wing but recently at the center of his own controversies.

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Kelly has said he found out only Tuesday night that the accusations against Rob Porter were true and he was gone immediately. That clashes with the White House's Tuesday night statement of support for Porter from Kelly. The chief of staff said Friday that the decision was made before photos of one of Porter's ex-wives with a black eye were published. The president's tweet came a day after he set off a firestorm when he wished Porter well in his future endeavors. "He said very strongly yesterday that he's innocent," Trump said. Routinely, Trump has accepted claims of innocence from men facing similar allegations, including Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly and Roy Moore. "That's like saying that axe murderer out there, he's a great painter," said former Vice President Joe Biden. On Friday, a second White House staffer, speechwriter David Sorensen, resigned over abuse allegations.

(Read more President Trump stories.)
(Newser)  NBC continues to suffer fallout from its coverage of the opening ceremony in the Pyeongchang Olympics, with the network issuing an apology on behalf of an analyst who sparked controversy by praising Japan. Joshua Cooper Ramo on Friday called Japan "a country which occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945, but every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural, technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation." Cooper Ramo's statement, as the New York Times notes, while acknowledging that Japan occupied the Korean peninsula, appeared to glaze over the long, troubled relationship between Japan and the Koreas, and sparked immediate outrage in the Olympics' host nation, South Korea.

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An online petition demanding an apology currently has more than 10,000 signatures, and reads thusly: "Any reasonable person familiar with the history of Japanese imperialism, and the atrocities it committed before and during WWII, would find such statement deeply hurtful and outrageous." NBC apologized on-air Saturday via anchor Carolyn Manno, who said, "We understand the Korean people were insulted by these comments and we apologize." (Read more 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics stories.)
Remains of a 'miniature UFO' that crash landed on the moors 60 years ago are rediscovered in a CIGARETTE TIN

By Charlie Bayliss For Mailonline 11 February 2018

Shards once believed to have fallen from a UFO which crash landed in England have reemerged 60 years after they were first discovered.The fragments of the 'Silpho saucer' were found inside a cigarette tin inside a storeroom inside London 's Science Museum.The discovery of the 'copper-bottomed flying saucer' on Silpho Moor near Scarborough sparked huge newspaper interest when discovered in 1957 - just a few weeks after Russia 's first Sputnik satellite was launched.Tests were carried out on the 17-inch wide metal saucer, which weighed 14kg and it had hieroglyphics emblazoned across it, similar to those observed at Roswell UFO site in New Mexico.Inside the saucer was a 17 page copper book which had a 2,000-word message which some claimed was sent by an alien called Ullo to warn humans about the dangers of nuclear weapons.The 'translation' reportedly said 'you will improve or disappear.'Dr David Clarke, of Sheffield Hallam University, saw the remains at the Science Museum after giving a UFO talk.He told the BBC: 'One of the museum staff tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was aware that 'bits of a flying saucer' had been kept in a cigarette tin for decades.'I was absolutely amazed when later we opened the tin box and saw the wreckage.'A number of tests were carried out at the Natural History Museum and the University of Manchester which concluded that the finding was an 'elaborate hoax'.Dr Clarke added: 'It was tinkered with and sliced into tiny pieces to be examined by various people.'It is believed the saucer was made from a hot water cylinder and planted on the moor.Despite scepticism regarding the origin of the saucer, tests revealed the object's shell was radiation-proofed with lead and the copper parts had an unusually high purity.
(Newser)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister headed home Sunday night after a whirlwind three days in South Korea, where she sat among world dignitaries at the Olympics and tossed a diplomatic offer to the South aimed at ending seven decades of hostility. Kim Yo Jong and the North Korean delegation departed for Pyongyang on her brother's private jet, reports the AP, a day after they delivered his hopes for a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. They capped their final day in South Korea by joining Moon at a Seoul concert given by a North Korean art troupe led by the head of the immensely popular Moranbong band. Kim Yo Jong, 30, is an increasingly prominent figure in her brother's government and the first member of the North's ruling family to visit the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. In dispatching the highest level of government officials ever, Kim Jong Un revealed a sense of urgency to break out of deep diplomatic isolation, analysts say.

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The North Koreans kept a busy schedule as the world watched their every move. By also sending a youthful, photogenic individual who would draw international attention, Kim might have also been trying to construct a fresher image of his country. It appears to have worked, with one CNN headline declaring that she was "stealing the show." Always flanked by bodyguards, Kim Yo Jong commanded attention wherever she went, walking among throngs of journalists with quiet poise and occasionally shooting an enigmatic smile at cameras. "Honestly, I didn't know I would come here so suddenly. I thought things would be strange and very different, but I found a lot of things being similar," Kim said during a toast at Sunday's dinner, per Moon's office. "Here's to hoping that we could see the pleasant people (of the South) again in Pyeongchang and bring closer the future where we are one again."

(Read more Kim Yo Jong stories.)
(Newser)  The space industry is buzzing with rumors that the White House plans to phase out funding for the International Space Station. Now the Washington Post and SpaceNews have gotten a look at a NASA document that fills in some of the details: The US would fund the ISS through 2024, though that wouldn't necessarily result in the station going dark the following year. Instead, the White House thinks the ISS could then be taken over by the private sector. The Post interprets this as the station turning "into a kind of orbiting real estate venture," though the details in the NASA document are skimpy.

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The decision to end direct federal support for the ISS in 2025 does not imply that the platform itself will be deorbited at that timeit is possible that industry could continue to operate certain elements or capabilities of the ISS as part of a future commercial platform, per the document. NASA will expand international and commercial partnerships over the next seven years in order to ensure continued human access to and presence in low Earth orbit. More details may be out Monday, when NASA's budget proposal for fiscal year 2019 will be revealed. (Maybe ISS could become a parking garage?)
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New Delhi:

Several guest lecturers on Sunday got their heads tonsured as a mark of protest in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh against the failure of the state government of heeding to their demands to regularise their jobs.

It is very painful but we have no option left. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is not listening to our demands, said one of the lecturers who got her head tonsured.

In January, teachers from across the state had gathered at the BHEL Jamboorie ground and tonsured their heads demanding that the state government include them in the Education Department as regular teachers.
Jaipur:

Amid a controversy over Kangana Ranaut-starrer biographical epic on Rani Laxmibai, Manikarnika, the film producer on Saturday said there was no romantic song or sequence with any Britisher in the film.

Historical facts were not distorted. There are no references to Jaishree Mishra or any other writer who wrote controversial pieces on the legendary queen, producer Kamal Jain said.

There was no romantic song or sequence with Britishers in the film, Jain said in his reply to the Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha. The fringe group had lodged a protest, claiming that filmmakers were shooting a romantic sequence featuring Rani Laxmibai and a British agent in Rajasthan.

The president of the group, Suresh Mishra, had submitted a memorandum to Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh to look into the matter.

Jain in his reply, further said Vijendra Prasad of Bahubali and Bajrangi Bhaijaan fame had conducted a researched, with the help of a huge team, and written the story after consulting scholars and historians, and lyricist Prasoon Joshi was penning the dialogues and lyrics.

We are making the film with great passion and huge respect toward the great woman, Jain added.

At a press conference held in Jaipur on Saturday, Mishra said they have been assured that historical facts were not distorted in the movie.

We have raised the issue so that nobody plays with history and hurts sentiments of the society, he added.

Of late, Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmaavat had drawn flak from certain sections of the society for allegedly presenting distorted historical facts.

The film was not screened in various states despite the CBFC making modifications and the Supreme Court rejecting the state governments decision on banning the film.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Islamabad:

Qazi Wajid, one of Pakistans veteran television actors and radio entertainers, has died in the southern port city of Karachi. He was 87.

Wajid was hospitalised last night for chest pain and died this morning.

Born in 1930 in the eastern city of Lahore, he started his carrier as radio drama artist and remained attached to the sound box until television was introduced in Pakistan in 1964.

Wajid won a presidential medal for his achievement in the field of radio and television dramas in 1988.

Also Read: Pakistan Human Rights lawyer, activist Asma Jahangir dies of cardiac arrest

In television dramas, Wajid performed a wide variety of characters, both comedians and serious. His colleagues referred to him as the academy.

He is survived by his wife and a daughter.
New Delhi:

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is holding a press conference in Hyderabad.

AIMPLB has said that Babri Masjid is an essential part of faith in Islam and Muslims can never abdicate the masjid nor can they exchange land for masijd, gift masjid land. Babri Masjid is a masjid and it will remain a masjid till eternity. By demolishing it never lost its identity.A

The struggle of re-construction of Babri Masjid continues and that the appeal of the Supreme Court is being fought rigorously, said the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Cambridge :

Delhi is a victim of "step- motherly treatment" by the Centre, its Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has alleged and said that the federal government is confused if it should treat Delhi as a union territory or as a state.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has in the past accused the Centre of "disrupting an elected government" and creating hurdles in its functioning.

It has also been demanding that the share in central taxes and duties for the city should be increased.

"Delhi is a victim of step-motherly treatment by the centre," Sisodia said on Saturday during a panel discussion here on "Cooperative and Competitive Federalism" at the annual India Conference organised by the prestigious Harvard University.

Sisodia noted that this "step-motherly treatment" was also there during the previous governments at the Centre.

However, senior Haryana Cabinet Minister Captain Abhimanyu asserted that federalism has strengthened under the Narendra Modi government.

Implementation of GST Council is the best example of co- operative federalism in a highly complicated environment.

Also Read: AAP to organise 'Vikas Yatra' to mark three years in power

"This is a great era of cooperative and competitive federalism," Abhimanyu said.

Addressing the problem of air pollution, he said Delhi is another example of cooperative federalism and the states in and around the national capital need to cooperate on this issue.

Abhimanyu said the state governments have a thorough evaluation of investment proposals.

"It's not only ease of doing business, but as a government we consciously make efforts to reduce the cost of doing business," he said.

GST has ended tax arbitrage, Sisodia said, adding that as a result states are coming out with other incentives to attract investment.

"When it comes to Delhi, historically BJP and Congress governments have been treating Delhi step motherly," he said.

The news coming out from West Bengal and Delhi needs to be answered on co-operative federalism.

He accused the centre of favouring state ruled by the same parties.

"On one hand centre says Delhi is a union territory, so we can't be treated as a state. In such case gives us funds that we need for example for e-buses," he said.

Also Read: Delhi Govt files affidavit in HC defending law criminalising consumption of beef

Responding to a question on recent incidents of rape, Abhimanyu said the state government is coming out with a legislation to proposal capital punishment for those responsible for it.

The session was moderated by the Indian Consul General in New York, Sandeep Chakravorty.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

India is likely to raise with the Trump administration the use of US-made anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) by Pakistan Army to target Indian troops along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, defence ministry sources indicated today.

The Pakistan Army had used the ATMGs during heavy shelling on an Indian Army team along the LoC in Rajouri district of J-K last Sunday in which four army men including a captain were killed, the sources said.

Army sources had said that the Pakistan Army used 120mm mortars and the ATGMs in the Rajouri attack, adding usually Pakistan uses 80mm mortars to target Indian posts along the LoC.

The security establishment here is understood to have been concerned over use of US-made ATGMs by Pakistan considering the expanding Indo-US strategic ties.

We are going to raise the issue with them (the US), said a source.

The defence and security ties between India and the US have been on an upswing. In June 2016, the US had designated India a Major Defence Partner intending to elevate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners.

The Army last week had clearly indicated that it would take retaliatory action against the killing of four army men.

The sources said that Pakistan has been escalating the hostilities along the LoC and in hinterland in J-K to vitiate the atmosphere ahead of panchayat polls in the state.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Palestine, week after he hosted Israeli PM and his close friend Benjamin Netanyahu.

During his historic visit to the West Bank, PM Modi emphasized Indias support to the Palestinian cause and hoped to see an Independent Palestine State soon.

Earlier in July last year, PM Modi in an interview to Israel Hayom had said, India believe in a two-state solution in which both Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist peacefully.

However, Modi didnt mention his earlier suggestion of a two-state solution during his address and avoided to use words united and viable before calling for an 'independent' Palestine.

India has been one of the earlier champions of the Palestinian cause and supported Palestines demand for a united and viable nation.

Also Read | Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Palestine: Highlights

Unlike his Israel visit, Modi also avoided issuing a joint statement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

I have once again reassured President Abbas that India is committed to upholding the interests of the Palestinian people. India hopes for an early realisation of a sovereign, independent state of Palestine, living in an environment of peace, Modi said in his statement while the Palestine President Abbas only listening to him at the Al Muqataa.

Modi also didnt mention East Jerusalem as Palestines capital during his speech.

In December last year, India had joined 127 other nations to vote at the United Nations against US President Donald Trump's move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

During Modis short visit, India and Palestine also signed several bilateral agreements worth USD 50 million including construction of a super specialty hospital in Beit Sahur.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Ramayana jibe at her in the Parliament last week.

Chowdhury said there was no GST on laughter and she did not need anyones permission to laugh adding PM Modis remarks against her showed his mindset towards women.

She said she received huge support from women across the country after PM Modi passed a snide remark over her laughter.

"There were hashtags like #LaughlikeSurpankha, #Lolisapasse and #LaughLike RenukaChowdhury.

"I am a five-time MP and the prime minister draws a parallel of me with a negative character. But he forgets that the women today have changed and they know how to speak for themselves. This shows his mindset towards women," said Chowdhury.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday attacked the ruling Communist Party (Marxist) govt during an election rally in the poll-bound North Indian state of Tripura.

While addressing a gathering in Tripuras Mohanpur, Shah, warning the Manik Sarkar government said his party BJP is not scared of violence.

I want to warn the CPM that this time you are fighting with BJP, either mend your ways else BJP is not scared of violence, News Agency ANI quoted Amit Shah as saying during his rally in Tripura.

Also Read | Hue of saffron in Rajini's politics, alliance unlikely: Kamal Haasan

Shah said, Communism has ended in the whole world. Now, it's the time for the people of Tripura to put an end to Communist rule here.

Shah also attacked the ruling government over low pay grade of government workers and promised to increase the pay scale if elected to power.

State government employees in Tripura are getting 4th Pay Commission. I promise that we will get 7th Pay Commission after formation of a BJP government here, Shah said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Salman Nadwi, who was expelled from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Sunday for suggesting an out of court settlement in the Ayodhya Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid case has said there is scope in Shariyat for shifting the mosque.

I am talking about Hindu-Muslim unity and solving this issue. I will be meeting saints in Ayodhya and also have a discussion with Hindu brothers from across India, said Nadvi.

Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) held a press conference in Hyderabad where it said that Babri Masjid is an essential part of faith in Islam and Muslims can never abdicate the masjid nor can they exchange land for masjid, gift masjid land.

Babri Masjid is a masjid and it will remain a masjid till eternity, added the AIMPLB.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

A Russian domestic passenger plane has crashed on the outskirts of Moscow after taking off from Domodedovo airport, Russian media reported.

Russian news agencies say 65 passengers and 6 crew were on board the Antonov An-148 operated by Saratov Airlines which was flying to Orsk.

According to the initial reports, Antonov An-148, a narrow-body regional airliner, was carrying 71 people including 6 crew members. Russia emergency services say there are no chances of finding survivors.

Russia has launched a criminal probe in the tragic incident and a forensic team was sent to the crash site while rescue teams have not reached the spot so far as they are unable to take their vehicles to the accident site hence they are going by foot, say local media reports.

According to the airport authorities, the jet went off Radar just two minutes after taking off from Domodedovo airport.

Russian news agencies said witnesses in the village of Argunovo saw a burning plane falling from the sky while Russian state television aired a video of the crash site, showing parts of the wreckage in the snow.

Russia has seen record high snowfalls in recent days and visibility was reportedly poor.

Russian authorities have confirmed that fragments of the crashed airliner have been found.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Jerusalem:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed not to allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria, after Israel launched air raids on what it said were Iranian targets in its Arab neighbour.

Israel wants peace but we will continue to defend ourselves with determination against any attack on us and against any attempt by Iran to entrench itself militarily in Syria or anywhere else, he said.

Netanyahus remarks came as he convened his security chiefs for consultations on Saturdays confrontations which followed Israels interception of what it said was an Iranian drone launched from Syria.

Israel then launched air attacks on the drones control systems, with Syrian anti-air fire bringing down an F16 fighter in northern Israel.

The Israeli air force launched a further series of strikes targeting what it said were Iranian and Syrian military targets in Syria.

Israel holds Iran and its Syrian hosts responsible for todays aggression, Netanyahu said.

We will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect our sovereignty and our security.

Iran, for its part, denounced Israeli lies and said Syria had the right to legitimate self-defence in response to air strikes launched by Israel.

The Israeli leader said he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin whose country supports the Syrian regime.

I reiterated our right and duty to defend ourselves against attacks from Syrian territory, Netanyahu said, adding that the two leaders agreed to continue their coordination on Syria.

Netanyahu also said he spoke with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
A Japanese man has been questioned in connection with last monthas massive theft of digital tokens from cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck Inc., a source close to the investigation said.

The police learned that the man converted a small amount of the missing NEM coins into another form of cryptocurrency called litecoin through a site on the darknet, which can only be accessed through special anonymity software, the source said Saturday. The man was aware the NEM had been stolen from Coincheck.

About A58 billion ($533 million) worth of NEM was stolen on Jan. 26, with more than A500 million worth of it likely to have since been converted into bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, according to data security experts.

The NEM was split up and dispersed to several digital addresses.

The Metropolitan Police Departmentas cybercrime division, which questioned the man on a voluntary basis, suspects several people were involved in converting the stolen NEM and is monitoring darknet sites and NEM transactions to identify them, the source said.

Following the massive theft of the digital money, data security specialists found an account believed to have been used by one of the perpetrators to trade the stolen NEM on the darknet.

Their analysis of money transfers from the account showed that NEM cryptocurrency worth more than A500 million was withdrawn on more than 200 occasions between early Thursday and Friday evening, based on the exchange rate at the time of the hacking attack.

Based on the current exchange rate, the converted currency is worth over A300 million, they said.
The public approval rating for the Cabinet has inched up to 50.8 percent in the latest survey, with more than half of respondents backing its policy of pressuring North Korea to halt its nuclear weapons and missile development programs.

The approval rating is 1.1 points higher than in the previous poll in January.

The Cabinetas disapproval rating meanwhile stood at 36.9 percent.

The results of the Kyodo News poll, released Sunday, also show that nearly half of the public opposes Prime Minister Shinzo Abeas proposal to amend the Constitution by inserting an aexplicit referencea into war-renouncing Article 9 to legitimize the Self-Defense Forces. Around 40 percent said they support the idea.

The two-day nationwide telephone survey was conducted Saturday and Sunday on 731 randomly selected households with eligible voters and 1,127 mobile phone numbers, drawing responses from 502 and 514 people, respectively. Traditionally, no margin of error is provided.

On North Korea, 53.0 percent favored putting more pressure on Pyongyang to compel it to give up its nuclear and missile development programs, while 40.0 percent favored addressing the issue via dialogue.

The survey was conducted after North Korea sent a high-level delegation to attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea.

The poll also showed 29.2 percent want Abe to remain prime minister by winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Partyas leadership election in September.
Tourists and residents in Japan who don't speak Japanese no longer need to be concerned about missing out on earthquake and tsunami alerts.

Thanks to a new feature added on Feb. 1 to an app offered by NHK World, an English news channel provided by the public broadcaster, travelers or residents who don't speak Japanese will be able to receive emergency warnings on their smartphones in English.

They will have the choice of turning on notifications for earthquake and tsunami warnings as well as breaking news alerts. The breaking news alerts will include J-Alert warnings and updates on weather-related incidents, such as volcanic eruptions and typhoons.

The alerts will be available for people who download the free app --- called NHK World TV --- and turn on push notifications in its settings menu.

Although the notifications are available only in English, NHK plans to introduce a Chinese option later this year.

A total of 115 representatives from 67 Tokyo-based embassies and officials from Japan's ministries attended a briefing on the new service at NHK headquarters in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Tuesday.
Over 40 pct of Japanese people support a proposed law change to allow married couples to use separate surnames, a Cabinet Office survey released Saturday showed.

The proportion of respondents who said they have no problem with the law revision stood at 42.5 pct, up 7.0 points from the previous 2012 survey.

The share of respondents who opposed the law change declined 7.1 points to 29.3 pct.

The interview-based survey, conducted between November and December, covered 5,000 people aged 18 or older. Valid responses were given from 59.0 pct.

Beginning with the latest survey, respondents aged 18 and 19 were included. Previously, people aged 20 or older were covered.
The Philippines (winter 2014)Western US (fall 2011/2012/2013/2014)Turkey (fall 2010)France/Germany/Denmark/Hollan (summer 2010)Uganda/Tanzania/Kenya (winter 2010)China (fall 2009)France/Italy (summer 2009)South Africa/Lesotho/Mozambique (winter 2009)Southern U.S. (fall 2008/fall 2010/spring 2011)Spain and the Camino de Compostela (summer of 2008)Israel (winter 2008)Eastern U.S. (fall 2007)Great Britain (summer 2007)Venezuela (winter 2007)Japan (fall 2006)Croatia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Poland (summer 2006)Western US (fall 2005)Ecuador (winter 2005)Italy (spring 2004/summer 2009)France (summer 2004/2005/2006/2007/2008/2009/2010/2011/2012/2013/2014/2015/2016/2017/2018/2019)Iceland (summer 2003)Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia (Fall 2002)Minneapolis to Chicago (summer 2002)Bolivia (spring 2002)Scandinavia--Finland, Norway, Sweden (summer 2001)Hes followed the Tour de France seventeen times beginning in 2004 , riding much of each year's route, fully loaded, before or after the peloton and sent out regular reports during the race, also posted here.He has a long-running email list that he sends updates to every few days when he's on tour.You can write him at: george6567@yahoo.com. If you like, he'll add you to his e-list.He spends the rest of the year also on a bike, working as a messenger in Chicago.He's also an independent film enthusiast, attending or working at several major film festivals annually, including Telluride and Cannes. His coverage of Cannes is also included here in May of 2004-2015.For a "Chicago Tribune" article on George see the January 17, 2002 entry of the blog. There is also a "Hollywood Reporter" article posted October 25, 2005, and a "Streetwise" cover story posted on April 17, 2010 and stories in French newspapers the past few summers.(I'm Jeff Potter and I helped George get his blog going. I run OutYourBackDoor.com , where I report on a wide range of everyday, affordable, healthy outdoor action. I also sell some hard-to-find indy culture media and other goodies. Lotsa bike stuff!)
Three lecturers of the University of Maiduguri kidnapped when on a mining exploration by Boko Haram have been freed.

Three lecturers of the University of Maiduguri kidnapped when on a mining exploration by Boko Haram have been freed.Also released from the Boko Haram terrorists are 10 women, kidnapped in a raid by the militant group on a military/police convoy on Damboa road, near Maiduguri.The Department of State Services, DSS today briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the release, following negotiations, with the terrorists. As in past freedom deals, the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC was involved.According to a statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant(media) to the president, the release followed a series of negotiations as directed by President Buhari.According to the brief given by the DSS, all the 13 rescued persons are in the custody of the service and are on their way to Abuja with the assistance of the Nigerian Army and the Air Force.In expectation of their being brought to the DSS headquarters, a team of doctors and psychologists has been placed on standby. The rescued persons may be presented to the President and thereafter released to their families, if there are no issues of security or medical concerns.The President, who got step by step progress reports on the lengthy negotiations while they took place, received the good news with a lot of happiness. He commended all those who in one way or the other helped in making the release possible.He then urged the DSS and the Nigerian Army to intensify efforts to bring home the remaining Chibok Girls still in the custody of the terrorists.TThe Director-General, Malam Lawal Daura, assured the President that they were working hard to bring home the remaining girls and, as soon as possible, bring the Chibok Girls saga to an end.
***UPDATE: Suspect has been identified and charged*** Incident: Attempted Aggravated Arson Date of Incident: December 12, 2017 Case: 2017-44660 From: Lt. Joseph J. Picardi #38 On Tuesday, December 12, at approximately 6:30 PM, a white male suspect approached the front lobby of the Galloway Township Police Department. The suspect was observed loitering outside the lobby for a brief time. The suspect produced a glass bottle containing what is believed to be petroleum based accelerant, attempted to light it, and threw it on the concrete in front of the entrance doors. The bottle shattered and splashed the accelerant all over the doors and lobby entrance. Although the contents of the bottle did not ignite there were several officers and citizens in the lobby at the time. No injuries were reported. The suspect was seen running toward the area of Jimmie Leeds Road but could not be located. He was described as follows: White male, mid to late 20s, 57, pale and thin face, scruffy brown or ginger facial hair, wearing a brown or tan jacket with a checkered pattern, a gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, and dark pants. Video of the incident is attached to this release. Anyone having information regarding this incident or able to identify the suspect is asked to call Lt. Joseph Picardi at 609-652-3705 x327. Posted by Galloway Township Police Department on Thursday, December 14, 2017

Authorities say they've caught the man they believe attempted to set a South Jersey police headquarters on fire.

Sean D. Shearer has been arrested on aggravated arson charges. (Galloway Township Police Department)

Galloway Township Police said Saturday they arrested Sean D. Shearer on two counts of aggravated arson and one count of criminal mischief in connection with the incident late last year.

It was around 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 that a man was seen loitering outside the police headquarters in the 300 block of Jimmie Leeds Road in Galloway Township, an Atlantic County community.

Surveillance video shows the man -- later identified as Shearer -- pull out a glass bottle containing "a petroleum-based accelerant," attempt to light it and throw the container on the concrete outside the door of the building's lobby, police said.

The bottle shattered and its contents splashed on the doors and floor mats and in the entranceway. While no one was hurt, police said an officer and a civilian were in the lobby at the time and could have been put in "life-threatening danger" had the container exploded.

Shearer, of Galloway Township, fled the area, but was later identified as a suspect in the case, police say.

Authorities did not say why they believe Shearer allegedly tried to set the building on fire. Shearer is being held in the Atlantic County jail.

Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives aided Galloway police in the investigation.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
Germany  the beating heart of Europe, one of the four largest economies in the world, a country helmed by an entrenched, established and respected politician  cant seem to muster a government. Its been 129 days since it had one. Now, to be fair, this isnt uncommon among Europes parliamentary systems. The Netherlands went 225 days without a government last year, and Belgium holds the record at a whopping 589 days from 2010 to 2011. But Germany is not the Netherlands or Belgium. What happens there can shake the world.

The same could be said of the worlds only superpower, the United States, which has political problems of its own. The government in Washington recently reopened after a three-day shutdown, though it is funded only until Feb. 8. Unless Republicans and Democrats can come to some kind of agreement on immigration reform  something that has eluded both parties for decades  the government may well shut down again. Even if it doesnt, political gridlock will so preoccupy Washington that it will actually impair U.S. foreign policy. Inequality Is the Real Issue Domestic problems are affecting German and U.S. behavior in eerily similar ways. In both countries, a widening gap in wealth inequality is creating the conditions for potentially radical political change. Of the 28 countries that report wealth distribution data to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Germany and the United States stand out. In Germany, the bottom 60 percent of the population possess just 6.5 percent of wealth in the country, the lowest figure in Europe. In the U.S., the bottom 60 percent possess just 2.4 percent  the lowest figure of any reporting country. The top 10 percent of both countries, on the other hand, account for a disproportionate amount of wealth  nearly 60 percent in Germany and nearly 80 percent in the U.S., the two highest figures of reporting OECD countries. In the case of Germany, this seems particularly mystifying. The country is, after all, enjoying record-low unemployment rates, and by all accounts, its economic growth has exceeded even the more optimistic projections (full disclosure: ours was not so optimistic ). But these figures tell only part of the story. The real issue is inequality, in terms of household wealth and real income. Germany may be a rich country  the average net wealth per household is about 214,000 euros, or $265,000  but the median net wealth per household in Germany is about 61,000 euros. For reference, thats about 4,000 euros less than it is in Greece, which Germany almost kicked out of the EU for its profligacy. On a per household basis, the bottom half of households in Germany possess less wealth than the bottom half of households in Greece.

And things are getting worse. Sure, unemployment has steadily decreased since 2009, but jobs are not translating into increased wealth for the lower and middle classes. From 2009 to 2016, unemployment declined in Germany by roughly 2 percent. At the same time, the relative poverty rate  defined by Germanys Federal Statistical Office as the percentage living in households with an income below 60 percent of national average  rose about 2 percent. That is not so much a measure of increased poverty as it is increasing wealth for Germanys top wage earners, as more and more Germans find that the same salary they made a few years ago now puts them below the poverty level.

Income inequality has been increasing too. Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau, a government-owned development bank, published a report in March 2016 that showed that household income grew by 6 percent and 21 percent for the bottom two quintiles, as opposed to roughly 39 percent for the top quintile. Consumer prices over the same time horizon rose by about 24 percent, which means in real terms, 40 percent of German households have seen their purchasing power decline. In 2000, Germany had one of the lowest rates of income inequality in the EU. Now it is simply average  and trending in the wrong direction.

This trend is creating serious political problems. The most notable is the difficulty with which Chancellor Angela Merkel is cobbling together a coalition after German voters turned outside the mainstream to voice their frustration with the status quo. There are other troubling indicators, though. The Social Democrats, or SPD, fared no better than Merkels Christian Democratic Union in elections and may face insurrection from their members even if CDU and SPD negotiators come to an agreement. IG Metall  the largest industrial labor union in Germany and in Europe  walked out of talks with industry representatives on Jan. 27 and is now threatening 24-hour warning strikes if its demands on salaries and a 28-hour work week are not met.

Germanys domestic political issues, punctuated by the absence of a German government, are beginning to reverberate throughout Europe. Political uncertainty in Germany has cast a shadow over EU negotiations with the United Kingdom on the conditions of Brexit, since Brussels cannot move forward with a deal without the German governments approval. Frances president, Emmanuel Macron, continues to wait for a German government to be installed so Berlin can respond to French proposals for EU reform. Internal debates over the status of refugees cannot be resolved if Germany cannot even decide for itself what its immigration policy should be  one of the major current sticking points in the coalition negotiations. In effect, Europe is in a holding pattern, waiting for a German government that will be in a very weak domestic position even if the CDU and SPD conclude an agreement in the next week. The Advantage in Washingtons Absence Germanys inequality problems began roughly when the country reunified in 1990. West Germany absorbed East Germany more easily than many predicted, and that created some of the socio-economic conditions today. But inequality is a much older issue in the United States. Modern income and wealth inequality in the U.S. has been creeping upward since the 1970s.

Donald Trumps surprising electoral victory in 2016 was at least partly a political expression of that underlying dynamic. It is no coincidence that in the years before Trumps election, the share in total income of the top 10 percent of all U.S. earners rose to just under 49 percent  a share surpassing that of any time during the Great Depression. This type of wealth inequality is a refrain in U.S. economic history that produces massive political change, of which Trump is likely just a precursor. ( click to enlarge ) The 2008 financial crisis aggravated the problem. The median income in the United States is at a record high  but when you look at median wealth figures divided by lower, middle and upper income, you see that only the upper income levels have recouped the wealth lost during the financial crisis. Lower- and middle-income U.S. households are still doing worse today than they were in 2007. Like Germany, the United States is also enjoying low unemployment rates  4.1 percent in December 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Again, though, employment doesnt tell the whole story. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis noted in a report this past month that the net increase in jobs created since 2000  roughly 17 million jobs  has been among workers 55 and older. Jobs dont help if they dont pay enough and dont create opportunities for young workers.

These problems demand Washingtons full attention, and the government is too preoccupied by its own political affairs to do much abroad. Unlike Europe, where countries are waiting on Germany, the world is not waiting on the U.S.  its taking advantage of its absence. Itll be tough for Trump to sell a major war on the Korean Peninsula to a divided electorate. North Korea and China understand as much and are now attempting to split South Korea off from the U.S.-led alliance structure in the Pacific. Turkeys foray into Afrin is in part a test to see how much it can shape Syria unilaterally  and the test results show an indifference. Russia, meanwhile, is doing its best to parlay a weak hand in the Middle East and Eastern Europe into Russian influence and concomitant U.S. concessions, whether by masterminding a fanciful diplomatic solution to the Syrian civil war or continuing to seek a settlement with the U.S. over Ukraine. Russia has not found much success so far, but the current U.S. posture does nothing to deter Russia from continuing to try.

Domestic politics are less predictable than international politics. Generally, they are less important too. But when two of the worlds four largest economies and the worlds pre-eminent military power are so hamstrung by problems that their behavior on the world stage is affected, the issues cease to be domestic. The U.S. and Germany have officially crossed that line. Germany has no government, and whatever government it eventually forms will be weak and hypersensitive to domestic concerns about inequality and immigration. The U.S. government is squabbling with itself rather than efficiently solving problems, whether at home or abroad. In that sense, it is working the way the Constitution designed it in 1789: without the rest of the world in mind. In 2018, that has global ramifications.
By Jeremy Schneider | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Going to the movies is expensive. Ridiculously expensive. The average ticket price went up 3.96 percent in to $8.97 in 2017 according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. Factor in overpriced popcorn and snacks at the theater, and you're dropping some serious cash anytime you go out to the movies.

But fear not, fellow movie-lovers. MoviePass, a subscription service that started in 2011 but has just recently risen to prominence, allows you to see nearly unlimited movies for just $10 a month, and now boasts more than 1.5 million users. But while film diehards love MoviePass, it has been met by some serious skepticism by those in the industry.

How does it work? Is it worth it? What does the movie business think of what some call an innovator and others call a disruptor? NJ.com has you covered with a complete breakdown of the service.

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How does it work?

The subscription process is pretty straightforward. You sign up at MoviePass.com, entering your payment information and committing to pay $9.95 a month for the service. MoviePass then mails you a MoviePass-branded MasterCard debit card that you will use to purchase tickets at movie theaters.

Once you have your card and activate it, you use the MoviePass app to find theaters near you that accept the service (amazingly, 91 percent of theaters do). Once you're at the cinema, you check in on the app, selecting the movie you want to see. Doing so puts the exact amount of money needed for the ticket on your MoviePass card, allowing you to go purchase the ticket.

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The pros

MoviePass is a pretty excellent deal any way you cut it. You can see one movie a day, every day, for less than 10 dollars a month. That's a potential value of more than $500 depending on how expensive your movie theater is.

There are no blackout dates, meaning you can see a movie the day it opens. The process of checking in for the movie and then buying the ticket can be a tad confusing at first, but simple once you've done it. And if you get to the theater and the movie you checked in for is sold out, it's easy enough to check in for a different film.

MoviePass can also lead to an expanded range of films fans will see. Once you've paid your $10 for the month, you're also more inclined to see a film you wouldn't necessarily have gone to if you had to pay for the ticket. Essentially, you're more willing to take a chance on a movie.

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The cons

Maybe the best innovation in the movie-going experience has been the ability to buy tickets ahead of time, meaning not having to wait online and safeguarding against being shut out of a sold out showing. With MoviePass, you unfortunately do not have this luxury. You can't buy a ticket until you're within 100 yards of the theater, and checking in for the movie does not guarantee you a ticket  it can still sell out. Tickets have to be purchased individually, meaning you can't buy for group. And while there are no blackout dates, IMAX and 3D movies are exempt from MoviePass.

MoviePass says that 91 percent of theaters across the country accept MoviePass, with dozens and dozens scattered around New Jersey, and many cinema chains accept the service. But there is a chance your favorite theatre does not. Two finalists from NJ.com's top theater contest, the iPic Theatres Hudson Lights in Fort Lee and the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theater in Jersey City, don't use MoviePass.

The biggest question about MoviePass, though, is its viability. Many are skeptical of the company's business model. Is the company going to be able to stay in business while getting just $10 a month per customer and paying full price for every ticket purchased?

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Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

What do movie theaters think?

Consumers love MoviePass, but theaters have been tepid at best in their support for the service. MoviePass is available at AMC, Regal Cinemas and Cinemark, though it's not in use at ArcLight Cinemas, Landmark Theateres or iPic.

AMC threatened MoviePass with a lawsuit less than a day after the subscription price was dropped to $9.95, and suggested it was working to find a way out of its deal with the company.

"While AMC is not opposed to subscription programs generally, the one envisioned by MoviePass is not one AMC can embrace. We are actively working now to determine whether it may be feasible to opt out and not participate in this shaky and unsustainable program," AMC said in a statement. ""From what we can tell, by definition and absent some other form of other compensation, MoviePass will be losing money on every subscriber seeing two movies or more in a month."

Not all on the other side of the equation are against MoviePass, though.

"The deal from our side and why we're excited is we still get paid the full price of admission. If this succeeds in driving attendance, it will pay for itself," Chris Aronson, head of distribution at 20th Century Fox, told MarketWatch. "And they've made no secret that their goal is to mine data from subscribers. We'd be very interested in that."

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Some of our guests say MoviePass may be blocking the use of their service at a handful of AMC locations. AMC has not restricted MoviePass acceptance at our theatres, nor have we heard from MoviePass about this. MoviePass customers should contact MoviePass for clarification.  AMC Guest Services (@AMCHelps) January 25, 2018

AMC restrictions

There are 27 AMC theaters in New Jersey, making it one of the most popular cinema chains in the state. But 10 major AMC theaters were abruptly removed from MoviePass last week. AMC Empire 25 in Times Square is the only theater near New Jersey affected, but it's cast doubt on the partnership between MoviePass and AMC and has the two organizations pointing fingers.

"As of today, you'll find a small handful of theaters are no longer available on our platform. Our number one goal as a company is to provide an accessible price-point for people to enjoy films the way they're meant to be seen: on the big screen. Many exhibitors have been receptive to this mission, and we're excited to keep working with theater chains that are closely aligned with our customer service values," MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe said in a statement. "As we continue to strive for mutually-beneficial relationships with theaters, the list of theaters we work with is subject to change," Lowe said. "We advise customers to always double check the MoviePass app for the most up-to-date list of participating theaters."

AMC was adamant that it was not the reason for the theaters no longer being accepted by MoviePass.

"AMC has taken no action to block the acceptance of MoviePass at our theatres. We have no further comment about MoviePass's unilateral actions," AMC said in a statement. "We are, however, disappointed that MoviePass continues to make false statements about AMC, including today when MoviePass greatly exaggerated its contributions to AMC's profitability."

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Is it viable?

MoviePass is operating at a loss. While subscribers pay $10 a month for a subscription, MoviePass pays full price for every single ticket purchased. That means the company realistically loses money on anyone who sees at least two movies a month  or even anyone that sees one movie at an expensive theater. So how is the company staying afloat?

The announcement that MoviePass announced in August it was dropping the subscription price to $9.95, it also sold a majority stake to the publicly traded data firm Helios and Matheson Analytic. That move shed light on two things  where the company was getting its funding, and its plan to make money going forward.

MoviePass is playing the long game, losing money now while hoping to find a way to monetize the data it gets from users ordering tickets on the app. It has already shown the ability to influence its subscriber. According to Wired.com, 3 percent of all domestic box office is purchased through MoviePass, and that number goes up to 10 percent when MoviePass advertises for a movie. It already has partnerships for these types of advertisements, and the company believes that as its subscriber base increases its influence will as well.

Weve got more than four contracts that are revenue-producing, in the six-figures-type range, for films, Lowe said of deals in which MoviePass promotes specific movies to customers. The studios really do see the light, and see that we could be a valuable ally in rejuvenating the business.

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Getting a cut

MoviePass does not pay to be used in theaters, and not all theaters pay MoviePass to be a part of the service. But according to Deadline.com, MoviePass accounts for $2 million in weekly ticket sales for AMC, leading MoviePass to seek a $3 cut on every AMC ticket purchased, along with 20 percent of concessions. AMC has held strong against this, with AMC CEO Adam Aron saying on an earnings call last year, "AMC has absolutely no intention, I repeat no intention, of sharing any  I repeat, any, of our admissions revenue or our concessions revenue with MoviePass."

This model may not be completely farfetched, though. According to Deadline, MoviePass has deals with nearly 1,000 independent cinemas and gets a $3 cut on ticket sales and/or a 25 percent cut of concession sales.

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The Netflix of movie theaters?

Some have called MoviePass the Netflix of movie theaters  with customers paying a flat rate for as many movies as they want. But Netflix's business model is much different than MoviePass. On top of hundreds of millions of dollar spent on original content, Netflix paid $118 million for the rights to stream "Friends" and $45 million a year to stream "Lost" among other programming costs. While the model is much different, it's proof that sinking a lot of money into a subscription service can be sound business.

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The verdict

If you see at least one movie a month, MoviePass will pay for itself. Even if you go a month without seeing a movie, you can make your subscription worthwhile if you see multiple movies the next month.

If you typically see more than one movie a month anyway, the service is pretty much a no-brainer.

The worst case scenario would be if MoviePass suddenly went under, and even in that case you would only be out 10 dollars.

I have personally used MoviePass for the past few months and found myself not only very happy with the membership, but more inclined to go see movies  even ones I didn't necessarily plan on seeing. I saw multiple films without even seeing the trailer because it wasn't costing me any more money. And when I saw a movie I wasn't thrilled about, I wasn't as upset because the lack of financial commitment to the ticket.

The bottom line: It remains to be seen if MoviePass will last. But in the meantime, it's a worthwhile service for nearly any movie fan.

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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- The government is opposing a motion of acquittal for Francis Styles, the Bayonne police officer accused of covering up a brutality case, two months after a mistrial was declared.

The case, which stems from a December 2013 arrest of Brandon Walsh at his Avenue C home in Bayonne, ended in a mistrial on Dec. 18 after the jury told U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty a verdict could not be reached.

It was a disappointing conclusion for both sides in the trial, which centered on whether or not Styles intentionally omitted from his incident report that fellow officer Domenico Lillo struck Brandon Walsh, 25 at the time, in the head with a flashlight.

"A mistrial makes nobody happy," McNulty said after accepting the juror's deadlock memo.

On Dec. 27, 2013, officers Lillo, Styles and James Wade arrived separately at Walsh's home near the corner of Avenue C and West 53rd Street. Walsh had an arrest warrant out of Sussex County for failing to appear in court.

Lillo pleaded guilty in September 2015 to using excessive force during Walsh's arrest. He later struck a plea deal with the government and agreed to testify against Styles.

He spent nearly three days on the stand and claimed that he fully expected cooperating officers to cover up his flashlight strike.

Styles was accused of one count of falsifying records in a federal investigation and one count of "misprision of a felony," and faced more than two decades in prison if he had been found guilty.

After the mistrial, the defense immediately moved to file a motion of acquittal.

They reaffirmed the motion in a brief dated Jan. 16, in which defense attorneys argued that the proofs of theory provided by the prosecution that Styles knew of the flashlight strike and then helped cover it up "were insufficient to establish Styles' guilt beyond a reasonable doubt..."

It went on that Lillo's testimony against Styles included "blatant lies" and "dramatic inconsistencies" with his own statements made to government officials prior to the trial.

But the U.S. Justice Department opposed that motion on Feb. 1, claiming that "a rational juror could find that the essential elements of the crimes charged were proven beyond a reasonable doubt."

In a response dated Feb. 8, the defense again pushed for acquittal, arguing that the government's evidence was "profoundly unpersuasive."

Lillo's sentencing, originally scheduled for Jan. 25, was pushed back to March 5.

Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
By Silvio Laccetti

Important historical material is oftentimes found in unlikely ways. Such was the case when I accidentally discovered information about Simon Douglas (1843-1950).

Douglas was once a slave in Fairfield County, South Carolina, who, after the Civil War, settled in my hometown of Fairview, New Jersey.

He lived to be the last Civil War soldier in the state.

It all began with my being in the wrong place at the right time. Some time ago, I received a packet curiously displaying many 50-year-old stamps, addressed to Michael Orecchio, the deceased previous owner of my house -- where I have lived for decades. When I opened it, I realized what a treasure had fallen into my hands.

The contents had recently been sent by University of Maine Professor Jay Hoar, who had dedicated decades of his life to researching various categories of Civil War veterans. His books included research on the last Union and Confederate soldiers of the Civil War, the nurses who worked during the conflict and the child soldiers who served.

His packet contained a detailed biography and photographs of Douglas. The main 20th-century source of this information was a lost short history of Fairview written by Orecchio.

Town historian Patt Mazzeo, coincidentally, had been researching Douglas for some time. At last, we had the whole story.

Douglas came to life in the elegant prose of Professor Hoar and in that of the town elders from my childhood. Douglas' saga offers lessons for today and for many tomorrows to come.

In his early 20s, Douglas, like many other slaves in the South, went to the front lines as a servant to his master (or his master's son). When the opportunity arose, such men crossed over to the Union lines in an act of self-emancipation.

Professor Hoar figures that Douglas became free by 1864 and moved north with Sherman's army as a forager and a blacksmith. In 1866, Douglas settled in what was to become Fairview. It seems he liked what he found.

Douglas married a local woman, had a son and daughter, and spent the rest of his 84 years in town. He ran his own blacksmithing business into his 90s.

We learn more about Douglas' life and status in Fairview from a local history written in 1987 by Orecchio, who had a long friendship with the Douglas family.

Hoar relied on Orecchio's writings, and his compilations of letters from other townsfolk concerning Douglas, in portraying Douglas as a very modest man, unassuming, but with a strong moral sense of right and wrong. He loved to talk about horses, but rarely talked about his early life. He loved children, was very attached to his family and was a model father to his two children.

Two events showed the great love and affection that the community held for Douglas. In his last decade of life, he was largely unemployed, sick and nearly blind, and way behind on his taxes. Yet, he and his family stood proud and never sought any public assistance, such as there might have been in 1949. So in that year, a county court judgment seized his homestead.

Hearing the news, the town was aghast. Orecchio organized a special fund, and in short order, the total taxes were collected from local townsfolk eager to help. The property title was restored to Douglas.

In another matter, a town leader led an unsuccessful fight to obtain a Civil War pension for the old soldier. He failed in his effort because Douglas, like so many others, was not officially mustered.

Hence, officially, the oldest Civil War veteran of New Jersey is George Ashby, not Simon Douglas, who actually never described himself as a vet, just a soldier. (Sgt. Ashby, 1844-1946, was also an African-American soldier and, according to mycommunitysource.com, a park is named in his honor in Monmouth County.)

In concluding his work about Douglas and his family, Orecchio states: "My family and this community where I live are richer because the Douglases lived among us."

The history of Simon Douglas in Fairview can inspire all of us to access the "angels of our better nature," as Abraham Lincoln adjured.

This year, Fairview will honor the memory of its iconic citizen in a series of ceremonies. Such is the power of history to motivate, transform, commemorate and teach.

But Douglas' story is not the only one to be found in the prolific and encyclopedic work of Professor Hoar. How many iconic figures of all ethnic and racial groups are to be rediscovered in his pages? How many documentary -- or even movie -- plots to be created? My discovery was serendipitous. But readers now know where to find material of interest. Just come to the Fairview library!

Silvio Laccetti is a retired professor of history at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken and a long-time Fairview resident. His self-named foundation donated several of Dr. Hoar's books to the Fairview library. For more info contact him at slaccett@stevens.edu.
HOBOKEN  Churchgoers attending Sunday service at St. Matthew Trinity Lutheran Church celebrated the renaming of their pastor.

The Rev. Rose Beeson has been transitioning from woman to man since last summer, sharing the journey with parishioners.

After giving a sermon on what is known in the church as Transfiguration Sunday, the Rev. Tracie Bartholomew, bishop of the New Jersey congregation, held a "renaming ceremony" where Beeson will now be called Peter.

Parishioners watched on at the bishop blessed Beeson with holy water from the baptismal fountain in the back of the church.

"Will you be a beacon of welcome and inclusivity for those who are yearning for a Christian community," church council president Leslie Neve asked the congregation.

All replied "we will."

Take a look back on the service in the gallery above.
Authorities say a potentially "lethal" batch of heroin appears to be circulating in the Evesham Township area of South Jersey.

At least four overdoses were reported in the Burlington County township in just the past 24 hours, said Lt. Joseph Friel of the Evesham Township Police Department Saturday night.

Friel said all four of the victims were revived after receiving a dose of naloxone, the drug used to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses.

Authorities were prompted to issue their warning on a weekend evening, Friel said, because of the sudden spike in overdose cases.

What was described as a "bad batch" of heroin in rural Salem County claimed at least three lives in January.

Friel said anyone who knows of someone experiencing a heroin overdose should call 911 immediately to get help for them.

He says New Jersey's Good Samaritan Law protects those from arrest, who in good faith, seek for help for themselves or someone they see experiencing a drug overdose.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
Have you met Newark?

Have you seen the new downtown galleries and eateries?

Have you met the resident artists and restaurant owners?

Do you know the early history, from Robert Treat's founding to George Washington's retreat.

Or the inventing genius of Seth Boyden?

Do you know the literary elite: Stephen Crane, Phillip Roth and Amiri Baraka?

Or the music stars: Sarah Vaughan, Frankie Valli and Whitney Houston, to name a few?

Have you been in the plush and ornate Ballantine House, built by the brewing family and now a showpiece of the Newark Museum?

Have you seen Gutzon Borglum's "Wars of America" sculpture at Military Park or his "Seated Lincoln" outside the Essex County Historic Courthouse -- both created long before the famed sculptor took on Mount Rushmore?

And did you know that the courthouse was designed by Cass Gilbert, who also was the architect for The Woolworth Building in New York and the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington?

Have you met Newark?

Really met Newark?

These facts, and many more, grabbed the attention of two young transplanted urban planners a few years ago, and they began to show off their adopted to city friends and family.

"I realized the negative dialogue about Newark wasn't driven by the people in the social and business scene of the city," said Emily Manz. "Much of it came from people who probably hadn't stepped foot in the city in years."

After swapping stories about how Newark surprised their visitors, Manz and partner Antonio Valla started a tour business in 2012 called "Have You Met Newark?"

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns

It has since expanded to include Nom Nom Newark, a restaurant tour, and Brick City Bar Crawl, a night-life gallivant through town.

There's a downtown tour and an Ironbound tour. There are church tours. Or almost anything else a booking group wants.

"We had the Brandeis University Club of Middlesex County call, and they wanted to see the Newark murals," Manz said. "So we put together a tour for them."

Other alumni groups, such as Harvard and the University of Chicago, have taken tours. Students and teachers from some of the Newark charter schools, too, have gotten to know the city better.

"It's a labor of love," said Manz, who also runs a "boutique consulting firm" for economic development and tourism called EMI Strategies.

The audio literature and entertain giant Audible, headquartered in Newark since 2007, sends all of its new employees on a "Have You Met Newark Tour?"

"We always tried to do a mixture of things, especially for people new to Newark," Valla said. "There is always something new to discover, to learn or experience."

For instance, the just several hundred feet from where Audible is building a hi-tech center in the old Second Presbyterian Church on Washington Street, glass artist Richard Paz has a studio where he practices a craft that dates back to the Roman Empire.

Paz's shop, GlassRoots, is a stop on the tour of small businesses and restaurants in the Halsey Street area.

Last Monday, Manz led a group of about 20 new Audible employees into Paz's shop. They watched as he fired up a glass-blowing tube and created an ornamental bead.

"These tours are great for us," Paz said. "They find out about us. We've had people come back to take our workshops or buy our jewelry or home goods."

For Manz and Valla, that is part of their mission: to marry the burgeoning corporate presence in the city to home-grown culture.

As far as Audible is concerned, that's a good goal.

"We get new employees on a tour within the first one or two weeks of being hired," said Kamian Allen, vice president of communication and public relations at the Amazon-owned company. "Newark has always been a hub of innovation and we want our employees, many of whom come from hi-tech and creative backgrounds, to be inspired by the city."

That is certainly true of the "Have You Met Newark?" founders.

Manz, 29, was from the small Connecticut town of Woodstock, and went to college in Hungary. She met Newark while doing her graduate work in urban planning at Rutgers.

She got her first tour from one of her professors, the late Robert Curvin, who wrote "Inside Newark," a profile of the city since 1950 as it declined toward the 1967 riots/rebellion, to the modern days of hope and rebuilding.

Valla, 35, grew up in Fullerton, Cal., went to school "back East" at Dartmouth, then Harvard's School of Urban Planning.

His Newark connection was Toni Griffin, a professor at Harvard who had been the city's director of community development under Mayor Cory Booker.

Valla is employed by the RBH Group, the developers of the city's Teacher's Village, and the yet-to-be-built Four Corners Millennium project, which will transform the intersection of Broad and Market Streets.

Once Manz and Valla found themselves in Newark, they never left.

"I quickly recognized the positive aspects of the city," Valla said. "Everybody wants the city to do well."

"We wanted to change that 'underdog' narrative," Manz said. "We certainly don't feel that way."

In fact, they feel the opposite. They believe Newark no longer needs to exist in the shadow of New York City.

"Newark was - and is - New Jersey's downtown," Valla said. "This was the center of a major metropolis and we feel it is positioned to become that again."

* * *

"Have You Met Newark?" tours cost $250 for groups and $10 for individuals. For more information, visit haveyoumetnewark.com or call (646) 856-9076.

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.
In the year before he went missing in choppy waters 40 miles off the coast of Barnegat, Paul Alexandre Matos bought a house, had a daughter and got licensed to commercially fish on his own boat.

He had been working as a fisherman for other people, said his girlfriend, Amy Romano, but he decided last summer to strike out on his own.

"I think what sparked him is learning he's going to have a child," Romano told NJ Advance Media. "On other fishing boats, he can't make his own hours, and they're away for a week to two weeks at a time."

Matos, 30, was away for just over two days when he and his crew member sent out a distress call early Thursday to the U.S. Coast Guard, concerned their 46-foot wooden fishing vessel was taking on water. The pair, who had set out Monday night from Point Pleasant, were probably fishing for fluke or porgies, two fishermen who knew them told NJ Advance Media.

After scouring 4,441 square miles of ocean by sea and air, the Coast Guard called off the search for the Queen Ann's Revenge on Friday evening without locating the boat or the people aboard.

The families of Matos and crew member Dennis Smalling said Saturday that although they had been told there was little chance the men were alive, they still desperately wanted closure and were considering raising money to send a diver in search of the boat.

When the distress call came from the Queen Ann's Revenge, weather reports indicated the vessel was being battered by 10-foot seas and 25 mph winds.

Romano is awaiting word on the fate of Matos with their 5-month-old daughter in the Berkeley Township home Matos had bought last March and begun to renovate. Matos had been painting, installing windows and repairing the floors, Romano said.

A photo of the Queen Ann's Revenge, a 46-foot fishing boat that went missing early Thursday about 40 miles off the Jersey Shore. (Courtesy of Milene Oliveira)

Matos and Romano hit it off immediately upon meeting at the Shore in the summer of 2015, Romano said, and they soon began living together in Toms River. When Romano became pregnant, Matos told her he wanted to buy a home for their daughter to grow up in.

A U.S. Navy veteran who had served in Iraq, Matos had learned to fish from his father and uncle when he moved to the United States from Portugal at age 12, according to Romano. As an adult, Matos sometimes worked on his uncle's commercial fishing boat, but he bought his own vessel, the Queen Ann's Revenge, last summer and took it out to sea for the first time in November.

"He was used to working on 95- to 100-foot boats," Romano said. "I think a lot of us thought, too, maybe that's what went wrong -- he was treating this boat like it was a bigger boat and was pushing it a little too far."

Romano is now raising their daughter, Stella, without the man she said she had planned to marry. She said it hurts her to think Stella is too young to remember her dad.

"I have so many photo albums I was looking through today," Romano said Saturday. "I'm just going to have to show her these memories."

Dennis Smalling, of Point Pleasant (Courtesy of Keith VanNote)

'Maybe he'll come home'

Alice Vannote, Smalling's mother, on Saturday said she was still trying to process that the 34-year-old son who had lived with her in Point Pleasant is gone.

"It's maybe unnatural to a lot of people, but the hope that maybe they'll still be found alive is there," Vannote said. "The thought of them being forever at sea is just too much to bear."

Smalling had always loved fishing, and he worked on several scallop boats, his mom said. He had only worked on Matos' boat for two months and had felt nervous about the condition of the vessel, which Coast Guard records show was built in 1957.

He hesitated to go on the fishing trip that ultimately caused him to go missing, Vannote said, but he was loyal to Matos and did not want to let him down.

"He poked his head in and told me he loved me, and as always, I said, 'Have a safe trip,'" Vannote recalled. "And then he was gone."

Smalling, who previously repaired antique cars, left behind a 12-year-old daughter who is still waiting for her dad to come home, Vannote said. Both of them miss the man they said would have risked his life for someone he did not even know.

"There's no closure," Vannote said. "I'll be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life and praying that maybe he'll come home."

A GoFundMe page has been created for the family and girlfriend of Matos, seeking to raise funds for a future memorial. As of noon on Monday, the fund had raised more than $10,500.

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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Imagine that it's 1995, you live in Newark, and you can't afford to send your kids to private school.

In more than half of the public elementary schools, not a single 8th grader passed the state test on academic competence. Putrid bathrooms lacked even toilet paper. The superintendent had 10 relatives on the payroll. Board members flew to Hawaii for conferences, and bought lavish meals at home, with house accounts at 32 area restaurants.

But it's 1995 in Newark, and you have no choice: You must send your kids into that system.

"I wish everyone would read that report from 1995," says Chris Cerf, who just stepped down as the city's superintendent of schools.

It's a good idea. Because we are a cynical crowd in New Jersey. We think of our government as incompetent, and our leaders as self-serving creeps. It's a conditioned reflex, and granted, often a reliable guide.

But we do some things right. Crime in Camden, once the nation's most violent city, has been cut by more than half. Our prison population is down by one-third over the last two decades, the steepest drop in the nation. We rank near the top on solar power, despite all the clouds and rain.

My sentimental favorite, though, is the progress we are witnessing in Newark schools today. The state took control based on the 1995 report, but no one really shook the foundations and made good use of that power until Cerf came along, first as education commissioner and then as superintendent.

Today, 40 percent of Newark kids attend schools that beat the state average in math and English tests. About one-in-three attend charter schools that are rated among the nation's best. The graduation rate has jumped to 77 percent, up by more than 20 points. The worst schools were closed, the worst principals replaced, and a new contract allowed Cerf to pay his best teachers a little more.

"Obviously, we still have a lot of work to do," says Mayor Ras Baraka. "But I think the data is real. Compared to other cities, we do very well, and that's something that gets overlooked. I'm proud of the growth we've seen."

How did this happen? And why didn't it happen before?

Educators have long list, one that starts with the stellar performance of the city's charter sector, led by North Star and Team Academy, the two big charter chains. They consistently outperform the district, even after reforms ensured that they take their fair share of at-risk students. With about 1 in 3 Newark kids now enrolled in charters now, the impact is undeniable.

A house-cleaning in the conventional schools led to the closing of 11 failing schools, a huge turnover in principals, and tenure charges against 15 percent of the teaching staff, most of whom are now gone. Of teachers rated "effective" under the new system, 97 percent have stayed.

But this is a political story, too. And that's where Cerf surprised everyone.

Four years ago, Newark was locked in an ugly fight over its schools that threatened to derail the reform movement. School committee meetings fell into chaos, with charges of racism and the "plantation mentality" of the mostly white management cabal running the city schools on behalf of Gov. Chris Christie, whose name draws jeers in the city.

Cami Anderson, the headstrong superintendent before Cerf, stopped attending the meetings altogether. Baraka, running for mayor, demonized her in street marches, where protestors carried signs showing blood running down Anderson's face, with the word "LIAR" stamped over it.

The teachers' union, threatened by the growth of non-union charters, pushed for a moratorium and told voters the charter movement was a plot by Wall Street hedge fund managers to capture public funds. It's a crazy theory with no evidence behind it, but the villains in that story played right into Newark's paranoid style of politics.

"The state takeover is no longer about a takeover," said Sen. Ron Rice (D-Essex). "It's about occupation, and so our schools are really being occupied by folks who want to promulgate privatization."

During this storm, as Cerf was preparing to leave his post as state commissioner, he started bouncing around the idea of becoming Newark superintendent. It's a demotion, in a way, but Cerf knew that the battle had shifted, and that with big reforms launched, the core mission was to protect them.

"I came here with the very specific goal of preserving the work, but having the work become something the city owned and believed in, rather than something that needs to be reversed and revenge exacted," he says. "I had a conviction that I was in a unique position to bring the pieces back together."

He asked me what I thought, over a nice scotch. I told him I thought he was crazy. Another white superintendent, from out of town, appointed by Christie, and tainted by his appointment of Anderson, who almost had to wear a disguise to get out of town safely.

"I thought the same thing," Baraka says.

We were both way wrong. Cerf started attending the school committee meetings again, and took the blows when people called him a racist stooge of Wall Street. He went to local meetings. He met with everyone. He hired more locals, and fewer outside consultants.

He emphasized that he didn't care if a school was a charter school or a conventional one, only that kids learn. North Star charters, meanwhile, started sharing teacher training programs with conventional schools. And with so many families sending their children to charters, which remain the most popular option by far, the balance of power shifted against those who were fighting them.

Over time, the tone in the city changed.

"The main thing he did was build a relationship with the mayor and other community leaders," says Ryan Hill, who runs the Team charter schools.

"People knew charters were doing well, and that reforms in the district were taking root. He didn't have to do massive new reforms. He just needed to continue the progress and build relationships. I was impressed by his willingness to go to every meeting in town, and these were not always easy meetings."

Baraka and Cerf, once combatants, are now caught up in an unlikely bromance.

"He's always been up front with me," Baraka says. "We've had regular meetings, sometimes twice a month. I don't know if that's ever happened in the history of state control."

And here's Cerf: "It turns out we have a very good collaboration. I value the truth more than I value agreement, and he has always always been honest and truthful with me, even when he says, 'Look, I'm going to be out there telling you I think you're wrong.'"

So, go ahead, take your shots at Jersey. I make a decent living doing it.

But once in a long while, we're allowed to feel warm and fuzzy. Children in Newark have a better shot at a good life than they did a decade ago, no small thing. And sometimes, what drives our political leaders is that they actually give a damn.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this column understated the progress made on Newark's graduation rates.
Rand Paul was in the news last week because of an annoying habit he has. The Kentucky Senator keeps reminding his fellow Republicans that what they are doing is in direct contradiction to what the party promised the voters.

The action that got the most media attention was his attempt to stall a budget deal that blew up the deficit by an additional half a trillion dollars.

Perhaps more interesting, though, was his position on that military parade that President Trump announced he's going to have.

That's a great idea, Paul said, but the president is overlooking a key element: Before you have a military parade, you have to bring the troops home.

"We just don't know how to appreciate a good thing," Paul wrote in an op-ed column. "A big part of our foreign policy failures is not knowing when and how to declare victory. So, why not a parade? Bring the troops home and declare the victory that should have been declared years ago."

His logic is irrefutable, especially in light of Trump's promise to get the U.S. military out of the business of regime-change and nation-building exercises in faraway countries.

Paul's only error, if I may presume to deduce it, is that he gives President George H.W. Bush too much credit when he writes, "The last military parade in Washington was in 1991, after our victory in the first Iraq War."

It turned out that 1991 was not the end of our military efforts in Iraq but the beginning. I discussed that the other day with one of the warriors, former CIA agent Bob Baer.

"It just kept going," Baer said of the Iraq War. "I know because I was creating a lot of the violence."

In his book "See No Evil," Baer writes of his exploits running around Iraq in the mid-'90s trying to foment a coup against Saddam Hussein. In doing so, he got involved with the people like the Kurdish forces who are still fighting alongside U.S. forces in adjacent Syria more than 20 years later.

What's the goal? That's the problem, Baer said. No one in power quite knows what the U.S. is trying to accomplish in Syria, including the generals.

"Here we are up against the Russians, the Iranians, Hezbollah and Turkey, and we're supporting a group that is considered a terrorist group by our NATO ally," he said.

That's the aforementioned Kurds, who are considered terrorists by Turkey and freedom fighters by the U.S.

And that's just one of two wars America is engaged in that have no clear victory in sight. The other is in Afghanistan, which has been called "the graveyard of empires" for a reason.

"Remember one thing about Afghanistan," said Baer. "You can occupy it but you can't defeat it."

That was seconded by another of the military experts I like to talk with, former Green Beret Pat Lang, who spent a couple decades in the Mideast after returning from Vietnam.

"The British tried three times and failed every time," he said. "In the first Afghan war, they lost every single man except for one guy who stumbled back to camp."

The British at least had a reason to be there, he said. They wanted to create a buffer zone between their empire and the Russian empire.

But why are we there almost 17 years after 9/11? Like Baer, Lang couldn't think of a single thing the U.S. has done since then that could be labeled a victory. That includes the tracking down of 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden.

"Killing Osama Bin Laden was an act of revenge that was psychologically necessary for the American people, but it didn't really change anything," he said.

One reason Trump defeated Hillary Clinton was that he promised to end this sort of adventurism. But unlike Lang, The Donald never served in the military. If he had, he'd be a lot more skeptical of advice from generals like Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

"I think that Trump has given Mattis and the generals too much autonomous authority," he said. "He's not really paying attention to what they're doing and they're doing a lot of foolish things."

Given their options, Lang said, generals will always find some war to fight.

"They lose all significance, generals do, if they don't have a war to fight and an enemy to face," he said.

Worse, the generals are supported by a Beltway foreign-policy establishment that believes in what he termed an "aggressive internationalism" based on military intervention, Lang said.

Trump, by comparison, angered that establishment during the campaign when he came out against using our military for regime change in places like Syria.

He actually borrowed that idea from Paul, who summed up his views of that parade thus:

"So, by all means, a parade - yes! As long as it is a victory parade heralding an end to America's longest war."
It wasn't an angry outburst, but state Senate President Stephen Sweeney's message was sent.

At a mayor's conference in Trenton on Thursday, Sweeney publicly bristled at Gov. Phil Murphy for calling on state lawmakers to pass legislation designed to combat President Donald Trump's gutting of New Jersey's property tax deductions. Sweeney suggested that if the governor wants something from lawmakers, "he should just call us rather than call us out publicly."

Then Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said Murphy's biggest item on his wish list -- a millionaires tax -- is now "absolutely a last resort."

It's no secret the relationship between Trenton's top two Democrats has been frosty during Murphy's first month in office -- something that could hamper the governor and his ambitious agenda. Insiders say Murphy and Sweeney rarely talk directly to one another.

And those who worry about worst-case scenarios have seen this picture before.

The last time Democrats controlled every branch of state government, a fight between a rookie governor with Goldman Sachs ties (Jon Corzine) and a south Jersey legislative leader (Joe Roberts, the state Assembly speaker) produced an epic week-long state shutdown that made last year's version look like ... well, a day at the beach.

But just one month into Murphy's tenure, nobody is predicting all-out war -- especially since the governor and Democratic lawmakers are itching for change on so many issues after eight years of Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

"I think everybody on all sides of the fence here are busy getting their sea legs," said state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen. "I think a lot of it has been over-hyped."

"Are there some bumps in the road? Sure," Weinberg added. "Communication between the legislative leadership and the administration, I think can be improved."

Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, D-Essex, said everything now is just "new" and "everybody has to adjust."

"Hopefully it'll settle down and we'll be able to work together," Caputo said. "I think (Murphy and Sweeney) will get to trust each other more. No matter what the perception is, they're gonna have to work together."

Weinberg said Murphy and the Democratic-controlled state Senate and Assembly are "kind of in agreement on practically all of these big issues."

But two of Murphy's biggest campaign promises -- passing a recreational marijuana law that could generate hundreds of millions in tax revenue and increasing taxes on millionaires -- have received pushback from fellow Democrats.

If Murphy is stripped of his revenue raisers, he'll be unable to fund any number of things on his long list of campaign promises, from fully funding schools and the state's ailing public worker pension fund, to raising the minimum wage and making community college free to New Jerseyans. When combined, those promises will cost the state billions of dollars.

At the same time, some lawmakers have privately expressed frustration with how Murphy has spent much of his first few weeks signing executive orders, largely overturning Christie policies or fighting Trump. Some believe the approach is ironically reminiscent of Trump.

Instead, they say, Murphy could be working with the Legislature to pass his initiatives into law. Eight years ago, rookie leaders Christie and Sweeney forged an early bond and teamed up on big-ticket items, such as property tax caps and pension reform.

Matthew Hale, a political science professor at Seton Hall University, said the first month of Murphy's tenure has been akin to watching a "listening tour."

"The governor has been going around and listening and doing some low-hanging fruit," Hale said. "All of the big-ticket items that we may have expected haven't been done yet."

Hale said right now, Sweeney and Murphy "seem like fighters throwing out jabs."

"No one's ready to throw a punch hard," Hale said. "They're sort of testing each other, finding out their boundaries."

Brigid Harrison, a political science professor at Montclair State University, stressed: "The reality is: The governor needs the Legislature. Even Chris Christie recognized that."

The bad blood between Murphy and Sweeney goes back to early in the campaign season.

Sweeney eyed a gubernatorial run before he was pushed out by Murphy. The New Jersey Education Association opposed Sweeney's reelection and Murphy, who was endorsed by the union, declined to pick a side.

Some wonder if the tension between the two men will affect Murphy's first state budget, which he's expected to unveil on March 13.

One source said they could see a scenario in which Murphy includes the millionaires tax in the budget, which Sweeney would oppose, and that could set the stage for a lengthy battle over how to fund the state. The source did not want to publicly discuss sensitive matters and asked for anonymity.

Republicans, meanwhile, hint at something else.

Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, R-Union, said there's a new dynamic at play. When Democrats controlled the Legislature under Christie, they could pass bills that Christie would never sign and "play to a constituency without worrying about the impact of bad policy" because it would never become law.

"Now the Democrats have to govern," Bramnick said. "Some of those policies they voted for in the past, it's harder to vote for now. It's pretty well known in politics that campaigning is a lot easier than governing."

For his part, Murphy has said repeatedly that concern over his relationship with Sweeney is overblown. Speaking after a news conference in Marlboro on Friday, the governor said his team is "talking to (Sweeney's) team every day."

When asked about Sweeney's comments the day before, Murphy said the Senate president has shown he's on board with the tax plan to allow people to deduct property taxes as charity.

"The most important thing Sen. Sweeney said yesterday -- which I think was great -- was that we're all together on this," Murphy said.

Sweeney told NJ Advance Media that Murphy is "working hard" early in his term.

"He's busy getting a handle on what's going on," Sweeney said.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.
A South Jersey county worker claims his supervisors did nothing when he complained of racial harassment after he was "continually" referred to by a racial slur and compared to primates, a lawsuit says.

Grady Butts, who has been employed by Salem County since 1997, also alleges in the suit that he was forced to perform work which aggravated an injury, despite warnings he wasn't able.

Butts, of Penns Grove, who filed the civil suit in Superior Court, says when he complained about racial harassment, he was subjected to retaliation including "false discipline" and, he claims, an effort by his coworkers to get him fired.

An African-American, Butts says he was originally hired as a laborer and in 2013 was promoted to a truck driver. It was that year that the racial harassment began, Butts claims in his suit.

He says he reported the alleged harassment to the county's Human Resources Department, but nothing was done to resolve the issues.

Butts claims that because of his complaint he was falsely accused of insubordination and suspended. He was also subjected to "a barrage of false or frivolous write-ups."

In September 2014, Butts says he suffered an injury at work and that injury was aggravated by a second incident on the job a month later.

Butts filed a claim for workers' compensation and his doctor ordered that Butts should be placed on light duty when it came to lifting, the suit says.

Butts said the alleged racial harassment continued and in December 2015 he filed another complaint with the county.

The county still failed to address the issue, Butts claims in his suit, and he continued to be subjected to "frivolous and false discipline." He was also still being forced to perform lifting despite his doctor's orders, which aggravated his earlier injury, the suit says.

In another racial harassment complaint filed with the county officials in 2016, Butts claimed that he was "continually" called the N-word and "compared to primates."

In September 2016 Butts says he obtained "a medical note stating he needed to be on light duty, and imposing multiple work restrictions," something Butts claims his supervisors "ignored and forced him to perform work that was medically unsafe."

Butts claimed his work aggravated his medical condition and required him to have surgery and he needed to take unpaid leave to recover.

He claimed after he returned, racial harassment continued with "the coworkers who had harassed (Butts) and who had been the subject of (Butts') previous complaints, began making up false stories in an attempt to cost (Butts) his job."

In November 2017, Butts' suit says he filed yet another racial harassment complaint with the county, but officials did nothing to stop his torment and he has continued to be subject to "false discipline" and been forced to perform work "with no modifications, contrary to medical orders."

Butts also says he also filed complaints about his alleged work conditions with state and federal agencies.

Butts' suit demands a jury trial. Along with compensatory and punitive damages, his suit says he is seeking restoration of benefits and seniority, back pay and fees for his attorneys.

Salem County Spokeswoman Brenda Banks said the county "will vigorously defend the action based upon all lawful defenses and legal immunities."

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
A 33-year-old man was critically wounded early Sunday (Feb. 11) after New Orleans police say he was shot while getting out of a vehicle on Caffin Avenue. The man was one of two men shot in separate shootings that happened overnight, according to preliminary report of major offenses released Sunday by NOPD.

Authorities say the 33-year-old victim was sitting inside a vehicle with another person in the 2300 block of Caffin Avenue. He was shot by that unidentified person as he got out of the vehicle shortly after 2:30 a.m., according to the police report.

The victim was taken to the hospital by EMS and was listed in critical condition.

Police are also investigating a shooting in the 7th Ward that happened around 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Authorities say a 22-year-old man sustained a "graze wound" and was taken to a hospital in a private vehicle.

Authorities say the man was walking near the intersection of Pauger and North Villere streets when an unknown person started shooting.

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Carrying a pastry box protecting a Gateau D'or (Chocolate) king cake from Sucre in Metairie from pouring rain that forced a one-day postponement of the Krewe of Bilge parade through the Eden Isles canals near Slidell, Linda Cerise announced, "I already know what I'm going to bring next year: A doberge king cake from Debbie Does Doberge in New Orleans."

Karen Milanese poured champagne into a punch bowl, concocting a French 75, as her daughter, Courtney Perrett, artfully displayed the latest entry on the dining room table at her grandparents, Ross and Joan Guastella's Eden Isles home. The Gateau D'or and, a bit later, a Chantilly King Cake from Bywater Bakery in New Orleans marked the final two king cakes entered in the third annual Slidell king cake tasting party, this year themed "King Cake Fixes Everything."

There were super sweet king cakes and king cakes stuffed with more savory fillings, as Guastella family members strived to contribute both a winner and something that had never been experienced before - at least not at the Eden Isles taste-off. "We're trying not to repeat ourselves, which is a challenge in itself," Perrett said.

In addition to the Sucre and Bywater Bakery pastries, this year's competition included a Cuccidati (Italian fig cookie) king cake from District Donuts in New Orleans; a Pecan Praline version from Gracious Bakery in New Orleans; an Almond King Cake from La Boulangerie in New Orleans; McKenzie's Traditional King Cake from Tastee Donuts in New Orleans; King Cake Cheesecake from Copeland's in Slidell; a Blueberry Cream Cheese from Paul's Pastry in Picayune, Miss.; a Cajun Praline version from Marguerite's Bakery in Slidell; and traditional king cakes from Not Just Donuts in Slidell, FOM Bakery in Slidell, Manny Randazzo's in Metairie, Camelia Flour Bakery of Slidell, and Amanda's King Cakes in Slidell.

Winner of the family's inaugural King Cake Tasting Party, themed "I'm Just Here for the King Cake," was Marguerite's Bakery's traditional king cake. Last year's winner, from the party "Let Them Eat King Cake," was a non-traditional pastry from Shaya in New Orleans. This year, the contest included categories ranging from Best Traditional King Cake to the King Cake I can't Live Without.

"Our family's a little competitive," Perrett said, and she's right. In addition to the king cake tasting, the family also holds a two-day gingerbread baking competition, averaging about 30 structures each year; and a Christmas baking competition, when the family pastry chef wannabes really strut their stuff. While friendly, family competition keeps the contests innovative and challenging, Milanese said the simple truth of the matter is the family loves to cook.

With king cakes in place and the time to start sampling drawing near, so did family and friends. "We're all going to be sick in about 5 minutes," said Tom White, considering the task that lay ahead.

After carefully considering the entries - an important requirement considering one of the contest categories was Best Looking King Cake - tasting plates were filled, filled, and filled yet again. Later, with the dining and deliberation done, the winners of this year's contest were announced. They were:

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Best Non-Traditional King Cake: La Boulangerie (Galette de Rois / Almond French King Cake).

Best Traditional Cake: A three-way tie between Camelia Flour Bakery, Amanda's King Cakes, and Not Just Donuts.

Best Looking King Cake: Gateau D'or (Chocolate) King Cake from Sucre in Metairie.

King Cake I Can't Live Without: The Cajun Praline King Cake from Marguerite's Bakery.

And as further evidence that no detail had been overlooked at this marvelous Mardi Gras celebration, piled high on the foyer table by the Guastella's front door was a tall stack of to-go boxes.

"So they can do it all again tonight," Perrett said with a grin.

Carol Wolfram photographs and writes stories about the people and events of the Slidell community. To reach her, email carol.wolfram@yahoo.com.
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Q: Two years ago I got out of prison after being there for nine years. I lost everything that I had. When I got out, my credit rating was 565. I recently bought a car and have made four payments so far. Can you tell me when I might have good credit again?

A: As long as you continue to make on-time payments, you should see gradual improvement in your scores. It's impossible to predict how long it might take to achieve "good" scores, though. That depends on the information that's in your credit reports, what credit score formula is used and what's considered "good" by whichever lender is evaluating your application.

You should first make sure your payments are being reported to all three credit bureaus. Unfortunately, some car dealerships that specialize in bad-credit lending don't report their loans, which means your payments wouldn't be helping your scores. If that's the case, consider getting a credit builder loan. These loans, typically offered by credit unions, put the amount you borrow into a savings account that you can claim after making 12 monthly payments.

Payments should always be made on time, by the way. A big chunk of your credit scores is determined by your payment history. Your low scores mean you fell seriously behind on your obligations, but even a single skipped payment can hurt. Consider putting payments on automatic so there's no chance of a lapse.

Another large portion of your scores is determined by credit utilization, or how much of your available credit you're using. Paying down an installment loan over time helps that ratio. So, too, does paying down or lightly using a revolving account such as a credit card. If you don't have a card, consider applying for one. There may be a small initial hit to your credit scores, but that will fade quickly. People with bad credit often need to start with a secured credit card, which requires you to deposit a certain amount typically $200 or more  with the issuing bank. Use only a small portion of your available credit  30% or less is good, 20% or less is better, 10% or less is best. Pay the bill in full each month, since there's no advantage to carrying a balance.

Another way to speed up your credit rehabilitation is to be added as an authorized user to the credit card of someone with a solid credit history. This other person doesn't have to give you access to the card itself, but naming you as an authorized user may allow that person's history with the card to be imported into your credit reports. Not all credit card issuers report this information, though, so the primary cardholder would need to ask. It's also important that the other person continue to behave responsibly with credit. If the primary cardholder misses a payment or maxes out the card, your scores could be hurt, too.

You can track your progress using one of the many websites offering free credit scores. Your bank or the credit card issuer may offer free scores as well. The scores likely won't be the same score a lender might use to evaluate you, but they should give you a general idea of where you stand.

Q: I am 79, in fairly good health and fortunately have almost $600,000 in my IRA account. My minimum required distribution is currently about $30,000 a year, which means my IRA funds will last until I am well over 100! I realize that I can pay a penalty and draw down some of the funds but I don't want to be pushed into a higher income bracket. Any suggestions on how I can enjoy the money while I am able?

A: You won't pay a penalty for pulling more than the minimum from your IRA. That early withdrawal penalty disappeared 20 years ago, after you turned 59. You will owe income taxes, of course, but a visit with a tax pro can help you determine how much more you can withdraw before you're pushed into a higher tax bracket.

Q: You often mention that a financial planner should be "willing to sign a fiduciary oath to put your interests first." Is there a form or formatted letter available to financial planners who are willing to sign said oath?

A: There is. The Committee for the Fiduciary Standard, a group that promotes the idea that advisors should put their clients' best interests first, has just such a form letter at thefiduciarystandard.org.

Liz Weston is a certified financial planner and personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Question? Use the "Contact" form at asklizweston.com.
UPDATED Monday, Feb. 12: The stabbing victim, Lukas Pison, 27, has died, police said.

* * *

A 24-year-old man was booked into the Clark County Jail early Sunday on accusations of attempted murder and assault related to a stabbing in a convenience store parking lot.

Vancouver police responded to a disturbance about 1:20 a.m. at the AM/PM at 1800 N.E. Andresen Road where they saw a man lying in the parking lot with "an obvious stab wound." Other people were fighting in the parking lot when police arrived.

Police did not identify the victim, whose injuries were described as life-threatening. Police found the suspect, who they said assaulted a second person, hiding in nearby bushes.

The suspect was identified as Charson Lotius.

-- The Oregonian
How many blistering evaluations does it take to illustrate a child welfare program is utterly failing the young people it's supposed to serve and protect?

It should be one. Yet in Oregon, it's closer to a half dozen.

The most recent, an extensive audit by the Secretary of State's Office, echoed some of the problems that were outlined in earlier critiques, including one dating back to 2002.

The audit, released Jan. 31, found Oregon's Department of Human Services has failed to collect critical information leading to some bad decisions about the placement of children in foster care. The agency hasn't supported foster families and has had no statewide plan to recruit new ones. Morale is so low, it's hard to retain case workers, yet as many as 700 are needed to sustain the current foster care program.

Hobbling all efforts to rebuild, the agency has failed to track even the most basic of data points on children, current and prospective foster families or employees. One number is known - that Oregon places about nine out of 1,000 kids in foster care. That's nearly double the national average. But no one is sure why, or whether that helps children or not.

This yearlong, deep dive into a troubled agency was appalling, especially for an agency responsible for children.

Yet Gov. Kate Brown and state lawmakers aren't acting like it.

Democratic lawmakers say it'll take years to address problems that were decades in the making. They argue that they just budgeted an additional $30 million to address some of these issues.

Corvallis Democratic Sen. Sara Gelser told Oregonian/OregonLive reporter Hillary Borrud "one of the reasons we have new leadership is because we've had rigorous oversight from the Legislature over the last two to three years. That has pushed this issue forward with the governor's support to get that done."

Lawmakers who meet sporadically - this year for just 35 days - aren't the ones who can consistently ride this issue. That's Gov. Kate Brown's job and foster children need more than her "support" to get that done. They need her leadership.

But Brown's office appears too busy deflecting the audit's results.

In an email reported by the Salem Statesman Journal, Brown's spokesman Chris Pair claimed audits from Secretary of State Dennis Richardson's office were "just about politics."

In fact, work on the child welfare audit began a year ago, before Richardson, the only Republican in a statewide elected position, took office. It was ordered by his predecessor, Democrat Jeanne Atkins.

Richardson and the auditors were disappointed by the comments and addressed them in an email to the governor. Brown, a former Secretary of State, should know better than anyone how auditors strive to be objective and independent watchdogs for the state.

There's no room in this crisis for such divisive deflection of the facts.

Oregonians have been assured over and over that these problems were being addressed. We now know those efforts failed. We need more information, more often to be sure that this sinking ship is being sufficiently righted and put back on course.

Let's take a cue from Brown. She's asked the new human services Director Fariborz Pakseresht to provide monthly reports on his progress, which she'll in turn publish online. But earlier such reports have lacked detailed data, critical analyses or context.

We need regular assessments from Brown's office providing detailed progress on her clearly communicated and measurable goals for hiring and training caseworkers, supporting and certifying foster families and creating a centralized system to accept complaints of suspected child abuse and neglect. That's to assure Oregonians that the 11,000 children moving through the system are not forgotten.

Several leaders have cycled through top positions at the Department of Human Services as these problems have continued. Voters, too, will soon have a chance to make their own decision about leadership.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board

Oregonian editorials

Editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom. Members of the editorial board are Laura Gunderson, Helen Jung, Mark Katches and John Maher.

To respond to this editorial, post your comment below, submit an OpEd or a letter to the editor.

If you have questions about the opinion section, email Laura Gunderson, editorial pages editor, or call 503-221-8378.
By Tim Nesbitt

Another legislative session, another budget-balancing challenge for state lawmakers -- despite the fact that our economy is strong and state revenues are at record highs. What's going on?

The short-term answer is that President Trump and Republicans in Congress have handed Oregon lawmakers a package of tax changes that threaten to undo our delicately balanced budget. That's not a huge problem. Oregon's anti-Trump sentiment should make it easier for Democrats to block ill-conceived business tax giveaways. And, with some smart adjustments to how we handle other federal tax changes, Oregon can maximize tax benefits for working families and still come out ahead on the revenue side.

So far, so good. But the long-term picture remains daunting. Even with revenue-saving patches to the Congressiional tax deal, Oregon lawmakers foresee another billion-dollar-plus deficit in 2019 just to pay for current programs.

Meanwhile, we keep finding more things to like in our economy. As State Senior Economist Josh Lehner recently observed, "Oregon's average wage, while still lower than the U.S. overall, is at its highest relative point today since the mills closed in the 1980s. Furthermore, Oregon's per capita personal income ... is at its highest relative point today since the dotcom crash."

So the question remains: With our economy doing so well, why can't our lawmakers balance the state budget?

True to partisan form, Democrats blame business interests for not paying their fair share to support public services, while Republicans blame Democrats for failing to curb the rising costs of government programs. There's truth in both assertions, but we could learn more from a little history.

Throughout most of the 1990s, Oregon enjoyed an even stronger economy than we are experiencing today. But a long-ignored imbalance in our tax system fueled a property tax revolt that forced a massive diversion of state revenues to shore up funding for K-12 schools. As a result, we ended the decade in worse fiscal shape than we started.

Then the 2000s delivered two recessions. We cycled through a pattern of cutting and restoring services, while deferring costs that accumulated but were never properly addressed. We ended the decade with a balanced budget but an unbalanced future.

In the 2010s, we finally got back on our feet economically. But we had bills to pay from the prior decade and the long-deferred underfunding of critical services to make up for, which proved to be too much for our political system to handle. Democrats punted on needed cost controls, while Republicans blocked needed revenue reforms. As a result, we may yet close out another decade of strong economic growth with the prospect of continuing budget deficits.

That's the bad news. The good news is that Oregonians have outgrown the anti-government tax cutting fervor of the 1990s. And recent elections delivered strong majorities willing to support the expansion of publicly-financed health care (Measure 101) and the improvement of our schools (Measure 98). But it remains disappointing that, despite two decades of stellar economic growth over the last 30 years, we have not been able to do better for nearly three generations of kids in our schools, kids in foster homes and kids in crisis.

If there are lessons to learn from this fiscal history, it's that we don't correct our mistakes in Oregon, we embrace them. Major business groups opposed the property tax cutting measures of the 1990s but quickly learned to love their tax savings. Likewise, public employees never bargained for the unexpected payoffs that came their way from the arcane features of the PERS pension structure; but they quickly came to feel they deserved them. So too with our odd kicker law, which Republicans sold to the voters as a constitutional amendment in 2000 (Measure 86) after it had destabilized state budgets for years before.

To paraphrase Rahm Emanuel, a good economy is a terrible thing to waste. The perennial PERS problem threatens to claim the entirety of likely revenue growth in our school budgets for the next six years. While interest group politics continues to block constructive dialogue on fixing our unstable and unbalanced tax system.

We call them "perennial problems," a euphemism for what needs to be done and what we continue to ignore. They can persist for decades and turn good times into hard times for far too many Oregonians for generations to come.

Tim Nesbitt can be reached at nesbitt.columns@gmail.com.
Police took into custody several people at a student Republican event at the University of Washington on Saturday that drew counter-protesters.

The police presence appeared significant as the Seattle Police Department assigned extra officers to support university police for the event at the campus.

College Republicans invited the Vancouver-based group Patriot Prayer to speak in Red Square. The club bills it as a free speech event.

University of Washington police didn't immediately return a call to The Associated Press seeking more information.

KOMO News reported that protesters on different sides brawled -- prompting police to use pepper spray and make a few arrests. It wasn't clear which group those who were arrested associate with.

-- The Associated Press
An Oklahoma non-profit organization chartered a 5 -hour flight Saturday to transport 110 dogs and one cat to Oregon, where two local humane societies are confident they will be able to find the pets homes.

The non-profit -- Fetch Fido a Flight -- says it spends about $250 per an animal to send animals without homes in Oklahoma to shelters across the country that wont euthanize them.

The animals on Saturdays flight were greeted by dozens of volunteers.

Forty dogs and one cat went to the SafeHaven Humane Society in Tangent, which is 30 miles south of Salem. The Oregon Humane Society in Northeast Portland took 70 dogs, including 50 puppies.

Volunteers unpacked the animals carriers from the plane, which landed in Salem Saturday afternoon. The animals then were driven to the two humane societies.

It was a long trip, so theyre getting some food and water and a nice, soft bed, said Laura Klink, Oregon Humane Society spokeswoman, Saturday evening.

The dogs will be available for adoption on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Oregon Humane Society, 1067 N.E. Columbia Boulevard. That will give staff enough time to make sure the dogs have received any necessary medical care and have adjusted to the time-zone change, Klink said.

All of the dogs who arrived Saturday have been deemed adoptable, Klink said.

The pets from Oklahoma are just some of the thousands of animals who will be transferred to the Oregon Humane Society from other shelters in the Portland area, across Oregon and elsewhere in the country through its Second Chance program. Last year, more than 7,000 animals were transferred to the Oregon Humane Society -- including pets who lost their homes during the Santa Barbara wildfires and Hurricane Harvey in Texas.

In all, the Oregon Humane Society finds homes for about 11,000 animals each year -- meaning most of the animals adopted from the Portland shelter didnt originate there.

Klink said thats thanks to generous donors who enable the shelter to keep animals as long as it takes to find them homes, and a public willing to adopt them. About 98 percent of the animals do ultimately find homes. Two percent that are determined to be too aggressive or too sick -- and untreatable -- are euthanized, according to the organization.

-- Aimee Green
To help their 91-year-old father manage anger and aggression related to dementia, his children went rogue with his medical care.

Without telling his doctors, they've been treating him with cannabis.

One of his daughters has a medical background. A retired nurse living in Portland, she had heard about the possible benefits of marijuana extracts in Alzheimer's patients. Though there was little research on the topic  and it has a dubious federal legality in the United States  cannabidiol oil, became a last resort for the family.

"Things were getting really bad and he wasn't going to be able to stay at home because of his aggressive behavior," his daughter said.

For the past year, with the consent of her siblings and as her father's medical decision maker, she has been giving him capsules of the oil. The compound has been shown to help with anxiety, pain and other ailments. It doesn't contain the compound that creates a high in marijuana.

The Oregonian/OregonLive is not using the family's names at their request for privacy reasons.

They felt let down by the medical establishment as their situation became more and more dire. Faced with having to institutionalize their dad, the family decided the risk was mild.

But there are risks. One doctor I spoke to warned others from trying it without informing one's physician, saying cannabis could have adverse effects when combined with other medications.

For this family, though, the results were worth the risk.

"He's so much calmer," one daughter said. "He still gets confused and still wants to go home (when he is home) but he's not upsetting everyone. He just seems happier. He smiles more."

The family had become concerned by their father's aggression, irritability and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. He had cut upholstery from the furniture and once smashed a light switch off the wall.

"When it got to its worst, he put his hands on one of the caregivers and shook her," his retired nurse daughter said. "She went to the bathroom, locked the door, called my brothers."

Then, she caught a story on the nightly news about a small study out of Israel showing that cannabis helped Alzheimer's patients sleep at night, become more social and less aggressive. She pitched the idea to her siblings.

"I was a little concerned at first, just the unknown of it," his other daughter said, "but (my sister) had read a lot of research and filled us in on what she had read and we felt like we didn't have a lot of options. We didn't think it would harm him if we could try it."

The family didn't tell the 24-hour, in-home caregivers what their father was taking. They said only that they were trying a new medication.

The daughter used her nursing background to approach it scientifically, starting with a small dose of 5 milligrams per day and asking the caregivers to fill out a questionnaire at the end of each shift documenting her father's appetite, sleep behaviors and mood.

"I needed to be able to measure what was happening," she said.

She increased his dosage little by little, taking months to find a helpful amount.

It's expensive  she estimated his monthly dosage would cost $600 retail  and it's not been a cure-all. He still isn't sleeping through the night, but he's no longer aggressive.

Both women believe their father would be in a care facility without cannabis.

But they said it shouldn't be this difficult. Doctors weren't helpful, and his daughter had a hard time finding credible research on cannabis.

"What if there's a downside to this? Will we ever know what it is?" she asked. When it comes to long-term effects on seniors, "We don't have any idea. So it's just feeling your way in the dark."

And that's what concerns doctors like Robert Hendrickson, associate medical director of the Oregon Poison Center at Oregon Health & Science University.

"If you're not asking your physician about advice about a medication, then who are you getting your advice from?" he said. "You're asking a medical cannabis dispenser who has no medical training, who doesn't understand the adverse effects... who has a financial stake in your decision to determine what is effective, what the correct dose is, and in what form."

Institutions that receive federal funding, like OHSU, have shied away from medical cannabis. Their physicians will not help a patient acquire it.

It creates an information gap  patients don't feel they can talk to their doctors about it, doctors aren't necessarily well-versed in the latest cannabis research, and patients then seek advice from people without expertise.

Janice Knox, an anesthesiologist who founded American Cannabinoid Clinics in Portland with her family of doctors, is trying to be that resource.

"It's really sad because they (patients) are looking for information," Knox said. "They want to use their doctors, they want someone to sit down and just talk to them about the pros and cons of cannabis."

Knox cautioned people against consulting "the University of the Internet. It's all over the place and people don't know what's true, what's not true."

But she wasn't troubled ethically by the family's choice to dose their dad.

"I don't look at it as an ethical thing at all, no more than a patient giving a child a (fever reducer)," Knox said. "A child hasn't consented to having (the medicine), but in our best judgment a child may need that. ... I think what's happened is there's been such a stigma from using marijuana that people feel like it's a big negative thing, that it's a crime they're doing, something they have to hide ... and they're made to feel guilty for using it."

It comes back to medical professionals educating themselves and having candid conversations with patients, even though research on cannabis is limited by the federal government's classification of it as a drug with no medical value.

"If we're going to deal with the federal problem, it's going to have to come from our professional societies saying look, this is the practice of medicine, we consider this a valuable tool in this practice of medicine, let's talk about this," she said.

-- Samantha Swindler is a columnist for The Oregonian/Oregonlive

@editorswindler / 503-294-4031

sswindler@oregonian.com
UPDATED Feb. 12, 2018: Police identified the victim as a 38-year-old man from California.

UPDATED 6:15 p.m.: Police say the suspected shooter remained at the scene and is cooperating.

* * *

Police say a man was fatally shot Saturday, just a few blocks northeast of the Hawthorne Bridge in inner Southeast Portland.

Central Precinct officers responded to the 1200 block of Southeast 7th Avenue at 3:16 p.m. and found a man on the ground. Medics arrived and pronounced the man dead.

The alleged shooter -- a man -- remained at the scene. He surrendered his gun to responding officers and is cooperating, said police spokesman Sgt. Chris Burley in a news release.

Police say that, based on their preliminary investigation, they think the two men had been in some sort of dispute when one shot and killed the other.

Police havent yet released the names of the deceased or the alleged shooter.

Investigators have closed off three blocks of Southeast 7th Avenue -- from Southeast Madison Street to Southeast Taylor Street. The area is a mix of industrial businesses and small stores.

Police are asking anyone with information about this shooting to contact Det. Brad Clifton at Brad.Clifton@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0696.

-- Aimee Green
Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

by Jamie Hale | The Oregonian, OregonLive

With sweeping vistas, sandy beaches and azure skies, the Oregon coast in the summer is a dream. But after Labor Day, when the day-trippers start to stay home and the Californians flock back south, the coast transforms into a different kind of destination completely.



Come late fall and winter, a blanket of gray pulls up and covers the coast, bringing with it drizzly rain, strong storm surges and deadly waves. Storefronts and restaurants keep shorter hours, as locals live off their summer earnings and what meager money stray tourists bring by. The cheery disposition seen in sunnier months gives way to a hard-scrabble lifestyle that requires a scrappy brand of gumption just to get by.



At first blush, a winter trip to the Oregon coast might not seem as alluring as a summer vacation, but to ignore our scenic shoreline in the winter is to miss out on a huge part of what makes it so special in the first place.



All those winter waves and rains play a crucial part in shaping the coastline  the elements chipping away at rugged rock, wearing down sandstone, shifting dunes and flooding tide pools. Waterfalls gush from the Coast Range, and rivers flow to the ocean. Sea lions gather in rookeries to breed, sea birds hunker down in the gusts, and tourists  fewer and farther between  bundle up to go out and experience the raw power and awesome energy of the turbulent ocean.



The sheer force of the Pacific Ocean on our beautiful coast should be enough of a draw, but in case you need some convincing, here are 30 reasons to love the Oregon coast in the winter.

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*Sneaker wave safety*

Sneaker waves can strike at any time, dragging unsuspecting beach walkers into the unforgiving ocean, but the phenomenon generally occurs during winter months. Be prepared for sudden tidal surges and never turn your back to the ocean.

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OUTDOORS

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

1. Storm watching

The Pacific Ocean is a powerful force, and as winter storms batter the coastline, watching the waves crest and crash against the rocky capes and cliffs is a thrilling experience. The central coast has a wealth of places to storm watch, from Boiler Bay to Cape Perpetua and Heceta Head.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

2. Whale watching

The gray whales migrate past the Oregon coast every December and March, and if you're lucky enough to stop by during the annual Whale Watch Weeks, you can spot dozens of grays spouting, showing off their flukes and occasionally breaching. A pod sticks around throughout the year, too, typically feeding in the kelp beds near Depoe Bay.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

3. Brookings Effect

The southern Oregon coast tends to be a bit warmer than the rest, thanks to warm winds that blow in from the Chetco River  a phenomenon known as the Brookings or Chetco Effect. Take advantage of the balmy weather to explore the beautiful parks up and down that part of the shoreline.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian/OregonLive

4. Boardman Scenic Corridor

One of the most scenic stretches of the Oregon coast, the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor on the southern coast is 12 miles of viewpoints, beaches and hiking trails. You can drive the corridor and pop in and out to viewpoints, or spend your time hiking the Oregon Coast Trail, which traverses the whole thing.

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Torsten Kjellstrand/The Oregonian

5. Redwoods

California's giant redwoods get all the attention, but Oregon has a couple of groves of the big trees, too. You'll have to head down to the southernmost reaches to see them, at either the Redwood Nature Trail near Alfred A. Loeb State Park, or the Oregon Redwoods Trail near the California border.

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Benjamin Brink/The Oregonian

6. Crabbing and clamming

Winter is a great time to go clamming and crabbing on the Oregon coast. Clatsop County is the best place to find razor clams, while Dungeness and red rock crabs can be caught up and down the coast. Be sure to get a license from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and check local regulations before you go.

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Michael Lloyd/The Oregonian

7. Surfing

There are certainly better places to go surfing on the west coast  and better seasons to do it  but those who brave the conditions to paddle out off the Oregon coast in the winter are treated to big swells, thin crowds and beautiful, wild terrain.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

8. Ecola State Park

Ecola State Park wraps around Tillamook Head on the northern coast, stretching for nine miles along the coastline with trails that lead through lush rainforests and along high cliffs, with views of the ocean and the famed Tillamook Rock Lighthouse.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

9. Fort Stevens State Park

The massive 4,300-acre Fort Stevens State Park offers a diverse set of recreational opportunities, suitable for all seasons. You can get a view of the incredible jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River, see the iconic Peter Iredale shipwreck, tour old military batteries, and hike out along long stretches of beach. The park also boasts nearly 500 campsites, as well as yurts and cabins.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

10. Harris Beach State Park

A big, beautiful state park on the southernmost segment of the Oregon coast, Harris Beach offers both sandy beach and rocky shores, teeming with tide pools and massive sea stacks close to shore. Bird watchers, rock hounds and hikers alike can enjoy the park.

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Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

11. Boiler Bay

Just north of Depoe Bay is a rocky point that juts out into the ocean and forms part of Boiler Bay  named for an old boiler from a shipwreck that still rests underwater. The viewpoint is perfect for storm watching, bird watching and whale watching, and is a popular picnic spot should weather permit.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

12. Hikes

Aside from the trails at state parks, there are dozens of great year-round hikes up and down the coast. There's the Amanda Trail near Yachats, the Ocean to Bay Trail in Newport, The Thumb hike in Lincoln City and plenty of others.

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Courtesy of Bari Langbaum

13. Rainforests

A drizzly day on the coast can be magical when you're walking beneath the canopy of a Pacific Northwest rainforest. There are forested spots all over, but some of the best can be found within the Coast Range, at the Valley of the Giants, the Drift Creek Wilderness, and the Kentucky Falls area. Good forest can be found on the coast proper, too, at Cape Perpetua and Ecola State Park.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

14. Cape Perpetua

Cape Perpetua is truly a vertical experience, with phenomenal tide pools at the ocean's edge, and great scenery from one of the highest viewpoints on the Oregon coast. In between are forested trails, campgrounds, a visitor center and other unique features, like Thor's Well and Cook's Chasm.

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Wikimedia Commons

15. Yaquina Head

Another destination with a lot to do, Yaquina Head features the tallest lighthouse on the coast, tide pools, hikes up tall hills overlooking the coastline, a phenomenal visitor center, and rocky beaches full of driftwood.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

16. Waterfalls

From Kentucky Falls and Niagara Falls in the Coast Range, to Blumenthal Falls and Hug Point Falls on the coastline itself, there are several stunning plunges to discover during the rainy months of the year.

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FOOD AND DRINK

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Jamie Francis/The Oregonian

17. Breweries

Like the rest of the state, there are tons of great breweries on the Oregon coast. You can see a full beer tour itinerary (for both the north and south coast) in our statewide beer tour guide, but if you want to hit the best of the best, be sure to stop at Buoy, Fort George, Pelican, de Garde, Rogue, Arch Rock and Chetco.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

18. Chowder

There are few greater joys than a bowl of chowder on a rainy day at the Oregon coast. You can get good clam chowder just about anywhere, but the Chowder Bowl in Newport and The Horn Public House in Depoe Bay are safe bets.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

19. Local Seafood

Seafood is so fresh on the Oregon coast that it's almost criminal to eat it away from the ocean. Just about every town has at least one good restaurant, but there are of course some stand-outs: For fish and chips, try Luna Sea Fish House in Yachats or Bowpicker in Astoria; for nicer restaurants head to Local Ocean in Newport or the upscale Restaurant Beck in Depoe Bay.

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20. Yurts and Cabins

Camping isn't much fun when it's raining buckets in the winter, but thankfully several campgrounds offer yurts and cabins to be near nature without being immersed in it. They can fill up at the most popular state parks on the weekends, but weekdays and farther-flung parks are always a safe bet. See our previous lists of yurt rentals and cabin rentals to find them.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

21. Seaside

Seaside is one of the busiest, most touristy cities on the Oregon coast, and in warmer months overwhelming crowds tend to keep many Oregonians at bay. But come winter, the town is practically empty, allowing for peaceful walks on the promenade, quiet evenings in the local restaurants and less competition at the Fascination tables.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

22. Cannon Beach

Like Seaside, Cannon Beach tends to get overwhelmingly busy in the summer, emptying out in the winter. A great city for eating, drinking and taking long walks past that always-iconic Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach in the gray months is a good destination for a small-town trip or romantic getaway.

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John M. Vincent/The Oregonian

23. Hot Tubs

Whether for romance or just a little relaxation, nothing beats lounging in a hot tub on a deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean. You may have to search  and pay  to get a room with a private outdoor tub, but it will be an experience you won't soon forget. The north-central coast is a good place to find them, at both the Channel House in Depoe Bay and some of the Blue Pacific rentals in Lincoln City.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

24. Lighthouses

You don't need a sunny day to appreciate a lighthouse, and on the Oregon coast there are 11 you can enjoy. They run up and down the length of the coast, from the inaccessible but dramatic Tillamook Rock lighthouse, to the towering Yaquina Head light, and the quaint Coquille River lighthouse

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

25. Prehistoric Gardens

One of the best roadside attractions in Oregon, Prehistoric Gardens boasts nearly two dozen life-size replicas of dinosaurs, occupying a small patch of forest on the side of Highway 101. It first opened in 1955 and has so far evaded extinction on the southern coast.

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26. Sea Lion Caves

One of the Oregon coast's original roadside attractions, the Sea Lion Caves is actually one massive sea cave, home to a rookery of Stellar sea lions. While popular in the spring and summer, Sea Lion Caves is actually best to visit in the winter, when most of the sea lions actually occupy the cave.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

27. Newport's Historic Bayfront

Home to great restaurants and some of the best attractions in town  the Wax Works, Undersea Gardens, and Ripleys Believe It or Not! form the trinity  the Historic Bayfront district is a must-see for any visitor to town. Yes, it smells like fish, and yes, the sound of barking sea lions and gulls are a constant presence, but those only add to Bayfronts charm.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

28. Spouting Horns

Technically small sea caves with openings at the top, spouting horns create dramatic vertical sprays of water when big waves crash into them. They're best seen in the winter, and can be found in downtown Depoe Bay, Cape Perpetua and at spots around Yachats.

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Michael Lloyd/The Oregonian

29. Columbia River Maritime Museum

Dedicated to the stories that surround the Columbia River bar  an area called the "graveyard of the Pacific"  the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria is a great place to learn about the ships and vessels that have dared traverse the mouth of the Columbia at the mighty Pacific.

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30. Aquariums

Aquariums are a great indoor attraction for a rainy winter day. There are three to see on the Oregon coast: the big Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, the Oregon Undersea Gardens just across the bay, and the small Seaside Aquarium on the promenade in Seaside.

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NORTHWEST TRAVEL GUIDES

50 best events in Oregon: From rodeos to bike rides to counterculture celebrations, here are the best annual events in Oregon.

Winter rentals: From cabins and yurts to lookouts and tepees, here are some of the best winter rentals on public land in Oregon.

Portland runner's guide: Looking to get running in 2018? Our annual listing of footraces around the Portland area is back for the new year.

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB
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On that sleeve for his 1985 recording of the Goldberg Variations , Scott Ross is seen standing in the grounds of Chateau d'Assas in Languedoc. It was here that many of his great recordings were made. Then, as today, the chateau dwelt in the twilight zone between grandeur and dereliction, and thirty years ago the recording sessions were regularly interrupted by the sound of rats scurrying across the floor. Scott Ross was born in Pittsburgh in 1951, and moved to France with his mother following the death of his father in 1964. He studied at the conservatoires in Nice and Paris, and first came to Chateau d'Assas in 1969 to give music lessons to the grandson of its owner Mme. Simone Demangel . When an early music academy was established at the chateau, the harpsichordist gave masterclasses and became a frequent visitor. At first he stayed in a room in one of the towers, but from 1983 he rented a small house across the road from the chateau. The photos below were taken by me on a
The mortal remains of the military officer who died in a car crash with Ghanaian dancehall artiste Ebony, will face court-martial, credible sources at the Ghana Armed Forces have told 3news.com



According to the sources at the military high command, Lance Corporal Francis Atsu Vondee of the Ghana Air force stationed at the Accra Air force Base in Burma Camp was not officially deployed for the bodyguard duties.



The 29-year-old officer, who was travelling with Ebony died when their Jeep crashed a VIP bus Thursday night on the Sunyani-Kumasi highway while returning to Accra from Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.



Three of the four occupants  Ebony, Vondee and Ebonys close friend known as Franky- died in the accident. Their driver however survived.



Checks by 3news.com at the Ghana Armed Forces confirmed Vondee who was in a military uniform at the time of the accident, was not assigned to perform bodyguard duties, and that, he was doing purely private and personal business.



According to our sources at the military high command in Accra, investigations would be conducted into the matter and once it is established he was not officially sanctioned for bodyguard duties, his body would be court-martialed.



That is the body would be charged for being absent without leave (AWOL). That, the sources say, is in line with the laws and statutes governing the Ghana Army.



The sources said if found guilty of the charge, his family could be denied his benefits due him, including insurance packages.



Police account of how the accident happened



On 08/02/2018, at about 23:45 hours, suspect driver Chartey Oko Pinehad, aged 29, was driving Jeep No. AS497-16 from Sunyani to Accra with three occupants on board, whilst suspect driver Mohammed Abubakar aged 48 years, was also driving KIA Grad Bird [VIP] bus with registration No. GT 3232-17 from Accra to Sunyani with a set of passengers on board.



On reaching a section of the road between Nyamebekyere and Nsuta, there was a heap of sand in the lane of the Jeep which was being used for the road maintenance, and the driver in trying to avoid running into the sand, swerved onto the opposite lane and grazed the nearside portion of the bus and plunged into the railings at the edge of the road, killing the three other occupants identified as Francisca Nkansah Kuri aged 27 years, Priscilla Opoku Kwarteng [Ebony], and Lance Corporal Vondee Francis Atsu, aged 29 years.



The driver sustained injuries and was rushed to Bechem Government hospital for treatment. The occupants on board the bus escaped unhurt.



Bodies conveyed and deposited at Bechem government hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy. Accident vehicle impounded at the station. Suspect driver on enquiry bail.







Source: 3news.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) says it will soon start the export of some 50 megawatts of electricity to Burkina Faso once work on the interconnection lines has been completed.



Mr Frank Okyere, the Systems Control Manager at GRIDCo, who announced this, said the supply arrangement with Burkina Faso could reach some 100 Megawatts of power by the middle of 2018.



There is potential for the exports to go as high as 400 megawatts, Mr Okeyere said at a stakeholders forum on power outlook for 2018, organised by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).



The forum, which was on the theme: Diversifying Our Generation Sources, Strengthening the Base Load Sources to Support Industrial Growth, seeks to get a holistic picture of the power situation from the three main actors, the Volta River Authority, GRIDCo and the Electricity Company of Ghana.



Mr Okyere said GRIDCo had forecast peak demand to be at 2,523 MW for 2018 based on factors such as VALCOs operation of two pot lines, the power supply to Burkina Faso and network expansion and rural electrification programmes for Electricity Company of Ghana and the Northern Electricity Company.



He said peak demand to date is at 2229 MW vis-a-vis current totalled installed capacity of 4,966.5 MW.



Mr Kwaku Wiafe, Manager Volta River Authority, said installed generation capacity had increased significantly in recent years in response to the energy crisis, resulting in a reserve margin of about 95 per cent by year end 2017.



The increased installed capacity and greater fuel diversity means generation system is now more robust and resilient to ensure reliability in power supply in 2018, he said.



Mr Wiafe said thermal generation had exceeded hydro as the main source of supply, adding that, the hydro-thermal ratio is expected to be 28 per cent to 72 per cent.

There are currently 10 Independent Power Producers in operation, making up 46 per cent of the generation mix.



Mr Wiafe said diversity of fuel for the operation of power plants had reduced over reliance on any one source, making the system more resilient.



Increased dependence on gas mean less volatility in electricity prices as compared to when crude oil was the main fuel, he said.



However, he said, the increasing generation from thermal and the high reserve margin could put pressure on cost to recover the massive investment in new generation and cost of increased thermal generation at a time the general expectation was for a reduction in electricity tariffs.



In this direction, Mr Wiafe suggested a careful management of electricity pricing to avoid perpetuation of financial difficulties of the recent past and an improved governance of the power sector to cope with the increasing number of IPPs.



Mr Kivlyn Asante, General Manager Corporate, Electricity Company of Ghana, said the company had to contend with high cases of energy theft despite prosecutions to serve as deterrent and unrealistic tariffs, which were not cost-reflective.



He said the ECG was working to reduce its non-technical losses.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) has released the man who was arrested for allegedly taking and leaking pictures of some bulletproof vehicles procured by the Mahama-led government for the presidency prior to the end of its tenure.



Onua FM reported Friday morning that the 28- year-old man, Andy Abraham, had been picked up by the BNI for taking pictures of the vehicles and circulating same on social media.



The man, who works with AVIANS at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, left home for work Tuesday and never returned.



In an interview on Onua FM, a brother of Andy said when the wife of the missing man called AVIANS, she was told by some of his colleagues that he has been picked up by the BNI for taking pictures of government vehicles, which arrived at the Kotoka International Airport, and sent to it to a radio station.



The brother indicated that the family called his phone several times but no answer though it rang.



Pictures of the 34 vehicles, 10 of which are bulletproof, went viral on social media after it arrived at the Kotoka International Airport. Andy Abraham was accused of taking the pictures and sharing them on social media.



He was thus invited by the BNI and detained until 3news.com and its affiliate broke the story.



Mistaken identity



Speaking to Onua FM Friday evening Andys brother (name withheld), said his brother has been released by the BNI .



I can tell you that at this moment that we are talking, my brother has been released and asked to go and dress up so that we take him away. But we are told to report at the BNI Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for further checks, he told Onua FM.



According to the relative, the BNI released Mr. Abraham on the grounds of mistaken identity, adding that We have been assured that the perpetrator will be found, while apologies were rendered to my brother profusely.

Source: 3news.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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UPDATE: Police say the girl has been located, is safe

Police in Swatara Township, Dauphin County are searching for a 5-year-old girl who was abducted from her home by her grandmother.

Sophia Neyman was taken from her home along the 500 block of 65th Street just after 4 p.m. on Sunday, according to township police.

"Sophia's grandmother might be taking her to Michigan in a silver Suzuki Grand Vitara with California Registration 7DDL435," police said.

Local police, Pennsylvania State Police, and the FBI are working to find Sophia.

Additional details were not released.

Anyone who sees Sophia or the vehicle is asked to call 911 immediately.
One of the two men wanted in connection with a shooting death at a Lancaster bar has been identified and apprehended.

After releasing surveillance images of the two suspects in the shooting death of a 29-year-old man early Saturday, Lancaster police say they have arrested 34-year-old Alexander Cruz, of Lancaster.

The search continues for the second suspect.

According to police, the incident occurred like this:

During a fight that spilled outside of O'Halloran's Irish Pub on the 700 block of High St., Cruz shot and killed 29-year-old Marcus McCain, of Lancaster.

A second, 20-year-old victim was shot multiple times in the legs and is currently hospitalized.

As police continued the investigation, they released video surveillance images of two suspects, leading to numerous tips coming in. Through those tips and witness interviews, police identified Cruz as the suspect who fired the shots, and learned he was at a home in Ephrata area.

Along with a SERT team and Ephrata police, Lancaster police converged on a home on the first block of October Glory Trail around 5 a.m. today. Cruz was arrested without incident, and is facing charges of criminal homicide, attempted homicide, persons not to possess firearms and firearms not to be carried without a license.

The investigation continues into the identity of the second suspect.

Anyone with information should call the Lancaster police, 717-735-3300 or submit a tip on their website.
If brevity is the soul of wit, then Gov. Tom Wolf is Hamlet's Lord Polonius incarnate.

Kirstin Snow (PennLive file)

Last Tuesday in his fourth annual budget address, Governor Wolf outlined his vision for the Commonwealth's spending for fiscal year 2018-19.

The speech lasted an historic 19 minutes, but it covered quite a bit of ground. In my effort to continue, in plain language, to explain political processes and issues, I've outlined the main points of the speech in case you blinked and missed it.

After donning an Eagles cap and congratulating all of Pennsylvania on the win of their underdog team, the governor proposed a General Fund spending plan of $32.9 billion, an increase of 3.1 percent over the current fiscal year.

He also proposed to increase revenues with a natural gas severance tax. More on that later.

Budget highlights include:

Continued investments in education and workforce development by providing an additional $225 million to improve education, including:

$100 million for basic education funding.

$20 million for special education.

$30 million for Pre-K Counts.

$10 million for Head Start.

$15 million for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

$50 million for career and technical education, including $40 million for PASmart, a new initiative to strengthen workforce efforts at multiple state agencies by aligning those agencies' work with K-12 and higher education.

Increased funding to reduce waiting lists for child-care assistance and services for those with autism and intellectual disabilities, and significant new funding to bolster home and community-based care for seniors.

Additional support for Pennsylvania's fight against the opioid crisis by expanding access to substance use disorder treatment, prevention and education.

Increasing the minimum wage to $12 per hour.

Brevity is good in a speech, however he was no Jason Kelce in his delivery- minus the profanity.

The address sounded much like a canned campaign stump speech, likely because, well, he is in campaign mode. After all, seated behind him was a man who wants to replace him and one who desperately wants to be his running mate again.

As expected, the governor once again asked for a severance tax on natural gas. If you listened closely, you'd have heard the expected revenue would bring an estimated $248 million to the state's coffers. That's $23 million more than it will take to fund his education spending.

Wolf well-positioned the gas tax as equivalent to educating the state's children.

Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation that does not tax the sale of its natural resources. The only one.

Opponents will often recite the worn out talking points that it's a job killer... but for most of the folks living in the regions where Marcellus Shale is king, they've noticed the workers aren't from Pennsylvania.

Housing and rental costs have risen to take advantage of providing room for out of town workers while forcing low income folks to look elsewhere for limited living quarters. For landlords, it's a boon, for the residents, it has created real hardship, particularly for seniors on fixed incomes.

And don't forget large fracking companies' use and abuse of our roads, bridges and natural resources like clean drinking water.

Enter Alaska, home of the Alaska Permanent Fund. The fund was created by voters in 1976 as an investment account for royalties after oil was discovered on the North Slope. The principal may not be spent, according to the state constitution, and the earnings may be used by the Legislature for any public purpose, including dividends.

Residents began getting money from the fund in 1982. At the end of the year, qualified Alaskans receive a check- since the fund's inception, the checks have been as high as $2200. Last year the amount was about $1100, still enough to make a nice bulge in your wallet. The money is also used to pay down the state's deficit.

Pennsylvania voters have long made clear they want a tax on natural gas. Perhaps during the budget negotiation process Wolf can channel some Nick Foles in his pitch as the Eagles' superbowl afterglow will surely last quite awhile in the keystone state.

PennLive Opinion Contributor Kirstin Snow is an associate at Triad Strategies. Her "Donkeys & Elephants" column appears weekly opposite conservative commentator Charlie Gerow.
By Will Durst

During the State of the Union Address, President Donald Trump said many hopeful things, including that he wants to work with Democrats.

Will Durst (Cagle Syndicate photo)

Yeah, right.

He wants to work with Democrats the same way a five year old with a magnifying glass wants to work with ants. The way a coyote wants to negotiate with a nest of baby ducks. Think incoming ballistic missile and South Pacific atolls.



A week later, he called this very same group treasonous. And what heinous crime against the state did they commit: they neglected to stand and applaud during the boasts and exaggerations of his amazing, tremendous, fabulous speech. But nobody took the charge seriously. Why? Because his words mean nothing.



It continues to amaze how people pore over his statements, looking for clues to future behavior based on what's been previously said. It doesn't matter. The man never tells the truth. Only what's expedient. Pundits point out, "previously he said this," And "let's not forget he said that." Go ahead- forget that. He has. Or will.



After a year in office and a lifetime of his self-satisfied, publicity-seeking mug thrust in our faces, people remain oblivious that if the muse moves him, he will reverse course and adopt a totally different position. 180 degrees. In a New York minute. Often during the same interview.



You can't make a plan based on what comes out of his mouth because words don't matter to him. He has no respect for them. They're all made up of the same 26 letters. Letters that can be used to write other words. Words that don't assist the cause. Hence, he will say anything. To anyone. Any time. Anywhere. Anywhy. Anywho.





He'll do it for various reasons. Whatever helps at the moment. To carve an advantage. To distract. To buy time. Energize the base. Protect a deal. Create confusion. Stay in practice. Make himself look good. Even if he said he was lying, he'd be lying.



Pity the poor people who work for him, trying to say positive things, handicapped in supporting his goals and beliefs, because they have absolutely no idea what those could be. Except that he's pro- Donald.



He was against the war in Iraq. That wasn't him on the Access Hollywood tape. The President of the Boy Scouts called him. Remember how he was going to release his tax returns? He never planned to release his tax returns. Saying he would, was simply a stall. Soon other scandals erupted and the press began asking other questions and tax returns fell by the wayside. And so on and so on.





So when the President says he not only plans to testify under oath in the Robert Mueller investigation but that he's looking forward to it, don't believe him. That's what he thinks people want him to say. Now. It is neither a confirmation that he will testify or a warning he'll do everything in his power to keep from doing testifying. Could be either/ or. It could mean nothing. Probably the latter.



Maybe he'll change his mind. Maybe he won't. There is no way to tell. The man has the integrity of a drunken weasel in a chicken coop. He would rather lie than eat ice cream. And he likes ice cream.



Will Durst is an award-winning, nationally acclaimed columnist, comic and former sod farmer in New Berlin, Wisconsin. For a calendar of personal appearances, including his new one-man show, "Durst Case Scenario," please visit willdurst.com.
It's an election year and the governor is on the ballot. There was no doubt that his annual budget address would reflect that political reality. It certainly did.

Republican strategist Charlie Gerow (PennLive file)

The governor's budget address, delivered earlier this week to a joint session of the General Assembly was mercifully short--at less than 20 minutes it was the shortest in memory. It was mild in tone, not even remotely reminiscent of his rant against legislators a couple of years ago.

It was plain vanilla, bland to the point of critics calling it "dull." His biggest applause line came on the heels of his congratulating the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Most important, it didn't contain any of the requests for massive tax hikes that have become Wolf's trademark.

If this had been Wolf's first budget address rather than his last, things might have been a lot different for the past four years.

Although Wolf gave up on his constant quest to raise taxes on every Pennsylvanian this time, he still managed to ask for nearly $1 billion additional state spending.

If passed that would ramp up the increase in state spending under Gov. Wolf to nearly $4 billion.

That far outpaces the ability of Pennsylvania's working families to pay for it. It's a rate that exceeds the growth of the economy and far exceeds the limits of the Taxpayer Protection Act, were it to become law.

The biggest question is: "Why ramp up spending at a time when fiscal restraint is called for?" Having just heard all of the discussion about "structural deficits," shouldn't we be looking for ways to economize instead of simply spending more?

The governor's proposed budget also adds to the bonded indebtedness of the commonwealth which is already nearly $13 billion.

He wants to spend more money on public schools, but there is no talk about increased accountability for education spending which is already at record highs and increasing each year.

Sadly, Wolf's proposal also flatlines the EITC (Education Improvement Tax Credit) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit. These two items have both saved taxpayers millions of dollars and provided thousands of school children the opportunity to attend better schools.

How the budget is financed is always part of the legislative process that now begins in earnest. Although Wolf isn't seeking big "broad-based" tax increases this time, he's still stuck on trying to double tax the natural gas industry.

It's appropriate that his address immediately followed Groundhog Day. We've heard, over and over, Wolf's attempt to hit the natural gas industry with an additional tax.

His pitch is based on the myth that Pennsylvania is the only state that doesn't tax the extraction of natural gas.

Of course we do, not only with the so-called "impact fee" which has generated nearly $2 billion, but also through one of the nation's highest corporate taxes and other taxes not paid by producers in other states.

All of this raises the question about special taxes applied to a single industry.

The tax proposed by Wolf wouldn't apply to any anything except natural gas (and those who use it in their homes or businesses), an industry that is doing so much for so many, creating thousands of high-paying jobs and boosting the state's economy in ways unforeseen just a decade ago.

The retort that it's fair because gas is a "natural resource" falls flat in light of the fact that there's no such tax on the extraction of coal, timber, water, sand, stone, or gravel. (That's not intended as a "suggestion!")

One tip of the hat to the Guv on taxes: he wants to decrease Pennsylvania's exorbitantly high Corporate Net Income Tax.

He could be more aggressive, both in the scope of the cut and the timeframe in which he wants it done, but for America's most liberal governor to acknowledge that's our business taxes make us less competitive is a step in the right direction.

The governor's proposal isn't the final budget, it's only a starting point. But it's much closer to the finished product than his previous messages.

Wolf has yet to get a budget done on time. Interestingly, he's never even signed one into law.

This year should be an exception. Wolf's election-year budget proposal allows legislators to negotiate some reductions in spending, dispense the notion of a job-killing additional tax on natural gas and get things wrapped up before June 30.

PennLive Opinion contributor Charlie Gerow is the CEO of Quantum Communications in Harrisburg. His "Donkeys & Elephants" column appears weekly opposite progressive commentator Kirstin Snow.
Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown speaks at a press conference at Queen's Park in Toronto on January 24, 2018. Former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown has been removed from the party's caucus just days before the legislature is set to resume.Interim leader Vic Fedeli, who announced the decision in a statement Friday, had previously asked Brown to take a leave from caucus as he dealt with allegations of sexual misconduct. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim
Gene Kersey, left to right, Heather Hayes and Tim Menk, all directors of Friends of Gabarus Society, pose on the Louisbourg-Gabarus road, which closed in the mid-1960s, in Sydney N.S., on Saturday, February 3, 2018. The coastal road connecting Louisbourg and Gabarus dates back to the early 1700s, it's believed to be one of the oldest European constructions in the province and possibly Canada, according to research by local residents. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Vaughan Merchant
ISSUES....

Inside, confidential and off the record

Oil and fishing not mix

NV atCEPImperial





Guyana - Exxon Mobil Oil Contract No insurance provision for destruction of fishing grounds





There are many examples around the world where the governments ensure that oil companies provide insurance which would ensure compensation for any impact on communities and neighbouring countries due to the said operations. Unfortunately, Guyana is not one of those nations.



In the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed between the Government of Guyana and USA oil giant, ExxonMobil, there is no provision regarding any adverse impact on fishing grounds and coastal communities or on neighbouring countries.



This alarming observation was recently pointed out by Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram and political commentator, Ramon Gaskin.



Ram in his recent writings noted that Article 20.2 of Guyana's 2016 Oil Agreement deals with Insurance in respect of, but not limited to assets, pollution, third parties and employees. The Attorney-at-Law pointed out that the Agreement does not require any loss of production insurance as will apply in the case of any major disruption of production or environmental accidents. He said that while this provision is absent from the 2016 Agreement, the 1999 Agreement which was signed by the Jagan administration, allowed for insurance to be taken out by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited's affiliate insurance company. Esso is a subsidiary of ExxonMobil.



Ram stated, That requirement has been changed and now allows the Contractor to have the right to self-insure against the risks identified. This is a major concession by (Natural Resources Minister, Raphael) Trotman on an issue that only specialist lawyers know about. What it means in practice, is that anyone seeking to make an insurance claim will have to lodge that claim against Esso, CNOOC/Nexen or Hess, all of which are external companies. Those potential claimants must thank Raphael Trotman for making their chances even more difficult to succeed.

CASE OF UGANDA



In 2012, the Government of Uganda signed a PSA with British operator, Tullow Oil. That entity is also exploring in Guyana's deep waters.



In the PSA of that African nation, there are strict provisions for Insurance.



The PSA notes that the Licensee is to provide a Performance Security in the form of Insurance Bond or Bank Guarantee amounting to USD $500,000.00 which shall, inter alia, guarantee the payment by Licensee of the sums, if any, due and payable to the Government pursuant to the paragraph hereunder.



To ensure that Licensee, its Contractors and Sub-contractors meet their obligations to third parties, or to the Government, that might arise in the event of damage, loss or injury (including environmental damage or injury, removal of wrecks and cleaning up caused by accidents) caused by Petroleum Operations, Licensee shall maintain in force an insurance policy through an international insurance company of good financial standing covering the activities of itself and its contractors and sub-contractors, sublicensees and the employees of all such parties.

 To the extent that third party liability insurance is unavailable or is not obtained, or does not cover part or all of any claims for damage, loss or injury caused by or resulting from Petroleum Operations, Licensee shall remain fully responsible and shall defend, indemnify and hold the Government harmless against all such claims by the Government arising from any such damage, loss or injury. Licensee shall indemnify, defend and hold the Government harmless against all third party claims for damage, loss or injury, including, without limitation, claims for loss or damage to property or injury or death to persons, caused by or resulting from any Petroleum Operations conducted by or on behalf of Licensee.

OIL SPILL ISSUES



With ExxonMobil set to kick start in March 2020, Guyana is yet to see what provisions are in place by the company or the government in relation to oil spill prevention and the readiness to respond.



Asked by Kaieteur News about contractual provisions for such an eventuality. Country Manager for ExxonMobil, Rod Henson advised that there is language in the contract it has with the Government which speaks to this.



But the only detailed financial arrangement in place Article 28 of the Contract, which focuses on Social Responsibility and Protection of the Environment, is for social and environmental projects to be discussed and agreed upon by the two parties.



That arrangement says, The Minister and the Contractor shall establish a program of financial support for environmental and social projects to be funded by the Contractor. The Contractor shall directly fund the amount of three hundred thousand United States Dollars (US$300,000) per Calendar Year with any unspent portion carried over into the ensuing Calendar Years of the Agreement.



Furthermore, Henson noted that ExxonMobil has in place, its own Oil Spill Response Plan. He said that the Government of Guyana is in possession of this document. The nation is yet to see this plan.

EXXONMOBIL'S OIL SPILLS



Over the years, ExxonMobil has been criticized for causing some of the world's most detrimental oil spills, leaving marine life as well as communities devastated for decades.

One of the worst in its track record is the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill which occurred in Alaska on March 24, 1989. The Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker owned by Exxon Shipping Company, was bound for Long Beach, California. On its journey, it struck the Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled 10.8 million gallons of crude oil for several days. Given its effects, it is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters.



But more than 20 years later, many question whether ExxonMobil actually learned anything from the great Valdez mistake.



On May 1, 2010, a ruptured ExxonMobil pipeline in the state of Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, spilled more than a million gallons of oil into the delta. The leakage contaminated waters and coastal settlements in the predominantly fishing communities along Akwa Ibom.



Importantly, Nigeria's authorities flagged ExxonMobil for its response to the oil spill as it sought to use certain chemicals which were proven to be toxic to human and marine life.



In fact, Rev. Samuel Ayadi, Akwa Ibom State Chapter Chairman of Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria (ARFAN), said that ExxonMobil was in the habit of using dangerous chemical dispersants which are scientifically proven to be toxic to human and aquatic life to clean up oil spills whenever they occur.



He also noted that dispersants were even more dangerous than crude oil because it breaks down the crude oil and sinks it to the sea bed where it kills fish eggs and fingerlings thereby wiping out generations of fish stock and other sea food and marine creatures that make up the food chain.



Even as early as February of this year, ExxonMobil found itself under investigation after Australian regulators discovered that there was an oily sheen around ExxonMobil's rig in the Bass Strait of Australia.



The findings of the investigation revealed that it was indeed an oil spill caused by ExxonMobil and worse yet; its failure to properly respond increased the risk of contamination and posed a significant threat to the environment.



Sources used:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_ExxonMobil_oil_spill, http://www.petrocom.gov.gh/assets/Petroleum(Exploration%20and%20Production)Act2016.pdf, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/03/oil-spill-near-exxonmobil-drilling-platform-in-bass-strait-to-be-investigated, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/10/exxonmobil-criticised-over-response-to-bass-strait-oil-spill

Kiana Wilburg / kaieteurnewsonline.com / February 05, 2018





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Richard G. Miles : Is Mexico ready for a populist president?

Penn State University Press





Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's ascension seems like an increasingly good bet.

With the July 1 presidential elections approaching, Mexican voters will soon take their turn to vent their anger at the established political order. Like previous disruptive long shots  Brexit, Emmanuel Macron's election in France, and Donald Trump's election in the United States  the ascension of a populist to Mexico's presidency is an increasingly good bet. But the leading candidate is not exactly a breath of fresh air. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, 64, has been active in partisan politics for over 40 years. Despite a successful tenure as mayor of Mexico City from 2000 to 2005, he lost two successive bids for president in 2006 and 2012. Largely, this was because he was unable to shake the image of a left-wing, populist rabble-rouser with Hugo Chavez-like tendencies. Lopez Obrador himself reinforced this perception when he had himself sworn in as the legitimate president in the aftermath of the 2006 election, a stunt that caused him to lose credibility with many Mexicans. This time around, however, he has maintained a disciplined focus on the two issues that overwhelm all others in the current electoral season: corruption and out-of-control violence. In the last four years , nine of 32 state governors have been imprisoned, indicted, or are under investigation for money laundering, fraud, or racketeering. Last August , the former head of the state oil company (and a top campaign aide to President Enrique Pena Nieto) was shown to have accepted $10 million from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht. In 2014, Pena Nieto himself was indirectly tainted by charges that a government contractor had paid for a $7 million home for the first lady. Somehow these frequent allegations tend to go nowhere, leading to a pervasive disgust among Mexicans and a feeling that politicians from the two major parties  the Institutional Revolutionary Party and the National Action Party  can get away with nearly anything. Meanwhile, Mexico just completed its most violent year since at least 1997, when the government began tracking murders. Homicides topped 29,000, with cartel executions driving the numbers. Add to that, however, increases in other types of crimes, and Mexicans feel under siege. Many blame the violence not solely on the cartels, but on failed government strategies and outright collusion between senior government officials and cartel leaders. Consistently leading in the polls by double digits since last fall, Lopez Obrador faces uninspiring opponents from the main parties and a handful of independents. His campaign message is relatively simple. Everyone else is corrupt or craven, while he is not. Sensitive to criticism that he is a radical in waiting, he has highlighted policy proposals of austerity, low taxes, transparency, and nonintervention. The ruling party has done its best to depict him as sympathetic to, and longing for, authoritarian government, but there is little evidence that this strategy is working. If elected, Lopez Obrador is likely to change Mexican policy towards the United States in at least three areas: energy exploration, security cooperation, and support for democratic norms in the region. On energy, he said he would review existing contracts, and continues to view the opening of Mexico's oil industry to foreign investment as treasonous. A Lopez Obrador administration could slow down or halt bidding on new oil and gas finds in the Gulf of Mexico and refuse to approve new cross-border natural gas pipelines . Similarly, he could freeze existing security cooperation with U.S. agencies to fight heroin production in Mexico and capture cartel leaders. Problems of an economic and social nature cannot be solved with coercive measures, he wrote last year. It's not military assistance, or intelligence work, or deliveries of helicopters and arms, that will solve the problems of insecurity and violence in our country. Finally, Lopez Obrador, who has never uttered an unkind word about the Castro brothers, Chavez, or Nicolas Maduro (but named a son after Che Guevara), would be likely to withdraw Mexican diplomats from the mediating role they have played in the region on Venezuela, and refuse to participate in international resolutions concerning Iran, North Korea, or Syria. What about the personal chemistry between Lopez Obrador and Trump? Shortly after Trump was inaugurated, Lopez Obrador undertook a speaking tour of the United States, during which he repeatedly compared Trump to Hitler. Recently, Lopez Obrador vowed to put Trump in his place. What could go wrong?





Richard G. Miles is the director of the U.S.-Mexico Futures Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. From 2007 to 2008, he handled Mexican affairs on the U.S. National Security Council staff. Petroleumworld does not necessarily share these views. Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published by Foreign Policy , on February 09, 2018. Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest of our readers and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Petroleumworld and its owners.



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Tina Byles Williams (formerly Poitevien), a former Philadelphia city investment manager, heads FIS Group, a Philadelphia firm that specializes in buying stocks in small foreign companies. State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D., Phila.) and other trustees of the underfunded State Employees' Retirement Service voted to give FIS $200 million, previously invested in U.S. stock index funds, as part of a switch of $600 million into "emerging markets." Read more

The $29 billion Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System board has moved $600 million in pension investments out of low-cost stock and bond index funds and into three companies that buy foreign investments.

The money moves, approved by the pension board at SERS' January meeting, appear to partly reverse what Gov. Wolf and elected state Treasurer Joe Torsella had recently called a favorable trend by state pension funds to rely more on low-fee indexed investments. The switch was backed particularly by SERS board member Vincent Hughes, a Democratic state senator from Philadelphia, say people familiar with the decision. (Like Hughes, Wolf and Torsella are Democrats.)

The governor and treasurer have been prodding state agencies to move public money to lower-fee and indexed investments, such as those made popular by Malvern-based Vanguard Group. That's on the theory that more-exotic funds and their high-fee private managers tend to trail index funds over time, cost more, and risk corrupting officials who hire them. Two of Torsella's three immediate predecessors, Rob McCord and Barbara Hafer, pleaded guilty to criminal charges connected to payments from money managers who sought state business.

But SERS staff and board members and their consultants have defended hiring some higher-fee investment managers, which they say can provide higher returns than U.S. bonds, if not U.S. stocks. The system is also committed to hiring well-run "emerging" investment managers, which can include small, minority- or women-owned firms.

In the Jan. 31 meeting, the SERS board voted to take $400 million out of Mellon Capital Management (MCM)'s Russell 1000 Index stocks portfolio, and split it between two foreign-focused firms: $200 million for San Francisco-based investment manager Leading Edge Investment Advisors LLC, to invest in money managers that buy stocks in "emerging markets" around the world, and $200 million in FIS Group Inc., a Philadelphia firm, to invest in managers who buy non-U.S. small-company stocks.

FIS is headed by founder Tina Byles Williams, a former chief investment officer (when she was Tina Byles Poitevien) for the Philadelphia city and Philadelphia Gas Works pension plans and a former member of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System board (PSERS). FIS, along with a larger Philadelphia firm, PFM, were previously paid by the Philadelphia pension system to find investment firms run by women, minorities and disabled people, but the city pension board voted to terminate FIS and PFM in 2013 after a staff, board and consultant review noted underperformance by money managers they hired.

SERS board member Glenn Becker abstained on the FIS vote because his own investment-management firm, Swarthmore Group of Philadelphia, has done business with FIS, according to SERS spokeswoman Pamela Hile. Williams didn't return calls to her Philadelphia office or her New York public-relations representative.

SERS also voted to move $200 million out of the Mellon Capital Management Bond Index Portfolio and into Eaton Vance Management's Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Strategy, a hedge fund founded in 2010. Eaton Vance says that fund, which both invests in, and also shorts (bets against), securities in Russia, India, Mexico and other emerging markets, has typically returned higher profits than U.S. investment-grade bonds. But the Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Strategy portfolio has also trailed yields from junk bonds and U.S. stocks, according to its own promotional materials.

Although it is a state-funded agency, SERS declines to make public the formulas it uses to pay private money managers it hires.

SERS does report how much it pays contractors directly each year. For the Russell 1000-indexed stock portfolio, which invested $4.6 billion for SERS, according to last year's annual report, the pension system paid just $266,000 in annual management fees, or less than 1 percent of 1 percent (less than one basis point) of the SERS assets it manages. MCM charged around four basis points for the bond-index fund.

By contrast, one of SERS's current foreign-stock investment managers, Scotland-based Walter Scott & Partners, an "active" money manager that picks investments for its clients and is not an indexed fund, charged SERS $2.7 million in fees for investing $687 million. That works out to around 0.4 percent of assets per year, or 40 basis points  more than 40 times what MCM charged for the stock fund, and more than 10 times its bond fund fee.

SERS' strategic investment plan for 2016-17, adopted at the Dec. 2015 board meeting, included a resolution to "research the viability" of an "emerging investment manager program" to bring in managers such as FIS, whose founder is an African American woman, and Leading Edge, some of whose top officers are Asian Americans, said spokeswoman Hile.

Last winter, the SERS board approved the move toward "emerging investment managers" and took $400 million from its cash accounts and gave it to the MCM stock index fund while it looked for emerging managers to hire.

SERS, which faces a multibillion-dollar gap between its investment assets and its expected pension obligations, is funded largely by direct state payments from taxpayers, partly from a percentage contribution from public-worker paychecks, and partly from investment gains it collects in years when the investments make money.
In Philadelphia in the 1980s  the decade in which the Phillies won the World Series, city police dropped a bomb on a West Philadelphia neighborhood, and the Frankford Slasher killed at least a half-dozen women  the City of Brotherly Love also made history in a quieter way: selling its first million-dollar condo.

Compared with its urban neighbor just 100 miles north  New York City was no stranger to million-dollar listings, even then  the nearly $1.3 million purchase at the Rittenhouse Hotel and Condominiums in 1989 was unprecedented for Philadelphia, a city then battling massive population decline and job loss, and where the median price of a home hovered around $40,000.

Now, of course, real estate in Philadelphia is an entirely different landscape. Once an oddity, million-dollar condo listings are no longer rare. In 2017, the city recorded 144 deed transfers of condos costing $1 million or more  the highest volume of million-dollar sales in the city's history. Even more, Philadelphia real estate continues to break big records: In December, the sale of developer Tom Scannapieco's 500 Walnut penthouse  once rumored to have been purchased by Beyonce and Jay-Z  finally closed for $17.03 million, the highest price in city history, going to a local buyer.

The combination of record-breaking prices and volume has produced what many observers have begun to call Philadelphia's first, robust ultra-luxury condo market. Since the housing recovery began in 2012, Center City has increasingly seen condo listings for $5 million, $10 million, $15 million or more  prices unheard of 10 years ago. In the last week of January alone, more than a dozen Philadelphia condos were on the market asking at least $4 million  the price point that many observers agree defines the local ultra-luxury segment. It's estimated that even more ultra-luxury units in that price range are available for sale, despite not being listed publicly online.

Listing an ultra-luxury condo is one thing, observers say. Selling it is another.

Since Philadelphia's ultra-luxury condo market burst on the scene with projects such as Scannapieco's 1706 Rittenhouse and Craig Spencer's Residences at the Ritz Carlton, the response from buyers, observers say, has generally been strong  with some exceptions. Many high-end condo buildings have experienced tremendous success, selling units at record-breaking speed and price-per-square-foot, property records show. Others, meanwhile, have struggled to find permanent owners, with some ultra-luxury units  and even penthouses  sitting on the market for many months or years.

The difficulty that developers and owners face in selling some of Philadelphia's poshest penthouses and units stems not from diminishing demand  if anything, data show, Philadelphia is becoming wealthier. Instead, ultra-wealthy buyers are ultra-choosy, observers say. And, with Philadelphia lacking the same long history of strong real estate price appreciation that other cities such as New York City and Miami have historically seen, many buyers are apprehensive about being a trailblazer in the ultra-luxury market.

"It's not that we don't have the buyers who could very well afford it, but I think they are sometimes a little gun-shy about being the big-fish buyer," said Valerie Patterson, director of marketing at Kurfiss Sotheby's International Realty. "You have seen it happen a couple of times, with 500 Walnut and 1706 Rittenhouse penthouses.  I think that could help give some confidence to some of those very upper-end buyers."

Indeed  with the exception of a few anomaly sales  the richest buyers in Philadelphia have largely stuck to sales in the lower million-dollar range within the last few years. According to an analysis by Drexel economist Kevin Gillen, using data from City Councilman and real estate broker Allan Domb, only eight of 144 condo sales in 2017 attained prices of $4 million or higher. (Gillen said a few transactions may be missing from the list, given a two-to-three week lag in data.) In contrast, 65 percent of the condos  95 in total  purchased last year were for prices of between $1 million and $2 million.

Even with sales hovering around the lower-end of the million-dollar market, Philadelphia has, over the years, still experienced multiple unparalleled sales. In 2010, Scannapieco sold his penthouse at 1706 Rittenhouse for a record-breaking $12.5 million  commanding more than $1,600 a square foot, an all-time high in Philadelphia for a condo at that time. Six years later, the top floor of the Residences at the Ritz Carlton sold for $12 million. The top floor of the Residences of Two Liberty Place sold for $10.9 million in 2016, too. And then, in December of 2017, Scannapieco broke the record again by selling his 500 Walnut Penthouse for $17.03 million.

To be convinced to buy in that price range, ultra-luxury buyers need more than previous high-price sales to lure them to the market, local observers say.

"The ultra-luxury buyer does not want to compromise on anything," Scannapieco said. "They want to live in what anyone in America would consider a perfect house on a perfect street in a perfect neighborhood.  That applies to the size of the rooms, the height of the ceilings, the street, the neighborhood, who else lives in the building."

"Just because you have a unit that is high up in a building doesn't mean you have the right product," he continued.

Determining what kind of features or finishes today's ultra-luxury buyers want can be a gamble, both the developers and real estate agents acknowledge. For developers, condos are considered one of the riskiest real estate investments largely because margins are small and budgets are tight, meaning that developers generally will not make a profit until 80 percent to 90 percent of units are sold, industry experts say.

In other words, choosing the wrong location, design, or price  and having units sit unsold  can be devastating.

Meanwhile, real estate agents say, it can be difficult for resales of previously owned condo units to compete with newer, sleeker units.

"You know darn well that [a buyer] has looked at every other ultra-luxury unit" before finally buying one, said Steven Mullin, president of Econsult Solutions, a Philadelphia economic consulting firm.

Still, developers and real estate agents trying to sell ultra-luxury units that have been listed in Philadelphia for months or years say they are not worried.

"Selling a piece of property  an exceptional piece of property  takes time," said Melanie Stecura, a Kurfiss Sotheby's listing agent on a $14.5 million property, Unit 4604 at the Residences of Two Liberty Place, which has been on the market as a resale for more than eight months. The property, on half of the 46th floor, includes 2,400 square feet of massive outdoor space. "I expected this to take longer than a typical luxury property."

And at the Residences at Ritz Carlton  where two entire floors of raw penthouse space remain unsold  Gary Greenip, vice president of sales operations, said there are no plans to slash the prices on three available raw-space units, listed at $14 million, $8.1 million, and $7.6 million.

Developer Carl Dranoff, who recently finished the penthouse condo at One Riverside, said his team expects the 4,409-square-foot unit  which includes an additional 1,700 square feet of outdoor living space  to move quickly. The two-story condo featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, an in-unit elevator, and two roof decks is priced at $7 million.

"An ultra luxury penthouse-type unit that's priced appropriately sells very quickly," Dranoff said. "And we have had no issues selling penthouses in any of our buildings because we price appropriately."
A Mitchell Elementary student walks by a bulletin board that promotes the number of days eighth-grade students have gone without getting into fights. Students will earn $100 each at graduation if they do not resort to physical violence. Read more

Mikel Lindsay is acutely aware what the world thinks of him  a 14-year-old attending a public school in a particularly tough corner of Philadelphia.

"People look at me and say, 'You should be fighting,'" said Lindsay, an eighth grader at Mitchell Elementary at 55th Street and Kingsessing Avenue.

But that's not him, Lindsay said. And this year, he's proving it. He's part of an eighth-grade class whose principal is attempting an unusual and, some would say, audacious experiment: If Mikel and his 32 classmates make it to graduation with no physical altercations, each gets a $100 bill.

As of Friday, the Mitchell eighth-graders' streak of peaceful days hit 70, no small feat for students surrounded by people responding to problems with fists, and worse.

Even in the nation's poorest big city, the school's hard-luck Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood, Kingsessing, sticks out: 81 percent of Mitchell's students live below the poverty line. Some are homeless, many are hungry, and some are essentially raising themselves. Kingsessing is also among the city's most violent corners, police data shows.

And the school has not been spared. By this point in the 2015-16 school year, nearly a quarter of its eighth-graders had been suspended at least once. And on a 1-to-100 school district measure of academics, climate and growth, Mitchell had scored just 3.

But on both counts, the school has made significant gains under the watch of Principal Stephanie Andrewlevich. The $100 incentive was her idea  a way to promote peace not just for the older students, but for the whole school.

"I wanted to challenge them to be what their families see in them, what we know they are," said Andrewlevich, pausing in the hallway last month to hug a student who rushed at her with a big smile. "They have a choice  to become the violence they see in their day-to-day lives, or to be peaceful models for our school and our community."

Do incentives pay off?

Research out of Harvard University suggests that financial rewards, when offered by educators, are most effective for things that children can control  such as doing homework or reading books. Well-designed incentives can make a difference in schools, said Brad Allan, a researcher at the Education Innovation Laboratory at Harvard.

For one of his lab's studies, Allan and other researchers examined the use of incentives in 250 schools in five cities, including the effects of incentives on behavior goals. He said he had not heard of schools specifically offering students cash to not fight, but he endorsed the goal.

"Focusing on inputs is exactly how incentives should be used," Allan said, "and it sounds like that's what Mitchell is doing."

The concept is not a new one for Andrewlevich, now in her third year as principal. She and her team have had success setting a goal around one target behavior with one group of kids as a lever for the whole school. When absenteeism was a problem, they targeted a small group of at-risk students and saw attendance improve. They did the same with a focus on reading skills in the early grades.

Andrewlevich came up with the no-fighting challenge after the eighth graders' Outward Bound trip in late September. She recalled watching the class working together, sharing food at lunch, getting along, making sure no one was left out, and generally showing their best selves. Soon after, she Googled "Philly teens" and came up with a litany of bad news: shootings, drugs, ordinary conflicts spiraling into dark and dangerous places.

It rankled her. The kids she knows are not perfect, but they are funny and smart. They have dreams, and they care about the world, and they are capable of great things.

Eighth grade can be a tough time for any young person, with students changing physically, keenly attuned to peer pressure and being cool.

And she knew soon the Mitchell eighth graders would be released into the much wider, potentially tougher pool of high school, away from the smaller world of elementary school and the teachers who have come to love and appreciate them over the years.

Just dont want to fight any more

So Andrewlevich issued the group challenge  if anyone slips up, the whole class loses out on the cash. She hopes a sponsor will come forward, but if one does not, she's committed to putting up the $3,300 herself.

The principal would love to find a bank partner, perhaps, and use the reward as a way to teach students financial literacy.

(The Mitchell challenge is not district-sponsored, but Lee Whack, a schools spokesman, said that the system is "all about schools using evidence-based frameworks in order to improve school climate.")

Conflict, Andrewlevich told her students, is natural. Anger is OK. But you can handle it without getting physical.

The broader change in thinking seemed secondary, at first; the students were motivated by the money.

"They'd tell each other, 'Don't mess up my $100!,' when there was a problem in the hallway and it seemed like a fight might happen," the principal said.

But as the weeks went on, the eighth-graders internalized the message. No one has forgotten it, but staff rarely hear the students mention the cash these days.

There are daily reminders: It's day 50! It's day 63! There's a buzz in the building, a movement. Eighth graders conduct peer-mediation sessions with younger students, and the school will soon open its "Peaceful Place," a room for students to cool down and practice conflict-resolution techniques.

Violence is down, school-wide, but the eighth graders especially have shown remarkable progress. In Andrewlevich's first year at the school, students ended up at the police station for mediation multiple times, she said. So far this year, only 8 percent of the eighth-graders have been suspended. That's down from 17 percent at the same point last year and 21 percent in 2016.

Last year, Zakiya Barnes-Wiggins "was always trying to fight somebody," she said matter-of-factly, the same way she talked about the math test she'd just taken. "But now, I don't use my hands. I talk about it. And it's better this way  our teachers can teach more."

The 14-year-old said some aren't fighting because they want the $100 "but mostly, we just don't want to fight anymore."

Her mom, Pattie Barnes, said the challenge has meant a world of difference for Zakiya.

"This is the first year that I didn't have a phone call about her behavior," Barnes said. "I used to hear about her fighting all the time."

Barnes said offering the incentive is a good idea, a display of how committed the school is to its students.

"It's a lot of money," said Barnes.

Victoria Smith, another eighth grader, said not fighting felt natural now: "We're just stopping all the drama. We're squashing any type of issues or conflict; if people are tempted, we calm them down, separate them."

The money would be nice, she said  Smith thinks she'd give it to her mom to buy school supplies for next year  but it's not about that anymore, she said.

Society "thinks of us as fighters, people who can't control themselves," said Smith, shrugging. "But we're different from that. I believe in my classmates  this is making us better."

Make no mistake: Fighting and suspensions are down building-wide to its lowest level since Andrewlevich came to the school, but Mitchell isn't peaceful at all times. Though the eighth graders have had no fights since the initiative started in late September, students in other grades have thrown punches.

And the challenges of the neighborhood are very real. The students were playing outside at recess in late January when a shooting occurred across the street.

Half the kids saw the shooter run out of a house and into an alley; staff had to quickly shepherd the children inside while helicopters hovered. Mitchell was on lockdown for two hours.

Some students were visibly shaken, others angry, and others acted as if it were no big deal, the principal said.

"Far too often, they feel the pressure to say it's normal, but it's never normal for a child to have to be exposed to violent crime when they're outside to play in a safe school zone," Andrewlevich said. "It's not OK for the kids to get comfortable with this."

So the school is doing its best to turn that moment into something bigger. It's planning a rally for peace and other activities, using the eighth graders' peaceful streak as a jumping-off point to show what is possible.

And yes, Andrewlevich knows some might see her offer as something dark, as bribery.

"I don't," she said. "I see it as an investment in our kids."
Memorial card for Casey Fay Berrian with her quote, given to guests at her memorial service at the William Way LGBT Community Center on Feb. 4 Read more

On the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday, just hours before Philadelphia erupted into victory-fueled joy, about 100 people came together for another kind of gathering. One that has become far more common, with no end in sight.

They had come to the William Way LGBT Community Center to mourn Casey Fay Berrian  a fierce, funny woman, deeply troubled yet unexpectedly kind. She loved dancing, Doc Martens boots, her dog Toby Roo, and her many friends. The GoMeFund page for her memorial stated Berrian, who died of a drug overdose on Jan. 8, was a "tough woman who had been fighting a battle with the disease of addiction for a very long time." She was two weeks from her 41st birthday.

She was among the first to die this year in an overdose epidemic expected to outstrip 2017, when at least 1,200 people in Philadelphia died.

The toxicology report is not yet complete, but Berrian's friends say heroin most likely killed her.

Instead of suggesting flowers, the friends who organized her memorial collected donations for Narcan. Their hope is to help Prevention Point, the Kensington needle exchange, finance the opioid overdose-reversal medication. They are still taking donations on the GoMeFund page.

"It has become more common," Prevention Point executive director Jose Benitez said of such efforts. "People are doing this in memory of their loved ones."

Often, those people aren't blood relations. Many in addiction become estranged from their families because of the pain they have caused. Others come from homes fraught with dysfunction or abuse. So some form families of choice.

"The people Casey met and formed close relationships with were her family  her chosen family," said Marcelle, a restaurant worker in recovery. She and others in this article declined to be identified due to privacy and stigma concerns.

Berrian was a chronic relapser, but she sought out recovery again and again.

"Every time she fell, she got back up," said Nik, a nurse and recovery friend.

Berrian, for all her exterior toughness, was haunted by demons, some she may have been born with, others possibly rooted in a childhood many described as unsettled and chaotic.

"I think Casey, even though she was 40 years old, was a lost child," said Nancy Berrian Bohnsack, 68, Berrian's paternal aunt who lives in Germantown, N.Y. "She wanted to do so much better."

Born in New York's Dutchess County, Berrian was very young when her parents split, her aunt said.

"Casey had a very confused childhood," said Bohnsack.

As a little girl, she was the kind of child who worried how the squirrels would stay warm in the winter. But by the time she was a teenager, her alcohol and drug troubles had already begun, said Bohnsack, who took her in briefly.

None of Berrian's family attended her memorial. It wasn't clear whether there will be a family service.

Once an aspiring social worker who ended up cleaning houses, Berrian volunteered at hospitals to help others in addiction, especially newcomers.

"It's ironic because sometimes she came across as so scary and mean," said Erin, another recovery friend and nurse, "but when it came to a newcomer, she wasn't like that at all."

"She was brutally honest," said a former roommate who once stole money from her. Berrian was angry, but was more concerned about helping the friend realize that honesty is part of recovery.

"Casey is the one that showed me I have a vicious problem with being honest," said the friend, now two years sober and a legal/medical consultant.

Berrian also had a creative side. She recited poetry. She painted a version of van Gogh's Starry Night on the inside of a cereal box. And she loved to dance  alone or in a crowd.

Her friend Erin performed in the Mummers Parade one year. Berrian showed up. That she had no costume didn't bother her.

"She met me on Broad Street, and she danced the whole parade with me as herself," she said.

"She had this love of life," said another friend, a lawyer about three decades sober.

He saw her last at a community Thanksgiving dinner. She confided she'd relapsed but seemed more worried about a friend who was also using. Less than two months later, she was gone.

"Casey didn't do this to us; her addiction did this to her and to us," said the lawyer. "It's the nature of addiction. It's a rapacious beast."

Nearly 100 people showed up for Berrian's memorial. Friends spoke; the roommate who once stole from her sang "Amazing Grace"; another friend played the piano.

Her spirituality, like much else about her, defied classification. So the service also had a Buddhist reading, a Christian psalm, a Wiccan comfort prayer, and words borrowed from a 19th-century Hasidic rabbi: "God is found wherever He is given entry. God is found in the broken places."

Then, with the last speaker done, an organizer called the mourners to their feet as music began to play:

"Shake, shake, shake, Senora, shake your body line "

Harry Belafonte pulsed through the hall as a conga line formed, hesitantly at first, but then with something like joy:

"Shake, shake, shake, Senora, shake it all the time "

The friends couldn't help but laugh. If Berrian had been there, they said, she would have been at the head of the line.
One of the pilots of a Russian airplane that crashed earlier today after leaving Moscows Domodedovo airport is reported to have been an Armenian.

The crash killed all aboard  65 passengers and a crew of six.

The plane took off at 14:27 (11:27 GMT) on Sunday. Contact was lost four minutes later.

One of the passengers, according to a list of victims released by Russias National Emergency Center, was Varsik Cepoyan.

The cause of the Saratov Airlines crash is yet unclear.

Armenias Ministry of Emergency Affairs had contacted Russias National Emergency Center and was told that the second pilot was an Armenian; Sergey Kamparyan.

The Antonov An-148 was en route to the city of Orsk in the Ural Mountains. Pieces of wreckage and bodies were found spread over a large area. One of the flight recorders has been recovered, officials say, according to the BBC.
Saying that New Jersey has "the nation's worst disparity in the rates of incarceration between black and white offenders," Gov. Murphy on Sunday announced he is convening a commission to examine racial and ethnic disparities in the state's criminal justice system.

The Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission, a 13-member panel, was established by the Legislature in 2009 but no one was ever appointed to it during the administration of Murphy's predecessor, Chris Christie, a Republican and former federal prosecutor. Consequently, the commission never met.

Wasting no time, Murphy, a Democrat and former Wall Street banker, said he has appointed two members to the panel: Deborah Poritz, former state attorney general and chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court; and Jiles Ship, the former president of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives and a current member of the New Jersey Police Training Commission. He is a former member of the Edison Police Department.

Four commission members will be appointed by legislative leaders, Murphy said. Both houses of the Legislature are controlled by Democrats. The commission's seven other members will be the state attorney general, the public defender, the chief justice of the state Supreme Court, the commissioner of the Department of Corrections, the chairman of the state Parole Board, the president of the state County Prosecutors Association, and the president of the New Jersey Bar Association. Each has the option of appointing a designee to serve in his or her place.

The commission is expected to issue a report to Murphy and the Legislature within one year of its first meeting.

A release issued by Murphy's office included statements by Senate President Steve Sweeney (D., Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D., Middlesex).

"We must make sure that New Jersey's criminal justice system adheres to the basic principles of fairness, proportionality and public safety," Sweeney said. "Sound sentencing policies and a deliberative review of the standards that help determine what sentences are imposed are important to a judicial system that doesn't just aspire to our ideals of justice, but meets them."

Said Coughlin: "Racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system have plagued this state for far too long, and that must change. We're finally taking steps toward a more just New Jersey."

Murphy, who has never before held elected office, ran on a progressive platform. At his inauguration in January, the resident of Middletown, Monmouth County, pledged a broad reform of the criminal justice system, including the legalization of marijuana, and urged the Legislature to immediately send him bills to "strengthen our gun laws."
While some states have moved to restrict voting access in recent years, others have adopted a variety of changes designed to make registration and voting easier.

New Jersey, which has been watching from the sidelines, is poised to jump to the head of the line.

After being rebuffed by former Gov. Chris Christie, lawmakers are again attempting to pass a sweeping set of changes to make it easier to vote, including:

Automatic voter registration for eligible citizens who apply for or update a driver's license

Early voting in person for two weeks before Election Day

Online voter registration

Preregistration of 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the election

Other provisions would expand vote-by-mail options, military and overseas voting, and language options for election materials.

"It's really about modernizing our outdated voting laws, granting access to people, encouraging access," said State Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald, the Democratic majority leader who cosponsored the "Democracy Act" containing the reform efforts. "We just had a gubernatorial election where the voter turnout was record low for us. That's not what we should be striving for. We should be striving for full participation and encouraging people to get involved to go out and vote."

Many people who are eligible to vote don't register, and many of those who register don't actually vote, particularly in non-presidential elections. Experts attribute that to a variety of factors, including registration deadlines that pass before people think about voting, the inconvenience of dealing with paper forms, and the difficulties some face getting to the polls on Election Day.

By making it easier to register to vote, and providing more options to actually cast a ballot, lawmakers and advocates hope to see turnout increase.

And because the ability to vote is distributed unevenly across the eligible population, expanded access could mean increased participation from people of color, the poor, the disabled, the elderly, and other historically marginalized groups.

The result could be a government that better represents all people.

"We want to make sure everybody has a voice in our democracy," said Sean Morales-Doyle, a voting-rights lawyer at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University and a supporter of the measures New Jersey is considering. "And the more we can increase access to the polls, the more likely we're going to be increasing access for populations that have been historically pushed to the margins."

The Democracy Act is not the only proposal to expand voter access, but it is the widest-ranging and is backed by several powerful lawmakers, including Senate President Steve Sweeney (D., Gloucester), Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D., Middlesex), and former Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D., Hudson).

Greenwald said that Gov. Murphy, who spoke on the campaign trail about voting rights, is "definitely receptive" to the bill and that the governor has spoken with lawmakers about it. A spokesman for Murphy declined to comment on specific legislation as a matter of policy.

"Governor Murphy believes that we are a better, stronger, more representative democracy when more people participate, and he is committed to tearing down barriers to voting," Murphy spokesman Dan Bryan said in a statement. "He has long supported policies to that effect, including automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, and early voting."

Several of the measures New Jersey is considering have gained traction in other states, said Wendy Underhill, director for elections at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Online voter registration, for example, went from being available in two states in 2008 to 37 states  plus Washington, D.C.  today, with Oklahoma passing the legislation but not yet implementing it.

"Clearly, that's a trend that's sweeping the nation," Underhill said.

Automatic voter registration also appears to be growing in popularity, Underhill said, as is same-day registration allowing people to register on Election Day and then vote.

But some states have moved to restrict voting access, often invoking security concerns, said Lorraine Minnite, a political science professor at Rutgers-Camden. In vetoing some of these measures in the past, Christie said they would open the door to voter fraud.

"This bill should be called 'the Voter Fraud Enhancement and Permission Act,' " he said of legislation that would have implemented automatic registration. In a 2015 interview with CBS News' Face the Nation, Christie said that citizens had "plenty of an opportunity to vote" and that "I don't want to expand it and increase the opportunities for fraud."

Experts say actual voting fraud, in which someone intentionally votes illegally, such as voting multiple times or voting under someone else's name, is rare.

"There's the logic to it, the fact that it doesn't make sense as a crime," Minnite said, citing the practical obstacles to voting fraudulently and the small chance that doing so would swing an election. "Also the empirical evidence: I've been studying the issue for 15 years, and no evidence exists that supports a claim that voter fraud is a systematic problem."

Separately, there are fears of election interference through hacking or manipulation. Would an online voter registration system, for example, be vulnerable to attack?

It's certainly possible, experts said, and cybersecurity is an important consideration during these kinds of electoral reforms, but there are ways for states to protect themselves and learn from one another.

Concerns about security and the very rare instances of voter fraud should also be considered in the context of all the people who want to vote but face obstacles to doing so, said Michael McDonald, a political science professor at the University of Florida.

"You're giving people more convenience to vote, and on balance more people are voting who would not have otherwise voted," he said.

About two-thirds of eligible citizens voted in the 2016 general election, according to data collected by the U.S. Elections Project, which McDonald runs. Registration tends to be the primary obstacle to voting, McDonald said, and the changes proposed by New Jersey lawmakers are generally thought to increase turnout. Some might not increase turnout but may make voting more convenient, he said, such as early voting, which some studies suggest does not increase turnout itself but shifts when people vote, making it easier for them.

There are also social-justice considerations in expanding voting access.

"It's about making sure everybody is on the same playing field when we talk about accessing the ballot," said Amol Sinha, the head of the ACLU New Jersey. "There are certain populations that have been historically disenfranchised in New Jersey and around the country, and we have to make sure we do whatever we can to expand the right to vote."

That has effects on public policy.

McDonald said elected officials tend to respond to the people who elected them, not the general public, and that policy tends to reflect an upper-class bias: "The sorts of people who tend to vote are people with higher education, wealthier people, they tend to be white, as well, and older."

Sinha said he hopes the proposed changes are enacted, giving new voice to politically and socially marginalized groups. Jesse Burns, the head of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, agreed. The nonpartisan group runs a voter assistance hotline year-round, and Burns said she hears similar calls pop up every year in the weeks leading up to Election Day: I need an absentee ballot. I need to register to vote. I need to update my registration.

All of it, she said, with the same underlying question: "I want to vote, but is it too late?"

"Every time I have to tell somebody, 'I'm sorry, it's too late, let's register you now so you won't miss it next time,' it breaks my heart," Burns said. "I'm looking forward to seeing a new landscape in New Jersey where I no longer have to tell people that no, they can't participate."
HARRISBURG  Facing a deadline imposed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the legislature's two top Republicans late Friday submitted to the governor a new statewide map of congressional districts to replace boundaries the justices ruled were unconstitutional.

If approved, the map submitted by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) and House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) would result in significant changes for the areas surrounding Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The proposed map "complies fully" with the court's order, the pair said in a joint statement.

But within roughly an hour of its public release, top Democrats in the House and the Senate were urging Democratic Gov. Wolf to "reject it outright."

"The Republican leadership in both chambers blocked this process, refused to negotiate, and have now submitted a map directly to your office that we have not even seen," Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D., Allegheny) and House Minority Leader Frank Dermody (D., Allegheny) said in a joint letter to the governor released Friday evening.

A spokesman for Wolf said Friday that while the map does not appear to comply with the letter of the court's order, the governor would be willing to review it.

The map submitted by GOP lawmakers to Gov. Wolf.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's ruling last month declared the state's congressional map had been unconstitutionally gerrymandered to favor Republicans, who control 13 of 18 U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania despite winning votes from roughly half the electorate.

The justices, a majority of whom are Democrats, ordered that a new map be put in place in time for this year's elections and gave the General Assembly until Friday to send a proposed map to the governor. Wolf has until Thursday to approve a map and, if he chooses, submit it to the court for consideration.

Any redrawing could have significant implications not only for the state but for national politics as well, as Democrats hope to chip away at a Republican majority in the House.

In normal circumstances, maps would go to the governor only after they have been approved in votes by the Pennsylvania House and Senate. By late this week, it was no longer possible for the full, Republican-controlled legislature to pass a new map in time.

It's unclear whether the court would consider its order fulfilled if just Scarnati and Turzai submit a map without a vote.

"While the court's order did not appear to allow for two individuals to draw a map on behalf of the entire General Assembly, Gov. Wolf will review Speaker Turzai and President Scarnati's submission in consultation with the experts retained by the administration to determine his next course of action," Wolf spokesman J.J. Abbott said in a statement late Friday.

The Wolf administration has enlisted Moon Duchin, a professor of mathematics at Tufts University, to help evaluate any potential maps for fairness. Duchin, speaking Friday before students at the University of Pennsylvania's law school, said she felt her role was to provide guidance on how "neutral" any presented map is.

The map released Friday provided broad outlines of districts. More detailed information that would allow for a further analysis broken down by municipalities or wards could be released in coming days.

Under the proposed map, the infamous Seventh District represented by Republican Pat Meehan would no longer look like "Goofy kicking Donald."

Under the new maps, the city of Philadelphia largely remains split among three congressional districts, similar to how it is under the previous maps. Mapmakers said Friday that they divided it that way to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act and the requirement that the minority vote not be diluted by unnecessary splits.

The First Congressional District, now represented by Democratic Rep. Bob Brady, would continue to cover portions of Philadelphia and Delaware County, and the Second District, represented by Rep. Dwight Evans, would be concentrated within the city limits.

The city's Northeast section would largely remain in Rep. Brendan Boyle's district.

In Western Pennsylvania, the 14th District surrounding Pittsburgh and represented by Democrat Mike Doyle would look similar to its current form. But many of the districts surrounding it would shift more drastically.

The 12th District currently represented by Republican Keith Rothfus would include parts of Lawrence and Beaver Counties, as well as parts of Washington and Allegheny Counties. It would no longer stretch east into Somerset and Westmoreland Counties.

The 18th District, left vacant after the departure of Republican Tim Murphy, would include parts of Greene, Washington, Allegheny, Westmoreland and Fayette Counties. Voters in that district will vote next month in a special election to replace Murphy. The winner of that election will serve the remainder of Murphy's term.

Further north, Erie would no longer be split.

Drew Crompton, chief of staff to Scarnati and the Senate's top attorney, said Friday night that the teams working with the Republican leaders used census data and the court's guidance to draw their map, putting little emphasis on how voters in the districts had cast their ballots in the past.

"If you ask me the R and D split of that map, I have no idea what it was," he said, referring to Republicans and Democrats.

Angela Couloumbis of the Harrisburg Bureau and staff writer Maddie Hanna contributed to this article.
Republican leaders in Pennsylvania's legislature released a map of new congressional districts to replace the current boundaries, which were ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court. Gov. Wolf has until Thursday to approve or reject the plan. Here are the current districts in the Philadelphia area, and how they would look under the new proposal. Read more

HARRISBURG  A proposed new map of Pennsylvania congressional districts may have sanded off some of the rougher edges of the current version, but it still amounts to a pro-Republican gerrymander, a chorus of Democrats complained Saturday as they urged Gov. Wolf to reject it.

The governor, whose administration is combing through the proposal with the advice of a prominent mathematics professor, is expected to announce his position on the new map early this week.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) and House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny), the leaders of the GOP-controlled legislature, submitted the map Friday night in an effort to meet the deadline in a state Supreme Court order to redraw the current boundaries.

"The map that Republicans put forward last night does practically nothing to fix the partisan gerrymandering that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court found violated the state's constitution," Eric Holder, former U.S. attorney general and chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement.

It was the latest turn in a political drama that has gripped the state capital for the last several weeks, one with major potential implications for national politics.

Scarnati and Turzai have said they believe the proposed map complies with the court's order, and their staffers said other factors, such as population and municipal boundaries, received greater weight than political parties when they redrew the map.

By one measure, the map is little changed. In 2016, 12 congressional districts voted for Republican President Trump and six were carried by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. That would have been true under the proposed map as well, according to an Inquirer/Daily News analysis.

Democrats hope to take control of the U.S. House in elections this fall, and their path to a majority runs through moderate turf in places like the Philadelphia suburbs.

The GOP map proposed Friday would create a question for Democrats and one of their top recruits in the country  Chrissy Houlahan. The Chester County Democrat is now running in the Sixth District against Rep. Ryan Costello, but her home in Devon would be moved to the neighboring Seventh District, centered on Delaware County.

That would potentially give her an easier path to Congress  since the Republican incumbent in the Seventh, Rep. Pat Meehan, is not running again and there is no clear front-runner in the crowded Democratic primary there. But it would also mean that Democrats would lose their best shot to unseat Costello in the kind of educated, suburban district where they see a chance to flip a seat.

Democrats' choice would come down to this: a strong opportunity, on paper, to flip one seat (in the Seventh District) while having little chance in the Sixth, or taking a shot at winning both seats, with somewhat tougher odds.

If Houlahan ran in the Seventh she would be a top-tier candidate in a district with no incumbent and a new map expected to lean left.

Democrats, however, might calculate that in this political environment they are likely to win a redrawn Seventh no matter what, especially with Meehan's departure, and might want to keep their strongest candidate in the tougher race against Costello.

"Chrissy is focused on campaigning and reaching out to voters," said Houlahan spokesman Rahul Kale. "We are not engaging in speculation."

Costello could be well-served by the maps. His district  which Clinton narrowly won  would become more conservative, and his challenger would be moved out. He said that he had "zero input" on the map and that the location of Houlahan's home made it likely she might be pushed into a redrawn Seventh District.

He said that the maps are drawn to address one of the state Supreme Court's main concerns  compactness and splitting counties  and that "the spine" of his district remains similar, running along Routes 100 and 422. Houlahan, he added, "can still run in the district against me. I'll beat her then, too."

Similar concerns have been raised in the western part of the state, during the lead-up to a highly contested special election in the 18th District to replace Rep. Tim Murphy, who resigned amid scandal and whose term was set to expire at the end of this year.

The redrawing would not apply to a March special election to temporarily fill that seat, but it could determine who will take that office for a full term.

Under the map proposed by Scarnati and Turzai, Democratic candidate Conor Lamb would be taken from the 18th District and placed in the 14th, pitting him against Democratic Rep. Mike Doyle. Lamb's Republican challenger, State Rep. Rick Saccone, would remain in the 18th.

Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D., Allegheny), pointing to that move as an example, said Saturday the new boundaries "are another case of overreach" by the GOP.

Congressional candidates do not have to live in the districts they represent, but not doing so is often a political liability.

Attorneys for the Republican leaders argued in their court filing that "the world is not divided neatly into Democrats and Republicans, and Democrats and Republicans are not evenly geographically distributed across the Commonwealth following county and municipal lines."

Because of that, some in Republican circles have said they feel the maps would need to be gerrymandered to favor Democrats if the goal were to create a map that would result in a 50-50 split of the state's 18 U.S. House seats.

Samuel Wang, a Princeton University neuroscientist who runs the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, said it's clear that mapmakers attempted to exploit the state's natural clustering of Democrats into urban areas. He noted that the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas would have a concentrated handful of districts, while the map splits areas surrounding Reading and Harrisburg.

"Where you make the splits is where the art of the gerrymander lies," Wang said. "They've chosen to encircle Philadelphia, and that gives a very packed Democratic district, and they've chosen to draw a line down some of these other population centers."

Even without using election results or other data on partisanship, Wang said, other demographic variables such as population density and ethnicity can be used to predict partisan vote.

"And of course," he wrote in an email, "these are seasoned politicians who know their state very well!"

Staffers for Scarnati and Turzai said Saturday that congressional candidates and even incumbents were minor factors in comparison with criteria the Supreme Court outlined: keeping districts compact, minimizing the number of counties and towns split, and the contiguity of the districts.

"It is easy to zoom in on an individual line and nitpick," Neal Lesher, a spokesman for Turzai, said in an email.

One of their primary concerns, Lesher said, was making sure all of the districts met strict guidelines for population. "Just like squeezing a balloon, if you move one line it impacts the whole map and someone else is unhappy," he said.

It is unclear whether the state Supreme Court, which has a Democratic majority, would accept a submission by two Republican leaders without a full vote by the legislature  even if Wolf were to approve it.

The court said it would draw a map itself if lawmakers and the governor can't agree on one by Feb. 15.

Republican leaders, in a court filing late Friday, struck a defiant tone, saying they retained the right to file appeals or to "pass a new plan to replace any plan the court adopts."

Staff writer Garland Potts and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Reporter Chris Potter contributed to this report.
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A week ago, Trump declassified the Republican-written memo accusing the FBI and Justice Department of being biased against the president and abusing their power in the investigation looking into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to manipulate the 2016 election. On Friday, he opted to block the release of a memo by Democrats refuting every allegation in the GOPs document.

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House Minority Speaker Nancy Pelosi was quick to slam Trumps hypocrisy and desperation in a statement:

President Trumps refusal to release Intelligence Committee Democrats memo is a stunningly brazen attempt to cover up the truth about the Trump-Russia scandal from the American people. The Presidents decision to block the Democratic memo from release is part of a dangerous and desperate pattern of cover-up on the part of the President. Clearly, the President has something to hide. The U.S. intelligence community has concluded, and members of Trumps cabinet agree, that the Russians interfered in our election and plan to do so again. Americas intelligence and national security are being politicized. Why wont the President put our country before his personal and political interests?

She went on to share similar statements on Twitter.

The US intel community has concluded, & members of Trumps cabinet agree, that the Russians interfered in our election & plan to do so again. Americas national security is under attack. Why wont the President put our country before his personal & political interests?  Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) February 10, 2018

Before the Republican memos release, a White House official told reporters that Trump supported making it public because he favored transparency. This makes his unwillingness to release the Democratic response even more rich.

Despite the GOP memo being discredited by nearly every lawyer and expert who read through it as a blatant, politically-motivated attempt to misrepresent the Russia probe as a witch hunt, Trump tried to defend his decision to not release the Democratic rebuttal on grounds of it being too political.

The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency, he tweeted Saturday. Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!

Mr. President, what you call political are actually called facts, and your concern for sources and methods would be more convincing if you hadnt decided to release the GOP memo (100%) before reading it and over the objections of the FBI. https://t.co/L48kAQOztL  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) February 10, 2018

Trumps decision should come as no surprise. On Tuesday, Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes predicted Trump would do the very thing hes done.

Ill tell you Ive never seen this president participate in anything that doesnt make him look good, he said during an CNN interview. He added that Trump would likely perceive the Democratic memo as portraying him negatively because it was a point-by-point refutation of the Republican memo.

As Himes went on to point out, the most egregious part of Trumps making the GOP memo being publicized is the fact that, for a noteworthy percentage of Americans, it succeeded in fomenting distrust for the intelligence community and the Russia probe.
Ben Shapiro is a brilliant guy and a mainstream conservative. Liberals fear and detest him because he consistently makes them look silly in his podcasts, on television, in public appearances and on Twitter. All of this makes Shapiro too hot for most college campuses to handle.

A case in point is the University of Minnesota, where conservative student groups have been trying to host Shapiro as a speaker. The university doesnt admit to having any reservations about a conservative coming on campus, but it has relegated Shapiros appearance to the universitys ag school in St. Paul, miles away from the main Minneapolis campus. The Star Tribune reports:

University of Minnesota officials on Friday denied claims that they were suppressing conservative speech by relegating firebrand columnist Ben Shapiros upcoming lecture to the St. Paul campus and disputed allegations that the school operates under a political double standard. Organizers of Shapiros Feb. 26 talk blasted the U this week after their requests to reserve a large venue on the West Bank campus, such as those used by former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., were denied. Critics accused U officials of exiling Shapiros lecture to the St. Paul Student Center.

The Us defense of its decision is ambiguous:

The U denied Shapiro access to the Ted Mann Concert Hall and Willey Hall, two large West Bank auditoriums, because of scheduling conflicts and security concerns, [Vice President of University Relations Matt Kramer] said.

But wait! Which is it? Scheduling conflicts or security concerns? Those are totally different issues. Does the university seriously contend that all of the major venues at its main campus are booked solid into the indefinite future, so that no one can appear at them? I dont think so. The key appears to be security concerns, which is a polite term for the constitutionally impermissible hecklers veto. The university seems to be calculatingno doubt correctlythat liberal fascists who otherwise might riot wont bother to make their way to the more obscure, and smaller, St. Paul venue.

He pointed to a stack of e-mails between U officials and conservative campus activists as proof that administrators had worked to accommodate the groups.

Heh. Thats pretty funny. It all depends, of course, on what the emails say. The existence of a stack is, to say the least, unpersuasive. Lets see them!

The Star Tribune devotes most of the rest of its article to advocating for the universitys semi-censorship:

Minnesota has been largely spared the kind of violence that has erupted elsewhere over campus visits by right-wing pundits and provocateurs.

Got that? We are talking about right-wing pundits and provocateurs, so whats the problem? Of course, left-wing pundits and provocateursto cite just one example, Communist and (in all probability) murderer Angela Davisdont have any problem speaking on Minnesota campuses.

Rebecca Price, a 20-year-old U junior from Chicago, said she welcomes opposing viewpoints on campus but considers Shapiros rhetoric to be hate speech. If he were a regular ol Republican, it would be fine, said Price, a self-described independent. But allowing someone as extreme and discriminatory to speak sends out the message that its acceptable.

The Strib quotes a leftist who characterizes Shapiro as a purveyor of hate speech and as extreme and discriminatory. On what basis? Not a single of utterance of Shapiros is cited in support of these smears, and yet the Strib allows them to go unrebutted.

Still, an unbiased reader can only wonder about this:

At least 28 University of Minnesota police officers will provide security for the event, said Lt. Troy Buhta. Only ticket-holders for the speech will be allowed to enter the St. Paul Student Center, where the auditorium seats about 500.

Why will 28 police officers be needed to provide security? Is similar security needed for even the most extreme left-wingers who speak on campus? No. Why not? Because conservatives make no attempt to block leftists from speaking. Conservatives arent fascists, while many leftists are. Only 500 peoplethose with tickets!will be able to hear Shapiro at a remote location, while he could easily have drawn far more people to a bigger venue on the universitys main campus.

The Strib article concludes by noting that Republican legislators have introduced a bill that attempts to preserve, or restore, free speech at the states public universities. The University of Minnesota declined comment on the legislation.
Ill say this for Kim Jong Uns sister, Kim Yo Jong  shes considerably better looking than the goon who runs North Korea. This may be faint praise, but theres nothing faint about the praise being heaped on the dictators sister by Americas mainstream media.

According to CNN, to take perhaps the worst example, if diplomatic dance were an event at the Winter Olympics, Kim Jong Uns younger sister would be favored to win gold. CNN gushes that with a smile, a handshake and a warm message in South Koreas presidential guest book, Kim Yo Jong has struck a chord with the public just one day into the PyeongChang Games.

CNN goes on to call Kim Jong Uns sister North Koreas Ivanka Trump, a label also used by the Washington Post in its frivolous, fawning story. CNN then quotes some professors view that Kim Yo Jongs presence at the Olympics is a signal that North Korea is not this crazy, weird former Cold War state  but it too has young women that are capable and are the future leadership.

Say what?

The young woman in question is one of Kim Jong Uns closest advisers  a powerful member of Kim Jong Uns kitchen cabinet, as CNN puts it. And the regime she faithfully serves is beyond weird. It starves its own people, operates Nazi-style prison camps, represses political opposition, and executes senior officers and even members of the dictators (and his sisters) own family members in an effort to maintain dictatorial control.

Even the most ardent feminist shouldnt take any pleasure from the fact that a young North Korean women serves this murderous regime capably and may be its future leader. And it is obscene to compare the influential servant of what may well be the worlds most brutal regime to Ivanka Trump.

What American mainstream media outlets like best of the dictators sister, I suspect, is that she enables them to claim that Vice President Pence, who is also in South Korea for the Olympics, has been upstaged. Thats the take of ABC News, for example. Our medias hatred of President Trump, and of conservatives like Pence, runs so deep that it will shower praise on anyone who can be used as a foil, even a top associate of a murderous tyrant.

There is a genuine story to be told in connection Kim Yo Jongs appearance at the Olympics, but that story isnt mainly about the woman. South Koreans live under the threat of something approaching annihilation at the hands of the dictator of North Korea. At the same time, they feel a bond with their former countrymen in the north.

Its natural, then, for some South Koreans to glimpse the hope of reconciliation in the visit of an unimposing, smiling representative of North Korea. That some South Koreans do glimpse this  what percentage, we dont know  doesnt mean the dictators sister is winning a diplomatic dance or that Pences visit hasnt gone well, and it certainly doesnt mean that South Korea is about to be Finlandized.

What it means, I think, is that when a population is under the gun, some of its citizens will indulge in wishing thinking on special occasions. When the Olympics are over and little sister goes back north, normal service likely will be resumed.

Except that Kim Jong Un and his team, by some accounts, pay considerable attention to how the U.S. perceives them. If the dictator believes his sisters press clippings from CNN and the Washington Post  if he thinks his sister has won a gold medal for diplomatic dance and that she has added to the distance between South Korea and the U.S.  it could make him more reckless.

There would be no gold medal in that for anyone.
It has been a long time since I bothered to read Maureen Dowd, but a friend sent me a link to her current column. It is the usual anti-Trump screed. Dowd takes off from the resignation of Rob Portera story in which I have little interestto insult the president in a variety of ways, mostly related to the treatment of women. There is much that could be said, but I only want to comment on three aspects of the column.

First:

Among many, the allure of Barack Obamas brainy nuance had given way to a longing for a more muscular certainty.

Anyone who can still refer with a straight face to Obamas brainy nuance is writing only for true believers.

Second, the main point of the column:

We dont want to countenance abusive behavior. And we certainly dont want men like Rob Porter who have punched, kicked, choked and terrorized their wives to be in the presidents inner circle, helping decide which policies, including those that affect women, get emphasized.

***

We want our president to be a moral beacon, not a ratings-obsessed id. We want a president who understands that sexual and physical abuse are wrong.

***

We dont want a president who bends over backward to give the benefit of the doubt to neo-Nazis, wife beaters, pedophiles and sexual predators  or who is a sexual predator himself.

The funny thing about this is, we have had at least one president whounlike Donald Trumpactually was a sexual predator. We had an administration where it wasnt just an obscure aide who allegedly abused a woman, years ago, far from the White House. Rather, it was the president himself who assaulted at least one woman, Kathleen Willey, in the Oval Office itself. And for all the talk about abuse, respecting women, and so on, we have had only one president who was, in all probability, a rapist who should have been serving a long jail term, not running the Executive Branch.

His name was Bill Clinton. Im so old, I can remember when Maureen Dowd criticized Clinton heavily for his abuse of women. But her vitriol then was nothing compared to what she unleashes on Trumpnot a rapist, not an abuser of womentoday. Why the double standard, Maureen? Party loyalty, I suppose.

Third, wasnt there a time when newspaper columnists were expected to be familiar with the rules of grammar? And didnt the New York Times, at one point, employ editors whose job it was, in part, to make sure that the papers content was grammatically correct? I have written before that, given the obvious mistakes the paper so often makes, I question whether the Times actually employs any editors at all.

Dowds gaffe:

And now, thanks to our barmy president and his staff meltdown, we are finding out fast who we are and whom we dont want to be.

Maureen, if you send me an email at [email protected], I will give you lessons in both politics and grammar, at a very reasonable price.
The reemergence of Sid Vicious Blumenthal  this time from the crypt of the dodgy Steele Dossier  reminds me of Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th franchise or Dracula in the Bram Stoker classic. There is, however, at least one difference. Jason and Dracula have slightly more charm than Blumenthal.

So long as the Clintons remain on the scene, Blumenthal lives. Paul faced up to the reemergence of Blumenthal in A bad penny turns up again. The Weekly Standards Eric Felten manages to extract humor of a sort from this horror story in The weird tales of Jonathan Winer.

As reconstructed by Felten, the tales dont admit of excerpts. I have to urge you to read the whole thing (which you can do thanks to the arrangements made for Power Line readers by the editors of the Standard).

I will just add this. The story implicates Christopher Steele and his dossier. It implicates the Obama administration. In age-old fashion, the teller of the tales requires us to suspend our disbelief. (Felten declines.) The Washington Post provides the forum for Winer to disseminate his tales. The Post serves it up in the confidence that their readers will perform as required. Like their peers in the Democratic Partys media adjunct, the Post has made itself instrumental to the Democrats efforts to remove President Trump from office by hook or by, well, crook. The Post is part of the scandal.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Washington, Feb 7 : President Donald Trump has asked for a military parade and the Pentagon is reviewing potential dates, Pentagon spokesman Charlie Summers has confirmed.

The spokesman on Tuesday described the planning process as being in its "infancy", reports CNN.

In response to the news, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump had asked the Defence Department to "explore" the idea.

"President Trump is incredibly supportive of America's great service-members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe. He has asked the Department of Defence to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation," Sanders said.

According to a Washington Post report on Tuesday, at a recent meeting between Trump and top military brass, Trump's wishes were "suddenly heard as a presidential directive".

"The marching orders were: I want a parade like the one in France," a military official told the Washington Post.

"This is being worked at the highest levels of the military."

Trump was French President Emmanuel Macron's guest on Bastille Day last year, and later called the French military parade he witnessed "one of the greatest parades" he had ever seen.

He said last September in a conversation with Macron that when he came back from France he wanted a military parade on the Fourth of July in Washington.

Trump's call for a military parade might be hitting a few snags, according to The Washington Post report.

Shipping tanks and military hardware into Washington could cost millions of dollars, and that military officials said they were unsure how to pay for it, the daily added.

After the Gulf War in 1991, the US put on a victory celebration replete with service-members and military gear.
PYEONGCHANG, Feb. 7, 2018 - President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach (3rd L), IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge (2nd L) and Vice President Yu Zaiqing (1st L) attend the ... Image Source: Yonhap/IANS

This file photo shows Korea House in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Feb. 7, 2018, that Korea House will help promote South Korea's culture ... Image Source: Yonhap/IANS

Gangneung (South Korea), Feb 7 : South Korea's state weather agency said Wednesday it expects wind chill below minus 10 degrees Celsius at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Games.

"Temperatures will range between minus 5 C and minus 2 C, which is on par or above what is normal for this time of year," said the Korea Meteorological Administration.

"Due to being on the edge of high pressure on the evening of Friday, there will be thick clouds across the region."

The event will be hosted in the alpine town of PyeongChang, 180 kilometres east of Seoul, on Friday, reports Yonhap news wire.

The weather agency said wind chill is expected to fall as low as minus 14 C in other mountainous areas in Gangwon Province.

Due to the rising concern over weather conditions, event organisers have installed wind shields at the pentagonal open-air PyeongChang Olympic Stadium to keep athletes and spectators warm.

They have also set up 18 heat shelters and 40 large heaters at the venue.

After a rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics was held Saturday, numerous visitors expressed concern over excessively cold weather in the region.

During the rehearsal, the wind chill dropped to a whopping minus 23 C. The agency said temperatures will be higher at the main event.

"Still, as wind chill will still be minus 10 C, visitors should brace themselves," Yoo hee-dong, an official from the weather agency said.

"The organisers will also provide various supplies, but individuals should also make enough preparations."

The organisers said they will provide six heating items to visitors at the ceremonies: a rain coat, a small blanket, a winter cap, heating packs for hands and feet and a heating pad that visitors can sit on.

The weather agency added that temperatures will be normal throughout the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, as well as during the Winter Paralympics, set to follow in March.
Bhubaneswar, Feb 7 : The Odisha government on Wednesday announced a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged gang rape of a minor girl in Koraput district by security personnel last year.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also requested the Orissa High Court to monitor the investigation in the "extraordinary circumstances of the case" following the death of the victim.

He said given his "strong faith and conviction in the principles of natural justice and commitment to safety and dignity of women", his government has decided to "take immediate steps for handing over the investigation" to a SIT "with a prayer for it to be monitored by the court".

In addition to transferring the case to the Crime Branch, the state government has also instituted an independent judicial inquiry with a sitting judge nominated by the High Court, he said.

Patnaik said the state is committed that justice be delivered at the earliest and in the most transparent manner.

A minor tribal girl was allegedly gang raped by security personnel in Kunduli area on October 10, 2017. She committed suicide at her house on January 22.

The incident had triggered massive public outrage across the state. Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the rape case.

The family members of the victim are also demanding a CBI probe alleging that they have lost faith in the state police.
Washington, Feb 10 : US President Donald Trump's speechwriter David Sorensen has become the second White House aide this week to resign amid allegations of domestic abuse.

Sorensen resigned on Friday after his former wife claimed that he was violent and emotionally abusive during their marriage. He, however, vehemently denied the allegations and said "she was the one who victimized him", the Washington Post reported.

The departure of Sorensen, who worked under senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, came two days after Trump's staff secretary Rob Porter quit over allegations of abuse from two former wives.

Sorensen's former wife Jessica Corbett told the daily that he was physically abusive to her while they were married. She said that on separate occasions her former husband ran a car over her foot, threw her against a wall and extinguished a cigarette on her hand.

In response, Sorensen said he was considering legal action, but said he quit because he "didn't want the White House to have to deal with this distraction".

White House officials said they learned of the accusations by Sorensen's wife late on Thursday. "We immediately confronted the staffer, he denied the allegations and he resigned today," Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said.

Sorensen's resignation came as the White House, particularly Chief of Staff John Kelly, struggled to contain the turmoil surrounding Porter. It is alleged that the former White House staff secretary gave one former wife a black eye while another filed a restraining order.

Porter has denied the accusations against him, as well.

Trump paid tribute to him, saying: "We found out about it recently and I was surprised by it, but we certainly wish him well and it's a tough time for him."

His comments sparked criticism from Democrats, with former Vice-President Joe Biden saying Trump had downplayed the allegations against Porter.

"That's like saying: 'That axe murderer out there, he's a great painter'", Biden said.
Jammu, Feb 10 : At least two persons, including a junior army officer, were killed and six, including women and children, injured after a group of heavily-armed militants stormed a military camp in Jammu early on Saturday and entered the family quarters, spraying automatic gunfire at the sleeping inhabitants, officials said.

The attackers believed to be Pakistanis stormed into the Sunjuwan Military Station close to Jammu city at 4.45 a.m. and entered the Junior Commissioned Officers family quarters, firing volleys of bullets and hurling grenades.

"One (Junior Commissioned Officer) JCO has been martyred while six persons, including three women and children, have suffered injuries," the Army said in a statement, adding the soldier was killed in the operation to evacuate families.

However, Jammu and Kashmir Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri said two JCOs were killed while a colonel rank officer was among those injured. The injured also include the daughter of a junior army officer who had come to visit her father during school holidays.

The army statement said the militants after a brief exchange of fire with the soldiers at the periphery of the camp entered the family accommodation complex.

"The Quick Response Teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who are holed up in a few houses. Due to presence of women and children in the housing colony, the operations are being progressed cautiously to minimize casualties."

Police and army sources said the attack was contained even as the operation was still on.

Most of the families have been evacuated. Before the final assault on the terrorists we are making sure that no civilians are harmed in this operation, they said.

The sources said room-to-room intervention was going on to pin down the militants, believed to be three to four in number.

There had been intelligence inputs that Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants were planning to carry out an attack around the 5th death anniversary of Parliament attack convict, Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013 in Tihar Jail, the sources said.

Para commandos of the army have been airlifted from the army's northern command headquarters in Udhampur town to flush out the holed up militants.

Air Force has been providing aerial surveillance to the security forces during the operation against the militants who have been surrounded inside one of the buildings.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to state police chief S.P. Vaid. "Since the operation is still underway, it won't be right for me to make any comments. Our army and security officials are doing their duty. They will never let us down," Rajnath Singh said.

All educational institutions within half a kilometre radius of the camp have been shut down for the day.

The attack on family quarters of military personnel was a stark reminder of a similar attack in 2002 when a group of militants in army fatigues killed 30 people and wounded nearly 50 in Kaluchak near Jammu.

In 2006, a suicide attack carried out at the Sunjuwan camp saw the death of 12 soldiers before two fidayeen militants were killed.

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta sparked controversy by linking Rohingya refugees living in Jammu to the attack. However, he withdrew the remarks after an uproar during which NC legislator Muhammad Akbar Lone shouted pro-Pakistan slogans to counter the anti-Pakistan slogans raised by the ruling BJP MLAs. Lone's slogans were also expunged even as the opposition National Conference distanced itself from it.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed her anguish over the terror attack saying she was "deeply disturbedA. My heart goes out to the injured and their families".

NC working President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also condemned the attack.
Dharamsala, Feb 10 : South African parliamentarian Sandy Kalyan on Saturday condemned China's opposition to the visit of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President Lobsang Sangay to her country. She called on China to stop "overstepping" on South Africa's sovereign rights.

"The reaction by the Chinese embassy at the visit to South Africa by Lobsang Sangay, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration, is so over the top and quite ludicrous," she said, as per a post on the CTA website.

Noting Sangay had been invited by Inkatha party chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi to attend the State of the National Address (SONA) by President Jacob Zuma, she called on China to stop threatening South Africa.

"In a manner reminiscent of a child throwing a tantrum, the Chinese issued a strongly worded statement that the visit would result in Chinese investment being discouraged."

"Such veiled threats to the government of SA cannot be ever entertained. If China wants to go, it should go. The time for non-South Africans to hold the South African Government to ransom is long gone."

The Chinese embassy in Pretoria has strongly protested over Sangay's visit, accusing the South African government of disregarding the long-standing commitment to 'One China Policy'y.

Kalyan, who belongs to the country's largest opposition party the Democratic Alliance, pointed out that "directing South Africa's foreign policy is not the mandate of BRICS and that private chats do not translate into policy or promises as alleged by the Chinese government".

She attended CTA's five-Fifty forum here in October last where Sangay and the Dalai Lama were also present.

Sangay arrived in Johannesburg on February 5 for his maiden four-day visit - the first ever official visit of a Tibetan political leader to the African continent since the Dalai Lama's visit in 1996.

At the invitation extended by Inkatha, Sangay was originally scheduled to attend Zuma's address at the inaugural session of the South African Parliament on February 8, the CTA said, but it was postponed owing to domestic political tensions in South Africa.

The Tibetan administration is based in the northern hill town of Dharamsala where a community of Tibetans lives in exile with their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
New Delhi, Feb 10 : The Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) that represents publishers in English, Hindi and other regional languages -- will host the 32nd International Publishers Congress (IPC) in the national capital after 26 years.

An estimated 500 delegates are likely to attend the three-day event starting on February 12.

The first IPC by International Publishers Association (IPA) was held in 1896 in Paris and ever since, it continues to offer a vital platform to publishers to discuss the industry's most important challenges, network and learn.

Having organised it for the first time in 1992, this is second time that the FIP has taken up the responsibility to stage this event. The event will see eminent personalities as speakers sharing their thoughts on contemporary socio-political issues.

The other sessions will discuss topics like social responsibility of publishers, copyright challenges, self-censorship, creating the readers of the future, online literature, bringing publishing and book markets together in India, educational publishing, STM Publishing and collective rights management.

"We're thrilled that India has been selected to host the 2018 IPA Congress again. The IPA Congress is a pivotal moment in the world publishing calendar, and provides a perfect forum, where publishers can meet and discuss everything from copyright and freedom to publish, technologies and what the future holds for our industry," said Asoke Ghosh, Executive Committee member - IPA.

The IPA is the world's largest federation of national, regional and specialist publishers' associations and its membership comprises 70 organisations from 60 countries.
Harare, Feb 11 : Zimbabwean first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has relinquished her Chirumanzu-Zibagwe parliamentary seat to concentrate on her new role, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Saturday.

Addressing thousands of ZANU-PF supporters in the constituency that is in the president's home province of Midlands, Mnangagwa said his wife would now concentrate on her new role as the first lady of Zimbabwe, Xinhua reported.

Auxillia Mnangagwa took over as member of parliament for the constituency in 2015, replacing her husband, who had been elevated to vice president of the ruling party and state.

The departure of the first lady from parliament and active politics comes amid calls from within and outside the ruling party for her to resign from the parliamentary seat so she can fully concentrate on her new role.
Srinagar, Feb 11 : Authorities imposed restrictions in Srinagar and some other parts of the Kashmir Valley on Sunday to prevent separatist-called protests to mark the 34th death anniversary of Maqbool Bhat, founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).

Bhat was hanged on February 11, 1984, in Tihar Jail.

Besides Srinagar, restrictions were imposed in north Kashmir's Kupwara district and Sopore town.

Bhat belonged to Kupwara's Trehgam village.

Senior separatist leaders, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, have been placed under detention to prevent their participation.

Contingents of police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in full riot gear have been deployed in the restriction imposed areas.

Public transport remained off the roads in Srinagar and most of the places in the Valley.

Meanwhile, Saima Wani, 18, injured during gunfight in Shaigam village of Shopian district on January 24, succumbed in a Srinagar hospital.

Two militants and a civilian were killed in the gunfight and two girls including Saima were injured.
Abu Dhabi, Feb 11 : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid a wreath at Wahat Al Karama, a war memorial of the UAE's brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

"Inspiring way to begin another hectic day! PM @narendramodi paid tributes to brave soldiers of UAE who made ultimate sacrifice in the service of UAE at Wahat Al Karama, 'Oasis of Dignity!' in Abu Dhabi," Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

After laying the wreath, Modi took a tour of the memorial and put his thoughts on the visitors' book.

Literally meaning "oasis of dignity", Wahat Al Karama comprises 31 massive aluminium-clad tablets, each leaning on the other, symbolising the unity, solidarity and mutual support that bind together the leadership and citizens of the United Arab Emirates with the servicemen and women who protect them.

The long spine at the rear of the memorial is engraved with the Pledge of Allegiance of the UAE Armed Forces and symbolically supports the other panels.

After visiting Palestine earlier on Saturday, Modi arrived here later in the evening on the second leg of his three-nation tour of West Asia and the Gulf.

Following delegation-level talks between Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, India and the UAE signed five agreements on Saturday, including a historic one on energy cooperation that awarded a consortium of Indian oil companies led by ONGC Videsh a 10 per cent interest in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum concession.

This is Modi's second visit to the UAE, home to over three million expatriate Indians, after his visit in 2015.

Later on Sunday, he will attend a community event in Dubai during the course of which he will lay the foundation stone of the first Indian temple in Abu Dhabi via video linking.

The Prime Minister will also deliver the keynote address of the Sixth World Government Summit, in which India is the guest of honour country this year.

After completing his engagements in Dubai, Modi will leave for Oman on the third and final leg of his tour.
New Delhi, Feb 11 : Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP and former Minister of State for External Affairs, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought "dynamism" to India's foreign policy but lacks consistency in the country's neighbourhood strategy.

In an interview with IANS, Tharoor particularly mentioned Pakistan and China in the light of the unending cross-border exchange of fire and the Doklam standoff, saying it has mostly been a flip-flop approach while dealing with the two immediate neighbours of India that belies the Prime Minister's "neighborhood first" policy on geoeconomics and geopolitics.

He also said the reduction of foreign policy into "PR and marketing" exercises by the government didn't bode well for India's substantive status in the world.

"Modi has brought a lot of energy and dynamism to the conduct of (the country's) foreign policy. He travels tirelessly and all of this is good. He makes a very energetic impression wherever he goes. That is the positive side," Tharoor said, counting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's achievements on the foreign front.

He noted that "another positive" was the fact that many of the foreign policy initiatives of India that pre-date Modi continue under the government.

But, Tharoor said, there were areas where "we have concerns".

"One is the complete incoherence of policy on Pakistan where he has veered up and down, and repeatedly up and down in a way that is not just confusing but bewildering," he said, noting how a "saree-shawl diplomacy" and attending wedding and birthday celebrations have ended up in a complete "cold war" situation between the two countries.

Tharoor said that, on the one hand, while Modi keeps repeating that there would be no engagement with Pakistan till cross-border terror is stopped, on the other, "suddenly, unexpectedly announcements are made that the NSAs met in Bangkok".

In the last two years, he said, ithings have become "worse", referring to the increased number of terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

And, despite that, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Khan Janjua in Bangkok again on December 25 last year, he said.

"We have seen, sadly, an increase in terror incidents... All of this suggest to me that there is a certain lack of stability and coherence in India's Pakistan policy that really bodes ill."

The second aspect of the concern, he said, was about the failure of the government to level with the Indian people on foreign policy issues.

"There is this reduction of foreign policy to PR and marketing which we have seen on the domestic issues. In domestic issues it does less harm, in foreign policy it does more harm because it affects India's substantive place in the world and also the security of Indians.

He referred to the Doklam stand-off with China "where the whole disengagement was spun as a huge diplomatic victory".

"It turns out that Chinese have moved only 200 metres away and they have reinforced themselves to an extraordinary extent on the same plateau so that tomorrow whenever snows melt, if we want to move, we will be in no condition to resist without provoking a war."

He said the September 2016 "surgical strikes" against terror launch pads in Pakistan were also made into "a big triumph having neutralised terrorism.

"And terrorism has actually increased since then. So has the number of cross-border infiltration deaths..."

Tharoor said it was the duty of any Indian government to be honest with its people. "We worry about this over-emphasis on spin and under-emphasis on being straight with the public."

(Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at sarwar.k@ians.in)
London, Feb 11 : Argentine striker Sergio Aguero scored four second-half goals for Manchester City against Leicester, while Kevin De Bruyne contributed three key assists to lead their team to a 5-1 win that left Pep Guardiola's squad with an even stronger lead in the English Premier League (EPL).

It took only three minutes for Leicester's resistance to cave, the time it took De Bruyne to snatch and center the ball, which Raheem Sterling booted into the net, reports Efe news.

De Bruyne was to contribute the set-ups for Manchester's first three goals.

However, a closer match seemed to be in the works when Jamie Vardy tied it up with a shot that went through Aymeric Laporte's legs, confused Ederson and got into the net for a score to make it 1-1 at minute 24.

But Manchester City got back in front soon after the second half started, and from then on it was all Aguero.

One after another he chipped or slammed the ball into the net at minutes 48, 53, 77 and 90.

With this victory, Manchester City remains the leader of the Premier League with 72 points, 16 more than Manchester United, its closest rival, which goes up against Newcastle this Sunday at St. James Park Stadium.
Los Angeles, Feb 11 : Actress Kim Cattrall vented her anger at former "Sex and the City" co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, saying she was not her friend.

The two had reportedly been at odds since filming the show together, with the demise of any prospects for a third "Sex and the City" film bringing the animosity back to the surface, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

Cattrall took to Instangram to vent her anger on Saturday.

"I don't need your love or support at this tragic time Sarah Jessica Parker," she posted.

In the caption, she called Parker a "hypocrite" and "cruel".

She said: "Let me make this very clear. (If I haven't already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I'm writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your 'nice girl' persona."

According to hollywoodreporter.com, Cattrall was likely referring to the recent death of her brother Chris, which Parker discussed at the Paley Centre for media's "An Evening With the Cast of Divorce" in New York on Thursday.

Parker had also left a message of condolence on Cattrall's Instagram post announcing her brother's passing, as had Cynthia Nixon, one of Cattrall and Parker's other "Sex and the City" co-stars On Instagram, Cattrall also linked to a New York Post article from October entitled "Inside the mean-girls culture that destroyed 'Sex and the City'".

In the article, a clique that excluded Cattrall is described as having been formed on the set of "Sex and the City" particularly after creator and producer Darren Star left and Parker's friend Michael Patrick King took over, which led to Cattrall's reluctance to participate in the first "Sex and the City" film.
Lahore, Feb 11 : Renowned Pakistani human rights activist and lawyer Asma Jahangir passed away here on Sunday, She was 66.

The cause of her death has not been confirmed but media reports suggested that she died due to a cardiac arrest.

Jahangir was born on January 27, 1952 in Lahore.

She received a Bachelors' degree from Kinnaird College and an LLB from Punjab University. She was called to the Lahore High Court in 1980 and to the Supreme Court in 1982.

She later went on to become the first woman to serve as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Jahangir became a democracy activist and was jailed in 1983 for participating in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy, which rallied against military dictator Zia-ul-Haq's regime.

She was also active in the 2007 lawyers' movement for which she was put under house arrest, reports Dawn news.

The activist co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Women's Action Forum.

Jahangir was also awarded a UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights and an Officier de la LAgion d'honneur by France.

She received the 2014 Right Livelihood Award and the 2010 Freedom Award.
Dubai, Feb 11 : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met his Kyrgyz counterpart Sapar Isakov on the sidelines of the World Government Summit here.

The two leaders shared views on bilateral and regional issues, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi visited Kyrgyzstan in 2015 in what was the first prime ministerial visit from India to that country in 20 years.

India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Kyrgyzstan when it became independent in 1991 after the Soviet Union broke up.
Jammu, Feb 11 : A Defence Ministry spokesman on Sunday confirmed that nine people were killed in the ongoing anti-terror operation in an army camp in Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to media persons here, Colonel Devendra Anand said three terrorists have been killed in the operation that has been going on since Saturday inside the Sunjuwan army station in Jammu city.

Earlier reports said that four terrorists had been killed, but the Defence Ministry spokesman said he could so far confirm the killing of only three terrorists.

"Five soldiers have been martyred in this operation. A civilian, father of a soldier, also lost his life. So far, we have killed three terrorists.

"All of them were wearing army fatigues. Search and sanitization operation is still going on inside the camp. AK-56 rifles, under-barrel grenade launcher, ammunition and grenades have been recovered from them," Anand said.

"All the five martyred soldiers belonged to Jammu and Kashmir. Ten other people including six women and children have been injured in this attack. Army doctors worked through the night to save the life of a severely injured pregnant lady and through a Caesarian section surgery, she delivered a baby girl," he added.

"A 14-year-old boy with a gunshot wound in the head, however, remains critical."

Whether more terrorists could still be holed-up inside the camp, the spokesman neither confirmed nor denied it.

A group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Muhammad militants had entered the Sunjuwan army base station around 4.45 a.m. on Saturday.

The militants managed to enter the Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) quarters inside the camp while everyone was asleep.

Para commandos from the Army's Udhampur-headquartered Northern Command were airlifted to flush out the militants. The Air Force provided aerial surveillance.

Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat arrived here on Sunday to review the operation that has not been called off even 46 hours after it started.
Lahore, Feb 11 : Renowned Pakistani human rights activist and lawyer Asma Jahangir passed away here on Sunday. She was 66.

According to Geo TV, the former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association was shifted to a private hospital on Saturday night after suffering a cardiac arrest.

President Mamnoon Hussain, Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar along with other politicians, lawyers and journalists have expressed grief over Jahangir's death.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif tweeted: "Pakistan has lost a passionate champion of human rights and a staunch supporter of democracy..."

Born on January 27, 1952 in Lahore, Jahangir studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary before receiving her B.A from Kinnaird and LLB from the Punjab University in 1978.

In 1987 she co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and became its Secretary General until 1993 when she was elevated as the commission's chairperson, reports The News International.

Jahangir was also the co-chair of South Asians for Human Rights. She was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary or Summary Executions and later as the UN Rapporteur of Freedom of Religion or Belief.

The activist was put under house arrest and later imprisoned in 1983 for participating in the movement for the restoration of political and fundamental rights during the military regime of Zia-ul-Haq.

She was again put under house arrest in November 2007 after the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan.

Jahangir has represented several clients who were denied their fundamental rights and defended cases of minorities, women and children in prisons.

She penned two books: "Divine Sanction? The Hadood Ordinance" (1988) and "Children of a Lesser God: Child Prisoners of Pakistan" (1992).

Jahangir received several national awards, including the Sitara-I-Imtiaz in 1995.

In recognition of her services in the field of human rights, Jahangir was awarded the American Bar Association International Human Rights Award in 1992, the Martin Ennals Award and the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1995.
Cairo, Feb 11 : Egypt's armed forces on Sunday announced that 16 alleged militants had been killed as part of a new security offensive in the northern and central Sinai Peninsula.

Col Tamer al-Refaei said an additional 34 suspects were arrested during the offensive, dubbed "Operation Sinai 2018," which started on Friday in the restive peninsula and other parts of the country, according to a statement posted on his official Facebook page.

The colonel asserted that security forces were conducting "sweeping operations and large-scale raids on all cities and villages in the north and central Sinai", Efe news agency reported.

He added that an alleged field lab for manufacturing improvised explosive devices had been discovered and destroyed.

On Friday, the military and police began a major new security operation nationwide, focusing in particular on Sinai, 15 days before the presidential election campaign is to begin with voting to be held in late March.

On November 29, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gave the military a three-month deadline to clear the Sinai Peninsula of militants, days after terrorists staged a bomb and gun attack on a mosque in northern Sinai that killed over 300 worshippers.

The military and police have been fighting in Sinai against terror organisations, including a subsidiary of the Islamic State, since 2014.

Authorities have imposed a near-total media blackout on the counter-insurgency campaign.
Abu Dhabi, Feb 11 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second visit to the UAE has resulted in an Indian consortium gaining stake for the first time in Abu Dhabi's massive oil resources.

An MoU was signed here on Saturday between an Indian consortium comprising state-run explorer ONGC Videsh, Bharat PetroResources, Indian Oil and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (Adnoc) for acquisition of 10 per cent participating interest in its offshore Lower Zakum Concession.

Abu Dhabi is a constituent of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The UAE is one of the largest suppliers of crude oil to India and is also the 10th largest investor.

The MoU is an important milestone in India's search for energy security, at a time when oil prices have started hardening again mainly due to output cuts put in place by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers deal deal with a supply glut that was pushing down prices till last year.

The consortium, led by India's ONGC Videsh, contributed a participation fee of Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) 2.2 billion ($600 million) to enter the concession. The concession will be operated by ADNOC Offshore, a subsidiary of ADNOC, on behalf of all concession partners.

The agreement, which has a term of 40 years and an effective date of March 9, 2018, was signed here on Saturday by ONGC Chairman Shashi Shanker and ADNOC Group Chief Executive Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.

According to a statement from ONGC's oversea arm, current production at the Lower Zakum field is about 400,000 barrels a day, while the plan is to increase the target to 450,000 barrels a day by 2025.

Adnoc's offshore fields currently produce about 1.4 million barrels a day, an Adnoc statement said.

Increased production from its offshore reservoirs is part of the state-run company's plans to raise its onshore and offshore output capacity to 3.5 million barrels a day by the end of 2018, it added.

The company also said it had received more than 10 bids from firms seeking to operate these offshore fields. This agreement will enable Adnoc to cater to a part of India's massive oil demand, over 80 per cent of which is met by imports.

On Saturday, Adnoc also signed an agreement with the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd to implement the strategic crude oil storage facility on India's western coast in Mangalore (Karnataka) for the storage of 5.86 million barrels of Adnoc crude in underground facilities.
Ramallah, Feb 11 : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' aide Majdi Khalidi on Sunday said that Palestinians will ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to step into a multilateral mechanism to overlook the peace process.

Khalidi, Abbas' diplomatic advisor, told official Palestinian radio station Voice of Palestine that Abbas will meet Putin in Sochi on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Palestinian side insists of forming a multilateral approach to overlook the peace process with the Israeli side" in an attempt to disregard the US from its former role in the peace process, he said.

"Russia and Putin will have an important role in this matter, including launching an international peace conference and several important issues that require consultation with all relevant parties until we achieve the interest of the Palestinian people," said Khalidi.

He explained that Palestinians will continue to consult with Russia over any coming initiative.

A senior Russian delegation met Palestinian officials in West Bank city of Ramallah after US President Donald Trump's move on Jerusalem last December.

Since Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Palestinians have declared that the US is disqualified from mediating the peace process and demanded an international multilateral approach to sponsor the peace talks with Israel.
: Muscat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the Guard of Honour on his arrival in Muscat, Oman on Feb 11, 2018. (Photo: IANS/MEA). Image Source: IANS/MEA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the Guard of Honour on his arrival in Muscat, Oman on Feb 11, 2018. Image Source: IANS/MEA

Muscat, Feb 11 : Thousands of Indian expats in Oman travelled from different parts of the Gulf kingdom to listen to visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Over 20,000 Indian nationals were expected to attend Modi's speech at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Bausher on Sunday, Times Of Oman reported.

Indian Social Club (ISC) Sohar Executive Committee Member and General Secretary M. Rajesh said the excitement among the diaspora in Salalah, Sohar and Sur was palpable.

Over 1,000 people were coming down from Sohar alone, he said, adding that ISC Sohar has arranged for two buses to ferry people to and from Muscat for the event at a nominal sum.

People signed up till late on Saturday, said Rajesh, the daily reported.

"It's really exciting to be able to see the Prime Minister. Citizens want to see him in person. It's a great atmosphere."

Indian Social Club (ISC) Salalah Chairman Manpreet Singh said that he along with 75 or so Indian expats had boarded a flight to Muscat to listen to the Prime Minister Modi's speech.
Agartala, Feb 11 : A week ahead of the February 18 Assembly elections, a sitting CPI-M MLA and candidate in Charilam in western Tripura died on Sunday evening due to cardiac arrest, an official said here.

"The sitting MLA and Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate for Charilam (Scheduled Tribe) seat, Ramendra Narayan Debbarma, died at the Gobinda Ballav Panth Medical College and Hospital, where he was admitted in the afternoon with chest pain," an Election Department official said.

The official said the election in Charilam would be countermanded as per electoral laws. There were five candidates, including Debbarma, in the fray.

Debbarma, 68, after his retirement from government service in 2012, had contested the 2013 assembly polls from Charilam in western Tripura and won. The CPI-M renominated him this time.

CPI-M State Secretary Bijan Dhar expressed shock over the death.

The CPI-M-led Left Front has fielded Nimal Biswas as its candidate in Khowai seat in western Tripura in place of Biswajit Datta, who was hospitalised for a few days due to serious illness.

Biswas is a former State Secretary of the CPI-M's student wing Student Federation of India.

CPI-M candidate for Krishnapur (ST) and Fisheries Minister Khagendra Jamatia too remained admitted in GBP Medical College and Hospital for several days due to illness.

Polling will be held for the 60-seat Tripura assembly on February 18 and counting of votes will be on March 3.
New Delhi, Feb 11 : Rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra on Sunday said the Delhi government had not spent anything on 49 major projects in the national capital and called it the "biggest governance failure" in the history of India.

In a statement here, he said the Arvind Kejriwal government had wasted Rs 17,000 crore of public money as it failed to complete any of the schemes announced in its Budget.

Of the 49 projects, 18 are related to education, four to health, 11 to transport and infrastructure, four to water, two each to housing and environment, three each to rural development and tourism, and two others.

Mishra said Rs 11,300 crore were allocated to the Education Department but nothing was spent so far.

The government allocated Rs 5,736 crore to the Health Department and Rs 5,506 crore to the Transport Department but no progress could be seen, he said.

He said just 10 per cent of the work was done vis-a-vis construction of Mohalla Clinics and polyclinics.
Kolkata, Feb 11 : As many as 650 people in six municipal wards were suffering from diarrhoea caused by an alleged contamination of drinking water and 28 of them were admitted in a city hospital since Saturday night, an official said on Sunday.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation collected samples from different places to detect the cause of the outbreak.

"Overall about 650 people reported suffering from symptoms of diarrhoea and affected were from wards 101, 102, 107, 108, 109 and 110. Our Water Supply Department personnel collected samples from water treatment plants from where water is supplied to these areas for testing," a KMC official said.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said about 28 people suffering from diarrhoea were admitted to Baghajatin State General Hospital since last night and number of admission has not been increased.

The Mayor, who visited the affected wards on Sunday morning, said that around 260-270 people were brought to the Baghajatin hospital.

Dismissing complaints that contamination of drinking water led to the outbreak of the disease in the areas, Chatterjee said: "We have collected samples from 82 places so far to understand the cause of outbreak. It is also found that all in a family drinking the same water were not ill. The problem has been arrested in a greater extent."

"We are, however, conducting a complete check of the distribution system," he added.
New Delhi, Feb 11 : BJP's Nagaland unit on Sunday denounced a "fictitious" news report about the party's North East in-charge Ram Madhav being circulated in the social media, which, it said, could "spark communal tension".

The report by media portal "Newsjoint "sought to tarnish Madhav's "good image and integrity", it said, that the portal seemed to be a fake news agency or channel "devoid of any truth and written with malicious intent".

"Such spreading of false news is tantamount to not only character assassination but also poses grave risk of sparking off communal tension," it said.

It said the fake news issue was taken by the party with all seriousness, and prompt and fitting action would be initiated "against those behind spreading the fabricated news" to "penalise and punish those responsible for the mischief".
Muscat, Feb 11 : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday promoted the new National Health Protection Scheme called Ayushman Bharat announced in this year's Union Budget in an address to the Indian diaspora in Oman.

"In our Budget this year, we did something that drew the world's attention," Modi said to thousands of cheering expatriate Indians at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium here soon after his arrival here on the third and last leg of his three-nation tour of West Asia and the Gulf.

"For 10 crore poor families of India, which translates into 40-50 crore beneficiaries, we announced the Ayushnman Bharat scheme.

"Each family covered under this scheme will get free medical treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh (per year)," Modi said.

Even as he said that people must be wondering what Ayushman Bharat was all about, his attention was drawn by a remark from somebody in the audience and he said: "Yes, newspapers in India call it Modicare."

Ayushman Bharat is envisaged as the world's largest government-funded healthcare programme.

Modi said that under other similar schemes, the poor are being given life insurance at a premium of 90 paise or Re 1 per month.

"As a chaiwala, I know that you can't even have a cup of tea for 90 paise," he said, adding that around Rs 2,000 crore have been disbursed against claims under these schemes.

The Prime Minister said that though governments have come and gone in India, bureaucrats have remained the same as also the system, but changes have come to be noticed.

"Today banks cannot chase away poor people," he said. "Today government officers are knocking at the doors of poor people's homes offering gas connections. Our government is working on providing free electricity to the poor."

In a speech that comes ahead of the general elections in India next year, Modi said that in the last four years nobody asked "how much did Modi take away".

"Today, the Opposition, though not making allegations (of corruption) against us, are asking 'Modiji, how much has come in' whereas people used to ask previously (prior to the present NDA government) how much has gone away," he said.

Modi also praised the expatriate Indians in Oman, numbering over 800,000, for their contributions to its development. He said that Indian and Omani authorities are constantly in touch with each other for addressing grievances of Indians in the Gulf country.

He also praised the Omani royal family for maintaining a close relationship with India.

Modi arrived here on Sunday evening after visiting Palestine and the United Arab Emiraes (UAE) and was to meet Oman's Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said later in the evening.
Cape Town, Feb 12 : Some African National Congress (ANC) members will march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Monday until President Jacob Zuma resigns.

We want Zuma to resign to save the ANC from collapse, Xinhua quoted Lazarus Maumela, ANC Gauteng member, as saying on Sunday.

Maumela invited South Africans to join them in their march to the Union Buildings or stay home causing a total shutdown. He said that the march does not have the blessing of the party leadership.

"We are coming to the Union Buildings tomorrow and we are not apologetic about it, we are ready for everything," said Maumela.

"We are being in the forefront because we love our movement. We love our organization. Even if it means that we are going to be arrested, or beaten, or killed, we are ready for it. And we are not going to leave the Union Buildings, by the way, until he resigns," Maumela added.

The group called themselves the concerned ANC members who love their organisation and would love to save it.

They stated that the march would be attended by the South African Communist Party, Congress of South African Trade Unions, among other organisations.

The ANC national executive committee members will also meet on Monday to discuss about Zuma's future.

Maumela stated that they want the NEC to consider their demands in their meeting. He said that the march would be peaceful and is lawful, adding that Ramaphosa must fire Zuma.
Moscow, Feb 12 : A passenger plane with 71 people on board crashed shortly after leaving Moscow, with no hope of survival of the crew and passengers, media reported on Sunday.

The Antonov-148 of Saratov Airlines with 65 passengers and a crew of six was en route from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow to Orsk of the Orenburg Region in western Russia, Xinhua cited the Interfax news agency as saying.

Radio contact with the seven-year-old Russia-made plane was lost at 14:21 Moscow time (1121 GMT), several minutes after the takeoff.

"Tentatively, the plane has crashed near the village of Argunovo. The crew and passengers had no chance to survive," the source said.

Witnesses in the village of Argunovo told news media that they saw a burning plane falling from the sky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered "his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash" and issued an order to set up a government commission to probe into the crash, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened an investigation into the crash and Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov has flown to the scene.

The Russian Transport Ministry said that several reasons of the crash are being considered, including weather conditions and human factors.
Ameritech Financial You cant choose your servicer, but you can choose how to manage your student loans, said Brandon Frere, CEO of Ameritech Financial.

In the summer of 2017, Betsy DeVos revealed a plan to switch to a single federal student loan servicer, down from the current nine. While that plan was scrapped, some servicing companies had started to prepare for such a scenario. Recently, two servicers combined into one, reducing the number of primary servicers from four to three. Although any changes to servicers will not change the federal policies they work with, borrowers may worry how the changes will affect their interactions with their servicers. Ameritech Financial, a document preparation company, will continue to act as borrower advocates and help them apply for federal repayment plans.

Borrowers often report problems working with their servicers, said Brandon Frere, CEO of Ameritech Financial. You cant choose your servicer, but you can choose how to manage your student loans. Research, keep track of your balances, be proactive. And if you need help, Ameritech is always here to answer questions, specifically about federal income-driven repayment plans.

According to a press release announcing the finalization of the merger, this newest servicer change comes with promises of improved technology and servicing practices. In theory, having fewer servicers may mean fewer opportunities for confusion, especially for borrowers who have loans serviced by more than one company. However, experts are afraid that reducing the amount of servicers will lead to servicing monopolies. Plus, the Department of Educations single servicing platform that is in development will streamline the online servicing environment, which should cut down on borrower confusion.

Before there were nine student loan servicers, there was just one. The Washington Post quoted former deputy undersecretary of education Robert Shireman on that time: We felt we had little leverage because the whole system was operated by them, and they knew it would be such a huge endeavor to change that, so they didnt have to be responsive. He, and many others, worry that reducing the number of servicers will lead to those same problems in the future.

Its unclear what these changes will mean for borrowers, said Frere. But we remain committed to providing borrowers the best service we can by helping them understand and apply for IDRs that can greatly improve their financial situations.

About Ameritech Financial

Ameritech Financial is a private company located in Rohnert Park, California. Ameritech Financial has already helped thousands of consumers with financial analysis and student loan document preparation to apply for federal student loan repayment programs offered through the Department of Education.

Ameritech Financial is a member of the Association for Student Loan Relief (AFSLR), and each representative on the phone has received the Certified Student Loan Professional certification through the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA).

Ameritech Financial prides itself on its exceptional Customer Service.

Contact

To learn more about Ameritech Financial, please contact:

Ameritech Financial

5789 State Farm Drive #265

Rohnert Park, CA 94928

1-800-792-8621

customer.service@ameritechfinancial.com
#roadtrip #safepawtotherescue #wkcdogs #gaiasafe In all the years Ive attended the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, I can assure you of one thing: the weather will be unpredictable, said Charlotte Reed, pet and lifestyle expert. Its so comforting to know sidewalks around the Westminster show will be safe and healthy for pets this year.

When the 142nd Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opens in New York City next week, guests and their four-legged companions can be sure the sidewalks will not only be free of ice but safe for tender paws because Gaia Enterprises Inc is donating its proprietary ice melt, Safe Paw 100% Salt Free Ice Melt to select hotels. Safe Paw Ice Melt is 100% salt-free and therefore safe for pets, children and the environment.

We want to share Safe Paw Ice Melt with these hotels because we are passionate about keeping pets safe at all times even as they travel to the Westminster show in New York City, said Steven Vernik, Vice President and Director of Operations for Safe Paw Ice Melt. Our research shows that any ice melt product that contains chlorides and most ice melts do  can be harmful so we are happy and proud to contribute to the health of the 3,200 canines coming for the Westminster Show.

Especially for dogs, exposure to salt-based ice melters can pose danger. Often crystals sit on ice and snow surfaces before penetrating and the salt can get frozen into dog paws and fur then, once inside in warmer temperatures, the salt can burn the skin causing redness and ulcers which can lead to bacterial infections. Dogs can also develop intestinal and stomach problems from licking the salt-based products off their paws.

In addition to being safe for all surfaces including concrete, Safe Paw is safe if it happens to be ingested by pets and/or children.

In all the years Ive attended the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, I can assure you of one thing: the weather will be unpredictable, said Charlotte Reed, pet and lifestyle expert. Safe Paw Ice Melt is one of my go-to recommendations to keep paws safe and owners worry-free lest their pet ingest harmful chemicals that are contained in most other ice melts. Its so comforting to know sidewalks around the Westminster show will be safe and healthy for pets this year.

Each of the participating nine gold star hotels partnering with the Westminster Kennel Club for the annual event will receive 35-pounds of Safe Paw Ice Melt to help keep their two-legged and four-legged guests safe. The hotels include (alphabetically): Comfort Inn Midtown West; DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New York Times Square West; Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Times Square South; Holiday Inn Express Midtown West; Homewood Suites by Hilton New York/Midtown Manhattan Times Square-South, NY; Hotel Pennsylvania; Radisson Martinique on Broadway; Stewart Hotel New York; and Wyndham New Yorker. Learn more about the 142nd Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show here.

About Safe Paw Ice Melt

Safe Paw Ice Melt was created in 1996 and introduced to consumers at retail and direct to veterinarians. Safe Paw is 100% safe for pets, children, surfaces (like concrete) and the environment and has won the PTPA Green Product Seal and was included in the Whole Green Catalog: 1000 Best Things for You and the Earth . Pellets are green to make it easy to distinguish it from rock salt and salt-based ice melters, which are generally white. Gaia Enterprises, Inc., is the inventor and manufacturer of Safe Paw (Safe Thaw) Ice Melter. Products are available online and at pet, grocery, hardware and mass merchandise stores in 8 lb. jugs up to 35 lb. pails, beginning at $19.95. Learn more at SafePaw.com.
Almond Restaurant in Flatiron District

As NYC Restaurant Week draws to a close on Friday, February 9, Almond Restaurant has decided to keep the party going. The market-driven, American brasserie will continue offering prix-fixe menus for both lunch and dinner, at the same price as the Restaurant Week promotion in 2018. The menus will reflect Almonds ethos of localism, sustainability and seasonality.

The $29 3-course Lunch menu will feature a revolving array of Almonds greatest hits, such as Buffalo Cauliflower and Salad Nicoise. For those looking to skip dessert at lunch, an option of a craft beer or glass of house wine is available as an alternative.

Starting at 6pm, the $42 3-course dinner menu will consist of dishes that are Almond signatures, like the Brussels Sprouts Hot & Cold, a salad thats pretending to be a caesar. Rounding out the entree options is the Berkshire Pork Chop Adobo, served with wheat berries and green chiles.

The lunch prix fixe menu will be available weekdays, from 11:30am-3pm. The dinner menu is available every night starting at 6pm.

Almond Restaurant is located steps away from the Flatiron building. 12 E 22nd Street (Broadway & Park Ave S) http://www.almondnyc.com 212.228.7557
Sanjeev Dutta, Executive Director - Commodities, DMCC As a market maker for trade, at DMCC, we are naturally passionate about these topics as we do everything we can to lead and operate a global marketplace that enables businesses to succeed

DMCC, the worlds leading Free Zone for commodities trade and enterprise in Dubai, and Richcomm Global Services, the Dubai-based international commodity services company, in collaboration with DGCX, welcomed industry experts today at Almas Tower for the fifth edition of the Global Commodity Outlook Conference.

The conference was attended by government representatives, industry experts and traders including Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, DMCC; H.E. Nura Abba Rimi, Minister Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Nigeria; and Omar Khan, Director, International Offices, Dubai Chamber of Commerce to discuss the latest commodity trends and sectors, including energy, agriculture, base metals, and precious metals, as well as the macro-economic outlook for 2018 and the impact of crypto-currencies.

In his opening remarks, Omar Khan, Director of International Offices, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said: Our goal is to support the development of business and promote Dubai as an international business hub. Since 2012, we have been focused on emerging markets and we are among the few chambers in the world to have such a global presence, with four offices in Africa and now a presence in Sao Paulo, and Shanghai. We welcome over 250 delegations and go to over 60 destinations every year. We look forward to working with our partners, including DMCC and the many other free zones who work hard to keep you connected.

Sanjeev Dutta, Executive Director, Commodities, DMCC added:

I am delighted to see that so many industry professionals from a range of areas of activity have been able to join us here today. It is through events like these that we are able to further connect markets and identify new opportunities so we together can lead the next wave of growth. As a market maker for trade, at DMCC, we are naturally passionate about these topics as we do everything we can to lead and operate a global marketplace that enables businesses to succeed.

Paresh Kotecha, Managing Director, Richcomm Global Services, commented: We are thrilled to be hosting the fifth edition of the Global Commodities Outlook Conference in the presence of a distinguished list of panelists from around the globe. We have gathered industry experts in energy, agriculture, cryptocurrencies and base and precious metals to provide their deepest insights and discuss the latest trends in their respective sectors. Thank you for joining us today as none of this would have been possible without your support and encouragement.

The keynote speeches were followed by a panel discussion on the global macro-economic outlook, moderated by Andrew Torchia, Chief Financial Correspondent at Thomson Reuters. The discussion focused on the current economic market volatility, described by the panel as a shortage of market event rather than an economic paradigm.

In the session dedicated to the energy sector outlook, the panellists debated the role of OPEC in crude supply, particularly given the widely-publicised cuts. There was overall agreement that OPEC is likely to maintain their current levels of production. On the 2018 outlook, an overall slow-down with a slight decline in prices by the end of the year was forecasted. Esa Ramasamy S&P Global Platts added: Every barrel of oil is transformed into Dubai. Brent and Dubai are interlinked and it is difficult to separate the two.

Agricultural panel experts included Vaughn Marles, DMCC, as moderator; James Wild, Director - Wild Agri DMCC; Erik Norland, Executive Director Economics of CME Group; Jonathan Grange, Grains Broker at Sunstone Brokers; and Sanjay Sethi, Director  Sustainability at Phoenix Global DMCC. The industry specialists discussed the regional price drivers for global grains and the implications of Chinese and India demands for edible oils as well as the impact of weather conditions.

DMCCs own Franco Bosoni  Director of Innovation Hub, took the stage to discuss the rise of cryptocurrencies and the levels of global investment in this field. Bosoni also dived into the disruptive nature of FinTech and how tech-focused start-ups are transforming the financial services industry today.

The conference concluded the conversation with panellists presenting the 2018 outlook for base metals and precious metals. Key spokespeople explored the electric car revolution its implication on copper, aluminium, lead and zinc pricing. Speakers from the precious metals industry also explored the latest trends in gold, its value, and how ethical investors are shaping the future of the industry.
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Hope Hicks has become one of the most powerful figures in American politics. Now, she's leaving the White House.

Hicks will resign from her position as

On Tuesday, Hicks testified before the

Unlike many in the often bombastic Trump administration, Hicks rarely speaks to the media on the record. However, as a former model with experience in fashion PR, Hicks knows how to make a statement with her appearance without saying a word.

Here's a look at how Hicks' public presentation has changed  and how it could reveal how the communications director made herself invaluable to the White House.

Hope Hicks began working for Ivanka Trump's fashion brand in 2014, four years after she graduated from Southern Methodist University.

"Hicks grew close to Ivanka and began dressing like the heiress, who seemed worthy of the emulation," GQ reported. "Ivanka was that rare female corporate leader who is also kind to other women, and she affected an air of competence that seemed to temper the boorishness of the Trump brand."

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When Hicks began working on Donald Trump's presidential campaign, she mimicked Ivanka's accessible style  lots of business-casual dresses in pale shades or florals, with heels and long, straight hair.

As Ivanka campaigned for her father, her role was to convince Americans  especially more progressive ones  that he was a worthwhile political pick.

As she continues to attempt to win over skeptics, Ivanka has donned primarily accessible styles that most Americans could buy or replicate, including her own line and fast-fashion brands like Zara.

Hicks seemed prepared to fulfill the same role behind the scenes. The president, early advisers like Corey Lewandowski and Roger Stone, and some supporters are known for their over-the-top antics.

Meanwhile, Hicks is private and has avoided making enemies. "I have always found Hope to be great to deal with, especially given the volume of requests she must be getting," Maggie Haberman of The New York Times told GQ.

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Hicks is especially deferential to the president, calling him only "sir" or "Mr. Trump."

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The only public crack in Hicks' facade was a public screaming match with Lewandowski in May 2016. However, even after being fired from the campaign, Lewandowski described Hicks as "smart and private, with a nearly photographic memory."

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While Hicks rarely gives interviews on the record, her polished, Ivanka-inspired fashion tells a story of its own. She fashioned herself as a reasonable outlier in the bombastic and scandal-prone Trump campaign and administration.

However, in recent months, Hicks seems to be undergoing a fashion pivot that could signify bigger factors at play behind the scenes.

While Ivanka was once a conservative darling, the first daughter has fallen out of favor with much of the right.

Ivanka's brand popularity has dropped among Republicans as she has increasingly been seen as a moderating force. And similar dramas seem to be playing out inside the White House.

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The president was reportedly frustrated in November when Ivanka criticized Roy Moore, the former US Senate candidate in Alabama whom multiple women have accused of sexual misconduct.

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The first daughter and Kushner have also dealt with legal problems. Late last year, federal investigators began looking into Kushner's meetings with foreign leaders, as well as whether he played a role in convincing the president to fire James Comey as FBI director.

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"As telling, with his daughter and son-in-law sidelined by their legal problems, Hope Hicks, Trump's 29-year-old personal aide and confidant, became, practically speaking, his most powerful White House advisor," Wolff wrote in a recent column based on reporting from his book.

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Over the same period, Hicks has apparently stopped taking fashion cues from Ivanka  and moved on to Melania Trump.

Hicks debuted the new fashion strategy at a state dinner in November in Tokyo. Instead of the soft dresses that Ivanka is known for wearing, the communications director showed up in a sleek suit that could have come straight from Melania's closet.

As Ivanka's brand popularity has tanked, the public's perception of Melania has only gotten better. A recent CNN poll found that the first lady had a 47% approval rating, compared with the president's 40%.

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So it shouldn't be that surprising that Hicks' new wardrobe is filled with Melania-inspired, high-fashion looks. The first lady's fashion sense is sleeker than Ivanka's, with more makeup and sharper angles.

Hicks seems to have picked up on the intricacies of each woman's taste. The outfit she wore while waiting to board Air Force One in Beijing seems identical to some of the first lady's favorite travel looks.

For reference, here's a photo of the president and Melania arriving in Texas, soon after she faced backlash for wearing stilettos as she ventured into an area that had been devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

That isn't necessarily to say that Hicks is clashing with Ivanka. Instead, she may have realized the importance of adjusting her public appearance to fit with what Trump and his supporters are looking for.

In fact, Ivanka recently spoke out to defend Hicks following the Rob Porter controversy, telling The New York Times in an unsolicited interview that Hicks was a "team player."

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"Most importantly," Ivanka said, "the president has deep respect for her, cares about her greatly, and listens to her. Thats not true of everyone. Shes earned that."

While many in the White House reportedly get swept up in power struggles within the administration, Hicks appears to have stayed in most staffers' good graces. Most importantly, Trump continues to vocally support Hicks.

As other members of the Trump administration fell by the wayside, Hicks rose through the ranks. She knows how to evolve to stay in the good graces of the president  and right now, that looks like trying to copy Melania, not Ivanka.
But Shatta Wale has pushed back hard on their prophesies in a series of posts on Facebook.

"Ghana pastors you guys are making Christianity look horror in the eyes of men .. why ..so you want to tell me God doesnt see success," he observed.

"Dont think you are a pastor so you are anointed ..GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR HIS CHILDREN AND AM ONE OF THEM..Dont dare me Mr pastor .. Dont try my God ..," he noted.

"Ghana pastors wont see you winning a lottery in their visions they claim..but always they see death or your family is after you ..God show yourself this year ..LET ALL SEE WHY YOU NAMED ME SHATTA WALE," he posted minutes later.
He tweeted: "We had a fruitful meeting and reached an Agreement just last Tuesday. "Please help me pay him for my bail out. I want to be free". I hope you're free now & finds absolute peace in the bosom of the almighty God. Let's pay CRITICAL ATTENTION to our female artists".

READ MORE: Shatta Wale fights prophets as they foretell his death

But his tweet has generated public anger, with some questioning the rationale for the tweet while others felt it was insensitive to the memory of Ebony, who died in a car crash last Thursday with two of her friends.

"What's this man driving at? If it's about management issues, it has no play in her death. It's therefore a wrong time to be raising such issues. People are grieving no time for management politics...," a user by name @Hairicanematic said.

Another user, @ramseyaddison, replied to his tweet: "Not necessary now, you shouldn't have posted this."

"This is needless. You don't pretend to look good in someone's predicament," @CollinsGhartey blasted.

"So everyone posting sensible tribute about Ebony, this was how far you could express yourself? Wo maame abre3," another user reacted.

Meanwhile the Communications Director of Zylofon Media,Samuel A. Baah, has in a statement said his CEO's statement was "harmless."
READ ALSO: Ebony Reigns A tribute to a young lady whose only crime was sinning differently

WATCH VIDEO ABOVE...

Happy said: I saw her in my dream this morning. In the dream, she had a show and I was right beside her. In the course of the performance, she saw me in the crowd and stopped performing, so everybody was looking at the direction which she was looking at when she stopped performing.

So right after the show, she walked straight to me and requested we go home. I wondered why she wanted us to go home at the time of performance. She insisted we go home with so much joy in her eyes.

I told her to take the lead since the dress I was wearing wasnt good for me, she added.

If only I had known I would have told her to wait for me but since I told her to take the lead, she indeed took the lead.

I had missed calls from friends around 4 am, so I was wondering why they could call me at that time. The news was confirmed by my dad about her demise.

Speaking further she revealed that was the only time Ohemaa(Ebony Reigns) had travelled to Sunyani by road.

It seems she knew she was going to die because she did the unusual.

Ebony Reigns would have turned 21 on 16th February, two days after her mums birthday.
READ MORE: Prophetess says God has directed her to resurrect Ebony

The missing cash was uncovered by a team of auditors who were dispatched to different state offices of JAMB to take inventory of the sold and unsold scratch cards.

The cards, before it was abolished after reforms, used it to gain access to the Boards website for either registration or to check their admission status, according to Daily Post.

When auditors visited the Makurdi office of JAMB a sales clerk, Philomina Chieshe, told JAMB registrar and his team that she could not account for N36 million she made in previous years before the abolition of scratch cards.

Philomena confessed that it was her housemaid that connived with another JAMB staff, Joan Asen, to spiritually steal the money from the vault in the accounts office.

She said: I was one of the four sales clerks attached to JAMB office in Makurdi. My responsibility was to sell scratch cards to candidates and not involved in handling the revenues. It was the responsibility of Joan Asen and my other senior colleagues. I only remit money when am done selling the cards.

Few months ago, there was issue of fraud in the Makurdi office. Auditors were sent from Abuja to carefully flip the record books of the office, to perhaps, ascertain the current state of affairs.

The state Coordinator, Obilo, was not around when the audit team came. But in the course of the audit, N36 million was discovered to have been missing from the account. An investigation was launched. In the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Joan Asen, who is account staff and a lady outside JAMB have connived to steal the money.

Philomina in her confessional statement said that Joan Asen and her accomplices confessed that they have been stealing the money spiritually through a mysterious snake that always sneak into the office to swallow the money from the vault.

READ MORE: Teacher ties student to pillar as punishment for nonpayment of fees
Ouabain is the active ingredient found in Acokanathera schimperi and Strophanthus gratus, plants native to Africa that, thousands of years ago, hunters coated their poison arrows with.

However, it's also been been shown to curb male fertility, which is why scientists at the University of Minnesota and the University of Kansas teamed up to see what they could do with it.

What they found could be a game-changer for male contraceptivesif, as with other possible forms of male birth control, it ever comes to fruition.

In a study recently published in the American Chemical Societys Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, the scientists were able to create a derivative of ouabain that keeps the fertility-curbing properties and eliminates the cardiotoxic properties of the molecule.

They found it to be safe and effective in rats and mice, but don't get too excited: It still hasn't been tested in humans.

A press release from the American Chemical Society explained that the ouabain derivative "interferes with the (sperm) cells' ability to swim, which is essential to its role in fertilizing an egg."

In theory, the effects should be reversible because it only impacts mature sperm cells. "Sperm cells produced after stopping treatment with the ouabain derivative shouldnt be affected," the release stated.

We reached out to the researchers, and they referred us to Dr. Min Lee, a staff scientist with the Contraceptive Development Program at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (Although he was not apart of the study, Lee's research focus includes contraception.)

He told Men's Health that this study is exciting because it could lead to a male contraceptive that doesn't have any sort of impact on hormones, one of the first of its kind.

"Right now, most male contraceptives in clinical trials are all hormonal," Lee said. "This is one of the only chemical compound series not hitting hormone receptors, so in theory, youd also not have the side effects that accompany hormonal contraceptives."

These side effects, Lee explained, include mood swings, increased acne and changes in libido.

Lee said that there are currently other forms of male contraceptivesmost involving hormone receptorsthat are currently in clinical trials, meaning they are being tested on humans. It takes years for drugs to reach clinical trials, and even more for them to hit the market.

This is the case for all drugs, but the process can take even longer for contraceptives. "With both male and female contraceptive drugs, there is a high safety bar," he said.

"Youre giving the drug to a healthy person and you want to make sure they stay healthy. Its different from say a cancer drug, where the person could die without taking the drug."

According to Lee, it could be 10 years or more before we see an ouabain drug hit the market, and it's still too early to say how exactly it would be administered.
Speaking at the graduation of new Police Cadets Friday in Accra, the Vice President said negotiations have been concluded for the deployment of the CCTV cameras in all 216 districts.

Negotiations have just been completed for the rollout of Phase 2 of the Alpha Project which will involve the deployment of 8,700 CCTV cameras in all 216 districts with three command centres in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale," he said.

He also revealed that 1,000 new vehicles will be procured for the police this year, adding that two hundred pick-up vehicles have been allocated to the police already.
This, he observed, has "sucked our self confidence and history that also instilled some real self doubt in us.

What I came to realize during the very long public service, which took me to all the five continents in the world, and also enabled me to know our continent Africa quite well, I came to a conclusion that the real bane of Africans under development if I may use that word is poor leadership, he said.

"And I dont blame us the Africans, we have had a very sad history over the past 600 years, history that sucked our self confidence and history that also instilled some real self doubt in us.

In addition, the ex-president bemoaned the myriad of social challenges such as ignorance, poverty and disease confronting the continent it has vast wealth.

So when we became independent not too long ago we see a mess of ignorance, disease, poverty, when in truth, nature endowed our lands with so much wealth. But we are still wallowing, as if we just dont have vision.

He further noted that following independence in many African states, many of the leaders became dictators "who really did not respect the dignity of us Africa."
Robert O'Neill, the former US Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden in a 2011 raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, has weighed in on President Donald Trump's idea to have a military parade  and he's not happy.

"A military parade is third world bulls---," O'Neill tweeted Thursday. "We prepare. We deter. We fight. Stop this conversation."

Trump has instructed the Pentagon to draw up plans for a parade, but the content, location, and timing of such an event have not been announced.

O'Neill joins a chorus of US military veterans expressing opposition to the idea of a parade, and of US pundits who have pointed to Trump's desire for a parade in likening him to a dictator.

In later tweets, O'Neill acknowledged that the US has previously held military parades. And in a reply to another Twitter user, he asserted that Russia and France  which regularly hold them  were third-world countries because unlike the US, they couldn't take over the world.

Historically, "Third World" refers to countries that aligned with neither the West nor the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The term has since taken on a broader meaning to describe economically developing nations.

In another tweet, O'Neill made clear his idea of a military parade befitting the US: the so-called Thunder Run, the US military's 2003 attack on Baghdad that quickly took the city.
The Nollywood star who turned 40 on February 7, talks about her career, combining motherhood with acting, the role of God in her life and how she is one of the luckiest people around, among other things.

Omotola is also the cover star of Saturday issue of Guardian Woman.

While receiving the national honour of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) she said, Its been brilliant and I thank God so far. He has given me a wonderful vision and he has kept me strong. My story as Omotola is Gods doing really. I didnt have to make any long-term plan because I believe that he is in charge of what I do. Whatever he tells me to do I pray about it, I ask my husband and my family and I do it.

"So the Lord has been my strength. He has been helping me. I go to Him to keep my marriage and to keep my family together in spite of my long absence most of the time. And you know I go to God for even silly things like asking the Lord not to allow me to add weight or not to allow me to receive any false call. And it has helped me.

Celebrating an Icon

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde shared stunning photos of herself on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, marking her 40th birthday and they are proof that this lady's beauty and elegance is just so breath-taking.

She has proven to us that even as she gets older, she still has that radiant skin and beauty to match up with the upcoming youngsters.

To mark her birthday, Omotola planned a 5-day event which kicks off on on the 7th of the February with a 'Give And Let Give To Widows And Orphans' event. This would be followed by Couples Retreat themed "Reciprocative, Respect, Mental Health And Avoiding Slavery In Marriage" on the February 8th, 2017.

As part of the five-day event, there will be a Renaissance Trip To Trace The Beginning Of Slavery on February 9th, 2018 which will be followed by a Symposium on "Mental Slavery And The Emancipation Of The Black Race" on February 10th, 2018.

The climax of the 5-day event will be on Sunday, February 11th, 2018 with a ball themed "The Omosexy Ball."

Marking a milestone

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has kicked off with the activities lined up to mark her birthday by organising a party for widows and orphans.

The event saw Omotola share gifts for the women and children who turned up for the event. She also posted photos from the event on her Instagram page

"Day 1 Done! Just Now on my way Home! Thanks to everyone for the amazing Love showed me today! Now about to read all posts and messages Needless I say I wont be sleeping overnight! Thanks yall... youre too kind. My God bless you . #Giveandletgive with #widows and #orphans at #omotola4point0 #7thfebruary," she captioned one of the photos.

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde is one of the most talented actors to have come out of Nollywood, from her debut in 1995, the beautiful actress has gone to become not just one of the best but most influential celebrities of our time.
She is known as the bad girl of Ghanas music industry due to her provocative style of dressing coupled with her stage performances.

Earlier reports stated that the RuffTown Records musicians passed away in a car accident in Sunyani on Thursday night.

This was confirmed by the Ghana Police Service who spoke to Accra-based radio station, Joy FM.

How Ghana's Ebony died

COP Ken Yeboah, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, confirmed the death of Ebony while speaking in an interview with the radio station.

According to him, the songstress had a fatal accident around 11 pm Thursday on her way from Sunyani.

Other media reports state that the artiste passed away while at the Becchem Government Hospital.

The police commander stated that three other people  two ladies and a soldier who were with the female musician have also lost their lives.

However, it is reported that that the driver of Ebonys car, though in a critical condition, is not dead.

Social media reacts to the shock of Ebony's death

Comments about her passing and condolences have started pouring in via social media, with many Ghanaians expressing their surprise at Ebony's reported death.

A singular thought running through the comments and condolences is the disbelief at the passing.

Many social media users commented about the cruelty of the timing when they considered the Ghanaian musicians to have been at her prime, having only recently released hit songs like, Kupe, Poison and her first album, BONIFIED.
The video showing the newborn walking with the aid of a nurse, turned up online on Friday, February 9, has since gone viral.

So far, viewers have concluded that the new born's attempt at walking is nothing short of a miracle.

The incredible video

The nurse is heard crying out in amazement: Oh my gosh, the girl is walking. Good gracious!

Another person capturing the moment on camera declares: Wait let me film this, before shouting for another colleague called Ju, to come witness the unbelievable moment.

Amazing newborn turns down a bath for a walk

The midwife who is seen in the video, went on to explain that she has been trying to give the baby a bath but the child just wants to get up and walk.

Merciful father. I was trying to wash her here and she keeps getting up to walk, she explains pointing with one hand to where she initially tried to lay the baby down for her first bath.

She has walked from here to here, she adds pointing the area the baby has covered.

As if to prove her point, the midwife lifts the baby up and returns the infant to the original position but in an amazing burst of strength, the baby refuses to lie down on her front, pushes up onto her legs and resumes her astonishing journey across the neonatal table once again.

Video goes viral

The video has since gone viral with over 50 million views and 1.3 million shares on Facebook.

Very few details have been provided towards identifying the parents of the baby and the location from which the video was taken.
In recent times, the subject of child marriage has come to the front burner quite frequently. After a certain governor from the North took a teenager for his wife, many sought to address the religious and cultural beliefs that have allowed this distasteful trend to continue.

However, as it turned out on this occasion, we are discovering that some of the younger generation are also of the opinion that taking a young, underaged girl for a wife is not wrong.

ALSO READ: Indecent dressing is not an excuse for rape

Following the publishing of a series of news editorials on Twitter, a conversation arose about girl child marriage in Nigeria and how it is still a pervading reality, despite many efforts to sensitize the people to the contrary.

While the majority made strong cases for the perils of child marriage and the implications of having intercourse with underged girls, these were not sentiments that were shared across board.

There's no defence for child marriage

It could be said that the incidence of child marriage is most common in the North of the country and when the topic comes up, it is not unusual to see many opposing opinions that seek to justify the trend.

Most times, what comes up are reference to the culture of the North and the Islamic religion which some claim permits and validates such union between an older man and an underaged child.

Another common defence is that child marriage prevents fornication and this asinine explanation was raised.

At the height of the discussion, Twitter User @damilohun_A searched through comments on the issue and her findings were a lit more than disturbing.

We may not agree with her generalisation that the opinions from her tweet are from "Hausa Twitter" as it paints an entire region as paedophiles, an assertion which is not true.

Yet the opinions raised reflect a worrisome trend. One, a distasteful culture has been passed on to the younger genertion.

Secondly, armed with social media, these twitter users are peddling this as words of marble, dangerous assertions that threaten the safety and innocence of our young women.

One user tweeted, "If she can comfortably take knacks as early as 15, I see nothing wrong in marrying her off at that age"

Yikes.

Another, who sought to rationalise this thinking responded to the prior tweet by saying one would be surprised at how mature the girls can be at the age of 12.

We have a serious problem here

As the fight for women's rights and the rights of the girl child continue in earnest, it is important that we understand the role that cultural and religious institutions and personalities have played in upholding this dangerous narrative and encouraging child marriage.

Nothing, not even an insane level of maturity or consent, will justify marrying off a girl until she comes of age and can legally make these decisions.
The development was made known by Moses Yamu, spokesman of the Benue police command on Sunday, February 11, 2018.

Yamu said the officers, who have returned to the command were in sound state, though Yamu failed to give further details on two other missing officers.

Two of the men have rejoined their colleagues while the other two are being expected. They are sound Yamu said.

Yamu, however, noted that no arrest has been made regarding the incident and that investigation is still ongoing.

ALSO READ: 4 officers missing as herdsmen ambush police team in Benue

Herdsmen ambush police team in Benue

Four police officers have gone missing following an attack on a police team by suspected herdsmen in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The attack on the police was carried out on Saturday afternoon, February 10, 2018.
Emmanuel made the donation at the 2017 West African Social Activity (WASA) held in the barracks on Saturday.

The governor expressed his appreciation to the Nigerian Army for its contributions in providing the security of lives and property in the state.

He said the soldiers that were toiling day and night to keep peace in the country deserved a better place to stay with their families, adding, we have enjoyed a whole lot of cooperation in terms of security.

Through this barracks, they (Soldiers) have help us to actually keep peace within the community and Akwa Ibom State.

Through this barracks, they have been able to enforce discipline in so many quarters, it will not be wise for me to be here as a governor, I just leave this barracks without our signature.

We will make available to you almost immediately the sum of N200 million.

So that you can actually look at the quarters that you want to renovate.

He, however, urged the Commander 2 Brigade to pay attention during the renovation on quarters that would touch the lives of children and women in the barracks.

Emmanuel commended the Chief of Army Staff, the GOC 6 Division and the Commander 2 Brigade for upholding the WASA tradition.

He also lauded the army for the high level of training given to the soldiers irrespective of gender, adding that he was impressed to see the performance of the female tug of war during the ceremony.

He said, let me appreciate the Nigerian Army for what I am seeing today, you could not differentiate the strength of the men from the women.

It shows the adequacy and capacity of the training that we are building through human resources.

The governor appealed to residents of the barracks to live in peace with one another in irrespective of ethnic or religious differences.

Earlier, the Commander 2 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Abdu Hassan, said that WASA was an accepted age long tradition of the army in getting officers families and friends together in a social and conducive atmosphere.

The commander traced the origin of WASA to the period of West African Frontier Force, where persons in the society whose ancestral background with some traditional and customary heritage started joining the army.

According to him, sacrifices were usually offered at the end of the harvest and beginning of planting season to their gods for bounty harvest.

He said during these periods, delegates were usually sent to military authorities to release soldiers for the yearly rituals.

Hassan explained that instead of the military continuing to release soldiers to go for the yearly rituals, the military authority incorporated into the army activities and coined it WASA.

He commended the Emmanuel for personally honouring the invitation, thanked the Chief of Army Staff for giving approval for the Brigade to host the WASA 2017.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that highpoint of the event was award of prizes to soldiers who performed gallantly in 2017.
President Buhari in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Sunday, also offered his heartfelt condolences to Shagayas friends, the Government and people of Plateau State on the painful passing of their illustrious son.

Shagaya died today in an auto crash on his way from Langtang to the Plateau capital of Jos.

His SUV somersaulted after one of the tyres burst, while on the journey.

The President paid tribute to Shagaya whom he described as a great Nigerian whose legacies would live on in the patriotic work he did as a military officer.

He noted that the deceased rose to the position of a General, and a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic that ably represented the Plateau Southern zone.

President Buhari affirmed that at each step of his distinguished career in national service and politics, Shagaya brought his deep convictions and discipline to national, regional and community assignments.

He added that the deceased was ready to always offer his best to the development and stability of the country.

President Buhari prayed that almighty God would comfort all who mourned him and grant his soul eternal rest.

Born in Langtang North, on Sept. 2, 1942, Shagaya served as minister of internal affairs under military President Ibrahim Babangida, and represented Plateau South in the senate from 2007-2011.

Until his demise, he was a chieftain of the APC in Plateau State.

Shagaya, who attended Junior Primary School at Nyer and Sudan United Mission (S.U.M) Primary School, Langtang between 1952-1959, later went to the Nigeria Military School (N.M.S) Zaria in 1960-1964.

After graduation from the Nigeria Military school, Zaria, Shagaya was posted to the Nigerian Army Corps before attending the first short service Combatant Commission Course at Nigeria Defence Academy (N.D.A) Kaduna, in 1967.

He was posted to 3 Marine Command upon commission, where he participated in the Nigeria Civil War from 1967-1970.

Shagaya became the first Field Commander to chair the Conference of the Joint Chief of Staff of the enlarged ECOMOG having Commanded the 1st Mechanized Division in the Nigerian Army including a Platoon, Company, Battalion and Brigade.
NAN reports that th monarchs are Oba Koshoedo Ahisu, the Aholu of Ajara Vetho, Oba Samuel Owolabani, the Aholu of Ajara Topa and Oba Agano Toniyon 1, the Aholu of Ajara Agamathen.

Presenting the staffs of office to monarchs, Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode restated his administrations commitment to improving the lives of people at the grassroots.

Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Muslim Folami, said that his administration was committed to the rehabilitation of rural roads in the state.

This administration is determined to give Badagry the development it requires; thats why we have commenced several projects around the ancient city which would be completed in due course.

We intend to make Badagry a tourists haven because of its historical monuments and its proximity to other ECOWAS countries.

We have completed the light up Lagos project in Badagry by illuminating the major streets and other inner ones, he said.

Ambode said that the state had completed the reconstruction and rehabilitation of tourism development projects such as Heritage Museum, Public Library, the ancient Slave Market, among others.

This shows that the administration would not rest on its oars in bringing infrastructural development to the people at the grassroots, Ambode said.

He urged the people of Badagry to protect the infrastructure provided by the government.

You are implored to be more responsive to your civic responsibilities by paying your taxes as and when due so that the government can sustain the socio-economic growth and transformation in the state, Ambode said.

One of the monarchs, Oba Koshoedo Ahisu, commended the state government for the elevation of his status.

He told NAN that he would double his efforts in safeguarding the sanctity of the sacred institution.

Also, Oba Samuel Owolabani and Oba Agano Toniyon 1, commended the state government, noting that their elevation would have positive impact on their communities.
Prof. Nwadiuto Akani, made this assertion gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Akani said that many parents were negligent in their duties toward their children while the government had failed to implement its juvenile justice policy.

She noted that most parents embarked on economic pursuits, leaving their children under the care neighbours, without imagining that harm could befall them.

According to her, such lapse can expose children to rape.

We are really worried about incessant reports about rape and I can assure you that it is actually on the increase.

I run a Social Paediatric Clinic and practically every week, we see cases of rape and reports emanating from different states.

It is not a enough to have a child or be a parent without knowing what its entails to carry out parental responsibility.

It is the right of every human being to get married and have a child or children; but it also comes with responsibilities. So, if you must be a parent, then be a responsible parent.

If we must have children, we should be responsible parents; we should bother about their protection.

We should try as parents to protect our own since institutions that have been set up cannot protect them.

I believe that if parents or caregivers are alive to their responsibilities of protecting their children and government implements its policy on juvenile justice system, we will be able to curtail rape to an extent.

According to her, rape is often used as an instrument of intimidation against children, adolescents and adults in conflict, insurgency and militancy situations.

Akani advocated for a workshop on parenting, to enlighten and equip the public with parental skills and responsibilities.
The Presidents Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, confirmed this information in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday.

In his letter to the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, Buhari said: As you commence festivities marking the Chinese Year of Dog on Feb. 16, 2018, we congratulate and wish the Chinese people a prosperous and peaceful New Year.

I understand that the Chinese believe dogs are associated with affinity and prosperity.

Buhari acknowledged the accomplishments of the Asian power house in the past year globally and domestically, especially on the economic and the political fronts.

He also noted with delights that in the past year of the Rooster, China recorded tremendous achievements in its economy, democracy and foreign relations, among others.

The successful convening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opens a new chapter for Chinas New Era as a global leader in innovation, security, poverty alleviation, infrastructure and development financing.

The president also commended the close bilateral relationship between China and Nigeria on one hand and Sino-African relations on the other hand.

This year marks the 47 Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and China, I am pleased to see that political, economic, cultural and social ties between our two countries are getting stronger.

I am looking forward to China hosting the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing in September this year, and have every reason to believe that the Year of Dog will bring us more success stories and mutual benefits for China-Africa cooperation.
Falmata caught up in the vicious cycle of life

Immediately she ran into the courtyard in confusion, this turned into sporadic explosions at first it sounded far, then it got closer and closer. Falmata gathered her family members, three daughter in-laws and seven grandkids; the youngest being a five months old. Falmatas fast pace belied her 62-year-old frame as she rushed her family through the back behind the outhouse. As they ran, they were joined by hundreds of other people all running towards the bushes; the first sign of the ominousness for Falmata was when she saw, among the escaping party, injured policemen and soldiers; it was the first time that evening since the attack occurred to her that her two sons were still out in the town.

Falmata and the hundreds who fled into the bushes returned in the early hours of dawn when they were persuaded back into town after a reinforcement of soldiers came from Gashua and Damaturu. The attack became a personal tragedy for Falmata as her two sons were counted amongst the 17 dead people and her foster son amongst the 11 injured. Overnight, she lost two sons who were not only bread winners but were her source of comfort since her husband passed away. She was inconsolable, worse of were her daughter-in laws who overnight had become young widows. The entire town wore a mournful mien; they were all intertwined in the collective tragedy that had befallen them. Every corner of the town had people gathered in Fidau prayer - the islamic prayer for the repose of the dead. In Falmatas house, it was a mix of wailing from the young wives and muffled mournful cries by the older women.

In town, the army took stock of their losses, including injured soldiers, three dead and several more unaccounted for in what the soldiers themselves referred to as Missing In Action (MIA). Local government officials took note of destroyed public buildings - schools, the police station, the military camp all had pockmarked signs of bullets, from small tiny ones to big ones, sizeable enough to fit in a baby.

The death of her sons like the death of more than 20,000 victims has pushed Falmata Shettima and other survivors to the precipice of vulnerability in the North East. She joined millions of people unable to cultivate nor trade due to the activities of program. This made her rely on relations who themselves were struggling to stay head above water. First it was her daughter in laws who left and went back to their parents house.

As the insurgency begins to wane down, there have been less attacks on Geidam, since the 2015 attack that destroyed Falmatas quaint life. Government agencies in Nigeria and international agencies working in Nigeria continue to try to stem the tide of hardship faced by resilient but vulnerable people like Falmata. According to the data tracking matrix of the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA and the International Organization for Migration IoM, IDP population in the North East has dropped considerably from 2.5 to 1.6 million people. Now that the war is being won, it remains for the Nigerian Army to win the peace is a popular refrain amongst government circle.

A fund to support victims like Falmata

The Victims Support Fund, Chaired by one of Nigerias most respected Generals, TY Danjuma is a 30 Billion Naira fund providing succour on a programmatic needs basis for victims of insurgent in the North East. Since it was set up in 2014, the Fund has reconstructed, scorched earth destroyed towns of Dikkwa and Bama in Borno State, reconstructing destroyed buildings in Michika in Adamawa State and Buni Yadi in Yobe State. It has also set up a foster care system to support 2,000 orphans, orphaned by the insurgency. Most importantly it has instituted one of the best health financing models in Africa, where hospitals in the North East treat victims of insurgency for free at selected hospitals in the region.

Falmata was selected as one of 200 beneficiaries in a pilot livestock breeding project; where each household received three (3) females and one (1) male and a cash sum of N20,000 (in a town where the inhabitants live on half a dollar a day or less) to enable them to provide initial feeding for the livestock and support their families as palliative measure. The Yobe State FADAMA III project will also provide routine veterinary services to the benefitting households for the period of one year.

This will not only guarantee the health of the livestock but also ensure productivity. It is anticipated thatwithin one year of implementation, each household would have recorded an increase of 12 goats as the breed is reputed for producing 2 kids every 6 months. And this endeavour will be replicated in other conflict-affected communities in Borno and Adamawa. said the Yobe State Commissioner for Education, Muhammed Lamin, who represented the state governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, at the event thanked the VSF for bringing such a laudable poverty alleviation initiative to the victims of Boko Haram in his domain.

At the launching, the Executive Director, Prof. Sunday Ochoche, said the move became imperative to secure a long-term food security and livelihood among vulnerable citizens across affected communities within the zone.

He added, The need to improve the lives of the victims of the insurgency is very important to us at VSF and you will recall that before now, VSF has been actively involved with the Yobe state government in restoring the lives of insurgency victims especially in livelihood.

You will also recall that our Agro support program was actually kicked off in Yobe state where 2000 household in Gulani and Gujba Local Government Areas were supported with Agricultural inputs and we are impressed with the quality of Agricultural production realized so far.

VSF has been encouraged to expand this project and in a short, while it will be coming with an intervention of dry season farming with many beneficiaries on board in terms of input and cash support to further enhance Agriculture and food security in Yobe state.

Each of these Animals has been carefully selected, inoculated and screened by Fadama III who is our technical partners in this. So we expect that the beneficiaries will take good care of these animals so that the purpose of the programme will be achieved.

For Falmata, receiving the four goats elicited tears of joy, but beyond that it is the new lease of life that gives her greater joy. They appear as small things, but for me they have become my companions, moreover I cant wait to send goat milk to my grandkids

On the 5 of January 2018 scores of people went missing with 9 soldiers killed when Boko Haram attacked Kannama near Geidam. The likes of Falmata Shettima continue to live precarious lives in spite of the seeming degrading of Boko Haram.

--

This article was written as part of the 2017 BudgIT Media Fellowship.
On Friday, February 9, 2018, Turaki, who is being tried for 52-count charge bordering on money laundering and fraud to the tune of N36billion, challenged the directive which transferred his matter from the Dutse Division of the court back to Abuja.

At the resumed trial, the Prosecuting Counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, said that he got a hearing notice for the matter in respect to the directive from the chief judge transferring the matter back Abuja.

Turakis lawyer, Mr Olusegun Jolaawo, however, said that there were two issues for the court to resolve in the matter.

One of which, he said, was for the court to allow parties to address it on the directive of the chief judge.

Jolaawos argument was that Justice Nnamdi Dimgba made a valid order on July 18, 2017, transferring the suit to the Dutse division of the court.

According to him the order is extant and has not been challenged or vacated.

ALSO READ: Turaki gets bail in alleged N36billion fraud trial

The lawyer maintained that the chief judges directive was administrative in nature.

He submitted that for the trial to be transferred back to Abuja, it must be through an order of the court.

Dimgba directed Turakis counsel to file his motion challenging the directive which transferred the matter back to Abuja.

He adjourned the matter until March 13, 2018 for hearing.

Turaki's predicament

Turaki is being prosecuted by the Federal Government on a 32-count criminal charge, bordering on alleged money laundering, amounting to N36 billion.

Turaki is said to have committed the offence while he served as the governor of Jigawa State.

The ex-governor was arraigned before Dimgba alongside three companies, INC Natural Resources Ltd., Apel Construction Ltd. and WideHeart Construction Ltd.
Today, the current government has reversed everything we did including free education and free healthcare care policies in Rivers State, Amaechi said on Saturday, February 10, 2018.

The minister, who was the governor of Rivers state between 2007-2015, has constantly criticized the incumbent governor, saying little or nothing has been done to supersede his previous achievements.

Fulfilling Saro Wiwa's dream for Ogoniland

Amaechi, stressed that he tried to walk in the footsteps of late Ken Saro Wiwa while he was the governor of Rivers State and almost lost his life in the process in 2015.

Saro-Wiwa was killed by the then machinery of power because of his belief that Ogonis and the Niger Delta should be liberated.

I could have been killed by same machinery of power when we were fighting to install President Muhammadu Buhari because we fought the same power that killed Saro-Wiwa, he said.

Continuing, Amaechi said: Everybody is now claiming to love and knew Ken Saro-Wiwa because of election.

If you love bring projects to Ogoni, train their children because as governor, I trained Ogoni children overseas.

I made sure that government paid all the fees because education was one of the issues that Saro-Wiwa died for.

ALSO READ: Oil producing communities have suffered untold hardship - Wike

When I became governor, there was no light in Bori and we brought light from Port Harcourt to the city.

It was because of poverty I experienced that made me to build primary schools, primary health centres and employed teachers and doctors respectively," he said.
The division is made up of four Local Government Areas namely : Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, Ojo and Badagry, and six Local Council Development Areas  Oriade, Ifelodun, Oto-Awori, Badagry West, Olorunda and Iba.

Mr Rabiu Oluwa, Chairman of the APC in the division, said Ambode deserved a second term because of his achievements in the past three years.

He commended the governors total dedication to duty, his enormous development projects and his desire to make the state a better place to live.

Gov. Ambodes unimaginable performance and commendable zeal for developmental projects have been visible in every nook and cranny of the state, especially in Badagry division.

In this division, we benefitted in the programmes and policies of Gov. Ambode led-administration.

This is why we are declaring out support for his re-election so that he can continue to make our division and Lagos an enviable state,  he said.

Oluwa urged residents to be part of the Continuous Voter Registration being conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission( INEC).

 You have to register as a voter to be eligible to vote. We must take it seriously to make sure our names are in the voters register. Go to the polling centre to collect your PVC.

I am calling on residents in Badagry division to enrol en masse and be in a position to vote in credible candidates such as Gov. Ambode. It is our collective civic responsibility,  he said.

Speaking on behalf of the LGAs and LCDAs, the Chairman of Ijeromi-Ifelodun, Mr Abdul-Fatai Ajidagba, noted that Ambodes performance had made the state a reference point in Nigeria.

Talk about commerce and industry, good health care delivery, good roads across the of the state, quality education and prompt payment of workers salaries and arrears.

In our division too, we can see the records  the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Badagry Deep Sea port and other road projects.

These are some of the things that placed the governor ahead of his contemporaries nationwide,  he said.

Lukman Ajibola, the Youth leader of the division, said that youths of the state were soaring higher because of Ambodes youth-friendly government.

According to him, all hands must be on deck in ensuring the governor gets a second term.

Receiving their endorsement letter on behalf of Ambode, the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, said Badagry was an important and populated division in the state.

Population is what drives election, and Badagry division has the population, therefore, this endorsement means a lot to the governor.

The endorsement will motivate him to continue to prioritise the growth and development of the state as well as continue making the needs of the residents top issue,  she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2019 general elections are 12 months away.

The INEC timetable indicates that Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for Feb.16, 2019.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan said this on Sunday in Abuja.

The party alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) resorted to primitive cheating and deployment of heavily armed security forces to muscle votes for itself in Katsina bye-election.

It also alleged that Kanos Local Council election was characterised by outright cheating, underaged voting and ballot stuffing, all of which make a mockery of the electoral process.

These two elections have signified that the APC cannot win any free and fair election, even in their supposed stronghold.

The party added the APC resorted to force and the allocation of ballots to gain votes in the bye-election in Mashi/Dutsi Federal Constituency,

PDP said the fact that irregularities happened in the election that could have been ordinarily a walk in the park for the APC, shows that the party has lost grounds.

The fact that PDP still held a legitimate 22,690 votes against the 30,719 fraudulently allocated to the APC, despite the use of force and other brazen infractions by the APC, shows that PDP was the natural winner of the election.

It further strengthens our resolve that our party, the PDP, still commands a genuine followership among Nigerians.

The party decried the deployment of over 1000 heavily armed and hostile security operatives for an election that held in only 15 polling units within two local governments of Katsina State.

It is unfortunate that the APC has recoursed to the worst kind of intimidation and violations twelve calendar months ahead of the general elections.

Currently, the PDP is compiling a comprehensive documentary evidence of infractions and irregularities, including barring of legitimate voters from accessing polling centres, assigning of polling units to APC government functionaries.

Also are indiscriminate arrests of opposition members and supporters, underaged voting and allocation of votes for APC as well as conflict between results from the polling units and collation centres among others.

Also being compiled is the identity of the security and electoral officials used by the APC to subvert the will of the people, which will be made public while ensuring that they are prosecuted.

The clear message is that the will of the people will prevail in 2019.

It also means that Nigerians will never allow the shameful impunity and suppression witnessed in Katsina and Kano during Saturdays election as they will be fully rallied to resist such across board.
The committee could recall the president from office, though he also has the constitutional right to ignore the order.

"An NEC (national executive committee) meeting is scheduled for tomorrow in Pretoria," ANC spokeswoman Khusela Diko told AFP.

Ramaphosa has said negotiations should be concluded within days, but Zuma has clung to power after rejecting a request by his party's senior officials to resign a week ago.

"As the leadership of the ANC, we've been well empowered... (we) would like to thank the congregation for their total support as we manage this transition," Ramaphosa said after a Sunday church service in Cape Town.

On Sunday afternoon, thousands of ANC supporters wearing the party's signature yellow, green and black colours gathered for the rally at the hugely symbolic Grand Parade in central Cape Town.

On the same day in 1990, Nelson Mandela spoke to euphoric crowds who filled the packed public square in front of City Hall, hours after his release from prison.

It was his first speech as free man, and a key moment in South Africa's modern re-birth as apartheid white-minority rule crumbled.

Holding the microphone for Mandela that day was a young Ramaphosa, then a trade union leader.

Zuma's presidency has been marred by corruption scandals, slow economic growth and record unemployment that have fuelled public anger in sharp contrast to national optimism after Mandela's release.

The stalemate over Zuma's departure has left South Africa in limbo, with a series of public events cancelled last week including Thursday's State of the Nation address to parliament.

Zuma's hold over the ANC was shaken in December when his chosen successor -- his former wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma -- narrowly lost out to Ramaphosa in a vote to be the new party leader.

"We are in a very difficult space, and there's no doubt it requires a great deal of courage and moral strength to pass this moment," ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte said Sunday.

The rally is part of ANC celebrations marking 100 years since Mandela's birth -- as well as efforts by Ramaphosa to try to revive the party's tainted reputation ahead of next year's general election.

Dispute over exit deal?

Local media said a key sticking point in the negotiations was the potentially huge legal fees Zuma is facing from prolonged court battles against multiple criminal cases.

One case relates to 783 payments he allegedly received linked to an arms deal before he came to power.

He is also reportedly seeking legal protection for his family and other associates who have been involved in controversial deals.

"Even if the ANC meeting on Monday decides Zuma needs to step down, he can still refuse because they have no legal authority," Mcebisi Ndletyana, politics professor at University of Johannesburg, told AFP.

"He is not willing to step down voluntarily. They need to close this thing early this week."

Opposition parties are calling for a parliamentary vote of no-confidence within days.

Decision time?

The ANC has insisted there will be no delay to the budget, which is on February 21.

Zuma has not spoken since being asked to resign by senior ANC officials on February 4.

But the pro-Zuma New Age newspaper said Zuma would gather his family over the weekend at his residence in Pretoria to inform them of his decision.

In 2008, the party pushed out then-president Thabo Mbeki over allegations of abuse of power.
The airplane, which was identified as Saratov Airlines An-148 regional jet, reportedly crashed after vanishing from radar screens as it left the airport in Moscow for the Urals.

The plane was reportedly en route to the city of Orsk when it went missing.

The Saratove airline reportedly fell near Argunovo, about 80km (50 miles) south-east of Moscow.

According to a news agency, the jet vanished from radar screens two minutes after it left.

No chance of survivors

According to Interfax news agency, an emergency services disclosed that the plane crash has "no chance" of survivors.

The reports of survivors is yet to surface but the degree of the crash is reportedly impossible for possible survivor.

About Saratov Airlines

Saratov Airlines is based in Saratov, 840km south-east of Moscow.

The airline was banned from operating international flights in Russia in 2015 when inspectors found someone who is not a flight crew in the cockpit.

The airline appealed against the ban and changed its policy before resuming international charter flights in 2016.

Saratov, founded in 1931 with its parent organisation as Aeroflot, has 13 airplanes in its fleet
The most influential communicators online once worked on webpages and blogs. Theyre now making podcasts, Netflix shows, propaganda memes, Instagram and YouTube channels, and apps like HQ Trivia.

Consider the most compelling digital innovations now emerging: the talking assistants that were the hit of the holidays, Apples face-reading phone, artificial intelligence to search photos or translate spoken language, and augmented reality  which inserts any digital image into a live view of your surroundings.

These advances are all about cameras, microphones, your voice, your ears and your eyes. Together, theyre all sending us the same message: Welcome to the post-text future.

Its not that text is going away altogether. Nothing online ever really dies, and text still has its hits  from Susan Fowlers whistleblowing blog post last year about harassment at Uber to #MeToo, text was at the center of the most significant recent American social movement.

Still, we have only just begun to glimpse the deeper, more kinetic possibilities of an online culture in which text recedes to the background, and sounds and images become the universal language.

The internet was born in text because text was once the only format computers understood. Then we started giving machines eyes and ears  that is, smartphones were invented  and now weve provided them brains to decipher and manipulate multimedia.

Suddenly the script flipped: Now its often easier to communicate with machines through images and sounds than through text.

Its more than just talking to digital assistants. Artificial intelligence might soon let us search and index much of the worlds repository of audio and video, giving sounds and pictures a power that has kept text dominant online for so long.

On HBOs Silicon Valley last season, there was a joke about an app that helped you identify any cuisine, SeeFood. Weeks later, Pinterest introduced just such an app; along with Google, the social network is developing software to identify any visual object.

Tech didnt just make multimedia easier to produce. It also democratized non-text formats, which for so long had been accessible only to studios. Podcasting became something like the new blogging, a way for committed amateurs and obsessives to plumb the underexplored eddies and mysteries of life.

Theres a podcast by a guy who spends more than a dozen episodes explicating the genius of Kanye Wests fifth studio album. He does so using a trove of documentary material he found  where else?  on YouTube.

Meanwhile, social media showered every multimedia creator with a potential audience, and it allowed the audience to connect and discuss the work, deepening fans relationship to levels of obsession.

Its a kind of passion that ultimately makes for a fundamentally new, deeper kind of art. Look at all the room the internet opened up for crazy mash-ups of ideas. Netflixs best recent show, American Vandal, is a parody of Serial, the true-crime podcast, and Making a Murderer, another Netflix show.

The transition to multimedia wont be smooth. Business models are hardly proven. For several news sites, the pivot to video ended in a bust that will now give Facebook and Google even greater market power. Many podcast advertisers  Im looking at you, Blue Apron  are themselves not on the most solid financial ground; they could blow up tomorrow, taking the whole boom with them.

Yet the financial questions may be the least of our worries. An online culture ruled by pictures and sounds rather than text is going to alter much about how we understand the world around us.

The haze of misinformation hanging over online life will only darken under multimedia  think of your phone as a Hollywood-grade visual-effects studio that could be used to make anyone appear to say or do anything. The ability to search audio and video as easily as we search text means, effectively, the end of any private space.

Then theres the more basic question of how pictures and sounds alter how we think. An information system dominated by pictures and sounds prizes emotion over rationality. Its a world where slogans and memes have more sticking power than arguments. (Remind you of anyone?) And will someone please think of the children: Do you know how much power YouTube has over your kids? Are you afraid to find out?

But what are we going to do? There seems no going back now. For text, the writing is on the wall.



SIDEBAR:

The Numbers Tell the Story of Multimedia Immersion

70 million: The number of Americans who regularly listen to podcasts, according to Edison Media Research. People who listen weekly tend to spend five hours a week on them.

2 hours: The length of time, on average, that young Americans spend watching video online. Thats less time than they spend watching TV, but its catching up. Around the world, people spent a billion hours a day watching YouTube in 2017, that service reported.

800 million: The number of active Instagram users. Instagram lifted Snapchats video diary features, Stories, to great success and now occupies its users for more than 30 minutes a day, on average.

$9 billion: The amount of money flowing to audio and video. Netflix unveiled a plan to spend $8 billion on original content in one year, while Apple plans to shell out $1 billion. Beyond that, Jeffrey Katzenberg, the animation mogul, is looking to raise $2 billion to create HBO for the digital age.

2020: The year by which half of all searches will be done by voice, according to the digital research firm ComScore. Amazon says that during the holidays, its Echo Dot talking assistant was the best-selling product from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon.
Waymos competition extends well beyond Uber  and a good part of that competition is directed by engineers it used to employ. Much of the artificial intelligence technology that has come out of Waymos work and research run by Googles parent company, Alphabet, is now available from other sources, making it easier for companies, even startups, to compete.

Waymo may have a technical advantage, said Jason Doran, who helped run the delivery service Sidecar and joined General Motors when the carmaker acquired the startup. But they have to figure out a business model.

It is not uncommon for a tech pioneer to miss out on becoming the company that cashes in on the technology it has been working on. The industry is littered with stories of people with a great idea that someone else turned into a great business.

The concept for the databases used by most of the worlds big corporations came out of IBM. But another company, Oracle, turned that software into a big business. Researchers at the Silicon Valley lab of Xerox famously pioneered the technology that went into many of Apples computers.

And executives at Alphabet would certainly remember that Google was hardly the first internet search engine. It was just better than anything that came before it.

Other than an ownership stake in Uber, worth about $245 million, that came with settling the lawsuit, Waymo has not made substantial money from those years of research.

That is worth noting, because so many of the companies competing with Waymo are relying on the brainpower of its former employees. Dave Ferguson, a former Waymo engineer, oversees a startup called Nuro, which is building a driverless car for shipping and delivering goods. Chris Urmson, a longtime Waymo engineer, is the chief executive of a startup called Aurora. Brian Salesky, a third Waymo engineer, is now at Argo, an autonomous vehicle startup backed by $1 billion in funding from Ford Motor.

With that brain drain in mind, the Uber lawsuit can be seen as a fight against a former Google engineer, Anthony Levandowski, who also took his services elsewhere  first to Otto, a startup he created, and then to Uber just six months later.

The question was whether he took trade secrets with him. Waymo accused Uber of conspiring with Levandowski to steal its trade secrets and feed them into a driverless car project already underway inside the ride-hailing company. With Fridays settlement, Uber has promised that its cars will operate without the help of Waymos intellectual property.

There are other issues for Waymo. Unlike Ford, General Motors or Toyota, Waymo does not manufacture and sell cars. Unlike Uber and Lyft, it does not operate a vast ride-hailing service where it could readily deploy vehicles equipped with its own self-driving technology.

As the big automakers and the ride-hailing companies accelerate their self-driving projects, Waymo may need to find a way of inserting itself into these efforts or to build and operate a new self-driving service of its own.

Theres the self-driving tech. But you also have to scale that tech. And you have to offer a service that people really want to use, Ferguson said. You have to get all of that right.

The competition still tips its hat to Waymo, and agrees that after nine years of work on autonomous vehicles, it leads the technology race. But the gap is closing. Recent changes in the way driverless cars are built and the rise of readily available hardware that can help these vehicles understand and respond to what is happening around them, have made it easier to compete.

Waymo executives were not available for interviews for this article. John Krafcik, Waymos chief executive, is scheduled to speak Monday evening at a conference on artificial intelligence hosted by The New York Times.

Waymo has the partnerships and technology needed to launch the worlds first self-driving service this year, a Waymo spokesman said in a statement, pointing to how the company has fully self-driving cars on some public roads, has secured vehicles from Fiat Chrysler and has partnered with Avis, AutoNation, Lyft and others. After years of research and development, Waymo is now focused on operations and deployment.

When Waymo was still operating under Google, its head start in this race was obvious. Google began testing its self-driving prototypes on public roads in 2010, and this is what set off so many other efforts.

In the years since, the technology that drives these vehicles has changed in enormous ways thanks to the rise of neural networks, which are complex systems that can learn tasks on their own by analyzing vast amounts of data. By analyzing thousands of images, a neural network can, for example, learn to identify a pedestrian. Using these methods, engineers can build and improve self-driving cars at a far more rapid pace.

This is profoundly important, said Urmson, of Aurora, which is supplying self-driving technology to Volkswagen, Audi and Hyundai. We can build on top of that revolution.

In 2011, Google was among the first companies to build a research lab dedicated to these rapidly evolving techniques, and a number of researchers from this lab eventually moved on to the Google self-driving car project. Google has also built the vast network of specialized hardware needed to drive this kind of machine learning, even building a new computer chip suited to the task.

These techniques are spreading across the industry. And anyone can immediately tap into enormous amounts of computing power through cloud services operated by the likes of Amazon, Microsoft and, yes, Google.

Many car manufacturers believe they will eventually catch up because they can deploy so many more cars equipped with sensors that can record real-world activity.

What the car companies have is the potential to harvest more data than anyone else, Gill Pratt, chief executive of the Toyota Research Institute, the Silicon Valley research and development operation created by the Japanese car company, said in an interview last fall. It may be this that matters the most.

Waymo is unlikely to manufacture its own cars. But it may end up running its own self-driving service. Alphabet recently led a $1 billion investment in Lyft, and it could deploy its driverless cars through this existing ride-hailing option. Waymo is also running a private trial of its cars near Phoenix, and it has long hinted that it will offer some sort of undefined public service in the area.

Operating this kind of service is no small thing, and some question whether Waymo is equipped to do so. This is where the Ubers and the Lyfts have an advantage, Ferguson said.

He cautioned that the departures from Waymo may have an unintended consequence for the entire industry: Many smart people are needed in the same place to figure things out.

You need to have a lot of the best minds together to solve it, he said. One of my fears is that we have spread the field a little thin. As a result, we have actually slowed down the speed with which we can solve this problem.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Heath Hall, the acting administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, the nations rail safety watchdog, resigned Feb. 11 amid allegations that he was working a second job as a public relations consultant.

Hall was appointed as Deputy Federal Railroad Administrator in June 2017, a post that did not require Senate confirmation. His appointment came after confirmation of President Trumps pick for FRA Administrator, former Conrail executive Ron Batory, was held up by Democrats Chuck Schumer of New York and Corey Booker of New Jersey who were attempting to use it for leverage to release federal funding for the proposed Gateway rail tunnel project.

Hall was an acquaintance of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao from her time with the Deputy DOT Secretarys office and the Peace Corps.

Citing family issues, Hall had recently taken a leave of absence from FRA. But published reports said Hall subsequently appeared on at least two occasions in Mississippi media reports as a spokesman for the Madison County sheriff, where he has a public relations and political consulting firm. Politico reported the firm continued to receive payments from the county for its services from July to December, despite Halls pledge in a federal ethics form that it would remain dormant while he worked at DOT.

We were unaware of the information that is being reported but those allegations, if they are true, are troubling, DOT spokeswoman Marianne McInerney said in a statement Saturday. Heath Hall has resigned his position at the Department effective immediately.

Even while Hall was serving as deputy administrator, he was without a background in railroad operations and safety, as his appointment was intended to increase expertise in administration of federal transportation grants, which is secondary to safety at FRA.

Batory has not been sidelined, however, as he has been working as an aide to Chao. In fact, it is likely Batory will have input when the FRAs new interim acting administrator, General Counsel Juan D. Reyes III, testifies on Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation on Feb. 15 before the House Rail Subcommittee.

There are two options to break the Schumer-Booker hold on Batorys confirmation and allowing him directly to run the FRA.

Trump could name Batory deputy administrator, as that post does not require Senate confirmation. Its less prestige and less money, but Batory would be in a position directly to run the agency while awaiting Senate confirmation.

The second option the so-called nuclear option, is cloture, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)  Chaos spouse  can invoke, and did invoke in November 2017, to gain confirmation of Under Secretary for Transportation Policy Derek Kan. Kans confirmation similarly was blocked by Northeastern senators again looking for leverage to force DOT to release federal funds for Gateway.

Under Senate rules, cloture formally ends the Schumer-Booker hold. That process can require up to a week. While invoking cloture usually requires 60 votes  which Republicans do not have in the Senate  former Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada changed the cloture rule under certain circumstances to require just a majority (i.e., 51 votes). Once cloture was invoked, Kan was confirmed by a 90-7 vote.

Invoking cloture may be a last resort not hastily used as it further aggravates an already-poisoned congressional political atmosphere. But there is increasing concern that leaving the FRA without a qualified administrator is reducing the level of railroad safety and placing untold lives in jeopardy.

In addition to the recent surfeit of rail accidents and the turmoil surrounding PTC implementation, there is a growing opioid crisis among transportation workers with safety responsibilities. The Transportation Department said this past week that among transportation workers in all modes, positive drug tests have risen 77% since 2006.

 with reporting by Frank Wilner in Washington
SERBIA: An agreement to co-finance modernisation of the 104 km line from Nis to Dimitrovgrad near the Bulgarian border was signed by the European Investment Bank, the Ministry of Construction, Transport & Infrastructure and railway infrastructure manager Infra ZS on January 31.
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IMAGE: Congress president Rahul Gandhi addresses a public meeting at Karatagi in Koppal district of Karnataka on Sunday. Photographs: PTI Photo



Stepping up his attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party over the issue of corruption, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said while the Siddaramaiah government had a scam-

free rule, the BJP had broken 'world records' in graft in Karnataka.

The Congress president, continuing with the first leg of his four-day poll campaign in Hyderabad-Karnataka region, said when the BJP was in power in the state, there were 'scams one after the other'.

Hyderabad-Karnataka region comprises the districts of Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari and Kalaburagi which were part of the Nizam ruled Hyderabad state till 1948.

"In the last five years there was not even a single scam, and during their (BJP) time there were scams one after the other, from mining to what not, different scams," he said.

At roadside meetings in Koppal district during his ongoing 'Janashirvad Yatra' in Koppal ahead of assembly polls in the state, Gandhi said, "Elections are coming, support the Congress party and Siddaramaiah. Once again bring our government here so that we can together work for you."

The Congress president, who is travelling by a special bus along with other state leaders, received an enthusiastic response from party workers and people who had gathered in large numbers on both sides of the road at different places.

Gandhi also alighted from the bus and walked some distance along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara at Kushtagi, giving anxious moments to security personnel as the surging crowds tried to get close to him.

IMAGE: Rahul meets the crowd during a public meeting.

At the public meetings, Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talking about corruption in Karnataka overlooking his own party's 'track record' while running the government in the state.

Pointing out that the previous BJP government had seen three chief ministers, he said four ministers had gone to jail and had to resign.

"But still Modiji comes here and speaks about corruption against us," he said.

The BJP government in the state had seen three chief ministers -- B S Yeddyurappa, Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar -- in five years from 2008.

"The previous BJP government in Karnataka broke world records in corruption and they come here and talk on corruption pointing at us," he added.

Asking the people to support Congress in the coming elections, Gandhi urged them to thereby contribute towards the progress of Karnataka at a much 'faster pace'.

Claiming credit for implementing Article 371(J) of the Constitution, giving special status to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, where he is now on tour, he said during the National Democratic Alliance rule, then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani had said it (giving special status) could not be done, holding that it would open up a 'Pandora's box' with others making similar demands.

Attacking the central government for not waiving farmers' loans despite agrarian distress, Gandhi appreciated the Karnataka government's move writing off loans.

"This is the difference between the Congress and BJP," he said.

He targeted Modi on issues of unemployment, demonetisation and the GST, referring to the tax regime as 'Gabbar Singh Tax'.

'Modi ji Start working; you don't have much time'

Lashing out at Prime Minister Modi, the Congress president asked him to stop giving speeches on the past and start working, saying he did not have much time before completing his term.

IMAGE: He also visited the Kanakachal Laxminarasimha Temple in Koppal.

"You will have to tell the country during the elections what you did in the last five years. It is going to be five years and you have not even opened your account," he told Modi, making him the focal point of his attack in a series of roadside and public meetings in Karatagi.

Gandhi said, "BJP failed to create jobs, bring back black money and brought down the economy, but all Modi talks about is Congress is this, Congress is that."

He said the country had made Modi prime minister to provide employment to youth, to help farmers, to establish schools and hospitals and not to talk about Congress party.

"Modi ji stop giving speeches and start working, because you don't have much time," he said.

Invoking the pithy saying 'work is worship' of Karnataka's 12th century social reformer and philosopher, Basavanna, Gandhi said, "Modi ji you keep taking Basavanna's name, but you don't work. You keep talking, but you don't work. Even if you talk, you only talk about the past."

Claiming that the Congress 'does what it says', Gandhi said his party always worked for the future, while Modi drove the vehicle looking at the rear view mirror.

He also claimed that the Modi government was 'slowly' waiving the loans of businessmen who had debt of around Rs 10 lakh crore but refused to write off farmers debt.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Sunday asked the people to oust Tripura's 'Lal bhai' government, as he accused the Left cadres of pocketing public funds meant for development and promised to make the state a model one if his party is voted to power.

With the BJP being seen as putting up a strong challenge to the 25-year-old uninterrupted Left reign in the state, Shah led an eight-kilometre road show and addressed rallies in which he sought votes for the state's 'transformation'.

Ahead of the assembly polls to be held next Sunday, Shah made a host of promises to the people of the state, including smart phones for youths, implementation of the seventh pay commission for government employees from the next day of his party being voted to power and action against chit fund scam accused.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi, he alleged that the Congress chief had put up candidates as 'vote-katva' (cutting into others' votes) to help the Communist Party of India-Marxist government headed by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar to come back to power.

The Congress was the main opposition party until the last assembly polls but has seen a serious depletion in its ranks with many of its leaders, including MLAs, joining the BJP.

"The government of 'Lal bhai' and its cadres have looted Tripura for 25 years in the name of development... A BJP government is bound to come. It won't be merely a change of MLAs or government but will usher in its transformation," he said at a rally.

The Left government, he said, was made in the name of the poor but poverty increased in its 25 years of rule and the number of unemployed youths rose to 7.33 lakh from 25,000 during the period.

A BJP government will give employment to every household, Shah said.

Taking on Sarkar for his charge that that the Centre had not done much for the state's development, the BJP chief reeled out the names of a number of central schemes and noted that it had released Rs 25,396 crore to Tripura under the 14th finance commission against Rs 7,283 crore it had got under the 13th finance commission.

"Where has all this extra RS 18,000 crore gone? It has gone into pockets of Communist cadres. I dare Sarkar to give an account of this money in his public meeting," Shah said at the rally.

Raising the party's slogan, 'Chalo Paltai' (Let's change the government), Shah sought the Left's ouster from the state.

The BJP is contesting 51 out of the 60 assembly seats, while its ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) is fighting on nine seats.

He also accused the Left parties of spreading rumours that the state would be divided if the BJP comes to power and asserted that there would no division and Tripura would remain as it is.

IPFT, which represents sections of tribals, had earlier raised the demand of a separate state but has not pushed for it following its alliance with the BJP, which is opposed to any division of Tripura.

Shah said a BJP government would protect and promote the cultural heritage and values of tribals.

Touching on cultural issues of the state, he said the Left government would celebrate birth anniversaries of Lenin and Stalin but not of Vivekananda, Tagore and a revered king of the state.

The Left has been finished off in the world and the Congress is fading away in the country, Shah claimed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ushered in an era of development and that the state should invest in his leadership, he said.

At another rally in Chawmanu, Shah accused the Left government of practising politics of violence and said a BJP government will end this and usher an era of development.

The Communist government of Tripura has done nothing in last 25 years of its rule, Shah claimed.

IMAGE: BJP president Amit Shah being received by the supporters at a public rally in Agartala on Sunday. Photograph: PTI Photo
IMAGE: Security personnel deployed at Sunjuwan Military Station during a terrorist attack, in Jammu on Sunday. Photographs: PTI Photo

A day after the pre-dawn audacious terror strike at the military camp in Jammu's Sunjuwan, the Army on Sunday said it has found the bodies of three of its personnel and a civilian, taking the toll to six, and gunned down three suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists.

Five Army men, including two junior commissioned officers (JCOs), and the father of a soldier have been killed in the attack by the terrorists who struck at the sprawling camp of the 36 Brigade of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JKLI) on Saturday, an Army spokesperson said..

In a statement, Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said three heavily armed terrorists have been killed in the ongoing operation.

IMAGE: A third terrorist was killed on Sunday, was also found wearing Army combats and was heavily armed like the other two.



While two were gunned down on Saturday, the body a third terrorist was found on Sunday, he said, adding they were in combat gear.

He said that AK-56 rifles, an under barrel grenade Launcher, ammunition and grenades were from them.

The spokesperson also said, "There has been no firing since last night."

IMAGE: The Jammu and Kashmir Police appealed to the public to avoid thronging the Sunjwan Army camp area where the encounter was underway.



Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid had said that four terrorists had been killed.

In Delhi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that the ongoing operation against terrorists would be successfully concluded soon.

"I think it is not proper for me to comment when the operation is still on. I'm sure that our jawans, who are in the operation, will successfully conclude it," he told reporters.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi condemned the attack and said all Indians across political lines stand united with the Army men and women.

IMAGE: 10 people, including six women and children, were injured in the attack.



Giving details, Lt Col Anand said, "So far, six fatal causalities have occurred. They include two JCOs, three jawans and one civilian dependent, all residents of Jammu and Kashmir."

10 people, including Major Avijit Singh, have been injured of which six are women and children, he said.

One of the injured woman was pregnant. She later delivered a baby girl through a caesarean operation and both the mother and child were stable.

A 14-year-old boy had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was in a critical condition.

Those killed were identified as Subedar Madan Lal Choudhary, Subdebar Mohmmad Ashraf Mir, Havaldar Habib-Ullah Qurashi, Naik Manzoor Ahmed, Lance Naik Mohmmad Iqbal -- all from the JAKLI, besides the father of Lance Naik Mohmmad Iqbal, he said.

IMAGE: AK-56 rifles, Under Barrel Grenade Launcher, ammunition and grenades were seized from them, he said.



The officer said that a search operation of the family quarters in the Army complex for evacuation of people and to ascertain the situation was underway.

A number of families were still in the camp and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety, he said.

Vaid said that investigation is on to find out where from the terrorists came. "Whether they infiltrated from Pakistan or came from Kashmir is being investigated," the DGP said.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Sunday visited the camp and examined the evidence collected by the Army from the site of the gun battle, an official said.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

IMAGE: A number of families were still in the camp and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety, Lt Col Devender Anand said.



On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven Army personnel, including two officers. Three terrorists were gunned down in the operation.

The terrorists had struck before dawn on Saturday and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear end of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry guarding the periphery.

IMAGE: The attack on the army camp comes nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack -- on November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the armys Nagrota camp, killing seven army personnel including two officers. Photograph: PTI Photo

"The terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who are holed up in a few houses (inside the camp)," an official said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles were engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of the Central Reserve Police Force and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to prevent civilian casualties.

IMAGE: Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed. Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013, for the 2001 attack on Parliament House.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that the ongoing operation against terrorists would be concluded successfully soon.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi condemned the attack and said all Indians across political lines stand united with the Army men and women.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in an offshore oilfield in Abu Dhabi.

IMAGE: PM Modi was welcomed by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his arrival in Abu Dhabi. Photograph: PTI Photo

Modi, who arrived in Abu Dhabi from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour, was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family at the airport on Saturday evening.

The two leaders hugged each other and exchanged pleasantries.

The prime minister thanked the Crown Prince for the special gesture of receiving him at the airport and said his visit will have a positive impact on India-United Arab Emirates ties.

'We warmly welcome our state guest and valued friend, the Indian Prime Minister H.E.@narendramodi to the UAE. His visit reflects our longstanding historical ties and is testament to our friendly bilateral relationship,' Mohammed Bin Zayed, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, tweeted.

Prime Minister Modi, who was in Abu Dhai on his second visit to the UAE, led the delegation-level talks with Mohammed Bin Zayed at the Royal Palace on Saturday evening.

Modi had first visited the UAE as prime minister in August, 2015.

He is the first foreign leader to be invited to this palace by the Crown Prince, who appreciated the role played by Indian workers in the development of UAE as a modern nation.

'Delighted to meet my friend, HH Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. We had extensive deliberations on boosting India-UAE cooperation and how this can benefit our nations as well as the whole world,' the Prime Minister tweeted.

IMAGE: The Crown Prince made the special gesture of receiving PM Modi at the airport, who is on a three-nation tour -- Palestine, UAE and Oman. Photograph: PTI Photo

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that Prime Minister Modi had a tete-a-tete with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi before the delegation level talks.

'The two leaders discussed steps to upgrade the relationship,' Kumar said.

After their talks, the two sides signed five agreements related to energy sector, railways, manpower and financial services.

An MOU between Indian Consortium (OVL, BPRL & IOCL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was signed for the acquisition of a 10 per cent participating interest in the Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum Concession, a statement issued by the Indian embassy here said.

The concession will be for 40 years from 2018 to 2057. 60 per cent of the participating interest will be retained by ADNOC and remaining 30 per cent will be awarded to other international oil companies, the statement said.

"This is the first Indian Investment in upstream oil sector of UAE, transforming the traditional buyer-seller relationship to a long-term investor relationship," it added.

IMAGE: PM Modi greets other members of the Royal family. Photograph: PTI Photo

To cooperate in the field of manpower, India and the UAE signed an MoU that aims to institutionalise the collaborative administration of contractual employment of Indian workers in the Gulf country.

Under the MoU, both the sides will work to integrate their labour related e-platforms for ending the existing malpractices, combat trafficking and organise collaborative programs for education and awareness of contractual workers.

An MoU for technical cooperation in railways was also signed between the two sides. The MoU aims at cooperation in infrastructure sector especially railways.

'The MoU will facilitate development of joint projects, knowledge sharing, joint research and technology transfer. The MoU envisages formation of a Joint Working Group for institutionalising the cooperation mechanism,' the statement said.

To deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of finance, an MoU between Bombay Stock Exchange and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was also signed. It aims at enhancing cooperation between both the countries in financial services industry.

The MoU would facilitate investment in financial markets by investors from both the countries.

An MoU between Government of Jammu and Kashmir and DP World was also signed to establish multi-modal logistics park and hub in Jammu comprising warehouses and specialised storage solutions.

Various buildings in Abu Dhabi were lit in the Indian tricolor as the city was decked up to welcome Prime Minister Modi, who also attended a state banquet hosted by the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.

IMAGE: Modi unveils the model of the first Hindu temple to be constructed in Abu Dhabi.

Photograph: Courtesy @MEAIndia/Twitter

The prime minister on Sunday visited Wahat Al Karama, the UAE martyr's war memorial in Abu Dhabi and paid tributes to brave soldiers of UAE who made ultimate sacrifice.

Wahat Al Karama, which literally means 'the oasis of dignity', is a permanent tribute to UAE's soldiers and other Emiratis who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the country.

Later, in Dubai, the PM officially launched a project for the construction of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, describing the holy place as a 'catalytic agent' of humanity and harmony that will become a medium of India's identity.

Modi laid the foundation stone for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple via video conferencing from the Dubai Opera House, where he addressed the members of the Indian community.

"I would like to request all those associated with the construction of the temple that the rulers here have shown so much respect for India. They have been proud of India's cultural history. Now it's our responsibility that there is no mistake on our part," he told the gathering, amid applause.

Modi asked people associated with the construction of the temple and also the worshippers not to cause any harm to others.

"This is my expectations from you," he added.

IMAGE: Modi signed five agreements with UAE including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in offshore oil concession. Photograph: MEA/Flickr

He also unveiled the model of the temple and thanked the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi for gracious donation of the land.

"People were surprised when Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince took forward the talks of building a temple in Abu Dhabi. I whole-heartedly thank his highness on behalf of all 125 crore Indians," Modi said, amid applause.

Modi said this temple will also become a 'medium of India's identity'.

"We have grown in a culture where temples are a medium of humanity...Holy place is a catalytic agent of humanity and harmony," he told the gathering.

"I believe this temple will not be only unique in terms of architecture and splendour, but will also give a message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' to people across the world," he said.

Temple Committee members had presented the temple literature to Modi and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday evening in Abu Dhabi.

'PM @narendramodi witnessed laying of foundation stone for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple on Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway! The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi being built on a generous gift of land by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi reflects UAE's commitment to tolerance and harmony,' MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

IMAGE: The Burj Khalifa was lit in the Indian tricolor as the city was decked up to welcome Prime Minister Modi, who also attended a state banquet hosted by the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince. Photograph: @BurjKhalifa/Twitter

The temple will come up on 55,000 square metres of land. The structure will be hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the UAE. It will be completed by 2020, and open to people of all religious backgrounds.

It will be the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the Middle East, said a spokesperson from the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a socio-spiritual Hindu organisation set up in 1907 that runs more than 1,100 temples and cultural compounds around the world.

The temple will incorporate all aspects and features of a traditional Hindu temple as part of a fully functional, social, cultural and spiritual complex.

It will replicate the BAPS temple in New Delhi and the one under construction in New Jersey.

Speaking to the Indian Community in Dubai, the PM said India's relations with the UAE was much more than that of a buyer and a seller as he hailed the country's growing ties with the Gulf countries as 'deep, broad and vibrant'.

"Today, be it the UAE or other Gulf nations, our relation with them is not just that of a buyer and a seller. It has become much more," Modi said.

The prime minister assured the Indian community that his government will work to bring to reality their dreams.

"India's leap in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented. But we are not satisfied at this, we want to do better. We will do whatever it takes to make it possible," he told the gathering.

IMAGE: The PM visits 'Museum of Future' in Dubai where cutting-edge and innovative technological and scientific solutions aimed at futuristic innovations are displayed.

Photograph: Courtesy @MEAIndia/Twitter

Modi hailed his government's bold decisions like demonetisation and implementation of goods and services tax (GST).

"GST had been languishing for seven years, but now it is a reality," he said in his nearly 20-minute speech.

Taking a dig at his detractors, Modi said even the poor people agree with the fact that demonetisation was a right move. But some people lost their sleep and they are still mourning, he added.

Modi also thanked the UAE which provided almost 30 lakh people from India a home like environment, away from home.

Earlier, Indian High School student and Guinness Record Holder Sucheta, who has the unique ability to sing in 107 languages, performed a medley of regional Indian language songs ahead of Modi's arrival at the Dubai Opera.

Modi also met UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, defence and people-to-people contacts.

He met business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries and shared his vision of 'new India' with them.

'Strengthening our comprehensive strategic partnership! Prime Minister Modi met with Vice President and PM of UAE Sheikh Mohammed in Dubai,' the MEA spokesperson tweeted.

The two leaders had an engaging discussion on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contacts, Kumar said.

Modi also met Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sapar Isakov on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Muscat on a two-day visit on the last leg of his tour of three West Asian countries during which he would hold talks with the Sultan of Oman and other key leaders.

Modi, who arrived in Muscat from Dubai, will also meet Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said.

Noting that Oman was a close maritime neighbour with whom India enjoys excellent relations, Modi had said ahead of his visit, "I shall also interact with leading businesspersons of Oman on developing stronger economic and business links with India."

India and Oman have thriving links rooted in centuries old people-to-people exchanges, Modi had said.

More than nine million Indians work and live in the Gulf region. In Oman, they constitute the largest expatriate community.

On the first leg of his trip, Modi had travelled to Ramallah, becoming the first Indian prime minister to make an official visit to Palestine. From there he visited the United Arab Emirates, before arriving in Oman.

IMAGE: People from the Indian community welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival at Hotel Grand Hyatt in Muscat on Sunday. Photograph: Courtesy @MEAIndia/Twitter
He faced a group of heavily armed desperate terrorists with bare hands, took scores of bullets on his chest and arms, yet ensured that the assailants could not inflict much harm on his family.

Subedar Madal Lal Choudhary, 50, eventually fell to the AK 47 bullets fired by the terrorists, who attacked his quarter at Sunjwan Army station in Jammu, but still foiled their plan to cause maximum damage.

A pall of gloom descended on this non-descript hamlet after the news of Madan Lal Choudhary's death reached in Bakrah of Kathua district.

Yet, the people of the border belt of Hiranagar in Kathua district are proud of the brave son of soil who took on armed intruders with bare hands and saved his family and kin.

Madan Lal Choudhary's family had come to his quarter in the Military Station, Sunjwan, as they need to shop for the wedding of a relative.

"He mustered a lot of courage and saved the life of other family members very tactically by not allowing the terrorists to enter his quarter," his brother Surinder Choudhary said.

Surinder Choudhary said his his brother managed to facilitate the exit of family members from the back as he blocked the entry of terrorists.

However, Madan Lal Choudhary's 20-year-old daughter Neha received a bullet injury in the leg while his sister-in-law Paramjeet also received minor injuries.

But all of them managed to survive.

"I am proud of my younger brother who braved bullets, fought heavily armed militants with bare hands to save family members and kin. Had he failed to save them, the entire family would have been wiped out. He foiled the militants' plan to cause maximum causalities," Surinder Choudhary said.

Madan Lal Choudhary, who rose to the post of a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) -- a Subedar -- belonged to a family of defence force personnel.

His elder brother Shamsher Singh is an ex-serviceman, his son Ankush a Captain in the Indian Army, and his nephew Sandeep is in the Indian Air Force.

He is survived by father Inder Chand and mother Banti Devi besides three brothers.

The elderly parents father and mother were unaware about their loss till last evening even as the people and relatives thronged their residence.

It was only when Madan Lal Choudhary's wife Karamjeet and his elder brother Shamsher reached home, that they were told the news of his death.

People of the village, who witnessed the terror of partition in 1947 and are refugees from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, were proud of Madan Lal Choudhary's sacrifice.

"We are proud of him. He has fought armed terrorists with bare hands and save all of the family members and some kin. He should be awarded," Dhyan Chand, a villager, said.

Family members, however, lament that at a time they were preparing for the marriage of his nephew Sandeep in April, they are forced to come to grips with this painful reality.

Five Armymen, including two JCOs, and a father of another personnel died and 11 injured in a attack by JeM terrorists on the Army camp in Sunjwan in Jammu city.

IMAGE: Security personnel take position around the army family quarters at Sunjuwan Military Station during the terrorist attack, in Jammu on Sunday. Photograph: PTI Photo
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Report: 51 Saudi aggression air strikes hit Yemen over 24 hour [11/February/2018]



SAANAA, Feb. 11 (Saba)  The US-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition warplanes have launched more than 51 strikes on several provinces of Yemen during the past 24 hours, according to reports combined by Saba News Agency on Sunday.



In Saada province, three civilians' cars were destroyed in an air strike that targeted Aal-Ali area in Razeh border district.



Also in Saada, the warplanes of aggression waged six strikes on Dhahir district, four air strikes on Taibah-Asm and Faraa areas in Kutaf district, and 19 airstrikes were waged on Mudaba and Thaban areas of Baqem district and on Majaza of Asir.



Meanwhile, artillery and missile force of Saudi aggression shelled several areas of Razeh district and the areas of Aal-Shaikh and Aal-Muqnea of Munabeh district, killing dozens of sheep.



In the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, the fighter jet launched a strike on Hodeidah airport.

In Yemen province of Jawf, five airstrikes were launched on Khub-washaaf district.



In Hajjah province, the warplanes launched nine strikes on Haradh and Medi districts.



In Saana province, three airstrikes hit Nehm district.



In Saudi border province of Najran, the US-backed Saudi aggression coalition warplanes waged three strikes on Talaa site.





Writing by Sameera al-Mahdi, Editing by Zak



Saba
Report: Over 13 Saudi soldiers, mercenaries killed in battlefronts on Saturday [11/February/2018]



SANAA, Feb. 11 (Saba)  At least 13 Saudi soldiers and mercenaries were killed when the army and popular forces carried out military operations, including artillery, missiles and snipping attacks that targeted their sites and gatherings in the battlefronts of Yemen over 24 hours, according to military reports combined by Saba News Agency on Sunday.



In the border province of Jizan, three Saudi soldiers were sniped in Khubah, jahfan and Shabakah site, while numbers of Katyusha rockets were fired toward Saudi soldiers gatherings in Dhahia site.

Also in Jizan, artillery and missile force of the army and committees shelled gatherings of Saudi soldiers and their mercenaries in the sites of Mustahdath-Nashaw, Mawsim, Mataan, Kamer, Shabakah, beyond Hamedhah village and Musthadath site eatern Jahfan, causing direct casualties.



In Asir border province, three Saudi soldiers were gunned down in Sahawa site.

Also in Asir, gatherings of Saudi soldiers were targeted by artillery shellsin Rabuaa city, while Saudi-paid mercenaries' gatherings were shelled in Khazan hill, Qulal-Shaibani, Alab crossing, Boqea desert and in front of Aleeb mountains.



In Najran border Saudi province, a Saudi-paid mercenary was sniped in Talaah site, and artillery shelling targeted Saudi soldiers' gatherings in Sela censorship.



In Jawf Yemen province, six Saudi-paid mercenaries were gunned down in several areas of Mutun district.

In Utimah district of Jawf, Katyusha rockets were fired toward Saudi-paid mercenaries and military vehicle was destroyed by a guided rocket.



In Khub-washaaf district of Jawf, twi mercenaries' military vehicles were bombed by explosive devices in Sabrain area and down Aqabah, killing all their crews.



In Tazi province, the army and committees carried out an offensive operation targeted mercenaries' sites in Fajer hill of Khalid camp in Mozea district, killing and wounding dozens.



In the front of west coast of Taiz, two military vehicles of mercenaries were burned by guided rockets, while artillery shelling targeted gatherings of mercenaries in several areas of Kadaha, Hamir, Dhabab and in Salw district.



In Nehm district, some 50 km northern the capital Sanaa, artillery force of the army and committees shelled sites and gatherings of mercenaries in Harib-Nehm and in the front of Nehm, killing and wounding dozens.



In Lahj province, Ghirad missile was fired toward mercenaries' gatherings in the east of Kahbub district.



In Dhalea province, the army and popular forces carried out two unique attacks and fired artillery shells toward sites of Saudi-paid mercenaries in Murais district, smashing military armored, seizing weapons, killing and wounding dozens.





Writing by Sameera al-Mahdi, Editing by Zak





Saba
NEW YORK (AP)  Beyonce, Blake Shelton, Barbra Streisand and Oprah Winfrey will headline a one-hour benefit telethon to benefit Hurricane Harvey victims that will be simulcast next week on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CMT.

The event will be telecast live at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 12, and on tape delay at 8 p.m. on the West Coast. It is being organized by Houston rap artist Bun B and Scooter Braun, founder of SB Projects. The show will also be streamed live on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Dennis Quaid, Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Ryan Seacrest, Michael Strahan, Kelly Rowland, George Strait, Reese Witherspoon and others will also participate with taped or live messages. Journalists Matt Lauer and Norah O'Donnell will also participate. More celebrities are expected.

It will benefit several organizations, including United Way of Greater Houston, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, Direct Relief, Feeding Texas and The Mayor's Fund for Hurricane Harvey Relief.

Other entertainment figures have already stepped up to help flood victims. The ABC networks held a "day of giving" last week, and singers Paul Simon and Edie Brickell pledged $1 million.

The telethon will air from Los Angeles, but there will be stages in New York and Nashville, Tennessee. A performance from George Strait's San Antonio benefit concert for Harvey will also be shown.
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MOSCOW (AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin refrained from criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump at a news conference in China on Tuesday, but said a decision to shutter Russian diplomatic outposts in the U.S. was poorly handled.

Speaking at a news conference during a summit in China on Tuesday, Putin dismissed as "naive" a question about whether he was disappointed in Trump.

In comments carried by Russian news agencies, Putin said Trump is "not my bride, and I'm not his groom."

Asked how Russia would feel if Trump were impeached, Putin said it would be "absolutely wrong" for Russia to discuss domestic U.S. politics.

Russian officials cheered Trump when he was elected last year, and Putin praised him as someone who wanted to improve ties with Russia. However, further U.S. sanctions on Russia and the U.S. decision to close Russian diplomatic outposts have raised concerns that the two countries remain far apart.

The Trump administration last week ordered the closure of three Russian facilities in the U.S.: The San Francisco consulate and trade missions in New York and Washington. It was the latest in a series of escalating retaliatory measures between the former Cold War foes.

Putin said the U.S. had a right to close consulates but "it was done in such a rude way."

"It is hard to hold a dialogue with people who mix Austria with Australia," he continued, an apparent reference to a decade-old gaffe by George W. Bush, who during a 2007 visit to Sydney referred to Austrian troops when he meant Australian troops.

"The American nation, America is truly a great country and a great people if they can tolerate such a big number of people with such a low level of political culture," Putin said.
Samoa is a Christian State that is supposed to be founded on Gods word.

But Sina Faleao says Samoans are moving away from that foundation.

She said there is so much happening in Samoa and things are not looking good.

The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and Sina Faleao believes that the events happening in Samoa shows no fear of God at all.

I grew up in a Samoa founded on God and it was so sacred, and by the looks of it now, it is not the same anymore, the mother of six from Nuu said.

Samoa is not really the same anymore because back then everything was sacred especially the family.

The girls in every family were not allowed to wear shorts inside the house only their lavalava, and thats why so many issues nowadays with girls because they are not practicing that anymore.

The 51-year-old mother said climate change issues were part of not fearing God.

Lately there have been so much earthquakes and tsunami warnings because we are disobeying our God and disobeying Sundays.

A lot of people in Samoa today are just debating with Gods will but not obeying His will and his teachings.

I am not judging but that is what I think is the root of so many things happening in Samoa lately, because we are judging God whose word we are founded on.

Sina also commented on violence against women and the news of the incestuous relationship that involved a father and his daughter.

Honestly this is really disappointing; this shows that weve lost a lot of respects especially our family values, she said.

We hardly see our children as our own because we spend so much time in gambling, that is bingo from Monday to Monday.

We forget that family is where all things start, family is where parents sit down with their children during evening service (faigalotu).

Mothers forget that theyre responsible for their daughters and they need to attend all the time.

Fathers only work for their Taula and Vailima but forget that they have children and family to look after and thats really sad to my understanding.

Sina believes the only solution is for our country to bring back the good old ways.

Parents must have enough time with their children especially after evening service, they need to communicate and always remember to have respect for each other.
Fifty years on, the University of the South Pacific (U.S.P.) still embodies the aspirations of the Pacific Island countries.

Yesterday, a bulk of alumnaes, staff and current students of the U.S.P. Alafua Campus marched from Tauese to the Government Building at Eleelefou to mark the opening of the universitys Golden Jubilee celebration.

Led by the Samoa Police Band, it was a proud moment for all those who were educated under the regional institution that has grown in size and specification to address the needs of all its nationalities.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi in his opening remarks noted the university was established to fill the leadership gap left by the retreating colonial leaders and fulfill the education needs of the Pacific Islanders.

Since its inception, U.S.P. has shaped the Pacific region for the better and making itself a source of immense pride for the region, this has transformed its position from just an autonomous university in the region to its status as an excellent cultural education provider, research institution and development organization."

In the national accreditation of U.S.P.'s programme, it is evident that the university has increased in its involvement as the vigor of its academic using international linkages research projects, assessments and outcomes.

Universitys Pro-vice Chancellor, Winston Thompson commended Tuilaepa and the Samoan Government for their efforts in helping the development of the university.

Prime Minister your presence here today (yesterday) is a recognition of what you yourself have given to the university as one of the strong supporters of education not just in Samoa but across the Pacific and its this support that you as one of the political leaders of our region that enables us to have this great achievement and development."

I think throughout the years of being the Prime Minster of Samoa, you have been one of the strongest and consistent supporters of the development of the university.

Mr. Thompson added it is a memorable event because it coincides with Samoas 56 years independence.

This event is something that Im sure that will be used as time goes on as even more graduates come out of the university to contribute to the development of this country and this is something that all of you, who have been involved in one way or another, can justify.

I particularly recognize the Parliamentarians in their mature years have taken on further studies and we look forward to even more of our communities in Samoa and across the Pacific taking advantage of this new opportunity.

Alafua Campus Director, Mohammed Umar told the Samoa Observer this is very significant for the university because Alafua Campus is just one of the 14 campuses in the region, so its very important for Samoa as a country because it hosts the School of Agriculture.

This particular week, we have three main important parts of the celebration, first is the parade and the official opening of the celebration by the Prime Minister, and the graduation of a number of Parliamentarians who have completed certificates in Civil Law and the third event is the Open Day on Friday where we will showcase what Alafua is all about, what we do in terms of what we offer and teach.

Mr. Umar said the number of students in 1968 was 200 and now there are 35,500, which is a huge increase and there are new campuses and buildings done in Kiribati and Solomon Islands.

Most countries in the Pacific now have realized that the university can provide as a premier education institution to the whole region, he said.
Too many Samoans are lazy, and I do not exclude myself here. But we can use everything that is given to us, its as simple as that. People just need to know how.

As Malcolm Hazelmann speaks these words, he pours a juice consisting of starfruit, orange, papaya, lemon and water, that he just prepared with every ingredient coming from his own garden.

A juice that with every sip tastes of the independence of home gardening. As Hazelmann finishes preparing the juice, he collects all the skin that is left over from the fruits and puts it in a bowl. Everything that comes out of our kitchen will not be wasted. This goes straight back into the garden, he explains.

Hazelmann has seen the world throughout his life and more importantly, he has seen it through the eyes of an agriculturist.

The man who did his diploma for agriculture at the University of South Pacific, his undergraduate and masters degree in tropical agriculture and horticulture in Hawaii and his Ph.D in the United States, retired in 2003 from his position as a senior officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Hong Kong.

Even though his background had provided him with all this knowledge that might have been sufficient for the world of academics, Mr Hazelmann searched for more.

As he explains, in terms of agriculture, there is no better place one can learn more about the subject than a farm: I am still travelling although Im retired since a few years now, because for me, travelling is learning.

I try to visit farmers everywhere. There is no better chance to learn as to witness the actual process. One place Malcolm is visiting regularly, is Thailand, a country which has taught him a lot about gardening, since he had been working there for more than fourteen years of his life. In terms of growing conditions compared to Samoa, Asian countries are the best to learn from, he states.

The knowledge Malcolm Hazelmann has gained, is what he is giving back to his home country: I am in the giving back stage of my life at the moment, if you want to put it that way. Giving back is indeed what Mr Hazelmann does. Three years ago, he started a group on Facebook, entitled Mafaufauga, which at this stage has more than 800 likes.

On Mafaufauga, Hazelmann passes on his knowledge by sharing simple techniques of home gardening, which can be done by anybody. One of his recent ideas includes for instance the instalment of home gardening in particularly small spaces.

I often hear people complaining about having too small spaces for growing their own vegetables and plants, but nobody has to have a big garden to do so. As a result, Mr Hazelmann presents plant tubs which he has created out of plastic bottles, or even pieces of Styrofoam which are held together by a sack.

This kind of thinking can be found through Malcolm Hazelmann, as he points to the gutter, which is located right above his balcony: First I wanted to fix it, but after a while I realized that with the rain water falling down in the garden, I could simply collect it to water my plants with it, because I found out that sometimes, the seedlings are killed by tap water as it might contain too much chlorine. Mr Hazelmann even produces his own fertilizer for his plants, made of the leftovers of fruits, freshly mowed grass or the excretions of worms.

But Malcolm Hazelmanns way of sharing is not only restricted to the digital world of social media. Several times a year, he organizes activities for his own gardening group, called the Informal Gardeners Group, with the next meeting coming up this Saturday. These meetings are only one of the many activities Mr Hazelmann initiated to teach about home gardening in Samoa.

I am speaking of activities, as the term project might indicate that I am funded by any kind of authority, but this is not the case. Everyone who is interested in learning more about planting their own vegetables or fruits is highly welcome. This year, we also started a plant and seed exchange on the group, so that people can help each other out in a better way.

With his activities, he also tries to encourage local farmers in Samoa to learn more about certain techniques of farming. I want to give back [my knowledge] to Samoan farmers, because quite often, here in Samoa, it seems like we have a postcolonial thinking which is based on the thought that the palagi knows better and in the eyes of our own people, were never regarded as successful. So the foreigner is always better than us, no matter how trained we are.

But with the sharing of the knowledge he was able to accumulate over the years, Malcolm Hazelmann has proven this prejudgement to be wrong in a pretty clear way.

In his own garden, which offers a vast variety of plants and trees, Mr Hazelmann has built up an impressive example for home gardening. It consists of a small patch of approximately eight feet in length. Covered by a net, this planting bed is used to grow many different kinds of plants, vegetables or spices. For instance mint, ginger or even chili peppers, growing out of a simple plastic bag. There are over sixteen different eatable plants in here.

All of them are grown by the composts we produce on our own.

According to Malcolm Hazelmann, this way of gardening differs from what people are used to seeing from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in Samoa. These are varieties the Ministry simply doesnt have.

They often used my postings on their own Facebook page, which is a good way to spread these techniques. I always tell the people that the garden at your home doesnt have to look perfect with all these straight lines and things like that.

But if you simply let it grow like it is supposed to do, it also looks very nice. Also, the most important thing is that you get something to eat out of this kind of gardening, thats all that matters.

For Hazelmann, the term of passing on, is an important one, no matter if it is about sharing different kinds of seeds or ideas about farming, as he explains: If people can learn something about gardening from me, they should also be willing to pass this knowledge on to somebody else, because why should they keep it for themselves? It didnt come from them in the first place, it was already there.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Unwilling to yield, President Donald Trump and China's government escalated their trade clash Friday, with Beijing vowing to "counterattack with great strength" if Trump follows through on threats to impose tariffs on an additional $100 billion in Chinese goods.

Trump made his out-of-the-blue move when China threatened to retaliate for the first round of tariffs planned by the United States. But for someone who has long fashioned himself as a master negotiator, Trump left it unclear whether he was bluffing or willing to enter a protracted trade war pitting the world's two biggest economies against each other, with steep consequences for consumers, businesses and an already shaken stock market.

"They aren't going to bully him into backing down," said Stephen Moore, a former Trump campaign adviser who is now a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He said the Chinese "are going to have to make concessions  period."

The White House sent mixed signals on Friday as financial markets slid from investor concern about a significant trade fight. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC he was "cautiously optimistic" that the U.S. and China could reach an agreement before any tariffs are implemented but added, "there is the potential of a trade war."

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters the U.S. was "not in a trade war," adding, "China is the problem. Blame China, not Trump."

Trump's latest proposal intensified what was already shaping up to be the biggest trade battle for more than a half century. The U.S. bought more than $500 billion in goods from China last year and now is planning or considering penalties on some $150 billion of those imports. The U.S. sold about $130 billion in goods to China in 2017 and faces a potentially devastating hit to its market there if China responds in kind.

Global financial markets have fallen sharply as the world's two biggest economies squared off  the Dow Jones industrial average sank 572 points Friday.

Trump told advisers Thursday he was unhappy with China's decision to tax $50 billion in American products, including soybeans and small aircraft, in response to a U.S. move this week to impose tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods.

Rather than waiting weeks for the U.S. tariffs to be implemented, Trump backed a plan by Robert Lighthizer, his trade representative, and was encouraged by Peter Navarro, a top White House trade adviser, to seek the enhanced tariffs, upping the ante.

White House chief of staff John Kelly and Mnuchin concurred with the move, as did Kudlow, who traveled with the president to West Virginia.

China said negotiations were impossible under the circumstances but Trump officials said the president and his team remained in contact with President Xi Jinping and expressed hope to him of resolving the dispute through talks. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the two sides remained in "routine contact."

In Beijing, a Commerce Ministry spokesman said China doesn't want a trade war  but isn't afraid to fight one.

"If the U.S. side announces the list of products for $100 billion in tariffs, the Chinese side has fully prepared and will without hesitation counterattack with great strength," spokesman Gao Feng said. He gave no indication what measures Beijing might take.

Trump has also pushed for a crackdown on China's theft of U.S. intellectual property, and he criticized the World Trade Organization, an arbiter of trade disputes, in a tweet Friday for allegedly favoring China. Trump asserted the WTO gives the Asian superpower "tremendous perks and advantages, especially over the U.S."

U.S. officials have played down the threat of a broader trade dispute, saying a negotiated outcome is still possible. But economists warn that the tit-for-tat moves bear the hallmarks of a classic trade rift that could keep growing. Worry is intensifying among Republicans, who traditionally have favored liberalized trade.

"The administration needs to be thinking about the unintended consequences and what are those ripple effects, those domino effects, and what are the retaliatory actions that are likely to be taken," said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the Senate's No. 3 Republican, in an interview with KDLT-TV in Sioux Falls.

The standoff over the trade penalties began last month when the U.S. slapped tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. China countered by announcing tariffs on $3 billion worth of U.S. products. The next day, the United States proposed the $50 billion in duties on Chinese imports, and Beijing lashed back within hours with a threat of further tariffs of its own.

Further escalation could be in the offing. The U.S. Treasury is working on plans to restrict Chinese technology investments in the United States. And there's talk that the U.S. could also put limits on visas for Chinese who want to visit or study in this country.

Kudlow told reporters the U.S. may provide a list of suggestions to China "as to what we would like to have come out of this," and those issues were under discussion.

"Negotiations are better than tariffs," Kudlow said. "A solution in the next three months would be better than anything. I think that's eminently doable." He added: "But Trump is not just using tariffs as a negotiating card. He said that to me."

For Trump, the dispute runs the risk of blunting the economic benefits of his tax overhaul, which is at the center of congressional Republicans' case for voters to keep them in power in the 2018 mid-term elections. China's retaliation so far has targeted Midwest farmers, including growers of soybeans, corn and wheat. That could specifically harm core Trump supporters.

"With respect to the Trump administration, its political success will rise and fall with the economy," Kudlow said. "And the economy is doing rather well now and I expect it to do even better."

___

Associated Press writers Gillian Wong and Henry Hou in Beijing, and Jill Colvin, Paul Wiseman and Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.

__

On Twitter follow Ken Thomas at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC
02 May 2017

Papalii John Taimalelagi

Chief Executive Officer

Ministry of Justice & Courts

Administration

MULINUU

Dear Sir

1. In our Sunday, 23 April. 2017 edition, we ran the story of a search warrant being issued by the Deputy Registrar against the Samoa Observer. We have decided to write directly to you to convey our concerns about this especially its illegality.

2. Whist I was in Auckland with my wife, we were informed that Police had turned up to our Apia office asking for "Robert". Robert of course could not fathom if he had done something wrong. The Police officers however informed they had a search warrant to search Samoa Observer premises relating to information on a story the paper ran.

Caught by surprise and not wanting to tick off the officers, a very nervous Robert informed them that the Apia office did not store anything but for them to contact our newspaper Editor, Mataafa Keni Lesa at the Vaitele office as we were overseas.

3. Armed with the search warrant, the officers confronted Mataafa about searching our premises at Vaitele.

4. Up to this point, even to this date, we as owners of the paper are in the dark as to why this search warrant was issued in the first place.

Also we were never once informed at any stage of any possible crimes committed or suspected to have been committed by us, or the paper.

5. From the documents, which we took the liberty to make copies, it shows that an application for a search warrant dated 18/04/17 was lodged by the Ministry of Police for approval by a Supreme or District Court Judge/ Registrar. There is an affidavit by a constable Kurisi Kurisi which alleges that police were "investigating a harassment utilizing means of electronic communication case at the Samoa Observer, Vaitele." It further requested all information on an article entitled "Stop this madness" published in the paper on Wednesday 29/03/17. Information requested included, "name, village, date of birth, any contact numbers and date of publication".

6. The search warrant permitted all constables of Samoa, within one month from the date of the warrant to:

i) enter and search the Samoa Observer building, vehicle premises with such assistance as necessary and if necessary to use such force for making entry whether by breaking open doors windows or otherwise;

ii) to break open and search any box or receptacle for items referred to in 5 above for seizure.

7. According to the search warrant and application, the law relied on is s.83 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1972.

8. But according to our research, this law or Act has been repealed. It is now replaced by a Criminal Procedure Act 2016.

9. I am no lawyer, but the fact Police and similarly the Deputy Registrar who signed the approval of the warrant relied on this doomed law, immediately rang alarm bells in my head.

10. For me, this means the law relied upon is wrong and the search warrant should have never been approved by the Deputy Registrar in the first place.

11. Which brings me to my second point. The allegation made by Police against Samoa Observer was in my view of a serious nature. It calls into question legal issues that a Deputy Registrar who is not a lawyer cannot possibly have the proper legal training to understand. My question is, shouldn't it have been more fitting that a Judge of either the Supreme or District Court be given this search warrant application to determine? Perhaps if this was done, any Judge would have immediately noted the repealed law relied on and throw out the search warrant.

12. Another issue that a Judge would have immediately pick up on is what is the crime Samoa Observer is suspected to have committed? I mean this was the first question that came to my mind. Isn't a search warrant usually associated with a crime being committed? So what is Samoa Observer's crime to prompt Police to apply for a search warrant and Deputy Registrar approving it.

13. But then again what is a Deputy registrar doing determining such important issues? We made some inquiries as to his role and informed he was recently appointed as an ACEO for criminal and civil division of MJCA. So is he still a Deputy Registrar?

14. We also did some further research and noted the new Criminal Procedure Act 2016 now provides for search warrants under section 33. It says, "a Judge or Registrar" may issue a search and seize warrant or restraining order in the prescribed form..." It then goes on to list the situations in which a search warrant can be issued. At section 33 (4) it clearly says that "in this section "Registrar" does not include a Deputy Registrar".

15. This means that even if the application for a warrant was brought under the new law, the Deputy Registrar could not sign or approve the search warrant. This means he has abused his position and in my view he should be disciplined/dealt with accordingly. Equally the Ministry of Police should answer for their neglect and the harm it has done to us as a result of their illegal actions.

16. This brings to the fore the even more crucial concept of freedom of press. The issuing of the search warrant without any legal basis in the full knowledge there is no crime committed is an abuse of process and undermines the right of the newspaper to freedom of press/speech and its obligation to protecting its sources. Such neglect and abuse exposes the government to civil suit and who ends up paying? The people. Our people. Us the taxpayers.

17. As the Fourth Estate, it is prudent that the newspaper as a form of media and its freedom of press, be protected. It is hard to fathom that in this day and age, a search warrant can be allowed to be issued against a media outlet without firstly ascertaining that the application was properly made in the first place.

19. I sincerely hope I will not live to see the day this will happen again.

20. Given the Ministries involved in this matter, I have therefore copied accordingly for their information, the Commissioner of Police, Fuiavailii Egon Keil, Afioga Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi as the Minister of Police Services, Afioga CJ Patu Falefatu Maka Sapolu as the head of Samoas judiciary, Afioga Faaolesa Katopau Ainuu as Minister of M.J.C.A., and Afioga Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff, Attorney General.

Ma lou faaaloalo tele,

Gatoaitele Savea Sano Malifa,

Chief Editor Samoa Observer,

Vaitele.

cc: Fuiavailii Egon Keil, Police Commissioner

Hon. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, PM & Minister of Ministry

of Police Services

Afioga CJ Patu F M Sapolu - CJ & head of Samoa Judiciary

Hon. Faaolesa Katopau Ainuu, Minister of MJCA

Afioga Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff, Attorney General.
BERLIN (AP)  Germany celebrated its first same-sex weddings Sunday, after a new law came into force putting gay and lesbian couples on an equal legal footing with heterosexual couples.

Town halls in Berlin, Hamburg and elsewhere opened their doors to mark the event, made possible by a surprise vote in Parliament three months earlier.

"We're making a single exception to fire a symbolic starter pistol because same-sex marriages are possible from today," said Gordon Holland, a registrar in Berlin's Schoeneberg district.

Holland said it was appropriate for Schoeneberg to hold the first same-sex wedding in the country because it has long been a center of gay life in the German capital.

About 60 guests and an equal number of journalists packed into Schoeneberg town hall's "Golden Room" to witness the marriage of Karl Kreile and his partner of 38 years, Bodo Mende.

The grooms entered the room to the popular "Wedding March" by 19th-century German composer Felix Mendelssohn, before saying their vows and signing the marriage documents to applause and cheers from the assembled guests.

Kreile, 59, said it was an "incredible honor" to be the first same-sex couple to marry in Germany, noting that he and Mende, 60, had been campaigning for gay rights for decades.

After cutting the wedding cake  featuring a rainbow flag and the words "marriage for all"  the couple planned to hold a small reception and fly to Vienna later in the week for a five-day honeymoon.

"We had a huge party 15 years ago that can't be topped," said Kreile, referring to the celebration after the couple registered their partnership in 2002.

Germany introduced registered partnerships in 2002, but those gave same-sex couples fewer rights than heterosexual couples who married.

Chancellor Angela Merkel long opposed same-sex marriages, only agreeing to a free vote in Parliament on the matter in June, shortly before national elections.

The bill, which enjoyed strong public support, passed by a wide margin, with 393 lawmakers voting in favor of marriage equality and 226  including Merkel  voting against.

"This day sends a significant signal, which is that the state's discrimination of lesbians and gays is finished," said Joerg Steinert, who heads the Berlin branch of Germany's lesbian and gay association. "This was long overdue in Germany and so this is a day of great joy."

Some hurdles remain, including the fact that women can't automatically recognize motherhood of a lesbian partner's child, and the software used to record marriages doesn't currently allow for two entries with the same sex.

Still, those attending Sunday's ceremony in Schoeneberg said Germany's decision to allow same-sex marriages  the 23rd country worldwide to do so  was a big step.

"The state has recognized that if two people want to stand by each other then that's a marriage, regardless of their sex," said Ulrich Kessler, a guest who has known couple for more than 20 years.

According to official figures there were about 43,000 registered partnerships in Germany in 2015, most of which are expected to be converted into marriages in the coming months.
A historic 1936 Oceanside building designed by a noted local architect is getting a new luster and another life, as a restaurant with a tribute to the structures ink-and-paper heyday.

The Blade-Tribune newspaper building on Seagaze Drive, a half-block west of Coast Highway, has a distinctive art deco style and the solid, poured-in-place concrete look of a structure intended to be a pillar of the community. Its large, multi-paned windows fill the interior with light.

It had that strong edifice that you wanted a newspaper to have, said John Daley, an Oceanside native and area historian. He remembers picking up bundles of newspapers at the building to deliver to downtown homes and businesses when he was an 8-year-old boy.

It had a strong, industrial look, Daley said. There was a printing press. It was an industrial plant, as well as a newsroom bustling with reporters and editors.

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The new owner is Donia Ackad Yuhong, a real estate agent in Encinitas. She said she plans to open a restaurant there, maybe Italian, Mexican or something with a fusion of cultures, and shes in the process of getting the required permits.

The inside will be filled with the history of the building, she said. I love history. It bothers me when people want to erase the history or destroy the history.

The old Blade Tribune and News sign was uncovered with stucco was removed from the buildings exterior. (Union-Tribune photo by Howard Lipin )

The original Oceanside Blade building was constructed elsewhere downtown in 1893. In the 1970s, it was moved to the citys Heritage Park Museum, near the Mission San Luis Rey, where it sits with a group of historical buildings open to the public.

The concrete structure on Seagaze has been closed for years. It was the last project of architect Irving Gill, who died in 1936 in Carlsbad. Gill also designed Oceansides first City Hall, built in 1934, which now houses the Oceanside Museum of Art, and the Americanization School built about 1930 on Center Street.

Some of the architects best-known buildings include The Bishops School in San Diego, the George W. Marston House in Balboa Park, and the La Jolla Womans Club.

1 / 13 The building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936 was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 2 / 13 Sunlight shines through the windows and hits the concrete floor of the building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936, and was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 3 / 13 The building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936 was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 4 / 13 The building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936 was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 5 / 13 Jesus Flores Installs windows in the building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936, and was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 6 / 13 The building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936 was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 7 / 13 The building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936 was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 8 / 13 The building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936 was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 9 / 13 The building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936 was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 10 / 13 The inside of the building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936, and was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 11 / 13 The building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936 was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 12 / 13 The inside of the building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936, and was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 13 / 13 The building once occupied by the Oceanside Blade-Tribune and News, newspapers built in 1936 was the last structure designed by noted architect Irving Gill. Now its being renovated and turned into a newspaper-themed restaurant. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune)

Gill arrived in San Diego in 1893 and his career peaked between 1910 and 1920, according to a 1997 column in the Union-Tribune. He liked simple designs with straight lines and arches, and embraced the use of concrete.

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The Blade-Tribune occupied the Seagaze Drive building until it moved to a new, larger building on South Coast Highway in the 1960s. That newspaper became the Blade-Citizen, which became the North County Times, which was eventually purchased by and became part of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Once the newspaper moved out, the building on Seagaze became a furniture store operated for more than 30 years by a partnership of three retired Marines, now deceased.

Part of the building has been occupied by a barber shop, Carmens, for years, and that business is expected to stay. A barber working there Friday said he knew nothing about the restaurant plans, but hed be glad to see something open in the building.

Yuhong said she knew little of the buildings history when she purchased it last year. Her initial plan was to turn it into apartments, but her contractor told her the building had a history and was designed by a famous architect.

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Thats how the whole thing started, Yuhong said.

A restoration of the buildings front facade uncovered the original sign that reads Blade Tribune and News along with other details that had been obscured by stucco since the 1950s.

The name is a combination of three different newspapers that for a time operated as one, evidence of the regions still-evolving and convoluted journalistic history.

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philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
Pittsburgh library worker turned novelist Tom Sweterlitsch traces his new book to a lunchtime conversation he had six years ago with his brother-in-law, and a note he jotted down after: Battlestar Galactica + NCIS + time travel. And so it is that The Gone World is a blend of genres, part sci-fi and part crime novel. The heroine, special agent Shannon Moss, is called in when a Navy SEALs family is murdered and his teenage daughter missing. Moss has childhood ties to the house where the carnage happened, and the SEAL has ties to a lost spaceship, and the only way to connect all that is by exploring several different possible futures. This darkly poetic and profoundly disturbing glimpse into the potential last days of humankind will surely haunt readers dreams long after the book is finished, Booklist said in its starred review.

Tom Sweterlitsch author event: 7:30 p.m. Monday. Mysterious Galaxy, 5943 Balboa Ave., Suite 100, Clairemont. In conversation with San Diego author Scott Sigler. Free. (858) 268-4747 or mystgalaxy.com

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john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-2236
Dave King has performed in San Diego a number of times with The Bad Plus, the alt-jazz trio known for re-inventing everything from songs by Nirvana and Blondie to Igor Stravinskys shape-shifting orchestral opus The Rite of Spring.

When he returns on Thursday, it will be for his area debut concert with the Dave King Trio. The group teams him with pianist Matt Mitchell and bassist Billy Peterson, whose pre-jazz career included playing on Leo Kottkes Ice Water and Bob Dylans Blood on the Tracks albums.

Together, King, Mitchell and Peterson create rigorous music that often sounds freewheeling and can revel in abstraction, but is always carefully calibrated.

Kings drumming is playful and highly visual, but theres no doubting he takes this music very seriously. So should you. And, if you want to attend, act quickly, the concert is already close to being sold-out.

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The Dave King Trio

7:30 p.m. Thursday. Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. $21 Athenaeum members; $26 nonmembers. (858) 454-5872 or ljathenaeum.org/jazz-at-the-athenaeum

george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Twitter @georgevarga
Bertram Turetzky has worn so many hats he could almost keep a haberdashery in business all by himself.

Over the course of a six-decade career, he has irrevocably redefined the contrabass as a performer, composer, recording artist, clinician, author and teacher of such top bassists as Nathan East, Bob Magnusson and John Leftwich. A tireless artistic crusader, Turtezky shines whether performing revered orchestral and chamber-music works, cutting-edge pieces, jazz, Eastern European klezmer or almost anything in between.

Even more impressive, he has single-handedly transformed the contrabass from its traditional background role into a solo instrument of seemingly limitless possibilities. And he has created a rich body of work through the more than 300 compositions that were written specifically for him to perform and record.

In the second half of the 20th century, Bert premiered more solo music composed for the contrabass than anyone in the history of the instrument. ... He became the champion for developing a solo repertoire for the contrabass, championing living composers, particularly American composers, said acclaimed contrabass innovator Mark Dresser, who now holds the same position on the music faculty at UC San Diego that Turetzky  his teacher there in the 1970s  once did.

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Bert developed and codified a sonic and technical vocabulary with musical examples, documented in his landmark book, The Contemporary Contrabass, continued Dresser, who will perform Feb. 23 at The Loft at UCSD. He regularly performs new works, including his own compositions and improvisations, and has consistently recorded his music on (vinyl) albums and CDs for decades.

Kristin Korb, who studied with Turetzky at UCSD from 2002 to 2004, is similarly effusive.

Bert is a champion for living composers, the bass, and an individuals pursuit of their own truth, said Korb, who is now based in Copenhagen, Denmark, and performs here April 6 at the Handlery Hotels 950 Lounge.

Throughout his life, he has carved his own path that has been true to himself and his values. He also encourages that in his students. Five years ago, Bert was honored at the International Society of Bassists convention as a part of his 80th birthday celebration. There was a large group of of SOBs  Students of Bert  there and it was an amazing collection of talented, creative and truly unique individuals from all over the world. The common theme for all of us was Berts enthusiasm for all of us to find our own way in the music and how we express ourselves.

Often, practicing is thinking about what you have to do to improve your ability to to play, says bass great Bertram Turetzky. (Photo by K.C. Alfred/San Diego Union-Tribune )

New album and birthday concert

While long retired from UCSD, where he was a professor of music from 1968 until 2003, Turetzky continues to teach privately at his home in Del Mar. Hes now finishing work on his latest book while his new album, the improvisation-fueled Trio Music, was released in January. It teams him with envelope-shredding trumpeter Stephanie Richards and similarly freewheeling woodwinds player Vinny Golia.

On Friday, Turetzky will be honored  and perform at  his 85th birthday celebration. To be held at the all-ages Dizzys in Bay Park, the concert will team him with a string quartet to perform music by Charles Ives, baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli and Gioachino Rossini, who specialized in both operas and sacred music.

There will also be some solo bass pieces, including Of Love and Loss, which I wrote about my mothers trip from Europe to Ellis Island, said Turetzky, who was barely out of grade school when he began playing the bass.

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He laughed heartily when asked how often he now practices, after having devoted more than 70 years to his chosen instrument.

Pablo Casals said: Show me someone who says they practice more than three hours a day, and youll be looking at liar or a fool! And I think thats true. If youre well-organized you can get everything done in two hours, Turetzky said.

But a lot of people noodle around and pat themselves on the back for playing a few scales and arpeggios. Thats not practicing. Often, practicing is thinking about what you have to do to improve your ability to play.

What, then, does Turetzky do for his current practice regimen?

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I like to do some boring stuff that I feel I can do much better, he replied. I like to do intonation studies. And I like very much to read baroque music scores and see what I can do with them. I dont like the way I play Bach, but I keep on trying.

In any setting, Turetzky strives to connect with his listeners, no matter how accessible or thorny the music at hand.

It was clear I was going to be a musician, Bertam Turetzky wrote in his 2014 memoir, A Different View. (Photo by Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune )

Inspiring example

I was inspired by the example Bert set, Korb said. As an artist, he is committed to bringing creative new music to regular audiences. His stories made even the weirdest music palatable, because you trusted where he was taking you on the journey. Ive taken his story-telling approach into my own performances.

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Turetzky came to boundaries-leaping music gradually.

Raised in the Connecticut town of Norwich, where he was born Feb. 14, 1933, he began playing banjo while in grade school as a member of the trio the Arkansas Travelers. He soon joined a polka band, The Polka Dots, then switched to electric guitar.

By the time Turetzky was 14, he had taken up the contrabass and his destiny began to take shape. Or, as he wrote in A Different View, his 2014 memoir: Thats when I found my soulmate. It was clear I was going to become a musician even back then.

After graduating from high school in Norwich, Turetzky enrolled at the Hartt School of Music in nearby Hartford. He immersed himself in jazz and classical music, but balked at the chance to study with the great jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus in New York.

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I spoke to a friend of mine who had taken some lessons with Mingus, Turetzky recalled. And he told me Charles said to him: Oh, the white man is here to steal the black mans music. I thought to myself: I dont need that. I am Jewish and I went through all kinds of crap as a kid. It stopped at music school in Hartford, where there were a couple of people from my tribe.

Years later, on Turetzkys 1977 Finnadar Records album New Music For Contrabass, A Recital Of Compositions By Charles Mingus, Boguslaw Schaffer, Joseph Julian, Bertram Turetzky, Donald Erb, he recorded Mingus classic ballad, Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.

In Turtezkys skilled hands, what had been a feature for Mingus band saxophonist John Handy became an ingenious arrangement for four contrabass parts, all played by Turetzky. Even the difficult-to-please Mingus was impressed.

Finnadar founder Ilhan Mimaroglu, who produced my New Music for Contrabass album, played my version of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat for Mingus, Turetzky said. Ilhan told me that Mingus listened to it, and said: The cat can play. He s classical and I like it. Are you going to release it? And Ilhan said:  Yes.

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Kristin Korb studied with Bertram Turtezky for two years at UCSD and credits him with encouraging her to sing as well as play bass. He was, she recalls, kind, supportive, and kicking my reare end when I needed it. (File photo )

A nurturing mentor

As a teacher, Turetzky has never hesitated to encourage his students to find their own musical voice, as both Dresser and Korb can attest.

Bert has been a teacher, mentor and dear friend for over 45 years. Hes part of my artistic DNA, said Dresser.

From the very first lesson, he taught me how to practice (and) manage my time, emphasizing the development of ones musicianship and ultimately becoming ones own teacher. He advocated, identifying and demonstrated the difference between being an artist rather than an instrumentalist.  Bert sees each students individuality and advocates for them to be the most they can be. As a teacher, he could speak directly to the fundamentals of music that transcended style and nationalistic schools of bass playing.

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Korb credits Turetzky for giving her confidence, without cutting her any slack, and encouraging her to become a bassist who also sings, not just an instrumentalist.

Bert believed in me when I wasnt sure about myself, she said. He acknowledged the talent he saw in me, but he was also extremely honest with me about my deficiencies. I have no idea to this day how much he had to fight for me to be accepted at UCSD, but I can imagine that I was not an easy sell at that point in my life.

He helped me immensely. ... It wasnt just about music. It was about navigating my life, finding work, meeting people, and learning how to be an adult. He was my Sherpa through the entire experience: kind, supportive, and kicking my rear end when I needed it.

Turetzky beamed with pride when told of his former students comments.

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I keep it light as a teacher, unless they really need a kick in the butt, but I dont like to do that, he said. Once, I shouted at two of my students. Then I calmed down, and said: If you think Ill shout at you again, I wont. I like you as people, but you have to feel the same way about music that I do. Its serious.

Over the years, Turetzky has recorded with such visionary musicians as trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, fellow contrabass great Barre Phillips, trombonist (and former UCSD professor) George Lewis, poets Jerome Rothenberg and Sherley Anne Williams and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer (and longtime UCSD professor) Roger Reynolds.

No matter the stylistic setting or who he is collaborating with, Turtezkys unflagging enthusiasm for music and his instrument are palpable.

I was 70 when I retired from UCSD  I call myself a recovering academic. Ill be 85 on Feb. 14. I still love to play music and have to keep my body together so I can continue to play, he said. I love the instrument I play. Some people are not careful and say disparaging things about this noble instrument and I get pissed off.

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My name is Bertram, which is from Hebrew and which means blessed. And I have been blessed. I have a great wife and three adult children who are successful in their own right. And I have music.

Bertram Turetzky 85th Birthday Celebration

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Arias Hall (behind the Musicians Association building), 717 Morena Blvd., Bay Park.

Tickets: $15

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Phone: (858) 270-7467

Online: dizzysjazz.com/faq/

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george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Twitter @georgevarga
State Sen. Joel Anderson is routinely ranked among the most conservative members of the Legislature, yet he doesnt balk at teaming up with the American Civil Liberties Union on privacy issues.

Hes been named lawmaker of the year by the California Sheriffs Association, but has carried legislation adamantly opposed by law enforcement.

The East County Republican may be strong on law and order, but hes passionate about protecting civil liberties in an increasingly invasive digital world.

Those tensions came into play over a recent Anderson bill that would allow people to cover their license plates when their vehicles are parked.

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With the growing use of automated license plate readers by police and businesses, the legislation became another flash point in the struggle between protecting privacy and ensuring public safety.

For those, like Anderson, who are concerned that every computer keystroke goes into a database that tracks where weve been online, they worry license plate readers create a record of where people go physically. Some devices can scan more than 1,000 plates a minute.

People use law enforcement as an excuse to erode our civil liberties, Anderson said. This is one of the times the hard right and hard left agree on a bill.

The measure had bipartisan support but even that coalition was unable to overcome opposition from law enforcement. Andersons Senate Bill 712, sponsored by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, advanced out of committee but was defeated on the Senate floor late last month by a 12-18 vote.

That hasnt ended the debate over how automated plate readers are used and how the data is handled.

One argument for the measure seems simple. People can now obscure their license plates with full covers that protect their cars from the elements. If thats legal, why not let them cover just their plates to protect from unwarranted snooping?

For one thing, relatively few people use the big covers and virtually no one does during a trip to the mall.

The California Police Chiefs Association said the smaller plate covers would hinder investigations and hand criminals another tool to avoid detection by law enforcement.

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License plate information of parked vehicles has been used to locate wanted persons, including suspected kidnappers and fugitives, the association said in opposing Andersons bill.

Anderson disputes how effective the scanners are in solving crimes, but said if police want that information, they should be forced to collect it manually. They would have the right to lift up the cover and check plates.

This is a shortcut at the expense of my civil liberties, he said.

Local law enforcement agencies said the license plate readers  mounted on police vehicles or street lamp posts  have shown results. Shortly after Carlsbad installed stationary automated license plate readers, police said they led to the discovery of three stolen vehicles and the arrest of three suspects.

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Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter, head of the regional police chiefs association, said adequate safeguards are in place locally to make sure license plate data is not misused. He said checks and balances are there to keep it to a criminal investigation.

According to widely followed guidelines by the Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS), license reading data is not to be accessed for the purpose of monitoring individual activities protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The regional server does not contain alert lists for any of the following activities: insurance issues, parking scofflaws, deadbeat parents, and/or vehicle impounds.

But some of the wording in the guidelines give critics pause.

The system exists for the sole purpose of assisting law enforcement officers with ongoing criminal investigations and only for authorized public safety purposes. (Italics added for emphasis.)

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The data is sent into the ARJIS system and purged after 12 months. If the information is relevant to a criminal investigation, an agency must document that and put the data on its own server.

Safeguards have been growing in recent years and there have been discussions about federal legislation to limit how license data systems can be used.

Misuse of license plate information has generated national headlines. Police in New York scanned plates of automobiles parked near a mosque. In Florida, dozens of officers inappropriately accessed the data, sometimes for personal use.

In 2015, Los Angeles considered allowing police to scan vehicles entering or parked in high prostitution areas. The city would then send Dear John letters to the addresses associated with the plates  with hopes that mothers, wives or girlfriends would open them.

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Carter said the increasing use of the technology, and the concern for abuse, makes it all the more important that police agencies adhere to guidelines. The threat of legislative restrictions and bans exists.

Most people want to make sure we dont have what they call mission creep . . . and get into the lives of private individuals, he said.

He said law enforcement agencies are heavily scrutinized on this front. And they should be, he added.

Anderson questions the value of this surveillance on parked vehicles, citing reports that criminal hits using the technology are rare  less than 1 percent overall, according to the ACLU.

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But in a day when people are frequently on camera in public places and computer information is captured from unwitting users, automated license plate readers seem part of an inevitable trend.

Anderson acknowledges hes trying to push back the tide, but says its worth the fight to at least slow the constant chipping away at privacy.

He added that many people probably wouldnt go to the effort to put on license plate covers, but those concerned about privacy should have that option.

One of the drawbacks, should his proposal be revived and passed, is that people might forget to take them off.

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That could result in an unfortunate and ironic situation for the innocent.

Driving with your plates covered is illegal. Mistakenly leaving the covers on would create probable cause for police to stop the car  of a person who only wanted to protect his or her privacy.

That would be an automatic pull over, Carter said. No doubt.

Tweet of the Week

Goes to Rep. Scott Peters (@RepScottPeters), on voting against the budget bill.

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Some people have called this bill drunken sailor spending, but as a San Diegan, I have too much respect for drunken sailors to associate them with this. I will just say its super irresponsible.
Jahi Turner lived in San Diego for two days in 2002 before he vanished.

Investigators believed almost from the start that the boisterous 2-year-old was killed by his stepfather, Tieray Jones, and thrown in the trash. Jones was the one who reported Jahi missing, telling police the toddler had disappeared during a trip to a neighborhood park.

Jahis body was never found, but Jones is going on trial, charged with the childs murder.

Opening statements are expected to begin in San Diego Superior Court on Thursday for the trial that could last until the end of March.

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Jahi Turner (Courtesy photo )

Jahis reported disappearance from a park in Golden Hill sparked massive search efforts by law enforcement and more than 1,000 volunteers. Authorities spent six days raking through tons of trash at the Miramar landfill, looking for evidence or a small body.

Despite the efforts, county prosecutors announced in 2004 that they didnt have enough evidence to charge anyone in the crime. The case appeared to have gone cold until 2016, when Jones was arrested.

Here is a history of how the events unfolded, from Jones first 911 call to the San Diego Police Department.

Jahi reported missing

Jones, 23, called 911 at 2:26 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, April 25, 2002. He reported that he couldnt find his stepson at a playground along the southeastern edge of Balboa Park, off 28th and Cedar streets.

He told San Diego police he and Jahi had walked to the park from their apartment about a mile away on Beech Street. He left the boy on some playground equipment with two children accompanied by a woman. He walked 150 yards to a vending machine to buy a drink and returned about 15 minutes later. By then the boy was gone, as were the woman and two other children.

San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman was a lieutenant then, working that day as the watch commander who began directing officers toward the park to search for the boy.

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Jahis mother, Tameka Jones, 18, a Navy seaman, was rushed home from her deployment aboard the amphibious transport Rushmore.

In the back of everyones mind was the tragic disappearance in February of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam from her Sabre Springs home. Thousands of people searched all over the county for the missing girl.

Her body was found three weeks later in Dehesa. Her neighbor, David Westerfield, was charged and later convicted of murder and kidnapping, for which he was sentenced to the death penalty.

The search

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Soon after Jahi was reported missing, the area around the park was swarming with police officers and sheriffs search and rescue volunteers with dogs, on horseback, in the air.

They questioned people in the park. They knocked on doors. They questioned registered sex offenders. They interviewed Jones at his apartment and again at police headquarters. They told the public he was not a suspect.

After two days, investigators classified the missing persons case as an abduction. Police spokesman David Cohen told reporters, We simply can no longer conclude that this 2-year-old boy walked away by himself.

Searchers on horseback set off into Florida Canyon to look for any trace of Jahi Turner on May 2, 2002 ( San Diego Union Tribune )

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There was a tremendous amount of interest in it, Cohen said recently, recalling those early days and weeks after Jahi disappeared. There was an intensive effort by the department to find him. I was quite surprised we never found him. Maybe I shouldnt have been.

Private investigator Bill Garcia lived near the park then and heard police helicopter announcements of the childs description. He walked to the park and saw that law enforcement was really on it, he said in a recent interview. Something credible would have showed up, (if) Jahi was ever there. That never happened.

Garcia organized search parties that ultimately involved more than 1,000 volunteers. So many people worked long hours. And they did it for a boy who had been in San Diego for 2  days, he said.

On April 30, Tieray and Tameka Jones made an emotional, on-camera appeal to the public for help.

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Tieray and Tameka Jones at an April 30, 2002 news conference (Laura Embry/San Diego Union-Tribune )

Whoever may have taken Jahi, we dont care who you are, Tameka Jones said. We just want you to return him to his family. Just drop him off in a safe place so that someone can find him and bring him to us.

Neighbors at the Jones apartment complex told police some troubling observations. One woman said she saw Tieray Jones taking garbage bags and a large duffel bag to a trash bin the day before he reported Jahi missing. A second woman said she saw Jones take trash to a different bin.

On May 1, police launched an enormous and daunting task: raking through 5,000 tons of trash at the Miramar landfill, opening bags, looking for anything linked to Jahi. Many dozen officers, including police recruits and Marines, donned safety suits and masks as they scraped through loads dumped near them by bulldozers.

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Searchers in protective suits rake through garbage at the Miramar Landfill on May 2, 2002, looking for evidence of Jahi Turners disappearance. (Earnie Grafton/San Diego Union Tribune )

The investigation

Homicide investigators questioned Tieray Jones extensively about inconsistencies in his statements about walking Jahi a mile to the park about 12:45 p.m. and what he did for the next hours. He was considered a suspect almost immediately, but authorities denied it publicly.

The childs prints were not found on any playground equipment. No one at the park that day recalled seeing a black man with a small boy. Neighbors didnt see them walking together.

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Further, Jones kept a diary meant to be shared with his wife when she returned from deployment. To investigators, a few entries suggested Jahi suffered an untreated injury by accident or abuse.

Jones wrote on April 23, 2002, For some reason he hasnt been moving or really talking. Jahi is starting to act really funny he wont get up off the floor. Hes not walking or talking when I tell him to get his cup he just looks at me.

It continues, I know its going to take some time. But I dont want him hating me for something I cant control. The bump on his head has gone down I put ice on it. Its gotten a little red.

Another passage refers to Jahi wetting the bed he shared with his stepfather.

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Forensic tests showed Jahis blood on a onesie outfit and an Elmo blanket. The boys pajamas were found in Jones car trunk and other pieces of his clothing were found in a Dumpster.

In June, investigators discovered that they probably searched the wrong landfill. Some of the apartment trash was taken to the Otay dump. Officials decided against a search there, citing health risks for the searchers and the slim hope of finding any evidence.

Publicly, the case went largely quiet for a year.

Tieray Jones returned to Maryland, homestate for him, his wife and her son by a former boyfriend, Tramane Sampson. Tameka Turner joined the Navy and married Jones in 2001.

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Jones found himself in trouble with the law in Maryland, where he was arrested on two misdemeanor marijuana warrants. His wife joined him on the East Coast. They had a second child in 2003, but later divorced.

Still in Maryland, Tieray Jones was arrested in 2004 for a shooting and received a five-year prison sentence. In 2005 he was indicted on a murder charge in a 2000 fatal shooting, but the charges were dropped.

Meanwhile, San Diego investigators on the Jahi Turner case presented their evidence against Jones to prosecutors for review. In January 2004, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced that no charges could be filed because of insufficiency of evidence.

Jones was not named when Dumanis issued a statement saying, This case has undergone an exhaustive review and, unfortunately, still there is no closure.

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A homicide lieutenant said prosecutors didnt want to risk losing the case with no second chance should new evidence surface later.

On March 17, 2015, Detective Maura Mekenas-Parga recorded a planned phone call between Tieray Jones and his ex-wife. Tameka Turner asked him what really happened to Jahi. He stammered an incoherent answer.

He is quoted in a transcript as saying, in part: No I said, baby, if there  I said if there was, if ah, if there was an accident or something, it would have been an accident . It was something that I  You know what, what  If if there was an accident and I could not, you know, that I dont know, then I am just saying it was an accident. 

The quoted material ended with, If it was an accident sweetheart, I would have just said it was an accident. Im not, I dont, I have never run away from anything.

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The arrest

On April 19, 2016, Jones, then age 37, was arrested in Rocky Mount, North Carolina by local police, U.S. Marshals and San Diego investigators. He was charged with the murder of Jahi Turner.

District Attorney Dumanis called the case without a doubt one of the highest profile unsolved cases in San Diego County and added, I wasnt sure this day was ever going to come.

Police Chief Zimmerman said a new team of investigators began to piece together new leads two years earlier, but she did not explain what those leads were.

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An arrest warrant affidavit by Detective Mekenas-Parga unsealed in May 2016 details evidence against Jones. The document quotes from Jones diary and concludes that there was evidence to suggest Jahi Turner suffered a fatal physical injury while in the sole care and custody of Tieray Jones between April 22 and April 25, 2002.

Mekenas-Parga wrote that the diary and the obviously faked disappearance story support an inference that Jones either inflicted an unintentional but fatal injury on Jahi because of his bedwetting, or Jahi suffered an accidental injury that Jones failed to get treated.

Court proceedings

A December 2016 preliminary hearing ended when San Diego Superior Court Judge Charles Rogers found there was sufficient evidence to try Jones for murder.

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Jones later changed attorneys. Deputy Public Defender Courtney Cutter last month asked trial Judge Joan Weber to dismiss the case on grounds Jones was denied his right to a speedy trial. Weber denied the request, but said it could be raised again after trial if appropriate.

Testimony for the prosecution is expected to take about three weeks, followed by possibly two weeks for the defense case.

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pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
On a sunny mid-September morning, men and women in white lab coats and dark business suits gathered before a phalanx of television cameras near San Diego Bay to address the nations largest hepatitis A outbreak in decades.

Though the public health crisis had been identified more than six months earlier, it was the first time that medical and elected leaders stood together in public, symbolically taking joint responsibility for a viral scourge that took root among the regions homeless residents.

The results were nearly instantaneous.

A week prior to that day, Sept. 19, 2017, the county had vaccinated 27,307 people against hepatitis A since the outbreak had been identified in March. A week after, the vaccination total shot past 52,000.

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It took half a year to inoculate 27,000, but only two weeks to nearly double that total.

Given that just a single dose of the hepatitis A vaccine is 90 percent effective at preventing infection, this sudden vaccination acceleration was a key result of the complex public health campaign against a virus that killed 20 people and infected 578 throughout San Diego County.

Today, more than 120,000 vaccinations have been administered, and no new case of outbreak-related hepatitis A has been detected since Jan. 3.

Theres no denying that vaccination uptake increased significantly after local leadership started speaking in a unified and direct manner to the public about the severity of the problem.

However, those who were most directly involved say getting control of hepatitis A took much, much more than the words of leaders standing in front of the country administration building.

In addition to public health officer Dr. Wilma Wootens declaration of a public health emergency on Sept. 1, there were a broad range of specific actions taken. They included installing hand-washing stations and portable toilets in locations where the homeless congregate and regularly washing city sidewalks with a bleach solution to help make conditions more sanitary for those living on the streets.

While its difficult to say which of these interventions helped the most, many point to the work of hundreds of nurses, homeless outreach workers and law enforcement officers who took vaccination efforts into the canyons, back alleys, riverbeds and other out-of-the way locations far from the more-traditional soup kitchens and assistance centers where vaccination campaigns began.

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Sanitation efforts were surely important, said Fran Butler-Cohen, chief executive of Family Health Centers of San Diego, the regions largest community clinic network and a major provider of the health workers who participated on mobile foot teams.

But boots on the ground were necessary to truly turn the tide, she said. Persistence and existing knowledge of the homeless population counted for a lot.

We encountered homeless who truly thought this was a county conspiracy to kill them off or to get them to move and go away, Butler-Cohen said. In many cases, we didnt start out with a lot of trust, and thats something that just had to be built over time,

Family Health Centers employees often accompanied other workers out into the field and even used gift cards, at one point, to persuade people to get vaccinated. Changing tactics as the outbreak continued, she said, was essential to making progress as summer turned to fall.

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This is not a simple population to bring any medical service to, Butler-Cohen said. If nothing else, what we experienced with hep A is the message that youve got to try to tackle these kinds of problems in many different ways, youve got to move quickly and youve got to be able to sustain your efforts for a long time.

In a short emailed statement, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said he thought vaccination was the single most effective thing we did to turn the tide during the hepatitis A crisis.

We pulled out all the stops to raise public awareness about the importance of vaccinations, he said. We offered free vaccines at libraries, had officers accompany nurses into homeless encampments, won state approval so our firefighter paramedics could administer vaccines, and conducted a media blitz to get the word out every day. Some of those things were happening before, and its clear that the extra push that began in September made all the difference.

Its important to note, added county supervisor Ron Roberts, that the all-hands-on-deck effort that coalesced in September would not have been possible without the months of behind-the-scenes meetings that occurred from March through August. Mapping outbreak cases and working on vaccination and sanitation campaigns in jails and emergency rooms developed the kind of intelligence necessary to scale up into a larger effort.

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At the time that we had that press conference in September we had already done 400-plus field events, Roberts said. By then, we had a much better understanding of what we were dealing with in every respect.

As the outbreak continued to grow, some criticized local leadership for not moving with enough urgency though its clear, looking at a timeline of events, that much work started immediately in March.

Whats also clear is that most of that work was not very visible to the public. A series of regular press statements and regular weekly updates of death and case totals did not really catch fire until numbers grew eye-poppingly large.

Would it have been better to come out to the public and call the outbreak an emergency earlier on?

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Thats a tricky question.

Dr. Eric McDonald, chief of the countrys Epidemiology and Immunization Services Branch, said there was a significant concern right from the beginning that making a call for vaccination too broadly could quickly burn through available vaccine supplies, which were already strained by several hepatitis A outbreaks in other cities.

The fact is, McDonald said, most people not in or directly serving the homeless and drug users who were most often getting sick, really didnt need to be vaccinated because hepatitis A is spread through fecal contamination. For most people, ingesting the feces of an infected person, even a very small amount, was just not likely unless they were in regular and close contact with the homeless and/or drug-using population.

Making too broad-based a vaccination push, McDonald said, could have backfired by funneling vaccine doses to low-risk residents at the expense of those who needed it most.

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There is a balance between making sure the right people get the vaccine and that there is enough public awareness that people understand whats going on and take action, McDonald said.

Roberts added that when it was decided to be more public with the vaccination effort, it became clear that some people who really didnt need to get the shot would do so out of fear. For this reason, Roberts said, he didnt roll up his own sleeve.

I knew that I personally was not really in one of the high-risk groups, and I thought the vaccine needed to be focused on the people who needed it the most, Roberts said. I know a lot of people who shared with me that they got vaccinated and sometimes, privately, I thought well, that was probably a waste.

As the outbreak grew in size, and as the strains of the hepatitis A virus that caused San Diegos outbreak began to pop up in other places, from Santa Cruz County and Los Angeles to Utah and Kentucky, the public health world began to take notice.

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Dr. Jesse Jacob, an infectious diseases specialist and hospital epidemiologist at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, said the amount of time it took for San Diego to get its outbreak under control was within normal expectations. Local efforts, especially the use of foot teams that drew in law enforcement as well as outreach workers and nurses, she said, were particularly noteworthy.

I dont think that particular approach has been done before, he said.

Though she declined to grant an interview on the subject, Dr. Monique Foster, a medical director with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an email that San Diego deployed novel strategies and tactics for vaccination of a hard-to-reach population.

Some of these strategies and tactics could be replicated by other state health departments dealing with a hepatitis A outbreak among populations similar to the outbreak in San Diego, Foster added.

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She particularly cited partnerships with community groups who work day in and day out with the homeless, saying they can go a long way in increasing the uptake of vaccinations.

McDonald said that going forward the county plans to continue focused vaccination work in county jails, behavioral health facilities and other places where people who are at greatest risk reside or receive services.

He noted that there is still a lot of fundamental work to be done getting people vaccinated for hepatitis A who would have been recommended to receive the shot because of their other medical conditions, such as chronic liver disease, even if the outbreak had never happened.

For example, he said, 308 of the 578 outbreak cases had conditions that meant they should have been vaccinated long before the outbreak happened.

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Correction: A previous version of this story referred to Family Health Centers of San Diego as Family Health Services of San Diego. We apologize.

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Health Playlist On Now Video: Why aren't Americans getting flu shots? 0:37 On Now Video: Leaders urge public to help extinguish hepatitis outbreak On Now San Diego starts cleansing sidewalks, streets to combat hepatitis A On Now Video: Scripps to shutter its hospice service On Now Video: Scripps La Jolla hospitals nab top local spot in annual hospital rankings On Now Video: Does a parent's Alzheimer's doom their children? On Now Video: Vaccine can prevent human papillomavirus, which can cause cancer 0:31 On Now 23 local doctors have already faced state discipline in 2017 0:48 On Now EpiPen recall expands On Now Kids can add years to your life

paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1850

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Mexican authorities have arrested the alleged leader of the Zetas drug cartel  long one of the countrys most powerful and notoriously brutal criminal groups.

Jose Maria Guizar Valencia, who is accused of overseeing an organization that traffics thousands of pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine to the United States each year, was nabbed Thursday while entering a hotel in a fashionable neighborhood in Mexico City, authorities said Friday.

Mexican National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said in a statement that Guizar, 38, was captured without force.

In a nation gripped by escalating violence driven by warring criminal groups, Guizar was one of Mexicos most-wanted men. The United States had offered a $5-million reward for his arrest and had formally requested his extradition. Sales said there are arrest warrants for Guizar in several U.S. states for crimes including arms smuggling, kidnapping and murder.

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His capture was celebrated by public officials from both sides of the border, with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Roberta Jacobson tweeting that Guizars arrest and other law enforcement efforts make Mexico and the United States safer.

But others reacted with caution, noting that in the past, Mexicos kingpin strategy of targeting cartel leaders has not reduced violence, and in fact may have increased it.

In the decade since Mexico sent tens of thousands of soldiers into the streets to battle drug trafficking organizations so powerful they were often compared to multinational corporations, dozens of drug lords, including Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, have been taken into custody or killed.

While the kingpin strategy may have stopped Mexico from being completely overtaken by drug cartels, it unleashed a wave of bloodshed as criminals fought for control of lucrative drug trafficking routes and extortion and fuel theft schemes. Mexicos homicide rate is soaring. Last year it hit a 20-year high.

It must be said that as soon as a leader is arrested, another leader often appears, security expert Ricardo Ravelo said in a radio interview Friday.

In the year since Guzman was extradited to face charges of murder and drug trafficking in the U.S., his Sinaloa cartel has weakened significantly, and is now battling an ascendant group called the Jalisco New Generation cartel in several states.

In other parts of the country, such as the seaside resort of Acapulco, the cartel system has collapsed completely, with historic levels of violence being driven by dozens of warring street gangs.

Authorities say Guizar, known by his Zetas code name Z 43, was born in Tulare, Calif. He first appeared on the radar of Mexican law enforcement officials in 1998, when he allegedly began trafficking drugs in the state of Michoacan.

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The Zetas cartel he went on to lead evolved from a group of deserters from the Mexican Special Forces. The ex-soldiers were hired to serve as a security force for the Gulf cartel, but in 2010 broke with their former employer to start their own drug trafficking network.

Via street battles and gruesome tactics that included beheadings, videotaped assassinations and the hanging of mutilated bodies from bridges, the Zetas became the most powerful force in several states, including Tamaulipas, on the Texas border. Officials say the groups reach extends down to Guatemala.

Perhaps the groups most shocking exploit was the 2010 killing of 72 migrants in the Tamaulipas town of San Fernando. Investigators said the migrants were shot to death after they refused to work for the cartel.

Experts say the group has weakened in recent years, and has begun to splinter into different factions.

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They are very diminished compared to what they were at their height, said security expert Alejandro Hope. Still, he said, its an important arrest.

Guizars capture in the countrys capital shocked many who have long viewed Mexico City as a haven from the drug war violence engulfing other parts of nation. But there have been signs that violence may be encroaching, including a large banner hung from one of the citys main highways this week announcing the arrival of the Jalisco New Generation cartel. Law enforcement officials said they were investigating the banner to see if it is authentic.

Roma, the neighborhood where Guizar was arrested, is known as one of the nations trendiest, home to world-famous restaurants, expensive clothing stores and luxurious hotels.

Juan Carlos Silva, chief of the anti-drug division of the federal police, said in a radio interview that Guizar was about to walk into one such hotel Thursday. He was traveling without armed guards, likely in an effort to blend in, Silva said. Because of that, authorities were able to capture Guizar, he said.

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kate.linthicum@latimes.com

Twitter: @katelinthicum

Times researcher Scott Wilson and Cecilia Sanchez in The Times Mexico City bureau contributed to this report.
An Amtrak train struck and killed a pedestrian at about 6:30 a.m. Sunday a half-mile north of the Sorrento Valley transit station, the county sheriffs department reported.

The northbound train was traveling at about 60 mph when the engineer saw a younger-looking male adult emerge from nearby bushes and run toward the train tracks, said sheriffs Deputy Jason Burk.

The train went into emergency braking but was not able to stop before striking the male as he stepped onto the tracks, Burk said in a statement.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not released.

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roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley
Horseback riders spotted a mans body in the ocean surf off Border Field State Park in Imperial Beach Saturday evening, according to one of the riders.

Kelly Osborn told OnSceneTV that they were riding on the beach less than a quarter-mile from the Mexican border, when he made the discovery.

He said, Look, theres a body, said Osborn. There was a man in swimming trunks, rolling around dead in the surf.

She said they called 911. Life guards, paramedics, the Border Patrol and sheriffs deputies responded about 5 p.m. A sheriffs official said the case was turned over to the Medical Examiners Office.

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We find a lot of strange things on the beach but that was a first, Osborn said.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
Two men got into an argument today at a bar in San Diegos marina area and one was stabbed with a broken bottle, authorities said.

The stabbing was reported at 2 a.m. at McFaddens bar at 731 Fifth Avenue, San Diego police Officer Robert Heims said.

The suspect grabbed a bottle and hit the victim in the head,' Heims said. The bottle broke and the suspect used the broken bottle to slash the victim across the lower neck and stomach.'

The victim also suffered two puncture wounds to the shoulder.

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The victim was taken to a hospital with wounds not believed to be life-threatening, he said. The suspect fled.


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Press Release

February 11, 2018 De Lima tells gov't to ensure aid for displaced OFWs from Qatar Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has called on the Duterte administration to provide for the integration of hundreds of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) displaced due to the continued diplomatic row between Qatar and its neighboring countries. De Lima, a known human rights defender, said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should swiftly implement their contingency plans to assist OFWs and their families in the Philippines. "It is in these most challenging times that DOLE and DFA are expected to exemplify preparedness in providing assistance to overseas Filipino workers, including possible repatriation and reintegration," she said. "The government should ensure that OFWs would be assisted in finding decent jobs back home or other overseas destinations, if not help them set up business and livelihood in the country," she added. DOLE earlier confirmed that more than 600 Filipino workers in Qatar have recently lost their jobs, with most of them coming from Saudi-owned companies. It may be recalled that Saudi Arabia and six other Arab nations have severed their diplomatic ties with Qatar which they accused of allegedly supporting and financial Islamic extremist groups. Qatar is one of the top destinations for OFWs which are currently considered as the fourth biggest and fastest growing group of foreign workers. To ensure a more inclusive future for OFWs, De Lima also pressed the Senate leadership to act on her pending Senate Resolution No. 406, which called for the government to assess the impact of Qatar diplomatic crisis to OFWs who are residing or working in Arab countries "The safety of OFWs and their families should be the government's top priority and must never be compromised due to the crisis," she said. In filing Senate Resolution No. 406, De Lima noted the urgency to anticipate any worst-case scenario should tension linger on indefinitely, including the possible repatriation of OFWs deployed in the Arabian peninsula. Despite her continued unjust detention, the Senator from Bicol reiterated that she will never stop working hard in promoting a just society for the benefit not only of the OFWs but also of all her countrymen. De Lima has been a staunch protector of migrant workers' rights. Last August 2017, she also called for a Senate investigation into the implementation of the newly-launched OFW identification card which many fear will be used as a cash cow for some corrupt government and private entities.
Press Release

February 11, 2018 Gatchalian to DepEd: Prioritize digital literacy Senator Win Gatchalian is calling on the Department of Education (DepEd) to prioritize digital literacy programs in schools to produce digital-savvy graduates who will be equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in the modern world. "Most job opportunities nowadays, especially in lucrative emerging fields, require significant digital know-how. We should nurture the digital communication and cognitive skills of the youth, because this will pave their way toward more promising careers," said Gatchalian, the vice-chairman of the Senate Education Committee. The senator explained that digital literacy, which is defined as the capacity to evaluate, comprehend, and communicate information through digital or computer technology, "lies at the center of professional competence and economic productivity in the Digital Age we now live in." Employers in both the public and private sectors run operations which are increasingly reliant on technology and the Internet, thus establishing a direct link between digital literacy and employability. In 2017, DepEd partnered with the private sector to conduct a pilot study on new learning techniques that could promote digital literacy in the country. The senator said that this was a good starting point for DepEd to eventually refine the curricula observed in schools to include more in-depth digital literacy training. "I believe digital literacy can elevate the educational competencies of our students and economic competitiveness of our country, but the key is to start them young. We need to institutionalize advanced digital literacy training in our schools from an early age," Gatchalian said.
Press Release

February 11, 2018 Koko reminds Canada: Clean up your trash Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Sunday called on Canada to take back the 2,450 tons of garbage that it dumped in the Philippines in June 2013. Pimentel filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 553 on December 4, 2017, which called for a Senate inquiry on the shipment. "I call on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to be true to his word and take back the trash that was shipped to our country in violation of our laws. This can only enhance Canada's self-imposed burden of being a champion of human rights and the rule of law", said Pimentel. Trudeau in the 31st Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said that the legal barriers and restrictions preventing the return of the garbage to Canada have been addressed and it is now "theoretically possible" for Canada to get the trash back. The shipment is the subject of a criminal case filed by the Bureau of Customs against Chronic Plastics, Inc. in February 2014 for violating the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines and Republic Act No. 6969 or the Toxic Substance and Hazardous Wastes and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990. The Canadian government did not respond to a formal request made by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in 2015 to the Canadian embassy for assistance to bring the garbage back to Canada. The trash, which consisted of non-recyclable materials, including used adult diapers, were dumped at a private landfill in Tarlac in June 2015. Pimentel, a bar topnotcher, said that the ship violated not just RA 6969, but also the Philippine Constitution, which mandates the State to protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature. Pimentel said, "Canada's casual disregard for the health of Filipinos and the preservation of our environment shows a stark contrast to its supposed concern for our human rights. I challenge Prime Minister Trudeau to back his words with actions." President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday canceled a $233-million deal signed by the Philippines with Canada for the purchase of 16 helicopters after the latter raised concerns that the equipment will be used against rebels. The Canadian government ordered a review of the deal based on human rights concerns a day after it was signed by both governments.
Contact Energy's first-half earnings fell 11 percent as the electricity generator-retailer faced a dry spell which sapped its hydro generation in what it described as a "highly competitive" market.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and changes in the value of financial instruments, a measure in the electricity sector to demonstrate performance shorn of one-off factors, dropped to $236 million in the six months ended Dec. 31 from $264 million a year earlier, the Wellington-based company said. Net profit sank 40 percent to $58 million, or 8.1 cents per share, which it said was due to a greater reliance on thermal power supply. Revenue rose 15 percent to $1.19 billion.

The result was in line with Forsyth Barr analyst Andrew Harvey-Green's forecast for an 11 percent decline in ebitdaf to $236.1 million on a 14 percent increase in revenue to $1.18 billion.

"Wholesale market conditions in the first half of the financial year were book-ended by record low inflows into our Clutha catchment", chief executive Dennis Barnes said in a statement. "Our flexible thermal fuel supply and diverse assets ensured a reliable supply to customers through these dry periods, but the additional fuel and carbon costs incurred adversely impact financial performance."

Contact lucked out in the period as dry spells in the South Island left its hydro lakes operating below average, while wet weather in the North Island left rivals such as Trustpower and Mercury NZ flush with wholesale electricity prices almost twice what they were a year earlier.

Separately, Contact released its January operating metrics which show the weather didn't shift into the company's favour last month, with South Island storage at 87 percent of the mean as at Feb. 8. Inflows into the Clutha scheme were 44 percent of the average in January, compared to 50 percent in December, 69 percent in November, and 51 percent in October.

Contact's hydro generation dropped 46 percent in January to 191 gigawatt hours from the same month a year earlier and geothermal fell 8.9 percent to 257 GWh, while thermal generation soared to 305 GWh from 39 GWh a year earlier. The generation weighted average price climbed to $118 per Megawatt hour from $43/MWh in January 2017.

The company's earnings from generation dropped 13 percent to $173 million in the half due largely to a 21 percent decline in hydro generation to 1,635 GWh due to record low inflows to the Clutha dam. Earnings from the retail business shrank 4.5 percent to $63 million due to lower electricity sales volumes. Contact's customer numbers across electricity, gas and LPG rose to 568,500 as at Dec. 31 from 567,000 six months earlier as the company trimmed churn to 19.1 percent over the previous 12 month period, 1.8 percentage points below the market average.

The electricity generator-retailer didn't provide annual earnings guidance, saying "the extent of the dry period remains unknown" and that it will focus on growing operating free cash flow by clamping down on controllable costs.

Contact is looking to trim between $42 million and $62 million from its controllable costs to between $295 million and $315 million in the year ending June 30. Of that, $8 million-to-$18 million is expected to come from other operating costs and $22 million-to-$32 million from capital expenditure.

The company plans to pay 80-to-90 percent of operating cash flow in dividends once it reduces its net debt to ebitdaf ratio of 2.8 times and is targeting annual dividends of 32 cents per share in the 2018 financial year. Operating cash flow rose 5 percent to $141 million.

The board declared a fully imputed interim dividend of 13 cents per share, payable on April 6 with a March 16 record date. That's up from 11 cents a year earlier and represents 66 percent of operating free cash flow.

The shares closed at $5.34 on Friday and have gained 11 percent over the past 12 months.

(BusinessDesk)

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Fletcher Building, which had planned to reveal bigger losses at its building and interiors (B+I) unit today, has extended its trading halt until Wednesday saying it has yet to complete a review of key projects and has begun talks with lenders about breaching covenants.

The company first had its stock and capital notes halted last week, saying it expected to breach one or more of its debt covenants because of further "material losses" at B+I. The halt was to have lifted today.

"The current expectation of the board is that there will be further material losses in the B+I business beyond what was provided for in October 2017 and that once those further losses are determined and provided for, this will result in a breach of one or more of the covenants in the groups financing arrangements," it said in a statement today, repeating comments it made last week. "Since making the 8 February announcement, the company has commenced discussions with its lenders in relation to the expected covenant breaches."

Fletcher said the trading halt would lift before the start of trading on Wednesday, "prior to which it will provide to the market an update of its review and the status of its discussions with its lenders."

In October, chair Ralph Norris apologised to shareholders at their annual meeting for Fletcher's mistakes as the company took a further $125 million provision against problematic construction contracts including the Convention Centre in Auckland and the Justice Precinct in Christchurch and said its B+I unit would report a full-year loss of $160 million.

Its 2018 full-year earnings guidance, excluding the B+I loss, is $680 million to $720 million, suggesting full-year earnings including B+I could be as low as $520 million.

Auckland-based Fletcher had net debt of $1.95 billion as at June 30 last year. Its biggest source of debt funding is the private placement market at about $1.26 billion and it had $389 million in loans via its syndicated revolving credit facility with ANZ Bank New Zealand, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd, Bank of New Zealand, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Citibank, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp and Westpac New Zealand. Undrawn bank facilities stood at $536 million.

Fletcher shares last traded at $7.77 and have tumbled 23 percent in the past 12 months. Over the past five years, as the S&P/NZX 50 Index has climbed 94 percent, Fletcher fell 13 percent and was seemingly unable to capitalise on New Zealand's building boom.

(BusinessDesk)

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Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

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The Commissionerate of School Education, Andhra Pradesh (CSE AP) has released the admit cards for the Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (APTET), December 2017.Candidates who had applied for the test may visit the official website-- cse.ap.gov.in and aptet.apcfss.in to download the cards.

APTET is an eligibility test that is conducted by the Department of School Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh across 13 districts of the state. It is to determine the eligibility of the candidates to be teachers in the state govehrnment, Mandal Parishad, Zilla Parishad, municipality, private aided schools and private unaided schools in the state for classes I to VIII.

The application filling window was open from 18th December to 17th January. A total of 4,46,833 candidates had applied for APTET 2017, that includes 1,80,749 applicants for Paper 1, 2,12,794 for Paper 2, and 53,290 applicants for Paper 3.

The APTET examination will be conducted in two sessions (9.30 am to 12 noon and 2.30 pm to 5.00 pm) from 21st February to 3rd March, 2018.

Steps to download the admit cards

- Visit the official website, aptet.apcfss.in or cse.ap.gov.in

- Click on the link for admit cards or click here for direct link http://aptetht1837526.apcfss.in/SearchaptetHT180816830.htm

- Enter the required details in the spaces given and click on submit

Once the admit card details are displayed, make sure to take a print as you wont be allowed to enter the hall without the hall tickets.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Grasmere man, accused on Thanksgiving Day of illegally entering two homes in his community while allegedly flaunting a gun, previously had weapon charges dismissed because the gun was inoperable.

But burglary charges remained, and now Kahlil Harper has a felony conviction, although he will avoid jail.

Harper, 23, was busted on Nov. 23, around 8:45 a.m., court records said.

A police spokesman said the defendant kicked in the door of a Rockwell Avenue home at about 8:15 a.m., entered, displayed a gun and started yelling.

Harper went to a second home on Rockwell a short time later and banged on the door, said police. He pulled out what appeared to be a gun and racked the slide after a person opened the door, according to police and court papers.

"It's my gun; I got it two weeks ago," a criminal complaint quoted him as saying.

Harper was initially charged with multiple counts of criminal weapon possession and criminal firearm possession, along with burglary and menacing.

One of the burglary charges for which Harper was indicted accused him of illegally remaining inside a home with what appeared to be a firearm. The menacing charges accused him of displaying what appeared to be a gun.

After the defendant's arrest, the gun was tested at the NYPD lab and found to be inoperable, his lawyer, Mark J. Fonte, said at a court conference in December.

A gun must be in working order for a defendant to be charged with criminal weapon possession.

As a result, the weapon and firearm charges were dismissed, but the other counts remained.

On Friday, Harper pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to attempted second-degree burglary.

In exchange, he'll be sentenced on March 23 to five years' probation.

Fonte declined comment on the plea.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Becket Kiernan wanted to be a U.S. Marine from the time he was a little boy, according to family and friends.

In January, his family celebrated his graduation from Marine combat training. A month later, they're mourning the 18-year-old's death.

Kiernan, of Rochester, Mass., died Feb. 5 of a rare flesh eating disease known as Necrotizing fasciitis, his mother, Lynda Drennan Kiernan, told the Advance Sunday.

Born and raised on Staten Island, she said she'd often return home during the summer with her children to visit extended family in Pleasant Plains.

Becket Kiernan was the grandson of Richard Drennan, of Pleasant Plains, and the nephew of Michael and Juli Drennan of Eltingville.

During a telephone interview Sunday with the Advance, Kiernan reminisced about her son's determination to join the military.

"He was an avid reader, and studied military history," she said. "His goal was to be a Marine, and he achieved that."

Flu-like symptoms

Kiernan was stationed at a Marine base in Palm Springs, CA, when he began experiencing flu-like symptoms.

"He called me super early one morning, and said his hip and leg were killing him, and he couldn't sleep," said his mother.

After multiple visits with doctors on and off the military base, it was determined his illness was not the flu and demanded immediate attention, she said.

The phone call

Drennan Kiernan said she received a phone call from California at about 1 a.m. on Feb. 5 advising her to get on a plane immediately.

Within about 12 hours, she had made it to the hospital.

But it was too late.

She was met by a team of about a dozen doctors who treated her son. They allowed her a few moments alone with the body.

"I got to sit with him for about two hours until the coroner insisted on taking him," she said. "So I got that."

Fighting off tears, she said it was too painful to share what she told her deceased son. She did, however, share a message for family and friends on Facebook the day after his death.

"There are no words yet created to express how my heart is broken," she wrote. "How can my darling boy be gone and I'm still breathing?"

A man of service

Kiernan was an honor student whose hobbies included studying military history, according to family and friends who took to social media with photos and videos over the weekend.

As a teenager, he was a sergeant major with the Young Marines, and organized a Toys for Tots drive that helped thousands of children during the holidays, his mother said.

"He was always supportive of people, asking them 'are you Ok?'" she said. "He was like that since he was little. It's who he was."

Funeral services

Kiernan's wake is from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Home in Mattapoisett, Mass.

A funeral service is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday at Saint Anthony's Church in Mattapoisett. The burial service will follow at 11:30 am at the National Cemetery in Bourne, MA.

A repass will follow at the Trowbridge Tavern in Bourne, Mass.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The Staten Island Democratic Party's county committee has picked its candidate in this year's congressional race, giving Army veteran Max Rose their endorsement the other night.

But the drama is ready to ramp up on the other side of the race, with Rep. Dan Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) facing a challenge from former GOP Congressman Michael Grimm.

The Republican Party county committee is going to make its pick on Feb. 21. Expect a GOP primary no matter what the committee decides.

And on Feb. 15, the borough Conservative Party makes its pick. There could be some drama there as well.

Donovan had some tough sledding with the party after a falling out with his onetime boss, former Borough President James Molinaro, who remains a force in the Conservative Party that he helped found decades ago.

Molinaro has always denied it, but plenty of people believe that he engineered the effort that denied Donovan the Conservative nod for district attorney in 2011 as payback for Donovan recusing himself from a case involving Molinaro's grandson.

Now Molinaro is on the Grimm side, joining with his old pal, former Borough President Guy Molinari. Guy, also a former congressman, and Jim had fallen out as well after decades together in public life, but are now back on the same page. Does Molinaro still have clout enough with Conservatives to get the endorsement for Grimm, even though Donovan had the party's support in his two prior runs for Congress?

Brooklyn Conservatives have already backed Donovan in the 2018 race. If Staten Island goes with Grimm, then state chairman Michael Long would settle things.

If Grimm is shut out, he could still try to get the nomination via an opportunity-to-ballot campaign. With tiny turnouts the norm in those races, you never know what could happen.

So you could end up with Donovan having both nominations. Or Grimm having both nominations. Or a split between the two. No wonder Dems think they have a shot at the seat, even if just one Democrat, now-District Attorney Michael McMahon, has represented the district in Congress in the last 37 years.

Meanwhile, it would have been a shock to see the Democrats go with anyone but Rose.

He's raised more than $700,000 for the race so far, and money is the first thing that party honchos look at when evaluating a candidate. Rose has also been tabbed as the preferred candidate of the Washington Democratic establishment.

Rose is part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Red to Blue" program. He has a joint fund-raising program going with Queens Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley, head of the House Democratic caucus. He's been backed by Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the House Minority Whip, and others.

The Dems think they can re-take the House this year, and GOP President Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress are already counting on losing seats, particularly given that mid-term elections are always hard on the ruling party. The DCCC is betting that Rose will be part of that blue tide.

Then again, the DCCC dumped millions of dollars into the 2014 campaign of Brooklyn Democratic City Councilman Domenic Recchia, and Recchia got trounced by Grimm, who had a 20-count federal indictment for tax evasion hanging over his head. And establishment support from the likes of Hoyer, Crowley and the DCCC may not play well in the red borough.

But if Grimm is the GOP candidate, Rose's military record, which includes winning a Purple Heart in Afghanistan, will match up with Grimm's Marine Corps service during the first Gulf War. And unlike Recchia, at least Rose lives here, having moved to the Island two years ago.

Not the that Dem race is over. There are six other candidates out there who are vying for the nomination, with Mike DeVito and Mohan Radhakrishna also getting votes from the county committee. Omar Vaid is also out there, as are others. We'll see who gets enough petition signatures to get into a primary.

And we'll know a lot more about the GOP race soon enough.
The ACT's drug and alcohol sector has received no new infrastructure funding to support extra residential detoxification or rehabilitation beds in Canberra for at least eight years, despite a 36 per cent rise in demand.

While the territory government has put up about $11 million for the Ngunnawal bush healing farm, that centre has controversially included no actual clinical services for indigenous Canberrans.

Carrie Fowlie, executive director of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs ACT, who is concerned about the lack of funding for drug and alcohol centres for at least 10 years. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

Across the wider sector, the executive director of peak body Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs ACT, Carrie Fowlie, was "not aware of any new ACT or federal health funding to purchase more ACT residential drug treatment beds for Canberrans" since at least 2010.

In the past five years, the territory government has increased funding for services and programs for people seeking drug and alcohol treatment, up from $15.3 million in 2012-13 to $19.5 million in 2016-17, or about 1.2 per cent of last year's $1.6 billion health budget.
The ACT government is failing to abide by its own rules created in the fallout of the Land Development Agency scandal in not setting affordable housing targets, Greens crossbencher Caroline Le Couteur has warned.

Housing affordability will be a dominant issue when the ACT Legislative Assembly resumes on Tuesday.

Housing affordability will be a focus for all three parties when the ACT Legislative Assembly returns from the summer recess this week.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has hinted at measures to help first home-buyers in the government's mid-year budget review, set to be handed down on Tuesday.

But the ACT Greens have accused the government of failing to comply with the rules it set down when it shut down the controversial Land Development Agency last year.
Police have thanked the Canberra community for its help after locating a stolen car involved in a crime spree across Canberra's south.

ACT Policing said the silver Ford Falcon sedan was believed to have been stolen from Philip on Thursday.

A Ford Falcon like the one pictured was stolen and involve in a crime spree across Canberra's south

Police said the car was seen at Woolworths Caltex petrol station in Lanyon about 9.30am Friday.

An hour, later the car was involved in a petrol drive off at the Woolworths Caltex petrol station in Erindale.
Amazon's internal culture is notoriously tough - it has been described as gruelling and Darwinian. Only the fittest survive. In its hometown, the company has taken some unorthodox steps to keep staff happy (or motivated to fulfil its goal of dominating world commerce). Just outside of Day One, it has built a gigantic glass domed indoor rainforest, known as Spheres. It opened a couple of weeks ago, and is designed to be a place for staff to work and hold meetings surrounded by exotic plants. The Spheres at Amazon's newly opened headquarters in Seattle, featuring more than 40,000 plants and spaces for its workers to meet and think. Oh, dogs are allowed in Day One, and other Amazon buildings, too.

When I was waiting to meet a company representative in the lobby, I counted six of them in the space of about five minutes, walking through security with their owners. Store of the future The most transformative and certainly the most talked about experiment Amazon is involved in Seattle at the moment is on the building's ground floor. At street level, it has launched a concept store with no queues, no checkouts and cashiers, called Amazon Go. It's been described by many global outlets as the store of the future. In truth, the vibe I got was: convenience store. Albeit a nice, and ultra-modern one.

An Amazon.com Inc. employee shops for prepared food at the Amazon Go store in Seattle. Credit:Bloomberg Hovering at the entrance, a handful of Amazon employees were handing out reusable shopping bags, answering questions from befuddled customers, and generally watching over things. That was noteworthy because, if the concept takes off and is copied more broadly, it could render many retail jobs obsolete. Amazon says Go relies on similar technologies to self-driving cars (which could render driving jobs obsolete). Hundreds of cameras and sensors detect when a shopper takes something from a shelf, and when it is returned. Some American journalists have likened the experience to shoplifting, which feels apt. You open the Amazon Go app on your phone, scan it on a turnstile, grab what you want, and leave.

The space is small: 167 square metres. The shelves were stocked with all sorts of hearty lunchtime fare - sandwiches, salads, drinks and snacks, as well as staples like bread and milk. There was also extensive collection of craft beers and wines. Since it was mid morning, and this being America, I grabbed a Lumberjack breakfast sandwich. On the way out, in an adjacent aisle, I spotted some toothpaste and deodorant and grabbed them too. Amazon Go store promises to revolutionise grocery shopping. In total, I spent $US12.11, and just over four minutes, in the store. (The app, for some reason, records this).

It felt a bit longer than that. Maybe that's because I spent even longer at the entrance, observing shoppers interacting with the store and its layout, chatting to staff members about how the first week went. ( I also had to download the Amazon Go app, and give it my credit card details, because the card linked to my Amazon account from a stint in the US a few years ago no longer exists). The masterplan Amazon isn't saying whether Go in its current form will be rolled out more widely.

Personally, I don't expect the future of retail to be cashier-less convenience stores. It seems a safer bet that, at the very least, Amazon incorporates the technology and learnings from the experiment into its broader retail properties. Which now includes Whole Foods, the upscale grocery retailer it acquired in a shock $US13.7 billion deal last year. Whole Foods is a bit like Harris Farm, only if it were run by hippies - there's a stronger emphasis on natural, organic and wellness products. It has over 350 stores across America. As it turns out, one of the busiest is in Seattle, just 300 metres down the road from Day One (I went there to get melatonin drops, a great jetlag cure).

The chain' progressive and affluent customer base, its unique store layouts and notoriously long queues suggest it could be well suited to incorporating the technology used at Go. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but Amazon is rapidly integrating Whole Foods into its broader offering. For example, ast week it announced two hour home delivery of Whole Foods products for some customers. Do Amazon's unorthodox experiments point to a utopian dream for shoppers (who are also workers)? Or an Orwellian nightmare for society? That really depends on your perspective. But they sure are fun to look at. The writer travelled to Seattle as a guest of Microsoft.
Restrictions on the mortgage market should remain under "constant review" as debate shifts towards how regulatory curbs on home lending may be refined to promote competition, says regional lender Bank of Queensland.

After the Productivity Commission last week criticised as "excessively blunt" the banking regulator's caps on interest-only and property investor loans, BoQ chief executive Jon Sutton the curbs had clearly achieved the goal of taking heat out of the home loan market.

Bank of Queensland chief executive Jon Sutton backed debate on APRA's home loan caps. Credit:Daniel Munoz

Mr Sutton said in an interview he supported debate about how best to implement the "macroprudential" policies that had been introduced by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, pointing to more targeted interventions than the across-the-board caps introduced by APRA.

A key complaint about the APRA policy from smaller lenders including BoQ is that the caps have stifled competition, and this criticism was picked up in a landmark inquiry last week by the Productivity Commission.
And such is their size that they make up about 44 per cent of the value of the ASX20.

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They are the gorillas of Australia's economy and they have seized an even greater stranglehold over the market since the global financial crisis, which destroyed banks elsewhere, but seems only to have cemented Australian banks.

In reality, there are 147 "authorised deposit-taking institutions" with which Australians could choose to bank, down from 217 before the GFC. Much of that consolidation is due to credit unions consolidating, but the concentrated nature of our banking system is clear.

Of the $4.6 trillion in total "assets" held by such institutions, the major banks own fully three-quarters.

Now, don't get confused.

On the balance sheet of banks, these "assets" are actually the debts of Australians. A mortgage holders debt is actually an asset to a bank, underwritten, of course, by the value of the home.

Lending to Australians to buy homes has proved an enormously profitable endeavour for the banks.

The 140 banking-like institutions in Australia (excluding seven classed as "other) booked a net profit after tax of $35.9 billion in the 12 months to September 2017.

Of the $9.8 billion they earned in the September quarter alone, the big four took home $7.8 billion.

"Over the past 10 years, the major banks have generally achieved higher profit margins than other types of ADIs," the Commission's background paper notes.

It goes on to show how the major banks pulled in a profit margin of 36.4 per cent in the June quarter of last year. Other domestic banks enjoyed a significantly smaller profit margin of 24.7 per cent. Building societies and credit unions returned a margin of less than 20 per cent.

On another measure of profitability, the so-called "return on equity" (profits expressed as a proportion of shareholder funds invested), the big banks also far exceed that of smaller deposit-taking institutions.

The return on equity after tax of the entire sector was 12.5 per cent in the September quarter of last year.

By comparison, the major banks returned 13.6 per cent, on average.

Other domestic banks returned 10.4 per cent.

Building society and credit union returns on equity have fallen from about 10 per cent before the GFC to about 5 per cent.

Big banking is big business in Australia.

And while the Turnbull government has extended the scope of the commission to include the super industry and others, the main focus will continue to be the big banks.

They know it.

The big four have all lawyered up, each retaining major law firms and silks to defend themselves, and some establishing "war-rooms" in the head offices to manage the situation as it evolves.

No doubt they will rack up legal bills of similar size to the $75 million cost to the public purse of running the commission. And they will seek to pass those costs on to customers, or shareholders will book a hit.

But it will be a cost well worth wearing, assuming Justice Haynes performs the rigorous analysis he is expected to perform.

The banking industry holds a vital and privileged position in society.

The major banks do business safe in the knowledge that they cannot fail  they are so systemically important, the government will always step in to bail them out.

This creates what economists call a "moral hazard". Just think how reckless you would be with your money if you knew someone  your parents perhaps - would always bail you out.

It is this idea of moral hazard, combined with the competitive stranglehold the big four have over the banking industry, that has underpinned myriad instances of unacceptable behaviour over the past decade, from rigging markets, to screwing over customers, to allegations of money laundering.

At its heart, banking should be a relatively boring business of raising funds from one person, via deposits or borrowing, and lending it on to another person, and charging a margin for the service.

But in practice, Aussie banks have developed into sharemarket behemoths earning supersized returns for this relatively simple business.

It's time they were subject to some counterveiling power.

And that day is today. It could not come soon enough.
SunEnergy1 CEO Kenny Habul says he will meet with the PM Malcolm Turnbull to discuss how Australia can roll back energy prices.

Mr Habul said will meet with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull later this month to discuss how to halt spiralling power costs and restore the nations electricity prices to normality.

Speaking at the Bond Business Leaders Forum on the Gold Coast, Mr Habul said Australia needs to dramatically change its energy landscape in order to escape the energy price crisis, adding that there is a disconnect between Australian standards of living and electricity costs.

"For a country that has a very high standard of living, stable economic situation and tremendous opportunities, it makes no sense at all for the price of power to be more than a banana republic," the Australian head of global renewable firm SunEnergy1, and part-time racecar driver, Kenny Habul said.

"The current Australian Prime Minister has asked me to meet with him in a couple of weeks and just sort of talk about the general situation here in Australia and Im not an expert at it but I know the cost of power is astronomically high," Mr Habul said.

"So Im looking forward to speaking to the Prime Minister and hopefully understand a bit better why, particularly in Queensland, the rates are ridiculous."

Australian electricity prices are currently one of the highest in the world, and are a rising economic and political issue, as energy prices increased 12.3 per cent over 2017 alone, and prices forecast are to only increase further.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found Australian consumers are paying between $100 to $200 more for electricity than what could be considered reasonable, while a recent McKell Institute report found this could rise by up to $430 more on average by the end of 2019.

The federal government has actively worked with energy generators and retailers and outlined new national energy policies in order to drive down the prices, but there has been little headway made.
Management consultants are frequently pegged as the ruthless, cost-cutting guns-for-hire of the corporate world, whose big ideas often seem to result in smaller workforces.

But Dominic Barton, the global head of the world's biggest consultancy firm, McKinsey & Company, says that companies contemplating mass lay-offs in the face of rapid technological change should consider instead how to re-skill and redeploy their existing workforces - instead of just discarding them.

Robots and automation are killing jobs.

And, pointing to McKinsey research suggesting that at least 30 per cent of tasks carried out by 60 per cent of occupations could already be automated, he says that companies, governments and many OECD societies are not preparing fast enough for the changes to come - a failure that risked sparking even greater inequality and "massive disruption".

Mr Barton, speaking at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia lunch in Melbourne on Friday, pointed to global trends that McKinsey predicts will spark significant and rapid change in coming decades - including the shift of economic activity to urban areas within emerging markets, especially in Asia; an aging population world-wide; and massive advances in technology that will impact jobs across the workforce.
Thousands of cleaners have won a fight for greater job security after being warned they would have to reapply for their jobs for the first time in 24 years.

The NSW Department of Finance Services and Innovation last year notified United Voice, the union representing the cleaners, that employment guarantees in place since 1994 "will not be extended in the new contracts from 2018".

Following Fairfax Media reports on the issue, the NSW Government on Sunday said it would extend job guarantees to all permanent cleaners employed under the Whole of Government Facilities Management Contract.

It means existing cleaners will not have to reapply for their jobs if there is a change of cleaning supplier in their region.
It was partly Snow's guidance that helped me expand my vision for Zambrero, a Mexican restaurant that grew from a single store on Lonsdale Street, Braddon, in 2005 to a franchise of more than over 170 restaurants internationally.

As a medical student still hooked on the idea of entrepreneurship, I plucked up the courage to make a cold call to Canberra Airport's switchboard of the Canberra Airport seeking a meeting with the then chief executive, Terry Snow  one of the most successful entrepreneurs Canberra has ever produced  a move I proudly own as equal parts naive and audacious. Thankfully, Snow accepted the offer and became a mentor who supported my progression from student to doctor, small business owner, entrepreneur, businessman and, eventually, philanthropist.

Many entrepreneurs made an indelible mark on the world in the pursuit of their vision (Benjamin Franklin and John D. Rockefeller) and many gave generously to those less fortunate after their eventual success (Bill Gates, Andrew Carnegie and Oprah Winfrey).

As a kid growing up in suburban Canberra, something drew me to entrepreneurs  that almost mythical segment of society who had the capacity to imagine something not yet in existence, bring it to life and have it validated by broader society.

Snow also encouraged me to consider my impact beyond business. He had established the Snow Foundatiom in 1991, with his brother George, to improve the lives of those who are disadvantaged in Canberra, the surrounding region and beyond. As chief executive since 2006, Snow's daughter, Georgina Byron, focussed the foundation's attention on social welfare, health, education and employment. In the 27 years since it was established, it has donated $20 million to support 264 different organisations and more than 243 individuals.

One such organisation was One Disease, which I established in 2011 with the goal of eliminating crusted scabies from remote Indigenous communities. Crusted scabies is a highly contagious and chronic form of scabies, a skin disease that can result in pain and disfigurement and, if untreated, has a 50 per cent mortality rate over a five-year period. Indigenous Australians have the world's highest reported rates of crusted scabies.

In medical school, I learned a traditional teaching method in surgery  "see one, do one, teach one"  used by doctors to observe, practise, teach and master their field. Taking this lesson to philanthropy, to ensure the success of One Disease, I compiled a board of innovators, entrepreneurs and philanthropists including the likes of Professor Ngiare Brown, who was one of Australia's first Indigenous doctors, Professor Frank Bowden, who eliminated donovanosis from remote Indigenous Australian communities, and Professor Brian Schmidt, who won the 2011 Nobel prize for his research on supernovas and the universe's expansion.

Through the board's guidance and the support of organisations like the Snow Foundation, One Disease was remarkably successful, particularly in the Northern Territory. Crusted scabies is now a notifiable disease in the NT  a critical step in receiving the required funding and medical support for our mission. Elimination of crusted scabies is within sights, in the Northern Territory by the end of 2019 and the rest of Australia by 2022.

Canberra isn't always given the credit for having a dynamic culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. But Snow is one clear manifestation of that culture. Thanks to his and the One Disease board's mentorship, just like those entrepreneurs I idealised as a child, we at One Disease are realising our vision and making a mark on the world.
Also bear in mind that among the countries he proposes to sell these weapons to are our "friends", Britain and America. On the one hand Britain is one of the largest seller of second-hand armaments in the world and that America is selling billions of dollars' worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, which is using them to decimate, amongst others, the civilian populations of Yemen and Bahrain. John Galvin, Weston Too few specialists The front page article ("ACT's 'hidden' waiting list", February 10) on ACT waiting times will have hit a nerve for many in our community. The difference in waiting times revealed between private healthcare patients and Medicare patients would have disgusted many. Obviously we have too few specialists in some fields that allows some specialists to have the a godlike power on who gets healed and who does not.

Private patients are charged extortionate fees and that is the reason why specialists and other healthcare providers prefer them. I have not the slightest doubt that many specialists, with the help of accountants, pay little tax on the enormous amount of money they generate from our community. Obviously we need, in some fields, far more specialists. One of the good things about capitalism is the fact that the more competition provided the better the community does as far as price goes. Even more obviously true is that family trusts, negative gearing and other tax avoidance rorts should be modified. One of the traits a physician supposedly has is the eye of an eagle. This should not be allied with the rapacity of a vulture. Howard Carew, Isaacs

Out-of-state options Many Canberrans who are stuck on long waiting lists to see a specialist or undergo surgery ("ACT's 'hidden' waiting list", February 10, p1.) may not be aware that they can go interstate and still be treated under Medicare: GPs can refer patients to specialists and to hospitals anywhere. Although some hospitals may not prioritise patients who live outside their catchment area, there is nothing stopping patients working with their GP to find appropriate interstate specialists and hospitals with short waiting times. Permanent ACT residents who are referred interstate for medical treatment not available in the ACT can apply to the Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme for financial assistance to help cover travel and accommodation expenses. While this will not be an option for everyone, local GPs need to be more up-front in letting patients know that they are likely to be treated much more quickly if they are willing to travel outside of the ACT. Karina Morris, Weetangera

Colossal waste of time I'd agree that attendance at countless meetings to not lead to improved meaningful and measurable outcomes of workplace productivity and wellbeing ("The bored room", February 6, Public Sector Informant, p12). They do, however, accentuate hierarchical gradients. Executives grow roots at talkfests that serve to barricade their being accessible to worker bees that continue to serve customers, pack groceries or look after the sick. As a hospital doctor responsible for the emergency unit, I fear being prised from my clinical obligations to attend pointless management meetings, leaving patients in the care of unsupervised junior doctors. My mind is necessarily distracted, knowing that when the meeting ends, I'll return to a chaotic and stressed ward that has not coped well for the duration of my absence without replacement. I notice some to stare vacantly ahead with heavy lids, daydreaming of somewhere other than the purgatory they have been condemned to. Ingenuously hidden smartphones are a heavy-sent conduit to more amusing matters among the younger set. Seriously though, we need to protest the amount of publicly funded time wasted on the ravenous malignancy of interminable meetings whose attendance subtracts staff from what they are employed to do in the first place, a vocational obligation to work to serve a business, hospital or community. Dr Joseph Ting, Carina, Queensland Bargaining rules The government's bargaining rules for public servants require the Public Service Commissioner to approve proposed pay rises before they are discussed with staff and unions, and the commissioner's approval is needed before agencies can table their final position with employees. Given Mr Lloyd's links to the IPA, a right-wing think-tank  he was a former director at the institute, and remains a member  wouldn't it be more efficient to have the IPA write the bargaining agreements for the public service and save a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between departments and the Public Service Commissioner? Peter Dahler, Calwell

Let the jury decide A recent letter writer (February 9) wrote to The Canberra Times in response to media reports about my review of the pilot ACT citizens' jury. The writer asserted that my report included some critiques: "Among them is the 'modest size' of the jury as 'the $2.8million allotted' 'paled in comparison with other prominent citizen juries'. What evidence is there that good decision making improves with group size?" There isn't any such evidence; on the contrary, decision-making tends to get worse with size. News of the report was generally accurate. But as readers, the media and the government debated the report, some details became obscured. For example, it wasn't the size of the jury that I critiqued, but the short duration of the process. Also, I did not claim that the pilot citizens' jury (on car insurance reform) itself cost $2.8million. I understand that this cost applies to the whole series of citizens' juries that are set to run on a range of topics. I encourage readers to have a look at the report itself, which is available at the ANU Project on Deliberative Governance and Law webpage. In general, the report was far from critical of the pilot citizens' jury. On the contrary, it was largely positive. It offered only three main critiques, each in the spirit of constructive criticism. The report made clear, I hope, that citizens' juries are an excellent idea and they should continue to run in the ACT. Ron Levy, Associate Professor ANU Law School, Australian National University Don't cut speed limit ...

There have recently been arguments that the speed limits in the ACT are too low, but I venture to suggest that, whatever speed limit is set, irresponsible drivers will still speed past a vehicle which is obeying the speed limit. In the past couple of days, when travelling at the posted limit, I have been passed by "hoons" who not only were doing at least 20km/h faster than I was but also, in passing, crossed over double unbroken lines. Ken McPhan, Spence ... don't stop weeding Someone has started to do something about the deplorable infestation of weeds on our roadways. Smartest young fellow I've seen for a while. Saturday morning, southern end of the Majura Weedway. (Finally), one bloke with a brushcutter. Good luck young man. Maybe you'll get some help one day. Maybe, after you've done the rest of the city, they'll let you come back to dig them out because they'll be two metres high and seeding across the countryside again. We've already seen what happens when blackberries are ignored. This section of the Monaro Highway is, after all, the first and last impression of many visitors to our thriving metropolis. Anthony Bruce, Gordon

Reckless driving I have just returned from Tuggeranong, coming up Isabella Drive and turning into Cockcroft Avenue at 3.50pm. A route 63 bus was stationary at the bus stop outside Goodwin Village with its lefthand blinker going which would indicate that someone was either getting on or off the bus. As there is a roundabout outside Goodwin Village I stopped and waited for the bus to move as there was very little room between the bus and the roundabout should I have wished to go past the bus and enter into Goodwin Village. To my absolute amazement, a white four-wheel-drive passed me and the bus, which by this time had started to move away from the kerb. Had it not been for the bus driver's quick reaction, the four-wheel-drive would have mounted the roundabout, hit the sign and caused damage to himself as well as the sign and caused what could have been a nasty accident for themselves, the bus and its passengers and perhaps myself. Coming on top of the letter of February 8, I cannot believe how similar the circumstances were and the subsequent reactions of the bus drivers involved. Jim Crane, Monash

Served in vain I enlisted in the Australian Army in 1977, five years after the Vietnam War, yet I was frequently accused of war crimes simply because I wore the uniform. Service to one's country means giving up the normal luxury and comforts of our society; it means hardships, loyalty and devotion to duty all in service to the people that accuse you of war crimes. My accusers had no understanding of the nature of military service nor often even the facts of the Vietnam War. US armed forces actions at places like My Lai seem to have convinced my accusers that all members of the Australian Army joined up explicitly to commit atrocities. These accusations left me feeling sick and powerless. It was clear that my accusers were not interested in any rebuttal from me  they just wanted to bully me because somehow my choice to serve my country threatened them. And 41 years on, I'm seeing it all again from the Greens party behaviour with respect to Senator Jim Molan. Listening to someone hide behind parliamentary privilege to espouse the same appalling falsehoods and bully someone who served our country is still sickening.

Dave McLachlan, Kambah Switch to electric cars Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel is quite right in his support of electric vehicles. Europe and China are showing the way, but with people like Coalition backbencher Craig Laundy pulling in the opposite direction, Australia could be left wallowing in the past. There are several benefits of electric vehicles. Apart from in their construction, they are responsible for lesser volumes of greenhouse gas emissions than conventionally powered vehicles, or none at all if they use power from renewable sources for recharging their batteries. Neither do they produce the fine particulate matter, hazardous to human health, that is emitted by many, if not all, diesel-powered vehicles. Another benefit is their relative silence, except for tyre noise at higher speeds, and I for one would be pleased to see the demise of loud exhaust systems. This brings me to the one potentially significant drawback: because of their lack of noise  at least at lower urban speeds  they could present a hazard to pedestrians. This, however, is easily overcome by observing the rule we were taught as children before we crossed a road: stop, look right, look left, and look right again before crossing. Dr Douglas E. Mackenzie, Deakin

TO THE POINT SPENDING AT LIGHT SPEED I congratulate Keith Pantlin (Letters, February 7) for having coined the term "light rail dollars", which is likely to become an accepted yardstick for measuring the extravagance of government infrastructure white-elephants. Just as a "light year" is the accepted measure of mind-boggling astronomical distances, the "light rail dollar" rating will become the accepted measure of mind-boggling government extravagance. Bruce Taggart, Aranda

INGRATIATING THE RICH Under semantics of "wider measures to facilitate investment and job creation in the territory", public money is donated to ingratiate rich mates ("More than $2.1m in tax waived in 2015", February 10, p5). Why is the publicly funded scheme for "sustainable or adaptable building design" continuing to produce humpies? Albert M. White, Queanbeyan A FLASH SUGGESTION I agree with Ken Brazel (Letters, February 10) that we need lights on school zone speed restriction signs that would flash when the signs are applicable. These signs make more demands on drivers than most road signs, as they contain more information; but are not relevant every day. You have to think: "Is this a school day? What time is it?" Flashing lights would answer these questions for you.

Michael McCarthy, Deakin REASON FOR SOLAR Replying to John L. Smith, we installed rooftop solar and a battery in 2016 because neither ACTEWAGL nor any Australian government had done enough to move away from coal and methane for electricity production. Richard Horobin, Curtin LAUGHABLE CRITICISM

Richard Keys (Letters, February 9) is obviously confused when he claims that Molan "must have enjoyed sending the RAAF to the Middle East". It may come as a surprise to Mr Keys, but in this country, retired major-generals (even still serving ones) don't get to decide on operational commitments of the ADF. His criticism of Senator Molan, and the rest of his post, is laughable. Kym MacMillan, O'Malley CLEVER JUXTAPOSITION I enjoyed the juxtaposition ("Hidden waiting list: surgeries taking up to five years", February 10, p4) and opposite ("ACT says no to fed's public hospital funding accord". February 10, p5). Well done. Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla.
The financial world will be keenly tuned in this morning, when the royal commission into misconduct in the industry formally kicks off in Melbourne.

Commissioner Kenneth Hayne will make his first public statements on this historic inquiry into a vast part of our economy, which has lost much of the community's confidence after a run of scandals in recent years.

Australia's big banks.

The royal commission is a chance to shine a light on misbehaviour by banks and others in finance, and in the process, hold these institutions accountable and rebuild some of this trust.

The Herald, which has long called for a royal commission, hopes that is the case.
The major losers under the Turnbull government's revamp of childcare payments will be low to middle-income families, departmental figures show.

Figures obtained under Freedom of Information legislation show 161,003 low to middle-income families will be worse off under the new system, and a further 15,692 families will receive no assistance at all.

The government's changes to childcare payments begin on July 1 this year and roll two payments - the Childcare Rebate and the Childcare Benefit - into one payment.

The Turnbull government is introducing a new childcare payments system on July 1 this year. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Of the 1.147 million families currently receiving some form of assistance, 810,944 families across all income groups will see their payments increase, and a further 57,800 families will see no change to their payments.
Bill Shorten is promising to set up a compensation fund for survivors of the Indigenous stolen generations - offering payments of $75,000 - in a bid to resolve the "unfinished business" of Kevin Rudd's 10-year-old apology.

The pledge comes as the Turnbull government's latest Closing the Gap report shows a slight improvement in the fight to tackle Indigenous disadvantage - although closing the life expectancy gap remains a stubbornly distant goal.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will table the 10th annual Closing the Gap report in Federal Parliament on Monday, showing that three of the seven targets are on track to be met - up from just one last year.

PM Malcolm Turnbull will table the report on Monday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The target to halve child mortality is back on track, as are the goals around early education and year 12 attainment. While this makes it the most promising result since 2011, the other four goals - overall life expectancy, employment, reading and numeracy, and school attendance - remain unlikely to be met.
Oscar Jackson-Crosby never had a chance.

The five-day-old son of Sam Crosby - the executive director of Labor think-tank the McKell Institute, and Rose Jackson, the assistant secretary of NSW Labor - has been born into an ALP family.

So much so that his Dad, who nominated for the marginal federal seat of Reid on Friday, will square up to Small Business and Workplace Relations Minister Craig Laundy before Oscar is even one year old, in what shapes as a crucial contest that will help decide the winner of the next federal election.

Mr Crosby's nomination for the marginal seat of Reid has been widely expected in NSW Labor circles but if, as expected, he defeats Frank Alafaci for the nomination, he will have a tough time dislodging the popular and high-profile Mr Laundy.

Nominations also opened in the nearby marginal seat of Banks in Friday, demonstrating the NSW ALP is gearing up for a federal election that while due by May 2019, could be held much sooner.
Oprah Winfrey, she of many honorary doctoral degrees (including one from Harvard), believes Reese Witherspoon showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder after news of the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke.

Winfrey and Witherspoon were filming the highly anticipated A Wrinkle In Time when the first allegations about the Hollywood power broker surfaced last year.

Oprah, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling on set in New Zealand for their new film, A Wrinkle In Time. Credit:Jenna Clarke

"I was on set with Reese Witherspoon, who has since spoken out, and some other actresses who haven't spoken out, so I won't say who they were, and this was like two days after the Harvey scandal had broken in The New York Times," Winfrey said during a recording of her Super Soul Sunday Conversation podcast with Salma Hayek.

"Everyone, including Reese - I've said this to her - was acting like, I was seeing some of the girls at my school behave, who were suffering from PTSD. Everybody was acting like they were afraid and they were having the conversation."
"Adolescents have developed all sorts of cognitive and social abilities and they want to explore the world and who they are as a person," he says. "But we know as parents there need to be boundaries or they'll behave in ever more dangerous ways until they've found them. And what I think anxious kids who are self-harming as a result of all that social media exposure are saying is 'Help me. It's out of my control.' For heaven's sake: parent. Don't be frightened of intruding. If your kid is pale, tired and miserable then they're asking for your help."

But social media is not the only issue. In considering the causes of what he calls "a genuine increase in unhappiness levels among children", Dr Shooter casts his net more widely. "It's a ferociously competitive society that we live in and we're always failing kids at something," he says. "We should be looking at different [educational] models where kids go into academia later in life, where they begin with cooperative play with other kids but they don't take home this mountain of homework in addition to all the other stuff they've had to do; where we don't test them at every opportunity. It's very anxiety-provoking."

On the other hand, aren't today's children  at least those from middle-class families  relatively comfortable and secure? After all, they are not living through war, for example, as their great-grandparents did.

"Quite often you find that in circumstances of war or disaster, anxiety and depression levels go down and when peace comes, they go up," notes Dr Shooter. "I think it's to do with community spirit, togetherness and purpose  something that's bigger than them and individual struggle."

So young people today perhaps lack meaning; a sense of connection and belonging? "Community has broken down," agrees Dr Shooter. "It's right across cultures and right across class. You see the same levels of loneliness, unhappiness, anxiety and depression in children in middle-class gated communities [as in economically deprived households]. Kids spend more time talking to each other on the phone and less time together."
The family of a Bangladeshi student alleged to be behind an Islamic State-inspired attack in Melbourne say they are baffled by the arrest of the brilliant student who had received a scholarship to study in Australia.

Momena Shoma, 24, is accused of stabbing 56-year-old nurse Roger Singaravelu in the neck while he was asleep at their home in Mill Park on Friday afternoon.

Police have claimed she was wearing a burqa during the bloody attack witnessed by the mans five-year-old daughter.

Ms Shoma has been charged with one count of engaging in a terrorist act, with police alleging she was self-radicalised.
A prisoner has been charged with murder following the death of another inmate at a Sydney prison.

Police were called to the maximum security facility in Sydneys west on Friday afternoon after a 54-year-old man was allegedly assaulted by another prisoner.

A man has been charged with murder over the death of another inmate at a Sydney prison. Credit:Greg Henderson

The man was found unconscious in his cell by corrections officers at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre in Silverwater about 2.15pm. He was rushed to Westmead Hospital by paramedics where he later died.

A crime scene was established, and following inquiries a 44-year-old inmate was arrested about 9.50pm on Sunday and charged with murder.
A man has been dropped off at a south-west Sydney hospital suffering from a gunshot wound.

The 25-year-old arrived at Campbelltown Hospital late on Sunday night with a bullet wound to his leg.

Police were called and subsequently searched a Campbelltown home where a number of items were seized for forensic analysis.

Police are yet to speak to the man due to his condition.

AAP
A P&O cruise ship was forced to return to Sydney on Sunday afternoon so that police could remove seven people who were involved in a fight on board.

The fight took place on board the ship just before 1am, and involved several men arguing about a toilet queue, police said.

During the fight, a 37-year-old woman, who is believed to be the partner of one of the men, allegedly struck a 21-year-old man on the head with an empty wine bottle, causing a laceration.

The woman has been charged with reckless wounding and affray .
SRINAGAR (AFP): The death toll from a militant attack on an army base in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir climbed to 10, police said, as a siege at the compound stretched into a second day.

A firefight erupted Saturday when an unknown number of heavily-armed militants stormed the base in Jammu, the second-largest city in the disputed Himalayan region bordering Pakistan.

Authorities initially said four people were killed in the brazen pre-dawn strike, but updated the death toll as elite Indian commandos flanked by armored vehicles searched the sprawling compound.

Five soldiers, one civilian and four terrorists have been killed so far, police chief Shesh Paul Vaid told AFP.

Nine others, including women and children, were injured in the attack that the Indian army blamed on Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Local broadcasters showed tanks rolling into the Sunjawan army camp late Saturday and a helicopter hovering overhead as the attack unfolded.

Police said the assault began around 4:55 a.m. on Saturday (2325 GMT Friday) when guards came under a hail of bullets near the bases boundary wall.

The intruders took positions inside a residential complex meant for soldiers families as the army launched a counter-offensive to drive them out.

It is still unclear whether any gunmen remain on the compound.

Hindu-majority Jammu, located in the foothills of the mountainous region, is relatively peaceful but has repeatedly seen militant assaults on military bases close to the frontier with Pakistan.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from Britain in 1947. Both claim the territory in full and have fought two wars over the region.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died in an armed insurgency that erupted in 1989 by militants demanding that Kashmir be granted independence or merged with Pakistan.

Saturdays attack comes 18 years after a similar militant attack on the base in 2003 that killed 12 soldiers.
Clive Palmer's nephew Clive Mensink, who is wanted for questioning over the collapse of his uncle's Queensland Nickel refinery, has been found in Bulgaria.

Mr Mensink, who has lost a significant amount of weight and now has a beard, was tracked down in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia by a media organisation last week.

Clive Palmer's nephew Clive Mensink has been tracked down in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia.

He was with his Bulgarian girlfriend, Gabriela Konstantinova, and another friend leaving the movies after seeing 50 Shades Freed.

"Mensink looked horrified and refused to answer ... questions as he ducked into a pedestrian subway after being approached last week," a news report stated.
I was interviewing prisoners in a male prison in Western Australia, on a sweltering afternoon, when Coen (not his real name) walked in, in his faded green prison uniform. For the first five minutes all he could say was, Its too shameful. I cant tell you. Coen, an Aboriginal man in his early 20s with a cognitive disability, had only been in prison for a few months but he looked defeated.

With tears rolling down his cheeks he finally told me: I was going to take a shower, when I saw three male prisoners. One of them ran toward me in his towel, while the other two held me down and made me kiss his penis. Coen tried to run away, call the guards, but they were too far. Im so embarrassed, I havent even told my missus.

State and territory governments should set up independent and regular monitoring of prisons

Coens story is disturbingly common. He is just one of many prisoners with disabilities I interviewed who faced violence in Australian prisons. Prisoners with disabilities, often perceived as weak or easy targets, are at serious risk of abuse.

More than half of the 41,000 people in Australian prisons have a disability. The lack of comprehensive mental health and social services has created a pathway to prison for many people with disabilities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities are even more likely to end up behind bars.
A Brisbane man suffered an electric shock while taking a shower during severe storms that left more than 100,000 south-east Queensland homes without power and steam billowing from the top of a Gold Coast skyscraper.

Paramedics were called to the home in Ferny Grove on Sunday night to attend the man who was injured when lightning struck near his home.

About 50,000 homes remained without power at 7am, down from a high of more than 130,000 shortly after the storm cleared.

Fire crews were called to a Gold Coast residential skyscraper about 7pm after reports smoke was billowing out from the top of the building.
Queensland is smashing the glass ceiling when it comes to female political power.

The most visible female leader in the state, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, made history as the first Australian woman to be elected for two terms as premier.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, Labor state secretary Julie-Ann Campbell and assistant state secretary Sarah Mawhinney are some of the leaders in Queensland politics.

She said her focus was not on "making records", but she was proud the Australian milestone was a Queensland milestone.

Ms Palaszczuk's cabinet is 50 per cent female and 50 per cent male.
More than 20,000 homes in Melbourne's south-east have lost power in the third mass outage in Victoria in recent weeks.

Thousands of homes in Boronia, Ferntree Gully, Knoxfield and Wantirna were affected just before midnight on Sunday after a fault at Boronia substation.

Read more here.
Power companies are being forced to pay compensation to Victorians affected by last month's blackouts, with payments up to $180 depending on how long a household went without electricity.



As part of the $5 million package, announced on Sunday, around 50,000 households who lost power on January 28 will receive a one-off payments.



More than 90,000 households went without electricity at the peak of the heatwave.



Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said $180 would be given to those without power for between 20 and 30 hours, while those affected for between three and 20 hours would receive $80.

About 40,000 more customers are set to receive payments than required under regulatory obligations.

"We know how frustrating this was for many Victorians  affected customers deserve to be compensated for the inconvenience," Ms D'Ambrosio said in a statement. "We've worked with the private power distribution companies to deliver this for thousands of customers affected by this extreme weather event."

The Opposition said the fact the government was congratulating itself for giving refunds of $80 was an insult to people who had endured 20-hour blackouts.
But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahran Qasemi disputed the Israeli account, describing the claim that an Iranian drone had crossed the border as "ridiculous." He said the Syrian government had the right to defend itself by shooting down the Israeli jet. The Syrian state news agency, meanwhile, described the airstrikes in Syrian territory as a "new Israeli aggression." A military alliance backing Assad said that any other incursion by Israel would be met with "serious and fierce" retaliation. The Israeli strikes also riled Russia, which has forces deployed in Syria as part of Moscow's effort to defend Assad's government against a wide range of rebel groups seeking his ouster. But Russia is seen by Israel as a key to de-escalating the heightening crisis by influencing Iran to contain its presence. An Israeli F-16 jet at the Ovda airbase near Eilat, southern Israel. Credit:AP/File

Moscow said the Israeli airstrikes on Syrian bases potentially imperiled Russian military advisers stationed there. "The creation of any threat to the lives and safety of Russian military servicemen currently in Syria on the invitation of its lawful government to help fight terrorists is absolutely unacceptable," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Mr Netanyahu said that he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin to reiterate "our right and obligation to defend ourselves." He said that the two leaders agreed that their military cooperation would continue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit:AP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has spoken with Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, about Israel's offensive against Iranian targets in Syria. Mr Netanyahu says he informed Putin of Israel's intention to continue defending itself against any aggression and to prevent Iran from establishing a presence "in Syria or anywhere else".

Mr Netanyahu's statement came after the Prime Minister held an emergency meeting with Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman at Israel's military headquarters in Tel Aviv. Battlefield broadens The surge in violence across the Israel-Syria border is the latest front in a multisided Syrian war that in recent days has seen heightened military operations in several places in the north and east of the country as well as close to the capital, Damascus. Russia, Iran, Turkey and the United States, as well as their local allies, are all engaged on the battlefield. Israel and the United States have expressed serious concerns about the growing assertiveness of Iran and its ally Hezbollah. "Iran's calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance places all the people of the region, from Yemen to Lebanon, at risk," Mr Goldstein said. "We will continue to push back on Iran's malign activities, and we want an end to this behavior that threatens peace and stability."

The Israelis have been particularly worried about what they say is a buildup of Hezbollah forces from the Syrian city of Palmyra to the country's southwest corner bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Aiming to assuage Israel's concerns, the United States and Russia agreed last year to establish a cease-fire between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters near the southwestern Syrian town of Daraa. That agreement has mostly held. But outside that small area, Hezbollah has continued to increase strength, Israel says. Israel has pointed to what it says are Hezbollah plants for assembling Iranian-supplied missiles that could be fired on Israel. And Israel has repeatedly carried out airstrikes against what it has described as Hezbollah convoys and operations. "The Syrians are playing with fire that they are allowing the Iranians to attack Israel from their soil," Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces, said "The IDF is ready and capable to inflict a heavy price on anyone that attacks us." But the possible downing Saturday of the Israeli jet - and images of its burned remains - is a public relations boost for Mr al-Assad. The Syrian government had been complaining that regular Israeli incursions were an affront to its sovereignty. "Israelis must realize that they no longer have superiority in the skies nor on the ground," Fares Shehabi, a member of the Syrian parliament representing Aleppo, said on Twitter. He said Syria had fired more than 24 surface-to-air missiles at Israeli jets. "Much more will be fired in the future . . . if Israel continues its aggressions."

The Israeli military said it was investigating whether its jet was hit directly. Syria asserted that it was. The conflagration began when an Iranian drone crossed into Israeli territory from Syria about 4.30am Saturday, according to the Israeli military. It was shot down by an Israeli attack helicopter. The pro-Syrian military alliance, which includes Hezbollah and Iran, released a statement describing the Israeli claim that an Iranian drone had entered its airspace as a "lie and fabrication." But Conricus said that Israel was in possession of the remains of the drone and that Israeli officials were certain it was Iranian. In response, Israel dispatched eight fighter jets to bomb the T4 military base near Palmyra, from where it says the drone was dispatched and controlled. Syria responded with "substantial . . . antiaircraft fire" and two Israeli pilots ejected from their F-16, which crashed inside Israel, according to the Israeli military. One of the pilots was severely injured, it said.

'Sounds of explosions' Civilians on both sides of the border were awakened by the military exchange. "We can hear the sounds of the explosions," said one Damascus resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. He said the sound of Syrian antiaircraft missiles was louder than usual. Air raid sirens were triggered in residential areas on Israel's northern border. Shlomo Mishal, 55, who lives in Beit Shean in northern Israel, said he awoke to the noises about 4.30am. "We heard a loud bang, but we did not know what was going on and ran downstairs to the shelter, a safe room in our home," he said. Mr Mishal said that his friends and neighbours in the town started sharing text messages and social media posts, with rumors flying about what had happened, until 8 a.m. when news stations gave details of the shooting down of an Iranian drone.

"The fact that this happened not far from our home, the fact there was an Iranian drone overhead is not nice and makes us uncomfortable," Mr Mishal said. Eyal Ben-Reuven, a retired Israeli major general and member of parliament, said he hoped the strikes would spark a diplomatic push to protect Israel's interests. "The political leadership must say to the United States and Russia, 'Take this event very, very seriously,' " he said. " 'You must stop the Iranians in Syria. You must. If you don't do that, we will do that.' " He said that as a member of the parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee, he had met with Russian representatives three times in the past year and that Russia was well aware of Israel's position. The United States lacks the leverage Russia has in Syria, he said. Just last month, Netanyahu visited Moscow for talks about Syria, particularly the growing influence of Iran.

After meeting with Mr Putin, Mr Netanyahu in a video statement said he told the Russian president that Israel viewed two developments with severe disapproval: "One, the attempts by Iran to base itself militarily in Syria and the second, Iran's attempt to produce in Lebanon accurate weapons against the state of Israel. I made it clear to him that we will not agree to any of those developments and we will act accordingly." "I hope this will push the diplomatic efforts," Ben-Reuven added. "This is serious. It's not finished." Israeli military officials have acknowledged that the cost of any future war on the country's northern border will be high. Israel fought a bloody 34-day war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. The conflict killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon and 165 in Israel. Since then, Hezbollah has built up its arsenal of rockets, which Israel estimates to be about 150,000 projectiles. Israel has expressed concern that Iran is transferring expertise and know-how to Hezbollah to boost the accuracy of those missiles. Some Israeli military officials have said that a future war on the northern border could drag in both Lebanon and Syria.
The Syrian war has seen no shortage of twists already this year, but this weekend, it saw one of its most consequential. On Saturday, Israel's military announced that it had carried out a "large-scale" aerial attack inside Syria, after back-and-forth clashes overnight in which an Iranian drone was shot down in Israeli territory and an Israeli F-16 was downed by Syrian antiaircraft fire.

Despite its proximity, Israel has largely stood on the sidelines of the Syrian conflict over the past seven years. Saturday's airstrikes, however, suggest that it may soon end up sucked into a conflict that is looking increasingly chaotic after the military defeat of the Islamic State. If Israel does become more engaged in the fighting next door, it could have serious consequences for the war in Syria - and for the region as a whole.

What has Israel's involvement in the Syrian war been so far?

Israel shares a contentious border with Syria - the Golan Heights - and it has long had openly adversarial relations with not only Bashar al-Assad's government but with Syria's allies Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia. However, Israel also had little reason to support the Islamic State or al-Qaeda-aligned Islamist groups that became the Syrian government's primary rivals.
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP said that it has cut its sales force in half and will stop promoting opioids to doctors following widespread criticism of the ways that drugmakers market addictive painkillers.

The drugmaker said it will inform doctors on Monday that its sales representatives will no longer visit their offices to discuss its opioid products. It will now have about 200 sales representatives, Purdue said.

"We have restructured and significantly reduced our commercial operation and will no longer be promoting opioids to prescribers," the Stamford, Connecticut-based company said in a statement.

The maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin said it will stop marketing opioid drugs to doctors, a surprise reversal after lawsuits blaming the company for helping trigger the current drug abuse epidemic. Credit:AP

Doctors with opioid-related questions will be directed to its medical affairs department. Its sales representatives will now focus on Symproic, a drug for treating opioid-induced constipation, and other potential non-opioid products, Purdue said.
SRINAGAR: A teenage girl who was injured during a cordon and search operation by Indian troops in Shopian district, last month, succumbed at a hospital in Srinagar. Saima Wani, 18, who was injured when troops opened fire after laying siege around Chaigund village of Shopian district on January 24, and was admitted to intensive care unit of Soura hospital, succumbed to her injuries, last night.

On January 24, three youth including a minor boy, Shakir Ahmad Mir, were also killed and two girls Sabreena and Saima Wani were injured in the area. Doctors said that Sabreena was stable.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Hurriyat forum, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while expressing grief over the killing of Saima said that even Kashmiri women and children were not spared.

In a statement in Srinagar, today, the Mirwaiz said, Deeply grieved by the death of teenaged Saima Wani of Shopian who was battling for life for the past two weeks in the hospital shot at with impunity in the head by the Indian forces !Our Women and children too not spared !

Thousands of people participated in her funeral on Sunday morning.
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SRINAGAR: A Special Police Officer (SPO) has been arrested by the Crime Branch in the Kathua rape and murder case on Saturday.

The eight year old girl was found dead in Rasana village, a week after her abduction.

The cop identified as Deepak Khajuria was one of those who were assigned to find the girl after she went missing.

He raped a murdered her after holding her captive for a week, Alok Puri, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu Range told NDTV.

The DC of Rajouri, Dr.Shahid Iqbal Chowdhary tweeted,Police official held for rape and murder of 8 year old girl in Kathua. It has shaken our soul for ever. Kudos to IGP Mr Puri for professional and timely investigation.

Khujaria, a 28-year-old SPO was posted at Police Station Heera Nagar.

Earlier a 15-year old was being blamed for the crime however activists alleged that the real culprits were being shielded by the government.

Recently, in a press conference, Chairman All Tribal Coordination Committee, Talib Hussain claimed that the real culprits in the rape and murder of minor Kathua girl were being shielded in a planned manner under the guise of 15-year-olds age.

Hussain, who was detained during protests against the murder earlier this week, said that the persons involved in this heinous crime are not being punished because of political influence.

Addressing a presser after his release in Jammu, he said that circumstantial evidence on the basis of doctors version and people who gave her ceremonial bath suggest that girl was brutally raped.

Her two ribs and a leg were broken. She was given electric shocks. She was clubbed by stones, said Hussain.

Courtesy: Free Press
Israel targets 'Iranian' positions in Syria after F16 downed



Jerusalem, Feb 10 (AFP) Feb 10, 2018



Israel attacked what it said were Iranian positions inside Syria on Saturday in "large-scale" raids after one of its warplanes was targeted by Syrian air defences and crashed.

Following the most serious confrontation between arch foes Israel and Iran since Syria's civil war began in 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to prevent Tehran from establishing a threatening military presence in the Arab state.

Israel's raids came after it intercepted what it said was an Iranian drone entering its airspace from Syria, calling it an "attack".

Washington backed Israel and blamed Iran for the escalation.

It was the first time Israel has publicly acknowledged targeting what it identified as Iranian positions in Syria since the conflict started.

Iran denounced Israeli "lies" and said Syria had the right to self-defence in response to the strikes.

Separately, Iran issued a statement with Syria's other main allies -- Russia and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah -- denying Israel's drone allegations.

Russia's foreign ministry urged "restraint" by all parties, adding it was "unacceptable to create threats to the lives and security of Russian soldiers" in Syria.

Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus warned that Syria and Iran were "playing with fire", but stressed that his country was not seeking an escalation.

"This is the most blatant and severe Iranian violation of Israeli sovereignty" in recent years, Conricus told journalists.



- '12 targets attacked' -



Israel said its reprisals were "large-scale" raids on Syrian air defence systems and Iranian targets.

"Twelve targets, including three aerial defence batteries and four Iranian targets that are part of Iran's military establishment in Syria were attacked," a military statement said.

The two crew from the crashed F16 were alive after ejecting, although one was severely wounded, the military said.

They landed inside Israel and were taken to hospital.

Israel said the confrontation began with the drone entering its airspace before being intercepted by a helicopter.

Conricus said it was intercepted well inside Israel north of the city of Beit Shean, near the Jordan border.

He did not say whether the drone was armed, but alleged it "was on a military mission sent by Iranian military forces" from an "Iranian base" in the Palmyra area.

Eight Israeli aircraft then "targeted the Iranian control systems in Syria that sent the UAV" and confirmed hits, Conricus said.

He said the aircraft met "massive Syrian anti-air fire", and the F16 later came down in northern Israel's Jezreel valley.

Damascus said its air defences repelled two Israeli raids on its military bases in central Syria, hitting more than one warplane during the first.



- 'Israel wants peace' -



The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said Israel had targeted several bases in the east of the central province of Homs.

It said the bases are used by both Iranians and Russians deployed in support of the regime.

Syrian state media said the later raids targeted positions in the south.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi accused Israel of lying.

"Iran does not have a military presence in Syria, and has only sent military advisers at the request of the Syrian government," he said.

The statement from Iran, Russia and Hezbollah dismissed Israel's drone allegations as "lies".

It said Israel had targeted drones used against "terrorist organisations", mainly the Islamic State group.

Hezbollah in a separate statement said the F16's downing marked the start of a "new strategic era".

Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, called on the Security Council "to condemn this dangerous act and to put an immediate end to Iranian provocations".

Speaking after meeting defence officials, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would not allow Iran to establish itself militarily in Syria.

"Israel wants peace but we will continue to defend ourselves with determination against any attack on us and against any attempt by Iran to entrench itself militarily in Syria or anywhere else," he said.

Netanyahu also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I reiterated our right and duty to defend ourselves against attacks from Syrian territory," Netanyahu said, adding that they agreed to continue their coordination on Syria.

The Kremlin said Putin had stressed the necessity to "avoid any measure that could lead to a dangerous escalation".



- Still at war -



Netanyahu said he also spoke to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is about to embark on a visit to the region.

The US State Department said it "strongly supports Israel's sovereign right to defend itself", calling "for an end to Iranian behaviour that threatens peace and stability".

"Iran's calculated escalation of threat, and its ambition to project its power and dominance, places all the people of the region -- from Yemen to Lebanon -- at risk," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

Netanyahu has spoken with Putin several times in recent months in a bid to persuade Russia to limit Iran's presence near Israel.

Israel is technically at war with Syria and occupies a swathe of the strategic Golan Heights that it seized in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

Israel has sought to avoid direct involvement in the Syria conflict, but acknowledges carrying out dozens of air strikes there to stop what it calls deliveries of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah.

Analysts said they did not expect a further escalation for now, but suggested the heavy anti-aircraft fire showed Syria was more emboldened to counter Israel's strikes.

Ofer Zalzberg of the International Crisis Group said Russia should mediate since "it is the only stakeholder which has strong relations with all sides today".

But he said "this incident signals a new phase in a way of the war in Syria".
Israel targets 'Iranian' positions in Syria after F16 downed



Jerusalem, Feb 11 (AFP) Feb 11, 2018



Israel attacked what it said were Iranian positions inside Syria on Saturday in "large-scale" raids after one of its warplanes was targeted by Syrian air defences and crashed.

Following the most serious confrontation between arch foes Israel and Iran since Syria's civil war began in 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to prevent Tehran from establishing a threatening military presence in the Arab state.

Israel's raids came after it intercepted what it said was an Iranian drone entering its airspace from Syria, calling it an "attack".

Washington backed Israel and blamed Iran for the escalation.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence" in Syria, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

It was the first time Israel has publicly acknowledged targeting what it identified as Iranian positions in Syria since the conflict started.

Iran denounced Israeli "lies" and said Syria had the right to self-defence in response to the strikes.

Separately, Iran issued a statement with Syria's other main allies -- Russia and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah -- denying Israel's drone allegations.

Russia's foreign ministry urged "restraint" by all parties, adding it was "unacceptable to create threats to the lives and security of Russian soldiers" in Syria.

Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus warned that Syria and Iran were "playing with fire", but stressed that his country was not seeking an escalation.

"This is the most blatant and severe Iranian violation of Israeli sovereignty" in recent years, Conricus told journalists.



- '12 targets attacked' -



Israel said its reprisals were "large-scale" raids on Syrian air defence systems and Iranian targets.

"Twelve targets, including three aerial defence batteries and four Iranian targets that are part of Iran's military establishment in Syria were attacked," a military statement said.

The two crew from the crashed F16 were alive after ejecting, although one was severely wounded, the military said.

They landed inside Israel and were taken to hospital.

Israel said the confrontation began with the drone entering its airspace before being intercepted by a helicopter.

Conricus said it was intercepted well inside Israel north of the city of Beit Shean, near the Jordan border.

He did not say whether the drone was armed, but alleged it "was on a military mission sent by Iranian military forces" from an "Iranian base" in the Palmyra area.

Eight Israeli aircraft then "targeted the Iranian control systems in Syria that sent the UAV" and confirmed hits, Conricus said.

He said the aircraft met "massive Syrian anti-air fire", and the F16 later came down in northern Israel's Jezreel valley.

Damascus said its air defences repelled two Israeli raids on its military bases in central Syria, hitting more than one warplane during the first.



- 'Israel wants peace' -



The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said Israel had targeted several bases in the east of the central province of Homs.

It said the bases are used by both Iranians and Russians deployed in support of the regime.

Syrian state media said the later raids targeted positions in the south.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi accused Israel of lying.

"Iran does not have a military presence in Syria, and has only sent military advisors at the request of the Syrian government," he said.

The statement from Iran, Russia and Hezbollah dismissed Israel's drone allegations as "lies".

It said Israel had targeted drones used against "terrorist organisations", mainly the Islamic State group.

Hezbollah in a separate statement said the F16's downing marked the start of a "new strategic era".

Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, called on the Security Council "to condemn this dangerous act and to put an immediate end to Iranian provocations".

Speaking after meeting defence officials, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would not allow Iran to establish itself militarily in Syria.

"Israel wants peace but we will continue to defend ourselves with determination against any attack on us and against any attempt by Iran to entrench itself militarily in Syria or anywhere else," he said.

Netanyahu said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that they agreed to continue their coordination on Syria.

The Kremlin said Putin had stressed the necessity to "avoid any measure that could lead to a dangerous escalation".



- Still at war -



Netanyahu said he also spoke to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is about to embark on a visit to the region.

The US State Department said it "strongly supports Israel's sovereign right to defend itself", calling "for an end to Iranian behaviour that threatens peace and stability".

Netanyahu has spoken with Putin several times in recent months in a bid to persuade Russia to limit Iran's presence near Israel.

Israel is technically at war with Syria and occupies a swathe of the strategic Golan Heights that it seized in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

Israel has sought to avoid direct involvement in the Syria conflict, but acknowledges carrying out dozens of air strikes there to stop what it calls deliveries of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah.
Israeli strikes were 'heavy blow' to Iranian, Syrian forces: Netanyahu



Jerusalem, Feb 11 (AFP) Feb 11, 2018



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli air strikes in Syria the previous day were a "heavy blow" to Iranian and Syrian forces in the war-torn country.

"We inflicted on Saturday a heavy blow to Iranian and Syrian forces," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting, referring to major Israeli air raids in Syria.

"We made clear to everyone that our rules of engagement will not change in any way. We will continue to harm anyone who tries to harm us. This was our policy and this will remain our policy."

Israel said its raids were against both Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria.

The raids came after an Israeli F16 fighter jet was shot down by Syrian air defences. The pilots survived, but it was the first time Israel had lost a warplane in battle since 1982.

The strikes began with Israel shooting down what it described as an Iranian drone that had entered its airspace from Syria -- calling it an "attack."

Iran denied the allegations regarding the drone and said Syria had the right to defend itself against Israeli attacks.
Iraq asks BP to study developing Kirkuk oilfields



Baghdad, Feb 11 (AFP) Feb 11, 2018



Iraq has asked British energy giant BP to help bolster production at oilfields recaptured from the Kurds in northern Kirkuk province, Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaybi said Sunday.

Luaybi told AFP he wanted to discuss a request for BP to draft a study on increasing output when the company's boss visits Kirkuk in the coming days.

"I suggested they study my proposal and I am waiting for their reply," Luaybi said.

BP is the biggest foreign player in Iraq's oil sector, running the Rumaila field in the south of the country which produces 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) -- almost a third of Iraq's output.

In 2014, the oil ministry and BP signed a consultancy deal under which the energy titan would study reserves in the Baba Gurgur and Havana fields and ways of developing them.

But Baghdad lost the Kirkuk fields to Kurdish forces that year during a sweeping offensive by the Islamic State group, and the deal was never implemented.

"Because of IS, it was frozen," Luaybi said.

But he said Iraq had signed a new memorandum with BP in January after the federal government seized back control of the area following a September Kurdish independence referendum bitterly opposed by Baghdad.

Baba Gurgur, discovered in 1927, is Iraq's oldest oilfield.

Central government forces recaptured it from the Kurds in October along with the fields of Havana, Bai Hassan, Jambu and Khabbaz.

The five fields have a total output of around 470,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) but production and export have been slow as the main pipeline linking Kirkuk to the Ceyhan oil terminal in Turkey was damaged and needs repairs.

Luaybi said a new 350-kilometre (220-mile) oil pipeline able to pump over one million bpd from the Kirkuk fields to Turkey may be completed within as little as a year.

In the meantime, Iraq will export up to 60,000 bpd by road to refineries around Iran's Kermanshah, where oil firms face major challenges transferring oil from wells in southern Iran, he said.

"We will supply those refineries and (receive) the equivalent quantities in our southern port" of Basra, he said.



- Talks with the Kurds -



Luaybi also said talks were underway with the Kurdish authorities with a view to pumping Kirkuk oil via a pipeline through the autonomous Kurdish region.

"We hope to succeed. We have reached a sort of understanding so far," he said.

A sixth oilfield, Khurmala, remains under Kurdish control, but Luaybi insisted it belongs to Iraq's state-owned North Oil Company.

"Khurmala belongs to NOC and was discovered more than 30 years ago," he said. "We started developing it in 1995. NOC and the oil ministry have finished drilling 36 wells there."

Luaybi said the Iraqi oil ministry had launched a $37 million programme in 2004 to develop Khurmala.

The ministry of resources in the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq seized Khurmala in 2008-2009, Luaybi said.

"But it's a field that belongs to the oil ministry of the federal government," Luaybi said.

Iraq is the second largest producer in the OPEC cartel after Saudi Arabia.

It reported its oil exports at 109.6 million barrels in December last year, the same month that the government announced victory over IS.

Iraq in December 2017 earned around $6.5 billion (5.3 billion euros) from crude sales, at $59.3 per barrel.

ac/sk/hkb/par/del
Clash with military in Venezuela mining town leaves 18 dead: report



Caracas, Feb 11 (AFP) Feb 11, 2018



A military raid against suspected criminals in a troubled mining area in southeastern Venezuela has left 18 people dead, human rights organizations and opposition leaders said Sunday.

The incident took place Saturday at a mine in the town of Guasipati, in Bolivar state, when "an exchange of shots with several still-unidentified suspects left 18 dead," including a woman, according to an unofficial military report seen by AFP.

Illegal gold mining is common in the area.

Five military rifles, seven pistols, three revolvers, a shotgun and two grenades were seized, according to the military report. The authorities have yet to issue any public statement.

Opposition lawmaker Americo De Grazia, a Bolivar state representative, denounced the operation, saying, "Did 18 citizens die and not a single soldier was injured? ... They 'clear' these gold areas with fire and blood."

And an NGO, the Venezuelan Program of Education Action in Human Rights, tweeted that the operation was "worrisome -- a new massacre?"

The region, which borders Brazil, forms part of the Orinoco Mining Arc, a vast area that the government exploits with multinational companies to make up for the falling oil revenues that have aggravated a serious economic and political crisis in Venezuela.

On September 14, 11 people died in an armed clash with soldiers in the town of Tumeremo, also in Bolivar state. Three weeks earlier, eight people were killed in El Callao, which is near both Tumeremo and Guasipati.

In March 2016, Tumeremo was the scene of a confrontation that left 17 miners dead, their bodies found later in a mass grave. A few months later 11 people were killed in the same town, where criminal groups often clash over control of gold deposits.
Paris, Feb 10, 2018 (SPS) - A photo exhibition entitled "Memoire des sables" (Memory of sands), shedding light on the life of Sahrawi refugees, has been held in Paris, with a view to increasing solidarity in France with the people of Western Sahara.

During the exhibition, a series of short documentaries highlighting the life of Sahrawi people in refugee camps and the occupied territories of Western Sahara, have been screened.

The organizers also featured photos they shot during their visit to Sahrawi refugee camps, to enquire about the daily life of refugees and their determination, for over four decades, to recover their legitimate rights to freedom and national independence.



The three-day exhibition aims at underlining Sahrawi people's struggle for freedom and preserving their collective memory, said the organizers.

The opening ceremony, held Thursday, was marked by the presence of Polisario Front's representative in France, Oubi Bouchraya Al-Bachir, and the member of Polisario representation, Elkenti Bella as well as personalities interested in history and collective memory of peoples. (SPS)

062/SPS/APS
Crusader tells CJ Parajuli to resign

Dr Govinda KC on Saturday asked Chief Justice (CJ) Gopal Parajuli to resign from his post saying that he has been disrupting the judicial investigation against him.
Investigators trace gun used to kill Ogden grocer; Kaysville man charged

OGDEN  A 21-year-old Kaysville man faces two federal firearms charges after Weber County authorities said they traced the source of the handgun used to kill Ogden grocer Satnam Singh. Weber County Attorney Christopher Allred said Monday investigators learned that the gun had been stolen in Park City. The investigation led to federal charges against Taydon Law for allegedly possessing the weapon on Jan. 7. Singh, 65, was gunned down behind the counter of his neighborhood grocery late on the night of Feb. 28. Antonio Garcia, 16, of Ogden, faces two first-degree felony charges in the ...
Dormani Poudel elected Province 3 Chief Miniser

CPN-UML Parliamentary Party leader Dormani Poudel has been elected the Chief Minister of Province 3 on Sunday.
India delays road upgradation process

India has failed to implement a provision in an agreement signed during Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deubas visit to New Delhi in August 2017 which is delaying the process of upgrading a road segment that stretches from Gauriphanta to Palia in India.
Kathmandu lessons

Kathmandus downfall has many lessons to offer in selection and planning of provincial capitals
Locals launch protest as ICP nears completion

Locals of Alau and Sirsiya in Birgunj have launched a protest to exert pressure on the government to provide adequate compensation for the land that they relinquished for construction of the Integrated Check Point (ICP), a facility that is expected to facilitate Nepal-India trade and transit.
Nepal to host intl meet on irrigation, drainage in May

Nepal will be hosting the 8th Asian Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage from May 2-4.
ComBank sets record ATM withdrawal in December View(s):

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon dispensed Rs. 50.769 billion in cash through its automated teller machines (ATMs) in December 2017, setting a new record and achieving an important milestone in such disbursement, the bank said in a media release.

The 750-terminal network processed more than eight million withdrawal requests over the 31 days of the month at an average of over 258,000 transactions a day.

Transactions peaked on December 22 (Rs. 2.372 billion), December 29 (Rs. 2.167 billion) and December 8 (Rs. 2.154 billion), totalling Rs 6.693 billion on those three days alone, with the network processing more than 911,000 requests for cash.

On 10 of the 31 days of the month, Commercial Bank ATMs dispensed more than Rs 1.75 billion per day, and on 23 days withdrawals exceeded Rs 1.5 billion a day, the release said.

However, the record for cash dispensed in a single day on the banks ATM network still stands at Rs 2.79 billion, set on April 7, 2017.
Excavator stuck? Call for tenders View(s):

Government advertisements in newspapers are usually boring but not this one. An advertisement on Friday by the Provincial Road Development Authority in the Western Province called for public bids for a peculiar assignment  pulling out an excavator that is stuck in the mud!

The bids will be opened on February 23, with the excavator continuing to be stuck in the mud till then for a job that would have taken a few hours with the right equipment or is it such a complicated exercise?

The authority says the Sunny-135 excavator belonging to the authority is mired in mud in the canal around 1 km away from the Jaela Bund road bordering the Muthurajawela marshy lands. It was seeking bids from individuals and institutions with the capacity and the facilities to pull out the said machine. As per state rules, bid documents were available at Rs. 500 each.
Fighting for migrant workers View(s):

Missing, or rather, not enough attention has been given to the rights of female migrant workers and their status in society in the just-concluded election campaign for local authorities.

Our attention was drawn to this one morning when Kussi Amma Sera, preparing the morning cup of tea, said: Mahattaya, apey pitarata rassawata yana lamei gena kisi kathawak nehe me chande kaale?

Eh, I asked but before waiting for a long, drawn response during a busy week, moved to my computer since this thought, in fact, had occurred to me, too.

The election which concluded yesterday has many changes and is seen as a test for future polls. For instance, representatives will be elected on the basis of 60 per cent first-past-the-post and 40 per cent through PR. Also 25 per cent of the representatives must be women.

The struggle for womens rights across the island particularly in marginalised communities at the election may have, unfortunately, been eclipsed by an ongoing battle for the rights of women to buy, be served or drink liquor in public spaces.

While no doubt the denial of this right owing to archaic, societal and cultural norms must be removed for good from the countrys laws and regulations; the attention it drew during the election campaign (maybe mostly in the English-speaking media and media platforms), relegated for another day, the discussion of the perennial problem of the right to vote for migrant workers, particularly thousands of women working in modern-day, slavery-like conditions overseas. And at local government level, these are very important issues

While government authorities assert that the number of female domestic workers working in difficult conditions abroad  sexual and physical harassment, long working hours, sometimes forced to skip a meal and taking care of large families  is not as bad as reported in the media, extensive studies have shown that the number of complaints doesnt reflect the actual situation.

Large voting bases, like the plantation workers for instance, draw politicians like magnets, eagerly offering the sun and the moon in return for their votes. The plantation bloc vote is a good example of how politicians help these workers with their largesse while showing or rather pretending to workers they care. However workers, it must be said, have benefited given the collective agreements between unions and plantation companies on a decent wage.

Similar protection and rights for migrant workers, many of those working in support of these rights believe, could be secured if the workers are able to vote abroad through electronic or some other mechanism.

Voting by expatriate workers is not new. More than 90 countries allow their nationals working abroad to vote. The Philippines is the best example, since it has a large army of female domestic workers abroad, of allowing these nationals to vote from overseas locations.

The Overseas Absentee Voting Act, officially known as Republic Act No. 9189, is a law in the Philippines approved in 2003 which provides for citizens of that country residing or working abroad to vote at a local election. Supporters have often urged workers abroad to make use of the vote to gain national attention on human trafficking, illegal recruitment and good governance. People running for office cannot ignore your huge number as a sector. Your sheer number will force policies in your favour, said one migrant worker-support group, there, in one of its right-to-vote campaigns.

The right-to-vote campaign for thousands of Sri Lankan migrant workers was initiated in the 1990s by David Soysa, a retired Labour Department officer, whose work led to the creation of several NGOs working in this field. He died a few years ago, unable to see his pet project  voting rights for MWs  to its successful conclusion. His persistence on this issue resulted in the Human Rights Commission endorsing the right to vote for migrant workers, 16 years ago in October 2001. However, it didnt move beyond a recommendation sent to the Foreign Ministry.

That was it. Soysas campaign for voting rights for domestic workers lost its momentum after he died.

In fact, while many Colombo-centric womens rights activists lent their name to the petitions before the Supreme Court challenging new gender-bias regulations (or those that were re-introduced after being removed) and social media has been buzzing with the unfairness of the government ruling that women dont have the same right as men in liquor consumption and sale, there is not even a murmur of protest in the hallowed walls of the Hulftsdorp courts complex against the rights of female migrant workers.

Where were these activists when one courageous woman from a village filed a fundamental rights plea in 2013, challenging the Governments right to stop her working overseas without the permission of her husband? That petition was dismissed during a preliminary seeking leave to proceed hearing by the Supreme Court on the grounds that the rule was neither gender discriminatory nor violated an individuals human rights.

In this case, even more ironical was the fact that the appellant-worker was separated from her husband and looking after the children on her own but still had to seek his permission.

This permission-seeking rule is a provision in the under-fire Family Background Report (FBR). While the FBR is meant to ensure people going abroad leave their children in safe hands and a protected environment with a spouse, grandparents or a proper guardian, it has led to abuse and corruption by village-level officers.

Many women have got FBRs approved after being forced to pay a bribe.

While the FBR is under review to minimise corruption, a recent issue raised by employment agents is the FBR being imposed on female professionals seeking to work overseas. We are losing a lot of job orders in West Asia in professional categories for women because of the FBR, one agent said, advocating a different FBR approach to professional women workers as against unskilled female workers.

This, however, is a discriminatory approach that should be strongly discouraged and vigorously challenged.

In neighbouring India, discrimination on almost similar grounds is being challenged by activists. Indian parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor, also an author and former international civil servant, has lent his voice to protests against a government move to introduce orange passports for Indian migrants.

Activists say a decision to change the colour of the passport for Indian migrants depending on their educational and economic status is like treating them as second-class citizens. Dr. Tharoor was quoted in local media as saying that the very premise of this decision  discriminating against the citizens of a country based on their economic status and educational qualifications  makes it inherently unfair.

In Sri Lanka, thousands of women work in the plantations, garment industry and as domestic workers ensuring the wheels of the countrys economy run smoothly. It is this largely, female-driven workforce that accounted for a total of over US$13 billion in foreign exchange in 2016.

Worker remittances have slowed down considerably in recent months owing to lower oil prices and unrest in West Asia and are unlikely to reach the $7.2 billion achieved in 2016. Lower earnings from this source and less attention from the authorities could further alienate female domestic workers from state protection and national attention. For these reasons, it is imperative that movements fighting against gender-bias must campaign vigorously for the rights of female domestic workers as much as they do in the current right to drink discourse.
Mentos now made in Sri Lanka View(s):

Perfetti Van Melle (PVM) Sri Lanka, the renowned confectionery company, has begun local production of the much loved brand Mentos for the first time in Sri Lanka. This would offer local consumers a wider range of products under the Mentos brand at affordable prices.

As a first step, consumers will now be able to purchase the Mentos Mono at a lower price of Rs. 2, actively helping them break the ice in their day-to-day interactions, the company said in a media release on Wednesday.

Mohit Bhalla, Country Manager of PVM Sri Lanka said, Mentos has been a leading brand for PVM Worldwide and is well-accepted among Sri Lankans for many years.

Mentos has helped people make fresh connections across all ages and social strata. The Mentos production line is the latest in Perfetti Van Melles significant investments in Sri Lanka. We hope with Mentos being proudly made in Sri Lanka, we will be able to delight Sri Lankan consumers for many more years to come.

This milestone was marked at a recent launch event presided over by Huub Sanders, President  PVM Business Unit for South Asia, Middle East and Africa; Ramesh Jayaraman, Managing Director  PVM India; and also attended by other distinguished invitees and business partners including distributors, sales personnel, company representatives and well-wishers.

Mentos is one of PVMs most recognized and loved brands globally, and was made popular in Sri Lanka in the late 90s. First produced in 1948 in Netherlands, Mentos is currently being sold in over 130 countries.
Poll could go 3 ways with SLPP leading: Survey View(s):

The Mahinda Rajapaksa-controlled Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) was seen garnering more support than the United National Party (UNP) or the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by President Maithripala Sirisena at yesterdays local government elections, a joint survey by the Business Times (BT) and polling partner, Second Curve reveals.

By the time these survey results are read today, based on an opinion poll conducted earlier this week, many results of the election to 340 local authorities would have already come in. The survey was conducted on email by the BT and on the streets of Galle and Colombo by Second Curve, a business research corporation specialised in providing cut through, actionable insights, guaranteeing results.

Five questions were posed to respondents. The fifth question asked which party (JVP, SLPP, UNP or UPFA) would come on top at the elections. The email poll which usually reflects the views of the Colombo centric, mostly intelligentsia saw the UNP topping the list with 54 per cent followed by SLPP (19 per cent), UPFA (includes SLFP  17 per cent) and JVP (10 per cent).

However Galle and Colombo (working class) gave the SLPP an average 36 per cent thumbs up (Galle  39 per cent, Colombo  34 per cent), the UNP secured 29 per cent (Galle  29 per cent, Colombo  30 per cent) and the UPFA 25 per cent (Galle  31 per cent, Colombo  20 per cent). The JVP ended with an overall 5 per cent, interestingly with 8 per cent in Colombo and just 1 per cent in Galle. The views of 651 people were collated in Galle and Colombo.

The opinion poll reveals that the coalition parties (UNP and UPFA) would together be able to muster a working majority to take control of the councils, if they so desire. The actual results however may reflect a picture different to what emerged in the survey.

Two of the questions drew sharply contrasting responses in Galle and Colombo in the Second Curve survey. To the question whether people are aware of the new mixed electoral system, Galle responded with 82 per cent saying Yes whereas Colombo responded with 38 per cent saying Yes and 62 per cent No. It was noted that there were several awareness campaigns in Galle, run by a movement titled March 12 Movement and also the Department of Elections regarding the new election system, and this may have been the reason for increased awareness in Galle. In the BT poll, 93.05 per cent said they were aware (Yes).

Asked for their view on having a separate member to each ward, Galle responded with 64 per cent saying Good while in Colombo it was the opposite, 55 per cent said Bad. In the BT poll on this question, 79.16 per cent gave a Good response.

Asked whether the mixed electoral is good or bad, Galle responded with 50 per cent Good while the response in Colombo was 45 per cent Good. The BT poll response on this question was 52 per cent Good.

Asked for their view on doubling the number of members to local authorities, Galle and Colombo responded with 67 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively, with a Bad vote. The response in the BT poll was also consistent with this view, 79.2 per cent saying Bad.
Public Enterprises Ministry probes Rs. 1 bln BoC bad debt By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s):

The Ministry of Public Enterprises has ordered a probe into an alleged Rs. 1 billion bad debt at the Bank of Ceylon (BoC) and also requested the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to carry out an investigation, ministry sources added. The BoC comes under the ministry

They said that BoCs Credit Committee is also under fire and that an Assistant General Manager (AGM) has been sent on leave. They said that the Credit Committee at BoC has said that they didnt receive adequate information by the said AGM on the vehicle importer to whom this credit was extended to. But this is a collective responsibility and were giving full cooperation to the CID on this matter, a ministry source told the Business Times. The Rs. 1 billion is said to be below the credit limit that surpasses the need for collateral, according to the source. Kabir Hashim, Minister of Public Enterprises Development is said to be unhappy with the turn of events and the fact that he wasnt alerted on this issue. It had come to his notice after the Business Times had highlighted the problem last Sunday. He said that strict action will be dished out and all necessary cooperation extended to the authorities, the source added.

The ministry source said that a small commercial bank has also been affected by the same importer operating in Kaduwela area upto Rs. 150 million while a myriad of finance companies is also facing bad debts and payments by this dealer.

Analysts said that operating conditions for Sri Lankas banks have weakened because of the high loan growth over the last two years, driven by a loosening of underwriting standards.
Ravi and Janaki  pioneers in market research View(s):

The partnership of Ravi and Janaki Bamunusinghe in the field of market research is over three decades. Together they have built two leading market research agencies adding value to strategic decisions of national, international and multinational businesses, according to a recent interview with the veteran market research duo.

Janaki is a disciple of the legendary British qualitative researcher Mary Goodyear who believes in grounded contextual understanding of the consumer. In accordance with this line of thinking she had changed the mindset of qualitative research in Sri Lanka. Ravi was exposed to market research when he was a student in the UK and later it became his passion and profession. His contribution to the industry in terms of producing high performing marketers and researchers is immense. He took a keen interest in enhancing the growth of both the marketing and the research industries and has been instrumental in formulating several national bodies in Sri Lanka. He too is a respected teacher in business, marketing and research; and has conducted workshops in business strategy and branding, it was noted.

Janakis present interests are in spending time in homes for the aged and teenagers making them happy in spite of lifes eventualities. She says that it brings her immense satisfaction and she is keen to do more in the future.

Ravis passion is teaching, a skill he thinks he inherited from his late grandfather and mother. He is currently teaching students who are preparing for MBAs and post graduate studies.

Both Ravi and Janaki are avid travellers and their current interest is to engage with the local communities where they had a memorable stay in Lanka Gama inside Sinharaja forest. Asked what advice they have for todays youth, they said focus on the task rather than worry about the outcome.
RPCs teas to be tested from next week By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

Regional Plantation Companies (RPC) tea estates will be subject to checks from the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) as authorities gear up to meet international standards on residue levels of pesticides with Japanese authorities asking Ceylon Tea to clean up its act.

In the wake of the Japanese request for a reduction in the residue levels of pesticides, local authorities have been in consultation with the industry to work out a solution and ensure Ceylon Tea meets the required relevant standards.

SLTB Chairman Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda said that from February 19 all teas on the RPCs would be subject to testing for the residue levels of pesticides.

I have already informed them that if they exceed the European Union (EU) limits their licence to operate will be suspended and all the teas that they have stocked at Colombo warehouses will be prevented from being traded or exported, he explained.

On January 23 the industry heads met with the SLTB officials who were requested to immediately stop using pesticides.

Notice was issued to the RPCs to ensure that testing of teas would be carried out and should any fail to produce the required result their sale and manufacture would be halted until they clean up, it was noted.

The SLTB did not test for residues in the past since manufacturers have been given a list of pesticides to be used on the estates and the now banned glyphosate had been applied for decades.

During discussions the SLTB delegation headed by Dr. Pethiyagoda held in Japan last week, Japanese Health Ministry officials had indicated they wanted Sri Lanka to clean up their act as fast as possible and come into conformity with their regulations.

The Japanese authorities have reduced the tolerance levels of residues found in teas, which is lower than the EU standard. According to the new regulations Japanese authorities want residue levels to be at 0.01.

Sri Lanka has seen a few of its Ceylon Tea shipments to Japan getting rejected due to the high residue levels found in it. Japan imports nine million kilos of tea worth over US$70 million from Sri Lanka.
One held with narcotics

The Metropolitan Police Sector, Nagdhunga, arrested a person with banned drugs at Nagdhunga in the capital city on Sunday morning.
Money laundering: Lanka falls short in EU vote; casinos, gems, real estate identified View(s):

Sri Lankas casinos, real estate and the gem and jewellery business have been identified as high risk areas requiring proper supervision of financial institutions by the European Commission.

This follows a vote that fell short of the threshold of 376 votes to over-turn the country being listed as a jurisdiction with strategic deficiencies in its anti-money laundering regime. This week, 357 members of the European Parliament (MEP) voted for an Objection Motion to override the European Commissions listing of Sri Lanka as a high risk country engaged in money-laundering  19 short of the 376 mandatory threshold.

Twenty six (26) MEPs abstained from voting.Sri Lanka failed to clear its name on grounds that it had not implemented the EUs Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations made at its meeting in Buenos Aires in October last year and agreed through the International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG).

Among the time bound Action Plan is for Sri Lanka to show its record on the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions on sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

The European Commission made the following statement against Sri Lanka (quoting from the FATF decision); Sri Lanka shows deficiencies in international cooperation, in particular the provision of mutual legal assistance, in appropriate regulation and supervision of the non-financial sector, customer due diligence requirements for designated non-financial businesses and professions, weaknesses in risk-based supervision in the financial sector with low level of sanctions, shortcomings in relation to beneficial ownership of information for legal persons.

Prior to the vote, MEP Cristian Preda asked European parliamentarians to consider Sri Lanka lightly, given the fact that a new Government in Colombo is trying to fix long-standing problems, and that the EU Parliament voting against Sri Lanka will send mixed signals so soon after the EU restored the GSP Plus facilities and lifted the ban on the import of fish products.

The EU Parliament decision, however, will not have punitive intent and not restricted to trade and not on financial transactions.

The FATF Action Plan was taken up for discussion by the Cabinet Committee for Economic Management (CCEM) chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on January 3.

Finance Ministry sources said that they too had met on the matter late last year, and added that the Government, and especially the Central Bank would need to take serious note of the EU vote. They recalled the 2012 yellow card that was issued to Sri Lanka on illegal fishing methods. This was ignored and led to the country receiving a red card and a total ban on fish exports to all EU countries. It had taken 20 months to lift the ban.

Only 79 MPs at special debate on commission reports

Only 79 MPs from the 225 in Parliament were present when a special session of the House was summoned on Tuesday (February 6) to debate the report of the Commission of Inquiry to investigate the Issuance of Treasury Bonds by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL); and of the Commission of Inquiry to investigate the Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC).

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya summoned the House on a request by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after members of the Joint Opposition group and the JVP wanted the two reports debated before the local council polls.

Among the notable absentees were former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and several ministers. Most were busy campaigning for the elections. The adjourned debate will resume on February 21 and conclude on February 22. Rajapaksa told local polls rallies that he proposed to speak on the last day of the debate.

JVP MP wants state medical faculty for Uva

While the controversy over private medical faculties has become an explosive issue in the country, JVP Kalutara District Parliamentarian (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa has recommended the setting up of a state medical faculty affiliated to the Uva Wellassa University, using Badulla General Hospital as a teaching hospital.

The JVP MP has, in a Private Members Motion to Parliament, said the setting up of such a faculty would help strengthen state education and improve health services. He says only 50 percent of the number of doctors required were maintaining the countrys health services at an optimum level while a large number of students who obtain high marks in the (G.C.E. Advanced Level) Biology stream are unable to enter state medical faculties.

Parippu crisis at freedom day banquet

When the Sri Lanka Mission to the United Nations hosted a colourful national day event at a high school in the Staten Island borough of New York last week, it was one of the biggest gathering of expatriates. More than 900 expats turned out to listen to speeches and official messages, watch a concert displaying local Sri Lankan talent and partake of a dinner worthy of a royal feast.

Catered by Chef Sanjay Handapangoda of Randiwa restaurant, the menu included over 900 portions of basmathi rice, prawn curry, dhal, mixed vegetables and pol sambol. The entire event took place with clockwork precisionbut only one shortcoming.

As the guests lined up for dinner at the cavernous school cafeteria, the chef ran out of dhal, proving that the staple food of expatriate Sri Lankans was not rice but parippu.

As one expatriate jokingly reminded Ambassador Rohan Perera, a distinguished old Thomian, that in a bygone era in the 1960s and 70s when dhal suddenly became a scarce commodity due to a shortage of foreign exchange, the Thomians refused to shout Royal parippu, a long-time contemptuous slogan, at the annual Royal-Thomian Battle of the Blues.
The Bar, the attorney general and premature warnings View(s):

If the fury and the force of the past months is what Sri Lankan citizens had to face in an ordinarily pedestrian local government election, the imagination fails quite splendidly as to what the future portends with provincial and national elections scheduled to be held in the relatively near future.

The voter is the worst loser

Amidst that wretched election rhetoric, one fact is clear. Irrespective of who wins or who loses on the 10th of February from among the competing actors jostling on the political stage, the voter (it seems) has already lost a significant portion of the promised gains of 2015, bar the shouting. Yet were those promises a mirage at the very time that they glistened so brightly?

This is a question that surfaces in terms of fundamental governing imperatives. To be clear, this is also a question that is quite distinct from defensive positions taken by some when they say that Sri Lankans are better off in terms of their civil liberties than they were three years ago. The truth of that assertion is without a doubt.

But it is also the truth that systemic Rule of Law failures did not start with the Rajapaksas. Rather, much of that predated Rajapaksa rule with the best example being the fact that the precipitation of Sri Lankas Supreme Court into one unpleasant political controversy over another became a matter of international scrutiny during the Kumaratunga Presidency.

From that point, it was a small step to the summary impeachment of a Chief Justice by the Rajapaksa Presidency and an even smaller step to the executive dismissal of the successor to that Chief Justice who was deemed never to have been under the Sirisena Presidency while the Bar clapped. Now we have the ultimate irony of that Chief Justice who never was, along with a sitting Court of Appeal judge being slapped with corruption charges in the Magistrates Court. And the Bar, (in a vastly different avatar of course), splutters in protest over the same.

Prejudging actions of CIABOC

Indeed its recent statement that the institution of criminal proceedings on the basis of professional advice given by them in their former capacities as the Attorney General and Deputy Solicitor General affects the independence of Judiciary, Rule of Law and the interests of the public at large invites the appearance of prejudging the matter. As at this date, the Bribery and Corruption Commission (CIABOC) which filed these charges in the Magistrates Court has yet not entered upon an elucidation of the same. No doubt, this would be forthcoming in the months ahead in the judicial forum. Until then, it would be opportune to hesitate before rushing into conclusions as to the basis on which the charges rest.

From the standpoint of a critical observer, these responses by the legal profession in 2015 and 2018 attract equally critical scrutiny. As some may rightly say, both illustrate profound dilemmas of justice that Sri Lanka faces as a result of crude politicization of the profession even though lofty language is resorted to in order to hide less than lofty motives. That was the same in 2015, (let us admit that undoubtedly inconvenient truth), as it is now.

A few weeks ago, it was observed in these column spaces that the utilization of Section 70 of the Bribery Act (as amended) by the Bribery and Corruption Commission in this regard was salutary after this provision had been allowed to be dormant for decades following the amendments in 1994. However it was also pointed out that penal charges call for evidentiary material that go beyond claims of the improper use of discretion in wielding statutory powers.

The occurrence of strange things in the past

That said, it must also not be forgotten that this country has seen strange things happening including at one point when the Attorney General lodged an appeal with the Colombo High Court in 2009 to withdraw an indictment on purportedly sympathetic grounds, filed against a principal of a leading Colombo school who had been charged with allegedly preparing forged documents and misleading the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over a school admission. The Court was informed that the accused had regretted his conduct and had accepted a transfer to another school. Further, judicial clemency was pleaded on the basis that several citizens had written to the Attorney General requesting that mercy be shown to the accused based on the good services that he had rendered to the country. In that specific case, the judge rightly refused to accede to the application of the Attorney General.

In these circumstances, the propriety of the Attorney General came in for severe critique. Indeed, troubling patterns were demonstrated in regard to substantial decisions to file indictment or, (in the alternative), refuse to file indictment in cases where the law and the investigative material called for a contrary course of action. These matters remain therefore of clear public interest, quite apart from the use of the Bribery Act in the instant context which has been objected to by the Bar. In fact, it would have been good if a reference had been made in that sanctimonious statement issued by the Bar to the crucial importance of the independence of the foremost state law officer rather than indulge in sweeping generalisations.

In other jurisdictions, it is interesting to note that English judges have opined that the court would dismiss the charge in criminal matters if the applicant is able to show that the Attorney General or any of the police officers is found to have abused the process of court or had acted in an oppressive manner towards the applicant. Again, in Israel, the judges have gone further in this regard. The Court has set aside prosecutorial decisions tainted by improper motives, arbitrariness, discrimination and where there was a material or grave distortion of reason.

Structural reforms needed

Taking these issues out of the heat of political aggravations, structural reforms pertaining to the exercise of powers of the Attorney General may be urged as appropriate. In Canada, for example, expert committees have been set up to lay down guidelines for the exercise of prosecutorial discretion. In addition, some African jurisdictions are increasingly emphasizing the political neutrality of the office as well as the need to ensure judicial oversight of the powers of the Attorney General in appropriate circumstances.

In the meantime, it may befit the Bar to abstain from appearing to prejudge the actions of CIABOC in warning of stern consequences that would follow if their cautions are not adhered to. Adding a rider that this intervention is not meant as an obstruction or interference with the course of justice or the right of law enforcement institutions to carry out their functions is merely a sop. That much must be said.
Yesterdays National Referendum View(s):

Yesterdays country-wide local government elections were anything but about pot-holed council roads, street lighting, clogged waterways, garbage disposal or combating dengue. Neither had it to do with issues that are not in the domain of local councils but impact the lives of rural voters such as providing fertiliser to farmers or jobs for the jobless.

For the political leadership of this country, however, it was an unofficial national referendum on the three-year-old National Unity Government.

The political leadership made it appear so. The Presidents almost singular slogan was his battle against corruption which he claimed, that only he could give leadership to because everyone else in the political arena, he said, was corrupt. His coalition partner, the UNP, which once held the moral high ground on corruption until the Central Bank bond scam blew up, talked of nepotism, authoritarianism and the dark era of yesteryear, while the Joint Opposition centred its campaign around their still charismatic de-facto leader who they claimed can deliver. The JO, in fact, asked the voters to treat this mini election as a national referendum and a first step in ousting the National Unity Government.

As the results poured in from last night, that will be the way the post-mortem on yesterdays elections will be read. How many votes did each party (read; each leader) receive and how will that be a prediction for the next important poll  the Presidential election of 2020, now that we know the Executive Presidency will almost certainly continue.

That is no different to the way Provincial Council election results were read in the past. So much so, the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government kept holding periodic PC elections mainly to keep defeating the UNP and paint it as a party that cannot win elections, and thereby demoralise its cadres. It worked for the then Government until it came to the final hurdle  a Presidential election in 2015 when its calculations went haywire.

There is always the debate whether a single Special Commissioner can run a local council more efficiently than a corrupt council filled with corrupt councillors. The problem is, when the Special Commissioner himself, or herself, is inefficient or corrupt, or both. Then, there is the yearning to ask for the return of elected councillors who are accessible to the citizen unlike a super bureaucrat.

Most local councils are corrupt. It is not wrong to say that they reflect the state of the nation. From getting planning permission to build condominiums to council contracts and obtaining CoCs (Certificates of Conformity) for housing without conforming to laid down rules and regulations, and getting garbage clearance contracts, greasing the palms of councillors and officials alike has become the norm not the exception. That is why most Sri Lankan cities and townships are unplanned and ugly.

A concerted effort at beautifying the bigger cities a few years ago has now gone into the limbo of forgotten things, and the cities reverted to near slum-city status, stinking, with piles of garbage strewn down street corners, dengue on the rise, and garbage dumps falling on peoples heads. A Commission of Inquiry that went into one such accident handed over its findings to the President only four days before yesterdays elections. One might expect the report to go into the garbage bin as well.

The Local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry has been allocated Rs. 212 billion for 2018, 5.4% of the total budget. While the Provincial Councils are bound to receive a fair share of this vote, municipalities have opportunities to extract monies from rates, advertising hoardings, parking fees etc. The smaller councils, however, get a pittance and have to fend for themselves the best way they can. As a result the rural countryside is ruined by huge billboards on paddy fields and streets, advertising consumer products. The ruling parties unfairly campaigned on the footing that local councils must rely on the Central Government for hand-outs and ask the people therefore to vote for them. But the anti-incumbency factor may be the very cause for the voter to reject them.

The bigger picture, of course, is the political fallout for the political parties and the future of their leaders. The fact that all the main political leaders put their faces forward, and their futures at stake at what was essentially meant to be a mini poll explains the importance of these elections  a litmus test for all of them.

Given the strengths and weaknesses of parties contesting, the anticipated outcome from yesterdays elections was that most councils would not see a single party getting an outright majority of seats to control them. This will result in MoUs and horse-trading to form coalitions. In that respect, it would truly be a vignette, or mirror of what the people presently witness in the national arena.

The Election Commission had asked the voter not to be a marketable product susceptible to treating and promises by candidates  something they found happening even at this mini-election. In the North, the TNA still maintains its grip on the regions politics despite cracks in the otherwise monolithic alliance. It is a virtual one-party, or one-alliance state there. The province has not been able to come out of its ethnic politics when it comes to elections even though the pace of infrastructure development comes only third to Colombo and Polonnaruwa.

At the Centre, however, it is the President who is clearly in a bind. If the overall results see the party he leads come a poor third losing most of the councils, it is going to make him a lame-duck Chief Executive till the run-up for the 2020 Presidential election, which he hopes to contest again.

The options he will have will narrow if this be the case. It will vary from giving up any thoughts of contesting for a second term to acting more authoritatively by showing he is still in charge overriding his coalition partners (UNP) every move and running the country from the Presidential Secretariat even if it be with what might end up as his rag-tag and bobtail of a party. The reaction to such a course might be a ganging up of the UNP and the Joint Opposition to impeach him through Parliament. This would then force the President to only one course of action and that would be to continue working with the UNP for the rest of his term, even though he has not entirely given up covert attempts to build broken bridges with the Joint Opposition  which then, would mean trouble for the UNP.

All this is what makes yesterdays election results more than just a mini-election. It is something for everyone to gauge the public mood  and the future of national politics.
Direct2Door: Where household essentials are just a click away from being at your doorstep Raj Moorthy has a chat with the CEO and Co-Founder of Direct2Door, on emerging trends in the Sri Lankan e-Commerce space View(s): View(s):

Its a weekly or rather daily routine that people purchase household essentials and grocery items. Technology is just a touch of a button making life easier for people to order things online rather go through the hassle of waiting in long queues.

Direct2Door, a startup funded by a team of three experts from the Lankan Angel Network, has introduced an online store for people to purchase household essentials such as grocery items, organic vegetables, meat and seafood. The Direct2Door online store is available on android phones, and can be logged into via the website and the platform also equipped with a call centre to place an order.

All grocery items are listed on the online platform where people can pick and choose the products they want with the required volume into a virtual cart. The minimum order value has to be Rs. 1,500 within Colombo where delivery is provided free of charge. Cash or card payments can be made on delivery or online. The minimum order value varies outside Colombo in the suburbs. The delivery is done the same day depending on the time of making an order, CEO and Co-Founder Direct2Door, Prashanth Premakumar elaborated that when an order is received by Direct2Door it is transferred directly to the small time vendors who sell fresh organic vegetables, meat, seafood and other grocery items at the national supermarkets on weekends which we typically identify as the Sunday Pola. We have direct deals with the small vendors from supermarkets who have now doubled and tripled their daily sales from the usual Rs. 15,000 income they used to make back in the days, Mr. Prashanth said.

Direct2Door also works directly with fast and moving consumer good companies such as Unilever, Delmege and some major brands in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Prashanth also mentioned there are at least 1000 products up to 25 per cent discount when you order online via the Direct2Door app. People are adapting to buying things online where the e-Commerce trust is building slowly in Sri Lanka. More than 2,000 people have subscribed to Direct2Door and the app downloads are increasing on a daily basis. Regular customers get a lot of benefits, cash backs, special gifts, promotional coupons and so on. We want to pass some of the cost benefits to our customers and provide each individual a different approach, added Mr. Prashanth.

According to statistics on average people above 40 are using the Direct2Door app. Youngsters get familiar with the app and introduce it to their parents and the trend is that the older generation is making orders online via the app. Even children living abroad make grocery and household essentials orders online and send to their parents in Sri Lanka. This helps parents living in Sri Lanka who find it difficult to go through the hassle of standing in long queues and choosing items. There is a 100 percent cash back refund if any product is not up to the standard of good quality and fresh in the case of vegetables, fruits and meat at the time of delivery.

The Direct2Door startup is a seed funding from a team of industry experts from the Lankan Angel Network namely, Stax Inc. Sri Lanka Managing Director Ruwindhu Peiris, Senior Advisor Arj Wignaraja and Director Kumudu Gunasekara. The startup emerged runners-up at the 2016 Venture Engine contest. Its been more than a year that Direct2Door was first introduced to Sri Lanka.

While the main goal of the company is to bring all household essentials under one platform online and delivering them to the doorstep of the consumers, the startup has introduced laundry services since this year .

The service picks up and delivers laundry at the doorstep of consumers. Its one of the niche and relevant segments to people in Colombo at large.

For more information log onto direct2door.lk
Khadeejah wins Edward Lear Prize for Poetry By Kaveesha Fernando View(s): View(s):

Khadeejah Sabry Samsudeen won the Edward Lear Prize for Poetry, the awards ceremony being held at the scenic Owl and the Pussycat Hotel, Thalpe as part of the Fairway Galle Literary Festival 2018 on January 26.

I didnt expect it actually, said Khadeejah of her win, commenting that she thought it was amazing that she was placed in the finals. Khadeejah, who has just completed her Advanced Level examination at Ilma International Girls School last year, looks forward to studying graphic design in the future and hopes to publish more poetry soon.

The Edward Lear Prize for Poetry competition invites writers aged 18-30 to submit their entries in poetry inspired by Edward Lear. The prize is organised by the owners of a luxury resort inspired by and named after Edward Lears iconic poem The Owl and the Pussycat.

Co-founder of the award Shane Thantrimudalige expressed his happiness in seeing the competition flourish and said he hoped the award would progress further. I hope that this award would continue for many years to come, he said. Shane founded the prize with co-owner of the Owl and the Pussycat hotel Reita Gadikari.

The competition calls for submissions months ahead of the final and the top five poems were shortlisted by the judges. This years finalists were Shanika Ratnayake, Ayesha Ratnayake, Sakuni Cooray, Khadeejah Sabry Samsudeen and Shaahima Raashid. Khadeejah was placed first for her poem The Little Giant, while Shaahima and Sakuni were placed second and third respectively.

The finalists got the chance to read out their poems for the audience before the results were announced, the poems all with a touch of whimsical and imaginative happenings, much like the poems of Edward Lear with Sakunis The Sri Lankan Owl and the Pussycat drawing interest, for its tweaking of Edward Lears iconic poem to convey a Sri Lankan love story.

The judges for the award were Aftab Jafferjee, Jane Kramer, Dilhani Thantirimudalige, Gehan Talwatte and Grace Wickremasinghe.
SING-ALONG WITH ANNESLEY AND SUPER CHIMES View(s):

Anniversary Sing along with Annesley and Super Chimes, organized by the Rotary Club of Kelaniya to celebrate its 20th Anniversary, will come alive on 24th February 2018 at the Kingsbury Hotel starting at 7.00pm.

This project is aimed at raising funds for Rotary Foundation.

Annesley and his band Super Chimes will dish out the best of 70s music both English and Sinhala for the audience to participate and sing along with him. The Super Chimes comprises Dilip Fernando on Keyboards and vocals, Asha Fernando on drums, Yasantha Peiris on bass guitar and vocal, Sajan Poogolaarachchige on guitar and vocals, Nishantha on guitar and vocals and Tharanga Sewwandi , the frontline female vocalist.

We selected Annesley for this event as he is one of the best persons to handle a Sing along by getting the audience participation to the maximum said the Chairperson of the organizing committee.

Tickets are priced at Rs.3000/ per head inclusive of dinner. For more information call Melroy on 0777826353
Six photo-enthusiasts win big with the Cinnamon Sri Lanka Photo Contest 2017 View(s):

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts announced the winners of the Cinnamon Sri Lanka Photo Contest 2017, a signature event that was held to celebrate the best photography and videography captured in Sri Lanka. A total of six winners out of 1280 participants, who submitted nearly 5780 entries, were selected from a cross-section of categories as part of the annual online competition.

Raveendra Siriwardene, won the overall grand prize and the Sri Lanka Tourism Photography award, and he emerged victorious in the Sri Lanka Tourism Nature, Wildlife & Marine Photography category. The Sri Lanka Tourism Landscapes and Cityscapes Photography award was won by Chamika Janith Perera and the Sri Lanka Tourism Interiors Photography award was bagged by Kaveen Jayawardena.

The Culture & People Award by Mobitel was won by Shehan Trek, whilst the awards for categories such as Sri Lanka Tourism Activity and Adventure & the Photo-Essay were won by Yamuni Perera and Riddhi Parekh, respectively. As the winner of the grand prize, Raveendra will also receive the title of Cinnamon Photographer of the Year along with a cash prize of USD 5000, international media exposure, a six-page spread in the Cinnamon Magazine and an all-expense paid curated photography tour around Sri Lanka.

Cash prizes of USD 500 will be given to the winners of each individual category.
Rural people early to vote NORTH CENTRAL PROVINCE: View(s): View(s):

The North Central province recorded a voter turnout of about 70 percent at yesterdays local council elections.

In the Anuradhapura district, the morning turnout was low but gradually picked up after noon. A total of 672,161 voters were eligible to vote in the district at 680 polling booths.

Election monitors received a complaint that campaign materials for Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna candidate Sirima Karunarathne were being distributed at the Maligaspe junction in the Anuradhapura Urban Council area. There were also some threatening incidents reported from the district.

In the Polonnaruwa district, there were 321,594 voters eligible to cast their ballots in 295 polling booths. Observers said voters from rural villages cast their votes in the morning while heavy voting took place in towns later in the day.

In Polonnaruwa, monitors said they observed some candidates canvassing outside their houses. Sudeera Dankewala, a UNP candidate, had been noticed canvassing in front of his residence located near Bendi wewa polling statio, a monitoring group alleged.
88% of RTI requests responded to or, being processed- SLPI Study View(s):

One year after the Right to Information (RTI) Law came into effect, 88% of the RTI requests submitted to Government Ministries have been responded to or, are being processed, while 12% have been rejected, according to a study conducted by the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), based on data received from 22 Ministries.

As per the RTI process, if a request is rejected, an appeal can be made to the Designated Officer at the relevant authority, failing which, an appeal could be made to the RTI Commission. In this regard, the RTI Commission had received 485 appeals as of Jan.26, 2018, the SLPI stated in a media release.

The Ministry of Education has received the most number of RTI requests, at an average of 35 RTI requests per month, followed by the Ministry of Public Administration and Management with 30 RTI requests per month, the Ministry of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media, which is the nodal Ministry for implementation for RTI in Sri Lanka.

The highest amount of RTI requests to the Ministries came from Colombo, Gampaha and Kandy districts, while the least number of requests were from Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Batticaloa districts.

While this data from the main Ministries indicates there is progress, there is still a long way to go, the SLPI release stated. Countries which have implemented the RTI Law before Sri Lanka, are still facing challenges in getting the message across, and getting both, officials and citizens to use the RTI. The nodal Ministry for RTI Implementation, the RTI Commission, Public Authorities, media and civil society organisations must continue to build awareness and provide support on all fronts, for the successful implementation of the RTI, the release pointed out.
SLPP sweeps wards in South; North goes to ITAK View(s):

But coalition among opposition parties can tilt balance in councils

UNP comes second, leading in Colombo count, Sirisenas UPFA comes a distant third

The recently formed Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa seems to have swept a majority of the local government wards in the south at yesterdays countrywide polls, according to early results that began trickling in late last night.

However, in some councils though the SLPP won most of the wards under the FPP (First Past the Post) system, when the PR (Proportional Representation) quota of votes are counted, a combined Opposition can have more seats in the council than the SLPP.

For example, at the Ambalangoda Urban Council where the SLPP won 10 of the 12 wards, its total number of seats in the 21 member council remain 10, while the UNP won two wards and got four more elected under the PR totaling six, while the UPFA won three seats and JVP two under PR so that the UNP-UPFA-JVP will have 11 seats in the council, one more than the SLPP.

In the north, the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) was set to sweep the poll. Similarly, in the Manthai East Pradeshiya Sabha, the ITAK won four seats under FPP and two more under PR totaling six seats in a 13 member Sabha.

The UNP won four wards under FPP, SLFP won two under PR and EPDP won one seat under PR which means ITAK will have six seats, but the UNP-SLFP-EPDP combine will have seven seats.

The SLPP, the breakaway faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) took an early lead winning most of the wards in the Southern, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, North Central and North Western Provinces, while the United National Party (UNP) fared better in urban areas and was expected to win some of the bigger municipalities.

The SLFP-led United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) of President Maithripala Sirisena took a heavy beating across the island, coming a weak third while the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuma (JVP) came fourth in most provinces outside the North and East. In some councils, however, the JVP was expected to pip the UPFA to third place.

There was no official announcement of the election results even by midnight on Saturday. Additional Elections Commissioner M. M.Mohamed said the delay was due to the complexity of allocating seats under the Proportional Representation (PR) system for 40 percent of the seats in the councils.

The SLPP won all the wards under the revived FPP system in the Matara district, except in the Weligama Urban Council where its nomination papers had been rejected. In the Galle district, too, the SLPP won the wards, except in the Galle MC. In the Hambantota district, the SLPP won a majority of the wards, except the Hambantota UC, which went to the UNP as the main party. In the Nuwara Eliya district, the UNP was leading, while in the Matale district, the SLPP was in the front. In the Puttalam district, except for the Puttalam MC, the SLPP was leading in all other councils as counting continued beyond midnight.

In the districts of Kegalle and Ratnapura in the Sabaragamuwa Province, the SLPP was leading in all the councils while in the Monaragala district, too, the SLPP was set to win all the councils under the FPP vote. In the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts, the stronghold of the SLFP General Secretary and Leader respectively, the SLPP was leading except in the Medirigiriya UC where there was a close fight with between the SLPP and the UNP.

Some of the bigger councils in the Colombo district such as Maharagama, Homagama, Kesbewa, Awissawella, Panadura, Kaduwela and Moratuwa too went to the SLPP as the main party to win the wards, while the UNP was leading in the battle for control of the Colombo Municipal Council. In the Gampaha district Kelaniya, Wattala, Biyagama, Gampaha, Divulapitiya, Minuwangoda, Attanagalla and Katana went to the SLPP as the main party.

In the Jaffna district, the ITAK took 25 of the 34 councils while there was a close contest for the Jaffna Municipal Council between the ITAK and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC).

The Chavakachcheri and Point Pedro Urban Councils were won by the ACTC, while the EPDP won in the Kayts and Delft islands.

In the Kilinochchi district, three Praadeshiya Sabhas were won by ITAK while in Vavuniya one UC and three PSs were won by ITAK.

In Mannar, the ITAK won two PSs and the Mannar UC, while the UNP won the Mussali and Manthai Praadeshiya Sabhas.

Around 70 percent of the 15.8 million registered voters cast their votes at yesterdays elections.

The election, the first to be conducted under a new electoral system, drew more than an expected number of voters. In almost all districts, the percentage of voting was higher than the percentage at the 2012 local council elections.

In the Northern Province, elections to some local council were being held after a lapse of nearly 40 years. Here, too, the voting was high with a turnout in the region of 70 percent.

Police strictly enforced election laws, leading to the arrest of 39 people, including eight candidates while five others were arrested for photographing the ballot paper after marking it.

Election monitoring groups said yesterdays elections were largely free of violence while voters too showed a keener interest to cast their ballot.

The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) said it had received 145 complaints, of which 22 were major complaints. The Peoples Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL) said it had received 141 complaints, including the assault of candidates and supporters.

Another monitoring group, the Network for Election Monitoring, said it had recorded about 200 complaints but there were no major incidents. The Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFE) said it had recorded 65 complaints.

President Maithripala Sirisena cast his vote at the Sri Vidyaloka Temple polling booth in Polonnaruwa last morning. He spoke to journalists afterwards and noted that this was the first occasion after many years that when the country saw a peaceful campaign from nominations to Election Day.

He said that after the conclusion of the poll, the Government would work with local councils for sustainable and all-inclusive development in their areas.

The President said he was confident voters would ensure a resounding mandate for the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and allied parties.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe cast his vote at the polling center at the College House of the University of Colombo. He told journalists that with the introduction of the mixed electoral system, the local council elections were held in a peaceful atmosphere. He said that under the new system, voters would get a representative responsible for their areas.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who led the election campaign of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) cast his vote at the polling booth at D.A. Rajapaksa Vidyalaya in Medamulana. He said he was confident of a decisive victory for the SLPP that the election would be a stepping stone for a major political revolution in the country. He is expected to hold a news conference today to claim victory at yesterdays polls.

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake voted at a polling center at Abeysinharama Vihara in Panchikawatte. Mr Dissanayake said the importance of a political change had been deeply felt by the public. The people were actively hoping for such a change and in this backdrop, the JVP was confident of making a strong showing at this election.
Over 32,000 HIV infected in Nepal

The number of people living with HIV infection has reached more than 32,000 in Nepal.
Puthukkudiyiruppu polls for first time in 40 years; record turnout in north NORTH PROVINCE: View(s): View(s):

It was a milestone for the people of Puthukkudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu in the Northern Province. Voters polled yesterday for the first time in four decades in a local council election.

Following an election petition filed against the holding of elections in Puthukkudiyiruppu , on the basis that it was unfair to hold elections while the displaced people had not been re-settled, the local elections in the area had been on hold for the past 40 years.

The petitioners urged the Election Commissioner to refrain from holding elections in the Puthukkudiyiruppu and Maritime Pattthu Pradeshiya Sabhas.

However, yesterday the people had shown much enthusiasm in voting. Mullaitivu District Secretary Kethisweran Rupawathie said around 65 percent people had cast their votes by yesterday afternoon. The election was peaceful and there was no violence reported in the district, she said.

Meanwhile, in the Kilinochchi district, more than 50 percent turned up for voting. Jaffna district Parliamentarian Sivagnanam Shritharan said that voters had shown more interest compared to the past elections. Mostly the resettled people turned up in groups at polling booths.

Jaffna voters also showed their eagerness and turned up in large numbers. The northern islands reported a turnout of around 65 percent, while in other areas it was 55 percent by noon yesterday.

District Secretary, N. Vedhenayagan said the voting was peaceful and the voting trend showed more interest by young people. Many first time voters were seen lining up at the polling booths. Also people displaced from high security zone in the peninsula have shown a keenness in participating in the election.

The Vavuniya and Mannar districts also recorded brisk polling with a record high of 60 percent, District Secretariat officials said.
Udayanga debacle in Dubai: Fresh team flies to Lyon to get Red Notice By Anthony David View(s): View(s):

A last ditch attempt is being made by the Government to persuade Interpol Headquarters in France to issue a Red Notice to enable the arrest of Sri Lankas former Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, who is now in Dubai.

A prime suspect in the alleged mass fraud involving the procurement of MiG 27 fighter jets from Ukraine in 2006, he was detained by Interpol officials at the Dubai International Airport. He was released after a counsel hired by him argued that the arrest had been wrong since it was made on the basis of an Interpol Blue Notice, which was only an advisory.

The local Interpol Office located at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Colombo has sent its officials to Lyon, France to meet Interpol officials at their own headquarters. They have also channelled an official request setting out details of the investigations so far and why Mr Weeratunga was required to make a statement.

The Sunday Times has learnt that a MiG 27 procurement deal with Sri Lanka does not exist. A purported agreement covering the deal, drafted by a military officer now exiled in Canada, has turned out to be allegedly fictitious. More than double the stated amount in this so-called agreement has been remitted through spurious channels and a major effort had been made to cover up matters relating to the transaction. Those involved have been identified.

A seven-member team which rushed to Dubai to secure Mr Weeratungas custody learnt to their dismay that he had been released when they arrived in Dubai. The team had been dogged with many issues. Their flights had to be put off on three consecutive occasions since approval for their visas had not arrived. When they eventually landed in Dubai at dawn, with little or no sleep, the members of the team were unable to obtain appointments with the Prosecutor General of the Emirates, top Police officials or others relevant to their visit.

They later hired the services of Casipillai Chakradaran, a Sri Lankan lawyer now associated with the Dubai Law firm Afridi and Angell. The firm specialises in litigation and arbitration, maritime, corporate and commercial, banking and financial services. The law firm in turn obtained the services of a firm of lawyers from the Emirati kingdom and was to learn that Mr. Weeratunga had been released. They also learnt he was still in Dubai and had been joined by his wife.

The event became a local polls issue after Mr Weerartunga posted in his facebook that he had been released since there were no international charges, against him. It was claimed that he was on his way to Ukraine  a claim hotly contested by the Sri Lankan officials. They said there was no way he could go to Ukraine since he is wanted there for questioning.

The Weeratunga debacle in Dubai prompted President Maithripala Sirisena to be in touch with the Sri Lanka team by telephone on a number of occasions on Friday. Since Friday and Saturday are holidays in Dubai, they were waiting till Sunday to formally raise issue over the former Ambassador. They are hoping that there would be a response from Interpol Headquarters by then.

In a joint media statement on Friday, both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Law and Order conceded that Mr Weeratunga had been released but added he had been prevented from leaving until investigations are concluded. The team will resume its efforts to pursue further action today.

Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana has spoken on the telephone with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also spoke to officials of the Sri Lanka diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi to expedite the return of Mr Weeratunga.

President Sirisena has named Additional Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda as the coordinator of the seven member team. Other members include Senior DIG Ravi Waidyalankara, an ASP and an Inspector from the Criminal Investigation Department, Parinda Ranasinghe from the AGs Department, H.M. Wijeratne, Legal Officer in the Foreign Ministry and Immigration Deputy Controller (overseas diplomatic missions) Devapriya Gunasinghe.
Universal franchise, a fiction for those who cant vote By Kasun Warakapitiya View(s): View(s):

Despite the barrage of ads encouraging people to vote, thousands were unable to use their power of franchise yesterday.

They included workers who keep vital services running  including services that enable others to cast their votes. Others include the homeless, who lack an address needed for inclusion on the electoral register. An estimated 1.5 million Sri Lankans working overseas lacked the means to cast votes.

The Commissioner of Elections, Mahinda Deshapriya, conceded that many people were unable to vote due to their professions. I think there should be an advance voting scheme introduced. I hope a system can be introduced this year, he said.

Those unable to vote yesterday included hospital in-patients, those engaged in health care and the public transport sector, and prisoners.

Mr. Deshapriya said he appealed to private tuition schools and private academic institutions to cancel classes yesterday as many of them, mostly first-time voters, could have missed out on casting a vote.

Election monitoring groups said despite their continual requests the government had been slow to create plans that would allow every citizen to vote.

The Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, said voting was a fundamental right that should not be violated.

People in remand have a right to vote, he said. They should be allowed to vote in prisons  it can be easily done since they are stationed in one place, he pointed out.

The same process could be carried out in hospitals to enable both patients and staff attending to emergency services to cast their votes.

Most countries have set up mechanisms for people employed in these situations, he said.

The Peoples Action For Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) also said the government should create policy to prepare mechanisms to allow people who are not able to cast ballots on general voting day to be allowed another opportunity.

PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchie said an advance voting system should be formulated.

Many bus drivers, conductors and schedule time-keepers who were compelled to work on election day in order to provide public transportation were also unable to cast votes yesterday.

Nilantha Priyankara Perera, a time keeper at the Rajagiriya, Welikada private bus stand said buses had to keep to schedules even on election days.

Fortunately, as the bus company only operates 13 buses out of its fleet of 27 on Saturdays, Mr. Perera was able to make leave and shift-swapping arrangements to allow as many bus crew members time to go to a voting centre.

Mr. Perera himself was not able to vote as his fellow time-keeper had an off-day yesterday so Mr. Perera had to be on duty from 5am to 5.30pm.

A private bus driver from Kollonawa, Nihal Ranjith, said he and his friends had to report for duty on election day as there was a high demand for buses on such days.

Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus driver Niroshan Amarasinghe said although postal voting was available some drivers had not been able to vote due to sickness or being held up by other duties. He had been sick and unable to cast a postal vote.

Mr Amarasinghe said there should be more flexibility in the postal voting system.

Homeless people who live on the streets were denied voting privileges since they did not live in a specified area, a necessity for being placed on voting lists.

Sandamali Peris, who lives in a make shift tent at the Welikada junction in Rajagiriya, said she had not voted for years after her makeshift house had been broken up by the authorities.

Since we have no stable home we arent able to vote and elect someone who can resolve our problems, she said. Her other problem is that she has no identity card, only a birth certificate.

Mr. Hettiarachchi of PAFFREL said people who do not have a home were yet people of the country and should be allowed to vote at least in presidential elections.

The Director of Foreign Employment Bureau, Upul Deshapriya, said as a public servant he believed the more than 1.5 million Sri Lankans working overseas should be provided with a mechanism for voting.
We did our best to save the Ven. Bellanwila prelate, says doctor View(s):

As the nation bid farewell to one of the countrys erudite prelates the Ven. Prof. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thera, questions over the death of the scholarly monk are clarified by the team of doctors who attended on him and fought hard to save his life. Dr. D. M. Sumana Handagala, Thoracic Surgeon of the National Hospital for Respiratory Disease, Welisara rushed to the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital on Feb 2 to treat the injured priest as he was the on-call Consultant Surgeon. Dr. Handagala told the Sunday Times that after an initial assessment he had found that the prelate had suffered severe blunt trauma to the chest with lung tears (laceration) and significant flail segment (free moving chest wall segment due to dual fractures in 5 ribs).

The priest told me he had a fall, but did not mention an attack by a tusker. However, I believe given the nature of the rib injuries that they were not from a mere fall, but would have involved severe force. Out of the 24 ribs, 16 were damaged, he said. The staff of Kalubowila Hospital had administered the appropriate initial treatment, which included inserting a tube into the right chest, administering high flow of oxygen and appropriate pain killers. The Cardiologist who performed the echocardiograph said he had no objections if the monk needed to be transfered and felt clinically the monks heart could withstand chest surgery, Dr. Handagala said.

I discussed the clinical situation of the patient with my colleague Dr. Sujeewa Ilangamage, a Consultant Thoracic surgeon, and my consultant Anaesthetist Dr. K.A.P. Dhammika, and came to the conclusion that the best treatment for the monk at that stage was an operation, repair the lung injuries and fix the most unstable fractured ribs, he said. Dr. Handagala said he opined that the surgery could be performed at the Kalubowila Hospital, although the facilities there were limitted and the patient would require great care. After discussion, the dayakas of the Bellanwila Temple suggested that the operation be performed at a leading private hospital in Colombo. I mentioned that no professional fee would be charged, Dr. Handagala said. According to him, the most appropriate course of action in the treatment of rib fractures with a flail segment was an early fixation of unstable ribs after repairing any internal injury. In his opinion, non- invasive management by means of connecting the patient to a ventilator with high pressure was not an answer as the existing lung tear would result in air leak, leading to inadequate oxygen for the patient.

What we thought best was a damage-control strategy but not a total correction of all injuries. We did not fix some of the stable fractures on the right side and did not touch the six left rib fractures at all. The chest surgery took 7 hours, where only severely damaged ribs were corrected with 57 specialised titanium screws and plates, the doctor said. According to him, the Ven. Thera, who had suffered a fracture to the right upper limb bone, had requested the Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Chandana Karunathilake to mend the limb as it was extremely painful. Since the patients general condition was stable throughout the chest operation my anesthetist did not object to the limb operation being done immediately after ours so that the viability of the limb could be protected. It was unfortunate that the priest succumbed to a myocardial infarction (heart attack) 2 hours after the operation, despite our best attempts. This could have been contributed to by the monks diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, age, stress factors due to injury, the surgery and prolonged anaesthesia,

Dr. Handagala said.

According to him, the team of doctors including the Thoracic, Orthopaedic and General Surgeons (Dr. Amila Jayasekera, Dr. Aathawan), General Physicians, Cardiologists, Dr. Priyankara Jayawardena, Dr. Vajira Senaratne, Dr. Taniya Perera, Dr. Stanley Amarasekera and Consultant Cardio Surgeon Dr. Lahie had all fought long and hard to try and save the monks life without charging any professional fee.
Western Province: Largely peaceful, person arrested for photographing ballot paper WESTERN PROVINCE: View(s): View(s):

A high voter turnout was recorded from the Western Province yesterday, amid a peaceful atmosphere during the first Local Government Election held under the new electoral system.

The Gampaha District has the highest number of registered voters in the country with 1,724,309. Colombo District comes second with 1,652,389. Kalutara District has 941,742 registered voters.

In the Colombo District, voters are electing representatives to 13 LG bodies. There are five Municipal Councils (MCs), five Urban Councils (UCs) and three Pradeshiya Sabhas (PSs) being contested. Voters cast their ballots at 1,096 polling centres located throughout the district.

The large number of polling centres meant that it was difficult to give a precise figure regarding the percentage of votes cast, Sunil Kannangara, the Colombo District Secretary explained. However, we are getting reports of a good turnout, he said last afternoon. Mr. Kannangara expressed hope that the first electoral result from the district could be released two hours after counting began.

The College House, University of Colombo was busy from last morning after polling commenced at 7 am as Colombo metropolitan voters lined up to cast their votes. Voters included young first-time voters who were excited to cast their vote for the countrys largest Municipal Council, the Colombo Municipal Counil (CMC). Special arrangements were made to assist differently-abled persons to cast their votes with minimum difficulty.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived at the polling centre around 9.15 am yesterday with his wife Prof. Maithri Wickremesinghe and United National Party (UNP) Mayoral candidate Rosy Senanayake to exercise their franchise. If elected, Mrs. Senanayake would be CMCs first female Mayor.

The preferential vote in the previous electoral system caused many issues in the past. However, that has been done away with, introducing the new electoral system, Mr. Wickremesinghe told reporters after casting his vote. Mr. Wickremesinghe said the Government introduced a new electoral system where elected candidates would be held accountable for their actions if they failed to meet the expectations of the people.

Politicians come and go, but no one had a visionary plan to develop Colombo as a modern city. We lack commitment in our representatives. Im hopeful that whoever comes into administration will resolve the pending issues in Colombo as half of the city is full of dirt, Zuhyle Mohammed, a resident of Kollupitiya told the Sunday Times yesterday after casting his vote at College House.

There was brisk voting in the Gampaha District with voters queuing up early to cast their votes. Voting was largely peaceful with no major incidents of election violence reported in the district. There were a few minor incidents. Turnout was reported to be over 60 per cent by 2 pm.

There was a minimum of two armed police officers at each polling station; in some areas over six policemen were deployed. One area with a large number of voters was the Hekitta Lions Club building situated opposite the Leprosy Hospital.

Candidates contesting at this poll voted early in the day and were seen greeting each other after they voted.

The polling station at Bandaranaike Maha Vidyalaya had long queues of voters forming three lines at the counters.

Security at polling booths was well maintained with police enforcing the law strictly. In Ethukale, Negombo two persons who acted in a suspicious manner close to a polling booth were arrested. Police on duty directed them to switch off their mobile phones as they entered the polling booth premises.

Voter turnout was also high in the Kalutara District where 4 Urban Councils and 13 Pradeshiya Sabhas are being contested. Turnout had surpassed 50 per cent by 2 pm. There were no major incidents of election violence. In one incident of election law violation, a voter at a polling centre in Moragalla, Aluthgama was arrested after allegedly using a mobile phone to photograph the ballot paper that he had just marked. The 23-year-old suspect was later released on police bail.
Women and estate workers show their voting might CENTRAL PROVINCE: View(s): View(s):

Women voters came out in full force at many polling stations in the Central Province while there was also a significant turnout among the elderly population and differently-abled voters.

In addition, there was a high turnout among estate workers, especially from Madulkale, Rangala, Hunnasgiriya, Udadumbara with a general pattern of high interest exhibited in the estate sector.

Long lines of voters were seen in the Kandy District, and work at the polling stations were largely peaceful. The average voter turnout in the District exceeded 55 per cent by noon.

There were no reports of major violations, but two police officers were suspended from duties due to their failure to show up at the assigned polling station. Mobile police services and police stations were on high alert in the district.

The Nuwara Eliya District reported a voting percentage of 65 by noon, although when voting started in the morning certain polling stations recorded only 30 voters. However, the numbers were high towards afternoon with the presence of a large number of estate workers.

Four persons were arrested for distributing polling cards to people when voting commenced. Another incident was reported in Mahagasthota, Nuwara Eliya where two groups had clashed. It was reported that they had been under the influence of liquor and three of the suspects were admitted to hospital.

Meanwhile, in the Matale District there was a turnout of 40 per cent. There were no reports of violence from the District at the time of going to press.
Yameen survives but Maldives still ridden with crises By Our Diplomatic Editor View(s): View(s):

An embattled Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen warded off an attempt to oust him from office but troubles are far from over in his crisis-ridden Indian Ocean archipelago.

The UN Security Council is set to debate the political turmoil there as several nations including China, the United States, Britain and the European Union issued travel advisories warning their citizens not to visit that country. A slowdown in tourist traffic on which the cluster of islands with white sandy beaches and blue sea waters, it is feared, would ruin its economy. The Maldives has been a haven for low income as well as high end tourists with resorts averaging from US$ 40 to US$ 2,500 per night for luxury water villas built into the sea.

Troubles began for Mr. Yameen, described as autocratic with little regard for human rights, when the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling on February 1. It declared that all political prisoners and 12 members of the Majlis, the nations Parliament, now under detention, be released.

Three judges ruled in favour and two dissented. That came as the first step in a move to impeach President Yameen and force him out of office.

He acted swiftly by ordering the arrest of Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed. He also ordered the arrest of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, former President and a group of his relatives and declared a State of Emergency  a move that, according to Maldivian law, rendered the Supreme Court actions invalid. Mr. Gayoom was first held in the prison island of Dhonidoo and has later been transferred to Maafushi Island. The charge against him is involvement in terrorism.

With fear gripping the Maldives capital Male, an area of nearly two square kilometres partly reclaimed from the sea, civilians shied away from responding to the media. They were vary of telephone calls from the foreign media and would only say matters were now normal. On Thursday night, Mr. Yameen issued a decree shutting down Rajje television, a private news channel. The TV channel in a statement said it had received threats including violence against staff and to burn down the station. Police have stopped protecting RaajjeTV while security is being provided to government-backed TV stations.

Mr. Yameens predecessor, Mohamed Nasheed who is spearheading the campaign to oust him, took the unusual step of issuing a public statement calling for Indian intervention. He said, We would like the Indian government to send an envoy, backed by its military, to free the judges and the political detainees. We are asking for a physical presence.

In New Delhi, the claim was met with stony silence  a message that India was not willing to play ball with Mr. Nasheed. Mr. Yameen also ignored India when he sent a special envoy to China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Mr. Yameen is expecting China to defend him at the Security Council. Similarly the US also ignored Mr. Nasheeds call to stop all financial transactions with the Maldives

Paradoxical enough, the Supreme Court came in for severe criticism from the international community when it originally ordered the arrest of political prisoners. It was branded as very corrupt. This week, however, the SC was being praised for its actions with Maldivian businessmen now in Colombo alleging more money has changed hands before the latest ruling.

When the Maldivian Government learnt that a delegation from the European Community members, based in Colombo, was to meet it, Male extended invitations. However, only Britain and German representatives travelled there. Yet, neither Government Ministers nor officials met them. Now, further action is being contemplated.
Appreciations View(s):

He was truly a living saint

SURIYAKUMARAN WILLIAMS

We live in a society that encourages and advocates hedonism; in an age that glorifies self interest, ambition and narcissism and amidst an ethic that values ambition, possessions and prestige. It therefore comes as no surprise that rarely are we privileged to encounter an individual whose values and ambitions, whose character and goals, whose priorities and motivations, run counter to the worldview of our time and age.

During the many years that I have known him, Suriyakumaran Williams lived out a life that completely rejected the values of this world and instead adopted, adhered to and embraced a counter-ethic of integrity, humility, service, kindness and gentleness.

Regardless of the pressures and demands of life, in the face of which most of us fail, our masks become transparent, and we exhibit anger, impatience and frustration, Kumaran as he was known in our family, or Suri as he was called by friends, never seemed to fail. He was to those of us who had the honour to serve and walk alongside him, the best example of a living saint.

At a young age Suri felt called to Christian ministry; it was a calling that he never turned his back on. In order to prepare himself he proceeded to Bible School in India where he acquired a sound theological grounding that would stand him in good stead during four decades as youth worker and missionary, teacher and counsellor, preacher and pastor.

He seemed to instinctively follow in the footsteps of his great great grandfather, the Reverend Benjamin Rice who over a century before Suri, would teach at the Batticotta Seminary (the precursor of Jaffna College) and then serve as a Priest in parishes across the Jaffna peninsula. Suri was undoubtedly influenced by the piety of his grandmother Chinammah and his mother Dulcie.

Suri spent most of his adult life in the ministry of Youth For Christ, initially in Colombo, and then in the late seventies in Jaffna. He was sent north to pioneer the work in that city and its environs, as well as to nurture a Tamil language ministry. Ably assisted by Kumar Abraham, theirs was a pioneering missionary endeavour which would go on to reap rich spiritual dividends in the decades to come.

Suri, his wife Shanthi and their children Miriam and Naveen, were to live and work in Jaffna through the most violent years of the peninsula. But they were not daunted, they never wavered, they refused to abandon their calling. Suri could remain at his post, and inspire and motivate his family to stand firm in the face of adversity precisely because of his selflessness. Neither then nor later, did he seek recognition or reward, position or power, wealth or comfort. Finally on Saturday, January 13, he went to his glorious reward.

His life, his example, his teaching, his counsel and his inspiration remain a living memorial in the lives of those of us who were touched, blessed and enriched by him.

Jayantha Somasundaram

A salute to you Sir, on behalf of many generations of Medical students

DR .T. VARGUNAM

The passing away of a veritable colossus in every sense of the word, on Sunday, February 4, brought a sadness to us, his former students, that defies description. A former Professor of Medicine, who together with the likes of Senaka Bibile, he helped to pioneer the fledgling Medical School at Peradeniya to the enviable position it now enjoys. He would have in life, wished no public accolade, that was his nature. He was the Chancellor of the Eastern University, a post he carried with aplomb, grace, dignity and ease , a panache, that seemed almost a birthright.

We were from the first batch of medical students at Peradeniya. A motley crowd from various parts of the country, were taught our basics in Medicine by this teacher who was of a new breed, with a conversance of the scientific background to what he was teaching. We lapped up the pearls of wisdom he cast, for they were clear expositions of a complex subject. His encouragement in sorting out any puzzlement with focused questions remains even today, the hallmark of this faculty in the hills.

Always a pioneer, he together with a physician friend Dr Kolitha Karunaratne and the surgeon Rudra Rasaretnam were responsible for the organisation of the Kandy Society of Medicine, one of the foremost medical organisations in the country. With its scientific programmes it remains a vibrant source of continued medical education to the medical community, doctors and students, in the central regions of this country.

His nonchalant demeanour hid an extremely positive nature and we all got used to his  I say, you guys . (succinct words of advice or exhortation followed ) that marked our relationship with him. Never a person to mince words, but always careful as to their choice, not to hurt a soul, he was a free spirit, though heavy with the garb of responsibility. He was a role model to us youngsters then. He always carried the wisdom that we all will one by one, back in the closet lay. One of the wisest men I have known.

He was responsible for the initiation of the WHO sponsored, unit on medical education for the South Asian region in the Faculty of Medicine Peradeniya, and for a time was its very active head, a role he undertook with all his onerous duties. A stint at the WHO in Geneva followed some years later.

A keen sportsman, the hooker in Ashley Caders 1st Bradby Shield winning team in 1948, he kept his interest in rugger, even turning up for practices for the Kandy team, while a Senior Lecturer teaching us. A regular participant at all the scientific meetings until a few months ago, we were accustomed to his penetrating questions.

In the later years he bore his illness with the stoic attitude we were accustomed to expect from him. He leaves his wife Thayalam, three daughters and grandchildren.

We salute you, Sir, for having inspired so many generations of medical students. May the turf rest softly.

Dr. Channa Ratnatunga
Head to the East for a feast of archaeological sites By P.G. Punchihewa View(s): View(s):

The lifelong ambition of our grandfathers and grandmothers was to do the Buddhist circuit, popularly known as the Watavandanawa.It is said that before they left on pilgrimage they gave over all their movable and immovables to their next of kin. At a time when there were no proper roads and no means of transport it was a hazardous trip and hence, no surprise that they did so.The main mode of transport was the bullock cart.

R. Chandrasoma of the former Ceylon Civil Service who was on official duty, describes his trip from Tissa to Kataragama in the following words. In places, the gradient, the terrain, stumps, stones, and declivities together with the danger of meeting wild animals made the cart journey, bone- shaking and hazardous. This was only a short trip of 25 kilometres. Visits to Anuradhapura or Seruwila were more time-consuming and more dangerous. There were seven ferries before one reached Seruwila. More recently, the danger of terrorist attacks loomed large over the pilgrims, restricting their movements further.

With the elimination of the terrorist threat, the improvement of road and transport systems and availability of other facilities such as accommodation, more and more pilgrims have started to visit the sacred places, particularly of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Now, pilgrims can visit Anuradhapura, worship at the eight sacred places and return to Colombo the same day.

However the end of the war did not have the same effect in the East, although like a necklace studded with pearls, a series of archaeological sites exist along the Eastern coast, some dating back to pre-Christian times.

Lithic, archaeological and literary evidence establish the fact that this area had a thriving prosperous population by the 1st century A.D.Prof.Paranavitana in his publication Early Brahmi Inscriptions,(1-3rd centuries)  cites 179 inscriptions from the three districts of Amparai, Batticaloa and Trincomalee. Over the centuries, some of these sacred places have been subject to destruction by foreign invaders, sea erosion, encroachers and treasure hunters. But there are still many which await the archaeologists attention.

On the East coast of the Island from Arisimale on the northern boundary of the Trincomalee District to Pottuvil in Ampara District, over a dozen little known archaeological sites, some dating to pre-Christian era exist having survived the onslaughts of invaders, encroachers, treasure hunters and the sea over the years.

Arisimale:

At the northern-most point of the Trincomalee district, 60 kilometres from the town is Arisimale.It is believed that Thapassu and Bhalluka, the two merchants who received a lock of hair from Buddha had landed at Arisimale Beach from where they travelled up to Tiriyaya to deposit it in a shrine.

Tiriyaya :Girihandu chaitya

Tiriyaya is situated south of Arisimale near the sea coast, 36 kilometres from Trincomalee.The summit has a vatadage round which are concentric circles of graceful pillars. About 100 metres away was found an inscription composed in Sanskrit which mentions that Girikandicaitya was founded by the merchants named Thapassu and Bhalluka.They are considered as the first among the Buddhas lay disciples who offered food to the Buddha immediately after his enlightenment. The two brothers had come to Sri Lanka and when they came to Girihandu they placed the casket with the Buddhas relics on the summit of the rock and were unable to remove it. They knew that it was a holy place and after building a stupa offered flowers and went their way.

Kuchchaveli Rajamaha vihara:

Thirty one kilometres toTrincomalee and twelve kilometres south of Tiriyaya along the beach is Kuchchaveli Rajamaha viharaya.

The sea has eaten into most of the temple but there are still a few ruins at the site. There is a cluster of gneiss boulders among which are several rock caverns of various shapes. Among them is the engraving of 16 stupas on the face of a rock on a panel of 4x4 neatly divided into 16 squares. To the left of this sculpture is an inscription which is considered the earliest Sanskrit inscription known in Sri Lanka belonging to the 7th century.The author wishes that by the merit he has gained he may become a Buddha in a future birth

Velgamvehera:

Velgamvehera is about 10 kilometres to the N.W of Trincomalee.Spread over the temple premises are a number of archaeological remains which include among others, three stupas, a main shrine room, reclining Buddha shrine room, a pond and other artifacts.Velgamvehera is important as one Buddhist temple which had been substantially influenced by Hindus.There are fragments of about 18 Tamil inscriptions dating from the time of Raja raja I and Rajaraja II. Also the main shrine room indicates the characteristics of Dravidian architecture.

Gokanna Viharaya

Trincomalee had been known as Gokanna in ancient times. According to the Mahavamsa and the Chulavamsa the GokannaVihara was built by King Mahasen in the 3rd century (275-301 AD) by destroying a Jaina monastery that existed on the summit of the Rock, where the Koneswaram Kovil stands today. It is said that in the reign of King Agbo V, the temple was modified by adding a preaching hall.

The temple was destroyed in 1724 A.D by the Portuguese general Constantine De Saa to construct a fort there. According to the Portuguese historian De Queyroz, the GokanaVihara was a Buddhist temple until it was destroyed by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

Today GokannaViharaya at the bottom of the rock seems to be what is left of the ancient temple.

Seruvila Rajamaha viharaya:

Seruvila Rajamaha viharaya is 38 kilometres from Trincomalee on the MutturVerugal road.Ven .Dambagasare Thera from the south of Sri Lanka after re-discovering the dagaba and assisted by the Archaeological Department, restored the stupa using remains of ancient structures around the stupa to conjecture the conservation work.

According to Dhatuvamsa written in the 13th century, King Kavantissa during the latter part of his reign travelled from Magama and constructed the stupa with the support of local rulers.The Dhatuvamsa states that the Buddhas collar bone was enshrined here. After completion of the stupa he made arrangements for its upkeep and returned to Magama.

Lanka Patuna:

Lanka Patuna is situated 50 kilometres south of Trincomalee and is the place Princess Hemamali and Prince Danta landed bringing the Sacred Tooth Relic (Danta- dhatu) from Kalinga in the reign of King Meghavanna in about 320 A.D. The arrival of the Danta -dhatu is an important landmark in Sri Lankan history. This Sacred Relic in the course of time not only became an object of the utmost religious importance but also the palladium of the Sinhala state, a position which persists to date.

Lanka Patuna had been occupied by the terrorists after the viharaya was destroyed to put up a transmission station. But after the defeat of the LTTE a new stupa has been constructed.

Pashana Pabbatha Rajamaha viharaya:

Sixty kilometres fromTrincomalee the little known Pashana Pabbatha Rajamaha viharaya located close to Verugal Aru, according to an inscription found there, had been built over 2000 years ago by King Mahadathika Mahanaga (9-21AC) of the Anuradhapura Kingdom. There are six inscriptions carved in ancient Brahami script referring to a flourishing commercial civilization in the East.One of the inscriptions refers to a deposit of 500 gold coins (kahapanas) by a minister named Rakha who wanted the interest from the deposit to go the temple for its mainatence.

A number of inscriptions with this kings name have been found in several places in the Eastern Province of the country located close to the sea. The king had exempted temple lands from the land tenure which had been imposed on the people of the area. Situated on a rocky outcrop with a commanding view of the surrounding area, the terrorists had used this site to have their eastern radio transmission station.

Mudumaha viharaya:

Mudumaha viharaya is situated 245 kilometres from Trincomalee near a wide beach and has been built over 2000 years ago by King KavanTissa of Ruhuna. Some of the ruins have been destroyed by some local encroachers. During British times it seems it had nearly 260 acres but now has been restricted to a few acres. Some believe that Viharamahadevi landed here although there are some who think that she landed at Kirinda, further to the south.

Dhammadeepa Stupa:

The latest addition to this string is a new stupa built on a hill top in SamudrasannaVivekaramaya at Kinniya, Trincomalee at the request of the people of the area by the devotees of Narada Dhammayatanaya, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo under the patronage of Venerable Panditha Talalle Chandakitti Thera, the Viharadhipati. The most Ven. Tirikunamale Ananda Mahathera the Mahanayaka of Dharmarakkhita Amarapura Nikaya graced the occasion when it was bequeathed to the Buddha Sasana recently. The stupa named Dhammadeepa can be seen from air, sea and land and has a dominant and fascinating view from all three directions and also from the summit of the hilltop.

Other places of interest in the East:

Though not by the sea there are number of other key archaeological sites a little inside and close to Amapara town. Among them are Dighavapi ,Raja gala and Buddhangala, all dating back to pre-Christian times. Similarly a few kilometres away from Pottuvil are located, Nilagiri Viharaya and Magulmal viharaya, all in the Ampare District .

The three districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai which make up the current Eastern Province formed part of the ancient Rohana (Ruhuna?).The archaeological evidence, lithic records ,and literary evidence indicate the existence of well-developed settlements in the East and South West of the Island with Magama as the capital. Prof Paranavitane in his publication, Early Brahmi Inscriptions for the period 3rd century B, C to 1st century A.D identifies 179 cave inscriptions in these three districts.

The elimination of terrorism paved the way for free movement of people across the island. For three decades Buddhists were prevented from travelling to Nagadeepa, one of the holiest places, and it was as if the flood gates were opened when they started to travel to Jaffna, most of them for the first time.Similarly, Hindus from Jaffna started to head towards Kataragama and started to mingle with the Buddhists at Kataragama worshipping the same God.

In spite of having a good network of roads there was no immediate interest from the South to visit the sacred places of the East. Few knew of the existence of so many important Buddhist places, only of Seruwila and Dighavapi but they alone were not an inducement to go that far. They were not aware of the historical and religious importance of some of these places; that the Buddhas relics had been enshrined in Girihandu Chaitya, that Bhaddkaccayana, that the consort of Abhaya arrived at Gokanna, that the relics of Thera Mahinda are enshrined at Rajagala, that the relics of Sariputta and Moggallana Theras were found at Buddhangala and that Hemamali and Prince Danta landed at Lanka Patuna.

The time has come to draw the interests of Buddhists to the numerous Buddhist/archaeological sites in the East which they were not aware of and hence neglected, destroyed, encroached upon and eroded by the sea.They are all located along the East coast or a few kilometres away from it.The Mutur bridge opened the road all the way from Trincomalee to Seruwila.There are no more ferries to cross before one reaches Tiriyaya.The road to Lankapatuna is now motorable.

These are places unexplored by many and located along some of the most beautiful beaches of the island. An added bonus for the visitors will be the closeness to archaeological sites in Moneragala District, the Kumana bird sanctuary, Lahugala Kitulana national park, hot springs at MahaOya and Kinniya, Trincomalee harbour, Pasikudah and many more places of interest.A trip to the East could have a combination of religious, cultural, educational and leisure components, all in one package.
Letters to the Editor View(s):

A fish market more respectable than this motley crowd

Much has been said and written about the shameful behaviour of our politicians in the Parliament. It was shocking that even the usually well behaved gentleman Prime Minister too stooped to shouting slogans in the highest echelon of our nation.

This has been going on for ages. But is anything going to be done about it? Why is it so difficult to impart some common sense into the members of Parliament. They are not only setting a bad example to others in country, eg the children, but now, with everything being televised world over, they are shaming our countrys image.

Yet, we the citizens too, watch aghast, but do little to stop it. Surely it is not impossible to pass a ruling in Parliament that if anyone behaves in an unbecoming way that he/she should be expelled by the Speaker? According to Wikipedia The Speaker presides over the Houses debates, determining which members may speak. The Speaker is also responsible for maintaining order during debate, and may punish members who break the rules of the House.

So Mr. Speaker, why arent you doing your duty? Are you afraid to abide by the rules of the country and exert your authority? If you cannot do your duty you must resign and leave the way open for a stronger personality to take over. It is disgusting to watch the Speaker looking on helplessly. And to think that not a single person in that shameful crowd has the guts to speak up to stop the hooliganism. Decent citizens feel the shame in the pit of their stomach that these are the so-called rulers and law-makers of our blessed country. Thumping tables, shouting while another is speaking and getting into fisticuffs  even a fish market is more respectable than this motley crowd.

Dr. Mareena Thaha Reffai Dehiwela

A helping hand to policy holders left in the lurch

Policy-holders receive very prompt service and attention prior to the issue of the insurance policy. However, when a claim arises it is an entirely different story. Many policy holders have difficulties in properly presenting their claims to their insurance companies and obtaining a fair settlement.

Most insurance claims involve technical issues and the claimants encounter serious difficulties in submitting their claims to their insurance companies. As a result, many valid claims are rejected and in some cases legitimate claims are unfairly reduced and the claimants do not receive full compensation. They are then helpless and are unaware how to proceed further and safeguard their interests. In view of the above I commenced an insurance claims consultancy service office in Kandy about two years ago with the assistance of several highly qualified insurance professionals, including Chartered Insurance Practitioners, to fill a large gap in the services provided by insurance companies, brokers and insurance agents to the insuring public. This is to provide a social service to the policy holders who need such assistance, especially those who have been aggrieved and penalised.

My consultants and I provide consultations free of charge. This involves perusing the available claim documents and advising the policy holder on the most appropriate course of action to be followed.

Hilmy Sulaiman Kandy

Medi shocker: Raising some questions at issue

I wish to express my views and medico-legal perspective on the questions raised by the writer in the article titled Medi shocker: Brain dead girls organs removed whilst still alive (the Sunday Times, February 4). This is in no way a criticism of the facts and opinion expressed by the writer but a clarification of some points raised, to prevent any misunderstanding of the facts by the public.

The Transplantation of Human Tissues Act of Sri Lanka of 1987 deals with many legal aspects of tissue donation. The Criminal Procedure Code also deals with the legal procedures involved in death investigations and autopsy procedures. However, ethical aspects of organ donations have to be considered seriously as unethical conduct could give rise to serious consequences for all; doctors, donors and recipients.

I wish to state that I did not contact any person involved in the medical treatment and organ retrieval or transplantation in this case. My view is based on facts stated in various newspapers and my knowledge and expertise on the subject.

Better understanding of the circumstances could have been achieved if hospital documents were perused and all individuals involved were interviewed. I am not aware whether the previous writer had the chance to obtain all these details but from the contents of the article it appears that he is unaware about some important information and the law governing tissue transplantation.

Question 1: Why was Jeewanthi transferred back?

The NHSL has a special neurotrauma unit with the most modern facilities to treat patients with head injury. This brings out two important questions. Is it ethical to transfer the patient back? Is it the correct management in this particular instance?

A few newspapers have mentioned that a CT or an MRI scan of the brain was done and irreversible severe brain damage was diagnosed by the doctors at the NHSL. It is very likely that such patients with severe brain injuries need ventilation until they recover or succumb to injuries. Though the NHSL has many Intensive Care Units (ICUs) all ventilators are almost always occupied by patients needing the life support system. The turnover of patients with serious brain injury is very high at NHSL as it functions as a tertiary care hospital and it receives patients from every corner of the island. In some instances, it is very difficult or even impossible to find a vacant ventilator in any of the ICUs at NHSL. So it is logical and ethical to transfer the patient to a unit where a ventilator is available. According to one Sinhala newspaper, the patient had been on ventilator support at the Homagama Base Hospital which means that a ventilator was available there. So isnt it prudent to transfer the patient there for ventilator support?

The writer says that if there was hope to revive her; the hope lay nowhere else but in its (NHSL) wards. Is it logical and ethical to keep a patient who needs ventilator support in a general ward? If this was done the patient would have died hours earlier. It would also amount to medical negligence due to the fact that necessary action was not being taken to treat her properly. In my opinion, the doctors have done what is logical and ethical by transferring the patient back to Homagama where ventilator support was available.

Question 2: Did lack of medical attention during the re-transfer result in irreversible brain damage?

This is a difficult question to answer with a certainty. The condition of a patient with severe brain injury can deteriorate at anytime, irrespective of whether medical attention is given or not. However, accepted procedure in transferring a patient is that a nursing officer or a trained para-medical person accompanies the patient. Occasionally, doctors also accompany patients but this is subject to their availability at that moment. On the other hand, the same potential threat would have been there during the initial transfer of the patient to NHSL. But no one will ever question the reason for her transfer to NHSL.

CT and MRI scanning facilities are not available at Homagama and there is no option but to transfer the patient to NHSL for further investigations. The actions taken have to be considered together with options available in the best interests of the patient. Isnt it logical and ethical to transfer back the patient to Homagama for ventilator support rather than keeping her in a general ward without a ventilator and allowing her to die sooner?

Question 3: The writer raises the question why the patient was kept on a ventilator without being disconnected. The reason is simple. Once the decision to harvest organs is taken, ventilator support should be continued until such harvesting to prevent putrefaction of organs. This is a genuine technical issue.

Question 4: The writer correctly says that there is a thin line dividing the sublime from the ridiculous and the genius from the lunatic. The thin line here means that it is difficult to differentiate between the two conditions. However, it is incorrect to say that there is a thin line between brain death and a coma. In medical practice, the difference of the two is very obvious. Probably what the writer refers to is the usual way of confirming death in a normal ward. This is not the procedure adopted in diagnosing brain death in a patient on ventilator support.

The accepted procedure in diagnosing brain death is that it is done by two consultants separately on two occasions  excluding the doctors involved in the tissue transplantation team. Many brain functions are assessed and the tests are repeated after some time. A basic vital function is the presence of spontaneous breathing as in the absence of spontaneous respiration an individual will not be able to survive as the oxygenation process of blood wont occur and cells would die soon due to lack of oxygen.

Question 5: The writer asks whether the doctors at Homagama can declare a patient brain dead when the heart goes on? In medical terminology there is beating heart cadaver. It means that the patient is dead but the heart is beating. This can happen but not under normal circumstances. The heart has an innate capability of beating on its own. This innate capability of beating on its own lets the heart beat for a very short time after brain death is confirmed. Could it go on for a considerable period? No. Once the brain is dead the capability of having spontaneous respiration is lost and the oxygenation of blood doesnt happen. This automatically stops the provision of oxygenated blood to body tissues including the heart making them incapable of remaining alive.

What actually happens in a ventilated patient is that the machines act as an artificial lung and keep the oxygenation process going on maintaining circulation. This means that it is the machine that keeps the heart going on. Therefore, technically and medically a brain dead patient cannot be considered as being alive. The patient is dead and a dead patient doesnt have sensations as far as medicine is concerned.

Question 6 : Already discussed under Question 3.

Question 7: The writer has questioned the validity of the consent obtained. It seems that the writer is unaware about the law pertaining to tissue transplantation which deals with different types of consent.

In this case, the husband is dead and her child is a minor. Therefore, the father of the deceased has the legal right to consent.

The writer says that no one can give consent to medical ghouls to thieve the assets of their beloved.. I cannot understand why the writer considers this a theft when it is legally permitted and done to save the lives of many others awaiting organ donations.

Question 8: I have already answered the issues raised on this question.

Question 9: The writer theorizes about what happened after the diagnosis of brain death. I am unaware about what exactly happened or how the message was communicated to the relatives but I also dont find anything wrong in what the writer has suggested here. Is there a better way of telling them the outcome and getting consent for organ retrieval?

What doctors have done in this case is not to play the role of God but it is a simple act of humanity being within the law, ethics and accepted medical practice.

The public media should carry the true picture about important events and issues. It is true that legislation and code of ethics do not always ensure rightful acts by all individuals. If someone does something wrong it is an individual issue not a fault of the accepted procedure and system. Laws can take necessary action if someone does anything illegal.

Dr. N.D.N.A. Mendis,

Senior Lecturer and Specialist in Forensic Medicine,

Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo
Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues and human interest stories. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years.
Letting you in on a little secret about our small cats! By Anya Ratnayake View(s): View(s):

Growing up, we were all exposed to the glorious world of the big cats. From the formidable tiger, to the almost mythical snow leopard, we as children  and even as adults  look wide-eyed at these beautiful beasts, as they prowl our TV screens. But, shall I let you in on a secret? A little secret, that will blow your mind?

If I were to ask you, dear reader, to name the species of cats in the world, many of you would readily recite them: leopard, lion, tiger, jaguar, puma, cheetah and snow leopard, the domestic cat, and oh, the civet cat. See, easy! Now what if I said that the civet cat isnt a cat, but is actually more closely related to the mongoose than any feline, and that apart from the eight cats you named, there are dozens of other small cats out there?

Small cats: if this terminology is known to you, then pat yourself on the back! If this is new, then welcome! The family felidae comprises 41 species of cat. Yes, you read that right: forty one! Out of them, only seven are what we call big cats, which we named earlier, leaving 34 species under the small cat umbrella. Your family pet cat, falls under this broad category, but due to it having lost most of its wild characteristics, we wont include it in here. So this means there are 33 species of small wild cat in the world. Small wild cats can be found in Mexico and Central America, the U.S and Canada, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia, which holds the most number of species: 15.

The Clouded Leopard, Neofelis. sp., is the largest of the small wild cats, reaching a body size between 11-22kg, while the Margay, Leopardus wiedii, is such an agile climber that it can run, upside down, along tree branches and vines! There is also the Manul, Otocolobus manul, which is probably the most expressive of all the felines, and the Flat-headed Cat, Prionailurus planiceps, which is the most understudied in the world. I could go on, but I dont want to ruin the fun you will have learning about these species on your own!

Sri Lankas wild cats

Our little island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, is home to four wild cat species. The iconic Sri Lankan Leopard, Panthera pardus kotiya, and three lesser known small wild cats. The Fishing Cat, Prionailurus viverrinus, is the largest of the three, and is a master angler. It is known for its immense love of water rich habitats, and is known to dive into water to catch its slippery prey! The Jungle Cat, Felis chaus, graceful, tall and long limbed, is often seen stalking small mammals in tall grass in the dryer parts of the country. Finally, the creme de la creme of the entire cat family, the Rusty-spotted Cat, Prionailurus rubiginosus, is an agile little beast that is often seen sneaking along tree branches. Did I forget to mention that the rusty is also the smallest species in the world? But dont take its tiny size for granted. What it lacks in size, it makes up in personality!

All three small wild cat species in Sri Lanka are poorly studied, and very little is known about their behaviour in the wild. Only a few people have come across them in the wild, and even fewer spend time looking out for them on safari. Thats why Ashan Thudugala and I started Small Cat Advocacy and Research (https://scar.lk), so that we could give a voice to these lesser known felines, and help learn about and protect them.

Come, support the small wild cat Help celebrate Fishing Cat February, a month dedicated to the water loving feline, by joining the Small Wild Cat Run 2018 on Saturday, February 17 from 7 a.m. to 12 noon. It is the first of its kind, and aims to raise awareness for our incredible small wild cats! After the run, there will be four special talks, for all participants: 1) World-renowned small cat conservationist Dr. Jim Sanderson will talk about global conservation efforts on small wild cats. 2) Sri Lankan leopard guru Dr. Sriyanie Miththapala will present her efforts to study the jungle cat in Sri Lanka. 3) Nepali conservationist Sagar Dahal will talk on the diversity of small wild cats in Nepal. 4) SCAR Researchers Ashan Thudugala and Anya Ratnayaka will conduct a field workshop on camera trapping, and small cat tracking in the wild. The event will be held at the Diyasaru Park, and tickets can be purchased online  https://scar.lk/walk  or bought at the starting line. Each ticket comes with a free t-shirt of your favourite small wild cat, and will give you access to all lectures and field sessions. So come walk, run or prowl, and support the small wild cats of Sri Lanka! For more information, see:https://scar.lk/walk
Love cake is in the air By Joshua Surendraraj View(s): View(s):

Valentines Day has always been associated with chocolates and roses. But what if there was another way to profess your love, a love at first bite kind of moment. After all, few can say no to cake, especially love cake.

This week, in a collaborative effort, multiple hotel, retail, restaurant and bakery operators around the country are launching a celebration of love cake on the initiative of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). The aim is to make love cake more popular than it is now and what better way to do it than link it to Valentines Day.

SLTDA Chairman Kavan Ratnayake believes gastronomy is an important part of tourism which is why they are setting out to show the world that Sri Lanka has amazing food to offer, which is also different to what theyve tasted before.

Were taking Sri Lanka to the world, through love and love cake, the Chairman said, inviting restaurateurs, hoteliers and bakers etc. to take over love cake and innovate with it. You can do so much with love cake and there are different family recipes etc. So we would like to bring out all of those, he said.

Depending on the interest this year a large-scale love cake festival is also on the cards from 2019 onwards.

Love cake has always been a delicacy, to many Sri Lankans. Its orgins are said to be traceable to the Portuguese who dominated the coastal regions of the island, during the 16th and 17 centuries. As the story goes, the Portuguese, brought with them, a cake called Bolo di Amor (coarse cakes of love). The rest is history. The locals got hooked. Some created their own versions fusing both Sri Lankan and European flavours, which developed into the cake we cherish today.

The traditional recipe of love cake has a combination of cadjunuts, nutmeg, cardamom, lemon rind, cloves, pumpkin preserve and semolina. Some cooks also prefer to add a dash of Brandy or Rum.

Renowned restaurateur Dharshan Munidasa told the Sunday Times that as part of the collaboration, the Ministry of Crab will be looking to work with the home industry, with the housewives who run small businesses. Furthermore Kaema Sutra, together with their new pastry chef, hopes to create a Kaema Sutra version of the cake.

Each cake can be different, it can be owned by somebody but it is still love cake and we want to present to the world something unique, which is what weve done with crab. This is a simple concept which can be packaged and people can even take it away with them, Dharshan said.

Meanwhile the Shangri-La Hotel is looking to add their own creative spin to love cake, whilst sticking to locally sourced ingredients. According to Renusha Gomis, the Director Partnerships and Special Events, of Shangri La, the hotel will have three to four different variations of the cake. This they hope to package, with the inclusion of the logo that the SLTDA has developed for the occasion.

Renusha adds that the cake will be available at the hotels tea outlets and at their high tea. If it is something that carries and gains momentum, we would also love to include it in our day to day offerings, she says.

Just like Shangri La, Kaema Sutra and Ministry of Crab, several other hotels, restaurants and home bakers will also be doing their own innovative take on the cake. It certainly promises to be a sweet deal. And if you do grab a slice of the cake, take a picture and include the hash tag #LoveCakeLove.
Lankas overseas missions celebrate Independence Day View(s):

The Sri Lanka High Commissions, embassies and diplomatic missions celebrated the 70th anniversary of Sri Lankas Independence at the High Commissioners official residence on February 4 with a large gathering of the Sri Lankan community in Singapore. The event began with the hoisting of the National Flag and the singing of the National Anthem in both Sinhala and Tamil, followed by two minutes silence in remembrance of all who sacrificed their lives for the country and the victims of conflicts.

Multi-faith religious observances were also conducted invoking blessings on the country and the people of Sri Lanka. The National Day Messages of the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister were also read out.

New Delhi

The official ceremony was held on the morning of February 4. In her address, High Commissioner Chitranganee Wagiswara stressed the need to live together as one family to create a new Sri Lanka. On February 6, around 800 guests attended the reception hosted by the High Commissioner. The Chief Guest of the event was Minister of Law and Justice and Electronics and Information Technology of India Ravi Shankar Prasad. Welcoming the Chief Guest, the High Commissioner said that the leaders of the two countries have exchanged several visits and that such interactions have brought about a new momentum to the special relationship between the two countries. Singapore

Addressing the gathering, High Commissioner Nimal Weeraratne said the steadfast efforts of the Government have fostered an atmosphere for all Sri Lankans to celebrate this milestone occasion. The High Commission also hosted a reception on February 6, with the participation of a large number of invitees, including representatives and officials from the Government of Singapore, members of diplomatic corps, business community, academia, and friends of Sri Lanka in Singapore. Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry & National Development Koh Poh Koon was the Chief Guest. New York

The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations together with the Sri Lanka community in the Tri State area celebrated Sri Lankas 70th anniversary of Independence on February 4, 2018 at the Susan E Wagner High School in Staten Island, New York.

Ambassador Rohan Perera lit the oil lamp together with children representing Sri Lankas multi-ethnic backgrounds Addressing the gathering, Mr. Perera noted that Sri Lanka is in an era of good governance based on the principles of democracy, inclusivity, unity and reconciliation. The highlight of the evening was a cultural show which included several items performed by children from the Tri-State Sri Lankan Community and included a musical dedication by Visharadha Shalika Aroshini and a cultural dedication in the form of Bharatha Natyam performed by Guru Calai Chandrasekeram. The celebrations concluded with a Sri Lankan buffet dinner. diplomatic reception was held later.
The tangled web of legal, ethical and administrative issues that surround cadaveric organ transplantation By Dr. Sameera A Gunawardena View(s): View(s):

T he Sunday Times is one of the most read Sri Lankan newspapers. The newspaper on February 4, 2018 in its Sunday Punch column titled Medishocker; Brain dead girls organs removed whilst still alive, reveals a gruesome account of a victim of severe road traffic trauma being subjected to the process of organ retrieval for transplantation.

The columns author, Don Manu, raises ten pertinent questions highlighting the very essence of the ethical and legal complexities that surround the process of organ retrieval from a patient who has died from sudden and accidental circumstances.

Many of these questions are paraphrased allegations of professional misconduct and sadly paint a rather gory and nihilistic image of medical practitioners. As a member of the wider medical fraternity and as an academic in forensic medicine which is the specialty that deals with the legal and ethical dimensions of medicine, I volunteer to answer some of these questions with the caveat that I have not been directly or indirectly involved in the case mentioned above and neither do I have any material evidence to confirm or refute any of the allegations made specifically in relation to this case.

However, there are, I believe, several generalised misconceptions within this article which could be rectified through better understanding of the legal, ethical and administrative guidelines surrounding this important area in medical practice.

Grounds for transfer

Questions one and two are in relation to the necessity and process of transferring patients from one hospital to another. From what was mentioned by the author, the patient had sustained serious injuries to the head which would have necessitated cranial imaging using at least CT scan to properly diagnose and identify the prognosis of the patient; a facility which is not available at a base hospital. This alone would have been sufficient grounds for transfer to the closest tertiary hospital, the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL).

Given that this patient was young and given that there was an obvious necessity of neurosurgical intervention (surgical operations of the brain), it is inconceivable that any surgeon would not opt to transfer her to NHSL if she had shown some semblance of recovery. Once the extent of the injuries has been properly evaluated, subsequent decisions on the medical management would inevitably be linked to the potential survivability of a patient and would need to be based on judicious resource allocation. What should be deliberated here is whether the transfers were made by appropriate medical personnel after having considered all the available options and whether they were done with the intention of providing this patient with a better quality of care.

Unfortunately, no country is capable of guaranteeing unlimited health care facilities to everyone and in a hospital like the NHSL which is frequently overwhelmed by patients from every corner of the country, doctors have no other option but to focus their limited resources on patients who have a higher chance of survival. This is a basic concept in medicine anywhere in the world referred to as triage where, be it on a battle field or a casualty ward, medical attention is prioritised for potentially salvageable injuries rather than severe injuries. It is not improper for the NHSL doctors to decide to manage this patient conservatively if her clinical condition was beyond the stage of successful recovery, ergo the transfers would have had no impact on the final outcome.

End-of-line decision

The third question touches on the highly sensitive and much debated topic of end-of-life decision and withdrawing of life support. At the outset it should be stated that Sri Lanka does not legalise euthanasia (mercy killing) and actively aiding or abetting a person to end his or her life is a crime under the Penal Code. This concept, however, extends into a medico-legal penumbra when it comes to withdrawing or refusing life-sustaining treatment as the doctor plays no active part but merely allows the natural course of events to take over.

The ethical, legal and moral issues are further compounded when another patient with better chances of survival is in need of the life support machine. How does the doctor then pick and choose who lives and who dies? Such are the vicissitudes of life within a hospital, and doctors are required to make such unpleasant decisions on the lives of people day in and day out. It is no wonder then that the author, and no doubt the public, view this transcendent power among doctors with a sense of apprehension; and rightly so. Yet it should be emphasised that doctors are required to wield this power through necessity of ensuring the smooth functioning of the hospital and not with the intention of playing god!

It is for this very reason that guidelines and standards for treating patients on life support need to be developed in conjunction with the statutory enactments that may vary from country to country. The General Medical Council of the UK, treatment and care toward the end of life (https://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/ethical_guidance/end_of_life_care.asp), the NICE quality standards (https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs13/resources/end-of-life-care-for-adults-pdf-2098483631557) and the New South Wales guidelines (http://www1.health.nsw.gov.au/pds/ActivePDSDocuments/GL2005_057.pdf) are some examples that could be followed but are not directly comparable to our setting by virtue of these countries having a much higher level of resource allocation for health care.

In this regard the author has clearly exposed a lacuna in Sri Lankan medical practice where there are no established guidelines on how and when life support systems can be withdrawn from a patient. While no specific legal obligation exists to continue life support in a patient that does not show any signs of recovery, the primary governing principle of medicine ab antiquo has been the preservation of life, and no doctor should arbitrarily turn off a ventilator without considering several aspects such as the futility of continuing life support deprivation of the facility to other patients with better chances of survival, due attention to the familys concerns and wishes and the quality of life of the patient.

What is death?

The author also raises concern on the prolongation of life support purely for the purpose of retrieving organs for transplantation which again touches on a very sensitive topic but can at least be partly addressed through more clearly laid out legal provisions in the Transplantation of Human Tissue Act No. 48 of 1987 referred to hereafter as the THTA48. However, before commenting on that aspect, it is perhaps prudent to digress towards the authors fourth and fifth questions which together encompass a much debated topic not only in medical circles but also socially, religiously and legally  what is death?

Just as the authors own example of the Buddha in all supreme sagacity remaining silent on this matter, no doctor too will claim absolute wisdom on how and when death occurs. However, one must realise that doctors, by virtue of being professionals in a scientific field, are disallowed the luxury of making decisions based on philosophical arguments and instead must use pragmatic and evidence-based criteria to justify their actions. Thus the medical community, too, continuously debates and reviews the concept of death at numerous scientific forums in the light of new research findings, advancing life support mechanisms and expansion of cellular regenerative techniques.

One of the first such forums that stipulated a widely accepted medical definition of death was the ad-hoc committee of the Harvard Medical School way back in 1968 and while several other committees revised these criteria regularly, the basic principles for diagnosing death remain unchanged.

There is a consensus among the medical fraternity that when the body has completely lost its natural ability to sustain blood circulation and respiration without the help of artificial means, it is no longer viable. In all vertebrate animals with a central nervous system, the regulation of blood circulation and respiration are ultimately controlled by a tiny center within the brain stem. Accordingly, in Section 15 of the THTA48, death is defined as a state where there is an irreversible cessation of all brain function and goes on to say that this state may be determined by the prolonged absence of spontaneous circulatory and respiratory functions i.e  loss of brain stem activity. Therefore, to the question of what is death, the answer purely from a medical and legal perspective is, an irreversible, permanent cessation of brainstem activity and this is what doctors and courts need to go by.

It is important for the lay person to realise that this does not equate to total cessation of all biological processes in the body. Certain functions that could continue after brain stem death include reflex movement of limbs, secretion of body fluids, cellular healing processes and even continuation of circulation for a varying period of time. Many are the instances when doctors face the awkwardness of explaining to disgruntled family members that the person lying on the bed with twitching fingers or frothing at the mouth is, in fact, dead!

Determining death in respect to persons placed on life support is clearly embodied in sub-section 3 of section 15 of the THTA48 which reads When the determination of the prolonged absence of spontaneous circulatory and respiratory functions is made impossible by the use of artificial means of support, the irreversible cessation of brain functions shall be determined by any means recognised by the ordinary standards of current medical practice.

The term ordinary standards of current medical practice, though seemingly vague, allows for expansion and modification of the methods used to diagnose death according to newer and updated knowledge. Although more recent standard protocols show minute variations, the basic principles remain the same. There should be clear evidence of irremediable brain stem damage. All reversible conditions that could suppress brain stem activity should be excluded or corrected. Clinical tests should prove that the brain stem does not show any activity.

Guidelines on the standard practice for diagnosing brain stem death for the purposes of transplantation in Sri Lanka is communicated to all doctors through government circulars of the Ministry of Health, the most recent being the General Circular No. 01-37/2010 (available at http://www.health.gov.lk/CMS/cmsmoh1/index.php.). Two doctors of sufficient seniority should independently assess the brain stem functions of a person according to these guidelines twice each before declaring brain stem death. This circular also covers the procedure to be adopted when obtaining organs from a person whose death is a result of unnatural circumstances that require an inquest by law and it is this procedure that needs to be applied in the case of this patient as she was a victim of a road traffic accident.

Consent

Coming back to the authors third question on prolonging ventilation for transplantation, in addition to the mandatory practice of obtaining consent from the next of kin, it would have been necessary for the transplantation team to also obtain written approval from the Inquirer into Sudden Death along with the concurrence of the relevant Judicial Medical Officer prior to the organ retrieval process. Furthermore, these approvals should be clearly documented in the Bed Head ticket and the transplant surgeon would need to furnish a report detailing the condition and appearance of the organs and the surgical procedures. In the current state of functional efficacy within our institutions, obtaining these approvals inevitably encumber early retrieval, hence the need to prolong the brain dead patients life support and thereby the familys grievance. These are definite shortcomings in the system that certainly need discussion at higher administrative forums.

The procedure

Therein lies my approach to questions six, seven and eight which deal with the procedure of removing organs from the deceased person. It should be emphasised that neither of the doctors certifying the death should be members of the transplant team nor should they be connected to the treatment of the recipient of the transplants. Any involvement in the transplant process by the doctor certifying the death is an offence that is punishable by imprisonment (section 16 THTA48). There is no mandatory requirement, as the author queries, for the deceased person to have given consent for organ retrieval during life. There is a clear provision in section 5 of the THTA48 for the next of kin to consent on behalf of the deceased person unless the deceased has, during life, expressed any wishes to the contrary. The hospital where the death occurred is fully within its rights to obtain organs or tissue from the deceased person as long as the criteria stated in the THTA48 and the circular 01-37/2010 have been adhered to.

I reiterate that my intention is not to address any of the specific allegations made by the author but to make the readers appreciate that retrieving tissue and organs from a deceased person is not an arbitrary practice that can be manipulated by few individuals and that it has extensive legal and ethical regulations governing its legitimacy.

On a side note, there is another section in the Act which must be highlighted here and that is the prohibition of disclosure of information in section 18. As are many before, the author of the above article too is in contravention of this section.

The final two questions provoke a negative attitude in the minds of those who are unaware of the potential value of cadaveric organ donation and my fervent appeal is not to demonise this practice by comparing it to the collection of spare parts from an automobile.

While there are many serious implications in the use of cadaveric tissue in the name of scientific advancement, we have over the years witnessed success stories of kidney, liver, lung and, more recently, heart transplants using cadaveric organs and the metamorphosis of fortunes in the recipients of these transplants can never be excluded from this debate.

Where one life ends another prevails all in the sustenance of humanity, albeit one that must be achieved without detaching oneself from humanity. Indeed, in this respect, the authors foreboding concerns are not without valid reason. Those of us in the medical profession cannot boast of total acquiescence to the ethical and moral principles that govern our practice.

There are too many who are ready to circumvent rules and regulations in the name of progress. Perhaps its a tangled web we weave to which we ourselves fall prey. Nevertheless, the importance of awareness cannot be undermined and it is my sincere hope that the public and perhaps even my colleagues in the medical profession would better appreciate the numerous complexities, rules, regulations and ethical issues that are bound to this expanding practice of cadaveric organ donation.

(The writer is senior lecturer in forensic medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo)
UPDATED 5.58PM: Three people have been taken to hospital following a two car crash.

Police say one person is in a serious condition after two vehicles crashed on State Highway 29A at Poike, Tauranga.

"It happened just after 4pm between Oropi Road and Welcome Bay Road. The road is closed and diversions are in place.

"Three people have been taken to Tauranga Hospital, one in a serious condition.

"The Serious Crash Unit is in attendance, working to establish the circumstances of the crash."

According to the NZTA, the highway is now open.

EARLIER:

State Highway 29A, near Windermere, is closed due to a serious crash this afternoon.

Emergency services are at the scene of the crash on the highway near the Poike Road roundabout.

The New Zealand Transport Agency says the road is closed in both directions.

A police media spokesperson says the serious crash unit has been advised of the crash.

Its believed firefighters had to cut an occupant out of the vehicle.

Its unclear exactly how badly injured they are.

Motorists are advised to avoid the scene until the highway is re-opened.

At the scene?

Call 0800 SUNLIVE or email photos to newsroom@thesun.co.nz
Bay of Plenty

We are looking for a storeman with an OSH forklift license. You will need to be physically for as the job is about 70% forklift...



View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz
Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade.
The federal corruption trial in Manhattan, now entering its fourth week, is giving the public a crash course in how Albany insiders operate outside ethics and disclosure laws.



Joseph Percoco, a former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is accused of taking more than $300,000 in bribes from business executives, including two Syracuse property developers, through a shell company set up by former lobbyist Todd Howe. Howe pleaded guilty to eight felonies and is testifying against the other defendants - Steve Aiello and Joseph Gerardi from Cor Development and Peter Galbraith Kelly of Competitive Power Ventures. All of them deny the charges.

Read our continuing coverage of the trial



Much of the testimony last week was aimed at undermining Howe's credibility. Consider it shredded, after Howe admitted under oath he defrauded his credit card company, landing him behind bars. Even if you don't believe a word of what he said, there is plenty of documentary evidence and testimony from others showing just how easy (and consequence-free) it is to flout laws mandating government transparency and ethical behavior.



--Percoco left his job as an adviser to the governor in 2014 to run Cuomo's re-election campaign. State law says you can't use government offices, equipment or staff for political campaigning. Prosecutors presented evidence showing Percoco frequently worked from his state office in Manhattan, on the same floor as Cuomo's office, and overlapped with the governor at least a dozen times. The revolving door between politics and public service is bad enough; in Percoco's case, it looks like there wasn't even a door.



--Despite a blanket denial by the Cuomo administration, testimony shows that administration officials often used private email accounts to conduct official state business. That way, officials avoided having to disclose the emails under the state's Freedom of Information Law. Journalists have been reporting on these email practices for years.



-- Howe avoided disclosing his advocacy on behalf of Cor and other companies because he wasn't registered as a lobbyist. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics is charged with enforcing lobbying laws. It is ineffectual, to put it mildly.



--The executive branch officials Howe was lobbying are supposed to report all contacts with individuals and entities seeking to do business with the state. Project Sunlight's database shows only two meetings involving Howe, none on behalf of Cor or the power company, Politico New York reported. Cuomo's office hasn't reported any meetings in over a year.



The trial also shows how a perfectly legal practice abets Albany's "pay to play" culture. The "LLC loophole" allows donors to camouflage their identities and circumvent contribution limits by giving through limited liability companies. A 2013 email from Howe to Percoco discusses how he advised "Steve" to make $125,000 in contributions from five different LLCs, telling him "to use ones that don't include the name 'COR' in them."



Cuomo again proposes closing the LLC loophole, and other ethics reforms aimed at the Legislature. Looks like he has work to do to get his own house in order.

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State Sen. John DeFrancisco moved quickly Saturday to bolster his support in the Republican race for New York governor, taking advantage of a sudden turn of events that left him as the GOP frontrunner.

DeFrancisco, R-DeWitt, who launched his campaign less than two weeks ago, emerged as the favorite for the Republican designation after his chief rival abruptly dropped out of the race on Friday night.

State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb said he ended his bid because he wanted to spend more time with his family and wasn't prepared to spend weeks away from home over the course of the 2018 campaign.

DeFrancisco, the Senate's deputy majority leader, moved immediately after Kolb's announcement to wrap up support by 10 p.m. Friday from the chairs of nine Republican county committees.

DeFrancisco told syracuse.com that he continued the process Saturday by trying to appeal to Republican state committee members who had previously committed to Kolb.

"I've been on the phone continuously since 9 a.m. trying to pick up support," DeFrancisco said in an interview as he traveled back from a GOP gubernatorial debate in suburban Buffalo.

Kolb, R-Canandaigua, said in a Twitter message on Friday that he had managed to pick up commitments from GOP committee members who represent 48 percent of the weighted vote statewide.

Under the party's rules, anyone who receives more than 50 percent of the weighted vote at the May convention automatically receives the Republican designation for governor.

DeFrancisco said he expects to announce additional support from regional GOP committee chairs on Sunday. He declined to say what percentage of the state committee vote he has secured. All told, 10 county GOP chairs have endorsed him.

When asked if he believes he is now the frontrunner for the Republican designation, DeFrancisco said, "I hope so, but having lost a close vote for Senate majority leader (in 2015) I don't take anything for granted."

DeFrancisco said he heard about Kolb's decision on Friday night from friends who sent him reports of the announcement. DeFrancisco said he has no plans to contact Kolb this weekend.

"It's a deeply personal decision, and contacting him and trying to get support I don't think would be in good taste," DeFrancisco said. "He was a complete gentleman during the process. Hopefully he'll consider me as the candidate he endorses."

Kolb had been due to join DeFrancisco and former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra at their first debate Saturday morning.

Instead, DeFrancisco appeared with Giambra at the event sponsored by the Erie County Republican Committee at Daemen College in Amherst. They were joined by a third Republican considering a bid for governor, Joseph Holland, who served in former Gov. George Pataki's administration.

Giambra has failed to pick up any key support from GOP or conservative leaders, some of whom criticized his previous donations as a lobbyist to Democrats, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Others are uncomfortable with his stand on key issues, including a call to legalize recreational marijuana.

Kolb had picked up significant support within the GOP after launching his bid for governor in December. At the same time, Republicans failed to recruit some of the biggest names who had considered challenging Cuomo in November.

Among the prominent Republicans who decided to forego a campaign this year were Westchester County businessman Harry Wilson, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

DeFrancisco said he was surprised by Kolb's decision, which came hours before Kolb was due at a campaign event in Owego.

"I don't know anything about his decision," DeFrancisco said Saturday. "I just hope it has nothing to do with his health because it was a rather sudden decision and it shocked a lot of people."

Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
A couple from Perinton have been missing since late January and police have no new leads even after a helicopter and drone search.

Robert and Mary Ross were reported missing after a social worker at Strong Memorial Hospital notified authorities on Feb. 5 that Robert had missed three appointments for cancer treatment.

Robert, 73, recently was diagnosed with brain cancer. He and Mary, 72, had made arrangements for treatments before they went missing. Robert was last seen at an appointment on Jan. 30.

According to their son Bobby Ross, his father was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, an inoperable brain tumor. He had between 6 to 18 months to live.

According to the Democrat & Chronicle, police searched the Charlotte area and Lake Ontario shoreline on Friday but ended with no new information. Mary's cellphone last pinged to the Lake Avenue area of Charlotte around 3 p.m. on Jan. 31. But no activity has occurred since.

Family releases new photo in Perinton missing couple case. For the latest developments: http://ow.ly/dZy330ik0Dq Posted by Democrat and Chronicle on Saturday, February 10, 2018

Robert Ross is 6-feet tall, weighs 200 pounds and is bald with brown eyes. Mary is 5-foot-4-inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes. They drive a 2017 white Kia Sorrento with a New York state license plate "BLUSTERY."

Anyone with information about the couple, call 911.

Bobby Ross came to Perinton from the Boston area to help locate his father and stepmother.

"They are just regular people who loved Fairport and the area," said Bobby Ross to the D&C. "They never did anything out of the blue and everything was planned out meticulously."

Foul play is not suspected, according to authorities.

Bobby Ross was planning to help his stepmother take over the family finances and set up medical proxies. His parents also had appointments with an attorney and financial planner, he said.

Robert and Mary have been married nearly 40 years. Robert worked as an engineer for Xerox before retirement. Mary had worked as a nurse at area hospitals and nursing homes.
Quest for citizenship hits District Office hurdle

Dipika Soni of Nepalgunj-8 in Banke district regularly visits the High Court in Tulasipur and District Administration Office (DAO) seeking citizenship in her mothers name for the past one year.
Raut to become Province 2 CM

Parliamentary Party leader of the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal Mohammad Lalbabu Raut is set to become the chief minister of Province 2.
The flu season is still underway and it has claimed yet another young life.

This time, a 27-year-old fitness instructor's sudden death was revealed to have been caused by the influenza A (H1N1) virus.

Fitness Instructor's Sudden Death

Jeremy Joseph Westerman, a 27-year-old fitness instructor, graduated with a Business degree but chose to work at a 24-hour fitness because he wanted to help people achieve their health goals and live healthy lives. According to his father, Marty Westerman, it was Jeremy's way of giving back.

Shortly before the New Year, Jeremy fell ill and woke up the next day with high fever but refused to go to the hospital, thinking that he would be able to simply take over-the-counter medication and rest it off. However, on Jan. 2, he no longer woke up.

This week, the medical examiner released the autopsy results, which revealed that Jeremy's death was caused by the influenza A(H1N1). Evidently, he also had an adrenal insufficiency that made him more vulnerable to the illness.

Passion To Help People

An obituary for Jeremy remembers him as a young man who was driven by a passion to help people lead healthy lives. According to Jeremy's father, he was in good health and that he worked out all the time. Because of it, he finds his son's death due to the flu terrifying. Still, even in his passing, Jeremy's father believes that his son was able to maximize the 27 years of his life.

"And I thank the lord for allowing me to have 27 years with this kid," said Marty Westerman to local news.

Influenza A(H1N1)

In 2009, the Influenza A (H1N1) reemerged in the human population after years of circulating among animals. It caused a pandemic status in the same year, causing over 200,000 deaths worldwide. In 2012, there were over 300 human cases of the swine flu in the United States.

The current flu season has been described by authorities as the worst in about 15 years. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control And Prevention has reported this flu season as being as bad as the 2009 pandemic.

So far, flu cases are still on the rise and even experts are not sure if the flu season has reached its peak. As it stands, there have been a total of 63 pediatric deaths to date, with the H3N2 strain especially prevalent among children.

There is no saying how long the flu season will persist, but getting vaccinated and simply washing the hands to prevent the spread of disease are some of the small steps that the public can do to combat the threat of illness.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The family of a mother of five receives monetary compensation for the misdiagnosis that led to her death in 2015.

Her husband says her life could have been saved if proper diagnostic procedures had been followed.

Mom Of Five Misdiagnosed With A Migraine

In 2015, Lissa Beechey, mother of five children, had become bedridden from severe headaches and tiredness. By that time, she already had the need to wear sunglasses due to her sensitivity to light.

At the Princess of Wales Hospital, she was diagnosed with a migraine and sent home with a prescription for paracetamol. She was admitted back to the hospital 10 days later and was transferred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, but she eventually died of Tuberculosis meningitis on Oct. 1.

According to her husband, Simon Aberstone, Beechey had presented all the symptoms of TB meningitis when they first came to the Princess of Wales Hospital where she was initially misdiagnosed with a migraine on Sep. 10. However, doctors ruled TB meningitis out.

He further states that despite seeing the shadows on Beechey's lungs from a prior X-ray, doctors ruled out TB meningitis for a second time before she was transferred to the University Hospital of Wales where she eventually died.

Proper Procedures Not Followed

"You don't rule out TB until you've tested for it and if just one doctor had followed the correct procedures and given her the right medication then Lissa would still be here," said Aberstone, a statement that the family's lawyer reiterates.

The family has been compensated for their loss while increased staffing, awareness-raising, and training have been implemented in the hospitals involved to prevent such cases of misdiagnosis in the future.

What Is TB Meningitis

TB Meningitis is a condition wherein the tissues covering the spine and brain are infected by the bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The infection often comes into the brain and spine from another organ such as the lungs. It is a very rare condition in the United States and those who have it have often traveled from another country.

Symptoms of the infection tend to begin slowly and may include fever, light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting, severe headache, stiff neck, decreased consciousness, agitation, as well as mental status changes. In children, additional symptoms such as poor feeding, irritability, and bulging fontanelles or soft spot may occur.

TB meningitis is a very serious condition that often requires medication to fight the bacteria for at least 12 months. If left untreated, TB meningitis is life-threatening and may require multiple testings and follow-ups for both detection and monitoring.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Secretary, his relative die in jeep plunge

Secretary at the Ministry of Irrigation Ramananda Prasad Yadav and a relative died when a Scorpio jeep swerved off the road and plunged into the Trishuli river at Salanghat along the Prithvi Highway in the wee hours of Saturday.
Three girls die in Rasuwa house fire

Three girls, including two of a family, died in a house fire at Naukunda Rural Municipality-5 in Rasuwa district on Saturday.
GONZALES  Ascension Parish Assessor M. J. "Mert" Smiley Jr. says he wants a seat at the table in discussions of property tax exemptions for new industrial projects.

It's something his office doesn't have now with other parish entities under a new local approval process for Louisiana's Industrial Tax Exemption Program. Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry created the process that allows local government taxing entities  local government, school boards and sheriff's offices  a chance to weigh in on the granting of such exemptions.

Smiley said the way things work now, his office, which does the work of cataloging, reporting and maintaining any exemption contracts, is left out until months after decisions are made on whether the state should grant exemptions with his office's millage rate.

"What they are doing is surrendering some of our budget without us having any say or being involved. We just want to be at the table," Smiley said in an interview last week.

Parish officials had been considering their own process for making decisions on tax exemptions last year. But the effort stalled as leaders chose to take them up on a case-by-case process for now.

Smiley said his office had been instrumental in developing a framework for a streamlined local process in Ascension "but could never gain the traction needed to make it a reality."

+12 Louisiana's costliest incentive program allowed manufacturing companies to cut jobs while saving billions in taxes Over the past 20 years, Exxon Mobil has been exempted from paying almost $700 million in property taxes that would have otherwise helped pay f

The longstanding tax exemptions program has been vigorously defended by business groups and economic development officials, who maintain that it is vital to attract new businesses and to retain the jobs provided by existing businesses. But it also has come in for criticism because such exemptions deprive local governments and public agencies of tax revenue that they otherwise would receive.

In a bid to improve transparency over the process, Edwards issued an executive order that the sheriffs, school boards and local governing authorities sign off on the exemptions before the state would grant its approval.

For decades previous, the state almost universally granted the exemptions of local property taxes without any input from any local entities and often with little advance notice.

Under Edwards' order, the bodies effectively speak not only for themselves but also for a variety of other entities that levy property taxes.

Those include the offices of assessors, who are elected officials in their own right and typically rely on property taxes as their primary revenue source.

Smiley said he expects the issue will come up in future meetings of the Louisiana Assessors' Association, as his office isn't the only one confronting this issue.

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Bossier Parish Assessor Bobby W. Edmiston, president of the association, said he is hearing it "a little bit all over the state" and said he has already raised personally with Edwards the issue Smiley raises about assessors needing a say in the process.

While the parish School Board and Parish Council cast votes and approve required resolutions on their exemption recommendations, Smiley said he would like the same say on the issue that the parish sheriff gets. An authority of one with no legislative body, the sheriff simply writes a letter making recommendations on his millage rate under governor's process.

+2 With new control over costly tax incentives, Baton Rouge officials look to create matrix The Baton Rouge leaders who will recommend whether to give industrial tax exemptions to manufacturing companies signaled Friday that they want

Smiley laid out his concerns about how the process works now in a strongly worded Jan. 30 letter to members of the Parish Council, the Board of Commerce and Industry and other officials.

Smiley wrote that the current process is improper because it gives the Parish Council the authority to offer exemptions from his millage, though the council has no "legal authority" over it.

In the letter, Smiley also noted that his office had yet to receive any documents for exemption contracts approved last year. Unless the rules are changed, he said, exemptions approved under this process would not apply to his millage rate once they take effect.

The letter came to light in discussions at a Parish Council committee last week as Councilman Randy Clouatre questioned the head of the parish's economic development arm about what Smiley's challenge would mean for the process the parish is following in recommending tax exemptions.

Kate MacArthur, president and CEO of the Ascension Economic Development Corporation told Clouatre the letter "made it sound like they're challenging it legally, so I guess we'll just wait and see what comes out of that."

But MacArthur and other parish officials said they would continue to follow Edwards' order as written, which does not involve the Assessor's Office part of the process.

"We're following the executive order. That's the law today," Parish Attorney O'Neil Parenton Jr. told Clouatre.

Asked about Smiley's letter, Don Pierson, secretary of the state Department of Economic Development, said the Board of Commerce and Industry used its discretion to determine which local governing authorities should make recommendations on granting industrial tax exemptions.

"Under the present rules, only the Ascension Parish Council's input is required for an industrial tax exemption for the parish and all parish bodies located outside the boundary of the affected municipality," Pierson said.

Kyle Gautreau, spokesman for the parish government administration, declined to comment on Smiley's letter.
As a Feb. 22 vote nears, East Baton Rouge Parish school leaders are busy preparing a final wish list of $417 million worth of construction projects that would be built over a decade. But its a list still filled with blanks and question marks.

The board is putting the project list together as it prepares to place a 1-cent-sales tax renewal before voters on April 29. Revenue from the tax would be used to pay for the work.

In the coming days, projects may be added, dropped or reworked considerably. Previously released cost figures could well change.

While school officials are expected to release a construction schedule ahead of the board's vote, they've yet to release even a tentative one. So a cherished project might make it on the list but might not be built until as late as 2029.

Indeed, several projects voters approved in 2008, when the 1-cent sales tax in 2008 was last renewed, are only now being built. In a couple of cases, construction has yet to begin.

+5 Nearly closed, Park Elementary now to be rebuilt with a futuristic design After nearly closing Park Elementary a year ago, the East Baton Rouge School Board is moving forward with a tear-down and rebuild employing a 

Fifty-one percent of the 1-cent sales tax, first approved by voters in 1998, goes to school construction. Forty-one percent supports employee salaries and benefits. And finally 8 percent is set aside to fund student discipline centers as well as alternative education and reducing truancy. Voters will be asked to vote on each separately.

Proposition 1, which pays for school construction, is receiving the most debate so far. It funds a mix of projects, some listed by name, some not. The latest estimate is this proposition will generate $417 million between 2019 and 2029.

Proposition 3, which supports employee salaries and benefits, however, is historically the one that ensures the most turnout on election day. The school systems 5,500-plus employees would see their salaries cut by thousands of dollars if voters fail to renew that part of the sales-tax.

Here are a few of the most prominent projects still on the construction list:

New schools in Southeast Baton Rouge. Latest proposal is to build a K-12 complex on unspecified land that would have to be acquired somewhere in the southern part of the parish. Its not clear whether that would be two or three schools on this campus. Initially, plans were to build a separate elementary, middle and high school here. Southeast Baton Rouge, particularly areas south of I-10 and east of LSU, are among the fastest growing areas of the parish but they have relatively few public schools.

Tearing down and rebuilding six schools: Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts, Brownfields Elementary, Glasgow Middle, Mayfair Lab, University Terrace Elementary and Westdale Heights Academic Magnet. In the case of Brownfields and University Terrace, they would be rebuilt large enough to absorb student from nearby Buchanan and White Hills elementaries, which would close.

Major renovations to five schools: Broadmoor High, Broadmoor Middle, McKinley High, Sherwood Middle and Westdale Middle schools. In the case of Broadmoor Middle, the current school would close to make for the popular magnet school, Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet, or BR FLAIM.

The process of developing future school construction projects began last year.

CSRS/Tillage Construction, the private partnership which oversees most public school construction in Baton Rouge, assessed the condition of school facilities.

Superintendent Warren Drake convened an in-house committee in the summer to refine the list of projects. First, principals made suggestions, then members of the general public chimed in at six community forums that were held in the fall and another four held over the past three weeks. More people filled out online surveys as recently as Thursday. Meanwhilem the in-house committee Drake established has continued to meet.

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East Baton Rouge leaders trim $132 million from school construction plans, but upgrade some projects East Baton Rouge Parish school officials have trimmed their school construction wish list for the next decade by $132 million as they prepare 

An incomplete fourth draft of the project list was showcased during the most recent forums and included a couple of recent change intended to keep schools closer to their historic homes.

For example, Brownfields Elementary is now to be rebuilt where it is currently located at 11615 Ellen Drive rather than on property on the other side of the Metro Airport as was originally proposed.

And while Buchanan and University Terrace elementary schools are still being merged, plans have been abandoned to build a new school for both two miles east on the property of Southdowns School at 2050 Hood Avenue.

The most contentious debates so far have involved high schools. There are no plans to completely renovate or rebuild any high schools as has been done at Baton Rouge Magnet High and Lee High. But Broadmoor and McKinley high schools are likely receive $30 million-plus each in repairs and additions.

While not on any of the lists so far, Drake said he plans to look at making for some improvements at Tara High, although what they would be hasn't been specified. Belaire High, is also seeking additional repair money.

Supporters of Glen Oaks and McKinley high schools packed recent forums at their schools, pushing for grander rebuilding plans for their schools.

Glen Oaks High was flooded in August 2016 and has been only partially rebuilt. The School Board recently agreed to $16 million more in repairs over the next two years, with plans of doing even more work at the high school if the 1-cent sales tax is renewed. How much more is unclear. School supporters want substantial improvements made at the school.

+11 McKinley High supporters push for new school as good as Lee and Baton Rouge high schools As they have at previous community forums, East Baton Rouge Parish school officials finished their presentation Tuesday night on proposed long

McKinley High supporters want a completely rebuilt school so they can better compete with nearby Baton Rouge Magnet and Lee high schools.

At a forum Tuesday at McKinley High, Appellate Judge John Michael Guidry, a graduate of the class of 1980, summed up the sentiment when he asked Superintendent Drake this question: If we can spend a $50 million to build a new Lee High and a new Baton Rouge High, why do we have to have a patchwork at McKinley High?

Drake argued that the $30 to $35 million worth of improvements that the school system has planned for McKinley High would be tantamount to building a new school. The master plan calls for annexing eight adjacent acres now occupied by Buchanan Elementary and building a separate junior high featuring grades seven to nine.

Youre going to see a brand new campus with the changes in the Buchanan property, Drake promised. I think youre going to see that.
Louisiana is on track to become one of the next states to seek approval to require some Medicaid recipients to work to keep their health care coverage.

The idea is among a wish list that House Republicans presented to Gov. John Bel Edwards in negotiations over the looming state budget shortfall.

Edwards included Medicaid work requirements among the items in his call for a special session that will begin Feb. 19.

But Edwards, a Democrat, has already been working behind the scenes on the idea, which is more often embraced by Republicans.

The specifics haven't been hammered out, but Andrew Tuozzolo, a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Health, said work is underway on developing a Louisiana-specific model for work requirements.

"The governor supports reasonable work promotion and opportunities," he said. "In the end, the question is what policy works for Louisiana and becomes an enrichment and engagement opportunity for people."

President Donald Trump's administration has encouraged states to seek federal approval to require Medicaid recipients to work, but it's allowing states to tailor the proposals to the needs of their Medicaid populations.

In a letter to state Medicaid directors, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services director Brian Neale wrote, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) "recognizes that a broad range of social, economic and behavioral factors can have a major impact on an individuals health and wellness, and a growing body of evidence suggests that targeting certain health determinants, including productive work and community engagement, may improve health outcomes."

Eight states currently have work requirement requests pending with the federal government, while two states  Kentucky and Indiana  have received approval.

Gov. John Bel Edwards calls lawmakers into special session starting Feb. 19 Louisiana lawmakers will return to the Capitol this month for another special session to try to shore up the state's finances. Again.

About 1.6 million people are on Medicaid in Louisiana, including nearly 465,000 people who have been added to the rolls since July 2016, when the state expanded its Medicaid program through the federal Affordable Care Act to cover some previously ineligible adults, mostly the working poor.

The state estimates that 65 percent to 75 percent of the current adult Medicaid recipients are already working, due to the earned income they report. Another 20 percent or so would fit into the exempted categories, such as pregnant women, the elderly, family caretakers and people with disabilities.

That leaves about 10 percent of the adult Medicaid population who are able bodied and eligible to work, LDH estimates.

"Those are the folks we would want to find and devise a policy to create an opportunity to promote work and engagement," Tuozzolo said.

LDH is also factoring for the possible overhead for enforcing the requirement.

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"We don't want to create something that is really laborious or costly," Tuozzolo said. "It's an easy thing to talk about it, it's more complicated to adequately administer."

Before the special session was called, House GOP Caucus Chair Lance Harris had already drafted legislation for the regular session to establish a Medicaid work requirement.

Harris, R-Alexandria, couldn't be reached for comment on Friday.

As the majority leader in the House, it's likely his bill will resemble legislation proposed in the special session.

House Speaker Taylor Barras outlines GOP wishlist in letter to Gov. John Bel Edwards Louisiana leaders on Tuesday came one step closer to finding common ground in tense ongoing negotiations about how to address the state's loom

Harris' proposed legislation would require people 19 to 64 years old who are not disabled to work at least 20 hours a week or take part in a community engagement activity, such as volunteering or worker training, to receive Medicaid benefits.

It would not apply to pregnant women, people certified as being physically or mentally unfit for employment, or people who are responsible for taking care of children young than a year old, children with disabilities or children with serious medical conditions. It also would not apply to people who are enrolled in drug or alcohol addiction treatment programs.

Advocates for the poor and for working families generally oppose the idea, calling it overly onerous on recipients with little impact elsewhere.

Robin Rudowitz, a Medicaid expert at the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, said forcing Medicaid recipients to regularly submit documentation to prove that they are meeting the requirements or can justify why they aren't doesn't just root out those who aren't. It can have a negative impact on those complying with the rules, she said, because it takes valuable time from the working poor.

"These new policies are recasting Medicaid more in line with welfare program rules," Rudowitz said.

It's likely that there will be little positive impact on Louisiana's enrollment figures or bottom line, she added.

"States see limited savings and increased administrative costs," Rudowitz said.

Tuozzolo said Louisiana's treating the issue as a workforce issue.

"The approach we are focused on is we want the most healthy, productive workforce we can have in Louisiana," Tuozzolo said. "We need something that works for us."
If you were wondering what drove New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to deeply divide New Orleans by tearing down Confederate monuments, the title of his new book says it all: In The Shadow Of Statues, A White Southerner Confronts History."

Landrieus book, due out March 20, should win an award for the most pretentious title in history. It implies Landrieu, as a Southern white man, bucked the status quo by taking a brave stand against racism. But thats not what happened. Taking a position endearing you to your political base and the media is far from courageous. To view Landrieu as courageous, youd also have to assume racism is mainstream. It is not. Youd also have to believe those who wanted to preserve the monuments were racist. Most were not.

Landrieus tearing down of the monuments was a brilliant and advantageous move for a man with national political ambitions. Deeply dividing New Orleans and manufacturing a crisis that didnt previously exist was a price the mayor was willing to pay if it meant a brighter national spotlight. His plan has worked perfectly.

When Landrieu, with the approval of the City Council, first began to stir up racial tensions by tearing down the monuments, media types fell all over themselves praising him. They especially loved his well-timed Gallier Hall speech shortly after the final monument fell. Now Landrieu will build on that momentum and travel the country promoting his book and explain to fawning media figures how hes so courageous for being a rare, non-racist, white Southerner.

Dan Fagan: 2017 put powerful on notice, shook up political, societal status quo Ferriday, Louisiana, native and early rock and roller Jerry Lee Lewis once famously sang "There's A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On." Looking for 

Landrieus book title should read, A race-baiting politician selfishly divides New Orleans to advance his national political ambitions.

If Landrieu genuinely thought it was best for the city and not just his national political ambitions to remove the monuments, he would have allowed the people of New Orleans to vote on the issue. He should have put in the hard work of persuading people of his case for removing the monuments instead of just having the iconic statues hauled off by crane. But if New Orleans voters had not seen it the mayors way, then he wouldnt receive the accolades he has.

Landrieus justification for tearing down the monuments is they honored men who ended up on the wrong side of history. And hes right about that. When it came to the main issue of their day, slavery, Davis, Beauregard and Lee fought for the wrong side.

Most cant begin to understand how so many Americans of antiquity  and, in some cases, our family ancestors  could have been so wrong about slavery. How could their hearts become so hard that they were deceived into believing an entire race was less than human? Its heartbreaking that our great nation has such a dark stain on her history.

But the conviction that all men are created equal and all life is precious eventually took hold of America's conscience, even to the point that hundreds of thousands were willing to fight and die to end slavery.

Unfortunately, many Americans still today foolishly believe some of us are less than human and their lives dont matter. History will not remember well those who support the right of abortionists to end the lives of unborn children. A mothers womb should be the safest place on earth for a baby, and yet it has become a very dangerous place during our time. Hundreds of thousands of babies are killed at the hands of an abortionist each year in America. In Louisiana alone, close to 8,000 babies are denied the right and privilege of enjoying this wonderful gift called life.

Slavery should serve as a reminder to all of us that just because something is legal and accepted, it doesnt make it moral, ethical or right.

The orthodoxy of the Democratic Party, Landrieu's political home, is on the wrong side of the abortion issue. I wonder if 100 years from now, some politically ambitious politician will try to remove anything honoring Landrieus legacy because he belonged to a party that championed abortion much like the Confederacy championed slavery.

Email Dan Fagan at faganshow@gmail.com.
Looking at the depth of the proposed budget cuts, prosecutors are approaching the upcoming special session with a sense of dread about the success of the criminal justice package that they signed onto and already has led to thousands of convicted criminals being released early.

Were just anxious, Pete Adams, the executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, said last week in an interview.

We got this promise on reinvestment on the criminal justice reform last year, he trails off, then repeats: Were just anxious.

He is not alone.

Officials from healthcare to higher education to the business community are nervous about becoming the guy behind the tree, who Russell Long once said Louisiana politicians are wont to saddle with the responsibility of paying the states bills.

Gov. John Bel Edwards is bound by law to draft a spending plan that matches expected revenues. And with a $1 billion shortfall  a little less than a third of money lawmakers have available to balance the budget  his spending proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is rife with deep cuts to state programs unless legislators agree to raise some taxes.

The starting point for budget negotiations is so far back that law enforcement is worried what the finish line will look like.

Last years package of criminal justice bills has been about the only thing accomplished by Edwards and Legislatures Class of 2016, bogged down as they are in petty partisan bickering. The idea is to reduce prison time for nonviolent offenders and nudge Louisiana out of the worlds top spot for imprisoning its own citizens  nearly three times the incarceration rate per 100,000 residents than Cuba, Russia, and Rwanda in 2013.

Seventy percent of the savings the state would realize from not having to care for so many people behind bars would go to programs to help the newly released adjust to the outside world and not commit new crimes.

Adams points out those savings werent included in the budget proposal.

My members remind me often that we accepted in good faith that those investments would be forthcoming, Adams said. The current recidivism rate is high and its going to get higher, if we dont provide them services. Public safety is going to be at risk.

A poor track record for fulfilling promises adds to the concern.

The new Raise the Age law begins in July, and theres no money in the budget proposal for the Office of Juvenile Justice to handle what is expected to be an increase in 17-year-old criminals no longer being thrown into adult prisons, Adams said. And the base $45,000 pay the state provides for assistant prosecutors is being reduced to $5,000. The sheriffs are set to lose $5 more from a daily rate that already doesnt cover the expenses of housing, feeding, transporting and caring for about 20,000 of the states prisoners in parish jails.

With all these cuts on the table, spending on parolees could take a lower priority.

The 2004 adoption of the Missouri Model for juvenile offenders plays into those worries.

Almost 2,000 Louisiana prisoners released; what comes next? Almost 2,000 prisoners walked away from Louisiana prisons, jails and parole offices Wednesday, the first to benefit from a new law to shrink t

The therapeutic approach that leaned on rehabilitative services over confinement started great guns in Louisiana with upgrades to juvenile holding facilities and lots of programs in tap. But the funding declined as lawmakers, facing massive budget deficits, chose to add more lucrative tax breaks hoping to spur the economy. What the state ended up with was more relaxed punishments and fewer services for the troubled youth.

Department of Corrections Secretary James LeBlanc says the lesson learned from the Missouri Model experience is precisely why law enforcements anxiety, which he understands, is misplaced.

A decade ago the changes to the juvenile justice system were enacted largely by gubernatorial fiat. That made it easier for a new governor and a new Legislature to put juvenile justice funding on the to-do list.

They didnt pass legislation, we did, LeBlanc said. Directing savings to support programs is a key component of the reform that says, in law; this is how the money will be spent.

Funds to help parolees will be in the preamble of the budget bill, where monies get moved around from one program to another, LeBlanc said. For the upcoming fiscal year, the savings could be as much as $11 million rather than the initial $6 million estimate, he said.

The money will be there, LeBlanc said.
TJs begin new term with little hope for result

As their new one-year mandate started on Saturday, the two transitional justice bodies say there will not be an expected progress within the given time unless the government and the political parties immediately resolve the problems faced in the investigation of more than 60,000 cases filed by conflict victims.
It isnt easy to fool Sarah Jane Freeman. The University of Virginia junior has made the Deans List every semester in her first 2 years of college. Shes also studied at the Sorbonne in France and the London School of Economics.

Pity the parents, then, who devised an elaborate ruse to surprise her with the news that she has been chosen to reign as Queen of Carnival 2018.

It was in the spring almost a year ago when my parents told me they wanted me to meet them for lunch so that I could meet some relative, she recalled. It wasnt hard to figure out that something was up when I got there, because we had a private dining room, and there was champagne set up. No one else was there, but at my place was a photo album, and when I opened it, there were images of relatives and ancestors who had reigned.

So much for clever ruses. Sarah Janes parents  Louis McDaniel Freeman Jr. and Courtney de la Houssaye Freeman  may not have been able to pull the wool over her eyes, but they were able to demonstrate how their family history and that of the Rex organization are woven together.

The shared history reaches back to 1932 when Alfred Byrd Freeman, Sarah Janes great-great-grandfather was Rex. He was followed in 1959 by her great-grandfather, Richard West Freeman, and then in 1999 by her grandfather, Louis McDaniel Freeman.

Queens of Carnival in the family tree include Tina Louise Freeman (her great-aunt) in 1971, Laura Louise Freeman (her aunt) in 1984 and Adair Draughn Freeman (her second cousin) in 1987. To complete the list, add a pair of maids, a duo of pages and a quartet of dukes (two of whom are Sarah Janes older brothers).

Courtney Freeman said her daughter may have a long line of Rex royalty and courtiers preceding her but that she is most definitely her own person.

She has always been that way  independent and confident, she said. I trust her instincts and decisions completely.

The self-described tomboy  a hazard with two older brothers  took care to design a dress for the occasion that would be elegant and not too girlie, as she put it. Her final fitting for the dress was in January, but rehearsals for Tuesdays events have continued apace.

There have been at least a dozen rehearsals  maybe more. Ive learned how to do things like curtsy and wave the scepter properly. When we started, I was holding a wooden cooking spoon, but Ive graduated to the actual scepter now, she said joking.

The white suit the queen traditionally wears in the viewing stands on Mardi Gras was made by Suzanne Perron St. Paul especially for Sarah Jane.

I worked on the design with Suzanne  the suit is tailored with three-quarter-length sleeves with a little lace at the cuffs, she said. I love design and have a great internship planned in New York this summer with an interior designer.

Not just any interior designer, but Bunny Williams, a major player in the field of shelter media and interior design, as curbed.com describes her, or, more familiarly, an enormously successful New York-based decorator who has attained celebrity status.

For all the gowns and suits and scepters and crowns, what Sarah Jane is really looking forward to is having her friends from college and Baton Rouge in New Orleans to celebrate with her.

I went to Newman (School) for a few years before Hurricane Katrina, but then we moved to Baton Rouge for 10 years because of the storm. I ended up graduating from Episcopal High in Alexandria, Virginia, so I have friends who are pretty spread out, she said. Its tricky getting them here without being able to tell them why.

When all the Carnival activities are over, Sarah Jane will remain immersed in the culture of her native city when she returns to college and resumes her studies with a Pavilion Seminar titled New Orleans: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea."

Well be looking at New Orleans history and geography and posing a lot of questions, she said. One of the topics well be considering is: Should New Orleans exist? I am so glad I get to be there to represent my city when we start discussing it.
Muddy neutral grounds, smaller-than-usual crowds and a late-arriving thunderstorm marked Endymion's 2018 parade Saturday night, but it didn't stop the krewe's loyal fans, who screamed with enthusiasm even as the skies opened up and sent rain pouring down as they reached for beads and trinkets.

The rain came down even harder as Endymion continued rolling into the evening, drenching parade goers as lightning flashed through the sky. A storm blew into New Orleans around 7:40 p.m., bringing heavy rain and lightning. An Endymion official said the first of the parades three-dozen floats didnt reach Superdome until 8 p.m.

We are very happy to have been able to parade through the streets of New Orleans today. It is unfortunate that the rain hit as we arrived at the Dome, Krewe of Endymion President Dan Kelly told The New Orleans Advocate on Saturday night.

Last week was a time of indecision for the krewe. When predictions showed that thunderstorms were likely for Saturday, Endymion leaders raised the idea of a shifted date, time, or even location. Jefferson Parish leaders announced that theyd be glad to accommodate any New Orleans parades that had to change their plans because of weather.

After discussions, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Michael Harrison announced that, despite the threatening weather, all parades in New Orleans would roll on their assigned days. Having explored all options, it was determined that there is no viable way  in fairness to every parade krewe  to alter the parade schedule," Harrison said in a statement.

In an attempt to catch a rain-free window on Saturday, both the Iris and Tucks parades left an hour earlier than planned, at 10 and 11 a.m., rolling along the St. Charles Avenue route. On the West Bank, NOMTOC parade stuck to its usual 10:45 timeslot on the West Bank. Those parades were hit with very little rain during a morning that turned out to be more misty than rainy, despite earlier predictions.

Because the rain had held off, spirits were high for Endymion on Saturday morning. The parades 4:15 p.m. start time was pushed forward 15 minutes, but otherwise the krewe seemed ready. Everythings going. Everythings good. Four oclock, said Endymion president Dan Kelly, as he handled last-minute details that morning. In Jefferson Parish, Isis also was set to roll on time at 6:30 p.m.

The news was a relief to Philip and Candice Ward, whose son Titus, 4, is a huge fan of marching bands and can even imitate key drum cadences on his own snare drum. They didnt even mention the world parade at home until they knew for sure that Endymion was rolling, Candice Ward said.

Across Mid-City, people felt like they had been saved. After all, it wasnt so long ago that Mid-City was left a relative ghost town on Endymion Saturday.

After Hurricane Katrina, with Mid-City hard-hit by floodwater, Endymion spent two years, 2006 and 2007, parading down the citys traditional St. Charles route.

Not all loyalists followed the parade as it moved, said Irde Gonzales, 44, and Paul Leto, 75, who gather on Canal near North Carrollton every year without fail. Their family skipped the post-Katrina years of Endymion. They also didnt head Uptown in 2011, when Endymion  faced with almost-certain rain and possible tornados  chose to parade down St. Charles, following Bacchus on the Sunday before Mardi Gras.

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We love Endymion and its fantastic floats, Leto said. But we like it here, always here.

On Saturday, paradegoers arrived in Mid-City prepared, clad in rain boots and ponchos, slung over purple, green, and gold shirts and tutus.

They also brought tents, in a profusion not seen before. By noon, so many tents had sprung up that along Canal Street near North Carrollton Avenue that it looked like a festival grounds instead of a parade route. People dressed in Carnival colors milled outside the offices and homes that line the street. Music blared out windows; long tables set up under tents heaved with loaves of Bunny Bread and aluminum containers of meat from grills.

As toy vendor Jerry Stevens pushed his tower of tchotchkes down Canal, he theorized that the tents put a pinch on his sales. Its like they built cabins for themselves; they sit there under the tents and they dont move, he said.

Tracy Ransier, owned of the Red Door bar on North Carrollton, said the overall crowd was simply smaller for his biggest revenue day of the year. On a scale of 1 to 10, his daiquiri sales fell at about a five for the day, he estimated.

A few blocks from the parade route, at R & S Auto Service on Bayou St. John, Gloria St. Pierre served up chili to her family and checked weather.com from the shops computer screen.

Its only at 40 percent chance of rain now, St. Pierre said. Thats much better than the 70 or 80 percent we saw all week.

On a porch at the corner of Genois and Canal, Alex Onstott and Katie Mullins watched the tents go up and the music amplify as they sat on blankets and played a dozen rounds of the card game Kings Corners.

Onstotts dad has long had an office here on Canal Street, so Endymion is a family tradition for him, to the point where hes planning to paint his portable grill in Carnival colors just to fit in with the Endymion pageantry. But hes learned that because of Endymions drawing power, its best to just let close friends drop in, instead of actively promoting the gathering, which once ballooned to 150 people, a Saturday crowd that resulted in too much Sunday cleaning.

On Canal Street near Jefferson Davis Parkway, young Lucy Hernandez, who turns 10 tomorrow, colored a tagboard sign on two sides. One side announced her birthday and the back side read, Uncle Chris in rainbow colors. She and her younger siblings  Miles, 8, and Sophia 6  hoped to rake in the loot, especially stuffed animals, when Chris Donaldson passed by on float No. 34, the alligator float.

Not far away, a trio of friends headed to a nearby house party walked past the shop carrying a 12-pack. They werent at all worried about rain, said Colleen Cameron, 27. Because we have a house to run to, with fried chicken in it.
Barnaby Joyce's political career is hanging in the balance, with Nationals MPs conceding that one more revelation about his personal life could force him to step down as Deputy Prime Minister.

Some MPs in the junior Coalition partner are already discussing who could replace Mr Joyce as Nationals leader if he stepped aside; NSW MP Michael McCormack, Victorian Darren Chester and Queensland senator Matt Canavan are the names most commonly bandied about.

However, there is little appetite for a change of leader within the Nationals and none of those three MPs is actively positioning.

But Nationals MPs recognise just how seriously Mr Joyce has been damaged by the revelations that he had an affair with a former staffer in his office, Vikki Campion, and that the pair are expecting a baby.
Relatives and friends of an Aboriginal man who died after falling from an inner Sydney balcony as police tried to arrest him have held a rally calling for justice.

Patrick Fisher, 31, died in Waterloo on Wednesday morning after officers tried to track him down over outstanding warrants.

Officers were acting on information from the public, NSW Police said, and a critical incident investigation has been launched.

At the time, neighbours told the ABC Mr Fisher had been taking crystal meth when police knocked on the door.
Residents of the north shore and northern beaches of Sydney are paying up to twice as much for home delivered food as people in the south and west.

The highest prices, on average, for popular dishes such as pad Thai, a large Margherita pizza and Indian butter chicken curry were all found north of the bridge, a Herald analysis of Menulog data covering more than 3000 NSW restaurants found.

Generally, a Sydney restaurant will deliver to 12 or more suburbs, so the data reflects what is available for home delivery in a postcode - not what is delivered from a suburb.

The Indian butter chicken prices ranged from $11.20 (on average) around Engadine in the south of Sydney, up to about $20.50 in Mosman and Northbridge on the north shore.

The highest prices - up to $24.30 - were around Newcastle, where eight of the top 10 suburbs for high prices were recorded.
Queensland businessman Clive Palmer has questioned whether images of his nephew in Bulgaria were faked.

News Corp journalist Ellen Whinnett reportedly tracked down Clive Mensink - Mr Palmer's nephew - in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, where he was said to be living with girlfriend Gabriela Konstantinova.

Clive Palmer at his Brisbane office in January. Credit:Tash Sorensen

The photos, if real, showed Mr Mensink, 49, had lost a significant amount of weight and grown a beard.

Mr Mensink has avoided returning to Australia to face court over the $300 million collapse of the Queensland Nickel refinery near Townsville, which resulted in the loss of about 800 refinery jobs.
Vulnerable Queenslanders are being urged to protect themselves from dating and romance scams, ahead of Valentine's Day.

Australians lost $20.2 million in dating and romance scams in 2017, with most scammers targeting people on social media, email or websites.

Queenslanders are urged to be wary of romance and dating scams ahead of Valentine's Day.

Queenslanders lost more than $3 million from dating and romance scams last year.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said victims tended to suffer both financially and emotionally.
A man's body has been discovered in waters opposite the St Kilda Marina as thousands attend the St Kilda Festival less than a kilometre away on Sunday afternoon.

Port Phillip Crime Investigation Unit is on the scene along with Homicide Squad detectives, after a passer-by located the partially-submerged body about 1.20pm.

The man's body was pulled from the water by onlookers before the police arrived.

The waters surrounding St Kilda marina.

His cause of death is yet to be determined and police will prepare a report for the Coroner.
An 18-year-old woman has been taken to hospital after a brawl outside The Swan Hotel in Richmond on Sunday morning.

The Swan Hotel in Richmond.

Victoria Police spokeswoman Creina O'Grady said police attended an incident outside a licensed premises on Swan Street, Richmond.

"It's understood a fight broke out about 1.15am," Ms O'Grady said.

The woman suffered minor injuries. Two men, aged 23 and 24, were also treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Police are investigating the exact circumstances surrounding the fight.
Trend of automobile ownership

Whether automobiles are purchased for necessity or flaunting, it suggests that the purchasing power of Nepalis is increasing
East Timor could receive up to 80 per cent of revenue from the $50 billion Greater Sunrise oil and gas field in the Timor Sea under a still-secret agreement with Australia, according to a report from the countrys capital of Dili.

The Portuguese news agency Lusa quotes a source familiar with sensitive and high-level negotiations between the countries as saying East Timor would receive 80 per cent of the revenue if gas from the field is piped to an existing processing plant in Darwin, and 70 percent if it goes to a yet-to-be built industrial complex on East Timors remote south coast.

The split, if the field is developed, would deliver billions of dollars to East Timor and likely secure its economic future for decades as existing oil and gas fields run dry in the next few years.

East Timors chief negotiator, Xanana Gusmao. Credit:AP

The report written by Antonio Sampaio, the only foreign correspondent based in Dili, said a landmark agreement due to be signed at the United Nations in early March also puts the maritime boundary halfway between the countries, a huge concession by Australia for Asias newest nation.
Tusker menace: Sleepless nights for Thori residents

Residents of Thori Rural Municipality in Parsa district have been compelled to spend sleepless nights for the last couple of months due to frequent wild elephants menace.
UMLs Shrestha, Thapa elected speakers of provinces 3, 7

CPN-UML leaders Sanu Kumar Shrestha and Arjun Bahadur Thapa have been elected speakers of provinces 3 and 7, respectively. Both were elected unopposed.
Johann Johannsson, the award-winning Icelandic composer whose haunting yet minimalist scores instilled depth in films full of abstraction, has died, his manager announced Saturday. He was 48.

Johannsson was found dead Friday at his apartment in Berlin, where authorities were investigating the cause of death, said Tim Husom, his Los Angeles-based manager.

"I'm so very sad. Today, I lost my friend who was one of the most talented musicians and intelligent people I knew," Husom said in a statement.

Johannsson, who blended classical form and electronic instrumentation, had become an increasingly in-demand musician for directors whose films probed more theoretical ideas.

He won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score for "The Theory of Everything," about physicist Stephen Hawking.

Johannsson was nominated again for "Arrival," for which he altered human voices to create amorphous, otherworldly sounds to dramatize the story of a linguist seeking to communicate with an extraterrestrial visitor.

He scored several films out in 2018, including "Mary Magdalene," a biblical drama about the much-debated female follower of Jesus.

While Johannsson won acclaim outside of the film world as an avant-garde composer, he was careful never to make his music needlessly convoluted or overbearing.

He kept strong, repeated melodies and said that many movies had far too much music, not allowing silences that were also crucial.

"I think my music is a way of communicating very directly with people and with people's emotions. I try to make music that doesn't need layers of complexity or obfuscation to speak to people," he told the online interview magazine The Talks in 2015.

- 'Always pushing boundaries' -

Daniel Pemberton, the composer for films including Danny Boyle's biopic "Steve Jobs," said he sat transfixed when he heard Johannsson's music for "Sicario," which showed "you could still do something radically new in mainstream film music."

"He was always pushing the boundaries, creating works of art so unique and exciting it becomes hard to imagine they didn't exist before," Pemberton wrote on Twitter.

The experimental DJ Flying Lotus tweeted that he was in "disbelief" over his death, calling Johannsson a major influence and hailing his score for the new thriller "Mandy."

Growing up in Reykjavik, Johannsson said he listened to everything from John Philip Sousa marches to deafening shoegaze rockers The Jesus and Mary Chain, but was transformed when he discovered ambient music pioneer Brian Eno.

Read also: Dissecting 'Dunkirk's excellence in sound design

Largely self-taught as a musician, Johannsson studied literature and took inspiration from the French Oulipo school of writers such as Georges Perec who aimed to stir up fresh ideas by imposing constraining rules on their compositions.

Johannsson co-founded Kitchen Motors, the influential Icelandic artist collective that also helped launch experimental rockers Sigur Ros, and in 2002 released his first album, "Englaborn," set to a theatrical piece.

- Strings about computers -

His most ambitious albums included "IBM 1401, A User's Manual," inspired by the early mass-manufactured computer.

Johannsson's father, a programmer in 1960s Iceland, had playfully transformed the computer into a musical instrument by making reel-to-reel recordings.

Turning the concept of computerized music on its head, Johannsson made his ode to the clunky old computer fully human by writing for a 60-piece string orchestra.

He again brought in strings for the mournful melodies of his 2008 album "Fordlandia," inspired by Henry Ford's disastrous project to build a city for rubber plant workers in Brazil.

Johannsson in 2016 signed a record deal with leading classical label Deutsche Grammophon and released "Orphee," an exploration of portrayals of Orpheus, the legendary bard of music, from ancient Greece onward.

Johannsson had little sign of slowing down and was recently announced on the lineup of Barcelona's Primavera Sounds festival.

"Arrival" was Johannsson's third film collaboration with Denis Villeneuve, although the French Canadian director surprisingly replaced him for last year's anticipated sci-fi sequel "Blade Runner 2049."
Christian Siriano, a plus-size diversity advocate and red carpet designer who has dressed leading Hollywood ladies and Michelle Obama, celebrated 10 years in the business Saturday with a masterclass in the art of dressing women of all shapes and colors.

Actresses Whoopi Goldberg and Meg Ryan sat in the front row for a fall/winter 2018 collection that showcased diversity in all shapes, sizes and colors under a theme dubbed the "ultimate royal dinner party."

Men, women and trans models walked the red carpeted runway at the hallowed environs of New York's Masonic Hall for the London-trained designer's collection inspired by late 18th century British art.

Curve poster model Ashley Graham opened the show dressed in a floor length red faux fur coat. Trans model Evie Acosta also walked.

There was plenty of black -- Siriano dressed 10 women for the Golden Globe awards when Hollywood wore black to protest sexual harassment in the workplace -- and plenty of bright red.

There were hints of leopard print and male models in iridescent shorts and blazers. Red, yellow and blue dresses shimmered and sparkled.

"We've been dressing women of shape since day one," Siriano told Fashionista.com in an interview ahead of his show.

Read also: Diesel Fashion Week stunt pokes fun at knock-off artists

"Some of my early red carpet moments were Whoopi and Oprah (Winfrey), and we were always getting requests for all these different types of people."

He says his client base is global, with a "huge" business in the Middle East and a lot of Orthodox Jewish customers, and spoke of the importance of representing those with clothing restrictions as well.

Siriano, who studied under Vivienne Westwood and the late Alexander McQueen, has also championed cross-gender dressing "to show that it really doesn't matter if you're shopping men's or women's anymore.

"It should just matter if you like your outfit... clothes and fashion shows and all of that, it isn't such a serious thing. Getting dressed should be a fun thing in the morning."

Alexander Wang, the wunderkid whose fashions effortlessly embody downtown New York cool and off-duty supermodels, is still to come on day three of Fashion Week -- his swansong before going off piste and choosing to show in June-December outside the traditional calendar.

His departure follows the exit of top talent such as Proenza Schouler and Rodarte for couture week in Paris on the same schedule and there is widespread speculation that the new timetable could catch on.

"Why do something that's not working?" Stephanie Horton, chief strategy officer at Alexander Wang told a recent industry event. "The business model needs to change because the consumer has changed."

German-born fashion bad boy Philipp Plein is throwing the mother of all parties at the Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Naval Yard -- an enormous venue favored in the past by the likes of Lady Gaga and Hillary Clinton -- for his own late-night show Saturday.
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Linkedin N.Adri (The Jakarta Post) Balikpapan, East Kalimantan  Sun, February 11, 2018 22:41 1310 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c5057ba 2 National drug-courier,Balikpapan,Sepinggan-airport,East-Kalimantan,East-Kalimantan-Police,crystal-methamphetamine,CrystalMeth,CrystalMethamphetamine Free

East Kalimantan Police officers have arrested a man, identified only as AR, 48, over alleged drugs possession at Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

The police seized one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine worth around Rp 2 billion (US$147,000) kept inside a jacket he was wearing when the arrest occurred.

We made the arrest on Thursday morning at the exit from Sepinggan Airport. He worked as a civil servant at Juwata Airport in Tarakan, North Kalimantan, serving as an aviation security officer, said the East Kalimantan Polices Narcotics Crime Investigation director Sr. Comr. Ahmad Sauri on Saturday.

AR arrived in Balikpapan on Lion Air flight JT 0673. It is suspected that by using his status as an Avsec officer, AR was able to easily pass security checks at Juwata Airport, after which he could easily board the aircraft.

AR admitted he had trafficked drugs between Tarakan and Balikpapan four times. Each time he received around Rp 3 million to Rp 4 million.

He has been a drug courier since 2010, said Sauri. This was the first time he had carried such a large amount of drugs. Previously, he had only brought several grams of crystal meth per operation. (ebf)

Fighting against drugs: East Kalimantan Police officers escort AR (center with black shirt), 48, who was arrested over alleged drugs possession at Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Thursday. (JP/N.Adri)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, February 11, 2018 19:40 1310 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c503b07 2 Business united-states,washing-machines,safeguard,exports Free

The United States has excluded Indonesian-made large washing machines from the imposition of its safeguard measure, paving the way for the items to enter the worlds largest economy.

The move came after the country recently released Indonesian-produced solar panels from a 30 percent import duty.

The Trade Ministry's director general for foreign trade, Oke Nurwan, said while Indonesia is now exempt, the measure in the form of three year tariff-rate quotas would still be applied to similar products from South Korea, Vietnam and Mexico.

Safeguard measures are put in place by a country whenever there is a surge in imports that hurts its domestic industry.

Oke expected that the absence of the safeguard measure would pave the way for manufacturers to sell large residential washing machines in the US.

Even though Indonesia does not export this type of washing machine to the US, the decision to exempt it from trade safeguards is necessary to secure Indonesias access to export markets, particularly in the US, he said in a statement on Friday. This can open opportunities for investors to invest in the electronics industry to produce large capacity washing machines, both for the Indonesian market and for export.

Indonesias exports of large washing machines totaled US$ 1.71 million in 2016. (kmt/lnd)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Sun, February 11, 2018 14:31 1310 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c4fa1ec 1 National #attack,#ChurchAttack,#violence,#religiousintolerance,#Yogyakarta,#YogyakartaIntolerance Free

An unidentified man has reportedly attacked churchgoers using a one-meter sword at St. Lidwina church in Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, on Sunday at around 7:30 a.m., injuring four people.

A video from tribunnews.com shows the young man, who is believed to be a university student, attack churchgoers in front of the west door before entering the church.

The man allegedly ran toward the choir and attacked pastor Karl Edmund Prier, who was leading the choir. He then slashed the statues of Jesus and Mary near the altar.

Pastor Prier reportedly suffered injuries to the back of his head, while two other churchgoers, Budijono and Martinus Parmadi Subiantara, and a police officer identified as First Insp. Adj. Munir, were also wounded.

Munir is said to have tried to negotiate with the young man and asked him to surrender, but instead Munir was attacked.

The police then reportedly fired a warning shot, which was ignored, before shooting the assailant in the stomach.

The perpetrator was rushed to Gadjah Mada University Hospital before being transferred to Bhayangkara Police Hospital.

We rushed him to Bhayangkara Hospital for safety reasons, said Sr. Comr. Iman Prijantoro, Yogyakarta Police operational bureau head, as quoted by tribunnews.com. He was shot by our officers.

St. Lidwina parish chairman, Sukatno, said churchgoers have calmed down and were not provoked by the incident.

They are not affected. They know that the man only wanted to disrupt the peace, he said.

Sukatno said the church has invited the Sleman Police chief to speak to the people on the situation. He added that the church would be used for mass next weekend.

MAARIF Institute supervisory board member, Fajar Riza Ul Haq, called on the public to unite and not be provoked by any attempts to disrupt the peace.

New cases of intolerance and religious violence should unite the people. We must be aware that there may be other reasons [for the violence]. Dont let the people become the victims of political interests by using religious violence, he said, as quoted by Kompas.com. (yan)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Mon, February 12 2018

Six Indonesian journalists, including The Jakarta Posts Ary Hermawan, were recently invited to Tehran to meet with Iranian officials and journalists. The visit was aimed at boosting relations between the two Muslim-majority countries. The following is a summary of the trip.



With the Middle East still being ravaged by conflict  framed by jihadists and some Western analysts as the modern manifestation of an ancient sectarian war between the Shia and Sunnis  can Indonesia (a Sunni-majority country) and Iran (a Shia-majority country) forge a closer relationship and work together to help bring about peace?



Recent developments have shown there are reasons to be optimistic about Jakarta-Tehran relations.



Despite being predominantly Sunni, Indonesian Islam is seen as traditionally more compatible with the Iranian approach to re...
Manila is a misnomer: Its just one of 13 municipalities in the Metro Manila National Capitol Region.

For an on-the-ground report for Manila, however you define it, J+ by The Jakarta Post caught up with native Carmina Sanchez-Jacob, a marketing and communication consultant focused on lifestyles and designer brands.

Its more cosmopolitan than most people expect, the Manila native says when asked about what her hometown offers globetrotting travelers. Heres what we learned.

What to see?

Take things at your own pace, since Manila is bustling and busy. Its better to get a little lost walking the streets of the walled city of Intramuros than being stuck in a bus in traffic, says Carmina. Too many people forget to take in the bits of the city that make it more interesting like the details of old buildings thats been influenced by the Spanish.

For an amusing (and irreverent) history of Intramuros, try one of Carlos Celdrans tours. Livin La Vida Imelda, Carlos one-man show about the Philippines flamboyant former first lady Imelda Marcos, grew out of his tour of the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex, which is full of Brutalist architectural oddities.

Up-and-coming neighborhood?

One of Manila's ubiquitous jeepneys (AFP/File)

While Carmina describes it as more hipster than upscale, Escolta was once the commercial heart of the city, full of gorgeous (if faded) Art Deco buildings that have survived until today. The area is having resurgence, according to Carmina, with the opening of a host of cool bars, like Freds Revolucion and art events, like PAN///, run by the 99B COLLABoratory artists collective. Be relaxed and casual if you go.

Bonus: Escolta is located by Binondo, Manilas Chinatown, founded in 1594 and said to be the worlds oldest.

Read also: How to travel like a globetrotter with Linda Tan

Whats a perfect Saturday night?

Dinner at the Champagne Room of the Manila Hotel is a definite classic, Carmina says. Also not to be missed at the historic five-star venue, where MacArthur lived when he was a military advisor to the Philippines, is the bibingka. Served at the hotels Cafe Illang-Illang, the delicious rice-cake desert is made with coconut milk and served in a banana leaf. Its worth a stop.

And a perfect Sunday?

A visit to the National Art Gallery or any of Manilas fine-art museums. Carminas must- see Filipino piece? The Spoliarium (1894) by Juan Luna at the National Museum. The painting has inspired operas and rock-n-roll bands, as well National Hero Jose Rizal.

Beyond Intramuros, where should a visitor go to see a different side of Manila?

Try Makati to explore Manilas luxe side, Carmina says. Theres also a lot of good, new dining options in Poblacion in Makati, where food crawls and bar crawls are getting more and more famous. Fort Bonifacio in Taguig is also emerging, with a lot of options for shopping, parks and art galleries, Carmina adds with a note not to forget the casinos of Pasay. Farmers markets like Salcedo Market are also a good way to eat your way through the soul of a city, she adds.

Avoid cliches

While visting Luneta Park and Jose Rizals statue is virtually obligatory for first-time visitors, Carmina suggests venturing to some classic (and classy) establishments nearby, like The Manila Hotel; The recently renovated Rizal Park Hotel, once Manilas Army-Navy Club; and Luneta Hotel And if you make your way to Pasay, the next town, the very Instagram-friendly grounds of The Henry Hotel is a great way to spend the afternoon.

Cool art?

The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design by the College of St. Benilde, one of the busier universities in Manila. If youre lucky youll catch an exhibition by globally famous contemporary artists and meet the vivacious and thoroughly interesting curator and director Joselina Yeyey Cruz.

Read also: The future of travel: Doing your vacation homework

Whats cool for kids?

Carmina Sanchez-Jacob (Courtesy Carmina Sanchez-Jacob/File)

Carmina recommends Manila Ocean Park for the kids. On offer are a shark-encounter tank and an Aquanaut Voyage, where you descended into a fish tank in a bathysphere helmet.

Best restaurant?

Epicurean gadfly Anthony Bourdain tipped Filipino cuisine as the next big thing, naming sizzling sisig as the worlds gateway drug to the archipelagos food, CNN reported. To sample a more refined and innovative take on the Filipino palate, Carmina recommends Gallery Vask. Chef Chele Gonzalez, a Spanish transplant, offers delicious reinterpretations that have seen the art filled restaurant dubbed the nations best by Asias 50 Best Restaurants. The veteran of Vask El Celler de Can Roca also runs the easier-to-access Vask Tapas Room on the same site.

For foodies only

Madrid Fusion Manila is the lone Asian iteration of the famed international gastronomy conference. On hand in 2017 were Ray Adriansyah from Balis Locavore and Julien Royer of the Michelin-Starred Odette in Singapore. Its a great thing to experience, Carmina says. Youre likely to see at least one of the Asia- or the Worlds-Best Chefs in attendance.

Best Bar?

Manila has a vibrant cocktail scene, with venues such as ABV and The Curator ranked No. 14 and No. 16 respectively by Asias Best Bars. Carmina recommends the Palace Pool Club for nightlife, Bank Bar for cocktails and the Poblacion area for a bit of everything.
Now in its 9th year, Manchesters leading festival Parklife, returns with another unrivalled line-up.

Held on the 9th and 10th June at Heaton Park, the two-day event welcomes The XX, Skepta and N.E.R.D as headliners, as well as a homecoming performance from Liam Gallagher, who makes his first appearance at Heaton Park since Oasis famous gigs from 2009.

But the excitement doesnt stop there. Parklife will also see performances from Mercury prize winner Sampha, as well as Lorde, A$AP Rocky, Chvrches and Everything Everything.

Historically, the festival has been at the forefront of dance and chart events in the UK, having given valuable stage-time to the likes of Disclosure, Rudimental and Clean Bandit. Keeping in trend with its often current line-ups, Parklife also welcomes a stacked DJ bill, including Eric Prydz and Annie Mac.

A festival that truly embodies the impassioned spirit of Manchester, each edition has sold out year on year and boasts an impressive total of 16 arenas spread across two days of music as well as a VIP arena that offers exclusive attractions and special guest DJs.

As one of the largest municipal parks in Europe, Heaton Park has hosted a wealth of stellar festivals in its time, and Parklife 2018 is bound to be one for the history books.

Parklife Festival runs 9th-10th June. Tickets are available here.
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1. Yes. COVID-19 can only be stopped through vaccinations. A mandate is needed.

2. Yes. This is a major step, but were facing a national emergency. It is a justifiable move.

3. No. The government is right to promote vaccinations, but not to require them.

4. No. This is government overreach and legally questionable. A mandate is wrong.

5. Unsure. Its in the publics interest, but mandates infringe on individuals rights.

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SDSU's Frost Arena to become First Bank & Trust Arena with $50M renovation

The renovation, which will have an estimated total cost of $50 million, is expected to take two years and will be done in phases to avoid interruption of SDSU events.
Another 10cm of snow fell on southern Quebec on Saturday, bringing the seasonal total close to 200cm. Most of it, at least here on L'Ile Perrot, still remains piled high everywhere. The spring thaw is going to be quite a long process.
Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain.

Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.
Mrs L.H. writes: Last March, I was diagnosed with lung cancer though I have never smoked.

I was admitted to hospital and advised by a consultant to use my health insurance to gain access to treatment not available on the National Health Service.

I was matched to a biological drug to which I am responding well.

But insurer Vitality Health has advised it will only cover this treatment for 12 months. It has also 'de-recognised' my consultant because he refused to cut his fees by half.

Treatment: Vitality has agreed to meet the cost of the biological drug

Tony replies: only imagine the emotional rollercoaster ride of discovering you have lung cancer, then finding a consultant who offers a successful drug not normally available, only to have both drug and doctor snatched away by the insurance company that you relied on to finance both.

You even asked Vitality Health if it could provide a list of hospitals with a lung cancer specialist that the insurer would continue to recognise and finance. Its response was that it could not make any recommendations  which was not exactly what you had asked.

Your own enquiries have shown many insurers openly say they will not cover biological treatments for cancer, which you believe are the way forward.

Those that do often provide only limited cover even though you found the treatment was successful and offered hope.

I can understand no insurer wants to be held to ransom if a doctor's fees suddenly rocket on the assumption that an insurance company must be a bottomless pit of money.

But there is no evidence this is what happened, and Vitality Health did approve the course of treatment in the first place.

I asked the company to look into what you told me  and it did so promptly. A spokesman explained how Vitality sets its fees by studying the complexity, rarity and duration of medical conditions and treatments.

He added: 'We recognise more than 22,000 consultants and it is rare we fail to reach agreement with any consultant.

Where we cannot agree fees, we have to take a view as to whether we believe a continued commercial relationship is sustainable and fair on all the half a million members whose lives we insure.'

But he was honest enough to admit that Vitality unintentionally failed to take into account the lack of other specialist private consultants anywhere near you. Vitality has now reversed its decision. You will be treated by the same consultant as before.

You will get the same drug for as long as the terms of your policy last. Vitality will meet the costs. You have told me: 'This is great news and as you can imagine a huge weight has been lifted from the family.'

I am glad. I wish you all the luck in the world with the treatment.

27m debt of Privilege Wealth as it goes into administration

An international investment company I warned against in 2016 crashed into administration last Monday with debts put at $38 million (about 27 million).

Privilege Wealth plc, based in Hertfordshire, has defaulted on a debt said to be owed to its Gibraltar sister company.

A further $7 million (5 million) may also be owed to a Luxembourg-based fund that backed Privilege Wealth.

In an unsigned letter to investors, the Gibraltar company refers to the 'impending liquidation' of the British business and asks them to back a proposal to take whatever assets might be recovered and reinvest the proceeds in a new US-based scheme.

The letter blames the group's problems on a series of bad decisions, including advancing 3 million to a payday loan company in South Dakota, linked to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Neither the advance nor interest was repaid.

Privilege Wealth also claims to be owed about 1.4 million by 'Christopher Rock', the head of its international call centre in Panama.

His real name is Christopher Burton and he is a well-known scam operator from Nottingham with a lengthy list of aliases.

I reported last April that Burton had been shot and seriously wounded in a targeted assassination attempt in Panama.

He is now being held in Spain, where he faces charges of cheating hundreds of British investors who backed a dodgy Nevada oil venture he marketed from a boiler room call centre in Marbella, Spain.

Curiously, the letter to investors makes no mention of Brett Jolly, a central character in Privilege Wealth.

Jolly, from Southend-on-Sea in Essex, has been one of the main backers of the stricken group.

I sounded the alarm five years ago when he was behind Anglo Capital Partners Limited.

The firm used lies and false claims to cheat investors out of more than 1 million they poured into carbon credits.

Jolly is now banned from acting as a director of any British company.

He is believed to have moved to the Far East where Privilege Wealth has also been active.
Under-siege engineering firm GKN is set to reveal a turnaround plan this week as bosses try to fight off a hostile takeover.

In a crucial appeal, the British company is expected to pledge huge cash returns in a bid to win over shareholders.

These would be funded by cost cutting and the sale of its powder metallurgy arm, which uses powders to produce compacted metals for parts, and could fetch as much as 2bn.

On the defence: GKN makes parts for the Black Hawk, Chinook and Apache helicopters, as well as the F-35 jet fighter

GKNs board hopes this will see off a 7.4bn bid for the business by turnaround specialist Melrose, which they are urging shareholders to reject.

The bid is also being scrutinised by both the UK and US governments, with a senior US congressman wading in to provide an unexpected boost to GKN.

House Republican Neal Dunn has urged the Committee on Foreign Investment to block Melroses bid over fears it would threaten US national security.

GKN, which is currently building an aerospace facility in Dunns Florida district, makes parts for the Black Hawk, Chinook and Apache helicopters, as well as the F-35 jet fighter and other secret US Air Force projects.

Dunn said Melroses plan to sell the business within three to five years and possibly break it up was of serious concern.

In a letter to the committee, Dunn added: GKN is a major US defence contractor. Melrose has no track record in defence contracting or relevant high technology businesses.

In addition to concerns over who may ultimately acquire GKN, Melroses business strategy will undermine long-term investments in research and development and secure supply chains, which are critical to the major defence platforms GKN currently supplies.

Last night Labour MP Jack Dromey, whose Birmingham constituency is where GKN is based, said: Transatlantic concern over the hostile takeover is growing.

Warning: Republican congressman Neal Dunn

Melrose is facing tough questioning in America and here in Britain ministers have the power to intervene. They should put the British national interest first and block this takeover on grounds of defence and national security.

Last week Prime Minister Theresa May said government officials were watching the bid closely and would act in the national interest.

A spokesman for Melrose declined to comment.

The intervention comes before GKNs make-or-break plan is due to be published on Thursday. The document will be the centrepiece of efforts to convince shareholders to reject Melroses offer.

The turnaround specialist swooped on GKN after the Redditch-based company was left vulnerable by a profit warning, sparked by accounting problems at its aerospace division.

The profit alert led to the departure of the then incoming chief executive Kevin Cummings who was the former head of the aerospace division. It meant GKN was without a boss until Anne Stevens was appointed in January.

Stevens and the board will this week pledge to sell GKNs powder metallurgy business and return cash to investors. They are also expected to detail how they intend to transform the firms fortunes and make savings.

What does GKN make? Parts including electrical wiring, wing flaps, cockpit canopy and engine components for Lockheed Martins F-35 fighter jets, which will form the backbone of the future US fighter fleet. It also supplies components for the Chinook, Apache and Blackhawk helicopters, as well as the V-22 tiltrotor military aircraft. Other US projects GKN is involved with include development of the B-21 bomber aircraft, a long-range stealth plane that is expected to come into service in 2025.

Melrose said it would offload the powder metallurgy arm in a few years, after making it more profitable, rather than selling it immediately. It added: If these reports are correct, then it is an indication that GKNs management team is admitting they are not equipped to realise the full value of that business.

Shareholder approval will be needed for a sale and we think GKN shareholders will want to see value realised for them and not for another bidder.

GKN declined to comment.
The three founders of a London-headquartered SIM card firm made 90 million each from the sale of the company, dwarfing the amount of tax it paid in 15 years, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

Lebara, best known for selling cheap international airtime, was founded by British entrepreneur Yoganathan Ratheesan, along with two colleagues, when he was in his 20s.

The company was sold to Swiss investment group Palmarium last September for an undisclosed amount.

London-headquartered SIM card firm Lebara is best known for selling cheap international airtime

Industry sources have now told The Mail on Sunday the purchase price was around 310 million (275 million).

Ratheesan, 43, had an estimated wealth of 220 million last year, according to The Sunday Times Rich List.

The Sri Lankan-born businessman, who was chief executive of Lebara before the sale, co-owned the firm with Baskaran Kandiah, a 45-year-old Dutchman, and Rasiah Ranjith Leon, 50, from Norway.

The 310 million deal price contrasts with 2.5 million of UK corporation tax paid by Lebara between 2002 and 2016, according to an analysis of its Companies House accounts.

This is just 1.34 per cent of the 187.5 million pre-tax profits the firm reported, on revenues of 3.4 billion.

There is no suggestion the company, which has entities in numerous jurisdictions, broke tax rules.

Over 15 years, it paid taxes of 9.7 million, but registered tax refunds totalling 7.1 million, thanks in part to losses elsewhere in the group.

Lebaras founders did not comment.
Lloyds Banking Group has been accused of interfering with the administrations of bankrupt property firms by installing the real estate company Grainger to handle sales of buildings.

The bank is being sued by Ventra Investments, which owned 87 million of properties.

In court papers it claims Lloyds 'intermeddled' with its insolvency.

Lloyds, pictured, is being sued by Ventra Investments, which owned 87 million of properties the bank has been accused of interfering with bankrupt property firms

Lloyds is said to have struck an agreement with Grainger in 2011 for it to handle the sale of properties once their owner had gone into administration.

But administrators, appointed by the courts, are supposed to be free to hire whoever they choose, in order to maximise creditors' returns.

Ventra is pressing Lloyds to release details of its agreement with Grainger which organised the sale of 3,000 premises through its Lloyds deal.

Lloyds said in a statement: 'As the matter is now subject to legal proceedings it would be inappropriate to comment other than to state that we believe the claim to be without merit and will be contested vigorously.'

Grainger declined to comment.
The Herald Investigates

At Warren courthouse, contention mounts against commissioners

A commissioner and several current and former public employees describe atmosphere of paranoia gripping the countys government
Yea it does look like a space for an HDD. You could probably get a cable and the shell to mount one there off a used system, but I don't see where the cable would connect on the motherboard. It might be on the other side, which may make it more trouble than it is worth. They also might not have placed one on this motherboard. Hard to say.
joshfeng777 : I am a high school student looking to purchase a new 2017 MacBook Air. I want to use my laptop for coding and photo editing as well as everyday things such as media consumption and browsing the internet.

I highly recommendthe Macbook Air if you're going to do any sort of photo or graphics work. Unfortunately, Apple knows who their bread and butter customers are. Consequently they've crippled the color gamut (max color saturation) of the screen on all the MBAs as a ploy to get artists, photographers, and videographers to pay extra for the Macbook Pro. The color gamut of a TV or monitor and websites is 100% sRGB. The Macbook Pro screens are designed and calibrated to hit 100% sRGB.The Macbook Airs typically only hit 50%-60% sRGB, meaning the colors will be pale and washed out. If you edit your photos on it, you will have a tendency to compensate by boosting the color saturation too much. And when your photos are viewed on a TV, monitor, or any laptop with a better screen, the colors will be lurid and oversaturated. Unlike a screen havinggamut, profiling the screen will not help. It will still be pale, and you will still tend to oversaturate the colors.If you want to stay in the OS X ecosphere, you'll have to pay extra for a Macbook Pro or a Macbook. If you're willing to get a PC laptop, search for reviews which mention sRGB or Adobe RGB (approx 75% Adobe RGB is 100% sRGB, though individual colors can still be off). Most of the better PC laptop screens hit 80%-100% sRGB and are good enough for casual photo work. (They're not calibrated at the factory like Apple does the MBP, so you will need to generate your own color profile with a colorimeter.) Notebookcheck usually measures the color gamut of the laptops they review.The other option is to always edit your photos on an external monitor, but that kinda defeats the purpose of getting a laptop. Although if you're going to do coding you'll probably want an external monitor for extra screen space (you typically run the program on one screen, have the code and debugger on the other screen).
California began issuing new identification cards Monday that will eventually be mandatory across the U.S. in order to board airplanes. The newly minted documentation is part of the REAL ID Act -the implementation of a 2005 appropriation from Congress to fight "The Global War on Terror" under President George W.
The Missouri prison system must provide hormone therapy for a transgender inmate serving a murder sentence.





Jesica Hicklin, a 38-year-old-transgendered-woman, was sentenced to life in prison at age 16 after she was convicted of fatally shooting a man during a drug-related crime in the western Missouri town of Clinton in 1995.





The (recent) ruling said there was sufficient evidence that Hicklin was at risk of irreparable harm, including emotional distress, suicide and self-castration, if she didnt receive treatment. That treatment includes hormone therapy, permanent body hair removal and access to gender-affirming hygienic products and other products from the prison commissary store. Those products are not typically available at the all-male Potosi prison, according to the lawsuit.





The federal policy was enacted after the Bureau of Prisons settled a lawsuit brought by a transgender inmate in Missouri. It says officials must not only evaluate prisoners for gender dysphoria but also treat those who have it, whether therapy was prescribed before or after the inmate entered federal custody.

This is important not only because the burden typically falls to taxpayers but also because it represents a very real shift in an approach to local crime and punishment.Checkit:Deets:You decide . . .
Congressman Cleaver plans to attend a rally in support of Jamal that's working to get the Bangladeshi native back home.





The rally will be held at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Kansas City, located at 4501 Walnut Street. It starts at 3:00 p.m.

Congressman Cleaver in Texas for deportation case EL PASO, Tx. - Kansas chemist Syed Jamal remains in a jail in El Paso, Texas days after being granted a stay from a federal judge.

This town's top elected official offers his help to a case that has garnered grassroots support . . .
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Greek Americans have always been a very active community in the United States reinforcing the historic ties between the two nations and certainly boosting tourist inflows over the years

The Hellenic American Academy will host its 11th Annual Gala on Saturday, February 17 at the Loews Chicago OHare.

The Academy will distinguish two outstanding Greeks, George D. Behrakis and Peter Maroutsos for their contribution in the preservation and promotion of Hellenic culture.

Heritage Award recipient George D. Behrakis is a Greek-American businessman, medical researcher and philanthropist. Following his extensive research in the development of asthma and allergy products he founded two successful companies  Dooner Laboratories and Muro Pharmaceutical.

The Greek-American philanthropist has also founded The Behrakis Foundation, along with his wife Margo Behrakis. His philanthropy extends beyond Hellenic Causes, the Greek Orthodox faith and education, to the areas of healthcare and the arts by contributing to numerous organizations and establishments.

Service award recipient Peter Maroutsos is a finance and operations executive in the financial services who has been assisting preserve Hellenic culture in America.

The Hellenic American Academy is home of the Socrates Day School, a private institution that provides high-quality bilingual education to students from preschool up to eighth grade.

The Academys mission is to provide an advanced curriculum to offer young Greek-Americans the opportunity to excel academically on a national level.

More than a thousand Greek-American children have been educated at the Academy over the last decade, making it the largest Greek-American educational institution in the Midwest.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Rennett Stowe License: CC-BY-SA

Source: greekreporter.com
Twenty trendy destinations have just competed for the prestigious title of Best European Destination 2018. After a three weeks period of online voting, Wroclaw was elected Best European Destination 2018 and won this prestigious title!

Bilbao, Colmar, Hvar, Riga, Milan, Athens, Budapest, Lisbon, Bohinj, Prague, Kotor, Paris, Vienna and Amsterdam are also among your favourite destinations for a holiday or city-trip.

With 19,424 votes, Athens remains like Milan an unmissable destination. It is in the top 10 destinations every year and all year through it attracts European travellers in search of their roots but also travellers from all over the world.

The city is historic and is the cradle of European philosophy. Athens is both steeped in history and focused on modernity and tomorrows cultural and economic issues. Travellers love its architecture, the district of Plaka, monuments, gastronomy, trendy shops but also its nightlife ; its proximity to the sea (15 minutes away from downtown) makes it very attractive too.

Most travellers appreciate the inhabitants of Athens who share, heart on hand, their gastronomical and touristic treasures. Book your flight and hotel at the best price guaranteed as well as your best activities in Athens such as a full-day trip to Meteora by train.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source:pixabay.com
Iraq is looking to attract $100 billion worth of foreign investment that would help it rebuild its oil refining and petrochemicals sectors and reconstruct crucial infrastructure after it repelled Islamic State out of its territory following a three-year war against the militants, said a report.

In December last year, Iraq declared the war with ISIS over and is now seeking foreign investments in major projects that would help it to revive its economy, reported Oilprice.com.

Ahead of a conference on Iraqs reconstruction that will be held in Kuwait next week, Iraqs National Investment Commission published a list of major strategic projects available for investment, with 157 different opportunities up for grabs.

A total of 18 investment opportunities are up on offer in the chemicals, petrochemicals, fertilisers, and refinery sectors.

Iraq - Opecs second-largest oil producer behind Saudi Arabia - will be looking to attract investment mostly in the downstream, planning the construction of new refineries with different capacities, including one at the Al Faw Port with a 300,000-bpd (barrels per day) capacity.

The other refinery projects are a 150,000-bpd refinery in the Anbar province and a new Al Nasiriy refinery in Thi Qar province with a production capacity of 150,000 bpd.

Iraq also plans oil storage facilities in the provinces Basra, Mosul, and Saladin.

The government will probably find investments into the oil industry and agriculture easiest to attract because of its large crude oil reserves and available land and water, Mudhar Saleh, an economic advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi, told Reuters.

According to the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Iraq will present at the conference next week feasibility studies for 60 key investment projects with total amount exceeding $85 billion.

Railways, airports, and ports construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation are also high on Iraqs investment opportunities list, including berths for oil products exports and imports at the $6-billion project for the Grand Port of Al Faw at Basra, it added.
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Chandigarh: Pravin Togadia, international working president, VHP on Sunday attacked the Central government over its alleged inability to counter terror attacks on Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing VHP members at the Industrial Area here, Togadia said the terrorist attack was not just an act of terrorism but a war unleashed by the 'enemy country'. He said the Narendra Modi-led government had failed to give a befitting reply to Pakistan. Togadia also praised former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for bifurcating Pakistan and winning the historical 1971 war. TNS
Sandeep Dikshit

Sandeep Dikshit

THE state of affairs inside the Maldives does give a bad odour: A President locks up all his political opponents; then goes ahead and arrests the Supreme Court Chief Justice when he tries to set them free. And while the `democracy loving corner' has itself in a twist, President Yameen caps his indiscretions by shuttering TV stations and imposing a state of emergency.

Yameen has a different version where he casts himself as a victim of a willful and spiteful Supreme Court Chief Justice: The order releasing the nine individuals was given in the Chamber and not at a hearing; some of the convicted have exhausted the three tiers of court and a few cases were in appeal; the Chief Justice also tried to remove the President and the Attorney General but was overruled by a majority on both occasions.

Despite being a honeymooner's paradise, Maldives has had a very brief, four-year dalliance, with universal franchise. The fairness of all elections before and after the 2008 polls is a question mark. India saw no competition for Maldives' affections till five years ago. But the fading years of the first democratically elected headed by Mohamed Nasheed saw him and the opposition bringing other countries into the equation.

And today, India is no longer an option for all the parties involved in the scrimmage for power in Maldives. Nasheed, a EU favourite, is India's designated man after Donald Trump phoned Narendra Modi and made common cause on the Maldives President's disobedience of the Supreme Court's orders. Then when South Block refused to host the Special Envoy of the Maldives President, it was clear that India had jettisoned its past tactic of maintaining ambiguity and preserving its options.

Maldives, in the eyes of New Delhi-centred military-security experts, has recently turned unruly. But dissonance with almost all of India's neighbours surfaced within a few months to a few years of emergence of post-colonial nation-states as they sought to resist India's assumption of being the inheritor of the British colonial mandate for the region.

In the early years, India could pull its weight in the region but not because of its military muscle. Barring Pakistan, other neighbours felt a sense of shared destiny with India in overcoming the handicaps of colonialism. Once the concept of nonalignment began losing its lustre, India began finding it difficult to manage its big brother pretensions.

But the recent bad blood with so many neighbours has just one precedent. It recalls a similar security-heavy response in the neighbourhood by the Rajiv Gandhi government, another dispensation like the current one that was heady with its parliamentary majority. There was an armed confrontation with China, a simmering defence scandal, hair trigger alert with Pakistan, on the losing side in Afghanistan and more than a finger in a raging militancy in Sri Lanka. All these attempts at donning the hard hat with not much in the cupboard by way of trading muscle or long-range military capabilities to back the pretensions had a catastrophic impact on the country's social fabric. The economic discontent provided the mobs for the disruptions caused by the Mandal and Ram Janmabhoomi agitations and finally we had the 1991 economic crises.

It must be galling for the Indian security-military establishment to adjust itself to a new power discourse because of rise of Chinese influence in a region where mainland Indian civilisation's historic cultural advantages were overlaid by two centuries of British India's dominance. But China is increasingly coming into conversations on India's security-related apprehensions in the neighourhood because the overlap of their strategic space has increased to now cover Afghanistan, and, of late, Maldives and Sri Lanka as well.

But instead of focusing on creating dialogue and interaction architectures that support regionalism and economics, the Modi government has opted for the excitement of playing the Great Game against China in concert with mostly extra regional powers. The potential threat from India has not been lost on China. The consequence is that both are attempting a military encirclement of the other.

The Indian proclivity to play a new Great Game may be influenced by notions of its influence and size. But it also reflects the Modi Government's disinterest in reworking the grammar of dealing with neighbours. Modi hasn't had a decent conversation with most of the neighbours.

While it is imperative to strengthen the bonds of technology, energy and security with distant countries, the Maldives setback should make the PMO think-tank realise that soon the Modi Government will no longer be able to politically gift-wrap tactically bold actions as strategic masterstrokes. The space for presenting tactical symbolism as strategic coherence may be narrowing.

One example is the Lok Sabha Speaker calling off a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence which was to examine the claims made by a retired army officer about irreversible fortification of Chinese army positions on the Doklam plateau. That claim, if proven, will run counter to the Modi Government's spin that India had emerged with honours intact after last year's eye- ball to eye- ball security confrontation with China at the same site.

China has now declared that Gwadar port in Pakistan will also function as a forward base for its navy. In due course, Hambantota port in Sri Lanka could follow suit. The Modi Government appears more immersed in aligning itself with the military-security objectives of outside powers. On Maldives, South Block was buoyed by the conversation between Trump and Modi. But the Trump administration does not play a zero sum game. On the same day, China's main pointsman for foreign policy (and the gentleman who holds border talks with NSA Ajit Doval) was in Washington for in-depth discussions with his American counterpart.

The Modi Government has been found wanting in making a calculated walk back from foreign policy positions that no longer yield any dividend. An opportunity may have just risen after Beijing offered a thinly disguised olive branch on Maldives. An inability to change the grammar of dealing with neighbours is preventing us from accumulating the required power to make India tranquil, content, peaceful and happy.

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Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, February 11

Aimed at ensuring minimum standards of facilities for providing quality healthcare and fixing accountability of doctors, the Haryana Government has adopted the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation), Act 2010.

A notification of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Adoption Ordinance, passed by the Governor on January 23, was circulated last evening.

As per the official notification, hospitals only with more than 50-bed healthcare facilities will be covered under the rule.

Sources said the rule will help in checking overcharging by private hospitals.

Officials said that nearly 200 hospitals, with the majority of them based in Gurugram and Faridabad, would be covered under the new rule.

The rule will be applicable on all charitable and private institutes with more than 50-beds capacity.

Dr AP Setia, the patron of the Haryana chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), said the association was always a votary for the professional transparency without jeopardising the interests of doctors.

He said Haryana had become the only state in the country to exempt the doctors running the small and medium scale nursing homes from the stringent rule.

There are nearly 2,250 clinics with have an intake capacity to admit less than 50 patients and they have not been brought under the preview of the rule. IMA had been struggling for the interests of small nursing homes, he said.

In March 2014, then Congress government had formed the Haryana Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act but it could not be implemented due to tough opposition by the IMA.

However, following a case of medical negligence in the death of a seven-year-old dengue patient in Fortis Hospital in Gurugram in November last year, the Haryana Government faced pressure from various quarters to frame rules in the complaints of fraudulent or unethical practices by doctors.



Following a call of IMA, the private doctors across Haryana had suspended work at hospitals on December 15 against states decision to promulgate an Ordinance for bringing checks and balances on the medical practitioners.

However, IMA patron Setia said the association had also forwarded a charter of demands to the state authorities for relaxations for the hospital management with more than 50-bed.

Setia said these hospitals should be granted a window period of up to five years for the complete hiring of qualified staff for nursing and technicians.

Non-availability of paramedic manpower as per the requirement is a challenge before the hospitals. As the state government is opening new nursing institutes, qualified professionals can be engaged in the next few years. Similarly, the hospitals should not be forced to bring changes in the existing infrastructure, he said.






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Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 11

The police are yet to unearth a cedar oil extraction racket in the state.

The oil is used in the pharmaceutical and perfume industry, but its distillation was banned by the Himachal Government in Chaupal in 2010. Sources said the illegal activity could not be carried out without the support of the field staff of the Forest Department.

On January 28, joint teams of the department and the police had seized 17,000 litre of illegally extracted cedar oil in the Sarahan range of Chaupal. This was the biggest-ever seizure.

The racket had come to light with the help of a forest guard posted in the area, who had some clues about cedar oil kilns functional in some local villages. He uploaded some pictures and videos of the illegal extraction, which went viral.

The practice was prevalent in the deodar-rich jungles of Chaupal, the Dodra Kwar-Netwar belt of Shimla, the Anni-Banjar-Seraj belt of Kullu, Mandi and Churah in Chamba.

It is spreading in Uttarakhand and Nepal and those running the racket are earning crores of rupees every year.

Five labourers, who were arrested in this connection, revealed that Chaupal and Chamba were the hubs of the illegal trade. These areas had several deodar trees.

Cedar oil is very expensive and is used for curing several aliments such as breathing problems, congestion, cough, and mental fatigue. High-end salons and herbal clinics use this for treating skin problems, dandruff and acne. It is also available on online shopping sites.

Forest Minister Govind Thakur said action would be taken against all those, including the field staff, found involved in oil smuggling. He said further investigations were on. Forest, drug and mining mafias, which were active in the state, particularly in the areas bordering Punjab, would be dealt with sternly, he added.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 11

The pro-Pakistan slogans by former Speaker and National Conference (NC) MLA Mohammad Akbar Lone in the Assembly and the terror attack on the Sunjuwan Military Station have sparked widespread protests in the winter capital today.

The protesters demanded the expulsion of Akbar Lone and strict action against the terrorist organisations and its supporters.

The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), which is the youth wing of the coalition partner BJP, staged a protest demonstration against NC legislator Akbar Lone on the recent statement given by him in which he was speaking in favour of Pakistan and tried to demoralise the security forces. A large number of protesters gathered at Kachi Chawni, Main Chowk, and showed their anger against the NC leadership.

Karan Sharma, BJYM state vice-president, said it was an unfortunate incident that people who had been given the Constitutional posts by the masses were speaking against the country and were trying to demoralise the work of our security forces. He said each and every nationalist of our state demands the expulsion of the NC MLA from the Assembly and all perks and allowances in any form should be immediately withdrawn from him. Moreover, a case of sedition should be registered against Lone, he added.

Meanwhile, Dogra Front and Shiv Sena workers, under the leadership of president Ashok Gupta, also took out a protest in the city against the terror attack on the Sunjuwan camp by burning the Pakistani flag and hurling shoes on a photograph of Akbar Loneon his slogans of Pakistan Zindabad in the Assembly on the day of attack.

The J&K National Panthers Party (JKNPP) also condoled the killing of Army personnel at Sunjuwan and demanded the Governors rule in the state. Addressing a condolence meeting, Prof Bhim Singh, chief patron, JKNPP, expressed shock on the brutal killing of Army personnel and a civilian in Jammu. The condolence message urged President Ramnath Kovind to go for the Governors rule in J&K, where the state government had totally failed to protect the lives of innocent people.

Dogra Brahmin Pratinidhi Sabha Parade also strongly condemned the barbaric act of the terrorists. Sabha president Ved Parkash Sharma said the attack was the handiwork of the anti-national and anti-social elements to disturb the peace in the region. India should give befitting reply to the enemy across the border, he said and termed the incident as unfortunate.
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Tribune News Service

Sunjuwan (Jammu), February 11

A shootout with some armed gunmen that began when they stormed an army camp in Jammus Sunjuwan in a pre-dawn strike on Saturday has left six peoplefive soldiers and one civilian as well as three militants dead, a defence spokesperson said.

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Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand confirmed three heavily armed militantssuspected to belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad had been killed.

All three gunmen were dressed in military fatigues.

There are unconfirmed reports of two more militants being gunned down.

Among the 10 wounded are six women and a 14-year-old boy. The latter was hit in the head with a bullet and is believed to be critical.

Also among the injured is a pregnant woman who later delivered a baby. Both are believed stable.

Search operation at the camp is still ongoing. The defence spokesperson said that security forces found heavy arms and ammunition.

A group of heavily armed gunmen attacked the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry early on Saturday.



Two Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), were killed on Saturday.

Lt Col Devender Anand said a number of families were still there and the Army's aim was to ensure their safety.

"There was no firing since last night," the officer said.

Those who were killed have been identified as Subedar Madan Lal Choudhary; Subedar Mohd Ashraf Mir; Ha. Habib-Ullah Qurashi; Naik Manzoor Ahmed; Lance Naik Mohd lqbal . A civilian, Lance Naik Iqbals father, also died in the operation.

Lt. Col. Rohit Solanki of 6th Mahar; Lance Naik Bahadur Singh of 1st Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry; Hay Abdul Hamid Rashid of 1st Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry; and Subedar Rajinder Singh of 6th Mahar were injured.



Six civilians were also wounded, among them a pregnant woman.

Read: Residents woken up by gunshots, grenade blasts

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack. On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Armys Nagrota camp on the outskirts of Jammu city, killing seven Army personnel, including two officers. Three terrorists were also gunned down.

The terrorists had struck before dawn on Saturday and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear side of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry on its periphery.

The terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who are holed up in a few houses (inside the camp), officials said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to avoid civilian casualties.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru who was hanged on February 9, 2013.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and some other senior Congress leaders visited Military Hospital to enquire after those wounded in the attack. With PTI
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Cambridge (Massachusetts), February 11

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has made it clear that any political alliance with superstar Rajinikanth is unlikely if his colour is saffron, in an apparent reference to the BJP.

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Haasan, who had recently announced his foray into the electoral politics, said that his true purpose today is to challenge the status quo and mediocrity in politics, that is plaguing the state of Tamil Nadu.

Responding to a question on Rajinikanth joining politics, Haasan did not rule out an electoral alliance with him if there is some commonality of thoughts and ideas between them and similarities in their manifestos. But, he quickly referred to the sharp differences between them  on religion and on saffron, which was interpreted as the BJP.

I hope Rajinis colour is not saffron. Alliance with Rajini is unlikely if his colour is saffron, Haasan said at the annual Indian conference of the prestigious Harvard University.

I cannot see a clear understanding now, Haasan said when pressed by moderator Barkha Dutt on the sharp ideological differences he has with Rajinikanth.

But he kept the doors open.

If necessary (I will hold hands with others), Haasan said, noting that this is unlikely to be the case.

He also ruled out a post-poll alliance.

If there is no majority, its the peoples verdict. Then I would not have to sit but stand and wait for the next time, he said, indicating that he would prefer to be in the Opposition if his party does not get a majority.

The reason that I have started a new political party itself shows that I want to walk with the people and not politicians, he said.

All is not well with Tamil Nadu, he said, slamming the current lot of political class in his state.

The entry of the two top Tamil film stars comes against the backdrop of a perceived vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics after former chief minister J Jayalalithaas death in 2016 and the ill-health of DMK chief M Karunanidhi for over a year following which he was inactive in politics.

Responding to a question on the so-called love jihad, the actor said, I think that a new revolution is on its way. I do not know about jihad, but love would triumph hate. Haasan said Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party head Arvind Kejriwal had met him in Chennai and offered an alliance with his party.

I intend to take it (the experience) not only from Mr Kejriwal but from others as well, he said.

In his keynote address, Haasan rued that there is status quo and mediocrity in Tamil Nadu.

Confident of raising funds for the elections, Haasan called upon the Tamil community across the world to come up with ideas. He will a major announcement on February 21.

He also announced to adopt a village each in every district of the state as part of his objective to reimagining and rebuilding Tamil Nadu.

I am announcing a plan of adopting a village in every district of Tail Nadu... With the vision of making them the best villages in the world, he said.

Hasan said that he will begin with one village and then scale up it to every district of Tamil Nadu.

The film star quoted Mahatma Gandhis idea of a self- reliant and self-sustainable village. PTI
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Dubai, February 11

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that India's relations with the UAE was much more than that of a buyer and a seller as he hailed the country's growing ties with the Gulf countries as "deep, broad and vibrant".

Addressing the members of the Indian community at the Dubai Opera House here on the second day of his two-day visit to the UAE, Modi said his government was trying to bring India to a global benchmark.

"Today, be it the UAE or other Gulf nations, our relation with them is not just that of a buyer and a seller. It has become much more," Modi said.

The Prime Minister assured the Indian community that his government will work to bring to reality their dreams.

"India's leap in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented. But we are not satisfied at this, we want to do better. We will do whatever it takes to make it possible," he told the gathering.

Modi hailed his government's bold decisions like demonetisation and implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

"GST had been languishing for seven years, but now it is a reality," he said in his nearly 20-minute speech.

Taking a dig at his detractors, Modi said even the poor people agree with the fact that demonetisation was a right move. But some people lost their sleep and they are still mourning, he added.

Modi also thanked the UAE, which provided almost 30 lakh people from India a home-like environment away from home.

Earlier, Indian High School student and Guinness Record Holder Sucheta, who has the unique ability to sing in 107 languages, performed a medley of regional Indian language songs ahead of Modi's arrival at the Dubai Opera. PTI
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Abu Dhabi, February 11

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements, including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in an offshore oilfield here.

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Modi, who arrived here from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour, was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family at the airport last evening.

The two leaders hugged each other and exchanged pleasantries.

The Prime Minister thanked the Crown Prince for the special gesture of receiving him at the airport and said his visit will have a positive impact on India-UAE ties.

We warmly welcome our state guest and valued friend, the Indian Prime Minister H.E.@narendramodi to the UAE. His visit reflects our longstanding historical ties and is testament to our friendly bilateral relationship, Mohammed Bin Zayed, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, tweeted.

Prime Minister Modi, who is here on his second visit to the UAE, led the delegation-level talks with Mohammed Bin Zayed at the Royal Palace last evening. Modi had first visited the UAE as prime minister in August, 2015.

He is the first foreign leader to be invited to this palace by the Crown Prince, who appreciated the role played by Indian workers in the development of UAE as a modern nation.

Delighted to meet my friend, HH Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. We had extensive deliberations on boosting India-UAE cooperation and how this can benefit our nations as well as the whole world, the Prime Minister tweeted.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that Prime Minister Modi had a tete-a-tete with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi before the delegation level talks.

The two leaders discussed steps to upgrade the relationship, Kumar said.

After their talks, the two sides signed five agreements related to energy sector, railways, manpower and financial services.

An MOU between Indian Consortium (OVL, BPRL & IOCL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was signed for the acquisition of a 10 per cent participating interest in the Abu Dhabis offshore Lower Zakum Concession, a statement issued by the Indian embassy here said.

The concession will be for 40 years from 2018 to 2057.

Sixty per cent of the participating interest will be retained by ADNOC and remaining 30 per cent will be awarded to other international oil companies, the statement said.

This is the first Indian Investment in upstream oil sector of UAE, transforming the traditional buyer-seller relationship to a long-term investor relationship, it added.

To cooperate in the field of manpower, India and the UAE signed an MoU that aims to institutionalise the collaborative administration of contractual employment of Indian workers in the Gulf country.

Under the MoU, both the sides will work to integrate their labour related e-platforms for ending the existing malpractices, combat trafficking and organise collaborative programs for education and awareness of contractual workers.

An MoU for technical cooperation in railways was also signed between the two sides. The MoU aims at cooperation in infrastructure sector especially railways.

The MoU will facilitate development of joint projects, knowledge sharing, joint research and technology transfer. The MoU envisages formation of a Joint Working Group for institutionalising the cooperation mechanism, the statement said.

To deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of finance, an MoU between Bombay Stock Exchange and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was also signed. It aims at enhancing cooperation between both the countries in financial services industry.

The MoU would facilitate investment in financial markets by investors from both the countries.

An MoU between the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and DP World was also signed to establish multi-modal logistics park and hub in Jammu comprising warehouses and specialised storage solutions.

Various buildings in Abu Dhabi were lit in the Indian tricolor as the city was decked up to welcome Prime Minister Modi, who also attended a state banquet hosted by the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.

The Prime Minister today visited Wahat Al Karama, the UAE martyrs war memorial here, in Abu Dhabi and paid tribute to brave soldiers of UAE who made ultimate sacrifice.

Wahat Al Karama, which literally means the oasis of dignity, is a permanent tribute to UAEs soldiers and other Emiratis who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the country.

From the UAE, Modi will travel to Oman. PTI
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Bijay Sankar Bora

NAGALAND Baptist Church Council (NBCC), the apex body of the Baptist Congregation that played a key role in the initial days of the Naga peace process, has raised the alarm over the gradually growing clout of Hindutva in the Christian-majority state.

In an open letter, addressed to all political parties in Nagaland, NBCC general secretary Rev Dr Zelhou Keyho has urged the parties not to surrender their Christian principles and faith. He reminded all parties that Nagaland was a Christian-majority state and that although Nagas had failed in their testimony time and again, they had the opportunity as leaders to show distinction.

Keyho reminded leaders that running for political office for development (the BJPs poll plank in the North-East) was only half their task as their other duty was to protect and safeguard their Christian faith and principles, which the people hold dear. He also reminded the political leaders that development was not everything and added when a house was put in order development and others followed.

Meanwhile, the Angami Baptist Church Council (ABCC) has endorsed the NBCC call to oppose every form of allurement by the proponents of Hindutva in Christian Naga society. Angamis are one of the most influential tribes in Nagaland.

ABCC executive director Rev Dr V Atsi Dolie, in a statement, regretted that Angamis played a major role in allowing entry to them (Hindutva brigade) and their political wing BJP into Nagaland.

He said: Today, the proponents of Hindutva are audaciously challenging our Christian faith, culture and values in variety of ways for which we are largely responsible.

Overnight crorepatis

A far-flung tribal hamlet in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh comprising only 31 families has overnight turned a village of crorepatis, thanks to compensation paid by the Ministry of Defence against land acquired in the village by the Army to set up its Tawang Garrison.

Bomja village is 2.5-hour drive from Tawang and located in the vicinity of the International Border with Bhutan. Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu distributed cheques worth Rs 40.4 crore provided by the MoD among the 31 families in the village, which falls under Khandus home constituency Mukto. The Army has acquired total 200.056 acres in the village.

While 29 families have received land compensation of Rs 1.09 crore each depending on their land area acquired by the Army, one family received Rs 2.44 crore and another whopping Rs 6.73 crore.
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New Delhi, February 11

A provision in the draft National Medical Commission Bill of a bridge course for AYUSH doctors to enable them practice allopathy seeks to address the acute shortage of doctors in the country, the government has said.

The health ministry has put up on its website a section Frequently Asked Questions about the Bill, a move to address concerns of the medical fraternity about various provisions.

The Bill has been referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee after it witnessed opposition regarding different provisions from the medical fraternity.

The ministry has also assured that the bridge course would not be unscientific and dangerous.

NMC will be dominated by allopathic doctors. If all of them unanimously approve a bridge course after due consideration, then there is no reason to assume that it will be unscientific and dangerous.

The course would be designed in such a manner that it would enable the participants to prescribe a limited set of medicines in a responsible manner, the ministry said to a question whether the bridge course would be unscientific and dangerous.

It said the NMC Bill seeks to fill in the gaps of availability of healthcare personnel by facilitating trained AYUSH practitioners to expand their skill sets through the bridge course and provide preventive and promotive allopathic care.

It also said with growing incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCD), there is a need to provide holistic prevention and treatment of diseases and AYUSH plays an effective role in integrating the preventive and promotive aspect of healthcare.

India has a doctor-population ratio of 1:1655 as compared with the WHO standards of 1:1000. In addition, city doctors are not willing to work in rural areas as can be seen in the urban rural ratio of doctor density (3.8:1).

There are 7,71,468 AYUSH practitioners in India who can be leveraged to improve the health access situation of the country, the health ministry said.

According to the document on the website, there is already a policy for co-locating AYUSH and allopathy to ensure better utilisation of resources.

Further, with the governments target to revamp 1,50,000 sub health centres into health and wellness centres, there is a need of large human resource to meet this challenge.

Justifying its stand, the ministry said that countries such as Thailand, Mozambique, China and the US have regularised community health workers and non-allopathic health providers into mainstream health services, with improved health outcomes.

Further, it said that various states such as Maharashtra, Assam, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh among others have already amended their acts and permitted AYUSH professionals to practice modern systems and prescribe all modern medicines.

We also need to take such kind of steps when we have acute shortage of doctors and specialists. The NMC Bill seeks to fill in the gaps of availability of healthcare personnel by facilitating trained AYUSH practitioners to expand their skill sets through a bridge course, the ministry explained.

The bridge course may help address this demand and better utilisation of resources, and make the health sector a bigger provider of employment.

The NMC bill also promotes this through more exposure of such NCD patients to non-allopathic practitioners in addition to allopathic doctors.

Thus, in order to homogenise and regulate the entry of AYUSH professionals towards practicing modern medicine through a strict regime, this bill has provided for the clause.

Any bridge course will be introduced only by a unanimous vote as provided in Section 49(4) and hence each one of the allopathic doctors in the NMC will have a veto power, it said.

Even if the bridge course is introduced, it will only be for prescribing specified medicines at specified levels. The provision is intended for prescribing a small number of medicines including OTC drugs at the sub-centre/PHC level, it stated.

The provision to allow doctors pursuing Indian systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, and homoeopathy to practice allopathy after clearing a bridge course has drawn opposition from the doctors community with Indian Medical Association sternly protesting it. PTI
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Yash Goyal

THE debacle in three byelections has cast a shadow on the Raje government in the state Assembly as its own MLAs turned hostile, cornered their ministers and left the treasury benches red-faced over their unfulfilled demands. Its being seen as a clear indication of internal dissension within the saffron party.

The BJP lost to the Congress in Ajmer and Alwar parliamentary and Mandalgarh Assembly bypoll. The party lost vote share in all 17 Assembly segments that it had won in 2013. The poll outcome has set the alarm bells ringing for the BJP, both at the Centre and in Rajasthan. CM Vasundhara Raje admitted in the House that it was a wake-up call for the party.

On the other hand, the turn of events has infused a new vigour among the Congress legislators. State PCC chief Sachin Pilot has done Congress president Rahul Gandhi proud by ensuring victory in six out of eight bypolls in recent times. The Raje government, on the other hand, faced wrath of its own MLAs as most of her cabinet ministers were in dock over extension of select committees term, gag ordinance, abolition of job vacancies, farm loans, leasing of mines, arms licences and caste violence.

Leaders of other Opposition parties, including NPP, BSP, CPI, NUJP, CPM, Independents, are now curiously awaiting Congress next move and BJPs likely damage-control steps ahead of the 2018 Assembly poll.

Gravel blues for refinery

The oil refinery at Barmers Pachpadra echoed in the Lok Sabha when Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, The way people of Rajasthan were misled about the refinery was appalling. Just for votes (in 2013), lies were told.

Reacting sharply, Gehlot has asked the PM to issue a White Paper on the issue. It shows that he (PM) got guilty conscious and so was CM Raje. Mujhe un par taras aata hai...unki soch par (I pity their thinking), he said. Amid wars of words between the Congress and the BJP, the construction at Rs 43,129-crore project was paralysed due to non-availability of gravel following a Supreme Court ban on sand mining.

Officers plan protest

Government PROs affiliated to the Public Relations and Allied Services Association are up in arms against their Director-cum-Commissioner over alleged irregularities in promotions, transfers, assignments and postings.

Associations senior vice-president Motilal Verma has asked the Chief Minister that an IAS or departmental officer be placed against the incumbent RAS officer as the Commissioner-DIPR to take up their charter of demands. Association members plan to hold a sit-in outside the Vidhan Sabha when the CM will present the budget on February 12.

Health index

Rajasthan stands 2nd from the bottom as regards NITI Aayogs health index that ranks 21 states. The ranking sounds apt when one considers the fact that swine flu has claimed 72 lives in the state so far. In all, 823 patients have tested H1N1-positive since January 1. Opposition parties blame the poor ranking on the tug-of-war between Health Minister KC Saraf and senior doctor that led to strike on two occasions in recent months. Doctors are unhappy over non-acceptance of their demands, including a check on undesired transfers.

IPL set to return

IPL will return to Jaipur as RCAs four-year vanvas has ended following a legal battle between the RCA and BCCI. Rajasthan Royals is also going to make a comeback after two years in the IPL. Date and time is yet to be announced.

AAP plea to EC

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has urged the CEC that Rajasthans 10 Parliamentary Secretaries be disqualified under Section 164(1) of the Constitution as was done in Delhi. Even Rajes rival BJP MLA GS Tiwari targeted the CM, demanding her resignation on moral grounds for passing a legislation legalising the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries.
gspannu7@gmail.com

Dubai, February 11

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday voiced concern over attempts to radicalise the cyber space by jihadists and asked governments to guard against the misuse of technology, saying it must be used as a means to development, not destruction.

In a keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai on the second day of his two-day visit to the UAE, Modi rued that even after all the development, poverty and malnutrition have still not been eliminated.

On the other side we are investing large portion of money, time and resources on missiles and bombs. We must use technology as a means to development, not destruction, he told the gathering that included Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and the ruler of Dubai.

He expressed concern over attempts by some people to radicalise the cyber space with the use of technology, referring to its use by jihadists to recruit cadres online.

India is the Guest Country at the sixth edition of the World Government Summit, which is being attended by more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries.

It is a matter of pride for not only me but also the 125 crore people of India that I have been called as the Chief Guest at the World Government Summit, Modi said.

He hailed the use of technology by the Dubai government, saying a desert has been transformed. Its a miracle, he said, describing the Gulf emirate as an example for the world.

Noting that 9.5 per cent of the worlds population lives below the poverty line, despite the tremendous population growth, he said, Today there are great challenges such as poverty, unemployment, education, housing and human catastrophes.

We can all overcome them through development. This is what my government is working on using technology, he said.

Stating that his governments mantra is sabke saath, sabka vikas, Prime Minister Modi said India has focused on the key sectors to empower its 125 crore people i.e one-sixth of humanity, contributing to the development of mankind as a whole.

In the last 25 years, maternal mortality went down by one-third in India and by half across the world, he said.

Hailing Indias satellite programme, Modi said the cost of the Mars orbital programme is Rs 7 per kilometre.

If you take a cab in India, you may pay Rs 10. But the cost of Indias access to Mars is just Rs 7 per kilometre, he told the gathering, amid big applause.

Modi said that 65 per cent of Indias population is under 35 and the dream of a new India will be achieved by empowering the youth with technology.

We have built a technology system, so that India has become a major innovation country in business ventures, he said, adding that by 2022, the income of farmers will be doubled.

Modi arrived here yesterday on the second leg of his three-nation tour. From Dubai, Modi will travel to Oman.  PTI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 11

With invincibility under stress after the Gujarat close-shave and Rajasthan bypolls, will the BJP go to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a lesser number of allies than 2014?

Apparently, its insistence on playing the dominant partner in the alliance is becoming increasingly unacceptable to allies, putting under strain the fault lines within the NDA.

However, despite audible sounds of disenchantment, political observers believe the coalitions fate and shape will ultimately depend upon results from three key poll-bound states  Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Buzz in Delhis political corridors is that adverse results may change the array altogether. Those who then join in could be with a rider that the NDA will no longer be a one-man show like it is now under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP cannot afford to be arrogant now. What happened in Alwar and Ajmer (Rajasthan bypolls) can happen elsewhere. The ground situation is not very conducive, claims a senior NDA ally.

That the country is headed towards a coalition government in 2019 is something that long-standing BJP ally Akali Dal has also already warned.

While Haryanas HJC walked out of it long time back, Shiv Sena recently made official its decision of a life away from BJP in 2019. Southern ally TDP has also joined the league of audible dissent while some, like Bihars RLSP, are playing close to the chest.

Rejecting all these theories, BJP leaders say that one should never undermine the political acumen of party chief Amit Shah and Modi. They (Modi and Shah) are already thinking of what you may not even be aware of. The BJP in an expansionist mode and allies are worried for their space, which is natural. What happened in Rajasthan and earlier in Punjab (Gurdaspur) was on expected lines. These two states, like Karnataka, are Congress oriented, traditionally, they say.

Saffron leaders also dismiss observations about concerns in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh  three BJP-led states due for elections later this year.

Rivals believe that not just Rajasthan, the BJP also has reasons for worry in MP and Chhattisgarh. Ajit Jogi and his Congress breakaway Janata Congress is on the move and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has already said that like-minded parties should get together to defeat the BJP, they say.

Results from Alwar and Ajmer (Lok Sabha) and Mandalgarh (Assembly) constituencies are not just a cause of concern for Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje but also her counterpart in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, they say.

Both Chouhan and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh are facing a massive anti-incumbency, they add.

As far as Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu is concerned, he is also believed to be upset over the BJP cozying up with adversary Jagan Mohan Reddy and his YSR Congress.

Though silent, trouble also seems to be brewing in Bihar where Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) leader and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha recent call for formation of a human chain to raise awareness about education went unanswered by his allies. He was eventually joined in by RJD leaders.

In Haryana, citing communal forces as common enemy, Kuldeep Bishnoi-led Haryana Janhit Congress has already merged with the Congress.
Rachna Khaira in Jalandhar

April 21, 2017: The Jalandhar police arrested three persons, including two Nigerians, and recovered 18 mobile phones with international SIM cards and a laptop from them. The group was part of an international drug cartel having bases in African countries. Most SIM cards recovered from foreign national students involved in drug peddling belong to foreign telecom operators.

May 30: The state police busted an alleged terror module involving nine persons, including a woman, allegedly a drug smuggler, a retired district education officers son and a 17-year-old boy, allegedly radicalized through the internet. They planned to kill senior leaders, including Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, both accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases.

July 1: In A first-of-its-kind case in the state, Ashu Jain, a Banur-based trader, was kidnapped by half-a-dozen men on May 30. The kidnappers demanded 20 bitcoins from Jains family for his release. At the time the kidnappers made this demand, the rate of one bitcoin was Rs 2.05 lakh.

Nov 7: A terror module was busted. It was allegedly backed by Pakistans espionage agency ISI. The members were involved in the killings of RSS leader Brig Jagdish Gagneja and seven others. Investigations revealed that four conspirators had been trained at various places abroad and had been using encrypted mobile software and apps for communication with handlers based in Pakistan and a few western countries. An encrypted message to kill a man in white clothes with a cross around his neck was meant to eliminate Pastor Sultan Masih in Salem Tibri of Ludhiana.

Punjab is known to be of crucial concern for national security: It has a hostile neighbour, techno-savvy radical groups settled abroad, and is a hot-spot for drug cartels for its close proximity with the Golden Crescent route comprising Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Plus, it also has a web of human trafficking networks.

The state remains a hot battle zone for cyber watchdogs from law enforcement agencies and their shady counterparts peeking every now and then from the dark web.

Cyber crime

Twenty-one year-old A was an ordinary youth from a border village of Gurdaspur district. With no regular income to support the family, he was finding it difficult to take care of his ailing parents. He was lured into the gold smuggling by one of his neighbours about a year back. Since gold was cheaper in Pakistan and silver in India, the smugglers interchange both the metals across the fence to earn profits. Later, his handler in Pakistan asked him to smuggle heroin into India. Finally he got into the deadly business arms smuggling.

By communicating with his Pakistan handlers on end-to-end encryption chat applications and Voice over Internet protocol (VOIP), he managed to take the deadly business up to Delhi and Mumbai. Later arrested by the state police, he narrated his story. The main worry for the cops is: His is not the only episode.

Biggest boss: Encryption

Encryption is not a new technology and forms the backbone of secure communication and data transmission over the Internet. Its use was limited to financial transactions and secure data transmissions. The effort was enough to alert security agencies to review their cyber security capabilities which were initially found to be almost negligible.

Cyber crime in India has increased three-fold in the last five years with Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh leading the chart. But the figures are not a true depiction of the ground reality. Ritesh Bhatia, a Mumbai-based leading cyber security expert, says most cases go unreported and those reported do not get transferred into an FIR due to the belief that the police cannot track them.

Also, except child pornography cases, most offences under the cyber laws are bailable. What most state police departments are doing is training an old dog with a new trick which will not serve much purpose. In a border state like Punjab, there is an urgent need to form a separate wing of cyber police that can monitor and intercept any cyber attack even before its gets executed by its handlers, says Bhatia.

While some cops with technical background have managed to access dark web, they cannot use it to chase crime syndicates as they are yet to get expertise to decipher the dark sites. A dark web is a part of the World Wide Web (www) that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous or untraceable to deal with drugs and other crime syndicates. The entire transaction in dark web is being done in crypto currency like bitcoins and Monero and the sellers and buyers on the net give credit ratings to every buyer to enable him to deal further. Also, most syndicates trading on the dark web prefer to deal with people from their own community or who understand their language.

Borderless data

Data monitoring is a tough challenge for the security watchdogs. The borderless nature of information flow over the Internet complicates online privacy, as an individuals data is subjected to different levels of protection depending on which jurisdiction it is residing in.

A senior state police officer gives an instance: while international agencies joined hands to shut down the deadly Blue Whale game from the global World Wide Web in no time; they are reluctant to join hands to address cyber attacks. Laws differ from country to country, so security agencies are hesitant to address it at the global level, he said.

Dr Kamlesh Bajaj, CEO of the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and former deputy director general, National Informatics Centre (NIC) says that fast evolving technology, without any layer of security laws, is posing a major challenge. While social networking apps like Whatsapp only allow sending message and its decipher code to a particular mobile number without storing it to their server, other apps like Snapchats even erase the message from the receivers devise after one has read it. With no footstep to follow, how can you expect the state enforcement agencies to track and decipher them? asks Bajaj. He has set up cyber forensic labs to provide training to policemen.

He says since servers of social media websites are located outside the country, the government cannot easily retrieve information from them.

More laws?

The Union government has placed stringent cyber laws pertaining to voice communication. But it is yet to formulate them in the field of data communication. Cyber experts say a voice call generates over 140 parameters including origin and place of calls out of which over 13 can be legally scrutinized. However, in data communication, there are no well-defined laws to scrutinize the parameters that get generated with each data communication.

India currently has 60% voice data users. The country is fast moving towards the higher average of data communication users. Cyber crimes in India are being governed by The Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, 2000. There is a dire need to bring data cyber crime, too, under stringent laws, says a cyber security expert.

Mohali to get top research facility

The Union government is setting up a cyber research facility at Mohali in collaboration with the state police. DGP Suresh Arora says the state police is setting up a cyber investigation technical support unit at 41 places at all district ranges and zonal levels. People must be made aware about cyber frauds. The state police is in the process of updating itself with the ever-evolving technology to counter cyber threats, said Arora. Punjab has a state-of-the-art cyber and mobile forensic lab at Phillaur.
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Seoul, February 11

North Koreas state news agency said on Sunday its delegation sent to the Winter Olympics held frank and candid talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in but there was no mention of the Norths invitation to Moon to Pyongyang for a summit.

The delegation, the highest-ranking to visit the South, concludes its visit later on Sunday having charmed and intrigued the South Korean public, but still faces deep scepticism over the Norths sincerity towards improving relations.

Any summit between the two still-officially warring Koreas would be a coup for Moon, who has been pushing for a diplomatic solution to the standoff over North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes.

Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of Kim Jong Un, courteously handed over a personal letter from the North Korean leader to Moon during talks on Saturday and also told Moon of her brothers intention, KCNA said, without elaborating on what that was.

South Korean officials have said Moon was invited to Pyongyang to speak with Kim Jong Un during the talks and lunch that Moon hosted at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on Saturday.

Such a summit, if it came about, would mark the first time that leaders of the two Koreas have met since 2007.

US Vice-President Mike Pence, who has left South Korea for Washington, said the United States, South Korea and Japan were in complete agreement on isolating North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme.

There is no daylight between the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan on the need to continue to isolate North Korea economically and diplomatically until they abandon their nuclear and ballistic missile programme, Pence told reporters during the return flight to the United States.

A White House official said that, although Moon did not discuss the invitation with Pence on Saturday, the South Korean president made it very clear that only when North Korea actually starts to take steps to denuclearise would anyone even consider beginning to take the pressure off.

Earliest convenience

According to the Blue House, Kim Jong Un wanted to meet Moon in the near future and would like for him to visit North Korea at his earliest convenience, his sister told Moon.

The South Korean leader said in response lets create the environment for that to be able to happen, Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a news briefing.

The KCNA report cited Moon as saying inter-Korean relations should be mended by the parties concerned at any cost as indicated by Chairman Kim Jong Un in his New Year Address.

Kim Yong Nam, the Norths nominal head of state who was also at Saturdays meeting, said even unexpected difficulties and ordeals could be surely overcome and the future of reunification brought earlier when having a firm will and taking courage and determination to usher in a new heyday of inter-Korean relations.

However, South Koreas main Opposition party warned any talks between the two Koreas where the scrapping of North Koreas nuclear programme was not a precondition would only benefit the enemy.

We should firmly keep in mind any talks where denuclearisation is not a precondition only buy North Korea more time to complete its nuclear capabilities while they fool us with their peace offensive facade, said Chang Je-won, spokesman for the Liberty Korea Party.

Japanese editorials sounded a similar warning, saying dialogue would be meaningless unless it led to denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

What cannot be overlooked is that Moon did not directly demand North Korea to abandon its nuclear development ... Moon should be aware that he has to urge denuclearisation to North Korea by himself, not depending on dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea, an editorial in the Yomiuri Newspaper read.

The North Korean delegation was invited to lunch with South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon at the five-star Walkerhill Hotel in eastern Seoul on Sunday, an official at the prime ministers office told Reuters. Reuters
Christopher Janus picking up the notorious Hitler limousine at Pier 97 from the MS Stockholm, which brought the car from Sweden. (Courtesy of K.H. Gibson III)

Adolf Hitler on his Mercedes-Benz at May Day celebrations in Olympic Stadium in 1939.

In 1938, Mercedes-Benz began production of the largest, most luxurious limousine in the world. A machine of frightening power and sinister beauty, the Grosser 770K Model 150 Offener Tourenwagen was 20 feet long, seven feet wide, and tipped the scales at 5 tons. Its supercharged, 230-horsepower engine propelled the beast to speeds over 100 m.p.h. while its occupants reclined on glove-leather seats stuffed with goose down. Armor plated and equipped with hidden compartments for Luger pistols, the 770K was a sumptuous monster with a monstrous patron: Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party.

Actor Roland Young taking a back seat in Hitlers armor plated limousine in New York, 1948. (Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

Howdy Doody with Buffalo Bob and members of the Peanut Gallery piled into the Hitler Mercedes at Rockefeller Center. (Courtesy of K.H. Gibson III)

Hitler's car on display at the Canadian War Museum. (Robert Klara)

It was June 28, 1948, and Adolf Hitlers car had arrived in New York City.As the photographers popped their magnesium flashbulbs, reporters gathered around a tall, dark-haired man in a summer suit. His name was Christopher Janus, and the Mercedes belonged to him. This was the first he was seeing the car, too, and he was as surprised as anyone. Janus tugged at the limousines drivers side door, which swung open like the hatch of a tank. The car, he knew, essentially was a tank: The Nazis had armored the limousine to withstand a land mine and installed 13 secret compartments for firearms. Janus scampered into the front seat and hammed for the cameras.What do you plan to do with it? a reporter asked. Janus smiled. I dont know what I am going to do with it, he said.It was a fluke that Janus even found himself in this situation. Several weeks earlier, the exporter had gotten into trouble with a shipment of ball bearings hed sent to Sweden. Told that the recipient could not pay the invoice in American dollars, Janus demanded a trade to avoid losing his money. The man on the phone from Stockholm said he had a car. Its not just a car, hed added. It is Hitlers.Hitlers old Mercedes. Janus was stunned by the offer, and more stunned when he heard himself accepting. But now, sitting in the limousines black-leather interior, Janusnot for the first timewas pondering what to do with a car this big, this heavy, this weighed down by its own past. But he had an inkling: I thought that Hitlers car would be a great attraction to raise money for charity, and, incidentally, to get my investment back, he later wrote in his memoirs. Janus was in the hole for $27,000roughly $279,000 in todays dollars. The car would need to earn its keep.While the slender, handsome Chicagoan was only 34 years old, hed already lived a colorful life. The son of Greek immigrants, Janus grew up poor but wound up at Harvard before stints as a reporter and ad-man. Rejected for wartime naval duty because of poor eyesight, Janus went to work for the State Department. He was a gifted PR man with a sharp mind and a progressive streak. Understanding that the 1941 Mercedes-Benz 770K Model W150possessed a rare combination of monumentality and notoriousness, Janus drew from his past to formulate a spectacle that would dominate New York that summer: He would make Hitlers car into a public event, and funnel the proceeds to worthy causes (including himself).The following mornings newspapers made the 770Ks arrival national news. Thecalled the Mercedes a getaway carof the arch gangster of all time, while themarveled that the cars bullet-proof glass was thick as a cheese sandwich. The following day, Janus took three writers fromon a ride around Central Park. In a subsequent Talk of the Town piece, the magazine couldnt help but compare the excursion to the scene from Leni Riefenstahls, which showed Hitler riding his car past thousands of cheering Germans. But as the limousine prowled the leafy lanes of the park there were no crowds, no salutes, no, the magazine reported. It was a funny feeling.Janus had already received offers to buy the car from everyone from a circus owner to a mobster. He turned them all down. But when Rockefeller Center invited Janus to exhibit the mammoth convertible at its Museum of Science and Industry, he accepted. The crane required to lift the 770K through a window opening on the second floor of the RCA Building closed 50th Street. Once the car was safely behind velvet ropes, New Yorkers came in droves, paying the 30-cent admission for a glimpse at the most famous used car in the world, as the publicity materials dubbed it.One of Janus close associates, 20th Century Fox president Spyros Skouras, had tried to dissuade him from displaying the Mercedes. Who is going to pay to see Hitlers automobile? Skouras had challenged. He is the worst person who ever lived. But Janus understood something his movie-mogul friend did not: The fact that Hitler was the worst person whod ever lived is exactly why New Yorkerspay to see his car. It didnt hurt that the proceeds would be going to war orphans, among other charitable causes. In the 30 days the limousine spent at Rockefeller Center, no fewer than 100,000 people came to gaze at itincluding the biggest TV star of the day: A surviving photograph from the exhibit shows a bunch of kids with balloons piled into the massive convertible and, sitting in the front seat, in the place reserved for Hitler, was Howdy Doody.The car was a keeper of secretssome of them automotive (it had taken a mechanic four hours just to figure out how to start the engine), and some historical. Though Janus had billed his limousine as Hitlers personal car, the truth was that the Mercedes had carried the dictator only a couple of times. Prior to its arrival in New York, the 770K had spent most of its time in the garage of the Finnish military leader Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, who would go on to serve as Finlands president near the end of the war, and to whom Hitler had given the limousine in hopes of keeping Finland in a frail military alliance with Germany. How much of this Janus knew remains unclear.For better or worse, facts took a back seat to the imperatives of the time. As a publicist and patriot, Janus understood that Americans healing from four long years of war would be eager to look at relic of the defeated Nazis. By putting the car on exhibit and funneling the proceeds to charities home and abroad, Janus sought to reverse the cars moral polarity: To turn a five-ton symbol of evil into a machine for reparations. And in that endeavor, he succeeded. Wire dispatches with headlines like HITLERS CAR WILL BENEFIT NAZI VICTIMS were common. Years later, looking back on his ownership of the notorious limousineone that would raise $1 million (over $10 million in todays dollars) for 150 different charitiesJanus would write in his memoirs that the whole point was to have the car do some good.(Robert Klara is the author of, published in 2017 by Thomas Dunne Books. This original article was published on History.com
Trang An complex opens new waterway for tourists

On the route of the new waterway, visitors will begin their boat journey by embarking at Trang An wharf before being ferried to destinations such as Trinh Temple, May cave, Tien stream, Dia Linh cave, Dai cave, Hanh Cung Vu Lam and the filming location for Kong: Skull Island. The duration of the journey is about 3-4 hours.

Trang An eco-tourism site is part of the Trang An Scenic Landscape complex and located in Ninh Binh province, covering an area of 2,200 hectares.

About 90km away from Hanoi, the complex was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. According to the plan for development, Trang An eco-tourism site will ultimately have nine tourism waterways and two road routes. The opening of the latest route will help increase the number of waterways for tourism in Trang An to three.

At the launch ceremony, visitors were treated to a show of the cultural and historic spaces of the Dinh dynasty and were able to row a boat along Sao Khe River. Apart from visiting beautiful landscapes of Trang An complex, tourists had the chance to enjoy some royal music of the Nguyen dynasty as performed by local artists.

According to schedule, the third waterway at Trang An eco-tourism will officially open for business on the first day of the Lunar New year with tickets priced at VND200,000 each.
Following Januarys community visioning meeting and survey, the Algonac City Council is exploring options for development funding through the St. Clair County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

Geoff Donaldson of the St. Clair County Metropolitan Planning Commission delivered a presentation on the role of brownfield funding in community development efforts at the Feb. 6 city council meeting. He characterized the program, which was established in 2004, as a tool for stimulating reinvestment in properties where market forces alone fail.

Everybody has seen it, he said. You have these sites where you drive by and say, Why isnt something happening with that site?'

In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $1 million in grant funds to the St. Clair County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. The funds attracted $800,000 in additional grants from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

The authority recently received a second EPA grant in the amount of $400,000.

A brownfield assessment provides a degree of protection for developers, who might otherwise be unwilling to take on potentially contaminated properties.

Thats really what scares people off, Donaldson said. They either know it is dirty or have heard it is dirty or it looks dirty.

The brownfield program provides assistance addressing those types of issues, making redevelopment economically competitive with development on uncontaminated sites.

In addition to contaminated sites, blighted structures, historic resources and functionally obsolete properties can qualify for brownfield redevelopment funding.

Brownfield redevelopment can be one of the strongest economic development tools you have in your toolbox, said Jeff Hawkins, a representative of Envirologic, a Kalamazoo-based environmental consulting firm that provides assessing services to the St. Clair County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

Hawkins presented the basics of brownfield funding and tax capture to the council, stressing the amount of tax collected by the local community remains constant during the recapture period. Only the incremental increase is captured for repayment.

Donaldson listed several recent projects that received support from the brownfield authority, including the Bluewater Convention Center in Port Huron, the Inn on Water Street in Marine City and the restoration of the St. Clair Inn.

Through cooperation between private businesses and community investment agencies, brownfield funding provided a catalyst for redevelopment of sites and structures that were not otherwise economically viable.

The initial $1 million grant generated over $150 million in additional investment in redevelopment projects and created more than 1400 jobs countywide.

Only one of the 42 projects listed on the final grant report was located in Algonac.

Colleen Kowalewski is a staff writer for The Voice. She can be contacted at 586-273-6197 or ckowalewski@21st-centurymedia.com.
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Director Michael Haneke in 2017. Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Director Michael Haneke is the latest figure in European cinema to criticize the #MeToo movement. Speaking to Austrian publication Kurier (per The Hollywood Reporter) the Amour filmmaker claimed that the movement  which was started in response to dozens of women in Hollywood coming forward with sexual-harassment and assault accusations  is ushering in an age of puritanism.

This new puritanism colored by a hatred of men, arriving on the heels of the #MeToo movement, worries me, Haneke reportedly told Kurier. He added, As artists, were starting to be fearful since were faced with this crusade against any form of eroticism.

According to Deadline, Haneke also compared the onslaught of accusations to a witch hunt. After saying that those guilty of assault should be punished and condemned, he explained, But this hysterical pre-judgment which is spreading now, I find absolutely disgusting. And I dont want to know how many of these accusations related to incidents 20 or 30 years ago are primarily statements that have little to do with sexual assault.

Hanekes remarks come about a month after more than 100 Frenchwomen, including actress Catherine Deneuve, signed an open letter criticizing #MeToo and the French equivalent #BalanceTonPorc. Deneuve explained her reason for signing the letter, similarly citing how quickly studios and production companies have distanced themselves from those who are publicly accused. I dont excuse anything. I dont decide the guilt of these men because I am not qualified to do so, Deneuve said.
Moscow (CNN) The crew of the Saratov Airlines flight that crashed near Moscow on Sunday didn't report any problems before the plane crashed into snowy terrain, killing all 71 people on board, state-run media said.

The Antonov An-148 aircraft was carrying 65 passengers and six crew members, the Russian news agency Interfax said. The passengers included three children, ages 5, 13 and 17, state news agency RIA reported.



Debris was found about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport on Sunday.

The plane was headed to the Russian city of Orsk, near the border with Kazakhstan. But it disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, Russian state news agency Tass reported.

The plane went down in Ramenskoye District, in the Moscow region, the Russian emergency ministry told CNN.

"The snow is very dense ... the Moscow region has had some of its heaviest snowfall in decades," CNN's Matthew Chance reported from Moscow. "It's not clear at this stage whether weather was factor in this crash."

The cause of the crash remains uncertain. The Investigative Committee of Russia said officials have launched a criminal investigation, as all possible causes are being explored.

Widespread debris

Some clues may emerge from a flight data recorder that was recovered, the state-run Sputnik news agency reported. That recorder maintained flight details such as speed and altitude. But the voice data recorder has not been found, as the debris is widespread.

More wreckage was found scattered across the snowy terrain.

"The scatter of fragments of the aircraft and bodies of dead passengers occupies a large territory; the radius is not less than 1 kilometer (0.6 miles)," said Svetlana Petrenko, spokeswoman the Investigative Committee of Russia.

Authorities have started questioning Saratov Airlines employees and the Domodedovo Airport workers who prepared the plane for flight, Petrenko said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin "deep condolences to all those who lost relatives and friends in this disaster," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Tass.

The An-148 is a Ukrainian-designed regional jet that was first introduced in 2009. Eastern European-made aircraft haven't always matched their western counterparts in reliability and safety. Russian state airline GTK Rossiya, the first carrier to operate the jet that crashed Sunday, was sharply critical in 2010 of the An-148's reliability early on in its service, citing problems with major components like engines and electrical systems, according to Flightglobal.

A near-perfect safety record

Sunday's disaster ends a 440-day streak without a commercial passenger jet fatality -- the longest stretch in modern aviation history.

Saratov Airlines, a regional carrier, had no crashes until Sunday. But in October 2015, Russian aviation regulators temporarily banned Saratov from conducting international flights after a surprise inspection.

That inspection led to the discovery that a close relative of the airline's general director was "in the cockpit during operations," said ch-aviation, which maintains aviation industry data.

Saratov resumed international flights six months later.
High Court judge Justice Michelle Gordon is married to Kenneth Hayne. Crommelin agrees: "He is not going to be bogged down. Ken will just get on with the job." True to his reputation, Hayne got down to business almost from the moment the government announced his appointment as royal commissioner late last year. Three days before Christmas, Hayne cracked the whip over the banks, giving each till January 29 to submit a 50-page document outlining their sins of the previous decade. Hayne's letter sent many a Christmas leave plan awry as industry teams cancelled their vacations and scurried to meet his deadline. Up and down the east coast, banks and the other big players in the finance industry have already signed up the top barristers and solicitors in commercial law, leaving lean pickings for those who have come late to the task. "What he has done already was a classic Hayne request," says one banking industry adviser. "The request for a document of no more than 50 pages is saying, 'I don't want spin, I don't want garbage, I want you to tell me everything you have done wrong.' And that's got every bank thinking, 'hmm, we had better put this in or that in, because I don't want him to find out later that we have not mentioned this.' With only 50 pages, there is no space for excuses. These are very raw and uncomfortable documents." Uncomfortable is putting it mildly. The sins have been many: from the ruthless sales-driven cultures which permeated the banks' financial advice divisions, to rigging of bank bill swap rates, the alleged failure to prevent criminals laundering cash through so-called "intelligent deposit" ATMs and (in Commbank's case) the scandal over its insurance arm.

Hayne's formidable reputation, however, is being seen as a plus by many in the industry. "It is generally seen that he is not going to grandstand," the industry adviser tells Fairfax Media. "He is going to set the rules, he is going to play by them, he is going to expect straight answers." Another high-level banking insider says the first response to the announcement of Hayne's appointment was "relief". "Nobody thinks he is a pushover. But from an industry perspective, we want this royal commission to be seen as the royal commission  not have someone later go 'oh, no, that didn't work  we need another one'. As painful as this might be, we want someone who is seen as above reproach, who will push the industry hard. And who will make sensible, well-informed recommendations that are possible to implement, will improve things, and will not have disastrous commercial consequences for everyone." Consumer advocates have also, thus far, reacted positively to Hayne's appointment. Gerard Brody, the CEO of the Consumer Action Law Centre, says, "We are keen for him to inquire into issues that are affecting the more vulnerable groups: irresponsible lending on credit cards and car finance, the sales-over-service culture. We also had a letter before Christmas, asking us to provide submissions. I think it's positive that he sought specific input from organisations that represent consumers." But Hayne has also made it plain that the royal commission  or Royal Commission into Misconduct In the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, to give it its full name  cannot be all things to all people. He has invited public submissions, but warned that the commission cannot resolve individual disputes. "It cannot fix or award compensation or make orders requiring a party to a dispute to take or not to take any action", a statement on its website warns.

"I think that was a bit of an attempt by him to say to bank victims, let's be realistic about what happens in this process," the industry adviser says. "There are a lot of ordinary people out there who don't necessarily know how a royal commission works. He would be worried that people might be turning up expecting that the commission is going to fix their individual case. What he can do is make recommendations, and refer particular conduct to the Director of Public Prosecutions where there seems to be evidence of illegality." Pleasant but firm Hayne notched up nearly 18 years on the High Court bench, and 23 years as a judge in all, when he stepped down from the highest court in the land in 2015. It is mandatory for High Court justices to retire at 70, and he joked at the time that the Constitution was shuffling him off to the "Home for Bewildered Judges". But far from retiring, the now 72 year-old launched back into private work, in adjudication and disputes resolution. When I rang his chambers seeking an interview this week, I was surprised to find Hayne himself answering the phone. He was pleasant but firm: he would not be breaking the habit of 23 years by starting to personally engage with the media at this juncture. Strikingly, Hayne was replaced on the High Court by his second wife, 53-year-old Michelle Gordon, whom he met when she was a young solicitor and the pair were working on a large commercial law case together in the early-1990s. The couple have a son, and Hayne has four other children from his first marriage. The breakup of that union caused something of a stir in Melbourne legal circles when it happened, but he and Gordon have come out the other side with a strong professional and personal partnership. A former judicial colleague says: "What he has found in Michelle is somebody who has an intellect capable of matching his own." Katie Miller confesses, "I've often amused myself thinking that their dinner and breakfast table conversation must be fascinating." She hastens to add, "I'm sure it's always utterly appropriate." Hayne included a touching tribute to his family when he made his final remarks to the High Court. "They have been and they remain the compass by which I steer," he said. "They have been and they remain the light which permits me to see where I am going and what I am doing." In recent years, Hayne and Gordon both volunteered their time to teach a masters course at Melbourne University law school, titled "Statutes in the 21st Century". Crommelin says it is extremely rare to have judges of their level of seniority teaching graduates. He believes Hayne sees this as a form of "giving back", educating a new generation of lawyers in the art of interpreting acts of parliament.

Hayne has a longstanding intellectual preoccupation with the role of the courts vis a vis the executive (prime minister and ministry) and the parliament. "He feels quite strongly about the importance of limits on the authority of all branches of government: the judiciary, the executive and the legislature  and that no branch of government can do what it likes with impunity," Crommelin says. Hayne, along with two other judges, held that the government had acted unlawfully when it detained 157 Tamil asylum seekers at sea in 2014. (The government won the case with the bench splitting four judges to three.) He has also contributed to landmark rulings in commercial law, such as a famous case (Campbells Cash and Carry v Fostif) which allowed third parties to fund class actions in Australia. In 2014, he ordered a new Senate election for Western Australia after the Electoral Commission lost a bundle of votes during the count. When Hayne was first appointed to the High Court by the Howard government, there was speculation that he was there to tip the balance more towards conservatism at a time when the court was seen as too activist. But those who know Hayne well insist he cannot be typecast. He is a "traditionalist" only in the sense of "not breaking out of established patterns of legal analysis", a former colleague told me. He himself has publicly cautioned against the perils of stereotyping. He illustrated this with another story he relayed at the Victorian Bar dinner. He described how Gordon was once quizzed at a judicial conference about whether she had enjoyed the "accompanying person's program". No, she said, she had been busy running the nippers' program at the local surf club. What else do you do with your time, the visiting judge inquired. "Oh, I work and have a family," she replied. It took several more questions  with others at the table listening attentively  before Gordon dropped the fact that she too was a judge. The lesson, Hayne told the bar dinner, was "never make assumptions that are based in stereotypes." The birth of this royal commission has been painful. Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison made it plain they succumbed with gritted teeth to mounting political pressure to set up the inquiry. It was "regrettable but necessary", Morrison said when they made the announcement in November. What forced the move was a threatened revolt from the National party on the issue at a time when the government's numbers were looking parlous. (Both John Alexander and Barnaby Joyce were forced back to the polls because of dual citizenship woes.)
On Sunday morning, Australian time, Cattrall posted a blistering attack on Parker on her social media, in response to SJP's condolences over the death of Cattrall's brother, Chris, last week.

Former Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall has blasted Sarah Jessica Parker in the wake of the death of her brother, Chris Cattrall. Credit:AP

In case fans of Sex and the City were still unsure about the true feelings Kim Cattrall holds for her co-star and the show's sometimes producer, Sarah Jessica Parker, wonder no more.

In the caption, she went further: "My Mom asked me today When will that @sarahjessicaparker, that hypocrite, leave you alone? Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now. Let me make this VERY clear. (If I havent already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So Im writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your nice girl persona."

As if that wasn't enough, Cattrall also linked to a New York Post article that outlined some of the festering animosity between the pair, whose strained relationship dates back to the filming of the series, which ran for six seasons, and two movies.

Although there has been continuous speculation about a third movie, the pair's relationship has been a huge sticking point, leading to Parker floating the possibility of the film proceeding without Cattrall, whose character, Samantha Jones, would assumedly be somehow written out of the script.

But the sudden death of Chris Cattrall, who was found dead in his home in Canada on February 4, has also brought the feud between the actresses to the fore.
This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article.

Discovering Ayn Rand is a collection of essays discussing her ideas and influence.

So many of todays most important writers for liberty were first inspired by Ayn Rand. But most people havent discovered the power of Rands own ideas  and what they mean for freedom in our own lives.

The chapters in this collection can change that. They come in 4 sections:

1. Learn how Rand's ideas can empower you in both your personal life and work.

2. Use her framework to understand the concerns and insecurities behind the horror (and heroism) in todays political scene.

3. Get a deeper introduction to her philosophy and novels.

4. Be inspired by Rands incredible life and indomitable personality.

Special thanks is due to the Institute for Humane Studies and Libertarianism.org for permission to reprint certain chapters.

Ayn Rand (19051982) was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism. She corresponded with FEE's founder Leonard Read and provided a meaningful intellectual influence over free-market thought in the second half of the twentieth century. Her influence continues to expand through her fiction and nonfiction works and the educational work being done on Objectivism.
Calloway County Sheriff's Office Arrests Five People Over the Weekend Through Various Investigations
PADEN CITY  A special graduation ceremony was held Saturday at Paden City High School to honor 90-year-old veteran Carloss Gray. Gray left high school to serve his country during World War II. A large crowd gathered to watch as he received his honorary diploma.

Gray currently resides with his daughter Sandra Rollyson in Vienna, but is a native of Paden City. While in the Navy, he served for almost two years on the destroyer ship, the USS Howard F. Clark DE 533. The primary purpose of this ship was to escort and protect ships in convoy as well as other tasks assigned.

After the Navy, Gray lived a very active lifestyle. He worked at Paden City Pottery and eventually moved on to Rich Loaf Bakery where he was well known as the Rich Loaf Bread Man. Gray is a former Constable of Tyler County and volunteered for the Paden City Fire Department. He was an elder in the Christian Church and is a lifetime member of the American Legion and VFW.

The ceremony was first put into the works after Grays daughter, Sandra Rollyson, contacted Superintendent Ed Toman.

From there, Toman reached out to PCHS Principal Jay Salva who organized the ceremony.

Salva became a huge admirer of Gray through the wonderful stories Rollyson shared about her dad. He spoke of this admiration during the ceremony.

Ive never met Carloss Gray until today. Ive communicated with his daughter Sandra Rollyson and the way she speaks about her father is like the man can walk on water. She is so proud of her father, and I admire that. Everyone wants to be admired for something in their life. And it so happened from talking to Sandie that I immediately admired Carloss Gray, Salva remarked.

Salva went on to say that he also admired that Gray was a family man.

Carloss and his wife were married for 70 years. In 1996, she had a cerebral hemorrhage that left her paralyzed. Instead of having a home-health nurse, Gray cared for her even going as far as applying her make-up and painting her nails to make her feel beautiful.

Also speaking during the ceremony was family friend Pat Stillwagner.

A veteran  whether active duty, discharged, retired or reserved  is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount of up to and including his life. Carloss Gray has done this for his country. He did not get to graduate with his class because he went into the service at a time when our country needed him and others like him. They put their country first and their needs last, Stillwagner said.

After receiving his diploma, Gray visited with friends and family.

When asked his feelings on the ceremony, and what he enjoyed  All the people that came to see me today, he replied with a beaming smile and a sparkle in his eye.
Two Ohio police officers were fatally shot Saturday while responding to a 911 hangup call involving potential domestic abuse, authorities said.

Westerville Police Officers Eric Joering, 39, and Anthony Morelli, 54, were shot as they entered an apartment in Westerville, Division of Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said. Westerville is a northern suburb of Columbus.

"Both officers gave their lives in the protection of others," Morbitzer said through tears. "Those are true American heroes."

The suspect, Quentin Lamar Smith, was hospitalized and taken into custody, police spokeswoman Christa Dickey said.

The 911 caller was identified as the suspect's wife, Candace Smith. Police records show that officers previously visited the Smith home for reports of domestic violence.

'My husband ... shot the police officers'

In a 911 call around noon Saturday from Candace Smith's phone, a stifled sob is heard before the line abruptly drops, according to recordings released by the City of Westerville.

When an operator calls the number back, more sobs and wails can be heard before the line drops again. In another call about 10 minutes later, Candace Smith tells the operator she is hiding in the bushes outside their home. She expresses fear for her one-year-old daughter, who she says is in the apartment with her husband.

"Please help, please help, please help," she cries. "My husband ... he shot the police officers. Please hurry up."

Officers were dispatched to the Smith home after a record search indicated that officers visited the address in 2017, the recordings reveal.

On September 14, 2017, Candace Smith called police reporting that while her husband was moving out, he was drunk and "doing something to her car," according to an incident report released by the city. He left without incident, the report says.

Then, on November 29, 2017, Candace Smith visited the Westerville Police Department to inquire about protection orders, according to another incident report.

She told police that she was not getting along with her husband, and that when she threatens to leave he tells her that he will kill her, their daughter and himself, the report says. She left the department to pick up her daughter from day care without taking action against him, the report states.

About 30 minutes later, Quentin Smith called police to their home after Candace had locked him out, the report states. The two got into an argument after Candace accused him of cheating on her and giving her a sexually transmitted disease. Quentin Smith denied the allegations and refused to leave despite his wife's request that he do so, the report states.

The officer who responded to the scene recommended that Candace stay with her daughter in a different part of the home.

"Both were advised that if they started arguing again, they could contact us," the report says.

'Pillars' of the department

Joering had been with the department for 17 years. Morelli was a 30-year veteran of the force, the chief said.

One officer died on the scene and one died at the hospital.

"This was their calling and they did it right. They knew how to do policing the right way," he said.

"They were pillars in our department."

President Donald Trump expressed condolences on Twitter for the officers' families and the department.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is from Westerville, pledged his support for the town and its police department. Westerville is a northern suburb of Columbus.

"The finest among us are those who risk it all everyday for our safety, and Officers Anthony Morelli and Eric Joering were those people. Their deaths are a terrible tragedy," he said.

Eleven US law enforcement officers have been killed by gunfire this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a nonprofit dedicated to remembering those killed in the line of duty.

That number includes Locust Grove, Georgia police officer Chase Maddox, who was killed Friday while serving a warrant. Two deputies were wounded.
ROME- The Oneida County Sheriffs Office and the New York State Forest Rangers patrolled the Oneida County snowmobile trails Saturday afternoon. Most riders thought officers would be out looking for updated registrations and drinking and riding. However, on Saturday, they extended their range of discipline to not only registrations and looking for intoxicated riders, but also, loud mufflers.

Today we are particularly looking for the loudness of mufflers on these sleds, said Deputy Rob Snider, of The Oneida County Sheriffs Office. Last year in this area we had issues with loud exhausts and riders modifying them.

Snider said that any modifications to a muffler on a snowmobile are illegal and are subjected to get ticketed. According to the Sheriffs department last year the loudness of modified snowmobile mufflers indirectly cost a Rome snowmobile club $10,000.

Because of the loudness, property owners complained of the loud exhausts, said Snider. They closed trails and the club had to relocate the trails and the next thing you knew it was a $10,000 move.

On Saturday, the Oneida County Sheriffs Office and the Forest Rangers wrote several tickets for loud exhausts. One rider from the Finger Lakes was stopped for a loud exhaust and was not too thrilled.

I think they are just picking on us, said Paul Moberg, of the Finger Lakes. We spend so much money on this sport and they just come out here on the weekends and harass us.

The way the Oneida County Sheriffs Officer checks for the loudness of mufflers is by using a decibel reader. The officer stands twelve feet to the side of the sled while the rider throttles the engine.

We take a measurement while they throttle their snowmobile to 2500 rpms, said Snider. At 2500 rpms if it is over 82 decibels then it is too loud and they are subjected to a ticket for that.

Now, for the Oneida County Sheriffs Office they are trying to make today an educational experience.

You know were trying to take an educational approach to this and teach people the rules, said Sheriff Rob Maciol. At the end of the day it is our job to keep the people safe.

The Sheriffs Office also encourages all riders to take a snowmobile safety class. The next class offered is on February 17th at Vineall Ambulance.
LAFAYETTE, Ind (WLFI)-- Indiana lawmakers addressed some hot topics today.

The Women Voters of Greater Lafayette hosted its Annual Legislative Breakfast today.

Senators and state representatives had the opportunity to answer the community's questions.

Republican State Senator, Ron Aliting, says it's a healthy way to share ideas.

"I think what you experienced here today was democracy at its finest."

Indiana lawmakers, including Senator Alting and Representative Shelia Klinker were in attendance to talk about the current session of the Indiana General Assembly.

The main topics of discussion were the pay day lending and hate crime bills.

Klinker doesn't agree with the lending bill because of the high percentage rates.

"The percentage of what it charges of what they charge you for borrowing is so large sometimes that the people who need it the most are vulnerable and can't pay it back."

While the hate crime bill was in the senate, Alting says it was unfortunately not called for a vote.

Indiana is one of four states that does not have a hate crime bill.

"There's nothing, nothing as bad as a hate crime where these individuals are targeted for the color of their skin, their nationality, their sexual orientation, we are really living in a different world if we don't think this is taking place."

Alting says people should continue to ask questions.

He says these events are a good reminder that lawmakers work for the people and their voices matters.
TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI)  Two people have died following a crash in Montmorenci Saturday.

It happened around 10:40 p.m. near the intersection of U.S. 52 and U.S. 231.

Witnesses told deputies a truck was headed west on U.S. 52 when it lost control.

It slid off the road and rolled several times. Forty-three-year-old Craig Norris of Lafayette was pronoucned dead at the scene. Police say Norris was driving.

A passenger, 36-year-old Tessa Hamelman of Oxford, was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

Police said Norris and Hamelman were not wearing seat belts.

Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Deputy Austin Burris was one of the first to arrive at the scene.

He said the crash is a tragic reminder of the importance of taking it slow when the roads are slick.

The crash remains under investigation.
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)  Republican U.S. Representative Todd Rokita stopped in Lafayette Saturday to share his plans for his candidacy.

Rokita held a meet and greet at D & R Barbeque in Lafayette, and community members were there to ask questions.

He said Indiana is the number one priority.

"I know this state," said Rokita. "I have drove 45,000 miles a year for eight years as secretary of state. The state knows me, they trust me and I vote their values."

Rokita answered questions over DACA and future plans for veterans. He then went on to Terre Haute and Evansville.




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LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ill. (WTHI) - Police need your help tracking down the driver accused of leaving the scene of a crash.

It happened Saturday afternoon, just before 3:30. It happened on Old route 50, just east of County Road 1620 E Lawrence County.

Illinois State Police say two vehicles were going east on Old Route 50. Police say a black car was passing a white Ford, driven by Samantha Jo Smith, 35, Princeton.

Officials say the black car did not finish passing and cut in front Smith's vehicle. Police say that's when Smith lost control of the car and skid sideways before going off the roadway, striking a ditch on the south side.

Police say Smith's vehicle overturned multiple times before landing upside down in a field. Officials say Smith was ejected from the vehicle.

Smith was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital before being transferred to IU Hospital in Bloomington, Indiana.

Officials say the driver of the black car drove off without stopping.

At this time, there is no other information for the black car or its driver. If you have any information, you can call the Illinois State Police District 12 at 217-347-2711.
WORLAND - The annual WESTI (Wyoming Extension's Strategically and Technologically Informative) Ag Days begins Wednesday with a full line-up of presentations including the second annual Youth Career Ag Dinner and Expo and ends on Thursday, all at the Worland Community Center Complex.

University of Wyoming Washakie County Extension Educator Caitlin Youngquist said, "There is a big focus on youth...
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-10 19:05:40|Editor: Chengcheng

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DAMASCUS, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The operation room of Syria's allied forces on Saturday warned in a statement that the Israeli attacks against Syria will no longer be tolerated and Israel will witness a "tough" and "serious" response from now on.

In a statement, the operation room of the allies, mainly the Iranian-backed ones, slammed the Israeli claims that an Iranian drone was launched into Israel on Saturday, saying the drones were sent to observe the movement of the Islamic State (IS) militants in the Syrian desert in favor of the Syrian army.

It noted that Israel targeted the drones' station in the T4 airbase in the central city of Homs under false pretexts.

"When the Israeli attack occurred, our drones were still in the Syrian desert," the statement said.

"This terrorist act conducted by the Zionist entity will not be tolerated and they will witness tough and serious response from now on," the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, state news agency SANA said the Syrian air defenses hit several Israeli warplanes, which took part in striking several military targets in central and southern Syria on Saturday.

The first Israeli strikes were conducted at dawn Saturday, targeting the T4 airbase in Homs in central Syria.

Later on, the Israeli warplanes struck military positions in the countryside of the capital Damascus, also triggering the air defenses.

The state news agency spelled no details over the causalities or losses but said the air defenses largely foiled the Israeli attacks.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reports said the Israelis hit 12 targets in Syria, adding that an Israeli F-16 was hit and went down in northern Israel.

Downing the Israeli warplane is a new precedent in the decades-long enmity between Syria and Israel, which has repeatedly targeted Syrian positions during the nearly seven-year-long war in Syria without major responses from the Syrian side.

Israel claimed it's targeting positions of Iranian and Hezbollah weapon depots in Syria, but the recent attack and the downing of the Israeli warplane proved that Syria will no longer tolerate the Israeli strikes.

The attack is the second within three days, as the Israelis launched missile attack from warplanes inside the Lebanese airspace on Jan. 7, targeting a military base near the capital Damascus.

Israel has repeatedly warned that it will not tolerate Iranian influence in Syria or support to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 02:42:18|Editor: Yurou

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By Xu Jing, Miao Zhuang, Wang Ping

CHICAGO, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Standing on the podium of the Chamber of City of Chicago, 20-year-old Chen Zeng was a bit shy. Encouraged by the smiling faces of officials from different departments of the city sitting in the chamber, she expressed her gratitude to her supervisor and colleagues working in the Committee on Finance of the City Government of Chicago.

Chen is a sophomore at Renmin University majoring in law. She is one of the 15 university students from China who have interned at the City Government of Chicago and the State Government of Illinois for a month in this winter.

Chen's main job at the finance committee was clipping news from the website, and following the city council in the chamber. She finished a report comparing the political structure between China and the U.S. during the internship.

"If we talk about laws, we have to talk about politics. So when I have an insight into the American politics, I can better understand American laws," Chen told Xinhua in an interview.

Talking of her internship, Chen said: "I really want to send my gratitude to my supervisor and colleagues, because they gave their most kindness and encouragement for me as a young student." "They encourage me to harbor hope, think big."

"I'm very glad to be here. They are very kind. They are out of my imagination. I mean they don't have that privilege thinking for Chinese students, they are so kind to everybody. I think we are equal," Chen added.

Chen thought that the biggest benefit she got during the internship is to have "a tolerating comprehension in both Chinese and U.S. culture."

The other 14 Chinese students who have interned in different departments also expressed their gratitude for supervisors and colleagues, saying the internship is a unique experience that helped them learn how Americans treat people as well as the cultural differences between the two countries.

After expressing his thanks, Su Dongli, the only male intern from Beijing International Studies University that interned at Chicago Department of Procurement Services, especially told his supervisor sitting below that he admired the way he walks, bringing applauses and laughters.

The supervisors spoke highly of the 15 Chinese student interns.

Jamie Rhee, Chief Procurement Officer of Department of Procurement Services under City Government of Chicago, said, "they are part of our family, help us reach more Chinese business." He promised that this is "the first time, but not the last" for his department to have Chinese student interns.

It is not the first time for Samantha Fields, Director of the Office of Budget and Management under the City Government of Chicago, to accept Chinese student interns into her office. She told the interns: "We learn just as much from you as I wish you from us."

Addressing the graduation ceremony, former U.S. Senator Adlai E. Stevenson III talked of his visits to China and meeting with Deng Xiaoping twice, saying "the changes in China are unprecedented, unlike anything has happened in the world and very very positive."

He holds that China soon will have the world's largest economy by one measure or the others, and therefore cooperation and mutual understanding between U.S. and China are very important.

"There is nothing more important than the cooperation between China and the United States. So you interns are going to go back and be able to contribute to that cooperation and mutual understanding on which the whole world depends for peace, security and economic welfare," Stevenson told the interns.

Winter in Chicago is cold. Alderman Edward M. Burke of City of Chicago gave every intern an ear warmer printed with Chicago flag, saying "it is cold outside, but it is warm inside (our heart)."

He hopes the interns to keep the memory of Chicago in their heart. "When you see the city flag, you will remember Chicago. And you are always welcome here in Chicago," he told the interns.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 02:42:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DUBAI, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday for a two-day visit to the Gulf Arab state.

He was welcomed in the capital Abu Dhabi by Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, local media reported.

"His (Modi's) visit reflects our longstanding historical ties and is testament to our friendly bilateral relationship," Mohammed Bin Zayed said on his twitter account.

About 12 to 14 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding, particularly in the energy and manpower sectors, are expected to be signed between the UAE and India during Modi's visit, Dubai daily Gulf news reported.

On Sunday, the Indian prime minister will also address the World Government Summit 2018 in Dubai, the UAE's largest city.

In August 2015, Modi became the first Indian government leader to visit the UAE in 34 years.

More than 2.8 million Indian migrants, also called non-resident Indians, live in the UAE which has a population of 10.5 million, according to Gulf news, making them the biggest group of expatriates in the Gulf Arab country, which has been dependent on foreign workforce since its foundation in 1971.
by Xinhua writer Ren Ke

BERLIN, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- German automaker Daimler AG recently quoted the Dalai Lama in one of its social media posts, with the gaffe drawing sharp and widespread criticism in China.

In a letter of apology sent to Chinese Ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde on Wednesday, Daimler said it did not challenge China's sovereignty and deeply regretted its mistake.

Although the German firm apologized, saying it had been careless, it is still difficult to believe that such a big multinational conglomerate as Daimler would not consider the impact of promoting its products using the Dalai Lama as a mouthpiece when China is one of its key overseas markets.

For the record, China is one of Daimler's most important markets in the world. According to its own figures, Daimler's sales in China in 2017 climbed by 25 percent compared to those in 2016, accounting for almost one fifth of its sales all over the world. It was also the first time that the company sold over 600,000 vehicles in a country.

Indeed, to err is human. Daimler has tried to undo its wrongdoing by deleting the post on Instagram and issuing an apology, but the damage to its image in the Chinese market is already done.

The German firm needs to learn from its faux pas and do what it can to ensure it doesn't make such a mistake again.

The Daimler incident came as another example in recent weeks of a foreign company that used distorted information in its marketing efforts that seriously violates China's rights of sovereignty.

Last month, U.S. hotel chain Marriott International listed Tibet and some other parts of China as separate "countries" in a Chinese-language questionnaire addressing customers. Later, it issued an apology to the outraged Chinese people.

Like all countries in the world, China views national sovereignty and territorial integrity as its core interests, interests that should be duly respected.

Over the past few decades and thanks to China's opening-up and fast development, many international companies have achieved huge business success in the Chinese market.

As Beijing strives to build a more resilient economy, China will in the future open its door wider to the world. Foreign corporations are encouraged to share the opportunities China's development presents.

Yet while sharing the bounty of the Chinese market, they should follow one fundamental principle, and that is to show respect to China and its people.
LONDON, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Britain's main opposition Labor Party outlined plans Saturday that would see key services such as rail, energy and water brought back into public ownership.

The party's program of public ownership was outlined in a keynote speech in central London by Labor's Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell.

Public ownership of transport undertakings and main utilities was dismantled in the 1980s by an aggressive privatization policy introduced by the then Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Now many of Britain's rail operations and utility services are owned by overseas companies.

Labor believes there is a growing public thirst for returning the operations to public ownership.

In his speech, McDonnell said the next Labor government will put democratically owned and managed public services irreversibly in the hands of workers, and of those who rely on their work.

McDonnell said taking back control of the industries would not see them returning to the hands of remote bureaucracies, but to put them into the hands of all of all of the people so that they can never again be taken away.

"Public ownership is not just a political decision, it's an economic necessity," added McDonnell. "We'll move away from the failed privatization model of the past, developing new democratic forms of ownership, joining other countries, regions and cities across the world in taking control of our essential services.

McDonnell added that taking services back into public ownership will not cost British taxpayers any money and will be paid for by issuing bonds for shares to fund the program.

He cited the water industry saying water utility companies had given out 25 billion U.S. dollars in dividends to their shareholders.

McDonnell's speech was immediately attacked by the Conservative government as well as industry commentators. One body said it would cost 125 billion U.S. dollars alone just to take the water industry back into public ownership.

The government's Treasury Chief Secretary Liz Truss said: "Independent reports show Labor's renationalization plan will cost taxpayers billions and lead to worse services for people.

"Labor would put politicians in charge of running everything from the phone lines to electricity supply, meaning people have nowhere to turn when things go wrong. That didn't work last time and won't work this time," Truss said.


Reservations for overseas trips by South Koreans rose by 14-15 percent for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday period compared to the same period in 2017, local travel agencies said Sunday.

Hana Tour, the country's No. 1 travel service company, said group tours from Wednesday through Feb. 19 totaled 44,700 people. This is up a solid 15.5 percent from the same six day period last year.

Lunar New Year, or Seollal, is celebrated according to the lunar calendar and is on a different day of the solar calendar from year to year. Last year it fell on Jan. 28, while for 2018 it falls on Friday.

By region, Hana tour said the number of people going to Europe shot up 61.5 percent on-year to 2,100, with the figures for the South Pacific, Southeast Asia and Japan, rising 25 percent, 22.9 percent and 15.4 percent, respectively.

The number of locals heading for the United States and Canada remained the same as last year, with those planning to go to China falling 14.5 percent to around 4,300. Demand for trips to China has fallen sharply in the wake of the diplomatic row caused by the deployment of an advanced U.S. anti-missile system in the country.

Mode Tour, the country's No. 2 travel service provider said it booked 3,700 people for groups tours during this year's Seollal holiday period, up 14.1 percent from a year earlier.

It said the numbers of travelers to Europe, Japan and the South Pacific all rose, while the figures for people heading to the Americas and China declined.

South Koreans planning to go to Europe shot up 75.5 percent to 1,625, it said.

Other industry data provided by Skyscanner said that for this year there was a 64 percent increase for people wanting to go on trips with their families.

It said the percentage of family trip reservations reached 5.2 percent in 2018 from 4 percent last year.

"Social trends that value work-life balance are causing many here to opt for extended trips abroad with their families so they can recharge while spending time with loved ones," a local representative of Skyscanner said. (Yonhap)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 06:53:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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By Rene Quenallata Paredes

LA PAZ, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tradition, brotherhood and mayhem are the elements that bring the crowds to Bolivian carnivals, with each region of the country offering its own twist.

These includes the traditional "comadres" in Tarija, the "folclorica" of Oruro, the "farandula" of Santa Cruz, the "Corso de Corso" in Cochabamba and the "Jisk'a Anata" in La Paz.

In an interview with Xinhua, sociologist Mario Matos explained that anthropologists had found these cultural traditions stretching back through generations.

Bolivia's carnival celebrations began with the "Thursdays of compadres and comadres." In Tarija, people in every village met up in the houses of friends or family to exchange baskets full of fruit and sweets as presents.

However, in the region of Oruro, the carnival from Feb. 9-12 is focused around the great parade of Socavon.

On Saturday, at least 80,000 people, including musicians and dancers, mobilized along the streets while over 200,000 spectators watched on from the entrance to the city.

"Each year, this city enters the spotlight of all Bolivia and a large part of the world, because the marvellous carnival of Oruro enters into full swing," commented Matos.

Matos explained that the wild party of Oruro was declared in 2001 and was a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The folkloric groups, who come from across the country, prepare their parades and dances throughout the year.

The Socavon march winds its way for several kilometers, before concluding at the church of the Virgin of Socavon, where it is honored with dancers in spectacular outfits.

Matos told Xinhua that the 2018 edition would see the participation of over 60 folkloric groups, leading dances with names such as diablada, caporales, morenada, suri-sicuris, llamerada, cullawada, waca-waca, pujllay and tinku.

Other emblematic parties during the Bolivian carnival season happen in the eastern city of Santa Cruz where participants give free rein to their creativity.

The carnival of the capital, La Paz, is another eagerly awaited event, with over 55 groups competing for the attention of the crowd.

The Jisk'a Anata ("little party" in the Aymara language) will begin on Feb. 12, as one of the most important indigenous demonstrations of culture of the carnival season.

Indigenous associations from different parts of the department of La Paz will come to take part in the parade.

Matos recalled that, back in the 1940s, the Monday of the carnival season was reserved for competitions of typical orchestras and national dances.

Finally, the carnival of the central city of Cochabamba will take part in Feb. 17, where over 89 groups will take part, ranging from indigenous shows, military units and around a dozen beautifully decorated floats.

The event called Corso de Corsos or Carnival of Concord closes Bolivia's carnival season, bringing to an end a time dedicated to the country's diversity in dance and music.
By Sylvia B. Zarate

BOGOTA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The former mayors of Bogota, Gustavo Petro, Medellin and Sergio Fajardo, are leading the list of candidates to win Colombia's presidential elections in May and June, according to a January poll by La Gran Encuesta.

However, several analysts believe that with the elections still several months away, it is too early to predict who will replace President Juan Manuel Santos, who took the position since 2010.

In an interview with Xinhua, Angelica Bernal, director of the department of political sciences and international relations of Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, said while polls are reflecting the changing times of Colombia, there is still a long way to go.

"Today, we are in a very complex context where very important things are at risk, such as the implementation of the peace agreement with the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). Those agreements are being questioned," she said.

For Bernal, while it is still in the early days, those who do not clearly define themselves on the left-right ideological spectrum will have fewer chances to succeed.

According to the specialist, right-wing candidates such as German Vargas Lleras, former prosecutor Alejandro Ordonex, former minister Martha Lucia Ramirez and former senator Ivan Duque will benefit from concerns about security or the economy.

"There are economic factors that make you think the country will suffer...unemployment, a slowdown, a lack of growth. In that sense, the options are open, especially as there is a strong positioning from right-wing sectors seeking a "Uribe" solution," she explained, referring to former president Alvaro Uribe who is staunchly opposed to the deal with the FARC.

On March 11, congressional elections will take place, in which will be named the one right-wing candidate who will run for the presidency.

"In this political moment...the polls are positioning Petro and Fajardo as options. But the right-wing forces will make their choice on March 11...the polls will begin to better reflect (reality)," says Bernal.

More vulnerable communities suffering from poverty and inequality will likely turn to left-wing candidate such as Gustavo Petro, Piedad Cordoba, and Rodrigo Londono, former commander-in-chief of the FARC.

"On the other side, there is a very strong social conflict, a highly marked inequality, the indexes of inequality are always worse in Colombia. This places us among the most unequal countries in the world, which opens up a great possibility for the left," explained Bernal.

Several of the leading candidates, including the Liberal Party's Humberto de la Calle, the government's chief negotiator with the FARC, have not placed themselves officially into a left-wing or right-wing ideology.

One of the crucial topics as the elections approach will be the evolution of peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN). While a ceasefire was obtained during talks in Ecuador last year, violence has returned since it expired on Jan. 9.

President Santos suspended the peace talks on Jan. 29 after the rebel group carried out a series of attacks against police, leaving seven officers dead and over 40 injured.

"What is happening with the ELN is serious. They have left the table, the ceasefire did not continue. This is very serious for the country because we have seen, that once the ceasefire was lifted, the ELN began increasing its violent actions. This is preoccupying because during the campaign, any of these tensions will be seized by any of the candidates," warned Bernal.

The first round will happen on May 27, and should no candidate win an outright 50 percent victory, the top two candidates will face off in a second round on June 17.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 07:48:08|Editor: Yurou

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By Luis Alberto Sierra G.

PANAMA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Panama in June 2017 could be a big boost for the Central American country's agricultural sector, a senior Panamanian official has said.

Agriculture is a crucial part of the Panamanian economy, employing 17 percent of the workforce but facing major challenges.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Panama's deputy minister of agricultural development Esteban Giron said that collaboration with China offered new forms of cooperation and transfers of technology which would boost production.

For Giron, China's vast experience and technological development have made it a key ally for Panama to strengthen its rural economy, since over 70 percent of its economy comes from services.

"Relations with China are very important, mainly because we are establishing technical cooperation consisting in the training of our technical personnel on biosecurity and agricultural best practices, including a network of laboratories," he indicated.

The setting up of laboratories dedicated to animal and crop health are key for Panama to not only guarantee international quality standards for biosecurity, but also increase the application of modern technology, explained Giron.

These laboratories will be staffed by Panamanians but will be open to the exchanging of experiences with Chinese technicians, while most of the equipment will be provided by China.

While Giron said the exact amounts needed for this investment had not been set, they would be sufficient to truly bring a new technological dimension to Panama's agricultural sector.

"We need machinery which is adapted to the needs of every production niche. For large producers, if they can import machinery more cheaply from China, wonderful, but it must have the same quality as that currently being imported," he explained.

According to the deputy minister, the priority areas that could interest China in Panama have been defined in an agreement signed by President Juan Carlos Varela, since relations were established between both countries last year.

From now till October, Panama will present China with a number of projects that could draw investment, including in agriculture.
ABUJA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his greetings to the Chinese government and people ahead of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, a presidential statement said on Saturday.

The statement said Buhari, in a letter to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, wishes for the Nigeria-China friendship to blossom and flourish for the benefit of the two peoples in the new year.

"As you commence festivities marking the Chinese Year of (the) Dog on Feb. 16, 2018, we congratulate and wish the Chinese people a prosperous and peaceful New Year," said the statement.

Buhari said in the past year, China recorded tremendous achievements in its economy, democracy and foreign relations, among others.

"The successful convening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opens a new chapter for China's New Era as a global leader in innovation, security, poverty alleviation, infrastructure and development financing," he said.

The celebration of the Spring Festival commenced a week ago in Nigeria, with a variety of China-Nigeria cultural activities being held in the capital city of Abuja.

Buhari commended the close relationship between Nigeria and China, saying he is pleased to see the bilateral political, economic, cultural and social ties getting stronger.

"I am looking forward to China hosting the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing in September this year, and have every reason to believe that the Year of the Dog will bring us more success and mutual benefits for China-Africa cooperation," he said.
YANGON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar government declared two ethnic armed groups on Sunday non-terrorist organizations, according to an order issued by the Home Ministry.

The two groups, the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU), were also removed from the list of unlawful organizations, said another order of the ministry.

The orders came two days before the government is scheduled to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) with the two armed groups in Nay Pyi Taw on Tuesday.

The NMSP and the LDU, which are members of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), will be the first two armed groups signing the NCA with the incumbent government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD).

The signing will bring the total of such signatories to 10 since the first signing on Oct. 15, 2015.

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has called for all related parties to join the efforts to achieve the country's national reconciliation, reiterating the government's welcome of armed groups to join the signing of NCA and be inclusive in formulating the principles toward a democratic federal union in the future.
YANGON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Mandalay regional government invited investors to develop a new resort in Mandalay, the second largest city in the north, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday.

Expression of interest is being sought with real estate developers for the construction, marketing and management of the New Mandalay Resort City project which lies near Pyin Oo Lwin, a city of flower, on the Mandalay-Lashio road.

Covering 40,510 hectares, the project will be implemented in three parts with 2,835 hectares comprising two parts to be developed by the union government, while the remaining part be carried out by the regional government.

With the Ministry of Construction as the joint partner in the project, the conceptual development plan consists of industrial, commercial, residential, logistics, recreation and resort areas.

The regional government set March 31 as the closing date of presenting the expression of interest for the project and short-listed firms will be selected after scrutiny.

According to statistics, tourist arrivals in Mandalay increased by about 100,000 or 26 percent correspondingly, hitting 483,784 in 2017.

In 2016, 385,031 tourists from around the world visited the last royal capital.

The majority of the visitors came from China, France, Germany, Thailand and Britain.

Mandalay is famous for its cultural heritage among international travelers.

The significant tourist attractions of the region include the Bagan Cultural Zone, Golden Palace Monastery, Kuthodaw Pagoda, Maha Myatmuni Pagoda, Mandalay Hill, Pahtodawgyi Pagoda, Mandalay Palace and Mandalay Fort.

Myanmar received 2.9 million tourist arrivals in 2016. In the first eight months of 2017, it had brought in 2.27 million tourists, up 22 percent against the same period of the previous year.

The total tourist figure visiting Myanmar in 2017 is expected to reach 3.5 million.
CANBERRA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Australians who were affected by power blackout in January will be compensated by power companies, Victoria state's Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of Victorian households and businesses were left without power on January 28 as the state sweltered through the hottest night of the Australian summer.

The Victorian government said it was the greatest electricity demand ever recorded in Victoria on a Sunday, causing blown fuses and transformers on the network.

D'Ambrosio said those who lost power for 20 to 30 hours would receive a one-off payment of 140 U.S. dollars. Those who lost power for between 3 and 20 hours will receive 62 U.S. dollars.

"We know how frustrating this was for many Victorians -- affected customers deserve to be compensated for the inconvenience and we made sure that happened," D'Ambrosio said in a media release on Sunday.

"We've worked with the private power distribution companies to deliver this for thousands of customers affected by this extreme weather event.

"Network businesses will bear the full costs of this package and I'm pleased they've gone above and beyond the regulatory rules to support their customers."

The compensation will cost electricity network businesses 3.9 million U.S. dollars.

However, the Victorian Opposition said the payments were "insulting".

"(Victoria Premier) Daniel Andrews said that people would be fully compensated and this does not go far enough to properly do what he said he'd do," spokesman David Southwick said.

"Victorians are seeing unprecedented power prices, yet we don't have reliability of power supply.

"Daniel Andrews needs to guarantee the power supply. It is an essential service."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 12:23:49|Editor: Xiang Bo

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by Juan Limachi

LIMA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Pacific Alliance (AP), a Latin American trade bloc, is increasing its membership and promoting cooperation with China, said on Saturday a leader of a Peruvian non-profit association.

The AP was initiated in 2011 by former Peruvian President Alan Garcia and later jointly formed by four important countries on the coast of the Pacific -- Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, aiming to push forward regional integration and ensuring complete trade freedom.

By inviting more countries like Panama and Costa Rica to join, Central American states could also play a part in it, said Carlos Canales, president of the Lima Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCL), a Peruvian non-governmental organization designed to create a mechanism as a social and economic benefit in communities.

"We can now foresee the expansion of trade and the rise of the flow of population as well as commodities in the Pacific Alliance," Canales told Xinhua in an interview.

The executive said the eighth Summit of the Americas, slated for April 13-14 in the Peruvian capital of Lima, will be a proper place to negotiate further consolidation of the bloc.

"This type of meetings help advance the agenda for the strengthening of economic alliances," said Canales.

He also highlighted the importance of China for the AP, since Chile, Peru and Mexico are parts of APEC along with the Asian giant.

Latin America and the AP will serve as a kind of virtual-pantry of China in the future, considering that the region provides an increasing quantity of seafood, which has a place in China's market, said Canales.

"Many Latin Americans have also already been consumers of products made in China. Reciprocity is an important topic (in the bilateral ties)... there are fewer restrictions (on trade)," he also said.

In an era of globalization, economic and trade cooperation between countries and blocs is seen as a major way to remove the remaining obstacles.

"China has helped countries like Peru to improve their trade balance and export volumes with growing demand for imports, and given them chances to invest in new business niches," said Canales.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 12:33:52|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- As Valentine's Day draws closer, there is a nugget of information to help cheer up those who are single. Scientific research has found "a handful of" benefits of being single, with alone- time being considered an advantage, the Business Insider reported.

Single people tend to have stronger social networks, tend to be physically fitter, and develop more as individuals as they embrace solitude, the report cited multiple studies as saying.

Scientists have found that singles are more likely to frequently reach out to their social networks, and are also more likely to provide and receive help from them, which could boost their happiness and benefit their overall well-being.

A survey of more than 13,000 adults led to the conclusion that those who were single and had never married worked out more frequently than those who were married and divorced. Another study found that single people had slightly lower average BMIs (Body Mass Index) than married ones.

Several studies also found the connection between solitude and an increased sense of freedom, a higher level of creativity and enhanced productivity, and single people are more likely to experience personal growth psychologically.

So, for those who are single, when couples celebrate this year's Valentine's with a romantic candlelight dinner, it's time to take yourself on a date and celebrate your solitude and development.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 12:38:53|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A total of 6,941 flu cases were confirmed among inbound passengers in December and January, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

It marked a yearly increase of 81.9 percent, the administration said.

Chinese inspection and quarantine authorities require inbound tourists to notify symptoms such as fever and cough.

Unlike cases of serious infectious diseases such as cholera, inbound passengers with flu do not require mandatory quarantine at places designated by authorities, Liu Maohua, an official with the administration was quoted as saying by China Daily.

The inspection and quarantine officers may give a note to inbound passengers suspected of having the flu, suggesting they get an official diagnosis, Liu said.

The upcoming Spring Festival holiday and winter vacations have brought an increasing number of Chinese travelling abroad.

The administration also warned that travellers should take flu precautions before heading to countries and regions with high flu infections.

Flu outbreaks have been reported worldwide including the United States, Canada, Britain, Italy, North Africa, Japan and South Korea since winter last year. In the United States, 14,000 people were hospitalized for treatment as a result of flu.

Chinese authorities will follow and evaluate flu outbreaks in these countries and regions and intensify disease prevention and control at the ports.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 12:48:57|Editor: Xiang Bo

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TOKYO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has recently extended his best wishes to the overseas Chinese in Japan, a gesture to signal his intentions to forge better ties with China.

In his greetings, Abe said he hoped that the ties between the two neighbors would enter a new and positive phase through high-level exchanges, noting that he would spare no efforts to make 2018 a memorable year when both peoples would cognize a greatly improved China-Japan relationship.

In recent years, the leaders of China and Japan have maintained contacts and meetings at numerous multilateral international occasions and reached consensus on the improvement and development of bilateral relations.

For a while now, Japan has been making positive remarks on bilateral ties. During his January visit to China, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono pledged to advance bilateral ties based on mutual benefit and the consensus of "being each others' cooperation partners rather than threats."

Kono also expressed Japan's positive attitude on participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and exploring cooperation in a third country, vowing to jointly safeguard the free trade system, promote regional economic integration, and build an open world economy alongside China.

The improvement of China-Japan relations has thus started to show a positive momentum, which not only serves the interests of the two countries, but also the entire international community.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to seek common development and prosperity.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which is of special and important significance, providing the two countries with an opportunity to improve bilateral relations.

The two sides have agreed to take this opportunity to strengthen exchanges at all levels and step up mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, which are expected to make 2018 a year to see the normalization of China-Japan relations.

However, what needs to be seen is that the current improvement in China-Japan relations is still facing some interference and obstacles, through which the two sides are required to handle their disputes on sensitive issues in their bilateral relations in an amicable way.

The realization of Abe's vision to forge better bilateral ties requires Japan to abandon its ingrained zero-sum mentality, and move in the direction of peace by treating China as a partner instead of a rival, and viewing China's development as an opportunity rather than a threat.

As a popular Japanese saying goes, "real action should snap at the heels of spoken words." It would be ultimately ironic if this buzz-word eventually ends up in empty promises.

Since normalizing ties in 1972, China and Japan have signed four important political documents as well as a four-point principled agreement. These key four points form the political foundation for bilateral ties and are the cornerstone for cooperation.

It is hoped that the Japanese side will remain true to their original aspirations, learn from past experiences, and truly adhere to the agreements and principles in order to promote the continuous improvement of bilateral relationship.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 12:53:58|Editor: Xiang Bo

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UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A UN spokesperson said Saturday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "is following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders."

In a statement, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that "the latest events come as the Syrian people suffer through one of the most violent periods in nearly seven years of conflict. Over 1,000 civilian casualties from airstrikes were reported in the first week of February alone."

"The Secretary-General stresses once again that all concerned in Syria and the region have a responsibility and must abide by international law and relevant Security Council resolutions. He calls on all to work for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence and exercise restraint," Dujarric said.

"The Secretary-General further calls on the parties to move swiftly toward a political solution, in line with Security Council Resolution 2254, which is the only way to end the violence and the terrible suffering of the Syrian people," he added.

On Saturday, Israel conducted airstrikes against Iranian facilities in Syria, claiming an Iranian drone had entered the Israeli airspace from Syria. During the operation, the Syrian air defense launched missiles to shoot down an F-16 fighter jet of the Israeli Air Force.
PYONGYANG, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea have vowed to keep the momentum of inter-Korean rapprochement, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday.

The pledge was made during a meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and a high-ranking delegation DPRK sent to attend the opening ceremony of the 23rd Winter Olympics, the report said.

The talk, held Saturday in the presidential Blue House in Seoul, proceeded in a "sincere and cordial" atmosphere, it said.

Moon expressed gratitude to top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un for "taking a special step" by sending the high-level delegation along with Kim's personal letter and oral greetings, said the KCNA report.

But the report did not specify the details of the letter, which reportedly included a proposal to hold an inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in near future.

Moon said he would make further efforts step by step so that the two sides could closely cooperate for common prosperity, it said.

Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly who was leading the delegation, expressed his confidence that with courage and decisiveness, the two sides can overcome "unimaginable difficulties" to realize reunification, the report said.

The DPRK delegation also included Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's younger sister who serves as the first vice director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports fell in the first 10 days of February due to less business days, the customs office data showed Sunday.

Exports, which account for about half of the economy, reached 14.8 billion U.S. dollars during the Feb. 1-10 period, according to the Korea Customs Service.

It was down 1.8 percent from the same period of last year as the number of working days reduced to eight days from 8.5 days a year earlier.

The daily average exports, however, gained 4.4 percent to 1.85 billion dollars in the cited period.

The country's export kept an upward momentum for 15 months through January, but it was widely forecast to fall in February as the number of working days reduce due to the Lunar New Year's holiday next week.

Demand for semiconductors kept a double-digit expansion this month, with exports for oil products and cars rising.

The shipments of smartphones continued to fall as local manufacturers increased production in overseas factories.

Imports advanced 17.6 percent to 16.6 billion dollars in the cited period, sending the trade balance to a deficit of 1.84 billion dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 13:49:06|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese central government sent a letter expressing condolence and sympathy to the families of victims of a bus crash killed 19 and injured dozens more in Hong Kong Saturday.

"We feel deep grief over the severe traffic accident," read the letter sent by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

"We noticed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has taken emergency measures to rescue the injured with all available resources and deal with relevant issues," it said.

The central government expressed deep condolences to all the victims, sympathized with their relatives, and hoped the injured could recover soon.

The accident happened at around 6:15 p.m. local time, when the bus on its way to Tai Po from Shatin racecourse toppled to its left on Tai Po Road, New Territories, destroying a bus station on roadside.

Most of the passengers were horse racing fans, as the bus was travelling on a special route for horse racing days.

Police said the 30-year-old driver of the bus was arrested.

The accident was the deadliest one in Hong Kong since 2003, when 21 people were killed after a double-decker bus plunged off a flyover following a collision with a container truck.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 14:39:16|Editor: Zhou Xin

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Romanian former President Emil Constantinescu (1st L), Romanian Vice Prime Minister Ana Birchall (C) and Chinese Ambassador to Romania Xu Feihong (1st R) attend an event celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year at the Romanian Atheneum in Bucharest, capital of Romania, Feb. 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Cristian Cristel)

BUCHAREST, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A performance featuring special grassland culture was given by a group of artists from north China's Inner Mongolia region in the Romanian capital of Bucharest on Saturday night to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival.

The event was jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy to Romania and the Romanian-Chinese House, a non-profit private association aiming to enhance dialogue and cooperation between the two countries and peoples.

The performance exhibited music and choreography of the Nair ethnic group in China, containing many cultural components, such as the hilarity for the first snow in a year, the life in the steppe and the celebration of the upcoming spring season, which were all expressed on the basis of traditional Mongolian songs and dances.

The show involves a section of Khoomei singing, a special type of Mongolian overtone singing in the Altai mountains, especially in Inner Mongolia, which has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2009.

Romanian Vice Prime Minister Ana Birchall also attended the event and said the Romanian government will enhance bilateral relations with China, and that the friendship between the two sides dating from 1949 has been making progress year by year.

Chinese Ambassador to Romania Xu Feihong said the Chinese Spring Festival, as a paramount cultural symbol, connotes the arrival of spring, family reunion, harmony and happiness.

Deeply moved by the live performance, former Romanian Ambassador to China Romulus Budura recalled another important day dating back to 1955, saying "At that moment, China's Marshal Zhu De came to this hall of the athenaeum and stood on that stage where the artists were performing, and I also attended that event."

"Words alone cannot properly describe my feeling. The audience is very enthusiastic in Romania, and we have a good time here," Enhe, one of the Chinese artists who did not give his full name, told Xinhua.
NEW DELHI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in Saturday's attack on an army station in India-controlled Kashmir rose to six on Sunday, while four militants were also killed during search operations, defence sources confirmed.

Those killed included five army men and one civilian, who was the father of a defence personnel.

A total of 11 persons were injured, including four army men and seven civilians.

Among the injured was a pregnant woman who received gunshot injuries in her lower back and later delivered a baby girl at a military hospital.

The attack took place in the wee hours of Saturday, and rescue operations resumed on Sunday morning. The body of the fourth militant was discovered. Combing operation continued inside the army station to find militants, if any, holed up inside the residential compound of junior commissioned officers.

Indian security forces have blamed the attack on Jaish-e-Mohammed based in Pakistan.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in the region since 1989.
COLOMBO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and his party on Sunday were taking the lead at the local government election held this year.

According to official results released by the Elections Commission at Sunday noon, Rajapakse's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (Sri Lanka People's Front) had won 70 local bodies out of 103 while the ruling United National Party had won 14 and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, headed by President Maithripala Sirisena had won 3.

Finals results are expected to be announced later Sunday.

In a statement, Rajapakse thanked his voters for expressing confidence in him and his party and vowed to live up to the people's aspirations.

Over 15 million people cast their votes in the local government election held Saturday.

Some 8,350 members will be elected to 340 councils across the country following Saturday's polls.

The local councils are the third tier of governance in Sri Lanka after the Parliament and the Provincial Councils, and are primarily responsible for local affairs such as the development of village access roads, garbage collection, and maintenance of basic local infrastructure.

Former President Rajapakse was defeated by Sirisena in a Presidential election in January 2015. He later came back as an opposition parliamentarian and formed his own political party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.
Alleged militant with sword attacks church congregation in Indonesia, injuring at least 4 Source: Xinhua 2018-02-11 15:39:29 JAKARTA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A man carrying a sword struck a church congregation on Sunday in Yogyakarta province of Indonesia, wounding at least four people before police shot him, a police officer in charge in nearby Gamping police station told Xinhua by phone. Editor: Zhou Xin
KHOST, Afghanistan, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A religious scholar has been killed in Afghanistan's eastern province of Khost, local police said Sunday.

"Hazrat Gul was shot dead by unknown armed men in Nadir Shah Kot district late Saturday and the district police department has launched an investigation into the incident," district Police Chief Massoud Raihan told Xinhua.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the shooting yet.

The Taliban outfit and Islamic State (IS) militant group often target civilians, religious clerics and local leaders for their support to the government, NATO and U.S.-led forces stationed in the country.

More than 2,640 civilians were killed and over 5,370 others injured in conflict-related incidents in the first nine months of 2017, according to figures released by the United Nations mission in the country.
TALUQAN, Afghanistan, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Taliban key commander Mir Wali is among eight militants who were killed in Darqad district of Afghan northern Takhar province on Sunday, as cleanup operation continues in the restive district, police spokesman in the province, Abdul Khalil Asir said.

"The security forces in crackdown against Taliban rebels attacked several villages including Basir Khil, the stronghold of Taliban in Darqad district, and killed eight insurgents including Taliban notorious commander Mir Wali and his lieutenant Qari Sefat on Sunday morning," Asir told Xinhua.

More than a dozen militants sustained injuries in the ongoing operations which started on Thursday, the official said.

Mir Wali had served as a military commander of the Taliban group in the northern Takhar province and his physical elimination could serve as a major blow to the insurgent group, the official said.

Taliban militants are yet to make comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 15:54:33|Editor: Lifang

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RABAT, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese modern dance show, Oath-Midnight Rain, kicked off the celebrations of the Chinese New Year in Morocco, offering audience from different age categories a joyous journey into the Chinese culture.

At Morocco's prestigious Mohammed V National Theatre, the spoken language retreated, giving way to body creation on Friday night.

One after another, the six characters colourfully embodied the story line, dancing in a harmonious manner to Chinese music.

The performance starts with a bride who died during her wedding, and continues with her search for reborn.

A flower, a bird, a fish, an insect, and then a blade of grass are the forms the new creature took, thus representing the different stages in the soul's quest for balance.

Gaoyan Jinzi's Oath-Midnight Rain, had premiered in Venice, Italy, in 2006 by Beijing Modern Dance Company.

A Moroccan father accompanying his daughter to the show told Xinhua that he enjoyed the performance. "I saw a brilliant gestures and moves from the Chinese characters featuring the bird and rose."

"The show is at very high standards. The lighting is marvellous and the performance of the characters is top," Issam Grini, a young Moroccan student in arts said.

Apart from this show, this commemoration of the Chinese New Year is characterized by a diversified cultural program in both Rabat and Casablanca.

Until Feb. 12, the program features Chinese traditional fair, Chinese carnival, and exhibition of Chinese calligraphy as well as a photo exhibition.

"These festivities represent an opportunity to highlight a number of facets of Chinese culture to the Moroccan audience," Chinese ambassador to Morocco Li Li said before the show.

The celebration of this Chinese New Year in Morocco coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between Beijing and Rabat.

Li reiterated his country's willingness to further strengthen cultural ties between the countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 15:54:33|Editor: ZD

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits the homes of impoverished villagers of the Yi ethnic group who live deep in the Daliang Mountains of Zhaojue County, Sichuan Province in southwest China, Feb. 11, 2018. Xi asked the villagers about their lives and discussed poverty alleviation with local officials and villagers on Sunday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

ZHAOJUE, Sichuan, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping Sunday visited the homes of impoverished villagers of the Yi ethnic group who live deep in the Daliang Mountains of Zhaojue County, Sichuan Province in southwest China.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, asked the villagers about their lives and discussed poverty alleviation with local officials and villagers.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A tour helicopter crashed Saturday evening in the Grand Canyon in the southwestern U.S. state of Arizona, one of the most famous national parks of the United States, leaving three people killed.

A helicopter from Papillion Airways carrying a pilot and six passengers crashed in the Quartermaster Canyon, 620 kilometers east of Los Angeles, at around 5:20 p.m.(0120 GMT Sunday), local ABC 15 news channel reported, citing Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley.

Multiple agencies took part in the rescue and investigation, Bradley said.

Gerard Ramalho, a reporter with the NBC, posted pictures on his twitter account Saturday night, showing that rescue crews had found the wreckage of the helicopter, a Eurocopter EC130, in the state of Arizona.

"Four survivors being treated at the scene, all Level 1 'critical' ... can't be airlifted because conditions too windy," he tweeted.

The helicopter tour in the Grand Canyon, which provides stunning aerial views of the magnificent vista, is very popular in the national park and the tickets are always sold out several weeks in advance.

According to the Papillion Airways' website, the Las Vegas-based company flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year on the Grand Canyon and other tours.
MANILA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wants to completely ban Filipinos from working in Kuwait, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said on Sunday, adding the Philippine leader wants "to send a strong message" to the Gulf state.

"That is the directive of the president, and by tomorrow, I'm going to issue the order," Bello told local radio DZMM in an interview.

Bello said the government will take back the distressed Filipino workers in Kuwait. However, those who wish to stay in Kuwait will be allowed to do so.

Bello also said that the Philippines may reconsider its decision if Kuwait signs a memorandum of agreement guaranteeing the protection of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

The deployment ban may also extend to other Arab nations if a pending review finds that the condition of OFWs there is poor and not protected, the secretary added.

The Philippines ordered on Jan. 19 the suspension of workers to Kuwait as the government investigates the case of seven Filipinos working in the Gulf state.

The government said it had issued the ban because the Kuwaiti government failed to protect Filipinos from abuse.

Duterte told a news conference on Friday that the ban stays, and that he is prepared to take serious steps to preserve the lives of Filipino workers amid the deaths of domestic workers in Kuwait.

Duterte lamented the death of a Filipino woman working as a help in Kuwait whose body was recently found inside a freezer. The woman's body bore torture marks and indications that she was strangled to death.

Duterte also implored the Kuwaiti government and to the Arab nations to protect the Filipinos working in their countries.

Duterte said he would ask two airlines to provide transportation for OFWs who want to come home.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said there are about 250,000 Filipinos working in Kuwait, mostly working as domestic helpers.

The Philippines is one of the primary sources of domestic workers abroad, including Singapore, China's Hong Kong and Middle East countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Many of the workers reportedly suffer sexual abuse from their male employers. The abuse of many Filipino women workers are often Duterte's topic in his speeches.

The Philippines is heavily reliant on the remittances these workers send home, and remittances keep the economy afloat.
CAIRO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Up to 16 militants were killed and four others arrested in a major anti-terrorism operation launched by Egypt on Friday in Northern and Central Sinai, the Egyptian army said in a statement on Sunday.

Another 30 suspects were arrested, it said.

"The air forces targeted 66 hideouts and centers used by terrorists," the statement added, saying that 11 vehicles, and 31 motorbike, as well as three explosive warehouses were destroyed during the continuous raids.
KABUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Afghan government forces have killed three militants and defused 16 anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines in the southern Helmand and the eastern Zabul provinces over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here on Sunday.

The security forces, according to the statement, targeted a hideout of a Taliban branch in Gereshk district of southern Helmand province late Saturday, killing three insurgents on the spot and injuring two others.

Similarly, the security forces in crackdown against militants in Mohammad Agha district of eastern Logar province, found 16 anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines and defused all of the explosive devices on Saturday, the statement said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 15:59:37|Editor: Zhou Xin

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TEHRAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians attended nationwide rallies on Sunday to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution in 1979.

People in the Iranian cities swarmed to the streets, chanting anti-U.S., anti-Israeli slogans and carrying images of the late founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Seyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, and his successor, incumbent leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Earlier, Khamenei and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani called for mass turnout in the rallies to condemn the U.S. recent threats against the Islamic republic.

The 1979 revolution in Iran toppled the U.S.-backed regime of Shah and brought the country under the leadership of Khomeini, an event seen as a turning point in Iran's history.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 15:59:38|Editor: Lifang

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DHAKA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Bangladesh along with two U.N. agencies, on Saturday distributed relief materials to flood victims of the country's Nilphamari district, some 360 km northwest of Dhaka.

Bangladeshi government officials, Chinese officials from the embassy, and United Nations representatives attended the distribution ceremony.

Household materials and sheets were distributed to the affected families in Bangladesh.

The 2017 South-Asian monsoons inundated the northern flood plains of Bangladesh, severely affecting millions of people in 31 districts.

Flood waters destroyed 82,000 houses and damaged many more, leaving 320,000 people in need of support to repair their homes and replace their damaged belongings once the flood waters receded.

To support the flood response, China's Commerce Ministry partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide 4 million U.S. dollars for flood victims to help them recover.

Additionally, UNDP has partnered with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to ensure that flood-affected women and girls will be provided with emergency dignity kits containing clothing, personal hygiene items and a flashlight, and health workers provided with emergency health response kits to serve women and girls' health needs.

As part of this joint initiative of UNDP and China, Myanmar's Rohingya women and girls in Bangladesh through the UNFPA received reproductive health kits, medicines and supplies.

A total of 13,910 families in the flood-hit Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Bogra and Nilphamari districts received relief materials. Nearly 118,000 women received emergency reproductive health kits in Cox's Bazar.

In his speech, Chinese Economic and Commercial Counselor to Bangladesh Li Guangjun said that China "sympathized with the flood victims and refugees in Bangladesh" and "appreciated the humanitarian assistance provided by UNDP in partnership with other organizations."

He hoped that the materials would help to improve the flood victims' and refugees' lives.

Bangladeshi Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor said in his remarks that "I hope this kind of support from UNDP and China will continue in future, whenever there is any disaster."

Sudipto Mukerjee, Country Director of UNDP Bangladesh said, "China has been increasingly supporting developing countries in humanitarian relief and recovery as well as advancing the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. This partnership is a reflection of South-South Cooperation."
JAKARTA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A man carrying a sword struck a church congregation on Sunday in Yogyakarta province of Indonesia, wounding at least four people before police shot him, a police officer told Xinhua by phone.

The assault occurred during the Sunday's mass in St Lidwina Bedhog Trihanggo church of Sleman district in the province, said the police officer who is in charge of the police station in Gamping sub-district where the incident took place.

"The incident took place between 7:00 a.m. to 7: 30 a.m Jakarta time today (Sunday) in Lidwina church," he said.

The attack injured at least four people, including a police officer who tried to help the priest against the attack, according to police.

All the injured people have been rushed into a nearby hospital for medical treatments, police said.

Police are investigating the case, trying to find out the motive of the strike and the network linked with the man.

Churches have been commonly targeted by militants in Indonesia.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 16:44:45|Editor: Zhou Xin

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TEHRAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iranian president on Sunday said that regional states, including Iran, have aborted U.S. plots over the past year.

"The plots by the United States and Israel to create division among the Iranians, Iraqis and the Lebanese were defeated," Hassan Rouhani said here, addressing a huge gathering to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution.

"The Americans wanted to interfere in our internal affairs, but our people turned back to them," Rouhani said, alluding to the recent unrests in the cities of Iran over the economic hardship of people.

The Iranians in solidarity and unity aborted all the U.S. plots and plans to disturb the country, he added.

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians attended nationwide rallies on Sunday to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution in 1979.

People in the Iranian cities swarmed to the streets, chanting anti-U.S., anti-Israeli slogans and carrying images of the late founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Seyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, and his successor, the incumbent leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Earlier, Khamenei and Rouhani called for mass turnout in the rallies to condemn the U.S. recent threats against the Islamic republic.

The 1979 revolution in Iran toppled the U.S.-backed regime of Shah and brought the country under the leadership of Khomeini, an event seen as a turning point in Iran's history.
DUBAI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said here on Sunday at the opening of the 2018 World Government Summit that the idea to export democracy by force through past interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya is a mistake.

Transformation of states takes time and must happened progressively, Philippe said in his main address of the summit held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the theme "Shaping Future Governments."

"Military interventions like we have seen in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya to impose democracy through fire failed to achieve their objectives," the French head of government said.

A U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq and Afghanistan in 2001 and 2003 respectively in order to impose a regime change and install a western-style democracy, but both countries have been remaining war-torn states until today.

The government of Libya under former leader Muammar Al-Gaddafi was removed by a NATO-led aerial campaign in 2011 following the outbreak of the Arab turmoil, though the North African oil state has likewise not found to internal stability since then.

In Europe, it took centuries to transform the states into democracies, Philippe said.

Philippe's speech was attended by UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed, his wife Princess Haya Bint Hussein and Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al-Maktoum, and members of the UAE government, along with over 4,000 delegates from across the globe.

On Saturday, Philippe attended with Noura Bint Mohammed Al-Kaabi, the UAE minister of Culture and Knowledge Development the inauguration of UAE-France Cultural Dialogue 2018 at the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum.

The 6th edition of the World Government Summit which comprises 120 conference sessions and workshops will run through Tuesday.
ISLAMABAD, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani security forces nabbed 20 terrorists during various operations conducted in southwestern Balochistan province on Sunday, the military said.

A statement from the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said that paramilitary frontier corps carried out intelligence-based operations in Buleda, Gish Kaur, Tratha and Pishin areas of the province.

The paramilitary frontier corps also recovered arms and ammunition from the possession of the arrested terrorists, including rockets, sub-machine guns and sniper rifle ammunition, laptops, GPS and other communication equipment, the army statement said.

The operations were part of the ongoing operation "Raddul Fassad" in Balochistan province, a military offensive involving all law-enforcement agencies against the "latent threat of terrorism" across the country, which was launched in February 2017.

Earlier on Tuesday in a similar operation, the paramilitary frontier corps arrested 11 militants during multiple operations conducted in the province and seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition from their possession, said a military statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 16:44:45|Editor: Zhou Xin

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by Xinhua writer Wang Bowen

JERUSALEM, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Experts believe that recent friction between Israel and Syrian army forces shows Iran might have changed "rules" on its strategy towards Israel but situation is unlikely to develop into a full-fledge war.

The Israeli army launched a large-scale attack against the Syrian aerial defense system and Iranian targets in Syria after an Israeli F-16 fighter was hit by missiles from Syria and crashed Saturday morning.

Twelve Iranian and Syrian targets inside Syria were attacked, including four Iranian targets that are part of Iran's military establishment in Syria and eight Syrian targets near Damascus, said the IDF spokesperson, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, in a briefing held Saturday noon.

Israel has been reportedly conducting regular intelligence fly-overs and carried out several air attacks against Syria military targets and Hezbollah targets.

Since last December, airstrikes have been more frequent than usual.

On Sunday Israel announced its plan to hold the largest paratroop drill since 2012, amid heightened tensions on both the southern and northern borders. The whole of the Paratroopers Brigade will parachute in full gear, including heavy weapons, as part of the exercise.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was joined by members of the powerful 10-member security cabinet for a briefing on Mount Avital that outlined Israel Defence Forces (IDF) readiness to tackle the ongoing threat posed by Hezbollah and other Iran-backed forces along the northern border.

On that trip the hawkish leader sent a warning message to Iran, saying "do not test Israel."

On Wednesday, Israeli fighter jets launched attacks on military targets on the outskirts of Damascus, most of which was rejected by Syrian anti-aircraft fire, triggering air raid sirens in the Golan Heights and upper Galilee, warning residents of potential rocket strikes.

It is reported that Israel also launched at least three missiles toward Syria since December.

Yossi Kuperwasser, former head of the IDF's Intelligence Research and Assessment Division and former director-general of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, said Iran attempts to change the "rule of games" between Iran and Israel.

"Iran now intends to launch attacks from Syria against Israel by themselves instead of through Hezbollah infrastructure, Druze and Palestinian elements before," Yossi said.

Media reports say Israel has asked for immediate Russian and American intervention but foreign ministry spokesman did not respond to interview request on that.

Netanyahu warned many times that Israel will not tolerate Iranian military presence in Syria and has been repeatedly asking Putin and other international leaders not to allow Iran gain a permanent military presence in war-torn Syria.

In Washington, President Donald Trump's administration has backed Israel's hawkish stance on Iran, and declared containing Tehran's influence an objective of its Syria policy. On a visit to Israel last month, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called Iran the world's "leading state sponsor of terror."

For Moscow, despite Netanyahu's frequent request to Putin asking for constraint on Iran both before and after his trip to Moscow at the end of last month, Russia has not rendered support for Israel.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday shortly after the strikes that Moscow is seriously concerned by the latest developments in Syria and calls on sides to exercise restraint and avoid an escalation of the situation.

While Kuperwasser believes whether the status quo could flare up into a full war remains "hard to say," Reuven Ben-Shalom, a former Air Force pilot who served in the IDF for 25 years, said the friction is just a "skirmish."

Ben-Shalom believes neither Israel nor Iran has any interest to escalate this, adding that both sides are just trying to flex their muscles to demonstrate their own capabilities although what Iran has put together in Syria is no comparison to Israel.

A pro-Assad official, while saying the downing of F-16 fighter jet was just a "message" delivered to Israel, believes that tensions would not develop into a regional war.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 16:49:46|Editor: Lifang

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BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and twelve others injured in a knife attack at a shopping mall in downtown Beijing Sunday.

The attack happened around 1 p.m. at Joy City in the commercial area of Xidan, Xicheng District, police said.

An injured woman died at the hospital. None of the other injured -- three male and nine female -- were in critical condition.

Police have caught the suspect and identified him as a 35-year-old man surnamed Zhu.

The suspect has claimed responsibility for the attack and said he was motivated by personal grievances, according to the police.
MOGADISHU, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Somali forces repelled an attack by the al-Shabaab militant group near the capital city of Mogadishu Saturday night, local authorities said Sunday.

The al-Qaida-linked militants attacked Afgooye town, about 30 km southwest of Mogadishu, Afgooye police chief Abdulkadir Osman said.

"They attacked the town and our forces responded. The fighting lasted a while before our forces defeated them," Osman told reporters, adding that "we are now in full control of Afgooye."

The officer said the militants suffered injuries but did not indicate any casualties on his forces. "Three civilians were also injured in the attack," he added.

Local residents said the fighting caused panic in the town. Bashir Mayow who lived in Afgooye told Xinhua that the clash was deadly.

"Al-Shabaab attacked us last night and the whole town was gripped by fear as Somali forces fought hard to push away the militants," said Mayow.

The al-Shabaab militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 18:05:00|Editor: Lifang

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TEHRAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iranian president on Sunday said that regional states, including Iran, have aborted a number of U.S. plots over the past year.

"The plots by the United States and Israel to create division among the Iranians, Iraqis and the Lebanese were defeated," Hassan Rouhani said here, addressing a huge gathering in Tehran's Azadi (liberty) square to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution.

"The Americans wanted to interfere in our internal affairs, but our people turned back to them," Rouhani said, alluding to the recent unrests in the cities of Iran over the economic hardship of people.

The Iranians in solidarity and unity aborted all the U.S. plots and plans to disturb the country, he added.

Besides, the U.S. plot to relocate its capital to Jerusalem (al-Quds) in Israel was faced with the international condemnation, he said.

Not only the Islamic states, but also overwhelming majority of other countries opposed the U.S. plan in the general assembly meeting of the United Nations, he pointed out.

Moreover, Washington did not succeed in destroying the Iranian nuclear deal in several occasions, Rouhani said.

"I announce that the Iranian nation would remain committed to the nuclear deal as long as the other side respects it," Rouhani said, warning that in case the United States quit the nuclear deal, it would be "the loser."

Rouhani also hailed the achievements of 2015 nuclear deal for Iran, saying that it enabled the country to establish its nuclear rights internationally.

Despite the U.S. pressures, the Islamic republic has also attracted billions of U.S. dollars in foreign investments, the Iranian president stated.

"This is an indication of Iran's growth international reputation," he stressed.

No power in the world will be able to influence Iran in political, cultural and economic sectors, Rouhani said, lauding the country's "independence."

Amidst rising fresh tensions between the Islamic republic and the United States, hundreds of thousands of Iranians attended nationwide rallies on Sunday to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution in 1979.

People in the Iranian cities swarmed to the streets carrying flags and banners in support of the Islamic establishment leaders and chanted anti-U.S., and anti-Israeli slogans.

The rallies in capital Tehran turned into a demonstration against the recent U.S. sanctions and pressures on Iran over its ballistic missile program.

They also chanted slogans against some regional allies of the United States, including Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, Khamenei and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani called for mass turnout in the rallies to condemn the U.S. recent threats against the Islamic republic.

Rouhani said people's "massive" attendance in the anniversary of the Islamic revolution would show solidarity and unity of the nation with the revolution and the leadership.

The 1979 revolution in Iran toppled the U.S.-backed regime of Shah and brought the country under the leadership of Khomeini, an event seen as a turning point in Iran's history.

On Sunday, the statement at the end of the rallies called the United States as "the number one enemy of the Islamic republic."

The statement urged the Iranian officials to withstand the "excessive demands" of the United States and to resist its pressures and fresh sanctions.

Over the past year, the United States announced sanctions on multiple entities and individuals allegedly involved in Iran's ballistic missile program and providing support to the military in Iran.

In reaction, Iranian officials unanimously described the missile test as an "inalienable right" of the country to boost its deterrent power. Tehran has vowed to counter the fresh U.S. sanctions.
A local woman shows pot utensils made by Oriang Women Group in Homa Bay county, Nyanza Province, Kenya, Feb. 4, 2018. The kiln was constructed for Oriang Women Group by the German government through the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). However, the kiln is not in operation due to lack oil that fuels it. (Xinhua/Peter Mutai)

NAIROBI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Oriang Pottery Women Group in Homa Bay Country, Western Kenya, is home to water, cooking and plate pots that were used in the prehistoric times until the development of metal cooking utensils.

Founded in 1969, the group has remained relevant to keeping the traditional African utensils alive despite the introduction of new metal utensils globally.

"Water pots are still favored and are in high demand due to their storage power while most people purchase cooking pots because they heat up faster," Filgona Wanjara, the groups Chairperson told Xinhua in an interview.

Wanjara noted that their latest make -- fridge pot and jiko stove, are becoming very popular as people order for them as far as Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya.

She revealed that even though fridge pot takes too long to make, it is popular along the lake Victoria Basin and beyond as it helps keep drinking water cool during hotter months.

Jiko stoves are also gaining popularity as it enables families to use less fuel wood while cooking their food.

Wanjara said that their business thrives because plastic containers are unpopular with most people who claim that they do not keep water cool especially during hotter seasons.

Wanjara noted that their clients testify that foods cooked from the pot are better than the ones cooked in metal containers.

She noted that unknown to the current generation, food cooked in the pot continues being cooked even after being removed from the fire.

"Cooking from the pot takes some time but the foods are often well cooked," Rosa Ogero, a resident of Kendu bay town who uses cooking pots said.

Ogero said that even though modernity is forcing people to abandon some items, the use of pot utensils is still popular. "They are cheap, available and also does not disappoint," she added.

In making the pottery utensils, the group members first find special clay. The clay is collected fresh and wet from the banks of River Sare, 10 kilometers away, where they dig the soil and collect the clay and transport it to the group premises. Sometimes, during dry seasons they collect dry clay to which they add water to avoid dehydrating.

"We then blend the clay, smoothing and compressing it to what one intends to make after mixing it properly with water ready to form pottery," Jakoyo added.

The utensils are then allowed to dry for utmost two weeks, until it is properly dry to avoid cracks forming and then the women paddle the outside of the vessel with a flat piece of wood, mixed with some traditional concoctions that make the utensil durable.

"We then pile grass and use them for covering the pots and bury them in hot blazing fire," said Jakoyo.

The pots are then let to cool down completely before being moved from the ashes of the fire to avoid cracking.

According to Wanjara, the group members leave between 10-20 percent of the proceeds, depending on the number one makes in the group account.

"The amount is then used as a merry-go-round and often members borrow during emergencies such as falling sick," she added.

Wanjara said that with the use of jiko stoves, populations need to be encouraged to adopt its use to help save trees for fuel wood.

The group is currently involved in making flower pots and vase and they have orders mainly from Nairobi.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 18:20:06|Editor: Zhou Xin

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TAIPEI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two more mainland tourists were confirmed dead Sunday in Tuesday's earthquake in Taiwan's Hualien County, bringing the death toll to 17.

Rescuers found the bodies in the ruins of a 12-story building after searching for more than 100 hours.

The latest victims were from the same family of five as three were found and confirmed dead Saturday. The family of five from Beijing were staying at an hotel on the second floor of the Yun Men Tsui Ti building.

Rescuers said the search was extremely difficult because the 12-story building has tilted, with the first four floors severely compressed.

"There is very limited space for us to operate inside," said a rescuer named Huang. "We must be very careful to avoid causing a further collapse when using heavy machines."

The 17 victims include nine from the mainland, five from Taiwan, one from the Philippines and two from Canada. A total of 285 people were injured.

Among the 17 deceased, 14 died in the Yun Men Tsui Ti building, which has brought demands for a public enquiry.

The building was constructed more than 20 years ago, and its first three floors contained a restaurant and an hotel. The upper floors were residential apartments.

The restaurant and hotel have the same owner, with some residents suspecting that the owner had altered the structure of the building, according to Taiwan media reports.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude jolted waters near Hualien at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday. The epicenter was monitored at 24.13 degrees north latitude and 121.71 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 11 kilometers.

It was the most severe earthquake to hit Hualien in 67 years, and followed by more than 60 aftershocks within eight hours, according to Fu Kun-Chi, head of Hualien County.

Four buildings partially collapsed or tilted including the Yun Men Tsui Ti building, the Marshal Hotel, and two apartment buildings. All were built on a geological fault. Both the Yun Men Tsui Ti building and the Marshal Hotel had large open spaces on the ground floor, making the whole building top-heavy.

People on the Chinese mainland have expressed concern and sympathy. Many organizations have made donations.

Fu said the county would provide help and pensions to the relatives of the deceased.

He also expressed gratitude for the condolences and sympathy conveyed by Zhang Zhijun, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and the donations offered by mainland organizations.

Disaster-relief personnel have begun to dismantle the damaged buildings to ensure they do not cause any danger to surrounding houses and residents.
KABUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The government of Iran has issued licenses to 165 Afghan companies to invest and operate in the free trade zone of Chabahar port, Afghan media reported here on Sunday.

"Among the 500 companies licensed to operate in the free trade zone of Chabahar Port, 165 of them are Afghan firms," Tolo television channel said in its news bulletin.

"We also would continue our efforts to start the Kabul-Chabahar-Dubai flights in order to ease access for Afghan investors to global markets," the media outlet quoted the Iranian Embassy here as saying.

Iran, India and Afghanistan inked an agreement in May 2016 under which Afghan traders are allowed to invest and utilize the Chabahar Port for their economic activities.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 18:40:11|Editor: Lifang

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Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (3rd R, rear), also head of the State Council's food safety commission, presides over a plenary meeting of the commission in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 11, 2018. Wang Yang (2nd R, rear), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and deputy head of the commission, attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli pledged Sunday the country will adopt the strictest punishments and the most rigorous standards to ensure food safety.

Zhang, also head of the State Council's food safety commission, made the remarks at a plenary meeting of the commission.

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and deputy head of the commission, attended the meeting.

Zhang required efforts to modernize the systems and capacity for food safety administration, stressing that both the production and supervision processes need to be strengthened.

Noting that the CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to food safety work, Zhang said related work has yielded significant achievements and the food safety situation has stayed generally stable over the past five years.

Wang said the standards system for food safety should be improved and supervision should be enhanced at grassroots levels.

Wang also called for better industrial self-discipline, greater public supervision, and deepened supply-side structural reform in the sector to promote the high-quality development of related industries and to ensure more safe, nutritious, and healthy foods for the people.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 19:00:13|Editor: Lifang

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BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The English translations of three Chinese children's books were listed on the 2018 Outstanding International Books list (OIB) by the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY).

"Little Rabbit's Questions," one of the three books, was written and illustrated by Gan Dayong, translated by Helen Wang and published by Candied Plums, which was co-founded by China Educational Publications Import and Export Corporation Ltd. and Paper Republic Llc.

It features a little rabbit who is full of questions, and his mom answers him in a way that makes him feel safe and be loved. The illustrations are in soft-colored traditional Chinese brush painting style.

The other two books were written by Cao Wenxuan, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2016.

"Bronze and Sunflower," translated by Helen Wang, illustrated by Meilo So, and published by Candlewick Press, tells the story of a mute boy who begs his family to take an orphan into their home.

"Feather," translated by Chloe Garcia Roberts, illustrated by Roger Mello, and published by Elsewhere Editions, depicts a feather traveling far and wide to seek its owner.

This year the OIB committee selected 38 titles published in various countries around the world. These books help young readers understand cultural, ethnic, and geographical differences and similarities.

The USBBY has been publishing its annual OIB list since 2006. Each year, books are selected by a committee appointed from the membership of the USBBY, the U.S. section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 20:05:22|Editor: Lifang

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BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's financial input in R&D of basic sciences doubled in the past five years from 41.2 billion yuan (about 6.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2011 to 82.3 billion yuan in 2016, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology Sunday.

The percentage of funding for basic science R&D in the central government's total financial input in science and technology has reached the level of developed countries, said Zhang Xiaoyuan, an official overseeing resource allocation and management at the ministry.

The government currently supports basic science research by either directly giving money to research institutions or allowing them to bid for projects, Zhang said at a press conference.

"Each of the two forms of financial support now makes up about half of the total," said Zhang, adding that financial input from businesses and other forces of the society remains low.

He said the central government will further encourage the participation of local governments and businesses in the implementation of major projects on basic science research in the future and explore means of charity and donation.

The State Council recently released guidelines on strengthening research in basic sciences to lay out basic principles and major arrangements.
MANILA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Five members of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf were killed and seven government soldiers were wounded following a firefight on Sunday morning in the southern Philippines, a security official said.

Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana, the commander of the military's Joint Task Force Sulu, said the government troops were sent to a village on the Sulu island to rescue victims held by the Abu Sayyaf group.

Sobejana said the soldiers were fired upon by the terrorists around 4:15 a.m. (local time) Sunday as soon as they arrived at the enemy lair, leading to a firefight with about 30 Abu Sayyaf men.

"Upon arrival in the area, our troops were fired upon by the enemy, resulting to an exchange of gun fires," said Sobejana.

"Our troops were very careful because we believe there were kidnap victims with the Abu Sayyaf, however, the bandits fired at our marines first prompting our forces to fire back," said Sobejana.

The Abu Sayyaf is said to be holding about a dozen foreign and Filipino victims in Sulu. It was not immediately clear how many victims were being held by the Abu Sayyaf men engaged by the soldiers.

The military said the terrorists withdrew after they realized the superiority of the firepower of the soldiers.

Meanwhile, the seven wounded soldiers were evacuated to a military hospital for treatment.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 20:25:25|Editor: Lifang

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Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a meeting of the chairman and vice-chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 11, 2018. The 33rd session of the Standing Committee of the 12th NPC is to convene from Feb. 23 to Feb 24. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The 33rd of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, is to convene from Feb. 23 to Feb 24.

An important task at the session is to prepare for the first 13th NPC session, to be held in March, according to a statement issued after a meeting of the chairman and vice-chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee on Sunday.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the meeting.

Participants at the February session will deliberate a report on the work of the 12th NPC Standing Committee, another on electing deputies to the 13th NPC, and one on qualifications of new deputies.

Lawmakers will also deliberate the agenda of the first 13th NPC session, the presidium and secretary-general name list, and a name list of non-voting delegates.

During the February session, lawmakers will review an amendment to a 2015 decision on pledging allegiance to the Constitution and a report on the implementation of the Seed Law.

In July 2015, the NPC Standing Committee decided that officials at all levels in government, courts and procuratorates should take a public oath of allegiance to the Constitution when they assume office.

They will also review a report on the qualifications of some NPC deputies and a motion to adjust the military's election committee, in addition to appointments and dismissals, said the statement.
TOKYO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera on Sunday declined to comment on whether a fatal crash of a military helicopter in a residential area in Saga Prefecture would affect the planned deployment of the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to the prefecture in the country's southwest.

After visiting the local government office in Saga to apologize for the helicopter crash which killed both its crew members, triggering fears about the safety of the Self-Defense Force's (SDF) aircraft, Onodera sidestepped the issue of the planned deployment of the accident-prone Osprey to the prefecture.

"Under the current circumstances, I cannot comment on the matter," Onodera was quoted as telling a press briefing on the matter.

The defense minister's remarks came after he held talks with Saga Gov. Yoshinori Yamaguchi during which he reportedly promised to ensure that comprehensive measures would be taken to ensure the safety of SDF aircraft.

Onodera said that through ongoing investigations of the latest military-linked aircraft mishap, experts were trying to determine the cause of the fatal crash in Saga's Kanzaki City, which led to a house being burnt to the ground, with the incident sending ripples of fear and concern across Japan.

He added that pending the conclusion of the investigation and new protocols to ensure future mishaps are avoided, he would restart talks with local officials and citizens about the Osprey's deployment there.

At the outset of their meeting, Yamaguchi said that the "SDF need to make absolutely sure that they do not cause trouble for civilians."

Local people and officials in Saga, in light of the most recent accident, have voiced their concerns about the deployment of the controversial Ospreys to the Saga airport, which is jointly used by military and civilian aircraft.
ISTANBUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish president's security and foreign policy adviser Ibrahim Kalin has met with U.S. National Security Adviser Herbert Raymond McMaster in Istanbul and discussed in detail issues that are hurting bilateral ties, Turkish media reported on Sunday.

Joint efforts against terrorism, long-term strategic partnership between Turkey and the United States, and the latest developments in the region were among topics under discussion, the Hurriyet daily said.

The meeting came as Turkey has been fighting for Afrin, a district in northwestern Syria being held by U.S.-backed Kurdish militia known as People's Protection Units (YPG), since Jan. 20, and Ankara has threatened to move on to target YPG-held Manbij, while Washington has refused to withdraw its troops from the town as demanded by its NATO ally.

As part of efforts to ease tension in bilateral ties and avoid a direct confrontation in Syria, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected to visit Ankara in the coming days, while Turkish and U.S. defense ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels next week.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 20:35:29|Editor: Zhou Xin

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RAMALLAH, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas aide said Sunday that Palestinians will ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to step into a multilateral mechanism to overlook the peace process.

Abbas' diplomatic advisor Majdi Khalidi told official Palestinian radio station Voice of Palestine that the president will meet with Putin tomorrow in Sochi.

"The Palestinian side insists of forming a multilateral approach to overlook the peace process with the Israeli side" in an attempt to disregard the United States from its former role in the peace process, he said.

"Russia and Putin will have an important role in this matter, including launching an international peace conference and several important issues that require consultation with all relevant parties until we achieve the interest of the Palestinian people," said Khalidi.

He explained that Palestinians will continue to consult with Russia over any coming initiative.

A senior Russian delegation met with Palestinian officials in West Bank city of Ramallah after U.S. President Donald Trump's move on Jerusalem last December.

Since Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Dec 6, 2017, Palestinians have declared that the United States is disqualified from mediating the peace process and demanded an international multilateral approach to sponsor the peace talks with Israel.
Chinese artists perform at an art show "Happy Chinese New Year, Night of Beijing" in Athens,Greece, on Feb. 10, 2018. Greeks joined their Chinese friends living in Athens on Saturday in celebrations ahead of the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival. Under the theme "Night of Beijing", artists from the Opera, Dance Academy and National Orchestra of Beijing, along with other troupes, performed traditional dances, theater plays, acrobatics and Chinese martial arts, enthralling the audience. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

By Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Greeks joined their Chinese friends living in Athens on Saturday in celebrations ahead of the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, sending warm wishes to China for a prosperous and peaceful year.

Ahead of the Chinese New Year which starts on Feb. 16 this year, the Chinese community warmly welcomed Greek friends at Technopolis cultural hub in the center of the Greek capital which was decorated with Chinese red lanterns for the occasion.

People strolled along the eight exhibition stands set up to get a taste of Chinese culture and traditions, and have an experience of a Temple Fair.

Children and adults admired the artists showcasing calligraphy and mask making, bought Chinese books, handmade toys, small gifts and enjoyed delicious Chinese snacks and food, before entering the nearby fully packed theater hall which hosted a spectacular performance by visiting Chinese art troupes.

Under the theme "Night of Beijing" artists from the Opera, Dance Academy and National Orchestra of Beijing, along with other troupes, performed traditional dances, theater plays, impressive acrobatics and Chinese martial arts, enthralling the audience.

The show started with a dragon dance and Chinese martial arts performance by young Greek students who were also greeted with applause and cheers from spectators.

A Chinese artist presents mask painting skill at a temple fair in Athens, Greece, on Feb. 10, 2018. Greeks joined their Chinese friends living in Athens on Saturday in celebrations ahead of the Chinese New Year, or SpringFestival. Under the theme "Night of Beijing", artists from the Opera, Dance Academy and National Orchestra of Beijing, along with other troupes, performed traditional dances, theater plays, acrobatics and Chinese martial arts, enthralling the audience.(Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

The event was jointly organized by the Chinese embassy in Greece and the Beijing municipality with the support of the Chinese cultural center in Athens as well as the Chinese community, businesses and media in Greece.

Until Monday (Feb. 12) Athenians will have the chance to stop by Technopolis to visit the Temple Fair, watch music and dance performances by the Chinese artists and share the joy with the Chinese people.

Chinese and Greeks attending Saturday's event expressed high hopes for the upcoming Chinese New Year and the future of Sino-Greek friendship and cooperation.

"Our countries are very close. We seem like one nation, so when you celebrate the New Year, we think it is our new year also to celebrate. The future we are celebrating," Andreas Potamianos, President of the Greece-China Association, told Xinhua.

A Chinese artist performs sugar painting skill at a temple fair in Athens, Greece, on Feb. 10, 2018. Greeks joined their Chinese friends living in Athens on Saturday in celebrations ahead of the Chinese New Year, or SpringFestival. Under the theme "Night of Beijing", artists from the Opera, Dance Academy and National Orchestra of Beijing, along with other troupes, performed traditional dances, theater plays, acrobatics and Chinese martial arts, enthralling the audience. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

"We are very happy being together and we wish a prosperous New Year, a New Year with investments from China to Greece, added Fotis Provatas, President of the Greek-Chinese Economic Council.

Highlighting the many achievements on bilateral relations made by the two countries in 2017, Gao Wenqi, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Greece, said there are great cooperation opportunities to explore for the two countries in the coming years, including major projects such as the Piraeus Port Authority to which China COSCO Shipping holds a majority stake.

Greek Dimitris Patounas, his Chinese wife Xiaoyi Chen and their 18-month-old son Proteus Chen Yuanxi were among the hundreds of people attending Saturday's celebration.

Next week they will be in China to celebrate with their Chinese relatives and friends.

"We came here to get a first taste... It was the first time we see a Chinese performance in Greece and it was marvelous," Patounas told Xinhua, before wishing "always progress, joy and above all peace and a Happy New Year" to Chinese and Greeks.

Chinese artists perform at an art show "Happy Chinese New Year, Night of Beijing" in Athens,Greece, on Feb. 10, 2018. Greeks joined their Chinese friends living in Athens on Saturday in celebrations ahead of the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival. Under the theme "Night of Beijing", artists from the Opera, Dance Academy and National Orchestra of Beijing, along with other troupes, performed traditional dances, theater plays, acrobatics and Chinese martial arts, enthralling the audience. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Terpsi Kremali attended the show with her four year old daughter. Her niece, who is learning the Chinese language, informed her about the festival, she told Xinhua. It was the first time ever she watched Chinese artists performing.

"It was very interesting, very nice. The children enjoyed the performances. They were far more impressive than we had imagined. Congratulations to everybody," she said.

"I wish the Year of the Dog to bring happiness and health," she added.
MOSCOW, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A passenger plane with 71 on board crashed shortly after leaving Moscow, a source in emergency services told Interfax on Sunday.

The Antonov An-148 of Saratov Airlines was en route from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow to Orsk, the Orenburg Region.

"Tentatively, the plane has crashed near the village of Argunovo. The crew and passengers had no chance to survive," the source said.
Joshua Bell

The sound of sunlight

by Sandor Slomovits

From the February, 2018 issue

Some years ago, a friend of mine attended a master class given by an internationally renowned violinist. After showing a student some ways to improve her sound, he asked, "Why is it important to have a beautiful tone?" The answer seemed so obvious that the student just looked puzzled. "Because the better your tone, the more ..." and then he rubbed his thumb, index, and middle fingers together in the universal sign for money.



By that criterion, Joshua Bell ought to be one of the richest violinists around today. Even among the top tier of classical violinists, his tone stands out. It is so luminous, opulent, and sumptuous that more common adjectives are inadequate. It is the sound of sunlight. From his low open G, where no vibrato is possible, to high harmonics on his E string, fingered so close to the bridge there's barely room for his bow, every note is alive.



But tone alone does not a musician make. There's the myriad of techniques to master, the imperative for impeccable intonation, and, above all, the intelligence needed to communicate through the music. Bell is remarkable here as well. Whether playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, music for the film The Red Violin, or Edgar Meyer's Overture for Violin and Orchestra, Bell's profound musical intellect illuminates everything he plays.



Bell is well versed in every period of classical music, from Bach to Barber and beyond, but when he returns to Ann Arbor for a recital at Hill Auditorium on February 10, he'll focus his program on three pieces that span the evolution from classical to modern. Mozart composed the Violin Sonata in B-flat Major in 1784--in one day! It is late Mozart, and what composer created a better balance between pure emotion and mathematically precise construction? Schubert wrote the Fantasy in C Major in 1827 only a year before he died at the sickeningly young age of thirty-one. He composed it for a virtuoso of his day,

...continued below...

and it is not for the faint of heart, especially at the tempos Bell and his accompanist Sam Haywood are likely to take it. Richard Strauss lived to a ripe old eighty-five, longer than Mozart and Schubert combined, and helped usher in the transition from the Romantic to the Modern period. The Violin Sonata in E-flat Major (1887-1888) is the last he wrote in the form that Mozart helped perfect more than 100 years earlier.Of course, there will be the inevitable encores, the sonic stage fireworks that will prompt complementary explosions from the house. In 2007, at Hill, Bell's announcement prior to playing Rachmaninoff'selicited an audible sigh of pleasure from the audience. And the end of Sarasate's Introduction and Tarantella propelled us out of our seats as though we'd been shot from cannons. [Originally published in February, 2018.]
BANGKOK, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Several bomb attacks rocked southern Thailand's Pattani Province on Sunday, injuring at least two, local media reported.

Two bombs went off Sunday morning near a school, injuring a 57-year-old woman and a district chief, the reports said.

Officials said both were pipe bombs.

Another two bombs exploded at the same time in another district of the province, causing no injuries, Nation TV said.

The two bombs were planted only 100 meters away from each other, one in a basket, the other hidden in a bike, the report said.

Suspicious objects were reported in other four spots in the same province. Police went to the scene and managed to defuse bombs at two spots.

The blasts are under investigation. Details of the attacks are not unveiled so far.
PRETORIA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Some African National Congress (ANC) members will march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Monday until President Jacob Zuma resigns.

This was said by Lazarus Maumela, ANC Gauteng member while briefing the media in Pretoria on Sunday. He stated that they want Zuma to resign to save the ANC from collapse.

Maumela invited South Africans to join them in their march to the Union Buildings or stay home causing a total shutdown. He said that the march does not have the blessing of the party leadership.

"We are coming to the Union Buildings tomorrow and we are not apologetic about it, we are ready for everything. We are being in the forefront because we love our movement. We love our organization. Even if it means that we are going to be arrested, or beaten, or killed, we are ready for it. And we are not going to leave the Union Buildings, by the way, until he resigns," said Maumela.

The group called themselves the concerned ANC members who love their organization and would love to save it. They stated that the march would be attended by the South African Communist Party, Congress of South African Trade Unions, among other organizations.

The Zuma Must Go convener, Maumela said they have written a letter to the ANC general secretary Magashule, informing him about their demand that Zuma should be prosecuted and not be given any immunity.

The ANC national executive committee members will also meet on Monday to discuss about Zuma's future. Maumela stated that they want the NEC to consider their demands in their meeting. He said that the march would be peaceful and is lawful, adding that Ramaphosa must fire Zuma.

"If you (Ramaphosa) are not going to recall comrade Zuma, we will take to the street. He shouldn't be apologetic. He must be strong, bold and take the lead. He must show leadership and say 'enough is enough - we don't want him (Zuma)," he said.

The ANC member also said they do not want Dr Nkosazana Dalamini Zuma to be the next president when Zuma resigns but prefer Cyril Ramaphosa to take over.

The Zuma Must Go campaign last week clashed with Black First land First near the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg when the later were marching in solidarity with the incumbent President.
MANILA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- To welcome the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year of the Dog, the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Sunday urged Filipinos to adopt a dog.

On Monday, members of PETA will take to the streets of Manila's Chinatown Binondo brandishing signs that read, "Happy Year of the Dog. Adopt, Don't Shop." Binondo is the world's oldest Chinatown.

Jana Sevilla of PETA told Xinhua that Monday's event is to encourage tourists and shoppers to adopt dogs from the local shelter or rescue groups instead of buying purebreds from pet stores or breeders, "which simply serves to exacerbate the homeless- animal crisis."

She said animal homelessness is becoming a serious problem in the Philippines. "The campaign is to help end the problem of animal homelessness," Sevilla said.

"City pounds and shelters are bursting at the seams with special dogs just waiting for their new families to find them and take them home," PETA Vice President Jason Baker said in a statement.

Indeed, Sevilla said "askals, or asong Pinoys (street dogs), are healthier than their purebred counterparts and have wonderfully loyal and loving spirits, which is why PETA encourages everyone who's ready to provide a dog with a lifetime of love and care, to celebrate the Year of the Dog by adopting a one-of-a kind mixed-breed friend."

On the street, Sevilla said homeless animals face starvation, extreme weather, disease, traffic, and cruel people.

"That's why PETA recommends that anyone who has the time and resources to provide an animal with a good home should adopt one from a shelter or rescue group and always have their animals sterilized," she said.

There is no available statistics on how many dogs or cats are roaming the streets, but Sevilla said, "There are just too many."

"If you go just outside your house for sure you'll find a homeless cat, or a homeless dog. In more depressed areas in the Philippines, there are so many homeless dogs and also cats," she said.

Sevilla said the street is not the safest place for the animals. "We always get reports of cruelty, a lot of dogs and cats die from starvation or they get run over by vehicles and die a slow and painful death," she said, adding when they get sick they can't get the necessary treatment because they are homeless.

Since the animals don't have any guardians who will care for them, she said these animals "can multiply really, really fast."

"That's why the population of homeless animals keeps on increasing by leaps and bounds," Sevilla said.

Sevilla said adopting dogs and cats is becoming popular in the Philippines. In fact, she said there are now different rescue groups in the country.

"Some of the rescue groups are even formed through social media, and then a lot of them find homes for these rescued animals," Sevilla said.

Sevilla said PETA is hoping that more dogs will get adopted in 2018, as it is the Year of the Dog in the Chinese zodiac calendar.

The Philippines is one of the many countries in Asia that uses the Chinese zodiac system, which rotates through 12 animal signs for each different year.

Sevilla urged Filipinos to adopt "askals, or asong Pinoys" or stray dogs that have made the streets their home.

"What we want people to realize is that all dogs are capable of loving, of being loyal and of providing very good companionship and we don't need to keep on breeding purebred dogs because it's not helping with the problem of animal homelessness."

Cristina Blacer, a resident of a gated exclusive subdivision in Quezon City, hailed the PETA campaign.

In her street, she said five stray, homeless dogs roam freely night and day. "There used to be two and they gave birth to three others. Now, there are five. I wish I could adopt them all," Blacer, who already owns two dogs, told Xinhua.
TOKYO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera on Sunday declined to comment on whether a fatal crash of a military helicopter in Saga Prefecture would affect the planned deployment of the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

The attitude has done little to allay rising local and national concerns about the accident-prone plane.

Onodera visited the local government office in Saga, in Japan's southwest Sunday to apologize for the helicopter crash, which killed both its crew members and led to a private house being burnt to the ground.

The incident sent ripples of fear, concern and panic across the nation amid rising instances of accidents and mishaps linked to both Japanese and U.S. military aircraft here recently.

However facing the public, Onodera sidestepped the issue of the planned deployment of the accident-prone Osprey to the prefecture.

"Under the current circumstances, I cannot comment on the matter," Onodera was quoted as telling a press briefing on the matter.

The defense minister's remarks came after he held talks with Saga Gov. Yoshinori Yamaguchi, during which he reportedly promised to ensure that comprehensive measures would be taken to ensure the safety of SDF aircraft.

Onodera said that through ongoing investigations of the latest military-linked aircraft mishap, experts were trying to determine the cause of the fatal crash in Saga's Kanzaki City.

Onodera added that pending the conclusion of the investigation into the accident and new protocols to ensure future mishaps are avoided, he would restart talks with local officials and citizens about the Osprey's deployment there.

At the outset of their meeting, Yamaguchi said that the "SDF need to make absolutely sure that they do not cause trouble for civilians."

Local people and officials in Saga, in light of the most recent accident, have voiced their concerns about the deployment of the controversial Ospreys to the Saga airport, which is jointly used by military and civilian aircraft.

Labor union members in Saga have already submitted a request to the Defense Ministry calling for the planned deployment of the Ospreys to be scrapped.

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force is planning to acquire 17 Ospreys to be deployed at Saga airport in southwestern Japan and allocations have been made in the latest defense budget for more of the controversial planes.

The U.S. military, meanwhile, has more than 20 of the MV-22 Ospreys deployed at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, itself a source of rapidly rising irritation to local residents and officials in Japan's southernmost prefecture, owing to a spate of recent aircraft-linked mishaps.

Okinawan residents have long been enduring such mishaps as that just happened in Saga. Prefectural officials and citizens have been outraged by a recent spate of accidents and mishaps involving U.S. military helicopters.

In December 2017, a window falling from a U.S. Marine CH-53E transport helicopter and crashing onto the ground of an elementary school, just meters from where children were taking an exercise class, ignited anger and fear among locals.

The accident did not stop helicopters, based at Futenma, from flying over the school following the incident, despite ardent protests from the local government.

In January alone, three helicopters, also from the controversial Futenma base, were forced to make emergency, off-base landings in Okinawa, leading to staunch condemnation from local residents and a palpable rise in anti-U.S. sentiment on the tiny sub-tropical island.

The prefectural assembly of Okinawa unanimously adopted a resolution recently protesting the helicopter-linked mishaps, highlighting the fact that U.S. forces in Okinawa continue to operate the models of helicopters involved despite having not provided adequate reasons for the accidents.

The resolution also called for an immediate halt of flights over civilian areas, and, for the Marines stationed in Okinawa to be transferred out of the prefecture and Japan altogether, at the earliest time possible.

The resolution has been delivered to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and to U.S. Forces, Japan, which operate under the auspices of the United States Pacific Command.

As for the planned acquisition and deployment of more Ospreys, a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey making an emergency landing in Japan's Oita Prefecture, on the eastern coast of Kyushu, in August 2017, and a crash-landing of an MV-22 Osprey aircraft off Nago in Okinawa in December 2016, have done little to help the government's cause.

Further compounding the issue, the commander of one of the U.S. Marine Corps two MV-22 Osprey squadrons based in Okinawa was fired owing to a "loss of trust in his ability to command," local media reported on Feb. 2.

Marine Lt. Col. Bryan Swenson was removed from his position commanding the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 on January 26, the U.S. Marine Corps was quoted as saying in local reports.

Swenson's high-profile removal came six months after a fatal crash of one of the squadron's MV-22 Ospreys off Australia's eastern coast in which three crew members were killed.
ABUJA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Three Nigerian university lecturers and 10 policewomen abducted last year by terror group Boko Haram will soon be reunited with their families, Nigerian authorities confirmed on Sunday.

The Nigerian secret police, while confirming the release of the dons and female cops, said it had officially briefed President Muhammadu Buhari following the freedom of the abductees on Saturday.

Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari also confirmed the abductees' freedom in a separate statement, saying their release followed a series of negotiations facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

A team of doctors and psychologists has been placed on standby to attend to them, said the presidential statement.

Buhari is also likely to meet with the lecturers and policewomen before they are finally reunited with their families if there are no issues of security or medical concerns, the statement added.

The university workers were abducted in July 2017 when Boko Haram attacked an oil exploration team in Gubio and Magumeri areas of the northeastern state of Borno.

The 10 policewomen were abducted on June 20, 2017, when the Boko Haram attacked a motorcade of police convoy on Maiduguri-Damboa road in Borno.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 22:35:52|Editor: yan

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BAGHDAD, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- One in four Iraqi children live in poverty as a result of the war against the militant group Islamic State (IS), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Sunday.

"Violence may have subsided in Iraq, but it has upended the lives of millions across the country, leaving one in four children in poverty and pushing families to extreme measures to survive," the UNICEF said in a statement.

The UNICEF urged the international community to contribute to the reconstruction of the country's infrastructure and the services for Iraqi children.

The statement came a day before an international conference will be held in Kuwait on Feb. 12-14, for donor countries and organizations which are expected to announce financial contributions for Iraq's reconstruction.

It added that without investment to restore the basic infrastructure and services, the hard-won gains to end conflict in Iraq are "in jeopardy."

The UN has verified 150 attacks on education facilities and 50 on health centers and medical personnel. Half of the schools across Iraq need repairs and more than 3 million children have had their education interrupted, according to the statement.

Many of the displaced families also found their homes in need of major repairs. In Mosul alone, over 21,400 homes have been damaged or destroyed.

Families have to live in the ruins of their houses, and the poverty pushed some families to take their children out of schools and force them to work, the statement said.

"Recovery and reconstruction should be prioritized, adequately supported and quickly implemented, with special attention to vulnerable people, including children," it said.

The UNICEF and UN-Habitat assessment appealed for "firm commitments to restore basic infrastructure and services for children, including in education, psycho-social support, health and water, sanitation and hygiene, and housing."

In earlier reports, the International Organization for Migration said that by the end of 2017, more than 3.2 million Iraqis had returned home, but 2.6 million remain displaced.

Nearly one third are reported to have returned to houses that have been significantly or completely damaged, it said.

On Dec. 9, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces, officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas seized by the extremist group since 2014.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 22:40:55|Editor: Chengcheng

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NAIROBI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Foreign envoys from 11 Western countries on Sunday called for "sustained, open and transparent" national dialogue to help avert political crisis that has engulfed the East African nation since October 2017 elections.

In a joint statement issued in Nairobi, the envoys from Britain, Germany, United States and Australia among others said such dialogue should be able to build national cohesion and help resolve the deep issues that were sparked by the electoral process.

"We again call for an immediate, sustained, open, and transparent national conversation involving all Kenyans, to build national cohesion, address long-standing issues, and resolve the deep-seated divisions that the electoral process has exacerbated," said the envoys.

"As partners, we will do all we can to help; but only Kenyans can resolve the country's problems. We are investing in Kenya and have great hope for the future. But Kenyans must summon now all their strength and resolve, reaffirm the Constitution, and put the country back on the path to democracy, prosperity, and security." the statement said.

The Western diplomats who expressed concern about the political developments in Kenya criticized both the government and the Opposition for taking steps that have undermined the country's institutions, and driven wedges among its citizens.

"The government, which should be the guarantor of liberty and freedom of expression for all under the law, has shut down television stations, seized the passports of Opposition leaders, refused to obey court orders, and deported a prominent Opposition lawyer," they said.

"A father of multi-party democracy has made unsubstantiated claims about elections and unilaterally sworn himself as 'President', in deliberate disregard of the Constitution for which he so proudly fought," said the envoys.

According to the envoys, these events follow two elections that left many Kenyans dead and many more livelihoods disrupted.

The government shut down all the four popular television stations after the swearing-in of opposition leader Raila Odinga as the "people's president" on Jan. 30. The stations had to turn to online transmission during the crackdown.

The government, which had disobeyed court orders to restore the transmission of the TV stations, had accused the stations of reneging on an agreement it had with them not to air the opposition fete for security purposes.

However, the government restored transmission to all the stations last week following a round of criticism from both Kenyans and international community.

The diplomats called on the Opposition to accept the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the election of October 26, 2017 which declared Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto as the legitimate President and Deputy President.

"The Opposition needs to accept this as the basis for the dialogue that it and many Kenyans want. Stoking and threatening violence are not acceptable, nor are extra-Constitutional measures to seize power," they said.

The envoys said the ambitions of politicians are fundamentally weakening institutions, and breaking the bonds of shared citizenship, which Kenyans have built up patiently over decades.

They urged the government to comply fully with court orders and follow legal process in appealing or contesting them.

"Freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and all civil rights need to be protected. When individuals are arrested, their rights should be respected and due process followed. Citizens have the responsibility to protest non-violently, and security services should avoid unnecessary or excessive use of force," said the diplomats.

Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet has also ignored an order directing him to free opposition lawyer Miguna Miguna who has since been deported to Canada despite protests from the local embassy.

The High Court had ordered the politician to be released on a 500 U.S. dollar cash bail following his arrest at his home. Boinnet also ignored orders to appear in court in person to explain circumstances that also led to Miguna's deportation.

"Whatever the conduct of others, the government has a special duty to protect democratic institutions and adhere to the Constitution and the rule of law at all times." they said.

Meanwhile, lawyers will from Monday launch nationwide Yellow Ribbon Campaign to protest the government's brazen disregard of court orders and violation of the Constitution.

Law Society of Kenya President Isaac Okero said the government's behaviour is a recipe for anarchy because it encourages Kenyans to disrespect the law.

"It should always be the government that demonstrates to the citizens, by its example and conduct, the importance of strictly adhering to and respecting the law. When a government shows contempt for the law it becomes impossible for it to require citizens to respect the law," Okero said in a statement issued late on Saturday.

"Fidelity to the law is the solemn and patriotic obligation of all," Okero said.

The Kenyan lawyers have been using the Yellow Ribbon campaign since 2002 to support constitutional and judicial reforms in the country.

The ribbon may be worn on a person, placed on a vehicle or tied around a tree to symbolize "vibrancy, tenacity and commitment to justice".
A Chinese peacekeeper in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was searching for idle mines scattered along the UN Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon on Feb. 5, 2018. (Xinhua)

YAROUN, Lebanon, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Over 6,000 kilometers away from his home and family, 25-year-old Li Junying waked up at 6 a.m. in southern Lebanon and prepared to search for idle mines scattered along the United Nations Blue Line.

Unable to speak a word of Arabic, Li has no personal connection to the small Levantine country or its contentious neighbor Israel. Nonetheless, he is one of more than 400 members of the Chinese military deployed as UN peacekeepers responsible for overseeing calm in the sensitive area by the Mediterranean sea.

Officially known as the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL was established by the UN Security Council on March 19, 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. The international peacekeeping presence is deployed near the UN demarcated "Blue Line" separating the two countries.

Following three more Israeli invasions in 1982, 2000 and finally 2006, UNIFIL updated its mandate significantly increasing the number of peacekeepers and their responsibilities in the conflict zone.

The Chinese battalion of UN peacekeepers (CHINBATT) were part of the expansions, officially establishing itself in Lebanon on March 31, 2006. While battalions used to rotate about every eight months, troops are now stationed a year in the foreign country before returning to their home.

As a representative of China in CHINBATT, Sergeant Li and about 60 other men (some only 22-year-old) are tasked specifically to disarm over half a million mines left by Israel.

The majority of these fatal devices are densely packed along the southern border. Following the Israeli withdrawal in 2006, mines and cluster munitions have resulted in over 200 deaths and hundreds of more injuries.

"I was scared at first," Li admitted while recounting his first day in the field.

"Even though we were trained in China and (Lebanon), it's normal to be a little afraid. Everyone is at first, but there is a lot of supervision."

Despite his young age, Li is currently serving his second mission in southern Lebanon. He first arrived in 2013 when he was also tasked to clear the land of explosives.

Sitting next to him, 29-year-old Sergeant Jin Wei, who is on his third rotation in Lebanon, nodded his head.

"My parents were worried when I told them what I was doing," Jin told Xinhua.

"But we work very carefully and don't make mistakes."

Lieutenant Colonel Luo Qiang, the head supervisor of CHINBATT's demining team laughed in agreement.

"The Chinese are special," he said proudly noting CHINBATT's clear record of any accidents and injuries since the beginning of their work in 2006.

"We work professionally and we never make mistakes."

A Chinese peacekeeper in the UNIFIL discovered a mine buried underground along the UN Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon, on Feb. 5, 2018. (Xinhua)

Mohammad Rida, a member of the Lebanese Armed Forces tasked to work alongside CHINBATT agreed.

"The Chinese are extremely professional, they work hard and they do a good job."

The task is not easy, and requires meticulous attention to detail. According to maps provided by Israel, the peacekeepers are given rough locations on the whereabouts of mines. Yet weather elements, animals, and people are all capable of unintentionally moving their positions.

"This is why we don't work when it rains," Luo said. "It makes it dangerous when the soil gets wet and the mines can potentially slide around."

Waking up nearly at dawn, they drive to the site about an hour away from the CHINBATT base less than a kilometer away from Israel. Upon arrival, they begin working in sections using a range of tools including larger mine detectors, hand shovels and small brushes to clear away dirt, stones and shrubbery in the area.

After mines are discovered in each section, CHINBATT then informs higher supervisors in UNIFIL who communicate with both the Lebanese Armed Forces and Israeli Army to inform them of planned explosions.

Once approval is received, TNT explosives are wired to each area with found mines and carefully exploded to deactivate the device.

"The work we do is difficult. It requires such precise attention and it is dangerous, but we are honored to be granted such a task and represent China in doing so," Luo told Xinhua.

A Chinese peacekeeper in the UNIFIL was carefully clearing the dirt covering a land mine planted along the UN Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon, on Feb. 5, 2018. (Xinhua)

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary commended the contingent their progress and dedication in a visit to the site.

"The Blue Line is such a sensitive issue to both countries, and it's a strategic issue. And your work is helping to ensure that it doesn't become tense and that we can use the Blue Line as a reference. So everything you do is important. It's very valuable work. I really am proud of what you do here," he said during the visit according to a UNIFIL press release.

While demining is arguably the most important task assigned to the Chinese, it is far from the only activities they are responsible for completing on their mission. Other peacekeepers in the battalion are assigned humanitarian work and construction projects. Such efforts have included providing medical assistance and building roads for local residents.

Such responsibilities so far from home also come with their sacrifices. For the hundreds of peacekeepers, the year spent abroad far from home brings loneliness. Luckily, in the age of the internet, communication is only prevented by the time difference.

While on break, the CHINBATT members could be seen talking to family members over chat app WeChat, waving to children and wives across the ocean.

"When I go home, the first thing I do is see my children and wife," Luo Qiang said smiling. "And of course, I eat my favorite Chinese foods."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 23:16:04|Editor: Chengcheng

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SOFIA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The traditional Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, was officially celebrated here in Bulgaria's capital city on Sunday.

The event, jointly organized by the China Cultural Center in Sofia and Sofia Municipality under the title "Happy Chinese New Year", was held in the archaeological complex Serdica, adjacent to the buildings of the Bulgarian council of ministers, presidency and parliament.

During the two-hour long festivities, artists from China's Ningbo city performed traditional Chinese songs and dances, and demonstrated Chinese crafts such as calligraphy, embroidery, paper cutting, and dough figurines making.

Meanwhile, the audience enjoyed a photo exhibition showing last year's celebration of the Chinese Spring Festival in various cities around the world.

Gu Hongxing, cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Sofia , said at the opening ceremony that the Spring Festival is the most important Chinese traditional holiday.

He said he hoped that this celebration would create a festive atmosphere for the coming spring and provide aesthetic delight.

Bilyana Genova, head of the Cultural Directorate of Sofia Municipality, said in turn she was very happy that her city had the opportunity to join this wonderful tradition, which has already been celebrated in many cities around the world.

Han Xiaoyin, deputy director of Ningbo Culture, Radio, Television, Press and Publication Bureau, said the artists from his city have prepared an original program that would reveal the specifics of Chinese culture.

"Through it, we will encourage friendship between Ningbo city and Sofia," Han said.

At the end of January, Bulgarian cities of Varna and Veliko Turnovo already officially celebrated the Chinese New Year, enjoying the Chinese Classical Dance "Fen Mo" performed by 40 dancers from the Beijing Dance Academy.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 23:21:05|Editor: Chengcheng

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Russian Emergencies Ministry employees work near the site of an air crash outside Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 11, 2018. A passenger plane with 71 on board crashed shortly after leaving Moscow, with no hope of survival of the crew and passengers, a source in emergency services told the Interfax news agency on Sunday. (Xinhua/Sputnik)

MOSCOW, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A passenger plane with 71 people on board crashed shortly after leaving Moscow, with no hope of survival of the crew and passengers, a source in emergency services told the Interfax news agency on Sunday.

The Antonov-148 of Saratov Airlines with 65 passengers and a crew of six was en route from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow to Orsk of the Orenburg Region in western Russia.

Radio contact with the seven-year-old Russia-made plane was lost at 14:21 Moscow time (1121 GMT), several minutes after the takeoff.

"Tentatively, the plane has crashed near the village of Argunovo. The crew and passengers had no chance to survive," the source said.

Witnesses in the village of Argunovo told news media that they saw a burning plane falling from the sky, and the Interfax report said fragments of two dead bodies have been found.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered "his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash" and issued an order to set up a government commission to probe into the crash, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened an investigation into the crash and Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov has flown to the scene.

The Russian Transport Ministry told Interfax that several reasons of the crash are being considered, including weather conditions and human factors.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 23:31:07|Editor: Chengcheng

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JOHANNESBURG, Feb.11 (Xinhua) -- The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said on Sunday it will launch a set of commemorative banknotes in honor of what would have been Nelson Mandela's centenary.

The late South African President Nelson Mandela was born in July 18, 1918.

In a statement, the central bank said it will release 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 rand denominations as part of Mandela's centenary celebrations.

"Nelson Mandela represented the best version of ourselves as South Africans," SARB governor Lesetja Kganyago said.

"We unveiled the current Mandela series of banknotes in 2012 to honor him. While preserving the value of money is our main mandate, our purpose is to be a bastion of institutional strength, contributing to a stable and prosperous economy that serves the well-being of all South Africans, and guided in part by Madiba's values," he said.

The South African Mint, a subsidiary of the SARB, will also issue a new 5 rand coin celebrating Mandela's centenary.

The new banknotes and coins will be released on July 18, 2018.

The central bank said the new and old currencies will continue circulating together.

Mandela was a revered world icon for his reconciliatory stance and his fight for the county's democracy and social justice.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-11 23:41:08|Editor: yan

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RIYADH, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Saudi court sentenced on Sunday a citizen to 20 years in jail for a Molotov cocktail attack that targeted an intelligence building, local media reported.

The jail term also includes the sentence for his participation in rioting in the restive region of Al Qatif in the Eastern Province, reported the Al Yaum online website.

A 20-year travel ban was also imposed on him after he finishes his jail term.

Rioting and vandalism are common in Qatif by Shiite youth who represent the minority in the Sunni state.

The violence in the region also includes attacks against security personnel and individuals who express disagreement with the way those youth demand for more rights.

In December 2017, Saudi police found the body of the judge, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Jirani, who was abducted in 2016 in front of his house in Tarout town in the region.

The kidnapped judge was targeted before in several attacks against his property and an attempt to arson his house for his firm stand against violence.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 00:16:13|Editor: yan

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CHENGDU, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu has seen the concentration of major air pollutant PM2.5 fall 42.3 percent in four years.

The reading of PM2.5, smaller airborne particles more damaging to health, stood at 56 micrograms per cubic meter in 2017, down by 10.2 percent year on year, said Zhang Jun, head of the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection Sunday.

A total of 235 days had good air quality in 2017 with air quality index (AQI) below 100, Zhang said.

The bureau issued 3,415 administrative penalties against environmental violations and levied fines of 200 million yuan (31.6 million U.S. dollars) last year, up 231 percent and 413 percent, respectively.

Despite the efforts, the air quality in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, ranked 54th among 74 major cities nationwide.

To further improve the air, authorities will tackle industrial pollution by phasing out coal-fired boilers and closing small polluting firms, and as well as limiting vehicle emissions and construction dust.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 00:41:15|Editor: yan

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BEIRUT, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Lebanese man crossed Sunday the border into Israel from the Fatima Gate area in south Lebanon, the National News Agency (NNA) said.

"After he crossed some distance inside the occupied territories, a van arrived and took him deeper into Israel," the NNA said in a statement.

The Lebanese Army, security forces and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers immediately encircled the area.

The man is identified as Ali Mrad, 25, from the southern Lebanese town of Habboush. This is the second time that he has crossed over the border fence.

The man, considered mentally disturbed, was returned to Lebanon via the UNIFIL after the first incident in April 2017.

In a 2017 TV interview, the man's father said his son had psychological problems.

Asked whether Ali had told him that he intended to cross into Israel, the father said: "Yes, my son had told me that."

"My son used to say that he is of Jewish origin. Can you imagine a normal person saying this ? " the father added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 01:21:21|Editor: yan

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ALGIERS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Algeria and the U.S. on Sunday discussed the issue of dealing with the threat posed by terrorist fighters returning to Africa after the defeat of Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria.

Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel received visiting Principal Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State Alina Romanowski, during which they discussed the bilateral security cooperation, the state-run television reported.

The two officials discussed essentially the U.S.-Algerian counterterrorism partnership, including in the African Sahel region, the report said.

They expressed the concern about the threat posed by the return of foreign fighters to Africa after the defeat of IS in Iraq and Syria.

The African Union, in which Algeria is the coordinator of counterterrorism strategy, is worried that the return of African fighters would undermine peace and security in the continent, as they could form new terrorist cells and launch terrorist attacks not only in the most vulnerable regions like the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa, but also in new areas which have never been affected by terror threats before.

UN reports estimated that some 6,000 African fighters, who joined IS in Iraq and Syria, have returned home after the defeat of the terrorist group.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 01:26:22|Editor: yan

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SKOPJE, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A poll conducted by the Institute for Political Research-Skopje (IPIS) showed Sunday that 64.2 percent of Macedonian citizens support the country's European Union (EU) accession while 66 percent favor NATO membership.

The IPIS poll was carried out on a sample of 1,113 adults from Macedonia in the period from Dec. 16 to 21 2017.

The poll showed that 18 percent of respondents were against EU accession, while 17.8 percent were undecided.

This means that there has been a slight decline in terms of Macedonia citizens' support to EU accession given that in the 2016 poll, 66.9 percent of Macedonian citizens were in favor of EU accession.

Regarding Macedonia's NATO membership, 15.3 percent are against, while 18.7 percent are undecided. In 2016, 70.7 percent favored the NATO accession, while 21.4 were against.

Considering that Macedonia's progress to the accession to both EU and NATO is conditioned by the solving of name issue with Greece, poll showed that a total of 45.4 percent of respondents believed that relations with Greece would improve in the future.

On the other hand, 15.5 percent of respondent claimed the relations would worsen.

When asked about current relations between Macedonia and Greece, 20.9 percent say they are good, 31.7 percent say somewhat good, 26.3 percent somewhat poor, 14.9 percent poor.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 01:31:25|Editor: Chengcheng

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DUBAI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Veteran Hollywood actor and director Robert De Niro praised on Sunday the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) for fighting the global warming, while criticizing the U.S. government for pulling out of the Paris climate agreement.

De Niro made the comments at the 2018 World Government Summit on climate change, saying the UAE is the first Arab country which signed, and later ratified, the Paris agreement in November 2016, with the aim to limit the temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.

The UAE has pledged to generate 50 percent of its domestic energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2050.

De Niro, renowned for his lead characters in blockbuster films like Raging Bull (1980) and Goodfellas (1990), added that "the situation in my country is not helping."

He said his country, the biggest economy in the world, is causing a "lasting damage to our planet," due to the arrogance under President Donald Trump, who decided to withdraw from the Paris agreement in June, 2017.

On the prospects for the U.S. role in fighting global warming, the 74-year old Hollywood veteran remained optimistic for the long-term.

"We are in a different time in this world now ... But we will fix that eventually," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 01:41:26|Editor: yan

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CAIRO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court sentenced on Sunday 32 defendants up to 25 years in jail over violent riots that killed three citizens in early 2014.

Cairo Criminal Court sentenced 17 defendants to 25 years in jail, nine to 15 years, four to 10 years and two to seven years while acquitting 15 of the charges of committing acts of violence against the police as well as civilians in Cairo's Ain Shams district in early 2014.

The unrest left three citizens killed, including a female journalist, a Christian woman and a child.

The investigations showed that the defendants were loyalists of the currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi who was ousted by the military in July 2013.

The prosecution said that 25 of the defendants confessed their affiliation with the group.

Many Brotherhood leaders, members and supporters, including Morsi and the group's top chief Mohamed Badie, are currently jailed.

Many of them have received appealable death sentences and life imprisonments over various charges varying from inciting violence and murder to espionage and jailbreak.

Morsi is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence over inciting deadly clashes between his supporters and opponents in late 2012 and a 25-year jail term over leaking classified documents to Qatar.

The 2014 violent protests erupted after then army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, now the president, announced running for presidency that year.

Sisi is also expected to make an easy win for a second term in the 2018 presidential elections due to the lack of strong challengers in the race.

Following Morsi's removal, a massive security crackdown on Morsi's supporters left hundreds dead and thousands arrested.

Since then, Egypt has been facing a wave of terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers, as well as civilians. Most of these attacks were claimed by a Sinai-based militant group loyal to Islamic State (IS), the regional terrorist group.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 01:56:27|Editor: yan

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DUBAI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France on Sunday signed a deal on cooperation in space exploration.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister as well as Ruler of Dubai, and French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe attended the signing ceremony of the deal between the UAE Space Agency and France's National Center for Space Studies.

The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the three-day 2018 World Government Summit which started in Dubai on Sunday.

The two leaders lauded the signing of the deal, adding that it is the first step towards paving the way for future cooperation in space.

Also at the summit held under topic "Shaping future governments," the final designs of the Hope Probe, the Arab World's first interplanetary mission, were unveiled, along with details of the Mars 2117 plan, which aims to create the first human settlement on Mars, and UAE's astronauts program.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre also released plans of the "KhalifaSat," the UAE's first completely indigenously built satellite.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 02:06:29|Editor: yan

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AMMAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Sunday hosted the 9th meeting of the Counter-IS Finance Group, which is affiliated to the U.S.-led international coalition to combat the terror group Islamic State (IS).

Representatives of the member countries discussed means to combat all financing resources for IS in order to eradicate the terror group, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Addressing the meeting, which attracted more than 110 representatives of coalition members, Ziad Fariz, governor of the Central Bank of Jordan, highlighted the need to cut off all finance resources to IS, adding that ending all its resources can help uproot the terror group.

Fariz said Jordan, which is on the frontline in fighting terrorism, is committed to continuing its efforts in this regard.

U.S. officials taking part in the meeting said IS, which has lost 95 percent of the territories it used to control in Syria and Iraq, will be completely wiped out soon.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 03:21:39|Editor: yan

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TIRANA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Albanian police authorities seized around 11 kg of heroin Sunday evening at the Port of Durres, the country's largest port in western Albania, state police informed in a press release.

According to the press release, the border police at Durres Port had been tipped off about the information of the truck carrying the drugs before the operation.

"After we received such information, a thorough and detailed examination of the truck was carried out by border police officers. As a result of this search, several packages with drugs, namely heroine, were found under the bed of the truck," border police at Durres Port informed.

Same sources said that the truck's destination was Florence, Italy.

Police officers detained the 63-year-old driver, who's a resident in Durres.

Police suspect that more people could be involved into the criminal activity, they have exchanged information with their Italian counterparts on this case.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 03:51:43|Editor: Chengcheng

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The White House said Sunday that a senior advisor of U.S. President Donald Trump visited Turkey on Feb. 10-11. The visit came amid escalating tensions of the two NATO allies over Turkey's attack in Afrin, Syria.

In a statement, the White House said H.R. McMaster, Trump's national security advisor, met with Ibrahim Kalin, deputy secretary general and spokesperson of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his visit to Istanbul.

During their meeting, Kalin and McMaster affirmed the bilateral strategic partnership, and discussed the "priorities and concerns" and common strategic challenges of both countries, said the White House.

It added that they addressed issues affecting bilateral relations in detail and explored ways to expand the joint fight against all forms of terrorism.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will also visit Turkey next week in his Middle East trip, and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis is also due to meet his Turkish counterpart Nurettin Canikli in Brussels.

Relations between Washington and Ankara have been highly strained, in part due to U.S. support for the the People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria. Turkey sees the YPG as Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the EU.

With the YPG a key ally of Washington in the battle against the IS group, the Turkish campaign has seen the two NATO partners on opposite ends of the spectrum with a possible risk of direct conflict.

Two senior U.S. generals have visited Manbij on Wednesday with outsized U.S. flags on their vehicles, and one of them said "You hit us, we'll respond aggressively," in response to Turkish threats, according to U.S. reports, clearly a sign of mounting tensions on the war terrain.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 04:01:44|Editor: yan

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ANKARA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's second largest opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) elected two new co-chairs on Sunday, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.

On the party congress held in Ankara, former MP Sezai Temelli, 54, was voted by party delegates to replace jailed co-chair Selahattin Demirtas.

Pervin Buldan, 50, a serving MP and deputy parliament speaker, was elected to replace Serpil Kemalbay, who herself took over from another incarcerated former leader, Figen Yuksekdag.

The party said it always has a woman and man in leadership positions in the interests of equality.

Demirtas and Yuksekdag were both detained in November 2016 as part of a crackdown on the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) amid the state of emergency that followed the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

On Friday, Turkish authorities issued detention warrants against Kemalbay, accusing her of "attempting to incite street protests and clashes in the disguise of opposing the Turkish military operation in Syria," according to Anadolu Agency.

The HDP opposes Turkey's current military operation against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in northern Syria, and some 500 HDP members have been detained in the last 10 days largely because of their opposition.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 05:11:54|Editor: yan

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LONDON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Oxfam, an international anti-poverty charity, which has been hit by a sex abuse scandal in Haiti, now is facing more sex allegations from Chad.

The charity, one of the biggest and best known in Britain, was plunged into crisis after it was revealed that its staff, including its local director, paid for sex in Haiti where they were based in 2011 after a devastating earthquake.

The Sunday Times reported in London that more than 120 aid workers with leading charities in Britain have been accused of sexual abuse in the past year.

The newspaper said the figures fuelled fears that paedophiles were targeting overseas aid organizations.

An investigation by the Times published Friday exposed the Oxfam sex scandal, saying it led to Oxfam's director in Haiti, Belgian national Roland van Hauwermeiren resigning from the organization.

More trouble emerged for Oxfam Sunday when the Observer newspaper in London reported claims that in 2006, aid workers with the charity used prostitutes while working in Chad.

The Observer reported that at the time van Hauwermeiren was head of Oxfam's operation in Chad.

The newspaper said former staff who worked for the charity in Chad alleged that women believed to be prostitutes were repeatedly invited to the Oxfam team house there, with one adding that a senior member of staff had been fired for his behavior in 2006.

Media in Britain reported that Penny Mordaunt, Britain's international development secretary, is to hold a crunch meeting Monday with Oxfam officials.

In a television interview Sunday, Mordaunt accused Oxfam of failing in its moral leadership.

She said she is considering whether Oxfam should receive any more funding from the government's Department for International Development (DFID). Last year, Oxfam received 44 million U.S. dollars from DFID.

Mordaunt, described the events in Haiti as a scandal, and said what is alleged to have happened was a complete betrayal of both the people Oxfam were there to help, and also the people that sent them there to do that job.

She said: "If they (Oxfam) do not hand over all the information that they have from their investigation and subsequently to the relevant authorities including the Charity Commission and prosecuting authorities, then I cannot work with them any more as an aid delivery partner."

Seven Oxfam staff, including van Hauwermeiren, either resigned or were fired as a result of the Haiti scandal.

Haiti's Ambassador in London Bocchit Edmond has criticized Oxfam for failing to inform the country's authorities about the scandal, and said it should publicly apologize.

Priti Patel, Britain's former international development secretary, said in interviews Sunday she had raised the problem of sexual exploitation by workers with NGOs at a meeting of the UN, but she added she was unaware of the Oxfam allegations.

In her interviews she warned predatory paedophiles had been allowed to exploit the aid sector.

The Sunday Times said Oxfam recorded 87 incidents last year of sexual abuse, Save the Children recorded 31, 10 of which were referred to the police and civil authorities, and the charity Christian Aid two. Of the Oxfam cases, 53 were referred to the police or other statutory authorities. A total of 20 staff or volunteers were dismissed. The charity employs 5,000 staff and has a further 23,000 volunteers, said the Observer.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 05:21:57|Editor: Chengcheng

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LA PAZ, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The explosion of a liquid petroleum gas (LPG) tank, at the entrance to the carnival in the city of Oruro, on Saturday night killed eight people and injured another 40, the police announced on Sunday.

Romel Cesar Rana, deputy commander of the Oruro police, told a press conference about the details, while a police confirmed that four adults and four children had been killed.

According to the report, a roadside food stall owner had badly installed the gas tank, causing the explosion, along the route where thousands of dancers were taking part in the Oruro Carnival.

The impact area had a radius of at least 50 meters, due to the poor handling and installation of the pipe linking the gas tank to the cooker.

"The hot oil caused the deterioration of the pipe, causing a gas leak which sparked the explosion," said the police chief.

President Evo Morales, who was not attending the event as he usually does, wrote on Twitter that he was "aghast" at the deaths and expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims.

The area of the blast is invaded every year by large numbers of vendors who sell food and various articles, with no supervision.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 05:47:01|Editor: Chengcheng

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By Raimundo Urrechaga

VARADERO, Cuba, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A unique meeting took place this weekend at Cuba's main beach resort of Varadero.

The roar of Harley-Davidson bikes invaded Varadero, about 145 kilometers east of Havana, where fans and owners of these classic bikes met for the seventh consecutive year.

This was the annual meeting of "Harlistas Cubanos", a club of Harley-Davidson aficionados where more than 80 participants exhibited their antique bikes in the town's central park.

They came from all over the island, some from as far away in the east as Santiago de Cuba and Holguin, although most live in Havana.

"Once a year, we meet here as a way to cultivate friendship among Cubans who share the passion for having these motorcycles. We also receive visitors who come from other countries to exchange with us," Abel Pez, the event's organizer, told Xinhua.

Motorcycles that are more than 60 years old continue to ride through Cuban roads, despite being a true sacrifice for their owners.

"It is difficult because these bikes were manufactured many years ago and its parts and pieces are not easy to obtain and expensive. They can be purchased primarily in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which is complicated for most owners," he said.

According to Pez, there are around 170 owners of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in Cuba, although not all of them are working. He estimates that about 120 motorcycles of this type are rolling throughout the country.

For Raul Brito, owner of a unique 1949 Harley, this motorcycle has become part of his family. As he told Xinhua, it is a challenge to keep it running with original parts and looking attractive despite the passage of time.

"We live for the motorcycle. Everything we can do to make it beautiful, we do it. There are even times we have sacrificed personal comforts to buy something," said the Harley addict from the province of Cienfuegos, about 260 kilometers southeast of Havana.

The meeting is organized every year by the association of "Harlistas Cubanos", along with authorities of the province of Matanzas. Yet many people come from abroad as well.

This is the case of Steve Constable, who traveled for the sixth time to Cuba from Canada to participate in this event.

"I think this is a great initiative. The owners of these types of motorcycles know each other, can share together and help each other get what they need for their bikes, which is difficult in Cuba," Constable told Xinhua.

However, the Harley-Davidson motorcycles do not escape political tensions between Havana and Washington, whose recent rapprochement was abruptly interrupted by U.S. President Donald Trump.

With the current setback, owners of these antique bikes are finding it even more difficult to keep their motorcycles in good condition, although they believe the annual meeting is a way to do so.

"I think this is another way to relax political relations between Cuba and the United States and generate a climate of friendship and fraternity with American Harley-Davidson fans," said Pez.

For others like Raul Brito, having friends from the U.S. who put aside political differences and come to this Caribbean nation to share the passion for motorcycles is crucial.

"Many Americans bring donations and pieces and I think it is a way to break the ice in the political arena. It's an innovative way for all of us to contribute," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 05:52:02|Editor: yan

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TRIPOLI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has provided 17 million U.S. dollars to finance micro-projects in some Libyan cities, the Ministry of Local Governance said on Sunday.

Officials of the ministry held a meeting in the capital Tripoli on Sunday with UNDP's Capacity Project Coordinator in Libya, Saleh Ali Al-Shibani.

"The United Nations Development Program has provided 23 million dinars (17 million dollars) to finance some micro-enterprises in some municipalities," the ministry said in a press release.

The press release did not specify the type of targeted projects of the program.

UNDP has provided assistance to a number of Libyan cities during 2017, especially cities that witnessed security tensions or military escalation, including Benghazi, Sirte and Ubari.

Since the overthrow of former leader Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been plagued by insecurity and political division that negatively affected the oil-rich country's economy.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 05:57:02|Editor: yan

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HELSINKI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Finnish universities have recovered quickly from the impact of the introduction of tuition fees for students from outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area.

The applications for enrollment in the English language Bachelor and Master studies declined in nearly all universities in the 2017-2018 academic year, news service Uutissuomalainen reported on Sunday.

In the first enrollment period after the introduction of tuition fees, universities offered lucrative scholarship opportunities, but they appeared not to be very attractive. The increase now has been attained with marketing, the news agency found out.

Universities said Finland is an increasingly popular choice in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and India when students plan studies abroad.

The return to "pre-fees" level has been fast. For example, in the Svenska Handelshogskolan in Helsinki, non-EU/ETA applications for the autumn 2018 have doubled from the previous year and the total number of applications increased by 70 percent. Minna Martikainen, Dean of tuition there said a lot more effort was put into marketing.

Eija Zitting, the head of tuition service at Aalto University in Helsinki, told Uutissuomalainen that the focus on marketing and the development of student enrollment are essential in reaching good recruitment results.

The same views were echoed by Kalervo Vaananen, the rector of Turku University. The share of non-EU/ETA applications in Turku grew 12 percent and in Aalto some 5 percent.

Janne Hokkanen, director of tution affairs at the Lappeenranta Technical University said that in Finland the impact of the introduction of fees will remain "historically short" in comparison with other countries that introduced fees, such as Sweden and Denmark, where the restoration took years.

The tuition fees are collected in the programs where the language of teaching is English or another foreign language, and are only collected from students who are not citizens or residents of the EU and ETA.

This means that if a non-EU/ETA student gets an actual residence permit before the start of the semester, fees will not be collected. Also if the student is able to attend courses in Finnish or Swedish, there is no fee.

The minimum tuition fee per academic year mandated by the Finnish government is 1,500 euros, but universities are allowed to decide on their own. In the University of Helsinki, the annual tuition fees range from 10,000 to 25,000 euros.

While tuition fees have been an international norm even for domestic students in many countries, in Finland there were no tuition fees for any student, Finnish or foreign, until two years ago when the parliament made the decision after a long debate.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 06:27:07|Editor: yan

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SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Amid joyful atmosphere of a moonlit breezy night, hundreds of Egyptians and Chinese celebrated the Chinese Spring Festival in the Egyptian tourist city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Hollywood fun park in the Red Sea resort city embraced a three-day activity organized by the Chinese embassy in Egypt to celebrate China's upcoming spring festival, which marks the first day of the New Year in the Chinese calendar.

The park walls and trees were garnished with red Chinese lanterns and colorful Chinese paintings welcoming the visitors, with people watching traditional lion dance performances in the alleyways of the tourist site.

The audience eagerly stood to watch Chinese artists performing numerous shows such as Kung Fu, dragon shows, acrobats and face-changing shows.

"It is a good chance for me to get some knowledge about the Chinese culture," Ahmed Zulfikar, an Egyptian worker from Sharm el-Sheikh told Xinhua as he watched happily the performances.

The man said he was keen to bring his wife and two kids to the festival because they were so eager to watch Chinese artistic and cultural shows.

"We also wanted to say happy New Year to the friendly Chinese people," he said as he flashed a big smile.

During the performance, Chinese hosts served their guests a variety of Chinese food to give them a taste of China in and Egyptian city.

On the passageway leading to the celebration, crowds stood in front of several stands that showed Chinese homemade artifacts, with a number of artists painting traditional masks on children's faces.

As artists performed on stage, Chinese organizers visited every table to distribute gifts to the guests who came from different countries, not only Egypt.

"The Arab peoples are keen to learn about Chinese culture, especially because there is cultural similarity between the Arabs and the Chinese peoples," Tareq Hussein, an Iraqi tourist said.

"I also loved the Chinese noodles...it is the first time for me to try Chinese food," Hussein said as he sipped from a hot cup of Chinese tea.

Reacting to the Chinese music, Hussein said he hopes that such Chinese celebrations would be held in his country, Iraq.

Sitting on a nearby table, Ahmed Magdi, vice president of the Friends of Tourism Association in Sharm el-Sheikh, said that the Chinese Spring Festival was very successful and promoted for tourism in the city, wishing that festival will be celebrated annually in resort city.

"The celebration is well attended by Egyptians and non-Egyptians because they have the desire to learn more about Chinese culture," he said adding Chinese people are well admired by Egyptians for their culture and civilization as well as their good hearts.

After upgrading the relations between the two countries to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," cultural exchange has been at its peak as artists, cultural and musical delegations have changed visits.

Through such activities, Egypt and China want to boost friendly ties and enhance mutual understanding and future development between the peoples of the two nations, whose relations have deep roots back in history.

Chinese Ambassador to Cairo Song Aiguo said in his speech during the ceremony that he was very happy to participate in this celebration, which is attended by many Egyptians and other people from different nationalities.

He said this is the first time that the Spring Festival is celebrated in Sharm el-Sheikh after it was celebrated in a number of Egyptian cities during the past years, especially in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan.

The ambassador stressed that such celebrations and mutual exchanges would further enhance the friendship between the Egyptian and Chinese people, adding that this has been reflected positively on relations and cooperations in various fields.

For his part, Governor of South Sinai, Khaled Fouda, greeted the Chinese people over the Chinese Spring Festival, highlighting the strength of the relations between the Egyptian and Chinese people.

He called on the Chinese people to visit the city, which is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world, stressing that South Sinai in general and Sharm el-Sheikh in particular are looking to increase the number of Chinese tourists.

Meanwhile, Qiu Guoliang, the head of Zhejiang provincial cultural center, told Xinhua this is the first time that the celebrations was held in Sharm el-Sheikh, adding that the festival would be more and more localized in the future.

"In order to introduce the Chinese Spring Festival to the world, we felt we should know our own culture better in the first place and try our best to enrich it, make it more merged and innovative," he said.
A dough figurine artist makes an animal figurine during a celebration for Chinese lunar new year at the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles, the United States, Jan. 28, 2018. (Xinhua/Zhao Hanrong)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A drizzling rain here appeared to have discouraged people from going outside on Saturday, with a fewer pedestrians and vehicles spotted in downtown Washington D.C.

But the rain did not dampen the passion of thousands of families who came to the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) for the world's renowned facility's annual celebration of the Chinese New Year Festival.

The hours-long event inside the Kogod Courtyard, the fifth of its kind by the SAAM, aimed, as it did in the past years, at promoting traditional Chinese culture and offering a taste of the Spring Festival and a unique opportunity for local residents to spend time with their families.

"Do you know what year it is?" Stephanie Stebich, director of the SAAM, asked a crowd of audience in her opening remarks.

"It's the Year of the Dog," many, most them non-Asian, responded almost instantly, referring to the Chinese zodiac signs, which feature 12 animals.

The beginning date of the Chinese lunar New Year is based on a combination of the lunar and solar movement, so it is different in each year. It falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20.

The Chinese lunar New Year is named after zodiac animals, with a total of 12 zodiac signs on a circle -- Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

The upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year -- the Year of the Dog -- will start on Feb. 16 after the current Year of the Rooster ends.

Kicking off the SAAM event was a lion-dancing performance. Fathers, who had come late and could not find a good spot, simply put their kids onto their shoulders.

A mother named Tracy who drove from the neighboring state of Maryland told Xinhua that it was the third time that she had brought her son, Luke, for SAAM-held Spring Festival activities.

She said that Luke enjoys watching lion-dancing so much that he often imitates the performance by himself with a blanket at home.

Inside the huge Kogod Courtyard were hanging traditional Chinese lanterns and red-colored hangings. Besides popular lion-dancing, folk music, Sichuan Opera and Acrobatics, there were also a variety of other activities or performances throughout the event.

Parents and their children were waiting in long queues for a trial of making traditional Chinese paper-cutting, picture-making and hand-painting umbrellas, while others who crafted their own products shared their excitement with their families.

A father, named Richard, was teaching his two daughters to put together a ball-shaped ornament. He said that those activities enabled them to have a close encounter with the traditional Chinese culture and it was a good way for children to broaden their vision by knowing different different cultures.

Nodding to the long-enduring value of family unity advocated by the traditional Chinese Spring Festival culture, Richard said that the SAAM event gave him and his families a chance to spend some quality time together.

"For me, there is nothing more valuable than that," he said.

To present those well-received activities, the SAAM also partnered with the Municipal Government of Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province. As a homeland of giant pandas, Chengdu brought about notable panda-themed experiences to panda-loving locals.

One of them was a footage of Bao Bao, a female giant panda born at the National Zoo in D.C. and returned to China early last year, reminding some audience of their pleasant memory about Bao Bao's days spent here.

As the traditional Chinese Spring Festival nears, the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, all in D.C., will also hold similar events as part of a broader Chinese New York celebration in the U.S. capital.
Artists

perform during the "Happy Chinese New Year, Charming Beijing Tianjin Hebei" performance in Los Angeles, the United States, Feb. 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Ying)Artists perform during the "Happy Chinese New Year, Charming Beijing Tianjin Hebei" performance in Los Angeles, the United States, Feb. 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- With the approaching of the Year of the Dog in the Chinese lunar calendar, "Charming Beijing Tianjin Hebei" came to the affluent Californian city of Beverly Hills in the United States first time on Saturday, highlighting traditional Chinese culture in the three major areas in northern China.

With the support of the Chinese Consulate of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau, in partnership with China International Culture Association and Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Associations for Cultural Exchanges, hosted the Chinese New Year celebration at the Saban Theatre Saturday night.

Hundreds of American people were impressed by cultural heritage handicrafts as well as the performance of Chinese artists, including Guqin, Tai Chi and flower arrangement performance, Kun opera, acrobatic and folk dance and so on.

In addition, a "Charming Beijing Tianjin Hebei" photo exhibition displayed the latest development of the areas.

The show is one of the most eye-catching performances among Chinese New Year celebrations in Los eye-cathAngeles, said Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping, adding that the event will promote cultural exchanges between China and the United States.

"We hope that the performance and exhibition will provide a window for our American friends to have a glimpse of the glamour of Chinese culture from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province," Shi Jiandong, assistant secretary general of China International Culture Association, told Xinhua.

"I am some familiar already with Beijing," said Elyse Glickman, a food and travel writer who came to watch the performance, adding that she'd love to see how the 2022 Winter Olympic Games being developed in the capital of China.

"I am a little bit less familiar with Tianjin and Hebei. But this certainly peaks my curiosity and gets me interested," she told Xinhua.

The event is the seventh annual Chinese New Year celebration hosted by the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 06:57:10|Editor: ZD

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TRIPOLI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based government said Sunday that it adopted a package of security measures to counter terrorist threats in the eastern city of Benghazi.

The interim government said in a statement that the cabinet and security leaders of Benghazi had tightened security measures to prevent terrorist threats in the city after an emergency meeting held with Prime Minister, Abdullah Thanni.

"The victories of the armed forces and their supporting troops in the city of Benghazi will only be valuable if security is achieved through security work.

The enemy used suicide methods to destabilize the security situation in the city," the statement said.

The government issued instructions to install cameras and surveillance systems for mosques in the city and linked them to the main Security Chamber of the Ministry of Interior.

The measures include supply of 4 explosive detection vehicles worth 12 million U.S. dollars, as well as installation of 700 cameras in the city and communications separation systems in mosques.

The officials during the meeting agreed to rehabilitate police and activate infantry forces, as well as use of police dogs.

Two people were killed and 143 wounded, including children, in an explosion that hit the inside a mosque on Friday in Benghazi.

Twin car bomb attack hit a mosque in Benghazi's Salmani district two week earlier as the worshipers exited the mosque after the night prayer, killing 34 people and injuring more than 100 others, mostly civilians.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings. However, preliminary investigations say that the attacks are likely to be carried out by of terrorist organizations.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-12 07:02:12|Editor: ZD

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DUBLIN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Clarity and urgency are needed from London on Brexit as time is running out, said the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar here on Sunday.

Talking in a local TV program, Leo Varadkar said that it is 20 months since the Brexit referendum and people still don't know what the British government wants Brexit to mean.

He said Britain needs to make a decision on what relationship it wants to have with the European Union (EU) after its withdrawal.

"The UK is due to leave the EU in March 2019. It's a little over a year away and I think we need clarity and urgency from London," he said.

Varadkar said he understood the frustration expressed by the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier after the latest round of the Brexit talks last week.

Barnier said at a press conference in Brussels after last week's talks that any solution on the issue of the border must be precise, clear and unambiguous.

The chief negotiator also expressed unhappiness with the progress of the on-going Phase-II Brexit talks since the conclusion of the Phase-I talks in December.

Asked to comment on the remarks made by Barnier at last week's press conference that Britain's decision to leave the EU single market and customs union will mean checks at the Irish border are "unavoidable", Varadkar said that "The difficult part, and it was always going to be the difficult part, in Phase II is the commitments and guarantees around the avoidance of a hard border."

"What we're trying to do... is ensure that what was agreed in December is now stitched into the legal text of the withdrawal agreement," he said.

The Irish border issue is one of the three main concerns in the first-phase Brexit talks. Britain has assured in the first-phase Brexit talks that there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland after its departure from the EU. Ireland is the only EU member state that shares a land border with Britain's Northern Ireland.
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Coun Perez reiterates warning to barangay leaders involved in drugs

07 Aug 2017 Hits:37 Comments(0)

Liga ng mga Barangay President, Councilor Jerry Perez yesterday reiterated his warning to all barangay officials from using or selling drugs. Perez said he is closely monitoring the activities of all the barangay officials and vowed sanctions against erring leaders. Aqui gane na mio barangay ya quita ya iyo na puesto cunel dos barangay leaders quien mas temprano ya sale positivo na...
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-07 14:16:45|Editor: Lifang

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QUITO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Ecuadorian government on Tuesday reiterated continued protection for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after a British court ratified the validity of an arrest warrant against him.

"The government of Ecuador will maintain international protection for the citizen Julian Assange, while the threat to his life persists," said the foreign affairs ministry in a statement.

The statement added that the government "maintains the best relations with the United Kingdom and will maintain efforts to find a satisfactory solution for the two countries, respectful of human rights."

Assange, 46, has taken refuge at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he is wanted to answer charges for alleged sexual crimes in 2010, which he denies.

In May, the Swedish prosecutor-general shelved the case, giving a glimmer of hope to Assange as the sex assault claims on which the original arrest warrant was based have been dropped.

However, London police said that Assange would still be arrested if he ever left the Ecuadorian embassy, since he was the subject of a British arrest warrant for a parole violation when he fled to the embassy.

On Jan. 26, Assange's lawyers put forward an argument to a British court that as the case against him had been dropped, the arrest warrant was no longer applicable.

The arrest warrant was ruled by the court on Tuesday as still valid, dashing the asylum seeker's hope of freedom.

Earlier in January, the Ecuadorian government, in an effort to resolve the impasse, granted citizenship to Assange and asked Britain to give him diplomatic status, a request that was later denied.

According to his lawyers, Assange is living in a virtual prison and has seen his health deteriorate. He has stated that the case in Sweden is merely an excuse to deport him to the United States, where he is sought for WikiLeaks' publication of classified documents.

The WikiLeaks website gained fame after it released thousands of confidential diplomatic cables showing the U.S. manipulation of foreign governments and video footage of a U.S. military strike on civilians in Iraq, moves that angered Washington.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-10 19:55:58|Editor: ZD

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Rescuers work at the damaged Yun Men Tusi Ti building in Hualien, southeast China's Taiwan, Feb. 9, 2018. The search for the five missing mainland tourists has been halted due to the smell of gas, local fire fighting authorities said late Friday, adding that rescue work will be continued after the smell disperses. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

HUALIEN, Taiwan, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Three more mainland tourists were confirmed dead Saturday afternoon in the earthquake in Taiwan's Hualien County, bringing the death toll to 15.

Their bodies, identified as a male, a female and a child, were found in the ruins of a 12-story building in Hualien, according to Taiwan's fire fighting authority.

Two mainland tourists from the same family as Saturday's victims are still missing.

The 15 victims include seven from Chinese mainland, five from Taiwan, one from the Philippines and two from Canada. More than 270 people were also injured in the magnitude 6.5 earthquake which jolted waters near Hualien late Tuesday night.

It was the most severe earthquake to hit Hualien in five decades.

Fu Kun-Chi, head of Hualien County, said the county will help the relatives of the deceased to visit Hualien.

He also expressed gratitude for the concerns and deep sympathy conveyed by Zhang Zhijun, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and the donations offered by mainland enterprises.

All the mainland tour groups in Taiwan are currently safe, according to the Taipei office of the Association for Tourism Exchange across the Taiwan Straits Friday.

The office has been in touch with the families of the mainland victims and are helping them to visit Taiwan.

The Ministry of Public Security has offered expedited travel certificates for family members of the victims, said the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.
Ceremony marking the handing over of heavy military equipments to Ukrainian forces in northeastern town of Chuguev , Kharkiv region on August 22, 2015. (Xinhua/SIPA)

KIEV, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine plans to enhance the mobility of its military personnel as part of a comprehensive reform of the Armed Forces, the country's Defense Ministry said Friday, citing a senior military official.

"Achievement of high mobility of units is our priority task," Viktor Muzhenko, chief of the general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was quoted as saying by the Defense Ministry's press service.

To achieve the target, the army intends to carry out military exercises on the redeployment of the troops within Ukraine, Muzhenko said.

In the past, Ukrainian servicemen have undergone the drills on the redeployment using railway, road and air transport, he added.

Kiev has launched a major modernization of the army in 2014, when the conflict between government troops and pro-independence insurgents started in eastern Ukraine.

The comprehensive reform of the Armed Forces, which is set to be completed in 2020, is aimed at the establishment of "effective and mobile defense forces able to provide an adequate and flexible response to military threats."
AGARTALA: Ahead of the state Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) president Amit Shah will on Sunday carry out a road show from Bamotia to Mohanpur in the northeast state of Tripura.

In his two-day visit to poll-bound Tripura, Shah will address a total of five public rallies and carry out two road shows starting today.

Post lunch, he will address a public gathering in Mohanpur along with the state president of the BJP, Biplob Deb.

The northeastern state of Tripura is going to polls on February 18 while the counting of votes will be done on March 3.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) has a strong foothold in Tripura and is in power for the past 25 years.

The incumbent Chief Minister Manik Sarkar is at the helm for the past 19 years. He held the term for the fourth time after the party swept away the 2013 assembly elections.

In the last polls in 2013, the CPI (M) managed to bag an overwhelming majority with 51 seats, while the rest was shared by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Congress party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which did not win even a single seat in the last polls, has been working hard to overthrow the CPI (M) rule this time. Six Congress MLAs, who first joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC), switched over to the BJP in August last year.

Apart from this, there are three major tribal parties in Tripura- the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and National Conference of Tripura (NCT).

Here's Amit Shah's schedule for today:

10:30: Departure from Agartala airport by road

11:00: Arrival at Bamutia

11:00 - 12:00: Road show from Bamutia to Mohanpur

12:00 - 13:00: Public meeting at High School Ground Mohanpur

13:00 - 13:15: Lunch at Venue

13:15: Departure from Mohanip'ur SDM Ground helipad

13:15 - 14:00: Travel from Mohanpur to Lara Karbari helipad: Chowmanu by chopper

14:00 - 15:00: Public meeting at Bitu Mela math, Chowmanu

15:00: Departure from Chowmanu

15:00 - 15:30: Travel from Chowmanu to Teliamura by chopper

15.30: Arrival at Teliamura BSF Ground helipad

15:30 - 16:30: Public meeting at Teliamura Town Hall Ground

16:30: Departure from Teliamura by road

17:30: Arrival at Chandra'ur ISBT

17:30 - 19:00: Road show from Cpiandrapur Bazar to Hotel Sonar Tori
Patna: The ruling Janata Dal (United) has announced that it would not field its candidates from any of the three seats in Bihar where bypolls (one Lok Sabha and two Assembly seats) are scheduled to be held in March 2018.

The bypoll in Araria was necessitated by the death of RJD MP Mohammad Taslimuddin. The BJP had finished second in the seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, closely followed by the JD (U), which had contested the parliamentary polls separately.

The Jahanabad seat has fallen vacant after the death of RJD MLA Mundrika Yadav. The JD(U) had fought the 2015 Assembly polls in alliance with the RJD and the Congress.

In Bhabhua, the bypoll has been necessitated following the demise of BJP MLA Anand Bhushan Pandey.

"State party president Bashishtha Narain Singh has announced that we will not be taking part in the bypolls to the Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jahanabad and Bhabhua Assembly seats," a senior JD(U) leader said, as per PTI.

The party is now an NDA constituent.

Meanwhile, RJD leader and Lalu Prasad's son Tejashwi Yadav took potshots at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, saying, "The decision not to contest any seat in the bypolls is indicative of the chief minister's capitulation before the BJP."

"It is just a matter of time before Nitish Kumar decides to merge his party with the BJP and conveniently settle down for a gubernatorial assignment. JD(U) MLAs, though, would be left in the lurch," he tweeted.

                 ,                           Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) February 10, 2018

 ,                         PMO            ,           ??  Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) February 10, 2018

Nitish had walked out of the Grand Alliance in 2017, following corruption cases against Tejashwi, who was then the deputy CM and had returned to the BJP-led alliance four years after it snapped the 17-year-old ties with the saffron party.

The decision to return to the NDA fold was taken in a resolution approved at a meeting of the national executive of the JD(U) chaired by Nitish.

Nitish had driven JD(U) to walk out of NDA on June 16, 2013, over Narendra Modi being made the prime ministerial candidate.

(With PTI inputs)
Islamabad: Akshay Kumar's Padman, based on the life of social activist Arunachalam Muruganantham who introduced low-cost sanitary pads, has reportedly been banned in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Federal Censor Board refused to clear the Bollywood movie for its release in the country. According to the members, the film deals with 'taboo' subjects such as menstruation and, thus, cannot be allowed to screen in Pakistan.

The report, however, did not go well with twitterati as they took the microblogging site by storm. Notably, many women in Pakistan slammed the decision and supported the release of the film in the country.

Ammara Ahwad, a Pakistani journalist, wrote on Twitter, "Yes, Pakistani Women menstruate too. I support #Padman and menstrual hygiene. Ban on @PadManTheFilm in Pakistan is senseless. Release it now."

Yes, Pakistani Women menstruate too. I support #Padman and menstrual hygiene. Ban on @PadManTheFilm in Pakistan is senseless. Release it now. pic.twitter.com/KpsTL6Rc3a  Ammara Ahmad (@ammarawrites) February 10, 2018

Another journalist, named Gharidah Farooqi, expressed her anger and said, "Against our traditions & culture" Oh well, coz women don`t menstruate here... What stupid people sitting at Censor Board ! #PadMan must be allowed in Pakistan ! "

"Against our traditions & culture" Oh well, coz women don't menstruate here... What stupid people sitting at Censor Board ! #PadMan must be allowed in Pakistan ! https://t.co/S7PUfBV9ak  Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) February 10, 2018

Mehr Tarar, the Pakistani columnist who sparred on Twitter with Congress' Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar, was also not left behind.

"Banning PadMan in Pakistan is another one of those illogical things that simply affect the business of cinemas in Pakistan.Menstruation is a fact of life, and bringing it to mainstream consciousness is neither immoral nor un-Islamic," she wrote on Twitter.

Banning PadMan in Pakistan is another one of those illogical things that simply affect the business of cinemas in Pakistan.

Menstruation is a fact of life, and bringing it to mainstream consciousness is neither immoral nor un-Islamic.  Mehr Tarar (@MehrTarar) February 10, 2018

Mona Alam, a journalist, lashed the Pakistan censor board's move to ban 'PadMan'. "Insecurity, illiteracy & double standards of #Pakistani filmmakers who're okay with dirty raunchy item numbers but consider "unislamic" to film a social awareness topic of #menstruation on #WomenEmpowermentCensor board, move," she wrote on the micro-blogging site.

Insecurity, illiteracy & double standards of #Pakistani filmmakers who're okay with dirty raunchy item numbers but consider "unislamic" to film a social awareness topic of #menstruation on #WomenEmpowerment

Censor board, move#Padman banned in #Pakistan https://t.co/MHfDx1zVys  Mona Alam (@MonaAlamm) February 10, 2018

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Government wrote on its official handle, "The decision to issue an NOC by the Ministry of Information Broadcasting National History and Literary Heritage is yet to be taken on the release of a foreign feature film 'Padman' as the film has not yet been pre-viewed by the Central Board of Film Censors."

'PadMan' starring Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor in pivotal roles, was released in India on February 8. It deals with menstrual hygiene and is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Tamil Nadu who introduced low-cost sanitary pads to villages in India.

The film opened to a good reception in India as it earned Rs 10.26 crore on its first day and is expected to cross the Rs 50 crore mark during the weekend.
New Delhi: No-frills airline IndiGo has confirmed that it has grounded three A320 neo aircraft due to engine problems.

According to a statement released by the airline, IndiGo has withdrawn three A320 neo aircraft from service, effectively from February 9, 2018, due to the engine problems.

The grounded aircraft are powered by Pratt & Whitney engines.

"We confirm receiving the recommendations by Pratt & Whitney as well as EASA (European Aviation Safety Regulator) with respect to the A320 neo aircraft powered by PW1100G - JM engines. We have three aircraft with the particular engine configuration, which have been flagged by EASA", IndiGo said in a release.

Media reports also quoted a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official saying the grounding of aircraft powered by Pratt and Whitney engines follows a directive from European aviation safety regulator EASA.

The EASA had on Friday issued an emergency airworthiness directive for A320 neo planes fitted with PW1100 engines having a particular serial number.

The directive came in the wake of instances of the engines in-flight shut-downs and rejected take-offs involving A320 neo family planes, the DGCA official was quoted as saying.

The grounding of planes seems to have hit the airline's operations badly. At least four scheduled flights have been cancelled and at least six have been delayed.

Our precautionary measure of grounding the three aircraft resulted in cancellations of some of our flights, IndiGo said.

The grounding of the planes has also led to confusion among the airline's passengers as many of them didnt know that several flights have been cancelled and arrived at the airport.

As per reports, the airline has cancelled at least four flights in Delhi.

Passengers have been asked to contact window D 10 at Terminal 1D for clarification.
In the worst attack on an Army camp after Uri terror attack, at least five soldiers and one civilian got killed while several others got injured in a gunbattle that went on for over 30 hours in Sunjwan in Jammu and Kashmir. The forces also gunned down four terrorists after an intense encounter that went on for more than a day.

Authorities said that the gunbattle went on for so long as the Army wanted to avoid any collateral damage. Jammu IGP SD Singh Jamwal said, "Three terrorists have been killed. Army has taken all precautions because every human life is precious and Army does not want a collateral damage. I'm sure we will be able to finish the operation soon."

On Saturday, two JCOs got killed as the terrorists carried out an early morning attack at the Army camp. In retaliation, the forces killed three terrorists on Saturday while another was killed on Sunday.

While refusing to divulge any detail about the operation, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said I am sure that our jawans, who are in the operation, will successfully conclude it.

The terrorists carried out the attack by opening indiscriminate fire and lobbed grenades inside the Army camp. Later, they entered the JCO family quarters where they opened indiscriminate fire.

The soldiers who were martyred in the attack were:

Sub Madan Lal Choudhary

Sub Mohd Ashraf Mir

Hav Habib-Ullah Qurashi

NK Manzoor Ahmed

L/NK Mohd Iqbal

The father of martyr L/NK Mohd Iqbal was also killed by the terrorists.

After killing three terrorists on Saturday, the forces recovered AK-47 rifles and other weapons from the terrorists.

Meanwhile, reports quoted intelligence sources as saying that Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and JeM chief Masood Azhar are the masterminds of the attack on the Army camp.

Reports cited intercepts from Pakistan and said that a meeting between the chiefs of the terror groups was held recently in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. The two groups also reportedly organised a terrorist camp in Muzaffarabad.

The terrorists who attacked the Army camp were reportedly trained at this training camp and then sent to the Indian side of the border.

Following the attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday chaired an emergency meeting with top state government officials, including J&K Police DGP SP Vaid. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri informed the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that Subedar Madanlal Chowdhary and Subedar Mohammed Ashraf Mir were killed in the attack by a group of militants.
Lucknow: Describing the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) as one of the subsidiaries of terror outfits operating in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the Shia Central Waqf Board on Sunday demanded a ban on it.

"Terrorist organizations of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia take major decisions related to Muslims in India. Muslim Personal Law Board is a branch of such terrorist organisations that is spoiling the atmosphere of the country by following their ideologies," Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi said.

The statement from the Shia Central Waqf Board came shortly after the AIMPLB expelled its executive member Moulana Salman Hasni Nadvi, who had supported the construction of Ram Temple on the disputed land in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

Shia Central Waqf Board also pressed for a ban on AIMPLB, saying that it should be considered as a terrorist organisation.

Terrorist orgs of Pak & Saudi Arabia take major decisions related to Muslims in India. AIMPLB is a branch of such terrorist orgs which is spoiling the atmosphere of the country by following their ideologies. AIMPLB should be banned considering it as a terrorist org: Wasim Rizvi pic.twitter.com/AhmDB7VuGo  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

Backing Nadvi for proposing the Ayodhya compromise formula, Rizvi said, "Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya, and the only way out for Muslims is to build their mosque in some other disputed land.''

Earlier in the day, a high-powered committee of AIMPLB expelled Nadvi over his "uncompromising stand on Babri Masjid issue."

On February 9, Maulana Salman Husaini Nadvi spoke to ANI about his meeting with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar where he extended support to the construction of Ram temple and said that their priority is to join hearts of people.

He also hinted at an out of court settlement by saying, "The courts do not join people's heart as the verdict is always in favour of one and against the other."

In a related development, the Mulsim Personal Law Board today said that there is no change in its stand on the Ayodhya issue as "once a masjid is built, till eternity that will be a Masjid".

''Babri Masjid is an essential part of faith in Islam and Muslims can never abdicate the Masjid nor they can exchange land for Masijd, gift Masjid land. Babri Masjid is a Masjid and it will remain a Masjid till eternity,'' the AIMPLB said in a release.

''The struggle for reconstruction of Babri Masjid continues and that the appeal of the Supreme Court is being fought rigorously, '' the Board said.

"About Babri Masjid, it was clearly said that once a masjid is built, till eternity that will be a masjid. There will be no compromise. As far as the Babri Masjid is concerned, the people who compromise on the masjid issue will be answerable to the Almighty," AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi had too said last night.

Owaisi, who is also a member of the board, made these remarks late on Saturday after the conclusion of the proceedings of the second day of the 26th plenary of the AIMPLB in Hyderabad.

During the plenary session, the Board also said that the triple talaq bill proposed by the NDA government is not acceptable to the Muslim community.

(With ANI inputs)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed a huge gathering of Indians living in Dubai. You represent every part of India and you know how rapidly India is developing, PM Modi told the Indian community at Dubai Opera.

Asserting that India has crossed the phase of pessimism, the Prime Minister said that people have moved from hoga ki nahi hoga (Will it happen?) to Modi ji kab hoga (Modi ji when will it happen). This shows a new trust of hoga toh abhi hoga (it will happen now if it has to happen) he added.

He further said that no country has made such rapid progress as India in ease of business as per World Bank.

The Prime Minister also made a reference to demonetisation, on which the opposition has often attacked the BJP-led NDA government. He said that only those who lost their sleep due to demonetisation opposed the move.

If I go for demonetisation, the poor people understand my intention. But those who lost their sleeps, are crying even two years after the move, he said, even as he pointed that his government has made Goods and Services Tax a reality, which had been languishing for past seven years.

We took decisions for long-term gains, not immediate results, he said, adding, When we make a change in 70-year-old norms, it is obvious that there would be some issues.

As he ended his speech, the Prime Minister said, Desh badal raha haiWe will fulfil all your dreams, this is the belief I can give you.

During the event, the Prime Minister also witnessed the laying of foundation stone of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. He termed the Hindu temple as a bridge of harmony.

The temple will be hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the UAE. The construction of the temple will be completed by 2020 and open to people belonging to any religious background.
Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements.

He was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family at the airport on Saturday evening. The Prime Minister thanked the Crown Prince for the special gesture of receiving him at the airport and said his visit will have a positive impact on India-UAE ties.

Following is the full text of India-UAE joint statement during the visit of PM Modi (courtesy - MEA):

At the invitation of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India paid a State visit to the UAE from 10-11 February 2018. The visit further enriched the rapport established at the highest political levels between India and the UAE and follows Prime Minister Modis earlier visit to the UAE during August 2015 and the visits of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India during February 2016 and then during January 2017 as the honoured Chief Guest at Indias 68th Republic Day celebrations.

On arrival in Abu Dhabi on 10 February, Prime Minister Modi was accorded a ceremonial reception. Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hosted a banquet dinner in honour of Prime Minister Modi which was preceded by delegation-level official discussions. Prime Minister Modi also met with Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in Dubai on 11 February.

Apart from his official engagements in Abu Dhabi, Prime Minister Modi delivered his keynote address on the theme- "Technology for Development- at the sixth World Government Summit in Dubai, where India was invited as the Guest of Honour. On the sidelines of the World Government Summit, Prime Minister Modi met with a select group of senior GCC CEOs and Business Leaders.

This visit allowed leadership of the two countries to take regular stock of the bilateral ties and to review the progress made in implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement signed during the last visit of Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed to India in January 2017. Both sides also welcomed the signing of various agreements and MoUs during the visit.

During their official discussions, Prime Minister Modi and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reaffirmed their abiding commitment to further consolidating the comprehensive strategic partnership and expressed satisfaction at the meticulous follow up on the decisions taken during their previous meetings to achieve the set targets. Both leaders noted the robust and forward-looking bilateral engagement in the past two years across a whole range of spheres, including political, economic, trade and investment, energy, education, culture, defence and security, etc.

Both leaders noted that the frequent high-level visits between the two countries have facilitated expeditious and regular implementation of a result-oriented and mutually beneficial comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two leaders noted that the institutional mechanism of UAE-India Strategic Dialogue established under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement has proven to be a useful mechanism to monitor the progress in the agreed areas of engagement and to steer in new promising directions. In this context, they welcomed the fruitful outcome of the second ministerial-level India-UAE Strategic Dialogue held in Abu Dhabi in October 2017.

In order to further strengthen the agreed institutional cooperation and understanding between the two countries, the two sides renewed their pledge to deepen cooperation between Indias Ministry of External Affairs and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Recognising that both India and the UAE are multicultural and pluralistic societies, the two leaders reiterated their common resolve in promoting the values of tolerance, peace, inclusiveness and in countering extremist ideologies. The two leaders recognised the critical role interfaith dialogue could play in achieving this worthy aim.

Both sides underlined that as diverse societies, India and UAE exemplify as credible models against the tendencies of extremism and radicalism. While appreciating the existing cooperation in this area, including through exchange of visits and best practices, both sides resolved to deepen cooperation on combating extremism and further strengthen their efforts in countering terrorism.

The two leaders agreed that extremism and terrorism cannot be defeated by use of force only, and acknowledged the need for a holistic approach, which includes disrupting the use of web and social media for promotion of extremist and violent ideologies; preventing the use of religious centres to radicalize youth and recruit terrorist cadres; and promoting tolerance. In this context, the leaders welcomed the contributions of initiatives such as the UAE-based Sawab and Hedayah centres to countering extremist ideologies and enhancing on-going international counter extremism cooperation.

The two leaders expressed strong condemnation of extremism and terrorism in all forms and manifestations, irrespective of who the perpetrators are and of their motivations. They reiterated their condemnation for efforts, including by states, to use religion to justify, support and sponsor terrorism against other countries, or to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

They further deplored efforts by countries to give religious and sectarian colour to political issues and pointed out the responsibility of all states to control the activities of the so-called non-state actors and to cut all support to terrorists operating and perpetrating terrorism from their territories against other states. The two leaders agreed that resolute and credible steps must be taken to eliminate safe havens and sanctuaries that provide shelter to terrorists and their activities.

The two leaders noted the importance of efforts to disrupt and dismantle terrorist networks, their financing and movement, in accordance with the relevant principles and objectives of the UN Charter and international laws. The two sides deplored the adoption of double standards in addressing the menace of international terrorism and agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism both at the bilateral level and within the multilateral system. The two sides resolved to continue working together towards the adoption of Indias proposed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the ongoing bilateral cooperation in the identified areas of security, defence and space. They committed to augment this cooperation further to promote regional security, peace and prosperity and agreed to further deepen collaborations on maritime security, including joint anti-piracy, training and exercises, cyberspace and outer space, etc.

The two leaders noted with satisfaction the robust cooperation between the security agencies of the two countries. They also expressed satisfaction at the on-going cooperation under the institutional mechanism of the security dialogue established at the level of the respective National Security Adviser and National Security Council aimed at enhancing cooperation in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence-sharing and capacity-building.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress made in the area of security cooperation and directed their respective officials to hold the first meeting of the Joint Task Force on prevention and combating human trafficking during 2018. The two sides welcomed the finalisation of an MOU on Cooperation in the Exchange of Financial Intelligence related to Money Laundering, Associated Predicate Offences and Terrorist Financing, which could be signed at the earliest. They agreed to further deepen cooperation in combating transnational crimes and welcomed the proposal to establish institutional mechanism for cooperation to combat drug-trafficking.

The MOU signed in February 2016 has established an institutional mechanism for undertaking joint research activities. For effective implementation of the MOU, they directed that efforts to establish joint Research and Development Centres of Excellence be expedited.

agreement on Defence Cooperation renewed in 2014 which provides a general framework for strengthening bilateral defence ties. The two sides noted the growing defence cooperation, including through regular high-level visits, training programmes, joint exercises, participation in defence exhibitions and ship visits/port calls, etc.

It was noted with satisfaction that the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) formed under the existing Defence Cooperation Agreement has been meeting regularly. The two leaders welcomed the decision taken during the latest round of JDCC held in New Delhi in December 2017 to conduct the first bilateral Naval Exercise during 2018. They also noted the holding of the sixth round of Naval Staff Talks in New Delhi during September 2017.

The two sides renewed their commitment to work closely to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean region, which is vital for the security and prosperity of both countries.

The UAE side renewed its interest in the coastal surveillance systems and patrol vessels developed by India. The two leaders noted with satisfaction the agreement for supply of Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels by India to UAE and the successful testing for Factory Acceptance Trials in Sharjah during March 2017.

Acknowledging Indias highly successful and cost-effective space programme, the UAE side evinced interest in deepening cooperation with India in space exploration under the existing MOU on Space cooperation signed during February 2016. In this context, both sides welcomed the launch of UAE Nano satellite Nayif-1 by Indian Space Research Organisation in February 2017. The UAE side welcomed the joining of the former ISRO Chairman on the Advisory Board of the UAE Space Agency.

The leaders expressed satisfaction at the holding of the first Joint Working Group Meeting in December 2017 under the existing MOU on space cooperation. They welcomed proposed cooperation in the identified areas of remote sensing, space science, satellite navigation, launching services, academic cooperation and industry interactions.

Both leaders noted the excellent trade and economic ties between the two countries, as each others major trading partners and expressed satisfaction at the current level of bilateral trade, which amounted to about USD 53 billion in 2016-17. The two sides agreed to further strengthen these ties, particularly through diversifying non-oil trade.

With an aim to devise a long-term strategy on trade enhancement, the two leaders decided to examine various tariff and non-tariff barriers, and agreed to focus on encouraging trade in identified commodities and to expand access of goods and services in both markets. They acknowledged the positive effect presence of a number of Indian and UAE companies in each other's market has in bilateral trade promotion efforts. They welcomed the decision to open of an office of Confederation of Indian Industry in Dubai and of the Dubai Chambers of Commerce in Mumbai to support businesses at both ends.

The two sides viewed the MoU between Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange concluded during this visit, as another constructive mechanism for furthering economic and commercial ties.

Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed Indias decision to participate in Dubai Expo 2020. Prime Minister Modi reiterated the interest of Indian companies to be a partner in the infrastructure projects being undertaken by the UAE in preparation for the Dubai Expo as well as in UAEs development plans.

Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan valued the continued efforts by India to enhance economic growth, and the recent economic reforms undertaken by the Indian Government, which would facilitate the ease of doing business and promote market integration. Both sides noted the improvement in the ease of doing business in India and the UAE as per the World Bank's latest global rankings.

Both leaders reviewed the progress in realizing the USD 75 billion target for UAE investments in India committed towards infrastructure development. Prime Minister Modi welcomed ADIAs participation in Indias National Infrastructure Investment Fund as an anchor investor and welcomed DP World's agreement with NIIF to create a joint investment platform for ports, terminals, transportation and logistics businesses in India. He also welcomed UAEs continued interest in investing in infrastructure development in India, especially in priority areas such as renewable energy, power generation and transmission, defence production, real estate, industrial corridors and parks, railways, roads, ports, shipping, logistics and food processing among others. Similarly, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed interest from Indian IT and technology companies in investing in the UAE, and encouraged them to use the UAE as a platform for expanding their businesses in the region. Both leaders welcomed the signing of an MOU for strengthening of technical cooperation in the Railways sector during the visit.

The two leaders complimented the work of the ministerial-level UAE-India High Level Task Force on Investments in promoting bilateral investment ties between the two countries. They noted the positive outcome of its fifth meeting held in January 2018 in Abu Dhabi, and urged the Task Force to explore investment opportunities in both countries, including through India's flagship initiatives such as "Make in India", "Digital India", "Skill India", "Smart India", "Clean India," and "StartUp India". Prime Minister Modi highlighted the strong potential of these initiatives to accelerate the Indian economys robust and sustained growth.

The two leaders directed the concerned authorities to expeditiously conclude the ongoing negotiations on the new Bilateral Investment Treaty in order to provide necessary legal framework for investment promotion.

The two leaders underlined that aviation links between India and the UAE are indicative of vibrant people to people exchanges. Recognizing the need to further expand and develop cooperation in the civil aviation sector, the two sides agreed to convene consultations between their respective civil aviation authorities at the earliest opportunity to discuss key areas of mutual interest.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the cooperation in energy sector, noting that the UAE is one of the leading suppliers of crude oil to India. Prime Minister Modi thanked the UAE for being a reliable partner in Indias energy security.

Both leaders reiterated their common desire to transform the buyer-seller relationship in the energy-sector to one of deeper partnership with focus on investment and joint ventures in petrochemical complexes, and cooperation in joint exploration in India, UAE and in third countries. Prime Minister Modi invited ADNOC and Mubadala to invest in downstream projects in Indias hydrocarbon sector also.

Both sides reviewed the progress being made in early implementation of the agreement on Oil Storage and Management between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited signed in January 2017 and underscored that crude oil supply from UAE for the Mangalore cavern would be a significant transformational step in building a strategic partnership in the energy sector.

PM Modi welcomed the decision to award a major oil concession to ONGC-led consortium from India in the ADMA-OPCO field in Lower Zakum. Both sides described this as another example of the emerging strategic engagement in the energy sector.

Prime Minister Modi thanked the UAE leadership for supporting his initiative on the International Solar Alliance (ISA). Both sides welcomed the signing and ratification of the Framework ISA Agreement by UAE and expressed their commitment for promoting clean and renewable energy by mobilizing investments for broad-based deployment of affordable solar energy applications. Both sides further agreed to continue extending support to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

The two sides agreed to further enhance their cooperation in areas of green energy and Climate Change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. They took note of the strides made by the two countries in achieving the ambitious renewable energy targets and welcomed Masdars intention to invest in Indias solar energy projects.

Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conveyed appreciation for the positive contribution made by the Indian community in the UAE in the development of their host country. Prime Minister Modi thanked the UAE leadership for ensuring continued welfare and well-being of the Indian community and for the continuing labour reforms by the UAE Government.

Both leaders expressed satisfaction at the signing of an MoU on Manpower during the visit. They noted that the MoU would streamline the process of manpower sourcing, benefit Indian workers and UAE employers alike, and foster the exchange of information between the two countries.

The two leaders were convinced that people-to-people engagement will further enhance the strong bonds between the two nations, and as such, noted with satisfaction the visa exemption agreement signed in 2017, which allows mutual visa-free access for holders of diplomatic and official passports from both countries.

The two sides agreed to further intensify cooperation in skill development and noted the successful hosting of the 44th World Skills Competition in Abu Dhabi in October 2017 with significant participation from India.

Prime Minister thanked Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for allotting land and for facilitating the construction of a temple in implementation of the decision conveyed by the UAE Government in August 2015 to address the request of Indian community in UAE. He noted that the temple would be an important symbol of UAEs firm commitment to the principles of tolerance and to building a pluralistic society where diverse communities enjoy the freedom to practice their religion, language and culture.

The two sides welcomed participation of India as the "Guest of Honour Country at the prestigious Abu Dhabi Music and Art Foundation Festival in March 2018 and Sharjahs participation as the Guest of Honour at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2019. The leaders also looked forward to intensifying exchanges between scholars, academics and cultural delegations.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated the leadership of UAE on opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum. Both sides agreed to enhance collaboration between the National Museum of India and Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Recalling the legacy and great contribution in the nation building by UAEs Founder President, late H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Prime Minister Modi noted the cultural events planned during 2018 to mark it as the "Year of Zayed.

Both sides agreed to enhance consultations on mutual recognition of educational degrees. They agreed to deepen cooperation especially in areas of smart classroom and digital education.

The two leaders underlined the growing synergies in cruise tourism and noted the need for an institutional arrangement to promote Cruise Tourism between the two countries.

Appreciating the importance of cooperation in responding to global challenges, the two sides were pleased to note the growing convergence on regional and global issues and agreed to enhance India-UAE cooperation in multilateral fora. Both leaders noted the common desire to strengthen cooperation in the framework of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and other important regional bodies.

The two sides reiterated their common desire to work together in the spirit of South-South cooperation in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly through capacity-building, grants and loans, collaboration in trade and technology, and joint projects aimed at supporting the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals. The UAE side valued India's steadfast contribution to peace and development in Africa, including its participation in UN Peacekeeping Missions. Prime Minister Modi in turn, noted the UAEs contribution to the G5 Sahel Force, which will be important to counter terrorism in the region.

The two leaders also discussed the importance of sharing each others experience in the field of development and aid. In line with this, they agreed to initiate joint development projects for third countries, including exploring joint projects in Afghanistan in line with the need of the people of Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Modi thanked Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation and invited him to visit India at mutually convenient time. The two leaders affirmed their vision of a forward-looking comprehensive strategic partnership for prosperity, growth and security of the two countries.
The Election Commission has demanded the right to cancel the registration of political parties. The EC has made this demand in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court over a public interest litigation (PIL) questioning formation of political parties by convicted persons.

The poll body also pointed that as of now, it has no right to take action against parties violating election rules, demanding that the law must be changed to ensure that the EC gets the right to act in this regard.

In its reply, the Election Commission has stated that it has been requesting subsequent governments for the past 20 years to change the law, but nothing has been done in this regard till now.

While the EC has submitted its response to the PIL before the Supreme Court, the central government is yet to file its reply.

The PIL, filed by lawyer and activist Ashwini Upadhyay, has also demanded that those convicted of any crime must not be allowed to hold party posts. It adds that if a party keeps a convicted person as its office bearer, the registration of such political party must be cancelled with immediate effect.

However, the top court has said that it would not look into the issue of convicted persons being a part of any political party or forming a different party, but would consider ECs demand to get the power to de-register a political party.

The next hearing in the case will be held on Monday.
Noted south Indian actor Kamal Haasan has said that he does not see a political alliance with Rajinikanth in the current circumstances. News agency ANI quoted Haasan as saying that there is a hue of saffron in Rajinis politics.

Referring to an alliance with Rajinikanth, who on December 31 announced that he would form a new party and enter politics, Haasan said, There is a hue of saffron in Rajni's politics. If that doesn't change then I don't see an alliance with him. We are good friends but politics is different.

This came even as the actor launched his much-awaited website naalainamadhe.maiam.com, which talks about building a new sustainable model village.

Talking about a possible alliance with Kamal Haasan, south Indian film superstar Rajinikanth had avoided a direct answer on Thursday saying, Only time will answer this question.

He had reacted in a similar way when the question was posed to him at the launch event of animation film "Kizhakku Africa vil Raju" based on the life of AIADMK founder MGR. He had then said: "Let us see in due course of time."

Reiterating similar views, Haasan had said, "Time is a good medicine for everything. I second it." Both the actors-turned-politicians shared the stage at the event raising speculations over a possible alliance.

Notably, Kamal Haasan is slated to start touring Tamil Nadu, beginning with his hometown of Ramanathapuram, on February 21. He is also likely to reveal the name of his party on the same day. Meanwhile, Rajinikanth has already announced that his political party would contest on all 234 seats in the next assembly elections.

Rajinikanth and Hassan recently started their political journey in a state that has had a rich history of cinema marrying politics. MG Ramachandran not only floated the AIADMK after walking out of the M Karunanidhi-led DMK, but also went on to become the state chief minister. Jayalalithaa too served the state as the Chief Minister for several years.
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has sparked a row with his comment on girls consuming alcohol. The Chief Minister of a state, which is one of the most sought-after tourist destination, had said, "I have begun to fear now, because even the girls have started drinking beer. The tolerance limit is being crossed."

Parrikar comment did not seem to go down well with many as microblogging site Twitter has been flooded with reactions, which question the statement by the former defence minister. People are tweeting with hashtag #GirlsWhoDrinkBeer to troll the Goa Chief Minister and his controversial remark.

Here are some of the reactions:

PM is annoyed by women who laugh, Parrikar is scared of girls drinking beer. Yogi offers solution keep them tied to the door post.  Tushar (@TusharG) February 10, 2018

Scared Manohar Parrikar will have nightmare for months if he gets to know that women watch porn, smoke cigarettes, give gaalis, understand and share all double-meaning jokes.#GirlsWhoDrinkBeer  Saniya Sayed (@Ssaniya25) February 10, 2018

Mr. Parrikar while you are worried about #GirlsWhoDrinkBeer, the rest of us are worried about the girls who were never allowed to be born, who were raped at 8 months, who were killed in the name of honor, who are scared to travel in buses and sometimes walk in broad daylight.  Yasha M Shetty (@Shetty_Yasha) February 11, 2018

What do you want us to have instead Mr.Parrikar #Patanjali brand Gau mutra ? That is what you serve in your parties I presume. #GirlsWhoDrinkBeer #pseudoSanskari  Pooja Priyamvada (@SoulVersified) February 11, 2018

Dear Mr. Parrikar, Im happy to be a girl who drinks beer and grins from ear to ear. #GirlsWhoDrinkBeer pic.twitter.com/HrVCivvUlz  SaniyaaRao (@saniya_rao) February 10, 2018

However, there were several people who also tweeted in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party leader, saying he was actually highlighting the menace of drugs prevalent among youth.

Heres a look at some of tweets supporting Parrikar:

Dhakkan #GirlsWhoDrinkBeer are posting "empowered" pics with sharaab, without even listening to serious issue CM Parrikar was discussing He was explaining how boy students fell for dangerous drugs/ganja, and now even girls are heading towards it all...starting with beer...etc   (@ggiittiikkaa) February 10, 2018

I think Parrikar talking abt girls under 18.  Ninad Pawar (@NinadRPawar) February 11, 2018

When are Liberals posting their pics of making school going girls drink beer to object what Parrikar actually said? #SchoolGirlsWhoDrinkBeer  Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) February 11, 2018

CM Manohar Parrikar was explaining how boy students fell for dangerous drugs/ganja & now girls are heading towards it all, But some empowered women read as he spoke about only Beer and started trending #GirlsWhoDrinkBear !  Pari Chawla (@MumbaiDiKudi) February 10, 2018

I feel defying the autocratic illogical laws is a peaceful manner protesting. What Manohar Parrikar said he was against young school girls drinking. If youre against his views, please tell your small school going kids to drink beer & post their pics on SM. Itd help the society  Ra_Bies (@Ra_Bies) February 10, 2018

The day on which the Goa Chief Minister made the controversial remark, he also announced a crackdown on the drug network in the state, conceding that is has been going on and would continue till drugs were out of sight.

"I have no belief that it will come down to zero. I personally do not believe that there is much proliferation (of drugs) in colleges," he said.

After he directed the police to take strict action against the drug trade, he said, 170 people were arrested for drug peddling. "As per the law, if there is a small quantity of drugs, a person gets bail in eight to 15 days or a month. Our courts have also become lenient, but at least the guilty are caught," he said.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Sunday denied its role in the audacious terror attack on an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Sunjwan area, saying the Indian officials and its media were making "irresponsible" statements even before conducting a proper investigation into the incident.

Reacting to the issue, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson accused India of running a "smear campaign against Islamabad and the deliberate creation of war hysteria."

"It is a well-established pattern that Indian officials begin making irresponsible statements and levelling unfounded allegations, even before a proper investigation into any incident has been initiated," the Foreign Office spokesperson said when asked about the attack on Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu.

"A particular segment in the Indian media runs with their innuendos to malign Pakistan and whips up public frenzy. We are confident that the world community would take due cognisance of India's smear campaign against Pakistan, and the deliberate creation of war hysteria," the spokesperson said.

The reactions from Pakistan came several hours after a group of heavily armed terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in the early hours of Saturday, triggering a gunbattle.

Security forces have so far neutralised three terrorists holed up in the Army camp while six people, including five Army personnel, were also killed in the attack.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Army's Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven Army personnel, including two officers.

Three terrorists were gunned down in the operation.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013, for the 2001 attack on Parliament House.

(With PTI inputs)
Muscat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday promoted the new National Health Protection Scheme called Ayushman Bharat announced in this year's Union Budget in an address to the Indian diaspora in Oman.

"In our Budget this year, we did something that drew the world's attention," Modi said to thousands of cheering expatriate Indians at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium here soon after his arrival here on the third and last leg of his three-nation tour of West Asia and the Gulf.

"For 10 crore poor families of India, which translates into 40-50 crore beneficiaries, we announced the Ayushnman Bharat scheme.

"Each family covered under this scheme will get free medical treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh (per year)," Modi said.

Even as he said that people must be wondering what Ayushman Bharat was all about, his attention was drawn by a remark from somebody in the audience and he said: "Yes, newspapers in India call it Modicare."

Ayushman Bharat is envisaged as the world's largest government-funded healthcare programme.

Modi said that under other similar schemes, the poor are being given life insurance at a premium of 90 paise or Re 1 per month.

"As a chaiwala, I know that you can't even have a cup of tea for 90 paise," he said, adding that around Rs 2,000 crore have been disbursed against claims under these schemes.

The Prime Minister said that though governments have come and gone in India, bureaucrats have remained the same as also the system, but changes have come to be noticed.

"Today banks cannot chase away poor people," he said. "Today government officers are knocking at the doors of poor people's homes offering gas connections. Our government is working on providing free electricity to the poor."

In a speech that comes ahead of the general elections in India next year, Modi said that in the last four years nobody asked "how much did Modi take away".

"Today, the Opposition, though not making allegations (of corruption) against us, are asking 'Modiji, how much has come in' whereas people used to ask previously (prior to the present NDA government) how much has gone away," he said.

Modi also praised the expatriate Indians in Oman, numbering over 800,000, for their contributions to its development. He said that Indian and Omani authorities are constantly in touch with each other for addressing grievances of Indians in the Gulf country.

He also praised the Omani royal family for maintaining a close relationship with India.

Modi arrived here on Sunday evening after visiting Palestine and the United Arab Emiraes (UAE) and was to meet Oman's Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said later in the evening.


The death toll in the terrorist attack on an Army camp in Sunjwan area of Jammu and Kashmir has now reached five, as two more security personnel and one civilian have reportedly been martyred. One more terrorist has also been gunned down, taking the total number of terrorists killed to four.

On Saturday, two JCOs got killed as the terrorists carried out an early morning attack at the Army camp. In retaliation, the forces had killed three terrorists in gunbattle.

The operation by the security forces at the site of the attack is on even over 27 hours after the attack was carried out. Though there are no confirmed reports on whether a gunbattle is continuing, it is believed that the forces are now conducting a search and combing operation in the area.

#SunjwanArmyCamp terror attack: Operation still underway, 3 terrorists were killed & two security personnel also lost their lives yesterday (visuals deferred by unspecified time) #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/HKsnQiuhF7  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

Speakin about the operation, Jammu IGP SD Singh Jamwal said, "Three terrorists have been killed. Army has taken all precautions because every human life is precious and Army does not want a collateral damage. I'm sure we will be able to finish the operation soon."

#SunjwanArmyCamp terror attack: Operation underway for last 27 hours (visual deferred by unspecified time) #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/Bzaw3GFx3U  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

On Saturday, at least three terrorists were killed while two JCOs were martyred in the fierce gunbattle. Some AK-47 assault rifles and other weapons were also recovered from the terrorists neutralised by the security forces.

Meanwhile, reports quoted intelligence sources as saying that Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and JeM chief Masood Azhar are the masterminds of the attack on the Army camp.

Reports cited intercepts from Pakistan and said that a meeting between the chiefs of the terror groups was held recently in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. The two groups also reportedly organised a terrorist camp in Muzaffarabad.

The terrorists who attacked the Army camp were reportedly trained at this training camp and then sent to the Indian side of the border.

Following the attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday chaired an emergency meeting with top state government officials, including J&K Police DGP SP Vaid. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri informed the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that Subedar Madanlal Chowdhary and Subedar Mohammed Ashraf Mir were killed in the attack by a group of militants.

Army helicopters and drones were also pressed into service to ascertain the exact location of the terrorists. While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles were engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of para-military CRPF and police personnel were also posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to avoid civilian casualties. Generators and searchlights were brought to the camp, apparently for a night assault.
An Army camp in Sunjwan area of Jammu and Kashmir was attacked on Saturday by terrorists, believed to be associated with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). During the operation, the Indian Army gunned down three terrorists during the face-off that went on for several hours.

According to intelligence sources, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and JeM chief Masood Azhar are the mastermind of the attack on the Army camp.

Reports cited intercepts from Pakistan and said that a meeting between the chiefs of the terror groups was held recently in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. The two groups also reportedly organised a terrorist camp in Muzaffarabad.

The terrorists who attacked the Army camp were reportedly trained at this training camp and then sent to the Indian side of the border.

The terrorists, however, were met with strong retaliation by the Indian forces, who gunned down at least three of them. Some AK-47 assault rifles and other weapons were also recovered from the terrorists neutralised by the security forces.

"Search of their belongings confirmed that the terrorists belonged to JeM. So far, one JCO and 1 NCO, both belonging to J&K, have been martyred and 9 others are injured. Two of them being critical," the Defence PRO had said.

Following the attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti chaired an emergency meeting with top state government officials, including J&K Police DGP SP Vaid. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri informed the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that Subedar Madanlal Chowdhary and Subedar Mohammed Ashraf Mir were killed in the attack by a group of militants.

Army helicopters and drones have been pressed into service to ascertain the exact location of the terrorists. While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles were engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of para-military CRPF and police personnel were also posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to avoid civilian casualties. Generators and searchlights were brought to the camp, apparently for a night assault.
GUWAHATI: Assam Governor Prof Jagadish Mukhi has directed law enforcing agencies to take all measures to prevent incidents of poaching of rhinos in Kaziranga National Park.

"Assam has earned its name and fame worldwide because of the Kaziranga National Park and its precious one-horned rhinoceros. Indiscriminate killing of the rhinos by the poachers is not only an attack on the creature, it is an attack on the pride of the state", he said.

The governor said this at a review meeting with Golaghat district authorities last night.

Incidents of poaching over the months have reduced drastically but security agencies must be on their toes to foil any nefarious design to harm the rhinos, he added.

The governor also directed the district police authorities to ensure complete harmony along the boundary areas that the district shares with other state.

He also hailed the efforts of all the contingents of the security forces that are on duty in the district for maintaining highest order of peace and normalcy in the district.

The governor also reviewed health and hygiene, drinking water, cleanliness, education, road and communication, agriculture among other issues in the district.

Assam and other North Eastern states occupy a strategic location and development of the region would lead to development of the country, he added.

He also said that the region has occupied the centre stage for the success of India?s Act East Policy as the country?s relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations would not be possible without the development of Assam and other North Eastern states
Jammu: The Army on Sunday put on the death toll in a terror attack on an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Sunjwan at nine as the Army Chief General Bipin Rawat arrived here to review the anti-terrorist operation which is still underway at the site. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team also reached Sunjwan Army Camp to take stock of the situation after the terrorist attack.

Reviewing earlier casualty figures, Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Devendra Anand said three terrorists had been killed in the fighting that broke out before dawn on Saturday at the Sunjuwan Army station in Jammu city.

It was earlier reported that four terrorists were killed in the ensuing military operation in Sunjwan.

The Defence spokesman, however, said that he could only confirm the killing of only three attackers.

According to him, all the attackers were in Army fatigues.

"Five soldiers have been martyred in this operation. The father of a soldier also lost his life. So far, we have killed three terrorists," Col Anand told the media.

All the five soldiers, who were killed, belonged to Jammu and Kashmir.

"Search and sanitization operation is still on inside the camp. AK-56 rifles, a grenade launcher, ammunition and grenades have been seized from the dead terrorists," Col Anand said.

Ten other persons, including six women and children, were injured in the attack.

The spokesperson said Army doctors worked through the night to save the life of a severely injured pregnant lady who delivered a baby girl through Caesarian surgery.

A 14-year-old boy with a gunshot wound in the head remains critical, he said.

Asked if more terrorists could still be holed up inside the camp, the official neither denied nor confirmed the possibility. The fighting has lasted more than 30 hours.

The audacious attack was blamed on the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad militants who sneaked into the Army base station around 4.45 am on Saturday.

The terrorists - whose nationality is not known - entered the Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) quarters while everyone was asleep.

Para-commandos from the Army's Udhampur-headquartered Northern Command were flown to flush out the militants.

The Air Force provided aerial surveillance.

(With Agency inputs)
Sindhnur: Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is campaigning in the poll-bound Karnataka these days, was shown black flags on his arrival at Sindhnur on Sunday.

According to ANI, as the party's bus arrived, a large number of Congress supporters were present to receive Gandhi.

However, there was also another group of people carrying black flags that went up to stand right in front of the bus, and after being herded out by the security, began to throw the flags at the bus.

Black flags were shown at bus in which Congress President Rahul Gandhi was campaigning in Karnataka's Sindhanur earlier today. pic.twitter.com/OAYjHCk3RJ  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

Earlier, while addressing a public meeting at Karatagi in Karnataka's Koppal district, Rahul Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to waive loans of farmers than working only for the rich, businessmen and industrialists.

"Though the Modi government works for the rich, businessmen and industrialists, I urge the Prime Minister to waive loans of farmers who are the backbone of the country," Gandhi said in Koppal district, about 350km northwest of Bengaluru.

Addressing a huge gathering in the state's northern region on the second day of his four-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka, Gandhi said there were two types of governments the world over - one which works for industrialists, and other for the poor.

"The Modi government, which works for the rich, is slowly waiving Rs 10 lakh crore debt of businessmen but not loans of thousands of farmers across the country reeling under the agrarian crisis," the Congress chief said.

Gandhi is on his maiden visit to Karnataka after taking over the reins of the party in mid-December from his mother Sonia Gandhi and ahead of assembly polls in the southern state, due in late April or early May.

Asserting that the state's Congress government is "pro-farmer and pro-poor", following the principles of 14th-century social reformer Basavanna, the Gandhi scion said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah responded to his request to waive loans of farmers in June last year.

"Unlike Modi, Siddaramaiah fulfilled his promise and waived crop loans (totalling Rs 8,165 crore) of over 22 lakh farmers who borrowed about Rs 50,000 each from state cooperative banks," Gandhi said.

Rahul claimed that while the Modi government allotted Rs 55,000 crore for social welfare schemes across the country, the Karnataka government alone had spent half that amount (Rs 27,500 crore) for the benefit its the state's people from its resources.

Accusing the Modi government of failing to create 2 crore jobs per annum the Bharatiya Janata Party promised ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi said unemployment and the farm crisis were major challenges facing the nation.

"The BJP-led government has failed to create jobs, bring black money from abroad to the country and weakened the economy by demonetising currency (in November 2016) and hastily introducing Goods and Services Tax (GST) since July 1," the Congress leader added.

Referring to Modi's talk on corruption, Gandhi said the Prime Minister had forgotten that the first BJP government (2008-13) in the state, led by BS Yeddyurappa, was the "most corrupt".

Yeddyurappa resigned on July 31, 2011, after the anti-graft body (Lokayukta/Ombudsman) found him involved in the multi-crore mining scam in the state.

Gandhi's 30-minute speech in Hindi was simultaneously translated in the native language Kannada for the benefit of the audience.

Besides Siddaramaiah, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, party's state unit President G. Parameshwara and others were present at the public meeting.

(With Agency inputs)
Mumbai: Mumbai, the country's financial capital, has been named the richest city in India. With a total wealth of USD 950 billion, Mumbai has been named among the top 15 wealthiest cities globally.

With a total wealth of USD 3 trillion, New York is the richest city on the global list.

A report by New World Wealth says Mumbai, which is the economic hub of India, is the 12th wealthiest city, followed by Toronto with a total wealth of USD 944 billion, Frankfurt (14th, USD 912 billion) and Paris (15th, USD 860 billion).

Total wealth refers to the private wealth held by all the individuals living in each city. It includes all their assets (property, cash, equities, business interests) less any liabilities.

However, government funds are excluded from the figures.

Mumbai also interestingly features among the top 10 cities in terms of billionaire population.

The city is home to 28 billionaires, individuals with USD 1 billion or more in net assets, the report said.

"Total wealth held in the city amounts to USD 950 billion. Mumbai is the economic hub of India. It is also home to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the 12th largest stock exchange in the world. Major industries in the city include financial services, real estate and media," the report said about Mumbai, also known as the Maximum city.

Going forward, Mumbai is expected to be the fastest growing city (in terms of wealth growth over the next 10 years), the report added.

"Home to the two largest stock exchanges in the world. Areas around New York such as Connecticut and Long Island also contain a large amount of wealth that is not included in this figure," the report said about New York.

London ranked second in the list with USD 2.7 trillion, followed by Tokyo (USD 2.5 trillion), and San Francisco Bay area (USD 2.3 trillion).

Others in the list include Beijing (USD 2.2 trillion), Shanghai (USD 2 trillion), Los Angeles (USD 1.4 trillion), Hong Kong (USD 1.3 trillion), Sydney (USD 1 trillion), Singapore (USD 1 trillion) and Chicago (USD 988 billion).

San Francisco, Beijing, Shanghai, Mumbai and Sydney were among the 15 fastest growing cities, in terms of wealth growth over the past 10 years, the report said.

Houston, Geneva, Osaka, Seoul, Shenzhen, Melbourne, Zurich and Dallas were among the notable cities that just missed out on the top 15 list, it added.

(With PTI inputs)
AGARTALA: Ahead of the Assembly polls, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday released the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 'Vision Document' for Tripura.

Last week, a party leader had said that the Finance Minister will release the 'Vision Document' on February 12.

"As implementation of the recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC) for the Tripura government employees would be one of the key poll promise of BJP-IPFT alliance, the release of the party's 'Vision Document' by Jaitley would be an important political step," Assam Minister and BJP in-charge of Tripura elections Himanta Biswa Sarma had said.

"If the CPC is to be implemented for the state government employees, support of Jaitleyji is paramount. The 'Vision Document' is superior to the traditional poll manifesto."

During Assam and Manipur assembly elections, the BJP had released similar "Vision Documents" detailing the plans and aims of the party's vision after assuming in power.

Sarma hinted at absorbing 10,323 government teachers, facing axe, within the framework of the law and hiking of minimum wage up to Rs 300.

Last year, the Supreme Court had uphold a Tripura High Court verdict to terminate the jobs of 10,323 government teachers due to some indiscretions. But following the state government's appeal, the services of these teachers have been extended up to June this year by the apex court.

The northeastern state of Tripura is going to polls on February 18 while the counting of votes will be done on March 3.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) has a strong foothold in Tripura and is in power for the past 25 years.

The incumbent Chief Minister Manik Sarkar is at the helm for the past 19 years. He held the term for the fourth time after the party swept away the 2013 assembly elections.

In the last polls in 2013, the CPI (M) managed to bag an overwhelming majority with 51 seats, while the rest was shared by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Congress party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which did not win even a single seat in the last polls, has been working hard to overthrow the CPI (M) rule this time. Six Congress MLAs, who first joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC), switched over to the BJP in August last year.

Apart from this, there are three major tribal parties in Tripura- the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and National Conference of Tripura (NCT).

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Bigg Boss 11 contestant Bandgi Kalra celebrated her birthday on Saturday in Mumbai with her boyfriend and fellow contestant, Puneesh Sharma.

Birthday girl Bandgi took to Instagram to share updates about her birthday celebration. She also shared an Insta story in which, she is seen partying with Vindu Dara Singh and Rakhi Sawant along with her boyfriend Puneesh.

An Instagram fan page posted the video from her birthday celebrations

A post shared by Eklavya Studios (@eklavyastudios) on Feb 10, 2018 at 8:14pm PST

Kalra also shared the picture of the pricey ring that her beau had gifted her on her birthday.

A post shared by Puneesh Sharma (@puneesh4353) on Feb 10, 2018 at 8:57am PST

Although a lot of known faces from the industry are seen in her birthday video, we couldn't spot any other contestant from Bigg Boss, not even Vikas Gupta and Shilpa Shinde, who were her close friends in the house.

During their stay in the Bigg Boss house, Bandgi and Puneesh grabbed headlines because of their chemistry. Although none of them could win the show, they sure have won hearts by being the power couple that they are.
New Delhi: Actress Taapsee Pannu has a special Valentine's Day message for her fans - someone is waiting for you and wants you to reach home safely, and so focus on road safety by wearing a helmet.

The Pink actress spread a social message on road safety at the Auto Expo 2018 at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida on Saturday.

Taapsee joined Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd's Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, to announce Honda's National Road Safety campaign #HelmetOnLifeOn.

Talking about the initiative, Taapsee, who is Honda's brand Ambassador, said: "Every year on Valentine's week, we express love with gifts to our loved ones. This Valentine's week my message to my fans is - someone is waiting for you and wants you to reach home safely."

"This Valentine's Week gift your loved ones a helmet. Because Helmet on, toh life on."

Sharing details of the campaign, Guleria said: "Nearly 18 million new two-wheelers come on roads every year. As a responsible two-wheeler manufacturer, Honda is deeply committed to spread the message of road safety for everyone.

"It is very important to highlight the importance of helmet usage while riding a two-wheeler."

Taapsee also rode Honda's 125cc scooter Grazia and the new 2018 edition of CB Hornet 160R motorcycle in Honda's outdoor road safety zone
New Delhi: For those, who were looking forward to watch newly-wed celebrity couple Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli sipping coffee together and making some candid confessions on Karan Johar's talk show, this will come as a disappointment.

The IT couple for everyone, Anushka and Virat were speculated to appear as the first guest in the next season of KJo's show. However, the duo will not appear on the show together.

The actress's spokesperson confirmed the news and said that there is no truth to the rumours about Anushka and Virat appearing on the chat show together. "There is absolutely no truth to the rumours doing the rounds that Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli will be on the next season of Koffee with Karan. Request you to please refrain from any such conjecture," said Anushka's spokesperson."

Reports have been there that 'Virushka', as they are popularly called by their fans, were going to make a television debut together. Though, there was no official confirmation of the same, reports also did rounds that the makers of the show were keen on getting the adorable couple together as their first guest on the next season.

However, look like the fans of the couple will have to wait a little longer to watch them on the popular show.

Last year, Anushka made an appearance on the popular talk show with friend and actor Katrina Kaif. Interestingly, both are currently busy shooting 'Zero' alongside superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

Popular television chat show, 'Koffee With Karan' is know to make headlines for the controversial statements made by celebrities to the host Karan Johar. Last year, the show hogged all the limelight after actress Kangana Ranaut, who appeared on the show as a guest with her 'Rangoon' co-stars Saif Ali Khan, accused KJo of being the 'flag bearer of nepotism' in Bollywood.
BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel declined to comment on Saturday on a Polish law that imposes jail terms for suggesting the country was complicit in the Holocaust, saying she did not want to wade into Poland`s internal affairs.

The law would impose prison sentences of up to three years for using the phrase "Polish death camps" and for suggesting "publicly and against the facts" that the Polish nation or state was complicit in Nazi Germany`s crimes.

"Without directly interfering in the legislation in Poland, I would like to say the following very clearly as German chancellor: We as Germans are responsible for what happened during the Holocaust, the Shoah, under National Socialism (Nazism)," Merkel said in her weekly video podcast.

She was responding to a question from a student who had asked whether the new Polish law curbs freedom of expression.

Israel and the United States criticized President Andrzej Duda for signing the bill into law this week. Israel says the law will curb free speech, criminalise basic historical facts and stop any discussion of the role some Poles played in Nazi crimes.

A Polish government spokeswoman welcomed Merkel`s remarks, the PAP news agency reported. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will hold talks with Merkel in Berlin next week.

Poland`s ruling Law and Justice party has clashed with the European Union and human rights groups on a range of issues since taking power in late 2015.

It says the law is needed to ensure that Poles are recognised as victims, not perpetrators, of Nazi aggression in World War Two.

More than 3 million of the 3.2 million Jews who lived in pre-war Poland were murdered by the Nazis, accounting for about half of all Jews killed in the Holocaust.

Jews from across the continent were sent to be killed at death camps built and operated by Germans in occupied Poland - home to Europe`s biggest Jewish community at the time.
Beijing: In the crackdown on crime and dissent, Chinese Police have been provided with sunglasses that come complete with facial-recognition features capable of picking a suspect out from a crowd.

The facial recognition software is equipped with powerful advanced optics and networking to pinpoint potential suspects - even in crowded subways and shopping malls.

The glasses feed a constant stream of images back to a processor attached to the officers uniform webbing.

It captures faces as they turn towards the camera, applying a standardised set of measurements to each face before comparing it with a portable database in much the same way fingerprints are assessed, the reports said.

According to the China News Service, the glasses have already been successfully trialed by four officers on Zhengzhou citys East Railway during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

The sunglasses with built-in facial recognition capabilities have come as a big help to the law enforcement agencies in China for monitoring dissent and overall surveillance.

The sunglasses have been built by Beijing-based LLVision Technology Co. Wu Fei, the companys chief executive, had said that LLVision has worked with local police to develop the technology to suit their needs.

People's Daily, China's official state newspaper, also claimed that since the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the police at Zhengzhou East Railway Station have caught at least seven fugitives in connection with major criminal cases and identified 26 people attempting to travel using other peoples IDs.

The Zhengzhou East Railway Station is the first to adopt facial recognition glasses for ID verification.

The station, one of the busiest in China, has its own police force. In fact, almost four million people will travel through there throughout the Lunar New Year holiday.

China has recently invested hundreds of billions of dollars into developing various advanced tracking technologies, building artificial intelligence to identify individuals and digitally tail them around cities.

According to one estimate, China will possibly have more than 600 million CCTV cameras by 2020, with Chinese tech startups outfitting them with advanced features like gait recognition.
Jerusalem: US President Donald Trump on Sunday said in an interview published today that he was "not necessarily sure" Israel was seeking to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Trump has previously denounced the Palestinians for what he sees as their unwillingness to negotiate, but he has largely refrained from criticising Israel.

Speaking to freesheet daily Israel Hayom, Trump noted that while US-Israel relations were "great", peace with the Palestinians would make them "a lot better".

"Right now, I would say the Palestinians are not looking to make peace. They are not looking to make peace," Trump said in the interview with the right-wing paper.

"And I am not necessarily sure that Israel is looking to make peace. So we are just going to have to see what happens."

Trump also expressed concerns about Israeli settlement building, although his administration has been far less critical of settlements than his predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has in the past been a supporter of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

"The settlements are something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace, so I think Israel has to be very careful with the settlements," he said.

Trump has said he intends to bring the Israelis and Palestinians to the "ultimate deal" that would resolve the decades-long conflict, but in the interview he questioned whether negotiations were even possible for now.

"I don't know frankly if we are going to even have talks. We will see what happens, but I think it is very foolish for the Palestinians and I also think it would be very foolish for the Israelis if they don't make a deal," Trump said.

"It's our only opportunity and it will never happen after this."

Relations between Washington and the Palestinians have been severely strained since Trump's December decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the American embassy there.

Palestinian leaders say there can be no talks with the US administration until the decision on the city that they also see as their capital is reversed.

Trump is also withholding tens of millions of dollars from UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
New Delhi: For Muslims across the globe, Haj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam. It is something that every sane adult Muslim must undertake at least once in their lives if they can afford it and are physically able.

Every year, thousands of Muslims men and women visit the holy land of Mecca - one of the most sacred pilgrimage centres of Islam situated in western Saudi Arabia.

Haj  the pilgrimage to the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad  gives an opportunity to millions of devotees to seek divine blessings and atone for their sins.

However, many females devotees have had some unpleasant experiences during the Haj pilgrimage and they are now rallying behind the hashtag Mosquemetoo to share their experiences of sexual harassment during their visit to Mecca and other religious centres.

#Mosquemetoo was actually started by Egyptian-American feminist and journalist Mona Eltawy, who first shared her experiences on social media.

She first spoke out about being sexually assaulted during the Hajj pilgrimage at the age of 15.

In 2013, I was 1st person to talk about being sexually assaulted at Haj on Arabic-language #Egyptian primetime TV show. In 2015, I wrote about it in my book. Im talking about it now & will keep talking about it until Muslim women are safe from sexual harassment & assault at Haj https://t.co/uDsZFDolgX  Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) February 8, 2018

I have shared my experience of being sexually assaulted during Haj in 1982 when I was 15 in the hope that it will help fellow Muslim women break silence and taboo around their experience of sexual harassment/abuse during Haj/Umra or in sacred spaces. Lets use #MosqueMeToo https://t.co/uDsZFDolgX  Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) February 6, 2018

Thank you again to fellow Muslim women who have shared their own experience at Haj. Love and solidarity. #MosqueMeToo https://t.co/uDsZFDolgX  Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) February 6, 2018

Mona Eltawy's posts caught the attention of thousands of Muslim men and women across the globe who started sharing their experiences using the hashtag #Mosquemetoo, which even become one of the top ten trends on Farsi Twitter.

Using the hashtag, several users shared with others how they were groped or inappropriately touched by someone in the crowd during Haj.

Many of them also challenged the idea that wearing the hijab keeps women safe from assault and harassment.

In Islam, women are encouraged to cover their hair and body in public in order to preserve decency and keep themselves safe from male attention and from harassment and assault.

Importantly, a large number of Iranian women had recently removed their hijabs in protest against the countrys mandatory Islamic dress code in capital Tehran.
Experts have raised an alarm over the safety of the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in Gwadar port off the coast in Pakistan. According to them, the project in Gwadar port could be under threat if a catastrophe strikes the region.

Gwadar, located close to the Makran Trench, witnessed a huge earthquake of 8.1 magnitudes in 1945, which triggered a tsunami that battered Iran, Pakistan, Oman and India and killed around 4,000 people. The trench is the meeting point for two tectonic plates.

To prevent such catastrophe, a team of 40 researchers from China and Pakistan boarded the Experimental 3 vessel for the trench in January and did a 'CT scan' (geological survey) in the region. However, not much is known about the zone, the South China Morning Post reported.

The Gwadar port has been leased to China for 40 years and any potential disaster in the area could undermine Beijing's ambitions to revive the ancient trade route from China through Asia to Africa and Europe.

However, this is not the only threat that Pakistani and Chinese authorities have been fearing. Almost a week back, there were reports of the Pakistan government raising an alarm fearing an attack by India on CPEC installations, and even started making security arrangements to tackle any eventuality.

According to Pakistan-based media agency Dawn, the Pakistan government had written to Gilgil-Baltistan home department in this regard.

Dawn quoted an official of the home department as saying that a recent directive by the countrys Interior Ministry warned of a possible attack on the CPEC route.

According to the report, the letter sent by Pakistan Interior Ministry said that India had sent a group of 400 Muslim youth to Afghanistan to get training, following which they would be used to attack CPEC installations in Pakistan.

The targets of India include bridges at Karakoram Highway, mentioned the letter.

Following the development, security along the CPEC route had been increased by Pakistan, and the situation was reportedly being monitored by senior officials of the Gilgit-Baltistan administration. The bridges along the route had also been declared sensitive.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has been a bone of contention between China and India since its inception.

(With agency Inputs)
ABU DHABI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday discussed terrorism, defence and national security cooperation with Palestine and Jordan during his visit.Saturday morning`s "Jammu and Kashmir attack in [Sunjwan camp] was also discussed with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him that we should fight against terrorism together and added that it is well known where those actions are emanating from and India will take all necessary steps to ensure to fight terrorism," Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said in a media briefing in Abu Dhabi.Gokhale also threw light on the fact that King of Jordan Abdullah II started Aqaba process and has worked on the issue of deradicalization.

"Both the leaders [Indian and the Jordanian] agreed that terrorism poses a huge challenge and has to be countered in unison.

The King appreciated that India is a moderate society even after all these years," the Foreign Secretary added.Dwelling upon the defence and security cooperation, Gokhale explained that, "Defence and security was discussed with Palestine but I am not at the liberty to disclose the particulars.

"The Foreign Security also underscored that India does not have any specific defence cooperation with Jordan by far. Most recently a joint meeting in this regard was held in December.

"We are looking at some of the requests that the Jordanian side put forward for capacity building including in the area of cyber security and in the area of maintenance of equipment," he added.Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri highlighted UAE`s stance on combating terrorism.

"In terms of fight against terrorism, the UAE has zero tolerance policy and not only that, they have very aggressive programme to counter extremism and deradicalisation," Ambassador Suri added, "Not only do we talk about terrorism in general terms but also cooperate on specific terms .

"Outlining the details of the defence and security cooperation with the UAE, the Ambassador noted, "We have important and growing defence cooperation. We have had regular training exercises and regular exchange of visits.

The new thing is the first ever bilateral naval exercise that will be conducted in March right here."The Ambassador stated that both UAE and India have common interest in maritime security
Stepanovskoye: A Russian passenger plane carrying 71 people crashed near Moscow on Sunday minutes after taking off, killing everyone on board in one of the country's worst ever aviation disasters.

Investigators said the Antonov An-148 plane crashed in the Ramensky district on the outskirts of Moscow at 2:48 pm (local time) after taking off from the capital's Domodedovo airport.

"Sixty-five passengers and six crew members were on board, and all of them died," Russia's office of transport investigations said in a statement.

The flight was operated by the domestic Saratov Airlines and was headed for Orsk, a city in the Ural mountains.

President Vladimir Putin offered "his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The crash site was enveloped in heavy snow, making it difficult to access, with emergency workers forced to park their vehicles and access the wreckage by foot.

Russia has experienced record snowfall in recent weeks and investigators said they would not rule out poor weather as a possible cause of the disaster.

A regional official said the aircraft's black box had been retrieved.

The Russian-made plane was reportedly seven years old and bought by Saratov Airlines from another Russian airline a year ago.

Emergency services said in a statement that more than 150 rescue workers were deployed to the site.

The transport investigations office said the plane disappeared from radar screens around four minutes after take-off.

The Russian transport minister was on his way to the crash site, agencies reported. The transport ministry said several causes for the crash were being considered, including weather conditions and human error.

Peskov said Putin had ordered the establishment of a special commission to probe the crash.

The governor of the Orenburg region, where the plane was flying to, told Russian media that "more than 60 people" on board the plane were from the region.

Prosecutors opened an investigation into Saratov Airlines following the crash. Russia's Investigative Committee will consider all possible causes, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Saratov Airlines was founded in the 1930s and flies to 35 Russian cities. Its hub is Saratov Central Airport in southern Russia.

Local media website Ural56.Ru in the Orenburg region showed footage of distressed relatives at Orsk airport, where the plane was due to land.

Andrei Odintsov, the mayor of the city of Orsk, told Russian state television that six psychologists and four ambulances with medics were working with the relatives in the small airport.

Orsk is the second biggest city in the Orenburg region, near Russia's border with Kazakhstan.

Russia has suffered numerous plane crashes, with airlines often operating ageing aircraft in dangerous flying conditions.

A light aircraft crashed in November in Russia's far east, killing six people on board.

In December 2016 a military plane carrying Russia's famed Red Army Choir crashed after taking off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, killing all 92 people on board.

The choir had been due to give a concert to Russian troops operating in Syria.

Pilot error was blamed for that crash.

In March 2016, all 62 passengers died when a FlyDubai jet crashed in bad weather during an aborted landing at Rostov- on-Don airport.

The Antonov An-148, released in 2004, has a range of 3,600 kilometres (2,200 miles) and can carry 80 passengers.
ISTANBUL: A Turkish army helicopter was shot down by Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters near the north Syrian town of Afrin, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, and the Turkish military said two soldiers on board the aircraft were killed.

YPG sources separately confirmed the downing of the helicopter.

"One of our helicopters was downed just recently," Erdogan told members of his AK Party in Istanbul. "These things will happen, we are in a war ... We might lose a helicopter, but they`ll pay the price for this."

A statement from the Turkish military did not specify a reason for why the helicopter crashed. It said two soldiers on board were killed and technical crews were investigating the crash.

The downed helicopter was the first officially confirmed loss of a Turkish aircraft over Syria since the start of the country`s long-running civil war.

In another statement, the Turkish military said a total of nine soldiers were killed and 11 wounded on Saturday in clashes with mainly Kurdish forces near Afrin. It said it had killed 39 militants.

Ankara launched an air and ground offensive last month against Kurdish fighters in Syria`s Afrin region on its border, opening a new front in the multi-sided Syrian war.

Separately, the Turkish military said on Friday the construction of a fifth military post near Syria`s northwestern region of Idlib had begun.

Turkey agreed to set up 12 observation posts in Idlib and neighbouring provinces under a deal reached with Tehran and Moscow to try to reduce fighting between pro-government forces and mainly Islamist insurgents in northwest Syria.

However, the "de-escalation" in violence they were meant to monitor has collapsed. The Syrian army, alongside Iranian-backed militias and heavy Russian air power, launched a major offensive in December to take territory in Idlib province.

Idlib is one of the last main strongholds of rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad, who have been driven from most of their bastions in Syria since Russia joined the war on the side of Assad`s government in 2015. Turkey has long been one of the main allies of the anti-Assad rebels.
NAYPYIDAW: Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson met with Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar's capital today to press for action on the Rohingya crisis, as the country faces mounting pressure to punish troops accused of atrocities against the Muslim minority.

Johnson spoke with the embattled Myanmar leader, whose reputation among the international community has plunged over her handling of the crisis, in Naypyidaw while on a four-day tour in Asia.

The meeting followed Johnson's visit to a refugee camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, where nearly 700,000 Rohingya have sought sanctuary in squalid settlements since a Myanmar army crackdown in northern Rakhine last August.

The UN has accused Myanmar of driving the Muslim minority across the border in an ethnic cleansing campaign. Doctors Without Borders estimates at least 6,700 Rohingya died in the first month of violence.

But Myanmar has staunchly denied the charges and blocked UN investigators from the conflict zone, souring relations with a host of western allies.

Fresh reports of mass graves in Rakhine -- and the arrest of two Reuters journalists investigating an alleged massacre -- have heaped new pressure on Suu Kyi to condemn the army, who she is in a delicate power-sharing arrangement with.

But the Nobel laureate has refused to change tack and is accused by critics of bunkering down in a siege mentality.

Today Johnson and Suu Kyi "discussed in an open and friendly manner the latest developments in Rakhine State, including planning for the reception of returnees who fled", Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a Facebook post alongside photos of the pair meeting.

Ahead of the talks the UK's foreign office said Johnson would press for an "end to the suffering in Rakhine and the safe and voluntary return of the refugees".

Johnson is scheduled to visit Rakhine later on Sunday.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have inked a deal to bring refugees back to northern Rakhine, but repatriation has yet to begin.

Many Rohingya do not feel safe returning to a country where they have faced violent persecution and decades of discrimination at the hands of a state that has denied them citizenship.

Others have no home to return to after their villages were torched in the military crackdown.

Johnson is scheduled to fly on to Bangkok Sunday for a two-day visit that will include meetings with junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha and the Thai chairman of an advisory board on the Rohingya crisis.

Veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson dramatically stepped down from the board last month, saying he could not in "good conscience" sit on a panel he feared would only "whitewash" the causes of the Rohingya crisis.
DUBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for allowing India to construct the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Temple.

At a gathering of the Indian community at the Dubai Opera House, Modi said, "I want to thank His Highness Crown Price on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the grand temple which will be constructed."

"I believe this temple will not be only unique in terms of architecture and splendour, but will also give a message of `Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam` to people across the world", he added.

He also praised the peaceful and harmonious environment in the Gulf region, saying it was a home-like environment for the Indian diaspora."I thank the Gulf countries, which provided almost 30 Lakh people from India a home-like environment, away from home.

The onus on all us Indians is that we must uphold the principles of tolerance and peace.

A mini India resides in UAE," Prime Minister Modi stated.The Prime Minister was optimistic on India`s recent jump in the `Ease of Business` rankings.

However, he asserted that a lot of work had to be done."India`s jump in World Bank`s Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented.

But we are not satisfied with this, we want to improve even more.

We will do whatever it takes to achieve it," Prime Minister Modi continued.Prime Minister Modi thanked the Indian community for attending the event in large numbers and said that he was extremely touched.

"I had a very eventful meeting in Abu Dhabi and am very touched by your rousing welcome.

I assure you that we will work together to bring to reality the dreams you see, here and in India," he concluded.Before the address, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the BAPS Temple project via video conferencing.Earlier, Prime Minister Modi paid his tributes to the Emirati soldiers at Wahat Al Karama memorial in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

He was accompanied by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and other officials.On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Modi arrived in the UAE after completing a successful historic visit in Palestine.India and the UAE on Saturday signed five Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi.

Also, the Crown Prince hosted Prime Minister Modi for a dinner meeting at the palace.Foreign Secretary Vijay K. Gokhale said that the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a friend.

The Prime Minister other high-level engagements include a bilateral meeting with UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and other UAE government officials.

He is also scheduled to give a keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Sunday, in which India is the guest of honour.After the events, the Prime Minister will leave for Oman, which is his last-leg of the four-nation Middle East tour and will return back to New Delhi on Monday.
On Feb. 10, there was only one militant attack on the Ukrainian Army

Open source

Over the past 24 hours, the militants broke the cease-fire in the Donbas conflict zone only once, the Ukrainian Army HQ informs.

Today the tension along the front line has rather eased. Since the beginning of the day, one attack of Russian-occupational forces on the Ukrainian defenders was reported, the statement says.

The attack happened in Luhansk sector, where the enemy was attacking from 82-mm mortars and various types of grenade launchers for over an hour near Luhanske. No casualties occurred in this attack.

As it was reported earlier, the sides of the conflict agreed on a cease-fire that started on Dec. 23, prior to Christmas and New Year holidays. It was agreed upon during the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk on December 20th. Despite the yet another agreement, Donbas militants havent completely ceased fire.
Open source

Ukraine "will make a mistake by breaking the Minsk agreements", if it finally approves the law on the reintegration of Donbas, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview on the Rossiya-1 TV channel.



"Anyone who takes the first step to break the Minsk agreements will make a huge mistake. In fact, the Kyiv authorities are only one step away from this mistake if they finally accept the law on reintegration, which has now passed the second reading," Lavrov said.



In this case, the bill on the reintegration of Donbas Lavrov called "provocative."



"Europe is very wary of the processes that are taking place in Ukraine, especially with regard to a sharp increase in the influence of radicals and neo-Nazis," he said.



The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry responded to Lavrov's statement, calling the "failure" of the Minsk agreements the failure of Russia to fulfill its obligations and the continuation of aggression. This was written on Twitter by the Speaker of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Mariana Betza.



The "breaking" of the Minsk agreements is the ongoing failure of the Russian Federation to fulfill its obligations as a party of them and continueing the aggression, "Betza said.



Let us remind that on January 18 the Verkhovna Rada adopted by 280 votes Law No. 7163 "On the peculiarities of the state policy on ensuring the state sovereignty of Ukraine over the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions."

Related: Ukraine congratulates Iran on Islamic Revolution anniversary

Related: Winter Olympics 2018: Number of people infected by norovirus reached 158
The islamic revolution victory took place in Iran on 11 February 1979. The pro-Islamic opposition overthrew the pro-Western Shah and established a new administration headed by Ayatollah Khomeini

Ukrainian MFA congratulated Iran on the occasion of Islamic Revolution anniversary. The text of the greetings is posted on MFA Facebook page.

'Our congratulations to the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the 39th Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution! Greetings from Ukraine on your National Day!' reads the message.

The islamic revolution victory took place in Iran on 11 February 1979. The pro-Islamic opposition overthrew the pro-Western Shah and established a new administration headed by Ayatollah Khomeini. In Iran, a new constitution was adopted, according to which the highest authority in the country belongs to the clergy. Women were ordered to wear hijabs, censorship was introduced in art and media.




PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, met with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on 7 February and President Serzh Sargsyan in Yerevan on 9 February. In both capitals, they also held consultations with the respective Foreign Ministers.

The Co-Chairs issued a statement which says: The Co-Chairs also travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh on 9-11 February to meet with de facto authorities and visited specific locations in the Zangelan, Kubatly, Agdam, Lachin, and Kelbajar districts.

The Co-Chairs underscored the importance of fulfilling, in good faith, all commitments undertaken during the October 2017 Summit in Geneva and at previous summits, in particular, Vienna and St. Petersburg.

The Co-Chairs expressed deep concern over the recent loss of life on the Line of Contact. The Co-Chairs call upon the Sides to take additional steps to reduce tensions, as agreed in Geneva, and to respect the ceasefire. The Co-Chairs also call upon the Sides to refrain from inflammatory statements and provocative actions.

The Co-Chairs reiterate their commitment to helping the Sides find a peaceful solution to the conflict based on the core principles of the Helsinki Act, including the non-use of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples.

The Co-Chairs welcomed the parties' expressed intention to continue intensive negotiations, taking into account the current electoral period.
A friend of mine, who, along with a group of his friends, owns a distillery on the N.C. coast, once told me a story about a customer who asked him for a drink.I tell the story every time I have the opportunity. There's a moral.The distillery, because of its location on the Atlantic, caters to busloads of tourists, oftentimes from the Northeast. They're visiting beautiful North Carolina, they want to have fun, and many of them want a tasty alcoholic drink.One such tourist, who he guessed to be upwards of 80, wanted such a drink, in this case a refreshing margarita. She was, after all, visiting a rum distillery.My friend told her he was sorry, but he can't mix drinks at distilleries in North Carolina. She can have a small bit of rum from a bottle, and that would have to do. The rum, alone, is remarkable, but not everyone enjoys their liquor warm and straight.Doesn't seem fair, does it? To refuse someone something that, in another setting, is perfectly legal and at the same time deny a hard-working entrepreneur the chance to make some money from customers more than willing to open their purses.North Carolina lawmakers - Democrats and Republicans - have done well in transforming and enacting laws that benefit the state's growing distilling industry. There's momentum toward such free-market reforms, and lawmakers should take care not to lose it. The "brunch bill" - which more than anything allows distillers to sell five bottles per customer per calendar year at the distillery - was an important step. But parts of the original legislation spilled from the legislative mash tank, including tastings at ABC stores - Virginia and South Carolina have those, for example - and distillery-to-customer sales.Allowing distilleries to serve mixed drinks has got little play in North Carolina, but let's not discount its potential.In Kentucky, a historically dry state - and the bourbon capital of the world - the passage of Senate Bill 11 in spring 2016 allowed distilleries to sell mixed drinks.In Iowa, a story from The Courier of Waterloo posted on the American Distilling Institute website reported on the success of a new law allowing distilleries to sell its products on-site, including mixed drinks, of which it sold 2,400 cocktails over a recent three-day weekend.Jamie Siefken, general manager of Cedar Ridge in Iowa's Cedar Valley, told the paper.according to the story.The Virginia Distillers Association , as another example, is lobbying legislators there to consider the challenges distillers face in trying to sell and market their products in a control state.said Amy Ciarametaro, executive director for the VDA, says in a news release.The Virginia ABC, for its part, transcends the North Carolina system in a number of ways, including in-store tastings, a lottery allowing residents to buy rare spirits, and an interactive website where consumers can search for products in a particular store. North Carolina publishes a price list of what's available ... in one or more of the state's more than 420 ABC stores. Good luck finding that cranberry Krupnikas.The N.C. ABC system, unlike, say, Virginia's control system, seems to at least make an effort toward appearing as if it's interested in selling liquor to residents. North Carolina seemingly takes an opposite tack, basically dissuading people from buying spirits, especially those made in North Carolina. Bars and restaurants, for instance, can't buy directly from distillers but must rather order from the ABC, and typically by the case. That's not so with beer and wine.Promoting more free-market reforms in North Carolina regarding liquor is definitely on the radar, though distillers tell me not to expect much legislatively this year.But, I've heard, wait 'til next year.At its base is a simple question, says Scott Maitland, president the Distillers Association of North Carolina and proprietor of TOPO restaurant and brewery in Chapel Hill and the TOPO distillery.Maitland asks.Anyone?
Lee Lilley, a former lobbyist for pipeline operator Dominion Energy and Cooper's legislative liaison, offered little to Republicans skeptical of Atlantic Coast Pipeline 'voluntary contribution'

Lee Lilley did little to assuage Republicans' concerns over a $57.8 million "voluntary" payment to Gov. Roy Cooper's office from companies building the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.Lawmakers doggedly questioned Lilley, who Cooper hired as his director of legislative affairs less than a week ago, during the meeting a joint appropriations committee of the General Assembly on Thursday, Feb. 8.Lilley, former legislative director for U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-1st District, and a Dominion Energy lobbyist, had few answers for lawmakers, but Republican lawmakers acted on their own, designating the money, as part of House Bill 90 , to help schools in the eight counties affected by the pipeline - Cumberland, Halifax, Johnston, Nash, Northampton, Wilson, Robeson, and Sampson.Republican lawmakers rapidly fired questions at Lilley amid complaints from Democrats. They repeatedly asked Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, R-Onslow, to end the barrage and return to the agenda, which involved funding for H.B. 90 - N.C. Truth in Education.Brown didn't waver.he said, noting that the pipeline funding provision was part of the bill.Sen. Paul Newton, R-Cabarrus, wasted little time in bringing up the term, "slush" fund, which, he said, some people are calling the payment laid out in the memorandum, signed by Cooper's lawyer, William McKinney.Newton asked. Lilley referred him to the memorandum.In that memorandum, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline utilities agree to pay $57.8 million to an escrow account controlled by the governor. The money is supposed to cover costs of environmental harms caused by the pipeline, economic development projects, and renewable energy facilities in the eight N.C. counties the pipeline would cross. The payments would occur in two phases: one when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorizes all the permits, and the second when the pipeline starts operating.Carolina Journal and other media outlets have raised questions about the structure of the agreement, which falls outside the normal budgetary process and has not been approved by the General Assembly.Republicans on Thursday asked Lilley whether he thought the project promoted economic development, about whether ratepayers would be ultimately responsible for the $57.8 million, and about whether this would become common practice, or if it's a good practice. What happens with the money if the project falls through?Several GOP lawmakers asked if anyone seriously believes the monetary arrangement had no connection to the pipeline's approval - and if Cooper asked for the money.Lilley, who acknowledged he represented Dominion during the federal phase of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline approval process - offered little of substance.Who could explain the details of the memo, lawmakers asked, including how it came together and the relevant timeline? Again, Lilley could offer no answer. Newton, for instance, asked whether Lilley was familiar with the Hobbs Act, which addresses extortion.Democrats said they knew little about provision targeting the $57.8 million to the schools, many of which are in parts of the state that continue to struggle economically. They also asked about how the memorandum differed from those in Virginia, which signed a similar agreement, and West Virginia, where negotiations on an agreement continue.Cooper said a portion of the funds would be used for mitigation of construction disturbances to land and wildlife. The rest would be spent on unrelated economic development and renewable energy projects.The North Carolina memorandum is light on detail and fundamentally different from the specific arrangement Virginia reached with pipeline principals on how to spend mitigation funds.As for H.B. 90, the measure has two other contentious but less-controversial provisions. One would phase in funding over a three-year period, beginning with the 2019-20 school year, to pay for a mandated reduction in class sizes for grades kindergarten through three. GOP leaders had argued earlier budgets had offered school districts enough money to hire additional teachers, but the districts had diverted the funds for other purposes. H.B. 90 would direct funding to teachers.The other provision would, for the third time since December 2016, combine the State Board of Elections and the state Ethics Commission in to a single Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement.The previous mergers were ruled unconstitutional violations of separation of powers by state courts. Judges said the earlier versions did not give the governor enough control over the agency.Most recently, the N.C. Supreme Court said the structure of the board - with four members of the governor's party and four members of the opposing party - invited deadlocked votes, frustrating the governor's ability to execute election laws.Under the new version, the state board would have nine members - four registered Democrats, four registered Republicans, and one voter either registered with a third party or unaffiliated. The governor would select the partisan board members from a list of six candidates nominated by each party, and the ninth member from a list of two candidates provided by the eight board members.*The governor also would have the ability to remove a member from the new board for any reason.House Rules Committee Chairman David Lewis, R-Harnett, told the committee these changes should satisfy the court's objections.House Minority Leader Darren Jackson, D-Wake, objected to an immediate vote on the measure. Even though the bill is in the form of a conference committee report, and can be taken up by both chambers simultaneously, because of the procedural objection the bill has to sit for three legislative days: introduced from committee on one day with votes on two succeeding days. The bill cannot get final approval earlier than Tuesday, Feb. 13.In a statement on the bill from Cooper through spokeswoman Sadie Weiner, the governor said:
Czech PM Babis: It does not matter that my government does not have Parliament's confidence

11. 2. 2018

cas cteni 2 minuty



Although Andrej Babis's ANO movement won the general election which was held in the Czech Republic in October 2017, his party has managed to secure only 78 seats in a 200-seat parliament. Babis has since then formed a minority government, but he has failed to secure a vote of confidence in the Czech Parliament, so his government currently operates without the Parliament's support. As a result, Babis's minority government has officially "resigned", but it continues working and remains in place, although it has not a mandate to govern.



According to Babis, this does not matter. Under normal constitutional procedure, a new government must secure support in Parliament within 30 days. But the newly re-elected Czech President Milos Zeman has now given Babis an indefinite period of time to try to secure a vote of confidence in Parliament for his government.



"We in the government are working at full speed. Our government is working, it is functioning normally and we do not see any difference in whether we are a government that has resigned or a government which has not secured the support of parliament. I of course am trying to work normally in the government and I am trying to sort out many problems which need to be sorted and we work on a number of new laws, proposed by the individual political parties, whether they be the communists the [extreme right wing] SPD Party, or the Pirates," said Babis on Czech Television and continued:



"I really do not think that it matters that my government has not obtained the support by Parliament. Czech constitution does not stipulate that this is necessary and we have really, since 14th December 2017, when our government was formed, been working at full speed, even in the area of foreign policy I think we are working intensively for the benefit of this country. It does not matter that we are a government that has resigned, that we are a government which does not have the support of the Parliament. We are working very hard, exerting the same effort and working with the same intensity implementing our government programme for the benefit of the citizens."



Source in Czech HERE





0


Cambodian dictator Hun Sen has ruled since 1998, and when an opposition leader used Facebook to challenge his election in 2013, Hun Sen teamed up with a fake news outlet called Fresh News to deploy a Facebook-based strategy to consolidate his control and neutralize democratic opposition.

Hun Sen and his attack-dog media outlets became experts in Facebook's rules and enjoyed back-channel direct access to Facebook's terms-of-service enforcers, so they were able to force Facebook to terminate the accounts of anonymous opposition figures (for not using their "real names"), goad others into crossing Facebook's lines on civility and get their accounts terminated, and round up anyone who used their real names for arrest, torture, and disappearance.





At the same time, clickfarms in the Philippines and India started mass-liking Hun Sen's own posts  just as Facebook was using Cambodia as a trial-site for the downranking of media outlets in personal newsfeeds, in favor of posts by individual accounts. This killed what was left of the Cambodian opposition press, while Hun Sen's cyber-militia were able to spread his clickfarm-upranked messages to the whole country.





Opposition leader Sam Rainsy was forced into exile after he publicly accused Hun Sen of being behind the clickfarm upvotes on his posts. Now, Rainsy is suing Facebook in a California court, alleging that the company was complicit in Hun Sen's manipulation of the national discourse in order to maintain his grip on power.



Rainsy alleges that Hun had used "click farms" to artificially boost his popularity, effectively buying "likes." The petition says that Hun had achieved astonishing Facebook fame in a very short time, raising questions about whether this popularity was legitimate. For instance, the petition says, Hun Sen's page is "liked" by 9.4 million people "even though only 4.8 million Cambodians use Facebook," and that millions of these "likes" come from India, the Philippines, Brazil, and Myanmar, countries that don't speak Khmer, the sole language the page is written in, and that are known for "click farms." According to leaked correspondence that the petition refers to, the Cambodian government's payments to Facebook totaled $15,000 a day "in generating fake 'likes' and advertising on the network to help dissiminate[sic] the regime's propaganda and drown-out any competing voices."

Facebook "likes" are a powerful tool for authoritarian rulers, court petition says [Hanna Kozlowska/Quartz]





(via /.)

(Image: VOA, CC0)
News / National

by Staff reporter

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to travel to Botswana on a two-day state visit next week at the invitation of the neighbouring country's leader President Ian Khama to discuss matters of mutual interest.The Botswana Government confirmed President Mnangagwa's visit in a statement yesterday.It said President Mnangagwa will be in Botswana on Monday and Tuesday."The Government of the Republic of Botswana wishes to inform that His Excellency Mr Emmerson D. Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe will undertake a two-day state visit to the Republic of Botswana from 12 to 13 February 2018, at the invitation of his counterpart, His Excellency Lieutenant General Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of the Republic of Botswana. The visit will accord the two leaders an opportunity to deliberate on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual concern," said the Botswana Government.It said President Mnangagwa will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Lieutenant General Sibusiso Moyo (Retired) and other senior Government officials.President Mnangagwa will also take with him a business delegation to the neighbouring country."His Excellency, President Mnangagwa will be accompanied by some Ministers, as well as Senior Government Officials and members of the Zimbabwe Business Community. His Excellency President Mnangagwa and his entourage will return to Zimbabwe on 13th February 2018," reads the statement."The Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC) will discuss a wide range of issues with a view to broaden and deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade and investment promotion, energy, control of trans-boundary animal diseases, tourism promotion, education, health, shared water courses, transportation and cultural cooperation to mention but a few."President Mnangagwa has been to South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia and Namibia apprising his counterparts on political developments in the country since he came to power last November.
News / National

by Simbarashe Sithole

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has jokingly said his Deputy Kembo Mohadi's ambitions of being the president of Zimbabwe are now in vain after saying he would fail to go the four steps that Mnangagwa went through.Addressing ZANU PF supporters in Mvuma today Mnangagwa said Mohadi told him that he has been loyal to him for a long time hence he was also to become a president."Mr Mohadi one day said Mr President we worked together for a long time in the struggle, at Lancaster, at Independence, in Parliament, in Ministry and you became Vice president today I am also a vice president now what is left is for me to be a president," said Munangagwa.Mnangagwa added that it took four gigantic steps for him to be a President, which Mohadi said could not go through.Mnangagwa then told Mohadi, "Firstly you have to be given a death sentence and escape it, secondly you should survive nine Presidential youth interface rallies, thirdly you should be poisoned and survive and lastly you should be a border jumper before coming back, he finally surrendered."Meanwhile, the Malawian preacher Sherphard Bushiri prophesied in November 2016 that the then Defence, Security and War Veterans minister Kembo Mohadi would go high and higher in political career and it came to pass last year when he was appointed the Vice President of Zimbabwe.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Ailing MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai has been placed into an intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a Johannesburg hosital after he refused to eat for 10 days due to the alleged ill-treatment of his wife elizabeth Macheka by his family members, daily News reported.The wife of ailing MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai is being denied access to visit him in a Johannesburg hospital where the 65-year-old opposition leader is receiving medical treatment, Luke Tamborinyoka said.It has been learnt that Tsvangirai's family members are refusing to allow his wife Elizabeth to see him at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.Close relatives of the MDC leader accuse Elizabeth of backing MDC vice president Nelson Chamisa to succeed Tsvangirai and fear she could put pressure on him to facilitate his ascendancy to the throne without following the party's constitution.Tsvangirai who is currently hospitalised in South Africa remains unwell but stable, his spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka says. "He is unwell; I last spoke with him on Wednesday morning.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Ailing MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai has been placed into an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a Johannesburg hospital after he refused to eat for 10 days due to the alleged ill-treatment of his wife Elizabeth by his family, the Daily News On Sunday can reveal.Elizabeth has been barred from seeing her husband by senior figures within the Tsvangirai family who, according to a leaked audio tape, have also seized his diplomatic passport as the factionalism ripping the MDC apart is said to have extended to the former prime minister's family.The sad developments are said to have contributed to the rapid deterioration of the health of the former PM in the stability-inducing unity government which has driven the MDC to the brink of splitting.Recently, government came to the rescue of Tsvangirai when it deployed armed police guards to stave off the former unionist's alleged relatives who had wanted to raid his Highlands home of household property.Yesterday, the Daily News On Sunday was told that now Tsvangirai has been diagnosed with a kidney tumour which is in an advanced stage and has grown into the liver.Tsvangirai is under the care of specialist physician and pulmonologist Gunter K Schleicher, who is working with two specialist physicians and a specialist anaesthetist.Sources said before Tsvangirai's health had further deteriorated, he had wanted to travel to Zimbabwe to try and stop the ugly infighting in the MDC but had his passport confiscated by one of his brothers.According to the leaked audio tape in possession of the Daily News On Sunday, Tsvangirai protested the seizure of his passport in a bedside meeting held 12 days ago attended by nephew Hebson Makuvise, his brothers Manase and Collins, sister Dzidzai and his uncle a Sekuru Zvaipa."Taurai zvamunotaura mukoma asi passport hamuiwani (You can say what you want but you won't get the passport)," Manase says in a recording in possession of the Daily News on Sunday. "Iri pairi, haina kupiswa (It's somewhere, we haven't burnt it).""Do you know it's a criminal offence?" an agitated Tsvangirai interjects"It's a criminal offence tozviziva (we know)," Manasa shoots back."Ndipei passport yangu. Ini ndiri kuti ndipei passport yangu (Give me my passport), what's the problem," Tsvangirai protests."Zvauri kutaura iwewe (What you are saying), you are right, isusu we are also right," Manase insists.Tsvangirai interjects in a faint voice: "This passport is a new passport, it is a diplomatic passport and I may want to use it.""Ndipei passport yangu ndigare nayo. Asi kana mavakuti mavakuita zvamavakuita, ini handichaidi. (Let me keep my passport. If you don't want with it, then I don't want it anymore," Tsvangirai said in the tape.Family spokesperson Makuvise told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday Tsvangirai cannot return home because he was undergoing treatment."Uri kupi Tsvangirai, (where is he) he is detained in hospital. Munhu anonzi ainde Zimbabwe achigwara (They want him to return home when he is sick)," he asked rhetorically.Told that the MDC wants him home to deal with the deadly MDC factionalism, he retorted: "Musangano ka uyu. Passport harisi reMDC, ndera Tsvangirai. Politics idzodzo dzakapata. Vanodzoka kumusha kuzodii? I am holding on to the passport iye ari pamubedha ari kurapwa? (The passport is not an MDC document, it's Tsvangirai's document. This has nothing to do with the MDC, it's a family issue.)"After that confrontation, coupled with the barring of his wife, the Daily News On Sunday understands that Tsvangirai then refused to eat.His health deteriorated sharply and doctors who examined him reportedly told the family that the hunger strike was threatening to do permanent damage to his organs.He was then carted into the ICU.The Daily News on Sunday can report that Tsvangirai wanted to return home to anoint his successor, and put down direct defiance of his order.The MDC is being devoured by factional fights which have intensified ever since Tsvangirai hinted that he was thinking of quitting active politics due to his failing health.The once-dogged labour union leader has been in and out of South African hospitals for cancer of the colon treatment in the last months.As his health continues to worry his supporters and family, his senior officials in the MDC have been going at each other hammer and tongs with different factions punting their preferred candidates to succeed the former PM.On Thursday, the infighting within the MDC degenerated into comical scenes as the VPs publicly clashed while Tsvangirai's spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, was forced to call an urgent press conference to tell journalists that he was still in charge of communication and had indeed been instructed by the former PM in the inclusive government to communicate the appointment of Chamisa as acting president.Tsvangirai's family on Friday came out backing one of the MDC vice presidents Elias Mudzuri who insists that he's in charge of the party in the absence of the former PM.Mudzuri, 60, on Friday also claimed to have seen Tsvangirai at the top-notch 190-bed top-notch Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC) in Johannesburg, South Africa and claimed he was still the acting president."I had the privilege of meeting president Tsvangirai. Meeting him again today. I am still the acting president until his return. Please stay focused on strengthening the party and winning elections. Ignore falsehoods. Victory is certain," Mudzuri said on microblogging site Twitter on Friday.His claim was backed by Tsvangirai's eldest son Edwin during an interview with South African Broadcasting Corporation.However, another Tsvangirai's son Vincent told the Daily News on Sunday the hospital has dramatically tightened the rules on his dad's hospital visitors since he slipped into semi-consciousness."VP Mudzuri is lying. My dad is currently not receiving any visitors. He has not seen anyone in the last 48 hours and will not see anyone in the next 48 hours," he said.Apart from being worried by ugly MDC factional fights, Tsvangirai has had to watch his wife being denied access to him by his relatives.Last week, our sister paper, the Daily News, exclusively revealed that Tsvangirai's family members were refusing to allow Elizabeth, to see him at the WDGMC.Close relatives of the MDC leader accuse Elizabeth of backing Chamisa to succeed Tsvangirai and fear she could put pressure on him to facilitate his ascendancy to the throne without following the party's constitution.Elizabeth did not deny the ill-treatment and told the Daily News: "I will only talk when all this is over, when my husband is out of hospital. Right now I am concentrating on my husband's sickness. Whatever is happening, I have no comment. When my husband is fully recovered, I will make a statement."Tsvangirai's wife enjoys cordial relations with the youthful acting MDC president.Tsvangirai wed Elizabeth (nee Macheka) in September 2012.
Opinion / Columnist

"We have some cases here of divisions, but that should come to an end because we want the best and make President Mnangagwa win a free, fair and credible election," Zanu-PF National Secretary for War Veterans, War Collaborators, ex-Detainees and Restrictees, Victor Matemadanda, argued."When we fought for this country, we all wanted a better Zimbabwe, therefore, President Mnangagwa has all we want for a better Zimbabwe."Matemadanda can fool his fellow war veterans into believing all that nonsense of "President Mnangagwa has all we want for a better Zimbabwe", the ordinary Zimbabweans, povo, will not be so easily fooled this time.Most people now appreciate the importance of having free and fair elections as the pre-requisite for good and competent government. They know Zimbabwe have never ever held free, fair and credible elections. They know President Mnangagwa himself has masterminded and executed most of Zanu PF corruption activities, vote rigging, wanton violence and coup activities for the sole purpose of retain political power at all cost. The war veterans have been the regime's storm troopers in imposing the de facto one-party dictatorship.The people of Zimbabwe will never forget the wanton political violence of Gukurahundi period and the 2008 elections in particular.Everyone in Zanu PF wants the nation to believe that the military coup of 15 November 2017, that removed the former dictator and tyrant Robert Mugabe and "criminal elements around him", completely transformed Zanu PF. The party of corrupt and murderous thugs was now a party of peaceful citizens who respected the rule of law and now championed the holding of free and fair elections. If this was so; then why has the regime stubbornly refused to implement even one democratic reform?Why has President Mnangagwa gone on to bribe the Chiefs with the new twin cab trucks to make sure they, in return, continue to frog march rural voters to vote for Zanu PF as has been the norm?Why has President Mnangagwa appointed Retired General Engelbert Rugeje Zanu PF National Commissar, knowing that he has a reputation as a ruthless thug who terrorized the people to force them to vote in 2008 and 2013?Of course, President Mnangagwa and his fellow coup-staging thugs knew the coup was illegal and, per se, the regime it sired is illegitimate. They are on a charm offensive to assure the nation and the whole world that they are not thugs. They are not fooling anyone with eyes to see. Mnangagwa and the coup thugs are the same individuals who have been rigging elections and committing all the thuggery to keep Mugabe in power all these last 37 years. The coup allowed them to seize power and it is naive to believe that after committing that treasonous act they forsook their old criminal ways even at the cost of losing the power they risked all to get!"I have heard the call of the people of Zimbabwe, I share the vision of the people and I am committed to work for the country. I appreciate the realities of our country. Our industries are stagnant, unemployment rate high. Travelling around the country, I am saddened by the poverty in the communities," President Mnangagwa told a rally in Mvuma, Midlands, the other day.Only someone who has just landed from Mars would believe him. Mnangagwa and many others in his regime have been senior members in Mugabe's government for 37 years; of course, they are equally responsible for the mess we see today. They were not stone deaf, blind and mute all these years!"No one lives in the past, we live in the present and plan for the future. Now under the new dispensation, we are open for business. For about 18 years, Zimbabwe has been isolated and been under sanctions. We would like to thank Zimbabweans for remaining resolute and steadfast during the time of hardships," he continued.The President acknowledged that the country's economic revival will depend on reviving the country's once productive agricultural sector and on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) into critical sectors such as mining. The Zimbabwe economy is too weak and feeble to generate the cash required to kick-start the economy.Whilst the regime's promise to compensate the white farmers whose farms were seized by Mugabe and grant farm owners 99-year land leases; will go some way to restore confidence in the farming sector. However, the regime will be waiting in vain for the FDI; no investors want to invest their money in a nation without rule of law and ruled by thugs.President Mnangagwa can insist in calling the November coup "a military assisted transition" that will not change the reality on the ground - it is a coup. There is mounting evidence already to prove this year election will NOT be free, fair and verifiable.If President Mnangagwa had honoured his promise and delivered free, fair and credible elections; then the elections would be focused on one thing and one thing only - vote to wrestle the veto Zanu PF had wielded all these last 38 years.As we can see, the elections are not going to be free, fair and verifiable; the task is to make sure the whole process is declared null and void. By declaring the flawed elections null and void, the nation will be given the opportunity to finally implement the democratic reforms necessary to effect real political change and economic recovery; at long last!
Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has commissioned its new generation J-20 fourth-generation stealth fighter into combat service. With this, China became second country in world to commissioned domestically developed stealth aircraft after United States.

J-20

J-20 is Chinas fourth-generation medium and long-range fighter jet. It is single-seat, twinjet, all-weather, and stealth fighter aircraft. It has been developed by Chinas Chengdu Aerospace Corporation for PLAAF. It had made its maiden flight in 2011 and was first shown to public at 11th Airshow China in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province in November 2016.

It is currently equipped with Russian Saturn AL-31 engines and in future will be fitted with domestic Chinese Taihang engines. It has two large internal weapon bays for long-range air-to-air missiles and two small sidebays for short-range air-to-air missiles. It has large fuel tanks for long-range missions.
Muslim Ayub also wants to punish people who 'promote' the LGBTI community





An Indonesian politician has grabbed headlines in that country after saying he believed LGBTI people should be sentenced to death or at least life in prison.





Muslim Ayub is a member of the Islamist National Mandate Party (PAN) and made the controversial comments earlier this week.





Ayub was asked about the debate in the House of Representatives around proposed amendments to the Criminal Code (KUHP).









But Ayub and his party, PAN, want to take things further and impose harsh punishments on LGBTI people.





He told JurnaliaIndonesia that intense negotiations around the criminalization of LGBTI people had occurred, but his party was not happy with them.





We were not satisfied. We want a death sentence or a lifetime jail sentence to have a deterrent effect on the LGBT (community), he said.





Ayub who is known to make controversial comments represents the Aceh province, which follow Islamic Sharia Law. It is the only province in Indonesia where it is illegal to be gay.





Ayub also wanted to impose penalties on people for promoting LGBTI behavior.





Will the law pass?





Observers expected the KUHP amendments to pass the House of Representatives by February 14, but it looks like that will be delayed as MPs debate a number of amendments.





Ayubs colleague in PAN, Hanafi Rais, said the debate around criminalizing homosexuality was all but agreed upon by most Indonesian political parties.





Its almost final now, regarding the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] issue, he told media last week.









Only last week the Indonesian Health Ministry declared homosexuality a mental disorder.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
The U.S.-Argentine relationship is growing stronger every day, said Secretary of State Tillerson on a recent visit to Buenos Aires.He stressed that Argentina has an important role to play in building a more secure and prosperous hemisphere.

Nowhere is that more important than in Venezuela, said Mr. Tillerson. "Argentina has reemerged as a strong advocate for democracy and the rule of law, and we in particular welcome Argentinas leadership to promote democracy, including, in particular, in Venezuela. . . .We simply cannot allow and stand idly by to see a total destruction of democracy in Venezuela. The Venezuelan people deserve better."

Secretary Tillerson noted that Argentine President Mauricio Macri is leading Argentina to a build a long-term foundation for greater prosperity, and the United States is committed to promoting economic prosperity for both countries. In addition to fostering mutual trade and investment both countries agreed to strengthen the partnership to combat transnational criminal organizations, counter-narcotics efforts, money laundering, and terrorist financing.

The United States welcomes Argentinas return to global leadership and wishes them success in leading and hosting this years G20 summit. "We very much look forward to participating, and we know itll be an important agenda that Argentina will put in place," said Secretary Tillerson.

The Secretary also thanked Argentina for their strong statements of support in the international efforts to denuclearize the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-un.

The United States looks forward to working with Argentina in the months ahead to promote democracy and the rule of law in the Western Hemisphere along with encouraging free and fair trade, and fighting transnational crime.
Pot Politics

Clinic mobilizes to defend medmar.

by John Rosevear

From the February, 2018 issue

"We're trying to get a movement going," says Chantel Waske, receptionist and consultant at People's Choice. She says the marijuana dispensary on W. Liberty wants customers to "get out of their houses and call their representatives."



In January, People's Choice was handing out a call script downloaded from milegalize.com. The key line: "I was hoping that Congress(man/woman) would make a statement in support of the Rohrabacher Amendment, which protects the states' right to medical marijuana."



Dana Rohrabacher, a California conservative, is often described as "Putin's favorite congressman"--but he's also an ardent champion of legalizing marijuana. In January, when attorney general Jeff Sessions repealed a policy that let U.S. attorneys ignore state laws that conflict with the federal prohibition, Rohrabacher accused him of delivering "an extravagant holiday gift to the drug cartels."



Rohrabacher's amendment was temporarily extended three times last year; as the Observer went to press, advocates were pushing to have it be renewed once again. Will anything change if it doesn't? "It's definitely on our minds," says People's Choice manager Mike Olszewski. "We'll just have to wait." But at least for now, customers can still select a plant from their modest greenhouse, or enter the inner sanctum for advice from a "budtender."



[Originally published in February, 2018.]








(AFP) - Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah hailed Syria's air defenses after they downed an Israeli fighter jet on Saturday, saying it marked the start of a "new strategic era".

"This is the beginning of a new strategic era which puts an end to the violation of Syrian airspace and territory," Hezbollah said in a statement published by Lebanon's ANI news agency.

Hezbollah, which is backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's in his country's civil war, praised the "vigilance of the Syrian army" and said it had "bravely blocked Israeli warplanes and downed an F16".

Israel struck what it said were Iranian targets inside Syria on Saturday in "large-scale" raids after an Israeli warplane crashed under fire from Syrian air defenses, its military said.

The confrontation was the most serious between arch-foes Israel and Iran since the civil war in Syria began in 2011.

Israel said the raids came after it intercepted what it said was an Iranian drone entering its airspace from Syria.

Iran denounced Israeli "lies" and said Syria had the right to self-defence in response to Israeli strikes. Separately, Iran issued a joint statement with the Syrian regime's other main allies -- Russia and Hezbollah -- denying Israel's account of the drone.
Hamid Baghaei, the former deputy president during Mahmud Ahmadinejads second administration, has renewed his war of words with the judiciary.

If its true the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force gave me loads of hard currency, why have its commanders not been summoned to the courts? he asked.

Meanwhile, the third session of the court of appeals, concerning a lawsuit against Baghaei and Ahmadinejads former accountant Joz Khorasani, was held on February 10.

A day earlier, Baghaei had noted on his Telegram channel that the IRGCs spy service had accused me of receiving loads of foreign currencies on August 5, 2013, for distributing among the heads of African states, but I pocketed them.

Furthermore, Baghaei wrote, If thats true, why werent the Quds Force commanders summoned to find out why they gave me foreign currencies without receipts when I was no longer a public servant?

Ending his comments with another question, Baghaei asked, Is there some deadwood in the IRGC ready for an inside cleansing, while victimizing and using me as a tool?

Other charges against Baghaei include requesting 3 trillion rials (roughly $28 million) to award 16 people serving in Ahmadinejads administration; financially assisting the daily newspaper Iran, the proposed University of Iranians owned by Ahmadinejad, and other organizations; colluding on contracts; and large-sum dealings with five companies.

The primary court sentenced Baghaei to 15 years in prison and demanded that he return 400 billion rials.

The war of words between Ahmadinejad and the judiciary flared up when Baghaei was detained last June and charged with financial corruption. Baghaei was later released on heavy bail.

The judiciary, backed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is an all-powerful institution that often acts willfully against opponents and critics of the ruling elite.
A senior adviser to Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that figures the Rouhani administration has released about economic growth and employment do not reflect the truth.

According to conservative-controlled Mehr news agency, Yahya Rahim Safavi has said on Friday February 8: The people look at what they have on their plate and find out that the economic growth and job creation claimed by the administration have not taken place.

The statement made by Rahim Safavi, former IRGC commander in chief who is currently Khameneis senior adviser, could indicate Khameneis decision to divert public anger about economic hardship that triggered recent protests at Rouhani.

The massive protests against economic failure and social injustice that overwhelmed Iran in early 2018 started partly due to the sense of public anger and frustration fuelled by hardliners close to Khamenei to undermine the Rouhani administration.

On the same note, Rahim Safavi said: The administration says it has created so many jobs, while every Iranian family is host to one or two highly educated unemployed job seekers.

Khamenei himself had also questioned the integrity of the Rouhani administrations statistics.

He said at a meeting with the members of Assembly of Experts in August 2017 that statistics offered by the Rouhani administration were questionable and were not likely to have any impact on the situation of unemployment in the short run or even in the near future.

The remarks by Khamenei triggered harsher, criticism of Rouhani by hardline Friday prayers leaders in various cities.

On February 6, Rouhanis Economy Minister Massoud Karbasian had put Irans economic growth at six percent, not taking into account the countrys oil revenue.

In the meantime, the World Bank has estimated Irans gross domestic product prospect for 2018, 2019 and 2020 at 4.3 percent.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated Irans economic growth for the current year at 4.2 percent.

This comes while in an interview with Radio Farda; Iranian economist Mehrdad Emadi has forecast Irans economic growth this year to be under four percent.

Another economist, Fereydoun Khavand, earlier told Radio Farda that Irans economic growth is a result of producing and exporting oil and this would not necessarily lead to an improvement in the job market.

Labor Minister Ali Rabii has recently said that Irans economy is not capable of tackling the countrys rising unemployment, which has been officially put at 11.7 percent in the first half of the Iranian year that started in March 2017.

Real unemployment is believed to be much higher, due to the methodology Iran uses to classify who is employed.
The supreme leaders representative at daily Kayhan newspaper has repeated a controversial statement from 10 years ago insisting that that Iran owns Bahrain and that its people feel separated from their motherland.

Fars news agency, run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, cited Hossein Shariatmadari as saying on February 8, Once we wrote that Bahrain is ours, many made lots of noises. Saudi Muftis, who say too much nonsense, issued a death fatwa against us.

While reiterating that Bahrain is for Iran and Bahrainis feel separated from Iran, Shariatmadari concluded, Thats why, after so many years and using their utmost force, they [the rulers of Bahrain] have failed to suppress roaring Bahrainis.

Shariatmadaris latest comments echoed sentiments he expressed in a Kayhan editorial 10 years ago. At the time, it triggered a controversy that forced Irans foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki, to visit Bahrains capital, Manama.

Bahrain was a part of Irans territory, Shariatmadari had stressed in his editorial, adding, But, in a collusion between the Shah [Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, former king of Iran] and the UK and U.S. administrations, Bahrain was separated from its motherland. Today, one of the main demands of Bahrainis is returning the island to its mainland, the Islamic Iran.

The editorial triggered a wave of criticism, and many Bahrainis protested in front of Tehrans embassy in Manama.

Immediately after Mottakis visit, Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa implicitly told reporters that his Iranian counterpart was in Manama to apologize for the editorial.

Six months later, then-President Mahmud Ahmadinejad also traveled to Manama and stayed there for several hours.

Bahrain used to be a part of the Persian Empire but was captured by the Bani Utbah clan in 1783 and has since been ruled by Al Khalifa dynasty.

However, at least on paper, Iran kept its claim on Bahrain until 1970 when Pahlavi accepted a referendum to be held for deciding Bahrains future. The UN-sponsored referendum eventually led to declaring Bahrain as an independent emirate in 1971.

In 2002, Bahrain changed its formal name to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Bahraini Shiite fundamentalists led a failed coup against the ruler of Bahrain in 1981. Since then, confrontations between Shiite fundamentalists and the Sunni king of Bahrain have never died down. Bahrain maintains that Iran is behind the unrest.

However, Shariatmadaris latest speech coincided with the arrest of four men suspected of orchestrating a blast that ripped through a state-run oil pipeline in November.

A statement by Bahrains Interior Ministry said two of those arrested received "intensive training" in IRGC camps in Iran. Tehran has repeatedly denied allegations that it supports Shiite insurgents in Bahrain.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11

Trend:

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group has called on the sides to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to take additional steps to reduce tensions.

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America, together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, met with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Feb.7 and President Serzh Sargsyan in Yerevan on Feb.9, reads the statement issued by the OSCE MG on Feb.11.

In both capitals, they also held consultations with the respective Foreign Ministers. The Co-Chairs also travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh on Feb. 9-11 and visited specific locations in the Zangelan, Kubatly, Agdam, Lachin, and Kelbajar districts, reads the statement.

"The Co-Chairs underscored the importance of fulfilling, in good faith, all commitments undertaken during the October 2017 Summit in Geneva and at previous summits, in particular, Vienna and St. Petersburg," reads the statement.

The Co-Chairs also expressed deep concern over the recent loss of life on the Line of Contact. The Co-Chairs called upon the sides to take additional steps to reduce tensions, as agreed in Geneva, and to respect the ceasefire, as well as to refrain from inflammatory statements and provocative actions.

"The Co-Chairs reiterate their commitment to helping the Sides find a peaceful solution to the conflict based on the core principles of the Helsinki Act, including the non-use of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples," reads the statement.

The Co-Chairs welcomed the parties' expressed intention to continue intensive negotiations, taking into account the current electoral period.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

The Azerbaijani people very positively accepted the decision made at the congress of the New Azerbaijan Party on nomination of President Ilham Aliyev for the upcoming election to be held on April 11, Azerbaijani MP Bakhtiyar Aliyev told Trend.

He said that President Ilham Aliyev fully deserved the confidence of the people in order to be re-elected to the post of the head of state.

"The countrys population approves the foreign policy of the president, the activities he carries out to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. History shows that the aggressor country has no future if it does not abandon its policy. Today, Armenia is in a complete deadlock, the failed political regime, which can be described as criminal and terrorist, is in power in this country. Therefore, Azerbaijan will liberate its lands and fully restore its territorial integrity," noted the MP.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan has the capacity to ensure its security thanks to a powerful army, the founder of which is President Ilham Aliyev, who successfully continues the policy of great leader Heydar Aliyev.

The MP expressed confidence that the Azerbaijani people will continue to resolutely support this policy.

The 6th congress of the New Azerbaijan Party was held in the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku Feb. 8. The decision was made during the congress to nominate chairman of the party Ilham Aliyev as a presidential candidate. The decision was unanimously adopted.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11

By Ali Gasimov - Trend:

The citizenship of the Azerbaijani, who was on board the crashed aircraft in Russia, is being clarified, Hikmet Hajiyev, Spokesman at the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.

"Together with the relevant state structures, it is being clarified whether Namig Gahramanov, who was on board of a passenger plane crashed in Russia, is a citizen of Azerbaijan or not", Hajiyev said.

The An-148 passenger plane of the Saratov Airlines [flight 730 from Moscow to Orsk] took off from the Domodedovo airport at 14:21 Moscow time. According to preliminary data, there were 65 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane. Radio contact with the plane was lost several minutes after the takeoff and the plane went out of the radars. As reported by TASS, as a result of the plane crash there are no survivors.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Iranian government has cherished its hopes in a new vehicle scrappage scheme to tackle the widespread unemployment and air pollution.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday introduced the government plans to launch the scheme on replacing the aged commercial vehicles with the new ones.

"Job creation is among the most significant targets of the government in the implementation of the scheme," President Hassan Rouhani said at a ceremony on unveiling the scheme.

Iran's Vice President for Economic Affairs Mohammad Nahavandian has said that the governments scheme is expected to create at least 30,000 job opportunities in automotive and car part making industries.

Management and Planning Organization of Iran through its latest report has forecasted an unemployment rate of 12.1 percent with an economic growth of five percent over the next fiscal year (starting Mach 20).

In the meantime, the presidential aide has expressed hope that the scheme would contribute to plans on reducing the level of air pollution in large cities.

The government estimates that there are about 200,000 aged trucks and mini-trucks across the country, blaming the aged transportation system for the 70 percent of air pollution in the country.

Heavy air pollution shrouded capital Tehrans sky alongside with several other large cities over the past months, shutting down schools in the megacity for days.

The air quality index of Tehran in some days hit 178, far beyond the acceptable threshold of 50.

The scheme seeks to fund 50 percent of the cost of production of the new vehicles through economizing fuel consumption, about $1 billion.

"Saving energy is a significant pillar of the implementation of scheme. According to the statistics, after the implementation of the scheme the country will save about 5.5 million barrels of oil on a daily basis. This will allow us increase the volume of our exports and gain more income in foreign currency," Rouhani said.

Under the scheme, the owners will pay half of the price of the new vehicle in installments.

The policymakers have pledged to deliver the new vehicles as soon as the owners hand over the aged vehicles.

The scheme has envisaged that the owners will pay only half of the price of the new vehicle out of which 20 percent will be made in down payment and the rest will be paid through banking loans.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11

By Farhad Daneshvar - Trend:

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, addressing a ceremony on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of Iran's revolution in 1979, has called for unity among the people of the country.

"We are all a single nation with a single idea. We are after a great Iran," he told the crowd in Tehran on Feb. 11.

President Rouhani urged people with different political backgrounds to unite in order to contribute to the efforts aimed at developing the country.

"We need all those who believe in the constitution of the Islamic Republic including conservatives, moderates and reformists for the development of Iran," he added.

Rouhani further described all ethnic and religious groups of the country who admit the constitution as "revolutionary".

The remarks on unity came after widespread protests over the economic situation erupted in the country about a month ago.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has warned the US of consequences of a possible decision to leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA aka nuclear deal).

I reiterate it again. If they want to leave the deal, they will witness its implications very soon, Rouhani said addressing a ceremony on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the countrys 1979 revolution.

The Americans attempted to kill the international agreement several times, but they have failed to achieve the goal so far, he added.

The president further added that his country will remain committed to the JCPOA as long as the opposite side honors its obligations under the nuclear deal.

The 2015 nuclear pact between Tehran and the six major powers lifted nuclear-related sanctions on the Islamic Republic in exchange for curbing its nuclear program.

Back in January, President Donald Trump gave the Iran nuclear deal a final reprieve but warned European allies and Congress they had to work with him to fix the disastrous flaws in the pact or face a US exit.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

On the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the 1979 revolution, Iran displayed its Ghadr ballistic missile in central Tehran on Sunday.

Ghadr ballistic missile is capable of hitting targets at a range of 2,000 km, local media reported.

A group of observers have described the show case of the missile as a show of defiance of Western pressure to curb its ballistic missile program.

Tehran has repeatedly announced that its missile program is solely defensive and it does not pose any threat to other country.

Although the country has said that the missile program is not negotiable as demanded by the Westerners, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has recently said that Tehran could discuss matters such as its regional activities or missile program with world powers, if the 2015 nuclear deal becomes a successful experience.

Now they ask Iran to enter discussions on other issues. Our answer is clear: Make the (deal) a successful experience and then we discuss other issues, Araqchi told a conference in Paris on Thursday.
At least 10 terrorists have been killed on Sunday during a police raid in Arish city of Egypt's North Sinai province bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, a security source and medics told Xinhua.

They added that the dead bodies of the 10 militants have been moved to a hospital in nearby Ismailia province.

The raid comes while the country is launching a massive counterterrorism anti-terror campaign named "Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018" that started on Friday.

Earlier on Sunday, the Egyptian army announced that it killed at least 16 militants and arrested four suspects in the restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula since the major operation started.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with UAE vice president and prime minister on Sunday to discuss efforts to boost bilateral strategic cooperation, Xinhua reported referring UAE state news agency WAM.

The two politicians discussed boosting strategic cooperation between the two nations as well as a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest, the report said.

They discussed areas of cooperation between the two nations and ways to boost and develop them in order to meet the aspirations of their two respective peoples.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues, according to WAM.

On Saturday, Modi attended in the Abu Dhabi, with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces the signing of an agreement, awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 percent interest in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum concession in Gulf waters.

The consortium, led by India's ONGC Videsh, contributed a participation fee of 2.2 billion dirham (600 million U.S. dollars) to enter the concession.

The concession will be operated by ADNOC Offshore, a subsidiary of ADNOC, on behalf of all concession partners.

The Zakum oilfield, offshore Abu Dhabi, is the country's largest maritime oil field and the fourth largest such field in the world.

Some 90 percent of the UAE's "black gold" is located in Abu Dhabi which harbors 7 percent of the world's known oil reserves.

In Abu Dhabi, Modi also layed the foundation stone for a new temple for the Hindu community living there.
One persons has been killed and 12 people have been injured in an attack by a knife-wielding man in a busy shopping mall in the Chinese capital, Xnhua reported.

The person killed in the Sunday attack at Joy City, a mall in Beijing's Xidan district, was a woman who succumbed to her injuries in hospital, Beijings Public Security Bureau said in a brief statement on its official microblog page. It added that injuries suffered by 12 other victims were not life-threatening.

Police said the 35-year-old male attacker had personal grievance. Authorities identified him only by his surname, Zhu, saying he carried out the attack to vent his personal discontent.
The Chinese foreign ministry reiterated country's position on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Sputnik reported.

China's Foreign Ministry on Sunday published a note about the results of the visit of its State Councilor Yang Jiechi to the United States on February 8-9, where he held talks with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

"The sides exchanged views on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula, Yang underlined that China adheres to the position of the need for full denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the preservation of peace and stability there, Beijing also advocates for the settlement of the problem through dialogue and consultations," the ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, Yang Jiechi reiterated China's position on the issue during meetings with US top officials.

"China is ready to work with the US on the basis of mutual respect and mutual trust to strengthen coordination and communication to jointly promote the settlement of the Korean Peninsula problem properly," Yang said in Washington.

As the ministry underlined, the global community should support the improvement of relations between Seoul and Pyongyang and the continued reduction in tensions on the peninsula, which is currently being observed.
Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon will host lunch Sunday for a high-level North Korean delegation, including the sister of leader Kim Jong-un and the country's ceremonial head of state, officials said, Yonhap News Agency reports.

The lunch comes a day after the North's delegation, including the leader's sister, Kim Yo-jong, and the nominal head of state, Kim Yong-nam, paid a visit to President Moon Jae-in and delivered the North Korean leader's invitation for Moon to visit the North.

Sunday's lunch will take place at the Walker Hill hotel in eastern Seoul, officials said.

The North's delegation arrived on Friday to attend the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and is scheduled to head back to the North on Sunday.
The local emergency services are checking the information about the Russian An-148 that allegedly crashed in Moscow region, a source in emergency services told Sputnik.

"The plane crashed near the village of Argunovo. passangers as well as the crew could hardly survive," the source said, adding that the plane dissapeared from radars two minutes after departure.

"It is in the field in the Ramensky District. Rescuers have not reached the scene yet," the source said, adding that the aircraft was detected from air.

According to a Sputnik source, there were 65 people onboard of the missing plane and six crew members.
Russias transport ministry may take a decision to suspend An-148 flights upon agreement with the Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) and transport watchdog (Rostransdandzor), Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said on Sunday, accordin to TASS.

"Such decision may be taken by the companies executive upon agreement with Rosaviatsiya and Rostransnadzor," he told journalists when asked about possible suspension of flights of such aircraft following Sundays An-148 passenger plane crash near Moscow.

The An-148 passenger plane of the Saratov Airlines [flight 730 from Moscow to Orsk] took off from the Domodedovo airport at 14:21 Moscow time. According to preliminary data, there were 65 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane. Radio contact with the plane was lost several minutes after the takeoff and the plane went out of the radars. As reported by TASS, as a result of the plane crash there are no survivors.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11

Trend:

Since the beginning of Operation Olive Branch, 1,266 terrorists were killed in Syrias Afrin district, the Turkish General Staff said in a message Feb. 11.

In particular, 86 members of Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and Islamic State (IS) terrorist organizations were killed in Afrin Feb. 10-11.

On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria.

F-16 fighters of the Turkish Air Force are involved in the operation, inflicting strikes on the positions of PYD/YPG on the Syrian-Turkish border.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11

Trend:

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Chavushoglu expressed condolences over the crash of An-148 aircraft in the Moscow region, Turkish media reports.

"Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Chavushoglu during his telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov expressed condolences in connection with the crash of the An-148 plane," the media reports.

The An-148 passenger plane of the Saratov Airlines [flight 730 from Moscow to Orsk] took off from the Domodedovo airport at 14:21 Moscow time. According to preliminary data, there were 65 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane. Radio contact with the plane was lost several minutes after the takeoff and the plane went out of the radars. As reported by TASS, as a result of the plane crash there are no survivors.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the crash of the An-148 passenger aircraft, Turkish media reported.

"I express my condolences to all the Russian people, wish patience to the families of the victims", Erdogan said.

The An-148 passenger plane of the Saratov Airlines [flight 730 from Moscow to Orsk] took off from the Domodedovo airport at 14:21 Moscow time. According to preliminary data, there were 65 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane. Radio contact with the plane was lost several minutes after the takeoff and the plane went out of the radars. As reported by TASS, as a result of the plane crash there are no survivors.
KYODO NEWS - Feb 11, 2018 - 22:36 | All, World

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Sunday warned against falling for North Korea's "smile diplomacy" as seen in its recent rapprochement with South Korea, stressing that Pyongyang remains committed to developing nuclear weapons and missiles.

"Without being swayed by (North Korea's) smile diplomacy, Japan will firmly coordinate with (the United States and South Korea) toward the ultimate goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula," Kono told reporters in the Brunei capital Bandar Seri Begawan, a day after a meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae In and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister and special envoy Kim Yo Jong.

North Korea conducted a military parade "on the eve of the opening of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics as if to show off its missiles. Its intention regarding nuclear and missiles development has not changed," Kono said.

In her meeting with Moon, Kim Yo Jong, part of North Korea's high-level delegation to the Winter Games' opening ceremony, delivered a letter from her brother and invited the president to visit the North, the presidential office said Saturday.

Japan has been concerned that Seoul's conciliatory stance toward Pyongyang could endanger trilateral cooperation with the United States to boost pressure on North Korea to compel it to give up its nuclear and missile ambitions.

Visiting Brunei, Kono met with Erywan Yusof, the country's second minister of foreign affairs and trade, on Sunday.

During the talks, Kono stressed the importance of Brunei's cooperation in the "free and open Indo-Pacific" strategy, pursued by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Erywan responded by saying Brunei will deepen its understanding of the strategy by cooperating with Japan, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Under the strategy, Japan is seeking to ensure a rules-based order in a wide area stretching from East Asia to Africa in an apparent bid to counter China's rising clout in the region.

Kono's visit to Brunei was the first by a Japanese foreign minister in five years. Brunei, a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is the body's coordinating country for Japan.

==Kyodo
By Stefanie Eschenbacher and Christine Murray MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Aviation industry groups are pressing Mexico's government to reverse a January fee increase for international passengers arriving in Mexico City, claiming it is hurting the airlines and the country's economic competitiveness. The fee was raised 25 percent to $51.12 per passenger this year to help finance a $2 billion bond for the construction of a new Norman Foster-designed airport, a $13.4 billion development due to open in 2020. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the frontrunner candidate in Mexico's July presidential election, has vowed to scrap it. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Latin America and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), which represent airlines, opposed the increase, saying it made the existing Mexico City airport less competitive. The biggest Mexican airlines using the airport are AeroMexico , Interjet and Volaris, and international airlines use it too. The associations sent a letter to Deputy Transport Minister Yuriria Mascott and Deputy Finance Minister Miguel Messmacher last month, ALTA executive director Luis Felipe de Oliveira said on Thursday. In the letter, the associations warned the fee hike could result in 1.7 million fewer passengers per year and lead to lower overall revenues, he said. That would represent a drop of almost 11 percent from the 15.8 million international passengers served by the Mexico City airport in 2017, according to airport data. So far, he said, the associations have received no reply. Mexico City's international airport, the Ministry of Communications and Transportation and Finance Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. "The capacity of the current Mexico City airport is at near the top and that is hindering growth in the country and the region," de Oliveira said. "However, we believe there is a better way to finance the new airport." One alternative put forward by the associations would be to lower the fee to encourage international travel. Passengers who spend money in airports generate not only revenues for airport stores, said de Oliveira, but also for the airport itself because it receives a portion of stores' sales. Mexico City competes with Panama City, Bogota and other airports in the United States for hub traffic, and the associations argue the fee increase could weaken its competitiveness. Mexico City International Airport lists the fee, which is charged in dollars, as $44.07, and adds a 16 percent value added tax (VAT). Because airports calculate and present their fees in different ways, direct comparisons are not straightforward. But documents published by airports show that Mexico City's fee for international passengers is higher than that of Latin American rivals and roughly twice that of some large European hubs. Tocumen International Airport in Panama charges $40 and El Dorado International Airport in Bogota $38. ($1 = 0.8157 euros) (Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Christine Murray; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
In the runup to this weeks successful test launch of SpaceXs Falcon Heavy rocket, public attention was focused on CEO Elon Musks plan to launch a Tesla Roadster as a test payload. But it turns out that wasnt all that was onboard.

In addition to a Tesla spacesuit and a stereo playing David Bowies Space Oddity on repeat, the Roadster, as reported by Mashable, was loaded up with a digital copy of the legendary Foundation science-fiction epic, encoded on an advanced crystal that could float through space for millions of years.

The Foundation trilogy, written by Isaac Asimov in the early 1950s, tells the convoluted but often mesmerizing tale of a human space empire attempting to preserve itself by building a huge library containing all human knowledge. The books launched Asimovs career as one of the pre-eminent science fiction authors of all time, which he cemented with other works including I, Robot  recently loosely adapted into a Will Smith film  in which he laid out the now-famed Three Laws of Robotics.

Foundations inclusion in the mission echoes Musks longstanding enthusiasm for sci-fi. For instance, the autonomous barges that SpaceX uses to recover boosters, Just Read the Instructions and Of Course I Still Love You, take their names from similar space-empire novels by British author Iain M. Banks.

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The story behind sending the Foundation books into space is nearly as interesting as the novels themselves. The Arch Mission Foundation, which according to TechCrunch was directly inspired by Asimovs fictional comprehensive encyclopedia, wants to build a real-life database of all human knowledge. The library is set to be encoded in a variety of formats and sent off into the galaxy as a kind of off-site backup.

The discs sent up with Musks roadster are inscribed in a novel form of optical storage called a data crystal, which can hold an amazing 360 terabytes of data on a tiny disk. Most importantly, the crystals are incredibly durable, reportedly as long as 14 billion years, while resisting threats like cosmic radiation.

Arch Mission told TechCrunch that their project has a variety of goals, including protecting human achievements from catastrophes on Earth, and exploring how bulk data transmission might work over the vast distances of space. The group says it wants to put archives literally around every planet in the solar system that we can get to.

Arch Missions co-founder, Nova Spivack, managed to get a prototype of the groups archives on the Falcon Heavy after getting Elon Musks attention on Twitter. As part of the agreement, though, the group wasnt able to talk publicly about it before the launch, which is why were just hearing about this stellar accomplishment now.
- By Mayank Marwah





The top US automaker General Motors, in collaboration with its joint ventures in China delivered 367,712 vehicles in January, which represent a growth of 14.5% from the same period last year. While Cadillac and Baojun set monthly sales record, Chevrolet brand experienced its best monthly sales growth in three years. Let's dig deep into the Detroit automaker's performance in China.





How did the brands fare?

With sales gain of 12% on a year over year basis to 20,222 units, January marked Cadillac's 23rd month of double-digit sales growth. The XT5 luxury SUV happened to be the brand's best selling model for the month with total deliveries of more than 7,600 units. While sales of XTS luxury sedan jumped 32% to more than 6,000 units, ATS-L deliveries stood at more than 5,300 units. CT6 sales, too, climbed 50% to more than 1,100 units. The fact that all the brand's models did well helped Cadillac to maintain its streak of double-digit sales growth.

Chevrolet sales for the month amounted to 54,350 units, up 40% from January 2016. As a matter of fact, this was the brand's highest monthly growth from February 2015. The Malibu family sales doubled to 12,000 units as compared with the same period in 2017. Equinox sales amounted to almost 6,600 units. Cavalier delivered a whopping 19,000 units during the month and undoubtedly, was the brand's best-selling model.

Buick sales went up 5.7% year over year to 113,007 units. While the Excelle GT sedan proved to be the best-selling model with deliveries reaching almost 32,000 units, Verano family sales amounted to 18,000 units. The sales gain was also attributable to impressive sales of GL8 MPV family, up 34% in January to more than 14,000 units.

Baojun sales soared 36% to 92,356 units thanks to Baojun 510 SUV, which was the brand's best-selling model for 10 successive months with deliveries going past 43,000 units. Also, Baojun 310 family saw sales being doubled from last year's January to 21,000 units.

Story continues

Wuling sales for January came in at 87,777 units. The brand's popular Hong Guang sales were more than 48,000 units in China. Hong Guang S3 contributed one-third of those sales.

Last word

The Detroit-based automaker is performing well in the most lucrative market segment, as is evident from its numbers. General Motors plan to roll out 15 new and refreshed models this year with focus on SUVs, MPVs and luxury cars. China is determined to move into an environmentally friendly automotive world and in response to this, General Motors would launch 20 new zero-emissions worldwide, the major chunk of which will be sold in China. It will be interesting to see whether the company would meet its target and continue its dominance in the Asian economy.

Disclosure: I do not hold any position in the stock mentioned in this article.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






Cahier Museomontagna

Cahier Museomontagna

Before the Winter Olympics became the spectacle it is today, it began as a modest ensemble of athletes in Chamonix, France.

The snowy, French commune hosted the first winter games with 16 participating nations in 1924.

The event would forever change Chamonix; it propelled the town out of obscurity and into the global spotlight.

As the 2018 Olympics kicks off in Pyeongchang, South Korea, take a look at the history of the city that hosted the first winter games.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

SEE ALSO: South Korea spent over $1 billion on these mega-venues for the 2018 Winter Olympics  take a look
If youve been abusing L.L. Beans generous return policy, well, this is on you: The Maine-based company is revoking its 100 percent satisfaction guarantee and imposing a one-year limit on most returns.

In a letter to customers issued on Friday, L.L. Bean Chairman Shawn Gorman announced the change and what prompted it.

Increasingly, a small, but growing number of customers has been interpreting our guarantee well beyond its original intent, he said. Some view it as a lifetime product replacement program, expecting refunds for heavily worn products used over many years. Others seek refunds for products that have been purchased through third parties, such as at yard sales.

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Gorman says later in the letter that this change to the policy will only affect a small percentage of returns and that should a customer have a defective product after the year mark, the company will work with that customer to reach a fair solution.

The previous legendary return policy allowed customers to exchange items they had worn out or purchased secondhand  regardless of how many years before the item was purchased.

The policy has already been updated on the L.L. Bean website, which reads: If you are not 100% satisfied with one of our products, you may return it within one year of purchase for a refund. After one year, we will consider any items for return that are defective due to materials or craftsmanship.

L.L. Bean has revised its return policy, which it says was being abused by some people. (Photo: John Greim/Getty Images)

Additionally, the site notes that the company will not accept a return or exchange (even within one year of purchase) in certain situations. Specifically, those situations include items damaged by abuse, improper care or negligence and products that have been soiled, but also customers with past habitual abuse of the returns agreement.

What does that mean? Well, the 106-year-old company is not messing around, and its done with people returning things from a decade ago.

L.L. Bean spokeswoman Carolyn Beem told the Boston Globe that the amount of so-called third quality returns has more than doubled over the last five years, resulting in annual losses equal to the amount of revenue generated from Bean boot sales.

Story continues

This behavior, according to Beem, came from people who purchased items secondhand with the sole intention of returning them.

Many on social media have remarked on the change:

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The centenarian L.L. Bean is proof that these times, they are a-changin.

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PACT

PACT uses sustainable ingredients in its clothing, which is made in Fair Trade Certified factories. The best part? The price points definitely won't break the bank -- basic tees and tanks will run you anywhere from $15 to $45, with simple dresses coming in at $40.



Shop at PACT

Modernation

Everlane

Everlane has become a go-to for basics. The brand, which uses ethical factories, offers a great selection of classic tees for $30 or less, and many styles of pants ring in under $100. Silk shirts and cashmere sweaters come with slightly higher price tags, but there are plenty of styles to choose from if you're open to a little splurge.



Shop at Everlane

Fair Trade Winds

Fair Trade Winds is a family company that partners with artisans around the world and uses fair and ethical practices. The brand is a great option for casual clothes, with a number of offerings, like T-shirts and dresses, coming in under $100.



Shop at Fair Trade Winds

Reformation

Reformation is definitely one of the more expensive options on the list, but there are plenty of offerings under $100. The brand, which was founded in 2009, makes the majority of its clothes in downtown Los Angeles, using sustainable fabrics and methods. Its mission is "to lead and inspire a sustainable way to be fashionable."



Shop at Reformation

Alternative Apparel

Alternative Apparel is committed to "creating products responsibly." The brand makes 80 percent of its garments with sustainable materials and processes, according to its website. It also uses factories that operate in accordance with the Fair Labor Association Workplace Code of Conduct. As for prices, plain tees are under $40, while many of lounge pants come in under $60. You can also snag casual dresses for less than $60.



Shop at Alternative Apparel

People Tree

People Tree partners with various producers, garment workers and artisans in developing countries to create ethical and eco-friendly collections made with organic cotton and other sustainable materials. The brand offers plenty of dresses that cost under $150 and pants that range from $70 to $150. There are also some beautiful knits, although those are definitely among the most expensive items.



Shop at People Tree

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Jeffrey Dastin and Eric M. Johnson

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc is testing a program to ship its sellers' goods, sending shares in FedEx and UPS tumbling even though analysts and the companies played down any near-term threat to the two global delivery businesses.

Amazon is running "Shipping with Amazon" in Los Angeles and possibly other locations, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

News of the test sparked investor concern that the world's largest online retailer would upend the shipping market. FedEx Corp and United Parcel Service Inc shares were down more than 4 percent in afternoon trading.

FedEx, UPS and analysts played down the idea that a trial poses a near-term threat to the couriers' businesses.

Cowen and Co analyst Helane Becker estimated Amazon would have to invest $100 billion to build a global network of facilities, planes and trucks to compete with FedEx and UPS.

The program, while still at an early stage, aims to reduce hurdles that some sellers face getting their inventory to Amazon's facilities.

Under the new process being tested, Amazon sends a truck to pick up sellers products, which then takes inventory either directly to an Amazon fulfillment center or to the U.S. Postal Service or to couriers like FedEx, depending on what's most cost-effective, said the person who spoke to Reuters.

Amazon has run a number of experiments in Los Angeles because the city is spread out and is a big market for deliveries. "Shipping with Amazon" is currently intended for select third-party sellers in the test, not for businesses in general, and still it is not yet ready to roll out widely to sellers on Amazon, said the person.

FedEx and UPS customers should not expect to shift their business to Amazon any time soon. The Seattle-based company has considered taking work from the couriers on a conceptual level but does not have initiatives currently planned to ramp up competition, the person said.

Story continues

Amazon said on Friday it was "always innovating and experimenting on behalf of customers and the businesses that sell and grow on Amazon to create faster lower-cost delivery choices."

UPS and FedEx have both spent billions of dollars in recent years to upgrade and expand their networks to handle soaring e-commerce volumes. UPS said last week it plans to spend $7 billion on upgrading its network this year alone.

UPS and FedEx also consider Amazon an important customer. Amazon accounts for less than 10 percent of total revenue for UPS and 4 percent of revenue for FedEx, according to Wolfe Research analyst Scott Group.

UPS and FedEx declined to comment on Amazon's specific strategies or decisions regarding the utilization of their services.

"There is tremendous opportunity in the business-to-customer market and more growth coming to the sector and UPS, irrespective of how other companies shift strategies," UPS spokesman Glenn Zaccara said.

An earlier report on Amazon's plan "demonstrates a lack of basic understanding of the full scale of the global transportation industry," FedEx spokesman Patrick Fitzgerald said.

(Reporting by Eric Johnson in Seattle, Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco and Ankit Ajmera and Sonam Rai in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr and Anna Driver)
When Dexter the emotional support peacock was denied entrance to a flight, he drove cross country.

Pebbles the hamster wasn't so lucky. When Spirit Airlines didn't let her board the plane, her owner flushed her down the toilet after she says a Spirit Airlines employee suggested it.

21-year-old Belen Aldecosea tried to bring her hamster on her flight from Baltimore to Miami Beach in November. She told the Miami Herald that she called Spirit Airlines twice before her flight to make sure the emotional support animal  who came with a doctor's note  could fly with her. The airline company, according to Aldecosea, told her that it was fine.

SEE ALSO: Enormous emotional support peacock denied seat on flight, owner not pleased

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Aldecosea made it through the first security checkpoint without any issues, but says she was chased down by another Spirit employee and told that rodents weren't allowed on their planes.

She tried to rent a car, but it was late November and the height of the Thanksgiving rush, so there were no rentals available. She considered taking a Greyhound bus, but needed to be in Florida in time for a medical procedure.

Aldecosea says a Spirit employee suggested either letting Pebbles go free outdoors or flushing the pet down the toilet. She told the Miami Herald that she "didn't have any other options" since she didn't want the hamster to suffer a slow death in the cold.

She decided to flush the hamster down the toilet.

She was scared. I was scared. It was horrifying trying to put her in the toilet, Aldecosea told the Herald. I was emotional. I was crying. I sat there for a good 10 minutes crying in the stall.

Spirit Airlines denies that any of its employees told Aldecosea to kill her pet. Derek Dombrowski, Spirit's media relations manager, said Aldecosea's isn't completely true.

"After researching this incident, we can say confidently that at no point did any of our agents suggest this guest (or any other for that matter) should flush or otherwise injure an animal," Dombrowski wrote in an email. "It is incredibly disheartening to hear this guest reportedly decided to end her own pets life."

Story continues

People, understandably, are horrified with Pebbles' untimely demise. And they're skeptical of whose version of the story is right.

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Spirit does acknowledge that its representative gave Aldecosea the wrong information about what animals are allowed on its flight, but as Dembroski pointed out, its emotional support animal policy excludes rodents, reptiles, and spiders.

"We did offer the guest a voucher for the inconvenience, but we never heard back from her," Dembroski said.

Aldecosea bought Pebbles and had her certified as an emotional support animal after dealing with a stressful semester due to medical issues. She is considering suing Spirit Airline for "conflicting instructions" that led to the death of Pebbles.

Airlines have been tightening restrictions on allowing "emotional support animals" on flights recently. For instance, United Airlines used to only require a 48 hour advance notice and a note from a doctor. Starting March 1, however, passengers will need to include a letter from a vet stating that the animal is healthy and well trained. Animals must also be small enough to fit in a crate under the seat.
New Delhi, Feb 9 (IBNS): India said all countries can play a constructive in resolving the political crisis in Maldives following a State of Emergency declared by President Yameen and with reports that the island nation has sought support from China to maintain security for Chinese investments.

In response to a query on China's role in Maldives, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Official Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "We note that China has said that Maldives Government has the ability to protect the security of Chinese personnel and institutions in Maldives.

"We hope that all countries can play a constructive role in Maldives, instead of doing the opposite," the MEA added.

The Opposition parties in Maldives are seeking an Indian intervention along with the international community to restore democracy, while China in what is seen as a veiled warning to New Delhi indicated that India should stay clear of Maldives' 'internal problems'.

The government of President Yameen refused to implement the Supreme Court ruling and instead clamped a 15-day state emergency and cracked down on the apex court itself, even as protests rocked capital Male.

India, the US and the United Nations have asked Yameen to end the state of emergency.



Yameen cracked down on the Supreme Court suspending its powers and arresting judges.

Present President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom representing Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) is half brother of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who had ruled the Islamic island nation from 1978 to 2008 uninterruptedly.

Gayoom was defeated in the October 2008 presidential election but in September 2011, he returned as the leader of the newly formed Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

Yameen was elected as President in 2013, defeating Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader and former president Mohamed Nasheed in the 2013 elections.

In 2016, Nasheed was given asylum in the United Kingdom after he was convicted under the Anti-Terrorism Act of Maldives for arresting Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed though international rights group like Amnesty International has described the conviction as "politically motivated".
This weekend, I cover two events in Belgrade: The Feminist Conference happening at The University of Belgrade and the artwork of TKV. The juxtaposition of intellectual academic discussions side-by-side with activism and street art emphasizes all the various important and provocative avenues for women's voices to be present and heard. Que Viva La Mujer!

Conference Title: "Somebody Said Feminism? Feminist Theory in Serbia Today"

TKV Graffiti/Mural near the river boardwalk in Belgrade

Panel on Feminist Identity: Karolina Lendak-Kabok, Eni Gajanova,

Svenka Savic, Ervina Dabizinovic, and Sanja Milutinovic Bojanic





During breaks, conference participants were reuniting with old friends or making new ones.

For example, I met one woman who spoke to me about some of the comments I had made. When I asked if she was affiliated with the speakers or universities, she said "no"-- that she was a "street feminist" and was "hanging out" to familiarize herself with the various topics offered.

Panel on Feminist Literatures and Pedagogy in the Balkans

(historical and present day): Moderator, Ana Kolaric, Jelena Milinkovic

I am with Professor Emeritus Svenka Savic who is the founder of the

Women's Studies Program at The University of Novi Sad.





I could not have attended this conference without having a translator with me, because all the

presentations were in Serbian. Special thanks to lepa mladjenovic for translating.

Post Conference Celebration at the cafe: lepa mladjenovic, Jelena Miletic, Katarina Loncarevic, Milica Mirazic, Tina Piskulidis, Miriana Mirosavljevic, Jelena Visnjic, Hana Copic, Adriana Zaharijevic, Amelia Montes





ART: FROM THE BELGRADE STREETS TO THE GALLERIES . . .

Teen Vogue Kraljica Vila is a name that means, "the queen of the fairies" or TKV for short. She is well known in Belgrade and has become so well recognized that her work has crossed into established art galleries. Last November, writer Molly Harris wrote a piece on TKV for, of all places, (click here for article). But it makes sense because TKV attracts that age group. In the article, Harris writes that TKV "is one of the few female street artists in Belgrade. Practicing her art since 2004, the 29-year-old attended a high school for graphic arts before attaining her Masters in global media in 2012. Her message is clear and consistent. She wants to exercise her right to the city's public spaces and open a dialogue about who has access to those spaces and how they can provide a path to change."





You can find TKV also on Twitter and on Facebook!





TKV working on one of her pieces

This is a lovely example of a TKV mural. It is under Branko's Bridge in Belgrade (near the boardwalk)

Close-up of the mural above which shows TKV's signature





Poster announcing TKV's exhibition at the Institut Francais, Belgrade

Institut Francais TKV exhibition, Belgrade

Institut Francais TKV exhibition, Belgrade

In 2008, Adriana Zaharijevic, (PhD in Feminist Philosophy) edited the anthology,published in Belgrade via the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research, Women in Black and Reconstruction Women's Fund. Twenty-six women contributed to the anthology providing theoretical answers to the question: is there a space for feminism in the contemporary world? The topics discussed were women's rights and freedoms, the intersection of the private and political, identities and differences, representations of women, the arts, theory and activism, and historical intersections.One of the important events that occurred with this anthology was how it was disseminated throughout the Balkan region. Contributors and friends in alliance with schools, organized trips to introduce the anthology and give away copies. In this way, the anthology became quite a significant curriculum text, printed in multiple editions. In all, 2,400 copies were disseminated. It was truly theoreticians and activists working together.The picture below is of Adriana Zaharijevic (academic) and lepa mladjenovic (lesbian feminist activist). I post this one to emphasize the strong connections between the theory and practice of feminism in the Balkans, which was clearly visible during the conference.When I first arrived at the University of Novi Sad, I remember one of the students telling me about one of the essays in the anthology that she had read and used in her own studies this past year. It has been an important anthology for a number of students, especially considering the various dimensions (personal and political) of post-war considerations.And so it is with this in mind, that Adriana Zaharijevic returned as co-organizer with Katarina Loncarevic (PhD at University of Belgrade) to launch this weekend's conference in Belgrade, entitled, "Somebody Said Feminism? Feminist Theory in Serbia Today," inviting us all to revisit these questions. The conference runs from Thursday, February 8th through today, Sunday, February 11th, 2018. And in these few days, there have been spirited discussions, reunions with friends, and the rise of new feminist themes for this region. For me, it was eye-opening to see how activists and theorists in the Balkans consider feminism within their various geographic spheres and historical moments.Here are just some of the questions discussed this weekend:1. Are there some local specificities that make this theory different from western feminist theories or do we see some significant coincidences and similarities in the approaches and problems that the feminist theoreticians in the West occupy?2. Can feminism in Serbia be compared with the theories that are labeled "global south" or with feminism belonging to the elusive "east?"3. How does feminist theory form practical policies? What are the contents of the feminist character that go unnoticed in politics, the media, the economy, and what kind of theoretical strategies do we need to be aware of?4. How do we describe, explain, and position our feminist engagement today?Also new was the fact that a rigorous revision of Balkan history is emerging: one that places a focus on women who have previously never been studied or considered within the academy. As well, the entire conference took place at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, a space that had never before sponsored a Feminist conference.Zaharijevic writes: "Thanks to the theoreticians who used it in teaching, the book had its application at The University of Belgrade, the University of Novi Sad, the University of Sarajevo, and the University of Rijeka. With the help of activists and theorists who shared it tirelessly, the book has found its way to countless readers. The book left a mark on the theoretical design of several generations of women in its effort to show that feminism touched or fundamentally transformed the most diverse spheres of our private and public life. Therefore, the marking of this important 10-year anniversary is at the same time an occasion to consider and re-consider how far we've come and where we are going."The first edition,which was co-funded byand, quickly found its readership audience. The book was reissued twice in 2008 (Civic Initiatives, Heinrich Boll Stiftung), and in 2012, an extended edition was published (Sarajevo Open Center).I was very happy to be among the feminists here, to hear their perspectives and discuss with them both at the conference and then later sharing drinks at the cafe. Some issues are quite similar while other preoccupations differ. For example, Ana Kolaric and I spoke at length about classroom pedagogical strategies. She explained that courses are still taught here in a very traditional way (instructor centered instead of student centered). Also, professors are not easily available to students because of their heavy teaching load. We talked about ways to connect our work transnationally.On Saturday, we heard from a number of the contributors in an important mid-day plenary session. Each contributor discussed how she came to write her specific chapter, the challenges in writing it, and what she learned. Some of the topics: pedagogy, the law and women, anti-semitism, identity, abortion. The last question of the plenary was most riveting for me because the contributors talked about what they would write about now. Suddenly we were placed within our present-day context. Contributors discussed their concerns with the rise of fascism and nationalist agendas, racism, the rise of anti-immigrant sentiments, violence against women, the continued struggles women face to be heard and seen on their own terms. This is what they would take on given a chance to create a new anthology. More than one participant at this conference told me, in conversation, how they had always seen the U.S. as a place where democracy existed, which had always given them hope. And at this point in history, they feel that hope has faded. So much work to be done, more than ever before.I felt very much at home hearing and speaking with these brilliant, hard-working, and committed women. Most of all, I felt warmly welcomed and so grateful for this opportunity a compartir nuestras vidas intelectuales y personales.The following is a pictorial essay of the conference this weekend:
"Put on a thick jacket, the 18-year-old son of Albanian immigrants told the 12-year-old German-Iraqi boy over the Internet.

The young man was explaining how to bomb a Christmas market last year in the Rhineland town of Ludwigshafen. He told the boy to hide, light the explosive device and run.

Luckily, the bomb failed to explode. Police arrested the 12-year-old in December 2017. They say it was the second time he tried to carry out a bomb attack.

The step-by-step guidance by the 18-year-old was described in court papers last month. He communicated online with the boy from his home in Austria.

Now, a top German official is calling for cancellation of laws restricting security surveillance of children under the age of 14. Hans-Georg Maassen is the head of the countrys domestic intelligence agency. He argues that Germany is facing serious risks from what the media calls kindergarten jihadists.

The intelligence chief told a reporter that the Islamic State (IS) group and its followers target children in Germany. He added that IS agents search the internet for children who can be reached and try to persuade them to carry out terrorist attacks.

Maassen said he was worried about the risks from women and children who once lived in areas controlled by the militant group. He described the children of jihadist parents as tickingbombs.

We see that children who grew up with Islamic State were brainwashed in the schools and the kindergartens of the Islamic State, Maasen said. He noted that some boys and girls heard IS teachings at an early age, learned to fight, and may have abused or even killed prisoners.

Only a few of the 290 children who left Germany with jihadist parents  or who were born in Syria or Iraq  have returned to Germany. Some rights activists have warned that Germany should not quickly change civil rights protections, questioning whether the danger is being overstated.

The threat from children exposed to militancy has become a major political issue in Germany. Three out of five Islamist attacks in the country in 2016 were carried out by youngsters.

This is the second time Maassen has publicly expressed his concerns about children working for militants. He also said it in October when he told Germans to take a serious look at the threat and to call the police if they saw anything.

Last year, experts warned that Western governments were not giving enough thought about what to do with the children raised under IS rule or of Syrian and Iraqi children enlisted by militants.

IS leaders were clear about their plan to teach children to be the generation that will conquer Baghdad, Jerusalem, Mecca and Rome. As the groups territory shrank, the militants released videos explaining what would happen to their enemies in the future.

German officials aren't the only ones worried about the children of IS foreign fighters or the continuing efforts by the group to get new members.

Last week, the head of London polices anti-terrorism command, Dean Haydon, warned of children taught by Islamic State coming back to Britain to carry out attacks.

Some terror groups are training children to commit atrocities, Haydon said. We need to not just understand the risk the mother poses but the risk that any child poses as well, he told a London newspaper.

Last month, a 27-year-old British woman returning from Syria was arrested at Heathrow airport under terrorism laws. She had a two-year-old with her.

Haydon said that police are testing children who have been brought to Britain by jihadist parents after being born in Syria or Iraq to be sure they are really British.

If a mother turns up with a stateless child, born in Syria, we need to be satisfied that that child actually belongs to that mother, Haydon said. He added that some returnees have brought children that were not really theirs.

Experts say jihadi children can be reformed, and their thinking changed. But the experts warn they are battling a belief among Western officials that these children are different than child soldiers from other conflicts.

Canadian researcher Mia Bloom is writing a book about jihadist child soldiers. Last year, she told VOA last year that jihadi children can be rehabilitated. She pointed to a program in Pakistan that has proved highly successful.

I'm Susan Shand.

Jamie Dettmer reported this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

jacket  n. a piece of clothing that is worn on your upper body over another piece of clothing

surveillance  n. the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime

kindergarten  n. a school or class for very young children

jihadist  n. one who engages in a struggle or fight against the enemies of Islam

brainwash  v. to cause (someone) to think or believe something by using methods that make a person unable to think normally

expose  v. to make known

conquer  v. to defeat

atrocity  n. a very cruel or terrible act

pose  v. to ask; to be or create

rehabilitated  v. to bring (someone or something) back to a normal, healthy condition after an illness, injury, drug problem,
Researchers using new aerial mapping technology have found thousands of never-before-detected ancient structures from the Maya civilization.

They examined from above an area of dense jungle in Guatemalas Peten region. They discovered thousands of houses, defense works and pyramids.

They also found industrial-sized agricultural fields and canals that provided water for farms. The findings suggest that millions more people lived in the area than researchers had long believed.

A team of archaeologists from Europe, the United States and Guatemala announced their findings earlier this month. The team worked with Guatemalas Maya Heritage and Nature Foundation.

Their study says that around 10 million people may have once lived within the area known as the Maya Lowlands.

That is two to three times more than people were saying there were, said Marello A Canuto in an interview with the Associated Press. He is an anthropology professor at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The researchers used a mapping method called Light Detection and Ranging, or LiDAR. A device sends laser light from high above, which hits the ground and then returns back to the device. The technology can reveal shapes and structures hidden by dense trees and plants.

The recent images revealed that the Maya changed the natural environment much more than researchers had thought. In some areas, they developed 95 percent of the available land.

Francisco Estrada-Belli is a Research Assistant Professor at Tulane University. He said the Mayas agricultural methods were much more intensive and therefore sustainable than we thought.

Structures such as the extensive defensive barriers and canals suggest a highly organized workforce. Large canals even re-directed natural water flows.

The 2,100 square kilometers of mapping greatly expands the area that the Maya were known to have occupied. Their culture flourished between about 1,000 BC and 900 AD. Maya descendants still live across Central America and in parts of Mexico.

The mapping detected about 60,000 individual structures. They included four major Maya ceremonial centers with plazas and pyramids.

Thomas Garrison is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Ithaca College in New York. He worked on the project and is an expert on the city of El Zotz, near Guatemalas Tikal.

He said he went to the area earlier this year with the LiDAR information to look for one of the roads that was revealed in the findings.

I found it, Garrison said. But if I had not had the LiDAR and known...thats what it was, I would have walked right over it, because of how dense the jungle is.

Garrison said that the fields, roads and structures built by some other ancient cultures got destroyed by later generations of farming.

But in this case, the jungle grew over the abandoned Maya fields and structures. This both hid them and protected them from damage.

Im Pete Musto.

Pete Musto adapted this story for VOA Learning English using reporting from the Associated Press. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you.

What other new discoveries do you think the use of LiDAR technology might lead to? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

____________________________________________________________ QUIZ Quiz - Huge Collection of Ancient Maya Structures Found in Guatemalan Jungle Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

aerial  adj. taken or seen from an airplane

civilization  n. a particular well-organized and developed group of people in a given country, area, or time, thought of especially as an organized community

jungle  n. a tropical forest where plants and trees grow very thickly

region  n. a part of a country or of the world that is different or separate from other parts in some way

pyramid(s)  n. a very large structure that has a square base and four triangular sides which form a point at the top

archaeologist(s)  n. a person who studies the science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, buildings and tools of ancient people

anthropology  n. the study of human races, origins, societies, and cultures

sustainable  adj. involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources

flourish(ed)  v. to grow well

descendant(s)  n. someone who is related to a person or group of people who lived in the past

plaza(s)  n. an open public area that is usually near city buildings and that often has trees and bushes and places to sit, walk, and shop

abandoned  adj. left by the owner
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Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Eli Lilly and: 1096401 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, ARMO BioSciences Inc, ARMO Bioscience, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Alnara Pharmaceuticals Inc., Andean Technical Operations Center, Applied Molecular Evolution Inc., AurKa Pharma, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., ChemGen, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals Inc., Dermira, Devices for Vascular Intervention(DVI), Disarm Therapeutics, Dista Ilac Ticaret Ltd. Sti., Dista S.A., Dista-Produtos Quimicos & Farmaceuticos LDA, ELCO Dominicana SRL, ELCO Insurance Company Limited, ELCO Management Inc., ELCO for Trade and Marketing S.A.E., ELGO Insurance Company Limited, Elanco Animal Health Ireland Limited, Elanco Switzerland Holding Sarl, Eli Lilly (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Eli Lilly (Philippines) Incorporated, Eli Lilly (S.A.) (Proprietary) Limited, Eli Lilly (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Eli Lilly (Suisse) S.A., Eli Lilly Asia Inc., Eli Lilly Asia Pacific SSC Sdn Bhd, Eli Lilly Australia Pty. Limited, Eli Lilly B-H d.o.o., Eli Lilly Benelux S.A., Eli Lilly Bienes y Servicios S de RL de CV, Eli Lilly CR s.r.o., Eli Lilly Canada Inc., Eli Lilly Cork Limited, Eli Lilly Danmark A/S, Eli Lilly Egypt for Trading, Eli Lilly European Clinical Trial Services SA, Eli Lilly Export S.A., Eli Lilly Finance S.A., Eli Lilly Ges.m.b.H., Eli Lilly Group Limited, Eli Lilly Holdings Ltd., Eli Lilly Hrvatska d.o.o., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc. y Compania Limitada, Eli Lilly International Corporation, Eli Lilly Ireland Holdings Limited, Eli Lilly Israel Ltd., Eli Lilly Italia S.p.A., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Eli Lilly Kinsale Limited, Eli Lilly Nederland B.V., Eli Lilly Nigeria Ltd., Eli Lilly Norge A.S., Eli Lilly Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd., Eli Lilly Polska Sp.z.o.o. (Ltd.), Eli Lilly Regional Operations GmbH, Eli Lilly Romania SRL, Eli Lilly S.A., Eli Lilly Saudi Arabia Limited, Eli Lilly Services Inc, Eli Lilly Services India Private Limited, Eli Lilly Slovakia s.r.o., Eli Lilly Sweden AB, Eli Lilly Vostok S.A. Geneva, Eli Lilly and Company, Eli Lilly and Company (India) Pvt. Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company (Ireland) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (N.Z.) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (Taiwan) Inc., Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Eli Lilly de Centro America S.A., Eli Lilly do Brasil Limitada, Eli Lilly farmacevtska druzba d.o.o., Eli Lilly y Compania de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Eli Lilly y Compania de Venezuela S.A., Glycostasis Inc, Greenfield-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Heart Rhythm Technologies Inc, Hybritech, Hypnion, ICOS Corporation, ImClone GmbH, ImClone LLC, ImClone Systems Holdings Inc., ImClone Systems LLC, Imclone Systems, Irisfarma S.A., Ivy Animal Health, Kinsale Financial Services Unlimited Company, Lilly (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd, Lilly Asia Ventures Fund I L.P., Lilly Asia Ventures Fund II L.P., Lilly Asian Ventures Fund III L.P., Lilly Cayman Holdings, Lilly China Research and Development Co. Ltd., Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Lilly France S.A.S., Lilly Global Nederland Holdings B.V., Lilly Global Services Inc., Lilly Holding GmbH, Lilly Holdings B.V., Lilly Hungaria KFT, Lilly Japan Financing G.K., Lilly Korea Ltd., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V. - GCC, Lilly Nederland Holding B.V., Lilly Pharma Ltd., Lilly Portugal - Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Lilly S.A., Lilly Suzhou Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Lilly Trading Co. LTD, Lilly USA LLC, Lilly Ventures Fund I LLC, Lilly del Caribe Inc., Lilly ilac ticaret limited sirketi, Lohmann Animal Health, Loxo Oncology, Lylly Centre for Clinical Pharmacology PTE. LTD., Novartis Animal Health, OY Eli Lilly Finland AB, Origin Medsystems, PT. Eli Lilly Indonesia, Pacific Biotech, Pharmaserve-Lilly S.A.C.I., Physio-Control, SGX Pharmaceuticals, SGX Pharmaceuticals Inc, Spaly Bioquimica S.A., UAB Eli Lilly Lietuva, Valquifarma S.A., and Vital Pharma Productos Farmaceuticos.
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Chinese tycoon's companies pay $539M in US securities case

NEW YORK (AP)  Three companies linked to a Chinese businessman who is a prominent critic of his countrys ruling Communist Party have agreed to pay $539 million to settle charges they conducted an illegal securities offering, according to regulators. The New York- and Arizona-based companies linked to Guo Wengui raised $487 million from 5,000 investors who bought stock in GTV Media Group Inc.

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Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. The Global Wealth and Investment Management provides client experience through a network of financial advisors focused on to meet their needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking, and retirement products. The Global Banking segment deals with lending-related products and services, integrated working capital management and treasury solutions to clients, and underwriting and advisory services. The Global Markets segment includes sales and trading services, as well as research, to institutional clients across fixed-income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity businesses. The All Other segment consists of asset and liability management activities, equity investments, non-core mortgage loans and servicing activities, the net impact of periodic revisions

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The following companies are subsidiares of CVS Health: @Credentials Inc., ACS ACQCO CORP., ADMINCO Inc., AE Fourteen Incorporated, AHP Holdings Inc., AMC - Tennessee LLC, APS Acquisition LLC, ASCO HealthCare LLC, ASI Wings LLC, AUSHC Holdings Inc., Accendo Insurance Company, Accordant Health Services L.L.C., Active Health Management Inc., Administrative Enterprises Inc., AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx LLC, AdvanceRx.com L.L.C., Advanced Care Scripts Inc., Aetna, Aetna (Beijing) Enterprise Management Services Co. Ltd., Aetna (Shanghai) Enterprise Services Co. Ltd., Aetna ACO Holdings Inc., Aetna Asset Advisors LLC, Aetna Behavioral Health LLC, Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health of California Inc., Aetna Better Health of Florida Inc., Aetna Better Health of Kansas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Better Health of Missouri LLC, Aetna Better Health of Nevada Inc., Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma Inc., Aetna Better Health of Texas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Washington Inc., Aetna Capital Management LLC, Aetna Card Solutions LLC, Aetna Corporate Services LLC, Aetna Dental Inc., Aetna Dental of California Inc., Aetna Financial Holdings LLC, Aetna Florida Inc., Aetna Global Benefits (Asia Pacific) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bahamas) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bermuda) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Europe) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Middle East) LLC, Aetna Global Benefits (Singapore) PTE. LTD., Aetna Global Benefits (UK) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits Limited (DIFC UAE), Aetna Global Holdings Limited, Aetna Health Holdings LLC, Aetna Health Inc., Aetna Health Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company of Europe DAC, Aetna Health Management LLC, Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., Aetna Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Health of Ohio Inc., Aetna Health of Utah Inc., Aetna HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Aetna Holdco (UK) Limited, Aetna Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Inc., Aetna Insurance (Hong Kong) Limite, Aetna Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Aetna Insurance Company Limited, Aetna Integrated Informatics Inc., Aetna International Inc., Aetna Ireland Inc., Aetna Korea Ltd., Aetna Life & Casualty (Bermuda) Ltd., Aetna Life Assignment Company, Aetna Life Insurance Company, Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC, Aetna Multi-Strategy 1099 Fund LLC, Aetna Network Services LLC, Aetna Partners Diversified Fund LLC, Aetna Pharmacy Management Services LLC, Aetna Resources LLC, Aetna Risk Assurance Company of Connecticut Inc., Aetna Rx Home Delivery LLC, Aetna Services (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Aetna Student Health Agency Inc., Aetna Ventures LLC, Aetna Workers Comp Access LLC, Alabama CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Alaska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, American Continental Insurance Company, American Drug Stores Delaware L.L.C., American Health Holding Inc., Arbor Drugs, Arizona CVS Stores L.L.C., Arkansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Badger Acquisition LLC, Badger Acquisition of Kentucky LLC, Badger Acquisition of Minnesota LLC, Badger Acquisition of Ohio LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Company, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Beauty Holdings L.L.C., Best Care LTC Acquisition Company LLC, Busse CVS L.L.C., CCI Foreign S.a R.L. (R.C.S. Luxembourg), CCRx Holdings LLC, CCRx of North Carolina LLC, CHP Acquisition LLC, CP Acquisition LLC, CVS 2948 Henderson L.L.C., CVS 3268 Gilbert L.L.C., CVS 3745 Peoria L.L.C., CVS AL Distribution L.L.C., CVS AOC Corporation, CVS AOC Services L.L.C., CVS Albany L.L.C., CVS Bellmore Avenue L.L.C., CVS Care Concierge LLC, CVS Caremark Advanced Technology Pharmacy L.L.C., CVS Caremark Indemnity Ltd., CVS Caremark Part D Services L.L.C., CVS Caremark TN SUTA LLC, CVS Foreign Inc., CVS Gilbert 3272 L.L.C., CVS Health Solutions LLC, CVS Indiana L.L.C., CVS International L.L.C., CVS Kidney Care Advanced Technologies LLC, CVS Kidney Care Health Services LLC, CVS Kidney Care Home Dialysis LLC, CVS Kidney Care LLC, CVS Manchester NH L.L.C., CVS Media Exchange LLC, CVS Michigan L.L.C., CVS Orlando FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS PA Distribution L.L.C., CVS PR Center Inc., CVS Pharmacy Inc., CVS RS Arizona L.L.C., CVS Rx Services Inc., CVS SC Distribution L.L.C., CVS State Capital L.L.C., CVS TN Distribution L.L.C., CVS Transportation L.L.C., CVS Vero FL Distribution L.L.C., Campos Medical Pharmacy LLC, Canal Place LLC, Care Pharmaceutical Services LP, CareCenter Pharmacy L.L.C., Carefree Insurance Services Inc., Caremark Arizona Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Arizona Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark California Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Florida Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Florida Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Hawaii Mail Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Hawaii Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark IPA L.L.C., Caremark Illinois Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Illinois Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Irving Resource Center LLC, Caremark Kansas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark L.L.C., Caremark Logistics LLC, Caremark Louisiana Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Maryland Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Massachusetts Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Michigan Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Minnesota Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark New Jersey Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark North Carolina Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ohio Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Pennsylvania Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark PhC L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Redlands Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Repack LLC, Caremark Rx L.L.C., Caremark Tennessee Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ulysses Holding Corp., Caremark Washington Specialty Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Alabama Mail Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Health L.L.C., CaremarkPCS L.L.C., Central Rx Services LLC, Claims Administration Corp., Cofinity Inc., Compscript LLC, Connecticut CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood Tennessee, Continuing Care Rx LLC, Coram Alternate Site Services Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Alabama, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater D.C., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater New York, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Indiana, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Massachusetts, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Mississippi, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Nevada, Coram Healthcare Corporation of North Texas, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Northern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Utah, Coram LLC, Coram Rx LLC, Coram Specialty Infusion, Coram Specialty Infusion Services L.L.C., Coventry Consumer Advantage Inc., Coventry Health Care National Accounts Inc., Coventry Health Care National Network Inc., Coventry Health Care Workers Compensation Inc., Coventry Health Care of Illinois Inc., Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc., Coventry Health Care of Missouri Inc., Coventry Health Care of Nebraska Inc., Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Care of West Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Plan of Florida Inc., Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, Coventry HealthCare Management Corporation, Coventry Prescription Management Services Inc., Coventry Rehabilitation Services Inc., Coventry Transplant Network Inc., D & R Pharmaceutical Services LLC, D.A.W. LLC, Delaware CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Delaware Physicians Care Incorporated, Digital eHealth LLC, District of Columbia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., E.T.B. INC., Echo Merger Sub Inc., Eckerd Corporation of Florida Inc., Employee Assistance Services LLC, Enloe Drugs LLC, Enterprise Patient Safety Organization LLC, EntrustRX, Evergreen Pharmaceutical LLC, Evergreen Pharmaceutical of California Inc., Express Pharmacy Services of PA L.L.C., FOCUS HealthCare Management Inc., First Health Group Corp., First Health Life & Health Insurance Company, First Script Network Services Inc., Florida Health Plan Administrators LLC, Garfield Beach CVS L.L.C., Generation Health L.L.C., Geneva Woods Health Services LLC, Geneva Woods LTC Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Management LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Alaska LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Washington LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Wyoming LLC, Geneva Woods Retail Pharmacy LLC, Georgia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., German Dobson CVS L.L.C., Goodhealth Worldwide (Asia) Limited, Goodhealth Worldwide (Global) Limited, Goodyear CVS L.L.C., Grand St. Paul CVS L.L.C., Grandview Pharmacy LLC, Group Dental Service Inc., Group Dental Service of Maryland Inc., Health Care Management Co. Ltd., Health Data & Management Solutions Inc., Health Re Inc., Health and Human Resource Center Inc., HealthAssuance Pennsylvania Inc., Healthagen LLC, Highland Park CVS L.L.C., Holiday CVS L.L.C., Home Care Pharmacy LLC, Home Pharmacy Services LLC, Hook-SupeRx L.L.C., Horizon Behavioral Services LLC, Idaho CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., IlliniCare Health, Indian Health Organisation Private Limited, Innovation Health Holdings LLC, Innovation Health Insurance Company, Innovation Health Plan Inc., Interlock Pharmacy Systems LLC, Iowa CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., JHC Acquisition LLC, Kansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Kentucky CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., LCPS Acquisition LLC, Langsam Health Services LLC, Lo-Med Prescription Services LLC, Lobos Acquisition LLC, Longs Drug Stores, Longs Drug Stores California L.L.C., Louisiana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., MHHP Acquisition Company LLC, MHNet Life and Health Insurance Company, MHNet Specialty Services LLC, MHNet of Florida Inc., Managed Care Coordinators Inc., Managed Healthcare LLC, Martin Health Services LLC, Maryland CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Med World Acquisition Corp., Medical Arts Health Care LLC, Medical Examinations of New York P.C., Melville Realty Company Inc., MemberHealth LLC, Mental Health Associates Inc., Mental Health Network of New York IPA Inc., Meritain Health Inc., Merwin Long Term Care LLC, MetraComp Inc., Minor Health Enterprise Co Ltd., MinuteClinic, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Alabama L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arizona LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Florida LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Georgia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Hawaii L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Illinois LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Kentucky L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Louisiana L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maine L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maryland LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Nebraska L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Hampshire L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Mexico L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Ohio LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oklahoma LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oregon LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Pennsylvania LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Rhode Island LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of South Carolina L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Texas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Utah L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Virginia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Washington LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Wisconsin L.L.C., MinuteClinic L.L.C., MinuteClinic Online Diagnostic Services LLC, MinuteClinic Physician Practice of Texas, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services LLC, Mississippi CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Missouri CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Montana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NCS Healthcare LLC, NCS Healthcare of Illinois LLC, NCS Healthcare of Iowa LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kansas LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kentucky Inc. (Oh, NCS Healthcare of Montana LLC, NCS Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, NCS Healthcare of Ohio LLC, NCS Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, NCS Healthcare of Tennessee LLC, NCS Healthcare of Wisconsin LLC, NIV Acquisition LLC, Navarro Discount Pharmacy, Nebraska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NeighborCare Holdings Inc., NeighborCare Inc., NeighborCare Pharmacy Services Inc., NeighborCare Services Corporation, NeighborCare of Indiana LLC, NeighborCare of Virginia LLC, New Jersey CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Niagara Re Inc., North Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., North Shore Pharmacy Services LLC, NovoLogix LLC, OCR Services LLC, Ocean Acquisition Sub L.L.C., Ohio CVS Stores L.L.C., Oklahoma CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Omnicare, Omnicare Holding Company, Omnicare Inc., Omnicare Indiana Partnership Holding Company LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania East LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania West LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of the Great Plains Holding LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy and Supply Services LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of Tennessee LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of the Midwest LLC, Omnicare Property Management LLC, Omnicare of Nebraska LLC, Omnicare of Nevada LLC, Omnicare of New York LLC, Oregon CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., PE Holdings LLC, PHPSNE Parent Corporation, PP Acquisition Company LLC, PRN Pharmaceutical Services LP, PT Aetna Management Consulting, Pamplona Saude e Beleza LTDA, Part D Holding Company L.L.C., PayFlex Holdings Inc., PayFlex Systems USA Inc., Pennsylvania CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Performax Inc., Pharmacy Associates of Glenn Falls LLC, Pharmacy Consultants LLC, Phoenix Data Solutions LLC, Precision Benefit Services Inc., Prime Net Inc., ProCare Pharmacy Direct L.L.C., ProCare Pharmacy L.L.C., Prodigy Health Group Inc., Professional Risk Management Inc., Pt. Aetna Global Benefits Indonesia, Puerto Rico CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Red Oak Sourcing LLC, Resources for Living LLC, Rhode Island CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Roeschens Healthcare LLC, RxAmerica, Schaller Anderson Medical Administrators Incorporated, Scrip World LLC, Sheffield Avenue CVS L.L.C., Shore Pharmaceutical Providers LLC, Silverscript Insurance Company, Soma Intimates, South Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., South Wabash CVS L.L.C., Specialized Pharmacy Services LLC, Spinnaker Bidco Limited, Spinnaker Topco Limited, Stadtlander Drug Company, Stadtlander Pharmacy, Sterling Healthcare Services LLC, Superior Care Pharmacy LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Administrative Services LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, T2 Medical Inc., TCPI Acquisition LLC, TargetPharmacy, Tennessee CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Company, Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Texas Health + Aetna Health Plan Inc., The Vasquez Group Inc., Thomas Phoenix CVS L.L.C., Three Forks Apothecary LLC, U.S Healthcare Holdings LLC, U.S. Healthcare Properties Inc., UAC Holding Inc., UC Acquisition LLC, UNI-Care Health Services of Maine LLC, Universal American - Medicare Part D Business, Utah CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., VAPS Acquisition Company LLC, Value Health Care Services LLC, Vermont CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virtual Home Healthcare L.L.C., Warm Springs Road CVS L.L.C., Washington CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Washington Lamb CVS L.L.C., Weber Medical Systems LLC, Wellpartner LLC, West Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Westhaven Services Co LLC, Williamson Drug Company LLC, Wisconsin CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Woodward Detroit CVS L.L.C., Work and Family Benefits Inc., ZS Acquisition Company LLC, Zinc Health Services LLC, Zinc Health Ventures LLC, bSwift LLC, and iTriage LLC.
The following companies are subsidiares of Rite Aid: 1515 West State Street Boise Idaho LLC, 1740 Associates LLC, 4042 Warrensville Center RoadWarrensville Ohio Inc., 5277 Associates Inc., 5600 Superior Properties Inc., Advance Benefits LLC, Apex Drug Stores Inc., Ascend Health Technology LLC, Bartell Drugs, Broadview and WallingsBroadview Heights Ohio Inc., Design Rx Holdings LLC, Design Rx LLC, Design Rxclusives LLC, Drug Palace Inc., EDC Drug Stores Inc., Eckerd Corporation, Edgehill Drugs, Elixir Insurance Company, Elixir Pharmacy LLC, Elixir Rx Options LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions of Nevada LLC, Elixir Savings LLC, Envision Pharmaceutical, Envision Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, EnvisionRx Puerto Rico Inc., First Florida Insurers of Tampa LLC, GDF Inc., Genovese Drug Stores Inc., Gettysburg and Hoover-Dayton Ohio LLC, Grand River & Fenkell LLC, Harco, Harco Inc., Health Dialog, Health Dialog Services Corporation, Hunter Lane LLC, ILG  90 B Avenue Lake Oswego LLC, JCG (PJC) USA LLC, JCG Holdings (USA) Inc., K&B Alabama Corporation, K&B Incorporated, K&B Industries, K&B Louisiana Corporation, K&B Mississippi Corporation, K&B Services Incorporated, K&B Tennessee Corporation, K&B Texas Corporation, LMW  90B Avenue Lake Oswego Inc., Lakehurst and Broadway Corporation, Laker Software LLC, Maxi Drug Inc., Maxi Drug North Inc., Maxi Drug South L.P., Maxi Green Inc., Munson & Andrews LLC, Name Rite LLC, P.J.C. Distribution Inc., P.J.C. Realty Co. Inc., PCS Health Systems, PDS-1 Michigan Inc., PJC Lease Holdings Inc., PJC Manchester Realty LLC, PJC Peterborough Realty LLC, PJC Realty MA Inc., PJC Revere Realty LLC, PJC Special Realty Holdings Inc., PJC of Massachusetts Inc., PJC of Rhode Island Inc., PJC of Vermont Inc., Perry Distributors Inc., Perry Drug Stores Inc., RCMH LLC, RDS Detroit Inc., READs Inc., RediClinic, RediClinic Associates Inc., RediClinic LLC, RediClinic US LLC, RediClinic of DC LLC, RediClinic of DE LLC, RediClinic of Dallas Forth-Worth LLC, RediClinic of MD LLC, RediClinic of PA LLC, RediClinic of VA LLC, Richfield Road  Flint Michigan LLC, Rite Aid Drug Palace Inc., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Corp., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Funding Inc., Rite Aid Lease Management Company, Rite Aid Online Store Inc., Rite Aid Payroll Management Inc., Rite Aid Realty Corp., Rite Aid Rome Distribution Center Inc., Rite Aid Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Rite Aid Transport Inc., Rite Aid of Connecticut Inc., Rite Aid of Delaware Inc., Rite Aid of Georgia Inc., Rite Aid of Indiana Inc., Rite Aid of Kentucky Inc., Rite Aid of Maine Inc., Rite Aid of Maryland Inc., Rite Aid of Michigan Inc., Rite Aid of New Hampshire Inc., Rite Aid of New Jersey Inc., Rite Aid of New York Inc., Rite Aid of North Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Ohio Inc., Rite Aid of Pennsylvania LLC, Rite Aid of South Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Tennessee Inc., Rite Aid of Vermont Inc., Rite Aid of Virginia Inc., Rite Aid of Washington D.C. Inc., Rite Aid of West Virginia Inc., Rite Investments Corp., Rite Investments Corp. LLC, Rx Choice Inc., Rx Initiatives LLC, Rx USA Inc., The Bartell Drug Company, The Jean Coutu Group (PJC) USA Inc., The Lane Drug Company, Thrift Drug Inc., Thrifty Corporation, and Thrifty PayLess Inc..
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Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (2) May 29 (2) May 28 (2) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (2) May 18 (3) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (3) May 10 (4) May 09 (4) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (2) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (2) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (7) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (6) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (5) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (2) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (2) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (2) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (2) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (2) Aug 25 (2) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (3) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (5) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (5) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (1) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (3) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (3) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (2) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (2) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (2) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (2) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (2) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (1) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (1) Sep 18 (1) Sep 17 (2) Sep 16 (1) Sep 15 (2) Sep 14 (2) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 11 (2) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (1) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Sep 01 (1) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (1) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (2) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (1) Aug 14 (1) Aug 12 (1) Aug 09 (1) Aug 08 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (5) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (6) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (6) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (4) May 30 (4) May 29 (4) May 28 (5) May 27 (5) May 26 (5) May 25 (4) May 24 (5) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (3) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (3) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (3) May 06 (3) May 05 (3) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (4) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (5) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (4) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (6) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (5) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (5) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (7) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (7) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (8) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (3) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (6) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 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Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates in Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farm operations in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Former Eskom boss Brian Molefes military career is over, according to the City Press.

The publication stated that Molefes call-up period to the armed forces ended on 17 November 2017, a day after it enquired about his new position.

Molefe was called up to serve as a colonel in the army and started in August 2017  earning R57,000 a month.

It was reported that Molefe has no military experience, which caused anger among soldiers in the army.

Shortly after Molefes appointment went public, he was also photographed wearing three military medals.

One of the medals was the The Gold Mandela Commemorative Medal, honouring SANDF members who played a role in looking after Nelson Mandela during his last days, or in his state funeral.

No pay

The SANDF told the City Press that Molefe was not paid for his specialist services during his call-up from August to November 2017.

According to the report, however, specialists who assist the SANDF are paid.

Molefes stint in the armed forces comes after the former Eskom CEO faced a barrage of public criticism for his poor performance at the state utility.

It also came after Outa opened a criminal case against Molefe for fraud and contravening the Public Finance Management Act.

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The South African governments contingency fund for disaster management is exhausted and only R3 billion has been budgeted for the financial year starting on 1 April.

This is according to the Rapport, which quoted experts as saying that this is a drop in the ocean considering the water crisis that is heading to South Africa.

Without money allocated to the fund, the inter-ministerial drought task force that wants to declare the country a disaster area will have its hands tied.

National Treasury has said the entire contingency fund for the current financial year was allocated in the 2017 budget amendments.

Emptied

The DA said finance minister Malusi Gigaba emptied the contingency fund to get his books to balance and to save zombie state companies like South African Airways.

The government bailed out SAA to the tune of R13.7 billion last year, and there are reports it could sell its majority stake in Telkom to free more money for the ailing airline.

In the medium-term budget framework announced in October, the government budgeted R16 billion to refill the disaster fund over the next three years. This is significantly less than the R42 billion the framework contained for the previous three-year period.

The R16 billion will become available in three tranches: R3 billion in the 2018/19 financial year, R5 billion in the 2019/20 financial year, and R8 billion in the 2020/21 financial year.

The Daily Dispatch has reported the governments calculations show the Eastern Cape alone needs R7.7 billion for drought-relief in seven municipalities.

The Northern Cape and Western Cape have also been declared drought disaster areas.
The South African printing market has experienced a challenging past two years, but HP has shown strong growth in the country over this period thanks to its product range.

This is according to HP South Africa MD David Rozzio, who said that while the total HPS Inkjet Market has seen a slight decline year-on-year, HP has seen growth in recent quarters.

The reason for the growth was HPs high-quality product line, which serves the needs of the local market better than other companies, said Rozzio.

The market is now more conscious about purchasing the right solution to meet their office environment, he said.

Popular HP products which helped bolster the companys growth in South Africa were the HP LaserJet 402 and the HP Ink Advantage 4675.

Tough year ahead

Despite the positive economic outlook for South Africa, Rozzio said they expect 2018 to be another tough year in the computing industry for Southern Africa.

Overall, we expect the market to contract by around 6.5% year-on-year, he said.

Where we saw good growth in the commercial segment in 2017, we now expect the reverse for 2018.

Rozzio also expects the consumer market to shrink further by another 4% year-on-year.

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Armenia to assume CSTO chairmanship on Thursday

Slovakia FM visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan (PHOTOS)

Armenia MOD: Reserve sergeant receives fatal gunshot wound

Armenia parliament continues regular sessions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities ready to offer deal to Investigative Committee former head, ex-Prosecutor General

Newspaper: Opposition Armenia bloc itself to not run in upcoming local elections

Armenia ombudsman: Azerbaijan police base, barricades, cameras on Vorotan road must be removed immediately

Armenia PM receives French Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group, paths for Karabakh conflict settlement discussed

Armenia Deputy PM introduces newly appointed governor of Gegharkunik Province

Traffic jams on Armenia's Goris-Kapan interstate road, Azerbaijanis rudely telling Armenians to drive away

About 50 soldiers and police officers killed after attacks in Myanmar

2 dead after explosion near COVID-19 testing site in central Myanmar

Armenia pregnant woman with COVID-19 dies

Azerbaijan planning another festival in occupied Armenian Shushi

Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of 2 more Armenian servicemen found in Hadrut

Russia to resume flights to Spain, Iraq, Kenya and Slovakia

Russia Senator: Russian peacekeepers will remain in Karabakh so long as their presence is necessary

Armenia FM receives French Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group

"Armenia" alliance: Armenian authorities have turned detention into punitive mechanism against opposition

Armenia appoints new Ambassador to Belarus

Armenia has new Ambassador to the State of Qatar

Iran MFA responds to situation regarding Iranian truck drivers in Armenia's Syunik

Armenian MFA: No negotiations being held for normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations at the moment

Digest: Azerbaijan tries to control goods transportation via Armenia, more on COVID-19

Armenia Deputy PM receives Co-Chairs of Armenian-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Commission

Armenia appoints new Ambassador to Greece

Judge delays granting Armenia ex-President Kocharyan permission to travel to Moscow

Armenia Ambassador to Ukraine Vladimir Karapetyan is in parliament

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff chief has new deputy

FM: Azerbaijan armys illegal presence in Armenia undermines de-escalation efforts in region

Armenia Parliament Speaker: Results of all elections between 1996 and 2018 were falsified

Armenia parliament considering election of member of anti-corruption commission

Armenia girl, 6, falls from 7th floor of building, in grave condition

Tehran to resume nuclear deal talks in Vienna soon

First international commercial flight carried out in Kabul after pullout of US troops

Armenia PM, EU special representative discuss Karabakh peace process

Price of natural gas per 1,000 cubic meters in Europe reaches record-setting $730

Dollar goes down in Armenia

Artsakh President introduces new defense minister to top army command staff

Taliban intend to remove subjects that contradict Sharia from university programs

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: Elections have been held in line with requirements of Electoral Code

Deputy mayor of Armenia's Goris resigns, to run in local self-government elections

Armen Sarkissian sends message to US President on 20th anniversary of terrorist attacks

EBRD, ADB to provide loan to fund 2nd phase of Electric Networks of Armenia company investment program

Azerbaijan army's General Staff chief, Turkish MOD discuss deepening of military cooperation

Head of Tegh village of Armenia's Syunik: Azerbaijanis tie villager's UAZ to a truck and steal it

Armenia Security Council Secretary leaving for Tajikistan

Analyst: There might be documents signed by Armenia and not revealed

Armenia ex-defense minister: There are no legal grounds for demarcation/delimitation of borders with Azerbaijan

Armenia Parliament Speaker on opposition MP's statement on transfer of lands

Turkey, Azerbaijan army chiefs hold talks in Ankara

Azerbaijan hosting joint military exercises with Turkey, Pakistan

Le Figaro deputy director draws parallels between Taliban, Azerbaijan actions

EU special representative for South Caucasus arrives in Armenia

Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders can have more effective discussion today too on possible compromises, says Carey Cavanaugh

Azerbaijan ex-FM suggests annoying Russia peacekeepers in Karabakh

President receives Germany envoy on occasion of completing his diplomatic mission in Armenia

Armenia legislature refuses to set up committee on Artsakh

Armenia defense minister to partake in monitoring of Russia-Belarus joint military exercises

296 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Speaker not ruling out summoning security forces to Armenia parliament over Azerbaijan police actions

Azerbaijan army General Staff chief on official visit to Turkey

World oil prices on the rise

Republic of Armenia 30th anniversary collector coin issued

Earthquake hits Iran

Opposition Armenia Faction MP: National Security Service uses fully Azerbaijani terminology in its statement

CSTO joint meeting participants to adopt about 20 documents

Georgian thief-in-law dies in Russia prison

Armenia parliament kicks off regular sittings

Experts urge NASA not to break impact probe on meteorite

More than dozen gorillas at US zoo test positive for coronavirus

Armenia Chamber of Advocates elects chairman

France FM leaves for Qatar to discuss further evacuation of French citizens from Afghanistan

Shia people of Afghanistan demand to be included in new government

Azerbaijani border guards demanding money equivalent to AMD 50,000 from Iranian truck drivers at Vorotan checkpoint?

Car explodes in Yerevan, 1 injured

Greece, US sign defense cooperation agreement

Karabakh President pays working visit to Martakert region

Azerbaijani police are inspecting truck drivers with Iranian license plate numbers near Armenia's Vorotan

Opposition Bright Armenia Party to not run in local self-government elections in Shirak and Syunik Provinces

"Shant Alliance" nationalist political party to run in local self-government elections in Armenia

Elections for chairman of Armenia's Chamber of Advocates end with 46.9% voter turnout

Paris mayor to run for French presidency

Karabakh hosts "The Past, Present and Future of Armenian Statehood" international conference

France refuses to recognize Taliban's government in Afghanistan

1 new case of coronavirus reported in Karabakh

Pope Francis arrives in Hungary for lightning visit

FBI releases first declassified document related to investigation of 9/11 terrorist attacks

Armenia opposition MP Armen Charchyan diagnosed with pneumonia, is in critical condition

Elections for chairman of Armenia Chamber of Advocates kicks off

Armenia parliament's opposition factions nominate candidate for member of Public Services Regulatory Commission

Japan FM to attend UN General Assembly's 76th Session

3 missiles dropped near Erbil International Airport

Pyotr Movsesyan, father of hero of 44-day Karabakh war, dies

453 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia ruling party presents candidates for Council of Elders ahead of elections in Gyumri

Swedish couple not allowed to name son Vladimir Putin

Group of female students in Kabul hold rally in support of Taliban

Azerbaijan, Turkey, Pakistan special forces to hold military exercises in Baku

Armenia FM, Kazakhstan ambassador discuss Karabakh peace process
YEREVAN.  Presidential nominee of the Armenian ruling party Armen Sarkissian met with the deputies of the Tsarukyan bloc.

The reports were confirmed for Armenian News-NEWS.am by MP Vardevan Grigoryan.

The deputies asked many questions, but prefer not to tell whether they were satisfied with the answers.

Sarkissian, who was nominated by the Republican Party of Armenia, has not answered yet whether he would accept incumbent President Serzh Sargsyans proposal to run for the presidents office.

The politician who is currently serving as Armenias Ambassador to UK said he would also meet representatives of the opposition before making the decision.
iStock/Thinkstock(PAINTSVILLE, Ky.) -- Five people are dead, including a male suspect, after separate shooting attacks at a house and an apartment complex in northeast Kentucky Saturday, officials said.



Two victims were found dead in a home in Paintsville around 3:30 p.m. Then, in a search for suspect Jospeh Nickell, two additional victims were found dead at an apartment complex, the Johnson County Sheriffs Office said. The suspect was also found dead there.



The Johnson County Sheriffs Office was directed to the apartment complex after "911 received a tip that the subjects vehicle was on Mill Street in Paintsville," according to a statement. "All agencies responded and located the vehicle. Sheriff Price led a search of the apartment complex. An apartment was located that had the bodies of two additional victims and the preparator, Joseph Nickell. All three were deceased."



Johnson County Sheriff Dwayne Price said in a statement, "This has been a horrific murder spree. There are no words to describe the heartbreak in seeing four lives taken due to the actions of one man. I have worked in law enforcement for 34 years. This is one of the most disturbing acts of violence I have ever seen."



The identities of the victims are not being released pending notification of families.



No further information, including motive, was provided.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression.
The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group issued a statement following their meetings in Baku and Yerevan.

Igor Popov, Stephane Visconti and Andrew Schofer together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, met with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on 7 February and President Serzh Sargsyan in Yerevan on 9 February. In both capitals, they also held consultations with the respective Foreign Ministers.

The Co-Chairs also travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh on 9-11 February to meet with de facto authorities and visited specific locations in the Zangelan, Kubatly, Agdam, Lachin, and Kelbajar districts.

The Co-Chairs underscored the importance of fulfilling, in good faith, all commitments undertaken during the October 2017 Summit in Geneva and at previous summits, in particular, Vienna and St. Petersburg.

The Co-Chairs expressed deep concern over the recent loss of life on the Line of Contact. The Co-Chairs call upon sides to take additional steps to reduce tensions, as agreed in Geneva, and to respect the ceasefire. The Co-Chairs also call upon the sides to refrain from inflammatory statements and provocative actions.

The Co-Chairs reiterate their commitment to helping the Sides find a peaceful solution to the conflict based on the core principles of the Helsinki Act, including the non-use of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples.

The Co-Chairs welcomed the parties expressed intention to continue intensive negotiations, taking into account the current electoral period.
Home | News | General | The rail of faeces

By Chioma Obinna

Good sanitation, together with good hygiene and safe water, are fundamental to good health and socio-economic development. This aligns with a school of thought which believes that environmental sanitation and hygiene are human rights. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, state, explicitly, in Goals 3, 6, 8, and 11 the essence of an environment that is safe for all. According to Goal 3, we must ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being for all at all ages; Goal 6, we must ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, Goal 8, we must ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, and Goal 11, we must make cities, and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

But how real are these statements today in Nigeria? This is a one-million dollar question begging for an answer? For instance, Sunday Vanguard visited the rail line along LagosBadagry Expressway under construction and reports.

Problems

Walking along the yet to be completed rail line at the Mile 2 area of Lagos, one could vividly see the myriad health and widespread sanitation problems and other environmental challenges. From the Orile end of the rail line to the Mile 2 side of it, the Lagos  Badagry Expressway is not only a den of hoodlums and the destitute but has also become some kind of toilet facilities for all manners of persons including passers-by. While the terminals serve as home for street beggars, other activities such as illegal drug trading and all forms of abuses take place along the rail. One prominent challenge which could become a hurdle in infection control in the area remains indiscriminate dump of refuse and open defecation.

As you read this article, Nigeria, according to the 2017 data from UNICEF, is among the countries practicing open defecation in the world with over 46 million engaging in the habit. A visit to the area by Sunday Vanguard revealed a hopeless situation and calls for immediate attention. Further investigation by Sunday Vanguard revealed heaps of refuse oozing offensive smell.

Lagos State government had, in 2009, awarded the contract for the rail line, from Iddo terminus to Badagry, to China Civil Engineering and Construction Company, CCECC. The project was also for the expansion of the previous four-lane highway to 10 lanes.

Sadly, the governments people-oriented project, designed to facilitate trade and commerce on the international highway, may be brewing an epidemic if nothing urgent is done to bring back the environment to a habitable condition. According to health watchers, although, over the last few years, the general health of Nigerians has improved and life expectancy has increased, Nigeria still faces lots of environmental and health risks, especially in Lagos and many other cities across the country.

A 2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, MICS, released by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, showed that many Nigerians are exposed to life-threatening environment due to poor sanitation and drinking water. The report indicated that Nigeria has a long way to go if she hoped to meet Goals 3, 6, 8 and 11 of the United Nations SDGs which target good health.

Lingering eyesore

Some passers-by and traders, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, described the situation in Mile 2 as a lingering eyesore. One of them, who simply identified himself as Mr. Emmanuel Uduak, said: It is sad that our people no longer consider defecation in the open and the attendant environmental challenge as unwholesome and the environmental sanitation people are not doing their job. Are we supposed to have a place like this? This place will tell you what Nigeria has become.

Uduak argued that the condition of the place should be a cause for worry to those constructing the rail since this could lead to the outbreak of diseases.

A woman selling herbal mixtures and local gin (Paraga) around the area blamed the indiscriminate disposal of faeces in Mile 2 on inadequate public toilet facilities.

According to her, there are just a few mobile toilets around here and most of the operators are not friendly.

She added, There is one mobile toilet somewhere there but the elderly woman operating the toilet is terrible. Oftentimes you will almost defecate in your pants before you could convince her to collect the money you have. 

Others, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, complained of high charges by the toilet operators. One of them, Mr Abdul, 32, told Sunday Vanguard that to pass urine costs N50 while to pass faeces costs N100 which, according to him, many people in the area cannot afford sometimes when you have to do it twice a day.

How many of us who work and live here can afford the charges? So you can see why you have faeces everywhere here and the situation will continue unless government and the sanitation people do something urgently.

Indeed, a toilet and bathroom built at a point adjacent to the Benin bus terminal in the Mile 2 area are visible for all to see but most travellers who are meant to pay N100 for faeces and N50 for urine do not use the place because of the charges.

Monitoring

Sunday Vanguard reached out to the Lagos State Ministry of Environment on our findings where the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Mr. Babatunde Hunpe, blamed the situation on lapses in the monitoring of the environment in the state but said the administration had done much to address the issue.

Governor Akinwumi Ambode has appointed SSA an Environmental Monitoring and another on Waste Policing. These people will complement our efforts in the area of monitoring and prevention of pollution in the state, Hunpe said.

We also have the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, LAGESC, former Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI. And their primary responsibility is to police the environment. They are empowered by the law. Anyone found violating the environmental law of the state would be prosecuted.

On public toilets, he said: Aside the public toilets the government is building, we are also partnering with the private sector to do same. We also want to appeal to corporate organizations and individuals to construct public toilet as their own Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, in the state. The door of our ministry is open for such partnership.

Meanwhile, critical health and environmental watchers believed that the situation in the area, if neglected for too long, could expose Lagosians to environmental and health risks. Citing the adage, Cleanliness is next to godliness, they called on government officials to regularly visit and evacuate the human and environmental wastes around the area.

X-raying the dangers of poor sanitation

According to experts, open defecation is a major cause of fatal diarrhoea. Statistics available showed that 315,000 children die every year through poor sanitation and unsafe water caused by diarrhoea while 4.5 billion people live without household toilets that safely dispose wastes. Also, the National Demographic Health Survey showed that up to 97,000 children die from diarrhoea each year. More depressing is the fact that this needless suffering is actually preventable.

Findings also showed that lack of sanitation leads to disease, as was first noted scientifically in 1842 in Chadwicks seminal. Faeces are most dangerous to health. One gram of fresh faeces from an infected person can contain around 106 viral pathogens, 106108 bacterial pathogens, 104 protozoan cysts or oocysts, and 10104 helminth eggs. Diarrhoeal diseases are the most important of the faeco-oral diseases globally, causing around 1.62.5 million deaths annually, many of them among children under 5 in developing countries.

Systematic reviews suggested that improved sanitation can reduce rates of diarrhoeal diseases by 37 per cent.

It has also been found that poor sanitation could lead to Neglected Tropical Diseases such as schistosomiasis, which can result in chronic debilitation, haematuria, impaired growth, bladder and colorectal cancers and essential organ malfunction. It could also lead to acute respiratory infections and under-nutrition.

Poor sanitation, hygiene and water are responsible for about 50 per cent of the consequences of childhood and maternal underweight, primarily through the synergy between diarrhoeal diseases and under-nutrition whereby exposure to one increases vulnerability to the other.

According to UNICEFs Head, Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes, Sanjay Wijesekera, lack of sanitation is a reliable marker of how the people in a country are faring. Although it is the poor who overwhelmingly do not have toilets, everyone suffers from the contaminating effects of open defecation; so everyone should have a sense of urgency about addressing this problem, he said.

The challenge of open defecation is one of both equity and dignity, and very often of safety, particularly for women and girls.

Proper orientation

An environmental health expert, Dr Oladapo Okareh, said Nigerians that are used to defecating in open places were to be given proper orientation. According to him, the practice could lead to outbreak of diseases like cholera and diarrhea. Okareh, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences (EHS), University of Ibadan, in a report, said: Open defecation is the practice whereby people go out in fields, bushes, forests, open bodies of water or other open spaces rather than use the toilet to defecate or pass bodily waste. Open defecation constitutes a major public health problem due to rapid urbanisation, lack of public toilets and low level of awareness.

Open defecation is a public menace because it could easily lead to outbreak of communicable diseases like cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea, intestinal infections, respiratory diseases and tuberculosis.

He said it also causes air and water pollution when human faeces are washed away during the rainy season.

Water supplies can become contaminated with such faecal matters; we all know that human faeces contain bacteria and germs which consequently contaminate water people use for drinking, he said.

According to him, in order to curb the menace of open defecation, government at all levels should increase public awareness on the health risk it poses to the populace. He noted that the practice could be stopped by government by exhibiting political will through construction of public toilets in strategic places as well as promulgating stringent laws on sanitation and proper waste disposal.

A medical epidemiologist, Dr Ope Osibogun, also explained that the environmental health risks of open defecation include the pollution of fresh water and lakes by untreated human waste, leading to reduced production of seafood and thus the reduction in animal protein and sources of vital nutrients.

Open defecation would also reduce the amount of clean water available, thereby leading to an increased purchase costs for chemical and mechanical clean-up operation. The chemicals for the clean-up process, if not properly stored and handled, may lead to health hazards. The waste products from the clean-up process, if not properly handled, could also serve as major health hazards.

Poor sanitation and exposure to open defecation can lead to diarrheal diseases in children which make them vulnerable to malnutrition, stunting and opportunistic infection such as pneumonia.

It exposes members of the public to various infections such as cholera, schistosomiasis, trachoma, shigella, typhoid, hepatitis A, polio, amoebic dysentery, giardiasis, ascariasis, hookworm infection, tapeworm infection.

Osibogun, who listed some measures government should take to avert related disease epidemics, said there was need to set up contact numbers for access to the public which they could call and report cases, and immunization of all children against preventable illnesses such as cholera and typhoid.

He encouraged people to drink and use safe water only. Bury all faeces and do not defecate in any body of water. Cook food well (especially seafood), keep it covered, eat it hot, he added.

Osibogun said there was need for people to construct pit latrines away from water bodies and, when full, covered them with soil and plants.

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Home | News | General | Benue killings: Resign now, Civil Society group tells IGP

BY PETER DURU, MAKURDI

A civil society group, the Benue Arise Network, BAN, has advised the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris to honorably resign his position for his alleged complicity in the Benue killings.

IGP Idris K. Ibrahim,

The group also expressed concern over what it described as an alleged plot by the Inspector General of Police to embark on mass transfer of top ranking Police officer of Benue origin holding command positions in the state.

In a statement released in Makurdi at the weekend, BAN through its

Organizing Secretary, David Mzer lamented that the Inspector General of Police had taken sides in the Benue killings and abdicated his responsibilities to ensuring the safety of lives and property of all Nigerians.

The statement read in part, We want to inform world of an alleged clandestine order by the IG of Police over the killings in a Benue state.

We real ugly gathered that he has directed a compilation of the list of all Benue indigenes in positions of authority in the Police within the state. His intention according to our findings is to transfer all of them out of the state and replace them with those who will do his bidding.

We keep wondering why the Gboko Divisional a Police Officer DPO was invited to Abuja for questioning after a mob action in Gboko; yet those of Guma and Logo local government area where hundreds of farmers are killed, and over 100,000 people displace have not suffered similar fate. We call on the President and the Police Service Commission to investigate this issue.

You may recall that few days after the signing of the Benue state Anti-Open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Bill into Law, precisely on Tuesday, 30th May 2017, the Fulani Socio-cultural group, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore under the leadership of Alhaji Abdulahi Bodejo (President) and Engr. Alhassan Sale (Secretary) in a press conference held in Abuja kicked against the Law in Benue State, vowing to mobilize their members nationwide to resist the implementation of the law.

The group also erroneously laid claim to being the real habitants of the Benue valley. Several threats were issued after this.

Thereafter the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, the Benue State House of Assembly, ethnic and religious groups, civil society groups and several others condemned the threats from the herdsmen and called on security agencies to arrest the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.

They also called the attention of the Presidency to these threats by the herdsmen in order to avoid bloodshed in Benue State.

The herdsmen made good their threats on New Year Day by attacking innocent and defenseless citizens of the State in Guma and Logo Local Government areas, leading to the death of over 73 people and properties worth billions of Naira destroyed.

Till today, the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore is yet to be arrested or invited for investigation by the Nigerian Police or any security agency in the country.

Not even the comments from the Fulani Cattle Breeders justifying the killings in Benue and the threats of more bloodshed if the Anti-Open Grazing Law is not repealed or the statement by the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM) that the killing of Tiv people in Benue State was well deserved has drawn the attention of the Inspector General of Police.

Instead, we have seen the IGP and the Police Force Public Relation Officer, Jimoh Moshood acting as spokesmen for Fulani herdsmen, a group rated as the fourth deadliest terror group in the World.

We have seen IGP blame the killing of innocent and defenseless people in Benue State on the Anti-Open Grazing Law, and the Force Public Relations Officer refer to Governor Ortom as a drowning man on National Television.

In the light of the fore-going, we call for the immediate resignation, dismissal or sack of the Inspector General of Police and the Force Public Relations Officer.

We demand a full explanation from the Nigerian Police on what the spokesman meant by his assertion that the Governor of Benue State is a drowning man.

We are aware that police officers guard Governor Samuel Ortom, if the police now refer to Governor Ortom as a drowning man, is the security of the Governor guaranteed? Is there anything the police know that we are not aware of?

The bias and unprofessional conduct of police officers like the IGP and the PPRO is largely responsible for the recent ranking of the Nigerian Police Force as the worst police force in the world by the World Internal Security and Police Index (WISPI).

We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to act decisively by arresting the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.

In the same vein, we call for the proscription of the said Miyetti Allah group and a declaration that it is a terrorist group and should be treated as such.

We are all aware that the good people of Benue State stood firmly for President Buhari in the build-up to the 2015 general elections, and massively voted for him to become the President of Nigeria.

President Buhari presented himself as a man of integrity, an unbiased Nigerian who is for everybody and belongs to nobody. Surprisingly, President Buharis Presidency has shortchanged the people of Benue State who overwhelmingly voted for him, in terms of projects and appointments.

As we speak, there is no single Federal Government project going on in Benue State. As that was not enough, after over 73 people including pregnant women and children were massacred in Guma and Logo LGAs, President Buhari failed to come and commiserate with the people that massively voted for him in 2015 and still support his administration.

A President who is for everybody would have emulated President Donald Trump of the United State of America who was involved in Rescue Operation during Hurricane Harvey, or who would at least pay the people of the state a condolence visit.

Unfortunately, a week after supposed 73 cows were killed in Nassarawa State, President Muhammadu Buhari was on a state visit to Nassarawa State which has a border with Benue State where 73 people including pregnant women and children were killed and buried in mass graves.

The people of Benue State feel they have been duped and betrayed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Interestingly, the Force Public Relation Officer, Jimoh Moshood disclosed on Channels Television that, any organization that carries firearms must be approved by the President and Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces. We are compelled to ask, who has approved the firearms being carried by Fulani Herdsmen?

In the light of fore-going, we call on President Buhari to turn his fatherly care to the people of Benue State and immediately, order the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to come to the aid of over 100,000 displaced persons in IDPs camps in Benue State.

We call on the President to immediately disarm and arrest the Fulani herdsmen who move freely around the country with AK47 rifles. Failure to do this, Nigerians will be left with no other option but to believe that the President has approved firearms for Fulani herdsmen to kill innocent and defenseless citizens.

This will leave the people with no other option than to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

On the 44 days military operation bid to commence in Benue, Nassarawa, Taraba and six other states from the 15th of February, 2018, known as Operation Ayem Akpatema, we must say we have faith in the military, but the Federal government has given the people of the state every good reason to suspect every move it will take now until they have proved otherwise.

The Operation should be used to arrest the invaders of the State, and not to falsely indict the Governor of the Benue state.

Any move by Mr. President not to go after the invaders, but to turn against the innocent people of the state, who are victims, will not be acceptable to our group, the state, and Nigerians in general, and will cause the people to lose faith in the military like they have lost with in the police.

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Home | News | General | Place Rivers first, Governor Wike tells politicians

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has called on Rivers politicians and political office holders to always place the state first in all their dealings.

Gov Wike

Speaking during the Thanksgiving Service in honour of Elected APC National and State Assembly Members in Port Harcourt, Governor Wike said all political office holders should ensure the rapid development of the state.

He said this is the time to cooperate as leaders of Rivers State and build the state state for the benefit of her people.

The governor said: The State should be the first to be considered at all times. The interest of the state is paramount.

When we come together, all we should preach is how Rivers State should be the number one state in the country.

According to the governor, when the time for election comes, politicians can jostle for positions.

He explained that the APC members emerged victorious because God ordained their victories.

In his address, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki urged the APC in Rivers State to reconcile, pointing out that they would have challenges if their internal conflict persists.

He said that the party ought to have one programme on Saturday, but the two programmes at different locations revealed that something was wrong.

He said: Without peace and reconciliation, victory will not be easy. There should be only one APC in Rivers State. What is happening is wrong. Let us have unity and let us work together .

Senator Representing Rivers South-East, Senator Magnus Abe said as Rivers people, there is a common destiny and heritage.

He said that the people reserve the right to determine who their leaders would be, stressing that the state must come first.

He said: Now is the time to put the interest of the state ahead of anything else. We must work together, so that the people can benefit from the politics we play .

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Home | News | General | How UNIMAD lectures, 10 policewomen were released by Boko Haram

Jihadist group Boko Haram has released 13 hostages, including a group of oil explorers and policewomen, that it held captive for more than half a year, the Nigerian presidency said on Saturday.

Some of the UNIMAID geologists brought to Maiduguri dead, some still missing

The three oil explorers are lecturers from Maiduguri university, in northern Borno state, who were kidnapped while searching for oil in July last year.

Their exploration team was ambushed by Boko Haram in an attack that killed at least 69 people, one of the bloodiest assaults of 2017.

A group of 10 women were also released, including police officers and civil servants, who were kidnapped near Maiduguri in June.

Police initially denied the kidnapping until Boko Haram released a video weeks later showing the woman pleading for their freedom.

Their release followed a series of negotiations as directed by President Buhari and was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said presidency spokesman Garba Shehu in a statement.

All 13 rescued persons are in the custody of the service and are on their way to Abuja with the assistance of the Nigerian Army and the Air Force.

Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, has been at the epicentre of the Islamist insurgency that has devastated the northeast of the country.

 Looked in good health 

According to military and vigilante sources in Banki, a former town that is now a camp for internally displaced people on the Cameroon border, ICRC vehicles arrived around 12:45 pm on Saturday and drove into the bush.

They returned around 4:30 pm with the 10 women and three men, who were then flown in four helicopters  two ICRC, one military, one police  to Maiduguri.

Its true the 10 women have been released by Boko Haram through the ICRC officials who arrived this afternoon, said a vigilante leader, they (the women) didnt talk to anyone, they looked tired but apparently in good health.

It is not known at this stage whether a ransom was paid or if any Boko Haram prisoners were swapped in exchange for the hostages, as has happened in the past.

The armed opposition handed the 13 people over to ICRC representatives who transported them to Nigerian authorities, said the ICRC in a statement, adding that it did not participate in negotiations.

This action was similar to what the ICRC did in October 2016 and May 2017, when we transported the released Chibok girls to Nigerian officials.

Last year, five Boko Haram commanders and an undisclosed amount of money were swapped for 82 of the more than 200 kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.

Boko Harams capacity has been weakened since 2014 when it controlled swathes of territory in northeast Nigeria but it still poses a threat.

At least 20,000 people have been killed in nearly nine years of violence and more than 2.6 million made homeless, triggering a humanitarian crisis across the Lake Chad region.

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Home | News | General | University lecturer seeks African govts support for research in AI

A professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Professor Oludele Awodele said the future of African continent lies in continuous research and investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

In his paper: Sensing the future: From Common Sense to Intelligent Systems, Professor Awodele noted that though Africa was quite behind in terms of research and development of AI, governments in Africa should invest in its research because it is cost intensive, adding that the moment we begin to invest in that area the better for the continent.

He also called on universities to promote and fund inter-disciplinary research because artificial intelligence as a multi-disciplinary field has demonstrated the immense promise across disciplines such as Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering, Philosophy, Psychology and Linguistics.

He was of the view that industrialists and non-governmental organizations should also give their support to AI as something meaningful is to come out of it in the nearest future.

Dwelling on some of the benefits of AI, Professor Awodele said AI could be deployed in security matters, electricity, detection of crimes and corruption, among others.

In terms of security, he said there were lots of data through which the concept of AI could be used to bring about an informed decision.

According to him, when our data is intelligent, governments and institutions would be able to make an informed decision which would lead to good decision that would better the lives of the citizens.

On how AI could be deployed to fight corruption, Professor Awodele said AI can be used to develop a system for Police to detect crime, explaining that the system would trigger and create an awareness when there is a kind of forceful alarm or an unauthorized access, so that human agent can come and address the situation.

He agreed that the deployment of AI might lead to loss of jobs if people folded their hands and did not advance technologically.

According to him, anybody who did not want machine to replace him in his or her place of work must be ready to grow technologically otherwise he or she would be replaced by machine or become redundant

To prevent unethical efforts by desperate scientists from crossing redlines of regulatory bodies, he said both national and international regulatory insights on AI activities would not be out of place.

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Home | News | General | Buhari has done more for Igbo, Yoruba than for northerners-  Shittu, Communication Minister

By Bashir Adefaka

Minister of Communication, Dr. Adebayo Shittu, says he would make no new comments about former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who not only wrote an 18-page letter in which he described President Muhammadu Buhari as incompetent but also launched the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) as an alternative to the PDP and APC to unseat Buhari in 2019. Shittu also explains, in this interview, why he took Buhari re-election campaign materials to a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting recently. Excerpts:

Adebayo-Shittu, Communications Minister

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, after he had literally caused an earthquake in Nigeria with his 18-page letter tagging President Muhammadu Buhari as an incompetent leader, went to Addis Ababa to shake hands with him. How do you react to the attitude that some watchers of events have described as double faced and likening it to the Chuba Okadigbo saga who Obasanjo dined with in the morning only to be sacked as Senate President in the evening or the Audu Ogbeh incident who the former President showed friendship to in the daytime only to be sacked in the mid-night as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?

Honestly, I want to reserve my comment on Obasanjo. I wont say new thing about him anymore. No comment and let us leave it like that.

Even if you are not commenting on that letter, it would seem like the President is being celebrated daily in Europe, the Asia and even on the African continent. What does that mean to you in comparison to the issues raised in the Obasanjo letter?

More than any African leader, President Buhari has earned respect not only for himself but also for Nigeria. I got excited when I saw the picture of some African Presidents lining up to have handshakes with him. That is the kind of thing Nigeria deserves; a President that is respected because of his discipline, a President that is respected because of his incorruptibility, a President that is respected because of his passion for orderliness and enthusiasm not only for achieving goals and development for Nigeria but also for the entire Africa and peace of the world. And he is reflecting very dispassionately in Nigerian affairs and insisting that Nigeria shouldnt be knocked down by religious, tribal killings that are seen in parts of the country. You see what the Igbo did some weeks ago when their leaders came to Abuja to pledge their support for him. Now a lot of infrastructures have been put in place in the South-East. And if you look at the distribution of ministers, the five Igbo states, it is only one state that has a minister of state; others are senior ministers. He didnt look at the fact that he didnt get votes from that part of the country. If you also look at the South-West, you will find that the zone has only one minister of state, others are senior ministers occupying critical positions: communication, housing and power, health, solid minerals and finance. These are very critical portfolios that the Yoruba have never occupied under any administration. Even the North-West and the North generally where the President got most of the votes from, there are more ministers of state than senior ministers. So, we have decided that we will be supportive of him because in him, for once, we have a compassionate father to all as the President of Nigeria.

Compassionate father! Is that the reason the Hausa/Fulani and the over 90 million Nigerian Muslims claim he has to be unfair to them by allowing undue sentiments and deprivations against them? For instance, they allege the killing of over 700 Fulani in Mambila Plateau, Taraba State, without him ordering action against the killers only for him to take action against them even when the killings in Benue were not confirmed to have been masterminded by them. So also is the way Muslims are being put on the defensive by the Christian Association of Nigeria as in the case of a University of Ilorin law graduate who was denied being called to bar by the Nigerian Law School over hijab? Muslims dont believe the President has to deprive them of their rights just because he wants to be seen as the father of all. How do you react to that?

I see the emphasis in his being objective and being a very dispassionate person. In that objectivity, we have fairness and he has given it to Nigerians. He is trying to give every section of this country a sense of belonging. He appreciates also that what is improper is not the way everything talks. He has ensured that every religious person practices his or her religion without fear and that all religious and ethnic people in the country live in peace. That is what he has been doing and he has not deviated from that path. Furthermore, if you look at the works ministry, you will find that he has truly been fair to all parts of the country. Just look at road infrastructures and all of that. If you look also at what he is doing on railway, you will find that he is working hard to link all the parts of Nigeria; Calabar to Lagos, Lagos to Kano, Kano to Maiduguri, and Maiduguri to Calabar. So, the view of anybody saying he is depriving any section does not arise.

Somebody asked: How does the leadership of the country feel with the dangerous politics that people practise with fake news and hate speeches in the name of freedom of expression coming from the same Nigerians whose President is respected globally, a situation he said had not happened since the return of democracy in 1999? Any feeling of discouragement?

We will not be discouraged. We have come of age and so we will never get discouraged by all those things that we hear from some people in parts of the country. We will push on with what we believe is good for Nigeria. We only pity people who do not see what we have done. If you look at the last election for example, he (President Buhari) did not have access to all the monies that the sitting President had at that time and, yet, he emerged victorious. That should convince anybody that his emergence is an act of God to take Nigeria to where it should be.

You were said to have taken Buharis campaign materials to a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting and you are reportedly the South West Coordinator for the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation

(Cuts in)

I am not the South West Coordinator. I am the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MBO Support Group. What we did was to open the South-West Zone What we did with the caps was to say this man must possibly contest in 2019. We must start preparing for the campaign. One of the things we would need are face caps for the campaign and we need samples of the campaign materials for potential supporters and the samples were what we brought to the meeting. It is to prepare for the future. Again we tried to use that occasion to publicise some of the achievements of Mr. President. Over the last one or two years, a number of PDP apologists have continued to engage in misrepresentations and falsehood against the government, especially in the area of performance and achievements. And we thought it was fit for us to itemize the achievements of the government, which is what we said and we continue to say it that what the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government has done in two years, the PDP governments did not achieve in 16 years. And that is what we are opening up the South-West Zone for and that is what we publicized.

But what is the petition you wrote against Governor Abiola Ajimobi for?

The petition speaks for itself. I dont have to go over it again. It is part of the things to get our party into noticing areas where things need to be put right in order that our party will not be affected in future elections. And I believe the authorities in the party will take appropriate steps to address the issue raised in that petition.

Some people say the party is backing Ajimobi against you?

I dont know what evidence they have. That claim is presumptuous.

Congratulations on the award of doctorate degree conferred on you by a Benin Republic university. Will I be right to now address you as Doctor?

Of course, that is what I am: Dr. Abdulraheem Adebayo Shittu. It is based on what they believed I have done for Nigeria in the area where I have served the nation so far.

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Home | News | General | Shell retiree asks Admiral Onahs company to refund N20 million treasury bill

By Jimitota Onoyume

A Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) retiree, Mr Rean Omosu, has dragged First Stock Brokers Limited to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) over the alleged failure of the firm to refund his N20million severance package he claimed to have invested there.

Admiral Mike Onah (retired) is alleged to be the Chairman of the company.

Omosu lawyer, Gabriel Otuedon Eyide, who claimed to have submitted separate petitions to SEC, the EFCC and FCID, alleged that his client took the action after several entreaties to the firm to pay the money failed.

Meanwhile, all efforts to get the company or the former navy chief to comment on the allegation failed as Onah was said to be out of the country on vacation. However, an aide to the retired admiral said his principal was not the chairman of the company at the time of the Omosu transaction.

I wrote separate petitions against First Stock Brokers Limited where Admiral Mike Onah is Chairman on behalf of our client, Mr Rean Omosu, who invested his severance package from SPDC, amounting to twenty million naira, in this company for the purchase of treasury bills, Eyide said.

He went on: My client attended a pre-retirement seminar organised by the SPDC Warri. First Stock Brokers Limited was among the companies invited to train the outgoing staff. When he (client) got his severance package, he paid twenty million naira to the company to acquire treasury bills.

Over the years, my client has been asking them to refund him his money when he realized that First Stock Brokers Limited was alleged not to be in the position to trade in treasury bills. It was said that stock brokerage firms are not permitted by law to transact business in treasury bills as they are only allowed to trade in shares and equities and all that. Consequently, he asked that the firm liquidates his investment. But the firm has neglected to pay my client his money. I have been to the stock brokerage firm in Lagos and had a meeting with its officials and told them about my clients mandate.

I went to SEC, the EFCC and the FCID, with our petitions as well. I attached all the necessary documents to the petitions, Some management staff of the firm were arrested at a time and granted bail. They did mention they would pay the money.

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Home | News | General | Our culture does not permit people killing one another  Egoh

By Tony Nwankwo

Member representing Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Oghene Emma Egoh, says his development strategy for the constituency focuses more on empowering the people. Speaking at a Cultural Awakening and Sensitisation Festival, held in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism under the theme: Culture as an Instrument for Unity in Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency. Oghene said culture was an instrument for development and integration.

Hon. Oghene Egoh

So, having served the area in different capacities before joining the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, he was in a better position to understand the issues that affect the people. He referred to Amuwo-Odofin as a mini Nigeria, where all tribes and cultures co-exist.

Speaking at the event, Oghene said the purpose was to let the people know that culture could be responsible for progress and unity. We have a rich culture so our people should not copy foreign cultures?, adding that the Federal Government was collaborating in the festival through the National Institute of Culture and Orientation (NICO) because culture could ensure development. People should respect their culture. Our culture does not permit people killing one another. So, when some people rise up to kill other people, you know they have abandoned their culture.

The Aworis

Hon. Oghene explained that Amuwo Odofin is a settlement owned by the Aworis, yet over the years, they have accepted non-indigenes from other part of Yorubaland and other parts of the country to settle. It is only a people with a welcoming and accommodating culture that can do this, he said, adding, it is this peaceful and accommodating cultural heritage that has given me the privilege to stand as a non-indigene to represent the area in several capacities. For instance, I was a councillor in Badagry LGA in 1986; supervisory councillor in Ojo LGA, and later publicity secretary for NRC before becoming as member, House of Representatives, representing the good people of Amuwo Odofin in the National Assembly.

Achievements

This event of February 1, has no political connotation, but permit me to intimate the people of some of my activities so far since I was given the mandate to go to Abuja to represent them, Oghene pleaded. My first motion in the House, was on the infrastructural decay in Festac, Satellite and other areas where no additional roads had been constructed since its founding 40 years ago. Our people also suffer from the absence of potable water. That formed the basis for my first motion, which, even the former chairman, Amuwo Odofin LGA, Mr. Ayo commended me for bringing into fruition. I also moved the motion on the rehabilitation of Old Ojo Road which government is now looking into. I also fought for the road linking Festac Town to ASPMDA market where our people do business. The road itself needed rehabilitation and I was able to ensure that N300 million was added to the budget for this. The construction is now on-going. We have sunk several boreholes at Mazamaza, Mile II, Agboju and there are other two ongoing at Adesoba and Abule Osun waterside.

On security, I was instrumental for the patrol of OP MESA in Festac Town, following armed robbery incidents sometime ago where a mother and her baby were killed. I brought this to the knowledge of my colleagues at the National Assembly, necessitating the introduction of patrol vehicles to the area. On youth development and empowerment, I moved the motion calling on foreign investors to be given a conducive environment to operate in the country. This was to create jobs to alleviate the plight of our unemployed youths. In my own little way to check unemployment of youths in Amuwo Odofin, in my first year in office, I organised a skill acquisition / empowerment programme, where youths were trained as barbers, hairdressers and soap makers while over 500 youths were empowered with clippers and hair dryers. The youths, through the National Youth Council (NYC) reach me whenever they need my attention. Meanwhile, I am impressed on how the 300 widows I empowered about a year ago, are faring. I have kept tab on their development. A year earlier I had empowered over 200 families from this constituency with tricycles, grinding machines, sewing machines, deep freezers and motorcycles and have put together a free medical programme where free blood sugar test and free eye tests were conducted for those who attended. At the end, free eye glasses were given out and medical counselling provided to those whose status were threatened.

Electricity Supply

Within months in office, I restored light to our Riverine communities of Amuwo-Odofin, donating three transformers to help alleviate their power supply issues. Just recently, I contacted the management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company in Festac, following the incessant quarrel between consumers and EEDC concerning the unavailability of pre-paid meters which the consumers had insisted upon. The EEDC ;people have assured me that their problems have been resolved so very soon they will provide everybody with pre-paid meters.

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Home | News | General | 2019: Northern leaders set up Cttee on restructuring, shop for presidential candidate

To convene political summit March 15

By Joseph Erunke

ABUJA  AHEAD of 2019 general elections, a group of elders and stakeholders in the North have begun moves aimed at getting a consensus presidential candidate from the zone.

A committee has already been set up to search for and present such a candidate.

Another committee was set up to look at the desirability or otherwise of the restructuring of Nigeria, just as they approved the holding of a political summit, tagged Northern Political Submit on March 15, 2018. They said this was to commemorate the attainment of self-government of the Northern region in 1959.

They blamed governors for most of the problems in the region and called for efforts to reduce their powers.

A communique released to the media after the meeting, by chairman of the Communique Drafting Committee and one of the conveners, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, showed that the group also set up other committees, top among which was the one saddled with the responsibility of x-raying factors/issues that have caused crises in the region.

The communique read thus:This meeting is hereby established as a standing forum for the Northern Region to be known as Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF).

Five Sub-Committees are hereby set up to address the various issues challenging the Northern Region. The sub-committee during the summit are:Security Sub-Committee;Political Sub-Committee;Northern Unity Sub-Committee;The 2019 Election Sub-Committee and the Restructuring of Nigeria Sub-Committee.

The details of the members will be announced in due course.

The Secretariat of this conversation is hereby transformed into the Central Secretariat for the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) to which Dr Umar Ardo is to serve as Secretary and Commodore Isaac M Mankilik (rtd) as Deputy Secretary.

The meeting has approved the holding of a Northern Political Submit on 15th March, 2018 to commemorate the attainment of self-government of the Northern Region in 1959.

The reports of the committees will be delivered and deliberated at the said Northern political summit. The conveners of this forum are to organise a Northern summit on the 15th March 2018.

According to the communique, the following were the observations at the meeting:Governors were seriously indicted for inability to maintain fairness, equity and social cohesion in business of governance especially on government appointments and empowerment.

Most appointees were being married to nepotism as a new phenomenon rearing its ugly heads in the region.

The Governors were challenged to change their disposition and borrow a lead from Sardauna and his key officers for change for the better in larger interest of the North.

The Governors were also reminded of their detrimental approach to issues of Northern unity; employing series examples like giving support to third term or tenure elongation of Obasanjo and their open disregards to unity of purposes.

Stakeholders were enjoined to change their profile and desist from paying lip services and double standard to ensure a functional Northern Region.

Pay attention to good leadership and discontinue with recruitment of half baked or non educated people in leadership spectrum. People should be trained to take up leadership and put a stop to capacity solution. Let us be strategic in thinking affectively.

It has been established that North has lost her leadership for a long time and there was no any mechanism put in place to rectify this damaging situation.

It has also identified security architecture being drastically collapsing and there is no attempt to arrest the problem. Other problems like poverty, education and empowerment are also lingering.

Call for reorientation especially among the youth for better North was made. There should be marshal plants to achieve the objectives.

There was problem of policies summersault, and negligence of social welfare and brutal above of opportunities.

It has been observed that the forum should continue as non partisan but political, non ethic and non religious for viable resolutions and reliable forum.

Stakeholders are reminded of the need to remain focus and active in view of time limit to national programmes.

North has allowed divisions along primordial lines and our Government at states levels are bring little on nothing to overcome these shortcomings. Therefore, stakeholders should pay special attention to 2019 elections as united force without any tear.

Identify contradictions and proffer solutions to them. There should be deliberate efforts to return power to the people.

The communique read further: The conversation amongst the Northern Elders and Stakeholders was convened after due consideration of the current political situation in the country.

 It was convened by Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, OFR (Dan Galadiman Gwandu), Sen. Ibrahim Nasiru Mantu, CFR (Former Deputy Senate President) and Sen. Paul Wampana (Zannan Mubi).

The forum drew from the wisdom and intellectual capital of a wide number of recognized Northern Elders and Major Stakeholder in the Nigerian project.

The aim of the conversation was to deliberate on the best way forward for the Region. The objectives of the conversation were: To review the general security situation in the North and proffer viable solution;

To appraise the current state of politics in the North in relation to the unfolding national political dynamics with a view to creating a common Northern position for alliance with our fellow citizen in the southern zones;

To examine the causes of conflict among Northerners and suggest practical ways and means of attaining functional unity;

To discuss and suggest the best mode of maximizing Northern advantages in the 2019 general elections;

To impress upon our people to register and have their PVCs; and

To discuss and formulate the stand of the North on the various issues raised.

To agree for a Northern Political Summit to hold on 15th March 2018.

To discuss any other business that could further embellish the main aim of the conversation.

 The conversation was chaired by Alh. Tanko Yakasai, OFR. In attendance were participants drawn from the 19 Northern States as singed below.

Dr. Bello Mohd Haliru presented an Opening Address. Eminent discussants and stakeholders at the forum deliberated extensively on the presentation and the highlighted objectives.

Two key remarks set the stage for the conversation. First, the welcome address which was delivered by Dr Bello Mohammed Haliru, Dan Galadiman Gwandu, the trust of the remark was the need for unity amongst the Northerners and call for the Region to make responsibly decisions of matters that concern especially the choice of its leaders. The second address was by Alhaji Tanko Yakasai and the focus was the need to demonstrate symbolic cultural and political unity amongst the Northerners.

He expresses the problem of loss of confidence between the Government and the citizenry, calls for functional regional unity; calls for the need to establish a platform, hence the essence of the meeting. Henceforth, the North is to promulgate a platform of unity of purpose.

 Generally, the remarks highlighted issues of retrogressing such as tribal conflicts, ethnic and religious configurations.

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Home | News | General | Zinox acquires konga in bold return to e-commerce

After months of strategic negotiations with foreign investors Naspers and AB Kinnevik, the Zinox Group, Nigerias foremost integrated ICT solutions conglomerate and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), is now the majority shareholder in e-commerce giant, Konga  an unprecedented move that is widely expected to raise the profile of e-commerce in the country.

Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman, Zinox

Naspers is a South Africa-based multinational internet and media group, offering services in more than 130 countries while AB Kinnevik, founded in 1936, is a Swedish investment company investing primarily in digital consumer brands.

The development signifies a remarkable return to e-commerce for the Zinox Group after it pioneered e-commerce in Nigeria with the launch of BuyRight Africa.com which struggled to cope with the absence of credit card and e-payment infrastructure over 12 years ago.

The acquisition is also understood to have passed all regulatory approvals by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Details of the mega deal indicate that the Zinox Group, arguably Africas most integrated technology group will assume ownership of the e-commerce group which includes Konga.com, Nigerias largest online mall; KongaPay, a CBN-licensed mobile money platform with over 100,000 subscribers and rated as one of the best mobile money channels in the country as well as KOS-Express, a digitally-driven and world class logistics company with advanced delivery capabilities for Konga and other structured companies nationwide.

Gideon Ayogu, Head of Corporate Communications at Zinox Group, who confirmed the development, disclosed that the organization is keen to take e-commerce in Nigeria to hitherto-unprecedented heights.

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Home | News | General | Herdsmen menace: IYC backs demand for state police

IJAW Youth Council(IYC) has called for the formation of state police to curb the excesses of herdsmen. In a statement by the President of the youth body, Barrister Roland Oweilaemi Pereotubo, the IYC stated.

herdsmen

The growing security threats posed by the murderous herdsmen across the Country has inspired our call on the government to implement the demands for the creation of State Police.

If States are given power to have security apparatus to effectively carry out community policing, security threats such as herdsmens terrorism and other social vices in the various localities will be aggressively curbed.

Nigeria is ripe to practice true federalism as is the case with the US where we copied our federal system. More powers should be devolved to the components States for the sake of building a virile and strong federal system.

The security agencies are by acts or omissions, encouraging the herders to kill Nigerians with impunity. Even when it is glaring that these internationally acknowledged terrorists group are bearing arms while grazing their cow, the government has not taken any step to disarm them.

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The federal government has filed a two-count charge against Senator Dino Melaye for allegedly giving false information to the police in relation to claim in April 17 of an attempt on his life.

The charge marked: CR/106/18 was filed on January 31 this year before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

Melaye is, in the charge, accused of falsely incriminating the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Edward Onoja David, in his assassination attempt claim.

Melaye, who is the Senator representing Kogi East Senatorial District, was accused, in count one, of deliberately giving false information to the police to frame Governor Bellos Chief of Staff as the mastermind of the assassination attempt on him at his hometown in Ayetoro-Gbede in Kogi State in April last year.

According to the charge, the police discovered the alleged falsehood in Melayes claim while investigating the Senators allegation that some individuals attempted to assassinate him.

In the second count, Melaye was accused of making false statement of facts in a phone conversation with Mr. Mohammed Abudu Abubakar, a son of the late former governor of Kogi State Abubakar Audu, with the intention of harming the reputation of David.

In the charge, Melayes alleged offences are said to be punishable under sections 140 and 393 of the Peal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.

The first of the two counts read, That you, Senator Dino Melaye, male, of the Senate, National Assembly, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, on or about the month of April 2017 at the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court in the cause of an investigation into the alleged assassination attempt on you, sometimes in April 2017, you gave information to the police stating that one Mr. Edward Onoja David (Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kogi State) did mastermind the attack with intent to convict him for the offence which statement you either knew or believe to be false and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.

Melaye was said to have told Abubakar, son of a former Kogi State Governor, in a telephone conversation how he framed Edward Onoja David in the assassination attempt.

He was also said to have made the false claim in the statement he made to the police on April 17, 2017 during polices investigation into the alleged attempt to assassinate him. No date is set yet for his arraignment.
A Nigeria-born Catholic priest has been ex-communicated for allegedly breaching rules of confession secrecy.

Pope Francis ordered that Father Ezinwanne Igbo of Stella Maris parish in Maroochydore, Queensland,Australia ,be axed after a two-year investigation.

The investigation followed a complaint that he breached rules of confession secrecy from 2016.

The Archbishop of Mark Coleridge said in a statement Father Igbo was alleged to have committed a canonical (church) offence.

The Archbishop then submitted the judgment to the Holy See, who subsequently requested that the communication be made public, the Archbishop said.

The excommunication will remain in force until Fr. Ezinwanne seeks and is granted remission by the Pope, who alone can grant it.

While excommunicated, Fr. Igbo cannot participate in public worship, celebrate or receive sacraments and cannot exercise any office of ministry in the church.

The priests lawyer Terry Boyce said 12 charges were brought against Fr. Igbo but all of them were not proceeded with after Fr. Igbo defended them.

Fr. Igbo is planning to appeal the decision after he was found guilty by the church.

The statement reads: In 2016, the Archdiocese received a number of complaints concerning Fr Ezinwanne Igbo.

In one of those complaints, he was alleged to have committed a canonical offence which resulted in automatic excommunication.

This was not a criminal offence under civil law. An investigative process was authorised by the Holy See and conducted by senior canon lawyers. The process confirmed the allegation unanimously.

The Archbishop then submitted the judgment to the Holy See, who subsequently requested that the excommunication be made public.

The excommunication will remain in force until Fr Ezinwanne seeks and is granted remission by the Pope, who alone can grant it.

While the excommunication remains in force, Fr Ezinwanne can have no ministerial part in the celebration of Mass or any other public worship; he cannot celebrate or receive the sacraments; and he cannot exercise any office of ministry in the church.
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday denied the Federal Government has concluded plans to create cattle colony across the nation.

He said he has no powers to give lands for grazing reserves in states.

Buhari, who spoke at the South-South interactive meeting of Buhari Support Group in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said the office of the President under the 1978 Land Use Act has no control of lands in states, except in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Represented by his Special Adviser in National Assembly Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, Buhari noted only state lawmakers can create reserve through legislation after assent by governors.

Enang said: There is no law in Nigeria now before the President to sign to create grazing reserve because he does not have land to give.

Therefore, the President does not, cannot and will not give land to any herdsmen for grazing reserve because he is not the governor of the state.

He explained: When Nigeria was one entity, there were cattle routes, which ran from Lake Chad Republic to the Atlantic Ocean.

When she became three regions, there were cattle routes in each of the regions. When it became a state, each of the states made laws as to how to graze animals.

When it became a problem in 1978 under Olusegun Obasanjo as Head of State in March 28, the Land Use Act was made.

Under the Land Use Act, the President of Nigeria has control of land in Abuja only. Under the Act, each state governor by sections 1(2) of the Act said that lands in each of the state of the federation in the covered area shall be vested in the governor of that state.

He added: Furthermore sub-section 1 (2) (b), said lands in the rural areas shall be vested in the Local Government Chairman of that local government.

Then in section 6, the Act stated that it shall be within the competence of the Local Government Chairman to give land for agricultural purposes including grazing purposes and sub-section 51 defined grazing purposes to be the purposes of planting grasses for animals.

Going by this, the President of Nigeria is not in any way planning to give land to Fulani herdsmen anywhere in Nigeria, because by the provision of the Land Use Act, the President controls no land in the country, except in Abuja.

He assured the lingering East West road project would be completed before the end of the year to give way for kick off of the other phases of the project.
Home | News | General | It is impossible until it is possible

By Denrele Animasaun

Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe Frederick Douglass

The Liberians have got a hero in their new president, George Weah. When he announced that he is to take a cut in his salary, I bet the other politicos especially in our neck of the woods, were spluttering into their greed. They probably then laughed and sniggered that he too, would soon be corrupted. After all, his predecessor, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Johnson Sirleaf, succumbed to some extent, there were talks of nepotism, handing down lucrative posts to her family members. The former President Sirleaf threw in the towel and after 12years in power, admitted that she failed to tackle corruption and she blamed this on public enemy number one the intractability of dependency and dishonesty cultivated from years of deprivation and poor governance. It is commonly felt that her government only improved the lives of the elites and the majority languishing in poverty.

Two thirds of Liberians live in poverty, and it were the very same people who attended Weahs rallies and turned out to vote for him, they are hanging on his every word, they are hopeful that just maybe, his allure and his common touch that led to his prominence will rub off on them.

So, I think she doth protest too much and she did not try hard enough and those around her did not try at all. Of course, now, she has become person non granta because she supported Weah against her own party chosen candidate. Speaking at his inauguration, Weah promises that the focus of his presidency would be to transform the lives of all Liberians. It is a tall order and he may very achieve this but not on his own. It will take a collective change in mind-set.

Weah, knows and admits that he won because, the youths and the women of Liberia and he told them that his administration is their government. Time will tell, but one political analyst said ,People believe George Weah has the magic wand,

Having said that, Sirleaf transformed the image of Liberia and protected free speech and freedom of association but her failure to tackle corruption in the ranks was the nail in the coffin of her Unity Party.

100 years since women won the right to vote.

On the 6th of February, 1918 in the UK, women were given the rights to vote and it took another 10 years for all women in the UK were allowed to vote. Unfortunately, took a lot to get the vote and to think how much most of us take our votes for granted wen brave women fought hard to secure women the rights to participate in the electoral process. In the last one hundred years, women have taken the mantle of political power and have proven their capability to govern and lead, contrary to the fear that the leaders, who were men, that such thinking would bring disaster, they reasoned that women should not go anywhere near power because it was a male domain! So, 100 years on, women around the world owe a debt of gratitude to a group of determined women called the suffragettes. They campaigned, protested and went on hunger strikes and even went to prison; died to secure this unalienable rights. Emmeline Pankhurst, one of prominent suffragette, believed to agitate for change, there was a need for direct action by working-class women who would use any means necessary to secure the vote. Deeds not words  the motto of the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU) she created in 1903  summed up their tactic of demanding, not asking, for their rights.

Nigeria had its own,  an extraordinarily brave women rights campaigner, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (FRK), a political activist, the lioness of Lisabi, fondly called Mama Africa. I understand she was the first African woman to drive an automobile.

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was born Frances Abigail Olufunmilayo Thomas to Daniel Olumeyuwa Thomas and Lucretia Phyllis Omoyeni Adeosolu on 25th October, 1900 in Abeokuta, Egbaland.

Her grandfather, was a returned enslaved man from Sierra Leone, who traced his ancestral history back to Abeokuta in Ogun State, Nigeria. She was the first female student at the Abeokuta Grammar School- 1914 to 1917. She continued her studies in England (191923), where she dropped her English names and shortened her Yoruba name to Funmilayo as you can see, she was very much her own person and with a strong sense of self. On return to Nigeria, she became a teacher. In 1925, she married a likeminded person, the Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti. The Reverend,was also defender of the ordinary people, and one of the founders of both the Nigeria Union of Teachers and of the Nigerian Union of Students. FRK fought very hard and spoke out for womens rights, earning women the right to vote and it earned her the Lenin Peace Prize in the early sixties. She founded the Abeokuta Womens Union, one of the most impressive womens organisations of the twentieth century (with a membership estimated to have reached up to 20,000 women, this was no mean feat), which fought to protect and further the rights of women. FRK was a fearless activist and for her work in advancing the rights of women in Nigeria, she received the national honour of Membership of the Order of Nigeria (MON) in 1965.

The University of Ibadan bestowed upon her the honorary doctorate of laws in 1968. She also held a seat in the Western House of Chiefs of Nigeria as an Oloye of the Yoruba people.

In 1932, she helped organize the Abeokuta Ladies Club (ALC), initially a civic and charitable group of mostly Western-educated Christian women. The organization gradually became more political and feminist in its orientation, and in 1944, it formally admitted market women (women vendors in Abeokutas open-air markets), who were generally impoverished, illiterate, and exploited by colonial authorities. In 1946,the ALC changed its name to the Abeokuta Womens Union (AWU) and opened its membership to all women in Abeokuta. Trading was one of the major occupations of women in the Western Nigeria at the time. In 1949, she led a protest against Native Authorities, especially against the Alake of Egbaland. She presented documents alleging abuse of authority by the Alake, who had been granted the right to collect the taxes by his Colonial suzerain, the Government of the United Kingdom. He subsequently relinquished his crown for a time due to the affair. She also oversaw the successful abolishing of separate tax rates for women.

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Home | News | General | Obasanjos coalition movement may register as a political party and contest independently in 2019 - Official

- The Coalition for Nigeria Movement is set to inaugurate zonal offices in the six geopolitical zones of the country this week

- The organisations media director said it may register as a political party and contest independently in 2019

- The media director also said the organisation will welcome the APC leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, if he is willing to join

The director of media and public communications for the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), Akin Osuntokun, disclosed in an interview that the organisation will open offices across the six geopolitical zones of the country this week.

Punch reports that the director-general of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation in 2015, Senator Ahmadu Ali, has also been named as the pro tem chairman of the coalition.

Osuntokun said: We are going to inaugurate zonal offices in the six geo-political zones this week. We have done the one for Abuja already. We will subsequently launch campaigns in the 36 states of the federation.

READ ALSO: Buhari-led APC government has done in two years, what PDP government did not achieve in 16 years - Communications minister

When asked why most of the personalities in the organisation are from southern Nigeria, Osuntokun said: That is not correct. Ahmadu Ali is the pro tem chairman, to begin with. Dont forget that the coalition has just been launched and there will be more developments as time goes on.

On why the coalition was accepting old politicians despite preaching a shift of power to the youth, Osuntokun said there was a need to blend the old and the new.

He said: For any organisation to survive, no matter your ambition, it has to be a blend of the old and the new. The coalition will be depriving itself of a source of strength if you rule out completely the enlistment of significant political actors who have been on the stage for a while.

Also, not all of them are tainted. There are quite a number of them that have their integrity intact. In politics, you dont drive people away as long as they subscribe to the ideology of your organisation.

Asked if the national leader of the All progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, would be welcome into the coalition, he said: If Tinubu says he is joining, that will be a big boost to the organisation because he is a big fish. He has immense political value in terms of followership and boots on the ground.

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Reacting to whether the coalition would merge with the APC or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2019 elections, Oshuntokun said both political parties had lost the confidence of Nigerians and it was unlikely that the coalition would endorse either of the two.

Osuntokun, however, stated that it was possible for the coalition to register as a political party and contest independently.

NAIJ.com previously reported that the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) claimed that former president Olusegun Obasanjo and other old politicians in the country decided to establish the Coalition for Nigeria Movement simply for the sole purpose of ensuring they secure relevance.

The PRP chairman pleaded with Nigerians to reject the coalition alleging that the old politicians want to use it to secure power through the back door.

Professor Mahmud Aliyu, the interim chairman of the party in Kwara state, spoke with journalists in Ilorin, that both the ruling APC and the PDP lacked ideologies.

Consider rest - Obasanjo to Buhari - on NAIJ.com TV

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Source: Naija.ng

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Home | News | General | Alleged assassination attempt: FG charges Melaye for false information

- The federal government has charged Senator Dino Melaye to court

- The Senator was accused of giving false information about an assassination attempt on his life

- He was accused of making false statement of facts in order to frame Kogi state governors aide as the mastermind of the assassination attempt

The federal government has dragged Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi East Senatorial District, to court and charged him with giving false information about an assassination attempt on his life to the police in April 2017.

Senator Melaye was accused of falsely incriminating the chief of staff to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, Edward David, in the said assassination attempt, Punch reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation filed the charges, marked CR/106/18 before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Wednesday, January 31, 2018.

READ ALSO: Buhari-led APC government has done in two years, what PDP government did not achieve in 16 years - Communications minister

In the first count, Melaye was accused of deliberately giving false information to the police to frame David as the mastermind of the assassination attempt on him at his hometown in Ayetoro-Gbede, Kogi state in April last year.

According to the charges signed by Magaji Labaran, the police discovered the alleged falsehood in Melayes claim while investigating the senators assassination claim.

In the second count, Melaye was accused of making a false statement of facts in a phone conversation with Mohammed Abubakar, a son to the late former governor of Kogi state, Abubakar Audu, with the intention of harming the reputation of David.

The offences were said to be punishable under sections 140 and 393 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.

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NAIJ.com previously reported that Senator Melaye described as a joker a colleague who was reportedly behind an alleged plot to remove Senate president Bukola Saraki.

In a tweet on Thursday, January 25, Melaye confirmed allegations that there was a deep plot to remove Saraki from the leadership of the upper house of the legislature.

He tweeted: The Nassarawa Senator plotting Sarakis removal is a joker. No shaking! He used Sarakis name to get off EFCC before,now his son again has been arraigned by EFCC he wants to play the same card. Agbaya! we dey wait. 98 senators are unwavering on Saraki. SDM

Kogi West senatorial district to recall senator Dino Melaye from the Nigerian Senate on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Maritime University: Ugborodo cant speak for Itsekiri, Omadino Pirah, Delta Oil and Gas Commissioner

By Perez Brisibe

Mofe Pirah, Delta State Oil and Gas Commissioner, speaking as an opinion leader in Ugborodo, Warri South West LGA, speaks on how amicable resolution could be reached on the tussle between the Itsekiri and the Ijaw over the ownership of the land on which the Maritime University.

Mofe Pirah, Delta State Commssioner for Oil and Gas.

flaying the claim in the media that the Itsekiri of Ugborodo have conceded the land to the Ijaw.

On the notion that Ugborodo supports Gbaramatu ownership of varsity site.

I am an Ugborodo man from Ogidigben. Ugborodo is made up of five communities, namely, Aruton, Ogidigben, Ajubaibo, Ijaghalla and Madangho. I am irked by the leading questions of the interviewer in a media interview with Chief Michael Johnny of Gbaramatu during which he was asked, Now that the Ugborodo people have confirmed that the land belongs to the Ijaw of Gbaramatu Kingdom, we hope the Federal Government will immediately kick-off the university? Let me make it clear, Ugborodo people cannot speak for Itsekiri Kingdom.

Ugborodo cannot speak for Omadino people whose ownership of the site is backed by Supreme Court ruling. And to go further, the three signatories to the purported publication backing Gbaramatu are not in the position to speak for Ugborodo under the circumstance. Obviously, the interviewer of Johnny is not on ground in Delta. That is why he missed facts of the case.

Ugborodos rights, limits of involvement

You saw the communitys position, as provided by the Elders Council which disowned the three signatories days after. For Ugborodo to author a publication of that magnitude, the Eghare-Aja and the Olaja-Orori would sign, that is if Ugborodo has the right to refer to Omadino land or any other land as owned by A or B. Alternatively, such responsibility is handled by the Management Committee or the Ugborodo Trust to which the community has entrusted administrative powers. These two are the only legitimate organs to speak on behalf of Ugborodo, and I must emphasize, not on behalf of Itsekiri, but of Ugborodo.

For about a year or so, there has been leadership crisis in Ugborodo, resulting in factional chaos. Someone was reportedly killed for which some persons are on trial. When people are drowning, they can go to any length to save their necks.

The claim that Ugborodo sold its land is the handiwork of drowning voices. Ugborodo sold no land, has no right to. Omadino people have their documents, judgement, to deal with their land. At the appropriate time, the Itsekiri and the Omadino people will respond. Those of us from the Ugborodo axis desire the university for the development it holds for everybody in the area, but then the reference to a strange Okereghigho is inciting. Those claimants are blind to the history of the area. Those who grew up in that environment in the 70s, 80s, 90s, to an extent will affirm there is Okerenghigho. The demand for the Attorney General of the Federation to withdraw the memo to the National Assembly is laughable. We know the limits of the powers of the Attorney General.

He wrote to the National Assembly (NASS) based on concrete evidence and they jettisoned it. He has continued. At the right time, the issues will come to the fore and they must be resolved. I bear no grouse against the National Assembly for passing the law establishing the university under the name Okerenkoko, but, at the appropriate time, those in the right position will address the issue.

Brothers and sisters

We will not continue to heat up the polity. We have started living like brothers and sisters that we are. I am Itsekiri from Ugborodo, but I also have Ijaw (Gbaramatu) and Urhobo blood in me. We have no reason to fight but to say Ugborodo people confirmed land ownership, those people do not represent Ugborodo, neither do they represent Itsekiri.

No shying away from amicable solution

There are things you could say and it would offend party A, other things you could say and party B gets offended, especially for some with blood ties to both ends. However, we cannot be evasive forever if we must live in sustained harmony.

So, someone must bell the cat. Presently, the most visible occupants of parts of that land are Ijaw, but before we got here, there was a distinct quarter where Itsekiri people lived, separate from the quarter Ijaw lived, and that place was referred to as Okerenghigho. Even before the ethnic crisis, Itsekiri no longer felt comfortable in their quarter there, and started moving away. The crisis has made it a purely Ijaw settlement today.

Acquisition

In the event of acquisition, like the Maritime Varsity case, those who settled there are the rightful owners of the economic trees in that space. What the law says is that the settlers take 2/3, the original owners get 1/3 because the settler is the one hit by the direct impact. If I give you a place to settle and acquisition comes on that place, it is your farms, ponds, businesses that will be displaced. Any associated environmental hazard hits you directly. So the balance of interests favours you to take more of the compensation or benefit.

The state owns land. It is not paid for during acquisition. What you pay for are economic trees, shrines, shelter and all that, but because communities will always claim ownership, they crave for compensation too. There are the two words, Okerenghigho and Okerenkoko. Ekeren in Ijaw means a man, Okeren also means a man in Itsekiri. So, in this atmosphere of stalemate, Gbaramatu and Omadino people must sit on the table for amicable settlement to happen.

The expected discussion allows both parties to say, lets put a name here, an apostrophe or hyphen there, and they have a name and move forward for the ultimate benefit of developing our area. That is the way to go. Thats what I expect of Gbaramatu and the Warri Kingdom. As one Delta, there are two major structures in our region  the EPZ and the Maritime Varsity. I want both to succeed.

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Home | News | General | Tinubu's mediator role in APC: Last minute move to save Nigeria's ruling party from an impending implosion

- The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is threatening to tear the party apart ahead of the 2019 general elections

- The party ignored warnings from some of its senior members about its impending implosion

- The deputy national publicity secretary of the APC, Comrade Timi Frank, was one of those who raised the alarm early

This past week, President Muhammadu Buhari designated Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead the consultation, reconciliation and confidence building efforts in the All Progressives Congress (APC) as part of efforts to improve cohesion within the ruling party.

The national leaders assignment involves resolving disagreements among party members, party leadership and political office holders in some states of the federation.

Tinubu's experience in politicking is expected to galvanise APC members across the nation to unite ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The presidents intervention is coming over a year after the deputy national publicity secretary of the APC, Comrade Timi Frank, urged the president to intervene in the crisis.

On Sunday, October 2, 2016, Comrade Frank wrote an open letter to the president in which he chronicled the activities of some party officials, which he alleged had affected the unity within the party.

Comrade Frank's early warnings were ignored by the presidency and APC leaders

READ ALSO: Obasanjo not qualified to advice President Buhari - APC chieftain

The Bayelsa-born politician specifically accused the chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun of deepening the crisis in the party and taking sides with certain elements who were hell-bent on ensuring he is not appointed as the partys spokesman after his immediate boss, Alhaji Lai Mohammed was appointed Nigerias information minister.

Part of the letter read: All my efforts to plead with the party leadership to redirect its affairs fell on deaf ears as no one took me seriously at the time. You may recall Mr. President, that the origin of this crisis began when the issue of the National Assembly leadership arose and the decision of the party at the time against party members, especially against the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representative.

I foresaw the impending cracks at the time when the party leaders ignored the injustice against these two persons and I subsequently raised viable concerns which still fell on deaf ears.

Again, when I raised concerns against the manner in which Chief Odigie-Oyegun handled the conduct of the Bayelsa state governorship primary that produced the APC candidate, no one listened to me, and alas, the outcome of that election became a clear testament to my alleged fears.

Subsequently, when my immediate boss, Alhaji Lai Mohammed became the minister of information, I was supposed to immediately fill in the gap and act in his stead as enshrined in our party constitution as the acting national publicity secretary of the party, but this was not to be as I was out rightly being persecuted for reasons unknown and perhaps for selfish interest.

I was deprived from performing my duties and my duties were assigned to themselves. It is worthy to note that today, we are witnessing the same concerns and fears being expressed by one of the founding fathers of our great party, who also doubles as a national leader agreeing with my earlier call that Chief Odigie-Oyegun should resign as the national chairman.

Despite the fact that the letter was widely published by the Nigerian media, Comrade Frank never got a response or intervention from the presidency.

Similarly, on September 19, 2016, in a letter titled "Urgent Need to End This Impunity against Saraki," Comrade Frank warned the president that the political persecution of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, will spell doom for the party.

He called on the president to intervene in Saraki's trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, stressing that the trial was precipitated by the former governor of Kwara state emergence as Nigeria's number three citizen.

Comrade Frank urged Saraki's detractors to let him continue doing his work in the interest of Nigeria.

Mr President, it is worthy to note that Saraki in recent times has been treated as an outcast. This is very bad development which if not carefully managed will consume the All Progressives Congress and doom our democracy. What has happened unfortunately does not reflect the change we promised Nigerians.

Is Senator Saraki the only former governor in Nigeria? Are there no other former governors especially from the South West and other zones that are not just enjoying their booty but are integral part of the government? Yes, Saraki is not the anointed candidate for the Senate presidency, but his colleagues elected him. So, why dont we allow him some peace to deliver on the promises of change?

Mr President, the executive needs the legislature; hence, the relationship must be cordial because if this situation is not properly managed, Nigerians will be disappointed in us as a party, a development that portends unfavorable results when we go to the polls in 2019.

As far as Nigerians are concerned, it is very difficult to convince them that this orchestrated onslaught against Saraki is not a case of witch hunt. Nigerians are more politically aware now than ever, Comrade Frank wrote.

The appointment of Tinubu to resolve the disagreements in the party is a move that is perhaps too late as the cracks in the ruling party have reached a boiling point.

Some chieftains of the party have also noted that Tinubu himself is the most aggrieved member of the APC, stressing that his appointment wont make any difference in the party.

How can you ask the number-one aggrieved member to lead reconciliation? The national leader is the most aggrieved person in the party today. Who will reconcile Tinubu with the partys national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun?

Are you not aware that Tinubu himself is aggrieved? He also needs to be pacified, especially in his grievance against the president, a chieftain of the party from the South-south region, Barrister Frank Okon told the New Telegraph.

Buttressing Okons point, another APC chieftain from Adamawa, Alhaji Yinusa Inuwa, explained that the person bestowed with the responsibility has many enemies within the party, as such, the job may be difficult.

Tinubu has issues with many people in the party, especially those who went against him during the elections under the leadership of the National Assembly.

He is fighting the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and many senators who supported Saraki. He is also fighting Yakubu Dogara and Governor Aminu Tambuwal over the speakership. Who will reconcile him with those lawmakers? Is he going to reconcile himself with them? he queried.

READ ALSO: We demand that police spokesman should be sacked, apologize to Governor Ortom - APC youth wing

Already, Comrade Franks prediction that a major defection will hit the APC if the partys crisis is not resolved has started manifesting.

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Friday, November 24, 2017, dumped the ruling party for the Peoples Democratic Party.

Two weeks ago, a former deputy-director of the Buhari Support Organizations( BSO), Chief Blessing Agbomhere and over 26,000 members and supporters of the APC in Etsako central local government area of Edo state defected to the PDP.

This past week, Honourable Jagaba Adams representing Kagarko/Kachia federal constituency in the House of Representative, left the APC and joined the PDP.

The situation is the same is states like Bayelsa, Abia, Niger, Sokoto, Borno, to name but a few.

The ruling party is also grappling with rumours that some of its notable chieftains are on their way out of the party.

Names bandied around by political analysts include Senators Bukola Saraki and Rabiu Kwankwaso, Governors Aminu Tambuwal, Samuel Ortom and Abdulfatah Ahmed.

There is a need for the APC to immediately kick-start the healing process in the party, as any further delay will lead to an impending doom.

History will be kind to Comrade Frank for standing by the truth at all times especially when many chieftains of the party choose to be quiet.

It is also a reminder for the APC to always hearken to the voice of tested politicians like Comrade Frank who have been on both sides of the divide and have constant interaction with members of the public. Politicians of his ilk are rare in these times.

Comrade Frank has always stood on the side of the Nigerian people at all times even at the expense of hurting his own party. This is why some mischievous chieftains of the ruling party are uncomfortable with him around them.

There is a need for the presidency, the party leadership and the indeed, the Tinubu reconciliation committee to reach out to Comrade Frank, seek his forgiveness, redress his grievances and bring him on board as the party prepares for the 2019 general elections.

It is to his credit that the APC leadership has been kept on their toes to ensure financial transparency in the party affairs, respect for rule of law, discipline of party members, respect for party elders and the need to shun imposition.

Finally, political watchers and Nigerians at large will be hoping that the APC hearken to the voice of Comrade Frank and resolve its challenges, so as to focus on delivering the dividends of democracy at all levels of government devoid of petty distractions.

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Watch our interview with Comrade Frank where he spoke about political and national issues on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Governor Bello under heavy fire over looters' tithes comment

- The Christian leaders say they are disappointed in the governor for his comments

- CAN says while the governor was entitled to his opinion, he should be careful with his comments and mind the happenings in his state

- Catholic Bishop Kukah says the comments of the governor are not worthy of a leader's in his position

Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello has come under heavy fire from Christian leaders and some other people for his comments following a visit of Catholic church bishops to President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock.

Punch reports that Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), prominent Catholic bishops and some Catholic groups have slammed the governor for his comments which they found unfair.

Leading the critics is Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah who felt the statement was uncalled for.

Kukah said: Frankly, people of his calibre do not deserve our response. It is also a measure of the kind of people who have strayed into power.

READ ALSO: Buhari has done more for Igbo, Yoruba than for northerners - Communications minister

I am not going to go into any details. It is a tragedy of what we call leadership now in Nigeria. People who have come with no antecedents; they just come out of the woodworks and occupy an office. And so, I wont dignify him (Bello) with any response.

The Archdiocese Emeritus, Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, Alaba Job said Bello's statement was out of context and the governor did not have a clue about what the bishops told President Buhari.

I am sorry that the governor made that statement. Who are the people stealing for us? What he said is different from what we discussed with Buhari. Killings, kidnappings, and other forms of evil (practices) are around us. Boko Haram has, to some extent, been suppressed but we now have so many atrocities.

We did not discuss any issue about money to the church. It is a great pity if a governor made that statement. As far back as 1994, Catholic Church bishops constituted a prayer group that has been praying against corruption in Nigeria.

The governors statement does not belong to us, not to the Catholic Church bishops in Nigeria. He should read the statement issued at the meeting and compare it to his own statement. It is out of context.

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The Punch report added that on CAN's part, the media aide to its president Pastor Bayo Oladeji said while Governor Bello had the right to express himself, he was out of line with his comments.

He added that the governor should mind the negative happenings in his state were civil servants are having a hard time surviving harsh economic conditions.

NAIJ.com had reported earlier that Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello, on Friday, February 9, said only looters are unhappy with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Bello said this while reacting to statement reportedly made by Catholic Bishops while visiting President Buhari at the presidential villa on Thursday.

The religious leaders reportedly lamented the state of economy in Nigeria to the president. Bello, while reacting to the statement said only looters are unhappy with the Buhari administration.

What must President Buhari do to regain the trust of Nigerians? on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Boko Haram: How we should thank Buhari for release of UNIMAID lecturers, others - Senator

- Senator Ali Ndume expressed gratitude to President Buhari for the release of the three UNIMAID lecturers and the policewomen abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents last year

- He said the better way for the people of Borno to appreciate the president is to vote for him in 2019

- He also said that the release of the lecturers has rekindled the hope that the remaining Chibok girls and other civilians in Boko Haram captivity will soon regain their freedom

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing the Southern Borno Senatorial District, has said that the people of Borno and northeast have no better way to thank President Muhammadu Buhari than to give him massive votes come 2019.

The lawmaker said the president deserves to be re-elected based on his successful negotiation that led to the release of the three UNIMAID lecturers and 10 police women abducted last year by Boko Haram at different locations in Borno state.

In a statement he issued on Saturday, February 10, Ndume said the release of the 13 abductees has rekindled his peoples hope on the rescue of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls and other people in Boko Haram captivity, Leadership reports.

READ ALSO: Buhari-led APC government has done in two years, what PDP government did not achieve in 16 years - Communications minister

He said: "It is with great delight that I receive the gladdening news about the release of the ten abducted women as well as the three geological scientists from the University of Maiduguri, who were abducted by Boko Haram in July last year.

This news has not only gladden our hearts but has also renewed our hope that other abducted persons, including the remaining Chibok schoolgirls who are still in captivity, would, in due course, regain their freedom by the grace of God.

I, on behalf of the good people of southern Borno senatorial district and indeed the government and people of Borno state in general, commend all the actors that partook in the latest negotiated release of our women and lecturers.

I specifically commend the leadership of the President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping faith with his promise of ensuring that all abducted persons, especially the Chibok schoolgirls, will be released.

I also thank the ICRC and our military personnel as well as other security agencies who had contributed in one way or the other to see that this great feat is achieved.

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We in Borno state have no better way to express our gratitude to Mr President than to give him our assurances of support and massive votes come 2019.

NAIJ.com previously reported that the three lecturers of University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) and policewomen abducted by Boko Haram the terrorist group in Magumeri and Damboa road, near Maiduguri, Borno state had been released.

This was made known in a series of tweets on Saturday, February 10, by the senior special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, on his official and verified handle.

Their release was said to have followed a series negotiations as directed by President Buhari.

Buhari 2019 posters have flooded the streets; too early or too bad? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Why I organised 3 days free health care for Bariga residents - Lagos chief whip

- The chief whip of Lagos state House of assembly, Rotimi Abiru, has organised a three-day free care for Bariga residents

- He said the programme was meant to help the residents have access to free health facilities

- Abiru noted that the large turnout of the residents for the programme was an indication that people's health must be properly taken care of

No fewer than one thousand and five hundred people of Bariga area of Lagos state have benefitted from a free health programme organized by the chief whip of the state House of assembly, Hon. Rotimi Abiru.

NAIJ.com reports that the lawmaker who represents Somolu constituency II in the Lagos state House of assembly told newsmen during media chat that the programme "is a way of giving back to the constituency."

READ ALSO: Buhari has done more for Igbo, Yoruba than for northerners - Communications minister

The event, which was the maiden edition tagged, "Three-day medical outreach," took place at Bariga Local Council Development Area of the state.

Some medical personnel attending to people during the free health care programme

Abiru said: "Health is wealth. We want our people to have access to health facilities. I realised that many of our people have health challenges but due to fund, they could not go to hospitals."

Some residents of Bariga waiting patiently for the medical screening exercise

While reiterating the necessity for the free health programme, which according to the lawmaker "it's first of its kinds," Abiru explained that recently a member of the staff of the council lost his life as a result of health challenges.

He noted that the large turnout of the residents for the programme was additional pointer for the need to take care of the people health-wise.

Some medical personnel attending to people during the free health care programme

He further hinted that there was provision for referral if there were complicated cases, saying that some staff of the state ministry of health were also present to provide assistance.

Also speaking at the event, the head of the medical team, Dr. Mustapha Lekan, who disclosed that there had been adequate arrangement in place to ensure that the patients were given required treatments.

The medical expert stated that there were provisions for general medical checkups, dental treatments, high blood pressure, HIV test, eye screening and others.

Some medical personnel attending to people during the free health care programme

According to him, there were rooms for consultations, scaling and polishing of teeth, adding that there were free drug which would be provided at the end of the medical checkups.

The beneficiaries commended the lawmaker for having the initiative to take care of their health, saying Abiru had demonstrated good quality of a leader.

Comrade Adeniji Michael who came for dental treatment disclosed that he had been having tooth challenges for more than two years.

He explained that he had once visited a hospital in the area but was advised to remove the aching tooth, saying the dentist at the Bariga's venue also prescribed the removal of his tooth.

Ariyo Bolanle who visited the place for eye screening noted that she had eye glasses that were to be renewed every three years.

While commending Hon. Abiru for organizing the programme, the middle aged woman appealed to organizers to hasten up as she had been there very early in the morning.

Some medical personnel attending to people during the free health care programme

On her part, Aregbesola Khadijat, said she came along with her two daughters for medical treatments.

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According to the woman, she came for general checkups while one of her daughters, Aminat came for eye screening and the other daughter, Rahmat came for treatment of chest pain.

Some residents of Bariga waiting patiently for the medical screening exercise

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that the chief whip of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Hon. Rotimi Abiru representing Shomolu constituency II, appealed to the people of Bariga on the challenges of drainages causing serious damage in the area.

N1,500 for health of Nigerians - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | I could have been killed because of Buhari in 2015 - Amaechi

- The minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said his life was threatened during the 2015 presidential election campaign

- He said the power that killed Ken Saro Wiwa was also after his life when President Buhari was contesting for presidency in 2015

- He lamented that many lofty programmes and projects he put in place during his tenure as the governor of Rivers state have been reversed by the current government

The minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who was the director-general of the campaign team of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential elections, said he could have been killed during the fight to install President Buhari.

The Cable reports that Amaechi de-marketed former president Goodluck Jonathan, who was the major threat to the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The transportation minister reportedly attacked Jonathan in public and private and as the election drew near, generating reports that he would be one of the targets if the APC lost the election.

READ ALSO: Buhari-led APC government has done in two years, what PDP government did not achieve in 16 years - Communications minister

Amaechi was also involved in different rows with security agencies, particularly the police under Joseph Mbu, a former commissioner of police in Rivers.

Speaking on Saturday, February 10, during the inauguration of a pro-APC non-governmental organisation, Free Rivers Development Initiative (FRDI) in Bori, Khana local government area of Rivers, Amaechi said the machinery of power which killed Ken Saro-Wiwa was still in force as of the time Buhari sought the highest office in the land.

He said Saro-Wiwa fought for the liberation of Ogoni people, south-south and the Niger Delta because he believed they were oppressed.

He said: Saro-Wiwa was killed by the then machinery of power because of his belief that Ogonis and the Niger Delta should be liberated.

I could have been killed by the same machinery of power when we were fighting to install President Muhammadu Buhari because we fought the same power that killed Saro-Wiwa.

Amaechi claimed that some Ogoni indigenes find it difficult to identify with Saro-Wiwa but he identified with him.

Everybody is now claiming to love Ogoni and knew Ken Saro-Wiwa because of the election, he said.

If you love Ogoni, bring projects to Ogoni, train their children because as governor, I trained Ogoni children overseas.

I made sure that government paid all the fees because education was one of the issues that Saro-Wiwa died for, he stated.

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Amaechi said when he was governor of Rivers, he planned to turn Bori, a community in Ogoniland, into a big city, and that was why he constructed all the internal roads in the city.

He said: When I became governor, there was no light in Bori and we brought light from Port Harcourt to the city.

It was because of poverty I experienced that made me to build primary schools, primary health centres and employed teachers and doctors respectively.

Today, the current government has reversed everything we did including free education and free healthcare care policies.

NAIJ.com previously reported that the coordinator of the APC non-indigenes in Rivers state, Chief Callistus Nwachukwu, accused Governor Nyesom Wike, his aides and three others of trying to blackmail Amaechi and ex-commissioner for agriculture Emma Chindah.

Nwachukwu noted that the groups former coordinator, Chief Uchenna Okokoba; the former vice chairman, Wole Agunbiade; and former secretary, Alhaji Yusuf Tanko who resigned their membership of the APC recently, did so for selfish interest.

Nwachukwu said the three former officers should not be taken seriously by members of the public.

Rotimi Amaechi gives a summary of the Buhari Administration - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | NHIS boss reinstatement downgrades Buharis anti-corruption crusade - Senior lawyer

- Three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, Yusuf Ali and Ifedayo Adedipe, have reacted to the reinstatement of the NHIS boss by President Buhari

- The senior lawyers said the reinstatement degrades the anti-corruption crusade of the President Buhari-led administration

- They said the presidents decision undermines the authority of the health minister

Three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, Yusuf Ali and Ifedayo Adedipe, have criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for reinstating the hitherto suspended executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf.

Recall that the president recalled Yusuf, although a panel, set up by the minister of health, Professor Isaac Adewole, suspended the NHIS boss on July 6, 2017.

Yusuf, who is being probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), was accused of perpetrating fraud to the tune of N919m.

In an interview with Punch, Ali said Nigerians deserved an explanation from the federal government for reinstating the NHIS boss.

According to him, the presidents recall of the indicted NHIS official belittles the health ministers authority.

READ ALSO: Buhari-led APC government has done in two years, what PDP government did not achieve in 16 years - Communications minister

He stated: The reason for which he was suspended is well known to everybody. It was well publicised. It was said that there was some money, almost $1bn, for which he couldnt account for and for which the EFCC was invited. Curiously, nobody has heard anything from the EFCC and the man was recalled.

So, I think the government owes us an explanation why the man, who was suspended by the minister, was recalled by the Presidency. Why was it not the minister that recalled him? The problem about such a matter is that it would have been better if the minister recalled him because they are demystifying the offices of the minister.

Ali stated that the reinstatement did not portend well for the anti-corruption crusade of the President Buhari-led administration.

He said: For all intents and purposes, it means that the anti-corruption body can do whatever it wants to do; the government is least concerned.

In a similar reaction, Adedipe condemned Buharis war against corruption and the governments motives, saying that the reinstatement is an insult on the office of the minister.

Adedipe said: It is a total disgrace and an embarrassment. If I were the minister of health, I would resign and give them back their useless position. The President has undermined his so-called war on corruption for whatever reason, and it does him no credit that he is doing this.

A man under his watch is accused of corruption and is being probed, and you reinstated him? He has undermined that minister. And this professor (Yusuf) was so boastful, saying only the President could query him. That he (Buhari) would do this kind of thing no longer shocks me.

Another senior lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, also described the reinstatement of Yusuf as evidence of impunity, corruption and executive lawlessness under President Buhari administration.

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He claimed that the reinstatement of the NHIS boss showed that the administration was not only covering up corruption within the government but also promoting and protecting it.

He said: It amounts to clear evidence of the reign of impunity, corruption and executive lawlessness.

The minister of health, Prof. Adewole, has supervisory and disciplinary jurisdiction over the NHIS boss, Prof Yusuf.

He set up a panel to probe his transgressions. He was found culpable. Adewole suspended Yusuf.

The latter laughed him to scorn, pooh-poohed and mocked him, reminding Adewole he was a sacred cow whom he cannot touch. It has come to pass.

The President rode over Adewoles head and recalled the suspended executive secretary.

He laughed more. That is the very antithesis to fighting the so-called corruption.

NAIJ.com previously reported that the health minister of health, Professor Isaac was reportedly accused of setting up a committee that was neither independent nor free from biases, to investigate the NHIS boss.

A presidency source who pleaded for anonymity told the Sun Newspaper that the committee set up to probe Yusuf was neither independent nor free from biases.

According to the source, some of the allegations brought against Yusuf by the United Youth Alliance Against Corruption (UYAC) and the Association of Senior Civil Servants could not be substantiated, adding that no evidence was brought forward in the 20 of the 23 allegations.

Buhari is the general overseer of corruption - on NAIJ.com TV:

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Home | News | General | Nigerian troops crush fleeing Boko Haram fighters in Yobe, recover sophisticated weapons (photos)

- The terrorists were fleeing onslaught of troops in Operation Deep Punch II when they ran into the ambush by other soldiers

- They were defeated in a gunfight and several of them were killed by the vigilant Nigerian troops who suffered injuries to two brave soldiers

- The army seized weapons from the terrorists and also destroyed their IED-carrying vehicle

Nigerian troops fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the Operation Lafiya Dole theatre command have killed several terrorists in a gun fight in Goniri, Yobe state.

The Nigerian army confirmed the victory in a statement by the assistant director Army Public Relations, Major Nureni Alimi, 27 Task Force Brigade on Sunday, February 11.

According to the statement, the terrorists, who were fleeing the onslaught of the army fell into an ambush laid by the Nigerian troops.

Cache of ammunition recovered from the terrorist by soldiers. Photo: Nigerian Army

A gunfight ensued but the Nigerian troops overcame, killing several terrorists, destroying bomb-laden vehicle and seizing several weapons and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) materials.

READ ALSO: Catholic bishops, others slam Governor Bello over looters' tithes comment

The statement read: "As a result of the ongoing clearance operations through Operation DEEP PUNCH II in Operation LAFIYA DOLE, some desperate Boko Haram terrorists attempting to escape the theatre through one of the formidable blocking positions in Goniri, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, had been severely dealt with on Friday 9th February 2018.

"The terrorists in attempt to penetrate through the troops lying in wait were mercilessly trashed. The troops destroyed their Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), neutralized quite a number and wounded several other escaping Boko Haram terrorists. Similarly, they recovered an Anti-aircraft gun with long belt of ammunitions, an AK-47 Rifle and other items.

The terrorists' vehicle which was destroyed by the army. Photo: Nigerian Army

"Immediately the terrorists encountered the troops around 6:20pm, they adopted rapid firing, while the troops responded with maximum volume of fire. The troops' tank tactically flanked and crushed the IED laden vehicle of the terrorists.

"The response was very efficient as only 2 soldiers sustained minor injuries.

"The two brave soldiers are currently receiving treatment in the Brigade Field Ambulance.

"Preliminary investigation reveals that some unscrupulous Boko Haram terrorists informants might have hinted the terrorist group that the troops had moved along with their equipment out of the blocking position the previous day, hoping that pen*tration through the area would have been easy. Disappointedly, they met gallant troops who proved too impenetrable, frustrated their effort and cleared their doubt.

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"It should be noted that having been forced out of their hideouts due to the ongoing Operation DEEP PUNCH II, the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists have resorted to marauding around isolated communities and fleeing the theatre. Nevertheless, the troops have remained resilient and on maximum alert, full of high morale."

Anti-Aircraft gun seized from the insurgents by Nigerian troops. Photo: Nigerian Army

The statement came just hours after NAIJ.com reported that Nigeria's presidency announced the release of University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) lecturers and police wives abducted by the insurgents several weeks back.

Three lecturers of UNIMAID and 10 policewomen abducted by Boko Haram terrorists in Magumeri and Damboa road, near Maiduguri, Borno state were released.

NAIJ.com gathered that this was made known in a series of tweet on Saturday, February 10, by the senior special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, on his official and verified handle.

Survivors of Boko Haram - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Kyari leads presidential delegation to fidau prayer for Buratai

Alhaji Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday led a presidential delegation to the fidau prayer of Yusuf Buratai, father of Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff.

Abba Kyari

Newsmen report that hundreds of people attended the fidau prayer observed for the repose of the soul of the deceased.

Buratai, a World War II veteran, died in Maiduguri on Friday at the age of 106.

Kyari said that the visit was at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari, to commiserate with the Buratais family and the people of Borno.

The President prayed Allah to comfort the family of the deceased. May Allah grant his soul eternal rest.

Gov. Kashim Shettima commended the gesture, adding that the visit by the presidential delegation for the second time was a testimony of Presidents concern for the people of the state.

It also shows the bond of relationship between the Federal and Borno State governments. We are indebted to the President for his commitment to the restoration of peace in the northeast.

Those who are not in Borno will not understand what the people of Borno went through in the wake of insurgency.

We appreciate and attest that President Buhari has succeeded in bringing peace to the northeast region.

The prayer was attended by Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Buhari.

Some members of the national and state houses of assembly as well as top military officers were also in attendance.

NAN

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Home | News | General | Quit as minister of petroleum resources to save Nigerians - PDP tells Buhari

- The Peoples Democratic Party has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign his position as the country's minister of petroleum resources

- It asked the president to allow competent hands to manage the petroleum sector and bring an end to fuel crisis in the country

- The party alleged that the petroleum sector has been delivered to an APC cabal

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday, February 11 called on President Muhammadu Buhari to quit as the minister of petroleum resources and allow competent hands to

PDP national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement in Abuja described as unpardonable, the failure of the Buhari-led administration to resolve its inflicted unabated fuel crisis, which has brought untold hardship to Nigerians, Nigerian Tribune reports.

The statement said that President Buhari being the minister of petroleum, must directly accept responsibility for the manifest failure in the oil sector, even as his government should be held responsible for the exacerbated economic and security situation in the country under its watch.

The statement read: It is an appalling height of insensitivity that the president, as the minister of petroleum resources, has failed to take any decisive steps to arrest the situation, which has remained unabated since the last Yuletide.

Rather, the sector has been delivered to an APC cabal, whose mission, particularly, the desperate re-election bid, largely account for the biting fuel situation and the economic misery Nigerians suffer today.

It is instructive to state that the Presidency has refused to offer any explanation on the allegations linking the fuel crisis to the exposed siphoning of billions of naira through shady oil subsidy deals and the illegal lifting of crude oil worth trillions of naira, ostensibly to service APC interests ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The point is that owing to the ineptitude of the Buhari presidency and the desperation to remain in power, millions of Nigerians are languishing.

As we speak, the economy has further dipped in the last two months of this harrowing fuel situation; more businesses have folded up, prices of essential goods are skyrocketing and families are, more than ever before, under the intense pressure of meeting economic demands.

Currently, marauders have chased farmers away from farmlands while Buhari presidency continues to wax lip sermons on serious issues of insecurity.

The PDP called on President Buhari to quit this all-important ministry of petroleum resources and allow competent hands to save our people from the anguish and pains they have been subjected to in the last few months".

In a related development, we previously reported that Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim Daura, a kinsman to President Muhammadu Buhari and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), called on the president to resign his position as the minister of petroleum resources.

The APC chieftain who disclosed this in Kaduna on Tuesday, January 16, said this would help the president to concentrate on salvaging the country.

Daura argued that the office of the president was very demanding and required full concentration of President Muhammdu Buhari so that he could move the nation forward.

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Home | News | General | Angry governor Ugwuanyi sacks aides over poor mobilisation of residents

- Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is not happy that the affected aides could not effectively mobilise the people of Enugu state in relation to his administration's policies

- Ugwuanyi maintains that the ongoing voters registration is critical to the future of the PDP ad even Enugu state

- He gives the sacked aides a fresh condition

The governor of Enugu state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has fired his executive assistants from northern senatorial district over their alleged inability to sensitise, mobilise and promote government programmes, policies and interests.

Their sack, according to The Punch, also concerned the ongoing voter registration being conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The report said Ugwuanyi regretted that the former executive assistants did not live up to their responsibilities in the various wards in terms.

READ ALSO: Alleged assassination attempt: FG charges Melaye for false information

NAIJ.com learnt that the governor asked the sacked aides to go back to their various wards to revalidate their mandate and obtain fresh endorsement from the people as this is the only condition for them to be reappointed.

Ugwuanyi, who addressed the Enugu north senatorial district committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in Nsukka, said the voter registration was vital to the fortunes of the party and the state in the 2019 general elections.

The ongoing voter registration is the key, it is very important to us. It is beyond the election. It is about all of us.

Unfortunately, the EAs appointed to drive this campaign for the government at the grass roots have not done much in terms of sensitization and mobilisation.

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I hereby declare their positions vacant in Enugu north senatorial district, he said.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had begun registration of new members in its chapter in Ebonyi state.

The registration, the party said is aimed at granting defectors who joined the party since 2015 an opportunity to fully belong to APC.

The report stated that the ruling party said a six-member committee will be raised in each of the 13 local government in state to monitor the progress of the registration.

What must President Buhari do to regain the trust of Nigerians? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Nigeria exports 1, 983 containers of hibiscus to Mexico

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA- FOLLOWING the drive for high non-oil exports the country has exported 1, 983 containers of hibiscus (Zobo) to Mexico alone, thereby generating $35 million within a short time in 2017.

hibiscus

The Coordinating Director, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service, NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe, disclosed this in a chat with Vanguard, where he said farmers and other investors were yet to tap into this goldmine of hibiscus business in the country due to high demand from Europe, Asia and America.

According to him farmers of hibiscus in Jigawa had the highest export of hibiscus in 2017, because they are the largest producers of the commodity.

He said: In the last one year there has been increase in exports of agricultural commodities. Hibiscus alone in one country, Mexico, generated $35 million in nine months.

In 2016, the country generated more than $20 million, and that is just one commodity. In the last one year we have done what we call Export Improvement Initiative, EII, for so many commodities. That means we are bringing those commodities that were lying low to ensure that they are properly positioned for export.

Mexicans and other countries importing our hibiscus (zobo) use it as organic colouring agents for drinks and wines, and as natural blended drink as we drink zobo here in Nigeria, the pharmaceuticals also use it for colouring because is organic.

In 2016 it generated $20 million, while in 2017 it generated $35 million within nine months. 1, 983 containers were exported to Mexico alone, while other countries in Europe like Germany, Greece, Latvia, and countries of former USSR.

The major producing State is Jigawa State, others are Kastina, Kebbi, Zamfara, Borno and Yobe produce it. Meanwhile, he urged states like Edo, Kwara to cultivate zobo plant and it could germainate to boost their revenue generation.

He also urged zobo farmers to properly organize and position themselves for increased volume of production and export, which will also create more jobs, and attract more interventions from government and development partners.

For the farmers of zobo, they are registering in Jigawa and Kano State, but we want them is to form organised hibiscus farmers clusters like we see in other crops; rice, maize, sorghum, and that will further increase volume and investment in zobo cultivation. They will also benefit from government and donor interventions in capacity building and technical assistance, he said.

According to him the agency will ensure mycotoxin challenge on agricultural commodities was tackled, therefore efforts are made to ensure this was achieved as they have collaborated with other relevant ministries and agencies to come up with reports to chart a new way to eradicate it.

We want to know what the level of contamination of mycotoxins is, then what type of mycotoxin have of o each of those commodities, is it basically what they call ocratoxin or aflxatoxin? We want to know the prevalence which type of aflaxtoxin on which commodities so it will help guide policy makers to decide on what to do next. It will open the economy to a lot of opportunities in research, development, public health disease prevention and the general well-being of the nation, he stated.

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Home | News | General | 71 reportedly feared dead as Russian passenger plane crashes outside Moscow

A Russian passenger plane crashed on Sunday, February 11, leaving over 71 people on board dead

The plane crashed after taking off from Domodedovo airport in Moscow

There were 65 passengers and 6 crew members on board the aircraft

A Russian passenger plane with 71 people on board crashed outside Moscow on Sunday, February 11 after taking off from the capital's Domodedovo airport, AFP reports.

READ ALSO: Buhari has done more for Igbo, Yoruba than for northerners - Communications minister

NAIJ.com gathered that the Antonov An-148 plane operated by the domestic Saratov Airlines was flying to Orsk, a city in the Urals, and crashed in the Ramensky district on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian news agencies reported 65 passengers and 6 crew were on board and all were feared dead.

It was learnt that witnesses in the village of Argunovo saw a burning plane falling from the sky.

Reacting to the crash, a source from Russia's emergency services told Interfax that the 71 people on board "had no chance" of survival.

The country's president Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to the families of those on board.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov said: "The president offers his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash."

It was reported that the Russian-made plane was 7 years-old and bought by Saratov Airlines from another Russian airline a year ago.

According to a source at Domodedovo, Moscow's second largest airport, the plane disappeared from radars within two minutes of take off.

Over 150 rescue workers were deployed to the site.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that a Russian military transport plane which went off the radar en route to Syria crashed into the Black Sea.

Rescue helicopters discovered the Tu-154 carrying members of the famous Alexandrov Ensemble army choir.

Ongoing investigations confirmed that 92 people were on board the Tupolev transport plane which included 84 passengers and eight crew members.

My life after the plane crash  Nigerian plane crash survivor Kechi Okwuchi speaks to NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | If you want to change Nigeria, change yourselves, Catholic priest tells politicians

By Chinonso Alozie, Owerri

A Catholic Priest, Reverend Father, Jude Ifeanyi Duruaku, said, Sunday, that the leaders of Nigeria, should seek the face of God, adding that the level of killings made it looks like a leprosy country, that needed urgent attention.

Duruaku spoke at a thanksgiving mass for the wife of the Imo state Chief Judge, Mrs. Ine Nnadi, in celebration of her promotion to the rank of a Professor of Law, at the Holy Trinity Catholic Parish in Awaka, Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo state.

Catholic priest suggested that for Nigeria to experience the desired change that the leaders should first change themselves.

While delivering his homily, he was worried that Nigeria is like a leprosy country, we need a personal commune with God. God is craving to be with his people. The problem is that people still move from one pillar to the other looking for God, when the solution is there.

What is going on in this county, you may think that God is silent, I want to tell you that God has given us the solution and nobody wants to accept it. The lord says my thought for you is for good and not for bad.

The advised Nigeria leaders that, If you want to change the world, change yourselves, put joy in your life. If Nigeria will be in peace, we must stop killing each other. God knows that we are not sincere that is why we are like this. If we are sincere God will come.

According to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, represented by C. C. Nweze, briefly said: The Chief Justice of Nigeria, said that I should tell you, Professor, Ini Nnadi, to lead in advocacy, for women. He said that you should not stop writing like a typical professor in Nigeria, that stops writing when he attain the level of a professor.

While thanking God, the Chief Judge of Imo state and Wife, Paschal and Ini Nnadi, recalled how God blessed their marriage after how many years in marriage without a child, just as the celebrant promised to donate her one month salary to the church.

Dignitaries who graced the occasion included, the Minister for Education state, Professor Anthony Anwuka, wife of the Imo state, governor, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, Chief Judges from different states Rivers, Ebonyi, Enugu as well as Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SANs

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Home | News | General | Northern elders meet in Abuja, reportedly raise team to come up with consensus presidential candidate

- The meeting was convened by Bello Mohammed, a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and had northern elders in attendance

- The forum created various sub-committees including the one to look into the issue of restructuring

- Bello said the elders would decide on a consensus candidate ahead of 2019

Ahead of the 2019 presidential election, elders and top political figured in the northern part of Nigeria have met in Abuja with the sole target of brainstorming and coming up with strategies for the selection of a consensus candidate.

The Punch reports that under the aegis of the Northern Elders and Stakeholders, the northern leaders met explaining that the meeting was aimed at seeking ways for an acceptable person who would fly the zones presidential flag.

The report said the meeting was convened by a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Bello Mohammed; a former deputy Senate president, Ibrahim Mantu, and Senator Paul Zannan.

READ ALSO: Alleged assassination attempt: FG charges Melaye for false information

A former governor of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu; Senator Bala Mande and Senator Solomon Ewuga; Professor Ango Abdullahi, a former vice-chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; a former governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa; a prominent lawyer, Awwal Yadudu, and Alhaji Bala Mohammed were at the meeting.

The report said the meeting, chaired by Tanko Yakassai, a chieftain of the Northern Elders Forum, was also connected with the widespread complaint about the government of President Muhammadu Buhari as well as his health status.

Yakassai reportedly said the group was non-partisan, adding: The purpose of our meeting is not to form a political party. Our meeting was not to support any candidate; we dont even know the candidates yet. The purpose is to see how to bring about unity of purpose in the north.

Our main preoccupation is how to unite the North to relate better with the rest of Nigeria on a common ground.

We are a political group but non-partisan (almost) all political parties were here, we are fighting for unity of the country we are not having anybody in mind, we want to have a common purpose.

Explaining the reason the meeting was convened, Bello Mohammed said: After due consideration of the current political situation in the country, it becomes highly expedient to convene a conversation of critical Northern Elders and Stakeholders to deliberate on the best way forward for the region.

The conversation was necessitated by the need for us to deliberate and reach an acceptable choice for representation, given that the 2019 presidency has been zoned to the North.

From what is apparent in the political arena today, it is clear that the major political operators have agreed that in the forthcoming 2019 general elections, it is the turn of the north to produce the president.

From what we have seen earlier, it has always been zoned to the north but the decision on what to do and who to present has never been a northern decision.

What we want is that this time round, let us have the opportunity to come together so that whatever is decided for the north, it is the northern leaders who decide it and then we get support from other regions.

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If we are able to do that, then we should be able to produce a leadership for this country that would be just, equitable and lead us to nations development which is eluding us. That is the reason why we are here.

A communique released by the elders after the gathering also read: This meeting is hereby established as a standing forum for the Northern Region to be known as Northern Political Leaders Forum.

Five sub-committees are hereby set up to address the various issues challenging the northern region. The sub-committee during the summit are security sub-committee; political sub-committee; northern unity sub-committee; the 2019 election sub-committee and the restructuring of Nigeria sub-committee.

The details of the members will be announced in due course.

The meeting has approved the holding of a northern political submit on March 15, 2018 to commemorate the attainment of self-government of the Northern Region in 1959.

The reports of the committees will be delivered and deliberated on at the said northern political summit.

What must President Buhari do to regain the trust of Nigerians? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Just in: APC wins all 44 seats in Kano LG polls

- KANSIEC chairman Prof. Sheka says APC floored 25 other political parties to get the result

- He said the elections were peaceful because of the deployment of security forces

- The election commenced late on Saturday because the materials arrived late from China

The candidates of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have been declared winners of the Saturday, February 10s local government polls in all the 44 councils in Kano state.

The announcement was made by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) chairman Prof. Garba Sheka on Sunday, February 11 in the state capital Kano while briefing newsmen.

Sheka said APC beat 25 other political parties to win all the 484 councillorship positions by very wide margin.

READ ALSO: Buhari has done more for Igbo, Yoruba than for northerners - Communications minister

He described the election as peaceful because of large turnout of the electorate and presence of security personnel.

He said: The security agencies include Police, Customs, Immigration, NDLEA, Vigilanty groups, NSCDC and other secret security personnel.

I am proud that the election which was participated by 25 political parties was conducted peacefully without any violence, disruption by any person and no report of arrest.

Prof. Sheka blamed late commencement of voting on late arrival of some of the voting materials which were brought from China.

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The commission had earlier received three consignments of the materials, but last arrived Kano at about 12:45 a.m on the election day despite all efforts to ensure it arrived earlier.

Immediately after we received the materials, we started the distribution about 4 a.m. By 11am we have completed the distribution of all the voting materials.

Therefore, we acknowledge our mistakes, apologise for the inconveniences caused and we are going to make necessary corrections to avoid reoccurrence of such delay in the next elections, he said.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that some members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Sokoto state have reportedly cried out alleging that they have been marginalized by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in the affair of the political organisation.

Some of the aggrieved former members of the CPC lamented the way the APC is managed both in the state and national levels.

The spokesperson of the aggrieved former CPC members, Prof Muhammad Lawal Bashir, reportedly said they were treated as second class citizens in APC which they jointly formed, and nurtured to victory.

Is the newly-formed political party the solution to Nigeria's woes? on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Katsina state governor Masari condoles President Buhari over death of 2 family members

- Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state has condoled President Muhammadu Buhari over the death of two members of the president's family

- Governor Masari who described the deaths as shocking and tragic urged the family to be prayerful

- The governor visited the family in company of some of his cabinet members

Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state on Sunday, February 11 described the death of two family members of President Muhammadu Buhari, Hajiya Aisha Mamman and Hajiya Halima Dauda, as shocking and tragic".

READ ALSO: 71 reportedly feared killed in Russian passenger plane crash

The governor, who made the remark when he paid a condolence visit to the bereaved family at Daura, prayed for the repose of their soul.

Masari called on the family, especially the children of the deceased to remain prayerful and regard the demise of their mothers as an act of God.

He said death was inevitable end of every mortal, hence the need to fear God and remain committed to His course.

It was reported that the governor visited the bereaved family in company of the Secretary to the Sate Government (SSG), Dr Mustapha Inuwa, commissioners and other top government officials.

Hajiya Halima Dauda, 56, who died on Saturday, February 10 was the presidents niece and younger sister to his close associate and nephew, Mamman Daura, while Hajiya Aisha Mamman, passed on Friday, February 9.

Late Hajiya Aisha was the wife of the presidents elder brother, Alhaji Mamman.

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Recall that NAIJ.com previously reported that the Presidency on Saturday, February 10, said that President Muhammadu Buharis extended family was bereaved with the deaths of two members in quick succession.

The senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, announced this in a statement made available to journalists.

The president's spokesman said: President Muhammadu Buharis extended family has been struck by the loss of two senior members who died within a few hours of one another.

Who is Nigeria's greatest president ever? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Price of rice, oil fall drastically in Maiduguri

- A check at Zabarmari and Gombori markets in Maiduguri show a decrease in the price of rice

- This is following the bumper harvest recorded by farmers this cropping season

- Local variety of rice 50 kg bag was sold for N13, 000; as against its previous price of N15,000

Prices of local variety of rice dropped by about 15 per cent in Maiduguri, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports on Sunday.

A check by NAN at Zabarmari and Gombori markets showed a decrease in the past three months following bumper harvest recorded by farmers this cropping season.

A 50 kilogramme bag of local variety of rice was sold for N13, 000; as against its previous price of N15,000, while a measure of the produce was sold at N650.

READ ALSO: Catholic bishops, others slam Governor Bello over looters' tithes comment

Refined rice had also indicated similar decrease in prices, as a 50 kilogramme bag sold between N15,000 and N15,500; as against its old price of N17,000, depending on its quality.

Prices of other produce had dropped significantly in the past months; as a measure of maize sold at N280 and millet N350, as against its previous prices of N350 and N500 respectively.

A measure of cooking oil was sold at N380 as against its old price of N500; while perishable produce such as tomatoes and onions showed similar decrease in prices.

A measure of tomatoes was sold at N200 and onions N120.

Traders at the markets attributed the drop in prices to improvement in the supply of food items to the market.

Malam Musa Isa, a rice dealer, said that rice prices were going down on a daily basis because of the fresh supplies from the farms.

Isa also attributed the situation to improvement in the supply of local produce to the market, adding that the market condition was encouraging.

There is significant increase in the number of farmers who cultivated rice and other produce this cropping season.

Prices will further go down as the supply improved, he said.

Malam Hassan Muhammad, the Chairman Rice Sellers and Processors Association, added that a great number of farmers in liberated communities cultivated their farmlands and recorded high yields.

Muhammad added that the trend encouraged production and forced down prices of grains.

Also, Alhaji Shehu Aminu, a resident, expressed joy over the development and urged traders to further reduce prices.

NAN reports that the Federal Government in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) distributed fertilisers, seeds and inputs to over 1.1 million farmers in the northeast this cropping season.

More than 18,000 rice farmers were also supported by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under its Anchor Borrowers Scheme in the state.

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According to an earlier report by NAIJ.com, Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, the national president of Rice Farmers Association, on Wednesday, December 27, assured Nigerians that the market prices of locally produced rice will soon crash.

Goronyo told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that the price a 50kg-bag of locally produced rice would plummet from N18,000 to between N6,500 and N7000 by April 2018.

He said that the price-reduction plans would be achieved under a joint programme of RIFAN and the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which would be launched in Abuja on Jan. 13, 2018.

Ebonyi state, Nigeria and West Africa's food capital - on NAIJ.com TV.

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Home | News | General | I cant disrespect you - Gov Bello apologizes to Catholic bishops

- Governor Bello said he never insulted the Catholic bishops as was reported in the media

- He said although his statement was misrepresented, he takes responsibility for it and apologizes

- The governor also saluted the Catholic church for its contributions to the Nigerian society

Kogi state governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello has apologized to Catholic Bishops in Nigeria over a statement credited to him in the media.

Nigerian Tribune reports that the Governor, who spoke through his director general of media and publicity Kingsley Fanwo, said in Lokoja, the state capital he never disrespected the Catholic Church and her leaders.

According to him, his words were misrepresented by the media but he will still take responsibility and apologize.

READ ALSO: Group vows to seek legal action against Senate if it fails to confirm President Buharis nominees

He said: My statements to the Press were misconstrued and misrepresented but I take full responsibility for this as I tender my unreserved apologies to the Catholic Bishops and by extension my Christian brothers and sisters who are displeased with my statement on tithing.

I recognise the enormous contributions of the Catholic Church to entrenching a social order which is devoid of corruption, oppression and in the promotion of socio-economic justice."

Bello saluted the Catholic church for its contributions to the society and said he was confident genuine religious leaders of all faiths are united in President Muhammadu Buharis fight against corruption.

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The Catholic Church has done very well in promoting literacy and healthcare. I am quite familiar with a good number of Catholic Priests and I know their stance on the issue of corruption. Every church and religion must fight corruption because corruption oppresses the poor and destroy justice and fairness, he said.

Earlier, NAIJ.com had reported that Governor Bello came under fire for his comments about the visit of Catholic bishops to President Buhari.

Christian Association of Nigeria, prominent Catholic bishops and some Catholic groups have slammed the governor for his comments which they found unfair and out of context.

Leading the critics is Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah who felt the statement was uncalled for.

What must President Buhari do to regain the trust of Nigerians? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Source: Naija.ng

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Home | News | General | Official reveals why police cant withdraw officers from VIPs, unauthorised persons

- More than 150,000 police officers are attached to VIPs and unauthorised persons in Nigeria

- The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mike Okiro says the withdrawal of policemen attached to unqualified persons was stalled because of lack of fund

- Okiro expressed disappointment at the practice where politicians who are no longer serving go about with police security

The Police Service Commission (PSC), said that more than 150,000 policemen were attached to VIPs and unauthourised persons in the country.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015 directed that police personnel attached to unauthorised persons and VIPs in the country be withdrawn and deployed to confront the security challenges in the nation.

READ ALSO: Northern elders meet to adopt single presidential candidate ahead of 2019

The Chairman of the commission, Mr Mike Okiro made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, in Abuja.

We cannot afford to have more than half of the population of the Police in private hands, he said.

He said that the commission in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force, had commenced the implementation of the withdrawal of policemen but the exercise was stalled due to lack of fund.

We could not sustain the enforcement of the order on the withdrawal of policemen attached to unqualified persons in the country because of lack of fund.

He expressed disappointment at the practice where persons who served as ministers for over 10 to 15 years still go about with police security.

Okiro said that the nation cannot be battling with shortage of manpower in the force while majority of these officers would be in the service of few privileged Nigerians.

The chairman said that that the number of policemen in the country was inadequate for the population, hence the request for the recruitment of more policemen.

He said that issue of paucity of fund had been one of the problems hindering the recruitment of more policemen for enhanced service delivery.

The Nigeria police Force is underfunded and not only in the area of manpower.

The issue of funding is very strategic to the Nigeria Police Force. If you want to police Nigeria as it should be, the entire budget of Nigeria cannot be enough for that, he said.

The chairman said that the Police Trust Fund bill before the National Assembly if passed into law would go a long way to address the issue of funding for the police.

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According to an earlier report by NAIJ.com, almost countless policemen are attached to politicians, government officials, and other dignitaries despite cries of rampant shortage of personnel available for routine duties by the authorities, Daily Trust reports.

According to a recent report from the Nigeria Police Force, not less than 221 policemen are attached to a Nigerian governor.

The inspector-general of police, Ibrahim Idris, said there are about 300,000 policemen in Nigeria with a population of 182 million people.

Is the Nigerian police your friend? on NAIJ.com TV.

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Source: Naija.ng

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Home | World | Africa | Zanu-PF thug collects BVR serial numbers from voters

Guruve - A Zanu-PF supporter, Everson Kamutseta, allegedly moved around ward 8 in Mashonganyika village, Guruve South constituency on Saturday (yesterday) collecting Biometric Voters Registration serial numbers from voters and coerced them to vote for the ruling party.

Villagers who spoke to Bulawayo24.com expressed fear towards the looming elections as perpetrated by Kamutseta.

"We are terrified because we were ordered to vote for ZANU-PF by Kamutseta after taking our serial numbers and those who did not register, he promised blood bath, it is our wish that the election comes and goes because we are now in serious trouble with these ZANU PF comrades," revealed a source who declined to be named for fear of victimisation.

Contacted for comment Kamutseta did not pick up his mobile phone as it went unanswered.

However, both Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) have urged people to report cases of people moving around collecting slips serial numbers from registered voters warning that those involved were violating the Electoral Act and Section 156 (c) of the constitution.

Though many rural folks do not gather courage to report such cases as most of them depend on food aid from the ruling party which will not be offered to them if they are said to have reported.

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Home | World | Africa | Tsvangirai goes on hunger strike

Ailing MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai has been placed into an intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a Johannesburg hosital after he refused to eat for 10 days due to the alleged ill-treatment of his wife elizabeth Macheka by his family members, daily News reported.

The wife of ailing MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai is being denied access to visit him in a Johannesburg hospital where the 65-year-old opposition leader is receiving medical treatment, Luke Tamborinyoka said.

It has been learnt that Tsvangirai's family members are refusing to allow his wife Elizabeth to see him at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.

Close relatives of the MDC leader accuse Elizabeth of backing MDC vice president Nelson Chamisa to succeed Tsvangirai and fear she could put pressure on him to facilitate his ascendancy to the throne without following the party's constitution.

Tsvangirai who is currently hospitalised in South Africa remains unwell but stable, his spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka says. "He is unwell; I last spoke with him on Wednesday morning.

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Home | World | Africa | Chamisa, Mudzuri battle escalates

MDC-T's succession drama continued to unfold yesterday, with two of Mr Morgan Tsvangirai's deputies claiming interim leadership of the opposition party.

The protagonists in that drama are Advocate Nelson Chamisa and Engineer Elias Mudzuri, who both claim to have Mr Tsvangirai's blessings to be party acting president.

Last week, Eng Mudzuri rushed to Mr Tsvangirai's bedside in Johannesburg, South Africa after Adv Chamisa was purportedly pronounced interim opposition leader.

Eng Mudzuri, who had been acting in Mr Tsvangirai's stead since his boss was admitted for cancer treatment in South Africa, insisted he still held the reins.

Sources said yesterday that Eng Mudzuri and some members of the Tsvangirai family had lied that Mr Tsvangirai wanted Eng Mudzuri to continue as party acting president.

The sources claimed Mr Tsvangirai's health had deteriorated to a point where he could no longer speak, casting doubts on Eng Mudzuri's version of the hospital meeting.

Mr Tsvangirai's wife, Elizabeth, said: "My apologies; unfortunately I am not in a position to respond to your questions at this point in time as I am concentrating with (sic) my husband."

Adv Chamisa was not reachable for comment.

Eng Mudzuri told The Sunday Mail: "I was called by the president and he made it clear to me that I remain in charge while he is away.

"I remain the acting president and nothing has changed.

"Who is responsible for appointing the acting president?

"It is the president himself and that is what has happened. Nothing has changed and that is what he told me. As the acting president, it is my duty to unite the party and work well with others."

But an insider said: "There are going to be fireworks when Mudzuri comes back to Harare.

"He is going to be in office (tomorrow). I see the fights turning ugly because both he and Chamisa have their supporters. There is likely to be disciplinary action by both parties; persecution of each other."

According to the sources, Eng Mudzuri enjoys support from Mr Tsvangirai's relatives, some of whom are receiving rentals from the former's sympathisers.

"Mudzuri is close to the family members and was invited to the hospital by a lady by the name Bryline.

"I doubt very much that he spoke to Tsvangirai because his health has deteriorated to the extent that he is incapacitated to make any important decisions."

Mr Tsvangirai's spokesperson, Mr Luke Tamborinyoka, upped the ante yesterday, insisting Adv Chamisa was the legitimate acting party president.

In a statement, he said: "Acting president Hon Advocate Nelson Chamisa today addressed the Zvimba East district structure and presented a summary of the party's policy programme to improve people's lives after the election.

". . . Hon Chamisa lauded the Mashonaland West provincial executive for implementing the consensus approach in candidate selection in line with the directive given by president Tsvangirai.

"Next week, the MDC acting president will meet minorities and engage other critical sectors ahead of the next election, including civic groups and women's organisations, among others."

Mr Tsvangirai's former advisor, Mr Alex Magaisa, said the opposition was facing its worst crisis yet.

He wrote on his blog: "The current situation is typically what constitutions are designed to cover when they include incapacitation as a ground upon which a president can be removed from office.

"It is also recognised that when a leader becomes incapacitated, the unscrupulous around him can use their proximity to take advantage of him.

"The behaviour of people around Tsvangirai suggests that he is now being taken advantage of by those claiming to represent his best interests.

"The public is no longer sure who is telling the truth."

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Home | World | Africa | Mnangagwa won't return land to Zimbabwe white farmers

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday said the country will not return land seized from former white commercial farmers almost two decades ago.

"It will never happen," Mnangagwa said in a speech to his Zanu-PF party supporters in central Zimbabwe, broadcast on television.

His statement comes two months after white farmer Robert Smart got his land back after being evicted in June by ex-president Robert Mugabe's government.

Zimbabwe embarked on a violent land reform programme in 2000, taking over white-owned farms to resettle landless blacks.

Thousands of white farmers were forced off their land by mobs or evicted, with Mugabe saying the reforms would help black people marginalised under British colonial rule.

Critics blame the land redistribution for the collapse in agricultural production that saw the former regional breadbasket become a perennial food importer.

The government has indicated it will issue 99-year bankable leases to beneficiaries of land reform but Mnangagwa on Saturday said land owners must be more productive.

"Our land must be productive. We must mechanise and modernise our agriculture," he said, adding that the land reforms were "irreversible".

Mnangagwa, who came to power after a military intervention ended Mugabe's decades-old rule last year, said new elections would be held in July.

"We want a peaceful election. We want a united people. There is no reason for Zanu-PF to be violent. There is no reason for any political party to be violent."

The former deputy president said his government's top priority was to revive the ailing economy.

"Our economy is struggling, unemployment is high, our youth lack opportunities, too many people are unable to afford essential goods for their families and our infrastructure is stuck in the past," he said.

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Home | World | Africa | Mnangagwa deploy police to Tsvangirai's house

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government on Sunday came to the rescue of ailing MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai when it deployed armed police guards to stave off the former prime minister's alleged relatives who had wanted to raid his Highlands home of household property.

The visit to Tsvangirai's residence by his relatives comes as they have been caught up in the ugly MDC infighting which has seen his wife, Elizabeth, being denied access to him on account she is trying to influence the ascendency of one of the party's vice presidents, Nelson Chamisa, to succeed her ailing husband.

Tsvangirai is said to be in a critical but "stable" condition at a South African hospital where he has been receiving treatment for cancer of the colon, which has kept him out of active involvement with the MDC for over four months.

Acting police commissioner-general Godwin Matanga did not deny that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had deployed armed guards to Tsvangirai's residence but told the Daily News that the Police Protection Unit (PPU) did not directly fall under his office.

The PPU was the one deployed to Tsvangirai's residence.

Home Affairs minister Obert Mpofu said he could not confirm the incident as he was yet to get a briefing.

"I have not been given any details regarding that. I haven't been briefed about that yet. I can only do that after getting the brief," Mpofu told the Daily News yesterday.

Sources within Tsvangirai's own security told the Daily News that three people who claimed to be the former PM's relatives turned up at his Highlands mansion on Sunday unannounced and asked to gain access into the main house to "pick some things".

Tsvangirai's immediate family members, Elizabeth and his children were said to be in South Africa when the relatives pitched up at the residence.

However, sources within the deeply-divided Tsvangirai's family, said most relatives had turned against Elizabeth and the impromptu visit last Sunday, at a time they knew there was no one at the residence, served to underline this.

"They sent people to Tsvangirai's house who claimed to represent the family and wanted to take things out and they were denied entry by the security who became suspicious and demanded to know what exactly they wanted to take out," said the source.

"They only left after Tsvangirai's security called the police otherwise they wanted to get in by force. Nobody ever got to know what exactly they wanted to take out because they insisted that they wanted something inside.

"It later became clear that they wanted to transfer property to Tsvangirai's old Strathaven home where he used to stay with his late wife, Susan, before the inclusive government in 2009," added the source.

The Daily News yesterday exclusively revealed that Tsvangirai's family members are refusing to allow Elizabeth, to see him at the top-notch 190-bed Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Close relatives of the MDC leader accuse Elizabeth of backing Chamisa to succeed Tsvangirai and fear she could put pressure on him to facilitate his ascendancy to the throne without following the party's constitution.

Tsvangirai's wife enjoys cordial relations with the youthful acting MDC president.

Tsvangirai wed Elizabeth (nee Macheka) in September 2012.

The Daily News was told a war of words which almost degenerated into a fist-fight erupted at the hospital last week, when Tsvangirai's family members tried to bar Elizabeth from seeing him, with physicians drawn into the complicated family situation.

Tsvangirai's son, Vincent, was reportedly restrained from assaulting his step-mum after clashing with Elizabeth.

He reportedly vowed that she will never be allowed near his father as long as he lives.

Elizabeth did not deny the ill-treatment and told the Daily News: "I will only talk when all this is over, when my husband is out of hospital. Right now I am concentrating on my husband's sickness. Whatever is happening, I have no comment. When my husband is fully recovered, I will make a statement."

A senior MDC official who declined to be named alleged the Tsvangirai family was being manipulated by a top MDC financier (name withheld) with ulterior motives for choreographing the succession in the MDC.

"His wife was told to go away and could not see her husband. It is spousal abuse," he said.

He accused the family of abusing an ailing Tsvangirai for their own interests, along with a cabal of MDC leaders pushing their proxies to succeed the MDC leader.

The MDC is being devoured by factional fights which have intensified ever since Tsvangirai hinted that he was thinking of quitting active politics due to his failing health.

Tsvangirai's health deteriorated at the weekend with party and family sources urging the nation "to brace for the worst".

The once-dogged labour union leader has been in and out of South African hospitals for cancer of the colon treatment in the last months.

As his health continues to worry his supporters and family, his senior officials in the MDC have been going at each other hammer and tongs with different factions punting their preferred candidates to succeed the former PM.

On Wednesday, his two deputies Elias Mudzuri and Thokozani Khupe and secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, were accused of hobnobbing with the defeated Zanu-PF G40 faction and former vice president Joice Mujuru, who now leads the National People's Party (NPP) which has so far refused to join the MDC Alliance.

This was after they undertook a trip to Cape Town for a workshop which was rubbished by the party which described their journey as a "shame".

And on Thursday, the infighting within the MDC degenerated into comical scenes as the VPs publicly clashed while Tsvangirai's spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, was forced to call an urgent press conference to tell journalists that he was still in charge of communications and had indeed been instructed by the former PM in the inclusive government to communicate the appointment of Chamisa as acting president.

"I want to place it on record that I am the official spokesperson of the president and what I place on the market are his views as instructed personally by him. That position has not changed.

"I also want to place it on record that there is a purported statement from the office of the president that seeks to nullify what the president himself directed that I communicate. For the record, that letter is on a fraudulent letterhead with a scanned signature of the president, which signature is readily available online.

"The office of the president has not released such a letterhead to anyone and the president, who is currently in SA, has not asked for it for him to place his purported letter. In short, the so-called letter is fraudulent and bogus," Tamborinyoka told journalists.

He said Chamisa had already assumed his responsibilities in an acting capacity as directed by Tsvangirai.

At the same time, a letter purportedly written by Tsvangirai dismissing Chamisa's appointment as acting president, emerged. Tamborinyoka said it was a hoax.

"I have been advised of communication being circulated within the party and public generally, regarding changes to MDC authority levels. The communication is false as I have made no such changes in the roles and responsibilities of the MDC vice presidents.

"The letter serves to confirm that the authority I vested in you as president of the MDC party still stands and any other pronunciations are null and void and invalid," Tsvangirai allegedly said in the letter that was copied to Chamisa, Khupe and Mudzuri.

MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu appeared to confirm the authenticity of the letter when he said Tamborinyoka had not been authorised to hold his press conference and maintained that Mudzuri was acting president, not Chamisa.

"I don't know who authorised him (Tamborinyoka) to call for the conference. In the interim, I maintain that I have been authoritatively advised that Mudzuri remains the acting president of the MDC. I am not going to attend Luke's press conference because I have got absolutely no appetite to witness a circus," Gutu told the Daily News.

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Home | World | Africa | Mai Chisamba, Chinoz off for Happiness Summit

Buhera South legislator Joseph "Cde Chinoz" Chinotimba and television personality Rebecca "Mai Chisamba" Chisamba, Zimbabwe's Ambassadors of Happiness left the country yesterday for Dubai to attend the World Government Summit on Happiness.

The two were accompanied by minister of Labour and Social Welfare Petronella Kagonye who confirmed the development.

"We have been invited by the government of Dubai to attend World Government Summit which is running under the theme of 'Global Dialogue for Happiness' and it will run from February 11 to 13. The trip was funded by the host country," Kagonye said.

"As the ministry, we need the two ambassadors to attend the event such that they learn and share their experience in local labour market."

Kagonye said they hope to boost productivity in the work places by introducing happiness to employees.

"A happy worker is one who is motivated and prepared to go an extra mile. Once an employee is happy, he/she is motivated then we are sure to boost productivity hence we hope Chinotimba and Mai Chisamba shall represent us well," she said.

The World Government Summit is expected to attract more than 300 international experts plus more than 30 000 delegates from over 130 countries.

On their website, the Global Dialogue for Happiness said the event is meant to discuss themes impacting happiness and wellbeing.

"The Global Dialogue for Happiness event will bring together top thinkers, decision makers and experts from around the world to start a global discussion on the importance of happiness and wellbeing, and the imperative role of governments in achieving elevated levels of happiness worldwide," reads the website.

Chinotimba was ecstatic about the trip.

"My job is very simple and I know how to execute it. I am going there to make people laugh, that is all. Even when I am in Parliament, I make sure parliamentarians across the political divide are happy. I am very happy to go to Dubai for the first time," Chinotimba said.

Chinotimba told the Daily News that while some sections of the society mock him for his poor education, he was happy that three of his children are graduates.

"I compensated my lack of education by sending my children to school. I am proud that three of my girls have graduated at the University of Zimbabwe. Two of them have degrees in finance while the other one is pursuing Masters in Sociology," he said.

Last month, Chinotimba was hailed by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga during the launch of his book Masasi aChinoz saying the Buhera South legislator is proud to showcase his comic character hence reaping the results from it.

"Let me hasten to say with our new curriculum that has done away with the grooming of a job seeker, but instead grooming a job creator, it is now the duty of both parents and teachers to monitor, assess and identify the talents within our children and nurture them as they grow stage by stage," he said.

Chiwenga praised Chinotimba for proudly showcasing his talent as a comedian, saying the Buhera South legislator is now reaping benefits from his talent.

"You have heard from the minister of Labour and Social Welfare that. . . they are going to spend a week in Dubai, rubbing shoulders with other people like him

(Honourable Chinotimba) our ambassador of Happiness around the world and the Head of State of that country. It's amazing.

"Some of you have two or three degrees and have never seen the inside of an aeroplane, but our ambassador of Happiness is flying to Dubai because of being happy and making people around him happy as well," Chiwenga said then in a speech read on his behalf by minister of Lands Perence Shiri.

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Home | World | Africa | 'Tsvangirai's health, an issue for all'

MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai's health status should not be shrouded in secrecy nor should it be a private matter for his family as he is a national figure with millions of people looking up to him, social and political commentators contend.

They believe that while Tsvangirai did the honourable thing to disclose his ailment, the nation and indeed his supporters need constant updates on his condition.

The Daily News on Sunday caught up with a number of analysts who gave their views.

Political analyst MacDonald Lewanika said it is true that Tsvangirai has transcended family monopoly, and his life and health is a matter of public interest.

"For some, this may be to plan, but for most, indeed it is to know how a leading national figure, an inspiration to many, and respected political foe is faring.

"It is unfair for the family and whoever is in the know in the party to keep the public in the dark for whatever reasons - Tsvangirai deserves the good wishes of those who love him and the prayers of those who wish him well.

"But without knowing how do people pray, how and what do they hope for, and how do they stand in solidarity with him?"

Lewanika said as for the institutions he leads, lack of information places them into gridlock and the inevitable factional battles that we have been seeing raging.

"It is in the public, and national interest for the truth about Tsvangirai's health to be known, and for the nation to wish him well and pray for his recovery, while the institutions and people he leads prepare for the next elections knowing that he may be indisposed to lead the charge, not out of his unwillingness but out of being encumbered by these health challenges," added Lewanika.

Social commentator Rashweat Mukundu said health matters of public or national figures are always a challenge in balancing the public's right to know and the interest the lives of such people generate and the right to privacy.

"In the case of Tsvangirai, I think it is all these issues as well as the political significance of his health and implications to the MDC and the entire electoral politics in Zimbabwe that are weighing heavily on his family and inner political circle.

"These are issues that Tsvangirai's family is battling with and I would cautiously respect both him and the family's right to privacy while urging a more proactive release of information that helps both his party and also keeps the nation informed," said Mukundu.

Mukundu added that more critically it is in the interest of the MDC that the issue of succession be discussed.

"Succession is not an issue of undermining Tsvangirai but enabling the MDC to look into the future on the basis of a collective political project and not an individual.

"It is only fair for the MDC that Tsvangirai gives a clear indication of his prospects of returning to lead the party and those calling for a leadership transition may as well be looking at the implications of his long absence, the ensuing factional fights and chaos and the impeding elections.

"Tsvangirai's legacy is imprinted in our national political memory and it may serve the MDC well that they look into the future," said Mukundu.

Playwright Cont Mhlanga does not put any blame to Tsvangirai's family or relatives.

"Chances are that they are not sure how to manage this situation given the precedence set out by government and Zanu-PF in handling former president Robert Mugabe's illnesses and age that led to his highly embarrassing dozing while at public platforms when he was still leader of his party and government.

"I would put the blame on the door step of our general membership of our political parties who ignore putting in place guide lines of how to handle and manage such situations should they arise," said Mhlanga.

Mhlanga added that political party membership at the lower ranks easily and willingly manipulated by party members at the higher ranks.

"This promotes a situation where party members do not hold each other accountable to public service delivery and accurate information of public interest.

"Zimbabwe's political parties and interparty political culture needs reinventing. It has learnt a lot of wrong and bad political practices since independence in 1980."

Mhlanga said Tsvangirai's family members did not appoint him to be a national leader who commands public interest and following.

"To them he is just a parent in a private family and home and they have all the right to keep his illness private. It is Tsvangirai's party membership guided by their instruments who shoulder the responsibility of keeping the nation accurately informed."

Political analyst Vivid Gwede said Tsvangirai is free to treat his health as a private matter, given that he currently holds no official government office.

"However, it was a great step and mark of leadership when he publicly revealed his health status. So, naturally, there are expectations that there should be further updates. The length of his medical vacation causes anxiety, especially with crucial elections looming.

"But if truth be told, the issue of the opposition candidacy needs to be resolved sooner rather than later, while MDC leader is recuperating," said Gwede.

Social commentator Rejoice Ngwenya believes Tsvangirai did better than most African leaders to disclose his ailment.

"Now, as a national leader faced with national elections, his family, his party and himself, owe us a responsibility.

"The nation needs to know - as a matter of urgency - whether or not he can stand the rigours of not just the election 2018 campaigns but also subsequent leadership.

"It's not asking for too much. MDC cannot use Tsvangrai's health as a pawn of leadership contests. It is inhumane, naive and dangerous for the credibility of the MDC Alliance."

Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said: "As a family they have a right to privacy. But Tsvangirai has followers who deserve to know what's happening with him. They should allow the public to know how their president is faring. They are missing the point."

Crisis Coalition spokesperson Tabani Moyo said: "The challenges in Zimbabwean politics is that of managing succession! In Zanu-PF it took a military coup and in MDC is taking fears for the worst to be handled.

"Whatever the situation might be, Zimbabwean opposition is a big let-down, it must be closer to the ideas of a model progressive government in-waiting. In addition, we are on the eve of an election and the opposition is in a tailspin as to who should succeed Tsvangirai.

"As seen in the recent developments, the party is in full blown succession crisis and it's a reflection of power succession planning!"

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Home | World | Africa | Tsvangirai diagnosed with a kidney tumour

Tsvangirai goes on hunger strikeAiling MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai has been placed into an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a Johannesburg hospital after he refused to eat for 10 days due to the alleged ill-treatment of his wife Elizabeth by his family, the Daily News On Sunday can reveal.

Elizabeth has been barred from seeing her husband by senior figures within the Tsvangirai family who, according to a leaked audio tape, have also seized his diplomatic passport as the factionalism ripping the MDC apart is said to have extended to the former prime minister's family.

The sad developments are said to have contributed to the rapid deterioration of the health of the former PM in the stability-inducing unity government which has driven the MDC to the brink of splitting.

Recently, government came to the rescue of Tsvangirai when it deployed armed police guards to stave off the former unionist's alleged relatives who had wanted to raid his Highlands home of household property.

Yesterday, the Daily News On Sunday was told that now Tsvangirai has been diagnosed with a kidney tumour which is in an advanced stage and has grown into the liver.

Tsvangirai is under the care of specialist physician and pulmonologist Gunter K Schleicher, who is working with two specialist physicians and a specialist anaesthetist.

Sources said before Tsvangirai's health had further deteriorated, he had wanted to travel to Zimbabwe to try and stop the ugly infighting in the MDC but had his passport confiscated by one of his brothers.

According to the leaked audio tape in possession of the Daily News On Sunday, Tsvangirai protested the seizure of his passport in a bedside meeting held 12 days ago attended by nephew Hebson Makuvise, his brothers Manase and Collins, sister Dzidzai and his uncle a Sekuru Zvaipa.

"Taurai zvamunotaura mukoma asi passport hamuiwani (You can say what you want but you won't get the passport)," Manase says in a recording in possession of the Daily News on Sunday. "Iri pairi, haina kupiswa (It's somewhere, we haven't burnt it)."

"Do you know it's a criminal offence?" an agitated Tsvangirai interjects

"It's a criminal offence tozviziva (we know)," Manasa shoots back.

"Ndipei passport yangu. Ini ndiri kuti ndipei passport yangu (Give me my passport), what's the problem," Tsvangirai protests.

"Zvauri kutaura iwewe (What you are saying), you are right, isusu we are also right," Manase insists.

Tsvangirai interjects in a faint voice: "This passport is a new passport, it is a diplomatic passport and I may want to use it."

"Ndipei passport yangu ndigare nayo. Asi kana mavakuti mavakuita zvamavakuita, ini handichaidi. (Let me keep my passport. If you don't want with it, then I don't want it anymore," Tsvangirai said in the tape.

Family spokesperson Makuvise told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday Tsvangirai cannot return home because he was undergoing treatment.

"Uri kupi Tsvangirai, (where is he) he is detained in hospital. Munhu anonzi ainde Zimbabwe achigwara (They want him to return home when he is sick)," he asked rhetorically.

Told that the MDC wants him home to deal with the deadly MDC factionalism, he retorted: "Musangano ka uyu. Passport harisi reMDC, ndera Tsvangirai. Politics idzodzo dzakapata. Vanodzoka kumusha kuzodii? I am holding on to the passport iye ari pamubedha ari kurapwa? (The passport is not an MDC document, it's Tsvangirai's document. This has nothing to do with the MDC, it's a family issue.)"

After that confrontation, coupled with the barring of his wife, the Daily News On Sunday understands that Tsvangirai then refused to eat.

His health deteriorated sharply and doctors who examined him reportedly told the family that the hunger strike was threatening to do permanent damage to his organs.He was then carted into the ICU.

The Daily News on Sunday can report that Tsvangirai wanted to return home to anoint his successor, and put down direct defiance of his order.

The MDC is being devoured by factional fights which have intensified ever since Tsvangirai hinted that he was thinking of quitting active politics due to his failing health.

The once-dogged labour union leader has been in and out of South African hospitals for cancer of the colon treatment in the last months.

As his health continues to worry his supporters and family, his senior officials in the MDC have been going at each other hammer and tongs with different factions punting their preferred candidates to succeed the former PM.

On Thursday, the infighting within the MDC degenerated into comical scenes as the VPs publicly clashed while Tsvangirai's spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, was forced to call an urgent press conference to tell journalists that he was still in charge of communication and had indeed been instructed by the former PM in the inclusive government to communicate the appointment of Chamisa as acting president.

Tsvangirai's family on Friday came out backing one of the MDC vice presidents Elias Mudzuri who insists that he's in charge of the party in the absence of the former PM.

Mudzuri, 60, on Friday also claimed to have seen Tsvangirai at the top-notch 190-bed top-notch Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC) in Johannesburg, South Africa and claimed he was still the acting president.

"I had the privilege of meeting president Tsvangirai. Meeting him again today. I am still the acting president until his return. Please stay focused on strengthening the party and winning elections. Ignore falsehoods. Victory is certain," Mudzuri said on microblogging site Twitter on Friday.

His claim was backed by Tsvangirai's eldest son Edwin during an interview with South African Broadcasting Corporation.

However, another Tsvangirai's son Vincent told the Daily News on Sunday the hospital has dramatically tightened the rules on his dad's hospital visitors since he slipped into semi-consciousness.

"VP Mudzuri is lying. My dad is currently not receiving any visitors. He has not seen anyone in the last 48 hours and will not see anyone in the next 48 hours," he said.

Apart from being worried by ugly MDC factional fights, Tsvangirai has had to watch his wife being denied access to him by his relatives.

Last week, our sister paper, the Daily News, exclusively revealed that Tsvangirai's family members were refusing to allow Elizabeth, to see him at the WDGMC.

Close relatives of the MDC leader accuse Elizabeth of backing Chamisa to succeed Tsvangirai and fear she could put pressure on him to facilitate his ascendancy to the throne without following the party's constitution.

Elizabeth did not deny the ill-treatment and told the Daily News: "I will only talk when all this is over, when my husband is out of hospital. Right now I am concentrating on my husband's sickness. Whatever is happening, I have no comment. When my husband is fully recovered, I will make a statement."

Tsvangirai's wife enjoys cordial relations with the youthful acting MDC president.

Tsvangirai wed Elizabeth (nee Macheka) in September 2012.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa

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Can we keep up this trend of ONTD Roundups on the weekends? I'm loving it.

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same

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I think OP said that she can't promise every weekend but she'll try.

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yes pls

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im so in love im afraid to say anything about the roundups/ffaos in fear it may disappear

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I hope so.

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Me too.

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yes please!!

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For real tho. I appreciate this a lot too

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These are the only ones I'm semi on time for!

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chat no they didnt gonna save us all 

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I love it too. Hope it will continue

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ITA

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IA

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You are too good to us, OP.



This is a lot to get used to. lol

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so i need a suit jacket for any potential interviews coming up at the end of this month...but i don't have one. i left the only ones i had at my mum's and now they'd be too big anyway.



what's a good place for suit jackets (eu pref)? idk what to do bc i really need one, have no money and try not to support fast fashion? but idk if i have a choice rn?

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try a thrift/charity store? that eay at least you're not buying new fast fashion

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otherwise i like UNIQLO for professional wear, it looks good af and isn't super expensive. look up clothes swapping, there might be events in your city. maybe ebay?otherwise i like UNIQLO for professional wear, it looks good af and isn't super expensive. https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/product/women-stretch-tailored-jacket-183430.html?dwvar_183430_size=SMA002&dwvar_183430_color=COL05&cgid=

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Goodwill? I got a black slim blazer for a cool buck and wore it to my interview, got the job.

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tbh i would just go buy something from whatever shop you found something you liked and return it after the interview bc fuck child labor

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I found an amazing fitted black Calvin Klein blazer at the thrift store last weekend.

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I'm at work trying to handle it well It's my birthday!I'm at work trying to handle it well

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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Thank you ^_^

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Happy Birthday!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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happy birthday!!!!!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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Happy birthday and hope you have some cake!

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happy birthday!

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Happy birthday!

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happy birthday!

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Happy birthday! 

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happy birthday!

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happy day of birth!!

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happy birthday!

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Happy Birthday!!

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Happy Birthday! :)

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happy happy birthday!!

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hbday !!!

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Happy birthday!

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Happy Birthday!!

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Happy Birthday  

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happy birthday!! i hope you have a good day!!

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Happy birthday! Hope you have a great day and do something fun after work

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Happy birthday!

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happy bday sis!

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happy b day!

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happy bday, bb

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Happy birthday!

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Happy Birthday, bb!

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lol I enjoyed this



also - "he dropped face down in the mud and waited to die" is me tbh

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care bears songs were the best 

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omg I remember this. I always love the songs from the Care Bear 2 movie. The one where it goes through each care bear and care bear cousin was my jam



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Flying my colors so that everyone can seeeeeeeeee!!!



No lie, I still jam to Forever Young from the second movie once in a great while. It makes me nostalgic.

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CAUSE I NEVER FACED ALL THE PAIN I CAUSED NOW THE PAIN IS HITTING ME FULL FORCE

CAUSE I NEVER FACED ALL THE PAIN I CAUSED NOW THE PAIN IS HITTING ME FULL FORCE

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Lights on REMAINS a bop. What's she up to lately?



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She started recording her new album last month! Can't wait.

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This song is such a jam, it's not on spotify here in Canada and I'm sad about that

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this is such a tune , especially ms dynamite part

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she's so great

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This song is everything.

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I'm so over winter. I got stuck in my own freakin' driveway

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That almost happened to me in December. Then a couple weeks ago I got stuck at the intersection going from my street to the actual road. Ice is the worst.

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same and it doesn't seem like it's getting any better any time soon

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It's been snowing on and off for days and it's now it's just stopped freezing rain, I want to go to the gym but walking there seems daunting.

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It's the same where I am. I don't want to go out.

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god i feel you. winter is fucking with my gym routine SO MUCH. the bus stop is literally outside my front door, but last time i went to the gym i woke up with a terrible head cold.

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I have to admit the weekend feels a smidgen less weekend with round ups, even though I'm completely on board with the idea.

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Yay! I'm so bored.

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im hungryyyyyyy



this is weird

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I went to Cookiecon yesterday. It was fun but there were just way too many people there.

It took us over an hour to get in because the line was so long. Halfway through that, we made friends with this mother and daughter behind us and played a visual game with them while we waited.

-We got there three hours after the doors opened and some booths were already running out of samples AND product. We had some good churros and italian ices though.

-Not as many baking demonstrations as I would have liked and they didn't take advantage of the whole floor, which they should have because it was so damn crowded and we sometimes couldn't move.

-I bought some delicious jerky from one booth and adorable sugar cookies from another booth where they had been on Cupcake Wars. I also bought a LOTR oven mitt because it's really pretty.



As a random woman said who sat in front of me to see Ben Ron Israel 'I came, I saw, I never need to do this again'

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putting this on my bucket list

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i would love to meet rbi! i saw a maggie austin cake a couple of years ago and the two of them have me super inspired to learn sugar flowers.

are you in the industry or did you just do it for fun?

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I just did it for fun.



It's funny because RBI was talking about sugar flowers and how he hated the term 'gum paste flowers' so he always called them sugar flowers. He was very happy that the term caught on.

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Wow, that sounds really intense.

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damn. idk if i could do it. props to you for going though!

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I just looked this up b/c I'd never heard of it. How fun! Are you a big baker?

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sounds like fun! although I hate crowds. sounds like they were unprepared for how many people would be there.

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lmao I'd want to see him in person once just because he was so much fun on that show he had on Food Network



My sister and I *still* say "Start the clock!" and "SURPRISE!" just like he does

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Damn, it's like a roundup bonanza extravaganza

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have u seen the girls' acting

or personality



just avoid

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Have you seen the boy's acting

or personality



Just avoid

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watch it at home so you can laugh

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they're like lifetime movies with sex tbh

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Lmao ikr. There were like 5 already today.



The first one was boring but I wanna see the others, gonna wait for netflix tho

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i was gonna complete the trilogy with or without the posts! first one is dull, second was more interesting. theyre totally ridiculous and thats why i watch them. the third one is about how christian doesnt wanna share ana with their baby or something? totally nuts. here 4 ittttt

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well I for one am shocked 

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Is this his way of healing and changing his ways?





Edited at 2018-02-11 07:32 pm (UTC)

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Simmons is going to write a book apparently about spirituality, healing and yoga.



all this from an abuser? idts.

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I thought this was the crazy exercise guy who went missing at first. Did they ever find him?

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that's richard simmons. apparently his seclusion is by choice

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Well these sound like the actions of an innocent man... /sarcasm

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must be fucking nice

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I mean if i need advice or just to read about spirituality from an abuser i have already failed in life.



I hope justice is served.

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lmao dude you cannot even pray, eat and love this the fuck away. It will stay with you for the rest of yo life and you know what you did. Not even a self respecting detity can come to your call to save yo ass from this

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the actions of a guilty man

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Is he still dating Shannon Elizabeth? When they showed a conversation between Shannon, Bill Cosby supporter Keshia and ex-Trump supporter Omarosa on Celebrity Big Brother I could not help but think how bizarre and sad was the fact that all those three women were in some way related to exposed sexual predators.

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no she has a new boyfriend named simon. i know this cause omarosa mentioned him to shannon to guilt her after she found out shannon lied to her lmao

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Good to know. Thank you!

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die there

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I wish I was rich

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He is over. I am glad Kimora left him

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wow you can get cure of being a perv through yoga? rme

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does yoga cure cancer

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Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance and Wealth. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings accounts, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, credit cards, and other financial services to personal and small business customers. The Commercial Banking segment provides lending, transactional banking, working capital management, risk management, and debt capital market services to small and medium-sized entities, corporates, and financial institutions. The Insurance and Wealth segment offers life, home, and car insurance products; and pension, investment, and wealth management products and services. It also provides digital and mobile banking, and telephone services, as well as advisory services for savings, investments, and planning for retirement. The company offers its products and services under the Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows, MBNA, Schroders Personal Wealth, Black Horse, Lex Autolease, Birmingham Midshires, LDC, IWeb, and Agricultural Mortgage Corporation brands. Lloyds Banking Group plc was founded in 1695 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Dippy, the 70ft-long skeleton replica of Diplodocus carnegii species, is quietly waiting for an escape for more than a century at United Kingdoms one of the most prestigious  Natural History Museum (NHM). Dippy was housed in the museum since 1905, lived about 145-156 million years ago close to the end of the Jurassic period, and debuted its journey at the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester, he is now on planning a tour to seven other destinations in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of England.

The early studies believed that the Diplodocuses had very dominant posture, with their heads, held high up in the air, but the modern studies prove otherwise. So, based on the current studies, the neutral position of the dinosaur was more likely to have been horizontal, and the new display model is arranged as such. Dippy is the possessor of 292 bones in total, while it comes together to assemble in just 86 pieces. Dippy will meet close to five million new faces while on his new journey across the country. Jon Murden, the director of the Dorset County Museum expressed his joy on the prediction of the number of people likely to show up and make small talks with Dippy. Murden said delightedly that, I think its because hes a museum superstar. Hes a true icon of the museum world. You often think of that entrance to the Natural History Museum, where he stood when you think about museums in general.

Lorraine Cornish of the Natural History Museum said he is content and expressed his pride, as a significant amount of work went in planning the tour and collaborating with all the venues. It took the team whole two weeks to put Dippys skeleton together, We are really, really pleased Dippy is going to open to the public on Saturday. We chose Dorset because we decided we wanted to go back in time to when Dippy was around, 150 million years ago, and the Jurassic Coast is the home of paleontology, Cornish said in a statement.

The venues where Dippy is visiting will be full of fantastic events to engage both the young and old visitors while showing the natural world and natural history, and moreover, it is all for free. After staying in Dorchester for three months, Dippy will continue with his journey to museums and cathedrals including cities of Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff, Rochdale and Norwich. We wish Dippy a wonderful journey ahead and a lot of fun interactions with various people.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Juno spacecraft has shot amazing images of the Jupiter during the tenth science orbit of the gas giant, revealed scientists at the US space agency. The remarkable feat was achieved during Juno probes 11th close flyby of Jupiter where the spacecraft made the closest approach at 6:36 a.m. PST (9:36 a.m. PST) Earth-received time.

As per the data released by NASA, the iconic spacecraft was nearly 2,100 miles (3,500 kilometers) above the planets cloud tops during the closest approach. This flyby was a gravity science orientation pass. During orbits that highlight gravity experiments, Juno is in an Earth-pointed orientation that allows both the X-band and Ka-Band transmitter to downlink data in real-time to one of the antennas of NASAs Deep Space Network in Goldstone, California. All of Junos science instruments and the spacecrafts JunoCam were in operation during the flyby, collecting data that is now being returned to Earth.

Meanwhile, the spacecraft shot some beautiful images of the largest planet of our solar system and beamed back to Earth. Scientists at NASA processed the image and released it for the space enthusiasts and skygazers around the globe.

Previously, Juno had shot an incredible image of the scary atmosphere of Jupiter. The stunning photo looks no less than an art by Picasso. Jupiter completely fills the image, with only a hint of the terminator (where daylight fades to night) in the upper right corner, and no visible limb (the curved edge of the planet).

JunoCam imager installed aboard the Juno spacecraft captured the beautiful view of turbulent clouds on the Northern hemisphere on Dec. 16, 2017, at 9:43 a.m. PST (12:43 p.m. EST) from 8,292 miles (13,345 kilometers) above the tops of Jupiters clouds, at a latitude of 48.9 degrees. Scientists have taken 5.8 miles/pixel (9.3 kilometers/pixel) as the spatial scale.

Moreover, the spacecraft took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Aug 5, 2011, and reached Jupiter on July 4, 2016.

JunoCam imager is a color camera installed aboard Juno Spacecraft which also serves as one of the eyes of the probe. The imager was installed on the spacecraft for the public engagement, and it is of no use for scientists and for research purposes.

JPL manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASAs New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for NASAs Science Mission Directorate. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA.

You can see all the images captured by Juno spacecraft here.
Fox New host Jeanine Pirro will seemingly stop at nothing to defend the commander in chief, but she appeared to take things to a new level on her show Saturday night, blaming former President Barack Obama for the mess the White House finds itself in over the domestic abuse allegations against former aide Rob Porter. The retired judge threw out the eyebrow-raising accusation at the end of her opening monologue that amounted to a long, detailed defense of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and how he handled the revelations about Porter.

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You want to stop a four-star general who is running the White House, who believes in chain of command, who makes a decision within forty minutes, because you hate President Trump? Find another scapegoat. You might want to look at the last president.

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"You want to stop a four-star general who is running the White House, who believes in chain of command, who makes a decision within forty minutes because you hate President Trump? Find another scapegoat."



My #OpeningStatement: pic.twitter.com/F4NMRoLfSL  Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) February 11, 2018

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The strangest thing about Pirro shaking the table and pointing the finger at Obama for the administrations failure to get rid of Porter earlier is that she didnt really elaborate on how she could make that leap. But later in the show former Trump White House staffer Sebastian Gorka seemed to provide a clue, suggesting investigators may have delayed Porters security clearance to make sure red flags didnt show up in time, in order to ensure the administration would have to find a way to deal with the scandal. There may be a deliberate minefield put in place where they know somebody like this has skeletons in their closet and they slow-roll everything just to make things like this explode a few months later, Gorka said, providing no evidence of his explosive claim.

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Pirro vehemently defended Kelly by portraying him as a victim of a cunning Porter. For everyone looking for someone to blame, chill out. You want to blame someone? Blame the batterer, Pirro said. He doesnt walk around with a scarlet letter or a sign on his forehead that says I beat women. She went on to characterize the batterer as cunning and clever while presenting himself as a charming individual. That description though doesnt quite square with reality considering Kelly had known at least the broad outlines of the allegations against Porter, which he denies, for months. When the allegations then became public, Kellys first instinct was to defend Porter as a man of true integrity an honor before essentially firing him or allowing him to resign.

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Now Axios is reporting that Porter is telling his associates that some senior White house officials encouraged him to stay and fight the domestic abuse allegations. Porter is also claiming he never misrepresented anything to Kelly, which is not what the chief of staffs associates are saying.

Pirros full-throated defense of Kelly came amid word that Pirro is under discussions with Trump about possibly cooperating on a book that would essentially be a counter to Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury. Trump has reportedly agreed to be interviewed for Pirros planned book that some in the West Wing are calling No Fire, No Fury.
A Russian passenger plane operated by Saratov Airlines crashed shortly after taking off in the Moscow region on Sunday, and all 71 people aboard the plane were killed, according to the Russian Transport Ministry. The An-148 regional jet vanished from radars mere minutes after departing Moscows Domodedovo Airport with 65 passengers and six crew members. Russias Emergencies Ministry published the list of passengers and crew members.

Fragments of the An-148 plane and several bodies have been found near the village of Stepanovskoye, a ministry spokesman told Russias TASS news agency. Witnesses said the plane was on fire as it fell from the sky. The flight-tracking service Flightradar24 wrote on Twitter that the plane started descending at about 3,300 feet per minute around five or six minutes after takeoff before its signal was lost. In the last moments before it crashed, the plane was falling at up to 22,000 feet per minute, according to the flight-tracking service.

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Flight #6W703 took off from Moscow at 11:22 UTC time and 5 minutes later we tracked it descenting with 3300 feet per minute before the signal was lost. pic.twitter.com/6Bt5rCiKlm  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 11, 2018

Saratov Airlines flight #6W703 has crashed about 5-6 minutes after take off from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow.



During the last seconds before it crashed the aircraft was falling with up to 22,000 feet per minute.



The aircraft involved was a 7 year old Antonov An-148. pic.twitter.com/0ENfhyI9Ts  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 11, 2018

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Flight 6W703 was headed from Dmodedovo Airpot, located around 26 miles from the center of Moscow, to Orsk, which is around 1,000 miles southeast of Russias capital. It is a flight that regularly takes around two hours to complete.

The plane had been in service since 2010, although it had to be taken offline for two years because of a shortage of parts.

President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences and ordered an investigation into the crash, which officials say could have been caused by anything from bad weather to pilot error to a technical malfunction. The president offers his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash, Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov said. Search and rescue workers recovered a black box at the crash site, which should help investigators figure out what happened.

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A video claiming to show the site of the crash was published online Sunday showing the planes wreckage spread out in the snow.
President Donald Trump is apparently so serious about his America First slogan that even space is getting left behind. The White House wants to slash funding for the International Space Station (ISS) after 2024 but rather than abandoning it outright, it wants to put forward a transition plan to turn its operations to the private sector, according to the Washington Post, which cites an internal NASA document.

The decision to end direct federal support for the ISS in 2025 does not imply that the platform itself will be deorbited at that timeit is possible that industry could continue to operate certain elements or capabilities of the ISS as part of a future commercial platform, the document reportedly reads. NASA will expand international and commercial partnerships over the next seven years in order to ensure continued human access to and presence in low Earth orbit.

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Word that the Trump administration had been preparing to end financial support for the ISS by 2025 had already been reported. But this document expands on that to note that in the White House budget request, which is scheduled to be released Monday, the Trump administration will request $150 million to enable the development and maturation of commercial entities and capabilities which will ensure that commercial successors to the ISSpotentially including elements of the ISSare operational when they are needed.

It is far from clear how the plan would go down with the space stations international partners, and experts cautioned theres really no guarantee that the private sector would even be interested in a venture that never had profit as its main goal.

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The rumors that the White House had been planning to slash funding for the ISS led former astronaut Mark Kelly to write a piece in the New York Times in which he said it was unclear why Trump would pursue that action although he has said that he wants to prioritize human travel to the moon. Kelly explained why cutting funding would be a short-sighted move:

Whatever the priorities, this sort of trade-off is shortsighted. Cutting funding for the station, now between $3 billion and $4 billion a year, would be a step backward for the space agency and certainly not in the best interest of the country. Over the past year, the United States abandoned its leadership position on the global stage in many ways. We stopped leading the effort to combat climate change. We stopped leading on trade and commerce, and raised questions about our continued commitment to multilateral organizations and military alliances. We stopped leading on human rights and the rule of law. If we fail to continue funding the International Space Station, America will sacrifice its rank as the global leader in space exploration and commercial space innovation.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz from Texas has also spoken up against the plan. As a fiscal conservative, you know one of the dumbest things you can to is cancel programs after billions in investment when there is still serious usable life ahead, he said.
In a week when two members of his administration resigned or were fired following claims of domestic violence and abuse, Trump seemed to defend them on Twitter by saying their lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. At a time when the countryand the worldis coming to grips with the pervasive abuse and harassment that women face on a daily basis, the president appears determined to continue down the path of believing the men who are accused of domestic violence rather than the women.

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Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation, Trump wrote on Twitter on Saturday. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accusedlife and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?

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Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2018

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The commander in chief didnt mention anyone by name but his Twitter statement came a day after he surprised journalists in the Oval Office on Friday when he portrayed Rob Porter, who resigned as staff secretary Wednesday after two of his ex-wives accused him of physical and emotional abuse, as the victim. It was very sad when we heard about it and certainly hes also very sad now, Trump told reporters. He also, as you probably know, says hes innocent and I think you have to remember that. He said very strongly yesterday that hes innocent so you have to talk to him about that.

NEW VIDEO: President Trump on Rob Porter: Very sad when we heard about it...as you probably know he says hes innocent and I think you have to remember that. pic.twitter.com/DU6UPXSfJa  Pat Ward (@WardDPatrick) February 9, 2018

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Later that day, speechwriter David Sorensen, who worked at the Council on Environmental Quality, also resigned after his ex-wife told reporters that he was violent and abusive during their two-and-a-half-year marriage. Sorensen vehemently denies the claim and released a lengthy statement detailing that his ex-wife, Jessica Corbett, was actually the violent one in the relationship.

The statements supporting his ex-staffers never even mention the accusers. But that is just continuing with the presidents pattern of denying claims by the women who say he sexually harassed or assaulted them. Of course he never believes the womenhe cant, Rep.

Kathleen Rice from New York said. Donald Trumps presidency is built on people not believing women. If people start believing women, maybe theyd think about believing any of the dozen-plus women who have accused Donald Trump of sexual assault and harassment.

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When he was campaigning and fundraising for Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, for example, Trump frequently complained to allies and donors that it was strange women were coming forward decades after the abuse took place. He says it didnt happen. And, you know, you have to listen to him also, Trump told reporters at one point. Youre talking about, he said 40 years ago this did not happen.

Trump's full comments on Roy Moore's sexual misconduct allegations: "He totally denies it. He says it didn't happen. And you know, you have to listen to him also." pic.twitter.com/i1ksrCWXTL  Tasneem N (@TasneemN) November 21, 2017

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Trumps White House has also taken this position when it comes to the women who have accused Trump. Trump thinks its a good thing that women are coming forward, but he also feels strongly that a mere allegation shouldnt determine the course, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in December after three of Trumps accusers called on Congress to investigate the presidents past behavior. In this case, the president has denied any of these allegations.
President Donald Trump sat down with a right-wing Israeli paper and refused to give any kind of timeline for when Washington would unveil a plan for peace in the Middle East. Why? Hes just not sure either side wants to actually go through with it. We are going to see what goes on, Trump told Israel Hayom, a free daily newspaper backed by Republican donor Sheldon Adelson. Right now, I would say the Palestinians are not looking to make peace, they are not looking to make peace. And I am not necessarily sure that Israel is looking to make peace. So we are just going to have to see what happens.

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Although Trump has previously been critical of Palestinians for what he has characterized as a lack of desire to negotiate with Israel, his statement was notable because he also criticized Israel. When the papers editor-in-chief Boaz Bismouth asked him about what other nations could play a role in helping broker a peace deal, Trump said that for now he was interested in the Palestinians and Israel, adding that I dont know frankly if we are going to even have talks. Leaving the door open for the unexpected to happen, Trump said that it is very foolish for the Palestinians and I also think it would be very foolish for the Israelis if they dont make a deal.

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The commander in chief did say though that Washington has a strong desire for a peace deal, noting it would improve bilateral relations. I think they are great, Trump said when asked for his thoughts about relations between the United States and Israel. I think Bibi Netanyahu is a terrific person, a terrific leader, I think the relationships are good, but I think they will be a lot better if they ever get to making a peace deal.

Trump also had some surprisingly tough wordsfor his administration at leastwhen asked about whether settlements would be part of a peace plan. We will be talking about settlements. The settlements are something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace, so I think Israel has to be very careful with the settlements, Trump said. Former president Barack Obamas administration frequently criticized Israeli settlements, a practice that Trump has toned down significantly since moving into the White House.

Trump also took the opportunity to criticize his predecessor as a way to praise himself. Obama was terrible. He was absolutely terrible for Israel, Trump said. I think our relationships are very good. I think they are probably as good as they have ever been.
Commercial kitchens can accumulate a lot of grease and contaminants. And while removing that buildup is important, its not always something that business owners or managers want to handle on their own. Thats where Bare Metal Standard comes in.

The company works with commercial kitchens around the country through a franchise program. Learn more about the business and its story in this weeks Small Business Spotlight.

What the Business Does

Removes grease from commercial kitchens.

Mike Taylor, founder and CTO told Small Business Trends, We contract with commercial kitchens to remove grease contamination from their commercial kitchen exhaust system on a set frequency guided by fire codes, local authorities, insurance companies and our 53+ years of experience.

Business Niche

Providing a quality process.

Taylor says, Its all in our name, we remove fuel (grease) in the commercial kitchen exhaust system down to the Bare Metal. Our process allows us to service 100% of each system. Our network of franchises affords us the unique ability to have a standard that is available in all markets, so large regional and national customers can have much more than just a single vendor they can have a single standard of quality, the Bare Metal Standard.

?

How the Business Got Started

By helping out a friend.

Taylor explains, The business began in Boise, Idaho in 1964. My father, Jay Taylor, bought a steam cleaner, now known as a power washer, to make some extra money. The first job he had was for one of his friends who owned a drive-in restaurant. He used his power washer to clean out the hood and duct system. As local businesses began to see the efficiency of his method, more restaurants hired him. Jay Taylor Custom Cleaning, as it was known then, was a first-of-its-kind company and mom and popped around the Boise Valley for more than a decade. In 1999, my brother Jeff and I took over the company and changed the name to Taylor Brothers, Incorporated. In an effort to expand into a national company, we then formed Bare Metal Standard, Inc.

Biggest Win

Securing the Moda Center job in Portland, Oregon.

Taylor says, Our franchisee, Sam Okafor arranged a quick meeting, so we could present our service program to the Portland Trailblazer management. And 6 months later we started on the 1st kitchen exhaust system there until we completed the 21st system 6 months after the 1st.

Biggest Risk

Converting the business to a franchise model.

Taylor says, Teaching others how to do what we do and with the tools and knowledge we spent a lifetime gathering. We need to raise a significant amount of capital to market and sell our franchises throughout the country. Failure is not an option; however, we may need to adjust the growth model based on the amount of capital we raise.

Lesson Learned

Dont put off growth opportunities.

Taylor explains, We would have done the franchise model in 2006 not 2009 so we could have our national footprint today.

How Theyd Spend an Extra $100,000

Expanding the franchise program.

Taylor says, We would use it to expand our footprint by selling more franchises in key markets that have already been identified.

Unusual Communication Strategy

Using kitchen ducts.

Taylor explains, We actually could complete an entire kitchen system, without speaking to the other crew member, but by only knocking or banging on the ductwork to communicate to each other regarding the next step in the process.

Favorite Quote

People dont buy what you do they buy why you do it  Simon Sinek

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Find out more about the Small Biz Spotlight program
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Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.
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Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV.

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But state lawmakers continued to introduce bills that would designate a certain group of law enforcement personnel  constables, harbor masters and parole officers, for example  as peace officers. Helming's bill to give the classification to Seneca County marine patrol officers received bipartisan support in the state Legislature, but Cuomo vetoed it and called for a statewide policy.

Unlike her current and former colleagues, Helming opted to push for a comprehensive solution.

"Similar to police officers, peace officers often go above and beyond their normal duties to protect and serve our local communities," Helming said in a statement. "A statewide approach will help level the playing field for those seeking to become peace officers by creating an objective process, rather than allowing the governor  through his veto power  to pick and choose which officials are deserving of this status.

She added, "If adopted, this legislation would help bring peace officer status to groups seeking designation in our region and provide local sheriffs and police departments with the officers they need to protect our communities."
The following companies are subsidiares of Colgate-Palmolive: 887357 Ontario Inc., COLGALIVE S.A., CP GABA GmbH, CP International Holding C.V., CP West East Investment Limited, Cleaning Dimensions Inc., Colgate (BVI) Limited, Colgate (Guangzhou) Company Limited, Colgate (U.K.) Limited, Colgate Business Services of the Americas S.C., Colgate Flavors and Fragrances Inc., Colgate Global Business Services Private Limited, Colgate Holdings, Colgate Inc., Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals Inc., Colgate Palmolive Ghana Limited, Colgate Palmolive Holding S.Com.P.A., Colgate Palmolive Nouvelle Caledonie Sarl, Colgate Palmolive Tanzania Limited, Colgate Sanxiao Company Limited, Colgate Venture Company Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Asia) Pte Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Blantyre) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Brunei) Sdn Bhn, Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc. y Compania Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive (Centro America) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (China) Co. Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Costa Rica) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominica) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominican Republic) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (East Africa) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Eastern) Pte. Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Egypt) S.A.E., Colgate-Palmolive (Far East) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Fiji) Pte Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Gabon) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Guyana) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (H.K.) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Hellas) S.A. I.C., Colgate-Palmolive (Hong Kong) Holding Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Kazakhstan) L.L.P., Colgate-Palmolive (Latvia) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Middle East Exports) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Myanmar) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (New York) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive (Proprietary) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Research & Development) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Romania) SRL, Colgate-Palmolive (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Uganda) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Vietnam) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Zambia) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Zimbabwe) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive A.B., Colgate-Palmolive A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Adria Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Treasury Services Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Belgium S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Bolivia Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Caricom Service Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Central European Management Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Chile S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cia., Colgate-Palmolive Comercial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Commercial (Hellas) SP LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Commerciale S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive Commericale S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive Compania Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive Company Distr. LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Company GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Cote dIvoire S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cyprus Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Development Corp., Colgate-Palmolive East West Africa Region (Pty) Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Enterprises Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Espana S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Europe (Holdings) Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Europe Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Finance (UK) plc, Colgate-Palmolive Global Trading Company, Colgate-Palmolive Holding Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Holding Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Hungary Kft Limited Liability Company, Colgate-Palmolive IHQ Services (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Inc. S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Industrial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Industriel S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive International Holding LLC, Colgate-Palmolive International LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Investment Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (BVI) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (PNG) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Investments Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Israel Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Italia S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive JSC, Colgate-Palmolive Lanka (Private) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Latin America Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Manufacturing (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Marketing Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive Maroc S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Mocambique Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive NJ Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Nederland B.V., Colgate-Palmolive Norge A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Participacoes e Investimentos Imobiliarios Lda., Colgate-Palmolive Peru S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Philippines Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Retirement Trustee Limited, Colgate-Palmolive S.A. de C.V., Colgate-Palmolive S.p.A., Colgate-Palmolive Senegal S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Services (Hellas) LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Services (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Services CEW GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Services S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Slovensko s.r.o., Colgate-Palmolive Support Services, Colgate-Palmolive Temizlik Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticart S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Transnational Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Ukraine LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Unipessoal Lda, Colgate-Palmolive de Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive de Puerto Rico Inc., Colgate-Palmolive del Ecuador S.A.I.C., Colgate-Palmolive del Peru (Delaware) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Eeska republika spol. s r.o., Colpal CBS S de R. L. de C. V., Consumer Viewpoint Center Inc., Cotelle S.A., Dimac Development Corp., Dominica Coconut Products Limited, EKIB Inc., ELM Company Limited, Elta MD Holdings Inc., Elta MD Inc., EltaMD, Filorga Americas Inc., Filorga Asia Limited, Filorga Benelux SA, Filorga Cosmetiques Polska, Filorga Middle East DMCC, Filorga Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Filorga RU Limited Liability Company, GABA Europe Holding GmbH, GABA International, GABA International Holding LLC, GABA Schweiz AG, GABA Therwil GmbH, Gamma Development Co. Ltd., Global Trading and Supply LLC, Hamol Ltd., Hello Products, Hello Products LLC, Hills Funding Company, Hills Pet Nutrition (NZ) Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Asia Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Canada Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Denmark ApS, Hills Pet Nutrition Espana S.L., Hills Pet Nutrition GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Holding B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Indiana Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Italia S.r.l., Hills Pet Nutrition Korea Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing s.r.o, Hills Pet Nutrition Norway AS, Hills Pet Nutrition OOO, Hills Pet Nutrition Pty. Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition S.p.A., Hills Pet Nutrition SNC, Hills Pet Nutrition Sales Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition South Africa Proprietary Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition Sweden AB, Hills Pet Nutrition Switzerland GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Taiwan Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition Trading (GZ) Co. Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hills Pet Nutrition de Puerto Rico Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition s.r.o., Hills Pet Products (Benelux) S.A., Hills Pet Products Inc., Hills Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Hills-Colgate (Japan) Ltd., Hopro Liquidating Corp., Hygiene Systemes et Services SA, IES Enterprises Inc., Inmobiliaria Colpal S. de R.L. de C.V., Inmobiliaria Hills S.A. de C.V., Innovacion Creativa S.A. de C.V., Kolynos Corporation, Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Espana S.L.U., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Italia S.R.L., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques S.A., Laser Brand Toothpaste, Lournay Sales Inc., Mennen Company, Mennen Interamerica Ltd., Mennen Limited, Mennen South Africa Ltd., Mennen de Chile Ltd., Mennen de Nicargua S.A., Mission Hills Property Corporation, Mission Hills S.A. de C.V., Norwood International Incorporated, Olive Music Publishing Corporation, PCA SKIN, Paramount Research Inc., Penny LLC, Pet Chemicals Inc., Physicians Care Alliance LLC, Productos Halogenados Copalven C.A., Purity Holding Company, Purity Music Publishing Corporation, Refresh Company Limited, Samuel Taylor Holdings B.V., Sanex, Sanxiao Company Limited, Services Development Co. Ltd., Societe Generale de Negoce et de Services (GENESE) S.A., The GDN - The Global Distributive Network SAS, The Lournay Company Inc., The MPDP - The Medical and Pharmaceutic Distributive Platform SAS, The Murphy-Phoenix Company, Tom's of Maine, Toms of Maine Holdings Inc., Toms of Maine Inc., Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Vipont Pharmaceutical Inc., and XEB Inc..
MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. (MarkWest) is a master limited partnership engaged in the gathering, processing and transportation of natural gas; the gathering, transportation, fractionation, storage and marketing of natural gas liquids (NGLs), and the gathering and transportation of crude oil. The Company operates in four segments: Marcellus, Utica, Northeast and Southwest. The Marcellus segment provides integrated natural gas midstream services in southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. The Company's MarkWest Utica EMG provides gathering, processing, fractionation and marketing services. The Northeast segment assets include the Kenova, Boldman, Cobb, Kermit and Langley natural gas processing complexes, an NGL pipeline and the Siloam fractionation facility. The Company owns a system that consists of natural gas gathering pipelines, centralized compressor stations, two natural gas processing complexes and two NGL pipelines.

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Acacia Mining plc, together with its subsidiaries, mines, processes, and sells gold in Africa. The company has three gold mines in north-west Tanzania, including Bulyanhulu, Buzwagi, and North Mara; and a portfolio of exploration projects at various stages of development in Tanzania, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Mali. It also produces co-products, such as copper and silver. The company was formerly known as African Barrick Gold plc and changed its name to Acacia Mining plc in November 2014. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Acacia Mining plc is a subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Masco: A&J Gummers, Airex 3 LLC, Arrow Fastener, BEHR PAINTS IT! INC., BSI Holdings, Behr, Behr (Beijing) Paint Company Limited, Behr Paint (Beijing) Commercial Co. Ltd., Behr Process Canada Ltd., Behr Process Corporation, Behr Process Paints (India) Private Limited, Behr Sales LLC, BrassCraft Manufacturing Company, Brasstech Inc., Bristan, Bristan Group Limited, Cambrian Windows, ColorAxis Inc., Davenport Insulation Group, Delta Faucet (China) Co. Ltd., Delta Faucet Company, Delta Faucet Company India Private Limited, Delta Faucet Company Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Delta Faucet Company of Tennessee, Diversified Cabinet Distributors Inc., Duraflex, Duraflex Limited, Erickson Framing, Glass Idromassaggio, Guy Evans Inc., Hans Grohe Pte. Ltd., Hansgrohe, Hansgrohe A.B., Hansgrohe A/S, Hansgrohe AG, Hansgrohe Armature Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Hansgrohe B.V., Hansgrohe Brasil Metals Santitarios Ltda., Hansgrohe CS s.r.o., Hansgrohe Deutschland Vertriebs GmbH, Hansgrohe Handelsges.mbH, Hansgrohe Inc., Hansgrohe India Private Ltd., Hansgrohe International GmbH, Hansgrohe Japan K.K, Hansgrohe Kft., Hansgrohe Ltd., Hansgrohe N.V., Hansgrohe Pty Ltd, Hansgrohe S. de R. L. de C. V., Hansgrohe S. a r.l., Hansgrohe S.A., Hansgrohe S.A.U., Hansgrohe SA (Pty) Ltd., Hansgrohe SE, Hansgrohe Sanitary Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hansgrohe Sanitary Products W.L.L., Hansgrohe Sp. z.o.o., Hansgrohe Wasselonne S.A., Hansgrohe d.o.o., Hansgrohe ooo, Hansgrohe s.r.l., Hot Spring Spa Australasia Pty Ltd, Hot Spring Spas New Zealand Limited, Huppe B.V., Huppe Belgium S.A., Huppe GmbH, Huppe Insaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Huppe S. a r.l., Huppe S.L., Huppe Spolka z.o.o., Huppe s.r.o., IDI Group inc, Inrecon, Jet Acquisition LLC, Kichler Lighting LLC, L.D. Kichler Lighting Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Landex of Wisconsin Inc., Liberty Hardware Asia Co. Ltd., Liberty Hardware Mfg. Corp., Liberty Hardware Retail & Design Services LLC, Masco Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Masco Building Products Corp., Masco Cabinetry Hong Kong Limited, Masco Canada Limited, Masco Capital Corporation, Masco Chile Limitada, Masco Corporation Limited, Masco Corporation of Indiana, Masco Europe Inc., Masco Europe S. a r.l., Masco Europe SCS, Masco Framing Corp., Masco Germany Holding GmbH, Masco HD Support Services LLC, Masco Home Products Private Limited, Masco Home Products S.a r.l., Masco Retail Sales Support Inc., Masco Singapore Pte. Ltd., Masco WM Support Services LLC, Mascomex S.A. de C.V., Masterchem Industries, Masterchem Industries LLC, Mercury Plastics LLC, Milgard Manufacturing, Mill's Pride, Mirolin Industries Corp., My Service Center Inc., NCFII Holdings Inc., Newport Brass, Oz Acquisition LLC, Peerless Sales Corporation, SCE Unlimited, Service Partners, Shanghai Hansgrohe International Trading Co. Ltd., SmarTap, SmarTap A.Y. Ltd., Tapicerias Pacifico SA de CV, Tempered Products Inc., Texwood Industries, The Faucet-Queens, The GMU Group, The L.D. Kichler Co., Tvilum, Vapor Technologies Inc., Vapor Technologies Shenzhen Co. Ltd., Watkins Distribution UK Limited, Watkins Europe BVBA, Watkins Manufacturing Corporation, and Wellness Marketing Corporation.
Sanchez Energy Corporation, an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of U.S. onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources. It engages in the horizontal development of resources from the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. It also holds an undeveloped acreage position in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) in Mississippi and Louisiana. As of December 31, 2017, the company had assembled approximately 285,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford Shale; and owned approximately 37,000 net acres in the TMS. Sanchez Energy Corporation was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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The following companies are subsidiares of DaVita: Aberdeen Dialysis LLC, Accountable Kidney Care LLC, Adair Dialysis LLC, American Fork Dialysis LLC, American Medical Insurance Inc., Animas Dialysis LLC, Arcadia Gardens Dialysis LLC, Ashdow Dialysis LLC, Atlantic Dialysis LLC, Austin Dialysis Centers L.P., Barnell Dialysis LLC, Barrons Dialysis LLC, Barton Dialysis LLC, Bastrop Dialysis LLC, Beachside Dialysis LLC, Beck Dialysis LLC, Bellevue Dialysis LLC, Bemity Dialysis LLC, Beverly Hills Dialysis Partnership, Birch Dialysis LLC, Bladon Dialysis LLC, Bliss Dialysis LLC, Bohama Dialysis LLC, Bowan Dialysis LLC, Braddock Dialysis LLC, Bridges Dialysis LLC, Brimfield Dialysis LLC, Brook Dialysis LLC, Brownsville Kidney Center Ltd., Brownwood Dialysis LLC, Bruno Dialysis LLC, Buckhorn Dialysis LLC, Buford Dialysis LLC, Bullards Dialysis LLC, Bullock Dialysis LLC, Calante Dialysis LLC, Campton Dialysis LLC, Canyon Springs Dialysis LLC, Capes Dialysis LLC, Capital Dialysis Partnership, Capron Dialysis LLC, Carlton Dialysis LLC, Carroll County Dialysis Facility Inc., Carroll County Dialysis Facility Limited Partnership, Cascades Dialysis LLC, Caverns Dialysis LLC, Cedar Dialysis LLC, Centennial LV LLC, Central Carolina Dialysis Centers LLC, Central Georgia Dialysis LLC, Central Iowa Dialysis Partners LLC, Central Kentucky Dialysis Centers LLC, Channel Dialysis LLC, Cheraw Dialysis LLC, Chicago Heights Dialysis LLC, Chipeta Dialysis LLC, Churchill Dialysis LLC, Cinco Rios Dialysis LLC, Clark Dialysis LLC, Clayton Dialysis LLC, Cleburne Dialysis LLC, Clinica Central do Bonfim S.A., Clinton Township Dialysis LLC, Clyfee Dialysis LLC, Columbus-RNA-DaVita LLC, Conconully Dialysis LLC, Continental Dialysis Center Inc., Couer Dialysis LLC, Court Dialysis LLC, Cowell Dialysis LLC, Cowesett Dialysis LLC, Crossings Dialysis LLC, Crystals Dialysis LLC, Cuivre Dialysis LLC, Culbert Dialysis LLC, DC Healthcare International Inc., DNP Management Company LLC, DPS CKD LLC, DV Care Netherlands B.V., DV Care Netherlands C.V., DVA Healthcare - Southwest Ohio LLC, DVA Healthcare Renal Care Inc., DVA Healthcare of Maryland LLC, DVA Healthcare of Massachusetts Inc., DVA Healthcare of New London LLC, DVA Healthcare of Norwich LLC, DVA Healthcare of Pennsylvania LLC, DVA Healthcare of Tuscaloosa LLC, DVA Holdings Pte. Ltd., DVA Laboratory Services Inc., DVA Renal Healthcare Inc., DVA of New York Inc., DaVita - Riverside II LLC, DaVita - Riverside LLC, DaVita - West LLC, DaVita APAC Holding B.V., DaVita Brasil Participacoes e Servicos de Nefrologia Ltda., DaVita Care (Saudi Arabia), DaVita Dakota Dialysis Center LLC, DaVita Deutschland AG, DaVita Deutschland Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, DaVita El Paso East L.P., DaVita Germany GmbH, DaVita HK Holdings Limited, DaVita HealthCare Brasil Servicos Medicos Ltda., DaVita International Limited, DaVita Nefromed Servicos de Nefrologia Ltda., DaVita Nephron Care Servicos de Nefrologia Ltda., DaVita Rien Servicos de Nefrologia Ltda., DaVita S.A.S., DaVita Servicos de Nefrologia Asa Sul Ltda., DaVita Servicos de Nefrologia Distrito Federal Ltda., DaVita Servicos de Nefrologia Guarulhos Ltda., DaVita Servicos de Nefrologia Jardim das Imbuias Ltda., DaVita Servicos de Nefrologia Taubate Ltda., DaVita Servicos de Nefrologia de Araraquara Ltda., DaVita Sp. z o.o., DaVita Sud-Niedersachsen GmbH, DaVita Transrim Servicos de Nefrologia Ltda., DaVita UTR Servicos de Nefrologia Ltda., DaVita VillageHealth Inc., DaVita of New York Inc., Dallas-Fort Worth Nephrology L.P., Damon Dialysis LLC, Dialysis Holdings Inc., Dialysis of Des Moines LLC, Dialysis of Northern Illinois LLC, Dierks Dialysis LLC, Dolores Dialysis LLC, Dome Dialysis LLC, Doves Dialysis LLC, Downriver Centers Inc., EURODIAL - Centro de Nefrologia e Dialise de Leiria S.A., East End Dialysis Center Inc., East Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Ebrea Dialysis LLC, Edisto Dialysis LLC, Eldrist Dialysis LLC, Elgin Dialysis LLC, Elk Grove Dialysis Center LLC, Empire State DC Inc., Etowah Dialysis LLC, Ettleton Dialysis LLC, Eufaula Dialysis LLC, Falcon LLC, Family Health Care of Central Florida, Fanthorp Dialysis LLC, Federal Way Assurance Inc., Fields Dialysis LLC, Five Star Dialysis LLC, Fjords Dialysis LLC, Flagler Dialysis LLC, Flamingo Park Kidney Center Inc., Forester Dialysis LLC, Freehold Artificial Kidney Center L.L.C., Fremont Dialysis LLC, Frontier Dialysis LLC, Fullerton Dialysis Center LLC, GDC International LLC, Gambro Healthcare, Ganois Dialysis LLC, Garner Dialysis LLC, Garrett Dialysis LLC, Gaviota Dialysis LLC, Gebhard Dialysis LLC, Genesis KC Development LLC, GiveLife Dialysis LLC, Glassland Dialysis LLC, Glosser Dialysis LLC, Goliad Dialysis LLC, Grand Home Dialysis LLC, Greater Las Vegas Dialysis LLC, Greater Los Angeles Dialysis Centers LLC, Green Country Dialysis LLC, Green Desert Dialysis LLC, Griffin Dialysis LLC, Groten Dialysis LLC, Harmony Dialysis LLC, Hart Dialysis LLC, Hawn Dialysis LLC, Healthcare Partners, Helmer Dialysis LLC, Hennepin Dialysis LLC, Hewett Dialysis LLC, Hilgards Dialysis LLC, Hochatown Dialysis LLC, Home Kidney Care LLC, Honeyman Dialysis LLC, Houston Kidney Center/Total Renal Care Integrated Service Network Limited Partnership, Hummer Dialysis LLC, Hunter Dialysis LLC, Huntington Artificial Kidney Center Ltd., Hyde Dialysis LLC, IDC -International Dialysis Centers Lda, ISD Bartlett LLC, ISD Corpus Christi LLC, ISD I Holding Company Inc., ISD II Holding Company Inc., ISD Las Vegas LLC, ISD Lees Summit LLC, ISD Renal Inc., ISD Schaumburg LLC, ISD Spring Valley LLC, ISD Summit Renal Care LLC, Iroquois Dialysis LLC, Jacinto Dialysis LLC, Jenness Dialysis LLC, Kamiah Dialysis LLC, Kanika Dialysis LLC, Kavett Dialysis LLC, Kenai Dialysis LLC, Kershaw Dialysis LLC, Kidney Home Center LLC, Kimball Dialysis LLC, Kingston Dialysis LLC, Kinnick Dialysis LLC, Kinter Dialysis LLC, Kiowa Dialysis LLC, Knickerbocker Dialysis Inc., Lakeshore Dialysis LLC, Landing Dialysis LLC, Landor Dialysis LLC, Lassen Dialysis LLC, Leasburg Dialysis LLC, Leawood Dialysis LLC, Lees Dialysis LLC, Legare Development LLC, Liberty RC Inc., Lifeline Pensacola LLC, Lifeline Vascular Center-Albany LLC, Lincoln Park Dialysis Services Inc., Livingston Dialysis LLC, Llano Dialysis LLC, Lofield Dialysis LLC, Logoley Dialysis LLC, Lone Dialysis LLC, Long Beach Dialysis Center LLC, Lord Baltimore Dialysis LLC, Lory Dialysis LLC, Lourdes Dialysis LLC, Lyndale Dialysis LLC, MVZ DaVita Alzey GmbH, MVZ DaVita Aurich GmbH, MVZ DaVita Bad Aibling GmbH, MVZ DaVita Bad Duben GmbH, MVZ DaVita Cardio Centrum Dusseldorf GmbH, MVZ DaVita Dillenburg GmbH, MVZ DaVita Dinkelsbuhl GmbH, MVZ DaVita Dormagen GmbH, MVZ DaVita Duisburg GmbH, MVZ DaVita Elsterland GmbH, MVZ DaVita Emden GmbH, MVZ DaVita Falkensee GmbH, MVZ DaVita Geilenkirchen GmbH, MVZ DaVita Gera GmbH, MVZ DaVita Iserlohn GmbH, MVZ DaVita Monchengladbach GmbH, MVZ DaVita Neuss GmbH, MVZ DaVita Niederrhein GmbH, MVZ DaVita Nierenzentrum Aachen Alsdorf GmbH, MVZ DaVita Nierenzentrum Berlin-Britz GmbH, MVZ DaVita Nierenzentrum Hamm-Ahlen GmbH, MVZ DaVita Prenzlau-Pasewalk GmbH, MVZ DaVita Rhein-Ahr GmbH, MVZ DaVita Rhein-Ruhr GmbH, MVZ DaVita Schwalm-Eder GmbH, MVZ DaVita Viersen GmbH, Madigan Dialysis LLC, Magney Dialysis LLC, Magoffin Dialysis LLC, Makonee Dialysis LLC, Marlton Dialysis Center LLC, Marseille Dialysis LLC, Mason-Dixon Dialysis Facilities Inc., Mazonia Dialysis LLC, Mellen Dialysis LLC, Melnea Dialysis LLC, Memorial Dialysis Center L.P., Meridian Dialysis LLC, Mermet Dialysis LLC, Milltown Dialysis LLC, Minam Dialysis LLC, Minneopa Dialysis LLC, Mountain West Dialysis Services LLC, Mulgee Dialysis LLC, Nansen Dialysis LLC, Natomas Dialysis LLC, Nauvue Dialysis LLC, Navarro Dialysis LLC, Nephrology Medical Associates of Georgia LLC, Nephrology Practice Solutions LLC, New Bay Dialysis LLC, Nicona Dialysis LLC, Norbert Dialysis LLC, Norte Dialysis LLC, North Austin Dialysis LLC, Northwest Physicians Network, Oasis Dialysis LLC, Ohio River Dialysis LLC, Okanogan Dialysis LLC, Olive Dialysis LLC, Ordust Dialysis LLC, Owyhee Dialysis LLC, Palo Dialysis LLC, Palomar Dialysis LLC, Panther Dialysis LLC, Parkside Dialysis LLC, Pattison Dialysis LLC, Patuk Dialysis LLC, Pearl Dialysis LLC, Pendster Dialysis LLC, Percha Dialysis LLC, Pershing Dialysis LLC, Pfeiffer Dialysis LLC, Philadelphia-Camden Integrated Kidney Care LLC, Physicians Choice Dialysis LLC, Physicians Choice Dialysis Of Alabama LLC, Physicians Dialysis Acquisitions Inc., Physicians Dialysis Ventures LLC, Physicians Dialysis of Lancaster LLC, Physicians Management LLC, Pible Dialysis LLC, Pinson Dialysis LLC, Pittsburgh Dialysis Partners LLC, Piute Dialysis LLC, Plaine Dialysis LLC, Platte Dialysis LLC, Pluribus Dialise - Benfica S.A., Pluribus Dialise - Cascais S.A., Pluribus Dialise S.A., Prairie Dialysis LLC, Prineville Dialysis LLC, Purity Dialysis, RMS Lifeline Inc., RNA - DaVita Dialysis LLC, RV Academy LLC, Ramsey Dialysis LLC, Rayburn Dialysis LLC, Red Willow Dialysis LLC, Redcliff Dialysis LLC, Refuge Dialysis LLC, Renal Center of Beaumont LLC, Renal Center of Fort Dodge LLC, Renal Center of Lewisville LLC, Renal Center of Morristown LLC, Renal Center of Newton LLC, Renal Center of Port Arthur LLC, Renal Center of Tyler L.P.L.L.L.P., Renal Center of West Beaumont LLC, Renal Center of the Hills LLC, Renal Life Link Inc., Renal Treatment Centers - California Inc., Renal Treatment Centers - Illinois Inc., Renal Treatment Centers - Mid-Atlantic Inc., Renal Treatment Centers - Northeast Inc., Renal Treatment Centers - Southeast LP, Renal Treatment Centers - West Inc., Renal Treatment Centers Inc., Renal Ventures Management LLC, RenalServ LLC, Riddle Dialysis LLC, River Valley Dialysis LLC, Rocky Mountain Dialysis Services LLC, Rollins Dialysis LLC, Roose Dialysis LLC, Rophets Dialysis LLC, Roushe Dialysis LLC, Routt Dialysis LLC, Royale Dialysis LLC, Rusk Dialysis LLC, Rutland Dialysis LLC, SAKDC-DaVita Dialysis Partners L.P., Saddleback Dialysis LLC, Sahara Dialysis LLC, San Marcos Dialysis LLC, Santiam Dialysis LLC, Sapelo Dialysis LLC, Saunders Dialysis LLC, Seabay Dialysis LLC, Secour Dialysis LLC, Sensiba Dialysis LLC, Shadow Dialysis LLC, Shayano Dialysis LLC, Shelling Dialysis LLC, Sherman Dialysis LLC, Shetek Dialysis LLC, Shining Star Dialysis Inc., Siena Dialysis Center LLC, Simeon Dialysis LLC, Skagit Dialysis LLC, Soledad Dialysis Center LLC, Somerville Dialysis Center LLC, South Central Florida Dialysis Partners LLC, South Fork Dialysis LLC, Southern Hills Dialysis Center LLC, Southlake Dialysis LLC, Southwest Atlanta Dialysis Centers LLC, Sprague Dialysis LLC, Springpond Dialysis LLC, Star Dialysis LLC, Stevenson Dialysis LLC, Stewart Dialysis LLC, Stines Dialysis LLC, Storrie Dialysis LLC, Sugarloaf Dialysis LLC, Sun City Dialysis Center L.L.C., Sunapee Dialysis LLC, Sunset Dialysis LLC, TRC - Indiana LLC, TRC El Paso Limited Partnership, TRC West Inc., TRC of New York Inc., TRC-Georgetown Regional Dialysis LLC, Talimena Dialysis LLC, Terre Dialysis LLC, The Woodlands Dialysis Center LP, Tortugas Dialysis LLC, Total Renal Care Inc., Total Renal Care Texas Limited Partnership, Total Renal Care of North Carolina LLC, Total Renal Laboratories Inc., Total Renal Research Inc., Toulouse Dialysis LLC, Transmountain Dialysis L.P., Tross Dialysis LLC, Tugman Dialysis LLC, Tunnel Dialysis LLC, Turlock Dialysis Center LLC, Tustin Dialysis Center LLC, Twain Dialysis LLC, Tyler Dialysis LLC, USC-DaVita Dialysis Center LLC, Unicoi Dialysis LLC, University Dialysis Center LLC, Upper Valley Dialysis L.P., Valley Springs Dialysis LLC, Victory Dialysis LLC, VillageHealth DM LLC, Villanueva Dialysis LLC, Vively Health LLC, Vogel Dialysis LLC, Volo Dialysis LLC, Waddell Dialysis LLC, Wakoni Dialysis LLC, Walker Dialysis LLC, Walton Dialysis LLC, Watkins Dialysis LLC, Weldon Dialysis LLC, West Elk Grove Dialysis LLC, West Sacramento Dialysis LLC, Weston Dialysis Center LLC, Whitney Dialysis LLC, Willowbrook Dialysis Center L.P., Winds Dialysis LLC, Wood Dialysis LLC, Woodford Dialysis LLC, Wyandotte Central Dialysis LLC, Yards Dialysis LLC, Ybor City Dialysis LLC, Yucaipa Dialysis LLC, and Zephyrhills Dialysis Center LLC.
The following companies are subsidiares of The Sherwin-Williams: Acquire Sourcing LLC, CTS National Corporation, Comex North America Inc., Compania Sherwin-Williams S.A. de C.V., Contract Transportation Systems Co., Deep Pride Limited, Dongguan Lilly Paint Industries Ltd, Duron, EPS (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., EPS B.V., EPS Polidrox Industria e Comercio de Resinas Ltda, Geocel Holdings, Geocel Limited, Guangdong Valspar Paints Manufacturing Co Ltd., Guangdong Yuegang Dadi Paints Company Limited, Guardsman Australia Pty Limited, Guardsman Industries Limited, Inver East Med S.A., Inver France SAS, Inver GmbH, Inver Industrial Coating SRL, Inver Polska Spoka Z O.O, Inver Spa, Invercolor Bologna Srl, Invercolor Ltd, Invercolor Roma Srl, Invercolor Torino Srl, Invercolor Toscana Srl, Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda, Isva Vernici Srl, Jiangsu Pulanna Coating Co. Ltd., Leighs Paints, M.A. Bruder & Sons, Omega Specialty Products & Services LLC, Oy Sherwin-Williams Finland Ab, PT Sherwin-Williams Indonesia, PT Valspar Indonesia, Paint Sundry Brands, Pinturas Condor S.A., Pinturas Industriales S.A., Plasti-Kote Co. Inc., Plasti-kote Limited, Productos Quimicos y Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Quest Automotive Products UK Limited, Quetzal Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Resin Surfaces Limited, Ronseal (Ireland) Limited, SWIMC LLC, SWIPCO  Sherwin Williams do Brasil Propriedade, Sayerlack, Sherwin Williams Colombia S.A.S., Sherwin-Williams (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Belize) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Caribbean) N.V., Sherwin-Williams (Ireland) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Company Limited, Sherwin-Williams (S) Pte. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Shanghai) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (South China) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Vietnam) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (West Indies) Limited, Sherwin-Williams Argentina I.y C.S.A., Sherwin-Williams Aruba VBA, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Mexico S.de R.L.de C.V., Sherwin-Williams Balkan S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Bel, Sherwin-Williams Benelux NV, Sherwin-Williams Canada Inc., Sherwin-Williams Cayman Islands Limited, Sherwin-Williams Chile S.A., Sherwin-Williams Coatings India Private Limited, Sherwin-Williams Coatings S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Czech Republic spol. s r.o, Sherwin-Williams Denmark A/S, Sherwin-Williams Deutschland GmbH, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands (Australia) Pty Ltd, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Limited, Sherwin-Williams France Finishes SAS, Sherwin-Williams Italy S.r.l., Sherwin-Williams Luxembourg Investment Management Company S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Norway AS, Sherwin-Williams Paints Limited Liability Company, Sherwin-Williams Peru S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Pinturas de Venezuela S.A., Sherwin-Williams Poland Sp. z o.o, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, Sherwin-Williams Realty Holdings Inc., Sherwin-Williams Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Spain Coatings S.L., Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sherwin-Williams Uruguay S.A., Sherwin-Williams do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Spanyc Paints Joint Stock Company, Syntema I Vaggeryd AB, TOB Becker Acroma Ukraine, Taiwan Valspar Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Acceptance Corporation, The Sherwin-Williams Headquarters Company, The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company, The Sherwin-Williams US Licensing Company, The Valspar (Asia) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Australia) Corporation Pty. Ltd., The Valspar (Finland) Corporation Oy, The Valspar (France) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (France) Research Corporation SAS, The Valspar (Germany) GmbH, The Valspar (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd, The Valspar (Nantes) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (Singapore) Corporation Pte. Ltd, The Valspar (South Africa) Corporation (Pty) Ltd, The Valspar (Spain) Corporation S.R.L., The Valspar (Switzerland) Corporation AG, The Valspar (Thailand) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar (UK) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Vietnam) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar Corporation, The Valspar Corporation Limitada, UAB Sherwin-Williams Baltic, Valspar (India) Coatings Corporation Private Limited, Valspar (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Valspar (Uruguay) Corporation S.A., Valspar (WPC) Pty Ltd, Valspar Aries Coatings S. de R.L. de C.V., Valspar Automotive (UK) Corporation Limited, Valspar Automotive Australia Pty Limited, Valspar B.V., Valspar Coatings (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Valspar D.o.o Beograd, Valspar Inc., Valspar Industries (Ireland) Ltd., Valspar Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Valspar Industries GmbH, Valspar LLC, Valspar Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Valspar Paint (Australia) Pty Ltd, Valspar Paint (NZ) Limited, Valspar Powder Coatings Limited, Valspar Rock Company Limited, Valspar Specialty Paints LLC, Vantaco Oy, and ZAO Sherwin-Williams.
A Ho Chi Minh City resident has become famous after introducing his homemade electric car that can carry up to five people at the maximum speed of 50km per hour.

Tran Minh Tam, owner of an electric bicycle shop in Cu Chi District, has been able to create theelectric vehicle without using any high technology.

Local residents have given the man the nickname Tam xe dien (electric car Tam) for his accomplishment.

The car, named CITY 18, is designed to have five seats and can reach the top velocity of 50km an hour.

After being fully charged, the vehicle can travel for up to 160 kilometers.

It is also equipped with an air conditioner and karaoke system using Bluetooth, both of which are powered by an engine separate from the cars.

Tam has developed a passion for automobiles for quite a long time as his family owned a fleet of passenger buses in the 1980s.

The electric car is designed to have five seats. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Despite dropping out of school after the ninth grade, Tam has equipped himself with a lot of knowledge on cars after years of working as a driver.

After running his own electric bicycle business, he began feeding his enthusiasm by building electric vehicles, from two wheels to three and four wheels.

Tam also turned his bike shop into his personal gallery with a series of photos of the electric vehicles he had made over the decade.

In 2007, Tams three-wheeled car, which had three seats and ran on batteries, was honored with the third prize at an innovation contest organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Science and Technology Associations.

With the help of a friend, I applied for a permit for the mass production of my three-wheeled car, Tam said. However, no competent agency approved my request.

The vehicle has sit in Tams back yard ever since.

The doors move upward when open. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Despite the failed attempt, Tam continued making modified vehicles upon his customers' orders.

These vehicles are designed to meet personal needs, thus do not require a formal permit. I mainly do it out of passion, Tam elaborated.

He came up with the idea of creating an electric car in 2015, after watching a news story about foreign countries efforts to develop eco-friendly electric vehicles.

I found out that no one in Vietnam had been able to make an electric car. If people in other countries can do it, I can, Tam asserted.

The car can be charged with a 220V power source. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Power of imagination

With zero knowledge of how to build a car, the first thing Tam did was imagine one.

I started buying some car seats and placed them in my living room, before determining the positions of the wheels and calculating the length, width, and height of the car, Tam said.

The vehicle utilized the power engine of electric bicycles, and what Tam had to do was create a transmission and steering system.

The front of the electric car. Photo: Tuoi Tre

He drew the chassis on paper and let welding professionals do the rest. The same method was applied to the car windows.

Tam also hired an engineer to make an electronic board based on his requirements.

The doors are folded and move upwards when open thanks to a hydraulic system, which is convenient in smaller space.

After completing the prototype, Tam picked some less crowded streets near his house to carry out test runs.

Tam performs a test run on his electric automobile near his house in Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

For passion

According to the man, it took him three years and cost about VND500 million (US$22,055) to complete the CITY 18.

The expenditure was high as there was little to no modern technology, while I also had to fix a lot of errors and redo many details, Tam elaborated.

He has registered for the protection of industrial design for his electric car.

As the automobile is built to feed his passion, Tam has no intention to make it commercial.

Tams three-wheeled electric car, which won him the third prize at an innovation contest in 2007. Photo: Tuoi Tre

However, if a business wishes to mass-produce the CITY 18, I am willing to cooperate, the man stated.

He expected that his product would only sell for VND250 million ($11,027) if an investor agrees to provide a factory and production line.

Tam intends to design a new version of his electric car, which will reach the maximum speed of 120km per hour and travel for up to 300 kilometers if fully charged.

The vehicle is also expected to run perfectly on flooded streets.

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Vietnams health ministry has recommended that people think twice about having a favorite blood-based dish if they do not want to enjoy the upcoming Lunar New Year, or Tet holiday, on a sickbed.

Raw blood soup is the biggest cause of streptococcus suis infection in humans, so people are advised to remove this dish from their Tet menu, the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the health ministry said in a recent announcement.

Raw blood soup, or tiet canh in Vietnamese, is a dish made of the raw blood of ducks, geese, or pigs, with peanuts and herbs on top. The dish is usually served alongside traditional Vietnamese alcohol.

More than 170 people were diagnosed with streptococcus suis infection, with 14 succumbing to the disease, in 2017, according to the preventive medicine department.

Streptococcus suis, or S. suis, is a family of pathogenic gram-positive bacterial strains that represents a primary health problem in the swine industry worldwide.

The bacterium, capable of transmitting from pigs to humans, is also an emerging zoonotic pathogen that causes severe human infections clinically featuring with varied diseases and syndromes, including meningitis, septicemia, and arthritis. Those with severe symptoms can even die from the disease.

S. suis infection is acquired through exposure to contaminated pigs or pig meat, and the most common cause of the disease in Vietnam is eating pig blood soup that is improperly cooked, according to the preventive medicine department.

The number of infection cases tends to rise before and during the Tet holiday, when it is a tradition in different parts across Vietnam to slaughter pigs and eat the bloody dish on the spot to obtain luck, department head Tran Dac Phu said.

Several dishes of raw blood soup are seen in this photo illustration. Photo: Tuoi Tre

In fact, pig blood soup accounts for as much as 70 percent of S. suis infections in humans, Phu underlined.

The other cases are caused by consuming Vietnamese fermented pork, or nem chua as locally known, that is improperly made or having open wounds exposed to the bacterium. The latter is common for people who work on swine farms.

Some people think that they know their pigs and are convinced that blood soup made from the clean swine is safe to eat, Phu said.

In fact, there are cases where the animals are already infected but show no signs or symptoms.

As the disease can quickly become deadly and require a high cost of treatment, people should use clean food to have a safe Tet, he added.

Two dishes of raw blood soup are seen in this photo illustration. Photo: Tuoi Tre

People who eat raw blood soup made from infected pigs can develop such symptoms as fever, diarrhea, headache and consciousness loss.

In worse cases, patients may suffer from shock, pulmonary embolism, and multiple-organ failure, and eventually succumb to the disease.

Dont take yourself away from the Tet celebrations just because of the blood soup or fermented pork, the preventive medicine department advised.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has posthumously granted a certificate of merit to a brave young man who had lost his life saving a mother and her two children from drowning.

The Prime Ministers Certificate of Merit was awarded to Hoang Duc Hai, who hailed from the north-central province of Thanh Hoa and was a senior at a university in Hanoi.

Hai lost his life on Thursday afternoon after saving a local woman and her two children, who fell into the Ghep River in Thanh Hoa Province.

On that day, Le Thi Loan, a high school teacher, took her children to the riverbank to release some common carp as part of the traditional practice during the Kitchen Gods Day.

While performing the ritual, the three lost their footing and fell into the water.

Hai heard the cries for help and swam into the river to successfully rescue the family.

Le Ba Khanh, 15, and Le Ngoc Vuong, 20, also joined the rescue effort.

Hai managed to save the three family members but icy cold currents swept him away before he could save himself.

Competent authorities were able to find Hais body about three hours later.

Hai had used all of his strength trying to push the last victim to the riverbank before being swept away, Vuong told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday.

He was wearing a thick jacket which could have become very heavy after being soaked, Vuong added.

Alongside the certificate of merit, PM Phuc also provided VND20 million (US$882) in support for Hais family.

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Season 15 of NCIS returns to TEN next Sunday at the new time of 9pm Sundays. Despite Tuesdays being its natural home for years, Sundays was where it screened when TEN famously abandoned Sunday night movies.

S15E10 Double Down aired in the US in December.

The change also means SEAL Team moves to a 10pm timeslot from next week.

Torres and Sloane are sent to Afghanistan to protect a U.S senator who is there visiting naval troops for the holidays.

The senators trip is cut short when he learns that his son is in hospital, fighting for his life after falling down a stairwell.

In trying to get the senator out of Afghanistan and urgently back to the U.S, Torres and Sloane face immeasurable dangers.

9:00pm Sunday 18 February on TEN.
Positive broker commentary on AMEC and Hunting pushed Oil Equipment & Services stocks to the fore.

As regards the former, Canaccord Genuity reiterated its 'Buy' and 600.0p target on the shares, while Morgan Stanley reaffirmed its 'Overweight' and 625.0p target.

Morgan Stanley said: "We reiterate our Overweight ahead of the 21st March Capital Markets day. With valuation attractive at a discount to history and peers, we expect a resolution of the expected equity raise to be a positive catalyst, especially since progress on asset disposals makes it more growth related."

Commenting on Hunting's fiscal year 2016 results, analysts at Goldman Sachs said its investment case for the outfit was "unchanged" and they were "positive" on the firm's strong gearing to the US - which made up 64% of the group's sales.

They also pointed out its positive operating leverage and balance sheet flexibility.

The shares were also trading at a significant discount, of over 30%, on an EV/EBITDA basis versus its direct peers, Goldman said.



Shares in life insurers and non-life insurers were also near the top of the leaderboard at the end of the week, with the likes of Old Mutual, Standard Life and Prudential all higher.

A string of hawkish remarks from various Fed officials had served to push up long-term government bond yields on both sides of the Atlantic over the past week, to the benefit of both groups.

Indeed, after the close of trading on Friday Fed chair Janet Yellen flagged the possibility of a rate hike in the US as soon as 15 March.

Pharmaceuticals also managed to sneak into the top rungs of the leaderboard as AstraZeneca announced it had partnered with French peer Sanofi to develop and commercialise an antibody to treat the most common respiratory illness among young children.

Top performing sectors so far today

Oil Equipment, Services & Distribution 15,640.82 +2.22%

Construction & Materials 6,997.53 +1.26%

Life Insurance 8,175.51 +0.97%

Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology 14,534.13 +0.60%

Insurance (non-life) 2,797.54 +0.45%

Bottom performing sectors so far today

Media 7,783.42 -2.65%

Aerospace and Defence 4,968.14 -1.39%

Software & Computer Services 1,894.32 -1.19%

Industrial Metals & Mining 2,399.96 -1.11%

Support Services 7,318.86 -0.85%
Head State capital manager named

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed a decision to appoint Nguyen Hoang Anh, former Secretary of Cao Bang province Party Committee, to the post of chairman of the special committee to manage State capital at enterprises.



The Government issued Resolution 09/NQ-CP in early February to set up the special committee as an agency under the Government that acts as the ownership representative of State capital at wholly State-owned enterprises and at joint stock and liability companies with two or more members.



The committee has a legal status, seal with the national emblem and an account opened at the State Treasury.



Nguyen Hoang Anh holds a masters degree in world economy and international economic relations and a bachelors degree in political theory.



He held the post of Secretary of Cao Bang province Party Committee from March 2015 to December 2017 before assuming the new role in the State capital management committee.



Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen The Phuong said the decree about the functions, tasks, rights and organisation of the committee was planned to be issued in the second quarter of this year.



Phuong said the model of the committee would be different from the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC). SCIC would be one among 30 State-owned enterprises to be put under the management of the committee.



State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the country have total capital and assets worth an estimated 5.4 quadrillion VND (239 billion USD).



Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, who headed a working group founded in mid-January with 11 members to boost the formation of the committee, recently asked relevant ministries to report about the operation of SOEs, which were planned to be put under the management of the committee, in February.



The committee is expected to separate ownership from management functions to boost the efficiency of State capital when the Government hastens the restructuring of SOEs.-VNA/VNP
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four strategic business units: Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; and Capital Markets. The company offers chequing, savings, and business accounts; mortgages; loans, lines of credit, student lines of credit, and business and agriculture loans; investment and insurance services; and credit cards, as well as overdraft protection services. It also provides day-to-day banking, borrowing and credit, investing and wealth, specialty, and international services; correspondent banking and online foreign exchange services; and cash management services. The company serves its customers through its banking centers, as well as direct, mobile, and remote channels. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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ConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska; Lower 48; Canada; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Other International. The Alaska segment primarily explores for produces, transports and markets crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Lower 48 segment consists of operations in the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment is comprised of oil sands development in the Athabasca Region of northeastern Alberta and a liquids-rich unconventional play in western Canada. The Europe, Middle East and North Africa segment consists of operations and exploration activities in Norway, the United Kingdom and Libya. The Asia Pacific segment has explorations and product operations in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. The Other International segment handles exploration activities in Columbia and Argentina. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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UT fans will be patient with Josh Heupel, depending on what he does next
Yeah, you could say every day is a lovely day in the neighborhood when youre talking about Room 108 at Sandia Vista Elementary.

You might even find Fred Rogers biggest fan, first-grade teacher Michelle Garmon, wearing a cardigan sweater, like the late Rogers did on his PBS television show, which began airing in 1968. Rogers died in 2003 at the age of 74; by that time, hed taped 895 shows.

Mr. Rogers was always my neighbor, said Garmon, who grew up on the coast of California, with her father in the U.S. Navy. I was the new girl a lot.

Teachers run in her family: A great-grandmother was a teacher in Oklahoma; a grandfather was a superintendent and, as a missionary, founded some schools; his wife and brothers were teachers; an uncle is a teacher; and a daughter has decided to be a teacher when she completes her studies at Central New Mexico Community College.

Once her fifth and final child began kindergarten, Garmon headed off to get her teaching degree; shes in her 11th year, the last 10 at Sandia Vista Elementary. All five of her children are products of Rio Rancho Public Schools.

Garmon is a nationally honored PBS Digital Innovator. PBSs Digital Innovators set the bar for thoughtful tech integration in the classroom, not defined by the gadgets they use, but by the unique way they approach education.

Last month, she participated in a panel, presenting ideas at the National Education Telecommunications Associations annual conference. The topic: A Champion for Early Learning: Our Greatest Role Yet, being discussed before 400 people from PBS stations around the country, including KNME in Albuquerque.

There she was, explaining the ways in which she uses PBS Kids and technology in the classroom, giving real-world examples and sharing how watching Mister Rogers inspired her to be a teacher.

Shes also been nominated to be a PBS Digital All-Star.

You wont find a chalk board in Room 108. She does have a white board, which she says, is not a big TV; this is a tool.

I think its important to have cutting-edge technology in the classroom, she said. My kindergartners were coming in and telling me about YouTube videos.

Sure, theres still a place where students see what numbers 1-100 look like, as well as the alphabet, and try hard to stay within the lines while coloring.

And, Garmon said, despite the technology, They still love running around at recess.

Todays students  at least, the 22 kids in Room 108  have instant knowledge. I teach children how to access the Internet safely. PBS has set up a safe site  its free and thats good.

And, based on all she does to be an innovator, PBS honored her as the states runner-up in 2016 and made her the states top digital innovator for 2017.

Enchanted Hills Elementary Principal Cathy Baehr oversaw her as a teacher for her first year in the district.

Garmon has always had an out of the box approach to making academics come alive in her classroom. She seeks to find resources to make her classroom have a life of its own, Baehr said.

Michelles classroom is a dream! added Sandia Vista Principal Pat DiVasto said. She has taken technology and made it fit into her curriculum in a way that students will remember for a lifetime.  Preparing lessons that are tech-based requires a lot of preparation, but she is passionate and loves what she does.

Theres something else you wont find in Room 108: Garmon raising her voice  she says she found lowering it or frowning is more effective.

Shes so happy-go-lucky, she says, My husband tells me I smile in my sleep.
CPA David Wood had some ideas on how he wanted to spend his time when he was planning for his retirement.

He wanted to do some traveling and also visit his friends in Poland and Germany. He knew he couldnt sit at home doing nothing so he contemplated volunteering.

Instead, Wood, 71, has emerged as a prominent figure in his neighborhood association and taken on leading roles in two major battles that affected his North Valley neighborhood. The work, he said, is more than a full-time job.

After I retired six years ago, it just became evident to me that I couldnt sit around, he said. I had to be doing something. I decided to get involved to the extent that I could. I thought I would be doing taxes at the community center.

The decision to attend a Greater Gardner Neighborhood Association community meeting derailed those plans. When the president of the association moved away, Wood stepped into the position.

The pay is terrible, Wood joked because there is no paycheck involved. Its all voluntary. And you are constantly frustrated. You go to bed thinking about it and you wake up thinking about it.

Wood is a native of New Mexico. He graduated from Valley High School. He lived away from New Mexico in the Dallas area for 10 years but returned to take care of his ailing parents. It was a move he was happy to make and said if its up to him, hell die a New Mexican. He has two grown children who live in Albuquerque with their own children.

Wood lives near Griegos and the railroad tracks. The first battle started in 2009 with a cement company that has a transfer station not far from his house. Wood was the vice president of the neighborhood association at the time and instrumental in communicating with the owners of the company, a group from Mexico, and for contacting a nonprofit organization of attorneys that helped the two sides negotiate a resolution.

For many years, he said, neighbors complained that the dust particles from the operation clogged their swamp coolers. When the neighborhood learned the company was asking the citys Air Quality Division to modify its air permit so it could become a 24-hour operation, more than a hundred people showed up at the permit hearing to oppose the request.

The company eventually paved the roads on the property to reduce the dust, installed a wall and planted trees to act as buffer, and formed a community advisory board. Most importantly, it installed technology to reduce the emissions coming from their operation there.

The next big battle came in 2014 when the city proposed building a station in the North Valley where it would unload trash that would then be hauled to the city dump on the West Side. City officials said the project would reduce fuel costs, the impact on the environment and wear and tear on the vehicles. Neighbors feared the transfer station would mean fugitive debris, increased traffic, decreased property values and added noise. Neighborhood associations across the valley came together to fight the proposal.

Although hundreds of neighbors participated, Wood, also vice president of the North Valley Coalition of neighborhood associations, became the public face of the neighborhoods.

He helped organize a mayoral forum last year in an effort to get candidates on record about their plans for the transfer station. He also was the one who suggested early on the coalition hire an attorney.

I did not like the way I was treated. Dismissed (by city officials), he said. I dug my heels in as did a lot of other people.

It took four years, $90,000 in legal fees, countless emails, letters, meetings and numerous hearings to prevent the project from coming to fruition. It was the November election of Tim Keller as mayor that finally killed the project. Tabling the project was one of Kellers first tasks as mayor.

Wood said he has to adjust to the spotlight and deal with criticism while remaining reasonable and respectful to all parties involved.

I got some hate mail that said why was I wasting my time on this, he said. It hurts your feelings a little bit.

North Valley resident Pat Martinez encountered Wood at one of the many neighborhood meetings held about the station. She described him as low key and a man who gets things done.

Hes a great example of a community volunteer, she said. Hes trustworthy, honest, hard working. Hes got great integrity and honor. Hes done an excellent job of keeping on top of everything.

Maloy Mobile Storage business owner Mary Beth Maloy met Wood as well during the efforts to keep the transfer station out of the area. Maloys business is directly across the street and she opposed the station. She described Wood as very personable and fun to be around, skills that helped unite people.

You know you have to have tremendous smarts and strong leadership skills to do what he does, she said. He is an excellent communicator and witty as well. Hes become a valued friend and loyal colleague.

Although Wood never intended to become a neighborhood leader or community activist, when the time came, he said he felt compelled to do it.

I had a dad who was very principled, he said. He was a little more in your face than I am. But Im like a bulldog when I get pissed.
Oklahoma City native Joshua Roman started playing the cello on a quarter-sized instrument at age 3.

Today the internationally acclaimed musician and composer plays a Stradivarius cello in concert halls across the country.

The Ted Senior Fellow will perform a recital at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 16. Roman will be paired with pianist Guilles Vonsattel, recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant.

The musicians will open the concert with Undercurrents, by Romans friend Greg Taylor.

His style is very jazz-influenced, the cellist said in a telephone interview from New York. Hes a great improviser. He also has a very tender sense of melody. The second movement is very heartfelt and open, almost like a song.

The pair will next dive into Beethovens Sonata in C Major for Cello and Piano.

Its one of those extremely triumphant from the depths of your soul at the end, Roman said. When Beethoven goes for joy, its deep and bubbly.

The duo also will play minimalist Estonian composer Arvo Parts Fratres for Cello and Piano (1977). Part describes the music of this period as tintinnabuli  like the ringing of bells.

He has a huge cult following, Roman said. He goes into these states of experience and states of mind. You can really dive into it emotionally.

The composer LeoA Janacek based his Pohadka for Cello and Piano on a Czech fairy tale.

Its one of those classic Czech stories that includes a prince, a lord of the underworld and a forest and a princess and magic, Roman said. All of these pieces of the story are manifested in little motifs and its just beautiful.

The concert will end with Beethovens Sonata in C Major for Cello and Piano. The composer wrote it between the end of 1812 and 1817, during which time the ailing genius experienced a period of literal and figurative silence as his deafness became overwhelmingly profound and his productivity diminished.

The Beethoven is like nature, Roman said. Its this epic sonata and one of my favorite pieces of his. He ends warmly rather than going for the big, splashy finish. The second movement is so devastatingly beautiful. The third movement is this wild scherzo. The last movement almost feels like a hug.

Roman played the Taos Music Festival as a student.

I think I was 18 or 19, he said.
SANTA FE  The state House on Saturday narrowly approved a proposal aimed at pumping more money into the lottery fund that provides scholarships to New Mexico college students.

But opponents of the legislation said it would have the opposite effect because it would remove a requirement that 30 percent of the revenue generated by the lottery go into a scholarship fund.

House Bill 147 now heads to the Senate, where a similar measure passed last year.

This years proposal, however, was heavily amended during a 90-minute debate on the House floor.

Skeptics of the bill won approval for a variety of changes  over the objection of Rep. Jim Smith, R-Tijeras, sponsor of the legislation.

The changes would guarantee that at least $40 million of lottery revenue would go to the scholarship fund each year, or $2 million more than Smith had proposed.

Another amendment would cap the amount the lottery can spend on operating expenses at 15 percent of total revenue.

But Smith asked his colleagues to support the final version of the bill, even with the amendments hed opposed. Removing the requirement that 30 percent of the money go to scholarships, he argued, would give the lottery more flexibility to boost prizes  a move that would, in turn, motivate more people to play.

The net effect, Smith said, is that more money, not less, would go to scholarships.

Were trying to raise revenues, he said.

The House approved the measure 37-30. The vote didnt fall along partisan lines.

Democrats voted 20-15 for the bill. Among Republicans, the vote was 17 for and 15 against.

And two of Smiths fellow GOP representatives led efforts to amend or oppose the bill.

Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, won approval for the amendment capping the lotterys operating costs.

Im not comfortable with the idea of kind of giving a blank check to the lottery for operating expenses, Harper said.

And Rep. James Townsend, R-Artesia, criticized the concept of trying to attract more players. The lottery, he said, preys on the poor by motivating them to spend money playing a game they have little chance of winning.

Democratic Rep. Matthew McQueen of Galisteo won approval for the amendment boosting the minimum going to the scholarship fund to $40 million.

We want to make sure were getting the money our kids deserve, he said.

Supporters of the legislation, meanwhile, were fairly quiet during the debate, though they ultimately made up the majority.

Passage of the legislation comes as the lottery-backed scholarship fund struggles to keep up with rising tuition costs. About 26,000 New Mexico college students get the scholarship annually, but its value has diminished to cover an average of 60 percent of their tuition  down from 90 percent last year.

In other action:

 On a vote that cut against traditional party positions, Democratic members of a House committee voted to table a Republican-backed bill that would increase minimum teacher pay.

The legislation divided the states two largest teachers unions, and critics argued it represented an unfunded mandate that could lead to disillusionment among veteran educators.

 The state House rejected  at least for now  a proposal that would have required New Mexico drivers to affix license plates to the front and back of their vehicles, not just the back.

A motion to pass House Bill 158 failed on a 27-38 vote. But the House, on a voice vote, later agreed to reconsider and place the bill on the calendar, meaning it can be taken up again at some point.

Supporters argued it would help law enforcement officers and could lead to a decrease in auto theft rates.

Opponents said they heard repeatedly from constituents who said they like the current system, especially the ability to put decorative plates on the front.

Journal Capitol Bureau Chief Dan Boyd contributed to this article.
Joseph Lopez had a chilling answer when investigators asked why he had shot a 19-year-old woman in the head around Christmas and then left her body in a rural area near Denver: she asked him to.

Lopez said that Natalie Bollinger had put an ad on Craigslist that said I want to put a hit on myself, according to an affidavit obtained by Denver ABC-affiliate KMGH. Lopez responded.

Lopez, 22, was charged Thursday with first-degree murder in the Dec. 28 killing of Bollinger. He is in jail with no bond, scheduled to appear in court again on Wednesday in a case that has shaken this part of Colorado since late last year.

Investigators in Adams County, Coloroad, have been poring over Bollingers social media accounts  and putting pressure on her friends and anyone else who may have known what happened  since her body was discovered a day after she was reported missing, Adams County Sheriff Mike McIntosh said in a news conference.

Police discovered the Bloomfield teens body off Riverdale Road on the property of McIntosh Dairy farm a day after her boyfriend reported her missing on Dec. 28.

The affidavit recounts what Lopez told authorities, not necessarily what detectives believe.

Two huge questions remain for authorities: Why did Bollinger have enough heroin in her system to kill her when she was shot? And did the suicidal thoughts that friends said Bollinger previously expressed play a role in her death?

After the killing, investigators initially focused on Shawn Shwartz, a man who Bollinger had at one point obtained a restraining order against, according to the affidavit.

Hed been posting repeatedly on Facebook about Bollingers death, and in early January, those posts appeared to threaten self-harm, according to the Broomfield Enterprise. He was charged on Jan. 10 with assaulting police officers who were conducting a welfare check on him.

Shwartz told the Daily Camera that hes been questioned by police, but maintains he has done nothing wrong  and that Bollinger was his friend.

Lopez, the man accused of killing Bollinger, had not known her for very long, McIntosh said at the news conference.

Investigators said they had singled out Lopez after interviewing Bollingers friends and sifting through her messages.

They asked him Thursday as he arrived for work at Dominos Pizza if he was willing to answer some questions, the Denver Channel reported.

According to the arrest affidavit, he said he was pretty sure he knew what we were there for . . . he was sure it had to do with the girl he talked to on Craigslist.

He then told investigators how he had come in contact with Bollinger, according to the affidavit.

He said he stumbled across a strange ad combing through the Women seeking Men section on Craigslist, according to Denver NBC-affiliate WBGA, and then messaged Bollinger pretending to be a hit man. He agreed to meet and kill her after a long conversation via text. Authorities uncovered more than 100 text messages between the pair.

They discussed how she wanted to be killed, and how he would be paid afterward. As they drove around, he said in the affidavit, he tried to talk her out of it, but she was adamant. Shed even brought her own gun, he said.

He initially denied he was with her when she died, but investigators countered with evidence that showed his cellphone at the scene of the crime, the affidavit said.

Then he told them about Bollingers final moment, according to court documents.

He said Bollinger knelt down on the ground and that he knelt down along her left side and slightly in front of her. He then claimed they both said a prayer, he got up, closed his eyes and shot the teen.

Then, he told investigators, he fled with Bollingers purse and the gun.

Investigators say Bollingers body had a lethal amount of heroin in it when she was found, although the gunshot was the cause of death.

McIntosh was adamant at Fridays news conference that investigators may not have uncovered the true motive.

Just because we have a suspect in custody, doesnt mean the investigation is over, McIntosh said.
BALTIMORE  Diagnosed with stage 3 cancer at age 32, Karol Contreras was already scared and unsettled.

The thought of discussing her condition and treatment with doctors only added to her anxiety. Contreras grew up in Honduras; her English is limited.

An acquaintance connected her with Nueva VIDA, a nonprofit that provided a bilingual mentor to accompany her to appointments at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson. Nueva Vida  Spanish for New Life  provides culturally sensitive cancer support services for Latino families in the Baltimore, Washington and Richmond, Va., areas.

She made me feel more comfortable, Contreras said through an interpreter. Two years after her diagnosis, Contreras is now cancer-free. Other Hispanic women are not as fortunate.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanic women, in part because many are not knowledgeable about the U.S. health care system or fluent in English. While they are less likely to get breast cancer than other ethnic groups, Hispanic women who are diagnosed are 20 percent more likely than white women to die from the disease. They are more likely to learn they have breast cancer at later stages of the disease, when tumors are larger.

The disparity persists, even as hospitals and nonprofits have pumped more resources into programs targeting Hispanic women.

It is an important issue, said Carol DeSantis, director of breast and gynecological cancer surveillance at the American Cancer Society. One problem might be that they dont think it affects them. But they should be getting screened, because it does affect Hispanic women. They want to catch it as soon as possible in order to improve their chances of survival.

Doctors, nurses and advocates for patients blame the disparity on factors both medical  higher rates of diabetes  and sociological: cultural differences, language barriers and a desire to stay under the radar as anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States increases. All these factors have created obstacles that prevent women from getting screened, diagnosed and treated.

Sometimes they have different ideas about breast cancer and screening and treatment, said Kim Schmulowitz, a spokeswoman for Susan G. Komen Maryland. A lot of times it is about educating them about when to get screened and dispelling some of the myths they might have about breast cancer.

Komen, which has set a goal of reducing breast cancer death rates in the United States by 50 percent by 2026, funds Nueva VIDA and other programs that target Hispanics. The group believes it can reduce death rates by a third by addressing disparities among vulnerable populations, such as Hispanics and African-Americans.

Komen and other groups have found that doing educational outreach to Hispanic communities, and hiring bilingual workers to help with doctor appointments and paperwork, have helped reduce gaps in screening, diagnosis and treatment.

The University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center hired a Hispanic outreach worker in 2014.

She is right there with them, said Rhonda Silva, division administrator for the centers Baltimore outreach program. She will hold their hand and sit with them and hug them. She speaks their language and helps them understand whats going on.

The center has found that many Hispanic women cant take time off from work to see a doctor. Many work minimum-wage, hourly jobs and cant afford to not get paid, or worse, to get fired. Others dont know about checking their breasts for unusual lumps, or that good nutrition can improve breast health. Some dont know whether there is a history of breast cancer in their family, because its not as widely discussed in the Hispanic community as it is among other groups.

Health advocates say that some Hispanic women, whether or not they are in the United States legally, have avoided seeing doctors or showing identification to medical workers as the Trump administration has increased enforcement against undocumented immigrants.

Avonne Connor, an assistant professor of epidemiology and oncology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said more research needs to be done into how biological factors and lifestyle affect breast cancer in Hispanic women. Even as more Hispanic women are screened for breast cancer, she said, the numbers of those dying have not improved proportionately  which leads her to believe there might be other reasons for the disparities.

Connor has studied the association between diabetes and obesity and their effects on the mortality rates of Hispanic women diagnosed with breast cancer in the San Francisco Bay area, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona. She found that the prevalence of diabetes and obesity was significantly higher in Hispanics than in white women. Breast cancer mortality was higher among diabetics than among non-diabetics, and the difference was more pronounced among Hispanic women.

Other researchers have linked the high glucose levels, high insulin levels and increased inflammation caused by type 2 diabetes to the development of breast cancer.

I feel like there have been large improvements with getting the message out about early detection, Connor said. Maybe we need to do behavioral intervention earlier rather than later.

Contreras breast cancer was diagnosed through St. Josephs One Voice program. The hospital has scheduled times when an English-Spanish interpreter is present to assist with screenings. The women can then get treatment if they are diagnosed. Doctors and nurses have learned key phrases in Spanish to help the patients feel more comfortable.

This was a group that was underrepresented and we needed a way to reach them, said Dr. Ethan Rogers, a surgical oncologist at the hospitals breast center.

Sandra Villa de Leon, Baltimore program coordinator for Nueva VIDA, took Contreras to the One Voice program. She went with Contreras to many of her doctor appointments, helped to interpret and tried to make her feel more comfortable.

Contreras didnt have insurance, so Villa de Leon helped her get into a state program that pays for breast cancer treatment for low-income women.

Contreras has a 5-year-old daughter. She worried she could be left without a mother.

I was so scared at first, she said.

She said Villa de Leon helped smooth the process. Contreras now goes to follow-up appointments by herself. Villa de Leon still checks on Contreras from time to time.

Villa de Leon said Hispanic breast cancer patients once were lost in the system.

We have prevented many people from dying, she said.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A key Senate committee rolled out changes Saturday to a $6.3 billion spending plan  including more money for prosecution efforts in Albuquerque  that appeared aimed at addressing concerns raised by Gov. Susana Martinez.

New Mexico judges, corrections officers and State Police officers would receive larger salary increases starting in July under amendments the Senate Finance Committee tacked on to a spending plan the House had passed by a decisive margin.

Martinez, the states two-term Republican governor, had blasted the original House spending plan as a soft on crime budget and also called for it to be revised.

One big change added by the Senate Finance Committee would be an additional $2 million in recurring dollars for Bernalillo County District Attorney Raul Torrezs office.

Torrez has sought a big funding hike  of roughly 30 percent  to keep up with an Albuquerque crime wave, and the revised budget bill would provide most of his request. He had sought a base budget increase of $5.4 million to hire more prosecutors and increase pay levels. The Senate committees revised bill would allocate $4.3 million.

A Martinez spokesman said the Governors Office was still reviewing the changes made by the Senate Finance Committee, which had spent days dissecting the budget behind closed doors before rolling out its proposed amendments on Saturday.

The governor has made it clear New Mexicans deserve a budget that focuses on fighting crime, prioritizes education and grows our economy, Martinez spokesman Larry Behrens said.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, said after Saturdays vote that Martinez, who is in her final year as governor, should think twice before vetoing the budget bill.

I think the governor better scrutinize this slowly before she does something like that, Smith told reporters. She might not like (the budgets contents) if she gets it a second time.

New money

Overall, the revised spending plan would use an oil-driven uptick in revenue to boost state spending by nearly $260 million  or roughly 4.1 percent  over current levels.

Specifically, it would authorize $54 million in one-time funding for road projects statewide, $10 million to improve highway rest areas and $10 million to build a new hangar at Spaceport America, near Truth or Consequences.

In addition, the Senate Finance Committees plan would appropriate $10 million to school districts statewide to help restore some of their cash balances. Lawmakers took more than $40 million from districts statewide last year to help plug a gaping budget hole.

The states budget outlook has improved dramatically in recent months, due primarily to a surge in oil production in southeast New Mexico.

But Smith cautioned Saturday that New Mexico still faces revenue uncertainty on several fronts  including volatile energy prices, an uncertain stock market and a coming ruling in a lawsuit over the adequacy of state education funding levels.

Right now, we feel pretty positive  but our numbers are reflecting a reliance on oil and gas, Smith said.

The spending plan approved Saturday by the Senate Finance Committee would use most  but not all  of the $292 million in new money projected for the fiscal year that starts in July. New money is defined as available revenue above current spending levels.

In all, it would set aside more than $632 million  or roughly 10 percent of state spending  in cash reserves. The states reserves were largely depleted last year, after two consecutive years of lower-than-expected revenue collections prompted spending cuts and other budget-balancing maneuvers.

Pay hikes

Most state employees have not received pay raises since 2014, and the spending plan would provide a 2 percent salary bump for rank-and-file workers. Starting teacher pay would also go up  from $34,000 to $36,000 a year  and all educators would get a 2.5 percent salary increase.

The biggest salary increases would be for State Police and corrections officers, who would get even larger pay raises than under the House-approved plan. Judges would be in line for a 6.5 percent pay raise, as would prosecutors and public defenders.

Meanwhile, with New Mexico poverty rates still among the nations highest, the bill also calls for more money to be spent on child-care assistance and early kindergarten programs.

The revised budget plan could be debated on the Senate floor by as soon as Monday, Smith said. If approved, it would then have to go back for final approval in the House before the 30-day legislative session ends Thursday.
SANTA FE  The state House overwhelmingly passed legislation Saturday that would direct high schools to text the parents of students who fall behind on their grades or face a big test.

House Minority Leader Nate Gentry, a Republican, and Democratic Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, both of Albuquerque co-sponsored the proposal, House Bill 332.

It now goes the Senate, and Gov. Susana Martinezs approval would also be required.

Gentry said the proposal is a cost-effective strategy thats been shown to improve student performance.

The text notifications to parents would be required when a high school students Grade Point Average falls bellow 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or below 70 percent on a scale that goes to 100.

The notifications would also go out two days before certain tests  a state-, school-district- or charter-school-required assessment.

The bill passed 64-3.

Given the dismal statistics on the status of educational outcomes in New Mexico, Gentry said in a written statement, it would be legislative malpractice for us to stand by and do nothing to improve student performance in our state. Text notifications work. The idea has been backed by countless academic studies. It is an easy, low-cost way to help our children succeed.
Federal labor law allows unions to force workers to support them as a condition of employment. To my mind, this is a clear violation of those workers First Amendment freedoms of speech and assembly.

If a union wins an election in your workplace, you are not allowed to bargain directly with your employer. Only the union can do that. And you will be covered by the collective bargaining agreement whether you like it or not. You can also be forced to financially support the union whether you think the union is doing a good job or not.

Fortunately, there is a legal remedy to this forced unionization: right to work, or as some have called it, freedom to choose. What a great concept in our country, we can choose our own path!

Freedom to choose simply allows workers to opt out of union membership and dues without fear of losing their job if they decide thats the path that works for them. Up until now, its state legislatures that have passed right-to-work laws. Thankfully, 28 states have now done so  including Missouri and Kentucky last year.

Whats interesting is a federal court recently ruled that counties and municipalities can pass their own right to work as local ordinances. In fact, 12 counties in Kentucky have passed such ordinances, which have withstood a substantial legal challenge from organized labor. In addition, the towns of Seaford, Del., and Lincolnshire, Ill., have passed their own ordinances.

In light of these developments, I have been happy to sponsor with my friend Commissioner Dave Heil a right-to-work ordinance for Sandoval County. The commission (voted to approve this in) January.

Why do we need this for our people? Quite simply, New Mexico competes for jobs with our neighbors in Arizona, Texas, Utah and Oklahoma. More often than not, we lose. And what do our neighbors have that we dont?

All of those states are right to work. And they have the jobs, and we are left behind.

Many site selectors for companies looking at new areas for expansion tell us that right to work is pass/fail for those kinds of discussions. It may not guarantee that youll get that factory built or that company to relocate, but if you arent right to work, youre not even in the mix. Our people deserve the opportunity to compete!

Union leaders will argue that right to work is an attack on unions. Not true. Workers under right to work are perfectly free to join and support unions. In fact, many right-to-work states have seen tremendous growth in union membership in recent years. For example, in 2014, right-to-work Tennessee experienced the highest union membership growth in the country.

And a recent study by Lloyd Corder of Carnegie-Mellon University found union members in right-to-work states report higher satisfaction with the performance of their union: 77 percent of union members in right-to-work states were satisfied with the working conditions of their contract, compared to 71 percent of those in (non-right-to-work) states.

So right-to-work is good for unions, good for workers and good for businesses.

In conjunction with our $2.9 million economic development package, right to work will mean more jobs with better pay for our community, and just as importantly, more freedom.

It is time we move our county and state forward instead of being left behind.
Its well-known that some of President Donald Trumps associates in the 2016 campaign got into legal trouble in part for failing to register as foreign agents with the federal government.

But a spokesman hired by New Mexico Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham said he complied with the same government rule that Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos famously flouted  and it appears to have cost him his job.

Ron Eckstein started work as the Democratic congresswomans communications director last Monday. On Wednesday, a government watchdog website called LegisStorm that tracks congressional pay and staffing issued a press release with this headline: Caught Our Eye: Rep. Lujan Grisham adds foreign agent to comms team.

The mysterious item piqued my curiosity, so I immediately asked Eckstein about it via email.

Not technically accurate, but funny, he replied.

Eckstein, who had previously worked for other Democratic members of Congress, said he left Capitol Hill to take a communications job with the private sector firm Rasky Partners Inc. in 2012-2013. The company has a diverse roster of clients and offices in Washington and Boston. One of the clients assigned to Eckstein was the government of Hungary. The LegisStorm press release said Eckstein reported doing media-relations and strategic-communications work on behalf of the Hungarian Ministry of Public Administration and Justice. Eckstein told me he simply followed all the required disclosure rules, and that included registering with the DOJ (Department of Justice) under the FARA Foreign Agents Registration Act.

I havent worked for any foreign governments or renewed my FARA filing since, so its not accurate to say I am a foreign agent, he said. I guess you could say Im a former foreign agent, but that really sounds a lot more glamorous and inflammatory than anything Ive actually done. But saying Im currently a foreign agent is simply not accurate.

A day after our email exchange, I asked Eckstein about another subject, and he informed me hed been fired because of the LegisStorm headline. He said Lujan Grishams chief-of-staff, Natalie Armijo, was spooked by the special agent characterization, and told him the office would no longer be needing his services.

Im sad because I think (Lujan Grisham) is a good congresswoman, and I was excited to work for her this year, a dejected-sounding Eckstein told me in a telephone call Thursday, adding that he viewed his firing as completely unnecessary.

I understand they want to protect the congresswoman, but I really dont think I was damaging, he said, while noting he didnt want to disparage the office.

Eckstein said he did not get a chance to discuss it with the congresswoman before he cleared out his desk. I asked Armijo and Nathan Schelble, Lujans legislative director, about the dismissal. Schelble said they couldnt discuss Ecksteins firing.

We cant disclose employee confidential information, he said. We enjoyed Rons stay here and we wish him the best, but it didnt work out.

Its worth noting that Hungarys government has veered right in recent years, and some human rights advocates are worried that Budapest is becoming more authoritarian under Prime Minister Viktor Orbans regime. Orban is widely expected to win re-election this spring. Eckstein said the Hungarian government he worked for  at least at the time  was center right.

I have nothing to hide, he said. I worked for a PR firm that had Hungary as a client.

Lujan Grisham is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor of New Mexico. In light of the Russian scandal that surrounds the Trump administration, its safe to say she wanted to avoid any whiff of foreign agents playing on her team.

Good luck to Eckstein in his suddenly renewed job hunt. He was an amiable, responsive and competent professional in my brief dealings with him.

E-mail: mcoleman@abqjournal.com. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
The legislative session ends in just four short days.

That means lawmakers will be working late into the night  and likely into the wee hours of the morning  to get important legislation across the finish line and onto the governors desk.

Those that should be passed

GUARDIANSHIP: Lawmakers need to adopt legislation to address the massive abuses of our states closed legal guardianship/conservator system. Senate Bill 19  which cleared the Senate by a unanimous vote last week  has four key reforms that must be implemented this session. Those key reforms include: opening court hearings that are now closed, giving family members more access to guardianship records, ensuring visitation would not be as easily thwarted by commercial guardians, and requiring non-family conservators to post sufficient bonds in case financial impropriety occurs.

While there are problems with other aspects of the bill, which we hope the House addresses, its crucial these four elements be enacted this session to protect New Mexicos most vulnerable citizens, especially after the recent revelations that millions of dollars have been embezzled from guardian or conservator clients.

DA FUNDING: Second Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez, a Democrat, is asking for a budget increase of about $5.4 million. It would allow him to hire 20 more prosecutors who, combined, could handle about 1,600 more felony cases. The need for the additional funds is obvious. Both violent and property crime in Albuquerque has skyrocketed. Unfortunately, Torrez has faced an uphill battle, with the House approving a $2.3 million increase in his base budget (and additional one-time funds). However, the Senate Finance Committee is offering a reasonable compromise at $4.3 million. Lawmakers should give Torrez the resources he needs to get a handle on the crime problem. Failing to do so puts Albuquerque, and the whole state, at risk.

TAX REFORM: House Bill 4 would impose gross receipts taxes on internet sales and not-for-profit hospital services. Imposing GRTs on online sales would level the playing field for New Mexico brick-and mortar retailers, which is critical. And it would put New Mexicos not-for-profit hospitals on equal footing with for-profit hospitals such as those owned by Lovelace Health Systems, which is already paying state gross receipts taxes.

However, the bill would also change personal income tax rates, increasing the top rate and reducing tax rates for some households. An analysis by the state Taxation and Revenue Department estimates that the proposed changes to the personal income tax rates would have a negative impact on revenue. Lawmakers should pass the GRT reforms but table the proposed changes to the personal income tax structure to allow for a thorough vetting of those changes.

CARLSBAD BRINE WELL: Its one of those projects that isnt flashy or exciting; in fact, its the equivalent of pouring millions of dollars into a hole. But state lawmakers and Gov. Martinez should come up with the funding to address the Carlsbad Brine Well, which is on the verge of collapse. A collapse would result in an estimated $750 million in direct loss, including serious damage to two state highways, an irrigation canal that feeds nearby farmland, an aquifer, a mobile home park and a church. Waiting until next legislative session to find the money for this project would be the equivalent of playing Russian roulette.

STEP THERAPY: Senate Bill 11, a bipartisan proposal, is aimed at improving the regulation of step therapy  the practice of requiring patients to try cheaper drugs before more expensive ones. This bill would create an appeals process if a patient is denied his or her ideal drug. Its important to note that the legislation doesnt do away with step therapy. It merely strikes a balance between insurance companies, who are trying to keep costs low, and patients, many of whom are suffering from debilitating illnesses and shouldnt have to suffer through months of ineffective drugs to get the medicine they need.

PET FOOD FEE: Senate Bill 51 and House Bill 64 are bipartisan proposals that would impose a fee on dog and cat food to help fund spay-neuter programs. The bills would generate nearly $1.4 million a year, once the fee is fully phased in, for programs that help low-income families spay or neuter their pets. The proposal would cost families about $1.38 a year for each dog or cat, and would reduce animal suffering and euthanasia. This is a small price to pay to reduce the number of preventable animal euthanasias in our community.

DWI: There are several bills aimed at chipping away at New Mexicos pervasive DWI problem. House Bill 71 would allow police to obtain warrants for blood tests when individuals are suspected of DWI. Under current state law officers can only obtain warrants for the tests in DWI incidents involving felonies, great bodily injury or death. SB 213 would allow officers to appear for Motor Vehicle Division license revocation proceedings via video conference. HB 266 would add a stipulation that DWI ignition interlock devices can be removed only if a driver has recorded two or fewer tests with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 percent or higher during a six-month period and met other criteria. Currently, the device can be removed after six months, regardless. HB 54 would make individuals with five or more DWI convictions eligible for prosecution under New Mexicos habitual offender statute, increasing the consequence for drivers convicted of DWI while on a suspended or revoked license from a misdemeanor to a fourth-degree felony, and make the charge of great bodily harm by vehicle a second-degree felony.

LOTTERY: House Bill 147 would remove a requirement the lottery put at least 30 percent of its gross revenues into the Legislative Lottery Scholarship program. Three amendments adopted by the House on Saturday make it acceptable. One caps the lotterys operating expenses at 15 percent. Another one raises the minimum guarantee for students from $38 million to $40 million. The third amendment clarifies that unclaimed prize money must go to the scholarship fund in addition to the $40 million minimum. Lawmakers should pass this bill, but only if all three of those protections for students are included.

Those that should die

TAPPING THE PERMANENT FUND: A proposal to take more money out of the states largest permanent fund to pay for early childhood programs narrowly made it through the House last week. While we understand the desire to invest more in early childhood programs, this proposed constitutional amendment misses the mark on two fronts. First, it would damage the financial health of the fund, which already provides hundreds of millions of dollars for schools and other beneficiaries each year. According to the State Investment Council, the state would receive extra annual funding for about 25 years, but after that the state would actually get less than if it had not tapped the fund. The other concern is no detailed plan has been put forth for how the additional $150 million a year for early childhood services would be spent. If this measure makes it through the Legislature, it will go to voters as a constitutional amendment and also needs to be approved by Congress.

SPACEPORT: A proposal to allow Spaceport America to keep secret basic information about its aerospace customers tramples the publics right to know. Despite meetings with government transparency advocates, the bill that has emerged is worse than the one the state agency originally proposed. Under the new Senate Bill 98, even the names of the companies that contract with the SpacePort, built with $200 million in taxpayer money, are allowed to be kept confidential. We understand some confidentiality is needed to compete in the brand new space industry  but this bill goes too far.

By law, the Legislature must wrap up its work by noon Thursday. Theres a great deal riding on their success.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
The murder of a Hispanic New Mexico jailer in 1968  a year of unrest in the United States  has divided residents, scholars and civil rights advocates for decades. Fifty years and two investigations later, one of the most dramatic conflicts of the civil rights era remains unsolved.

On a frigid January evening, assailants abducted Eulogio Salazar in front of his home in the rural community of Tierra Amarilla. His body was later found in a ravine.

Police said the perpetrators viciously pistol-whipped Salazar.

Hysteria followed in northern New Mexico amid racial tensions and a push by Hispanic activists for the return of land they say the government illegally seized from their ancestors in New Mexico and southern Colorado.

I think whoever did it probably went to his grave, Maria Varela, a photographer who worked with civil rights activists in the area, said. But there are people in that community who know who did it.

The murder came as Salazar was preparing to testify against Hispanic rights activist Reies Lopez Tijerina and his followers, who six months earlier led an armed raid of the Tierra Amarilla Courthouse about 150 miles north of Albuquerque.

The raid was connected to age-old land disputes and began after activists from the group La Alianza Federal de Mercedes sought to make a citizens arrest of Santa Fes district attorney.

The group wanted local officials to honor Spanish land grants outlined in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo  the agreement that ended the U.S.-Mexican War of 1848  and give back land to the descendants of Hispanic pioneering families.

Salazar was working at the courthouse as a jailer and was shot during the raid. Afterward, he told then-Gov. David Cargo it was Tijerina who shot him, according to Cargos memoirs.

Tijerina and his followers escaped into a nearby national forest, generating excitement among supporters and fear among others. Their actions helped spark the Chicano Movement  a militant phase of the Mexican-American civil rights struggle.

Salazar was recovering from his wounds when he was killed. His body was found with his car at the foot of a hill 5 miles from his home. The car was nose-down against a snow-banked fence.

There were no witnesses. No one was ever convicted.

But Salazars family says they know who was behind the murder: associates of Tijerina.

Someone did this because blood was boiling, and they were trying to cover their tracks, said Michael Olivas, Salazars cousin and a University of Houston law professor.

Tijerina denied having any role in Salazars killing up until his own death in 2015.

Others say Salazar was a casualty of overzealous law enforcement working to dismantle the growing influence of Mexican-American civil rights groups and thwart activists efforts to reclaim the land they argued was stolen from them.

Tijerina and other Alianza members were under constant surveillance and infiltration by the FBI and New Mexico State Police, said David Correia, author of Properties of Violence: Law and Land Grant Struggle in Northern New Mexico. In fact, scholars have uncovered evidence authorities were trying to provoke Tijerina and his group into a violent confrontation.

When Eulogio Salazar gets killed, thats the context in which hes murdered, Correia said. There was a coordinated, covert campaign to politically delegitimize Alianza.

Salazar was not an Alianza member, but some scholars have suggested he might have changed his mind about testifying against Tijerina, angering authorities. His family disputes that theory.

The truth likely will never come out, said Toney Anaya, a former New Mexico attorney general who oversaw an investigation into the murder nearly 10 years later.

There simply were not enough leads to try to get down to the bottom of who done it, Anaya said.

A report by then-New Mexico Assistant Attorney General Michael Francke faulted the State Police for a sloppy investigation and all but cleared Tijerina and his associates. But it had pages redacted, furthering conspiracy theories.

John Crenshaw, a former Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper reporter who covered the Salazar murder, said despite the many theories, Salazars death cast a cold feeling over the land grant movement.

Talk about a cold case, Crenshaw said. Whoever or for whatever reasons, Id love for the whole world to know after all these years  but I dont think that will ever happen.
Another animal with habitat in New Mexico was added to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services endangered species list on Friday.

The Texas hornshell mussel is the last remaining native freshwater mussel in New Mexico and has a small area of habitat in southeast New Mexico in the Black River, a tributary of the Pecos River, in addition to populations in Texas and Mexico.

Were very pleased, and its none too soon, said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity. This is a little critter that badly needs the protection of its habitat.

Heightened salinity and sediment and the construction of reservoirs along its habitat are among the reasons for the species decline, according to Fish and Wildlife, and the mussel currently occupies just 15 percent of its historic range.

For the populations occupying the smaller reaches (such as the Black River ), a single stochastic event such as a contaminant spill or drought could eliminate an entire population of Texas hornshell, FWS wrote.

FWS estimates that 48,000 mussels live in an 8.7-mile stretch of the Black River.

A population of the mussels was introduced to an area of the Delaware River in southeast New Mexico but was not included in the FWS report.

While the animals significance may not be immediately obvious, advocates say they are critical indicators of a waterways state.

Freshwater mussels are bellwethers for the health of entire river ecosystems, said Taylor Jones, an endangered species advocate for WildEarth Guardians, in a news release. This is an important step towards protecting and restoring healthy, unfragmented rivers.

One of the next steps will be to determine critical habitat areas, where additional protections may be warranted and which could include restrictions on livestock grazing and water pumping.

Oftentimes, its not the designation thats the killer, said Caren Cowan, executive director of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association. Its the critical habitat.

She said she worries that livestock in critical habitat areas may have to be removed or that ranchers in the area will be unable to use the river to water their animals.

Robert McEntyre, a spokesman for the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, said many producers in the affected areas voluntarily participated in Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAAs).

CCAAs, which will be in effect for 30 years in this case, require participants to commit to certain conservation measures with the assurance the landowner will not be subject to additional restrictions or requirements should the species be listed.

McEntyre said the industry believes it was taking enough steps to conserve the mussels habitat, but the decision to list it was expected nonetheless.

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, who represents much of southern New Mexico, said he is concerned that the listing may harm business in that corner of the state and the state as a whole as a result of decreased energy production.

I appreciate the work done to develop voluntary conservation agreements between government and local stakeholders, but am disappointed that these efforts were not given a chance to succeed before the listing, Pearce said in a statement. I will continue to monitor the recovery process as it moves forward to ensure that local communities and economies are not harmed.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

WASHINGTON  The new federal blueprint for U.S. nuclear weapons policy unveiled at the Pentagon this month could mean more work and millions more in federal dollars for Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories in New Mexico, but local critics contend that it puts the nations nuclear complex on a more wasteful path.

The Nuclear Posture Review, ordered by President Donald Trump during his first year in office, is the first since former President Barack Obamas review in 2010.

It was a joint project of the Pentagon, the U.S. State Department and Department of Energy. DOE oversees the National Nuclear Security Administration and New Mexicos weapons labs. LANL in northern New Mexico has long been the nations primary producer of plutonium pits that trigger nuclear weapons while Sandia in Albuquerque maintains, designs and tests the stockpile.

It is clear that our national laboratories, plants and production sites play a vital role in ensuring that the NPR priorities are met, said Dan Brouillette, deputy energy secretary, at a Pentagon briefing to unveil the review on Feb. 2.

The 74-page posture review does not contain a specific price tag, or specify which lab would perform what work, but it offers a revealing look at the Trump administrations nuclear weapons priorities, which include a controversial call for more low-yield capabilities that would allow the Pentagon to respond with relative force to a small-scale nuclear attack by a hostile nation or entity.

Democratic Sen. Tom Udall and Rep. Steve Pearce  the New Mexico delegations lone Republican  both voiced optimism about the roles Sandia and LANL would play under the new presidential directive. Pearce, who is running for governor of New Mexico this year, said the states military bases will also be called upon to help meet the goals outlined in the posture review.

With a focus on modernization and development, the new posture places New Mexico once again in a central role in our national security plan, Pearce said. However, the labs are only part of how New Mexico will contribute to the goals set in the posture. White Sands Missile Range, Holloman Air Force Base and Kirtland Air Force Base are all primed to play a key role in ensuring the Department of Defense and Department of Energy achieve the goals set forth in the posture review. At the end of the day, this posture will continue to keep our labs relevant, funded, and mission critical.

Udall, a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, also said the posture review could further enhance the labs national security role.

No doubt there could be opportunities for the labs in the future especially in the evolving threats realm, Udall said.

Meanwhile, Jay Coghlan, director of Nuclear Watch New Mexico and a close observer of weapons budgets, joins other New Mexico nuclear watchdogs in contending the expensive demand for more plutonium pits and lower-yield nuclear weapons in the Nuclear Posture Review is overkill and a waste of tax dollars.

High costs

A Congressional Budget Office analysis released in late October put the cost of modernizing the nations nuclear weapons complex at $1.2 trillion over the next 30 years. Steve Erhart, acting under secretary for nuclear security and the current administrator the NNSA, told reporters at the Pentagon briefing that the nations nuclear budgets have not kept pace with the need to modernize the weapons complex.

The Trump administrations FY 2019 budget  set for release Monday  will itemize how much money it wants Congress to spend on nuclear weapons next year, although Erhart said the FY 2020 NNSA budget will more closely reflect the documents priorities than the one set for release Monday.

I dont have the final number, because were working on the complete infrastructure plan, Erhart said. It will be significant  and it will need to be sustained investment over the next decade.

Trumps document calls for upgrading the arsenal, including new bomber aircraft, submarines and land-based missiles. It also endorses adhering to existing arms control agreements, including the New START treaty that limits the United States and Russia each to 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads on a maximum of 700 deployed launchers. The treaty, negotiated under President Barack Obama, entered into force in 2011.

LANLs role

Sandia and LANL referred the Journals questions about the Nuclear Posture Review to the NNSA. The Journal asked the NNSA what the Nuclear Posture Review portends for New Mexicos weapons labs, and for a brief interview with an agency official on the issue. The NNSA did not provide the interview or any details about the New Mexico labs role.

But Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, President Trumps nominee to lead the NNSA, told Congress at a hearing Thursday that the manufacture of plutonium pits  traditionally the job of Los Alamos National Laboratory  would be her number one priority in modernizing the NNSA infrastructure. Plutonium pits, about the size of a softball, are the fission cores that trigger a nuclear bomb. In part because of safety lapses, LANL hasnt produced any plutonium pits since 2011.

We do need to have a robust program to ensure that we can make pits  more reserve pits  and make sure we have a sustained capability to produce the number of war-reserved pits, Gordon-Hagerty said. In order to do that, we need to ensure that Congress provides us with the necessary resources. We do not have any more time.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat on the Senate energy committee, told Gordon-Hagerty that Los Alamos is the nations center of excellence for pit production. He noted that in 2014,the Nuclear Weapons Council and Congress endorsed a modular building strategy (as opposed to a big box building) for plutonium pit work at Los Alamos that would fully meet the nations requirement to maintain the stockpile.

But in December, an NNSA study suggested that the agencys 80-pits-a-year goal could be reached more quickly and less expensively at other sites, including Savannah River in South Carolina, instead of at Los Alamos. New Mexicos congressional delegation called the study deeply flawed from the start. At last weeks hearing, Heinrich complained that the NNSAs study totally omitted this current (modular) strategybut instead compared new alternatives to an outdated plan that Los Alamos actually abandoned years ago.

Gordon-Hagerty pledged to reconsider the data and look at it from an objective viewpoint.

I am committed, if confirmed, to take a look at all of the relevant data, she said.

The debate about the future of plutonium pit production could put New Mexicos delegation on a collision course with South Carolinas, which is led by the powerful, hawkish Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Meanwhile, budgets at Sandia in Albuquerque are expected to rise. Funding for the labs nuclear life extension program (maintenance and design work) grew from $986 million in 2016 to $1.1 billion in Trumps current year budget request. Nuclear weapons analysts expect the Sandia dollar amount to grow again when the president unveils his 2019 spending plan on Monday.

Back to Cold War tack

Nuclear Watchs Coghlan said the Nuclear Posture Review expands the NNSAs demand for plutonium pits from previous benchmarks. He said the 2015 Defense Authorization Act called for production of between 50 and 80 plutonium pits per year. The new posture review says the Defense Department now demands at least 80 pits per year by 2030. Coghlan said the increase could push at least some production to Savannah River.

Its mission creep, Coghlan said. The more pits they want to produce the more it tilts to Savannah River for industrial type production. Were going back to a Cold War configuration.

Coghlan said he envisions a scenario in which Los Alamos becomes more tilted to boutique research and development of plutonium pits with Savannah River performing more large-scale assembly line pit production.

Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group, another New Mexico-based nuclear watchdog group, stressed that the posture review is a policy suggestion, not an ironclad plan for NNSA or the labs. He noted that lab budgets didnt always reflect the priorities stated in Obamas 2010 review. But he said the document raises alarms about Russia and other adversaries and could prod Congress to spend more.

Unfortunately, the hard power approach that we see in this NPR eliminates better options as it proceeds and creates the enemies it needs to justify high military expenditures, Mello said. Fear is used to create more fear  and more appropriations. In that sense, our nuclear missiles are aimed at Congress.

Stephen Young, an arms control expert with the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, said Americas three nuclear weapons labs  Los Alamos, Sandia and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California  dont have the resources to take on more work, even if Congress funnels more money to them as the Nuclear Posture Review suggests.

The labs are already running flat out on the current program and the idea that youre going to add on more work to that is just not doable, Young said. They already doing four simultaneous major warhead programs and they want to add more work to that. It is just not realistic.
Rebecca Rodriguez of Albuquerque knew the supposed government employee calling her at 7 a.m. was trying to perpetrate a scam, and she wasted no time in telling him so.

Youre too early to be calling from the government, she told him. I know the government isnt up this time of day.

The 88-year-old woman has a point. Its also true that the government wont call  at any time of the day  to ask you to recite your Medicare number over the phone. In Rodriguezs case, the caller said he just wanted to make sure the card was updated.

Expect more of these kinds of Medicare-related scams as the agency gets ready to send out new cards starting April 1. The new cards will no longer list Social Security numbers  a change ordered by Congress to protect people against identity theft.

The new cards will also no longer show gender or a signature. Instead, they will include a computer-generated Medicare beneficiary identifier made up of 11 numbers and letters. It will be used for billing, to verify eligibility for services and to check the status of a claim. Medicare members have until Dec. 31, 2019, to begin using the new ID. Both the new and current cards will be valid until then.

These changes will make it considerably harder for criminals to steal your identity, according to AARP.

In the meantime, though, scammers are trying to cash in by targeting the 58 million people slated to get the new cards, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Among the reported scams:

 Youre asked for your Social Security number and bank information in order to get the new card. This will never happen with the real Medicare agency.

 Youre asked to pay for your new card. Dont do it. The new card is free.

 Youre told youll lose your Medicare benefits if you dont provide money and personal information. Not true. The free card will be sent automatically, and there will be no associated change in your benefits.



Make a note: Rex Tillerson is not going to contact you with a special offer for an ATM card worth $1.85 million.

In case you didnt know, Tillerson is the secretary of state. Of the United States. Someone claiming to be him has been sending emails telling people they are owed the money, and that he knows this because the FBI and CIA told him.

To get the ATM card, the fake Tillerson says, you have to send in $320 along with some information about yourself, according to the the Federal Trade Commission.

 its not the Secretary of State emailing, nobody owes you $1.85 million dollars (just guessing), and no government agency will ever tell you to pay a fee to collect funds owed to you, the FTC says.



The Better Business Bureau is warning that those quizzes that circulate on Facebook  everything from personality tests to trivia contest  can be a front for stealing private information.

These quizzes may seem like harmless fun  and some are  but many of them are designed to gather personal information about you, the BBB says.

A tip-off can be when a quiz requires that you grant a third-party access to your Facebook profile. For example, a pop-up might appear reading something like, Allowing (whatever the quiz name is) access will let it pull your profile information, photos, your friends info, and other content that it requires to work.

Complying can allow access to any data you share, which can include photos, workplace details and your location.



A spot of good news happened last week when the feds went after an identity theft group whose motto was In Fraud We Trust.

The group, the Infraud Organization, was known as a one-stop shop for cybercriminals that sold stolen credit card information on the dark web, targeting more than 4.3 million credit cards, debit cards and bank accounts worldwide, U.S. prosecutors alleged.

Thirty-six people were indicted in connection with the international identity theft group.

Ellen Marks is assistant business editor at the Albuquerque Journal. Contact her at emarks@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3842 if you are aware of what sounds like a scam.
CLEVELAND  Police in Ohio had previously gone to the home where a man fatally shot two police officers for three domestic disputes but no arrests were ever made, incident reports from the Columbus suburb of Westerville show.

Westerville officers Eric Joering, 39, and Anthony Morelli, 54, were killed shortly after noon Saturday in this normally quiet suburb while responding to a 911 hang-up call.

The suspect, 30-year-old Quentin Smith, was shot and wounded by the officers and taken to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in critical condition Saturday, a Westerville city spokeswoman said. The hospital would not provide updates on his condition Sunday.

Smith was officially charged late Sunday afternoon with two counts of aggravated murder.

A series of 911 calls released by the city of Westerville provide some details about what happened Saturday at a complex of townhomes. Smith lived there with his wife, Candace, and a young daughter.

Westerville police have provided few details about what happened inside the townhome. Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said at a news conference Saturday that Joering, a 16-year veteran, and Morelli, a 30-year-veteran, were shot immediately upon entering the residence. Columbus police are investigating the shootings.

After the initial hang-up call at noon, a dispatcher called the number back and reached a woman who was crying and can be heard saying, wont let me in. Officers are then sent to the home. At 12:12 p.m., an officer tells a dispatcher that its all quiet right now, followed by a door knock. At 12:13 p.m., after a dispatcher confirms contact has been made, a mans voice can be yelling, We have shots fired.

Four minutes later, someone, presumably a police officer, tells a dispatcher: We have two officers down. Child on couch, one at gunpoint. Its unclear at what point Smith was shot.

Other 911 calls show that Candace Smith was hiding in bushes in front of the home, pleading for help because her daughter is still inside the home while a dispatcher calmly tells her to stay there.

Please help, Candace Smith repeats several times in a call at 12:14 p.m. He shot the police officers.

Westerville police had gone to the couples townhome for domestic disputes three times since September of last year. Joering and Morellis names arent listed on those calls.

On Sept. 14, police responded to a call from Candace Smith that her husband was drunk and doing something to her car. A brief narrative from the officers says, No dispute or argument. Candace Smith told officers they were separating, and that he left when she told him she was calling police.

Female has his key so she is not concerned about him coming back, the report said.

A Nov. 29 report said Candace Smith went to the Westerville police station asking about a protection order. She told officers that Quentin Smith had come home drunk earlier in the week and had forced himself on her, the report said. Candace Smith said she had found out that day she had been infected with a sexually transmitted disease, according to the report.

Candace Smith also told officers that her husband had threatened to kill her, their daughter and himself if she left him. She said Smith always carried a gun despite being a convicted felon. Smith was convicted in Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland, of felony burglary and misdemeanor domestic violence charges in 2009 and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Shortly after Candace Smith spoke with police at the Westerville station that day, police went to the home when Quentin Smith called to complain that his wife had locked him out of the house. They were told to stay in separate areas of the home.

On Jan. 20, officers went to the home after Quentin Smiths mother called police to say the couple was arguing. They told police there werent fighting.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that he had reached out to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican and frequent political rival, to express his condolences over the officers deaths.

Trump tweeted: This is a true tragedy!

Trump has long cast himself as a friend of law enforcement and has vowed to toughen punishments for those who wound or kill police officers.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Westerville police went to the home after Smiths mother contacted police in January 2018, not September 2017.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  New Mexico lawmakers are racing to build a financial package aimed at preventing the collapse of an old brine well in Carlsbad  a catastrophe that could damage two busy highways, an irrigation canal and a trailer park.

With just a few days left in this years session, a House committee on Sunday endorsed legislation that would authorize tapping into about $6.4 million in annual revenue generated by taxes levied on the sale of motor vehicles.

The goal is to help raise $35 million to $43 million over the next few years to address the old well, filling it in to prevent a total collapse. The city of Carlsbad and Eddy County would also contribute to the project, and legislators would dedicate some of their capital outlay money.

Diverting about $6.4 million in motor vehicle taxes to help pay for the cleanup would be a temporary measure.

But Rep. Cathrynn Brown, R-Carlsbad, told her colleagues on the House Taxation and Revenue Committee that the proposal is an immediate necessity. The collapse of the well could kill people, she said, in addition to inflicting $750 million in economic damage.

Were better off paying for it now and avoiding catastrophic losses, Brown said.

The proposal, Senate Bill 226, still requires approval by the full House to make it out of the Legislature and to Gov. Susana Martinezs desk. The Senate passed the bill 37-0 last week.

But time is running out. This years 30-day session ends at noon Thursday.

The bill is sponsored by Sens. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, and Carroll Leavell, R-Jal.

Leavell said the wells collapse could damage the intersection of U.S. 180/62 and U.S. 285, perhaps the busiest highway intersection in the region.

You stand a real chance of loss of life, he said Sunday. It couldnt be placed in a more dangerous place in southeast New Mexico, I promise.

The brine well was in operation for roughly 30 years, ending in 2008. State regulators said a similar well wouldnt be approved today, but no one understood the risk at the time it was permitted.

The private company that owned the well filed for bankruptcy protection, and state and local funding is the only option for the cleanup, supporters said.

The well was once used to create saltwater, or brine. Water was pumped in to absorb the salt, then the resulting saltwater was used in oil production.

Two similar wells have already collapsed in remote areas.

George Veni, executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute, told lawmakers that the cavern created by the brine well is already damaging the ground above it.

The collapse is already happening, he said. Its happening right now in slow motion.  This is amazingly urgent.

Monitoring equipment is in place to provide a warning if a collapse appears imminent, but even if people escape in time, supporters of the legislation say, there would be tremendous damage to two highways, an irrigation canal that feeds nearby farmland, a church and other structures.

The bill considered Sunday is the second attempt at finding money for cleanup this year. A Senate committee last month rejected a proposal that would have drawn on a variety of state funds dedicated to environmental cleanup, water projects and roads, among others, over a period of several years.

Sundays proposal cleared the House committee 13-0 and now heads to the full House for consideration.

Parent text bill

The state House overwhelmingly passed legislation late Saturday that would direct high schools to text the parents of students who fall behind on their grades or face a big test. The state House overwhelmingly passed legislation late Saturday that would direct high schools to text the parents of students who fall behind on their grades or face a big test. House Minority Leader Nate Gentry, a Republican, and Democratic Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, both of Albuquerque, co-sponsored the proposal, House Bill 332. Gentry said the proposal is a cost-effective strategy thats been shown to improve student performance. The text notifications to parents would be required when a high school students grade point average falls bellow 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or below 70 percent on a scale that goes to 100. The notifications would also go out two days before certain tests  a state-, school-district- or charter-school-required assessment. The bill, which passed 64-3, now goes to the Senate.




U.S. Rep. John Katko once again has the support of the largest Republican Party organization in central New York.

The Onondaga County Republican Committee endorsed Katko, R-Camillus, for re-election Saturday at its nominating meeting. The vote was unanimous.

Katko is seeking a third term representing the 24th Congressional District, which includes the western portion of Oswego County and all of Cayuga, Onondaga and Wayne counties.

Onondaga County Republican Chairman Tom Dadey, who has supported Katko since his first run for Congress in 2014, said the GOP congressman is delivering results for the community.

"He fought to ensure local interests were protected in reforming our tax code, has worked tirelessly to end the heroin epidemic, and is a leader on national security and infrastructure," Dadey said in a statement. "We're proud to have one of the most productive members of Congress serving our community in Congress and look forward to delivering another overwhelming victory for Congressman Katko in November."
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Aiken City Council meets Monday night for both a work session and a formal meeting.

City Council's work session begins at 5 p.m. with a 7 p.m. meeting to follow. City Council will meet at the Municipal Building  214 Park Ave. S.W.

There are two topics scheduled for the work session: potential development on 190 acres east of Whiskey Road and the Eustis Park community center project.

City Council will meet with property owner Jim Watson, attorney Arthur "Buzz" Rich and realtor Pat Cunning to discuss a "potential mixed use project" for the 190-acre slice located between Corporate Parkway and Oak Grove Road.

City spokesman Tim O'Briant said there will be a presentation from Watson's group. He said the potential development is "not a city-funded or driven project."

Former City Manager John Klimm, on Feb. 9, said he'd been working with Watson for more than a year. Klimm said Watson will "propose... a housing subdivision plan" that offers an "alternative road for traffic on Whiskey (Road)."

O'Briant said a private development in that area would use City services.

A 2005 study, the "Whiskey Road-Powderhouse Road Connector Study," specifically names Oak Grove Road and Corporate Parkway  the parkway is mentioned several times  as possible connections that would alleviate traffic along Whiskey Road.

When City Council discusses the Eustis Park project, they will specifically address a requested budget increase.

The Eustis Park community center project is funded at $3.85 million, according to a letter from Joy Lester, a capital projects sales tax administrator.

The letter says it has been determined that $3.85 million is not enough to "provide citizens with the level of programming needed to meet" requirements set forth by the Parks and Recreation Department and applicable grants.

A $700,000 budget increase, the letter states, is needed.

Lester's letter says the increase could be funded by a combination of previous, unallocated capital projects sales tax money and fiscal year 2018-19 hospitality funds.

The current Eustis Park community center plans include two meetings rooms and a banquet facility. There have been multiple designs over the years.

After the work session, City Council will reassemble for a regularly scheduled meeting.

On the agenda: a budget amendment related to the Carriage Museum and the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame; a first reading of an ordinance to amend subdivision and planning review; and the sale and transfer of four houses in Crosland Park.

City Council first approved a $95,521 budget amendment related to museum repairs on Jan. 22. The amendment, if approved again, will move the money out of a parking garage fund and into a building improvement fund.

The money is being used to repair the Carriage Museum and the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame. The total cost of repairs is $136,458  and that includes a 25 percent contingency, an amount Klimm has described as generous.

The Friends of Hopelands and Rye Patch have pledged $40,937 for the repairs.

A move to amend planning rules is the result of "several minor subdivision requests" coming across the City's planning department desk, according to City Council documents.

Aiken City Council sustains hospitality tax, approves Aiken Mall agreement Aiken City Council met Monday evening and dealt with three major measures, among other things.

A section of the City's regulations designates the Planning Commission as the body that reviews certain variance and subdivision requests.

After consideration and analysis of state codes, it was "recommended" that the Board of Zoning Appeals handle the reviews now, according to City Council documents.

If City Council approves the ordinance Feb. 12, the ordinance will go to the Planning Commission for recommendation. It will then come back to the Council for final say.

City Council will also review four Crosland Park transactions  three sales, one transfer  Monday night.

Three individuals are looking to purchase three city-owned houses in Crosland Park: One will pay $50,000; the second will pay $54,000; and the third will pay $55,500. A fourth house will be transferred to the Second Baptist Community Development Corporation for $1.

Successful transactions would mean the City no longer owns houses in the Crosland Park area. The City would still own several parks and properties there, though.
Although the Islamic State (IS) is near defeat, Syria now risks a confrontation among the major regional and world powers. This turn of events can only be characterized as a failure of imagination and leadership, requiring an urgent rethink of the endgame in Syria. Washington and Moscow can either ramp up for a new and uncertain round of violence or begin a UN Security Council-mandated regional peace process to facilitate long overdue post-conflict stability and reconstruction in Syria and Lebanon, in concert with addressing the Israeli-Palestinian question.

A turnaround in Syria requires a change of mindset. The final chapters of the battle against IS should have been a transition of opportunity rather than crisis. But the situation today is nonetheless in crisis. The "proxy war" approach has turned into something more ominous. US, Russian, Turkish, Iranian and Israeli forces are now all active parties to the conflict. The Syrian actors, and their regional backers, have the potential to become the tail wagging the dog, unless the United States and Russia can turn things around.

The early events of 2018 highlight these alarming trends. Last month Turkey defied US calls for restraint, attacked Afrin and threatened an assault on Manbij, targeting the Peoples Protection Units (YPG). The Kurdish YPG makes up the core of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the principal US partner in Syria. On Feb. 7, US-led coalition forces backed up an SDF retaliatory strike against the Syrian military.

Four days earlier, on Feb. 3, a Russian Su-25 was shot down over Idlib and its pilot killed. Russian forces retaliated against armed groups in the area, reportedly killing 30, and Maxim Suchkov says Russian military engagement in Syria, which has been extensive, may only deepen as a result of the incident. Militarily, the downing of the jet is a pinprick and is unlikely to make Moscow reverse its decision on its troops' presence, Suchkov writes. But the Kremlin is now likely to throw even more weight behind Assad (especially since Moscow has been seeking to leverage Assad lately), beef up its military strikes on the terrorists and uncooperative opposition alike, and be less flexible politically. At the end of the day, Russia believes it now has yet another reason to think its doing the right thing in Syria.

In potentially the most dangerous development, the Israeli military said it had shot down an Iranian drone over Israeli airspace Feb. 10; this was followed by airstrikes against Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria. After an Israeli combat helicopter downed the drone, an Israeli F-16 involved in subsequent strikes crashed after being fired upon and the plane's pilots parachuted to safety in northern Israel.

All this is hardly to the good in a conflict that has cost the Syrian people, and the people of Lebanon and the region, an unacceptable level of tragedy and loss. A statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Feb. 10 said the conduct and management of this war has been utterly shameful from the outset, and the failure to end it marks an epic failure of global diplomacy.

The first steps toward a new approach to Syria should begin in Washington and Moscow, because the local and regional parties cannot make peace alone, and may not have an interest in doing so. The US-Russian military deconfliction channel alone is not enough. There needs to be urgent and joint action at the UN Security Council.

There remains an international and regional consensus to prevent a return of IS. That is a good place to start. Three years ago this month, in February 2014, this column called for a new, regionally based mechanism to address counterterrorism taken up by those countries most affected by the rise of forces affiliated with al-Qaeda and jihadis that would complement both the Geneva talks and international efforts to address the terrorist threat from foreign fighters.

UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (December 2015) calls on member states to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Da'esh), Al-Nusra Front (ANF), and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with Al Qaeda or ISIL  and to eradicate the safe haven they have established over significant parts of Syria.

In that same February 2014 column, we suggested that a renewed focus on the terrorist threat in Syria, including engagement with Iran, could also lead to smoother negotiations for a political transition and humanitarian relief in Syria and the opportunity to start to build a lasting, regionally based mechanism to deal with the growing threat from al-Qaeda and related groups, adding that a discussion with Iran about Syria is a prelude to a broader discussion about Hezbollah, which is at the crux of the US tagging Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. It is Hezbollahs forces who have helped Assad tilt the balance strongly in his favor. But Iran is not going to concede anything on Hezbollah or Assad just because the United States demands Iran do so.

And this again points to a role for Russia, which shares an interest in preventing an Israeli-Iranian conflict, and maintains close ties with Syria and Iran, as well as regular consultations with Israel.

There are no illusions here about the difficulties of the questions that need to be addressed and the depth of conflict among the players. This column has been a consistent backer of the United Nations special envoy for Syria to broker a political settlement along the lines of the Geneva accord. But we cannot bury the lead that the Geneva process has been overtaken by the Astana approach, which has also revealed its limitations, as the de-escalation zones have become conflict zones.

In sum, there should be a de-emphasis on the tactics of the local players, and a priority on the urgency of strategic planning by the global powers, including a new UN Security Council resolution. The Security Council needs to be united, not divided, to bring peace to the region, a forum for action rather than a podium for speeches and recriminations. The questions of war and peace in Syria and the Middle East, it seems to us, are more suited to global powers than open-ended commitments to deconfliction lines in the Syrian desert and standing by our respective partners, which could lead to an unfortunate escalatory spiral and a win for the terrorists we went to Syria to defeat in the first place.
US President Donald Trumps threats to withdraw from the Iran agreement and his defining of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as persona non grata for refusing US-sponsored peace talks with Israel sounded alarm bells in European Union headquarters.

A senior European Union official spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity about the talks between European representatives and US envoy Jason Greenblatt on the sidelines of the Jan. 31 meeting in Brussels of the international donor group for Palestine. The emergency meeting was convened by EUs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and by Norways Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide, following threats by the US administration to cut in half its funding to UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees.

According to the European official, compared with the US threats, Greenblatt sounded more moderate. Discussing the Jerusalem issue and Trumps Middle East peace plan, Greenblatt explicitly said that the borders of Jerusalem will have to be negotiated by the two sides and that Israel will have to pay a price in the upcoming negotiations. He claimed Washington is still working on the parameters of a peace plan, its content and its timing. Greenblatt also said that the decision to cut US aid to UNRWA by $65 million will be revisited. He claimed that Washington has an interest to alleviate the economic hardship in the Gaza Strip to prevent a violent cycle and to reignite Israeli-Palestinian economic cooperation between Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.

The EU official said that Hamdallah, who represented his government at the conference, was not at all impressed by Greenblatts words. He then noted that Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi, who represented Israel, was constructive on the economic front. Most specifically, Hanegbi expressed a willingness to facilitate access to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank for international projects.

EU leadership remains preoccupied, mainly over the strengthening of the pro-Iranian axis in the region, given Trumps virulent anti-Iran position and his boycott of the Palestinian leadership. A Hezbollah-Hamas-Syrian coalition under the guidance of Tehran is definitely possible. Looking for a way out of disagreements over the nuclear deal, the EU decided to engage Washington on the highest levels and also attempt to engage Iran, in order to examine possible minor additions to the nuclear agreement, mostly on wording.

In parallel, the EU plans to approach Washington with a new initiative that could generate the opening of partial negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, with the backing of the international community.

The initiative, which will be developed by senior EU policy planers in Brussels with active French involvement, would include several elements. An essential element is that the Quartet forum  the United States, EU, United Nations and Russia  would serve as an umbrella for talks. Also, the negotiations would deal with the transfer of Palestinian neighborhoods in the East Jerusalem area (outside the Old City) from Israeli jurisdiction to Palestinian jurisdiction as Area B (West Bank area under Palestinian civil control, Israeli security control). The EU will also propose an international East Jerusalem neighborhood development plan.

Brussels believes that a version of such a plan could be acceptable to Washington, provided that Abbas renews all contacts with the administration in order to engage with Israel on peace talks under US auspices.

A senior Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs official reacted to these European plans with condescension. He told Al-Monitor that he was aware of these EU positions, but insisted that Israel will categorically refuse any talks sponsored by the EU and any talks on the future of East Jerusalem neighborhoods. He claimed that in intense daily consultations between the prime ministers office and the White House, mostly on preventing Iran from establishing missile-manufacturing facilities in Lebanon, full understanding on the Palestinian issue was expressed more than once.

This official is probably right. Yet such an EU initiative could be of great value to Israel in reigniting a diplomatic process with the pragmatic elements in the Palestinian Authority, who oppose the pro-Iran axis.
If the Israeli F-16 fighter jet had been struck by the Syrian missile just a few kilometers north of where it was actually hit Feb. 10, it is quite possible that Israel, Iran, Syria and Lebanon would be at war today. In fact, the plane was hit over Israeli territory (the air force does not have to fly over targets in Syria in order to bomb them), and its pilots parachuted out safely  one of them seriously wounded  in Israeli territory, preventing a serious escalation of events. There is nothing in Israel that hits a raw nerve more than when its soldiers are taken prisoner. The last time that happened along the northern front, the Second Lebanon War broke out in 2006. On Feb. 10, we were very close to the third.

For Israel, this was a day of fighting against Iran and Syria, who had the support of Hezbollah and the passive involvement of Russia. According to the Iranian-Shiite coalition, this day of fighting led to what Hezbollah called a new strategic era.

From an Israeli perspective, the results were the exact opposite. Israel announced that it would continue to operate over Syria and Lebanon in order to prevent Iran from establishing itself in these regions. This was the first time that the Israeli and Iranian armies clashed openly, rather than through proxies or under the radar. It was also the first time since 1982 that an Israeli aircraft was downed by Syrias anti-aircraft batteries. And it was the first time in the last 36 years that Israel launched a far-reaching aerial attack on the Syrian air defense system. All of this was the result of Iranian determination to gain a foothold in Syria, and Israeli determination to prevent that from happening. One determined nation against another could result in a major conflagration, but luckily, there is a certain energy operating in the region to cool down situations like this when they happen. None of the players in this dangerous game needs a war right now: not Iran, not Israel, not Hezbollah, not Assad of course, and certainly not the Russians. And so the whole thing ended with just a single day of fighting  at least for now.

On the night of Feb. 9-10, at 4:30 a.m., an unmanned Iranian aircraft penetrated Israel by way of Jordan. The aircraft was picked up and followed by Israeli radar, until it broke west over the Beit Shean Valley (just south of the Sea of Galilee) and penetrated Israeli territory.

The unmanned aircraft was modeled after an American aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, which was shot down over Iran in 2011. It is relatively fast, hard to locate and shoot down, sophisticated and modern. An Apache helicopter was already waiting for it in Israeli territory. The ability of the Israel Defense Forces to identify the aircraft, follow it, wait for it at a precise location and shoot it down in the darkness of night is all laudable. The unmanned aircraft was intentionally downed over Israeli territory so that it could be studied and in order to collect any information it might offer about Irans real capacities.

Furthermore, just a quarter of an hour after the aircraft was shot down, the Israeli air force attacked the mobile caravan from which the drone was operated as it tried to escape the area surrounding the T4 military airport near Palmyra. The Iranian caravan was destroyed in real time, and its Iranian crew was killed. The Israeli air force says this is yet another example of its exceptional ability to act quickly and lethally.

But that was also when the problem occurred. The Israeli aircraft encountered massive Syrian anti-aircraft fire, which included dozens of anti-aircraft missiles of different types. One Israeli aircraft was hit over Israeli territory, and its pilots were forced to abandon it.

At this stage, Israel had to decide what to do next. Should it have contained the incident, make do with an initial response and end it with that, or should Israel have launched a new wave of reaction? The decision was to launch another wave, in which the Israeli air force conducted a massive attack on 12 targets deep in Syrian territory. Of these targets, four were Iranian, while the remaining eight were Syrian. Russian military officials and experts happened to have been at least at one of the targets that was bombed: an airport belonging to the Syrian army.

As this article was being written, released assessments claim that Iran suffered casualties from the Israeli assault, as did the Syrian army. Israel destroyed a large number of Syrian anti-aircraft batteries, mainly SA-5 and SA-17 missiles, including some that were only just received by Syria. A Syrian radar installation upon which the countrys air defense relies was also destroyed. According to a statement by the IDF, this was the most painful blow against Syrias air defense system since the First Lebanon War in 1982. When the smoke finally cleared over this day of fighting, each of the sides could have claimed a heroic victory. In other words, it was a tie, with each side losing valuable assets. Israel paid a steep price for its continued red line policy, Iran paid a price for violating Israeli sovereignty and the Assad regime paid a heavy price for its participation in the incident. Meanwhile, the Russians realized that their achievements in Syria and Lebanon are at risk.

On the evening of Feb. 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The statement released in the wake of this conversation was terse. In fact, the conversation was very serious and tense. The message that Israel has been trying to get through to the Russians for quite a while now  whether in meetings between the two countries leaders or through military and intelligence connections  is that Iran has gone from being an asset operating on behalf of Russian interests into a burden. Israel effectively made quite clear that it would not hesitate to ruin Putins party in Syria if Israel's own interests are harmed. With the devastating blow delivered to Syrian President Bashar al-Assads air defense system Feb. 10, Israel showed how serious it really is. While this may have come at a price, one senior Israeli military official called it absolutely necessary and totally justified. Assad knows that despite everything, he is still vulnerable and that Israel is not some coalition of amateur rebel gangs. We have no intention of giving in, and we have no intention of allowing Iran to establish itself in Syria or complete its precision rocket and missile project. Period, he told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.

For a while now, Israel has been following events at the airport outside Palmyra, which was bombed. According to Israels follow-up, the Iranians arrived there quite a while ago and turned it into another one of their strongholds in the Assad state. Then, on Feb. 10, Israel crossed its own Rubicon by launching a direct attack on Iranian targets operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Behind the scenes, Israel knows how to make it quite clear that if Iran doesnt get the message, Assad will pay the price. In effect, what Israel is trying to do is to take the Assad regime hostage, now that it has finally started to stand on its own two feet again.

The main problem Israel had  and still has  is the Russian presence. How long will Putin restrain himself when confronted with Israels policy? Is Israel approaching Russias red line, risking real friction with the superpower that has located itself along Israels northern borders? Based on the laconic statement by Russias Foreign Ministry, Israel might be. The Russians called on all the parties to respect Syrian sovereignty. Things have reached the stage where more than anything else, Israel needs the protective American umbrella and the Trump administrations active involvement in everything happening in Syria. But despite US President Donald Trumps sharp criticism of everything his predecessor did to diminish American deterrence in the region, the impression for now is that Washington is stronger in words than in deeds. Yet soon it will have to decide which direction it is going to take.
Former Executive Chairman of Google and Alphabet Eric Schmidt is set to join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Visiting Innovation Fellow, the research university announced earlier this month. Mr. Schmidt will officially become part of MITs organization this spring, having agreed to participate in its endeavors for 12 months. Over the next year, the famous tech executive will be the face of MITs plans to spearhead new advancements in the field of machine learning and general artificial intelligence, being set to advise the universitys MIT Intelligence Quest think tank.

While not many specifics regarding his role have yet been provided, the initiative as a whole boasts an extremely broad scope and has yet to publicly share many details on its activities. Its official goal is to address and attempt resolving any issues in the intelligence research segment in an effort to benefit science, technology, and society as a whole. While Mr. Schmidt isnt expected to be directly mentoring any students and will primarily be working with scholars, MIT President L. Rafael Reif said the university is hoping his track record and experience will be both an example and an inspiration to its attendees. The wording of the announcement and MITs previous statements on its Intelligence Quest initiative suggest Mr. Schmidt will be advising the think tank on how to approach innovation from a standpoint of directly addressing global issues instead of just pursuing new technologies for the sake of being disruptive.

The 62-year-old announced his resignation from the position of Alphabets Executive Chairman in late December and officially left the Mountain View, California-based tech giant last month. His net worth is estimated to be at $13.8 billion as of 2018, the majority of which was earned during his 20 years at Google, though he also spent over a decade at Sun Microsystems where he started as its first software engineer and eventually rose through the ranks to the position of Sun Technology Enterprises President. Besides co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Googles success is most often attributed to Mr. Schmidt by most industry watchers. Its presently unclear whether the billionaire will be pursuing other endeavors in the immediate future but he may become more involved in Innovation Endeavors, a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm he co-founded in 2010 with veteran investor Dror Berman.
Ride-hailing service provider Lyft considered the idea of buying the startup whose acquisition got Uber sued by Alphabets self-driving subsidiary Waymo, according to Otto co-founder Lior Ron. While testifying earlier this week as part of the Uber-Waymo trial that ended in an unexpected manner after only five days, Mr. Ron said Ubers purchase of Otto hasnt been guaranteed since the beginning as Googles spin-off claimed when it alleged the autonomous trucking startup and Uber conspired to profit from Waymos trade secrets. Instead, Otto held talks with a variety of suitors, with Lyft being among the most interested parties, according to the entrepreneurs account. Ubers main rival even gave a verbal offer to Otto, with the majority of its bid coming down to equity payments with performance milestones, thus being similar to the deal the startup ended up striking with Uber, selling its operations and technology for just under $600 million, Mr. Ron said.

Lyfts offer never progressed beyond that initial bid whose value remains undisclosed, though Otto also held sale talks with a number of venture capitalists, as well as Google itself, according to the witness. Mr. Ron co-founded Otto in early 2016 with Anthony Levandowski who already sold two of his startup to the Mountain View, California-based tech giant by then, with Google previously buying his 510 Systems and Anthonys Robots. The plaintiff claimed Mr. Levandowski downloaded over 14,000 of its sensitive documents before leaving the unit that would later be spun off into Waymo, accusing Otto of conspiring with Ubers management to benefit from the stolen trade secrets, some of which supposedly made their way to the companys self-driving fleet. Uber denied the allegations and settled for approximately $245 million, with the entirety of that sum coming in the form of an equity payment. The startup also agreed to collaborate with Waymo in order to make sure none of its protected technologies are being used by its own vehicles, though the settlement doesnt require any admission of wrongdoing.

Its currently unclear what prompted Lyft to decide against acquiring Otto or if the approached party ended up rejecting its bid. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi issued a public apology earlier this week, saying the company should have done some things differently in the process of acquiring Otto. The high-profile legal clash that experts are describing as a Tom Clancy novel ended on the fifth day of its trial whose preparations have been undergoing for nearly a year.
Qualcomm faced some online criticism in recent days after Ron Amadeo of Ars Technica accused the company of getting Android Wear killed by remaining uninterested in releasing a successor to the Snapdragon Wear 2100 system-on-chip which officially launched exactly two years ago. Despite entering its third year of commercial availability, the Snapdragon Wear 2100 remains the most capable wearable chip available to manufacturers of Android Wear-powered smartwatches, with the tech blogger claiming that state of affairs is crippling the industry due to Qualcomms monopoly in the wearable segment. The critic argued Qualcomms apathy toward smartwatches is forcing original equipment manufacturers into delivering gadgets powered by a chip built on the 28nm process from 2013 in 2018, adding that the Snapdragon Wear 2100 wasnt a state-of-the-art solution even when it was brand new.

By not following up on its old piece of silicon, Qualcomm is directly preventing the Android Wear ecosystem from growing and maturing, thus not addressing the most common complaints with such wearable devices like their battery life, design, and general performance. The column polarized tech enthusiasts frequenting social media, with many of them joining Mr. Amadeo in his criticism of Qualcomm on platforms such as Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook, whereas a significant portion of people also came out either in defense of the chipmaker or shifted the majority of the blame for the current state of Android Wear to Google. Originally introduced in early 2014, Android Wear received only two truly major iterations in nearly four years and theres currently no indication of another significant upgrade being close to launch, with many interpreting that inconsistent development pattern as a lack of a long-term strategy on Googles part, especially since Android Wear as a whole is much more closed than Android is.

While some industry watchers have been expecting the Alphabet-owned company to lead by example and release a first-party Android Wear smartwatch, possibly as a Pixel-branded product, the firm has yet to give any indication of such a product being in the works. Many critics of the Android Wear ecosystem are also focusing on its overall software experience, claiming no amount of more powerful hardware will make the operating system more intuitive and less buggy if Google doesnt begin dedicating more resources to developing it. As suggested by Broadcoms M&A track record, Qualcomm is likely to officially exit the wearable segment if it ends up merging with the tech giant in the future as it may be restructured to focus on its core business such as smartphone chips and (5G) modems.
According to New York Times, the injured officer was trying to block a road four miles from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. As he got into position, a vehicle attempted to go around the motorcade and, as the police motorcycle moved in to stop it, it got struck.The police officer was taken to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks to be treated for minor injuries. Officials are still investigating the incident, and have not yet released further details.Its still under investigation, but likely the driver of the vehicle will be found at fault, commander Roy Jones of the Simi Valley Police Department was quoted as saying by the New York Times "The officer was thrown off the motorcycle. The vehicle involved in the crash was not part of the motorcade," added Simi Valley Police sergeant Chris Johnson according to CNN The car involved in the crash was a Toyota Highlander and was being driven by a woman. Both she and her son were also taken to the hospital to be treated for non critical injuries. According to the driver's husband, who was also in the Toyota, the woman did not see the police motorcycle.She saw one motorcycle pass, and she was not aware of the other motorcycles, the man told The Independent.The Prime Minister was uninjured in the crash, nor did his vehicle stop following the incident. Images from the scene also show a second police motorcycle on the ground, in the middle of a field of debris resulting from the collision between the two vehicles.
Three people were killed and four badly injured when a sightseeing helicopter went down in the Grand Canyon Saturday. The aircraft was destroyed in the post-crash fire and at least two survivors were seen running from the wreckage before it exploded. The condition of the injured wasnt immediately available. The helicopter was operated by Papillon Airways, which describes itself as the largest aerial sightseeing company in the world. The aircraft was an Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter) EC-130 and was carrying six passengers and the pilot.

An Air Force aircraft helped rescue the four injured in cold, windy conditions. At the time of the crash, a weather station in nearby Meadview, Arizona, reported winds of 25 mph gusting to 40 mph. The crash occurred in a narrow branch of the Grand Canyon called Quartermaster Canyon. Its about 70 miles east of Las Vegas on Hualapai Indian Reservation. Papillon says it flew 600,000 sightseers last year and operates from bases in Las Vegas and in Grand Canyon National Park. It also operates Twin Otter fixed-wing tour aircraft.
The Philippines has canceled a $300 million order for 16 Bell 412 EPI helicopters after the Canadian government expressed concern they might be used in President Rodrigo Dutertes highly controversial campaign to kill insurgents. On Thursday, Philippine military officials tried to assure Canadian officials that the helicopters, which are built at Bells factory in Mirabel, Quebec, would only be used to ferry troops and supplies and evacuate wounded soldiers. But Duterte called his military masters assurances a crazy proposition and told a televised news conference that he absolutely intended to use the helicopters to hunt rebels.

Im buying helicopters because I want to finish them off, said Duterte. I want to tell the armed forces to cut the deal, dont proceed with it and somehow we will look for another supplier. Duterte also canceled a deal with the U.S. for unspecified weapons. Duterte has been almost universally condemned for the alleged extrajudicial killings of an estimated 4,000 drug dealers in a nationwide crackdown on illicit drug activity.
By Trend

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will continue supporting the development of forest resources in Azerbaijan, Melek Cakmak, head of the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan, told Trend.

She said that the FAO together with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the government of Azerbaijan have launched a project to assess the monitoring of the countrys forest resources.

The project will make it possible to carry out inventory of Azerbaijans forest resources, she said. Such a process was last carried out in 1988. It is also planned to strengthen the human resources and technical potential of Azerbaijans Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources as part of the project.

She noted that the inventory will allow Azerbaijan to form forest resources policy, and also to implement projects in this field more successfully.

As part of the project, it is also planned to restore damaged forests in the Gakh and Aghdam districts of Azerbaijan and plant new trees, she said. This will make it possible to protect the land, as well as reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.

Cakmak stressed that the joint work with the population is the most important component of the project.

We need to attract the population to this work, she said. In addition, as part of the program, we plan to support the planting of seedlings. In this sphere alone, we plan to provide jobs for more than 50 people.

She noted that when planting seedlings, special attention will be paid to growing fruit tree seedlings.

Cakmak said that the project will be mainly financed by the GEF, while the FAO and the Azerbaijani government will provide non-material support to the project.

The GEF allocated $1.5 million for this project, while the support of the FAO and the Azerbaijani government (provision of labor force and other resources) can be estimated at $1 million and $2-3 million, respectively, said Cakmak.

Azerbaijan has been a member of the FAO since 1995. The organizations office in the country has been operating since 2007.
By Trend

The Azerbaijani people see no alternative to the policy of national leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev, Malahat Ibrahimgizi, member of the Political Council of the New Azerbaijan Party, MP of Azerbaijan, told Trend.

At the 6th congress of the New Azerbaijan Party, representatives of all strata of society declared that Ilham Aliyev is the only candidate for the presidential election to be held on April 11, she said.

Ibrahimgizi noted that as a result of the Azerbaijani peoples choice back in 2003, a lot of work was carried out in all spheres under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev in all cities of the country, new projects were implemented and economic development was achieved.

The MP added that thanks to the foreign policy pursued by Ilham Aliyev, international organizations adopted decisions recognizing Azerbaijans territorial integrity.

Azerbaijan, having gained 155 votes of the UN member countries, was elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2012-2013, she reminded.

The country has become a beneficial logistics center, which connects many trade routes between the East and the West, the North and the South, she noted.

She also mentioned special role of the head of the Azerbaijani state in the implementation of the historical Silk Road, adding that this is an indicator of Azerbaijans international contribution.

"Therefore, on April 11, the Azerbaijani people will say "yes" to even greater progress, stability and sustainable development," the MP said.

The 6th congress of the New Azerbaijan Party was held in the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku Feb. 8. The decision was made during the congress to nominate chairman of the party Ilham Aliyev as a presidential candidate. The decision was unanimously adopted.
By Trend

Narendra Modi has arrived in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on a landmark visit - the first ever by an Indian prime minister - that Palestinian leaders have hailed as "historic", Al Jazeera reports.

After holding talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Modi said India hoped to see an independent Palestinian state through dialogue.

Earlier he met Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and visited the Yasser Arafat Museum where he laid a wreath.

In a Twitter post on Friday, Modi noted looking forward to "reaffirming our support for the Palestinian people and the development of Palestine".

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that the two leaders will discuss means of enhancing "bilateral relations", and are set to sign a memorandum of understanding.
By Trend

Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sapar Isakov met with Director General of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Khamis Mohamed Buharoon during his participation at the World Government Summit in Dubai (UAE), the press service of the Kyrgyz government said in a message Feb. 11.

The sides discussed the prospects of mutual cooperation at the meeting, says the message.

During the meeting, Isakov spoke about investment opportunities in Kyrgyzstan and the legislation regulating the work of investors.

The banks director general stressed that there is a positive dynamics in the development of bilateral relations between the two countries. He also noted that the bank is ready to contribute to the improvement of trade turnover between the two countries.

Later, Isakov and Buharoon discussed the priority areas of cooperation, in particular, investments in agriculture, tourism and construction of real estate. The sides also discussed the opportunities of cooperation between the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank.

The prime minister invited representatives of the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank to Kyrgyzstan to study investment opportunities.

Buharoon, for his part, emphasized that he is ready to consider the opportunities of investing in Kyrgyzstan. He also confirmed his readiness to visit Kyrgyzstan and study the situation, as well as provide consultations on digital skills for stakeholders, government agencies and local companies.
By Trend

Irans President Hassan Rouhani has once again raised the referendum issue to settle key disputes between the various power wings in Iran.

Addressing the event dedicated to the 39th anniversary of the countrys 1979 revolution on Feb. 11, Rouhani called on various political groups to refer to the Article 59 of the Islamic Republics constitution in disputed issues.

The Article says that the legislature on certain important social, economic, cultural and political issues can be offered to public vote, Rouhani said.

If the two political wings disagree in a certain issue, there is no need to dispute or promote, the solution is ballot box, the Iranian president underlined.

This is one of the capacities of Irans constitution which should be addressed, he added.

The Article 59 of Irans constitution reads: In extremely important economic, political, social, and cultural matters, the functions of the legislature may be exercised through direct recourse to popular vote through a referendum. Any request for such direct recourse to public opinion must be approved by two-thirds of members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (parliament)."

It is not the first time that the Iranian pragmatist president has suggested direct referendums to resolve key disputes with his conservative rivals.

Earlier in 2015, Rouhani in his similar statements said that one of the articles of the constitution that has not been implemented from the beginning, [is] a referendum of the people on the important issues of the country. The constitution tells us that on important economic, social, political or cultural [issues], instead of parliament ratifying a bill, article of the constitution or direct program, a public vote and a referendum will be held.

The remarks raised strong reactions of a number of Iranian hardliners.
The windowsill of Don Rollins' office in the Vidor High School band hall is lined with UIL trophies, two rows deep, celebrating the band's accomplishments.

His Grammy Award for Best Country Song of 2003 is wrapped in foam in a cardboard box under his desk.

The Vidor native, who won the award for co-writing "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" for Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett, returned in 2014 to his hometown and high school, where he runs the program that first got him hooked on music.

Although the Grammy is put away, the office shows signs of time spent in Nashville. Certificates testifying to the success of "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" and a signed photo of Reba McEntire and Carole King adorn the wall, above the racks of guitars and piles of papers on his desk.

On a recent afternoon, Vidor's jazz band practiced in the band hall behind him.

The job takes someone who knows Vidor and its traditions, says Rollins, 56. "It's unique, and it's my hometown."

The Vidor job "requires a lot of weird knowledge," like coordinating fireworks and marching in the dark for homecoming, and directing one of the few military-style bands in the region.

Rollins returned to Southeast Texas from Nashville, where he lived "about two minutes down the lake from Johnny Cash's old place," in 2013 to teach saxophone at Lamar University. A year later he decided to stick around after longtime Vidor band director Ronnie Touchstone retired.

Although he sometimes misses Tennessee's four seasons, "I like what I'm doing and I like where I'm living," he said. "I tend to follow where the music thing leads me."

"The music thing" has taken him to Lamar University, where he studied under Jimmy Simmons, to Nashville, where he worked for music production company Warner/Chappell, and now back to Southeast Texas.

"That's a mistake I see a lot of young talented people make over and over again - they don't go with the flow," Rollins said, and stick to their plans rather than following opportunities.

While still in high school, Rollins played with Simmons' band on jazz nights at Carlo's on Calder. A few years later, he was a student in Simmons' music department, where he "built himself a nest" more quickly than other students.

While Rollins is known for country songs, he's an "extremely talented" jazz and classical musician, Simmons said.

"As a teacher, you just dream of those things happening to your students," he said of Rollins' success in the industry, which he said makes him a model teacher now.

At the college level, "I've always felt you don't want professional teachers, you want professionals to teach," Simmons said, because they have experiences to share with students.

While his days now are filled with some of the "goofy things" a high school band director has to do, Rollins still writes songs several days a week, he said.

"This year, I made some changes," he said, stepping back from playing to make song-writing more of a priority again. He keeps notes in his phone for song ideas, something that's always come naturally, he said.

"I'm as much of an English geek as I am a music one," he said, passing time as a college student in particularly boring college classes writing Shakespearean sonnets.

Rollins said he writes songs in "verses and big clumps, fast."

When he and Jim Brown sat down to write what became their Grammy-winning hit, "we started at 10 o'clock and we were done by lunch," Rollins said.

He was in a Target store when he got a call that Alan Jackson wanted to record the song. Rollins said he and Brown intended for the song to have a "Margaritaville" vibe. He thought Jackson was "way too country for that song."

The decision made more sense when he learned it would be a duet with Buffett. The song went from a demo cut in March 2003 to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart by mid-summer.

"You never know when something's going to resonate," Rollins said. At the time, he was writing five days a week. He can't remember what else he was working on.

"You just flush your brain and go into the next appointment," he said.

Rollins has been writing as long as he's been playing, he said, starting with guitar lessons when he was 7. He picked up the saxophone in high school and "in ninth or 10th grade, something snapped," he said.

"I never was a practice room rat, most of my improving's been done on stage," he said, starting with his first gig at the South Texas State Fair.

That's the advice he gives to his students now, he said, because it's the best way to learn what people like to hear and see their reactions.

"There's nothing like watching the song in front of your audience," he said. "That's what I really recommend."

Although he's written "probably over 1,000 songs," he's still got a few on his bucket list. He would love to write for Tim McGraw or Tricia Yearwood, he said, and "everyone would have loved a George Strait cut."

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/LizTeitz
Illinois Bone & Joint Institute opens walk-in clinic Illinois Bone & Joint Institute opened a walk-in clinic in Arlington Heights, Ill., the company announced Sept. 13. By Patsy Newitt -

21 orthopedic practice mergers, acquisitions & hospital partnerships in 2021 The drive to maintain independence is spurring more orthopedic practices to seek strategic partnerships with other groups, private equity platforms, hospitals and health systems. By Alan Condon -
Mr Blobby, the character who shot to fame on Noel Edmonds House Party (Fiona Hanson/PA)

Noel Edmonds has spoken of how Gary Barlow was annoyed when Mr Blobby denied Take That their first Christmas number one.

Mr Blobbys self-titled track had already spent three weeks on the chart in December 1993 and rose two places as the boy bands single Babe was pipped at the post.

Recalling the incident from 24 years ago, Edmonds told BBC Radio Five Live: Mr B was hugely successful with his number one record That really pissed off Gary Barlow, I tell you.

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The 69-year-old was speaking ahead of his return to television on the BBC in Asian Adventure: The Road To Saigon, where couples will travel 4,000km through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam in classic cars.

Speaking about Noels House Party  a staple of Saturday night TV between 1991 and 1999  he said: I was hired to beat ITV, it was as simple as that. I and Cilla Black would slog it out over a combined audience of 30 million.

It is impossible for me to exaggerate my happiness at having been able to make that kind of television.
An Irish senator says any border between the Republic and Northern Ireland would threaten the peace process. (Brian Lawless/PA)

Any border infrastructure on the island of Ireland would be a clear and present danger to the Northern Ireland peace process, it has been warned.

Irish senator Neal Richmond said repeated warnings against any type of border between Northern Ireland and the Republic were not alarmism.

The Fine Gael EU affairs spokesman warned: Any border and customs infrastructure is a viable threat to the peace process which is only 20 years old on this island.

The Irish Government is a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement as are the British government, so we do have a responsibility to make sure that case is known.

Slight bit of de ja vu discussing #Brexit impact on Irish border but enjoyed going on @pestononsunday https://t.co/XMzvptI3Fk  Neale Richmond (@nealerichmond) February 11, 2018

Speaking on ITVs Peston On Sunday he added: It is not alarmism. We get tired of people saying we are fear-mongering. This is a clear and present danger to our peace process which needs to be tackled.

Last week the PSNIs Chief Constable George Hamilton warned that any infrastructure at the border would become a target for armed groups and pose a danger to his officers.

The terrorists only have to be lucky once to get a result with catastrophic consequences, he said.

The EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Friday that a UK decision to leave the single market and customs union would make Irish border checks unavoidable.

He made his comments after Downing Street said the UK would not be in a customs union after Brexit.
PACEMAKER BELFAST 10/02/2018 A search operation is under way in Ballymena, County Antrim, after reports that a person has fallen into the Braid River. At least four PSNI Land Rovers and an air ambulance helicopter were deployed near the Ecos Centre, a nature park off the Broughshane Road. The search then moved along the river, towards the Galgorm Castle Golf Club.

PACEMAKER BELFAST 10/02/2018 A search operation is under way in Ballymena, County Antrim, after reports that a person has fallen into the Braid River. At least four PSNI Land Rovers and an air ambulance helicopter were deployed near the Ecos Centre, a nature park off the Broughshane Road. The search then moved along the river, towards the Galgorm Castle Golf Club.

At least four PSNI Land Rovers and an air ambulance helicopter were deployed near the Ecos Centre, a nature park off the Broughshane Road. The search then moved along the river, towards the Galgorm Castle Golf Club. Pacemaker

Kayden (pictured on the right) with his twin, Jayden

A boy, who was swept more than four miles down a fast-flowing river in Northern Ireland before being pulled out by rescue teams, has died in hospital.

Tributes has been paid to five-year-old Kayden Fleck, who was a pupil at the nearby Harryville Primary School.

In a statement issued by the PSNI on behalf of the family said: "Kayden's parents, Darrel and Leanne Fleck have described their 'happy-go-lucky' son as 'your average wee boy' who 'just melted your heart'.

"Darrel and Leanne Fleck described Kayden and his twin brother, Jayden, as the 'two musketeers'.

"The family want to thank each of the agencies who were involved in the search and rescue operation yesterday, and say they are grateful for the community support they have received since."

A Facebook post on the school's page on Saturday night said: Please remember the McGowan family (Kayden's family) in your thoughts and prayers at this very sad time as they mourn the loss of wee Kayden.

The whole school community is remembering you at this sad time.

Leader of the TUV Jim Allister also wrote on Twitter he offered his "heartfelt sympathy".

Writing on Twitter, UUP MLA Doug Beattie said: "Just awful... thoughts are with the family at the most difficult of times."

Awful loss for local Ballymena family in today's river tragedy. Heartfelt sympathy at this terrible time. To lose a child must be nigh unbearable. The emergency services were marvellous but it was not to be enough. So sad.  Jim Allister (@JimAllister) February 10, 2018

A major search operation was launched after Kayden fell into the Braid River near Skye Park in Ballymena, Co Antrim, at around 1pm on Saturday.

He was pulled from the water more than 45 minutes later near Tullaghgarley and immediately airlifted to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, the Community Rescue Service said.

His brother, who also fell into the river, was rescued immediately.

Expand Close A search operation in Ballymena, County Antrim. Credit: PACEMAKER BELFAST / Facebook

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Sean McCarry, regional commander of the organisation, said teams had worked closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), fire service and air ambulance during the multi-agency response.

Mr McCarry said emergency services were alerted at around 1pm after the boy entered the river near the Ecos Centre.

He said: He got swept away quite fast with it, he was travelling quite a distance.

He was doing a mile in under 15 minutes.

A young child pulled from the Braid river in Ballymena earlier today has passed away in hospital. pic.twitter.com/372ouNPO6a  Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) February 10, 2018

Mr McCarry said rescuers were running desperately after the boy, while a police helicopter observed from above and reported any sightings.

The police were co-coordinating and telling us where we needed to go to next and we were just trying to get ahead of him in the river, he said.

Eventually that happened and he was pulled out of the river and put into the air ambulance.

The boy spent more than 45 minutes in the water and travelled a minimum of four miles down the river, Mr McCarry said.

Our thoughts go out to the family," he added.

PSNI Inspector Shaf Ali said: "I would like to thank everyone involved in the search effort and extend my sincerest condolences to the family at this time."
Sinn Feins new leader, Mary Lou McDonald, has accused Irish premier Leo Varadkar of being smarmy.

Mrs McDonald referred to Mr Vardakars penchant for novelty socks and his reference to the film Love Actually during his first visit to Downing Street last year and said: Leo is kind of smarmy.

Her jibe at the Taoiseach comes less than a day after she replaced Gerry Adams as Sinn Fein president during a special party conference in Dublin on Saturday.

It is not the first time Mrs McDonald and Mr Varadkar have clashed.

In September the Taoiseach accused Mrs McDonald of being very cranky and compared her to French far-right leader Marine Le Pen during ill-tempered exchanges in the Dail.

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When asked during an interview with Sky News on Sunday what word she would use to describe Mr Varadkar, Mrs McDonald responded: Smarmy.

She added: Leo is kind of smarmy. Youll have seen him in Number 10 talking about Love Actually and donning various pairs of socks. So, smarmy.

Mrs McDonald said she was hopeful she would see a united Ireland within her lifetime as Sinn Fein president.

I would be hopeful that in the course of my tenure as leader that, yes, we would secure a referendum on unity and we would win it. Its doable, she said.

She described Brexit as an absolute disaster and said it was mutually incompatible with the Good Friday Agreement.

I sense a real resentment amongst Irish people that Ireland becomes collateral damage in a power play with the Tories in Dublin, she said.

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Mrs McDonald said the bread-and-butter and political interests of Ireland demand the entire island stay within the customs union and single market.

It is alarming to hear the mantra from London we are gone, we are out with no sense of the consequence of that.

With crisis talks due to resume at Stormont on Monday aimed at restoring the powersharing executive Mrs McDonald said she was hopeful an agreement could be reached with the DUP.

I think we can do business with Arlene Foster, she said.

Mrs McDonald added that issues remain to be resolved but said they are nothing insurmountable.

She warned that there is a very dangerous level of polarisation in Northern Ireland.

I dont see (the situation in Northern Ireland) returning to the circumstances that fed such an ongoing protracted and deep conflict.

However I am aware that on the ground in the north there has been a level of polarisation that I regard as very dangerous, she said.
A street in north Belfast has been cordoned off following an early-morning incident.

A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said it attended a call from the police in Lismoyne Park near the North Circular Road at around 3.30am.

It is understood police were in attendance at the scene for most of the day.

In a statement a PSNI spokeswoman said: "Police are currently dealing with an incident in the area.

"There are no further details at present."
Bringing Britains energy system back under public ownership is the best way of going green, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has insisted.

He told a party conference on alternative models of ownership on Saturday that Labour needs to take a radical approach to battling climate change.

Mr Corbyn said: The greenest energy is usually the most local. But people have been queuing up for years to connect renewable energy to the national grid.

With the national grid in public hands, we can put tackling climate change at the heart of our energy system. To go green, we need and must take control of our energy.

The Labour leader told the London gathering that the UK should follow a global tide of public ownership.

We can put Britain at the forefront of the wave of change across the world in favour of public, democratic ownership and control of our services and utilities.

Ahead of today's #NewEconomics conference I visited @Outlandish, a successful business in my constituency that transformed into a cooperative to put its workers at the heart of everything it does. Great to see their @space4coop initiative is supporting new co-ops to flourish. pic.twitter.com/NdjJwEHksH  Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) February 10, 2018

From India to Canada, countries across the world are waking up to the fact that privatisation has failed, and taking back control of their public services.

Mr Corbyn pointed to the collapse of Carillion as proof corporate feather bedding did not serve the country as he pledged Labour would bring energy, rail and water under public ownership.

This is not a return to the 20th century model of nationalisation, but to catapult us into 21st century public ownership and public involvement.

The Labour leader promised a safety net for workers who lose out under energy transition similar to the one given by the US government to unemployed veterans after the Second World War.

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The devastation wreaked when our coal mines were closed is a brutal reminder of what can happen when communities are silenced and disregarded in the process of change. Never again.

Our energy system needs to change, but it cannot be workers who pay the price.

So just as the US GI Bill gave education, housing and income support to every unemployed veteran returning from the Second World War, the next Labour government will guarantee that if anyone is displaced by energy transition they will be offered retraining, a new job on equivalent terms and conditions, covered by collective agreements, and fully supported in their housing and income needs through transition.

Mr Corbyn said that the impact of climate change requires action at least as radical as that taken by the 1945 Labour government to rebuild Britains economy after the war.

The challenge of climate change requires us to radically shift the way we organise our economy.

In 1945, elected to govern a country ravaged by six years of war, the great Attlee Labour government knew that the only way to rebuild our economy was through a decisive turn to collective action.

Necessary action to help avert climate catastrophe requires us to be at least as radical.

A green energy system will look radically different to the one we have today.

The past is a centralised system with a few large plants.

The future is decentralised, flexible and diverse, with new sources of energy large and small, from tidal to solar.

Mr Corbyn accused the Government of failing to deal with environmental challenges.

Nobody is fooled by Michael Goves reinvention of himself as an eco-warrior.

Behind the rhetoric lies a trail of environmental destruction.

This is a Government that has licensed fracking, declared a moratorium on renewable levies, while massively subsidising fossil fuels, dithered over tidal, held back onshore wind, U-turned on making all new homes zero carbon and is failing to take the necessary measures to meet our legal commitments to reduce CO2 emissions.

Tory chairman Brandon Lewis said Labour could not say how much energy renationalisation would cost taxpayers.

Labours plan to put politicians in charge of your electricity would mean nowhere to go when things go wrong. This didnt work last time, it would mean worse services, and ordinary working people will end up paying the price.

This Conservative Government is the greenest government ever. We focus on what works for the public, to deliver lower prices and a higher quality service.
Chancellor Philip Hammond will not take part in a co-ordinated bid to set out the Government's Brexit position. (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

There is no plot to gag Cabinet members who want a softer Brexit, Justice Secretary David Gauke has insisted.

The remarks came after it emerged the three leading Cabinet Brexiteers will all give key note speeches on the UKs EU withdrawal stance, but Chancellor Philip Hammond will not take part in the co-ordinated bid to set out the Governments position.

Mr Gauke told ITVs Peston on Sunday: He is not part of the set of speeches that have been outlined today, but that doesnt mean that the Chancellor is not expressing his views both internally in the Cabinet conversations, but also externally.

So, I dont think that there really is anything in this, that this is somehow any kind of plot to gag a particular faction of ministers. I dont think thats a fair characterisation at all.

#Peston asks @DavidGauke, has the PM silenced her Chancellor when it comes to Brexit? pic.twitter.com/ioUYzkMOgG  Peston (@itvpeston) February 11, 2018

In a bid to regain the initiative on Brexit after a rocky few weeks during which Cabinet tensions came to the surface, Prime Minister Theresa May is set to make two keynote addresses.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Brexit Secretary David Davis, and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox will also deliver speeches, but the only minister who backed Remain taking part in the project is Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington.

Mr Johnson will kick-off the Brexit blitz on Wednesday, Valentines Day, with a call for unity over Brexit.

Mrs May will deliver a major speech on post-Brexit UK-EU security in Germany next Saturday, and will round-off the process in about three weeks time with a keynote address on the overall relationship, following a special away day summit of the Cabinet withdrawal committee at Chequers.

However, Tory tensions remained to the fore as former minister and leading rebel Anna Soubry delivered a warning to the PM.

Parliament is not a bystander in the Brexit process, and will not give government a blank cheque. We will get a meaningful vote, and MPs across parties are willing to vote against the government if the deal is against the interests of our constituents. pic.twitter.com/qZXeEqtjsg  ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) February 11, 2018

Asked if she believed there is a majority in the House of Commons to defeat the kind of Brexit the Prime Minister wants, Ms Soubry told BBC1s The Andrew Marr Show: If shes not careful, yes.

Pressed on whether she thought Brexit will definitely happen, Ms Soubry, who appeared on the programme with pro-Europe Labour MP Chuka Umunna, said: Will it definitely happen? I genuinely dont know what is going to happen.

When Mr Marr suggested that Ms Soubry is closer in her politics to Mr Umunna than she is to Jacob Rees-Mogg, she said: Im not denying that.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said the series of withdrawal speeches would set out a Brexit vision.

She told The Andrew Marr Show: What the public want is, they want the vision and they want some meat on the bones.

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Ms Mordaunt insisted she believed a transition period was a given despite claims to the contrary by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

She said: What I would say to the public is that, actually, the other nations involved in this are very pragmatic and have not been impressed with some of the language that the (European) Commission has used.

Asked if it was a Government red line to not have to grant full rights to EU migrants who come to Britain during a transition period, Ms Mordaunt said: It is what we are setting out in our position. Again, all of this is a negotiation.

The wave of speeches comes as a Tory party donor warned the Conservative Party would be decimated at an election unless Mrs May could take the bull by the horns and show strong leadership.

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Tory party donor Sir John Hall warned that the PM needed to stand up and convince everybody that she can be the leader who can stay.

He told the Observer: Shes got to take the bull by the horns and say, this is the road we are going. Do your damnedest  if you want to vote me out, vote me out.

But we have to appear stronger.

He added: If we had an election, I reckon wed be decimated. To me as a donor, the Conservative party has to look at itself in terms of where were going.
Oxfam lied and failed in its moral leadership in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct by aid workers, the International Development Secretary has said.

Penny Mordaunt condemned the behaviour of some Oxfam staff members as a complete betrayal, as she warned the charity the scandal had put its relationship with the Government at risk.

Oxfam is facing mounting criticism over its handling of sex allegations, but has denied it tried to cover up the use of prostitutes by workers in Haiti in 2011.

Ms Mordaunt told BBC1s The Andrew Marr Show that the failure to pass on information to relevant authorities shows an absolute absence of leadership.

International Development Secretary @PennyMordaunt tells #marr she will make clear to #Oxfam that aIf the moral leadership at the top of the organisation is not there, we cannot have you as a partner.a #marr pic.twitter.com/JUlIMGvGlS  The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) February 11, 2018

Asked by Marr if she thought Oxfam had failed in its moral leadership, the Conservative MP replied: Yes, I do.

Ms Mordaunt announced she would meet the charity on Monday to discuss the case, and said: If the moral leadership at the top of the organisation is not there then we can not have you as a partner.

Charities, including Oxfam, have been told they will have funding withdrawn if they fail to comply with authorities over safeguarding issues.

The Charity Commission said on Saturday that it had written to Oxfam as a matter of urgency to request further information.

Our approach to this matter would have been different had the full details that have been reported been disclosed to us at the timeCharity Commission

The regulator said an Oxfam report on the investigation stated there had been no allegations of abuse of beneficiaries and made no mention of any potential sexual crimes involving minors.

Our approach to this matter would have been different had the full details that have been reported been disclosed to us at the time, it said in a statement.

Ms Mordaunt said the charity had also categorically stated to the Department for International Development (DfID) that no harm was done and beneficiaries were not involved.

Marr said: That was a lie, wasnt it?

Ms Mordaunt replied: Well, quite.

"It is a scandal... I am meeting Oxfam tomorrow. I am affording them the opportunity to tell me what happened. To see whether they are showing leadership. They still have more information they have not given the authorities." - @PennyMordaunt on @AndrewMarr9  DFID (@DFID_UK) February 11, 2018

She added that Oxfam had done absolutely the wrong thing by failing to inform authorities about the full details of the allegations.

In a further warning to the charity, she said: If they do not hand over all the information that they have from their investigation and subsequently to the relevant authorities, including the Charity Commission and prosecuting authorities, then I cannot work with them any more as an aid delivery partner.

Four members of Oxfam staff were dismissed and three, including the country director, resigned before the end of the 2011 investigation.

The charity said allegations that under-age girls may have been involved were not proven.

Ms Mordaunt has written to all UK charities which receive UK aid urging them to declare any safeguarding issues, and will also meet the Charity Commission this week to discuss the regulation of organisations overseas.

Former International Secretary Priti Patel said there was a culture of denial in the aid sector about exploitation.

She told BBC Radio 5 Lives Pienaars Politics she was not aware of allegations within Oxfam, but had raised the issue of abuse involving aid workers in disaster zones with DfID while heading the department.

There has been in my view, not just a cover-up with Oxfam, there is a denial, a culture of denial in the aid sector about the exploitation and sexual abuse that has taken place historically for decades, she said.

My former department did not raise this issue with me, I raised it with them through my own investigations and my own research and I challenged them.
A rare bat rescued after being found on the ground when she was just three weeks old has found a companion ahead of her release in the spring.

Merri, a grey long-eared bat, has been recovering at RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Taunton, Somerset, after being rescued back in August 2017.

Her rescuers initially thought the tiny bat would have to fly back into the wild on her own.

But when Gandalf, a male grey long-eared bat, came in to the care of nearby Secret World Wildlife Rescue, bat rehabilitators decided to pair them up so they could be released together.

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India Long, a staff member at RSPCA and bat expert, said: Merri was tiny when she first came in to us  she only weighed 5g and needed round-the-clock care.

She was really frail and close to death. We werent sure if she would make it so its amazing that she has pulled through so well. She has more than doubled in weight.

She had been living alongside brown long-eared bats before Gandalf came along  but they seem to have really hit it off as they cuddle up on one side of the room, and the brown long-eared bats are huddled up together on the other side of the room.

Were all really looking forward to releasing her  and her new friend  back into the wild.

Ms Long says she does not know if their love story will last, although the team are hoping that it will.

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She said: We are going to set up a special bat box for them where they are going to be released in the hope they will roost there.

It has to have an apex roof so they can fit in with their longs ears.

Grey long-eared bats are believed to one of the rarest bats in England and among the rarest mammals.

Ms Long said: Theres thought to be only around 1,000 of them in this country so to have two in the same area that need help and can then be released together is incredible!
Turkey's President Erdogan said a Turkish military helicopter was 'downed' in Syria (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Pool Photo via AP)

Seven soldiers have been killed when a Turkish military helicopter crashed in northern Syria in Ankaras offensive on Syrian Kurdish militia.

Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the helicopter was downed in the Afrin operation.

President Erdogan did not mention by name the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, but hinted they were to blame.

However, the countrys prime minister said soon after that the cause of the crash was not yet clear and investigations were ongoing.

We dont have exact evidence or document to determine that it went down with any outside interference, said Binali Yildirim.

The Turkish military said two soldiers were killed when its attack helicopter crashed and was destroyed. A technical team launched an investigation.

A spokesman for the Kurdish militia, Mustafa Bali, said his fighters brought down the aircraft in Raju, north-west Afrin.

In a video posted online by the YPG-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, a helicopter is seen flying over a tree-lined hill and another helicopter is captured during its crash. A helicopter is seen firing two rockets in the area as plumes of smoke from the crash rise over the trees.

Turkey launched a military offensive on January 20 to oust the YPG from Afrin, citing national security.

Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organisation and an extension of an insurgency within its own borders that has fought for Kurdish autonomy for more than three decades.

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The helicopter is the first aircraft Turkey has announced it has lost since the offensive began. The Turkish president said: We might lose a helicopter but theyll pay the price for this.

In two other statements, the army announced five more Turkish soldiers were killed and nine wounded on Saturday, bringing the military death toll to 26 since January 20.

Syria has been gripped by a new and escalating round of violence in recent weeks.

Aside from the Turkish offensive in Afrin, the Syrian government has escalated its attacks on two of the largest and most important remaining opposition-held areas, in Idlib province in northwestern Syria and on eastern Ghouta, a region near the capital Damascus.

The violence has left hundreds killed and wounded as the Syrian government and its allies sought to consolidate their hold on remaining opposition-controlled areas.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein has called for urgent international action, saying the past week in Syria has been one of the bloodiest periods of the entire conflict.

The commissioner said the no-holds-barred nature of the assault included attacks on nine medical facilities and the death of 277 civilians between February 4 and February 9 in both Idlib and eastern Ghouta.

There were also reports of the government using toxic agents in residential areas.

In eastern Ghouta, nearly 400,000 residents are trapped by a tightening government siege and the violence. At least two million people live in Idlib, the largest area controlled by the opposition.

Even by Syrias atrocious standards, these are exceptionally deplorable developments  and a cruel irony given that both have been declared de-escalation areas, said Mr Al Hussein.

Both Idlib and eastern Ghouta are part of Russia-negotiated de-escalation areas, which are meant to freeze the lines of conflict and allow in humanitarian aid.

Mr Al Hussein said the prevailing climate of impunity and the paralysis of the UN Security Council, divided between allies and foes of the Syrian government, calls for the Syrian conflict to be referred to the International Criminal Court, and a more concerted effort by the parties involved to bring about peace.

The conduct and management of this war has been utterly shameful from the outset, and the failure to end it marks an epic failure of global diplomacy, said Mr Al Hussein.
In this screen grab from an amateur video posted on WhatsApp, a suspect armed with a sword is seen during an attack at the St. Lidwina Church in Sleman, a regency of Indonesias Yogyakarta province, Feb. 11, 2018.

Updated at 12:38 p.m. ET on 2018-02-11

Police shot and wounded a sword-wielding man who attacked a church congregation during Mass on Sunday in Indonesias Yogyakarta province, injuring five people including a German priest, according to local authorities who said they had not determined a motive.

The suspect and the five others who were wounded at the St. Lidwina Church in Slemen regency were being treated on Sunday evening (Jakarta time) at local hospitals for injuries that were not life threatening. Police said they had not yet interviewed the man in custody to determine why he carried out the attack.

We are still investigating the case, Yogyakarta police spokesman Yulianto told BenarNews.

We havent found leads to terrorism yet and it doesnt seem to be terrorism, he said, adding that police also had found no evidence the attack was religiously motivated against members of Indonesias small Christian minority.

But Gen. Ari Dono Sukmanto Ari, the chief of the national polices criminal investigation division, said Densus 88, an elite unit often deployed in counter-terrorist operations, would be sent to Slemen to assist in the case "to examine whether this is actually an act of terror or action by an individual as a lone wolf," according to CNN.

Police in Yogyakarta province identified the suspect as Suliyono, a 23-year-old university student from Banyuwangi regency in East Java province.

Apart from the priest, who was identified as Romo Karl Edmund Prier, 80, a German missionary who has lived in Indonesia since 1964, three of the other injured people were churchgoers. The priest suffered cuts to the back of his head and shoulders, according to an eyewitness account.

The policeman who wounded the attacker with two shots to the legs was injured by the man with the Samurai-like sword as the officer intervened to stop the attack, officials said.

According to eyewitnesses, the Sunday morning attack started when the suspect began shouting from outside the church. Then, he burst into the church, allegedly swinging his sword in all directions.

When he entered, the Mass service had just begun, so all of the congregants were focused on prayers and the priest was at the altar, said Andhi Cahyo, a congregant.

A video of the incident posted on the social media platform WhatsApp showed the suspect dressed in black standing near the altar with his sword and a bag slung over a shoulder, as others appeared to order him to stand down.

Everybody started panicking and screaming. I was scrambling to save my wife and children, Cahyo told Agence France-Presse.

According to reports, the suspect also damaged statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, as well as destroyed some books in the church.

In this photograph shot through a glass window, police investigators examine the interior of St. Lidwina Church in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia, following an attack by a sword-wielding man during Sunday Mass, Feb. 11, 2018. AP

City of Education

The church lies near the provincial capital of Yogyakarta, which is located on Java island and known as the City of Education because of its rich concentration of universities and cultural institutions.

Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim-majority country, is known for its long tradition of religious tolerance and embracing different faiths. But the atmosphere has grown more hostile lately as members of the small Christian minority have been targeted in recent attacks by militants and in religion-fueled campaigns by conservative groups from the majority.

In August 2016, a priest was injured by another knife-wielding man in what appeared to be a botched suicide-bombing attempt at a church in Sumatra, also during Sunday prayer services. In November that year, a small girl was killed in a Molotov cocktail attack at a church in Kalimantan that injured three other children.

And in late 2016 and early 2017, massive street demonstrations by hardline religious organizations called for Jakarta Gov. Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Indonesian and Christian, to be prosecuted over public comments that were deemed as and anti-Muslim and therefore blasphemous. The protests contributed to his losing last years gubernatorial election and being convicted and sentenced to two years in prison on a blasphemy charge.

After Sundays attack, the chief of Yogyakarta branch of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Lutfi Hamid, appealed to all parties to refrain from further violence.

It is very heartbreaking. It happened when society and government are building harmonization between religious and many elements in the society. Whatever the reason for this is intolerant behavior, he told reporters.
Suspected insurgents detonated eight pipe bombs that injured at least nine people in Thailands troubled Deep South on Sunday, including two police officers, investigators said.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the bombings that took place in six locations in Pattani province, but local officials said they believed that Malay-speaking separatist insurgents were behind the blasts.

Todays attacks were carried out by the minority within an insurgent group who dont understand us, Olarn Bilson, the chief officer of Yarang district in Pattani, told reporters. Olarn did not explain the basis for his allegations.

Sundays explosions occurred three weeks after suspected insurgents killed three civilians and injured 28 other people in a bomb attack at the busy Pimonchai market in Yala, a neighboring province in the Deep South province, about 1,072 km (670 miles) from the Thai capital Bangkok.

Officials said two bombs went off at dawn Sunday after a police investigator in Pattanis Sai Buri district said he had received reports that six bombs were found in separate locations, including at a Muslim cemetery.

Officials found pipe bombs and managed to destroy four of them; two went off but caused no injuries or deaths, police Capt. Chavalit Artteng told BenarNews.

But six people, including two police officers, were wounded when three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) went off in three areas in Yaring district, Capt. Pawich Krachangsri told reporters.

The two officers suffered shrapnel wounds when one bomb exploded as they were investigating the scene of the first blast, he said.

Three people were also slightly injured when another IED exploded at a night market in Yarang, police Lt. Wicha Nupannoy told BenarNews. Two more bombs exploded separately in the district, but caused no injuries or deaths, he said.

Nearly 50 incidents in 2018

Since the start of the new year, including Sundays blasts, 26 people have been killed in 49 shooting and bomb attacks in the Deep South, according to statistics that BenarNews compiled from military and police reports.

Its not clear if all the attacks were insurgency-related, because officials do not distinguish rebel-related violence from acts of personal vendettas in their reports.

Apart from the separatist insurgency that has dragged on for decades in the predominantly Muslim southern border region, the Deep South is notorious for criminal activity.

The region  composed of the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat  has been plagued by a long-running separatist insurgency as ethnic Malay guerillas battle Thai troops for more autonomy from Buddhist-majority Thailands rule.

Between October 2016 and September 2017, as many as 233 soldiers, policemen and defense volunteers were killed in roadside bombings and other types of ambuscades in the Deep South, according to Thailands Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC). Officials blamed insurgents for most of the attacks.

Overall almost 7,000 people, including civilians, have been killed and 15,000 injured in violence associated with the insurgency since 2004.

During the past three years, the Thai junta has engaged various rebel groups in the south in peace talks brokered by neighboring Malaysia, but rebel attacks have persisted and the two sides have yet to agree to a limited ceasefire.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High near 85F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.
How The Nine Planets In Astrology Are Known To Influence Your Life Life oi-Syeda Farah

How Do Planets Affect You According To Astrology | BoldSky

In Hinduism, there are 9 planets that are worshipped. The positioning and movement of the planets during the time of birth of the person is said to decide our past, present as well as future.

The 9 planets which are also known as the Navagrahas play the most vital role in our lives? Find out their influence in your life.

These planets are said to remove their malefic effects and bring in happiness.

We reveal to you the minute details of how each of the planets affect our lives. Check it out...

Sun  Surya The sun God is also known as Ravi/Surya. This planet stands in the center and the other planets move around him. The Sun is known to instill will power, energy and good fortune in us. It is believed that the sun is solely responsible for determining the personality, looks, wisdom and achievements of an individual. The sun rules on the zodiac sign Leo. Moon  Chandra The moon is also known as Chandra/Soma. It is believed that the moon decides on the most major events of our lives. It decides the fertility, growth, relationships and even the overall emotional attitude. The good effect of moon is that it helps a person to ensure a harmonious life. The Worst Month Of 2018 According To Your Zodiac Sign Mars  Mangala This God is also known as the Angaraka/Mangala. It is believed that this God is quite ferocious as well. It represents independence, individualism, and idealism. This planet is said to rule the zodiac signs Aries and Scorpio. As Mars is an aggressive planet, it also makes the zodiac signs aggressive. Mercury  Budha One can generally see Budha in Varuda Mudra, as he has 4 hands. This planet plays a great role in sharpening the minds, and creates multi-functional talents and versatility. Individuals who are ruled by mercury will have good analytical and logical thinking. Here Is What You Are Addicted To According To Your Zodiac Sign Jupiter  Brihaspathi This God is also known as Brahmanaspati/Brihaspathi. This planet is famous, as it is known to be the teacher of Gods and is also praised in many hymns of Rigveda. This planet decides the luck factor in our lives. It is also believed to be responsible for the intellect, good fortune, success, etc., in our lives. Venus  Sukra This goddess is the teacher of demons and is known as the creator of Sukraniti. This planet represents the most delicate and emotional sectors of our life like the love, romance, luxury, food, wealth and much more. Individuals who are ruled by this planet are always gentle and soft. These Guys Will Have The Best Career This Year, As Per Their Zodiac Sign Saturn  Shani This is the most troublesome and feared God of all. Saturn is considered to be the negative astrological planets, according to astrology. It is said to be slow, lethargic, lazy and careless. People believe that its rule is the worst period in one's life. According to astrologers, the proper positioning of Saturn can bring unimaginable wisdom, authority, success and happiness in individual's life. Every person is believed to go through a rough phase, where he/she will undergo 7 and half years of bad phase when this planet enters their zodiac sign. The North Node  Rahu This God has similar traits like Mercury mostly, but still it differs in its characteristics. This planet is believed to be quite influential and powerful. The positioning of this planet determines the growth or downfall of a person. It is also called a dragon's head. The South Node  Ketu Ketu means a comet. According to the Hindu mythology, Ketu is described as having a tail of a serpent and an ovular body. It is the planet of power. The positioning of this determines the growth or downfall of a person.

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Story first published: Sunday, February 11, 2018, 13:05 [IST]
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 10/2/2018 (1311 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Last week I watched the Hollywood film Hostiles.

The opening scene features a group of Indians quietly arriving on a farm, savagely killing a farmer and his children, and attempting to kidnap (to likely rape) the farmers wife.

The Indians are later killed, with the widow emptying bullets into a corpse as a kind of retribution.

The reason why these men massacre this "innocent" family is never explained.

In fact, the reasons dont matter. The message is one of paranoia: that savage Indians are always nearby, hidden, and ready to kill defenceless settlers and take their stuff.

Indians must be controlled is the message of Hostiles. Indians otherwise deserve to die.

In a Saskatchewan courtroom on Friday night a jury told almost the same story, finding farmer Gerald Stanley not guilty of the slaying of 22-year-old Cree man Colten Boushie.

The facts of the case are as black and white as a trial can get.

On August 9, 2016, Boushie and four friends arrived on Stanleys farm. The young men state they came for help with a flat tire. Stanley claims they were coming to steal stuff.

Regardless, there was a confrontation. A gun was brandished. The group tried to leave. Stanley says he fired his gun to "scare" them.

Stanley claims his gun then "accidentally" went off, shooting Boushie in the back of the head at point-blank range. The third bullet, he says, was a "hang fire accident"  when a bullet lodges and launches later.

An RCMP forensics expert testified that there was no mechanical dysfunction in the gun.

Stanleys defence, therefore, is that he aggressively fired, then approached Boushie, and the gun went off on its own.

Into the back of Boushies head.

At point blank range.

Even as an expert suggests otherwise.

There are many other factors in this case: of mistreated evidence, of alcohol, of the elimination of Indigenous jurors, and of racism by police telling Boushies mom to "get it together" as she lay weeping on the floor after hearing the news.

But in the end, a jury of Canadians condoned the fatal actions of a farmer acting on his paranoia and Colten Boushie is dead.

Indians are hostiles who must be controlled, right?

The slaying of Colten Bushie didnt start in that Saskatchewan courtroom.

It starts with the Indian Act. The residential school system. The removal of Indigenous communities onto unsuitable reserves, locking communities there with a brutal pass system and controlling every part of our lives from clothing to how to set up our governments.

In Canadas founding document, the 1867 British North America Act, the federal government states they will take control of "Indians and lands reserved for Indians."

What came afterwards was 150 years of paranoia.

Resulting in the shooting death of Colten Boushie.

Whats most remarkable is during these past 150 years Indigenous peoples have not only resisted all of this but acted in a completely different way.

In response to virtually every single violent act and genocidal policy in Canadian history, we have invited Canada into dialogue and ceremony. Offered a hand in partnership. Stubbornly believed in promises of a "nation to nation" relationship.

Even as we have been lied to, every single time. What we have sought  in virtually every single moment in Canadian history  is relationship. Even at the Oka conflict of 1990 activists were trying to talk to Canada about sharing lands and resources right up until the moment police were ordered to fire their guns.

Indigenous peoples are not here to take anyones stuff. We are here to share in the power of a beautiful land. We have lived here far longer than settlers.

All we want is to live in a good way. A healthy and safe way. A place where our homes and children can live this way too.

But we dont live in that place.

We live in a Hollywood movie.

A place where a Manitoba premier speaks of a "preponderance" of Indigenous men shooting guns at night. Where a mayoral candidate's wife tweets about how "drunk Indians" may assault you at any moment downtown. Where human beings such as J.J. Harper, Helen Betty Osborne, Matthew Dumas, Claudette Osborne, Errol Greene, Brian Sinclair and now Tina Fontaine and Colten Bushie die because a country treats them as an "Indian."

At the end of Hostiles there are almost no Indians left. Just one, a parentless child, about to be raised by non-Indians in a far-off place.

All thats really left is settlers, riding off into the sunset to inherit the land.

The difference between film and life is Indigenous peoples are not savage Indians.

And were not going away. This is our home. Period.

I spend a lot of time wondering how much longer Indigenous peoples will offer peace, kindness, and generosity to a Canada that doesnt want to change.

Friday night my belief took a massive blow.

Hope is hard to find now.

Niigaan Sinclair is an Associate Professor in the Department of Native Studies at the University of Manitoba.
The construction industry has launched a transition year initiative to facilitate students interested in working in the area.

The initiative will see students completing work experience in the offices of construction companies in addition to on construction sites.

Dermot Carey, Director, Safety & Training, CIF said: The construction industry has undergone significant changes in the past decade.

"Technology, safety, equality and diversity and salaries have all improved significantly recently. In the coming weeks, the Government will announce an investment programme worth 115bn that will mean the construction industry will provide career security for the next decade.

"In addition, the Government has unveiled a plan to produce 35,000 houses per year for the next five years. So there will be an abundance of work for young people starting their careers.

Overall, we estimate that the industry needs at least 110,000 new workers over the next three years to keep pace with the demand for activity.

"The industry now provides technology-driven careers in addition to engineering roles and of course traditional trades. Construction companies are now internationalising and they require talent in finance, operations and marketing, just like every other sector.

"As the global construction industry grows by 50% up to 2030, working in any role within an Irish construction company gives you skills that can act as a passport to work in any country. Increasingly, our employees, who are building for Facebook, Amazon, Google and other global companies, are being recruited to work in other countries."

- Digital desk
Interview: John Daly

Janssen Sciences UC, based in Ringaskiddy, and its sister site Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences UC, based in Little Island, are part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, the worlds most comprehensive manufacturer of healthcare products as well as related services.

Johnson & Johnson has had a presence in Ireland since 1981, with 3,700 people employed directly at the eleven J&J sites.

Janssen Sciences UC, which was established in 2005, manufactures innovative cancer therapies and medicines for immune-related diseases.

The Little Island plant has been manufacturing bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients, together with treatments for a range of psychiatric, gastrointestinal and fungal disorders, as well as HIV, since 1981.

In late 2017, Janssen Sciences UC, which currently employs 500 people, announced a 300 million expansion of its facility in Ringaskiddy.

This project will provide an extra 200 jobs when completed, along with the creation of up to 450 jobs during the construction phase.

This significant investment and expansion at the Ringaskiddy site will allow Janssen to meet the critical need of patients globally for its biologic medicines by allowing the group expand its product portfolio.

The expansion project is a significant vote of confidence in our team and one that will increase our manufacturing footprint significantly, according to Kyran Johnson, general manager of Janssen Supply Chain Ireland. This will present additional opportunities for Janssen and open up new possibilities within the Johnson & Johnson group in terms of the breadth of products that will be manufactured at the site.

The Ringaskiddy site is already a key strategic location globally for Janssen and the continued investment we have secured here is testament to that. Our sites at both Little Island and Ringaskiddy continue to recruit the very best of talent and as we grow and expand our operations in Cork, our workforce will grow with us, he said.

Janssen prides itself as a global company that thinks locally. It is striving to use local suppliers in the construction phase of the expansion, with a sizeable 65% of the project spend directed towards Irish suppliers.

The main products that will be manufactured at the new facility are immunology and oncology treatment products and it is expected that the new facility will begin operations in two years from now.

Janssen has a long history of supporting the local community in Ringaskiddy and Little Island and the company is committed to maintaining this collaboration into the future. One of Janssens priorities is to be a good neighbour by remaining in constant contact with the local community. As well as regular contact with local residents, Janssen also supports its community through various initiatives in primary and secondary schools, such as the J&J Bridge to Employment and Junior Achievement programmes, which both aim to educate pupils about the sciences and the careers they could possibly pursue in this area.

Janssen also has ongoing links with second- and third-level educational institutions throughout Ireland in terms of supporting career advancement and developing the skills of younger people in STEM.

Janssen recently announced a new Biopharmaceutical and Medical Device Microbiology module in partnership with University College Cork. The module will be delivered by industry experts from Janssen and DePuy Synthes, another J&J company, and includes two site familiarisation visits, which will provide students with greater industry knowledge and awareness of the state-of-the-art scientific work environments at the sites.

Janssen takes its commitment to the community and the environment very seriously, as evidenced by the awarding of the Business Working Responsibly Mark by Business in the Community in 2016. This is the only independently audited standard for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability in Ireland and Janssen was the first pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Ireland to receive the Mark.

We were delighted to receive the Business Working Responsibly Mark which recognises the hard work we do here to act responsibly with a social conscience in everything we do, said Mr. Johnson. We are acutely aware of our responsibilities when it comes to environmental practices but also to innovation, customer service and best practice regarding CSR.

We are extremely proud that Janssen and the other J&J manufacturing sites in Ireland recently won the Employer of the Year award from Engineers Ireland  another endorsement of the efforts we make to offer all employees a complete employment experience, concluded Mr Johnson.

- To learn more about Janssen Sciences UC, Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences UC and the Johnson & Johnson family of companies in Ireland, see: www.janssen.com/ireland.

- To find out more about joining Janssens exciting team, visit www.careers.jnj.com/ireland/overview
The former Department of Finance secretary general says he has major concerns ahead of the National Planning Framework.

On Friday, the Government will launch the NPF, committing 115bn to the 10-year investment strategy.

There are already concerns that the Cork-Limerick motorway will undermine the plan's objective of creating strong regional cities.

John Moran, Director of the European Investment Bank, said that he is very worried about how the plan is developing.

"There's been a year and a half of consultation, a year and a half of thinking about what the right options are and of course there's not only one, there's lots of different ones, but it's important to have one," he said.

"So if somebody has spent a year and a half coming up with a single plan and figuring out how you would get that to operate when you suddenly, in the last week or two, start adding in new things, without proper consideration to that, that's incredibly worrying."

- Digital desk
Gardai in Dublin are continuing to question a woman about an incident which resulted in the hospitalisation of a three-year-old girl.

The woman was detained after gardai were called to a house in Shankhill yesterday afternoon.
An investigation has been launched following the death of a detective at Ballymun Garda Station, in Dublin yesterday evening.

The incident was reported shortly before 9pm.
Irish Water reportedly needs to plug a 2bn funding gap to ensure Dublin has enough supply.

It is reported that Dublin could run out of water by 2025.

A 170-km pipeline needs to be built to bring 330 million litres of water a day from the Shannon to ensure this does not happen, according to today's Sunday Business Post.

The paper reports that the authority also wants to build a new wastewater treatment plant.

This would meet demand from a rising population in Dublin, Kildare and Meath.
Update 10.57pm:Nicole Reddington has been located safe and well.

The 15-year-old had been missing from her home in Tallaght since yesterday.

Earlier:Gardai are seeking the public's help in finding a teenage girl missing from her home in Dublin.

Nicole Reddington, aged 15, has been missing from her home in Tallaght since yesterday.

Nicole is described as five foot five inches tall, with long brown hair and brown eyes.

When last seen she was wearing a green jacket with a fur hood, a navy tracksuit and black runners.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 6664700.
At least 18 people have been killed at an illegal gold mine in southern Venezuela during clashes with security forces looking to take control of the area.

Violence broke out in Bolivar state on Saturday when the army travelled to the Cicapra mine after receiving information that an armed gang was threatening wildcat miners in the remote area, an officer said.
William Billingham has been charged with the murder of his eight-year-old daughter Mylee Billingham who was found with knife wounds at his house in Walsall, England on January 20, West Midlands Police have said.

Billingham, of Valley View in Brownhills, was charged on Saturday with the murder of his daughter, Mylee Billingham, and also for "making threats to kill".
Police in England are hunting a suspected sex attacker who tried to rape a 10-year-old girl.

The child was attacked when she became separated from her friends in Openshaw area of Manchester shortly after 2pm on Saturday.

The "brave" girl managed to escape before alerting a dog-walker, Greater Manchester Police said.

Patrols have been stepped up in the area as officers search for the attacker.

He is described as a man in his 20s, of Asian appearance, with a slim build and wearing a dark coat.

Detective Chief Inspector James Riley said: "What happened to this young girl is understandably very upsetting and specially trained officers will continue to support her in any way they can.

"Parents and neighbours will be concerned and we have stepped up our visible police patrols throughout the coming days and nights. If you do have any worries then please feel free to approach them and they will try and assist.

"I also want to stress that we are doing everything in our power to find the man responsible for this and a dedicated team of detectives are working round the clock.

"So far we have a number of witnesses who are being extremely helpful, while we will also be continuing to knock on doors in the area to see if anyone else saw anything suspicious.

"Extensive CCTV is being examined and I can confirm that we haven't received any other reports of this nature in the area over the weekend.

"With the help of this brave girl and the community we have a good description of the attacker and if anyone recognises it or recalls seeing a man matching that description in the area, then please call us."
Saoirse Ronan in a scene from Lady Bird. Credit:MERIE WALLACE "Wait," says Ronan feigning concern. "Am I E.T?" The riotous mood may have something to do with the buzz their film is generating as, one by one, the world's movie critics succumb to its charms. "I wish I could convey to you just how thrilling this movie is," wrote A. O Scott in The New York Times; "It's unique and original and fresh and wonderful, and can you tell I loved it?" gushed Richard Roeper in the Chicago Sun-Times. A few weeks before Christmas this modest $US10 million drama eclipsed Toy Story 2 to become the film with the longest unbroken streak of positive reviews  195 and counting  on the Rotten Tomatoes website. Saoirse Ronan, left, and Laurie Metcalf in a scene from Lady Bird. Metcalf has been nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress. Credit:MERIE WALLACE Now, the awards  and Oscar nominations  have followed. First came the New York Film Critics Circle and the Gotham Independent Film awards for Ronan, who was last year named best actress. In January, the National Society of Film Critics and the Golden Globes followed suit, with the critics awarding it best picture, best director and best supporting actress for Laurie Metcalf.

The next day the Golden Globes added to the hype, with Ronan named best actress in a comedy, while the film was declared best comedy. Then, nearly two weeks later, the Academy Awards came knocking, with five nominations for best picture, best director, best actress, best supporting actress and best original screenplay. Saoirse Ronan, left, in a scene with Lucas Hedges. Credit:MERIE WALLACE For Gerwig, the nomination sees her joining an elite club: she is now one of only five women the Academy has nominated for best director since the awards began in 1929. Ronan, meanwhile, has already been nominated twice: best supporting actress for Atonement in 2008 and best actress for Brooklyn in 2016. Lady Bird's success seems all the more remarkable because it is Gerwig's first solo outing as a director (she co-directed the 2008 drama Nights and Weekends with Joe Swanberg). The 34-year-old has more than paid her dues, however. Both as a writer whose collaborations with the writer and director Noah Baumbach  he is also her partner  include Frances Ha and Mistress America and as an actor whose name is synonymous with smart, sharply observed dramas about women such as Maggie's Plan and 20th Century Women. Who better to turn a script about a free spirit called Christine who demands to be known as Lady Bird  the nickname of Claudia Johnson, America's most beloved First Lady  into an all-conquering film? Timothee Chalamet (from left), Laurie Metcalf, Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan after winning their Golden Globe for best motion picture - musical or comedy for Lady Bird. Credit:Jordan Strauss

Not that it was easy. "The thing about directing a movie is that the entire time you're scanning for what's wrong with it, what's not working, what's not good enough," she says. "It makes you relentless. You get so used to looking for the flaws it's hard to let go. I was at the New York Film Festival and Noah said, 'Are you still taking notes?'. And I said: 'I can't stop!'." It is tempting to see Lady Bird as an autobiographical film because Gerwig grew up in Sacramento, the Californian city where it is set and like her protagonist she attended a Catholic high school. Yes, it's "deeply personal", she says. But the character of Lady Bird is not based on her teenage self. Gerwig insists she was a conformist, a rule follower, whereas Lady Bird often seems at war with her family and her surroundings. She has incendiary clashes with her mother (played with brilliant sensitivity by Metcalf), steals her teacher's grade book and scoffs packets of pilfered communion wafers with her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein). She falls in and out of love, has awkward fumbling sex and dreams of escaping to the East Coast, a place she imagines is full of "culture" and "writers who live in the woods". In hindsight, the choice of Ronan for the film's lead role seems inspired. But while she was born in New York and is usually described as an Irish American actor, she had no direct experience of life in a US high school having moved back to Ireland at the age of three. Her name  it's pronounced Ser-sha  and her lilting accent are both distinctly Irish. None of that mattered when Gerwig met Ronan for the first time in a hotel room at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival and they read the script together  Ronan playing Lady Bird; Gerwig playing everyone else. "I knew within the first two pages that she was Lady Bird and that she had the part," the director says. "But I didn't stop her because I was being selfish and wanted to hear it all read out."

In Ronan she found an actor who could interpret a style of writing that sidesteps big dramatic moments in search of more subtle truths. "So much of my writing is in the cracks," explains Gerwig. "I'm always concerned because some of it seems so subtle and delicate. I worry if people are going to get it or if it just exists in my mind. So when an actor does something that just clarifies it all you go, 'Thank god for you'." Ronan inhabits the role of a rebellious adolescent to perfection. From her messy home-dyed red hair and thrift store clothes to her acerbic humour and tempestuous mood swings, Lady Bird is an unforgettable creation. Even the character's mild acne  which I had assumed was the work of a skilled make-up artist  turns out to be real. Ronan's skin wasn't in great shape when filming began, but rather than cover it up she decided it was an opportunity to "let a teenager's face actually look like a teenager's face in real life". She looks very different today, of course. Her skin is positively glowing and her blonde shoulder-length hair is shampoo ad glossy. Leather trousers and a chic white sweater complete the movie star look. The British tabloids claim she has been dating the Irish musician Hozier since 2016 when she appeared in a video for his song Cherry Wine. But she has never confirmed the rumours and is disinclined to discuss her private life. I ask her if it was more difficult working with a director who had not only conceived and written her role, but is an acclaimed actor in her own right? Before she can answer, Gerwig interjects. "It didn't help that I would put on her costume at night." They both crack up laughing.
Krista Davis, 10, Bridie Turnbull, 10, Jericho Perkins, nine, and Luke Perrin, 10, who are looking forward to celebrating Michelago's 150th anniversary. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

The teachers are really friendly, according to grade five Bridie Turnbull. Principal Claire Plummer can't remember the last time a student was suspended - years ago, she thinks. Everyone gets along.

"We're going to make sure we put the community in the spotlight for a change to say hey, we're here and we're proud of our community and proud of our school."

Michelago Public School was established in 1868 as Michelago Provisional School. NSW archives show the Education Department provided teachers and resources while parents supplied the building and furniture.

In the early years, children would ride horses or walk to school, often barefoot. Ms Plummer said the school's culture had changed particularly in the past several decades as families moved from Canberra and Queanbeyan in search of a quieter lifestyle. Further growth is expected thanks to nearby sub-developments.

Ms Plummer said the school's small size was a benefit to its students. Those learning at a level below than their grade could quietly build up to more challenging work, while advanced students could take on more difficult topics.

The children had to learn to make friends with people of different ages and genders, Ms Plummer said. And teachers were able to better connect with families.
A West Australian farmer turned fine artist has commandeered a team of 45 glider pilots to collaborate on a massive glider sculpture to be unveiled at this year's Sculpture by the Sea.

Geoff Overheu farmed cattle, sheep and wheat for 25 years in Dalwallinu and Gingin before retraining as an artist at Tafe, then Curtin University and finally Melbourne.

"It was one of those serendipitous things," he said.

"You always have a yearning for making and creating and this was just how it turned out."
Affordable electric vehicles that can drive up to 600 kilometres on a single charge will help bring a motoring revolution to Australia, predicts Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, in an intervention that defies naysayers of the technology.

In an interview with Fairfax Media, Dr Finkel said the onus was on the federal government to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector, but predicted electric cars will be a significant element of policies considered.

Dr Finkel  who owns two electric cars  would not comment on government policy. But he pointed to his review of the national electricity market that called for the development of a whole-of-economy emissions reduction strategy by 2020.

Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg last month declared electric vehicles would revolutionise Australia, saying the scale of disruption would rival the introduction of the iPhone.

The comments prompted fierce debate about the extent to which the government should encourage the electric vehicle industry. A handful of Coalition backbenchers led by climate sceptic Craig Kelly stridently oppose financial incentives, such as subsidies, to lower the purchase cost of the technology.
Feb. 11, 1998

The kids from the Booker T. Washington Community Center are preparing for a presentation Feb. 25 and 26 at Auburn High School. The show includes song, dance and speeches about African-American heroes in honor of Black History Month. Delia Joe, 9, and Daryl Gains, 3, take time from rehearsal to do the limbo Tuesday.
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe says a cut to the company tax rate could be seen by some as "regrettable" but would not threaten Australia's return to surplus, as the Turnbull government moves to recast debate about the policy through a direct pitch to workers who deserve a pay rise.

In a shift in language, Treasurer Scott Morrison on Friday made a case for workers to back the package by arguing an uncompetitive global tax rate "holds back the pay rise that Australians have been looking for".

Treasurer Scott Morrison insists the government is committed to the right economic outcome. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also hosed down speculation the government might shelve the policy, committing to keep its $35.6 billion cost in the budget all the way to the next election even if, as expected, it is blocked by the Senate.

Mr Turnbull told reporters he would "absolutely" retain the tax cuts on the books in the May budget and beyond to ensure "there are great jobs [for our children]".
Women in violent relationships will find it harder to leave their partners because of changes to the welfare system proposed by the Turnbull government.

Multiple changes to the way welfare payments are administered and calculated are before Parliament which the government says are designed to encourage people to work more.

But welfare groups say one of the measures contained in the legislation will remove existing protections that give people in particularly difficult situations - such as abusive relationships - some leniency in applying for welfare payments.

Welfare groups says the Turnbull government's changes will discourage women from leaving abusive relationships. Credit:Gabriele Charotte

Kate Colvin, policy and communications manager with the Council to Homeless Persons in Victoria, said, "We're talking about people who are already on a financial knife edge. This will push some people over the edge."
Bloody hell. Talk about a minefield. Since the revelations about the Deputy Prime Ministers complicated private life, there has been a great deal of criticism of us in the media for sitting on the story, when it was actually in the public interest to run a story about a powerful politician living a lie, while running on family values, the sanctity of marriage and the virtues of a conservative religious life.

In response, I say two things. Of course I heard the rumours. We all did. But the rumours I heard, and many of us heard, were much worse, and didnt turn out to be remotely true at all.

But yes, even if I had received a dossier with proof of the whole thing a month ago, I would still, frankly, be inclined to burn it as none of my damn business.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has found himself caught in a storm of controversy. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

I dont, however, criticise the Tele for breaking the story, once it had the actual story locked down. Their defence, that it was all going to come out anyway, is valid, though the photo of Joyces pregnant partner was, of course, beyond intrusive.
The Dutton Park Ecosciences precinct has been identified as the preferred location for the first new high school to be built in Brisbane's inner-south for more than 50 years.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said the new school would service the growing community and relieve pressure on Brisbane State High School.

A site within the Ecosciences precinct at Dutton Park has been identified as the preferred location for a new inner-south high school. Credit:Google Street View

"As a local parent, I have witnessed first-hand the significant population growth in the inner-south and the corresponding impact on local school populations, like Brisbane State High School, which is the largest secondary school across the nation," she said.

In June, it was revealed two new schools would be built in the inner-city, including one in the inner-south to take enrolment pressure off Brisbane State High School.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is undeterred by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's vow to end military purchases from countries including the US and Canada that impose conditions on how the weaponry is used, standing by his country's review of a helicopter sale.

"The statements that have been coming out of the Philippines on the potential or possible uses of those helicopters have given us cause to need to follow up on that, and that's exactly what we're doing," Trudeau said Saturday in Los Angeles, during a visit with the city's mayor.

Justin Trudeau says Canada has a responsibility to look into how equipment it sells, whether military or not, is used. Credit:AP

Trudeau responded after Duterte on Friday said he's scrapping the acquisition of 16 Canadian Bell helicopters.

"Do not buy anymore from Canada or from the United States because there is always a condition attached," Duterte told reporters in Davao City, where he previously served as mayor, on Friday before announcing in a subsequent speech that the deal would be cancelled. The Canadian government denied the deal had been scrapped.
Macerata: Thousands of Italians marched against racism on Saturday in the city of Macerata where a man opened fire on African migrants a week ago, injuring six people in what police said was a racially motivated attack.

The shootings have dominated recent days of campaigning for Italy's March 4 parliamentary elections in which immigration is a major issue. More than 600,000 migrants have arrived on Italy's shores from North Africa in the last four years.

Officials in Macerata, in central Italy, had originally banned the event due to fears of violence involving extreme right-groups, and only authorised it on Friday.

People take to the streets to participate in an anti-racism march following last Saturdays attacks in the Italian city of Macerata. Credit:AP

Italians and migrants peacefully carried Italian flags and banners against violence and racism, and flew red, heart-shaped balloons with the names of the victims of the shooting.
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About 200 well-dressed youngish people crammed into a bookstore in Dumbo to hear personal stories about that taboo topic that makes everyone uncomfortable. Death.

Of parents, spouses, uncles  and even kids.

They were here to launch Modern Loss: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome, a book based on the revolutionary and wildly popular Modern Loss website. Both are edited by Rebecca Soffer and co-author Gabrielle Birkner who, in turn, are writers, moms, and young adults who are all too familiar with the topic they have focused on.

Soffers mom died in a car accident, and shortly thereafter her dad died of a heart attack. Birkners dad and stepmom were murdered in a home invasion. The two attended a weekly meeting called Women with Dead Parents and in 2013 they launched their site featuring personal essays on every aspect of grief, including inheritance, ambivalence, sex after death (here on earth, that is), even the mix of emotions that can accompany the death of a cheating spouse.

The site and book scoff at platitudes and dig deeper. But they also manage to make readers smile  and sometimes guffaw. And so did the speakers who took to the podium at the book launch.

I lost my mom 10 years ago and Christmas was very much her thing, Marisa Lee, a social entrepreneur, told the crowd. Her mom made such a huge deal about Christmas  Lights everywhere, and lots of Baby Jesuses  that once she was gone, Marissa hated the holiday. Shed hole up with her godparents, which is what she was doing one Christmaswhen she fell down their stairs and broke her arm.

Now Im stuck. Im on Percocet. I cant drag myself anywhere, said Lee. So she was a sitting duck when her childhood best friend brought over cookies, and the application for eHarmony, an online dating service.

Reluctantly, Marisa agreed to meet up with some guy from Green Bay, Wisconsin, but at the last minute decided to cancel  until her friend insisted that would be rude. So she went on the date and a year and a half later on Christmas Day  he proposed and she accepted.

His reason for choosing Dec. 25 as the day he popped the question?

To once again make Christmas something I actually enjoyed, said Lee.

Look, she added, if youre going through loss Anybody who tells you its going to be over soon  theyre lying. But there is another side, eventually.

Michael Arceneaux, a journalist and author, suffered a very different loss.

Most people ask, When did you first know you were gay?  he told the crowd. I knew I liked boys when I was 5. But at 6, he knew something else: His uncle had just died of something called AIDS and everyone in his family was calling his uncle a terrible word. A word for people just like Michael.

I could never shake that feeling that to like boys meant to die. I could not separate pleasure from paranoia, said Arceneaux. It wasnt until I turned 30 that I really wanted to conquer that fear. And somehow he finally did.

While his parents have yet to fully accept him, he was talking to his niece recently  she is 8  And she made a joke about a gay person and I said, Oh beloved, we dont say that.  And after gently explaining why, he hung up. The girl called him right back and said, Uncle Mikey, I am so sorry. I dont care if youre gay. I miss you. Come home for Christmas.

Not that every story at the book party ended with Christmas, but they did all end with hope. Jamie Stelter, the NY1 traffic anchor, spoke of her miscarriages. She now has a toddler. Podcaster Rachel Ward spoke of her husband dying at 35. Somehow shes still really funny. Emily Rapp Black lost her son Ronan at age 3 to Tay-Sachs disease, but later met a young man with the same name, and felt at peace.

Then Soffer asked the audience if they would like to try their hand at summing up their loss in a Six Word Memoir  an idea popularized by Smith Magazine.

A man who looked like a truck driver stood up. I never saw her smile again, he said.

Ill see a heartbeat some day, said a woman in the crowd.

Through the noise, purpose was born.

Sometimes, purpose is born through the internet, too. And now, through a surprising new book.

Lenore Skenazy is president of Let Grow, founder of Free-Range Kids and author of Has the World Gone Skenazy?
Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

About 200 well-dressed youngish people crammed into a bookstore in Dumbo to hear personal stories about that taboo topic that makes everyone uncomfortable. Death.

Of parents, spouses, uncles  and even kids.

They were here to launch Modern Loss: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome, a book based on the revolutionary and wildly popular Modern Loss website. Both are edited by Rebecca Soffer and co-author Gabrielle Birkner who, in turn, are writers, moms, and young adults who are all too familiar with the topic they have focused on.

Soffers mom died in a car accident, and shortly thereafter her dad died of a heart attack. Birkners dad and stepmom were murdered in a home invasion. The two attended a weekly meeting called Women with Dead Parents, and in 2013 they launched their site featuring personal essays on every aspect of grief, including inheritance, ambivalence, sex after death (here on earth, that is), and even the mix of emotions that can accompany the death of a cheating spouse.

The site and book scoff at platitudes and dig deeper. But they also manage to make readers smile  and sometimes guffaw. And so did the speakers who took to the podium at the book launch.

I lost my mom 10 years ago and Christmas was very much her thing, Marisa Lee, a social entrepreneur, told the crowd. Her mom made such a huge deal about Christmas  Lights everywhere, and lots of Baby Jesuses  that once she was gone, Lee hated the holiday. Shed hole up with her godparents, which is what she was doing one X-mas when she fell down their stairs and broke her arm.

Now Im stuck. Im on Percoset. I cant drag myself anywhere, said Lee. So she was a sitting duck when her childhood best friend brought over cookies, and the application for eHarmony, an online dating service.

Reluctantly, Lee agreed to meet up with some guy from Green Bay, Wisconsin, but at the last minute decided to cancel  until her friend insisted that would be rude. So she went on the date and a year and a half later on Christmas Day  he proposed and she accepted.

His reason for choosing Dec. 25 as the day he popped the question?

To once again make Christmas something I actually enjoyed, said Lee.

Look, she added, if youre going through loss anybody who tells you its going to be over soon  theyre lying. But there is another side.

Michael Arceneaux, a journalist and author, suffered a very different loss.

Most people ask, When did you first know you were gay?  he told the crowd. I knew I liked boys when I was 5. But at 6, he knew something else: His uncle had just died of something called AIDS, and everyone in his family was calling him a terrible word. A word for people just like Arceneaux.

I could never shake that feeling that to like boys meant to die. I could not separate pleasure from paranoia, he said. It wasnt until I turned 30 that I really wanted to conquer that fear. And somehow he did.

While his parents have yet to fully accept him, he was talking to his niece recently  she is 8  and she made a joke about a gay person and I said, Oh beloved, we dont say that.  And after gently explaining why, he hung up. The girl called him right back and said, Uncle Mikey, I am so sorry. I dont care if youre gay. I miss you. Come home for Christmas.

Not that every story at the party ended with Christmas, but they did all end with hope. Jamie Stelter, the NY1 traffic anchor, spoke of her miscarriages. She now has a toddler. Podcaster Rachel Ward spoke of her husband dying at 35. Somehow shes still really funny. Emily Rapp Black lost her son Ronan at age 3 to Tay-Sachs disease, but later met a young man with the same name, and felt at peace.

Then Soffer asked the audience if they would like to try their hand at summing up their loss in a Six Word Memoir  an idea popularized by Smith Magazine.

A man who looked like a truck driver stood up. I never saw her smile again, he said.

Ill see a heartbeat some day, said a woman in the crowd.

Through the noise, purpose was born.

Sometimes, purpose is born through the internet, too. And now, through a new book.

Lenore Skenazy is president of Let Grow.
China will launch its first yuan-denominated crude oil futures contract next month, a long-waited move aimed at boosting the pricing power of the worlds biggest oil buyer.

The contract will make its debut on March 26 at the Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE), a subsidiary of the Shanghai Futures Exchange, Chang Depeng, a spokesman with the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), told a press conference on Friday.

The exchange, registered in Shanghais free trade zone, will allow foreign investors to trade the new oil contract. Thats a first for Chinas commodities markets and a move many market participants expect to shake up the international futures oil market.

The contract will feature the typical Middle Eastern grades known as medium sour crude oil. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Londons Brent are mainly traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange and the Intercontinental Exchange, which are the global benchmarks commonly used to determine oil prices.

An INE executive said medium sour crude oil was chosen as the underlying product because it makes up a large part of Chinas crude imports and ample supply exists.

Chinas crude oil imports rose 10% to a record of 420 million tons in 2017, boosting China past the U.S. as the worlds biggest crude importer, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. China also raised its 2018 crude oil import quota for the countrys independent refiners by 55% over 2017.

About half of Chinas crude imports are medium sour crudes from the Middle East. Having a yuan-denominated oil futures benchmark that reflects the grades of oil that are mostly consumed by local refiners is expected to help Chinese buyers to gain some control over pricing.

The launch of oil futures contract is part of a broader move by the Chinese government to bring in more foreign investors to its commodities exchanges and expand the countrys influence in global markets.

Earlier this month, the Dalian Commodity Exchange said it has drafted rules to allow foreign investors to trade its iron-ore futures.
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing and Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp. are setting up a venture to tap into the urban transport market in Japan, the companies said on Friday.

The two firms will develop a ride-haling platform for Japans taxi fleet, leveraging Didis artificial intelligence know-how to create deep learning-based demand predictions and smart dispatch systems. Meanwhile, SoftBank will offer its local resources and expertise, they said in a statement.

Trial services are expected to be rolled out this year in cities including Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka and Tokyo.

But Didis foray into Japan may be challenging because the country has strict rules that bar non-professional drivers from offering taxi services due to safety concerns and limits mobile platforms to only help users book service with taxi companies.

Didi and SoftBank said in a statement that they are in talks with Japanese regulators, taxi companies and other parties for support.

The move follows a slew of deals made by Didi, Chinas largest ride-hailing service provider, to expand its overseas footprint. In China, Didis car-booking platform is linked to more than 2 million taxi drivers who provided 1.1 billion rides in 2017. The company has sought to diversify its domestic business by offering ride-sharing, bus booking, and chauffeur and bike-rental services.

Didi has become the undisputed leader in Chinas ride-hailing business after beating Uber Technologies Incs China unit in 2016, ending years of cash-burning subsidy wars.

But in face of an increasingly saturated market at home and stricter rules applied in the ride-hailing industry since late 2016, Didi has ventured further outside China. Didi has set up alliance with international ride-hailing startups including Singapores Grab, Estonias Taxify, Indias Ola, the Middle Easts Careem and Brazils 99. Early last year, Didi invested $100 million in U.S.-based Lyft, Ubers main rival at home.

This year, Didi has also announced a partnership in Taiwan with Ledi Technology Co. Ltd. and expanded its existing services in Hong Kong.

SoftBank, a prolific investor in global technology startups, in recent years has shown greater interest in the ride-sharing market, amid a global shift in the auto and transport industry towards new technologies and business models.

The autonomous car is definitely coming, and when that stage comes, this ride-share business becomes even more important, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son said last August.

SoftBank holds stakes in Indian ride-sharing startup Ola, Southeast Asias Grab and Brazils 99. It became the largest shareholder in Uber with a 15% stake last month.

SoftBank is also a major backer of Didi, making investments in two rounds of Didis fundraising last year. In the last funding round in December, the Chinese firm was valued at $56 billion.

Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
Nora Twomeys animated feature The Breadwinner made a strong showing this week at the Canadian Screen Awards, picking up a total of six nominations, including for best motion picture.

It marks only the second time in the history of the award, which has been presented in various iterations since 1949, that an animated feature has been nominated for the events top prize. The other instance was in 2005, when Sylvain Chomets The Triplets of Belleville was nominated for  and won  film of the year.

While The Breadwinner originates out of Irelands Cartoon Saloon, the film is eligible for the Canadian Screen Awards because it is an international co-production that has the involvement of multiple Canadian firms. One of its producers is Aircraft Pictures, while Guru Studio contributed artistically to the films production. (Both Aircraft and Guru are located in Toronto.)
Last weekend, Warner Bros. Animation hosted artists, producers, and executives from across the animation industry on the Warner Bros. Studios lot in Burbank for its first-ever Bugs Ball, a party to celebrate the nominees of the 45th Annie Awards.

The studio shared some photos with Cartoon Brew from the festivities. It used one of its sound stages for the party, and from the looks of it, the party was a grand affair.

Unlike the madness of Oscar parties, there arent a whole lot of extracurricular activities surrounding the Annies so its great to see WB Animation president Sam Register using the studios resources to celebrate the accomplishments of the animation community.
The internet was a huge inspiration to the film, and it created the films structural framework, Braxton told Cartoon Brew. Ill go from looking at puppies, to dance videos, to police murdering an innocent man in the streets.

The shorts fragmentary narrative can indeed seem as disorienting as the experience of spending a few hours online, but Braxton ties it all together with a compulsively watchable cg style and an underlying message that resonates, particularly for people living in the United States.

Kudos to the Sundance short film jury that picked Braxtons film. That jury was comprised of Garbage lead vocalist Shirley Manson, cartoonist Chris Ware, and filmmaker/tv director Cherien Dabis (Amreeka, The L Word, Empire).

Ware, who presented the award, gave the following jury statement:

This film traces a thread of American history both damning and complex, with a mind-blowing and fresh language of imagery, avatar, and sound. As a cartoonist myself, I know how much thought and effort something this dense, trippy, and serious takes to make.

It sometimes seems like major film events just dont get it when they honor animated filmmaking, but with Jeron Braxton and Glucose, Sundance couldnt have chosen a more exciting and fresher voice on the American animation scene.

To learn more about Glucose, check out our visual essay with comments from the filmmaker.
Iloura and Method Studios, two vfx companies owned by Deluxe, have announced that they will unify under a single brand: Method Studios.

The combined team now has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Vancouver, Los Angeles, New York, Pune, Chicago, and Atlanta, and it will continue producing work across a wide range of platforms including features, television, design, advertising, and immersive experiences.

Iloura, which has a 30-year production history in Australia, won a 2016 vfx Emmy for its work on Game of Thrones and has worked on two recent Oscar-nommed vfx films: Mad Max: Fury Road and Deepwater Horizon. The studio also worked on the recent Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Thor: Ragnarok. Notably, the studio has done a fair share of cartoon-oriented cg, including the Spongebob characters in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water and the titular character in Seth MacFarlanes Ted films.
The competition happens in multiple stages. In the first round, twenty projects will be chosen to participate in the Ideatoon bootcamp in May, where participants will will receive advice from veteran consultants, directors, and international artists to improve their projects. Free lodging will be provided to the winners.

Then, the field will be whittled down to ten pitch bibles, and those projects will move on to the Ideatoon Summit, taking place this September at the Pixelatl Festival in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

At the Summit, the ten finalists will pitch their ideas to potential buyers, investors, and broadcasters, and the winners will be chosen by a group of industry executives and producers.

In past years, the Summit has included the participation of Disney, Cartoon Network Latin America, Disney Junior, Netflix, Amazon Studios, CBBC, and Maker Studios, as well as executives from Sony Pictures Animmation, Discover Kids Latin America, Televisa, TV Azteca, and Canal Once.

This year, the grand prize winner will receive a grant of around USD$5,500 to further develop their project, in addition to access to Cartoon Connection Canada and a trip to visit animation studios in Los Angeles.

The call for entries and submission guidelines can be found here (link is in Spanish). The deadline to submit a project is Monday, April 16. While the event is only open to Latin American entrants, non-Latino projects may apply through a partnership with a Mexican or Latin American studio.

(Pictured at top: Elie the Unicorn Witch, created by Karina Cisneros and Marco Molina, was one of the award winners at the 2017 edition of Ideatoon.)
Fox Searchlight has unveiled the first extended clip from director/writer Wes Andersons upcoming stop motion feature The Isle of Dogs, and its really quite unlike anything weve seen recently in an American animated feature.

In the clip, two rival dog packs face off over a sack of rotting trash:

For those who attend international animation festivals, no doubt youve encountered a stop motion film or two that feels like Isle of Dogs, but certainly the film stands apart in American feature animation.
Cartoon Brew spoke by phone with Renner and Imbert (who also served as animation director for the bleaker April and the Extraordinary World) about the Annie-nominated Big Bad Fox, the industry of animation in America and France, their utopian new studio (courtesy of super-producer Didier Brunner), and more.

Cartoon Brew: Youve said Big Bad Fox is inspired by the animation of Tex Avery and other Looney Tunes greats.

Benjamin Renner: Ive always been influenced by and connected to the cartoons that I loved as a kid, including Looney Tunes, Silly Symphonies, and work like that. I was raised on those cartoons and their comedy, so in a way I wanted to pay respect.

Its patient gags stand apart from most animated features in the U.S. marketplace.

Benjamin Renner: I guess its somewhat difficult these days. Animated films have to make money, so they usually have to be strong epics with multiple characters. I wanted Big Bad Fox to be a lighthearted comedy, so thats how we approached the tone of the film.

Patrick Imbert: I think its sometimes different with television. A show like The Amazing World of Gumball is really amazing, but its on tv. Maybe you cant do such things in cinema.

Big Bad Fox has cross-demographic appeal. Theres something for everyone

Benjamin Renner: Thank you, because that is exactly what we were going for. It wasnt necessarily a strategy, but it was our intention to be earnest. When I finished the graphic novel, I was afraid children wouldnt like it, because its comedy was intended for adults. But I was surprised to find that even very young children were enjoying it, so when we decided to adapt the graphic novel into animation, we kept that intention to appeal to all ages. Its relieving to see that in some way we succeeded.

Patrick Imbert: We also made the choice to use realistic voices, rather than the cartoonish voices were used to hearing, and the kids really liked it. So you dont necessarily have to target kids in those ways; if the jokes are good, kids will like it, and so will everyone else.

Benjamin Renner: Plus, parents can get annoyed by those cartoon voices. [screeches unintelligibly, then laughs.] So we decided to take a more natural approach, which may be more pleasant for them to experience.

I think the same goes for its hand-drawn technique, which like your wondrous Ernest and Celestine enhances the experience, especially the comedy.

Benjamin Renner: In France, I think were continuing to make strong, important animation in the 2d tradition, but this is also because of budget. We like to create films with a high quality that you can see onscreen, that dont look cheap, by focusing on the story and trying to make them as good as they can be.

Patrick Imbert: I also think there is a stronger stream for hand-drawn animation in Europe. These days, any student with talent and a simple computer can make a film almost alone, if he or she wants to, which I think is why many like to work with traditional hand-drawn animation.

Benjamin Renner: Yeah, whereas with 3d animation, you have a standard set so high by Pixar and others that you need a huge team to reach the goal. With hand-drawn animation, there isnt really such a standard. I mean, there is Disney, but anyone can truly make a good hand-drawn film. Schools in Paris and elsewhere are graduating talented artists who are crazy good.

And theyre not just making comedies: April and the Extraordinary World was a hand-drawn French dystopia that was, for the most part, hand-drawn.

Patrick Imbert: You many not know this, but April and the Extraordinary World was made by mostly the same team of French artists working in 2d animation. There are few highly qualified people for that, so most of the feature animated films from France are usually created by the same group of artists, whether thats April, Ernest and Celestine, Big Bad Fox, or others. Its almost always the same family.

Speaking of family, Big Bad Fox was made in-house at Folivari, a new utopian studio with little regard for marketing and market research.

Benjamin Renner: Our producer, Didier Brunner, who also produced Triplets of Belleville and Ernest and Celestine, wanted to retire, but then decided he wanted to make another film. So when we met to talk about making Big Bad Fox, we decided to make the film more in-house than Ernest and Celestine, which was mostly produced in a single studio, although some parts were made in different regions of Europe. We asked Didier if this time we could make a film in one single studio, and he actually accepted.

We were very lucky. Even people new to the production process managed to find a better working rhythm. As a director, it was so great to be in the same room with the animators, to be able to immediately react to them, whether they were doing something right or wrong or suggesting a new idea. We could just stop by each others desks and show what we were talking about.

It sounds much smoother, especially since you were working directly off of animatics, as you had the comics as a source text.

Benjamin Renner: I have a lot of trouble writing scripts; I really am not very good at it. Because we can work faster this way, Patrick and I tend to prefer to write most of the film on storyboard, with very precise script, especially since much of the film is slapstick. We settled on the tone of the film more with pictures than with sentences.

Patrick Imbert: It was definitely more efficient for us, and for what we wanted to do, because we have a very short pipeline.

Did you have any hopes for how the film would be received in North America?

Benjamin Renner: Well to be honest, we were really surprised that Big Bad Fox premiered at the Animation is Film festival, because we really didnt have any distribution, and the film feels quite French, I guess. Also, it sort of refers to fables and stories like Aesops The Fox and Crow, so we were somewhat surprised by the reception.

Patrick Imbert: Also, you have to know that this project began as a 30-minute television special, and little by little it became three television specials, and then a feature that sailed from France to Hollywood. Its amazing. We didnt expect this.

Benjamin Renner: And of course, we are a little bit nervous, because it is different from other films out there, but so far the reaction has been so relieving. Maybe American people are so polite they just pretend to like it. [laughs]
There has been a massive demand for original animation content in recent years, largely fuelled by the popularity and proliferation of subscription video-on-demand streaming services like Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix.

In fact, according to the Global Animation Industry 2017: Strategies Trends & Opportunities report, the industry was worth $244 billion in 2015 and that number has doubtlessly skyrocketed since. In turn, this surge has also led to an explosion in animation jobs, creating openings at all levels of production and studios hungry for top talent  especially animators who have optimized their skillsets through specialization.

But how exactly does one specialize?

Montreal-based 2D animation software innovator Toon Boom, a long-standing leader in the industry, is launching a new initiative to help animators of all levels discover the process of skills specialization through a series of free Animation Career Camps. The events will be geared towards recent graduates and industry professionals, including freelancers, with the inaugural edition to be held in Toronto, Canada, this November.

Toon Boom Animation Career Camps are designed to help attendees learn about the specific animation abilities that are most needed at contemporary studios today and provide them with the knowledge and future-proofed skills to be hireable tomorrow. Toon Booms goal is to show participants what it takes to succeed in specific animation roles, across rigging, compositing, cut-out character design, and more.

Specialization has become essential to an optimized pipeline, Harmony or otherwise, says Jefferson Allen of Mercury Filmworks. That in-depth knowledge can make all the difference when pushing the technology and artistic goals of the shows Mercury Filmworks works on.

Through training sessions and labs, Toon Boom will offer expertise and guidance on how to develop specialized skills. It will also impart best practices to optimize learning towards specialization, backed-up by its jam-packed FREE online Learn Portal resource.

Attendees will also see the depth of specialization and how far it can take their careers through hands-on training of Harmony software in small group settings. Additionally, there will be keynote speakers, including local industry leaders and studio professionals talking about real-life production challenges and experiences.

Toon Boom, along with the pros from the local scene, will take attendees through the steps, strategies, and skills necessary to succeed in the rapidly evolving animation industry through the lens of the specific specializations that are in highest demand.

The benefits of attending Toon Boom Animation Career Camps

In our work with leading studios, Toon Boom has become an expert in what they need to build and optimize their pipelines, says Francois Lalonde, VP of Sales and Marketing at Toon Boom. By empowering animators with future-proofed skills, the Animation Career Camps are a way for us to bridge the gap between those seeking talent and those who have it  for years to come.

Toon Booms Animation Career Camps are not only a chance to develop a better understanding of the industry, but provide a unique networking opportunity where animators can meet their peers and studios, make meaningful connections, build new friendships, and find mentors.

Those interested in attending should be professional animators (think: recent grads, studio pros, freelancers) motivated to future-proof their skillsets through specialization, and who will continue their training via Toon Booms online resources and ultimately pursue certification.

To learn more, visit the Toon Boom Animation Career Camp page and REGISTER TODAY.

Who is Toon Boom?

Toon Booms industry-leading 2D animation software has won two Emmys and is at the core of many household-name productions, from The Simpsons and Winnie the Pooh to Bobs Burgers and Rick and Morty. Its flagship programs, Harmony and Storyboard Pro, are considered the gold standard.

As the market has grown increasingly global and digital, Toon Boom has worked with and helped develop some of the worlds top studios, schools and local industries from the ground up. It has played an important role in the innovation of animation technology and best practices everywhere, and has positioned itself as an essential partner with studios at every step of the pipeline and production process.

Depth is what separates it from the rest; Toon Boom has both a deep understanding of animation production and deep connections in the industry, from major to vendor studios.
There is a growing need for digital animation that fits with Japans unique animation production pipeline. The country celebrated 100 years of animation last year and its anime industry, which is largely 2d, posted record-breaking revenue in 2016 of over 2 trillion yen (around USD$17.7 billion).

In order to thrive for another century and meet the rising demands for original content, Japanese studios need software solutions that create traditional pencil-and-paper quality work, while respecting their artists process and culture.

Buoyed by global blockbusters like Makoto Shinkais Your Name, the perennial popularity of Studio Ghibli and an insatiable international culture fed by subscription video-on-demand services like Netflix and Hulu, anime is at a juncture. Tokyo-based studio DART Shtajio knows this and was searching for a digital solution to create its latest short, The Doll. Founder Arthell S. Isoms research brought him to Toon Boom Harmony.

DART Shtajio was founded in 2016 by Isom, an American background artist who moved to Japan 12 years ago. He and his right-hand man, animation director Henry Thurlow, both use the traditional Japanese process to create anime. Sensing a change in the industry, the pair began looking into the digital animation software that others in Japan were using.

The future is digital in Japan; theres no avoiding the situation, says Thurlow. In five to ten years, everybody will be digital.

They both knew Toon Boom Harmony as the industry-standard 2d animation software in North America and were well aware that OLM in Japan used it for Pokemon, but they wanted to see its benefits for themselves. DART Shtajio needed an affordable digital solution that could reflect the quality of the paper and pencil work they were doing, while respecting the Japanese process  and culture  they did it in.

Japanese animators have a system for passing the papers around the room and getting everything checked by the right person before moving to the next phase, says Thurlow. I didnt know if that would work digitally, but we have recreated the process in Harmony.

In order to meet the needs of Japanese studios, Western digital 2d animation solutions must emulate and empower this unique paper and pencil pipeline instead of trying to erase it. For The Doll, Toon Boom partnered with DART Shtajio for training, production assistance, and the creation of special custom scripts that would allow Harmony to digitally replicate the Japanese process.

The Doll was written by Isom and produced by DART Shtajios team in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro and Harmony. The anime is themed around freedom and expression, following an artist who recently lost his job and purpose. It explores how far he goes to  literally  bring his vision to life. In total, eight artists worked on the project including four key animators, three secondary animators, and one animation director. They were largely trained and mentored in Harmony by Toon Boom director of customer success Marie-Eve Chartrand over a two-week period in their offices.

I was surprised by how well they took to Harmony and Storyboard Pro, recalls Chartrand. When I started training the team, there were many exclamations like, This is better than RETAS!, Where has Harmony been?, and I wish I was taught this in school!. They also shared strong positive opinions on many of Harmonys key features, including the palette and camera functions.

Chartrand adapted existing scripts to allow Harmony to better emulate the Japanese animation process. This paved the way for the artists to not only continue making traditional-quality animation, but to create the work they have always wanted to with the added power of Toon Booms digital tools.

You cant just change character design and have it immediately look like anime  animation is done differently in Japan, says Thurlow. Artists here follow different steps to achieve animes aesthetic, which is why not changing the Japanese pipeline is crucial. We had to confirm Harmony could create authentic Japanese anime using the Japanese system, which is the difference between trying to mimic anime and actually being anime.

Creatively and visually, The Doll was a huge success. Isom notes that if artists do frame-by-frame animation in Harmony, it replicates the results of paper and pencil. DART Shtajios team used Toon Booms digital tools for exceptional traditional-quality results, including the train sequence at the beginning of the film.

Nowadays, most studios just use 3d computer [animation]  to traditionally animate a moving vehicle is rare, says Isom. Youd see that in a lot of old Japanese animation and it would actually differentiate their work.

Beyond the artistic advantages, there were innumerable practical benefits to using Harmony instead of paper to animate The Doll. Throughout the process, Toon Boom served as a creative and production partner to the studio.

Through production assistance, Toon Boom helped DART Shtajio apply the concepts we taught them and thats when everything started to make sense, says Chartrand. There is always a learning curve, especially transitioning from a traditional paper pipeline, but when they saw the speed gain and all the flexibility with the tools, they were able to take their creativity to the next level.

Among the other production benefits that came with using Harmony for Japanese anime were confirming motion during animation, easier editing and in-betweening, and skipping the scanning and cleaning-up step. Isom also espouses the programs coloring system.

Harmonys color profile system is amazing. You can color all the frames and change them just as easily by switching the palette; Flash cant do that. We did everything in-house, so this made it easier to make color adjustments along the way, he elaborates.

Other key features included Harmonys brush and pencil drawing tools, ink and paint, color selection, cropping and cutting during clean-up, hand-drawn effects, and the ability to import 3d objects.

We wanted to see Harmonys compositing features for Japanese animation and if it could do frame-by-frame animation well, says Isom. Cleaning, coloring, and inking has to be done in Harmony  nobody does it better.

As DART Shtajio prepares to release The Doll, a second volume has already been planned that will follow the titular character as she confronts her own existential crises. And while the anime short may have been produced entirely and solely by DART Shtajio in Harmony, each stage of the production pipeline could have been segmented and performed by a different studio, as is often customary in the Japanese process. That said, as Isom reinforces, the essential first step is learning the software.

Reflecting on his experience transitioning from traditional to digital animation, Isom says, Japanese studios want to streamline their systems. My advice is: It doesnt need to be utilized right now, but if you invest in learning the tools of the future today, when the industry is ready, youll be able to maximize the returns.

He continues, Once other studios have learned to use Harmony, they will see there are benefits beyond the color palette and paperless drawing systems. Theres so much more.

To learn more about Toon Boom Harmony, visit the Toon Boom website.
Technicolor announced this week that it will launch Mill Film, a new vfx studio located in Adelaide, Australia. The company has promised the local South Australia government that it will staff up to 500 employees at the facility within five years.

Technicolor has no shortage of vfx houses. They also own MPC, The Mill, Mikros, and Mr. X. The new facility will work with clients not currently serviced by those other studios, with a focus on creating film visual effects for major studios and streaming services. The studio also intends to work on immersive media projects such as virtual and augmented reality.

The move will allow Technicolor to access vfx talent that is already in Australia and provides another hub from which to service our global clients, said Frederic Rose, CEO of Technicolor. The Technicolor facility in Adelaide expands our footprint in the region, while enhancing the support we can provide clients who require world-class talent to work on productions around the globe  and around the clock.
UNITED NATIONSThey often go by the description of jack of all trades and have a reputation for being thick-skinned, perseverant, experienced and willing to take on a mission impossible. The men and women who take on the job of UN special envoy to the worlds trouble spots seem to be drawn to the challenge of confronting horrors in places like Syria, Libya or the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United Nations has about 20 special envoys, and some of them take on short-term missions while others plod on for decades. Its a tough job and a bit of a dogs life, said a diplomat. They get upbraided by one side and then the other; they are the focus of any frustration. Some missions may not be dangerous, such as reuniting Cyprus, finding a name for Macedonia that will satisfy Greece or resolving decades of disagreement over the status of Western Sahara, but these can be just as intractable. They have to show so much humility and patience and know when to jump at an opportunity to create conditions for dialogue, the diplomat said. Its like being a master chess player and asking others to move the pieces on the board. A UN official, who also asked not to be named, said the envoys are civil servantswith convictions and a healthy ego. For most UN envoys, the job is seen as a big privilege, he said. Success for a peace envoy hinges not just on diplomatic acumen, but also on the willingness of the parties involved and, in some instances crucially, on the support of the big powers at the UN Security Council.In Colombia, these conditions are all met and UN work to support the peace deal with the FARC rebels is often singled out as an example of a peace mission that is working. Italian-Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura, the third UN envoy to take on the Syria file, has been walking a tightrope between Russia and Western countries who are sharply at odds over a peace settlement. But success for an envoy is not just about ending violence. Containing a crisis or keeping a lid can also be considered a diplomatic achievement. The UNs top envoys appointed for Libya, Syria or Yemen earn about $12,000 per month, but in exchange they agree to put their personal lives on hold, travel almost constantly and report to UN headquarters on their advances and setbacks. Candidates to the posts must obtain approval from the five permanent council membersBritain, China, France, Russia and the United Statesand the parties themselves. Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who is stepping down as Yemen envoy at the end of the month, fell out with Huthi rebels, which contributed to the failure of his mediation efforts. Many envoys have thrown in the towel. My dream is to be the last special envoy for Libya, said Ghassan Salame in an interview with AFP late last year. I dont want my role to drag on. Some envoys have paid the ultimate price in the job. Brazilian diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello, considered one of the UNs most gifted emissaries, was killed in a Baghdad attack in 2003.
Samsung Galaxy S9 release date, specs news: Upcoming flagship phone to be launched in Coral Blue

The Samsung Galaxy S9 will be launched in Coral Blue and Lilac Purple. The Samsung Galaxy S9 will be launched in Coral Blue and Lilac Purple. The Samsung Galaxy S9 will be launched in Coral Blue and Lilac Purple. The Samsung Galaxy S9 will be launched in Coral Blue and Lilac Purple.

Samsung has a record of releasing distinct, galaxy phone colors in the past. This year, the tech giant's upcoming flagship phone does not have a confirmed shade of color yet, but according to some photos posted by known leaker Evan Blass, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be available in Coral Blue.

Earlier this week, through his Twitter account @evleaks, Blass shared photos of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ confirming that Samsung will be releasing phones in both Coral Blue and Lilac Purple. Blass added that the Lilac Purple will look darker compared to the photo he posted.

Meanwhile, some fans have expressed excitement over the launch of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in Coral Blue. Twitter user @techiesupreme responded that Samsung should really bring back the Coral Blue variant which they launched in their previous phones.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that the official release date of the Galaxy S9 will happen at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Feb. 25, CNet reported. Shipping of units is rumored to start by mid-March since Samsung will be begin accepting pre-orders starting March 1.

As for the specifications, the Korean tech company has not confirmed a complete list of the S9's features but there are rumors circulating that it would have a super battery life despite having the usual battery capacity of 3,000 and 3,500 mAh for the Galaxy S9 and S9+, respectively. Since the units are expected to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, it is believed to help in the improvement of battery efficiency by 30 percent.
Submitted

Cleveland Rotary Club once again sponsored students from Cleveland and Tarkington high schools to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Award Conference at the Pineywoods Baptist Encampment in Woodlake, Texas, during the first week of January.

Attendees learned that they share so much in common and how their ideas can come together to make any experience so much richer.
A 21-year-old Houston man died early Friday morning in Galveston as a result of a head-on vehicle collision which left a woman in critical condition, according to a press release from the Galveston Police Department.



The unidentified man was the driver and sole occupant of a red Toyota Corolla and was involved in a wreck with an unidentified 34-year-old woman driving a gray Honda Element in the outbound lanes of the Galveston Causeway. Police arrived at the scene after receiving multiple calls at approximately 2:45 a.m. The front-end damage to both vehicles indicated to officers the crash was head-on. The Galveston Fire Department managed to remove the man, who had been trapped in his vehicle with "severe, life-threatening injuries." He was taken by EMS to UTMB Health John Sealy Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival, according to police.



The woman involved in the wreck, an Alvin resident, suffered "severe" injuries and remains in critical condition. She was the sole occupant of the Honda. The exact cause of the crash has not been determined, according to the news release.

The identity of the man is not being released until his family is notified, the press release stated.
Two juveniles are in custody after a short police chase near Baybrook Mall.

The pursuit started around 11:40 a.m., when Houston police officers tried stopping a stolen BMW in the 600 block of Baybrook Mall Drive.

The driver sped off, ultimately crashing into four parked cars before the two kids bailed out in the 200 block of El Dorado. They were both taken into custody.

Authorities did not identify them or give their ages. It's not clear what charges they might face.
The Harris County man who helped sadistic serial killer Dean Corll lure more than two dozen young boys to their torture and death was yet again denied parole.

Following a parole board decision issued last week, David Owen Brooks will stay behind bars for at least another decade - the longest parole set-off possible under Texas law.

"It's a good decision," said James Dreymala, the father of Corll's final victim.

Brooks, now 62, has gone before the board more than 20 times in the four decades since the Houston Mass Murders terrorized the Bayou City in the early 1970s.

"On behalf of all the victims and surviving family members, we are not only appreciative of the parole denial but more importantly granting our request for the maximum 10-year set-off," said City of Houston victim advocate Andy Kahan.

Kahan attended the hearing last month in Angleton, along with the parents of Stanton Dreymala, who's believed to be Corll's last victim.

Though Brooks has been up for parole every few years since he first became eligible in 1979, a 2015 law increased the maximum time allowed between parole considerations. While he could have been up for parole again in three years under the old law, he's now not eligible to be considered for release until 2028.

Convicted killers like Brooks and co-defendant Elmer Wayne Henley were a key reason advocates lobbied for the legislation that allowed for longer set-offs, according to Kahan.

"This gives everyone much more time between parole reviews and no one will have to think about parole hearings for at least 8 years until the next review of Henley," he said.

The gruesome killings first came to light in 1973, five days after little Stanton vanished.

It was on Aug. 8 that Henley, a 17-year-old high school dropout, called police to say he'd shot Corll, the 33-year-old electric company worker who'd masterminded the slayings.

Henley said he had killed Corll after the older man threatened to rape and kill him and two other teens during a party at a bungalow.

But after the initial confession, another story emerged; Henley told police he could lead them to bodies. Lots of bodies.

Inside stall No. 11 at Southwest Boat Storage, authorities discovered the remains of 17 slain and tortured boys buried under the dirt floor, covered in plastic and a layer of lime.

Inside the bungalow, detectives found a chilling collection of torture devices, including a toolbox stuffed sexual devices and a plywood board with holes cut out for handcuffs and restraints

Eventually Henley admitted that he'd helped lure the unsuspecting victims, along with the help of then-18-year-old David Owen Brooks.

In exchange, the serial killer had paid the pair $10 to $200 per child. In some cases, Brooks and Henley had helped with the torture and killing.

By the end of the week police probed other sites at High Island and Lake Sam Rayburn and found at least 28 victims.

"This was one of the most notorious serial killings in this country's history," Kahan said. "The term 'serial killer' wasn't even invented yet, it wasn't even known to criminologists. Hence it was always called the Houston Mass Murders."
Houston police recovered a body found floating in Brays Bayou on Sunday morning.

A bystander initially called authorities Saturday after spotting a dead man in the water. But after hours of searching, police came up empty-handed.

Then on Sunday, the dive team returned to the scene near MacGregor Park and sometime after 10 a.m. pulled out the body of a man who'd apparently drowned in the bayou.

The death appeared to be accidental, police said. The victim was not immediately identified.
AUSTIN -- Former President Barack Obama and members of his administration are ready to take another shot at chipping away at Republican domination in Texas.

A new group headed by former Attorney General Eric Holder and with the public backing of Obama is targeting Texas among 11 states in which they are determined to change the redistricting process to assure more competitive state House and Senate races in the future.

"In 2011, Republicans created gerrymandered districts that locked themselves into power and shut out voters from the electoral process," Holder said in announcing the National Democratic Redistricting Committee's electoral targets earlier this week.

"By focusing on these state and local races, we can ensure Democrats who will fight for fairness have a seat at the table when new maps are drawn in 2021," he added.

And Harris County will be a big part of the plan. State Democrats have already highlighted more than 20 seats in the Texas House that Hillary Clinton either won over Donald Trump in 2016 or lost narrowly -- a list the new NDRC group is well versed in, said Kelly Ward, executive director of the group.

Ward said her group hasn't made specific targets yet, but said after the primaries in March they will begin to hone in on more specific targets.

That list will almost certainly include conversations about five key Houston area districts.

In state District 134, held by State Rep. Sarah Davis and State District 138 held by Rep. Dwayne Bohac, Clinton outpointed Trump in 2016. In three other districts -- state House 135 held by Rep. Gary Elkins, District 26 held by Rep. Rick Miller, and District 132 held by Rep. Mike Schofield -- Clinton was within 5 percentage points of winning.

Republicans hold a dominating edge in both the Texas House and Senate. In the House, Republicans have 95 seats compared to 55 for Democrats. In the Texas Senate Republicans hold 20 seats to just 11 for Democrats.

Ward said she knows the math and isn't pretending the NDRC is going to win it all back this year. She said what makes their organization different from past efforts in Texas is that they are here for the long hall. She said they expect to help Democrats make some gains this year and build off those in another four years.

"We're here for the long term," Ward said.

The work in Texas will include helping with litigation to fight what the group calls unconstitutional redistricting, mobilizing communities by create long-term infrastructure to get more of the public engaged in redistricting, and helping Democratic candidates win seats in the Legislature so they can play a bigger role in drawing redistricting maps.

She said Holder will be traveling the country in support of the effort and Obama has made redistricting one of his top post-presidential priorities and is expected to remain engaged in the topic.

Bring it on

The Republican Party of Texas' answer? Bring it on.

"This is just the latest in a series of attempts to mess with Texas by Obama and his administration over the years," Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey said.

He pointed to the Obama network's attempt to help state Sen. Wendy Davis in the 2014 gubernatorial election as example of how futile their work has been.

But Ward says there is clearly a different environment building in America and Texas heading into 2018. Democrats in Texas have a serious contender for the U.S. Senate in Beto O'Rourke, three of the most competitive U.S. House races in America (including the 7th Congressional District in Houston), and Democrats have candidates running in every U.S. House race in Texas.

"All of these are signs of momentum growing," she said.

Manny Garcia, the Texas Democratic Party's Deputy Executive Director, said he's seen a record surge in the number of candidates willing to put themselves up to run for office in state Legislature races and for Congress.

"We need to compete everywhere," Garcia said.

Harris County is a prime example of that. In the nine congressional districts that include Harris County, a record 37 Democrats have qualified for the ballot on March 6.

Garcia said state Democrats welcome the attention from national groups. He said the recognition from group's like Holder's only offers further vindication of the progress Texas Democrats are making.

In 2011, the Texas House had 101 Republicans and 49 Democrats. Since then, Democrats have gained 6 seats and have hopes for more in 2018. In the Senate, though Republicans have a 9 seat edge, Garcia said picking up just two seats would have a big impact on how the Senate operates.

Currently Democrats have few procedural tools to slow down the Republican agenda in Austin. But with two additional seats, Democrats would have enough votes to force Republicans to have to listen to them.

The next redistricting round in Texas is not likely to start until 2021, but Ward said by starting early, her group is building a foundation and helping elect people who will be at the table when new maps are drawn.

"It starts now," Ward said.
The war in Syria has taken a new turn as Israel conducted a series of strikes against what it describes as Iranian targets. The strike led to a confrontation with Syrian and Iranian forces causing Israel to lose one of its F16 fighters.

The strikes were the most significant attack of its kind against Syria since the 1982 Lebanon war, senior Israeli air force general Tomer Bar told the BBC.

The airstrikes were unleashed after an Iranian drone infiltrated Israel. More than six Syrian and allied soldiers were killed in the operation, a monitor group said.

The Israeli army said several of the sites it targeted on Saturday are part of Irans military establishment in Syria, while confirming that an Israeli fighter jet that was part of a squadron launching the airstrikes on Syria was downed amid anti-aircraft missile fire.

The downing of the F16 fighter jet prompted a broad wave of Israeli strikes against a dozen Syrian and Iranian targets in Syrian territory. The pilots were ejected and parachuted inside Israel then evacuated to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.

The Israeli military said it hit eight Syrian targets, including three aerial defense batteries, and four Iranian positions that it described as part of Irans military entrenchment in Syria.

This is indeed a dangerous escalation that raises the specter of direct conflict between Israel and Iran in Syria  a far more serious situation than the drawing of red lines and tit-for-tat exchanges that have occurred before, said Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

The Israeli intervention also shows how Syria has become a battle ground for regional powers including Turkey, Russia and Iran which all have forces on the ground in war-ravaged Syria.

Israel has by the past conducted strikes against Iranian-proxy Hezbollah to prevent it from acquiring or smuggling game-changing weapons into Lebanon. Israeli missiles have also hit what was described as units for the production of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime.
Harris County's former jail  now used for county offices that are open to the public  has been flagged for a fire code violation by the Houston Fire Marshal, the second county building this week to come under scrutiny for safety violations.

Red warning stickers were posted on the glass entry doors to the former jail this week after the Houston Chronicle began questioning safety at the nearby Harris County Family Law Center, a building that was pressed into service after Hurricane Harvey despite not having sprinkler systems or sufficient exits.

The former jail, at 1301 Franklin, does not have a sprinkler system either, though it houses offices for the district clerk, the district attorney's office and the public defender's office. The former district attorney's building at 201 Fannin has also been red-tagged, but it has been shuttered for years.

City and county officials have steadfastly maintained the law center and the jail are safe, but fire inspectors have said the buildings could be dangerous in a fire.

"The official position of the HFD is that the City of Houston and Harris County officials have worked closely on this issue to assure public safety and to continue providing critical governmental services during the recovery phase from Tropical Storm Harvey," Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said, in a statement released this week.

MORE: Houston Fire Marshal inspector sounds the alarm on courthouse safety

But fire marshals continue to post warning stickers and insist that fire monitors walk the halls of the buildings and schedule special training sessions to develop fire-fighting strategies. On Wednesday, three district chiefs and their crews examined the seven floors of the Family Law Center, at 1115 Congress near San Jacinto, and scheduled a return trip Saturday to map out a strategy.

People who use the buildings said the heightened awareness was overdue, especially at the family law courthouse which now houses 16 misdemeanor courts and is often packed when courts are in session.

"Of course I'm concerned  this is a disaster waiting to happen," said Tucker Graves, president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association. "I know we had to go somewhere but that probably wasn't the place to go. That place was supposed to be torn down."

Graves said he is worried the dangerous conditions will continue until 2019 when the 20-story Criminal Justice Center can be reopened after damage from Hurricane Harvey is repaired.

Safer than before

The 12-story former jail is open for business only on the renovated first floor, which accommodates dozens of county staffers, lawyers, defendants and customers of the clerk's office.

MORE: Harris County officials to get update on closed criminal courthouse

On Friday, the red warning signs were posted on the entry doors and a man in a county security screener's uniform had been posted in the building's lobby to patrol and watch for fires. He referred questions to county officials.

"They seem to have remedied the problem with the fire-minders," said Chief Public Defender Alex Bunin. "They're going to have people permanently assigned to just walking around and making sure everything is ok."

A fire monitor has also been posted at the Family Law Center, though no red-tag warning has been posted on the doors.

The law center  which sees 2,500 people per day or about 55,000 per month  a memorandum of understanding was signed by County Judge Ed Emmett and Mayor Sylvester Turner granting a waiver to the city's fire code requirements. The requirement that the red warning sticker be placed on the door was also waived.

Pena, the fire chief, said the building was safer than before the memo was signed.

"The fire watch/standby requirements and safety plan developed for the (Family Law Center) are in line with adopted fire code and consistent with recognized good practice for providing a reasonable level of life safety in existing buildings," he said in a statement. "The addition of dedicated fire watch personnel at the Harris County Family Law Building, whose only duty is to perform constant patrols of the protected premise and keep watch for fires, provides a higher level of safety than existed before the MOU was implemented."

MORE: Hurricane Harvey damage to Harris County criminal courthouse under review

The mayor agreed, and said the plan was vetted more than two months ago.

"We all sat down and worked out a plan that would be able to utilize it but also to be safe," he said. "The protocol that was put together, the memorandum of understanding that was worked out, was worked out with the fire department right at the table along with the Harris County fire marshal.

It's even more safe because you have people that are there throughout the entire time period literally eyeballing the situation."

MORE: Prosecutors, attorneys cut 'Harvey deals' in jail basement as flood-damaged courthouse is repaired

A spokesman for Emmett, Joe Stinebaker, said county officials would do anything necessary to keep the buildings safe.

"We are not going to put people into buildings that are deemed unsafe," he said. "If the city fire marshal's office says that's unsafe, we pull the people out. If they say it is safe with certain remediating actions, we take the remediating actions or we pull the people out."

He added, "The judge has been assured by the city fire marshal that that building is safe; the Harris County fire marshal has been assured by the city fire marshal that that building is safe."

'We needed the space'

Harris County Engineer John Blount said the county considered other possibilities for the displaced courthouse staff and courts, but settled on the family law center because it's large and close to the rest of the courthouse complex.

"Harvey came and we needed the space," Blount said. "How many vacant courthouses do you think are sitting around town? The answer is none."

He said city code allows buildings to not have sprinklers if they do not have occupied floors more than 75 feet off the ground. Moreover, he said having trained inspectors patrolling the building on a "fire watch" could be "as effective" if not more so than a sprinkler system.

The former district attorney's building  the third building flagged for fire code violations  has been closed for at least a decade, with the doors boarded up. It is not accessible to the public.

Chronicle reporters Mihir Zaveri and Mike Morris contributed to this report.

Brian Rogers is the legal affairs reporter for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on twitter at @brianrinjrogers or email him at brian.rogers@chron.com.
A North Texas teacher has died from complications from the flu.

Heather Holland, a second-grade teacher at Ikard Elementary School with the Weatherford Independent School District died over the weekend, the Weatherford Democrat reports. Holland got sick about a week ago and took medication, but delayed picking up the prescription due to the $116 copay, according to the newspaper.

BRUTAL SEASON: This map of Texas explains why everyone you know has the flu

By Friday night, Holland's condition worsened and she was taken to the hospital. Her husband Frank Holland told the Weatherford Democrat that she died Sunday morning.

"She loved helping people, helping the kids, and the kids loved her," Holland's husband told the Weatherford Democrat.

Charlotte LaGrone, a spokeswoman for Weatherford ISD, told news station CBS DFW that counselors are available at the school for the rest of the week to help students and school staff cope with the sudden loss. She added that custodians started deep cleaning the district's schools in December to keep students from getting sick, and that the specific campus where Holland was employed had received an additional cleaning on Friday, Feb. 2.

MORE FLU IN TEXAS: Texas teacher is on life support after contracting two strains of the flu

This year's flu season has been particularly deadly, with flu-related deaths being reported across the nation. Last month, five flu-related deaths were reported in the greater Houston area. The CDC reports the flu is widespread across America this year and possibly won't peak until March.

Scroll through the gallery above to see top prevention tips for avoiding the flu.

Will Axford is a digital reporter for Chron.com. Read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is expected to unveil Monday a plan that would fulfill one of his signature campaign promises: a $1.5 trillion, once-in-a-generation proposal to rebuild, restore and modernize the nation's aging infrastructure.

"We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways and waterways all across our land," Trump said in his State of the Union address.

But while the proposal represents one of the administration's main legislative ambitions, it could directly clash with one of its defining regulatory principles, which is to question the risk from global warming and roll back regulations addressing climate change.

'A whole lot of waste'

The Trump infrastructure blueprint is almost certain to call for expensive new roads, bridges, airports and other projects in areas that are increasingly vulnerable to rising waters and other threats from a warming planet. Engineers and researchers say that construction plans should consider these design constraints at the outset. Their concern is that a plan led by a White House that has both discounted climate science and weakened climate change regulations could mean that costly projects may be vulnerable to damage or, in a worst-case scenario, quickly rendered obsolete by the changing environment.

"The impact of not considering climate change when planning infrastructure means you end up building the wrong thing, in the wrong place, to the wrong standards," said Michael Kuby, a professor of geographical sciences and urban planning at Arizona State University and contributing author to the National Climate Assessment, the federal government's most comprehensive scientific study of the effect of global warming on the United States. "That's a whole lot of waste."

Climate change already poses one of the most significant threats to the nation's infrastructure, according to dozens of scientific and engineering studies, including several prepared by the federal government. A 2017 report by the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that, through the end of the century, up to $280 billion will be needed to adapt the nation's roads and railways to the effects of a warming climate.

The report warned that some 6,000 bridges nationwide face a greater risk of damage in coming decades from the effects of a warming climate. It provides analysis showing that "proactive adaptation" - essentially, planning for global warming before you build - could save the government up to 70 percent in future costs of repairing damage caused by climate change-driven weather events such as deluges, coastal flooding and heat waves.

Impact on costs

A spokeswoman for the EPA did not respond to requests to interview the study's lead scientist, Jeremy Martinich. An academic colleague of Martinich's, who has worked with him on several climate reports, including the EPA study published last year, described in practical terms what the findings mean for federal infrastructure planners.

"Say you're going to build a new road in Denver that's designed to last for 25 years," said the colleague, Paul Chinowsky, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "What climate science tells us is that, over the next 25 years, the climate in Denver is going to look more like the climate in Albuquerque" - meaning, he said, that the asphalt will have to be designed to withstand much higher levels of heat than a Denver road might historically have experienced.

"If you don't do that," he said, "It could double the cost of maintenance and the amount of delays on that road."

In New England and the Upper Midwest, Chinowsky said, failing to account for climate change when planning the asphalt mix for roads there could mean that more rapid cycles of winter freezes and thaws could cause more potholes.

"If you think places like Wisconsin, Minnesota and New England have potholes now, just wait," he said.

Other scientific and engineering studies make the case that rising sea levels will erode coastal highways in Florida, stronger rains will send rivers flooding bridges in Iowa and more powerful heat waves will melt asphalt across the Southwest.
Mexican media is reporting at least six people were executed Thursday at a restaurant in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, Jalisco, as killings continue following the arrest of a powerful captain within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

A group of at least 10 men stormed the restaurant, surrounded the seven diners and opened fire, immediately killing six of them, according to reports.
On the bench, Clarence Thomas takes precisely the opposite approach from that of Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes, who famously quipped that the Constitution is what the judges say it is. Under that rubric, too many justices have imposed their own policy preferences, Thomas says: You make it up, and then you rationalize it. According to his own strictly originalist judicial credo, set forth in a 1996 speech, The Constitution means not what the Court says it does but what the delegates at Philadelphia and at the state ratifying conventions understood it to mean. . . . We as a nation adopted a written Constitution precisely because it has a fixed meaning that does not change. Otherwise we would have adopted the British approach of an unwritten, evolving constitution. Consequently, as Justice Brandeis declared in the great case of Erie v. Tompkins, there is no federal general common law. The duty of the federal courts is to interpret and enforce two bodies of positive law: the Constitution and the body of federal statutory law. What the law schools teach as constitutional law is just a compendium of opinions that might or might not be correct.

In modern times, thats a radical argument, and not just because it contradicts the idea of a living Constitution that evolves to meet changing conditions. It also challenges the doctrine of stare decisisto respect precedents and let them standwhich, in modern times, has also been a handmaiden of judicial policymaking: judges tinker with the precedents until they get what they want, and then they start yelling stare decisis, as though that is supposed to stop you, Thomas said in 2016. True, judges in the lower federal courts pledge to apply precedents faithfully, and many try. But Supreme Court justices, Thomas contends, are obligated to think things through constantly, to re-examine ourselves, to go back over turf weve already plowed, to torment yourself to make sure youre right. If they discover that their predecessors were wrong, they are obliged to say soand even to reverse the Courts earlier decisions. I trust the Constitution itself, Thomas says. The written document is the ultimate stare decisis. Very different from Yale Law, he notes, which didnt assign the Constitution in full.

To see how this works, look at two of Thomass opinions bearing on the Constitutions clause empowering Congress to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes. In 1995, in United States v. Lopez, the Court struck down a federal law using the Commerce Clause to justify a ban on gun possession in a school zone. Justice Stephen Breyers dissent showed the kind of far-fetched, Rube Goldberg reasoning that too often has justified such a law: by hampering education, the forbidden activity would yield a less-productive citizenry with an adverse effect on the Nations economic well-being, he held, so Congress properly forbade it under its Commerce Clause authority.

Chief Justice William Rehnquists majority ruling more sensibly declared that the government had exceeded its authority under the Commerce Clause, since it could not show that the forbidden activity substantially affected interstate commerce. But Thomass opinion, concurring in the judgment but not in its reasoning, warned that even Rehnquists criterion, if taken to its logical extreme, would give Congress a police power over all aspects of American life, from littering to marriage. Indeed, he pointed out, when asked . . . if there were any limits to the Commerce Clause, the Government was at a loss for words.

But thats wrong. Dictionaries from the Founding era clearly define commerce as selling, buying, bartering, and transporting goods. Both The Federalist and the state ratifying conventions used the word to distinguish trade from manufacturing or agriculture, over which the Constitution gives Congress no power. Moreover, if the Framers meant the clause to grant Congress authority over matters that substantially affect commerce, why does Article I, Section 8, where the Commerce Clause appears, bother to enumerate such other powers as coining money or punishing counterfeiters or enacting bankruptcy lawsall of which substantially affect commerce, as Framers James Madison and Alexander Hamilton pointed out? The Court needs to revisit its Commerce Clause jurisprudence, Thomas concluded, to ensure that it doesnt make into a reality Madisons nightmare of a limited government becoming an unlimited one.

Such misuse of the Commerce Clause to cover the whole web of human activity began in the New Deal, Thomas writes. The Courts dramatic departure in the 1930s from a century and a half of precedent was unequivocally a wrong turn that marks the real start of modern illegitimate judicial lawmaking. This was not a wrong turn that the Court made willingly. Up until 1936, it had resolutely resisted Congresss attempts to use the Commerce Clause as a justification for the flood of New Deal legislation. But after a frustrated Franklin Roosevelt threatened to enlarge the high bench and pack it with his partisans, Justice Owen Roberts, in the infamous switch in time that saved nine, stopped finding New Deal legislation unconstitutional, so that five-to-four decisions against FDR became majority decisions allowing his schemes.

In Wickard v. Filburn, the most fanciful of these decisions, the submissive majority absurdly ruled in 1942 that the Commerce Clause gave the federal government the power to regulate the amount of grain that a farmer could grow to feed to his own livestock, even though agriculture isnt commerce, and the grain didnt enter into interstate commerce or, indeed, into any commerce at all. Still, the chastened Court ruled, the grain substantially affected the national economythe first time it had invoked such a criterionand thus Washington had power over it.

In his dissent in Gonzalez v. Raich in 2005, Thomas denied that the Commerce Clause gave Congress the power to regulate a homegrown agricultural product that never entered into any commerce, implicitly delegitimizing Wickard, which he cited, and thus much of the New Deal and the fast-and-loose jurisprudence that justified it and that continues to rationalize judicial activism to this day. Gonzalez involved two chronically ill Californians who grew and used marijuana to control their pain, thinking themselves protected by Californias legalization of medical marijuana. The Feds thought otherwise, seized six marijuana plants, and charged the invalids with violating the federal Controlled Substances Act. The Court sided with the Fedsover Thomass strenuous dissent.

The invalids, he thundered, use marijuana that has never been bought or sold, that has never crossed state lines, and that has had no demonstrable effect on the national market for marijuana. If Congress can regulate this under the Commerce Clause, then it can regulate virtually anythingand the Federal Government is no longer one of limited and enumerated powers. Not only does this case not concern commerce; it doesnt even concern economic activity. If the majority is to be taken seriously, the Federal Government may now regulate quilting bees, clothes drives, and potluck suppers throughout the 50 States, he protested. In this same vein, he dissented from the Courts blessing of Obamacares individual mandate in NFIB v. Sebelius in 2012, rejecting the Governments unprecedented claim in this suit that it may regulate not only economic activity but also inactivity that substantially affects interstate commerce.

The Commerce Clause was the New Deals bluntest weapon for subverting the Founders Constitution.

The Commerce Clause was the New Deals bluntest weapon for subverting the Founders Constitution and extending the imperium of what we now call the Administrative State. But after considering how FDR & Co. had done it, Thomas came to see that the subversion was more complicated. The New Deal Congress wielded its enlarged authority not directly but through executive-branch agencies such as the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. In several 2015 opinions, Thomas focused on how these agencies increasingly undermine the original Constitution even more insidiously than Congresss torturing of the Commerce Clause. These opinions are all concurrences or dissents, not the Courts majority ruling. Their importance lies in making what previously had been an academic and journalistic concern part of official Supreme Court jurisprudence and targeting previous rulings for future reversal.

We have overseen and sanctioned the growth of an administrative system that concentrates the power to make laws and the power to enforce them in the hands of a vast and unaccountable administrative apparatus that finds no comfortable home in our constitutional structure, Thomas lamented in his concurrence in Department of Transportation v. Association of American Railroads. The end result may be trains that run on time (although I doubt it), but the cost is to our Constitution and the individual liberty it protects. Since the High Court remanded the complex railroad-rate-setting case back to the lower courts, he set out some principles for the guidance of those courts and the consideration of his colleagues in future cases.

The combination in the same hands of the power to make the laws and the power to carry them out is the essence of arbitrary rule by decree, the Founders believed, guided by such writers as the Baron de Montesquieu, John Locke, and William Blackstone. For them, the separation of powers was key to the protection of liberty from tyranny, he writes. The Constitution vested all legislative power in Congress, all executive power in the president, and all judicial power in the Supreme Court and inferior courts, because the Framers did not want to have those powers delegated to other hands, lest it bring about the gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, as Madison put it in Federalist 51. As Locke himself had said, Thomas reminds his colleagues, The legislative cannot transfer the power of making laws to any other hands: for it being but a delegated power from the people, they who have it cannot pass it over to others.

Sure enough, the delegation of legislative powers to the administrative agencies, whose rules bind citizens and thus are laws in all but name, results in just such a dangerous concentration, which the Court permitted by gradual and almost careless application of an intelligible purpose test. Originally, the test concerned the very narrow case of a tariff law that left it to the president to determine if the conditions that the law had set for rate changes had been met, a factual determination that, as a later decision pointed out, did not concern questions of justice or expediencypolicy questions that demand a legislative determination. But, Thomas observed, the Court forgot this narrow qualification and, in time, allowed Congress to delegate its lawmaking power to agencies without reservation.

Perhaps we deliberately departed from the separation [of powers], bowing to the exigencies of modern Government that were so often cited in cases upholding challenged delegations of rulemaking authority, Thomas muses. Perhaps, as an earlier Court conceded, our jurisprudence has been driven by a practical understanding that in our increasingly complex society, replete with ever changing and more technical problems, Congress simply cannot do its job absent an ability to delegate power under broad general directives.

That happened, of course, not by accident but because Woodrow Wilson and his fellow Progressives rejected the Founders Constitution as a cumbrous, outworn relic, whose separated powers and checks and balances clogged the government efficiency that a fast-changing world needs, they claimed. Modernity requires rule not by the democratically elected representatives of an ill-schooled citizenry but by highly trained, public-spirited experts who embody Hegels spirit of History and know which way its arc bends. After Wilson had laid the intellectual foundation, FDR later enlarged the Administrative State by an order of magnitude, on the principle, he said, that new conditions impose new requirements upon government and those who conduct government. Suited to this challenge, executive-branch agencies would emit a torrent of rules with the force of law like a legislature, carry them out and enforce them like an executive, and adjudicate and punish infractions of them like a judiciary, depriving citizens of their property without due process of law.

However practical that delegation might seem, it is unconstitutional six ways from Sunday. To understand the intelligible principle test as permitting Congress to delegate policy judgment in this context is to divorce that test from its history, Thomas objects. We should return to the original meaning of the Constitution: The Government may create generally applicable rules of private conduct only through the proper exercise of legislative power. I accept that this would inhibit the Government from acting with the speed and efficiency Congress has sometimes found desirable. But thats a virtue of constitutional lawmaking, not a flaw. As Hamilton put it in Federalist 73: The injury which may possibly be done by defeating a few good laws will be amply compensated by the advantage of preventing a number of bad ones.

If the delegation of legislative power to executive agencies is illegitimate, the delegation of judicial power is a special affront to judges like Thomas. That power isnt Congresss to begin with, so how can it delegate what it doesnt have? Yet bizarrely, the Supreme Court itself, in a wartime price-control case, Bowles v. Seminole Rock & Sand, requires judges to defer to agency interpretations of regulations, . . . giving legal effect to the interpretations rather than the regulations themselves, Thomas complained in Perez v. Mortgage Bankers Association in 2015. That doctrine of deference, Thomas objects, has now taken on a life of its own, so that judges defer not only to agency interpretations of their own regulations but of other agencies regulations and even of criminal sentencingand even when an interpretation differs from a previous interpretation of the same regulation, so that it amounts to new lawmaking utterly confusing to the citizens the regulation binds.

For the Founders, separation of powers wasnt protection enough against tyranny. They also designed a system of checks and balances to prevent an improper accumulation of power in any one branch. The judiciary plays a critical role in this dynamic equipoise, and failure to exercise its independent judgment of what is lawful for executive-branch agency actions amounts to a gross dereliction of duty, Thomas charges. After all, the Founders specifically protected judicial independence with lifetime tenure and irreducible salaries, insulations against the pressure of public opinion that they purposely withheld from the other two branches, subject to the discipline of regular elections. You dont review cases when you say, Oh, we defer to virtually everything the agency does,  Thomas said last year. We dont do that to district judges, and district judges are Article III judges. The Supreme Court should give agency interpretations a tighter, not a looser, scrutiny than it gives district or appeals court decisionsespecially since agency bureaucrats have tenure almost as secure and unaccountable as judges enjoy.

Probably the most oft-recited justification for Seminole Rock deference is that of agency expertise in administering technical statutory schemes, Thomas writes. But that defense misidentifies the relevant inquiry. The proper question faced by courts in interpreting a regulation is not what the best policy choice might be, but what the regulation means. And who better than a judge to analyze the meaning of the language of a law or regulation?

Finally, in Michigan v. EPA, Thomas concluded that what goes for Seminole Rock deference goes equally for the deference doctrine pronounced in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council in 1984. That Chevron doctrine assumes that Congress, when it left ambiguity in a statute meant for implementation by an agency, understood that the ambiguity would be resolved, first and foremost, by the agency, and desired the agency (rather than the courts) to possess whatever degree of discretion the ambiguity allows. Nevertheless, when an agency interprets a regulation, Thomas writes, its sub rosa lawmaking cries out for judicial review. Deference thus forces judges to abandon what they believe is the best reading of an ambiguous statute in favor of an agencys construction. It thus wrests from Courts the ultimate interpretative authority to say what the law is precisely the authority that Chief Justice Marshall claimed for the judiciary in Marbury v. Madison. That can hardly be constitutional.

Thomass magnum opus so far, his concurrence in McDonald v. Chicago, a 2010 gun-rights case in which the Court upheld Chicago residents right to bear arms, is a textbook demonstration of his method of judging. Here, with his characteristic skepticism toward stare decisis, he utterly repudiates the Supreme Courts two most tragically wrong and history-changing decisionsthe Slaughter-House Cases (1873) and United States v. Cruikshank (1876), the cases that strangled Reconstruction in its cradle and licensed the generations-long grip of Jim Crow on black Southerners. He shows that the Court in those cases misinterpreted both how the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment understood the language in which they couched it, and how contemporary commentators heard that language. He demonstrates that that original understanding belongs to an unbroken intellectual tradition that derived from Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights. It was asserted in the American colonies at least as early as 1636, was affirmed in the Declaration of Independence, and was powerfully restated by Lincoln as an antislavery rationale. And vibrating throughout Thomass McDonald opinion is a note of pained indignation that his own Court in earlier days could have participated in overturning the equality of rights that so many had given their lives to uphold.

When an agency interprets a regulation, Thomas writes, its sub rosa lawmaking cries out for judicial review.

The American Founders well knew, Thomas writes, that slavery was irreconcilable with the principles of equality, government by consent, and inalienable rights proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence and embedded in our constitutional structure. To resolve that contradiction, the nation fought a bloody Civil War, on the leading principlethe sheet anchor of American republicanism, in Lincolns phrase, that no man is good enough to govern another man, without that others consent. After the war, the Fourteenth Amendment sought to heal the wound that slavery had left behind. The amendment began by unambiguously declaringcontrary to the Supreme Courts 1857 holding in Dred Scottthat black Americans were citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they resided. Full citizens, the amendment went on to say: for it commanded that [n]o State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.

Heartbreakingly, Slaughter-House and Cruik- shank neutered that provision almost before the ink had dried on it. In McDonald, showing reverence for stare decisis, Thomass fellow justices employed a work-around for the privileges-and-immunities issue. The right to keep arms is fundamental to our nations particular scheme of ordered liberty and system of justice, the Court ruled, and therefore, through the doctrine of substantive due processwhich holds that some rights are so basic that they cant be withdrawn without due process of lawthe Second and Fourteenth Amendments prohibit Chicago from banning residents from keeping handguns in their homes.

But Thomas always cares that the Court should not only reach the right conclusion but should also get there through correct legal reasoning, faithful to the original text. He makes short work of the substantive due process notion. It is, as anyone knows who has tried to remember what it means for more than ten minutes, a will o the wisp, mere smoke and mirrors, more fictional than most legal fictions. Moreover, this fiction is a particularly dangerous one, Thomas writes, since the Court has found no authoritative basis for distinguishing  fundamental rights that warrant protection from nonfundamental rights that do not, allowing judges excessive flexibility in interpretation, which has led them to invent rather than to interpret law. Indeed, a mountain of erroneous judgments rests on this doctrine, so while junking it would play havoc with stare decisis, thats a better path than piling error upon error.

Far better to put aside stare decisis and substantive due process in this case and straightforwardly apply the Fourteenth Amendments privileges and immunities clause, since the English-speaking peoples, from the time they began to speak about law, have understood that privileges and immunities means exactly those basic rights and freedoms that the doctrine of substantive due process pussyfoots around. The 1765 Massachusetts Resolves, for instance, equate the rights that are founded in the Law of God and Nature, and are the common Rights of Mankind with the essential Rights, Liberties, Privileges and Immunities of the people of Great Britain and of Britains American colonies. Treaties ceding the Louisiana and Florida territories to the United States in 1803 and 1819 reflexively assured the new inhabitants that they would be admitted, according to the principles of the federal Constitution, to the enjoyments of all the privileges, rights, and immunities, of the citizens of the United States.

In the years just after the Civil War, the formula similarly meant the full panoply of constitutional rights, as witness President Andrew Johnsons proclamation of amnesty to Confederates, which restored all rights, privileges, and immunities under the Constitution. The framers of the Fourteenth Amendment meant no less. Representative John Bingham, its chief draughtsman, declared that the amendment would secur[e] to all the citizens in every State all the privileges and immunities of citizens, and it would arm the Congress of the United States, by the consent of the people . . . , with the power to enforce the bill of rights as it stands in the Constitution today. Further, said Senator Jacob Howard during the debates on the amendment, its aim was prohibiting the states from abridging the privileges and immunities of the citizens of the United States, including the personal rights guaranteed and secured by the first eight amendments of the Constitution. That was how contemporaries understood the amendment: a typical commentator wrote in 1868 that the rights guaranteed by Article IV of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which had been construed to apply only to the national government, are thus imposed upon the States. (Thomas never investigates the intentions of the Framers, thus avoiding, in this case, the complication of the Fourteenth Amendment Congresss funding of the District of Columbias segregated public schools.)

The reason that there is any question about whether the Fourteenth Amendment applies the Bill of Rights to the states is that, in the aftermath of the Civil War, Southern whites did not want blacks to arm themselves. And they prevailed. So while its true that the Courts precedents deny that the Fourteenth Amendment bans states from abridging the rights that the first eight amendments protect, particularly the right to bear arms, those precedents are as unsavory as they are incoherent, and they should have been overruled long ago.

Slaughter-House, decided just eight years after the Confederacys defeat and five years after the Fourteenth Amendments ratification, amalgamated several lawsuits challenging a Louisiana law that required New Orleans butchers to relocate to a single market where animals could be unloaded from trains and slaughtered, to keep the mess and stench in one spot, as many northern cities had already done. The butchers claimed that, by interfering with their right to earn a livingwhich was not truethe state was abridging their Fourteenth Amendment privileges and immunities as U.S. citizens. The Court, not lingering over the fact that the right the butchers claimed was not one protected by the Bill of Rights and well aware that the war-scarred nation was watching closely, ruled that the rights protected by the federal and state governments were not identical, and that the Fourteenth Amendment protected only federal rights, such as using the nations seaports and enjoying its protection on the high seas. The Bill of Rights? No.

Cruikshank was the Courts shameful response to the 1873 Colfax Massacre, the bloodiest single instance of racial carnage in the Reconstruction era, historian Eric Foner writes. To protect their victory in a ferociously contested 1872 election, a black Republican militia occupied Louisianas Grant Parish courthouse, only to be overwhelmed by ex-Confederate soldiers, the Ku Klux Klan, and the White League, who left up to 165 blacks dead in mass graves, many shot in the back of the head.

Mindful that no Louisiana jury would convict whites of murdering blacks, lawyers for the dead filed a federal lawsuit under one of the three 187071 Enforcement Acts aimed at putting teeth in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments protection of freedmens rightsin this case, by criminalizing conspiracy to injure or intimidate citizens with intent to prevent their free exercise of any right or privilege granted by the Constitution. But the right to assemble and to bear arms, which the indictment claims the nine defendants infringed, are not rights granted by the Constitution, the chief justice wrote for the Supreme Court. These rights preexisted the Constitution, and the First and Second Amendments merely command Congress not to infringe them. As for the Enforcement Acts, the Court wrongly claimed, they apply only to actions by states, not individuals. To add insult to injury, the state of Louisiana erected a historical marker in 1951 commemorating the Colfax Riot.

Cruikshank, Thomas acerbically and unarguably concludes, is not a precedent entitled to any respect, the more so because of its consequences. Without federal enforcement of the freedmens inalienable right to keep and bear arms, the armed thugs of the Ku Klux Klan, the Knights of the White Camellia, and their ilk could subjugate the newly freed slaves and their descendants through a wave of private violence designed to drive blacks from the voting booth and force them into peonage, an effective return to slavery. Typical was Pitchfork Ben Tillmans cold-blooded massacre in South Carolina of a troop of black militiamen for no other reason than that they had dared to conduct a celebratory Fourth of July parade through their mostly black town. Imagine: they celebrated the Declaration of Independence! But for decades, groups like Tillmans raped, murdered, lynched, and robbed as a means of intimidating, and instilling pervasive fear in, those whom they despised, Thomas writes. Between 1882 and 1968, there were at least 3,446 reported lynchings of blacks in the South.

Only firearms could protect those blacks, and only sometimes. One man recalled the night during his childhood when his father stood armed at a jail until morning to ward off lynchers, Thomas writes. The experience left the man with a sense, not of powerlessness, but of the possibilities of salvation that came from standing up to intimidation. Thomass grandfather, who worked so hard to instill the old American virtues of self-reliance and personal responsibility in him, would heartily approve.

Finally, glance briefly at three related opinions that form a single argument validating Juan Williamss recent claim that Clarence Thomas is now leading the national debate on race. In his concurrence in Adarand v. Pena, a 1995 case involving preferences for government subcontractors employing black and Hispanic workers, Thomas wrote that theres no moral or constitutional difference between laws designed to subjugate a race and those that distribute benefits on the basis of race in order to foster some current notion of equality. Government cannot make us equal; it can only recognize, respect, and protect us as equal before the law. Discrimination, whether maliciously or benignly intended, subverts the core American principle that all men are created equal. Insidiously, positive discrimination teaches many that because of chronic and apparently immutable handicaps, minorities cannot compete with them without their patronizing indulgence. How can such discrimination fail to engender hurtful feelings of superiority or resentment in the majority and dependence and a sense of entitlement among minorities?

Discrimination, however intended, subverts the core American principle that all men are created equal.

Thomass masterful concurrence in Missouri v. Jenkins, another 1995 case, which ended federal district judge Russell Clarks years-long, Ahab-like quest to impose his megalomaniacal version of racial justice on the Kansas City, Missouri, schools, skewered seven pernicious errors in 40 years of federal race jurisprudence. First, Thomas noted that racial isolation may result not from intentional state-sponsored segregation but from voluntary housing choices or other private decisions that dont concern the courts. Racial imbalances are not, in themselves, unconstitutional. Second, even if you make the hard-to-prove assumption that racial imbalance is a vestige of past state segregation, what remedy can the courts provide to behavior that stopped 30 years ago? Third, and particularly nasty, is the assumption that anything that is predominantly black must be inferior and its corollary, that segregation injures blacks because blacks, when left on their own, cannot achieve. Such racist stereotypes have no place in American jurisprudence.

Fourth, the Courts landmark 1954 school desegregation decision, Brown v. Board of Education, introduced an unnecessary confusion into race jurisprudenceone that would later ensnare Judge Clark. Brown, Thomas writes, did not need to rely upon any psychological or social science research in order to announce the simple, yet fundamental truth that the Government cannot discriminate among its citizens on the basis of race. However, as Thomas is too polite to say here, it did. It accepted a tissue of social-scientific hocus-pocus involving experiments with black and white dolls, purporting to prove that segregation generates feelings of inferiority in black students that impairs their ability to learn. But thats neither here nor there, Thomas contends. Segregation was not unconstitutional because it might have caused psychological feelings of inferiority, he writes, but because the State classified students based on their race.

He spoke more plainly in a 1987 article: Brown was a missed opportunity, as [are] all its progeny, whether they involve busing, affirmative action, or redistricting, he declared. The Court should have focused on reason, justice, and freedom, not sentiment, sensitivity, and dependence. A Court that wanted to validate the Brown decision would replace Chief Justice Earl Warrens decision with one more in keeping with the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Thomass candidate would be Justice John Marshall Harlans ringing 1896 dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson (a case that the Brown Court, respecting stare decisis, failed to overrule): Our Constitution is color-blind and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. . . . The law regards man as man and takes no account of his surroundings or of his color when his civil rights as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land are involved.

Fifth, even compared with busing or affirmative action, Judge Clarks remedya megaproject of social engineering aimed at transforming the Kansas City schools into magnet schools by outfitting them with Olympic swimming pools, broadcast studios, model UN chambers wired for simultaneous translation, planetariums, even a 25-acre farmdizzyingly exceeded the judiciarys constitutional powers to interpret the law. It was a bad enough assault upon federalism for Judge Clark to order the Kansas City school district to pay a quarter of the cost of all this. But to order the district to raise property taxes in order to pony up, and to enjoin the state from interfering, as an earlier Supreme Court ruling didthat flings down federalism and dances upon it. Sixth, as this case shows, the Founders were right to view with cold-eyed suspicion equity courts, with their power to impose equitable remedies. As Thomas Jefferson put it: Relieve the judges from the rigour of text law, and permit them, with pretorian discretion, to wander into its equity, and the whole legal system becomes incertain.

Seventh, even if Judge Clark were right that past segregation caused a system-wide reduction in student achievement, and even if his pharaonic program produces benefitsthough it didnt boost student performanceit produces them for individuals who were not victims of discrimination. A school district cannot be discriminated against on the basis of its race, because a school district has no race, Thomas observes. It goes without saying that only individuals can suffer from discrimination, and only individuals can receive the remedy.

A note of cold scorn runs through Thomass 2003 opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger, the third key race case, concerning affirmative-action admissions to the University of Michigan Law School. He is striving for jocularity, but he seems to have run out of patience with the self-cherishing antics of overpaid functionaries like President Lee Bollinger and his fellow administrators, glowing with the virtue of their good intentions and careless of the havoc they wreak. Here they have an institution financed by the taxpayers of their state, though only 27 percent of admitted students are Michiganders and only 16 percent of graduates stay in the state. So for starters, theres no compelling state interest in having this school exist.

And theres less compelling state interest for it to admit ill-prepared minority students to achieve diversity, which offers no educational benefit, despite the law schools claim, but is merely an aesthetic preference of Bollinger et al., who want to see a smattering of minority faces in their lecture halls. Too bad that the Courts majority fell for a faddish slogan of the cognoscenti, though at least it tacked on a 25-year sunset clause to its approval of the law schools brand of affirmative action. Despite precedents holding that racial classifications are per se harmful and that almost no amount of benefit in the eye of the beholder can justify such classifications, the majority decision still clings to the benighted notions that one can tell when racial discrimination benefits (rather than hurts) minority groups, and that racial discrimination is necessary to remedy general societal ills.

Much has been said about the supposed (but illusory) educational benefits to white students of a racially diverse class, and we know what aesthetic and narcissistic pleasure it gives the administration, but what about affirmative actions supposed minority beneficiaries? The Law School tantalizes unprepared students with the promise of a University of Michigan degree and all of the opportunities that it offers, Thomas writes. These overmatched students take the bait, only to find that they cannot succeed in the cauldron of competition. And what about the handful of blacks who would be admitted in the absence of racial discriminationlike Thomas at Yale Law? The majority of blacks are admitted to the Law School because of discrimination, and because of this policy all are tarred as undeserving. Moreover, the taint follows the deserving no matter how high they ascend and how much they achieve, Thomas says, as he well knows.

Instead of their constant social experiments on other peoples children, Thomas writes, why dont the nations elites honor the heartfelt and prophetic plea of Frederick Douglass a century and a half ago? What I ask for the negro is not benevolence, not pity, not sympathy, but simply justice. The American people have always been anxious to know what they shall do with us. . . . Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us, Douglass implores in the passage with which Thomas opens his Grutter opinion. [I]f the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall also. All I ask is, give him a chance to stand on his own legs! Thats one heroically self-reliant man quoting another such. The country would do well to heed their hard-won advice. We fought a Civil War; we had a civil rights movement: now black Americansand only black Americanscan work their own liberation, after half a century of social engineering that harmed both the country and its black citizens.

The Framers had hopes, but no illusions, that the Constitution would be eternal. It was just a parchment barrier, they said, guarding against the ambition of the power-mad or the periodic folly of a democratic majority. To animate and preserve it, they thought, would take a culture of libertya belief in the values that sustain freedom throughout the whole people, those basic principles and rules without which a society based upon freedom and liberty cannot function, as Thomas puts it. And much as Madison believed in the self-regulating constitutional mechanism that he had designed, in which ambition would counteract ambition, even he conceded that the whole contraption couldnt work without at least a smattering of virtue, even a few thoroughly public-spirited individuals, somewhere in the system.

In our age of enraged shrinking violets, in which hypersensitivity to imagined slights alternates with blind rage against any nonconformity to orthodoxy, Clarence Thomas is one of a handful of honest and brave iconoclasts who love liberty, especially the freedom to think for oneself, and know how America, imperfect as all human things are imperfect, nevertheless was uniquely conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. We marvel that late-eighteenth-century America produced its band of great men who invented our republic on such revolutionary principles. Its a marvel that there are some whod like to restore it as the worlds beacon of individual liberty. Through a similarly lucky alchemy of character and culture that nurtured the Founders, our age has produced Justice Thomas. It remains to be seen if it has produced enough of his ilk to kindle a new birth of freedom.

Read Part I of The Founders Grandson here.

Top Photo: The Supreme Court in 2017, with Justice Thomas seated second from right (DPA PICTURE ALLIANCE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO)
"Demography is destiny."

It's a popular phrase, but it's incorrect.

That was made apparent to me on a recent visit to Tokyo, where gray-haired individuals far outnumbered children in the streets. But the hustle and bustle also revealed that Japan does not accept that its aging population means its economic prospects must diminish. On the contrary, Japan is harnessing two of its assets  one long underutilized and the other a long-standing source of strength  to support continued economic expansion.

Japan certainly faces demographic challenges. It is already the oldest country in the world, as measured by both the median age of the population (46.3 years) and the share of the population aged 65 years or more (26 percent). That compares to just 40.4 years and 17 percent, respectively, among all high-income countries. And Japan's birthrate and inward immigration rate are lowas a result, the population is not only aging, but shrinking. Japan's working-age population peaked more than 20 years ago, in 1995.

And yet, Japan's economy is chugging along. It is by no means the fastest-growing major economy in the world, but it nonetheless continues to expand. In fact, Japan's GDP per capita growth averaged 1.42 percent annually over the last five years  slightly ahead of the OECD average of 1.36 percent.

As any economist will tell you, the two keys to sustained economic growth and higher living standards are increases in the size of a country's labor force and rises in those workers' productivity. Economies cannot grow in the long run without at least one of the two forces in play. In spite of its demographics, both forces are now propelling the Japanese economy forward.

How has Japan's economy remained resilient in the face of its demographic challenges? Sunday offers the answer: It's the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Both aspects of what the world is celebrating today  women and science  are at play in Japan's economic resilience.

First, the Japanese government has actively sought to increase the size of its labor force by encouraging more women to work. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's launched his "Womenomics" program in 2013, which has increased the rate of replacement pay for those on parental leave and expanded the capacity of daycare facilities. In addition, the government now requires companies with more than 300 employees to disclose gender diversity targets and associated action plans for achieving them.

In part due to those efforts, female participation in the labor force has risen from 65 percent in 2013 to 68.1 percent in 2016  far ahead of the OECD average of 63.6 percent. That built on gains in previous years thanks to labor market reforms in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

These policies recognize the imperative to grow the country's workforce by harnessing the economic potential of women  a long underutilized segment of Japan's working-age population.

Second, Japan is leveraging science  more accurately, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), for which science is used as the shorthand in the name of Sunday's holiday  to boost its productivity. The country has long been a leader in technological innovation, but now its technological edge is helping the economy overcome so-called demographic destiny in two fields.

Automation and robotics are being utilized to enable greater levels of output with fewer workers. That is particularly apparent in the manufacturing and construction sectors. For instance, electronic parts maker Nidec is developing automating robots and an accompanying system of Internet of Things devices to improve efficiency and more easily adjust factory output to demand levels. And in construction, Taisei Corporation and the Chiba Institute of Technology recently introduced a robot that automates rebar binding  a process that normally accounts for 20 percent of the man-hours associated with constructing building frameworks.

Technology is also enabling Japan to better care for its expanding elderly population. Toyota is among the companies that have launched robots to help Japan's elderly people walk independently, while Panasonic has developed a bed that can split apart into a wheelchair.

Many companies have also developed companionship robots designed for the elderly, including Paro, a baby harp seal that nuzzles people who pet it, and Chapit, a mouse that chit-chats with bed-bound patients. Such developments not only solve for a shortage of workers in health care and elder care, but also enables younger family members to continue working rather than take time off to care for their aging relatives.

As we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, it is worth keeping in mind the example of Japan. Demography is by no means destiny if a country has smart government policies and an innovative spirit. Other countries struggling with demographic or productivity challenges would do well to emulate Japan's winning formula.

Commentary by Paul A. Laudicina, the chairman of AT Kearney's Global Business Policy Council. He is a partner and chairman emeritus at AT Kearney.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
A jet operated by Saratov Airlines crashed in the Moscow region on Sunday, killing all 71 people on board.

Russia's Interfax news outlet said the An-148 jet bound for Orsk in southern Russia, went off radar shortly after departing from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. The agency later said eyewitnesses saw a burning airplane fall to the ground in the Moscow region.

"Debris has been found, there are no survivors," news agency TASS quoted a source as saying. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash which was reported to have been in the Ramenskoye district of the Moscow region.

Russia's transport minister confirmed the fatalities, saying there are no survivors from the crash, The Associated Press reported. The pilots of the regional jet not report any problems before the crash, the AP said.

There were 65 passengers and six crew members on board flight 703 and there were no survivors from the crash, according to TASS, who cited a source from the emergency services.

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Interfax added, citing the Russian Transport Ministry, that several theories for the crash were being considered, including weather conditions and a human factor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences on the deaths of the people in the crash and has instructed the government to create a special commission to investigate the incident, TASS said, citing the presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Flight Radar 24, which tracks aircraft movements, said the aircraft descended from 6200 feet to 3200 feet before a satelite communications signal was lost some 20 kilometers southeast of Domodedevo. The Antonov An-148 was seven years old, it added.

Saratov Airlines, which mostly serves cities within Russia, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
When it comes to love, a new study reveals that some U.S. cities are more romantic than others.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, same-day delivery service Instacart, which delivers from stores like Whole Foods, Fairway, CVS and Costco, released its second-annual Instacart Romance Index, ranking the country's most romantic cities  and the ones lacking in love  based on search data from its service.

Boston, Massachusetts, it turns out, is full of romantics.

For 2018, Instacart found that the country's most romantic city is Boston, followed by Atlanta, Georgia. Last year, Boston also clutched the top spot on Instacart's ranking, but Atlanta actually improved by leaps and bounds, skyrocketing to second-place from its 2017 spot on the list as the fifth least romantic city.

Instacart's index looked at grocery shopping search trends for 12 universally romantic terms including: chocolate, flowers, candy, strawberries, champagne, Valentine, truffle, cookies, dessert, hearts, roses and wine.

To determine its ranking, Instacart looked at millions of searches from consumers on both its app and website in the week leading up to Valentine's Day in 2017, and compared it to searches from the week of Valentine's Day to see the relative change in customer searches.

While grocery shopping itself might be the furthest thing from romantic, the items people were looking for prove that many consumers had love on the brain, as people prepped to celebrate with all things sweet, sugary and indulgent.

"Chocolate" topped the list in terms of sheer search volume, with "strawberries" coming in second. However, searches for the term "heart" spiked the most, with searches surging by 219 percent.

While Valentine's Day might not bring forth visions of frenzied shopping chaos like Black Friday, consumers are still forking over a significant amount of money. This year, total U.S. spending on Valentine's Day is predicted to hit $18.2 billion, and the average consumer is expected to shell out $136.57 on holiday merchandise and services, according to a survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

How U.S. cities rank romantically

The cities whose searches spiked the most for Instacart's list of romantic terms ranked highest on the index. 2018's Most Romantic Cities, according to Instacart, are:

1. Boston, Massachusetts

2. Atlanta, Georgia

3. Austin, Texas

4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

5. Charlotte, North Carolina

6. Oakland, California

7. Washington D.C.

8. Chicago, Illinois

But residents in some cities were looking for stereotypical romantic items much more than others. Prior to Valentine's Day, cities whose searches for romantic items mirrored those of "just another day," dropped to the bottom of Instacart's ranking.

The least romantic of them all, according to Instacart's index, is Indianapolis, Indiana, followed by Raleigh, North Carolina. Last year, Miami, Florida claimed the spot as the country's least romantic city, followed by Indianapolis and then San Francisco, California.

According to the index, 2018's Least Romantic Cities are:

1. Indianapolis, Indiana

2. Raleigh, North Carolina

3. Orlando, Florida

4. Seattle, Washington

5. Denver, Colorado

6. San Diego, California

7. San Antonio, Texas

8. Houston, Texas

For the index, Instacart examined the change in Instacart user behavior by comparing growth adjusted week over week changes in the popularity of various search terms, and used a data set comprised of millions of searches from consumers spread over 190 North American markets in which Instacart operated in 2017.
After decades of starring in major Hollywood movies, actress Goldie Hawn has shifted her career focus to improving children's mental health  and there is a lot of work to be done, she told CNBC at the World Government Summit in Dubai. "We have a serious problem of mental illness today, it's almost an epidemic  we have to really look at it, and not be afraid to look at it, in order to mitigate some of these problems and create a stronger emotional stability," Hawn stressed. "Yes, there's going to be mental illness, but not where it is today." The Hawn Foundation, which she created in 2003, has produced MindUP, a teaching and learning framework developed for children and pre-teens in schools all over the world to help with mindfulness and emotional learning. Fifteen years after its inception, MindUP operates in hundreds of schools across 11 countries. "Every child deserves an equal chance to thrive, and so together with researchers, scientists, and educators I created the MindUP program," the foundation's website says.

Axel Schmidt | AFP | Getty Images

"It was a dream to have a foundational program that will help children's mental stability and resilience basically throughout the world, because we need it," Hawn said. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. "Around 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide," the WHO reported late last year. The actress pointed to the uptick in suicide deaths by teens in recent years. She noted that suicide is the second-leading cause of death in teenagers aged 15 to 19, and for younger children, the third-leading cause of death. "This is suicide  stress, bullying, fear, depression, there are many reasons why our children are actually taking their own lives." Does social media play a role in endangering the mental health of young people? Absolutely, the actress believes. "Social media has a tremendous amount to do with aspects of our mind, and keep in mind that the brain itself does not finish growing till you're 24 years old," Hawn added. So kids are exposed to things they may not be ready to learn, which can contribute to their isolation. She shared some sentiment with actor and comedian Jim Carrey, who recently announced he was selling his Facebook shares and closing his account after criticizing the effect the social media giant was having on young people.

CNBC
Reporting bullying

Missouri has a bullying hotline via the Missouri School Violence Hotline.

According to the website, there are four way to report:

Call: 1-866-748-7047, toll-free

Fill out a form on line: It's available 24-7.

Download: There's a free MO ReportIt app in your phone's app store.

Text: 847411 using keyword, ReportIt. Include the name of the school and the city.

All tips can be anonymous.
Georgia will not need MAP to become a member of NATO

By Khatia Kardava

During the three most recent NATO summits (2012 in Chicago, 2014 in Wales, and 2016 in Warsaw), Georgia was to receive a Membership Action Plan (MAP) but did not. According to experts, since the Russian factor is still an issue, Georgian people will have to remain patient with the long process of obtaining a membership. They believe Government and Media should work on delivering right messages and more information so that the population is aware of the fact that the country is moving forward.Georgia was first promised an eventual membership at the NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008. Since then, the countrys commitment to membership has been reaffirmed at each subsequent NATO summit.Georgia has been repeatedly proving its firm desire to join the alliance, it has paid a high price for its ambition to join NATO. The country participated in international peacekeeping missions and fulfilling NATO commitments. It contributed thousands of troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, and hundreds of peacekeepers to the Balkans and Africa. Even the Russian invasion and its aftermath did not deter Georgia from fostering closer ties with the West and becoming a net contributor to transatlantic security.The alliance has been hesitant to give Tbilisi a timetable for accession. Not all members of the Alliance supported the country to their full potential. It is especially true for NATO members that have a close relationship with Russia and are wary of angering Moscow. Russias interests are still taken into consideration.The Government of Georgia constantly asserts that the country is continually progressing towards the Euro-Atlantic path and the country's foreign vector is not changing. Opinion polls show the public backs membership, partly because they see the alliance as protection from Russia. According to the foreign policy expert, Director of the Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation, Luke Coffey, Georgian society expects the MAP and Russia will use the disappointment for propaganda.The frustration is widespread, as the false expectations on fast track NATO integration, created by the political elites, was not fulfilled, said Kornely Kakachia, a director of the Georgian Institute of Politics.It is noteworthy that MAP is not the only way for an aspirant country to become a NATO member.According to the leader of the parliamentary majority, Archil Talakvadze, NATOs parliamentary assembly discuss alternative ways for Georgia to join NATO."Of course, MAP is a tool for joining. This is a recognized instrument, but many of the authoritative speakers at the Parliamentary Assembly voiced their position that considering Georgia's development, MAP might be a slow mechanism. Therefore, in the political circles, inside the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, is considered a way for Georgia to join NATO, for which MAP is not necessary"- The leader of the parliamentary majority, Archil Talakvadze said.Luke Coffey believes that Georgia does not need MAP to become a NATO member.It is important the leaders of Georgia begin to manage their expectations. No other aspirant country has so many initiatives with NATO as Georgia. Georgians should realize that they are on the right track. I think they should be patient; NATO membership is worth waiting for a few years. At the same time, the United States and its allies should continue supporting Georgia's membership in the Alliance.In my opinion, expectations for membership action plan have not been healthy. Now, before each NATO summit, Georgians have expectations for MAP. Many countries have joined NATO without MAP. Until the issue of MAP is on the agenda, Russia can use it for propaganda. At the Brussels summit Georgia will not get MAP because some members of the alliance do not feel comfortable. However, MAP is not necessary for joining NATO. You do not need MAP," said Luke Coffey in an interview with the Georgian bureau of Voice of America.NATO will hold on July 11-12, 2018. Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on October 20 that the summit will be held at the new headquarters of the Alliance, in Brussels.
Types of obituaries

The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries  family obituaries and life stories.

A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries

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Slowly, cautiously and late, the Governments Brexit policy process grinds back into gear. Series of Ministerial speeches planned. Hammond excluded. Chequers summit next week.

Cabinet Chequers Brexit away day confirmed  Sunday Express

Johnson, Gove, Fox rejected Robbins plan in Cabinet committee  Mail on Sunday

Prime Minister irritated with Treasury, Hammond/Davis pact has broken down  Sunday Times

May plus for Brexiteers: she will pull the plug on payments to the EU if Britain is hit with new directives during transition  Sun on Sunday

May minus for Brexiteers: she will use a speech in Munich on Saturday to announce that Britain will remain part of the European arrest warrant and Europol, the EUs law enforcement agency  Sunday Times

Nordic and eastern European revolt at Barnier tactics claim  Sunday Telegraph

George Soros: Why Im funding Best for Britain

The Prime Minister, along with David Davis, Boris Johnson, and Liam Fox  all hard-Brexit Cabinet Ministers  will use the set-piece occasions to outline what No 10 is billing as Britains road map to Brexit, ahead of next months crunch negotiations with the EU. But Mrs May risks a fresh rift with Chancellor Philip Hammond by freezing him out of the three-week processThe only Remain backer giving a speech will be Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington. Mrs May will then set out her goals in a speech billed within Whitehall as the successor to her Lancaster House address last year, when she first declared that she wanted the UK to leave the single market and customs union.  Mail on Sunday

Brexit is a lose-lose proposition both for Britain and for Europe. Politically, Europe without Britain will be weakened in its ability to defend and promote democratic values. Europe will suffer from the absence of British pressure for the necessary institutional reforms. Economically, Europe will lose its third-largest economy and its strongest advocate of liberal economic policies. Britain, outside Europe, will lose much of its global influence. Economically, Britain will suffer because 45 years of successful integration with Europe will go into reverse. Divorce is a very destructive process; there is no such thing as a friendly divorce.  Mail on Sunday

> Today: Mark Burrows on Comment  Why the solution to our Brexit impasse is to join EFTA  and thereby rejoin the EEA

Gove v Williamson over palm oil defence imports

Government vows to keep passports for pets scheme  Mail on Sunday

Gove Phoenix WhatsApp group leadership campaign preparation claim  Mail on Sunday

Cameron revels in Whack-a-Gove computer game  Sun on Sunday

Johnson visits Myanmar

Environment Secretary Michael Gove supports the ban on palm oil  the worst driver of deforestation which causes climate change  while Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has vowed to put jobs first. British firms who could be hit by an EU-Malaysia trade war include BAE, which makes the Typhoon and its weapons and has sales of 4 billion at stake. Also in the firing line is Leonardo, which operates out of eight centres and wants to sell its AW150 helicopters to Malaysia ina 300 million deal. Airbus UK is also bidding for a communication satellite deal worth up to 700 million.  Sun on Sunday

Mr Johnson made the intervention as he visited a refugee camp at Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh, ahead of talks with Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Sunday. The Foreign Secretary said: I have seen for my own eyes the horrendous living conditions the Rohingya people are having to endure and it has only further strengthened my commitment to working with international partners to improve the lives of these people in 2018. I pay tribute to the hospitality and compassion shown by the government of Bangladesh, who are facing an enormous challenge in providing humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya community.  Mail on Sunday

Eurotunnel bosses float second channel crossing  Sunday Telegraph

Clark plan to cut energy bills

Perry and Harrington v Tory backbenchers over onshore wind

Under the law change, public authorities and energy suppliers would be able to share information under strictly controlled conditions to identify customers who need protection. This would make it quicker and easier for struggling households to take advantage of the safeguard cap. Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: The effects of energy price rises are often felt most by those on the lowest incomes, as they are usually on the highest standard variable tariffs. These people are at risk of being plunged further into fuel poverty if they are left at the mercy of a broken energy market.  Sun on Sunday

But the dormant row over onshore wind farms threatens to reignite after energy ministers Claire Perry and Richard Harrington alarmed their backbench colleagues by revealing that they are working on ways to support future projects. Ms Perry raised eyebrows late last year after saying that onshore wind is absolutely part of the future and that she is working on ways to see how we might bring forward onshore wind, particularly for areas of the UK that want to deploy it. Richard Harrington, the junior energy minister, has also said publicly that he sees no reason why onshore wind farms should not compete on a level playing field against other energy options vying for financial support.  Sunday Telegraph

Adam Boulton: The Mick Davis target as the moneymen take over CCHQ. Raise 27 million a year  as much as the partys total income in 2016

Donor revolt claim  Observer

Campbell-Bannerman fights candidates power grab  Sunday Telegraph

Westminster Council makes guilt tax offer  Sunday Times

The partys new chief executive, Sir Mick Davis, and his fellow donors have informed their political counterparts in the Conservative leadership that they would be not viable in the commercial world but that now is not a good time to sack them. Instead they have set the politicians a strict performance test: raise 27m a year  equivalent to the partys total income in 2016, the last year for which accounts are available  or they will be outThe money men seized control in their place, as symbolised in David Camerons time by the unhappy transition through the joint chairmanship of Grant Shapps and Andrew Feldman, to Feldmans supremacy. Ministers may bridle but Davis has made it clear that he calls the shots, right down to when and where ministers give their speeches.  Sunday Times

> Today: ToryDiary The stubborn resilience of the Conservatives in the opinion polls

Widdecombe on Celebrity Big Brother: Je ne regrette rien

After Rachel Johnson and John Barnes were axed and Wayne Sleep had left, the woman once dubbed Doris Karloff and derided as being somewhere to the right of Genghis Khan stayed  and was eventually crowned runner-up. It was a triumph of free speech, she says. Im not sure the viewers necessarily agreed with my opinions, but they felt I was entitled to air them, which is hugely reassuring in these day of snowflakeism when everyones tripping over themselves to take offence.  Sunday Telegraph

Corbyn: nationalise the energy grid

McDonnell says that private water payments are a scandal  Observer

Truss, Double scrag Shadow Chancellor over rail nationalisation plan  Mail on Sunday

Dan Jarvis interview  Observer

Brendan Cox denies sex assault claim  Mail on Sunday

Labours new nationalisations are as bad as the old lot  Sunday Times Editorial

Independence referendum card played in SNP deputy leadership election

In his most pro-green speech to date, the Labour leader said his government would sweep away the centralised system of energy delivery by private firms in favour of new sources of energy large and small. Speaking yesterday at a conference in London on alternative models of ownership, Corbyn said: The greenest energy is usually the most local but people have been queuing up to connect renewable energy to the national grid. With the national grid in public hands we can put tackling climate change at the heart of our energy system, committing to renewable generation from tidal to onshore wind.  Sunday Times

Speaking to Scotland on Sunday, the Glasgow Cathcart MSP said a Yes vote in indyref2 could be achieved as soon as 2019 or 2020. Circumstances are changing almost every day. It has to be at a time from the SNP viewpoint when it is of maximum benefit for us and when that will be will be close to the [Scottish] election time, maybe 2019/2020 would be my guess. Politics have never been more volatile than they have over the last few years. Dornan said driving the party towards achieving independence would be crucial to his campaign to replace Angus Robertson as the SNPs deputy leader.   Scotland on Sunday

Meanwhile in Germany, its Carry On Coalition

Germanys grand coalition is built on sand  Liam Halligan, Sunday Telegraph

Polands Jews fear for future under new Holocaust law  Observer

Britains political class has been pushed into second place by Germanys on the European scale of ridicule as the ruling parties in Berlin tear themselves apart over the spoils of power. Angela Merkel, the caretaker chancellor, extended her political life by giving away the store to the Social Democrats last week but, instead of celebrating, the top Social Democrats promptly went for each others throats. Merkel herself did not come out of it well. After 12 years in power, she is facing open calls to quit from top figures in her Christian Democrat Union (CDU) after capitulating to the demands of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) for powerful ministerial posts in the agreement to form a new coalition government.  Sunday Times
Connor Short is the Youth Coordinator of Toryworkers, the Conservative Workers and Trade Unionists.

The Government has issued its very welcomed response to the Taylor Review. In it, Ministers outline how they will consult with the aim of fixing gaps in workers rights. This is very encouraging. The response suggests that the Government must provide rights for agency workers, and that the minimum wage should be available to all workers. Here are my hopes for the future of workers rights and how a stronger minimum wage can be implemented.

The latter has become a staple of workers rights, and the foundation of many employee contracts. Approximately two million people are helped by the minimum wage, but more should be entitled to it. Currently, many workers are forced to work on a self-employed basis by their agency. There is nothing in the way of allowing these agencies to employ their workers, rather than hire. However, they prefer using the self-employed worker model, since there is greater flexibility for them in relation to workers rights, including the minimum wage. But these rights should never be flexible at workers expense.

In my own experience, I was once offered a 12 hour contract for 60 to appear as an extra in a film, working out at 5 per hour. Even workers over the age of 25 were offered this deal. In response, I called up my agency to ask them to renegotiate the contract.

What followed was escalating tensions and a fairly large boycott of the same offer by the rest of the extras. Most people turned down the offer on being offered it. Not out of a lack of decent pay, but out of honour and respect for the need for workers rights. Ever since, every contract offered for this work has been over the minimum wage.

However, all is not done. The opportunity for agencies to offer contracts below the minimum wage are still there. Hopefully, the Government will make good on its word of seeking ways of avoiding bogus self-employment. Agencies such as the one I work with have the opportunity to employ their workers on zero hour contracts, but dont do so because that puts them at a disadvantage in the competitiveness of their industry, in which most agencies employ actors on a self-employed basis. This needs to change.

I must also stress that other expenses should be factored into the minimum wage. Each contract I get offered by the agency is subject to a 15 per cent commission deduction and a three per cent VAT deduction. In such cases, I would have completed 12 hours work for just 49.20, before expenses. Thats just 4.10 per hour. On top of this, workers must allow a registration fee to be deducted from the first pay slip of each year. Currently this is 32.50, meaning that the total pay in this case could have been just 16.70 (1.40 per hour).

It is true that annual registration fees help to provide the income necessary to complete the administrative paperwork for each new worker. However, it leaves agency workers paying for the right to work in some cases, considering the expense of travel to work (sometimes to the tune of hundreds of pounds). Thats money that they, in many cases, cant afford to fork out, for the simple end of making matters easier for the managers at the agency.

Currently, the Government is seeking ways of avoiding bogus self-employment. I suggest exploring the possibility of categorising self- employed work into two categories. The first would be the current model of self-employed work. Then there would be a second model of agency-supplied self-employed work.

Of course, there are numerous ways in which self-employed work is very hard to apply a minimum wage to, including the lack of certainty over some jobs required time. However, in contracts for self-employed work negotiated and provided by an agency, the decision over pay is taken out of the hands of the worker. It is a workers right to receive fair pay for fair work. The only protection of fair pay that self-employed agency workers receive is the recommendations provided by respective unions.

That is not enough, considering that there are large production companies paying below rate and even below the minimum wage. Changing the law to require certain models of self-employment to be subject to workers rights would open the gateway, and finally allow many people access to workers rights for, in some cases, the first time.

Furthermore, it is worth considering the value of the minimum wage. It both protects workers from unfair payment and indicates respect for the work in question. With regard to the latter, I would like to see the minimum wage extended to 13, 14 and 15 year olds  to finally see respect shown for young citizens who pursue a proactive work life, and encourage people to enter and adapt to the world of work at their earliest opportunity.

What many Conservatives have in common is their level of proactivity and commitment to work. We should be encouraging that sort of commitment and behaviour, rather than letting it go unrewarded. We shouldnt worry too much about pushing under 16s away from education, as there are already restrictions in place to prevent employment from disrupting education. In similar fashion to apprenticeships, it is important to note that many people learn just as much as at school, and often more, from the workplace. It is important to show that we acknowledge this type of development and support it.
When integrating industrial wireless technologies into an automation design, the biggest thing users need to consider are expectations about a wireless network. Wireless products are becoming faster and more reliable, but a lot of users expect the wireless product to function like a standard wire. This is not always the case.

A wireless system has latency not in a wire. This is a fundamental point that needs to be designed around. If this point is discussed during the design stage of the project, it is typically not an issue; the problem comes when it is not considered, and there are problems while trying to start up the system. The wireless manufacturer can typically help guide the user on what to expect regarding latency. The engineer designing the system needs to determine if that latency is acceptable for the specific application. Wireless latencies usually are not very large, but they need to be a point of discussion when implementing a wireless system.

Match wireless technologies

With wireless technologies, there isnt one technology or one device that will fit every application. There are products built for high-bandwidth applications, low-bandwidth applications, single user connection, multi-user connection, point to point, multi-point to point, and other applications.

To learn more about the available technologies, the best place to start would be to discuss applications with a manufacturers salesperson, wireless system integrator, or wireless value-added reseller. These contacts can walk through available products, how they function, and help identify the best option for an application.

Discussions also might include system design and pre-installation services the company provides to ensure an installation goes smoothly. Most manufacturers offer wireless classes that go over different technologies and products available, with hands-on labs to help get familiar with products. Trainings can help in learning about technologies and what applications they fit into.

Seek wireless simplicity

When it comes to wireless systems, simplicity is the most important thing. The biggest driver of using wireless is the ease of installation, the reduced maintenance costs and the ability to get the system up and running. If the system cannot be installed correctly and quickly, then the system is no longer a cost-effective alternative to standard wired practice. This usability and ease of use can be as simple as one dashboard for configuration or a product designed to incorporate multiple pcs of the system like the radio and antenna in one housing.

Getting re-occurring feedback from the field and marketing teams to understand how the industry and use cases are changing to adapt products is critical. Making sure the future designs, functions, and features still are relevant to the market and not obsolete or going obsolete is an important detail.

Justin Shade is lead product marketing specialist  wireless, Phoenix Contact. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com.

KEYWORDS Wireless, latency

Consider wireless latency when integrating wireless.

Match wireless technologies appropriate to applications.

Seek simplicity when choosing wireless.

CONSIDER THIS

Do you have enough information to integrate wireless into an application?

ONLINE

Control Engineering has wireless tutorials.

Link to other automation product design articles.
CORNWALL, Ontario  The Catholic Womens League (CWL) held a major first on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018.

The CWLs from St. Peters, St. Columbans and St. Francis de Sales churches held a chocolate fundraiser at St. Francis de Sales Church in support of the Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation (CCHF) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

This was the first time that the CWLs in Cornwall had banded together to put on one event.

The event was $15 per ticket to enter, and there was food, a silent auction and of course, a lot of chocolate.

The food was donated by Food Basics, Bulk Barn, FreshCo and the Wholesale Club with many items in the silent auction also being donated by local businesses.

Some of the chocolate was donated as well, but also many of the treats were made by the dedicated women of Cornwalls CWL.

This fundraiser is a part of the Service Club Councils pledge to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, said Christine Hollingsworth of the CCHF. This is the first time the local CWL has come together for one event. Every little bit helps.

Frances Odair, President of the St. Columbans CWL said that the event was a great success thanks to the local chapters supporting each other.

The CWL are a wonderful group of women, she said.
MSC Group and Onorato Armatori signed a contract today with Guangzhou Shipyard International Co. GSI and China Shipbuilding Trading Co., CSTC to build four 2,500-passenger, 3,765-lane meter luxury roll-on/roll-off luxury cruise ferries. The contract includes an option for four additional vessels.

GSI and CSTC are subsidiaries of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

Of the initial order for four: GNV, MSC Groups Genoa, Italy-based ferry business and the leading operator in the Mediterranean, will receive the delivery of the first and third vessel, a statement said.

Onorato Armatori will receive the second and fourth. Additionally, the two companies will hold options for an additional two vessels each. The first vessel will come into service in 2020.

The official signing ceremony, which took place eon Sunday at CSSC headquarters in Beijing, was attended by Dong Qiang, chairman of CSSC, Pierfrancesco Vago on behalf of MSC Group, Achille Onorato of OnoratoArmatori and ship owner, Matteo Catani, CEO of GNV, HAN Guangde, chairman of GSI, and LI Hongtao, general manager of CSTC.

The luxury roll-on/roll-off passenger cruise ferries are 229.50 meters in length and 32 meters wide with 534 cabins for up to 2,500 people, and can travel at a speed of 23.5 knots. They have been classed by RINA.

Additionally, the vessels will feature a variety of environmentally friendly features including LNG-ready engines.

Vago said: For MSC Group, the order of these highly-innovative, luxury cruise ferries marks yet another milestone in our commitment to China. A country in which we opened our first office in 1998 and today we have 24. Where over the years we built over 70 of our cargo vessels and most of our three million container boxes, all of which while investing over $10 billion in this and other manufacturing. A market in which we partner with some of the best companies in our industry to today handle 10 million TEUs a year. And where, starting this May, will homeport one of our largest and most modern cruise ships: the MSC Splendida.

We are particularly pleased to see that the Chinese shipbuilding industry has made such a significant step change over recent times, added Vago. It is for this reason that the time has now come for MSC Group to partner with China and its shipbuilding industry also with our ROPAX business. This starts with the construction of the magnificent vessels that we are announcing today.

Onorato added: With this signature we have taken another important step towards the creation of a RO-PAX class of ships, something inconceivable until a short time ago, something that is avant-garde and projected towards the future. These two new vessels will not only be the biggest RO-PAX ever built but will also have comfort and technology that will be difficult to copy and we are sure that they will represent the benchmark for the entire sector. Innovation has always been an objective to which the Onorato family has attached great importance, and the ships are the demonstration of how much we desire to improve and make more efficient the transport of people and cargo in the Mediterranean basin."
MILFORD  Milford police are warning residents to remain vigilant after a rash of break-ins Friday brought the total to 19 residential burglaries over an eight-week period.

Police said there were three home burglaries reported Friday evening in different sections of town. One incident occurred on Lower Naugatuck Avenue on Milfords west side, another was on High Street in the center of town and the final one was reported near Joseph A. Foran High School.

Devito said that the robberies fit a similar pattern to the other burglaries that have been plaguing the area since late December.

Last night was the perfect example of whats occurring here, said Officer Mike Devito, a Milford police spokesman.

Police said the perpetrators have been using rocks or bricks found nearby to break windows and gain entry to homes. The break-ins have also all occurred between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.  which Devito said is an unusual time for burglaries to occur.

Once inside, police said, the burglars tend to target jewelry, loose cash, small electronics and, in some instances, even guns. None of the stolen items have been recovered by police.

Milford police are joined in their investigation by Stratford authorities, who also have seen an uptick in similar burglaries since December. Between the two towns there have been nearly three dozen burglaries, Devito said.

So far, police have no leads on the suspects, yet they are continuing to investigate.

Were trying to see if we can draw some type of parallel between the victims, Devito said. Were really at the infant stages, but were working tirelessly to see if they used the same maid service or cleaning service, trash service, a recent contractor  some type of recent work done in the neighborhood to link what is similar between the victims.

On Thursday, Milford residents received an alert by text, email or phone warning them about the string of home burglaries and asking them to report anything suspicious.

Until the perpetrators can be caught, police are reminding residents to keep cash and valuables locked away and out of sight.

If residents see anything unusual, they are asked to call the Milford Police Department at 203-878-6551 or the Stratford Police Department at 203-385-4100.
Artists draw chalk portraits at Flight 93 memorial

Passengers and crew of Flight 93 drawn in chalk at national memorial.
After the political turbulence that unfolded in Maldives subsequent to the Supreme Court's order to free Opposition leaders, including former president Mohamed Nasheed, India seems to be in a peculiar dilemma over whether it should respond to Nasheed's call for help and if so the manner and extent to which it should engage in the internal affairs of another sovereign state.

India has always been a "friend in need" for Maldives. Indian Army's "Operation Cactus" foiled a coup in Maldives that was attempted by a pro-Eelam group in 1988. On the request of Maldives, India has maintained a naval presence there since 2009. The island country is again looking towards India and this is an opportunity for New Delhi to redefine regional cooperation in South Asia. China's proximity to Maldives has always been a concern for us. Already it is engaged in infrastructure and development projects in Maldives. Therefore, it is natural for China to suggest India to stay away from the political developments in Maldives. But keeping in view the geopolitics of South Asia, India should take a decisive stand not only in the interest of the people of Maldives but in its own interests as well.

Seeing from the international law point of view, non interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states is one of the fundamental principles of the charter of the United Nations and India, since Independence, is committed to this charter. The charter states that no state or group of states has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatsoever, in the internal or external affairs of any other state.

Consequently, armed intervention and all other forms of interference or attempted threats against the personality of the state or against its political, economic and cultural elements, are a violation of international law.

However, as it has been interpreted in international law, Article 2.4 of the UN Charter which is the crux of non interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, action in self defence, including the rescue of nationals where the territorial state is unable or unwilling to do so, does not infringe the principle of non interference. Since the rule of law and people's rights are under threat, India's engagement with Maldives, in this hour of crisis, will not contravene the UN Charter.

The international community is aware of India's position that non interference with a preference for peaceful conflict resolution mechanisms both at the regional and global levels has been one of the guiding principles of New Delhi's foreign policy since Independence.

Article 51 of the Constitution states that India shall endeavour to promote international peace and security; maintain just and honourable relations between nations; foster respect for international law and treaty obligations in the dealings of organised peoples with one another; and encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration. India's approach towards other sovereign states is to respect their territorial integrity and sovereignty and at the same time address humanitarian concerns and to provide assistance through positive intervention with the objective of development of the nation-state.

With this approach, India has been involved in various humanitarian, developmental and national reconstruction programmes in various countries, particularly the developing countries. India has never attempted to impose itself on its neighbours. At the same time, we should express our concern over the activities aimed at fomenting domestic disturbances in and by our neighbourhood countries.

Balance of power

India's role is also crucial to ensure and maintain long-term peace, balance of power, economic growth and security in Asia. It is a core state whose role is crucial for the economic well-being, institution building, collective and cooperative security, economic integration and trade expansion and political and civilisational dialogue, essential for a resurgent Asia. The present political leadership should strategise and act from this perspective. New Delhi must take the leadership and make a strong diplomatic effort to counter the economic and political diplomacy of China.

We paused but China acted in Nepal. Despite the economic geography of Indo-Nepal relations that tilts in favour of India, we failed to prevent China-Nepal political symmetry. The new Nepali leadership's close proximity to China is a worrying signal for India. China has already given Nepal access to its ports and talks are on for a joint rail link construction. The February visit of Sushma Swaraj to Kathmandu, though it was before formation of the new government, was a delayed engagement from the Indian side. The possibility of Nepal moving closer to China and its consequences for India must have been anticipated much earlier and acted with alacrity.

If Modi government is really serious about balancing India's position in the south Asian region vi-a-vis an aggressive China, it should not remain silent on the Maldives crisis and allow the situation to go out of hand as it happened in case of Nepal.

Also read: The failure, and hope, of Muslim politics in India
Schlumberger NV engages in the provision of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production and processing to the oil and gas industry. It operates through the following business segments: Digital and Integration; Reservoir Performance; Well Construction; and Production Systems. The Digital and Integration segment combines the company's software and seismic businesses with its integrated offering of asset performance solutions. The Reservoir Performance segment consists of reservoir-centric technologies and services that are critical to optimizing reservoir productivity and performance. The Well Construction segment includes the full portfolio of products and services to optimize well placement and performance, maximize drilling efficiency, and improve wellbore assurance. The Production Systems segment develops technologies and provides expertise that enhances production and recovery from subsurface reservoirs to the surface, into pipelines, and to refineries. The company was founded by Conrad Schlumberger and Marcel Schlumberger in 1926 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Fund, Inc. is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. The fund is co-managed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited and Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company. It invests in the public equity markets across the global emerging markets. The fund invests in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. It invests in companies across all market capitalizations. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the MSCI Emerging Markets Net Index. Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Fund Inc. was formed on August 27, 1991 and is domiciled in the United States.

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BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Quality Trust is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc. It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets of United States. It primarily invests in municipal bonds exempt from federal income taxes, including the alternative minimum tax and also in municipal bonds that are investment grade quality at the time of investment. The fund was formerly known as BlackRock Insured Municipal Income Investment Trust. BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Quality Trust was formed on October 31, 2002 and is domiciled in United States.

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Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. engages in the operation of senior living communities. The firm manages independent living, assisted living and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers. It operates through the following segments: Independent Living Assisted Living & Memory Care, CCRCs, Health Care Services and Management Services. The Independent Living segment is primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors who desire an upscale residential environment providing the highest quality of service. The Assisted Living & Memory Care segment offer housing and 24-hour assistance with ADLs to mid-acuity frail and elderly residents. The CCRCs segment offers a variety of living arrangements and services to accommodate all levels of physical ability and health. The Healthcare Services segment provides home health, hospice and outpatient therapy services, as well as education and wellness programs, to residents of many communities and to seniors living outside communities. The Management Services segment composes of communities operated by the company pursuant to management agreements. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Brentwood, TN.

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Cayuga County government has not had the greatest track record when it comes to providing important information on its website in a timely manner. Last year's failure to post a draft of the budget while it was being reviewed and discussed by the Legislature was the most recent clear example of this truth.

But since new Administrator J. Justin Woods came aboard toward the end of December, there's been a considerable effort to fix that shortcoming. A couple of big changes became visible last week.

One involves records related to the Cayuga County Legislature's committee meetings. While agendas for those meetings have generally been put on the county website, the reports and full resolutions behind all of the items listed on the agenda were not.

For a county with a $146 million budget, it shouldn't be too much trouble to make the materials prepared for elected legislators also accessible online to the general public.

New York's Open Meetings Law even requires it:
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Ltd., Moody's Investors Service South Africa (Pty) Limited, Moody's Israel Holdings Inc., Moody's Italia S.r.l., Moody's Latin America Agente de Calificacion de Riesgo S.A., Moody's Latin America Holding Corp., Moody's Lithuania UAB, Moody's Local PA Calificadora de Riesgo S.A., Moody's Local PE Clasificadora de Riesgo S.A, Moody's Mauritius Holdings Limited, Moody's Risk Assessments Limited, Moody's SF Japan K.K., Moody's Shared Services India Private Limited, Moody's Shared Services UK Limited, Moody's Singapore Pte Ltd, Moody's South Africa (B.V.I.) Ltd., Moody's de Mexico S.A. de C.V. I.C.V, Moodys Advisors Inc., Moodys Analytics Inc., Moodys Analytics Knowledge Services Solutions (US) Inc., Moodys Analytics Solutions LLC, Moodys Assurance Company Inc., Moodys Assureco Inc., Moodys Capital Markets Research Inc., Moodys Group Holdings Inc., Moodys Holdings LLC, Moodys International LLC, Moodys Investors Service Inc., Moodys Overseas Holdings Inc., Moodys Risk Assessments Holdings LLC, Moodys Risk Assessments Inc., Moodys Shared Services Inc., Nile 1 Limited, Nile 2 Limited, Nile 3 Limited, Nile 4 Limited, Nile 5 Limited, Omega Performance, Omega Performance Corp./S.C.C. A Rendement Omega, Omega Performance Corporation, Omega Performance Corporation Pty. Limited, Omega Performance NZ Limited, Omega Performance Pte. Ltd., PT ICRA Indonesia, Pragati Development Consulting Services Limited, RBA International, Reis, Reis Inc., Reis Services LLC, Risk First (Holdings) Limited, Risk First (IP) Limited, Risk First Enterprise Limited, Risk First Group Limited, Risk First Inc., Risk First Limited, Risk First Management Services Limited, Skyval Holdings LLP, Skyval Limited, The Moodys Foundation, Vigeo, Vigeo Belgium NV, Vigeo Eiris, Vigeo Eiris Canada Inc., Vigeo Eiris Chile SpA, Vigeo Eiris Hong Kong Limited, Vigeo Eiris USA LLC, Vigeo Group, Vigeo Italia S.r.l, Yellow Maple Holding B.V., Yellow Maple I B.V., Yellow Maple II B.V., and Zephus Ltd..
Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides marine transportation, subsea installation, and accommodation support services to exploration and production, oilfield service, offshore construction, and the United States military customers. It operates offshore supply vessels (OSVs), multi-purpose support vessels (MPSVs), and a shore-based facility to provide logistics support and specialty services to the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry, primarily Gulf of Mexico in the U.S., Latin America, and internationally. Its fleet of U.S.-flagged OSVs and MPSVs support deep-well, deepwater, and ultra-deepwater activities of the offshore oil and gas industry, such as oil and gas exploration, field development, production, construction, installation, well-stimulation, and other enhanced oil recovery, as well as inspection, repair, and maintenance services. The company also provides vessel management services, including crewing, daily operational management, and maintenance activities for other vessels owners. As of December 31, 2018, it owned and operated 66 OSVs and 8 MPSVs. Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Covington, Louisiana.

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Inphi Corporation provides high-speed analog and mixed signal semiconductor solutions for the communications and computing markets in China, the United States, Thailand, and internationally. Its analog and mixed signal semiconductor solutions offer high signal integrity at various data speeds and reduce system power consumption. The company's semiconductor solutions address bandwidth bottlenecks in networks, maximize throughput and minimize latency in computing environments, and enable the rollout of communications and datacenter infrastructures. Its solutions provide a high-speed interface between analog and mixed signals, and digital information in high-performance systems, such as telecommunications transport systems, enterprise networking equipment, and data centers. The company also provides 25G to 600G high-speed analog and mixed semiconductor solutions for the communications market. Its products perform a range of functions, such as amplifying, encoding, multiplexing, demultiplexing, and retiming signals at speeds up to 400 Gbps. Inphi Corporation sells its products directly through its sales force, as well as through a network of sales representatives and distributors to original equipment manufacturers. The company was formerly known as TCom Communications, Inc. and changed its name to Inphi Corporation in February 2001. Inphi Corporation was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

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TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd., an oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties in Turkey and Bulgaria. As of December 31, 2019, it had interests in 4 onshore exploration licenses and 20 onshore production leases covering an area of 436,388 net acres with a total net proved reserves of 10,259 thousand barrels of oil and 2,466 million cubic feet of natural gas located in Turkey, as well as a production concession covering an area of approximately 162,800 net undeveloped acres located in Bulgaria. The company was incorporated in 1985 and is based in Addison, Texas.

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KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation produces and sells a range of containerboards, corrugated products, and specialty paper products in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Paper and Packaging, and Distribution. The Paper and Packaging segment offers containerboards consisting of linerboard and corrugated medium to manufacture corrugated containers for packaging products; and corrugated products. It also offers specialty paper products, including kraft paper, such as multiwall paper used to produce bags for agricultural products, pet food, baking products, cement and chemicals; specialty products comprising shingle wraps, end caps, roll wraps, and dunnage bags; and lightweight paper. In addition, this segment provides saturating kraft paper under the Durasorb trade name for use in construction, electronics manufacturing, and furniture manufacturing industries; and unbleached folding carton board under the Kraftpak trade name to integrated and independent converters in the folding carton industry. The Distribution segment distributes corrugated and other specialty packaging products consisting of stretch films, void fills, carton sealing tapes, and other specialty tapes. KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois.

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Praxair, Inc. produces and distributes industrial gases. It operates through five segments: North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and Surface Technologies. The company offers atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases; and process gases, such as carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, electronic gases, specialty gases, and acetylene. It also supplies wear-resistant and high-temperature corrosion-resistant metallic and ceramic coatings and powders to the aircraft, energy, printing, primary metals, petrochemical, textile, and other industries. In addition, the company offers electric arc, plasma and wire spray, and high-velocity oxy-fuel equipment; and distributes hardgoods and welding equipment purchased from independent manufacturers. It serves various industries, such as healthcare, petroleum refining, manufacturing, food, beverage carbonation, fiber-optics, steel making, aerospace, chemicals, and water treatment. Praxair, Inc. was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut.

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MAXIMUS, Inc. engages in the operation of government and human services programs. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Services; U.S. Federal Services; and Outside the U.S. The U.S. Services segment offers a variety of business process services, and appeals and assessments for state, provincial and national government programs. The U.S. Federal Services segment includes process solutions, program management, as well as system and software development, and maintenance services for various United States federal civilian programs. The Outside the U.S segment comprises of national, state, and county human services agencies with a variety of business process services, and related consulting services for welfare-to-work, child support, higher education institutions, and other human services programs. The company was founded by David V. Mastran in 1975 and is headquartered in Reston, VA.

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Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. is an international offshore energy company. It focuses on subsea construction, maintenance and salvage services to the offshore natural gas and oil industry. The firm also provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on well intervention and robotics operations. The company operates through three segments: Well Intervention, Robotics and Production Facilities. The Well Intervention segment offers vessels and related equipment that are used to perform well intervention services primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea regions. The Robotics segment involves four chartered vessels and also includes ROVs, trenchers and ROVDrills designed to complement offshore construction and well intervention services. The Production Facilities segment includes its investment in the Helix Producer I and Kommandor LLC. Helix Energy Solutions Group was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Sealed Air: AFP (Shanghai) Limited, AFP Inc. (Branch), AFPTOH LTD, Aconcagua Distribuciones SRL, Air Ride Pallets Hong Kong Limited, Austin Foam Plastics Inc., Auto-C LLC, Automated Packaging Systems, B+ Equipment, B+ Equipment SAS, Beacon Holdings LLC, Biosphere Industries, BluPack (New Zealand), Blue Dot Packaging Pty Ltd., CPI Packaging Inc., CPI Packaging Systems Inc., Cactus (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Cactus Shanghai Trading Co. Ltd., Ciras C.V., Ciras C.V. - Luxembourg Branch, Ciras C.V.  Luxembourg Branch, Cleanwise Inc., Cryovac (Malaysia) SDN. BHD, Cryovac (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Cryovac Brasil Ltda., Cryovac Chile Holdings LLC, Cryovac Holdings II LLC, Cryovac Inc., Cryovac International Holdings Inc., Cryovac LLC, Cryovac Leasing Corporation, Cryovac Londrina Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal - Embalagens Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal Embalagens Ltda, Cryovac Sweden AB, Cryovac-Sealed Air de Costa Rica S.R.L., DELTAPLAM Embalagens Industria e Comercio, Deltaplam Embalagens Industria e Comercio Ltda, Diversey, Diversey Australia Pty. Ltd., Diversey Austria Trading GmbH, Diversey B.V., Diversey Belgium BVBA, Diversey Brasil Industria Quimica Ltda., Diversey Canada Inc., Diversey Centroamerica S.A., Diversey Danmark ApS, Diversey Hungary Acting Off-shore Capital Management Limited Liability Company, Diversey J Trustee Limited, Diversey Trustee Limited, Diversey Ceska republika s.r.o. clen koncernu Diversey, Entapack Pty. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packing Co. Ltd. (Chongqing Branch), Fagerdala (Chongqing) Packaging Co. Ltd. (Branch), Fagerdala (Huiyang) Packaging Co. Ltd, Fagerdala (Huiyang) Packaging Co. Ltd. (Branch), Fagerdala (Shanghai) Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shanghai) Polymer Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shenzhen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packing Co. Ltd. (Hefei Branch), Fagerdala (Thailand) Limited, Fagerdala (Xiamen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Leamchabung Limited, Fagerdala Leamchabung Ltd., Fagerdala Malaysia Sdn Bhd., Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V. (Chihuahua Branch), Fagerdala Mexico Supply Chain S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Packaging Inc. (Indiana), Fagerdala Shanghai Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd, Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd (Branch), Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Limited, Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Limited (Taiwan Branch), Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Ltd., Fagerdala Suzhou Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Suzhou Packaging Co. Ltd. (Hefei Branch), Fagerdala Thailand Ltd., GEIE VES, Getpacking.com GmbH, Indonesian Rep Office of Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Invertol S. de R.L. de C.V., JCS Sealed Air Kaustik, JSC Sealed Air Kaustik, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal Limited, Nelipak Holdings, Pack-Tiger GmbH, Packaging C.V., ProAseptic Technologies S.L., Producembal - Producao de Embalagens Ltda., Proxy Biomedical Ltd., Reflectix Inc., SLD Air Packaging Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Saddle Brook Insurance Company, Sealed Air (Asia) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (Barbados) S.R.L., Sealed Air (Canada) Co./CIE, Sealed Air (Canada) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Limited, Sealed Air (China) Ltd., Sealed Air (India) Limited, Sealed Air (Israel) Ltd., Sealed Air (Korea) Limited, Sealed Air (Latin America) Holdings II LLC, Sealed Air (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sealed Air (New Zealand), Sealed Air (Philippines) Inc., Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Sealed Air (Thailand) Limited, Sealed Air (Ukraine) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Pty.) Limited, Sealed Air Americas Manufacturing S. de R. L. de C. V., Sealed Air Argentina S.A., Sealed Air Australia (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Pty Ltd., Sealed Air Australia Pty. Limited, Sealed Air B.V., Sealed Air Belgium N.V., Sealed Air Central America S.A., Sealed Air Chile S.P.A., Sealed Air Colombia Ltda., Sealed Air Corporation (US), Sealed Air Denmark A/S, Sealed Air Embalagens Ltda., Sealed Air Europe Holdings C.V., Sealed Air Europe Holdings LP, Sealed Air Finance B.V., Sealed Air Finance II LLC, Sealed Air Finance II LLC (Sucursal Mexico), Sealed Air Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l. Luxembourg (L) Root Finance Branch, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l. US Finance Branch, Sealed Air Funding Corporation, Sealed Air Funding LLC, Sealed Air General Trading LLC, Sealed Air Global Holdings C.V., Sealed Air Global Holdings I C.V., Sealed Air Global Holdings I LLC, Sealed Air GmbH, Sealed Air Hellas S.A., Sealed Air Holding France S.A.S., Sealed Air Holding France SAS, Sealed Air HoldingS I LLC, Sealed Air Holdings (New Zealand) Pty. Ltd., Sealed Air Holdings I C.V., Sealed Air Holdings LLC, Sealed Air Holdings South Africa Proprietary Limited, Sealed Air Hong Kong (Jakarta Indonesia Branch), Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Sealed Air Hungary Ltd., Sealed Air International Holdings LLC, Sealed Air International Holdings LLC , Sealed Air Investment and Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Investment and Management Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Japan G.K., Sealed Air Korea Limited, Sealed Air LLC, Sealed Air Limited, Sealed Air Luxembourg (I) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg (II) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Management Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Sealed Air Multiflex GmbH, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) I B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V. - Deutsche Zweigniederlassung, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V. - Deutsche Zweigniederlassung, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) III B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) III B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands Holdings V B.V., Sealed Air Nevada Holdings Limited, Sealed Air Norge AS, Sealed Air OY, Sealed Air Packaging (India) Private Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Packaging LLC, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging S.L.U., Sealed Air Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Sealed Air Peru S.A.C., Sealed Air Polska Sp. Zoo, Sealed Air Pty Limited, Sealed Air S.A S., Sealed Air S.A.S., Sealed Air S.r.l., Sealed Air South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Sealed Air Svenska AB, Sealed Air Taiwan Limited, Sealed Air US Holdings (Thailand) LLC, Sealed Air Uruguay S.A., Sealed Air Venezuela Corporation, Sealed Air Verpackungen GmbH, Sealed Air de Mexico Operations S. de R.L. de C.V., Sealed Air de Venezuela S.A., Sealed Air s.r.o., Shanklin Corp, Shanklin Corporation, Soinpar Industrial Ltda., TART s.r.o., TART s.r.o. Joint Venture, TTS-Ciptec, TXAFP Asia Pacific Ltd., TXAFP GP LLC, TempTrip LLC, Trigon Industries, and Vietnamese Rep Office of Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited.
The following companies are subsidiares of The Travelers Companies: 10762962 Canada Inc., 350 Market Street LLC, 8527512 Canada Inc., Aetna Life and Casualty Co, American Equity Insurance Company, American Equity Specialty Insurance Company, Aprilgrange Limited, Arch Street North LLC, Auto Hartford Investments LLC, Bayhill Restaurant II Associates, Camperdown Corporation, Constitution State Services LLC, Discover Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Discover Specialty Insurance Company, F&G UK Underwriters Limited, Farmington Casualty Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc., First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company, Gulf Underwriters Insurance Company, IHP Capital Partners Fund VIII L.P., Northbrook Holdings Inc., Northfield Insurance Company, Northland Casualty Company, Northland Insurance Company, Phoenix UK Investments LLC, SPC Insurance Agency Inc., Select Insurance Company, Simply Business Holdings Inc., Simply Business Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company, St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company, St. Paul Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Standard Fire Properties LLC, Standard Fire UK Investments LLC, TCI Global Services Inc., TPC Investments Inc., TPC U.K. Investments LLC, The Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut, The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The Family Business Institute LLC, The Phoenix Insurance Company, The St. Paul Companies Inc., The Standard Fire Insurance Company, The Travelers Casualty Company, The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company of America, The Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The Travelers Lloyds Insurance Company, TravCo Insurance Company, Travelers (Bermuda) Limited, Travelers Brazil Acquisition LLC, Travelers Brazil Holding LLC, Travelers Casualty Company of Connecticut, Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, Travelers Casualty UK Investments LLC, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe Limited, Travelers Commercial Casualty Company, Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, Travelers Constitution State Insurance Company, Travelers Distribution Alliance Inc., Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company, Travelers Global Inc., Travelers Indemnity U.K. Investments LLC, Travelers Insurance Company Limited, Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, Travelers Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Travelers Lloyds of Texas Insurance Company, Travelers London Limited, Travelers MGA Inc., Travelers Management Limited, Travelers Marine LLC, Travelers Participacoes em Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Personal Insurance Company, Travelers Personal Security Insurance Company, Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company, Travelers Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, Travelers Texas MGA Inc., Travelers Underwriting Agency Limited, Ultramar Travel Management, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Xbridge Limited, Zensurance Brokers Inc., and Zensurance Inc..
The court said the man had acted in a 'cruel manner' in brutally assaulting his wife without any provocation. (Representational image)

New Delhi: A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court for brutally stabbing his wife to death 21 times with a peeler knife six years ago.

The court noted that the assault on the woman's head was "so brutal" that it resulted in fracture of underlying skull bone.

The high court dismissed the appeal of Devender Dass saying it was without any substance and upheld his conviction and sentence of life imprisonment by the trial court.

The man had murdered his wife on the intervening night of October 31 and November 1, 2012 by stabbing her 21 times with a peeler knife and hitting with a brick. He committed the crime following a quarrel with his wife.

The bench said the man had acted in a "cruel manner" in brutally assaulting his wife without any provocation.

"It is quite evident that Dass had brutally assaulted his wife. So, in our opinion, in the instant case, it cannot be said that the offence committed by Dass is 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder'. It is a case of brutal murder," it said.

Dass had claimed that he was falsely implicated in this case.

The incident had come to light when the man's landlord informed the police.
Bengaluru: On a day when Supreme Court set March 14 as the next date of hearing in the politically-sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case, members from Muslim community met Sri Sri Ravishankar and evinced interest to have an out-of-court settlement.

The Art of Living claimed that Muslim leaders had supported the proposal of shifting the Masjid outside to another place. The meeting was held in AoL campus in Bengaluru. A bigger meeting would be held in Ayodhya to take the talks to the next level. Members of the Sunni Waqf Board, All India Muslim Personal Law Board and others were present.
The notification said, "The central government hereby appoints Tushar Mehta, Advocate, as Special Public Prosecutor for conducting prosecution, appeals/revisions or other proceedings arising out of the cases related to 2G Spectrum investigated. (Photo: Youtube screengrab)

New Delhi: The government has appointed Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta as the special public prosecutor in the 2G spectrum allocation cases for the CBI after the agency's case was rejected by a special court.

An order issued on February 8 by the Department of Personnel and Training in the official gazette, said, "The central government hereby appoints Tushar Mehta, Advocate, as Special Public Prosecutor for conducting prosecution, appeals/revisions or other proceedings arising out of the cases related to 2G Spectrum investigated by the Delhi Special Police Establishment (CBI) in the Court of Special Judge (2G Spectrum cases), Central Bureau of Investigation, New Delhi, and appellate/revisional courts."

The notification did not mention about present special public prosecutor Anand Grover who was recommended by KK Venugopal, the Attorney General, when he was representing the agency in the Supreme Court.

Grover had replaced UU Lalit after he was elevated as a Supreme Court Judge.

Grover was appointed as the special public prosecutor by a Bench of the Supreme Court led by the then Chief Justice of India HL Dattu.

The apex court had on August 12, 2014 asked Venugopal to suggest three names for appointment as the SPP.

The bench, which opened the sealed envelope on September 2, 2014 had said Venugopal suggested only one name and it was accepting his proposal to appoint Grover as SPP to conduct the trial in the cases arising out of 2G scam.

Reacting to the development, senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan said on twitter, "Government brazenly changes SPL (special) public prosecutor of 2G case appointed by Supreme Court and appoints Modi/Shah's main lawyer Tushar Mehta as prosecutor in gross violation of Supreme Court's order. Govt getting more brazen by the day."
Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi stated that the AIMPLB should be considered a terrorist organisation and be banned. (Photo: ANI)

Lucknow: Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi on Sunday termed the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's (AIMPLB) as one of the subsidiaries of terror groups operating in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

"Terrorist organizations of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia take major decisions related to Muslims in India. Muslim Personal Law Board is a branch of such terrorist organisations that is spoiling the atmosphere of the country by following their ideologies," an official statement from Rizvi read.

The statement comes in the backdrop of the board's decision to remove its executive member Moulana Salman Hasni Nadvi, who supported the construction of Ram Temple on the disputed land in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

Rizvi also stated that the AIMPLB should be considered a terrorist organisation and be banned.

Endorsing Nadvi's stand on the dispute, Rizvi said, "Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya, and the only way is for Muslims to build their mosque in some other disputed land.

Earlier in the day, the committee of AIMPLB decided to remove Nadvi over his "uncompromising stand on Babri Masjid issue."

On February 9, Maulana Salman Husaini Nadvi spoke to ANI about his meeting with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar where he extended support to the construction of Ram temple and said that their priority is to join hearts of people.

He also hinted at an out of court settlement by saying, "The courts do not join people's heart as the verdict is always in favour of one and against the other."
What is more serious is that the state government had neither intimated nor sought the permission of the Centre in Mr Behera's Vigilance regular posting.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A fresh controversy has erupted over state police chief Loknath Behera holding the post of the director of State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau for more than six months in breach of Central norm against the same officer occupying more than one cadre post at the same time.

What is more serious is that the state government had neither intimated nor sought the permission of the Centre in Mr Behera's Vigilance regular posting. He was first appointed in the vigilance chief vacancy left by Mr Jacob Thomas on March 31 last year. Subsequently since June-end he has been on a regular posting.

He has been holding the vigilance chief post for 11 months now, which makes his continuation untenable if the post has not been de-notified with the Centre's permission. De-notification is not easy because senior officers, who have sufficient exposure in vigilance, are available for the cadre posting.

This has given rise to doubts why the state government has entrusted the onerous responsibilities of the police chief and the vigilance chief to the same officer when both are fulltime jobs to be handled by different persons. The allegation is that the government finds Mr Behera "quite convenient", which is why it has given him the dual charge.

But this happens to be a far-fetched allegation because Mr Behera has been saddled with embarrassing files from his predecessor, Mr Jacob Thomas, during whose tenures scores of FIRs were filed without proper inquiry and without any substance. Consequently, many cases are destined to be closed without prosecution as they can't be committed for trial for want of evidence.

Mr Behera's version was not available as he was indisposed and in hospital. Sources said Mr Behera had himself approached the state government to be relieved of vigilance. But why the government dithers is a question that begs

an answer.
Hyderabad:The Office of the Prime Minister has responded to a city-based petitioner who sent 1,000 signatures protesting new Secretariat at the Bison Polo Ground. The PMO in its reply dated February 7, 2018 to the Chief Secretary of Telangana has requested him to take action as appropriate.

The petition said, 55 acres of history, and most importantly the environment, is under threat after K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) wants to build a new Secretariat at the Bison Polo and Gymkhana Grounds. Citing Vaastu reasons, he wishes to vacate the existing Secretariat. Let us request him to drop the idea of building a concrete jungle by cutting down thousands of trees.

The response from the PMO to the Telangana Chief Secretary, with a copy to the petitioners, said, I am desired to forward herewith a letter of oral representation dated November 6, 2017, received in this office from Ms. Gulshan G Bamboat and others for action as appropriate.

Reply may be sent to the petitioner and a copy of the same may be uploaded on the portal.

The petitioner, Gulshan G Bamboat, told Deccan Chronicle, Several individuals worked on collecting the signatures across Secunderabad. I have sent over 1,000 signatures, in 10 sets of 100 each, through many weeks. My first post was on November 29, 2017 and the last was on February 5, 2018, and there are 400 more to go. I have posted the letters to the Prime Minister's residence. I received the letter (from the PMO) on Saturday and we are yet to be contacted by the TS Chief Secretary's office. We hope there is some move by the government.
Heaping praise on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her simplicity despite being such a popular leader, Hardik Patel said he has learnt a lot during their Friday night meeting in Kolkata. (Photo: Twitter//@HardikPatel_)

Kolkata: Patidar quota activist Hardik Patel on Saturday said that the country would see "President's rule" if the Narendra Modi-led government manage to remain in power after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Patel was not specific in use of the term President's rule but he apparently meant the non-NDA governments would be destabilised if Modi remains in power after the next general elections.

He stressed that all should unite to fight against the power which was trying to divide the country.

"I have clearly said that if the Narendra Modi government comes to power after the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 then it will invite President's rule in the country," Patel said while speaking to a local news channel in Kolkata.

"All parties must come together to fight the power who are trying to divide the country," the Patidar activist said.

Patel also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his recent caustic comments against Opposition in the Parliament rather than speaking on issues.

"I want to see someone as the Prime Minister of the country who will speak on education, employment, agriculture, health and security or safety of the country but not someone who spends 90 minutes criticising the opposition in the Parliament. I do not want such a Prime Minister," he said.

Heaping praise on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her "simplicity" despite being such a popular leader, Patel said he has learnt a lot during their Friday night meeting in Kolkata.

"I have learned a lot from my meeting with Mamata di. I am amazed by her simplicity despite being the Chief Minister of a state. She has told me how to talk to the people and how to work taking everybody on board. She has advised me how one must have a little bit of attitude and how one should speak," he said.

Patel had met Banerjee at the state secretariat in Kolkata on Friday night and described the TMC supremo as "lady Mahatma".

"I saw lady Gandhi. She is a simple and selfless person. After Indira Gandhi, she has been the epitome of struggle for the cause of the people," he reiterated on Saturday.

Stating that Banerjee has invited him to join the TMC and manage its affairs in Gujarat, Patel had opined that the TMC supremo should lead the opposition.

Asked whether he would come to the state if Banerjee calls him again, the activist said "She (Mamata) has described me as her younger brother. And yes as I had said yesterday (Friday) I will definitely come here to campaign during the Lok Sabha elections in 2019."
Chancellor of Gitam deemed University, Prof. K. Ramakrishna Rao, along with Vice-Chancellor Prof. M.S. Prasada Rao felicitates chief general-manager of Exim Bank S. Prahalathan Iyer at the International Conference on Indo Asean Partnership on Gitam University Campus in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. (Photo: DC)

VISAKHAPATNAM: India is looking to streng-then trade and investment with CMLV states (Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam) as part of the Central governments Act East Policy, according to a top official from the EXIM Bank of India. The Union government wants to cultivate extensive economic and strategic relations in Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries by way of stimulating investments into the CMLV region from the private sector, EXIM Bank chief general-manager S. Prahalathan Iyer said during the India-ASEAN partnership international conference held here on Saturday.

To catalyse the investments, the government of India had established a project development fund with a corpus of Rs 500 crore to set up manufacturing hubs in CMLV countries through special purpose vehicles (SPVs). The fund would be operated on viable projects through the EXIM Bank. Under this CLMV initiative, the bank has identified Indian investments to set up a pharma manufacturing unit in Vietnam, an educational institute in Myanmar and a multi-speciality hospital in Cambodia.

Detailed project reports are being prepared on which SPVs will be set up in CMLV region to implement these projects, Mr Iyer said. A delegation led by EXIM Banks deputy managing director participated in a two-day market familarisation pr-ogramme organised at Phnom Penh in Cambo-dia on February 8-9 and at Yangon in Myanmar on February 6-7. This programme helped provide initial handholding support by way of advisory services and financial support.

According to Visakhapatnam region joint director-general of Foreign Trade, Mr Alok Dwivedi, Indias service oriented economy would complement the manufacturing-based ASEAN economies. Integration with CLMV countries is an important part of the trade strategy. Our country is still ne-gotiating Regional Com-prehensive Economic Pa-rtnership (RCEP) bet-we-en the 10 member states of ASEAN. When concluded, this agreement would fructify the existing trade relations among these countries. This will cover 40 per cent of global trade and 33 per cent of world GDP, he said.

On the occasion, Ambassador of Myanmar Moe Kyaw Aung said she appreciated the development of India-Myanmar-Laos-Vietnam-Cambodia highway and extension of India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway to Laos and Cambodia. When asked about the recent arrest of two journalists who were working on the killing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, the diplomat said that they have been following the legal procedure as a law abiding country.
The Prime Minister who arrived in Abu Dhabi from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour on Saturday, was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Abu Dhabi/New Delhi: A day after the historic visit to Palestine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple project, the first Hindu temple to be built in Abu Dhabi.

The Prime Minister who arrived in Abu Dhabi from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour on Saturday, was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the country.

Addressing the Indian Diaspora at Dubai Opera, Modi thanked Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the grand temple which will be constructed in the capital of UAE.

He also thanked the gulf countries for providing home-like environment to almost 30 lakh Indians.

The Prime Minister also assured the Indian community that the both the governments will work together to bring to reality their dreams in UAE and in India.

PM Modi further said India's relations with the UAE was much more than that of a buyer and a seller as he hailed the country's growing ties with the Gulf countries as "deep, broad and vibrant."

Also read: India, UAE ink 5 pacts as Modi meets Abu Dhabi crown prince

Speaking on India's achievement in the economy sector, Modi said India's jump in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100 was unprecedented.

Modi also hailed his government's bold decisions like demonetisation and implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Earlier on Sunday, Modi held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in an offshore oilfield in UAE.

To deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of finance, an MoU between Bombay Stock Exchange and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was also signed. It aims at enhancing cooperation between both the countries in financial services industry.

The MoU would facilitate investment in financial markets by investors from both the countries.

(With PTI inputs)
The sale of these weapons to Pakistan was cleared by the US Congress in October 2007 for the purposes of "self defence" and to aid the US operations against the Taliban in the country. (Photo: Representational/AFP)

New Delhi/Washington: India has given proof to United States that weapons like the US TOW-2A anti-tank guided missiles that were originally given to Pakistan to fight the Taliban, are now being used against the Indian Army.

In 2018 itself, at least 9 Indian soldiers have been killed in ceasefire violations and fire assaults by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).

The sale of these weapons to Pakistan was cleared by the US Congress in October 2007 for the purposes of "self defence" and to aid the US operations against the Taliban in the country.

India and US renewed a 10-year defence framework agreement in 2015.

In 2016, India was designated a major defence partner by the US after which the US Congress voted to bring India on an equal footing with its other NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) allies for defence-related sales and transfer of technology.

The remnants of a missile that US sold Pakistan was recovered after a fire assault and brought to New Delhi to be shown as proof to US representatives.

Pointing out Pakistan's misuse of US missiles is also part of India's policy to make Pakistan lose face in the global arena.

In the past, India has objected to sale of lethal weapons to Pakistan,

President Trump also accused Pakistan of the same in one of his tweets earlier this year, accusing the country of harbouring terrorists despite US contributing billions of dollars in foreign aid.

"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" President Trump had tweeted on 1st January 2018.
Vijayawada: TD denounced BJPs claims regarding the financial support extended to the state. On Sunday, it released an 8-page draft report prepared by the TD Party Knowledge Centre presenting facts countering BJPs claims.

In its claims, the BJP mentioned that Rs 3,979.5 crore had been allocated towards covering the states revenue deficit and also committed to allocating Rs 22,113 crore to the state by 2020. But until now the balance amount is not released and the Centre is stating issuing of Rs 120 crore only.

The TD said that Rs 3,500 had been committed by the Centre towards the construction of the capital city, but only Rs 1,500 crore had been released. The party said that though the BJP claimed that the Union government had allocated Rs 1,500 crore towards the construction of four smart cities, not a single rupee had been released. The TD countered the BJP on 25 issues regarding Budget allocations.

The TD is angered by BJPs 27-page report, which it believes is misguiding the public. The TD leaders asked Mr Hari Babu whe-ther AP was part of the country or not as the BJP is claiming Doordarshan and passport offices were given to the state after bifurcation which the TD said is a mandate when a new state is formed.

In its 8-page draft report, the TD also mentioned that the state needed Rs 42,935 crore for the construction of the Raj Bhavan, the Secretariat, the High Court, the Assembly, the Council and other infrastructure for the capital city. It asked whether the Rs 1,500 crore released by the Union government mattered when compared to this requirement.

For the backward districts of Rayalaseema and northern Andhra, the state had requested Rs 24,350 crore but the BJP-led NDA government had allocated only Rs 1,050 crore, the TD said.

It added the Union government had yet to approve special assistance measures under EAP project proposals worth Rs 18,857 crore.

It said the BJP had promised to cover the entire cost of the Polavaram project, but it had released only Rs 4,662 crore until then, while Rs 7,900 crore had been spent on the project. It said that Rs 3,500 crore was due to the state by the Union government, for which the state was bearing additional Rs 300 crore as interest.

The state government allotted land worth Rs 1,000 crore for the establishment of IIT-Tirupati, and the Union government was supposed to allot Rs 700 crore for the construction of the physical structure.

The TD said that the Cen-tre had released only Rs 90 crore in four years. It added that the state government had allotted land worth tho-usands of crores of rupees for the establishment of an NIT, an IIIT, a Central Un-iversity, an IISER, an IIM, and an Agricultural Univ-ersity, but the Union government had failed to take those projects forward.

The Union Government committed to spending Rs 100,000 crore on the development of road connectivity under national highways, which the TD countered by saying that AP had been granted the same funds as all other states.

BJP claimed that it would provide Rs 20,000 crore for the construction of the Amaravati Outer Ring Road, but that project is still in the DPR stage. There hasnt been any notable progress in the Vijayawada - Visakhapatnam metro rail project, and no budget has been allocated for the project for 2018-2019. Similarly, there has been no progress on and no support from the Union Government for the development of the Kakinada Petrochemical Complex, the Kadapa and Rajahmundry Airports, Duggarajapatnam Port, and the Kadapa Steel Plant, and the expansion of the Vizag Steel Plant.

The state had a surplus of power post-bifurcation, and the state benefited from that surplus, without the assistance of the Union Government. Even in railways they mentioned about the cost estimates and the budget required but hadn't announced any budget on it.
China is understood to have acquired working control of 17 islands of the Maldives group from the Yameen government. If these were to be converted into military stations, New Delhi will find itself in an unenviable situation.

As a first step towards dealing with the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Maldives, in the fervent hope that the crisis there can be defused in the not too distant future if President Abdulla Yameen takes credible steps to roll back the state of emergency and restores democratic functioning, New Delhi has done well to seek to persuade the UN  along with other concerned nations  to send a fact-finding mission to Male.

Nevertheless, India has to be prepared to see this move stymied at Beijings behest, and then be in a position to marshal all resources it can, diplomatically and otherwise, to ensure that normality is restored with a return to status quo ante. Beijings position is not buttressed under a thoroughly democratic dispensation in the Maldives. For this reason China is not unduly concerned about the turn of events there, which, in fact, it may see as being favourable to itself. Indeed, its concern may be that efforts toward a peaceful denouement by a return to democratic ways can be prejudicial to its interests. Beijings bottom-line, as outlined by its official spokesman on Thursday, is that the recent developments in the strategically located nation of islands is an internal issue of that country. This is far from being the case in reality, whatever the appearances. India cannot but be concerned since the troubled nation is at its doorstep, just a few hours by motorboat from the Kerala coast.

The situation in the islands has by now been thoroughly internationalised by President Yameen. He has despatched special envoys to China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in search of material, diplomatic and political backing. It is possible that Riyadh may play a moderating role. This cannot be said of the other two countries.

Extremist Islamist activities going on in the islands for several years  leading to the Maldives supplying the greatest numbers of fighters to ISIS brigades in Iraq and Syria per capita in recent times  cannot but be a matter of the deepest concern to India. In addition, there is another major potential security concern for India. China is understood to have acquired working control of 17 islands of the Maldives group from the Abdulla Yameen government. If these were to be converted into military stations  with naval, air and sophisticated communications facilities  just as artificially created reefs were in the South China Sea and other parts of the Indo-Pacific area by Beijing, New Delhi will find itself in an unenviable situation.

The phone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi  initiated by Washington  on Thursday is likely to have been to discuss the extent of the problem and Indias readiness to be a part of the solution since no other country is affected as much as India by the current goings-on.
This December 2017 false-color image made available by NASA in February 2018 shows KBO (Kuiper Belt object) 2012 HZ84. This image is, for now, one of the farthest pictures from Earth ever captured by a spacecraft. It was made by the New Horizons at 3.79 billion miles from Earth. (Photo: AP/NASA)

The NASA spacecraft that gave us close-ups of Pluto, has set a record for the farthest photos ever taken. In December, while 3.79 billion miles (6.12 billion kilometres) from Earth  the New Horizons spacecraft snapped a picture of a star cluster. The photo surpassed the Pale Blue Dot images of Earth taken in 1990 by NASAs Voyager 1.

The images for Pale Blue Dot  part of a composite  were taken 3.75 billion miles (6.06 billion kilometres) away. New Horizons took more photos as it sped deeper into the cosmos in December. These pictures show two objects in the Kuiper Belt, the so-called twilight zone on the fringes of our solar system.

NASA released the images this week. New Horizons flew past Pluto in 2015. Its headed toward an even closer encounter with another icy world, 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometres) beyond Pluto, on January 1, 2019. The targeted object is known as 2014 MU69; the spacecraft will pass within 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometres).

New Horizons just couldnt be better ... were bearing down on our flyby target, said lead scientist Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. New Horizons is currently in electronic hibernation. Flight controllers at a Johns Hopkins University lab in Laurel, Maryland, will awaken the spacecraft in June and start getting it ready for the flyby. The spacecraft was launched in 2006.

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The New Jerusalem Church was built in 1718 by a Royal Danish missionary. Services are still held here on Sundays. When the tsunami of 2004 destroyed the building considerably, the church was restored at a cost of 7 million rupees.

It was a Danish settlement, my friend said. You mean Dutch, I countered. Knowing how the Dutch had set up posts in Sri Lanka and India. No, Danish, she repeated.

We were discussing whether a visit to Tranquebar was worthwhile. Being close to Pondicherry, where we were holidaying, it seemed an easy day trip. And the name was piquantly enticing.

I know, my friend said, emphatically. I have read up about it: it was the Danes who set up the township there... Let me look it up, I said, convinced her memory had given her a slip.

You wont find it under Tranquebar, she said, as I switched on the computer. Search for it under its Tamil name, Tharangampadi. It means place of singing waves.

What a tongue twister, I thought as I keyed the letters in. I will solve this mystery soon enough, I murmured. Whoever heard of the Danes settling in India. It must be the Dutch!

Houses have an old-world charm to them.

Of course, there was no Internet access that morning. So we made plans to drive down and find out for ourselves. My friend and I wore expressions that were ready to say, I told you so! to each other, as we set off in a hired car. The rest of the group was planning breakfast stops and coffee halts, but my mind was still grappling with the Danes versus Dutch issue. The road to Tranquebar is through villages and small towns, and finally reaches the highway to Kariakal, a seaside town known for its very unique Shani temple. We stopped for coffee, and breakfast, and finally the signposts started telling us we were nearing our destination.

There was, I hoped, enough to make the rather longish, four-hour ride worthwhile. A fort, a temple, a church and the sea, was what I had been led to expect. And proof of my conviction that the Dutch had created the settlement. The first glimpse of the town was indeed charming. A broad road lined by old houses that whisper of history, a very pretty red and white church with wrought iron gates and trees on either side of the road immediately made me feel I had slipped into another time. No honking car horns, no traffic at all. A white sedan stood in front of one of the buildings, and two cyclists swept past in a whir of wheels, their bells ringing as they turned the corner. The road ended in a sweep, and opened up into a clearing. I gasped at the sight of the fort. It was no crumbling old ruin, but a fort that gleamed, and looked like a confectioners creation, strawberry icing carefully piped over sponge to create a vision that was almost perfect in every detail.

Through the arches along the ramparts of Danborg Fort.

Once upon a time the fort was surrounded by a moat, but that has since been filled with no sign remaining of it. I am quiet as we walk. The information board outside has stated in no uncertain terms that the fort was built by the Danes. They built the low-standing, graceful structure initially in 1620. But there were subsequent reconstructions. As it stands, Danborg Fort, to give it is name, is the second largest Danish fort. The largest one is in the town of Helsingr in Denmark, and inspired Shakespeare, who called it Elsinore, to build an entire play around it, named Hamlet!

We climb the steep walkway to the rampart walls that divide the fort from the sea below. Walking along the rampart, we enter a large hall that houses a museum. There are relics from what looks like kingdoms headed by local kings, the legend reads that they date back to the time of the Vijaynagar Empire and Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. A few pieces of porcelain, stones, sculpture, lamps and swords and daggers form the rest of the motley exhibits. Then there are some fragile terracotta objects and stucco figures carefully preserved, as well as some glass containers and Chinese tea jars. Possibly the most exciting exhibit is the skeleton of a whale that had the misfortune of landing up against the rocky shore.

But the real treasure lies in a smaller room. Hung on the walls is a detailed history of the fort the coming of the Danes and the treaty signed with the kings who ruled over the region. It is a long and complicated story, the kind that would have inspired another Shakespearean play, but the mystery is solved. According to the tale told by the laminated posters, the Danes created an East India Company of their own in 1616, focusing on trade with India. Many misadventures later, they landed on the Indian mainland, and inked out a treaty with the ruler of the Tanjore kingdom, Raghunatha Nayak, who generously gave the Danes possession of the town of Tranquebar, and permission to trade in the kingdom in 1620. It was then that the fort was built and a governor was installed to rule Danish India. The treaty was renewed periodically and there is a record that in 1676, Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire, was the signatory on behalf of the Indians.

Then it is time to drive slowly past the pretty Church, which I discovered is The New Jerusalem Church, built in 1718 by a Royal Danish missionary. Services are still held here on Sundays. When the tsunami of 2004 destroyed the building considerably, the church was restored at a cost of 7 million rupees. Incidentally, my friend informed me that two Luthereans from Germany who came here in the early 18th century translated the Old and New Testaments into Tamil, imported a printing press, and printed the New Testament in Tamil, starting the practice of services in Tamil to reach out to locals.

Lunch done with, the rain warns us of the long road back, and dissuades us from checking out other parts of the town. As we start back, I get more snatches of history. The Danes sold Tranquebar to the British in 1845, and it continued to be a busy port till a railway station was built in Nagipattinam. It then lapsed back into a sleepy village town, with only a few remarkable buildings that bore witness to its amazing history.

As we drive back, I carry Tranquebar with me. Someday, I tell myself, it would be lovely to come back, and spend a quiet week here, and perhaps wander the streets under the swaying tress and walk along the sea in the early mornings. Perhaps I may find another bit of myself that living in the city has robbed me of. For now, I content myself with turning around the images in my mind to press them into my memory.

 The writer is the Consulting Editor, Harper Collins Publishers India and Executive Director, Encyclomedia.
When legislators think they have found an easy way to remedy the high cost of prescription drugs, their solutions often fall short. That is particularly true for the latest silver bullet: importing drugs from Canada. My research on the consequences of drug importation show it poses an acute threat to patient safety  and the practice could worsen Utahs deadly opioid crisis.

After more than two decades of studying the economic and health impacts of drug importation, the verdict on bringing drugs in from Canada is clear and consistent: Its a risky gamble and one too dangerous to take. Experts know that preventing the introduction of dangerous counterfeit medicines cannot be guaranteed.

Moreover, the depth and breadth of the counterfeit drug industry is large and growing. An Organization of Economic Co-Operation and Development study showed that counterfeit drugs accounted for 2.5 percent  $461 billion in misappropriated revenues  of the world drug market in 2013. And the World Health Organization estimates that 10 percent of the global pharmaceutical market is counterfeit.

Further evidence may be found in the number of investigative cases opened by the federal Food and Drug Administration, which has increased more than ten-fold over the past two decades.

Researchers estimate that given the sharp rise in the opioid epidemic, fueled by counterfeit, clandestine drug labs, as well as the increase in warnings by the FDA about other counterfeit drugs, the share of the drug market that is counterfeit has surely risen.

Utah is facing this threat on a daily basis.

In recent years, law enforcement in Utah and around the country has been targeting fentanyl, a deadly ingredient that is frequently used by criminals in the manufacture of counterfeit oxycodone. Fentanyl, known as heroins synthetic cousin, is the source of thousands of overdoses and deaths.

Reports on counterfeit drug operations are becoming a daily fixture in Utah media. The first week of February saw a raid on a massive counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax operation capable of producing 1,000 pills per day. This comes on the heels of a raid in June 2017 in a Utah suburb, an operation capable of producing several thousand pills an hour in which federal agents seized more than 70,000 pills.

But counterfeiters do not limit themselves to the illicit drug market.

Counterfeiters falsify name brand drugs, generic drugs, over-the-counter drugs and even herbal remedies. Counterfeit medicines may contain no active ingredient, harmful ingredients, the wrong drug, the wrong concentration, or drugs past their expiration dates. Moreover, counterfeit pharmaceuticals containing a greatly reduced dose of the active constituent have contributed to antibiotic-resistant forms of shigella, cholera, salmonella and tuberculosis.

For example, the FDA warned Utah health care providers about the prevalence of counterfeit cancer drugs in the marketplace  spurious medicines that undermine treatment regimens and devastate the ability of patients to fight their diseases.

Our nation has the safest drug supply in the world, the result of safeguards and regulations that protect all of us. While many perceive Canada to be a safe alternative source for prescription drugs, numerous investigational studies establish that many drugs shipped from (or through) Canada actually originate in other countries. Their origins are falsified and their ingredients are unknown, which deepens the threat to the supply chain.

While importation can seem to be an attractive target to provide ready access to less-expensive alternatives to approved prescription drugs, the research is crystal clear that importation poses deadly risks to patients and should be resisted.

Dr. Kristina M. L. Acri, nee Lybecker, is an associate professor of economics and chair of the Department of Economics & Business at Colorado College.
Ford China January sales down 18 percent year on year

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Ford Motor delivered nearly 76,000 vehicles in January in China, down 18 percent year on year, according to the American automaker. The sales of the Lincoln Continental and the commercial vehicles doubled on the basis of the previous years sales.

Changan Ford January sales decreased 29 percent from a year earlier to 47,000 units. At the same time, the sales of imported Ford vehicles slumped by 36 percent year on year to 1,300 units. The Lincoln brand and Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC) managed to achieve sales growth last month. Lincoln delivered 5,008 vehicles to Chinese customers in January with a growth of 7 percent while JMC handed over 22,794 vehicles, up 13 percent year on year.

All models from Changan Ford saw year-on-year decrease in January. The automaker delivered 15,297 units of the Escort, which was an 18 percent decrease from a year earlier. The monthly sales of Changan Fords Focus dropped by 44 percent while Taurus sales plummeted 53 percent compared with last year.

Out of five Lincoln models on sale in China, two saw year-on-year drop in January sales. The sales of the Lincoln MKZ fell 20 percent to 1,077 units while that of the Lincoln MKC went down by 15 percent from a year earlier. The sales of the Lincoln Continental more than doubled to 1,200 units. Last month, Ford delivered 181 units of the Lincoln Navigator.

Meanwhile, the American automaker has adjusted its strategy in production and retail sales to make preparation for new products. In December last year, Ford announced its 2025 plan in China. It will introduce over 50 new models in the largest market by the end of 2025, including 8 SUV models and 15 all-new electric vehicle models. The first several new models will go on sale in 2018.
SALT LAKE CITY  The Utah Supreme Court has overturned a 2013 conviction for a Midvale man accused of shooting his wife in the head as they drove down State Street together.

Komasquin Lopez, now 47, was found guilty by a jury of killing his wife, 32-year-old Shannon Lopez, and of using a gun to do it. He had insisted at trial that he didn't kill his wife but that she shot herself in the passenger seat with a gun he kept in his truck. Just after the gun fired, Lopez crashed his truck near 7200 S. State.

Shannon Lopez had used a "toxic" amount of methamphetamine prior to the crash, according to a medical examiner. Komasquin Lopez also admitted to having methamphetamine in his system, and said the couple had been arguing over Shannon Lopez's drug use and their financial problems.

Komasquin Lopez maintained he was innocent as he was sentenced in December 2015 to spend at least 16 years and up to life in prison.

"I did not shoot my wife," Lopez said at the time. "I'll never admit to that, because I did not do it."

In a decision handed down Friday, Utah's high court determined that prosecutors had not properly asserted at trial whether the technique a clinical psychiatrist used to measure if Shannon Lopez was at risk of taking her own life is a generally accepted way to evaluate someone who has already died.

Justice John Pearce, who penned the decision, noted that some evidence, like the fact that the woman was right-handed but was shot in the left side of her head, bolstered the state's case. Other evidence supported Lopez's defense, like the fact that Shannon Lopez was experienced enough with firearms to shoot with her left hand and had talked about suicide in the past.

"Given this conflicting evidence, Dr. (Craig) Bryan's opinion that Shannon's death was inconsistent with suicide likely swayed the jury. It was the strongest statement the state introduced to demonstrate that Shannon's death was not a suicide," Pearce wrote.

Lopez also argued that allegations should not have been admitted at trial that he had previously pointed a gun at his wife's head, and that he had threatened to kill an ex-wife if she divorced him. The Utah Supreme Court agreed, finding that the evidence was not similar enough to be admitted in the case, and that the information may have influenced the jury.

Lopez's case was remanded to the 3rd District Court, where he may face a new trial. He remained in prison Saturday.
SALT LAKE CITY  Three Utah State University officials have been dismissed from a lawsuit filed by a student who was raped at a fraternity party and claims the school should have done more to protect her.

Victoria Hewlett sued her now former university, three of its employees and the schools Sigma Chi Fraternity chapter in November 2016, saying they knew of five previous allegations against her assailant before she was raped but didn't take action.

Utah State University, represented by the Utah Attorney General's Office, had called for the lawsuit to be dismissed.

Jason Brian Relopez, now 29, was sentenced in May 2016 to a year in jail for sexually assaulting two women, including Hewlett, who was 19 at the time. He pleaded guilty as part of a deal with prosecutors to attempted rape, a first-degree felony, and attempted forcible sexual abuse, a third-degree felony.

Hewlett testified at a preliminary hearing that she and Relopez had been kissing in his bedroom at the fraternity house in July 2015 when he held her against her will during hours of abuse and demoralizing sexual encounters that she couldn't object to without putting herself at risk.

In a decision handed down Friday, U.S. District Judge David Nuffer found that the three officials  Eric Olsen, associate vice president for student affairs; Krystin Deschamps, director of student conduct and community standards; and Kevin Webb former adviser for the school's Greek system  are immune from legal action as state employees.

Hewlett claimed in her lawsuit that, prior to her assault, Olsen, Deschamps and Webb met with Relopez regarding allegations by other women, telling him he was "on USU's radar" and would be expelled if any of the allegations were proved to be true. They took no further action against Relopez.

The school itself, however, was not dismissed from the lawsuit.

In her lawsuit, Hewlett pointed to Utah State's student contract, which proclaims zero tolerance for sexual assault by its students, both on and off campus, and promises strong disciplinary action if such violence occurs.

By failing to take action against Relopez when allegations were raised by other students, putting her at risk, Hewlett claims the university violated its side of the contract.

In his decision, Nuffer agrees that Hewlett has presented claims that could qualify as a breach of contract. However, he also notes that it is unclear whether that would constitute a violation under Utah laws.

"Absent direction from the Utah Supreme Court, this federal court will not summarily find as a matter of law that a university policy such as the Student Code fails to form a mutually enforceable contract," Nuffer wrote.

The Gamma Kappa chapter of Sigma Chi has also called for Hewlett's lawsuit to be dismissed. The Greek organization has also filed a counterclaim, asserting that should Hewlett's claims be proved, Relopez is solely responsible.

According to the lawsuit, the fraternity was aware of the allegations against Relopez  including knowing that Kappa Delta sorority had barred Relopez from its activities on reports he had verbally, emotionally and physically abused women in the group  but permitted him to remain an active member of the organization and a resident in the fraternity house.

A jury trial on the remaining claims is currently scheduled for May 2019.
59 minutes ago

Chinese tycoon's companies pay $539M in US securities case

NEW YORK (AP)  Three companies linked to a Chinese businessman who is a prominent critic of his countrys ruling Communist Party have agreed to pay $539 million to settle charges they conducted an illegal securities offering, according to regulators. The New York- and Arizona-based companies linked to Guo Wengui raised $487 million from 5,000 investors who bought stock in GTV Media Group Inc.

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Gardai have issued an appeal for more information into a murder which occurred in Donegal ten years ago this week.

On February 12th, 2008, 27-year-old Andrew Burns was murdered at Donnyloop, Castlefinn.

One person has been convicted of this murder. However, Gardai, in a statement released today, say they believe a number of people were involved in the incident. Gardai say there are still people with information which may assist Gardai in their investigations.

Between 7.05pm and 7.15pm on February 12th, 2008, a number of young people from the village of Clady (which is situated exactly on the northern side of the Tyrone/Donegal border) were walking the half mile journey to the village of Donnyloop, Castlefinn.

As they approached Donnyloop, they heard gunshots. Moments later, they observed a man staggering in the roadway of Donnyloop village. A man was seen running towards the nearby church car park. Two cars were then seen leaving Donnyloop, travelling back towards Northern Ireland in the direction of Clady village. One of these vehicles is described as a black car or a really dark red car, while the second is described as a silver coloured car.

The man who had been staggering fell to the ground in the middle of the roadway. He was attended to by the young walkers and a number of other passers-by, who came upon the scene. It was discovered that this man, had received gunshot wounds. He was subsequently identified as Mr Andrew Burns. He was pronounced dead at 7.58pm that evening.

An Garda Siochana are grateful for all the witnesses that have come forward and made statements. However, Gardai believe that there are still people who have information which may assist with the investigation.

Gardai wish to appeal for anyone with information no matter how insignificant it may seem to come forward to assist with this investigation.

Please contact the Incident Room at Letterkenny Garda Station on 0035374 91 67100 or 0035374 91 67170 or any Garda Station or use the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111.
Honda CR-V Specs

The new fifth-gen CR-V will continue to be offered with the current 2.4-litre petrol engine that produces 181bhp @ 6,400rpm and 240Nm of torque @ 3,900rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed automatic gearbox.

New for the India-spec Honda Cr-V is the arrival of a 1.6-litre twin-turbo diesel engine option. The diesel engine cranks out 158bhp @ 4,000rpm and 350Nm of torque @ 2,000rpm. What makes the engine more interesting is the fact that Honda manufactures this engine at its Tapukara plant in Rajasthan, which should keep costs down.

The new diesel CR-V for India gets a 9-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to the front wheels in standard guise. Both petrol and diesel variants of the Honda CR-V are also expected to get all-wheel drive as an option.

The 5th-gen Honda CR-V is larger in size compared to its predecessor thanks to the addition of a row of seats in the rear. The new CR-V is 4,587mm long, 1,854mm wide, and 1,679mm tall while the wheelbase is 2,659mm long. The new CR-V is 58mm longer, 35mm wider and 25mm taller than its predecessor while the wheelbase has expanded by 40mm. The new CR-V in comparison to the model currently on sale in India weighs 142 kilograms heavier.

Honda CR-V Design & Features

The new Honda CR-V's design is an evolution of the current car's design. The front end looks wider and the new sleek headlamps flank the new grille which features a bar of chrome running across the centre.

At the sides, the increased length can be seen at the rear and the bulging wheel arches play host to a larger set of new alloy wheels. Also seen prominently on the side is the body cladding to give the CR-V a more rugged look.

The rear end of the new CR-V is dominated by the L-Shaped taillights that flank the rear windshield and are joined together by a strip of chrome that runs under the aforementioned pane of glass.

Inside, the cabin looks to be a lot larger than before and if you spec the diesel model of the CR-V with the automatic gearbox then the gear lever is replaced by a set of buttons.

The dash itself has a multi-layer effect and features wood detailing as do the doors. the dash plays host to a large touchscreen infotainment display.

The seats along with certain sections of the dash are upholstered in leather. The driver and front passenger's seats look massive. The second row of seats can be moved forward slightly to access the third row of seats, which are a first for the CR-V.

DriveSpark's Thoughts On The new Honda CR-V

The new Honda CR-V has become more practical with a new row of seats and can now ensure that the large Indian extended family can be carried around with ease in one vehicle. The addition of the new 1.6-litre diesel engine will come as a welcome surprise for the Honda customer in India, who will appreciate the power on offer as well as the hopefully better fuel efficiency.
Sinn Fein Councillor Terry Hearty has stated that those who dumped a pile of used tyres, at the Farmers Lane on Alley Road near Crossmaglen, care little for local people.

He stated:

"I share the anger and disgust of the local people at this criminal environmental act. Those responsible for dumping these tyres care little for the health and well being of residents and road users or the local environmental impact.

"The financial effect is that the cost of clean-up and disposal will have to be met by our Council or DfI Roads Service . This will be ratepayers' money going to tackle this scourge, diverting much needed funding from other projects".

Councillor Hearty said tougher enforcement was now what was needed to tackle this serious problem.

"What we need to see is tougher enforcement of the regulations or indeed revised legislation to deal with this matter.

"Sinn Fein has called for systems with serial numbers or bar codes to be created which will trace tyres from the moment of manufacture through to their disposal at end of life.

"This would ensure that all tyres can be identified when disposed of and would greatly help with the fight against fly-tippers who have no regard for either the environment or communities".
Louth IFA Environment Chairman Breda Tuite has described the draft National Planning Framework developed by Government as Dublin-centric and lacking ambition for rural Ireland.

Breda Tuite said,

The Governments aspiration to develop a planning framework out to 2040 in a balanced and coherent way fails rural Ireland, particularly in the addressing following four areas: the decline of rural towns and villages; the need to rebalance development towards the regions; the need for rural housing; and, supporting community based renewable energy development.

In a submission to Government, the IFA has called for a number of measures to drive the potential and ambition for an alternative to Dublin strategy.

The measures include the following:

To reverse the decline of rural towns and villages

New business start-ups should receive incentives, such as exemptions from rates, for an initial time period and relief from capital gains tax, to encourage innovation and enterprise.

Double tax relief should be provided on rental expenditure for businesses establishing in rural towns and villages.

A condition for a valid planning application for an out-of-town development must include an obligation to demonstrate how all scenarios, including locating in the village or town centre, were first considered.

To rebalance development towards the regions

Louth IFA calls for the swift delivery by Government of the Rural Broadband Scheme, which must ensure that every home, school and business in rural Ireland has access at a universal price to high-speed fibre broadband, no matter where they are located.

The delivery of this measure alone, will reduce the necessity to commute long distances to work and purchase more expensive dwellings in urban locations.

On rural housing

Louth IFA proposes that the Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines for Planning Authorities must be revised and put on a statutory footing. These guidelines, they believe, should provide that local authorities would grant planning permission for farm families who wish to live and work in their local community, and extended family members who have an intrinsic link with their rural area.

To support farm-sale and community based renewable energy production

Here Louth IFA proposes that:

Government must introduce statutory legislation, which places legal set-back distances for renewable projects from sensitive properties, including family homes, schools and villages.

A national planning policy must be developed for community energy projects, which facilitates renewable projects that have community participation, farm scale and roof-mounted projects.

Similar to other EU Member States, farm scale and roof-top renewable projects should be exempt from planning requirements.

Louth IFA believes that the absence of policy direction on renewable energy planning policy in the draft plan, must be addressed in the final plan, in order to provide the necessary assurances and certainty for farmers and the wider rural community.

It has also expressed concern at, what it describes as "the erroneous introduction of the UK concept of Open Countryside into the draft plan".

Breda Tuite said, While voluntary schemes are developed with bodies such as Comhairle na Tuaithe and others in Ireland, there is no common law right to roam across the countryside.

"Any implied or otherwise rights or entitlements should be removed from the document.

Concluding, Breda Tuite said, Government must review the existing draft plan and achieve the rural-proofing of policy they aspire to and deliver a truly National planning framework for the next two decades which is about more than Dublin.


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Around 1,100 complaints of sexual harassment are filed in Switzerland every year and one-third of all cases end with fines or other punishment, a newspaper survey has found.

Compiling statistics from 24 cantons, the SonntagsZeitung newspaper found that around 1,100 complaints of sexual harassment are lodged every year. Cantonal public prosecutors issued 337 sentence orders last year. National statistics are not available on this issue.

In a recent survey by the institute Marketagentpublished in SonntagsZeitung, 26% of Swiss residents questioned said they had been victims of sexual harassment. But only 11% of all victims report sexual harassment.

The newspaper article cited several lawyers who said this low rate is probably because of victims low chance of success in front of a judge or court, and because the fines handed out are low  generally several hundred francs.

The law permits fines of up to CHF10,000 francs for sexual harassment, and those receiving a fine of over CHF5,000 francs can also get a criminal record. But in practice such high fines are rare.













SDA-ATS/sb






Paola Garza, 15, wants to be a neonatal surgeon. Dennise Villalpando, 15, plans to go into business and marketing. Kiara Watts, 16, is considering a career in radiology.

All three started worrying in the eighth grade about college costs, so they joined the first group in the early college program at Judson High School. They and about 60 other sophomores there now take college-level classes from visiting Alamo Colleges professors, earning credit toward a tuition-free associates degree theyll have in hand when they graduate from high school.

I was thinking, take college classes and get through college faster so itll be easier, Garza said. So I can start making money.

Dual-credit courses in Bexar County are exploding in popularity, but their cost has accelerated, too, making the Alamo Colleges and some school districts feeling like victims of their own success. Alarmed at the price tag, Judson Independent School District is phasing out the early college programs at its three comprehensive high schools.

The community college district is grappling with questions about the sustainability of its much-lauded dual-credit initiative, which was a key driver of a $6.8 million shortfall this year, Chief Budget Officer Shayne West said.

Alamo Colleges trustees voted last month to close the budget gap by transferring $3.6 million from reserve funds and deferring some costs. The shortfall will continue next fiscal year, district financial administrators warned.

This is a critical issue, trustee Denver McClendon said in a December meeting of the boards audit, budget and finance committee. We may hurt our native students supporting the dual-credit program.

Every Bexar County school district and many in surrounding counties offer high schoolers the opportunity to take dual-credit courses, which count for college credit or lead to vocational certificates through the Alamo Colleges. Students pay no tuition for such courses, so they are increasingly in demand as a way to cut college costs.

Many local school districts have also launched early college high schools, primarily targeting low-income students who might not otherwise attend college. They offer up to 60 dual-credit hours and the chance to graduate with an associates degree  which saves a family $4,000, said Diane Snyder, vice chancellor for finance and administration.

The Alamo Colleges finance department is still working with administrators on how to balance next years budget and the board has not been inclined to raise tuition or its property tax rate  but trustees might need to explore those options, West said. Tuition and fees must be set before registration opens in April.

Splitting the tab

Three years ago, Texas removed a limit on the number of dual-credit courses students could take, and the Alamo Colleges drew up a cost-sharing agreement with local school districts. Its effect on their bottom lines has become clearer with time.

If a school district provides the teacher, the Alamo Colleges pays the district $600 per dual-credit class with at least 15 students, to cover the higher salary of a teacher with a masters degree. If the Alamo Colleges employs the teacher, the school district pays $100 per student in a class with less than 80 percent dual enrollment, or $2,800 per class where dual-credit students make up at least 80 percent.

The agreements do not fully reimburse the college district for expenses related to dual-credit students, who, for example, get the same academic advising services as tuition-paying students, plus access to libraries, other educational materials and technical support. Dual-college programs also add to Alamo Colleges administrative expenses in management, long-range planning and financial operations.

After the cost-sharing agreement was implemented for the first time last fall, some local school districts found it was not revenue-neutral for them, either.

Judson ISD, which pays the Alamo Colleges for all dual-credit teachers at three high schools, estimated in October that the bill would be more than $1 million over four years. Sticker-shocked Judson trustees voted two months later to drop the state early college designations from the high schools after the current academic year.

Those schools will continue to offer dual-credit courses, but some will be administered through institutions that charge less, such as the University of Texas at Austin. The district decided to keep its highly rated Judson Early College Academy, a stand-alone campus on the grounds of Northeast Lakeview College, to honor its commitment to voters who approved bond funding for the school.

More than 1,100 students in San Antonio ISD take dual-credit courses through the Alamo Colleges, at an estimated cost to SAISD of $400,000 this school year, district spokeswoman Leslie Price said. Most are in early college high schools and attend classes with students directly enrolled at San Antonio College or St. Philips College, said Liz Ozuna, director of advanced academics.

These early college programs and dual-credit courses are so important for our students that we are going to continue them, but it is a hardship, Price said.

Administrators at Southside ISD have not yet discussed the long-term financial effects of its 275 students enrolled in dual-credit courses, but the program contributes to one of our biggest goals  to grow our college-going culture, said Genese Bell, assistant superintendent of curriculum.

School districts that mostly employ their own dual-credit teachers, including Northside and Alamo Heights ISDs, are taking less of a financial hit. Northside, the largest school district in Bexar County, has about 3,800 students enrolled in such courses, spokesman Barry Perez said.

With relatively small numbers enrolled in dual credit, Lackland ISD was not harmed by the cost-sharing agreement, but the district is ending its partnership with Alamo Colleges anyway, Superintendent Burnie L. Roper said. Lackland is looking to partner with other institutions easier to work with in terms of communication and support, he said in an email.

Affordabiltys price tag

If the overall 3.4 percent spike in enrollment this fiscal year consisted of tuition-paying students, it would have produced an estimated increase of $5 million in revenue. Instead, it was $216,000, West said.

Even if the Alamo Colleges did not waive tuition for anybody, the district still would be $2 million short this fiscal year. Next years gap will depend on property tax appraisals and enrollment growth, West said.

This years gap came because budget planners simply underestimated the popularity of tuition-free options.

The Alamo Colleges expected about 11,700 dual-credit students in the fall semester, predicting essentially flat growth compared with the previous year. But 1,000 more high schoolers than anticipated took such courses, an 8.6 percent increase. The community colleges are required by their accrediting agency to ensure academic oversight of all dual-credit instructors.

The budget also slightly underestimated the 2,400 students who enrolled with state-mandated free tuition, including those in the military and first responders.

Revising the budget last month, the district planned for higher participation  at an added cost of $940,000  in the Summer Momentum program, free courses for students who have taken enough classes during the fall and spring semesters, West said.

While we had growth, most of our growth was in dual credit, Snyder told the budget panel. We can typically amend the budget to distribute additional expense dollars for growth when we have additional revenue dollars from that growth. This year, we didnt have much on the revenue side.

The pressures on the other side of the ledger are unrelenting. The community college district did attract more tuition-paying students than it expected. But overall, the average student took more classes than the budget predicted, which is expected to add $3.8 million this fiscal year in spending for instruction, advising and student services.

And the finance department predicted a cost increase of $3.2 million for other academic and institutional supports, which trustees agreed to punt until next fiscal year.

Alamo Colleges leaders had planned to pay for high school programs through state funding, which has declined sharply over the past decade, Snyder said. In 2016, the state covered 27 percent of the Alamo Colleges instructional cost per classroom hour, down from 87 percent in 2007, she said.

Reversing that trend will be crucial, and the college district will partner with school districts to lobby for an increase in the next legislative session, Snyder said.

The Legislature in 2017 allocated funds to community colleges based on contact hours from fall 2015 and spring and summer 2016, she said. The state budget is biennial  the appropriations stay the same for two years, a constant problem for constantly growing colleges.

State lawmakers might have another reason to discuss dual-credit courses. Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes has repeatedly voiced anxiety about the Legislatures decision three years ago to open up such opportunities. He said hes heard from university administrators that dual-credit students are not prepared to handle college-level work. A state study on the issue is due to wrap up by the end of the year.

We need to consider whether weve expanded too quickly and whether weve compromised the integrity of these courses, Paredes told reporters last month.

In San Antonio, theres broad agreement that making dual-credit courses available has been good for the community, even if, as West predicts, the number of tuition-paying Alamo Colleges students could start to drop if more and more high school graduates have free associates degrees.

Are we losing a percentage of our potential future enrollment base? he said. Chances are, theyre probably going to go on to either employment or a four-year institution.

Its a conundrum, but it indicates the college district is fulfilling its mission of student success, West said, adding, Our job now is to seek fiscally sustainable ways in which to continue that good work.

amalik@express-news.net
AUSTIN - Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said he has decided to endorse former sheriff Lupe Valdez for governor.

Jenkins told the San Antonio Express-News that Valdez was a very effective sheriff and effective leader of the part of Dallas County that has the most employees.

In my dealings with her, shes plainspoken, and what she says shell do is what she does, Jenkins said.

Jenkins said his decision isnt due to concerns over Andrew White, the Houston businessman seen as Valdezs chief rival in a crowded Democratic field. Instead, Jenkins said, it is because of his knowledge of Valdez, who stepped down as Dallas County sheriff to make the gubernatorial race.

Its a bright spot for Valdez. She is backed by Planned Parenthood Texas Votes and the political arm of the Texas AFL-CIO.

Some other endorsements have gone to White, however, including those of the Houston Chronicle and the Dallas Morning News. The Morning News wrote that during its editorial board meeting, Valdez said she didnt know if the state is spending $8 million or $8 billion on border control.

Valdez also saw the endorsement of the GLBT Political Caucus in Houston go to White, although she was the first lesbian to be elected Dallas County sheriff.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings - like Jenkins, a Democrat -- said at a Texas Tribune forum Friday that he didnt intend to make an endorsement in the primary election.

Jenkins had initially said in a Thursday interview with the Express-News that he didnt officially endorse in primary elections. But he texted Friday to say he had decided to make the endorsement.

On Sunday, asked whether his decision was due to a concern about White or his knowledge of Valdez, Jenkins texted that it is the latter.

The Democratic nominee will face incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in November. Abbott is favored in a race in which he has more than $43 million in the bank, in a state that hasnt elected a Democrat to statewide office in more than two decades.

Peggy Fikac is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | pfikac@express-news.net | @pfikac
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS  Six months before Devin Patrick Kelley killed 26 people at the First Baptist Church here, he threatened to harm his mother-in-law, Michelle Shields, and her family if she entered the hospital room where his wife, Danielle, was giving birth to their second child.

I will personally make it my mission to destroy your entire life. I suggest you dont test my resolve, read one of several text messages to Shields, who was at the hospital. And in another: You think this is a (expletive) game? Its not.

Authorities later said the threatening texts were a possible motive for Kelleys shooting spree Nov. 5 in the small town southeast of San Antonio.

I wasnt going to disobey. I didnt want to disrespect, because I dont know where the anger would have gone from there, Shields said. If he would have forbidden us from seeing her permanently, or where he would take my daughter. So we just didnt go in.

In an exclusive interview in the community room at the First Baptist Church, Shields described her daughters marriage to Kelley, how he kept Danielle estranged from her family and how she learned about the massacre moments after Kelley opened fire in the church.

The states investigation into the shooting is ongoing, said Lt. Jason Reyes, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Shields, a Sutherland Springs local who was born and raised in San Antonio, was one of a handful of regular members who didnt attend church that day, a fateful decision that saved her life. Her mother, Lula Woicinski White, was one of the victims. The ages of the dead ranged from an unborn child, to toddlers, adults and elderly.

Tears fell from her luminous green eyes as Shields recounted the way Kelley controlled and manipulated her daughter in the 31/2 years they were married.

I wasnt going to cry, she said, her silver Texas-shaped necklace reading Sutherland Springs Strong shaking as she sobbed.

After the baby was born in May, Shields didnt see Kelley or her daughter until the fall festival at the church  five days before the massacre.

We just tried to keep the peace, she said. It took him six months to come to us, him letting us see her. But then I think it was all a plot.

Kelley killed Shields mother and one of her best friends, Karla Holcombe. They used to take trips to the Gulf Coast together  Shields, White, Holcombe and Sherri Pomeroy, the church pastors wife  where they would sing and dance to the YMCA song on the beach. It always was those four women, together. They had made plans to go the weekend after Nov. 5. They never did.

Sherri and her husband, Frank Pomeroy, were traveling and not at the church the day of the shooting.

Shields still watches videos on her phone of her mother dancing in the living room with her husband and dogs. They were so close.

Throughout their short marriage, Kelley controlled how and when Shields and her daughter could communicate. Whenever Shields called, he made Danielle turn on the speakerphone so he could listen in. If he didnt like what was being said, he made her hang up. Sometimes, he wouldnt let them talk at all, she said.

You had to walk on egg shells around him all the time because youre afraid of saying something to upset him, Shields said.

We never realized that it was domestic violence, the way he treated us. But after you go back and look, he was abusive, mentally, in the way he treated us.

Kelley was easily offended, quick to anger, and consistently used control tactics and manipulation to keep Danielle away from her family.

He was afraid I was going to try to talk her out of the relationship, I guess. Which Im not going to do. I just wanted her happy, I just wanted to talk to her, she said.

Kelley had lived a life riddled with violence. He was sentenced to confinement for abusing his first wife and fracturing his stepsons skull in 2012. Kelley received a bad conduct discharge and was kicked out of the Air Force in 2014, the same year he married Danielle.

The Air Force later admitted it had failed to report his convictions to federal law enforcement, which would have prevented him from purchasing the gun he used in the massacre.

A few months later, in August 2014, Kelley was charged with a misdemeanor for cruelty to animals after abusing his pet dog in Colorado. But he told Shields and her husband that those stories werent true.

They didnt know what to believe. But there wasnt much they could do, anyway.

That was the trap in which he put Shields. The more she tried to reach out to her daughter, the more he withdrew his wife from their lives. But when she didnt reach out, how could she know that her daughter was happy? That she was OK?

Now that she sees their relationship for what it was, Shields wants to spread the word about domestic violence.

I want people to never lose contact with their children, because you never know whats going on in their relationship. Just stay focused on their lives. You dont have to pry into their lives, but just let them know that youre there and you love them. That a parents love for their child is unconditional and never-ending, and that youll always be there for them.

That way if they are ever in a relationship like this, they know that they can always turn to a parent or friend. And Danielle knew that, but she was afraid, I think. Just let them know not to be afraid.

Days after the shooting, Shields met Gov. Greg Abbott and Vice President Mike Pence when both came to visit. She said they were kind and offered to help her if she wanted to be more involved with domestic violence advocacy, but she doubted they would have time for her with their busy schedules.

At the churchs fall festival, Shields saw her 6-month-old granddaughter for the first time. She was so happy to see them, to hold her granddaughter, to catch up with Danielle.

She learned Kelley was taking medication for his mental health. She thought maybe, just maybe, Kelley was coming around.

We walked around and talked and enjoyed everything, and ate some food together. And he went walking around without us. Which I didnt think anything of, I thought he was just letting me and Danielle have time with the baby.

Now, she thinks otherwise. She cant be sure, but he may have been plotting his next move.

I didnt know his problems were that deep, that he had that many problems, she said.

Guilt and grief plague Shields. She barely sleeps. When her head hits the pillow, when her body goes still, her mind runs rampant. She sees her church family hiding under pews. She sees Devin Kelley coming after her, murder in his eyes. She hears the screams of her friends and family as if she had been there that day.

I still feel responsible. I feel responsible for trying to reach out and try to bring him closer to the Lord, Shields said, her voice and body shaking with grief. Because I feel like all I did was bring the devil closer to our church.

Danielle is living in a town nearby, but has visited her mother only on a few occasions since the massacre. When she visited the memorial, which was once the churchs sanctuary, a man heckled her and her mother. He told them he knew who they were, and that they should be ashamed of themselves.

Shes got a lot to think about.  How she wants to raise her children and what shes going to tell them later. Because theyre going to read it sometime or another, Shields said.

On Nov. 5, Devin Kelley called his wife right before he died. Sutherland Springs resident Stephen Willeford, now regarded as a local hero, had shot him after he exited the church and a car chase ensued that eventually led to his death.

He told Danielle he wasnt going to make it, that he had done something horrible in the church, Shields said. Danielle then frantically called her mother, asking if she had gone to the church, if she was OK.

When I (told) her yes, because she was crying, I said, Are you OK?

But Danielle hung up the phone. Shields heard helicopters. She drove to the church, and discovered the unimaginable.

I couldnt believe that my son-in-law would do such a thing, she said, breaking down into sobs.

Three months later, letters have poured in from across the world offering condolences and prayers to the victims of Sutherland Springs.

Ive actually gone through reading the notes and, I could just feel the love as theyre writing it, you know? Shields said.

Theres a lot of good people in the world, that have a lot of kindness and care for each other. You dont see it until something really happens, and then it makes you realize that they are out there, that people do pray, and people do care.

On Monday morning, Shields helped clean the home of shooting survivor Juan Gunny Macias to prepare it for his return home from rehab for the first time.

Shields has left her job of 25 years at a bank, and said she hopes to work for the Federal Emergency Management Agencys disaster relief teams in Houston and Puerto Rico.

I want to go over there and give other people a hand that have different types of pain, or different types of troubles. Just to know there are people out there that care. Thats something I feel like I need to do, because so many people have done that for us.

sfosterfrau@express-news.net
WASHINGTON  It was a middle-of-the-night budget vote that divided both parties, even as a bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers kept a united front  bound by their support for a federal aid package speeding recovery dollars for communities hit by Hurricane Harvey.

Republicans and Democrats representing the storm-torn Gulf Coast were compelled to overlook their ideological doubts about the deal in voting to end the second government shutdown of the Trump presidency  thus assuring an $89.3 billion disaster aid package for Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and other areas hit by a series of floods, fires and hurricanes last year.

The bill will allow more money to flow more quickly for everything from flood control programs to reconstruction efforts for homes, businesses, roads and transit systems. It even includes a provision bolstering cotton programs that Texas agriculture groups had long been fighting for.

The 240-186 House vote shortly before sunrise Friday augured the end of what became a seven-hour government shutdown, prompted by one-man filibuster mounted by Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul  the son of libertarian icon Ron Paul from Lake Jackson, on the Gulf south of Houston.

Four Texas Republicans joined the 67 House GOP members in balking at a deal that increases government spending by some $320 billion, a sum conservatives said would contribute to a trillion-dollar deficit and bloat the national debt.

Of the four  Joe Barton, Jeb Hensarling, John Ratcliffe and Louis Gohmert  only Gohmert, a leading member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, represents a district affected by Harvey.

Three Texas Democrats also joined a total of 119 Democrats in all who also voted against the budget agreement: Joaquin Castro, Lloyd Doggett and Marc Veasy.

They, like many other Democrats, aligned with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who had spoken on the House floor for eight hours in protest of a deal that does not address the legal status of Dreamers, immigrants brought into the country illegally as children.

Houston Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, who joined the majority, cited the importance of the storm recovery funds, which were increased from an earlier $81 billion House-approved package.

The action addresses one of the major priorities facing the nation  that of disaster relief, she said. Now, we must move forward with the extremely important and urgent business of providing relief to our nations Dreamers who are living under the constant threat of deportation.

Senate Republican leaders promised a debate on the fate of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) this week.

Houston Republican John Culberson, facing a potentially competitive re-election this year, also backed the agreement providing disaster funds.

Countless families in District 7 have contacted my office for help after Hurricane Harvey, and Im relieved to tell them that additional help is finally on the way, Culberson said.

Many Republicans went along with the new spending deal because of the promise of additional military spending, balanced by lesser increases in domestic priorities sought by Democrats.

But for some conservatives the disaster aid package  which is not all earmarked for Texas  was not sufficient to overcome his concerns about deficit spending.

The vote today for a spending bill that in essence runs up our deficit $1 trillion was an exceedingly difficult one because of some of the things that were cynically put into the bill, Gohmert said. As a Texan, I support helping those devastated by natural disasters, but asking that we borrow a trillion dollars so Texas can get $25 billion or so is not a good deal.

An earlier vote in the Senate split 71-28, also crossing over party lines. Both Texas U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz voted for the budget deal, though Cruz, citing deficit concerns, said he did so reluctantly.

Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, was a key figure in whipping up GOP support for the agreement, which was delayed past a midnight government funding deadline because of delay tactics Paul employed to highlight his budget concerns.

Paul rebuffed several entreaties from Cornyn and Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell late Thursday night to allow a vote before the midnight deadline, pushing the final votes into the early morning hours, even though its outcome was not seriously in question.

Cornyn too, had used pressure tactics of his own to help secure addition funding for the victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, as well as the California wildfires. After President Donald Trump signed off on the budget deal later Friday, a Cornyn aide said the senator released a hold he had maintained since October on the nomination of Russ Vought for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.

The hold, a Senate prerogative, had been used as leverage with the Trump administration, which originally proposed only a $44 billion disaster aid plan.

Officials in Houston and Austin expressed relief at passage of the much larger congressional aid package.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called it a crucial step forward in the recovery efforts from Harvey. While Texans will continue to struggle in Harveys wake long after todays vote, our resilient spirit remains strong, and we will continue working at the federal, state and local levels to ensure we emerge from this disaster stronger than ever, he said.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner praised the inclusion of new dollars for projects to combat future flooding.

The funding emphasis on protection against the next deluge, or storm surge from the Gulf, has been a key part of my plea to the federal government, he said. Merely funding a recovery would be funding for failure because without flood mitigation projects wed have to restart the expensive recovery after the next storm.

The new funding, bringing to $140 billion the amount Congress has allocated for nationwide disaster relief since Harvey, includes money for flood mitigation projects, housing and an array of infrastructure repairs.

It includes $23.5 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Relief Fund, the primary funding source to cover the costs of local governments in the immediate disaster response after the storms.

More crucial for Texas, the package provides nearly $17.4 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, money that is largely targeted for projects, including new reservoirs and bayou expansions, to reduce the risk of future damages from flooding and storms.

For Houston, Cornyn said, thats very significant.

Texas officials also highlighted the importance of $28 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Fund, which provides flexibility for communities to rebuild damages homes, buildings and infrastructure.

The bill also provides $1.65 billion to the Small Business Administrations disaster loan program and $600 million to the Department of Commerce for Economic Development Administration grants for immediate relief efforts and long-term recovery projects.

Nearly $2.5 billion will go to reopen elementary and secondary schools affected by the hurricanes and wildfires, including private schools outside of storm-hit areas that took in students displaced from floods and wildfires.

Another $1.8 billion is dedicated to rebuilding roads, transit systems and aviation assets.

Cornyn said that while much of the money is not earmarked to specific locations, new formulas written into the system of allocating funds should benefit Texas, which was hit first and is now further along in the recovery process.

This was designed with Texas in mind, he said.

Although Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also negotiated for more targeted funds  including at least $11 billion of the Community Development Block Grants  Texas also is expected to benefit in ways that have little to do with natural disasters.

Under a provision backed by Texas cotton growers, seed cotton will become eligible for a new subsidy program that helps insulates farmers from market losses.

While a host of critics have questioned the inclusion of long-sought commodity subsidies in an emergency disaster relief bill, Texas Rep. Michael Conaway, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, cast it as a necessity for U.S. growers in a global economy.

From natural disasters to predatory trade practices, Americas farm and ranch families face unique and daunting challenges every day, he said. We have more work to do on their behalf in the farm bill, but today was an important step forward.

But Texas Democrats rejoiced in one Trump spending priority that was not in the budget agreement: border wall funding.

That will likely become a central battle in the upcoming battle over the Dreamers.
BOERNE  All five Republicans vying to become the first elected officials in the 451st judicial district, created last year strictly to serve Kendall County, say it isnt performing up to its potential.

Early voting for the March 6 primaries begins Feb. 20.

Hundreds of cases have been resolved through plea deals and dismissals, but court officials say no felony cases went to trial in 2017 and there were only two misdemeanor trials.

Contrary to expectations, criminal cases arent moving more quickly, nor has the jail population dropped since replacing the county court-at-law and county attorneys office with a district court and a criminal district attorneys office.

The lackluster launch has for months spawned finger-pointing between District Attorney Nicole Bishop and state District Judge Bill Palmer Jr.

Each was appointed by Gov. Gregg Abbott to their respective newly established positions when Kendall County broke away from the 216th judicial district, effective Jan. 1, 2017. Both are now endorsed by Abbott in the March 6 Republican primary.

Palmer faults Bishop for not bringing more cases to trial faster, and Bishop faults Palmer for not docketing more days for trials.

Nicole has not been in the courtroom for more than an hour for the entire year of 2017, said Palmer, who owns a local title company.

Bishop disputed that claim and complained of too few criminal trial settings. The judge controls the docket. We have 70 trials waiting for trial dates, she said.

Palmer, who presided as judge in the Kendall County Court-at-Law from 2001 until it was abolished last year, is being challenged for the GOP nomination for district judge by Kirsten Cohoon, Boernes city attorney since 2010.

The primary also pits Bishop, a former assistant county attorney, against Nick Socias, currently an assistant district attorney in Bexar County, and David Parent, a police officer turned defense lawyer.

All the contenders tout their credentials as superior to those of their opponents.

No Democrats have filed for local office in Kendall County, meaning the winners of the GOP primary likely will serve the next four years.

Cohoon and Palmer appeared Wednesday at a sometimes raucous forum before a standing-room-only crowd laden with current and former county officials and employees.

Im not satisfied with the status quo, said Cohoon, whose work as the citys solo counsel has twice earned accolades from statewide legal associations. I have the energy, the knowledge and the compassion to turn it around.

Cohoon was assistant corporate counsel for Imperial Sugar from 2009-10, litigation counsel for HCC Holdings Co. from 2006-09, and worked in the trial/labor and employment section of Bracewell & Juliani LLC from 2002-06.

Justice delayed is justice denied, Cohoon proclaimed five separate times at the gathering at the public library, decrying as unsatisfactory the resolution rate of local cases.

She later reported trying scores of civil cases, but said her criminal experience consists of prosecuting 16 class C misdemeanors in municipal court. Shes never worked a juvenile case.

Palmer highlighted his experience as an assistant district attorney in Bexar County from 1978-80 followed by 21 years in private practice  handling real estate, criminal and civil cases  before becoming a court-at-law judge.

Hes board-certified in trial law and has handled all kinds of cases in his career, which he said prepared him to preside in the 451st, which handles criminal, civil and juvenile cases, plus probate matters.

If you have a novice coming in, it will be a disaster, predicted Palmer, who told the audience that hes done a great job as judge.

Cohoon also criticized Palmer for repeatedly not responding to police seeking his signature on warrants, most recently following a Jan. 29 shooting here.

Palmer said Thursday that he was unaware his approval was needed for police to search the suspects home since he and his wife had been out town until about 11 p.m.

Police Chief Jim Kohler said Friday that an officer called Palmers residence after midnight and the phone went unanswered, so the warrant was signed in Kerrville by 198th District Judge Rex Emerson.

Palmers refusal to sign some warrants for blood draws on drunken driving suspects caused friction last summer with Bishop, who tried to institute a no refusal policy in regard to the suspects providing blood samples.

His long-standing policy directs police not to seek warrants for blood draws from first-time DWI suspects unless the defendant refuses field sobriety testing, injures or kills someone, is in an accident or has a child passenger when stopped.

Sheriff Al Auxier said Friday of Palmer, Theres been somewhere around 17 times when he has either not answered his phone or answered and refused to sign a blood warrant.

Theres seven other (local) magistrates who can sign warrants, said Palmer, referring to the county judge, justices of the peace and municipal judges.

He and Bishop estimate the conversion to the 451st judicial district resulted in budget savings of $294,000 and $245,000 for their departments, respectively.

Calling herself a career prosecutor, Bishop worked in 2007-08 in the U.S. attorneys office in Mississippi, as an assistant district attorney in 2009-10, and was was hired in Kendall County in 2010 as assistant county attorney/prosecutor.

She said 411 felony cases were filed in 2017 in the 451st, triple the number in 2015, and misdemeanor filings nearly doubled during that period, to 940 this year.

I think were doing a fantastic job, said Bishop, a Boerne native. We have it running like a well-oiled machine right now, but that doesnt mean there isnt room for improvement.

From his perspective as a defense lawyer, challenger Parent sees an organizational disconnect among Bishops staff of 14.

They dont seem to know what each other is doing, said Parent. This DAs office in Kendall County really needs some fixing.

After serving in the Army band in the 1980s, he was a Corpus Christi police officer from 1991 to 2008. He went to law school upon retiring and has been an attorney for six years.

My real-world law enforcement experience allows me to relate to law enforcement on a better level, said Parent who, like Socias, is making his first bid for elected office.

Parents major issue is the DAs budget, which tops $1 million. Were spending too much money, he said

Socias says he worked as an assistant prosecutor in Harris County from 2011-16 before being hired to prosecute felonies last year in Bexar County, where he supervises two other prosecutors.

The person who is going to be the captain of the ship has to be someone whos seen everything and is prepared for it, said Socias, who moved to Boerne last year. I pretty much worked my way up from the bottom to the top of the largest district attorneys office in the state (Harris County).

Of the 451st, he said, Its not close to running at its full potential.

zeke@express-news.net
WASHINGTON - An immigration debate starting Monday in Congress will be rare in its openness, potentially historic in its outcome and fraught with peril for Dreamers living in fear for their families and their futures.

Despite pleas and protests since President Donald Trump canceled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in September, never until now was there going to be a simple vote on the fates of young undocumented Dreamers and the prospect of an immigration overhaul by the Republican-run Congress.

But the time for action has arrived, which Majority Leader Mitch McConnell assured in the early morning hours Friday in front of weary senators moments after the difficult passage of a deficit-ballooning budget compromise.

A few hours before the sun rose, McConnell, R-Ken., kept his part of a bargain with Democrats, moving formally to a wide-open immigration debate as the next piece of Senate business. The question now is whether the unusual comity that prevailed in the spending fight continues with immigration.

What transpires in coming days is unpredictable given passions on all sides and the Senate working as it did before toxic politics engulfed Congress - truly debating something and entertaining amendments of all stripes.

A certainty is the calendars inexorable advance toward March 5, the date  held up in court at present  when an average 1,000 undocumented young immigrants a day will lose protection from deportation and their legal right to work.

Another certainty is the high stakes for both political parties. Immigration is an issue flashing on voters radar screens in an election year, with Trumps base voters clamoring for deportation while liberals and immigrant advocates skewer Democrats for abandoning so-called Dreamers in the budget fight.

It would be a terrible tragedy if we fail to get 60 votes for any of these proposals, said Texas Sen. John Cornyn.

Cornyn is in the middle of it all as the Senates No. 2 Republican and a cheerleader for what he calls a surprisingly generous offer from the president, a proposal that would grant a path to citizenship to 1.8 million DACA-aged immigrants, including 120,000 in Texas. Trumps plan also goes far beyond a fix for illegal immigrants and seeks major changes in the machinery for legal immigration in place for half a century.

Cornyn also is pressing for significant new border security, stressing that border wall segments are only part of what's needed.

I knew this day would come and I wanted to make sure that Texas, being the largest border state, had a say-so and a lot of input into what the border security component looks like, he said.

Other Texans are players, too: A proposal engineered by San Antonio Republican Rep. Will Hurd offers one of the main frameworks in play on Capitol Hill  a narrow recipe with a permanent fix for Dreamers who adhere to work, education or a military regimen combined with robust border security.

Hurds plan has wider popularity than any other thus far, with more than 50 House supporters, split equally between Republicans and Democrats, and the blessing of immigrant advocates. Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain and a Democratic partner intend to press for its inclusion in the Senate legislation this week.

I hope my friends in the Senate produce something that fixes the problem for DACA kids and Dreamers and produces something that can be voted on in the House, Hurd said.

San Antonio Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, an ardent restrictionist over the years who is retiring after this term, has entered the action with two pieces of legislation. One is his renewed effort to win E-Verify, a mandatory, online system for checking work eligibility. Supporters believe that it would address the employment magnet drawing undocumented immigrants.

A second Smith proposal would revamp methods of determining eligibility of many applicants by judging them on a merit system that assigns points on the basis of skills, education and wealth. That far-reaching shift likely will be offered in the Senate by Smiths allies, GOP Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia.

Another southern Republican, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, is expected to make the case for scrapping portions of the family-based visa system  referred to many in his party as chain migration.

On the Senate floor late Thursday, Tillis talked of the value of reassigning many of those visas on the basis of merit. If you have an advanced degree, maybe we should allocate some of what is going into purely family unification into getting engineers, doctors, scientists, highly-educated people who want to come and live in this country, he said.

By Cornyns estimate, as many as a half-dozen significant proposals  ranging from narrow to expansive  will be fully debated. What emerges from the voting will be attached to what is now a shell bill that will expand like a tree being decorated.

Were going to do something in the Senate we havent seen for a long time. Were going to come to the floor and act like senators, said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat who has pressed for more than a decade for a path to citizenship for so-called Dreamers.

Actual debate, yes! Durbin declared sarcastically. Its going to happen right here. Stay tuned on C-SPAN. Next week could be historic. Its been over a year-and-a-half since weve had a meaningful debate on the floor.

The openness is a wild card given the often tyrannical methods deployed in recent years by the party in power.

James Thurber, founder and former director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University, forecasts confusion absent limits on debate.

Weve got the possibility of the Senate really showing what it should be, a place where the majority and minority debate and have a vote, he said. But its likely that it will collapse upon itself unless there are restrictions on amendments.

Theres the question, too, of whether McConnell will keep to his vow of openness. The Senate leader said that the proceedings could let 1,000 flowers bloom - a slight misstatement of Chinese leader Mao Zedongs famous words.

Remarked Thurber: Remember, Mao had a central core of authority that was totalitarian and brutal. People disagreed with some of the flowers.

Five years ago, the Senate, under Democratic rule at the time, passed a significant immigration bill by more than a 2-1 margin, with 14 Republicans in favor. The Gang of Eight bipartisan alliance (all of whom still sit in the Senate) orchestrated legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

It included a significant boost of $46 billion for border security while prescribing triggers requiring that 700 miles of fencing must be finished before paths to legal status for millions kicked in. And the bill tackled legal migration changes that Trump is demanding now, revamping the family-based system by eliminating or altering categories of family members qualifying for visas.

Then the bill died, never introduced in the GOP-run House.

A similar dynamic could take shape this year given sentiments in the House, where separate, behind-the-scenes work begins this week in a step toward floor action.

Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., says his chamber he is committed to bringing a DACA solution to the floor, but only legislation that can be signed into law. "I want to make sure we get it done right the first time. I dont want to risk a veto, he said last week.

As the Senate debate begins, many will be mindful of reaching compromise that can win support in the House, which could be difficult.

Andrew Arthur, a lawyer at the Center for Immigration Studies lawyer, which advocates limits on immigration, believes the Senate must keep the White House demands in mind.

If theyre serious about coming up with a bill that has a chance of passing the House, theyre going to have to compromise on chain migration and visa lottery and theres going to have to be some real money for the wall, he said.

He was referring to the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, which makes about 50,000 green cards available annually.

But Josh Breisblatt, a senior policy analyst at the American Immigration Council - a nonprofit that celebrates Americas immigrant history - sees the Senates best chance of success in passing something narrow, like Hurd proposes.

When you try to bring in all these extraneous things, its get us closer to looking like comprehensive reform. And the more complicated things get, the harder it is to get consensus, he said.

blambrecht@express-news.net
After firefighter Scott Deem died last year in a horrific blaze at the Spartan Gym, Fire Chief Charles Hood spoke at an emotional news conference and staunchly defended the department.

Hood said firefighters followed nationally recognized safety standards May 18 when they fought a rapidly spreading fire at the Ingram Square Shopping Center on the Northwest Side.

Hood also insisted he would have made the same decision to go offensive and send Deem and another rescuer into the smoke-filled gym to search for any trapped civilians.

There is no blame, Hood said a day after Deems death.

But the findings of a state investigation published last week flatly disagreed with some of Hoods assertions.

The report issued by the State Fire Marshals Office concluded that San Antonio firefighters hadnt followed nationally recognized best practices or even the departments own policies.

The firefighters had attacked the growing inferno as if they were in a small residential structure  not a large commercial building  and the search-and-rescue team entered the gym without safety lines or hoses to find their way out of the gyms pitch-black interior, the investigation found.

And contrary to Hoods belief that a search-and-rescue effort was warranted when firefighters arrived at the gym at 9:17 p.m. and saw cars in the parking lot, the states investigation concluded that conditions were far too dangerous to try to locate any trapped victims.

The gym doors were locked and the lights were out, suggesting no civilians were inside, the report noted. And the smoke was so thick inside the gym by the time firefighters arrived, the chances of anyone surviving were slim.

The decision to initiate a search is a complex one, the report noted. The incident commander must ultimately decide if the conditions are in favor of a victims survivability. This is an example of a no go situation.

Hood was out of town Friday and didnt respond to emailed questions from the San Antonio Express-News. In an interview Hood gave Thursday before the report was released, the chief stood by the decision to search the Spartan Gym for victims, given the information firefighters had.

But Hood also stressed the department needs to learn from the reports findings.

We've had ample opportunity to work with the Fire Marshal's office on this, Hood said. There may be some verbiage that maybe we don't particularly like the way it sounds. But we wholeheartedly agree with the recommendations.

Asked if he believed the department had mishandled its response to the fire or made any mistakes, he replied: I don't necessarily like the word mishandled, but yeah, there were mistakes made.

Any time you get a fireman injured, there was a mistake, Hood said. Any time you get a firefighter killed, there were mistakes. And so we have to be able to look at that and say, yeah, this was a mistake or this is something that we need to correct.

Full confidence

No civilians were inside the Spartan Gym that night. Months later, authorities arrested the gyms owner, Emond Javor Johnson, 39, and accused him of deliberately setting the fire to get out of a newly signed lease.

Deem, 31, had two children. His wife, Jennifer, gave birth to their third child after her husband died. An autopsy concluded the cause of death was from conflagration injuries, according to the states report. The manner of death was homicide.

After the Fire Marshals report was made public Friday, City Council members said they strongly support Hood and have full confidence in his leadership.

It opens a wound for the city and for the department and families from a very terrible night in May, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. But in looking at the report and hearing from the Fire Department leadership, the institution didnt fail. Of course, in any incident like that, there are things that we could do better.

I'm not upset with Hood, City Councilman Rey Saldana said. It would be a mistake to attribute blame to anyone but the person who set fire to the building. A fire under those conditions doesnt give license to anyone but fire professionals to have an opinion. The report is an important document to learn from, not permission to point fingers.

Hood's boss, City Manager Sheryl Sculley, said Hood is an excellent fire chief who brought the Fire Department light years ahead of where it was before she appointed him in 2007.

Only the firefighters on the scene of the Ingram fire know the complexity and difficulty of the decisions that had to be made in split seconds that night, she said.

Firefighters outside San Antonio wrote and reviewed the states report.

The Fire Marshals Office investigates all cases of Texas firefighters who die in the line of duty. In the case of Deems death, the reports authors and the experts who reviewed their findings included two members of the Houston Fire Department  District Chief Kelly Baudat and Capt. Robert Logan  and former members of the Phoenix Fire Department where Hood used to work: Alan Brunacini and Don Abbott.

Representatives from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, the Texas Association of Firefighters, the Texas A&M Forest Service, the State Firefighters and Fire Marshals Association, Texas A&M Engineering and Extension Service, the Texas Fire Marshals Association and the Texas Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators also reviewed the reports findings.

Their primary conclusion: Deems death and the injuries suffered by his fellow firefighters could have been prevented.

The actions leading to the findings in this report collectively led to the tragedy at this incident, the report concluded.

The goal of this report is to challenge the San Antonio Fire Department to meet national fire service best practices identified in the recommendations to minimize risk exposure to the men and women of the SAFD, the report added. That path will honor the memory of (firefighter) Deem and take a good fire department to an even higher level of performance.

Changing culture

The Fire Marshals report faulted the department for using tactics that might have been used on a residential fire, such as using small-diameter hoses to attack the blaze.

Firefighters used improper or ineffective ventilation techniques to air out the building and violated the departments dangerous structure policy by venturing inside without a hose or safety rope  tools that help lost firefighters find their way to safety.

The search crew saw what they believed to be fire in the attic and took actions outside of their assignment and changed from search to attack and began pulling ceiling without a hose-line readily available and unknown to Command, the report stated. These actions are commonly referred to as freelancing.

When the ceiling tiles were torn down, conditions suddenly changed  there was no visibility and the heat rapidly increased, the report said.

A distressed firefighter called Mayday over the radio, but the report said several units continued to operate on the same channel, taking up air time that could have been devoted to finding the trapped firefighter.

The accountability system used was ineffective. the report stated. It was unclear what system the Fire Department used to keep track of its crews, creating confusion.

While San Antonio Fire Department has many good policies and procedures in place, pockets of members remain who are resistant to change, the report said. The SAFD would benefit from a culture of continuous improvement.

The report recommended a cultural change at the department.

Too many lives are lost in situations where the risks were not justified, the report said. The fire service understands risks, yet the same accidents, injuries and fatalities keep happening. Incidents must be managed with a constant awareness and balance between risks and desired outcomes. High risk is only acceptable when there is a real possibility of saving a life.

Hood said reading the report was like ripping open a scab.

Theres a tremendous amount of sorrow and guilt in the Fire Department, he said. The department needs to forgive itself for losing one of its own and take the reports conclusions to heart.

Hood said hes already taking action. Hes assigned a chief to be in charge of following the reports recommendations, and a department-owned warehouse on the East Side will be converted into a firefighter safety and survivability center named in honor of Deem.

We will build props in there that will challenge our firefighters to escape from entrapments, entanglements, zero visibility conditions, Hood said. So we are dedicating resources, we are dedicating personnel. We're very serious with this.

Hood said the Fire Department is an excellent department. Its important for people to remember that  and to remember whos ultimately responsible for Deems death.

The villains are not in the Fire Department, Hood said. The demons are not a part of the Fire Department. The villain and the demon is the person that caused fire.

Staff Writers Emilie Eaton and Josh Baugh contributed to this report
Houston Chronicle file photo

AUSTIN  Attorney General Ken Paxtons political campaign guaranteed a $2 million loan to help his wife fuel her bid for a state Senate seat in North Texas.

The Bank of the Ozarks lent the money to Angela Paxton, a Collin County Republican, with the help of Ken Paxtons campaign operating as a guarantor, according to the attorney generals campaign spokesman. That means if Paxtons wifes campaign cannot pay the loan back, Ken Paxtons campaign is responsible for paying off the debt.
The last time retired architect Ignacio Torres strolled along the River Walk with loved ones and friends, he pointed out some of its most popular features, recalling how he helped turn the stone walkways into a world-class attraction.

These days, the 92-year-old Torres strolls the River Walk in his mind, his memories as sharp as ever.

Im very proud to have played a role in helping to shape the River Walk, Torres said in a recent interview. Its a pride he feels particularly during Fiesta, he said, when thousands flock to the winding banks for the annual river parade.

What was most special to me was working with a group of individuals who looked at the project as an opportunity to enhance the area and benefit the city for years to come, he added.

He remembers a time when the downtown area around the river was known for flooding, crime and dangerous conditions that kept visitors away. So dangerous, in fact, that at one point it was off limits to military personnel, according to the Handbook of Texas Online. He remembers days as a child when the San Antonio River would rise and he would use buckets to help bail out water that spilled into the lower levels of the downtown Alameda Theater his father managed.

The Texas State Historical Association credits Torres for translating the words river walk into the Spanish-language Paseo del Rio, a name that is still used to promote the River Walk. Today, more than 11 million people a year visit the citys river walkways, which now wind some 5 miles from Brackenridge Park through downtown and on to the missions.

The River Walk of today has its roots in the 1930s, when city voters approved a tax to leverage federal Work Progress Administration funds for river work. The rock walls lining the banks of the river downtown, the Arneson River Theater and the restoration of La Villita were completed in 1941 under the visionary direction of architect Robert H.H. Hugman, who had launched the idea of turning the river into an attraction as early as 1929.

With an eye toward improving the commercial potential of the river area downtown, the city and SA Chamber of Commerce hired Marco Engineering, the California company instrumental in the design of Disneyland, to come up with a plan. The report was presented in 1961, but local officials didnt like the carnival-like aspects of the companys plan and shuttered the project. Still, there were a few ideas that sounded good, including having more festivals and creating a merchants association.

Enter the San Antonio chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which formed a committee to develop a redesign plan with public and private development.

Torres was part of that committee. Over the course of four months, he and fellow architects Ed Mok, Brooks Martin, Walter Mathis, Thomas Presley and Boone Powell met weekly at Cy Wagners office, where Wagner wrote their ideas on a chalkboard.

Their master plan included drawings of active and passive areas and loud and quiet areas, as well as notes on compatible materials to create an attractive setting. The final plan for the Paseo del Rio was presented in April 1963, and the Paseo del Rio Association was established the next year. It was recently renamed the San Antonio River Walk Association.

Torres also helped develop plans for renovating businesses along the River Walk and nearby areas, such as the Poco Loco Night Club, a hot spot during HemisFair in 1968, and the Mai Tai and Villa de Pancho clubs. Celebrities of the era, including entertainer Desi Arnaz, TV host Dick Clark and actor Steve McQueen frequented the clubs. Even Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey Jr. paid a visit.

A self-taught artist, Torres continues to tap into his creativity with still-life oil paintings hes displayed at Villa de San Antonio, where he lives with Kathryn, his wife of more than 65 years. They have five children and numerous grandchildren.

Jerry Stanley, Villas executive director, said its an honor to have Torres, an Air Force veteran and lifelong San Antonian, as a resident.

Our community is excited to highlight what makes San Antonio special and why we call it home, Stanley said, talking about upcoming Fiesta plans. Ignacio Torres helped to reimagine an important piece of San Antonio.

vtdavis@express-news.net
Dont call Lori Pelletier paranoid because she perceives a siege against public employee unions. Were seeing a backlash these days, no question.

And so, on Friday, Pelletier, president of the state AFL-CIO, let it rip along with three other labor leaders before a temporary commission charged with reversing the states economic woes.

Its a commission stocked with top business executives and, to Pelletiers chagrin, no one from organized labor, and no rank-and-file workers. Shes worried the groups recommendations to the General Assembly, due March 1, will favor business and municipal management over unions.

The four delivered a heartfelt and rational defense of unions, especially public employee unions. They said collective bargaining rights help, rather than hurt, the state economy.

They said the problem in Connecticut is the tax structure, the lack of a magnet city, a history of shirking pension payments and towns unwillingness to work together  not union rights.

They said making Connecticut into a so-called right to work state, in which workers under collective bargaining agreements need not pay dues and belong to unions  would cost the states economy $1 billion a year.

They said state employee contracts signed in recent years will save Connecticut tens of billions of dollars in pension costs and have brought medical cost increases down to half of those of the nation as a whole.

They said its a myth that wealthy Connecticut residents and business owners are fleeing the state because of high taxes.

Workers are always willing to come to the table to do their part, but for too long now, workers have been the only ones stepping up, Pelletier said to the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth, meeting at the state Capitol complex.

For too long, many in this building have bought into the notion that for businesses, to make them richer, you have to make workers poorer, she added. The Rooting-for-Failure club has perpetuated myths...Well, we are just too afraid. What Connecticut needs is strength. What Connecticut needs is a plan to go forward without scapegoating any one group.

The 2-hour presentation summed up the uneasy relationship between public employee unions and the Connecticut power structure in 2018: still a lot of support in both directions, as some of the most influential lawmakers come from or remain loyal to organized labor. But theres a backlash gaining traction as the states economy still has one foot stuck in quicksand and many blame union contracts.

Thats why Pelltier and her fellow labor leaders who spoke Friday  Sal Luciano, president of AFSCME Council 4; Dan Livingston, chief lawyer for the state employees bargaining coalition; and Don Williams, executive director of the Connecticut Education Association and former state Senate president  worry.

The commission has heard from several groups pushing to rein in collective bargaining rights, including the Yankee Institute for Public Policy, a libertarian think tank. Our flawed process is creating a flawed outcome that makes us less competitive, Carol Platt Liebau, president of the Yankee Institute, said last month after addressing the commission.

On Monday, the Yankee Institute will release a report titled Above the Law, saying Connecticut has the most favorable laws toward state and local unions of any New England state or New York. Unions have rewritten the law to make it more beneficial to them, said Suzanne Bates, the institutes policy director.

A few days ago, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association called for state to adopt the commissions recommendations  which dont exist yet  leading Pelletier to cry foul.

That will be great when you recommend a minimum wage of $20 an hour, that will be great when you say collective bargaining should be expanded to everybody, Pelletier said to the commission Friday. But she added, We think the fix is already in.

Thats just not true, both of the commissions chairmen said. I really want to make it clear that no proposals as yet have been made, said co-chairman James Smith, chairman and recently retired chief executive of Webster Financial Corp.

Cindi Bigelow, CEO of Bigelow Tea in Fairfield, said she wasnt taken aback. Its understandable that labor leaders would not trust a group made up largely of CEOs. The heads of The Hartford Financial Services Group and Stanley Black & Decker are among the members.

Its a fair guess that some of the commissions recommendations will rankle organized labor  including new rules on how cities and towns negotiate with affected unions when they combine services to save money. Some adjustments are right and good, perhaps that one.

Requiring an up-or-down vote in the legislature for all union contracts, a 2017 reform, was also a fair change.

But labor does offer sacrifices, contrary to popular opinion. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat elected with a lot of union help, has cut the state payroll by 7,000 jobs, ordered hundreds of layoffs, negotiated pay freezes in five of his eight years and signed contracts that require much higher health care co-payments and pension contributions.

Robert Patricelli, co-chairman of the commission, who just retired from the third health care company he founded, said a lot of groups have anticipatory anxiety about what the commission will recommend. If you had to ask me whats the most important issue, its far from being collective bargaining, he told me. Its tax policy.

To that end, Williams called for tax reforms to capture online transactions, curtail corporate exemptions and eliminate some shelters used by wealthy people.

We are experiencing wage disparity and inequality on a scale not seen since the late 1800s, the era of robber barons, he said.

The state shouldnt worry about driving people away because the recovery since 2009 has been okay, he Williams said  its tax policy thats askew.

Smith offered back, Im not going to try to convince you that Connecticutis in fundamental economic decline, although he did exactly that.

Smith is right on that one. Were deep in the dumps and people are in fact exiting, although there have been some hopeful signs lately.

But Pelletier is right that the new wave of union-bashing and calls for radically curtailed bargaining rules are not the right way out.
GREENWICH  When Wear Culvahouse, a Greenwich obstetrician-gynecologist, delivered a baby for the first male same-sex parents at Greenwich Hospital in 2004, he saw doors opening for himself as well.

Lesbian couples had been delivering babies at the hospital for a few years, said Culvahouse, a gay physician who was on the staff at the time.

The team assembled to to help the male couple included personnel from labor and delivery, the nursery and administration. They set up two rooms at Greenwich Hospital: One for the new fathers to learn how to bathe, feed and change their baby, and one for their surrogate to recover.

We had to just talk through the logistics of how to make that work, Culvahouse said. So that they would be happy, they would go back and tell their friends, Go to Greenwich Hospital, deliver your babies there because they will accommodate us.

It was a big moment for Culvahouse, who married his husband, Douglas Graneto, that same year.

It was awesome because I got to witness it, knowing that thats what we were working toward, Culvahouse said during an interview at his kitchen table, with Graneto by his side. It was awesome because I got to follow that set of twins and see them grow up just as I saw ... all the thousands of women that Ive delivered that come back year after year; you get their Christmas cards with their kids growing up. And I got to do that with this gay couple as well.

He and Graneto started searching for surrogates two years later.

For a gay couple to have a biological child, they need an extended group beyond the egg donor and surrogate. They also must have mental health professionals to screen both partners, and lawyers to ensure both fathers have parental rights. The entire process takes two to three years and costs $100,000 to $200,000.

In the early months of 2008 they found their surrogate through a California agency named A Perfect Match. Their daughter Katie was born in June 2009.

Similar journeys have been on the upswing, part of what has been called the gay baby boom  though the term implies an ease and speed that gay parents are quick to dispel.

The surrogate baby boom

There are no official numbers on how many same-sex couples are having biological children, but fertility clinics in Fairfield County describe an increase in gay clients in recent years.

One doctor who has seen that trend is Mark Leondires, who works at Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut, a fertility clinic based out of Norwalk with offices in Stamford, Danbury and Trumbull. He also personally went through the process with his husband, Greg Zola, as they gave birth through a surrogate.

In recent years, Leondires has seen the percentage of his clients who are same-sex couples rise from none to 80 percent. About two-fifths of those same-sex couples are women, who use sperm donors and sometimes opt to carry embryos from their partners eggs, a process known as reciprocal in vitro fertilization.

The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology does not track whether procedures are for heterosexual or homosexual families, but it reports that surrogacy embryo transfers in the United States increased more than 250 percent between 2005 and 2015.

The growing number of LGBTQ couples choosing to have children is due in part to growing acceptance of the community and to the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, Leondires said.

It became a safer place not only to be yourself, but to raise a child, he said.

Culvahouse and Graneto can attest to that change.

It has been an amazing journey to think of how I grew up in Tennessee, Culvahouse said. And to what I thought was the golden ring, just to be openly gay. And then here we are 15 years later, married with a child, enjoying a much fuller life. For me, I think its just an amazing experience. You don't know what you're missing until you're a part of it.

Graneto agreed.

We are just two parents with our child, just trying to raise our child the best we can, he said. And shes a good, pretty well-adjusted kid, and we are lucky. I don't think that our experience parenting is really that much different from anyone elses. And its also amazing how after you have a child, how much more a part of the community you feel and how much more connected you actually feel to your community.

Connecticut becomes a hub

Connecticut is now a destination for gay parents-to-be around the world; Leondires said he has had patients from as far as Europe and China.

The reasons come down to issues of female autonomy, he said. Surrogacy is illegal in every country in the world except the United States and Canada.

Many who travel to Connecticut for services are from New York and New Jersey, where surrogacy contracts are unenforceable. Many end up at Greenwich Hospital not just because of its openness to accommodating gay and lesbian couples who want to give birth there, but because it is the first stop once you cross the Connecticut border, Culvahouse said.

But when Culvahouse and Graneto were looking in 2008, they remember Connecticut didnt always have such a smooth process for bringing together all the parts of surrogacy. The couple found their surrogate and agency in California because the process there was a well-oiled machine, Graneto said. It had been in place for nearly 30 years at that point.

In Connecticut, you would have someone who would try to help you find a surrogate, Culvahouse said. And a group that would help you with an egg donor, and you had to go someplace else for your semen analysis  it was just so disjointed. And now youve got someone like Mark Leondires, and they have the surrogates, they have the donors, they have everything there. That didnt exist in Connecticut in 07 and 08.

A costly prospect

Although marriage equality has been affirmed, that does not mean all people have the resources to become parents. The six-figure price tag is prohibitive for many.

Costs for lesbian couples to have a child are significantly lower, because there is no cost for an egg donor or surrogate. But in vitro fertilization and attorneys still rack up costs in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Connecticut is one of 15 states requiring insurance companies to offer fertility coverage for couples who have tried to conceive for a year without success. While that coverage applies to couples of any age, it does not yet extend to same-sex couples, who have no chance of conceiving from the outset.

Some companies, including NBCUniversal and Google, have taken a step toward what is being called equal access to fertility treatment. LGBTQ employees there can access the same benefits, such as in vitro fertilization, as their heterosexual co-workers.

However, such coverage is rare, and Hawaiis attempt to pass a bill for equal access to fertility treatment failed in April.

A more likely way for couples to reduce their bills, doctors say, is to use whats known as a compassionate surrogate  a friend or family member willing to carry a child without a fee  or to find their own egg donor. Couples can save around $45,000.

In addition, Men Having Babies offers the Gay Parenting Assistance Program, which annually facilitates over $1 million worth of financial support for gay dads-to-be.

Family experience

At the Culvahouse-Graneto household, they recently were preparing for their family dog Stellas 5th birthday and for Valentines Day.

Their daughter, Katie, 8, came home with two boxes of Valentines Day cards for her classmates at Greenwich Country Day School and family. Each valentine included an animal window cling, and Katie jumped up and down excitedly as she counted out how many she needed for others and how many she could keep for herself.

She has a window cling collection in the kitchen  a few hearts, a couple of pumpkins and some baskets with eggs in them.

None of her classmates have a similar family, but Culvahouse and Graneto said kids are understanding and ask questions.

How you prepare any child that is a bit different, is you just have to give them ... a talking point, Culvahouse said. Why don't you have a mother? And then she would give her answer, short, concise, and her friend would say, Oh, and move on.

E: jturiano@greenwichtime.com; T: @jturianoGT; IG: @greenwichgreen
The following headlines and articles appeared in the Stamford Advocate decades ago on Feb.12.

10 years ago

Shippan residents seek relief on their assessments

Because of this years property revaluation, 60-year-old Joseph Giannattasio may leave his hometown.

After he learned the assessment of his ranch-style house at 26 Auldwood Road in Shippan increased 9 percent to $580,000 from $530,000 in last year's revaluation

, Giannattasio threw up his hands.

This is it, he said. Im leaving. I gotta find a town thats a little more decent. . . . This town is the new Bridgeport.

Giannattasio isnt alone in his frustration. Many of his neighbors are outraged by assessments on their properties, which lack beach rights, increasing as much as $53,000, or 10 percent, while assessments for homes on the other side of the street, with beach rights, dropped by as much as $70,000, or 11 percent.

20 years ago

City workers earn big bucks in OT

School Superintendent Michael Nast led the list of Stamfords top municipal wage earners in 1997, among 48 Board of Education employees to make the top 100.

Nast replaced police Lt. Frank Cronin, who had headed the list for two years running. Cronin fell to No. 2.

Nasts $132,434 salary included incentive bonuses on top of his annual minimum.

As it has over the past five years, the top 100 was dominated by school personnel, followed by police. Below Nast, six of the next seven are police supervisors whose salaries nearly doubled because of overtime.

30 years ago

School day-care program proposed

An East Hartford legislator yesterday proposed that public schools in Connecticut be used to provide day care for preschoolers and that extended programs be made available for older children with working parents.

State Sen. John Larson, a Democrat, said he would seek a $500,000 General Assembly appropriation to try out the idea in three school districts across the state.
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Find out if its time to initiate physical intimacy

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Your first time of doing anything is likely to be fraught with doubts and inhibitions. That goes double for sex with someone new. Youve met someone, there is definitely some attraction there and, with each meeting, you both seem to be moving closer to the possibility of having sex. At this point, you might find yourself in a grey area, even if it is one full of exciting possibilities. Your anxieties might centre around the physical (Am I ready to be naked with this person?) or the emotional (Will he break my heart?) or even the social (I havent had sex in a yearif I dont break my dry spell, my friends will think Im a freak!). Rather than ignoring these niggling worries, heres what experts suggest you do to come to grips with them.If you have been dating a guy for a while and want to take things to the next level, sex is a good way to test the waters. Dr Bhavna Barmi, senior clinical psychologist at Fortis Escort Heart Institute, New Delhi, says, Sex alters the comfort levels in a relationship. A healthy sex life is important for a relationship to be successful. Several surveys suggest that the quality of a couples sex life affects the longevity of their relationship.Dr Barmi cautions not to get into it because of peer pressure. According to a recent study released by US-based non-profit organisation Kaiser Family Foundation, 23 per cent of teen girls have sex due to peer pressure. If you have sex with a guy under pressure, you will end up resenting him later. So go for it only when you are sure, she says.Ask yourself if you are comfortable in his company and whether you like the way it feels when he touches you. Sometimes, we like to hang out with a person, but you may not find him physically appealing. Having sex is as much psychological as physical. Its crucial to be comfortable with the thought of it before getting between the sheets, advises Dr Barmi.He may sound like the perfect guy over the phone or during Skype conversations, but that may not be the whole story. Rakshit Tandon, cyber security expert and advisor to the Cyber Complaint Redressal Cell in Agra, says, In a day, we get around 30 to 40 complaints about cybersex offenders. The most common involve blackmail and revenge porn. Usually, the victim is a young girl who is being blackmailed by a guy who has sexually explicit pictures or videos of her. In some cases, the videos get leaked and the girls come to us after seeing them online. Before you meet someone youve been chatting with online, do a simple background check; perhaps look for common friends on social media. Dont share nude pictures or explicit videos of yourself, and be wary of anyone who tries to manipulate you into doing something that makes you feel uncomfortable. No trust, no sex.Letting a raging libido rule your decisions may be as dangerous as letting a teenager borrow your car. Take stock of the situation first. Making out in a deserted parking lot or off the highway in a car may seem romantic in movies, but in real life, it can get you into serious trouble. Always choose a place that you are familiar with and can make a quick exit from if things dont go as planned.It is important to use protection during sex. Insist on using a condom. You dont want to risk the chance of getting pregnant or worse, contracting an STD, says Dr Vijayakumar DR, consultant psychiatrist, Columbia Asia hospital, Bangalore.Dr Vijaykumar says, There are several neurochemical processes that occur during sex, like the release of oxytocin, which act like a glue for human bonding. Before getting into bed with him, ask yourself if you will be able to deal with the fallout of a breakup.Dr Barmi lists a set of questions that will ease your doubts. If your answer to all the questions is no, then by all means lead him to the bed.Thats not how you should feel about physical intimacy. Youll never enjoy it if you are underany pressure.Relationships based on shallow goals dont last. Save yourself some sleepless nights by avoiding such a situation.There are better incentives to hold on to a relationship. If the guy is only interested in sex, then he isnt worth it. When novelty fades, he will move on to the next woman.I am too young and he coaxed me into it, the act doesnt go down well with my moral values or upbringing, I feel guilty as the society wouldnt accept premarital sex if this is how you think, then do not touch the guy even with a barge pole.
Exclusive: Detel to launch new budget friendly smartphones in India by end of 2018 News oi-Priyanka The Detel D1+ comes with a dual sim slot, Big torchlight, with GPRS Web browser, a 3D Speaker, Micro SD support for fast charging, and a big Torch Light. The device is available in 7 color variants.

After launching feature phones and Smart LED TV, homegrown electronics brand Detel is now planning to launch smartphone before the end of this year.

"Yes, before the end of this calendar year we will be launching a smartphone and we want to launch on an economical price with the maximum specification," Yogesh Bhatia, Managing Director, S.G. Corporate Mobility told GizBot in an exclusive interaction.

He added, "We are planning to have our own manufacturing plant in India and for that, we are talking to Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Government."

Meanwhile, the company recently announced its new 32-inch smart TV powered by Google's Android operating system for high-speed internet connectivity is exclusively available for Rs 17,999 on B2BAdda.com.

The Smart TV comes with HD Ready, Miracast for screen mirroring, Dolby Digital and it also supports USB. In terms of connectivity, it comes with USB Multimedia Support, Wi-Fi, and PC connectivity. It has a contrast ratio of 3,00,000:1 and over 250 Nits brightness. The company also has plans to launch yet another range of LED TVs between 24-65 inches in the market later this month.

On tying up with others operators, Bhatia said " We are talking to operators for others devices. Adding that for 'D1+ we will be tying with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)." "We will launching seven new models by the end of this month and it will be under Rs 299 to Rs 999," he replied when asked about future product lineup.

The Detel D1+ comes with a dual sim slot, Big torchlight, with GPRS Web browser, a 3D Speaker, Micro SD support for fast charging, and a big Torch Light. The device is available in 7 color variants.

To recall, last year in December State-run telecom operator BSNL has joined hands with mobile handset maker Detel to offer feature phone at the price of Rs 499.

Best Mobiles in India

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Google doesn't use its Pixel Visual Core in the Pixel 2 and 2 XL cameras News oi-Sandeep Google's Pixel Visual core which is basically a custom chip designed to help with HDR+ image processing seems to be missing for its own camera app.

Google's Pixel Visual core which is basically a custom chip designed to help with HDR+ image processing seems to be missing for its own camera app. As per some reports from Beebom Google's own camera app in the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL doesn't really use the Pixel Visual Core. The hidden image processing chip that is found inside of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 Xl is not the Pixel Visual core. This might come as a surprise for the Google users.

The reports further suggest that it was revealed back in November 2017 by Google's VP of product management, Brian Rakowski. It was recently spotted by large section of section of Global tech media after ARS Technica's Ron Amando tweeted regarding the same.

The Google Pixel camera team made the comment that "Turns out we do pretty sophisticated processing, optimizing and tuning in the camera app itsef to get the maximum performance possible. We do ZSL and fast buffering to get fast HDR capture. So we don't take the advantage of Pixel Visual Core, we don't need to take advantage of it."

That said now when we know that Google doesn't make use of Pixel Visual core it would be interesting to see where else Google will implement this.

Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

Google had also recently rolled out new features for YouTube Go, the company has also made slight changes in the Google Now Launcher. As per the reports from Android Police, a new Google Feed button has been added to the search bar on the home screen. By tapping on the new Google Feed button a user can directly move to their Google Feed without swapping left to right on the homepage. Even as Google favors Pixel's launcher it doesn't want its older launcher to be left behind, hence the new Google Feed button is being added the Google now launcher.

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Trump blocks release of memo rebutting Republican claims about Russia probe

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 02:55AM

US President Donald Trump has blocked the release of a classified Democratic memo which rebuts a Republican document alleging bias and misconduct in investigation of the president's ties to Russia.

Last week, Trump allowed the release of a memo from the GOP and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes that accuses the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) of abusing power in investigation of the alleged Washington-Moscow links in the 2016 presidential elections.

The Republican memo alleges that law enforcement officials used information in their application for a warrant to wiretap former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, naming the senior FBI and DOJ officials who had approved the warrant.

Now, the White House refuses to release a rebuttal memo by Democrats, arguing that it contains "numerous properly classified and sensitive passages."

The DOJ had identified portions of the memo that "would create especially significant concerns for the national security and law enforcement interests" of the country, said White House counsel Donald McGahn.

The president would again consider the release of the memo if the committee revised it to "mitigate the risks," McGahn wrote in a letter to Nunes.

The White House also released a letter from FBI Director Christopher Wray and Rod Rosenstein, the No. 2 Justice Department official, expressing concerns about the memo's release "in light of longstanding principles regarding the protection of intelligence sources and methods, ongoing investigations, and other similar sensitive information."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, issued a statement, criticizing Trump's decision.

"The president's double standard when it comes to transparency is appalling," he said. "The rationale for releasing the Nunes memo, transparency, vanishes when it could show information that's harmful to him."

US intelligence agencies claim Russia-linked hackers provided WikiLeaks with damaging information -- in the form of thousands of hacked emails -- about Clinton to skew the 2016 presidential election in favor of Trump.

Trump has repeatedly denied allegations that his campaign colluded with Russians and has condemned the investigations. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also denied the allegations.

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How a Russian Spy Reportedly Outsmarted US NSA Agents

Sputnik News

20:43 10.02.2018

US intelligence officials striving repossess stolen cyberweapons reportedly paid $100,000 to a Russian operative who claimed he possessed not solely the hacking tools but what Russians call "kompromat" (compromising material) this time, on President Donald Trump.

The New York Times wrote on Friday that the alleged anonymous Russian spy, took the money but failed to provide the stolen material, nor did he come up with any dirt on Trump.

He actually tried to once, as he handed a short video clip showing a man talking to two women over to a Berlin-based American businessman who was communicating on behalf of the US intelligence agents, but failed to verify it was actually the American President.

No sound could be actually heard on it, which ultimately diminished its importance, although originally it was promised the video would show Trump hanging out with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel room back in 2013  something Mr. President emphatically denied outright.

Rumors that Russian intelligence possesses the video surfaced more than a year ago in an explosive and unverified dossier made by a former British spy, which was partially funded by Hilary Clinton's campaign the New York Times wrote.

Since then, at least four Russians with espionage and underworld connections have appeared in Central and Eastern Europe, offering to sell the compromising data. And this time the American operatives agreed, though with serious reservations, since it was obvious the Russian was connected to the Federal Security Department (FSB), the successor to the KGB.

The man initially asked for $10 million in exchange for the classified hacking tools data, which was stolen in 2017 by a group which calls itself Shadow Brokers, which was known to the NSA agents. Later, the Russian operative changed the price to $1 million.

After lengthy negotiations, the US intelligence intermediary met the Russian spy in September in Berlin and gave him the first installment  $100,000, just to learn, alas, that he was, as he said, holding on to the NSA cyberweapons "at the orders of senior Russian intelligence officials."

Intriguing as it is, but for fear of obtaining false information, which could potentially cause discord in the White House, the American operatives had to cut ties with the Russian andlet him go.

The story most certainly hasn't gone unnoticed on social media, with many commentating on how fishy the whole thing sounds.

In the meantime, some American patriots rushed to express their outrage at someone daring to spend so much taxpayer money on digging up dirt on the acting head of state.

 Sputnik

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Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Feb. 9, 2018  Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve and its partners continue to strike Islamic State of Iraq and Syria targets in designated parts of Syria and Iraq.

From Feb. 2 to Feb. 8, coalition military forces conducted 41 strikes consisting of 65 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

Feb. 8

On Feb. 8 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of four engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two ISIS supply routes, a fighting position and an ISIS line of communication.

No reported strikes were conducted in Iraq on Feb. 8.

Feb. 7

On Feb. 7 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of nine engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed a command and control center, an ammunition storage facility, a fighting position and an ISIS staging area.

On Feb. 7 in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted one strike consisting of three engagements against ISIS targets near Taji. The strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

Feb. 6

On Feb. 6 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of four engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes destroyed two ISIS supply routes, a tunnel entrance and a weapons cache.

On Feb. 6 in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of five engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near the Hamrin Mountains, two strikes destroyed 20 ISIS tunnels, two ISIS supply routes, three fighting positions, six ISIS vehicles and 10 ISIS fueling sites.

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike damaged an ISIS supply route.

Feb. 5

On Feb. 5 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of six engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and destroyed two staging areas, an ISIS motorcycle, a fighting position and a vehicle-borne bomb.

No reported strikes were conducted in Iraq on Feb. 5.

Feb. 4

On Feb. 4 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes consisting of six engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed three ISIS supply routes, a staging area and a weapons cache.

On Feb. 4 in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of four engagements against ISIS targets near Rutbah. The strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two underground ISIS bunkers.

Feb. 3

On Feb. 3 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of eight engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed an ISIS supply route, four ISIS-held buildings and a weapons cache.

No reported strikes were conducted in Iraq on Feb. 3.

Feb. 2

On Feb. 2 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of 16 engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions, an ISIS supply route, two staging facilities, three ISIS vehicles and damaged a mortar system.

No reported strikes were conducted in Iraq on Feb. 2.

Additionally, officials said, the task force received late reporting of a strike consisting of two engagements conducted Feb. 1 in Syria against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two ISIS lines of communication.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, officials said.

This report provides details of all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing, or remotely piloted aircraft, rocket-propelled artillery and ground-based tactical artillery.

A strike refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative effect in that location, officials explained. For example, they said, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined.

Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

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America's History, Future Integral to Pacific, Dunford Says

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, Feb. 9, 2018  It is somehow appropriate that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's latest visit to the Pacific ends here, where the history of America's involvement in the region is in a nutshell.

Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford arrived here yesterday after a trip that took him to Wake Island, Australia, Thailand and Guam.

Chinese propagandists insist the United States is a declining power in the Pacific, no longer able to safeguard the rules-based international order that has provided security, stability and economic progress for the region since World War II. They say they have a better way to go  so long as you do exactly what they tell you.

A visit to the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor is a lesson to those who underestimate U.S. commitment to the region.

The memorial is bestride the wreckage of the battleship Arizona  sunk in the opening moments of the Japanese attack on the Pacific Fleet on Dec. 7, 1941. A total of 1,177 sailors and Marines died in the explosion on the Arizonaand 38 sets of brothers and one father and son were killed in the attack.

Moored 500 yards astern of the Arizona is the USS Missouri. On the deck of that battleship, U.S. and allied leaders watched as Japanese officials surrendered on Sept. 2, 1945.

Since then, the United States has maintained a strong military presence in the Pacific and will continue to do so for the future, Dunford said.

Rules-Based International Order

The rules-based international order has allowed all nations in the region  including China  to prosper. The United States is very much invested in the region politically, economically and militarily. President Donald J. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and the chairman have made repeated trips to allies and partners in the region.

More than 350,000 U.S. service members and Defense Department civilians are serving in the region, according to U.S. Pacific Command. The exercise program with allies and partners  exemplified by Exercise Cobra Gold starting next week in Thailand  is comprehensive and challenging. The United States has been there operationally, also providing aid during natural disasters such as the 2004 earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Indonesia and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan.

Some 50,000 U.S. service members are based in Japan, and 28,000 Americans are ready to "fight tonight" alongside their South Korean allies. U.S. service members provided enablers to the Philippine armed forces as they battled Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-affiliated groups in the city of Marawi.

U.S. Marines are rotating in and out of Darwin, Australia. The U.S. and Japanese governments are investing millions in upgrading military facilities in Guam and on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Even on Wake Island  with a total U.S. military garrison of four  is looking to the future, as it is a test bed for missile defense.

Meeting Alliance Commitments

The bottom line is that the United States is able to meet its alliance commitments in the Pacific, Dunford said in an interview with reporters traveling with him.

"We have an alliance with South Korea. We have one with the Philippines. We have one with Japan. We have one with Thailand. We have one with Australia," he said. "And our force posture and presence here, and our level of readiness, and the level of interoperability that  we've developed  allows us to meet our alliance commitments."

From a security perspective, the U.S. presence "is underlying the rules-based international order that for the last 70 years everybody has benefited from," he said. "And what we're doing now is we're modernizing our force, we're modernizing our presence in the region, and we're enhancing our relationships in the region to ensure that we have another 70 years of peace in the rules-based international order."

Pacom has 60 percent of the entire U.S. Air Force dedicated to it. The U.S. Navy will soon have 60 percent of its capabilities in the region. The U.S. Army Pacific has been upgraded to four-star level, and the service is also putting significant resources into the region.

The network of allies and partners developed since the end of World War II is dedicated to the rules-based international order. "They don't want 'might to equal right,'" Dunford said. "They want there to be a set of international standards and norms that are enforced by the international community's collective coherent response. That's what our relationships here in the region are all about."

And no one should underestimate the quality of America's military. "One of the more important things for military power is human capital," Dunford said. "And it's the education of that capital, it's the flexibility of that  human capital. And when I look at our noncommissioned officers as an example compared to any autocratic nation, the degree of initiative our junior people have, the degree of education that they have, and the competence they have is unmatched."

Others understand this. He noted that at the end of the Cold War, the former Warsaw Pact countries focused on developing junior officer and noncommissioned officer corps "that had the kind of initiative and flexibility that ours does," the chairman said.

"So I think when it comes to military effectiveness -- equipment aside, from a human capital perspective -- I think there's a strong argument to be made that a liberal democracy produces a stronger leadership corps with the kind of qualities that they have to have to deal with the uncertainty and the chaos of combat."

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1st Security Force Assistance Brigade holds activation ceremony

By Staff Sgt. Sierra A. Melendez February 9, 2018

Fort Benning, Ga. -- The 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade held an activation ceremony at the National Infantry Museum, Feb. 8, unveiling their unit colors for the first time in history.

Since the summer of 2017, the 1st SFAB has been building teams, training and receiving new equipment tailored specifically to their unique mission. The ceremony served as the official recognition of the unit's activation.

The 1st SFAB was created in order to train, advise, assist, enable and accompany host nation conventional forces in infantry, armor, cavalry, engineer, artillery and combined arms warfare.

The unit is the first of six planned brigades specifically built to achieve the Army's vision of enabling combatant commanders to carry out theater security objectives through partnered and allied indigenous security forces for decades to come.

Throughout the Army's history, advise and assist missions in combat have been consistent. From World War II to Vietnam and Korea - continuing to today's battlefields in the Middle East - the Army has been helping our allies and partners build large, credible conventional forces capable to secure and protect their countries autonomously.

Although the mission set is nothing new, having dedicated units assigned to combat advising allows the Army to reduce, over time, the demand for conventional brigade combat teams to adhere to prior ad hoc solutions.

In January, the Department of Defense officially announced the 1st SFAB's deployment to Afghanistan this spring. Col. Scott A. Jackson, the commander of the 1st SFAB, reflected on the journey his unit has embarked on during a speech at the ceremony.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in less than nine months, the formation in front of you has gone from a concept to a combat ready formation fully ready for employment," said Jackson. "Starting with nothing, this formation has simultaneously recruited, trained and assimilated more than 800 Soldiers; received over 22,000 pieces of equipment; conducted two combat training center rotations; developed innovative doctrine related to security force assistance and formed and synchronized original equipping strategies to meet our unique mission requirements."

Jackson expressed his gratitude for the outstanding and remarkable leaders that filled the ranks before him. Prior to volunteering, Soldiers had to serve in a similar position in a conventional unit before being selected for the 1st SFAB. Jackson attributes this requirement to the professional and skilled culture that has been cultivated over the last nine months.

"The secret sauce to our achievements is standing right in front of you - the Soldiers that compose the 1st SFAB," said Jackson. "Their achievement is indicative of the self-starting, high performing, mature and intelligent Soldiers we brought on board."

In attendance for the ceremony was Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Mark Milley, who spoke on the critical and enduring need for the SFABs and how the benefits of having a permanent, additive force structure would be tenfold for the Army.

"The SFAB gives us purpose-built formations designed to execute the critical mission of security force assistance without having to rip apart conventional BCTs," said Milley.

He went on to say that by not relying on conventional BCTs to execute security force assistance missions, the Army can develop and maintain the number one priority of readiness.

"In times of national crisis when our Army is called to expand quickly, we already have a ready-made brigade combat team chain of command," continued Milley. The brigade could be filled with Soldiers, conduct training, and be ready to fight in a relatively short period of time.

Milley continued that the 1st SFAB is an excellent organization because the unit is filled with the right people and emphasized that 80 percent of the formation are combat veterans, many with advising experience.

He closed by saying that he is very proud of the enthusiasm, training and efforts of the commander and the Soldiers and that the 1st SFAB will establish its own history.

In addition to revealing the unit's colors for the first time in history, the 1st SFAB cased their colors, symbolically preparing for deployment. Jackson addressed the brigade in its entirety for the last time before they deploy and offered some final guidance.

"Remember that you are the United States of America and the profession of arms to our partners," said Jackson. "Our conduct, appearance, actions and values must represent the best of America and its Army."

Jackson closed out by voicing his confidence in his formation and acknowledging their phenomenal work.

"This is just the beginning of our journey and our legacy," said Jackson. "Stay true to your values, trust in one another and continue to write the story of the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade."

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85,000 displaced in 10 weeks as violence rages in Yemen: UN

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 9, 2018 01:50PM

The United Nations has expressed deep concern over surging violence across Yemen, warning that the worsening situation has pushed some 85,000 people from their homes over the past 10 weeks.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday that more than 70 percent of those displaced since December 1 last year had escaped clashes between Houthi Ansarullah fighters and Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to Yemen's resigned president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, in Yemen's western coastal provinces of Hudaydah and Ta'izz.

The UN refugee agency also cautioned against the dire condition of displaced people, who are caught in areas close to hostilities in the two provinces.

"Most of those displaced in the governorates of Hudaydah and Ta'izz remain hosted by relatives or friends, trapped inside homes or in caves as ground clashes, aerial bombardment and sniper fire rage around them," UNHCR spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly told reporters in the Swiss city of Geneva.

She noted that the UN is witnessing an upsurge in new displacements from other parts of Yemen, including the northern provinces of al-Jawf and Hajjah, as well as the oil-rich eastern province of Shabwa.

"The main needs of the displaced and other conflict-affected populations continue to be access to shelter, health, food and water and sanitation," Pouilly said.

She warned that Yemen is "seeing a spike in needs, fueled by ongoing conflict, a collapsing economy and diminishing social services and livelihoods."

Last month, the UN appealed for nearly $3 billion (2.45 billion euros) to combat imminent famine as well as cholera and diphtheria outbreaks in Yemen this year.

At least 13,600 people have been killed since the onset of Saudi Arabia's military campaign against Yemen in 2015. Much of the country's infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and factories, has been reduced to rubble due to the war.

The Saudi-led war has also triggered a deadly cholera epidemic across Yemen.

According to the World Health Organization's latest tally, the cholera outbreak has killed 2,167 people since the end of April 2017 and is suspected to have infected 841,906.

In November 2017, the United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, said more than 11 million children in Yemen were in acute need of aid, stressing that it was estimated that every 10 minutes a child died of a preventable disease there.

Additionally, the UN has described the current level of hunger in Yemen as "unprecedented," emphasizing that 17 million people were food insecure in the country.

The world body says that 6.8 million, meaning almost one in four people, do not have enough food and rely entirely on external assistance.

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Israel Begins Construction of Border Wall Along Lebanon's Border

Sputnik News

09:32 09.02.2018(updated 09:33 09.02.2018)

The command of the Northern Military District of Israel has begun construction of a concrete wall on the border with Lebanon.

The wall is being built on Israeli-held territory, and will stretch from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the area around Mount Hermon in the east.

Israel first began the construction of a concrete wall along its border with Lebanon in 1948 and still creates lines of defense around Israeli settlements.

Israel considers its system of using barrier structures to thwart Palestinian militants, which it considers one of the most effective measures of combating terror; the nation prefers to call these barriers "safety fences."

The Supreme Council of Defense of Lebanon ordered the troops to repel any Israeli attempts on the Lebanese side of the border. Although Lebanon says the wall passes through its territory, the wall is on the Israeli side of the UN-designated Blue Line, which demarcated Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

Earlier, Lebanese President Michel Aoun stated that communications are ongoing to "prevent Israeli greed on land and at sea" amid disputes concerning the border wall.

 Sputnik

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Yemen: Raging violence displaces more than 85,000 civilians, says UN refugee agency

9 February 2018  Surging violence across Yemen has resulted in the displacement of more than 85,000 people in just the last 10 weeks, the United Nations refugee agency reported Friday.

Yemen is the world's largest humanitarian crisis with more than 22 million in need, fuelled by ongoing conflict, a breakdown in public services and a collapsing economy.

"We are particularly concerned for those that remain in areas close to hostilities in Taiz and Hudaydah governorates," said Cecile Pouilly, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland.

"As a result of prolonged fighting in those two governorates, conditions continue to deteriorate, exposing people to violence and disease without access to basic services," she added, noting that the agency was "alarmed" as hundreds of people are forced to flee their homes each day, due to increasing military operations, particularly on the west coast.

Most of those displaced in these two governorates are trapped inside their homes or in caves as ground clashes, aerial bombardment and sniper fire rage around them.

In addition to new displacements from those fleeing the coast, UNHCR is also observing a spike from other frontline areas, including Yemen's border governorates.

Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched an appeal for $96.2 million to fund its 2018 response for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

"Three years of conflict have inflicted suffering on millions, affecting every Yemeni  man, woman or child," said William Lacy Swing, the UN migration agency's Director General, from its headquarters in Geneva.

"With armed conflict ongoing, a stalled peace process and an economic blockade, Yemen is in the grips of a devastating protracted humanitarian and developmental crisis," he added.

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Yemeni snipers kill four Saudi soldiers in retaliatory attacks

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 05:41PM

Yemeni army soldiers, backed by fighters from allied Popular Committees, have shot dead four Saudi troopers in the kingdom's southwestern border regions of Asir and Jizan, in retaliation for the Riyadh regime's military campaign against the crisis-hit country.

A Yemeni military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that Yemeni forces shot and killed three soldiers at Sahwa military base of Asir on Saturday afternoon.

Yemeni forces and their allies also targeted another Saudi trooper in al-Khobe district of Jizan, located 966 kilometers south of the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Separately, Yemeni army soldiers and Popular Committees fighters killed six Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to Yemen's former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, in the al-Matun district of Yemen's northern province of al-Jawf.

Elsewhere in the Nihm district of the northwestern Yemeni province of Sa'ada, Yemeni army soldiers and their allies launched an attack against Saudi mercenaries, leaving scores of them dead or injured. Two vehicles belonging to the Saudi-sponsored forces were destroyed as well.

Moreover, Saudi military aircraft carried out six airstrikes against al-Dhaher district of Yemen's Sa'ada province, with no reports of casualties immediately available.

Saudi fighter jets also launched nine aerial attacks against Harad and Midi districts in the northern Yemeni province of Hajjah, though no casualties have so far been reported.

At least 13,600 people have been killed since the onset of Saudi Arabia's military campaign against Yemen in 2015. Much of the country's infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and factories, has been reduced to rubble due to the war.

The Saudi-led war has also triggered a deadly cholera epidemic across Yemen.

According to the World Health Organization's latest tally, the cholera outbreak has killed 2,167 people since the end of April 2017 and is suspected to have infected 841,906.

In November 2017, the United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, said more than 11 million children in Yemen were in acute need of aid, stressing that it was estimated that every 10 minutes a child died of a preventable disease there.

Additionally, the UN has described the current level of hunger in Yemen as "unprecedented," emphasizing that 17 million people were food insecure in the country.

The world body says that 6.8 million, meaning almost one in four people, do not have enough food and rely entirely on external assistance.

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Taliban kill 6 policemen in Afghanistan's Helmand

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 01:52PM

At least six local policemen have been killed and several others wounded in a militant attack on their checkpoints in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand.

District police chief Amanullah, who goes by only one name, said Saturday that the assault was carried out the previous night in Nawa district.

Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, in a statement sent to media claimed responsibility for the attack. He said 15 members of local security forces were killed after Taliban fighters overran three checkpoints.

In a separate attack, heavily-armed gunmen killed a district judge in the western province of Herat.

Iqbal Nezami, a spokesman for the provincial police in Ghor province, said Mawlavi Baz Mohammad was on his way from Ghor to Herat when gunmen forced him out of his vehicle and killed him in Shandand district. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the killing.

The rise in attacks by the Taliban over the past months has also raised doubts about the effectiveness of Washington's strategy in Afghanistan some 17 years after the United States and its allies invaded the country under the pretext of war on terror.

A new study has found that the Taliban militants are openly active in 70 percent of Afghanistan's soil, fully controlling four percent of the country and having presence in another 66 percent.

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Gunmen attack Indian army camp in Kashmir, kill two soldiers: Official

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 09:31AM

Two Indian troops have been killed and three more injured in the New Delhi-controlled side of disputed Kashmir in a gun battle between soldiers and militants hiding inside a military base, an official says.

Government Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri told local lawmakers in the restive region's legislative assembly on Saturday that the exchange of fire began earlier in the day and continued into afternoon hours.

Moreover, Police Chief S.D. Jamwal of the region's Jammu area further added that the armed men were holed up in the residential part of the military base where army service members and their families are housed.

He did not, however, mention how many gunmen were involved in the gun battle, but added that a soldier's daughter was also injured during the fire exchange at the army camp located on the outskirts of Jammu.

The area of the military installation was cordoned off following the gun battle and schools were shut down, local authorities added.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep among the mostly Muslim population of Kashmir, with most people supporting the cause of the militants fighting Indian rule.

Unrest has gripped Kashmir  which has been divided between India and neighboring Pakistan since the end of Britain's colonial rule in 1947 -- for years. Both sides claim the Himalayan region in its entirety.

Local people on the Indian-controlled side, however, have been demanding that the predominantly Muslim region be given independence or be merged with Pakistan.

Armed battles between Indian forces and pro-independence militants over the years have killed nearly 70,000 people, mostly civilians.

New Delhi accuses Pakistan of dispatching militants into Kashmir to wage attacks on its troops. Islamabad has persistently rejected the allegation.

The two nuclear rivals have also fought three wars over the control of the territory since their partition.

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Yemenis destroy Saudi-led missile system in Ta'izz with ballistic missile: Report

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 03:03AM

The Yemeni army, supported by allied fighters from the Houthi Ansarullah movement, has managed to successfully destroy a missile system run by Saudi Arabia's mercenary forces in Yemen's southwestern province of Ta'izz, a report says.

Brigadier Aziz Rashed, the deputy spokesman for the Houthi-allied army, told Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that the Friday attack completely destroyed the American-made MIM-104F (PAC-3) missile system installed near the port city of Mokha.

He further said that the missile launched by Yemeni forces hit the target with high precision and totally destroyed the advanced air shield. He added that the attack had paved the way for a larger operation to clean Yemen's western coast of the presence of the Saudi-led forces.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi officials on the missile attack.

On February 1, al-Masirah reported that Yemeni forces army forces, backed by Popular Committees, had launched a locally-designed Qaher M-2 ballistic missile against the Om al-Rish military base, run by the Saudi-led military coalition, in Yemen's central province of Ma'rib.

Yemeni forces' missile attacks are part of a national retaliation campaign against the Saudi aggression.

Since March 2015, the Saudi regime, together with a coalition of its allies, has been heavily bombarding Yemen as part of a brutal campaign against its impoverished southern neighbor. It has been attempting unsuccessfully to reinstall Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh.

The Saudi campaign has killed at least 13,600 people since its onset. Furthermore, much of the country's infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and factories, has been reduced to rubble in the Saudi war.

Famine and outbreaks of cholera and diphtheria are other results of the Saudi-led war.

Besides defending Yemen against the Saudi aggression, Ansarullah has also been running state affairs in the capital, Sana'a, in the absence of an effective administration.

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Moldova Says Troops To Join Military Maneuvers In Romania

February 10, 2018

The Moldovan Defense Ministry says its troops will participate in military exercises in Romania along with troops from the United States, Georgia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and the host country.

The announcement on February 9 said some 60 service members and 12 vehicles from Moldova will join the Platinum Eagle exercises on February 12-16 in Romania's Babadag military range.

In 2017, the Defense Ministry renounced plans to participate in that year's version of the exercises after pro-Russian President Igor Dodon refused to sign a decree allowing the deployment.

Dodon said his country's participation in the maneuvers was "inappropriate," claiming he wanted to keep Moldovan forces neutral in global affairs.

Dodon is frequently at odds on foreign policy with a government that favors closer ties with the European Union and the United States. Dodon favors deepening the country's integration with Russia and former Soviet states.

Dodon also attempted to prevent Moldovan troops from participating in the September 8-23, 2017, multinational military exercises in Ukraine. But he was overruled by the government, allowing the forces to join the U.S.-led military drills involving some 1,800 troops from 14 countries.

The Platinum Eagle event is aimed at enhancing the ability of the participating forces to fight together and to develop a regional environment favorable for multinational military cooperation, officials say.

Moldova's forces participated in the 2016 Platinum Eagle maneuvers.

Based on reporting by Interfax, TASS, Adevarul.md, and Stripesurse.ro

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moldova-soldiers-to-join- maneuvers-in-romania/29032147.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Senior Official Accuses Russia Of Meddling In Moldovan Politics

RFE/RL February 10, 2018

A senior Moldovan lawmaker has accused Russia of meddling in his country's domestic politics ahead of parliamentary elections later this year.

Parliament speaker Andrian Candu told reporters on February 9 that many officials were concerned that Moscow's interference will increase as the elections draw nearer.

Candu said his country was seeking "only one thing -- mutual respect" in its dealings with Russia, adding that relations should be based on "pragmatic cooperation and the understanding that Moldova is not anyone's slave or vassal state."

Moldova's government of Prime Minister Pavel Filip, which favors closer ties with the EU and the United States, has been at odds with pro-Moscow President Igor Dodon, who is advocating the country's deeper integration with Russia and former Soviet states.

Candu and Filip are both members of the pro-Western Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM).

Moldova's parliament on February 8 adopted a declaration condemning alleged Russian attacks on cybersecurity and accusing Moscow's secret services of financing Moldovan political parties.

Pro-Russian lawmakers protested the declaration and walked out of the session, with Dodon calling it "the most impulsive anti-Russian message" of the past 25 years.

Moldova's parliament last month passed a law that effectively banned the rebroadcasting of so-called "media propaganda" from Russia, mainly news, military, or political programs.

The country's Constitutional Court ruled that the government did not need Dodon's signature to enact the law.

Moldova last year accused Russia's intelligence service of intimidating 25 pro-European politicians and other officials, amid an ongoing probe into a $22 billion money-laundering case involving money sent from Russia to the private Moldinconbank.

"Pressure has been exerted on us," Candu claimed. "Our citizens have been groundlessly detained in Moscow airports. They were officials and ministers, among others. There is no respect.

"We extended our hand and for some reason were slapped in the face in response, extended our hand again and were slapped in the face again. And then we decided that we'd had enough," Candu said.

Relations began to deteriorate in 2014 after Moldova signed an Association Agreement with the European Union, leading Moscow to place an embargo on Moldovan wine, fruit, and vegetables.

With reporting by AP, RFE/RL's Moldovan Service, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moldova-russia -election-meddling-dodo n-candu/29031766.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Attack on Indian Army Camp in Kashmir Reportedly Leaves 2 Troops Killed

Sputnik News

19:16 10.02.2018

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A terrorist attack on the Sunjwan camp of the Indian army in the country's northern Jammu and Kashmir region left two soldiers and two terrorists killed, and nine other individuals injured, local media reported on Saturday.

Three or four suspected members of the Jaish-e-Mohammed group attacked the camp at around 05:00 a. m. (23:30 GMT on Friday), The Indian Express reported.

According to the same outlet, citing the Indian military, the two killed terrorists were equipped with assault riffles, a lot of munition, and hand grenades.

The area of the army camp is currently cordoned off by the authorities. The operation will continue until all terrorists are detained or killed, the reports added.

Intelligence has warned that Jaish-e-Mohammed militants might stage an attack on the army and security services in the view of death anniversary of a prominent regional separatist Mohammad Afzal Guru, which was celebrated on Friday, the outlet added.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed group has repeatedly perpetrated attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. The group, which is affiliated with Taliban militants and al-Qaeda terrorist organization (banned in Russia), aims to separate the Kashmir region from India and to merge it into neighboring Pakistan.

 Sputnik

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Egyptian Aviation Strikes Extremists' Targets in Sinai Peninsula - Army

Sputnik News

18:30 10.02.2018

CAIRO (Sputnik)  The Egyptian military conducted a series of airstrikes on terrorists' infrastructure including munitions and weapons hideouts in the northern and central parts of the Sinai Peninsula, the country's army said in a statement on Saturday.

The Egyptian forces destroyed the terrorists' warehouses containing weapons, munitions, and explosives, the statement read.

The country's military personnel supported by the Interior Ministry also held raids in settlements on the Sinai Peninsula. The forces established road checkpoints for identifying criminals and preventing them from leaving the peninsula, the document added.

The army is patrolling border territories and Mediterranean coastal area, the statement continued.

The Egyptian army called on the country's residents to cooperate with the law enforcement and report about terror suspects threatening stability and security of the country.

On Friday, Cairo started a major anti-terror operation in the area.

Cairo has been holding anti-terror activities on the Sinai Peninsula, where militants have repeatedly staged deadly attacks, for years. In 2014, the state of emergency has been introduced on the peninsula after militants attacked Egyptian security officers in the area.

In late December, Egypt's President Abdel Fatah Sisi ordered the country's armed forces to end militant activities on the peninsula within three months.

 Sputnik

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Egypt Continues Sinai Security Effort Amid Reports of Israeli Help

By Jamie Dettmer February 10, 2018

Egypt's armed forces Saturday continued what it describes as "intensive airstrikes against terrorist targets and gatherings" in Central and North Sinai.

An Egyptian Army spokesperson, in a statement Saturday, confirmed the military operation will continue but gave no details or numbers on casualties or arrests.

The military campaign is part of what the Egyptian government calls "Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018." The mission, announced Friday, is intended to target "terrorist and criminal elements and organizations" across Egypt.

"The armed forces and the police assert their determination to uproot terrorism and to achieve peace and stability," said Colonel Tamer al-Rifai in the statement.

Egypt is quietly carrying out the operation with cooperation from Israel. The countries fought three wars but now face a common foe, say analysts, in an attempt to stop a jihadist insurgency in the Sinai. Last year, militants attacked a Sufi mosque in the region, killing 311 worshipers. The Sinai borders Israel and the Gaza Strip and has long been a bastion for Islamic insurgent groups tied to al-Qaida.

Israeli airstrikes in the Sinai are targeted individuals or small groups of militants as opposed to infrastructure, according to media reports.

Unlikely partners

The growing military cooperation between Israel and Egypt has long been rumored and in June, Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) noted that if the frequent claims of anti-terror coordination were accurate it would show "the level of trust between the nations has reached the point where Israel is providing various military, technological and operational intelligence to Egypt and is operating attack UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] in Sinai with Cairo's approval."

Relations between Egypt and Israel have improved dramatically since the army ousted Islamist Mohamed Morsi from the presidency in July, 2013.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi reinstated an ambassador in Tel Aviv in 2016, reversing Morsi's withdrawal of the envoy to protest a 2012 Israeli assault on Gaza. The same year Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Israel, making a trip to the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was the first time an Egyptian foreign minister had visited Israel in two decades.

And last September Sissi met Netanyahu for the first time in public, the encounter coming ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. But the pair had talked, according to the Egyptian leader, frequently before then. In a 2015 interview with The Washington Post, Sissi said he talked "a lot" with the Israeli prime minister, part of an effort to "reassure him that achieving peace [with the Palestinians] will be a historic deal for him and for Israel, and that we are ready to help reach this peace."

He said also that the high level of trust between them had been demonstrated by Israel's willingness to authorize Egypt to deploy more troops and attack helicopters in the Sinai that are permitted by the 1979 Camp David peace accord between the two countries. "The hostile mood and skepticism have diminished with peace with Israel," Sissi said.

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Observers Call for Deeper Diplomatic Engagement in the Sahel

By Salem Solomon February 10, 2018

A draft of a Pentagon report on the attack in Niger that killed four American soldiers, four Nigerien soldiers and an Nigerien interpreter last October calls for a smaller, more cautious U.S. military presence in West Africa, according to sources who spoke to The New York Times.

That could emphasize the need for deeper diplomatic and political engagement in the Sahel, given ongoing security challenges and difficulties in funding and coordinating a regional task force.

Militant groups

Details about who is responsible for the October 4 attack have been difficult to confirm. However, U.S. and Nigerien forces blamed Islamic State fighters shortly after the ambush in the Tillaberi region of Niger.

The Sahel region faces numerous security challenges, with jihadist militant groups expanding across lawless regions of Niger and Mali. Without state security forces to stop them, local militants have proliferated.

"There is almost no Malian administration on the other side of the border. I mean, right now it's extremely problematic for the Malian forces to get out of the main cities in the north, so they are almost not in a position to go up to the border," said Jean-Herve Jezequel, the West Africa deputy project director at the International Crisis Group, an organization working to prevent global conflict.

Jihadist militants may claim allegiance to IS or al-Qaida, but they often have weak connections to major terrorist organizations. These groups attract young men with few prospects, who pick up guns to survive, often with no ideological reasons to fight, Jezequel said.

Mediating dialogue

Jezequel sees two ways forward: increasing the military presence  an option that looks less likely given the Pentagon's new report  or deepening political and diplomatic engagement.

"You have elements that are not hard-core jihadi fighters, who don't want really to fight the state. What they're looking for is a position in their own society, and sometimes they're looking for [an] exit strategy," Jezequel said.

That creates space for dialogue, Jezequel added, so long as there's coordination with the military and at least a temporary halt on attacks.

The Pentagon's recommendation comes after significant political fallout in the U.S. following the Niger attack, with some members of Congress raising sharp questions about why the American presence in the Sahel has grown to 1,300 personnel and whether enough oversight has been exerted.

The newly formed regional G5 Sahel joint task force, meanwhile, has been hamstrung by low funding and disagreements among member states about who's contributing what, underscoring the need for an immediate solution to West Africa's deteriorating security situation.

For Jezequel, that means expanding the Western presence by increasing financial assistance and mediating dialogue between different regional actors.

"In the past there have been a lot of misunderstandings between Mali and Mauritania, for instance, Niger and Mali sometimes, so there is a need  to restore some form of common understanding  of trust  between the states," he said.

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Report: Military Probe Calls for Fewer Ground Missions in West Africa After Niger Ambush

By VOA News February 10, 2018

The New York Times is reporting that a draft military investigation into the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Niger last year calls for the Pentagon to reduce the number of ground missions in West Africa.

Military officials with knowledge of the findings told the newspaper the investigation also concludes that commanders in the field should have less authority to send troops on potentially high-risk patrols. Higher-level commanders will now need to approve certain missions that carry a higher risk.

No drawdown in Libya, Somalia

The officials say U.S. troops will continue to carry out joint patrols with local military forces, but say military officials will more thoroughly vet such missions, according to the paper. The officials said missions would not be scaled back in Libya or Somalia, where U.S. troops have been working with local forces to fight Islamic State and al-Shabab militants.

The draft investigation findings have not yet been released to the public.

The Times said the military investigation describes a string of errors that led to the deaths of the Americans, including bad decision-making and a breakdown in communication.

October ambush in Niger

Pentagon and Nigerien defense officials said Islamic State fighters ambushed their forces Oct. 4, killing four American soldiers, four Nigerien soldiers and a Nigerien interpreter.

In the attack, a group of 12 members of a U.S. Special Operations Task Force had accompanied 30 Nigerian forces on a reconnaissance mission from the capital city of Niamey to an area near Tongo Tongo.

Members of the team had just completed a meeting with local leaders and were walking back to their vehicles when they were attacked, U.S. officials told VOA.

The soldiers said the meeting ran late, and some suspected the villagers were intentionally delaying their departure, one of the officials said.

About 1,300 U.S. military personnel work in the Lake Chad Basin  Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad  to help strengthen local militaries and counter Boko Haram, al-Qaida, IS and other extremist groups.

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Upsurge in Yemen Fighting Sends Thousands Fleeing

By Lisa Schlein February 10, 2018

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR reports an upsurge in violence in battle-scarred Yemen has sent more than 85,000 people fleeing for their lives in the past 10 weeks, adding to the already huge displacement that exists across the country.

More than two million people have become internally displaced in Yemen since March 2015. That is when a Saudi-led coalition began a bombing campaign against Houthi rebels in support of Yemen's government.

The UNHCR is alarmed by the recent escalation of fighting that has uprooted tens of thousands of civilians since December 1. It says most of the new displacement is taking place in Yemen's west coast cities of Al Hudaydah and Taizz.

UNHCR spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly says there is particular concern about the welfare of civilians who remain close to hostilities in these areas.

"As a result of prolonged fighting in those two governorates, conditions continue to deteriorate, exposing people to violence and disease, without access to basic services. Most of those displaced in the governorates of Al Hudaydah and Taizz remain hosted by relatives or friends, trapped inside homes or in caves as ground clashes, aerial bombardment and sniper fire rage around them," Pouilly said.

Yemen, scene of the world's largest humanitarian crisis, has more than 22 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Aid agencies warn needs are increasing - fueled by the ongoing conflict, collapsing economy, lack of social services and livelihoods.

Pouilly said her agency is worried it will not have the money to help all those in need. She said UNHCR's $200 million appeal for this year, so far, is only three percent funded.

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US Clamping Down on Islamic State's Global Network

By Jeff Seldin February 09, 2018

The United States is ramping up pressure on regional and local Islamic State operatives and facilitators, part of an effort to shut down the terror group's global financial lifeline.

The U.S. Treasury Department Friday announced sanctions against a series of individuals and companies from Somalia, Turkey and the Philippines, describing the moves as part of a larger campaign targeting networks that helped give the terror group access to money, weapons and even drones.

"Each individual and entity targeted has contributed to the spread of ISIS's terror reach in their respective corner of the world," Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker said in a statement, using an acronym for the terror group.

At least one of the individuals is in custody.

Abdulpatta Escalon Abubakar was detained in September by Philippine authorities at the airport in Manila, after flying in from Saudi Arabia.

Working with IS

U.S. officials said Abubakar had been working with IS since at least the start of 2016 and had helped transfer tens of thousands of dollars to the IS affiliate in the Philippines. It is thought he also worked with the affiliate's now deceased leader, Isnilon Hapilon, to acquire weapons and explosives.

Treasury officials also sanctioned two businessmen, one from Turkey and one from Somalia.

Officials said Yunus Emre Sakarya set up his company, Profesyoneller Elektronik, in Turkey in 2015 and used it as a front for IS, helping the terror group acquire more than $500,000 in components for unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

In Somalia, where IS has been struggling for years to establish a presence to compete with the al-Qaida-affiliated terror group al-Shabab, U.S. officials targeted Mohamed Mire Ali Yusuf, a well-known smuggler.

U.S. officials said Yusuf used his livestock trading company to help funnel money to Abdulkadir Mumin, the leader of IS in Somalia.

But Yusuf's activities on behalf of IS may have been even more extensive. In 2016, a United Nations task force tied him to a larger network of smugglers who have supplied multiple groups. And two Somali government sources told VOA's Somali service that Yusuf maintains several boats and has run weapons and other contraband between Yemen, Dubai and Somalia.

The Somali officials also said Yusuf arranged for weapons shipments to IS in Somalia on multiple occasions.

'Isolating nodes' in IS network

Some analysts see the targeting of operators like Yusuf as a positive sign.

"Treasury is doing its part to isolate nodes in the global Islamic State logistics network that provides support for the militants' transnational operations and on-the-ground activities," said Jade Parker, a senior research associate at the Terror Asymmetrics Project.

For months, U.S. and Western intelligence officials have warned that despite the collapse of its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria, IS had managed to preserve its lines of communication as well as some of its logistical capabilities.

A key part of that success, they said, was the result of the close relationship IS had forged with smugglers and other global criminal organizations.

Analysts like Parker hope the latest round of sanctions is an indication the U.S. and its partner may be starting to make a dent in that loose but beneficial alliance.

"By designating, and ultimately removing, these actors from their financial and material support roles, it provides international entities and local authorities leverage to further degrade the capabilities of Islamic State affiliates," she said. "I anticipate we'll see many more of these kinds of designations going forward."

Harun Maruf with VOA's Somali service contributed to this report.

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China Denies Reports It's Building Military Base in Pakistan

Sputnik News

22:11 09.02.2018

Unverified reports have surfaced claiming that China may be in the process of acquiring land in Pakistan to build its second-ever military base outside of its sovereign territory. Beijing has denied that they have any such plans.

The Washington Times reported that Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers met with their Pakistani counterparts to finalize plans for the base. It is to be located in Jiwani, a port town in southwest Pakistan that is about 50 miles west of the port city of Gwadar.

The reports further indicate that starting in July, China would begin to expand Jiwani's airport to handle large military aircraft. Large-scale construction activity might disrupt the local population, however, which could wrap China up in the ongoing Balochistan insurgency. The province is host to numerous separatist groups who have engaged in a low-level insurgency since 2012.

Beijing already maintains a maritime presence in Gwadar for both commercial and military purposes. China has made the port key to their China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $62 billion economic initiative to modernize Pakistani infrastructure.

In an analysis of Chinese naval movements, The Diplomat suggested that Beijing was intent on preventing a naval blockade from damaging their economy by opening a variety of shipping lanes.

On Pakistan's part, their increased pivot to the Chinese camp may be a response to freezing relations with the US. After US President Donald Trump loudly accused Pakistan of harboring terrorists and militant groups, Islamabad accused Washington of "abandoning" them.

China denied the reports as "unnecessary" and said it had no plans to build such a base.

China formally opened their first overseas base in August 2017, a naval base at the Port of Doraleh in the East African nation of Djibouti. France, Italy, Japan and the US have all similarly taken advantage of Djibouti's political stability and strategic location to set up permanent military encampments in the tiny country.

China has also secured a 99-year lease to the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka. In July, a Chinese state consortium purchased a controlling interest in the deep-water port currently under construction. However, Colombo promised India that they would not allow China to militarize the base and it would solely be used for commercial purposes.

"Going back a decade, a lot of Indian strategists were concerned about and publicly complaining about the possibility China would build a string-of-pearls of port facilities and logistics facilities along the Indian Ocean rim and those concerns were sort of downplayed at the time," said Jeff Smith, a research fellow for South Asia at the Heritage Foundation, during a House Foreign Relations hearing on Pakistan.

"But I think they may have just come a decade too early, because what we have seen in recent years is that China does have plans for military facilities and installations."

 Sputnik

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China's J-20 Stealth Jet Lines Up For Combat Duty in Disputed South China Sea

Sputnik News

22:05 09.02.2018

China's J-20 stealth fighter jet, one of the few fifth-generation jets in the world, has been deployed to the South China Sea and is armed with live weapons to patrol the disputed waters.

"We just received a group of jets from Russia and inaugurated the J-20 last year, and now we can put them into a real combat mission in the South China Sea," says Xu Guangyu, senior adviser to the the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, as quoted by the Global Times Friday.

At the end of 2017, Russia completed the delivery of 24 Su-35s Beijing ordered in 2015 for about $2 billion. Aside from the J-20, the Su-35 "is more advanced that other Chinese fighter jets at this moment," Xu said.

"The appearance of advanced People's Liberation Army fighter jets capable of attacking surface combat vessels in this region is sort of a reaction to the provocation by the US," Xu continued.

In January 2018, a US Navy destroyer sailed a bit too close for comfort to an island in the South China Sea disputed by China and the Philippines.

Analysts say the J-20 may have a limited impact on the situation in the South China Sea, the Asia Times notes, as the aircraft are not designed for maritime patrols but air superiority over land held by an enemy. In addition to "production bottlenecks" limiting the total production of J-20s, "the high temperatures, humidity and brine corrosion there will render the J-20's stealth coating ineffective after prolonged exposure to such an environment," the publication notes.

The J-20s and Su-35s can be stationed on China's collection of "unsinkable aircraft carriers" thanks to Beijing's prolific island-construction and land reclamation efforts in the South China Sea, which has included the construction of airstrips and hangar facilities.

"The J-20 will also change the history of the air force in the Asia-Pacific region. In the past, only the US and its allies like Japan were capable of arming stealth fighter jets," military analyst Song Zongping explains. "But now, their monopoly in this region has been broken by China's J-20."

 Sputnik

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US threatens N Korea with war as 2 Koreas take leap towards peace

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 04:06PM

The United States has yet again threatened North Korea with a military action as South Korea is witnessing a breakthrough in its relations with Pyongyang for the first time in more than 60 years.

Vice President Mike Pence, who has led a delegating of US officials to attend the Olympic Games in South Korea, said in an exclusive interview with NBC News that Washington was not ruling out military options as tensions continued to roil the Korean Peninsula.

On the sidelines of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Pence said the United States would protect itself from North Korea's by taking whatever "action is necessary to defend our homeland."

"We're going to continue to put all the pressure to bear economically and diplomatically, while preserving all of our military options to see that that happens," he added.

Pence further said that Washington will "make it crystal clear that our military, the Japanese self-defense forces, our allies here in South Korea, all of our allies across the region, are, are fully prepared to defend our nations and to take what is  action is necessary to defend our homeland."

Pence tough remarks stand in stark contrast with the most recent development in the relations between South Korea and its rival, the North, who are even setting up a meeting between their leaders.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in received a formal invitation from North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un to visit Pyongyang later this year. The invitation was delivered to him by Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, during a historic meeting between North and South Korean officials at Seoul's presidential palace on Saturday

If takes place, Moon's travel to Pyongyang will mark the first summit between Kim and his southern counterpart.

Moon even made efforts to facilitate a meeting between North Korean and American officials in his country, but Pence passed up several opportunities during the opening ceremony in Pyeongchang.

According to South Korean media reports, Pence deliberately came late to a VIP gathering on Friday evening and then snubbed officials from Pyongyang.

US officials traveling with Pence, however, claimed that the vice president did not deliberately snub North Korean officials.

Pence were in close proximity to North Koreans, including Kim's sister and the nominal head of state, Kim Yong-nam. The US officials said that if the North Koreans had approached Pence with pleasantries, he would have responded in kind.

The US and North Korea have been engaged in years of hostility that have been worsening lately with exchanges of military threats between US President Donald Trump and Kim.

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North Korean Leader Invites South Korean President to Pyongyang - Reports

Sputnik News

09:49 10.02.2018(updated 10:13 10.02.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang for a third intra-Korean summit, media reported on Saturday.

The invitation to visit Pyongyang at the "earliest date" was delivered by Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong, the Yonhap news agency reported citing presidential administration.

Kim Yo Jong is a member of the North Korean government delegation that arrived at the opening of the Olympics in Pyeongchang. On Saturday morning she, along with other high-ranking members of the delegation, visited the presidential palace and attended a dinner hosted by the President of South Korea. According to the agency, the delegates were invited in person.

"Let us make it happen by creating the necessary conditions in the future," Moon was quoted as saying by presidential administration's spokeswoman, according to the Yonhap news agency.

"An early resumption of dialogue between the United States and the North is needed also for the development of the South-North Korean relationship," Moon's quote read further.

A visit by Moon to the North would enable the first summit between leaders from the two Koreas since 2007.

 Sputnik

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Pence: US, Allies United in Campaign to End North Korea's Nuclear Program

By Steve Herman February 10, 2018

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence left South Korea Saturday saying the U.S. and its allies are more committed than ever to dismantle North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs.

"We are going to continue to stand together, along with our other allies and partners, to continue to intensify the economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea until they permanently abandon their nuclear, ballistic missile program," Pence told reporters aboard Air Force Two on a return flight to the United States.

The vice president said he was "encouraged" by bilateral discussions with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Moon's talks with members of North Korea's delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics, which included Kim Yo Jong, the influential and younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

When asked if his commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea is personal because his father served in the Korean War, Pence responded, "The whole global community is committed, with a few exceptions, to denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. And I share that."

Pence, President Moon and top representatives from North Korea shared a VIP box at Friday's opening of the Olympics, although Pence avoided interaction with the North Korean officials.

Pence and his wife, Karen, sat next to Moon, in the same row as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Pences donned the red, white and blue Team USA winter jackets.

The North Koreans -- Kim Yong Nam and Kim Yo Jong -- were also in the box, seated in a row behind the Pences.

Kim Yo Jong is a key adviser to her brother. She is the first member of the North's longtime ruling family to visit the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

According to Pence's office, there was "no interaction" between the U.S. vice president and the North Korean officials.

"He [Pence] could have sat with the U.S. delegation and avoided the box but he chose not to ... knowing the North Koreans would be seated behind him," said a U.S. official. The vice president wanted to show the "alliance was strong" by sitting with Moon and Abe. However, "If they [the North Koreans] had approached him (in the box), he would have responded," added the official.

The United Nations allowed the North Korean delegation to travel to South Korea for the Olympics, granting an exemption on sanctions against the repressive regime.

During the trip, Pence has kept up pressure on the North over its nuclear ambitions and human rights record.

Fred Warmbier attended the opening ceremony as Pence's guest. His son, Otto Warmbier, died after being returned to the U.S. with extensive brain damage he suffered while being detained in North Korea.

VOA's Brian Padden contributed to this report.

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US withdrawal from JCPOA, big strategic mistake: Rouhani

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 05:23PM

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the United States will make a "big strategic mistake" if it decides to pull out of the 2015 multilateral agreement on Tehran's nuclear program.

Speaking during a meeting with a group of ambassadors and heads of foreign organizations in Tehran on Saturday, Rouhani added that the world would see that Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), would be the "US' biggest folly in its political relations with the world and particularly with our region."

He emphasized that Iran has never violated its commitments under the JCPOA and expressed hope the nuclear deal would remain solid and turn into an appropriate model of solving regional and international issues.

Rouhani said Iran would not be the first to violate the landmark accord, but added that it has appropriate plans should the US move to exit the JCPOA.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council  the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China  plus Germany signed the nuclear agreement on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly described the JCPOA, which was negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama, as "the worst and most one-sided transaction Washington has ever entered into," a characterization he often used during his presidential campaign, and threatened to tear it up.

The American head of state has repeatedly claimed that Iran's missile program is in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the JCPOA.

Trump has also complained that the JCPOA-related restrictions have an expiration date and that underscores the need to toughen the "embarrassing" deal.

A senior Iranian official also on Saturday reiterated the Islamic Republic's "legitimate" right to use missiles for its defense, saying the country does not need permission from any state to bolster its missile program.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will not seek anybody's permission to develop its missile capabilities and will use missiles in any way and quantity it deems necessary, and this is a legitimate right of Iran," Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on international affairs, said.

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani also told Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam news channel in an interview last month that the idea of making revisions to the JCPOA is brazen, stressing that the suggestion is a mere delusion entertained by Trump.

Shamkhani said Washington's recent attempts to jeopardize the nuclear accord were illegal, adding that there is no possibility of renegotiating the JCPOA under any circumstances.

Iran ready for investment in oil, gas, petrochemistry

Rouhani also said Iran enjoys high security and rich energy resources, adding that the country welcomes foreign investment in various sectors, including oil, gas and petrochemistry.

The Iranian president noted that the country has played a very active role in repelling threats against the region, including terrorism and separatism, in recent years and urged the settlement of regional crises only through political approaches.

"The military solution and foreign intervention as well as the flow of arms are not an appropriate solution to problems," he said.

He expressed the Islamic Republic's readiness to play a more active role to restore stability and security to the region in cooperation with all countries.

Iran has been providing military advisory support to Syria as well as Iraq in their campaign against terrorism at the request of the two countries' governments.

A senior Iranian official said in January that Iranian military advisory forces entered Syria at the request of the Syrian government and would leave the Arab country after the success of the fight against terrorism.

Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the Iranian foreign minister's senior assistant for special political affairs, said, "It is obvious that once their job is finished, after their mission is accomplished they will withdraw from the Syrian territory, in agreement with Syria."

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IRGC 'continues to monitor Daesh despite terror group's territorial loss'

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 09:49AM

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it is continuing to closely monitor the activities of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group even as the terror outfit has lost all of the territory that it once controlled as well as its organized structure.

IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif told IRNA news agency on Saturday that the force "has monitored Daesh's strategies and geographical scope, and that observation continues still."

He said the IRGC had now obtained "a good knowledge" of the terrorist group.

Daesh started offensives in Iraq and Syria in 2014, occupying territory in the two Arab countries and establishing a self-proclaimed "caliphate." Soon, the Iraqi and Syrian armies  both receiving advisory military help from Iran  galvanized to retake Daesh-held territory.

The terrorist group was gradually stripped of all the land it had occupied in the two Arab countries, and Iran's Major General Qassem Soleimani, who commands the IRGC's Quds Force, declared the end of Daesh's territorial rule in a letter addressed to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on November 21, 2017.

In his Saturday remarks, Brigadier General Sharif referred to Major General Soleimani's letter, reaffirming that while Daesh was no more in control of territory and had no organized bureaucratic and logistical structure, it continued to promulgate its ideology and engage in subversive activities.

He said the IRGC would never allow the re-emergence of Daesh in Iran's periphery.

Since losing the territory it had overrun, Daesh has been attempting to relocate to Afghanistan, where it has already gained a foothold.

Ayatollah Khamenei said recently that the United States was relocating Daesh to Afghanistan.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that in so doing, the US was attempting to rationalize its military presence in the region.

Since emergence in Afghanistan, Daesh has carried out a number of deadly terrorist attacks in the Asian country.

Ramezan stressed that the group should not be allowed to take root there.

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US has no plan to contribute to rebuilding post-Daesh Iraq: Officials

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 9, 2018 10:18AM

US and Western officials say Washington has no plan to allocate money to the reconstruction of Iraq, ravaged by the war against the Takfiri Daesh terror group, at an upcoming international fund-raising conference in Kuwait.

The officials told Reuters on Thursday that Washington does not plan to contribute any money at the conference in Kuwait next week to fund the rebuilding of the war-ridden country.

"Absolutely nothing," said a Western official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, when asked whether Washington would announce any financial contributions at the conference to fund long-term reconstruction projects.

A US official also said, "We are not planning to announce anything" at the conference, which will be attended by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The official, however, said Tillerson could still decide closer to the time to announce a contribution.

Commenting on the issue, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, "I'm not aware of any announcements that we will be making."

Former head of the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, Jeremy Konyndyk, said by not contributing to reconstruction, especially in combat-ravaged areas, the Trump administration could help set the stage for new militancy.

"We've seen this movie before. There is a very real risk if the US doesn't put money into reconstruction, that having just won the battle, you lose the peace," said Konyndyk, who now works for the Center for Global Development think tank.

James Jeffrey, a former US ambassador to Iraq said, "The fact that we're not putting any money up will weaken our case, and that's unfortunate."

An unnamed US official in Baghdad said, "What we are trying to do in Kuwait next week is to put together companies that want to look at Iraq ... and possibly also talk about ways to finance projects."

US President Donald Trump said during the 2016 US presidential campaign that if elected "the era of nation-building will be ended."

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said his country needs up to $100 billion to rebuild territories that have been torn apart by Daesh.

The Takfiri terrorists captured areas in the north and west of Iraq in 2014 and even managed to reach areas near the capital Baghdad. However, Iraq recaptured the cities, towns and villages one by one, and authorities declared after the liberation of Mosul last July that the country was effectively purged of militants.

The development comes as NATO diplomats said Washington is pressing the Western military alliance to set up a long-term mission in post-Daesh Iraq.

Reuters cited five senior NATO diplomats as saying on Wednesday that US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis sent a letter to NATO headquarters in January, calling for a formal NATO mission to Iraq with a semi-permanent or permanent command to purportedly train Iraqi forces.

Months after Daesh emerged in Iraq, the US and its allies began a military campaign in Iraq under the pretext of fighting the terror group. The US-led alliance did little to eliminate Daesh, but faced repeated accusations of targeting civilians and aiding Daesh terrorists.

The volunteer forces helping the Iraqi army on the battlefield said on numerous occasions that they have documented evidence showing Washington provides the terrorists with weapons and military support.

The US new plan for Iraq comes as many Iraqi people are calling on US troops to leave Iraq now that the Takfiri group is defeated in the Arab country.

On Tuesday, the Iraqi premier unveiled a plan for the gradual drawdown of US-led coalition forces from Iraq after the collapse of Daesh.

Iraq has been wracked by a vicious cycle of violence since the US invasion of the country in 2003, which has destroyed the nation's infrastructures.

In January 2009, the United States opened its largest and most expensive $700 million embassy ever built in Iraq, suggesting that Washington was set for a long haul in the Arab country.

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Netanyahu Vows To Defend Israel Against Iran

RFE/RL February 10, 2018

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country wants peace but will continue to defend itself against Iran.

His comments on February 10 came after antiaircraft fire downed an Israeli warplane returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria.

Netanyahu said he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I reiterated to him our obligation and right to defend ourselves against attacks from Syrian territory. We agreed coordination between our armies would continue," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu added that he had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The United States "strongly supports" Israel's right to defend itself, the State Department spokeswoman later said.

"Iran's calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance, places all the people of the region -- from Yemen to Lebanon -- at risk," Heather Nauert said.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the Israeli strikes in Syria and urged the sides to avoid escalating the situation.

The Israeli military said its planes struck 12 targets on February 10, including three air-defense batteries and four Iranian targets that are part of Iran's military establishment in Syria.

The attack came after Israel said it shot down an Iranian drone that infiltrated the country. An Israeli F-16 was subsequently hit by Syrian antiaircraft fire and crashed in northern Israel.

The Israeli military said one of its pilots had been seriously wounded after the warplane came under Syrian fire. A second pilot was lightly wounded.

An Israeli military spokesman said Iran was "playing with fire" by infiltrating Israeli airspace and would pay a heavy price.

Iran rejected Israel's version of the events as "ridiculous" and "lies," saying Syria had the right to defend itself in response to the strikes.

The Syrian military and its allies denied the unmanned drone Israel says it shot down violated the Jewish state's airspace, saying it was on a regular mission to gather intelligence on Islamic State militants.

Iran and Russia support the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's nearly seven-year civil war. The United States and Turkey back differing rebel groups fighting Assad's government.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/israel-iran-syria-fighter- jet-shot-down/29031815.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Israeli Jet Fighter Crashes in Country's North

Sputnik News

08:06 10.02.2018(updated 10:59 10.02.2018)

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - An Israeli Air Force jet came down in the country's north, an army spokesperson told Sputnik on Saturday.

"I can confirm that a plane crashed in northern Israel. We have no information about casualties," the spokesperson said. She did not comment on the cause of the crash.

An Israeli television channel reported that the crashed plane was an F-16 fighter jet. Earlier, the Israeli army announced that its helicopter downed an Iranian drone and struck at what the Israeli military claimed to be Iranian targets in Syria, prompting fire from the Syrian air defense systems.

Recently, local media reported that Israeli military carried out several airstrikes on Syrian territory. This has prompted Damascus to react by writing letters to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and to the UN Security Council, asking for help.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry also accused Tel Aviv of coordinating its actions with terrorist groups, saying that Israel poses a threat to global security.

 Sputnik

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US, Israel Say Israel Has Right to Defend Itself

By VOA News February 10, 2018

The U.S. Defense Department said Saturday that Israel was entitled to protect itself against acts of aggression. The statement was made after Israel attacked a dozen Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria earlier in the day.

"Israel is our closest security partner in the region and we fully support Israel's inherent right to defend itself against threats to its territory and its people," said Pentagon spokesman Adrian Rankine-Galloway, adding that the U.S. was not involved in the attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed similar remarks after speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia is militarily supporting the Syrian government in its war against rebel and jihadist forces.

"I reiterated to him our obligation and right to defend ourselves against attacks from Syrian territory. We agreed coordination between our armies would continue," said Netanyahu, who also discussed the strike with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The State Department later released a statement saying, "The United States is deeply concerned about today's escalation of violence over Israel's border and strongly supports Israel's sovereign right to defend itself."

The Israeli attack consisted of waves airstrikes inside Syria, launched after an Iranian drone infiltrated Israeli territory on the disputed Golan Heights and was shot down. The Israeli army said a "large-scale attack" destroyed at least a dozen Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria.

Also, anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli F-16 fighter jet in Israel that was returning from the raid on Iranian-backed positions in Syria. The two pilots ejected; Israel said one pilot was severely injured and the other was slightly injured.

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Ronen Manelis said, "Iran is dragging the region into a situation in which it doesn't know how it will end. We are prepared for a variety of incidents ... whoever is responsible for this incident is the one who will pay the price."

The Syrian attack resulted in air raid sirens being activated in the Golan Heights and Beit She'an, but no casualties were reported.

"The IDF will continue to operate against attempts to infiltrate Israeli airspace and will act with determination to prevent any violations of Israel's sovereignty," an IDF spokesperson said Saturday.

Iranian efforts

Saturday's clashes occurred amid warnings from Israeli leaders that they will not tolerate growing efforts by Iran to establish military bases in Syria and Lebanon that could be used to launch attacks against the Jewish State.

Reuven Ben Shalom, a former Israeli fighter pilot, says Israel's quick interception of the drone and surgical strikes on Syrian and Iranian targets sent a clear message to the other side.

"This demonstrates our capabilities, demonstrates our resolve not to allow the breach of Israeli sovereignty. That means we can do whatever we want to do, we can take out any component we want, wherever we want. And I think it's good that our enemies learn and understand these capabilities," he said.

Nevertheless, in Damascus the incident was seen as a victory.

Syria's state media said Syria was responding to "new Israeli aggression," following the Israeli raid.

Feras Shehabi, a Syrian lawmaker, said Syria's response to Israel's assault signaled a "major shift in the balance of power in favor of Syria and the axis of resistance." He said "Israelis must realize they no longer have superiority in the skies or on the ground."

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At least 3 soldiers wounded in bomb attack in Libya's Sirte

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 04:04PM

A car bomb has hit a military checkpoint east of the Libyan city of Sirte, wounding at least three soldiers and destroying military vehicles.

The attack occurred at around 9:25 a.m. local time, 90 kilometers east of Sirte on Saturday.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Daesh Takfiri terrorists have recently shown increased activity in the south and east of Sirte.

Sirte, located on Libya's Mediterranean coast and on the line which divides rival militaries in the east and west of Libya, fell to Daesh in 2015 and it was liberated by Libyan forces, dominated by brigades based in the port city of Misrata, in December 2016.

The attack came a day after twin bomb blasts hit a mosque in Libya's second city of Benghazi, killing at least two people and injuring 75 others.

In January, a double car bombing in Benghazi also killed at least 35 outside a mosque in the center of the city as worshipers were leaving evening prayers.

Benghazi is controlled by forces of military strongman Khalifa Haftar, who opposes a UN-backed government based in Tripoli.

Benghazi has been relatively calm since Haftar announced the eastern city's "liberation" from militants in July last year after a three-year campaign. However, sporadic violence has continued.

Libya has been wracked by violence and divisions since dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed military invasion. The country has been since split between rival governments and militias.

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Human Rights Watch urges Myanmar to ensure aid to civilians in Kachin

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 9, 2018 03:29PM

Human Rights Watch has urged Myanmar's military to ensure humanitarian aid reaches all civilians who have been caught in fighting between the army and an ethnic armed group in the country's northern state of Kachin.

Fighting between Myanmar's army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) rebels escalated in mid-January to include three townships of Kachin.

"Both the Myanmar army and the KIA should do everything possible to ensure that aid reaches civilians in need," the New York-based rights group said on Friday.

More than 120,000 people have been displaced in the state since a 17-year-old ceasefire agreement between the military and the Kachin force, one of the most powerful ethnic militias, broke down in 2011.

The military is reportedly using heavy weapons and airstrikes in its current offensive. Activists and a local lawmaker reported that at least five civilians had been killed and more than a dozen others injured in government attacks targeting KIA rebels in late January.

Aid groups active in the troubled region also said that over 3,000 other civilians, miners of amber and their families, are believed to be trapped in Tanai township.

Myanmar's authorities are under fire for a state-sponsored campaign of violence against Rohingya Muslims in the country's western state of Rakhine, which has forced about 700,000 people to flee to Bangladesh since last August.

"The embattled civilian population in Kachin state should not be forgotten amid the dire humanitarian situation facing the Rohingya," said Brad Adams, executive director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch.

The UN has not been granted access to the conflict-affected civilians.

On February 5, more than 5,000 people staged a protest in Kachin's capital, Myitkyina, against the military operation.

"The current situation in Kachin state is extremely worrying because it's not just one or two areas, it's happening everywhere," said Gum Sha Aung of the Joint Strategy Team, a coalition of local groups seeking to coordinate humanitarian activities in northern Myanmar.

"The military consistently hinder humanitarian assistance such as food transportation in the region, which is an outright violation against the international humanitarian law."

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Russian Nuclear Supercomputer 'Caught Mining Bitcoin'

February 09, 2018

Employees at a Russian top-secret nuclear facility have reportedly been detained after trying to use one of Russia's most powerful supercomputers to mine Bitcoin.

The press service of the Federal Nuclear Center told Mash -- a news channel on the Telegram messenger app -- that security at the facility was alerted when an employee tried to connect the supercomputer to the Internet, allegedly in a bid to mine Bitcoin.

The press service told Mash on February 9 that several employees were handed over to the Federal Security Service.

"To our knowledge, a probe has been launched against the individuals," the press service later told the Interfax news agency.

No further details were disclosed.

Miners use special software to solve math problems and are issued a certain number of Bitcoins in exchange.

The Federal Nuclear Center in Russia's western city of Sarov is a restricted area that was used to produce first Soviet nuclear bombs during the early Cold War-era.

Based on reporting by Interfax, RIA Novosti, and Mash

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-sarov-nuclear -facility-workers-arrested-using-supercompute -mine-bitcoin/29030004.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Putin Predicts West Will 'Tire' Of Sanctions Soon

RFE/RL February 09, 2018

President Vladimir Putin has told Russian business leaders that he believes Western countries will tire of their sanctions against Moscow "soon" and relations will improve.

Putin spoke at a closed-door meeting of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, a prominent grouping of company chiefs and tycoons, on February 9.

"I think that those who are doing this will themselves tire of it soon, and...I hope that we will embark on the path of normal relations," Russian news agencies quoted him as saying about the sanctions imposed by the West.

Putin's comments come weeks ahead of a March 18 presidential election in which he is virtually assured of victory but is said to be eager for a strong turnout and resounding support ahead of what could be his final term.

They follow reports of concerns among the Russian elite about the sanctions, which have had an effect on Russia's economy and complicated trade and business dealings with the West.

The United States, the European Union, and others have imposed sanctions on Russia in response to its seizure of the Crimean Peninsula and role in the war in eastern Ukraine.

Some Western countries including the United States have also hit Russia with sanctions over issues including evidence of human rights abuses and alleged interference in the U.S. presidential election in 2016.

On January 30, the U.S. Treasury Department published a list of 114 senior Russian political figures and 96 "oligarchs" who U.S. authorities say have gained wealth or power through association with Putin.

Those on the list were not immediately hit with sanctions and the United States did not impose any new sanctions on Russia at the time, but Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that "additional sanctions" would be imposed "in the near future."

Putin condemned the U.S. move as an "unfriendly act" that would "complicate the already grave" state of U.S.-Russian relations, but signaled that Moscow would not take major retaliatory steps.

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, Reuters, and Gazeta.ru

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-west-will- tire-of-sanctions/29029929.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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US Says It Will Further Monitor Russian Military Build-Up in Kaliningrad Region

Sputnik News

22:01 10.02.2018(updated 22:11 10.02.2018)

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Washington will continue monitoring potential Russian military equipment deployment in the country's westernmost Kaliningrad Region in the light of the recent short-range ballistic missiles deployment in the area, Michelle Baldanza, a spokeswoman of the US Department of Defense told Sputnik on Saturday.

"The deployment of short-range ballistic missiles in the Kaliningrad region marks an unfortunate and destabilizing action owing to its offensive capabilities and close proximity to several NATO Allies  We will continue to monitor any potential deployments and assess accordingly," Baldanza said.

The missile systems' deployment in Kaliningrad does not violate any bilateral treaties between the United States and Russia, the Pentagon spokeswoman noted.

However, such actions contribute to increasing tensions between Russia and its neighbors, Baldanza added.

Raimundas Karoblis, Lithuania's defense minister, said in an interview with BNS news agency published on Monday, that Russia had deployed the Iskander ballistic missile systems in the Kaliningrad Region.

Vladimir Shamanov, head of the Russian lower house's defense committee, subsequently confirmed the information.

Commenting on the Iskander missile systems deployment in Kaliningrad, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Moscow did not threaten anyone, noting Russia's sovereign right to place weapons anywhere on its territory.

The possibility of deploying Iskander systems in the Kaliningrad Region in response to the deployment of NATO missile systems in the Czech Republic and Poland was initially voiced in 2008 by then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who currently holds the position of prime minister.

Over the past years, the United States and NATO have been increasing their military build-up in Eastern Europe and Baltic countries, citing the need for protection from alleged Russian aggression.

Moscow has repeatedly stated that Russia has never planned to attack any NATO member state. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that NATO recognizes this but uses the pretext of alleged Russian aggression to deploy more equipment and battalions next to Russian borders.

 Sputnik

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Turkey bombs US-backed militants in northern Syria

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 9, 2018 11:28AM

Turkey has bombed US-backed Kurdish fighters in Afrin with impunity, just after Washington cited an alleged attack on the militants to target pro-government forces in Syria.

The Turkish army said in a statement on Friday that the overnight strikes destroyed 19 targets, including ammunition depots, shelters and gun positions, state-run Anadolu news agency said.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven US-backed militants with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as well as two civilians were killed in the attacks.

Turkey began the attacks on January 20, but halted them after terrorists downed a Russian jet in the northwestern Syria province of Idlib, in order to allow Moscow to reinforce its air defense system.

The offensive is aimed at the YPG, which Turkey says bears ties with anti-Ankara militants.

The Turkish raid against Washington-backed forces comes two days after the US attacked pro-Damascus forces in the western Syrian province of Dayr al-Zawr, reportedly killing more than 100 of them as the fighters were engaged in an anti-Daesh operation.

The US claimed that it launched the attack to protect SDF militants whose ranks are filled with YPG fighters.

Syria rejected the claim and condemned the attack as a "war crime" meant to boost Daesh terrorists.

Turkey has been targeting the US-backed militants as part of Operation Olive Branch which Ankara launched after the United States said it sought to create a force near the Turkish border in Syria.

Ceasefire plan falls flat

Meanwhile, members of the United Nations Security Council failed to reach an agreement on a statement over the humanitarian situation in Syria.

Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock, had called for an immediate 30-day ceasefire in Syria.

He cited Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, which has been the scene of clashes between Syrian government forces and militants for weeks.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow supported a cessation of hostilities, but believed the plan was not realistic because terrorists were keeping up their attacks there.

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US, France considering new military strikes against Syrian government: Report

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 9, 2018 09:26AM

The US is considering new military strikes against Syrian government positions, while France is keen to support such an operation, diplomatic sources say.

A diplomatic source close to the Syrian opposition told the Middle East Eye (MEE) news portal on Thursday that some in the US administration are "keen to take a tougher line on Russia in Syria."

The new stance comes as US-led coalition forces on Wednesday night launched an aerial attack on pro-Damascus forces in Syria's eastern Dayr al-Zawr province during a military operation against Daesh and the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

A US official said the attack killed over 100 pro-government forces.

The Syrian government has denounced the deadly strike as a "war crime," lambasting Washington for using "the excuse of fighting terrorism to set up illegitimate bases on Syrian territory."

The US-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes against what are said to be Daesh targets inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate. The military alliance has repeatedly been accused of targeting and killing civilians. It has also been largely incapable of fulfilling its declared aim of destroying Daesh.

Damascus has on several occasions called for US troops to leave Syria now that the fight against Daesh is over.

The Syrian government, backed by Russian air cover, has managed to push back the terrorists turf after turf. The Arab country flushed Daesh out of its last stronghold in November.

According to the sources, the planned US-French action on Syria would likely be carried out under the pretext of responding to the ongoing use of chemical weapons, which the White House blames on the Syrian government.

The sources said the "rhetoric from the US is changing," and the administration is weighing up something similar to its cruise missile attack on an Idlib airbase last April.

More than 80 people died in the April 4, 2017 sarin gas attack on Khan Shaykhun in Idlib Province.

The United States and the militants operating in the area blamed the Syrian government for the deadly incident. Syria and Russia, however, rejected the claims, suggesting that a militant weapon may have detonated on the ground.

Damascus argues that it has no reason to resort to chemical weapons while its forces have the upper hand in the fight against terrorists.

The Syrian government surrendered its stockpiles of chemical weapons in 2014 to a joint mission led by the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which oversaw the destruction of the weaponry. The deal was negotiated by Russia and the United States.

Senior US officials cautioned last week that the administration is again prepared to take military action against Syrian government forces if necessary to deter what they called the use of chemical weapons.

The sources close to the opposition said French President Emmanuel Macron is keen to support the US militarily in any new targeted attack.

Asked by MEE whether Paris was ruling out military action or supporting US military action against Syrian government positions, a French diplomatic source said, "no further comment."

French academic and Syria expert, Thomas Pierret, told MEE that if US President Donald "Trump decides to act, France will follow."

The US Central Command said that, "We don't announce future military plans for operational security reasons."

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UN Rejects Appeal For Monthlong Syria Cease-Fire Opposed By Russia

RFE/RL's Russian Service February 09, 2018

The United Nations Security Council has rejected an appeal from UN aid officials for a monthlong humanitarian cease-fire in Syria amid separate calls by the United States for Syria and its ally Russia to end their attacks against rebel-held areas.

Russia on February 8 opposed the call for the cease-fire requested by Kuwait and Sweden and supported by the United States and France, calling it unrealistic.

"We would like to see a cease-fire, the end of the war, but the terrorists, I am not sure, are in agreement," Russia's UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, told reporters.

Russia, along with Iran, has offered military and diplomatic support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in its nearly seven-year civil war and has opposed any moves that could potentially weaken his position.

The United States and Turkey back differing rebel groups fighting Assad's government, which often refers to U.S.-supported rebels as "terrorists" along with fighters from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

All sides are fighting against IS extremists, who are attempting to hold on to the group's final enclaves after being driven out of most of the territory it captured in 2014.

On February 6, Panos Moumtzis, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Syria, called for the monthlong cease-fire to reach civilians in need as fighting in the Syrian areas of Eastern Ghouta and Idlib escalated.

In a closed-door Security Council session, UN aid chief Mark Lowcock appealed for the cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid to reach besieged civilians.

But diplomats say the cease-fire request was rejected. An agreement requires approval by a majority of the 15 members and no veto by the five permanent members -- the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China.

'Middle-Ages-Style Siege'

Before the meeting, French Ambassador Francois Delattre appealed for an immediate cease-fire and unimpeded access for aid workers.

"Eastern Ghouta is experiencing a Middle Ages-style siege. That is totally unacceptable," Delattre told reporters.

"In Syria, we are now back to the darkest period of this conflict, with the highest death toll among civilians over the last year," he said.

Separately, the United States demanded that Assad's forces and Russia end their air strikes and alleged chemical attacks against areas held by U.S.-backed rebels of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Damascus has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons.

The U.S.-led coalition on February 7 said its air and local ground forces in Syria killed more than 100 pro-Syrian fighters in "self-defense" after an "unprovoked attack" on the SDF's headquarters.

The Pentagon said coalition advisers had been with SDF forces when the base was attacked 8 kilometers east of the Euphrates River deconfliction line in Deir al-Zor Province.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on February 8 that the United States was "extremely concerned about escalating violence" in Idlib Province, the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, and other areas "threatened by ongoing regime and Russian air strikes."

"We are yet again appalled by the recent reports of the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons and the escalation of bombings that has resulted in dozens of civilian deaths in the last 48 hours," the statement said.

According to UN statistics, some 13.1 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian aid, including 6.1 million who have been displaced within the country during the civil war, which began in 2011 with a government crackdown against pro-democracy protesters.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/syria-un- rejects-cease-fire-appeal -russia/29028984.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Syrian Army Announces Full Liberation of Hama, Aleppo Provinces From Daesh

Sputnik News

22:46 09.02.2018(updated 23:00 09.02.2018)

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - The Syrian army has completely cleared Hama and Aleppo provinces of Daesh terrorists, the Syrian army said in a statement on Friday.

"The Syrian army, together with the allied forces, has liberated a large number of settlements in Hama, Aleppo and Idlib provinces This is a strategic success, since it means a complete purge of Hama and Aleppo provinces of Islamic State group, as well as the elimination of the majority of the Nusra Front militants in the south of Aleppo province," the army statement, quoted by the state-run SANA news agency, said.

Earlier, a source familiar with the situation reported that the Syrian Army have managed to expel terrorists from the majority of villages and settlements in south-east of the Syrian province of Aleppo.

In December, another source told Sputnik that some 100 people, both militants and civilians, who cooperated with them, surrendered to the Syrian authorities within the framework of the program of national reconciliation.

 Sputnik

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New De-Escalation Zone in Syria to be discussed in Astana talks

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Moscow, Feb 10, IRNA -- The establishment of a fifth de-escalation zone in Syria will be discussed in the next round of the Astana peace talks, Russian President's envoy Mikhail Bogdanov told Sputnik on Saturday.

'As for the establishment of a new de-escalation zone, it remains in the focus of Astana meetings,' Bogdanov said.

Bogdanov went on to say that the Syrian constitutional reform will be discussed during the next round of the talks, saying 'There is the need to talk on the coordination of efforts and shifting to the implementation of the agreements, reached during the Syrian National Dialogue in Sochi.'

Moscow believes that it is very important that the Astana talks participants address the humanitarian aspects of the Syrian crisis settlement, he pointed out.

'Among them is the issue of building trust between the Syrian sides. Particularly, a working group on the issue of those detained and arrested has been created,' the diplomat noted.

Commenting on the Astana talks, the diplomat noted that the results of the previous summits were impressive especially what concerned the establishment of a ceasefire regime and de-escalation zones.

'There is a necessity to maintain and continue the application of this tool to promote and restore peace to Syria via political settlement The Astana format is not substituting the Geneva process, but compliments and stimulates it,' Bogdanov pointed out.

Since the beginning of the Astana talks, four de-escalation zones have been established in Syria, namely, in Idlib and parts of neighboring Latakia, Hama, and Aleppo provinces; in the north of the central Homs province; in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus and in certain parts of the country's southern Daraa and Quneitra provinces.

Bogdanov has said the next round of Astana talks will take place soon but hasn't specified the date.

8072**1396

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Russia says endangering forces unacceptable after Israeli military aggression in Syria

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 07:20PM

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called on all the parties involved in the ongoing military conflict in Syria to respect the territorial integrity of the country after Israel attacked positions inside the Arab country, saying that the creation of threats in Syria, where Russia is militarily present, is unacceptable.

"Moscow is deeply concerned with the latest developments and attacks on Syria. The danger of the escalation of tensions within and around the de-escalation zones, which have become an important factor in reducing violence in Syria, is of particular concern," the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Syrian government forces "are complying with the existing arrangements to provide the consistent functioning of the de-escalation zone in the southwest of the country," it added.

"We urge all the involved parties to exercise restraint and avoid any steps that could lead to the aggravation of the situation. We consider it necessary to unconditionally respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and other countries of the region."

On Saturday, the Syrian military targeted at least one intruding Israeli F-16 warplane that had attacked an army base in central Syria, sending it down in flames and smoke.

The Israeli military confirmed that one F-16 had gone down in northern Israel, and that its two pilots had ejected and had been located and transferred to hospital. It later announced that one of the pilots was in serious condition.

The Israeli military claimed that it had attacked positions inside the Syrian territory after it intercepted a drone launched from Syria on Saturday.

A pro-Syrian military alliance said later in the day that the Israeli claim about a drone intrusion was bogus, noting that Israel had targeted a drone base in Syria whose unmanned aircraft were used against the Daesh terrorist group.

Meanwhile, Syrian media reported later on Saturday that explosions were heard near the capital Damascus, as the Syrian air defense responded to "new Israeli aggression."

Over the past years, Israel has frequently attacked targets in Syria, often claiming that it hit positions or convoys belonging to Iran. This is while Iran has no military presence in Syrian territory, only offering advisory military assistance to the Syrian government fighting an all-out foreign-sponsored militancy.

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US blocking UNSC resolution for independent Syria chemical attacks probe: Russia

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 06:08PM

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia says he does not see chances the UN Security Council could adopt any time soon a Russian-drafted resolution on a probe into the use of chemical weapons in Syria, blaming the US for hindering the progress over the issue.

Nebenzia said recently that the main obstacle to the adoption of the resolution had been the nonconstructive position of Americans at the Council.

"We have never doubted we need an independent mechanism of probing into the chemical incidents in Syria, and this is why we have suggested the new resolution, which the experts study now, but, honestly speaking, due to the US position I cannot hope it may be adopted any time soon," Russia's TASS news agency quoted the senior diplomat as saying.

By now, Nebenzia continued, the Security Council members have had two rounds of expert consultations, "and everything has stopped" at that stage. During the talks, the American side called the resolution "defective" and insisted that the UN Joint Investigative Mechanism and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) resume work on the investigation into the chemical attacks. The US blamed Moscow for having "killed" the probe.

"Correct, formally they have not used the right to veto, but they simply dumped the resolution," the ambassador said. Thus it is "their, not our responsibility for the Joint Mechanism's death."

Last month, the United States rejected the Russian-drafted Security Council resolution aimed at establishing an investigative mechanism into all allegations of chemical attacks in Syria, with both sides discrediting each other's data on the issue. The Council meeting was called by Moscow to discuss the crisis in Syria, especially recent accusations against Damascus over an alleged chemical attack.

The mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the UN and the OPCW expired in November after several failed attempts by the Security Council to extend its authority.

Nebenzia earlier said the probes collapsed because they were full of "systemic deficiencies" and had become a mechanism for political manipulation.

Nebenzia said he could not understand "why the Americans want an independent mechanism for investigation into the chemical incidents in Syria, since they not only prior to the investigation, but prior to a confirmation the chemical weapons have been used" start blaming immediately the Syrian authorities.

"To my simple question what political and military dividends the Syrian government receives from use of chemical weapons, they would not give response and shamefully look away," the diplomat said.

The United States and its allies have repeatedly accused Syrian government forces of carrying out chemical attacks in civilian areas without providing any substantial evidence.

Damascus has handed over its entire stockpile of chemical weapons under a 2013 deal negotiated by Russia and the US. The operation was overseen by the OPCW.

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Syria shoots down Israeli F-16 jet, pilots eject

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 04:47AM

The Syrian military has hit at least one intruding Israeli F-16 warplane that attacked positions inside Syrian territory, sending it down in flames and smoke.

Syrian state TV cited a Syrian military official as saying that Syrian aerial defense had responded to Israeli "aggression" against an army base in central Syria.

The official said more than one Israeli aircraft had been hit.

'One pilot in serious condition'

The Israeli military confirmed that one F-16 had gone down in northern Israel, and that its two pilots had ejected and had been located and transferred to hospital.

The Israeli army said later that one of the pilots was in serious condition, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The Israeli military claimed that it had attacked positions inside Syrian territory after it intercepted a drone launched from Syria on Saturday.

Syria forces refute Israeli drone claim

A pro-Syrian military alliance said later in the day that the Israeli claim about a drone intrusion was bogus.

The alliance said in a statement that Israel had targeted a drone base in Syria whose unmanned aircraft were used against the Daesh terrorist group.

It also pledged a "severe and serious" response to the Israeli act of "terrorism."

Iran: Israelis are liars

Asked separately about the Israeli claim of intercepting a drone, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s second-in-command, said on Saturday that Iran would confirm no report coming out of Israel "because the Israelis are liars."

He told Tasnim news agency that Iran would only confirm a drone interception if Syria made that confirmation.

He also said that Iran had no military presence in Syria and that the Syrian Army was adequately capable of defending Syrian territory.

Hamas says downing of jet 'natural response'

Fawzi Barhoum, the spokesman for the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas, described the downing of the Israeli jet by Syria as a natural response to the regime's attacks on Syrian territory.

"Countries and nations have the right to defend their soil, security, and stability in the face of threats," he said.

Israel conducts new attacks

Meanwhile, Syrian media reported later on Saturday that explosions were heard near the capital, Damascus, as the Syrian air defense responded to "new Israeli aggression."

Separately, The Jerusalem Post cited Israel's Channel 2 as reporting that the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv had temporarily halted air traffic.

Over the past years, Israel has frequently attacked targets in Syria, often claiming that it hit positions or convoys belonging to Iran. This is while Iran has no military presence in Syrian territory, only offering advisory military assistance to the Syrian government fighting an all-out foreign-sponsored militancy.

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UN 'Considering New Resolution' For 30-Day Syria Cease-Fire

February 10, 2018

The United Nations Security Council is considering a draft resolution to demand a 30-day cease-fire in Syria, according to the French AFP news agency, which says it has seen a text of the resolution.

AFP on February 9 said the diplomats were seeking the cease-fire to allow deliveries of humanitarian aid.

The report said the resolution presented by Sweden and Kuwait would also demand an immediate end to sieges, including in Eastern Ghouta, where a bombing campaign by government forces has killed more than 240 civilians in five days.

The move comes one day after the UN Security Council rejected an appeal from UN aid officials for a monthlong humanitarian cease-fire in Syria in the face of Russian opposition.

Russian UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia called that resolution unrealistic.

"We would like to see a cease-fire, the end of the war, but the terrorists, I am not sure, are in agreement," Nebenzia told reporters.

Diplomats said it was unclear whether Russia would use its veto to block the new draft resolution.

Russia, along with Iran, has offered military and diplomatic support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in its nearly seven-year civil war and has opposed any moves that could potentially weaken his position.

The United States and Turkey back differing rebel groups fighting Assad's government, which often refers to U.S.-supported rebels as "terrorists" along with fighters from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

According to UN statistics, some 13.1 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian aid, including 6.1 million who have been displaced within the country during the civil war, which began in 2011 with a government crackdown against pro-democracy protesters.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/syria-un-considers-new- resolution-30-day-cease-fire/29032167.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Iran-Backed Militias 'Used U.S.-Made Tanks' Fighting IS In Syria

February 10, 2018

The Pentagon says Iranian-backed militias fighting Islamic State (IS) extremists in Syria used Abrams tanks that the U.S. military had originally provided to the Iraqi Army.

However, Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said on February 9 that the estimated nine tanks were later returned to the Iraqi military.

The Iranian-backed Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are legally considered by Iraq to be part of the Iraqi Security Forces, Pahon said. But he added that the United States had never supplied "defense articles" to the militia.

"We have discovered incidents where some U.S.-origin equipment, including M1 Abrams tanks, came into the possession of certain PMF groups. This equipment was subsequently used by these groups" in the fight against the IS extremists.

"All of these tanks were recently returned to Iraqi Security Forces custody," Pahon added.

Iraqi Kurdish officials contend that the Shi'ite paramilitary groups used Abrams tanks against Sunni Kurds in northern Iraq last year. That led U.S. officials to threaten to curtail military aid to Baghdad until the tanks were returned to Iraq control, a quarterly report by the U.S. Inspector-General said.

The Sunni-led IS fighters seized large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, declaring an Islamic "caliphate" and committing widespread atrocities.

But they have been steadily pushed out of nearly all of the territory they had controlled in both countries.

The United States has approved sales of more than $22 billion in arms and equipment, including at least 150 Abrams tanks, to Iraq since 2005.

Based on reporting by Stars & Stripes and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-iraq-syria-militia -pmf-tanks-kurds/29031768.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Tillerson Expecting 'Difficult' Talks With Turkey Over Syria

RFE/RL February 10, 2018

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expects "difficult" talks during his Middle East trip, especially in Turkey, where he will urge the NATO ally to show "restraint" in its military offensive in northern Syria, U.S. officials say.

Officials briefed reporters on February 9 ahead of Tillerson's February 11-16 journey that will also take him to Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Kuwait.

Despite U.S. objections, Turkey on January 20 launched an air-and-land operation, dubbed Olive Branch, against members of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in Syria's Kurdish-run Afrin region.

The Turks accuse the YPG of having links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency in southeast Turkish for more than 30 years. The PKK is regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.

But Turkey's Western allies have worked closely with YPG fighters in the battle against Islamic State (IS) extremists and do not consider it to be a terrorist group.

The United States and Turkey back differing rebel groups fighting against the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad. Russia and Iran support Assad.

"We are urging [Turkey] to show restraint in their operations in Afrin and to show restraint further along the line across the [border] in northern Syria," a U.S. State Department official told reporters in a conference call. "That's going to be a difficult conversation."

"You start with asking for restraint and look for ways that you can help bring it to an end as quickly as possible," the official said.

"Look, it's difficult. The rhetoric is hot. The Turks are angry, and this is a difficult time to do business, but it's our belief that there are still some very fundamental underlying shared interests."

Turkey's ambassador in Washington, Serdar Kilic, defended the offensive in Afrin and criticized the U.S. pleas to limit the operation, calling on Washington to "cease their support" of the YPG.

"We are going to terminate that threat," Kilic told reporters in Washington.

Among other hot issue facing Tillerson is the decision by President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his move to suspend some aid to the Palestinians, actions that particularly angered the Jordanian leadership.

Palestinians regard Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Israel has annexed East Jerusalem and declared the city as its capital, a move never recognized by the international community.

The UN General Assembly on December 21 voted 128-9 in favor of a draft resolution rejecting Washington's decision to recognize Jerusalem, and the issue is certain to come up during Tillerson's stop in Amman.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/tillerson- turkey-syria-jerusalem-jordan- egypt-kuwait/29031767.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Pentagon Backs Israeli Right to Defend Itself Against Threats to Its Territory

Sputnik News

21:18 10.02.2018(updated 21:53 10.02.2018)

Israel conducted airstrikes in Syria, which were provoked, according to the Israeli army, by an "act of Iran's aggression," when an Iranian drone flew into the disputed Israel-occupied Golan Heights last night.

"Israel is our [US] closest security partner in the region and we [US] fully support Israel's inherent right to defend itself against threats to its territory and its people," Pentagon's spokesman Adrian Rankine-Galloway said.

He also added that the US Department of Defense "did not participate in this military operation," referring to the Israeli latest attacks on what its military said were Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including Syrian air defense systems.

"We share the concerns of many throughout the region that Iran's destabilizing activities threaten international peace and security, and we seek greater international resolve in countering Iran's malign activities," Rankine-Galloway stressed.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli army carried out a series of airstrikes

at what the Israeli military said were Iranian targets in Syria after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said its helicopter downed an Iranian drone

after it crossed into the Golan Heights, controlled by Israel. The Israeli attack immediately prompted fire from the Syrian air defense systems, which brought down Israeli F-16 fighter jet.

However, a pro-Assad military alliance in Syria said in a statement that Israeli claim about Iranian drone entering its aerospace is a "lie" and the IDF during its retaliatory attacks targeted a drone base in Syria, which was used in fighting the Daesh terrorist group. Iran called reports of downing an Iranian drone flying over Israel and its involvement in attacking an Israeli jet "ridiculous." Israel in its turn said that it is not interested in escalating the situation in Syria, and airstrikes on the territory of this country are of defensive nature.

 Sputnik

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Tehran Slams Israel's Claim of Downing Iranian Drone as 'Ridiculous' - Reports

Sputnik News

14:43 10.02.2018(updated 15:30 10.02.2018)

Earlier, the Israeli army press service reported that the Israeli military had intercepted an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle which had invaded the airspace of the country from Syria and in response, Israel attacked "Iranian targets" in neighboring Syria.

"Reports of downing an Iranian drone flying over Israel and also Iran's involvement in attacking an Israeli jet are so ridiculous Iran only provides military advice to Syria," TV quoted Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi as saying.

Syrian news agency SANA, citing a military source, reported that the Israeli Air Force planes attacked the military targets of the Syrian army in the central part of the country.

According to the Israeli army, its helicopter downed an Iranian drone after which Israeli fighter jets struck Iranian targets in Syria, prompting fire from the Syrian air defense systems.

As a result of the incident, one Israeli F-16 fighter jet came down in northern Israel with pilots able to eject.

"The IDF is striking numerous (12) Syrian and Iranian military targets in Syria, in response to Iranian aggression," IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus said on Twitter.

The Israeli aviation authorities said that they closed the airspace over a significant part of the country. Tel Aviv International Airport named after David Ben-Gurion is working normally, although in the morning, in the midst of the events, several planes were detained for 15-20 minutes.

Russia expressed concern over the Israeli army's airstrikes on Syria.

 Sputnik

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Israeli Airstrikes in Syria Have Defensive Nature - Army

Sputnik News

12:26 10.02.2018(updated 17:19 10.02.2018)

Israeli airstrikes in Syria were provoked by an "act of Iran's aggression," when an Iranian drone flew into the Israel-occupied Golan Heights last night, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Israel is not interested in escalating the situation in Syria, and airstrikes on the territory of this country are of defensive nature, spokesman for the Israeli army Jonathan Conricus said.

"Syrians and Iranians, from our point of view, are playing with fire. Syrians  when they allow the Iranians to attack Israel from their territory. We are full of determination, ready and able to make everyone who tries to attack us pay the high price," the spokesperson stressed.

Israeli airstrikes in Syria were provoked by an "act of Iran's aggression," when an Iranian drone flew into the Israel-occupied Golan Heights last night, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Israel is not interested in escalating the situation in Syria, and airstrikes on the territory of this country are of defensive nature, spokesman for the Israeli army Jonathan Conricus said.

"Syrians and Iranians, from our point of view, are playing with fire. Syrians  when they allow the Iranians to attack Israel from their territory. We are full of determination, ready and able to make everyone who tries to attack us pay the high price," the spokesperson stressed.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli army said its helicopter downed an Iranian drone after it crossed into the Golan Heights, controlled by Israel. Afterwards the IDF struck at what the Israeli military said were Iranian targets in Syria, prompting fire from the Syrian air defense systems. The Syrian side said it hit several fighter jets, however, the Israeli side refuted the claims saying that only one F-16 jet was downed in northern Israel.

However, a pro-Assad military alliance in Syria said in a statement that Israeli claim about Iranian drone entering its aerospace is a "lie," whereas the IDF during its retaliatory attacks targeted a drone base in Syria, which was used in fighting the Daesh terrorist group. The alliance's official also added that from now on Israel would see a severe and serious response to its "terrorism," though he said that he did "not believe matters would develop into a regional war."

Current IDF airstrikes are the second attack by the Israeli forces on Syria in a week. On February 7, Israeli military aircraft reportedly launched several missiles at a target located in the Damascus province of Syria. In response, the Syrian government accused Tel Aviv of effectively aiding the terrorist forces in the country, and sought help from the UN to put an end to these attacks.

The Golan Heights were annexed by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967, what has been repeatedly condemned by the UN. A disputed area still remains an apple of discord for Israel and Syria, provoking tit-for-tat strikes in border areas. Israel's occupation of the western two-thirds of the Golan Heights (known in Syria as Quneitra governorate) prevents the states from signing a peace treaty.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Air Defense Systems Repel Yet Another Israeli Attack - Reports

Sputnik News

10:44 10.02.2018(updated 12:53 10.02.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Syrian anti-aircraft defense systems have repelled yet another Israeli aerial attack, local media reported Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli army said its helicopter downed an Iranian drone and struck Iranian targets in Syria, prompting fire from the Syrian air defense systems. As a result of the incident, one F-16 fighter jet came down with pilots able to eject.

According to the Telegram channel of the Syrian state television, the attacks were repelled over the Damascus province, however, it later deleted the information about the location.

Earlier in the day, Israel's army said in a press release its helicopter had successfully intercepted the drone that flew into its airspace from Syria.

It is a second attack by the Israeli forces on Syria in a week. On February 7, Israeli military aircraft reportedly launched several missiles at a target located in the Damascus province of Syria in what has become the latest IDF attack on Syrian soil.

In response to an airstrike carried out by Israeli warplanes in the Damascus province, the Syrian Foreign Ministry has penned a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and another to the UN Security Council.

"Israeli attacks are a continuation of an aggressive and dangerous approach by Israel aimed at supporting terrorist groups, which helps the latter to prolong the crisis in Syria and raises their morale, which sunk due to the gains made by the Syrian army and its allies," the letters said.

Tel Aviv and Damascus, which have never signed a peace treaty, have repeatedly exchanged tit-for-tat attacks, with the latest incident taking place in early January, when the Syrian government army thwarted three Israeli missile attacks on Damascus countryside. Syria reportedly warned the Israeli side about the risks posed by such attacks.

 Sputnik

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US Steps Up Effort to Avert Confrontation With Turkey Over Syrian Kurdish Militia

By Dorian Jones February 09, 2018

U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster is due in Turkey this weekend, as a potential military confrontation looms between the two countries over Syria. The NATO allies disagree over Turkey's military intervention in Syria against a Kurdish militia which is a key U.S. ally in the war against Islamic State.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu this week lambasted Washington, accusing it of making deals with Islamic State militants and claiming his government has lost confidence in its alliance with the U.S.

Such verbal assaults against Washington by Turkey's political leadership are almost a daily occurrence. A recent poll found only three percent of Turks trust the United States.

Tensions have come to a head over Washington's support of the YPG Syrian Kurdish militia in its war against Islamic State. That support has outraged Ankara, which accuses the militia of being linked to an ongoing Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Realpolitik

Political analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners says when McMaster sits down for talks in Ankara, he will likely find little room to maneuver.

"Given the fact that there is this ironclad alliance between the PKK and the YPG, there is no way Turkey can allow a Syrian Kurdish state. Realpolitik is against that. Any Kurdish state will allow PKK activity, will provoke Turkish Kurds. I don't think the West understands that," Yesilada said.

Three weeks ago, in the face of repeated warnings by Washington, Turkish forces attacked the YPG Kurdish militia in the Syrian enclave of Afrin; but, diplomatic tensions could spill into a military confrontation between the NATO allies. Ankara is threatening to expand its operation to the Syrian town of Manbij, where U.S. forces are deployed with the YPG.

Political columnist Semih Idiz of the al-Monitor website says McMaster's visit suggests a confrontation can still be averted.

"It shows a reflexive desire on the part of Washington to maintain a dialogue with Turkey, despite all the vitriolic remarks coming out of Ankara. So the sides are going to try and see how they come around this problem that they have. On the other hand, the lines have been drawn so firmly, so there is a standoff there. It's a diplomatic one at the moment; whether it will turn into a military one or not, the coming days will have to show that. But the way things are in Syria, anything can happen," Idiz said.

Analysts suggest de-escalating bilateral tensions is complicated by mixed messages coming from Washington. Just days before McMaster's visit, U.S. generals were quoted by international media reaffirming support for the YPG in Manbij and warning any attack would be aggressively opposed. Such comments further infuriated Ankara, which accuses Washington of reneging on promises made about the YPG.

Need for common ground

Sinan Ulgen, a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe, says the priority for McMaster is bridging the current trust deficit.

"There is still time for Washington and Ankara to find common ground to eliminate the prospect of a direct conflict. And I would say primarily to try to find an actionable agenda that would start to recreate trust between the two parties. For instance, I suggest a dialogue on the humanitarian dimensions of this conflict [in Afrin], and primarily the U.S. and Turkey working together to establish a humanitarian corridor for the civilians who are caught by this conflict," Ulgen said.

Analysts point out trust could be further enhanced if Washington took steps to address another Turkish concern, U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. Ankara blames Gulen for a 2016 coup attempt and is demanding, at a minimum, his house arrest pending an extradition request.

But columnist Idiz warns that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's robust defense of the Syria military operation and his fiery declarations aimed at Washington, both popular among his constituents, means Erdogan may have already become trapped by his rhetoric.

"He is caught between a rock and hard place now. If he does go for a rupture, this is going to have very, very big ramifications, not just on the political, strategic dimensions, but also economic dimensions. But on the other hand, if he doesn't, he appears weak in the eyes of his supporters," Idiz said.

Elections further hamper bilateral U.S.-Turkish diplomatic efforts, with growing rumors Erdogan may call an early presidential and general vote for later this year, seeking to exploit the current wave of nationalism and anti-Americanism. Analysts are already warning Turkish-U.S. relations are now facing their greatest test.

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Former Istanbul governor, ex-police chief get jail terms over Gulen links

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 01:32PM

A court in Turkey has given jail terms to a former governor of Istanbul and an ex-police commissioner over affiliation to the movement of the US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom the Ankara government accuses of having masterminded the July 2016 coup attempt.

A judicial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Saturday that Istanbul's 30th Heavy Criminal Court had sentenced former governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu to three years, one month and 15 days in prison, while ex-police commissioner Huseyin Capkn got two years and one month in jail.

Mutlu denied any links to the Gulen movement, and strongly rejected all charges.

"Everything about me has been analyzed. It has been seen that I am transparent. I have never had a relationship with this [Gulen] movement. For my whole life, I have adhered to the constitution and the law. There is no tangible evidence in the indictment in relation to [the] Gulen movement," he said.

Mutlu was arrested on August 5, 2016 along with nine other suspects, shortly after the botched putsch.

Capkn, who was arrested on September 3, 2016, has also dismissed the charges brought against him.

"I'm not a part of such an organization. I've never received help from [such] an organization during my career. I've never sent my children to any schools belonging to this group," he said.

During the botched putsch, a faction of the Turkish military declared that it had seized control of the country and the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was no more in charge. The attempt was, however, suppressed a few hours later.

Ankara has accused Gulen of having orchestrated the coup. The opposition figure is also accused of being behind a long-running campaign to topple the government via infiltrating the country's institutions, particularly the army, police and the judiciary.

Additionally, the Ankara government has outlawed his movement, and has branded it as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Gulen has denounced the "despicable putsch" and reiterated that he had no role in it.

The 76-year-old cleric has called on Ankara to end its "witch hunt" of his followers, a move he said is aimed at "weeding out anyone it deems disloyal to President Erdogan and his regime."

Turkish officials have frequently called on their US counterparts to extradite Gulen, but their demands have not been taken heed of.

Turkey, which remains in a state of emergency since the coup, has been engaged in suppressing the media and opposition groups suspected to have played a role in the failed coup.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested in Turkey on suspicion of having links to Gulen and the failed coup. More than 110,000 others, including military staff, civil servants and journalists have been sacked or suspended from work over the same accusations.

The international community and rights groups have been highly critical of the Turkish president over the massive dismissals and the crackdown.

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Turkish military helicopter shot down near Syria: President Erdogan

Iran Press TV

Sat Feb 10, 2018 12:30PM

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says one of the country's military helicopters has been shot down near the border with Syria.

Erdogan said Saturday that the helicopter was participating in the Turkish military offensive in northern Syria when it was shot down while flying over an area in Turkey's Hatay province.

He said Turkey would respond harshly to the attack and that the "perpetrators" would pay a "heavy price" for the downing that took place around noon local time and in the southern border of Hatay.

Later, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told the local media that two Turkish servicemen had been killed in the incident. "At this stage, we can say that one out of two helicopters was downed. We have two martyrs."

Turkish military later said nine more soldiers were killed in separate incidents but did not give details. Another 11 soldiers were injured in the bloodiest day in Ankara's offensive against the Kurdish militias in northern Syria.

For nearly a month, Turkey has been engaged in a massive military operation in northwestern Syria with an alleged aim of neutralizing a threat by Kurds from the city of Afrin and surrounding areas in the Syrian province of Aleppo.

In his televised statement, Erdogan did not blame the Kurds or any other party for the downing of the helicopter.

A Kurdish militia spokesman, identified as Mustafa Bali, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the helicopter was downed by fighters in Raju, northwestern Afrin.

Turkey views the presence of Syrian Kurdish militants, known as the YPG, as a threat to its security, saying the group is an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an umbrella organization which includes the YPG, said its forces also captured a video of the downing of the helicopter although the footage was not immediately made public.

The operation in Afrin, dubbed The Olive Branch, has led to Washington's ire. The United States supports the Kurdish militants.

The Syria government, meanwhile, views the operation as a violation of its sovereignty. The costly campaign has proved to be the deadliest of all military adventures by Turkey inside the Syrian territory over the past years. Authorities have confirmed the death of scores of Turkish soldiers over the past weeks.

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Afrin Op: Turkish Military Helicopter Shot Down Near Syrian Border, Two Dead

Sputnik News

15:15 10.02.2018(updated 16:47 10.02.2018)

A Turkish military helicopter was shot down during Ankara's military offensive against Kurdish troops in northern Syria, Anadolu state news agency reported.

Two Turkish soldiers were killed in a crash of the military helicopter, the Turkish General Staff said on Saturday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier confirmed the downing of the helicopter, according to Turkish media. "A little earlier, one of our helicopters was shot down," he told reporters, adding that those who are responsible for the incident would pay a "heavier price."

The president, however, did not specify who was responsible for the attack.

On January 20, the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces announced the launch of Operation Olive Branch against the Kurdish forces in Syria's Afrin district. The operation has been conducted jointly with Free Syrian Army opposition forces which are friendly to Turkey.

Damascus has firmly condemned the operation as an assault on Syria's sovereignty. Moscow, in turn, has urged all the parties to exercise restraint and called for respect for Syria's territorial integrity.

 Sputnik

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Turkey Orders Kurdish Political Leaders Arrested for Protesting Afrin Offensive

Sputnik News

02:35 10.02.2018(updated 02:47 10.02.2018)

The Turkish government has issued arrest warrants for 17 Kurdish political leaders, including one of the two leaders of the largest Kurdish political party, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The move has come after the HDP protested the Turkish offensive against Kurdish militias in Afrin, Syria.

The state-run Anadolu news agency reported that HDP co-leader Serpil Kemalbay and 16 others were accused of stirring up broader unrest under the guise of lawfully protesting the Afrin offensive.

The HDP replied to the report by accusing Ankara of intending to interfere with the planned party conference scheduled for later in February. "We condemn and protest these unlawful arrests. We want our arrested friends to be released immediately," read a statement from Kemalbay on Friday.

The other leader of the HDP, Selahattin Demirtas, was arrested in November 2016 alongside numerous other party leaders and is awaiting trial. Ankara accused Demirtas of failing to cooperate with a counterterrorism investigation into the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group that NATO has designated as a terrorist group.

Since 1984, the PKK has violently resisted Ankara's rule over the Turkish Kurds. The PKK continues to wage a guerrilla war against Turkey in the southeastern corner of the country, near the Syrian border.

The HDP holds 52 of the 550 seats in Turkey's unicameral parliament, the Grand National Assembly. This makes it the second-largest opposition party. The Republican People's Party, the party of the modern state's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, holds 131 seats, while the ruling Justice and Development Party holds an absolute majority with 316 seats.

The HDP was the only party to oppose the Afrin offensive against the People's Protection Brigades (YPG), a primarily Kurdish militia in Syria. Turkey has accused the YPG of being an extension of the PKK.

In January, tensions between the YPG and the Turkish military in Syria boiled over into Operation Olive Branch on January 20, when the Turks and their allies, the Free Syrian Army militia, attacked the YPG-held Syrian city of Afrin.

The battle is ongoing, with the Turks having made some progress and captured a few dozen small settlements. But the offensive has also had enormous domestic political ramifications, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatening YPG supporters not to protest Olive Branch.

"Know that wherever you go out on the streets our security forces are on your necks," Erdogan said in a speech on January 21. He warned that anyone who protested the anti-YPG operation would pay a "heavy price."

Ankara also instructed news outlets to only offer positive coverage of the attack and not to report on any alleged civilian casualties, war crimes, protests or any news that "boosts the morale of the [PKK]," according to Middle East Eye.

The situation is further complicated by the YPG acting as a proxy for the US in Syria. While the US considers the PKK to be a terrorist group, they deny any connection between them and the YPG, a source of strain between the NATO partners.

Erdogan threatened that, after Afrin falls, his forces will move to take the town of Manbij  a town that is currently under the control of both the YPG and the US military.

 Sputnik

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Turkish General Staff Reports Seven Soldiers Killed During Afrin Operation

Sputnik News

01:27 11.02.2018(updated 01:50 11.02.2018)

ANKARA (Sputnik) - At least seven Turkish servicemen were killed on Saturday during the operation in Syria's northern district of Afrin, the Turkish General Staff said.

Earlier in the day, the Turkish General Staff reported about five servicemen killed in Afrin operation, including two servicemen killed during the crash of a Turkish ATAK helicopter in the area.

"Two more our comrades-in-arms were killed on February 10 during Olive Branch operation, and four were injured. Eleven members of the PYD [Kurdish Democratic Union Party], the YPG [Kurdish People's Protection Units] and IS [Daesh] terrorist organizations were killed," the statement said.

Turkey launched its operation Olive Branch in Afrin on January 20. Ankara has said its offensive is aimed at clearing the Turkish border with Syria from the terrorist presence. Turkey considers the YPG and the PYD to be linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara.

Turkey has neutralized over 1,000 Kurdish militants since the start of its Afrin offensive. At least 26 Turkish servicemen were killed and over 70 were injured during the operation. Damascus has expressed its opposition to the Turkish operation in Afrin, slamming such actions as violation of Syrian sovereignty.

 Sputnik

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It was shocking: Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.

My blog post that day  July 27, 2016  asked the question: Has Donald J. Trump finally crossed a line?

A candidate for president of the United States is hoping an adversary foreign government has spied on a United States secretary of state, and is now asking that government to use its espionage against his political opponent. A brazen Trump was calling upon Russia to influence the elections outcome in his favor.

Shocking? No longer.

By now, weve heard Russia, if youre listening ... so many times that weve normalized Trumps words, even as we continue to learn more and more about Russias election meddling and connections to Trump.

Whatever never-to-be-crossed line there once was, its long been erased, just like the myriad other never-to-be-crossed lines, erased one by one ever since June 16, 2015, when Trump descended the Trump Tower escalator and proclaimed Mexican immigrants to be criminals and rapists.

Are there any lines left, or have we finally reached that moment where Trump stands in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoots someone with impunity?

This continual erasing of the lines of decent human conduct is smudging the American fabric, making it dirty, and eroding the underpinnings of our constitutional democracy. The recent #ReleaseTheMemo campaign illustrates the danger we face.

This so-called memo is a highly partisan Republican document  a collection of political talking points  designed to reinforce the Trump narrative that special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Trumps Russia connections is an illegitimate and politically motivated anti-Trump conspiracy, nothing but a witch hunt.

Approved by House Intelligence Committee Republicans, the memo seeks to create an alternative reality that bolsters the Trump narrative by discrediting FBI and Department of Justice officials and questioning the basis for a counterintelligence operation. It was released by House Intelligence Committee chair, Devin Nunes, on Feb. 2, after Trump declassified its contents, overriding FBI and Department of Justice objections about revealing intelligence sources and methods.

Trumps tweet the morning after its release: This memo totally vindicates Trump in probe. But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on and on. Their was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!

The memo, clearly intended to help derail the Mueller investigation, was released after an 11-day #ReleaseTheMemo campaign to promote Trumps narrative, fueled, hyped, and amplified by Sean Hannity, Fox News, and Russian twitter bots: FBI disgrace, an unprecedented scandal, worse than Watergate!

While the memo itself flopped, not living up to the hype, and makes no credible case that the Russia investigation is tainted, or a witch hunt, it, nonetheless, chips away at the credibility of our intelligence agencies and provides Trumps base with an alternative reality.

This effort to discredit the pillars of American democracy, including a free press and independent judiciary, has serious national security implications. Our country is under attack, and Congressional Republicans fail to defend us. Not only do they enable the Trump narrative, they are active participants in feeding an alternative reality that favors Putin and Russia.

Arizona Sen. John McCain is one of the few exceptions.

The latest attacks against the FBI and Department of Justice serve no American interests  no partys, no Presidents, only Putins, McCain said of the Nunes memo. The American people deserve to know all the facts surrounding Russias ongoing efforts to subvert our democracy, which is why Special Counsel Muellers investigation must proceed unimpeded ... If we continue to undermine our own rule of law, we are doing Putins job for him.

This week Trump used the word treason to describe the lack of Democratic applause during his State of the Union address. Its the image of an autocratic state  Russia, China, North Korea  where dissent means imprisonment, or execution.

Anti-Trump protesters shot in the middle of 5th Avenue?

We cant afford to keep erasing never-to-be-crossed lines. Our constitutional legacy, our moral compass, bequeathed to us by our founding fathers, is too precious to erase. Its time to hold the line, lest we sink into the morass that is Trumps alternative reality.

Alma Rutgers served in Greenwich town government for 25 years. Her blog is at blog.ctnews.com/rutgers/
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Haiti - FLASH : Scheduled power outage





The Electricity of Haiti (EDH) informs its customers and the general population that in order to carry out maintenance work and pruning on the 69,000 volts line for the preparation of carnival festivities, cuts are scheduled from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday, February 10, 2018 in the following areas: Boulevard la Saline, Bel Air, Cite Soleil, Airport Road, National Road #1, Butte Boyer, Route 9, Gayou Guinou Street, Saint Joseph Portal, Pont Rouge, Cite Militaire in particular.



EDH understands that this work will be a disadvantage for its customers and asks for the collaboration of all to achieve them in the best conditions and in the time allowed



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Education : Winners of the Scientific Writing Contest on Sustainable Development





Friday, at the Royal Oasis Hotel, Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet, the Minister of National Education in the presence of rectors of universities, professors, students and officials of the Ministry presided over the ceremony of unveiling the names of the 5 Winners of the Scientific Writing Contest on Sustainable Development launched in November 2017 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22421-haiti-education-launch-of-scientific-writing-contest.html in order to encourage research and scientific production in academia.



43 students from 19 public and private universities took part in this competition supported by UNESCO and Canadian Cooperation. Note that 3 of the 5 students who have distinguished themselves for the quality of their work come from the Faculty of Human Sciences.



First Winner Jean Frantzky Calixte with 133.5 out of 200 points including the text "Complex sustainability. A look at the process of sustainable development in Haiti" caught the attention of the jury composed of five members, experienced professors at the university, including two doctorates.



Second Winner : Price Carlo Domond with 130 points

Third Winner : James Plaisimond with 123

Fourth Winner : Ralph Mackenson Lefruit with 114.5 points

Fifth Winner : Jean Ederson Jean-Pierre with 111.5 points



Welcoming these results, Minister Cadet spoke of this competition as an important step in the Ministry's work to promote research and scientific production, recalling that this competition, which was aimed at undergraduate students, is part of a set of support projects and accompanying to the research and publishing, implemented by the Ministry to stimulate the research capacity of young people on the problems of our society.



Marie Helene Cote of Canadian cooperation has encouraged Haitian students to participate in these competitions because, according to her, this initiative is in line with the Government of Canada's priorities for official development assistance, which is articulated around the Canadian Feminist International Aid Policy.



Director Yves Paul Fausner of the Directorate of Higher Education and Scientific Research at the Ministry welcomed the participation of students in such a process and welcomed the strong involvement of universities and is already thinking of the next competition, highlighting that academic research is fundamental, in order to find answers to the problems that affect our society.



HL/ S/ HaiitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH Carnival National : D-1, Everything is ready, important informations





Friday the National Carnival Committee gave a final press conference at 48 hours of the beginning of the 3 fat days and assured that everything was ready for the smooth running of the National Carnival 2018, the largest cultural and popular event in Haiti that will take place on Sunday 11, Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 February in Port-au-Prince around the theme "Ayiti sou wout chanjman". The national carnival will end at 2:00 am on the first two days and at 3:00 am on the third and last day



Stands :

125 secure stands were built all along the route. The Carnival parade will be divided into 6 sequences and 7 paintings with the participation of about 3,000 people. It will start at the Sylvio Cator stadium at 3:00 p.m.



Animation :

A dozen bands will march on the course among the 25 official bands : 620 Ans Band, An Gran Jan, Beseba, Bizou Bizou Band, Blood Band, Chouchou Band, Diagolo, Family Rara, Fashion Matte, Grappe Plaisir One The Moove, Jaguar's Band, Louloup Party Cool, New-York New-York, No Limit Rara Fanm, Original Bel Bebet, Original Cash Band, Raram, Relax Band, Rosa Band, Silibo, Soul Rasta#1, Tabou 4X4 Band, Vice Band, Vodoula and Rara Fanm https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23451-haiti-flash-d-9-more-information-on-the-national-carnival-2018.html



20 musical groups were selected for the 3 days of the carnival : Barikad Crew, Boukman Eksperyans, Brothers Posse, Chale, Djakout # 1, Enposib, Eya Eya, Rev La, K-Zino, Kai & Mikaben, Kanpech, King Posse, Kreyol La, Maestro & Vayb, Mass Kompa, Ram, Rock Fam, Roody Roodboy, Sweet Micky, T-Vice, and Zikos are the musical groups selected for the three fat days.



Exhibition :

The exhibition on the gates of the National Palace https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20291-haiti-culture-exceptional-exhibition-women-build-another-haiti.html and the exhibition at the National Bureau of Ethology on the Carnival https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23523-haiti-news-zapping.html , are some innovations of Carnival 2018.



Security :

On the route, there will be 7 evacuation points to allow ambulances to travel to and from the 21 ambulance stations. 13 care stations: single stations, emergency care posts and Advanced Medical Post (PMA) will be set up to respond to incidents. PMAs aim to take care of major cases. Cases beyond the competence of the PMAs will be transferred to the reference hospitals including the Hospital of the State University of Haiti (HUEH), the University Peace Hospital in Delmas 33, the OFATMA and the Bernard Mevs Hospital. .



An PMA will be established on the stand of the First Lady and a special space will be dedicated to the reception of all the lost children on the course. Strict prohibition of the carrying of weapons, the use of glass bottles, the movement of wheelbarrows and knives on the National Carnival route.



Michel-Ange Gegeon, the Director General Directorate of the National Police of Haiti reminds all police personnel, that it is formally forbidden for any police officer to enter with a firearm in the spaces where the carnival festivities take place, if it is not part of the official safety device. This measure applies to officers assigned to the close security of VIPs. Any person contravening this provision will be liable to the penalties provided for in the General Discipline Regulations Manual.



In terms of security, a Command Center has been set up and will be coordinated by the Minister of the Interior St Albin who will act in concert with the Office of the Secretary of State for Public Security, the PNH, the Ministry of the Justice and the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC). The latter will be responsible for inspecting the compliance and safety of tanks and stands during the three fat days. 500 volunteer brigadiers will be deployed all along the route to accompany the carnivals.



The 125 stands along the course are secured by the PNH.



4 type of police surveillance will be effective :

Static security will be put in place at the gates, made up of members of the specialized team of the Road Traffic Directorate (DCPR) and the Mobile Intervention Brigade (BIM).



There will also be units posted at fixed points on the course and dynamic security with mobile teams that will patrol.



Finally, there will be video surveillance security where the police officers responsible for viewing the images will guide the intervention teams.



Remember that nearly 7,000 police officers will be deployed during these 3 days to ensure the smooth flow of festivities and the safety of festival-goers.



Numbers for emergency calls : 114 ; 3821-1111 ; 3820-1111 ; 3338-111 (24/24)



Jours feries :

In Le Moniteur N  26 of Friday, February 9, 2018, was published a decree specifying the holidays for Carnival 2018, signed by President Jovenel Moise, Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant, Minister of Tourism Dove Emilie Jessy Menos and the Minister of Culture Limond Toussaint.



"Article 1. - Are declared as public holidays and for the purposes of the festivities of the national carnival:



1) The day of Monday, February 12, 2018, from noon;



2) The day of Tuesday, February 13, 2018 and that of Wednesday, February 14, 2018 in their entirety.



Article 2. Public services, schools, commerce and industry will not work Article 1. - Are declared as public holidays and for the purposes of the festivities of the national carnival:



1) The day of Monday, February 12, 2018, from noon;



2) The day of Tuesday, February 13, 2018 and that of Wednesday, February 14, 2018 in their entirety.



Article 2. Public services, schools, commerce and industry shall be unemployed in accordance with the provisions of Article 1."



HaitiLibre as every year, give you an rendezvous on www.haitilibre.com from Sunday to follow the live broadcast of the Carnival National 2018 during the 3 Fatty Days. Happy Carnival to all and be careful.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23487-haiti-national-carnival-2018-d-6-special-conference.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23451-haiti-flash-d-9-more-information-on-the-national-carnival-2018.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20291-haiti-culture-exceptional-exhibition-women-build-another-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23523-haiti-news-zapping.html



HL/ S/ TB/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2018/02/11

See how art and culture are coming together at the Winter Games in PyeongChang, this year's Gwangju Biennale will feature North Korean artwork for the first time, the new Olympic pavilion is the darkest building on Earth, and illustrator Bang Sangho combines the macroscopic world with cosmic fantasy.

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"4 Athletes Selected as Artists in Residence at the Olympics"

Did you know that the modern Olympic Games, particularly during its early years, also contained a "creative competition"? According to Francis Gabet, director of the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, "Art and culture is part of the DNA of the Olympic Movement", and this year four athletes have been selected to take part in its creative program. In this feature on The New York Times, writer Talya Minsberg explores the brief history of this lesser-known Olympic tradition and profiles the four athletes/artists who will be creating at this year's Games.

...READ ON THE NEW YORK TIMES

"North Korean art exhibition to be held during Gwangju Biennale"

This year's Gwangju Biennale, which takes places in September, will feature a number of artworks from North Korea, according to US-based BG Muhn. "I decided to organize the exhibition because I wanted to introduce the beautiful aesthetics embedded in North Korean art, which are upstaged by the political meanings attached to them", said Muhn in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. Muhn was clear to highlight some of the unique aspects of North Korean art, noting that, "North Korea has developed its own style of oriental painting. The style of oriental painting in North Korea is something that cannot be found in either South Korea or China". Watch this space...

...READ ON THE KOREA HERALD

"Asif Khan Unveils 'Darkest Building on Earth' For Winter Olympics Pavilion"

The Olympic pavilion in PyeongChang is the world's first super-black building that uses Vantablack VBx2 carbon nanotubes that absorbs an incredible 99% of light. "Looking at the building will be the closest experience to looking into space from a point on Earth", writes Keshia Badge for Arch Daily. The building was the brainchild of Asif Khan, a British architect, who says that walking into the new structure feels "as though you are being absorbed into a cloud of blackness".

...READ ON ARCH DAILY

"The Psychedelic Macro Micro Worlds of Bang Sangho"

Bang Sangho is a Korean illustrator who combines "the look of a microscopic world with the scale and mystique of alien planets that we can only imagine". Bang's world plays on the borderlands between science and fantasy, what can be observed and imagination, and in this interview you'll catch some of his surreal works, as well as hear what inspired him to embrace such cell-inspired images. "I like mystic atmospheres from pictures that coexist with microcells and huge planets", says Bong. When ask why he creates, Bong replied that, "creating art is self-satisfaction. Finding the certain process that realizes an imagination in a reality is delightful. Now when I gradually build an imaginative world, I feel a sense of achievement, and also a sense of duty".

...READ ON THREADLESS
Published on 2018/02/11 | Source

North Korean cheerleaders clap at a welcome dinner in a hotel in Inje, Gangwon Province on Wednesday.

No fewer than 280 North Korean bell-ringers and hangers-on to the small athletes' contingent participating in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics arrived in South Korea on Wednesday.

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They include a vast cheerleading squad of handpicked women, a taekwondo demonstration team, and reporters for the state media.

They came by the land route through Dorasan Station in the civilian control zone near the border. The last time such a large North Korean delegation came to the South was in 2005 for an Asian track and field competition in Incheon.

Asked about what they have prepared, one cheerleader said, "You'll find out. It would take the fun out if I told you now".

The cheerleaders brought traditional instruments with them, while some members are apparently part of a band.

Some 114 members of North Korea's Samjiyon Orchestra arrived a day earlier in Donghae, Gangwon Province by ferry but initially refused to come off the boat. They finally emerged on Wednesday morning to rehearse for their upcoming performance, the women in bright red coats and the men in black coats and fur hats.

The orchestra traveled by chartered bus to the Gangneung Culture and Art Center and wrapped up their morning rehearsal at around midday, when they went back to the Mangyongbong-92 for lunch. They did the same for afternoon rehearsal.

The aim of the grueling two-hour round-trip commutes was apparently to minimize contact with South Koreans, though their repertoire seems to include some South Korean pop songs besides classical and folk songs.

North Korean cheerleaders clap at a welcome dinner in a hotel in Inje, Gangwon Province on Wednesday.

The musicians will move on to Seoul for another concert on Sunday and head back to the North next Tuesday.

The Unification Ministry, meanwhile, hosted a dinner for the North Korean delegation in Inje, Gangwon Province, with Vice Minister Chun Hae-sung and around 30 South Korean officials taking part.
For Subscribers Comings and goings: Firm buys hotel, new businesses open

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The evidence is clear. Donald Trumps presidency has eroded Americas soft power. Only 30% of people recently polled by Gallup in 134 countries held a favourable view of the US under Trumps leadership, a drop of almost 20 points since Barack Obamas presidency. The Pew Research Center found that China, with 30% approval ratings, had reached near-parity with the US. And a British index, The Soft Power 30, showed America slipping from first place in 2016 to third place last year.

Trumps defenders reply that soft power does not matter. Trumps budget director, Mick Mulvaney, proclaimed a hard power budget as he slashed funds for the State Department and the US Agency for International Development by 30%. For promoters of America First, what the rest of the world thinks ranks second. Are they right?

Soft power rests on attraction rather than coercion or payment. It co-opts people rather than coerces them. At the personal level, wise parents know that their power will be greater and will last longer if they model sound ethical values for their children, rather than relying only on spankings, allowances, or taking away the car keys.

Similarly, political leaders have long understood the power that comes from being able to set the agenda and determine the framework of a debate. If I can get you to want to do what I want, then I do not have to force you to do what you do not want. If the US represents values that others want to follow, it can economise on sticks and carrots. Added to hard power, attraction can be a force multiplier.

A countrys soft power comes primarily from three sources: its culture (when it is attractive to others), its political values such as democracy and human rights (when it lives up to them), and its policies (when they are seen as legitimate because they are framed with some humility and awareness of others interests.) How a government behaves at home (for example, protecting a free press), in international institutions (consulting others and multilateralism), and in foreign policy (promoting development and human rights) can affect others by the influence of its example. In all of these areas, Trump has reversed attractive American policies.

Fortunately, America is more than either Trump or the government. Unlike hard power assets (such as armed forces), many soft-power resources are separate from the government and are only partly responsive to its purposes. In a liberal society, government cannot control the culture. Indeed, the absence of official cultural policies can itself be a source of attraction. Hollywood movies such as The Post, which showcase independent women and Press freedom, can attract others. So, too, can the charitable work of US foundations or the benefits of freedom of enquiry at American universities.

It is true that firms, universities, foundations, churches, and other non-governmental groups develop soft power of their own which may reinforce or be at odds with official foreign policy goals. And all of these private sources of soft power are likely to become increasingly important in the global information age. That is all the more reason for governments to make sure that their own actions and policies create and reinforce rather than undercut and squander their soft power.

Domestic or foreign policies that appear hypocritical, arrogant, indifferent to others views, or based on a narrow conception of national interests can undermine soft power. For example, the steep decline in the attractiveness of the US in opinion polls conducted after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 were a reaction to the Bush administration and its policies, rather than to the US generally.

The Iraq War was not the first government policy that made the US unpopular. In the 1970s, many people around the world objected to the US war in Vietnam, and Americas global standing reflected the unpopularity of that policy. When the policy changed and the memories of the war receded, the US recovered much of its lost soft power. Similarly, in the aftermath of the Iraq war, the US managed to recover much of its soft power in most regions of the world (though less so in the Middle East).

Skeptics might still argue that the rise and fall of American soft power does not matter much, because countries cooperate out of self-interest. But this argument misses a crucial point: cooperation is a matter of degree, and the degree is affected by attraction or repulsion. Moreover, the effects of a countrys soft power extend to non-State actors  for example, by aiding or impeding recruitment by terrorist organisations. In an information age, success depends not only on whose army wins, but also on whose story wins.

One of the greatest sources of Americas soft power is the openness of its democratic processes. Even when mistaken policies reduce its attractiveness, Americas ability to criticise and correct its mistakes makes it attractive to others at a deeper level. When protesters overseas were marching against the Vietnam War, they often sang We Shall Overcome, the anthem of the US civil rights movement.

America, too, will almost certainly overcome. Given past experience, there is every to hope that the US will recover its soft power after Trump.

Joseph S. Nye, Jr. is a professor at Harvard and author of The Future of Power

The views expressed are personal

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Amid a lacklustre economy, a massive corruption investigation and increasing political polarisation, Brazilians let off steam on Saturday during the first full day of Carnival, a holiday long considered a safety valve for social and political tensions.

Often known for elaborate  or skimpy  costumes and intense samba competitions, Carnival celebrations also frequently take on serious subjects. This year, for instance, womens groups are highlighting the sexual harassment and unwelcome touching that many face during the celebrations and throughout the year on Brazils streets. Others have called attention to housing shortages or are criticizing politicians who have been accused of corruption.

Brazil has recently emerged from one of the worst recessions in its modern history, and the largest corruption. (AFP)

But many also see Carnival as a time to put those weighty issues aside. On Saturday, reveler Dilene Monteiro attended a Sao Paulo Carnival street party, known as a bloco, in the hopes of forgetting the financial difficulties of the past year. This is a moment to release all the energy of 2017, which wasnt great, said the 52-year-old psychologist.

Brazil has recently emerged from one of the worst recessions in its modern history, and the largest corruption investigation in Latin America has resulted in the prosecution and jailing of many of its business and political leaders, decimating its political class and undermining faith in its institutions.

The deep divide was reflected in plans for dueling blocos this year. (AFP)

That has led to deep political polarisation and even the rise of radicalism ahead of this years elections. Presidential preference polls give a lead to former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been convicted on corruption charges, but about whom Brazilians are split: About half want to see him in power again, while half want to see him in jail. In second place is far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro, who glorifies the countrys 1964-1985 dictatorship and has been ordered to pay fines for offensive comments.

The deep divide was reflected in plans for dueling blocos this year. A group called Right Sao Paulo planned a party named after a notorious organ of repression of the countrys former military regime, known as the Department of Political and Social Order, or DOPS. Others responded by planning parties that would denounce the regime.

In the end, a judge ruled that the Bloco Basement of the DOPS 2018 could not appear in public. Rio de Janeiro, meanwhile, is experiencing a wave of violence, as drug gangs battle it out on the streets, often killing innocent passers-by with stray bullets. Authorities there are putting 17,000 security forces on the streets during its world-famous celebrations. All these troubles make Carnival even more important, said Hector Batelli.

Carnival transcends politics  its (a celebration) of the Brazilian people, said the 30-year-old lawyer, enjoying a Bollywood-themed bloco in Sao Paulo. So we put aside politics to have a party, to celebrate. For Mariana Leao Zampier, Carnival might even be a way to mend an increasingly fractured society. At least for Carnival, you have everyone on the same rhythm, said the 35-year-old, who is unemployed.

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Jasper Johns decision more than 60 years ago to paint a picture of an American flag launched what became one of the most heralded artistic careers of modern times. So its fitting The Broads latest exhibition, Jasper Johns: Something Resembling Truth, begins with a first-floor gallery filled with nearly a dozen of Johns most celebrated US flag paintings.

From there, the exhibition goes on to display more than 100 other works, filling gallery after gallery and ranging from paintings and drawings to bronze and metal sculptures to an array of stunning multimedia creations. The works span more than six decades and compose what Broad officials say is one of the largest retrospectives assembled for the 87-year-old artist, whose work helped launch the pop art movement and later merged it with conceptualism, abstract expressionism and other forms.

Jasper Johns was raised in South Carolina and moved to New York to launch his art career after being stationed with the Army in Japan during the Korean War. (Facebook)

It is well known that Jasper Johns changed the 20th century artistically, Broad curator and director Joanne Heyler said, before leading a media tour through the exhibition this week. Johns helped move the conversation of art to a new and exciting place by rejecting the established style of the time, the gestural bravura of abstract expression.

The exhibition was put together with loans from dozens of museums, private collectors and the artist himself. Although Johns, who lives in Connecticut, hasnt seen it and museum officials dont know if he will, Broad co-curator Ed Schad says the artist was intimately involved in its assemblage. We sent him a full wooden model of our museum with everything to scale, everything placed, then we went to Sharon, Connecticut, and met with him and worked with him to finalise the exhibition, he said. I would absolutely love it if he came to see it.

It opened Saturday and runs through May 13. Like Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha and other contemporaries, Johns took art in a different direction in the 1950s and early 60s with his decision to focus on intricately detailed, finely crafted interpretations of everyday objects.

Although best-known to the general public for his flag paintings and drawings, his other prominent works include numerous interpretations of bulls-eye-like targets, sculptures of everyday things like numbers and flashlights, painted copies of cross-hatched etchings he saw on a passing car, and stunning mixed-media paintings with the cans, brushes and other objects he used in their making attached to them.

Prominent among the several mixed-media works on display are 1964s The Watchman, an acclaimed abstract painting that has a partial manikin seated upside-down in an attached chair. Another, Field, includes a red neon light and other letters and items attached to an oil-on-canvas creation. Sculptures from Johns own collection include his bronzed flashlights and slices of bread.

I wanted to make a 3-D format that would sit on a flat surface, he said of the bronzes in notes for the show. I wanted it to be something that already existed, and it came to me in a flash, the idea of a flashlight. He used a real flashlight covered in sculpted metal for his first one, then created others from scratch. The realistic-looking bread was actually painted paper, lead, copper and wood.

Raised in South Carolina, Johns moved to New York to launch his art career after being stationed with the Army in Japan during the Korean War. As he shunned the popular abstract movement, he acknowledged struggling at first to create anything he considered satisfactory  until he dreamed one night that he was painting an American flag. The next morning, I got up, and I went out and bought the materials to begin it, he said.

It was a theme he would return to often over decades and one especially well-represented at The Broad, where the exhibition includes flag paintings and drawings from the early 1950s to the late 1970s. Among them is the heralded 1958 Leo Castelli Flag, a huge painting created with thick brushstrokes of encaustic (oil paint mixed with wax) on canvas.

Also included is Johns stunning orange-green-and-black rendition, created in 1969. The equally heralded, and fragile, Three Flags (1958) is also there on a rare loan from the Whitney Museum of American Art. They and the other flag paintings are likely to provide much of the exhibitions wow factor  and for obvious reasons, according to Schad.

They are extraordinarily made objects. They cant be denied as a matter of craftsmanship, Schad said as he stood near one. And they resonate on that level.

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Madhya Pradesh government has decided to allow translocation of its three pairs of tigers to Odisha.

The state governments decision came on Friday evening after chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans nod. Earlier, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)s technical committee gave its consent in principle to relocate the tigers. This will be first inter-state translocation of tigers in the country once it takes place, said forest department officials here.

Principal chief conservation of forest, Wildlife, Jitendra Agrawal said now with the state government taking its decision decks were cleared for the translocation from Madhya Pradesh to Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha.

The first pair of tigers- a male and a female- is expected to be relocated in March or April. Odishas chief wildlife warden is expected to visit Madhya Pradesh in the first week of March. I will be visiting Odisha in the third week of March, said Agrawal.

The PCCF Wildlife, Madhya Pradesh, said Satkosia had just two tigers left now and they had crossed the breeding age. Once they were dead there would no tiger left in the tiger reserve. Thats why Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had chalked out a long term plan for the Reserve.

He said during a genetic analysis of existing tigers WII found that the genetic make-up of the tigers in Satkosia was similar to that of Madhya Pradesh tigers as compared to genetic make-up of tigers of even other parts of Odisha, hence the plan to translocate MPs tigers to Odisha.

The entire translocation will take place under the supervision of WII. Once the first pair is settled well over there then there would be the process to shift the next pair, said the PCCF.

Though the decision is yet to be taken as to from which part of the state the tigers will be relocated to Odisha, as per the forest department officials most probably the tigers would be shifted from Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Pench.

Only such tigers will be sent which are not overage and are mainly two to two-and-a-half-year old. We will select such tigers for translocation which are looking for their own territories having been separated from or discarded by their mothers and are in a conflict area, said a department official.
Actor Sharad Kelkar has portrayed some powerful characters on the screen. Whether it has been the character of the principal antagonist or an extended cameo, he says he has taken his time and chosen the right projects.

I am happy with the way things have shaped up. I always wanted to go slow and was never in a rush. I have seen people from TV just jumping for a film  not seeing what the film is exactly. They think I am getting the lead role and I am playing the hero and then percentage of failure is much higher than success for such films, he says, adding that he had decided very early that he wont take up any work just for the heck of it.

I dont want to just work around. I want to choose films that I really want to do. And that approach has helped me a lot. I dont think that in every film that you do, you have to be the hero and then whether the film is releasing or not, you are not bothered. So, I go a little slow, as I want to stay there, shares the actor, who has been a part of films such as Ram-Leela (2013), Mohenjo Daro (2016), Bhoomi and Baadshaho (2017).

On what really inspired this thought process, Sharad muses, I have seen actors like Nawazuddin [Siddiqui] and Irrfan playing a hero at the age of 44, and they, too, have worked in TV. But patience and the kind of work they chose made them a hero and gradually a star now. So, I want to go in that order.

While actors hailing from a TV background often admit to feel insecure when they start out with films, Sharad says hes been lucky that way. Touchwood, the industry has welcomed me very nicely and my journey has been pretty smooth. All my co-stars have been very sweet and I think its because of my karma that not for once I was treated like an outside in this industry. Be it John Abraham, Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn or anyone else, they all have been really supporting, and I share a great chemistry with them, says Sharad.

Interact with Monika Rawal Kukreja at Twitter/@monikarawal
The Indian film industry mourned the death of Pakistans renowned human rights lawyer and social activist, Asma Jahangir. An outspoken critic of the countrys powerful military establishment, Asma, 66, passed away in Lahore due to cardiac arrest.

Personalities including screenwriter-lyricist Javed Akhtar, actor Shabana Azmi, filmmakers Mahesh Bhatt and Nandita Das took to social media to offer their last tributes to the fearless activist.

Akhtar called Asma undoubtedly the bravest and the most resilient fighter for human rights. (She) had the courage to face the wrath of the dictators and the fury of the fundamentalist Mulla has passed away. It is the loss of the whole subcontinent, he wrote.

Asma Jahangir , undoubtedly the bravest and the most resilient fighter for human rights who had the courage to face the wrath of the dictators and the fury of the fundamentalist Mulla has passed away . It is the loss of the whole Sub continent .  Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 11, 2018

Azmi remembered her friend, whom she deeply respected for her integrity and courage. Just heard the devastating news that Asma Jehangir passed away... Pakistan has lost its most fearless crusader and the human rights movement its tallest leader. Our deepest condolences to the family, she wrote.

Nandita said Asmas death was a massive loss to the neighbouring country. Deeply shocked and saddened to hear of AsmaJahangir. She was a true defender of human rights, democracy and fought till her last breath against authoritarian power, orthodoxy and discrimination. She was and will remain an inspiration. A huge loss. Condolences to all whose lives she touched, the filmmaker wrote.

Deeply shocked & saddened to hear of #AsmaJahangir. She was a true defender of #HumanRights #Democracy & fought till her last breath against authoritarian power, orthodoxy & discriminatn. She was & will remain an inspiration A huge loss. Condolences to all whose lives she touched pic.twitter.com/FtR6HnFbIf  Nandita Das (@nanditadas) February 11, 2018

Director Mahesh Bhatt called Asma an extraordinary woman who fought for ordinary people. An extraordinary woman who fought for ordinary people. Asmaji had the audacity and the courage to fight for a fairer world. Thank you for touching our lives, he added.

An extraordinary woman who fought for ordinary people. https://t.co/CSly2PWEVR  Mahesh Bhatt (@MaheshNBhatt) February 11, 2018

Pakistani actors Mahira Khan and Ali Zafar also took to Twitter to remember the human rights champion. Sad sad day for Pakistan... We say goodbye to a great great artist and a fearless activist. They shall live on through their work, always. #QaziWajid #AsmaJahangir, Mahira wrote, also mourning the death of TV and radio artist Qazi Wajid.

Sad sad day for Pakistan.. we say goodbye to a great great artist and a fearless activist. They shall live on through their work, always. #QaziWajid #AsmaJahangir pic.twitter.com/RLWZzR7aK2  Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) February 11, 2018

Shocking to hear about the passing of this brave woman. Her honesty and sincerity to her cause remains an inspiration for our generation. Was always so full of life. We will miss you maam, Zafar wrote, tagging Asma in his tweet.

Shocking to hear about the passing of this brave woman. Her honesty and sincerity to her cause remains an inspiration for our generation. Was always so full of life. We will miss you maam. @Asma_Jahangir pic.twitter.com/gGqEJuAexv  Ali Zafar (@AliZafarsays) February 11, 2018

Asma was the first woman to serve as the President of Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.

Her daughter Munizae Jahangir confirmed the news of her death on the microblogging site.

Senior lawyer Adeel Raja said Asma suffered heart attack. She was rushed to Hameed Latif Hospital Lahore where she breathed her last. Doctors tried to save her life but couldnt, he added.

Born in January 1952 in Lahore, Asma co-founded and chaired the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She has constantly raised the issue of missing persons in Pakistan and calling for grilling of intelligence agencies.

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Akshay Kumar-starrer PadMan, a film highlighting awareness on menstrual hygiene, is yet to be released in Pakistan. But a senior official has said it has not been denied a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for import into Pakistan.

PadMan is based on the real life story of Arunachalam Murugananthams journey to make affordable sanitary napkins. A section of the media claimed earlier that it has been banned in Pakistan due to its sensitive subject.

But Pakistan Censor Board chief Mobashir Hasan has said the decision on NOC was yet to be taken as the film had not yet been pre-viewed by the Central Board of Film Censors.

A statement, posted on Hasans Twitter account and shared with IANS via a messaging app, read: The decision to issue an NOC by the Ministry of Information Broadcasting National History and Literary Heritage is yet to be taken on the release of a foreign feature film PadMan as the film has not yet been pre-viewed by the ... Censors.

A Pakistani media report said Pakistani film importers have come under attack over the Akshay Kumar-starrer on grounds of ruining Islamic traditions, history and culture.

Hasan clarified in his tweet, The decision to grant NOC to the subject film will be based on the merit and criteria of the ... Censors, not vexatious, false and irresponsible political motives being created on various media platforms on the back of the film.

It is advisable to maintain principles of integrity whilst making statements on any issues... Good values are the foundation upon which we will build a prosperous Pakistan, not upon a decision of releasing a solitary film, he added.

Directed by R. Balki, PadMan is based on a short story from Twinkle Khannas book The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad. It released in India, Russia, Ivory Coast and Iraq on Friday. The film has collected Rs 23.94 crore in two days of the release in India.

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The countrys largest lender SBI wrote off bad loans worth Rs 20,339 crore in 2016-17, the highest among all the public sector banks, which had a collective write off of Rs 81,683 crore for the fiscal.

The data pertains to the period when the associate banks of State Bank of India (SBI) were not merged with it.

Public sector banks (PSBs) write-off stood at Rs 27,231 crore in 2012-13, government data showed.

The figure has jumped nearly three-fold in five years.

In 2013-14, the state-owned banks wrote off bad loans worth Rs 34,409 crore; Rs 49,018 crore in 2014-15; Rs 57,585 crore in 2015-16 and hitting Rs 81,683 in the fiscal ended March 2017.

Besides SBI, Punjab National Bank had a write-off of Rs 9,205 crore in 2016-17, followed by Bank of India (Rs 7,346 crore), Canara Bank (Rs 5,545 crore) and Bank of Baroda (Rs 4,348 crore).

In the current financial year, PSBs have written off loans worth Rs 53,625 crore in the six months to September.

As per data from the Reserve Bank, nine public sector banks, out of the total 21, had gross non-performing asset ratio of above 15 per cent (the percentage of bad loans in terms of total loans outstanding) as of September 30, 2017.

Fourteen PSBs have gross non-performing asset ratio of over 12 per cent.

PSBs are faced with mounting non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans, putting the financial sector under stress. The government has unveiled a Rs 2.11 lakh crore capital infusion plan for the PSBs, including via bonds, in the next two years.
Fresh trouble is brewing in the ruling BJP in Uttarakhand with a four-term legislator accusing chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat of protecting the corrupt at the behest of a powerful cabinet minister.

Kunwar Pranav Singh, MLA from Khanpur, said he would take up the matter with party chief Amit Shah.

The chief minister is under the influence of a strong cabinet minister from my district, who is weakening our party and protecting the corrupt, Singh said.

The MLA didnt name the minister. Madan Kaushik, who represents Haridwar (urban), is a minister in Rawat cabinet.

I will leave for Delhi on Monday and will meet the party chief the next day. I will take up with him the issue of the chief minister not paying heed to my complaints relating to corruption, Singh, a former Congress heavyweight who joined the BJP about two years back, said. He said he took up with the CM complaints about various issues dogging the Haridwar District Panchayat several times in the past.

Those complaints were serious as they pertained to corruption and some our leaders working against the interest of the party but they went unheeded, Singh, a scion of erstwhile royal family, said. I am now taking up such issues of serious nature directly with our party chief.

Those complaints also pertained to a conspiracy being hatched to weaken the ruling BJP in Haridwar. In that connection, he cites the case of three-member committee of Haridwar Zila Panchayat constituted last year. According to Singh the panel in had a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader from Haridwar, Mohammad Sattar. This person from the BSP had no business to be on board but he was brought in by the influential Cabinet minister from Haridwar, he said. Singh alleged that the BSP MLA was the brother-in-law of former Haridwar zila parishad chairperson Anjum Beg.

She is the same woman from whose official car an amount of Rs 3 crore was recovered last year, he said. Subsequently, following an inquiry she was removed from the position of the zila parishad chairperson and her husband was sent to jail. Singh said adding none of the BJP leaders were happy with the way the BSP leader got a back door entry into the panel. Even former chief minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank who is a parliamentarian from Hariwar has complained to the party leadership.

Equally upset with development were the leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). Singh said he had urged the CM to have the BSP member replaced with a local BJP worker. My request went unheeded, the Khanpur MLA alleged accusing the influential cabinet minister of weakening the party by facilitating the entry of Muslim leaders. He is adopting the tactic to ensure that none of the ruling party legislators from Haridwar district emerged stronger. Singh also alleged that the CM was not taking any action against his complaints against some corrupt officials protected by the Cabinet minister.

Kaushik couldnt be reached for his comments. Partys state chief Ajay Bhatt sought to make light of the issue saying Singh would not take any step that would damage the BJP. He refuted the allegations that the CM was protecting the corrupt or those working against the ruling party.
The sudden move by the state government to disband the Uttarakhand Film Development Council (UFDC) has come as a shock to Bollywood actor Hemant Pande who was also the vice-chairman of the organization.

I am shocked over the way the government disbanded the council without intimating me or other members, Pande said.

The then Harish Rawat government had in 2016 set up the 25-member UFDC to encourage filmmakers to shoot their movies in the state and also help flourish the local cinema. Pande, who was anemd vice-chairman along with Tigmanshu Dhulia, is considered close to the former CM.

A body such as the council should be kept away from politics, Pande said

Speaking over phone from Mumbai, Pandey said he was shocked that the state government didnt inform him about its decision to disband the council.

Surprisingly, even chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat did not give me any indication of his decision when I met him at his office on January 17. In fact, he agreed to attend a function that was soon to be organised to felicitate actors and film makers from the remote areas of the state, the actor said.

Refuting media reports that the UFDC was disbanded because it failed to carry out its mandate to develop facilities for shooting of films in the region, Pande said, There is no substance in such reports because we did all that we could to carry out the mandate of the council. He, however, added that there were many things the council could not do owing to the fund crunch.

Pande claimed that under his stewardship he ensured a number of changes in the film policy to create a conducive atmosphere for film shooting in the state. In fact, under my tenure a number of film makers chose to shoot their films in the region, he said. As a result, revenue of about Rs 30 lakh was generated during my tenure.

The actor, however, thanked the CM for his decision not to charge fee from film makers for shooting their films in the state. It is also a great gesture that film makers who would stay in government guest houses while shooting their films would be charged only 50% of accommodation charges, he added.

Sudharshan Shah, a film maker and former member of the council, blamed the officials for not letting the body continue. I think the chief executive officer of the council, Pankaj Pandey, was behind the CMs decision to disband the body, he alleged. Shah also blamed Pandey for rejecting his proposal under which he had suggested that a film city should be set up at Patwadangar, a scenic spot near Nainital. It was a Rs 500-crore proposal, which was duly passed by the council but according to reports CEO unilaterally rejected the proposal, Shah said. The film city proposal was aimed to facilitate shooting of films in the Kumaon region. CEO Pandey dubbed the allegations as baseless. Disbanding the council is the CMs prerogative. Such a decision was taken because he wanted to make a fresh beginning in the light of a change film policy that is on the anvil.

The official also refuted the allegation that he rejected the film city proposal. It is still in a discussion stage, he said alleging that those who were pushing for the film city project had their eyes on the acres of land on which they proposed it should be set up. Besides, they did not facilitate any investments for the project, the CEO said.
The alleged ISI agents who posed as cyber entities Mahima Patel and Kiran Randhawa to honeytrap IAF officer Arun Marwaha kept the nature of their conversations with him different to make sure they did not seem connected, police said on Saturday.

Group Captain Marwaha was arrested by the Delhi Police special cell on Wednesday for allegedly leaking classified defence information to the two girls. Special cell sleuths continued Marwahas custodial interrogation on Saturday during which he shared more details about his conversations with the two.

A senior police officer familiar with the matter said of the two, Kiran focused singularly on sexually explicit chats while Mahima discussed a range of topics with Marwaha.

He met both on Facebook in December before inviting them to chat with him on WhatsApp. Kiran told him she was from Punjab while Mahima said she was from West Bengal. Both approached the IAF officer within a span of a few days but ensured that the nature of conversations never dropped any hint that they could be linked, said the officer.

And though both engaged in sex chat and lured him into sharing defence-related information, Mahima was more diversified with the topics she discussed. She asked Marwaha about his family life, his past experiences, his job and its challenges, police said. Kiran, on the other hand, is said to have restricted her conversations to explicit sexual content.

Police earlier said Marwaha was trapped by a dedicated wing of the ISI which creates multiple Facebook accounts and sends friend requests to several officers who can provide information.

Once the officers become friends with these cyber entities, they exchange obscene pictures and conduct a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) interaction to first lure them and then access the content they are looking for. In Marwahas case, however, he had never spoken to the entities he was chatting with directly.

Another senior police officer said they were expecting the initial forensic analysis report of Marwahas seized mobile phones on which he allegedly had the conversations. Some of the chats have been deleted and we are trying that experts manage to retrieve those. Once the reports are with us, we can confront Marwaha with those reports and also cross-check if all the claims he made during interrogation were true, said another officer.
The present chaos in the city due to the ongoing sealing drive is a failure of agencies, which are primarily responsible for planning and execution of Delhi Master Plan 2021, experts and urban planners believe.

As different stakeholders of Delhi get together yet again to frame guidelines for Master Plan 2041, goals set in previous three plans since 1962 remain unfulfilled, they pointed out.

The national capital has witnessed unplanned and unchecked urban growth at an unprecedented pace in the last five decades, with civic infrastructure collapsing in certain pockets of Delhi in the past few years.

Arunava Dasgupta, urban planner from School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), said the perennial gap between planning and execution is because the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporations do not work in tandem.

The two agencies are working separately in term of governance. One (DDA) is making the plan and other (civic agencies) are following it up. Somewhere down the line, convergence does not take place. Sealing crisis would have been lesser, if the DDA and MCDs had conviction, mechanism and intent to work together, he said.

As DDA is in process to notify changes in MPD 2021 due to a number of pressing circumstances  sealing drive by Supreme Court appointed monitoring committee and public protest seeking enhancement of Floor Area Ratio (FAR), commercial use of basements, and reduction of conversion charges  Hindustan Times starting Sunday takes a look at previous Master Plans for Delhi (1961, 2001, and 2021) and provisions made for organised development specifically in five zonesWalled city, Walled city extension area, Resettlement and unauthorised colonies, villages, and New Delhi (Lutyens Bungalow Zone). Through the five part series, HT will look into problems in specific areas hampering the progress and analyse issues responsible for failure of Master Plans for Delhi.

Imbalance between planning and implementation since 1962

The first Master Plan of Delhi, 1962, termed the Walled city (mentioned as special area) as a slum, set out the broad vision for its development and laid down planning guidelines to meet the increasing demand of space for commercial and residential use.

Similar policies and recommendations were incorporated in the following Master Plans. Apparently, with no preparation and equitable approach, the agencies  which were primarily responsible to enforce the Master Plans provisions and implement them  ensured that old Delhi established by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan turned into a slum.

The 1962 Master Plan of Delhi had also recommended limited commercial activities in the Walled City and relocation of hazardous trade markets to other locations.

But after 56 years, these markets continue functioning from the same locations that has deteriorated the situation in Shahjahanabad and Walled City extension areas Sadar Bazaar, Paharganj, and Karol Bagh.

Even, the shifting of headquarters of the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), operating from Town Hall, was first mooted in 1962. The head office was in turn supposed to be converted into a museum or library. However, the transfer took place in 2012 and the building has been lying vacant since then.

Given the circumstances, experts said, the new vision document (Master Plan Delhi, 2041) should be realistic and has a mechanism to ensure that it is implemented.

Master Plan Delhi (MPD), 2021 hardly got implemented because local residents did not agree with what was planned or proposed, said KT Ravindran, urban designer and former chairman of Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC). People must have say in the planning process for MPD 2041, he added.

Lack of enforcement

Unauthorised colonies is another sector in which the government and civic authorities have failed to administer MPD provisions. Despite adequate provisions, they could not curb mushrooming of illegal colonies. There were about 110 unauthorised colonies in the national capital around 1960s. Those established before 1967, were regularized in 1969. As per a 1990 survey, the city had 900 unauthorized colonies and 567 were regularised till October 1993.

Many more came up in the next two decades. Another 895 colonies were regularised by then Sheila Dikshit government in 2012. It did not stop here; there are 1,650 unauthorised colonies at present, with about 50 lakh people living in them, which are waiting for a legal tag.

A DDA official said MPDs have largely been a futile exercise due to reasons ranging from multiplicity of civic authorities to lack of enforcement and implementation.

Framing of Master Plans has been reduced to a mere exercise on paper, where a group of bureaucrats sit in a drawing room and plan the future development of the city. There is hardly any survey or a feedback from the ground. Unless the public is involved, we cant plan properly, said the DDA official.

Civic bodies are the implementing authority. As for violations, there is a provision under the law to punish offenders, said Udai Pratap Singh, vice-chairman, DDA.

Jagan Shah, director, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), too echoed similar views. He said the root of the challenge was to manage the involvement of multiple agencies. DDA has to make plans and civic bodies are expected to implement and enforce them. DDA has the planning mandate but doesnt regulate because developed areas became the municipal corporations responsibility, Shah said.

He added that it had become very easy for civic bodies and agencies to pass the buck.

The DDA had engaged in large scale land acquisition and subsequent development. The focus remained on a particular notified areas. Meanwhile, unplanned growth continued in the other parts where acquisition had not taken place, he added.

Expectations and solutions

AK Jain, former commissioner (planning), DDA said Master Plans will not yield results unless the multiplicity of authorities was done away with and civic bodies made more efficient.

The municipal corporations had the responsibility of preparing LAPs but they havent finalized them yet. They dont have efficient Town Planning department. Then how can we expect them to do effective planning? Jain said.

Endorsing points raised by a former DDA planner, urban planner Arunabh Dasgupta said, MPD is an umbrella document for the whole city. It does not necessarily go into the detail of what each ward requires. To get it facilitated, there are municipal bodies. But they have not been empowered for planning though it was their job to frame LAPs.

A North Delhi Municipal Corporation official, familiar with the issue, said the corporations had already sent LAPs to DDA after incorporating suggestions and opinions received from the public.

And yet, DDA has started the process to prepare the Master Plan for Delhis development till 2041, he said.
President Abdulla Yameen of the Maldives has shown little regard for the world communitys calls to roll back the emergency he imposed last week to cling on to power. The China factor seems to be a key reason for his bravado at a time when his opponents have been urging India to step in, militarily if required, to shore up the island nations floundering democratic set-up. China, which has sizeable investments in the Maldives and accounts for more than 70% of the countrys foreign debt, has repeatedly warned against any outside intervention and described the political crisis as an internal affair that should be resolved by the stakeholders. Beijing did, however, somewhat modify its stance on Friday by saying it is in the common interest of India and China to maintain stability in the Maldives  a tacit acknowledgement of New Delhis role and influence in the region.

As things stand, the opposition in the Maldives is in no position to take on Mr Yameen, backed as he is by the military and the police force, and it is natural for leaders such as former president Mohamed Nasheed to turn to traditional ally, India. China may have poured millions of dollars into the Maldives, but there is a growing realisation among the polity that its presence isnt exactly benign. Some have even raised Indias military intervention in the Maldives in 1988 while seeking action from New Delhi. But the situations are different. Thirty years ago, India had intervened to stop a coup by mercenaries, but the ongoing turmoil has Mr Yameen pitted against other Maldivian politicians and institutions. Therefore, a military operation may not be the ideal way to resolve the crisis and also ensure that democracy, however weak it may currently be, takes deeper roots in the Maldives.

There are some voices suggesting India hasnt done enough, or that it hasnt acted with alacrity. It would be better for India not to act in haste. Things have started moving in New Delhi, as was evident when Mr Yameens special envoy was informed he neednt bother coming to India till the Maldivian president has addressed the world communitys concerns about the undermining of democratic institutions and the judiciary. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, in their latest phone conversation, made a pointed reference to concerns about the crisis. As the pieces fall into place, the Maldives crisis could be perfect opportunity for India, the US and other players to use the much vaunted Indo-Pacific strategy to find a solution to a regional problem.
Over 10 lakh students have skipped the Uttar Pradesh board examinations in the last four days till Friday, which is likely to cause a dip in the states high school and intermediate exams.

It is for the first time in over nine decade history of the Board that such a large number of examinees have quit examinations, which experts said could largely be a result of strict

anti-cheating measures implemented by the board in accordance with the state governments directives.

Till the fourth day of the ongoing UP Boards High School and Intermediate examinations, 10,44,619 lakh students  nearly 15% of all those who had registered.

Board records revealed the total count of examines having left exams include 6,24,473 of High School and 4,20,146 of Intermediate. In 2016, the total count of examinees who had left examinations midway was 6,45,024.

When the past one decade of UP Board records were assessed, a significant fluctuation in overall pass percentage in both high school and intermediate examinations was evident, a likely outcome of the anti-copying measures strictly implemented from time to time.

In the higher school examination lowest pass percentage of 40.07% was registered in 2008 while highest percentage of 87.66 % was recorded in 2016. Similarly in Intermediate examination of the Board lowest overall pass percentage of 65.05% was recorded in 2008 while highest pass percentage of 92.68% was registered in 2013 in past one decade.

According to Lal Mani Diwedi, state general secretary of Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh (UPMSS), varying political will to check copying under different regimes played a major role in the pass percentage fluctuating.

In 1992. during the Bharatiya Janata Party rule with Kalyan Singh as chief minister, the overall pass percentage in high school examinations had come down around 14 percent% . However, it again started to rise with Samajwadi Party at the helm, he said.

Diwedi added that during the tenure of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government with Mayawati as chief minister pass percentage again dropped but during SP rule between 2012 and 2017 the overall pass percentage for High School remained above 80%.

As per Diwedi, with such strict measures in place overall all pass percentage in High School and intermediate examination of UP Board could drop to around 50 percent this year.

UP Board secretary Neena Srivastava said this year the authorities had adopted strict measures to ensure that the examinees do not use any unfair means while writing the exams.

Giving details of the measures taken, she said they had ensure d online allotment of exam centres, installation of CCTV cameras across all exam halls, deployment of armed police as well as UP STF personnel to crackdown on the copying mafia besides a strict vigil being kept by administrative machinery of the state to ensure a smooth and copying free exams
Keith Adams, who served as the stunt coordinator on the sets of Kill Bill, has said that he would have been able to prevent actor Uma Thurmans crash had he been notified about the scene. Adams told The Hollywood Reporter that he and his team were not on set as no stunts were scheduled for the day the violent car crash happened.

No stunts of any kind were scheduled for the day of Ms Thurmans accident. All of the stunt department was put on hold and no one from the stunt department was called to set. At no point was I notified or consulted about Thurman driving a car on camera that day, Adams said.

Had I been involved, I would have insisted not only on putting a professional driver behind the wheel but also insuring that the car itself was road-worthy and safe, he added.

In an article for the New York Times, Thurman had alleged that director Quentin Tarantino forced her to drive an unsafe car as part of a stunt on the set of Kill Bill, which crashed and injured her.

Tarantino, on his part, has expressed regret for Thurmans accident, calling it the biggest mistake of his life.
Hollywood actor Kim Cattrall vented her anger at former Sex and the City co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, saying she was not her friend. The two had reportedly been at odds since filming the show together, with the demise of any prospects for a third Sex and the City film bringing the animosity back to the surface, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

Cattrall took to Instangram to vent her anger on Saturday. I dont need your love or support at this tragic time Sarah Jessica Parker, she posted. In the caption, she called Parker a hypocrite and cruel. She said, Let me make this very clear. (If I havent already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So Im writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your nice girl persona.

According to hollywoodreporter.com, Cattrall was likely referring to the recent death of her brother Chris, which Parker discussed at the Paley Centre for medias An Evening With the Cast of Divorce in New York on Thursday.

Parker had also left a message of condolence on Cattralls Instagram post announcing her brothers passing, as had Cynthia Nixon, one of Cattrall and Parkers other Sex and the City co-stars On Instagram, Cattrall also linked to a New York Post article from October entitled Inside the mean-girls culture that destroyed Sex and the City.

In the article, a clique that excluded Cattrall is described as having been formed on the set of Sex and the City particularly after creator and producer Darren Star left and Parkers friend Michael Patrick King took over, which led to Cattralls reluctance to participate in the first Sex and the City film.
Get rid of Maniks sarkar and bring in the lotus, BJP president Amit Shah asked voters in Tripura on Sunday as the party pushed to topple the Left Fronts 25-year uninterrupted rule in the northeastern state that votes for a new assembly on February 18.

Shah took the battle to long-time chief minister Manik Sarkar as he urged people at a rally in a school playground, around 15 km from the state capital, to vote for the BJPs lotus poll symbol and chanted the partys slogan for Tripura  Chalo Paltai, meaning lets change in Bengali.

A change is required in the state. But it will not be limited to change of government, chief minister or MLAs. It will be a change in the existing exhausted situation of the people here. And BJP is the alternative to bring a change, the BJP chief said, pointing to the two-decade continuous rule of Sarkar, one of the longest-serving chief ministers in the country.

He asked the people to oust the Sarkar government and accused the Marxists of pocketing public money meant for development and triggering violence to stay in power.

Tripura is riddled with unemployment, low pay, a poor safety record for women, and bad healthcare infrastructure because of the long Leftist rule, he alleged.

Promising to make Tripura a model state if voted to power, the BJP president said the Narendra Modi government has sanctioned more than Rs 25,000 crore for welfare projects in Tripura.

Vote for BJP on February 18 and let us form the government on March 3. The next day we will start implementation the Seventh Pay Commission for employees. Besides, we will provide at least one job to each family, enhance minimum wages of labourers to Rs 340, give free health insurance to BPL households and drinking water too, Shah promised.

He also warned that the Rose Valley scam would be investigated and scamsters put in jail.

Shah drew on Tripuras icons and alleged the Left government dont observe birth anniversaries of national figures such as Swami Vivekananda, Rabindra Nath Tagore and the states last king, Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Deb Burman, though that of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin were never missed out.

None of the national icons, including the last king, are recalled on their birth anniversaries in the Marxist-ruled state. They all would be given due honour in the BJPs reign, said Shah who is on a two-day visit to the state to boost the partys campaign.

The partys poll manifesto, called the Vision Document, promised to dedicate Agartala airport after the king and also establish a music academy after Tagore.

Union roads minister Nitin Gadkari addressed a rally in Rajnagar, nearly 120km from Agartala, on Sunday afternoon and assured Rs 11,000-crore worth of projects to build and repair roads in the state and give jobs to 200,000 people if the BJP comes to power.
A public interest litigation filed by RTI activist Manoranjan Roy will finally come up for hearing at Bombay high court here on February 12.

The PIL was filed in 2015, on the basis of RTI replies received from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other institutions, pertaining to large quantities of missing or excess Indian currency notes.

Roy said that as per RTI replies, from 2000 to 2011, RBI had received a certain number of currency notes from the three security printing presses in Nashik, Dewas and Mysuru.

The figures provided by the printing presses were: Rs 500 denomination -- 19,45,40,00,000 pieces were sent to RBI, but RBI said it had received only 18,98,46,84,000 pieces: A shortfall of 46,93,16,000 pieces or Rs 23,465 crore.

Similarly, the printing presses said they had sent Rs 1,000 denomination 4,44,13,00,000 pieces, but the RBI said it had received 4,45,30,00,000 pieces: An excess of 1,17,00,000 pieces or Rs 1,170 crore.

In another RTI data for 2000-2011, from the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt Ltd said it had sent 13,35,60,00,000 pieces of Rs 500 denomination and 3,35,48,60,000 pieces of Rs 1,000 denomination, but, mysteriously, the RBI apparently never received these currency notes, nor did it disclose details of the same, said Roy.

How such entirely misleading figures were given by three different and highly responsible government institutions, who are the culprits indulging in the misappropriation, where the staggering amounts of currency notes printed are actually going, are some of the questions that arise, and the answers may come out when my petition is finally heard, Roy said.

In the petition, Roy had named the Prime Minister, the finance minister and the Ministry of Home Affairs, as parties.

However, at one of the early hearings, then Additional Solicitor-General of India, Anil Singh, submitted an affidavit to Roy on January 27, 2016, asking him to delete the names of the PM, FM and MHA.

The affidavit was executed and signed by one Ashish Avinashi, identified as the (then) Deputy HR Manager of Security Printing Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL), Mumbai.

Strangely, this affidavit was not tendered before the Bombay High Court when a division bench comprising Justice VM Kanade and Justice Revati Mohite-Dere was hearing the matter, he said.

The court also deleted the three names of PM, FM and MHA without referring to the affidavit and issued notices to the other parties concerned, Roy contended.

Undeterred, he filed another RTI query seeking details of the affidavits signatory from the SPMCIL and a shocking truth emerged.

The signatory, Ashish Avinashi, had no authority to sign such an affidavit, since a person from the HR department was not the competent person for this purpose, Roy said.

Roys lawyer, Shashikant Chaudhari, said the case went to a bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Prakash Naik on March 29, 2016, with subsequent dates of April 11, 2016, and then listed as a fresh matter on June 17, 2016.

On April 11, 2016, the RBIs lawyer Nikhil Chandani argued that Roys petition was frivolous and there was no need to file a reply to it.

Justice Oka and Justice Naik accepted the argument and asked Roy to restrict himself strictly to the prayers, failing which the court would impose heavy costs, and adjourned it to June 24, 2016.

That day, the court sought to know where is the petitioner when Chaudhari tried to argue the matter on behalf of Roy, and said it had gone through the entire petition minutely and felt it was a frivolous PIL.

Chaudhari sought time till July 1, 2016, which was granted with specific instructions to the petitioner to withdraw the PIL or face heavy costs.

However, Chaudhari said, at the last minute, the matter was transferred to another bench and, subsequently, Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice Swapna S. Joshi disposed it off on August 23, 2016, without proper scrutiny.

On September 22, 2016, Roy filed a Review Petition (No. 5/2016) and the matter remained alive, and now this review plea will come up for hearing next Monday, Chaudhari said.

Meanwhile, barely within 75 days of the petition getting disposed off (August 23, 2016), Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations, on November 8, 2016, the lawyer said.

The government move was made on various grounds like unearthing black money and fighting terrorism, but the entire matter pertaining to misappropriation of large quantities of Indian currency notes, as available under RTI, was sidelined, Roy claimed.
Five soldiers and a civilian have been killed as an operation to flush out militants holed up close to the residential area of the Sunjuwan military station in Jammu continued for the second day on Sunday, the army said.

Three militants has also been killed, defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said, adding the operation was still on.

The third was also wearing army combat dress and was heavily armed. AK-56 rifles, under barrel grenade launchers, ammunition and grenades were recovered from them, he said.

There was still no clarity on the number of attackers, which sources put at four or five.

Bodies of another junior commissioner officer, two army jawans and father of a soldier were recovered on Sunday, Lt Col Anand said.

Updates on Sunjuwan military base attack

They were killed during the initial stages of the attack that also left 10 people, including six are women and children, injured. The other two soldiers were also killed on Saturday.

A 14-year-old boy who suffered a gunshot wound through the head remains critical. Sanitisation and search operation were still continuing, the spokesperson said.

A police release earlier in the day had identified the dead civilian as the father of lance naik Mohammmad Iqbal, who, too, died in the attack which police and army said was carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Army chief Bipin Rawat arrived in Jammu to review the operation that started early on Saturday after heavily armed militants in army fatigues stormed the camp at around 4.45am.

Its a condemnable act. This shows the cowardice of Pakistan who cant face India directly and sends its people to attack civilians here. There are family quarters around the camp, so the army is taking precaution in cordoning the area, deputy chief minister of J-K Nirmal Singh said in the morning.

The attack has again raised questions, as security was beefed up in the state in view of the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who hailed from Kashmir.

A high alert had been sounded in the Valley and for Jammu as well to watch out for possible (militant) attacks on the anniversary of Afzal Gurus hanging, said a central security official on condition of anonymity.

Sunjuwan is third biggest army facility in Jammu and Kashmir after Northern Commands headquarters in Udhampur and Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar.

Militants had targeted the Sunjuwan camp 14 years ago as well. Two fidayeen militants had cut through barbed wires to enter the base on June 28, 2003, leaving 12 soldiers dead.
An 18-year-old girl, who was injured during clashes between protesters and security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir last month, succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Srinagar, police said on Sunday.

Saima Wani breathed her last at the SKIMS hospital here after battling for life for 17 days, they said.

On January 24, two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces.

A 17-year-old boy, Shakir Ahmad, was killed and two women, including Wani, were injured during the clashes between protesters and the security forces near the encounter site.
The Union home ministry and the Issak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) have discussed creating a special auxiliary regiment or an armed police force on the lines of India Reserve Battalion (IRB) comprising armed cadres of the Naga insurgent group, a senior ministry official said.

The proposal of creating the regiment is part of deliberations the centre is having with the NSCN-IM with whom a Framework Agreement was signed back in 2015 for finding a final solution to the vexed Naga issue.

The government has so far not revealed contents of the Framework Agreement but a high ranking official of the ministry of home affairs (MHA), who is part of the peace process with the Naga group, said the centre and the NSCN-IM have discussed recommending the heavily armed cadres of the insurgent group to form the new unit that will operate under the government of India.

Our government is dedicated to achieve a peaceful solution to the Naga issue and channeling the armed cadres to form such force under the government of India will ensure peace prosperity for the state, said the senior home ministry official on condition of anonymity.

The official said that details like time frame of raising the regiment, recruitment for the top brass of the said regiment or whether or not the insurgent group will give up its weapons are yet to be worked out.

Under the current arrangement, which came about after the government signed a ceasefire agreement with NSCN (IM) in 1997, cadres of the insurgent group remain armed when they are in their camps located in Nagaland, the official added.

Former Home Secretary of India GK Pillai said governments decision to induct NSCN-IM cadres must be a part of the final step of rehabilitation package for the insurgents. In the past too we had raised two BSF battalions comprising of surrendered Naga militants. Same has been done in left wing affected areas and Kashmir. There must be somewhere 4000-5000 armed cadres of NSCN-IM and government of India ideally should provide a income source as part of the peace deal to keep them away from going back to militant fold, Pillai said.

The revelation comes after tension governments decision to hold state elections Nagaland before the actual signing the Naga peace accord subsided last week with the BJP forming an alliance the states Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). This was after civil rights groups and political parties in the state, including the ruling Naga Peoples Front (NPF), announced a unanimous decision not to contest the Assembly polls scheduled for February 27 until the Naga political problem was resolved. The NSCN-IM had extended its support for boycotting elections.

The senior home ministry official also said the government used both hot and cold maneuvers to navigate the politics revolving around the election boycott call adding that Union home Minister Rajnath Singh, his deputy Kiren Rijiju and Naga interlocutor RN Ravi played a key role.

The NSCN-IM recently issued statement that they will not use violence to enforce election boycott call. Compare the statement with the day when all political parties in Nagaland decided to boycott elections when filing of nominations too seemed to be a distant possibility. We have crossed the first hurdle, nominations have been filed. Now lets have faith in Naga people for turning up to vote, the official said.
She turned the rule book on its head to be with the man she loved in a village where the caste divide runs deep.

Sohni Devi, 44, a Jat, chose to live with Narayan Balai, a Dalit who was 10 years younger than her. Devi was widow and Balai a widower.

They stayed together for five years in Suwana village in Rajasthans Bhilwara, until tuberculosis claimed Devis life on February 4 in a hospital in Jaipur.

As the news of her death spread, the elders of the Jat-dominated village pronounced that nobody would touch her body.

Balai returned to the village in the morning with the body in a taxi. There was no one to lend a hand. He carried Devi in his arms and gently put the body on the floor of the house the two shared.

He started making calls to his friends. Except one, no one came. It wasnt that there were no people  a crowd was watching as Balai, who drives a tractor for a living, struggled to arrange for Devis body to be taken to the cremation ground.

There were some who said the municipal vehicle used for ferrying animal carcasses be called, said Someshwar Jat, who runs a tea stall.

Someshwar said he wanted to help but did not want to be the only one defying the community.

Some others suggested that Balai seek polices help. He did that. What could I have done? It was not a law and order situation. I couldnt have forced the villagers to participate in the funeral, said Yashdeep Bhalla, the station house officer at the Sadar police station.

He called an ambulance for the body to be taken to the cremation site. At about 5pm, Devis funeral pyre was lit by Balai. His friend Ram Chandra Harijan was the only person at the cremation ground other than the staff.

Caste lines run deep



Caste fault lines run deep in the state and by chief minister Vasundhara Rajes own admission, the state is very caste driven.

In 2016, Rajasthan reported 5,134 cases of atrocities against Dalits, the third highest in the country after Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the National Crime Records Bureau data shows.

Jo apne samaaj se hi chali gayi, usko phir kyun poochhna (Why should we bother about the one who left the community?), said Jeevraj Jat, Devis brother-in-law.

The village elders refused to speak, saying it would bring infamy to the village.

Devi was not always shunned. People would often talk to her and even borrowed money from her, Balai said.

She got Rs 14 lakh from the sale for her share in the family property but squandered it away, Jeevraj said. But in death, the village struck back.

Isolated by society



When asked why she didnt attend the funeral, a woman, who didnt wish to be named, said Devi moved out of her house and chose to live with a man from the Balai community. It was the communitys decision, she said.

Narayan Balai shows Aadhaar and Bhamashah Yojana cards of late Sohani Devi, at his residence at Balai settlement, in Suvana village, Bhilwara, Rajasthan , on February 8, 2018. (Himanshu Vyas / Hindustan Times)

After Devis death, Balai locked their house and moved into his fathers home in the village. He agreed to show the house to Hindustan Times. The walls were lined with posters landscapes and pictures of gods and goddesses. Plastic flower chains laced the door frames.

Both of us loved decorating the house. Whenever wed go to Bhilwara city, wed buy these posters and flowers, Balai said.

He seemed to have moved out in a hurry. A pair of womans sandals was a reminder of their life together. They, however, did not pack away their past  shelves were crammed with studio

photos of Devi, her husband and their kids.

Her husband died in 2004. Her 13-year-old daughter now lives with her brother-in-law in Suwana while her 12-year-old son is in Mumbai with another relative.

Some villagers even forced police to check if Balai wanted her house and money, both of which would go to her children.

I even offered to pay for the pyre wood but he refused. Balai paid Rs 2,100 himself, the SHO said.

Balai has a seven-year-old daughter but she stays with maternal grandparents in a neighbouring village. His wife died in 2012. He had met Devi when she needed help with building the house in 2007.

In her last days, Devi had become frail and it was Balai who did the housework. She didnt mince words when villagers questioned their living arrangement. She would retort, Narayan (Balai) takes care of me. None of you came for help when I needed it. Why do you speak now? he said.

Balai has one more task left  to remarry. Devi would tell me I am young and should get a wife.
The death toll in an operation to flush out militants holed up in a residential area of the Sunjuwan military station in Jammu rose to nine, with bodies of two more soldiers and a civilian recovered in search and sanitisation ops on Sunday, the Indian army said.

The three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants, who were killed in a pitched gun battle on Saturday, had stormed the army camp, attacking military personnel and civilians alike.

Ten other people were injured in the attack, including five women and a 14-year-old boy who is battling for life after a gunshot wound to the head.

The militants were wearing army combat fatigues and were heavily armed. AK-56 rifles, grenade launchers, grenades and other ammo were recovered from them, said a security official familiar with the initial probe into the attack.

The attackers were all Pakistani citizens who had been operating in the Kashmir valley since last year, and had travelled to Jammu just days before the attack, the official said.

How the Sunjuwan military base attack unfolded

An initial probe suggested the attackers had entered from a spot at the rear of the camp where the boundary was secured only with metal sheets. One of the attackers, Qari Mushtaq alias Chotu, was active in Tral in south Kashmir. The two others have been identified as Mohammed Adil alias Irfan Bhai, who was operating in Sopore and Pulwama sectors, and Mohammed Khalid Khan alias Rashid Bhai, who was also active in Pulwama, said the central security official, who asked not to be named.

Jammu & Kashmirs police chief SP Vaid said the militants may have been helped with reconnaissance and ammunition by some local sympathisers.

Information available with us suggests the attackers had crossed from Pakistan into the Kashmir valley sometime in July-August last year, Vaid said. We suspect they may not have taken the risk of travelling with weapons from the Valley to Jammu. It is possible that some local supporters may have provided them with arms and ammunition. This angle is being probed, he added.

It looks like they cut the tin sheets to enter inside the camp from the rear through a seasonal nallah (drain), he confirmed.

Investigators have found syringes where the militants hid in the camps residential quarters before the attack. Suicide attackers have been known to take shots of morphine before launching attacks.

Officers of the J&K police and central security officials said there should have been better security arrangements to secure the boundary wall, especially since the camp had been attacked in 2003, suggesting it was vulnerable, and since such camps have been prime targets since the 2016 attack at a military base in Uri.

The attack was carried out in spite of a high alert for potential terror strikes because February 9 was the fifth anniversary of the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

As per the standard operating procedure, a team from the federal anti-terrorism probe agency, the National Investigating Agency (NIA), reached Jammu on Sunday.

The investigation is likely to be handed over the NIA, said a home ministry official, who asked not to be named.
The army on Sunday morning resumed its operations, after a night-long halt, to flush out remaining terrorists of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) from a military camp in Jammus Sunjuwan.

The protracted encounter began at 4.50am on Saturday after a group of JeM terrorists attacked the family quarters in the camp, killing two soldiers and injuring at least nine other people, including women and children. (LIVE UPDATES)

Special forces have been deployed to neutralise the militants holed up in a building. Four tanks are also pressed into service.

An army officer said the commandos were sanitising the area to flush out remaining ultras, if any. He also denied that through the night the holed up ultras twice opened fire on the army cordon. It was infact a speculative fire by the army, he added.

The operation is on and the evacuation (of people from the family quarters) is in progress, said Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand as saying.

He said a number of families are still there and the armys aim was to ensure their safety.

Most of the 150 houses in the complex had been cleared and the occupants moved to safety, army sources said, adding operations were being conducted with extreme caution and restraint to safeguard unarmed soldiers, women and children in the quarters.

A police officer said bodies of two of the three terrorists gunned down by the army were retrieved from the encounter site in the morning.

The number of remaining ultras could be one or two, he said.

Three to four heavily armed terrorists sneaked into the high security military base and were first spotted in the camp around 4.45am, a security official who had been briefed about the situation had said on Saturday night.

 After being challenged, they rushed to the family quarters of JCOs. It is suspected that three to four militants carried out the attack, so there might be one more holed up inside the family quarters, the official said.

Army chief General Bipin Rawat reached Jammu on Saturday to take stock of the situation.

The latest terror strike on an army camp by the Pakistan-based terrorist group came 15 months after a similar attack in Nagrota on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, in which seven army personnel were killed.

In the Nagrota strike on November 29, 2016, a suicide squad targeted the army base killing seven personnel including two officers. Three terrorists were also killed.

This is the second time Sunjuwan army camp came under terrorist attack. In 2003, two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants had cut through barbed wires to launch the attack on the camp killing 12 soldiers and injuring nine others. The militants were neutralised after a five-hour-long gun battle.

(With PTI inputs)
The militant attack on an army camp in Jammu on Saturday came amid a high alert for potential terror strikes on the fifth anniversary of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Gurus hanging, exposing lapses in security measures around defence installations.

At least two soldiers were killed and nine others injured when a group of suspected JeM militants infiltrated the Sunjuwan camp and opened fire. The three militants were killed after an hours-long gun-battle.

A high alert had been sounded in the Valley and for Jammu as well to watch out for possible (militant) attacks on the anniversary of Afzal Gurus hanging, said a central security official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Though there was no specific intelligence about the Sunjuwan army camp being the target, but once the attack started, intel channels confirmed that it was handiwork of the JeM, the official added.

What made the lapse glaring is the fact that the attack took place in Jammu, considered relatively safer than the Kashmir Valley where militants find safe passage and shelter among sympathisers to their cause.

A former Intelligence Bureau officer Arun Chaudhary, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir twice, said terrorists are challenging the aura of invincibility of the Indian army.

Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish leaders in Pakistan have made their intentions known that they will target security forces in J&K. The army needs to out more resources in guarding its installations, said Chaudhary, a retired IPS officer.

The Sunjuwan camp had faced a similar attack 14 years ago when two fidayeen militants cut through barbed wires to enter the military base in Jammu on June 28, 2003. At least 12 soldiers were killed in the attack.

Earlier too Jaish militants had managed to strike at security forces despite advance warnings.

Last year, Jammu and Kashmir police had claimed to have specific intelligence about a possible attack on a CRPF camp in Lethpora in Pulwama. But three JeM operatives still managed to infiltrate the camp on December 31 and kill five force personnel before being gunned down.

Even before that, Lashkar militants had managed to attack an army camp at Uri in September 2016 and kill 17 soldiers, despite an alert by the IB on the possibility of a suicide attack in the region. It was one of the deadliest militant attacks on a defence installation in India.

Even before the militant attack on the Pathankot airbase in January 2016, security agencies had intercepted conversations between four JeM operatives and their handlers in Pakistan that suggested an imminent attack on a defence installation in Punjab. It came a few hours later when militants sneaked into the airbase and killed six security personnel and one civilian.

Police officers and soldiers stand guard outside an army camp after militants attacked the camp in Jammu. (Reuters Photo)

The central security official, however, said that army installations in J&K are...have always been high on list of possible targets of Pakistani infiltrators.

The official said that attacks symbolising avenging the hanging of Afzal Guru has has become a favoured propaganda tool of Jaish in the last few years.

The Pakistan-based JeM had raised an Afzal Guru squad to avenge the hanging of the parliament attack mastermind in Tihar jail on February 9, 2013.

There have been more than half-a-dozen attacks so far wherein Jaish suicide attackers operatives have left notes and painted walls before being killed that the strike was carried out by the Afzal Guru Squad, the official added.

In March 2015, at the site of an attack on a police post in Kathua and army camp in Samba, notes that the attack was the handiwork of the Afzal Guru squad were found. During the Pathankot attack, a note was left by the attackers that they belonged to the squad.

Even during an effort to attack the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan, the attackers wrote on the wall of building where they were hiding that they had come to take revenge for Afzal Guru. Another message on the wall read: Eik shaheed, hazar fidayeen (One martyr, thousand fidayeen).

In August and November, 2016, attacks on a district police complex in Pulwama and on an army camp in Tanghdar in Kupwara were also claimed by the Afzal Guru squad.

Jammu and Kashmir police chief SP Vaid said that the anniversaries of the hanging of Afzal Guru and one of the founders of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Maqbool Butt (February 11), are days when there has always been high alert.

This time also the situation was no different, he added.

(With inputs from Ravi Krishnan Khajuria in Jammu)
Five soldiers and a civilian have been killed as an army operation to flush out militants holed up close to the residential area of the Sunjwan military station in Jammu continued for the second day on Sunday, a police release said.

Four militants, too, had been killed in the attack on the army camp that also left 11 people, including five members of soldiers families, injured, the release said.

The operation is still underway. I think it is not right to comment on it while the operation is on. I am sure that our jawans, who are in the operation, will successfully conclude it, home minister Rajnath Singh said.

Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat arrived in Jammu to review the operation that started early on Saturday after heavily armed militants in army fatigues stormed the camp at around 4.45am.

The army confirmed the number of injured but said it would release a statement on the martyrs shortly.

According to police, a soldier and his father were among the dead.

Two of the soldiers were killed on Saturday within hours of the strike claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad.

The attack will once again raise questions, as security was beefed up in the state in view of the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who hailed from Kashmir.

The Sunjuwan camp faced a similar attack 14 years ago when two fidayeen militants cut through barbed wires to enter the military base in Jammu on June 28, 2003. At least 12 soldiers were killed in the attack.
Three militants have been killed so far by security forces in an operation to flush out JeM militants from an Army camp in Jammu, a senior police official said on Sunday.

The toll in the attack on Sunjuwan Army camp rose to six on Sunday with the deaths of four more Army personnel and a civilian.

Here are the highlights:

9pm: Five explosions take place inside the military station in Jammu to blow up targeted structures as part of the sanitisation operation by army commandos.

5.05pm: National Investigation Agency team reaches the military station in Jammu.

4.55pm: Four fire tenders rushed to Sunjuwan army camp as a precautionary measure.

3.47pm: Defence spokesperson Lt Devender Anand said AK-56 rifles, under barrel grenade launchers(UBGL), ammunition and grenades have been recovered from the militants.

3.46pm: Five soldiers and one civilian have been killed in the ongoing operation at the military station.

2.40pm: A National Investigation Agency team arrived at Sunjuwan military station to probe the terrorist attack.

1.30pm: Residents provided snacks, meals to security forces in Sunjuwan. Read full report here.

1pm: The Sunjuwan camp faced a similar attack 14 years ago when two fidayeen militants cut through barbed wires to enter the military base in Jammu on June 28, 2003. At least 12 soldiers were killed in the attack.

12.20pm:

I strongly condemn the terror attack on our Army camp in Jammu in which 6 Indians have been martyred. All Indians, across political lines, stand united with our Army men and women. My prayers and thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured.  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 11, 2018

12.05pm:

11.50am: Operation is still underway. I think it is not right to comment on it while the operation is on. I am sure that our jawans, who are in the operation, will successfully conclude it, home minister Rajnath Singh told ANI news.

11.30am: As per TV reports, one more terrorist has been killed in the operation, taking the total figure to 4.

11.20am: Three terrorists have been killed. Army has taken all precautions because every human life is precious and Army does not want a collateral damage. Im sure we will be able to finish the operation soon: SD Singh Jamwal, IGP Jammu.

11.15am:

#SunjwanAttack Update: 2 more security personnel and one civilian have lost their lives, taking the death toll to 6. Operation underway. #JammuAndKashmir  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

10.30am: Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat arrived in Jammu on Sunday to review an anti-terror operation at the Sunjuwan camp which was attacked by JeM militants a day ago leading to the deaths of two soldiers.

10am: Its a condemnable act. This shows the cowardice of Pakistan who cant face India indirectly & sends its people to attack civilians here. There are family quarters around the Camp, so the Army is taking precaution in cordoning the area, says Nirmal Singh, deputy chief minister of J-K.

9.30am: While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base.

9.05am: Condition of the major and a personnel, who were injured in the gun battle on Saturday, is stated to be critical.

The operation is on and the evacuation (of people from the family quarters) is in progress, Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.

9am: A number of families are still there and the armys aim was to ensure their safety.

There was no firing since last night, an officer says, adding bodies of only two terrorists were recovered from the encounter site.

8.50am: The Indian Army resumes operations to flush out remaining militants of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) holed up in Jammus Sunjuwan army camp.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited Wahat Al Karama, the war memorial in Abu Dhabi, and paid tribute to UAEs martyrs.

He then travelled to Dubai to witness the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the first Hindu temple in the capital of the UAE and addressed the Indian community at the Dubai Opera.

Later on Sunday, PM Modi delivered a keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai where India is a guest of honour this year. He gave the inaugural address on the theme: Technology for development.

The Prime Minister arrived in Abu Dhabi from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour on Saturday and was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family at the airport.

He held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as India and the UAE signed five agreements, including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10% stake in offshore oil concession.

From the UAE, Modi flew to Oman, the last stop of his three-nation tour.

Here are the highlights:

11.39 pm: Modi led delegation-level talks with the Sultan of Oman. The two strategic partners discussed to strengthen cooperation in trade & investment, energy, defence & security, food security and regional issues.

Sultan Qaboos appreciated the contribution of honest and hard working Indian nationals in the development of Oman. Eight Agreements/MoUs were also signed during the productive visit. pic.twitter.com/69dA4NIPNb  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 11, 2018

11.35 pm: PM Modi meets Sultan of Oman Qaboos Bin Said Al Said.

9.55 pm:

Muscat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking rounds of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in a battery car #Oman pic.twitter.com/P8yVEFo65b  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

9. 30 pm: I consider you to be an important part of nations development, a partner. The effect of your resolutions in fulfilling the dream of New India will also be seen in India: PM Modi to Indian community in Oman.

9: 25pm: Prior to 2014, the LED bulb was available for more than Rs 350. Now it is available for Rs 40-45. People who are using these bulbs are collectively saving around Rs 15,000 crore in their electricity bills: PM Modi

9.20 pm: Next generation infrastructure is being developed in the country keeping in mind the needs of 21st century. We are working towards making transportation sector co-dependent. Highway, airway, railway and waterway are being integrated together according to each other needs: PM Modi in Oman

9.17pm: In this years budget, we have announced the Ayushmaan Bharat policy through which 10 crore households, which means an estimate of 45-50 crore people, will be provided with health insurance: PM Modi.

9.15 pm:

Aaj koi nahi kehta ki Modi kitna le gaya. Pehle log puchte the ki kitna gaya, ab Modi ko puchte hain ki kitna aaya: PM Narendra Modi in Oman pic.twitter.com/H6wrzZY9h0  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

9.12 pm: We are providing insurance at a premium of 90 paise per day and Rs 1 per month to poor people. One cannot get a cup of tea in 90 paise, I know because I was a tea seller: PM Modi

9.04 pm: Minimum Government - Maximum Governance- with this slogan we are working towards making common mans life easy and simple: Modi.

9.01 pm: Today, every Indian is working towards realising a New India. We are working towards creating an India where the poorest of the poor can strive to achieve their dream: PM Modi

Making procedures simpler, abolishing unnecessary laws, listening to peoples problems with sincerity and taking action on them are involved in the culture of our governance: Modi

9.00 pm: PM Modi says the 8 lakh Indians in Oman are goodwill ambassadors who have contributed to the development of the country.

9:00 pm: His Majesty Sultan has an inseparable bond with India. He has given me the opportunity to speak from here (the stadium), this holds a huge significance. Im extremely thankful to him for this gesture: PM Modi

8:50 pm: In the past 3 years, we have been strengthening our relation with Gulf nations and this has given a new leash of energy to India-Oman ties: Modi

8.47 pm: The relation between India and Oman is several thousand years old... Wooden boats would come to Lothal from Oman... there was a spell in between where we lost our freedom but our business ties and relations with Oman stayed strong: PM Modi.

8.48 pm: 10 years ago, I was to visit Africa as the chief minister of Gujarat. I passed by Salalah, stayed there for some time, met some people and today I again got the opportunity to meet them. I wanted to visit Oman since a long time: PM Narendra Modi in Muscat.

8.45 pm: Got the opportunity to give the keynote at World Government Summit in Dubai .... its reflects the respect India has earned at global state: PM Modi

8.40 pm: I welcome my country men who have assembled here in such huge numbers: PM Modi

If I start welcoming everyone in every language spoken in India, it will take hours. This diversity is not seen anywhere else: Modi

Today, Im seeing a mini-India in Oman: PM Modi

7.26 pm: Prime Minister will be speaking from the royal box in Sultan Qaboos sports complex.

The royal box is used only by Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said al Said and PM will be first visiting dignitary who is being given honour of addressing the community from there, India ambassador to Oman, Indra Mani Pandey, had said on Saturday.

7.22 pm: PM greets Indian community outside Grand Hyatt hotel in Muscat.

Twitter/Raveesh Kumar

7.03 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets deputy prime minister for the council of ministers of Oman Sayyid Fahad bin Mahmood Al-Said.

6.25 pm: PM receives ceremonial reception on arrival.

A ceremonial and traditional welcome for PM @narendramodi on arrival in Muscat, capital of Oman on his first State visit! Warmly received by Deputy PM of Oman. India accords very high importance to relations with Oman, a key strategic partner in the region. #ExtendedNeighbourhood pic.twitter.com/URY5XBxZ1U  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 11, 2018

6.20 pm: PM Modi reaches Muscat.

5.13 pm: PM Modi leaves for Muscat, Oman.

4.30 pm:

PM @narendramodi visited the Museum of the Future in Dubai today. pic.twitter.com/DMnXItlbVy  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 11, 2018

4.20 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets France Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on the sidelines of World Government Summit in Dubai.

3.30pm: Modi says, We live in an interconnected, interlinked and interdependent world. In the coming times, we will need to face our problems together, and in this technology will play a big role.

3.27pm: The Prime Minister says, Indias Mars mission has been a greater success than what movies from Hollywood show.

3.25pm: I feel that the next technology revolution will be linked to solar energy. In the last three years, we have generated 62 gigawatts of renewable energy, he says.

3.22pm: Modi says, Indias unique identity programme (Aadhaar) is the largest in the world. My governments motto is Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas. With Aadhaar, we have plugged leakages worth $8 billion.

3.18pm: We need to follow the six Rs that stand for reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign and remanufacture, this will lead to rejoice meaning anand, Modi says.

3.15pm: He says, Despite these immense strides, we have not ended poverty or malnutrition. On the other hand, a huge amount of time and money is going to into making better missiles and bombs. We must remain vigilant that technology is used for mankinds development and doesnt destroy it.

3.11pm: Modi says, Technology has empowered the common man,which has given a fillip to minimum government, maximum governance. The E in e-governance stands for effective, efficient, easy, empower and equitable.

3.09pm: Technology is changing at the speed of thought. Necessity is not the mother of invention anymore. Inventions are creating necessity, he says.

3.07pm: Modi says, In last 25 years the maternal mortality went down by 1/3rd in India and 1/2 across the world.

3.06pm: The Prime Minister praises Dubai, saying it is unparalleled in its use of technology for development.

3.05pm: Modi says, It is a matter of pride for not only me but also the 125 crore people of India that I have been called as the Chief Guest at the 6th edition of World Government Summit.

3.01pm: PM Modi begins his keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai.

2.30pm: PMO tweets that Modi spoke to the business leaders at length about the economic opportunities in India and the series of reforms undertaken in the last three-and-a-half years.

2.20 pm: PM Modi meets Kyrgyzstans Prime Minister Sapar Isakov.

On the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai, PM @narendramodi met with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sapar Isakov and shared their views on bilateral and regional issues. pic.twitter.com/Hka3022hRI  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 11, 2018

1.55pm: PM Modi meets with business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Taking India story to the business leaders! PM @narendramodi painted the vision of a new India and shared the ease of doung business in India with the business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries. #MarhabaNamaste pic.twitter.com/KWWVbFYlL0  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 11, 2018

12.44pm:

PM @narendramodi meets Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and PM of UAE and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai pic.twitter.com/c2w2FLMDxg  Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) February 11, 2018

12.14pm: PM Modi tells the community, The dreams you have here and in India, I assure you, we will make them reality before the set timeframe.

12.12pm: On GST and demonetisation, the Prime Minister says, When change has to be brought about, there will be difficulties.

He assures the community that the country is changing.

12.10pm: Indias leap in World Banks Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented. But we are not satisfied at this, we want to do better. We will do whatever it takes to make it possible, he says.

12.08pm: On the construction of the temple in Abu Dhabi, Modi says, I want to thank His Highness Crown Price on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the grand temple which will be constructed.

In our tradition, the temple is a conduit for humanity. I believe this temple will not be only unique in terms of architecture and splendour, but will also give a message of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam to people across the world.

12.01pm: Modi says, I thank the Gulf countries which provided almost 30 lakh people from India a home-like environment, away from home, here.

11.56am: The Prime Minister begins his address at the Indian community reception programme. It is my honour to have the opportunity to speak to you again, he tells the audience.

11.53am: PM Modi unveils a model of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Hindu temple and officially launches the project. The model of the temple was covered in palm leaves to symbolise the UAE.

Modi laid the foundation stone for the temple via video conferencing.

PM @narendramodi lays foundation stone for Abu Dhabi's first Hindu temple via video conferencing from #DubaiOpera pic.twitter.com/92s22iQQkE  Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) February 11, 2018

Temple Committee members had presented the temple literature to Modi and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan last evening in Abu Dhabi. The temple will come up on 55,000 square metres of land.

The temple will be hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the UAE. It will be completed by 2020, and open to people of all religious backgrounds. It will be the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the Middle East, said a spokesperson from the BAPS.

11.46am: Indian ambassador to UAE Navdeep Singh Suri welcomes the Prime Minister.

11.41am: PM Modi arrives at the Dubai Opera.

11.00pm: In Dubai, PM Modi will interact with the Indian community at an event at the Opera House.

Expats gathering at the #DubaiOpera for the Indian Community function where PM @narendramodi is due to address them #PMinAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/9DBTeGu7c6  Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) February 11, 2018

10.30am: Prime Minister Modi at the Wahat Al Karama war memorial in Abu Dhabi to pay tribute to martyrs. After laying the wreath, Modi took a tour of the memorial and put his thoughts on the visitors book.

Literally meaning oasis of dignity, Wahat Al Karama comprises 31 massive aluminium-clad tablets, each leaning on the other, symbolising the unity, solidarity and mutual support that bind together the leadership and citizens of the United Arab Emirates with the servicemen and women who protect them, reports PTI.

The long spine at the rear of the memorial is engraved with the Pledge of Allegiance of the UAE Armed Forces and symbolically supports the other panels.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Sunday expressed concern over growing atrocities on minorities and attempts to change Islamic Sharia by the government.

The AIMPLB adopted a declaration at the end of a three-day 26th plenary of the board which said that Muslims in the country were feeling insecure and the present day conditions in the country were a matter of grave concern for them.

The present-day government and some individuals with their vested interests are attempting to break the unity of the Muslims to the detriment of the entire community. It shall be our endeavour not to allow these unscrupulous deeds of some vested interests to destroy this unity, the AIMPLBs Hyderabad declaration said.

It said even in these critical times, there is no need for the Muslims to feel dejected or disappointed or lose faith in their strength. Unity among the Muslims is the best shield which should be protected at all costs, the declaration said, and reiterated its commitment to protect the Islamic Shariah.

The declaration which also mentioned the Babri Masjid said Muslims can never abdicate the mosque. The board made it clear that the struggle for the reconstruction of Babri Masjid would continue and the appeal in Supreme Court would be fought rigorously with all the resources available at the disposal of the Board.

The Board also decided to take forward the reform movement among the Muslims by constituting state-wide committees and district-level committees.

Describing the Talaq-e-Biddat bill moved by the central government as anti-women, anti-sharia and unconstitutional, the AIMPLB felt that it would create more difficulties for women. The Board would start a countrywide awareness campaign against the bill and also coordinate with the opposition parties which were opposing the Bill.

AIMPLB president Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi, presided over the meet which was attended by around 400 members and special invitees.
Vacancies for judges in Indias 24 high courts breached the 400-mark on February 1, according to statistics provided by the law ministry but were brought down on Saturday, with the appointment of five judges to the Karnataka high court.

The latest data released by the ministrys department of justice showed that 403 of the total 1,079 posts of judges were vacant on February 1, up from 397 a month ago.

The government has notified the appointment of five additional judges to the Karnataka high court. More appointments are awaiting clearance at different levels, a law ministry official said on Saturday.

Another official, wishing anonymity, said recommendations and clearances were awaited from both the government and the judiciary.

Appointments to the high courts are made by a three-member Supreme Court collegium, which consists of the three top SC judges, including the Chief Justice of India, who heads the body. Appointments to the SC are made by a 5-member collegium consisting of the five senior-most judges.

Similar bodies in high courts (called HC collegiums) select prospective candidates and send their names and professional records to the law ministry. The ministry, along with background check reports by the Intelligence Bureau, forwards it to the CJI for consideration by the 3-member SC collegium.

The government is yet to receive recommendations for nearly 280 vacancies from the high courts, while the rest of the names are awaiting nods from either the Supreme Court collegium or at different levels within the government.

Of these, the SC has to take a call on over 40 candidates whose names were sent to the CJI, the official revealed.

Over 75 names cleared by the SC collegium for appointment to high courts are awaiting notification by the government, he said.

An expert on judicial reforms who did not want to be named observed that a sort of lethargy seems to have set in on the appointments. Both the sides do not adhere to any time frame for making appointments, he said.

The number of appointments of judges to high courts fell from 126 in 2016 to 115 in 2017.

The expert said the large number of vacancies in the higher judiciary is due to the executive-judiciary disagreement that springs from the SCs judgement of October 16, 2015, quashing the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act as unconstitutional and void.

The Act passed by Parliament in the first year of the NDA government sought to replace the current system of judges appointing judges by the collegium.

On December 16, 2015, the same constitution bench of the SC that had struck down the NJAC Act, directed the government to finalise a new Memorandum of Procedure  guidelines for making appointments to the higher judiciary  in consultation with the CJI to replace the existing set of rules.

Experts said the delay in the MOP is a consequence of the two sides unable to resolve their differences and is fuelling the delay in appointments.
The Samajwadi Party and the Congress are discussing fielding the mother of a Union minister against the Bharatiya Janata Party in the March 11 by-election to Phulpur Lok Sabha seat of Uttar Pradesh.

Krishna Patel is junior health minister Anupriya Patels estranged mother and the wife of late Sone Lal Patel, an OBC leader who founded the Apna Dal in 1995. Krishna and Anupriya lead different factions of Apna Dal.

Sone Lal  with considerable following among the Kurmis of eastern Uttar Pradesh  had unsuccessfully contested from Phulpur in 2009, but stood third with 76,669 votes. Krishna unsuccessfully contested last years assembly election from Rohaniya in Varanasi, a seat Anupriya won in the 2012 election. The Samajwadi Party (SP) wants Krishna Patel to contest on its symbol (cycle), a leader privy to the discussion said. She, however, is insisting on entering the fray as an Apna Dal candidate, supported by SP and the Congress.

The SP is averse to the proposition, a leader close to former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said, adding that negotiation were still on between the two sides. Senior leaders of Apna Dal in Allahabad admitted that the Congress and the SP had contacted Krishna to contest the Phulpur bypoll. They claimed that the final decision in this regard was expected within the next few days. Krishna, however, denied being contacted by any political party. No political party has contacted me yet in this regard. I will be able to comment on this later, she said.

February 20 is the last date to file nominations for the by-election. The poll was necessitated following the resignation of Keshav Prasad Maurya, who became the deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh last year.

Phulpur is a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party, which it lost to the BJP in 2014 when the latter stormed to power in Delhi with a clear majority. Maurya defeated SPs candidate by a margin of over three lakhs in the 2014 parliamentary election.

Maurya polled over five lakh votes in 2014, more than ten times of BJPs 2009 tally of 44,828 votes.

The SP and the Congress expect that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will keep away from the bypoll and Krishna will put up a spirited battle against BJP if she contests as a joint candidate.

Kurmis  an OBC community  are the single-largest constituents of Phulpur, with estimates suggesting they constitute over four lakh out of a total of more than 19 lakh voters. Phulpur is a prestige battle that the BJP is trying to win after a splendid show in last years assembly election.

(With inputs from K Sandeep Kumar in Allahabad)
Gularte said he bought the company when his dad was 63, which is my age now, he said. So would I sell the company to my daughter right now? No way, because I still want to work. I wonder if my dad was that way. But he let me buy the company anyway because he knew that was what I really wanted.

Even though many in the real estate business work 24/7 and their hours are never their own, Gularte realized 25 years ago that working 24/7 was not a good thing. So he made a deal with my family that he would be home for dinner at 5:30 or 6 oclock and then if I had to go back out, he would.

As time went on I was able to explain to my clients that there is a balance of life, and when you balance everything is better in life. I tell my clients now that I work from 8 to 6:30, and I dont work weekends. If you explain to your clients right up front this is how you work, most clients will understand and accept it, Gularte said.

A lifetime in the business has given Gularte a lot of status in the local real estate world. Im kind of the go-to guy in town for people developing sub-divisions, and I have probably done 60-70 projects like that over the years, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met UAE vice president and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, defence and people-to-people contacts.

Modi also met business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries and shared his vision of new India with them.

Strengthening our comprehensive strategic partnership! Prime Minister Modi met with vice president and PM of UAE Sheikh Mohammed in Dubai, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The two leaders had an engaging discussion on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contacts, Kumar said.

Modi also met Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sapar Isakov on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai.

On Saturday, Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, and held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements, including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in offshore oil concession.

Taking India story to the business leaders! Prime Minister Modi painted the vision of a new India and shared the ease of doing business in India with the business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Kumar said in another tweet.

He spoke at length about the economic opportunities in India and the series of reforms undertaken in the last 3.5 years, the Prime Minister Office said in tweet.

Modi, earlier, launched a project for the construction of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, describing the holy place as a catalytic agent of humanity and harmony that will become a medium of Indias identity.

He laid the foundation stone for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple via video conferencing from the Dubai Opera House, where he addressed the members of the Indian community.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the Gulf country.
Visible results from reforms in sectors such as agriculture and law and order will pave the way for the ruling BJPs win in the upcoming March 11 by-poll for the two high-stakes seats of Gorakhpur and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh, said the partys state general secretary Sunil Bansal on Sunday.

The BJPs performance in Gorakhpur, which is the pocket borough of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Phulpur, which was earlier represented by deputy chief minister Kesahav Prasad Maurya, is expected to serve as a bellwether for the 2019 general elections.

Bansal is confident that the work done by the Yogi Adityanath government during its 11-month tenure in Uttar Pradesh, coupled with Modi-governments pro-people policies, will steer the party towards a thumping majority in the 2019 general elections.

In 2014, Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats, elected 71 BJP MPs (plus two of its ally Apna Dal) to the Lower House with a 42% vote share.

A strengthened party cadre from the grassroots to the top rung, with representation from across caste groups, is another factor that the BJP leader said will allow the party to combat the Opposition, even if several parties were to form a coalition against it.

There was a time when people said the BJP lacked leaders from OBC and Dalit sections; now that vacuum has been filled too, he said.

Listing the achievements of the Yogi government  saving Rs 312 crore after pulling the plug on bogus ration cards or providing 16-18 hours of electricity in villages  Bansal said the party was on track to fulfil its poll promises.

Nearly 86 lakh farmers benefitted from the Rs 36,000-crore loan waiver, regularisation of payments to sugarcane famers; doing away with middlemen by directly transferring the money to farmers and helping them double their incomes are significant reforms that can be seen on the ground, he said.

A former RSS pracharak, Bansal was picked by BJP president Amit Shah to steer the partys campaign ahead of the UP assembly election.

The Oppositions allegations that the government has not been able to create jobs and has fostered polarisation, he said, would not stick.

Take the case of UP. For the past 15 years, the state was marred by corruption and vote- bank politics. It will take time to undo the damage, but we are gearing full steam for the upcoming investors summit (February 21-22) that will allow industries to take off. This state has land, resources and manpower, yet there are no industries, no jobs, Bansal said.

The government, he said, was focusing on improving the law and order situation, apart from adding infrastructure to revive small scale industries that sustain large numbers and also set up bigger industrial projects that will offer employment.

He cited the example of the one district, one product programme, where districts that were famous for their products, such as Khurja for pottery, Bhadohi for carpets and Firozabad for glassware will receive be given incentives to revive production.

On the political front, while the Opposition is trying to cobble together a coalition to combat the BJP, Bansal says there was no challenge to the PM Narendra Modi juggernaut. The craze for Modi is unabated; the young connect with him. There might have been concerns over demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax, but the long-term benefits will be there for all to see, he said.
To remove the doubts being planted in the minds of the common people about the theory of evolution, and demonstrate with evidence how humans evolved from apes, scientists from across the country are celebrating Darwin Week from Sunday.

Recent statements by MoS for human resource development Satyapal Singh have compelled the scientific community to raise their voices against political interference in the field of science. Singh had stated last month that the Darwins theory of evolution was scientifically wrong and proposed to drop it from the school and college curriculum.

The February 12 to 18 Darwin Week is being organised by The India March for Science Organising Committee and the Breakthrough Science Society.

The committee had organised a protest march in August last year demanding greater financial support for scientific research and education.

The objective of the Darwin Week will be to remove any doubt that has been planted in the minds of the common people about Darwins theory of evolution, Soumitro Banerjee, Associate Professor at IISER Kolkata, told news agency PTI.

During the proposed Darwin Week, scientists will mount a special drive to reach out to the people to disseminate the Darwins theory of organic evolution, which states that life evolved from single celled organisms over a course of millions

of years.

Through a series of workshops and seminars, scientists will assert that Darwins theory of evolution offers the correct explanation of the observed evolution in nature and is no longer a subject of debate within the scientific community.

A seed of doubt has been planted among the common people and students that the theory may be wrong - that its just a theory, said Banerjee, who is the General Secretary of the Breakthrough Science Society All India Committee.

We will go to schools and colleges and remove doubts about Darwins theory. We will show that it is not just a theory, and that there are a hundred ways to prove it right, he said.

Born on February 12 in 1809, Charles Darwin is best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, which means that humans and monkeys had a common ancestor at some point in history.

In a series of programmes organised in schools and colleges in different states, scientists will demonstrate with evidence how humans evolved from apes.

Apart from West Bengal, universities in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are also participating in the drive.
Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot on Sunday appealed to the BJP government in the state to take the right decisions in the interest of the people in the last budget it will present ahead of the assembly polls.

The BJPs four years tenure passed off looking after its own interest, Pilot said, adding that a number of decisions were taken by the state government, which were against the peoples interest and were opposed by the Congress, forcing the government to withdrawn some of its plans.

After forming the government in Rajasthan, the BJP changed the name of Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kenda to Atal Sewa Kendra for petty politics but the court overruled the decision, he said.

Schemes started by previous Congress government in the state like free medicine and social security pension, were stalled by the BJP government but after pressure from the Congress the schemes were resumed, Pilot said.

The state government made efforts to privatise schools but after a humiliating defeat in the by-polls, the plan was shelved, he said.

Pilot further said that in order to weaken the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGS), the chief minister even recommended to the Centre to change rural job guarantee act into a centrally-funded scheme, which shows that the BJP is anti-poor and against daily wage workers.

Today, farmers in the state and the agriculture sector are going through a difficult phase, but the government has failed to provide relief to farmers who suffered from crop damage and flood, he said.

Neglected by the government, more than 90 farmers have committed suicide in the state over the last four years.

The state BJP government has neglected all sections of the society due to which there is a lot of resentment among the people in the state, Pilot said.

This is last budget of the BJP government and the last opportunity for atonement by taking decisions in interest of the people, he said.

The government should make special provisions in the budget for farmers welfare, and a time bound programme for providing jobs to youngsters of the state. Irregularities in the seventh pay commission should be addressed in the interest of the employees.
An initiative to make learning engaging for children in government schools has resulted in an increase in attendance in Banswara district  from 74.4% in 2016-17 to 76.44% in 2017-18.

The Banswara district administration launched the initiative, called Alakh, in August 2017 to improve attendance in schools.

Absenteeism, low learning levels and lack of awareness about quality education prevail in tribal district Banswara. We initiated this project to create awareness about quality of education, attract students towards studies, and increase their presence in classrooms, said district collector Bhagwati Prasad.

The project has four major components -- developing teaching, learning material (TLM), minimum level of learning, creating awareness about education quality, and creating a sense of community ownership about human resources.

Expression ability and confidence of students were found to be low during inspections. The need for teaching tools was felt to make studies interesting, Prasad said.

Apart from using existing TLMs, new materials -- charts, posters, paintings, cartoons, models (eye, heart, skeleton) -- were developed for Class 1 to 12. The new materials, prepared by a team of teachers and experts, were shown to principals, who were then told to go for such TLMs in their schools, the collector said.

The general understanding among the teaching community is that completing the course will enhance exam result. It may be true where parents are aware about childrens education or society is aware about quality of education but it is not true in tribal district Banswara, where literacy rate is 56%.

Prasad said the government has implemented SIQE (State Initiative for Quality Education). We made a questionnaire and one-page format for attaining the minimum level of learning (MLL) not related to exam results. For senior classes, topics were chosen to enhance board results, he said.

For creating awareness about quality of education, we created a platform on which every Wednesday parents and teachers sit together and discuss education and report cards of students.

When parents are invited to discuss the progress of children, they feel a sense of ownership of resources in their villages. Every other person who is not a parent becomes aware of quality of education in their village, Prasad said.

Rounds of meetings make teaching community responsible because when the same report is shown to parents, they will definitely ask questions to teachers. This model bounds teachers and parents for education quality.
Come April and wildlife lovers will sight tigers at Mukundra Tiger Hills Reserve (MTHR) in Kota district of Rajasthan.

Construction of a boundary wall and chain-link fencing at the reserve will be completed by March 31. A 24-hectare enclosure to acclimatise tigers has been built.

Additional chief secretary Subodh Agarwal said, The civil work has been speeded up at Mukundra and will be completed by March 31. The strategy for shifting tigers will be worked out in a few days.

The MTHR project was initiated in 2003, and notified in 2013 by merging Dara Wildlife sanctuary of Kota, Jawahar Sagar Sanctuary of Bundi, Chambal Ghariyal Sanctuary and some forest blocks of Chittorgarh district.

MHTR is spread over 759.99 square kilometres -- 417.17 sq km core area and 342.82 sq km of buffer zone.

The total enclosure area to be built in MTHR is 200 sq km, but 82 sq km will be constructed under phase-I till March 31, a senior forest official said on anonymity. Tigers will be introduced after planning. Initially one tiger will be brought and later the other two.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved relocation of three tigers -- two female and a male. Tigers will be relocated in a phased manner following standard operation procedure. Initially T-91 which is making movements in the area will be relocated; then two more will be shifted, said the official familiar with the relocation project.

On prey base, he said, At present there are chittals and sambhars, and more will be introduced in phases from Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota zoos.

The relocation project, scheduled to be completed by December 2017, got delayed as the forest department decided to change the plan  instead of Seljar range as planned earlier, tigers will released in Darrah region.

On the delay, the official said a few villages in Seljar needed to be relocated. Two (villages) are big; a town is nearby. Our priority is providing a disturbance-free environment to tigers. In comparison, Darrah region is grassland, safe and secure, and has two big water bodies; the region is better for fencing and monitoring, he said. For the first time a tiger is being relocated to MTHR. In 2003, a tiger was last sighted in Darrah.

After approval from the NTCA, the state forest department had identified six tigers -- two female (T-83 and T-78) and four male (T-66, 75, 91 and 95).

We have identified six tigers for relocation after considering all the required parameters, such as health, age, current location, territory, dispersal direction and avoidance of close relatives, the official said.

The focus is on shifting tigers who can breed well -- male should be aged 4-5 years and female should be of three years. The tiger to be shifted should not have established territory.
An exam centre in Bharatpur refused a visually challenged candidate to take the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) as he did not have an amanuensis, a writing assistant, with him.

REET was conducted at centres across the state on Sunday.

Mohammad Nasir, the candidate, said that he was turned out as he did not have a writing assistant with him. The centre, too, refused to provide one, said Nasir, a research scholar of history at Aligarh Muslim University.

BP Srivastava, principal, Bharatpur Homoeopathic College, said that Nasir was not given an amanuensis as he did not inform the centre two days in advance. According to exam rules, a visually challenged candidate should inform the centre about the requirement for a writing assistant two days before the test.

There were no instructions about informing the centre beforehand on the admit card, said Nasir, who came to Bharatpur, with three other visually challenged candidates from Aligarh. The three were able to sit for the exam as their respective centres provided them with writing assistants.

One among them, Danish Naseem, said that his exam centre provided him a writing hand without any hassle. The exam centre is responsible for providing an amanuensis to the visually challenged candidate, said Bavita Sharma, principal of Aravali Secondary School.

OP Jain, additional district collector and nodal officer of REET, said that visually challenged candidates need to communicate the requirement for an amanuensis two days before the exam. All instructions are given on the website of Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan, he added.
Rajjo Devi, a 27-year-old woman from Kau Ka Kheda village in western Rajasthans Barmer district, spreads the message of PadMan, a Bollywood movie that focuses on menstrual hygiene in rural India through low-cost sanitary napkins.

Rajjo Devi not only talks about menstrual hygiene, considered a taboo in a backward region steeped in centuries-old traditions, to create awareness among rural women, but also ensures cheap sanitary pads to them. She has been carrying forward the menstrual hygiene mission in Barmer for the past four years.

Superstitions and cultural taboos associated with periods have persisted at the cost of womens health and safety. Studies show a link between infections that cause cervical cancer and poor menstrual health.

A number of village women have joined Rajjo Devi to usher in a change. These women produce and sell sanitary pads under the brand name Resham. As part of its corporate social responsibility, Cairn Oil and Gas -- an oil exploration company working in Barmer -- has launched the initiative Resham, under which women and self-help groups produce low-cost and high-quality sanitary napkins.

Under this project, sanitary pad manufacturing units have been set up at Kau Ka Kheda, Mundhon Ki Dhani, Dhandlawas and some other villages in Barmer district. Pads are sold to women and girls who were earlier forced to use unhygienic cloths during menstrual period, often leading to diseases.

Women who spearheaded the mission and those who get cheap sanitary pads at their hutments are happy about the change. Bazaar ja ne lavan me ghani dorayi revti. O chokho hei, ghare ij mil jaave, (buying these napkins from the market is quite challenging. This is now easy, it gets delivered to our hutments), said Keku Devi, who has been using napkins now.

Geeta Devi of Dhandalawas village said: It was not possible for us to travel with the dirty cloth that we used earlier. It (Resham pad) is easy to manage and now I can travel without any inconvenience.

Sanitary machines are operated through women self-help groups. Wood pulp, purchased from Coimbatore through orders, is used to produce cheaper sanitary napkins that are on par with other pads in quality. Each pack consisting of two napkins is sold at Rs 5. Ten-member self-help groups have been trained to manufacture, package, market and sell napkins.

One can hardly believe that in a large number of women are not allowed to leave their houses during their menstrual cycle. During their periods, girls stay home instead of going to schools and often drop out permanently, said Sanjay Thakur, a health activist.

Menstruation is stigmatised and contributes to gender inequalities in rural society. Most of the adolescent girls in villages use rags and old clothes during menstruation, increasing susceptibility to reproductive tract infections, Thakur said.

Thanks to Cairn India, which not only understood the seriousness of the issue but also ensured the better solution by providing wings of freedom to the women who are risking their health due to taboo related to menstruation.
Amritsar will soon get a Lahore-like food street for connoisseurs to relish local varieties, offering unique and aromatic flavours that will attract visitors from around the world. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh made the announcement during a visit to the Punjab Food Festival organised in Amritsar.

With Amritsar, the Guru Ki Nagri, being a major tourist destination, a Food Street of Punjabs cuisine would be a major added attraction for visitors, he said, directing Tourism and Culture Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to work on the project.

Sidhu promised to commence work on it on priority and announced that it will come up at Town Hall within six months. Amritsar is known for its rich tradition and variety of food. Local residents are also famous for their love for food.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister also assured all government support to actor-producer Deepa Sahi, who comes from an Army background, for the development of the historic Gobindgarh Fort, which was opened to the public one year back.

Deepa has been working at the 18th century fort for the past few years to develop the regions first virtual reality theme park for bringing alive the experience of the past. The government will join Deepa in further nurturing and evolving the unique live museum, which has emerged as a repository of Punjabs history, the Chief Minister said.

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A 24-year-old law student died in hospital on Sunday after he was allegedly attacked with bricks and iron rods by a group of men at a restaurant in Allahabad the previous night, police said.

The murder of Dilip Saroj, a student at Allahabad Degree College, triggered social media outrage after videos of the assault shot by people at the eatery was widely shared on WhatsApp and Facebook.

Senior superintendent of police Akash Kulhary said one of the three suspects was arrested on the basis of a video and three policemen, including the Katra police outpost in-charge, were suspended for negligence after the murder.

Munna Singh Chauhan, a waiter seen attacking Saroj on his head with a rod in a video, has been arrested. Restaurant owner Amit Upadhyay has been detained too. Three more accused, including a railway ticket checker named Vijay Shankar of Sultanpur, are at large, he said.

The student and two of his friends had gone to the eatery on Saturday night and were waiting at the stairs after placing their order when they allegedly had an argument with Shankar, who was having dinner with two friends.

The officer said Saroj and his friends attacked the trio with chairs after the altercation. During the clash, the students also hit waiter Munna, who retaliated by hitting Saroj on his head with a rod. Amit and his staff dragged Saroj out of the restaurant and other two students fled. Shankar and his aides then attacked Saroj with rods and bricks, Kulhary said.

The restaurant owner took Saroj to a private hospital, where he died on Sunday morning.

Colonelganj police station inspector Awadhesh Singh said people made video clips of the assault, which helped the police identify the assailants. The body was sent for an autopsy and an investigation launched, he said.

The student was from a Dalit family in the Hathigawa area of Pratapgarh. His brother Mahesh Chandra Saroj filed an FIR at Colonelganj police station.

Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav called the murder an indicator that law and order had worsened in Uttar Pradesh. The ruling BJP often accuses the previous government led by Yadav of doing little to prevent crimes in the state.
SAN VICENTE REDWOODS  The road from Highway 1 rises along the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains, through vineyards and horse farms, to the steepening Empire Grade. A dirt-road turnoff dips into a dank twilight, sun filtering through stands of trees that John Steinbeck called ambassadors from another time.

The coast redwoods, ancient and threatened, mix with towering Douglas firs and opportunistic tanoaks throughout this restoration project on a mountaintop just miles from the sea. The redwoods here are youthful, none probably more than a century and a half old. The massive stumps of their old-growth ancestors are encircled by the young, clusters known as fairy rings.

As Californias climate changes to one of extremes and humans continue to harvest, the only coast redwoods on the planet are in peril. The challenge to preserving them is here, in forests like this oneand so, scientists believe, is the key to a solution.

For the first time, scientists are mapping the coast redwoods genome, a genetic code 12 times larger than that of a human being. By the end of the year, scientists hope to have mapped the complete genome of the coast redwood and of the giant sequoia, a close cousin that also is among the tallest trees in the world, some reaching hundreds of feet high. The genetic code of a single 1,300-year-old redwood from a stand just north of here and of a same-age sequoia will serve as baselines and the first step in better understanding how to make these forests more genetically diverse as a defense against rising man-made threats.

When the three-year project is complete, scientists will have the genetic fingerprints of hundreds of redwoods, a sample large enough to determine which trees have the characteristics to best withstand increased moisture or drought, heat increases or temperature drops. The results will be available as an open online resource, a shared tool for those managing the forests.

Were trying to apply basic science to the basic decisions were making on the ground, said Emily Burns, director of science for the century-old nonprofit Save the Redwoods League, which is paying for the $2.6 million project through private donations. What we see around us is the result of environment and genetics. Until now, weve been making decisions based only on environment.

Since the mid-19th-century gold rush showcased the extent of Californias natural wealth, redwood timber has been prized by home builders and furniture makers for its quality and color. The trees harvesting accelerated around the turn of the last century, when new rail lines quickened the pace of the international lumber trade.

Old-growth redwood forests once extended from the now-arid northern edge of southern California to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Just 5 percent of the redwoods that stood before 1849 are still alive, and the trees footprint has shrunk by one-third.

About 1.6 million acres of redwoods remainan area roughly the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combinedand about a quarter of that is protected. Erratic weather patterns have raised the risk to the trees, including changes in the frequency of fog, from which redwoods absorb the moisture at their crowns. Coastal erosion from rising sea levels brings a future threat.

We dont know how the climate is going to change nor much about what effect those changes will have on these trees, Burns said.

The best defense against the unknown is to make stands such as this one in the lush Santa Cruz Mountains more resilient. The best way to accomplish that is to ensure that these forests are genetically diverse.

Knowing a trees genetic makeup, and how those traits fit into a larger stand of trees, will allow Burns and Richard Campbell, the leagues conservation science manager, to trust the choices they make in protecting and restoring redwood forests.

Its going to be like speaking a new language, said Burns, 37, who grew up in a redwood house north of San Francisco and, for her doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley, studied the effects of climate on the coastal redwood forests.

Restoration work in second growth redwood foreststhose that have been harvested at least once beforeis sometimes counterintuitive. As the forests reemerge, they do so in ways that often stifle growth, as young trees compete for root and branch space.

The fairy rings around the old-growth stumps, while signs of vitality, also routinely need to be cut back to allow the most promising trees to thrive.

Which trees should be felled and which kept is now largely guesswork based, in this case, on Campbells experience, including his time as the director of Yales research and demonstration forests in New England.

Thinning works, Campbell said. Its about choosing the trees we want to see carry into the future. Knowing the genetics will make sure that I dont screw that choice up.

The redwood genome project began in April 2017, when a sample was taken from an old-growth redwood in Butano State Park, about an hours drive north in San Mateo County. The trees exact location is kept secret to prevent overzealous tourism.

Two labsone at the University of California at Davis, the other at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimorebegan work on identifying the trees genetic makeup. The science is complex and time-consuming. A human has 3 million base pairs of DNA on its chromosomes; a redwood has 38 million.

The lead scientist is David Neale, a professor of population biology and plant sciences at UC-Davis who has spent 40 years in the field developing and refining the technology being used in this project.

While examining the initial redwood sample, Neale and his team have gathered genetic material from 10 other old-growth redwoods across a variety of climates and altitudes. This is the second stage of the project: expanding the genetic library available to forest managers.

It begins to give you an estimate of the kind of genetic variation that can be found in specific stands of these trees, he said, describing how the information will be used in terms similar to how genetic material is applied in human health care. Once the patient is determined to be at some genetic risk, you apply treatment and prescribe medicine.

The redwoods genetic code can only be read in Neales lab 150 letters at a time (each piece of genetic information is assigned a letter). At Steven Salzbergs lab at Johns Hopkins, a more expensive process can read strings of up to 10,000 letters.

Salzberg is a professor of biomedical engineering, computer science and biostatistics. Like Neale, he has mapped a trees genome before but never one the size of the redwoods.

The identification of the genomes composition is one challenge. The sequencing and assemblyputting the various strands of letters back together in the right orderis another equally daunting one.

Imagine we took 100 copies of todays edition of The Washington Post and shredded it so that strings of words remained intact, Salzberg said. The job then is to take those scraps and make a single edition of The Post.

The work is done by matching up overlapping strings of gene sequences. The longer the strands, the easier to do, he said.

Salzberg has a number of questions about what he is finding, including, in his words, Why is there no penalty for having a genome as large as the redwoods?

The bigger the genetic code, the more can go wrong, and much of what the genome contains, Salzberg said, is unnecessary. The same is true of humans.

On a pretty routine basis, we learn about our own biology by studying the genetics of others, he said. Im not saying we will in this case, but redwoods do live a fantastically long life, and it would be fascinating to discover why.

The restoration project here is gated off and patrolled, protection against off-road enthusiasts, hikers and, as Campbell put it, the odd dope grow.

The path slopes down toward Deadman Gulch, where a trickling creek runs past old-growth stumps and new, looming redwoods, their ropy reddish bark distinguishing them from Douglas firs. The ground is spongy, thick with needles and the leathery brown tanoak leaves that Campbell fears might be keeping new trees from emerging. A heavy ground coat can suppress new growth, and it is often burned off in the natural course of a forests life.

The problem here has been not enough fire, he said, aware that deadly wildfires to the north and south made last year the worst fire season in state history.

Blue rings have been painted around some of the redwoods, meaning Campbell has approved them for removal.

If Richard knew that tree was genetically different in some significant way from others in this stand, he wouldnt take it down, Burns said, looking at one blue-ringed redwood. Right now, we dont know.

The air is cool, especially low in the gulch. No other tree comes close to absorbing more carbon than the redwood, making these forests invaluable in reducing greenhouse gases. Saving them seems like a better investment than ever, Burns said.

The quiet beneath the canopy belies the life in this forest. On the 8,500-acre San Vicente Redwoods preserve, at least eight female mountain lions live with cubs. The animals have been known to make their homes in the hollowed-out stumps of the old-growth giants.

The wandering salamander, a species now at risk because of a dwindling habitat, thrives on bugs living in the moss and leaves that settle into the redwoods high branches.

Also at risk is the marbled murrelet, a sea bird that dwells high on heavy branches above the canopy, flying each day to the Pacific to hunt fish. The bird is on the protected list, and that protection extends to the redwood stands where it is found.

New redwoods are gaining a foothold here, Burns said. Within 100 years, we can grow really large redwoods. One aspect of this restoration is that it is possible in our lifetime.
Two fake Rs 500 notes were allegedly dispensed by an ATM of a private bank at Marble Market in Kanpurs Kidwai Nagar on Saturday.

The notes had Children Bank of India printed on one side, said Himanshu Tripathi and Ramendra Awasthi, who found the notes when they withdrew cash from the ATM. Both work for local marble dealers in the city.

When we started counting the notes, we noticed that one note in each of the two wads was quite thin, said Tripathi.

Close examination revealed that Children Bank of India was printed on one side. Churan label and full of fun was also printed on it, said Awasthi, who approached the ATM guard and showed him the notes.

The Marble Market Trader Association president Vijay Kumar also reached the site and informed the bank manager Anand Raj Soni.

The ATM has been shut down on our demand till investigation is complete, said Kumar.

The bank manager said a private company named CMS fills the cash in the ATM and their officials have been informed about the fake notes.

The company will also investigate on its part and find out how the fake notes got into the currency cassette, he said.

Bank officials have examined the video footage in which both were seen withdrawing the cash and going out counting notes.

When contacted, RBI officials in Kanpur refused to comment. Only Mumbai Central Office is authorised to comment on such issues, said a bank representative.
In a bid to strike a chord with the urban poor, the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) city unit president Ashish Shelar has announced a series of rallies under Garib Rath Yatra, starting on Sunday.

The party workers will be visiting slum dwellers to promote various initiatives of the government and aims to reach out to 25,000 people directly. The five-day rally will see six sets of 12 rallies visit all 227 electoral wards in the city and focus on promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modis Housing for All scheme.

In its last winter session, the state government announced that the slum dwellings that have come up between 2000 and 2011 will be given permanent homes. However, they will have to pay for the construction cost in order to get possession of their new house. The rallies will inform the slum dwellers about this new scheme.

There will be 12 major rallies in Mumbai addressed by Shelar and the first rally will take place at Kala Chowki. Other areas include Vakola, Kurla, Antop Hill, Mankhurd, Vikhroli and Marol. There will also be a huge rally will be held on February 16 in Bhandup.

In his first Garib Rath Yatra rally at Kala Chowkie on Sunday, Shelar spoke about various initiatives led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He announced that his party will be gathering data of slum dwellings that have come up between 2000 and 2011.

Nearly 18 lakh Mumbaikars will be benefitted by the state assemblys amendment to the Maharashtra Slum Areas Act. The Fadnavis-led governments decision to provide permanent homes to slum dwellers is remarkable. Our party workers will gather data of slum dwellings that can be regularised through its slum societies. I would request the citizens to not trust any agents with details. We will distribute pamphlets informing about the process and distribute forms. Citizens will have to attach a photocopy of their documents with the forms and submit, said Shelar.
Thousands thronged the Kala Ghoda art district to tour the installations, watch plays, attend film screenings and soak in performances one last time, on the final day of the Hindustan Times Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, 2018.

I had heard a lot about this years art installations from friends and I was eager to check them out, said Tanvi Mungekar, 18, a college student from Thane visiting the festival for the first time. Each one was marvellous. I wish I had come a few days earlier.

As the sun set, the action shifted to the Asiatic Library steps, as actor Rani Mukerji arrived to bring the curtains down on the nine-day cultural extravaganza.

As I took selfies with cops backstage, I was reminded of shooting Mardaani at this very location, said the actor, looking radiant in a black poncho. Moments later, she also introduced the audience to her upcoming film, Hichki, which marks her comeback post-motherhood.

The film is about overcoming odds and weaknesses with a strong spirit, she said. Whats amazing about the festival is that people from around the world visit. It feels amazing to stand on the platform among so many artistes showcasing their talent here.

Mukerji thrilled her audience by taking a giant groupfie against the crowd too.

Also present on stage were Nitin Alawadhi, National Head, Created Business, India & International Markets, HT Media Ltd, and Maneck Davar, chairperson, Kala Ghoda Association.

This year, 22 curators and 116 volunteers worked to make this festival a reality, said Davar. With Hara Ghoda as its theme, this years edition packed in 102 visual art installations and 560 events  across sections that included music and dance, food and workshops, literature, heritage, urban design, architecture and stand-up comedy.

The festival really upped its ante this year, said Srishti Mehra, 25, a communications student from Chembur. I especially loved the cinema and theatre sections. The production value and performances in most plays were amazing.

Another highlight for many was Zakir Hussains tabla performance, accompanied by Sabir Khan on the sarangi, held under open skies at Cross Maidan.

There were over 1,500 people in the audience, some even lounging on the grass. It was lovely, said festival coordinator Nicole Mody.

Vibha Patwardhan, 47, a pre-primary teacher from Borivli, said she was glad she could keep her date with the festival this year too. Its the only one in the city that gives a platform to diverse talents.
Once limited to university departments, academic conferences and seminars, where academicians present their research in front of their peers, are now being regularly held in city colleges.

The events have become much more frequent in the last few years after National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC), the body which grades colleges, started considering them as a parameter of a colleges performance. For teachers, the papers presented in a conference are published in a research journal, earning them coveted academic performance indicator (API) points that help them in securing promotions.

Seminar and conferences are part of quality assurance measures taken by colleges. The national and international conferences also bring some repute and a name to the organising college said Anjum Ara Ahmed, a teacher at Rizvi Collge, Bandra, who helped the college organise many such events when she was the vice-principal.

To shore up their credentials, the colleges team up with reputed research institutes, trade organisations and university departments to organise these events. For example, MD College in Parel a few months ago held a conference on the applications of radioactive energy, in collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Around 12 scientists from BARC conducted theory and practical sessions, which were attended by around 200 students and faculty members from 18 colleges in the city.

Last month, AE Kalsekar College of Commerce and Management last month collaborated with Pune-based Indo Global Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture to hold an International Conference on Commerce, Banking, Economic, Management, Law, Social Science and Environmental Concerns. This conference was also attended around 200 academicians, including a few foreign delegates.

The seminars are usually held around a single theme, often to address some of the critical issues faced by the society. A case in point is a conference on Issues, Challenges and Remedies in Global Higher Education with reference to Employability being organised by MVM Degree College, Andheri, this week.

Explaining the objective of the conference,Gopal Kalkoti, principal of the college, said, There are around 700 universities across the country, including 44 in Maharashtra. But these institutions are doing very little besides churning out graduates every year. This conference seeks to find out how the students can be made suitably employable. He adds that the research papers presented during the event will be compiled and presented to policymakers.

The college teachers who attended these conferences said that besides enhancing API scores, these conferences also help them enhance their knowledge and are useful for their profession. Suddenly, the teaching becomes very easy for us. We are able to explain various concepts very lucidly to students. The colleges usually hold pre-conference workshop, so that all faculty members come prepared with papers and articles.

However, some academicians are sceptical about the efficacy of these seminars and conferences. While some conferences are held out of academic interest, most of the colleges are concerned about getting the research published in one of the International Scientific Indexing (ISI) numbered journals. The research work isnt strong, said Neeraj Hatekar, a professor at the University of Mumbais School of Economics and Public Policy.

Another teacher, who didnt wish to be named, called the conferences superficial. Theres not much being done to guide the teachers how to deliver lectures in classrooms, he said.
Four people were arrested on Saturday for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 28-year-old vegetable vendor in Cuffe Parade. The police are on the lookout for two more people.

The accused allegedly beat up and humiliated Qasim Shaikh on Friday, a day before he hanged himself.

One of the accused spat on his foot and asked Qasim to lick it, said an officer from Cuffe Parade police station who did not wish to be named.

Humiliated, the vendor hanged himself with a nylon rope at his sisters home at Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar in Cuffe Parade, said the officer.

The police recovered a suicide note that blamed five people for the suicide.

The arrested accused have been identified as Ismail Shaikh, 47; Akbar Shaikh, 35; Karunesh Pavshe, 35; and Afzal Qureshi, 44  all from Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar.

When Qasim went to his brothers grocery stall, six to seven people had come there and beaten him up, said the police.

One of the accused, Ismail, threatened to kill Qasim and forced him to lick his spit. The brothers somehow escaped from the assault and went to the police who registered a non-cognisable offence. Qasim hanged himself some time after reaching home, said his brother.

Since Qasim held the accused responsible for his extreme step, we have registered a case against them and arrested them. They have been charged with sections 306 (abatement to suicide) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code, said the officer.
To debunk myths and superstitions regarding magic and sorcery and to introduce a scientific temperament to school students, the District Science Club of Gautam Budh Nagar held a science experiment show in Jewar on Saturday.

From revealing the trick behind bathing in fire to creating fire out of coconut shells, experts at the science show debunked various age-old myths associated with Indian society, which gives rise to superstitions such as jaadu-tona (sorcery).

Often, we have heard about the magic trick called bathing with fire, wherein the person plays with fire on his body. The trick is based on the fact that human body starts getting affected by a fire at 800 degrees Celsius while inflammable products, such as kerosene oil, burn at temperatures below 400 degrees Celsius. So, the person applies kerosene oil at specific points of their body and move the fire from one point to another. The trick is to hold the fire for less than a second at one place so that there is no repercussion on the body, Brahm Prakash, a former member of Haryana Vigyan Manch, who was invited for the show, said.

Another famous trick which was debunked by Prakash was creating fire from coconut shells.

Often, you see tantric babas put bhaboot (holy powder) in a coconut shell, after which a fire erupts and then he uses it to scare off ghosts in a person. The real trick here is that sodium metal is kept in the coconut and the result of the reaction between sodium and moisture is fire. Therefore, these babas use moisture on sodium to create fire, Prakash said.

He also debunked the trick in which tantricks are seen conjuring bhaboot out of thin air. You must have seen that tantric babas chant some mantras and they conjure bhaboot out of thin air. Actually, they store small capsules in their hand, which are filled with talcum powder, rice starch, dry cow dung and other ingredients. It is just a trick of hand to hold the capsule neatly and burst it to create bhaboot, Prakash said.

As many as 300 children and 50 teachers of various government primary schools of Jewar attended the science show.

It is a good initiative by the science club to debunk these myths with the use of scientific explanations, Sunil Dutta, primary education officer, Jewar, Gautam Budh Nagar, said.
A 19-year-old man was killed and two others injured in the wee hours of Sunday after a speeding Scorpio SUV rammed the vehicle they were travelling in at the Shastri Nagar intersection, the police said.

The head-on collision that took place around 4am left both vehicles damaged. The trio was travelling in a Skoda Rapid car that had a Delhi registration number.

According to the police, one of the three, Atif, was thrown out of the vehicle due to the impact and suffered critical injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but died.

The car was of Haidars, who was Atifs friend. Another friend of theirs was also present in the car. The three of them were returning from a wedding and Atif was seated in the rear. They were not intoxicated or inebriated as they did not have such habits. We received information about the accident around 10am and by the time we reached the spot, Atif had already died, Mohammad Niyazuddin, the victims maternal grandfather, said.

The police identified the other two as Haidar and his cousin Inam. The three of them were aged between 19 and 21. Atifs father Mohammad Harun is a sub-inspector in Kanpur while others in the family stayed at Arthala in Ghaziabad.

The other two boys were also taken to Delhi for treatment. We have not been able to speak to them. However, we have forwarded a police complaint into the incident, he said.

The black SUV bore a flag and a sticker of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the windshield and the vehicle has a Ghaziabad registration number. Police said that they could not locate the driver of the SUV as they fled leaving the car behind. Both the damaged cars were towed to the police station.

The Scorpio was moving towards Diamond flyover at high speed. The Skoda was coming from Shastri Nagar and headed towards Kavi Nagar. It seems that the driver of the Scorpio was speeding and tried to cross the intersection before the Skoda, Samarjeet Singh, station house officer, Kavi Nagar police station, said.

However, the Scorpio hit the Skoda head-on. The victim was thrown out of the car and died after he suffered critical injuries. The other two victims were also rushed to the hospital. It seems that the occupants of both the cars were returning from a wedding, he said.

The front airbags of both the vehicles had opened and the men sitting in front survived. We are trying to trace the owner of the Scorpio. On the basis of the complaint, a case will be registered against the accused. The Scorpio has been seized and we are trying to locate the owner. The two of the injured were taken by their families for further treatment in Delhi, Singh said.
Once upon a time, Punjab Engineering College (PEC) did not have any hostel and just offered diploma programmes. Students then could only study civil engineering as no internet or computers existed then.

This and some delightful nuggets about PEC were revealed by the alumnus, some as senior as 95 and 93 years old, who attended the global annual alumni meet of the college, organised by the PEC Old Students Association (PECOSA), in association with the institutes dean, alumni, corporate and international relations on Saturday.

PEC has its roots in Mughalpura, a suburban area of Lahore, and was known as Mughalpura Technical College at the time of its inception in 1921. In 1923, its name was changed to Maclagan Engineering College in honour of Sir Edward Maclagan, the then Governor of Punjab.

Alumni honoured at the meet belonged to batches of 1943, 1947, 1968, 1983 and 1993.

BS Grewal, 95, from the 1943 batch and two others from the 1947 batch, namely Brig (retd) Gobinder Singh and Gurlal Singh Tandon, were present on the occasion and were honoured by PECOSA.

Grewal reminisced, The College in Lahore used to be a small college. It did not have any accommodation for students, and only offered diploma courses.

Looking back at the glorious legacy of PEC, PECOSA president KK Vohra said their alumnus Jaspal Bhatti was awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Tandon, 93, who graduated from the Punjab College of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, just a few months before Partition, was displaced after the countrys division, and relocated to India. He was one of the first people to get land allotted in Chandigarh in 1952.

About his education at the Lahore campus, he said he was a proud Maclagian, as the college was then called Maclaglan Engineering College. Back then, civil engineering was the most preferred subject. There was no internet and no industry, but buildings, bridges and roads were being built.

Tandons son, Pardeep, said his father was a structural design engineer, who worked under Le Corbusier on the Capitol Project, and was involved in the construction of many buildings in the city, including the Assembly Hall and some parts of the present PEC campus. He even served as the chairman of the Chandigarh Housing Board.

PECOSA president KK Vohra said the meets theme Building Bridges Across Alumni was chosen to connect and exchange views in a better way, as the alumni association had to develop as a strong and vibrant alumni body, truly international in nature.

The alumni meet at PEC in Chandigarh on Saturday. (Anil Dayal/HT)

Looking back at the glorious legacy of PEC, Vohra said their alumnus Jaspal Bhatti was awarded the Padma Bhushan, while two others, Chandra Mohan of Swaraj Tractors and Satish Kumar, an aerospace scientist, were awarded the Padma Shree, in recognition of their services to the nation.

An alumnus of the 1983 batch, Vijay Vasandani, chief technology officer, GoProcure, USA, was the chief guest on the occasion.

He declared that a corpus Rs 20 lakh will be established with the PECOSA through crowd funding among the alumni of his batch. The fund will be used for development of a web portal to facilitate the objectives of PECOSA and connect the alumni globally.

He also announced the creation of a corpus of Rs 10 lakh with PECOSA in the memory of his mother for the benefit of female students of the institute.
Chandigarh has performed very poorly in providing ante natal care, the health department has failed to start 24x7 primary health centres (PHCs) and it has highest vacant posts of medical officers when compared to other Union Territories. These are some of the deficiencies highlighted in the NITI Aayogs Healthy States, Progressive India report.

The report ranks various states and Union Territories on various health indicators. According to the report, Chandigarhs rank dipped from first to second in terms of overall performance. Chandigarh fell by one position in the rankings from 57.49 in base year (2014-15) to 52.27 in reference year (2015-16).

Based on the score for reference year, there are theree categories for UTs: aspirants, achievers, and front-runners. Chandigarh and three other UTs have been grouped as achievers with significant room for improvement.

Chandigarh also reported a negative change in the health index score, which declined by 5.22 points over the time period.

Chandigarh is yet to operationalise a single 24x7 PHC, which as per the report is important for providing a basic package of health services to the community.

Poor performance in ante natal care

The city also performed very poorly on first trimester Ante Natal Care (ANC) registration that fell from 50% in the base year to 37% in the reference year.

The indicators where almost all UTs need to focus, include filling vacancies of medical officers at PHCs and specialists at district hospitals, establishment of functional first referral units, 24X7 PHCs, and district cardiac care units, CHC grading, quality accreditation of public health facilities, and institutionalisation of human resources management information system, mentions the report.

It mentions that when it comes to health outcomes, all UTs, except Chandigarh and Daman and Diu, have improved their performance from base year to reference year.

29% vacant positions of ANMs

The report mentions in Chandigarh 29% positions for Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) were vacant between the base year (2014-15) and reference year (2015-16). ANM is the village-level female health worker and is usually the first contact person between the community and the health services.

Highest vacant posts of medical officers

Among the UTs, Chandigarh has the highest proportion of vacant medical officer positions at PHCs (69%), followed by Andaman & Nicobar (36%) with no reduction from base to reference year.

Failure to start 24x7 PHCs

Chandigarh is yet to operationalise a single 24x7 PHC, which as per the report is important for providing a basic package of health services to the community and for reducing the workload at higher level facilities.

The report mentions that Chandigarh does not have a single district with functional critical care units (CCUs) in public hospitals. Among UTs, only Delhi and Lakshadweep have the required number of CCUs. However, the city has achieved 100% registration of births and over 90% institutional deliveries (public and private).

Dr G Dewan, director, health services, Chandigarh, said, After I took charge as director few months ago, all these national health programmes are being monitored closely. Meetings are being conducted regularly and Chandigarh needs to be number 1.
San Simone, a tiny village in the Italian Alps, once had a thriving ski trade. But financial issues kept the lifts closed this winter. The local hotel now houses about 80 African asylum-seekers who were assigned to live there when they arrived in Italy. But restaurant owner Davide Midali saw promise in both his village and its new residents.

To lure tourists back, he set out to build igloos that could be rented overnight, like ones he had seen in Sweden. Thats how a handful of immigrants unaccustomed to the cold picked up the art of igloo-making. When some of them saw me creating these blocks of snow, they voluntarily decided to give a hand to reach a common goal, Midali said.

A night view at an igloo village. (AP)

Working with a small crew of volunteers, Midali built six igloos, each taking four or five days to complete. Omar Kanteh, a Gambian citizen who has been in Italy for nine months, is among the newcomers who embraced the construction project, as well as its friendly foreman. God made snow, but this time, man made igloos, Kanteh said. It was very strange to me, so I am very excited. This is a new talent in my life.

Omar Kanteh, of Gambia, left, stands next to a fire with Davide Midali, owner and manager of the igloo village. (AP)

The igloos, which were set up as a mini-village, sleep 18 altogether and have been fully booked on weekends since mid-January. Curious people stop by to snap photographs or for a peek inside the snow domes. Schools in Milan and Bergamo have brought children up for fieldtrips. For 100 euros (Rs 7,830 approx) per person, a couple can dine at Midalis restaurant, sleep in an igloo and eat an organic breakfast before embarking on a guided snowshoe excursion in the Valle Brembana mountains.

Omar Kanteh, of Gambia, with red fleece at center, and Moussa Sissoki, of Mali, holding a shovel at center right, are surrounded by children as they build igloos in San Simone di Valleve. (AP)

Midali thinks the project has allowed him and the migrants to understand each other a little better, maybe even to serve as an example for others in San Simone. In that way, the connection forged with tools and snow is a small counterpoint to the pre-election campaigning in Italy that has featured right-wing parties pledging to expel thousands of migrants. You learn to know these young men, where they are from and their background, and they also learn about our background and life here, Midali said.

Praising Midalis courage and open-mindedness, Kanteh said he would like to settle in San Simone if his application for Italian asylum is approved. He loves me for who I am, and I also love him for who he is, he said. Its not about me being from Africa and him from Europe. We are all from one race. Cristian Palazzi, president of the local tourism board, said the igloo undertaking project was a small step to give life to a small community. I cannot guarantee whether this is enough, but for sure this has been a great idea because without it, today San Simone would be dead.

Colleen Barry in Milan, Italy contributed to this story.

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Egypts military has destroyed dozens of targets, killed 16 militants and detained over 30 suspects as part of its latest operation against Islamic militants in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula, the army said on Sunday.

Army spokesman Col. Tamer el-Rifai said that airstrikes hit vehicles, weapons caches, communications centres and illegal opium fields in the sweep, which began on Friday and comes as a response to a pickup in extremist violence in Egypt.

The air force targeted and destroyed 66 targets used by terrorist elements to hide from air and artillery attacks, for shelter during raids by security forces, he said in a statement.

The operation, which targets terrorist and criminal elements and organizations, involves land, naval and air forces from the army and police, and covers north and central Sinai, the Nile Delta and the Western Desert along the porous border with Libya.

The offensive comes ahead of a March vote that will undoubtedly see President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi win a second four-year term, after all serious opponents have been sidelined or driven out of the race.

El-Sissi, who has waged one of the most sweeping crackdowns on dissent in Egypts modern history, claims he is the only one who can restore Egypts security, and ordered the Sinai operation after militants struck.

In November, extremists killed 311 worshippers in a mosque attack in north Sinai, the deadliest such killing in Egypts modern history, prompting el-Sissi to give security forces a three-month deadline to restore order using all brute force required.

But the militants launched another brazen attack in December, firing a missile at a helicopter that was part of the entourage of Egypts defense and interior ministers, who were in the provincial capital el-Arish on an unannounced visit. Neither minister was in the aircraft when the attack took place but the missile killed an officer and wounded two others.

Militancy has long been a problem in Sinai, but it spiked dramatically after el-Sissi led the militarys 2013 overthrow of elected but divisive Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Violence has been concentrated in north Sinai, but has also spread to the mainland.

Meanwhile, two militant groups that have carried out previous attacks on security forces, denounced the new operation in statements posted online.

The group known as Hasm urged Egyptians to unite against the traitorous regime which was digging its own grave by declaring open war on Sinai.

Another group, called Liwaa el-Thawra, said the offensive, involving tens of thousands of troops, was a sign the government was losing control of Sinai, where it vowed to continue it struggle.

Authorities believe both groups, which have been designated as terrorist organizations by Egypt and the United States, to be splinter groups of Morsis outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
A Mississippi hotel chain owned by an Indian-origin family is facing media scrutiny for tax breaks worth millions of dollars that it had sought for an upcoming project in partnership with the Trump Organization, now run by President Donald Trumps sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump.

Chawla Hotels, owned by brothers Dinesh Chawla and Suresh Chawla, had applied for local tax rebates worth $6 million, which is roughly a third of an estimated $20 mn the hotel in Cleveland, Mississippi, is likely to cost, according to multiple news reports, which the group has not contested.

There was no response to an email sent to an address mentioned on the companys corporate website, but Dinesh Chawla, the CEO, has confirmed to The New York Times and Associated Press that the company had indeed sought tax rebates under the states tourism promotion scheme for the hotel.

He also told The Times that the Trump Organization played no role in the rebate application that the company had first considered in 2015.

But, the New York Times said citing critics and legal experts,if the state approves the tax rebate for the Chawlas, it could indirectly, but personally, benefit the president, who owns the family business through a trust, an arrangement that raises some constitutional concerns.

The hotel is among the first projects selected for partnership with the Trump Organizations newly launched Scion brand for four-star hotels.

The impact of Trumps election on his businesses have long been a subject of intense media scrutiny and the president has distanced himself from them, setting up a trust to run with the help of his two sons.

The Chawlas first came in touch with the Trumps when VK Chawla, an immigrant from India, reached out to Trump the businessman in 1988, asking for a loan to expand his business, after being turned down by 50 banks.

Trump called back, according to accounts related by the family in news reports, and suggested Chawla should apply for a loan for minority communities. He did, and with a loan of $450,000, the elder Chawla started a hotel chain that now has 17 properties in the Mississippi Delta region.

The chain was picked up as the first partners of the Trump Organizations newly launched brands Scion and American Idea in June 2017, that would include three properties to be managed by the Trump group.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied on the streets Sunday to mark the 39th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, just weeks after anti-government protests rocked cities across the country.

Demonstrators burned American and Israeli flags, as well as images of President Donald Trump, whose refusal to re-certify the nuclear deal with world powers has riled Iranians. A few burned a white sheet reading BARJAM, the Farsi acronym for the 2015 nuclear accord that Tehran signed with world powers.

Such activities commonly mark the anniversary, which commemorates the overthrow of U.S.-backed Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. That began a period of hostilities between Iran and the West, including an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the subsequent hostage crisis.

However, President Hassan Rouhani made a point to call for unity among Irans people across its political spectrum, from hard-liners backing the theocratic government to reformists demanding change.

When the Revolution took place, we pushed some off the revolutionary train that we should have not, Rouhani told a massive crowd at Tehrans central Azadi Square. Today, we have to let them board the train again.

Rouhani didnt specifically name those pushed aside, though the Islamic Revolution and its aftermath saw the Islamists surrounding Ruhollah Khomeini purge liberals, communists and others. More recently, Iran has put leaders of its 2009 Green Movement under house arrest, where they remain even today despite Rouhanis pledges to free them.

The comments appeared aimed as being a salve following a New Year marred by anti-government protests. The demonstrations initially focused on Irans poor economy despite the nuclear deal, but quickly spiraled into chants directly challenging Irans theocratic government.

In his speech, Rouhani promised more job opportunities and better economic condition in the near future. Meanwhile, dozens of hard-liners chanted: Death to liars, death to the seditious!

Authorities arrested nearly 5,000 people in the crackdown that followed, according to Alireza Rahimi, an Iranian lawmaker. At least 25 people were killed in clashes surrounding the demonstrations, which largely were snuffed out with authorities blocking some social media apps and sending more security forces into the street.

Decades after the Islamic Revolution, Tehran has had successes abroad after years of turmoil. Iran helped push back the Islamic State group in Iraq and assisted embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad in regaining strategic ground in his countrys long civil war.

At home, however, the countrys economy still struggles despite the 2015 nuclear deal. The accord allowed Iran to begin selling its crude oil again on the international market, but rising food prices have squeezed the average Iranian while salaries remain stagnant and unemployment high.

A January survey by the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland and the Toronto-based firm IranPoll found that 58.4 percent of those interviewed said they found the countrys economy was getting worse. Nearly 70 percent said they found Trump to be completely hostile toward Iran. The telephone-interview survey of 1,002 Iranians had a margin of error of 3.1 percent.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Saturday not to allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria, after Israel launched air raids on what it said were Iranian targets in its Arab neighbour.

Israel wants peace but we will continue to defend ourselves with determination against any attack on us and against any attempt by Iran to entrench itself militarily in Syria or anywhere else, he said.

Netanyahus remarks came as he convened his security chiefs for consultations on Saturdays confrontations which followed Israels interception of what it said was an Iranian drone launched from Syria.

Israel then launched air attacks on the drones control systems, with Syrian anti-air fire bringing down an F16 fighter in northern Israel.

The Israeli air force launched a further series of strikes targeting what it said were Iranian and Syrian military targets in Syria.

Israel holds Iran and its Syrian hosts responsible for todays aggression, Netanyahu said. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect our sovereignty and our security.

Iran, for its part, denounced Israeli lies and said Syria had the right to legitimate self-defence in response to air strikes launched by Israel.

The Israeli leader said he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin whose country supports the Syrian regime.

I reiterated our right and duty to defend ourselves against attacks from Syrian territory, Netanyahu said, adding that the two leaders agreed to continue their coordination on Syria.

Netanyahu also said he spoke with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Pakistan on Sunday rejected allegations that it was involved in the terror attack on Sunjwan Army camp, saying Indian media and officials make irresponsible statements even before any investigation is initiated.

The Foreign Office spokesperson also accused India of carrying out a smear campaign against Pakistan and the deliberate creation of war hysteria.

It is a well established pattern that Indian officials begin making irresponsible statements and levelling unfounded allegations, even before any proper investigation in any incident has been initiated, the Foreign Office spokesperson said, when asked about the attack on Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu.

A particular segment in the Indian media runs with their innuendos to malign Pakistan and whips up public frenzy. We are confident that the world community would take due cognisance of Indias smear campaign against Pakistan, and the deliberate creation of war hysteria, the spokesperson said.

A group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in the early hours yesterday, triggering a gunbattle.

Security forces have neutralised three terrorists holed up in the Army camp while six people, including five Army personnel, were killed in the attack.

The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack.

On November 29, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Armys Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven Army personnel, including two officers. Three terrorists were gunned down in the operation.

Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013, for the 2001 attack on Parliament House.
Hundreds of Pashtuns ended their protest in Islamabad on Sunday after the government gave assurances that their demands would be met.

Minister Azam Khan told the protestors that the killer of Naqeebullah Mehsud, 27, would be arrested soon.

However, the protestors have said that four of their demands are yet to be met.

They have said that they would return if the government does not address their demands.

The protests were organised and attended mostly by young Pashtun men, many of them from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), with a sizeable portion belonging from the Mehsud tribe.

Their list of demands include a plea to stop stereotyping Pashtuns in Pakistan and waking up to their plight.

They wanted the arrest Rao Anwar, the policeman seen as responsible for the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, a trader and social media star.

They also seek the repeal the Frontier Crimes Regulation and other draconian laws.

The Pashtunss demanded the government to present before courts the victims of forced disappearances and to clear land mines from FATA.

They also wanted an end curfews particularly during military operations against terrorists in the region.
Asma Jahangir, Pakistans renowned human rights lawyer, social activist and an outspoken critic of the countrys powerful military establishment, died here on Sunday of cardiac arrest, her daughter said.

Known for her outspoken nature and unrelenting pursuit for human rights, Asma, 66, was the first woman to serve as the President of Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.

I am devastated @ loss of my mother Asma Jahangir. We shall B announcing date of funeral soon. We R waiting 4 our relatives 2 return 2 Lahore, her daughter Munizae Jahangir said in a tweet.

Asma suffered heart attack today morning and she was rushed to Hameed Latif Hospital Lahore where she breathed her last. Doctors tried to save her life but couldnt, said senior lawyer Adeel Raja.

As the news of her death broke, condolences started pouring in from lawyers, rights activists and politicians.

In a condolence message, President Mamnoon Hussain expressed grief over Asmas death, saying she rendered unprecedented services for the rule of law.

Today the country has been deprived of a courageous and disciplined person, who was the voice of the voiceless, local media quoted Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasis statement.

Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke about Asmas work for women and stance against dictators, saying it would be difficult to fill the void left by her death.

Shocked & deeply saddened to hear of Asma Jehangirs sudden death. It is an irreparable loss. May she rest in eternal peace. Ameen, Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Nawaz Sharif tweeted.

Democracy, human rights and resistance against oppression lost a great soldier- Asma Jehangir. Its everyones loss. What a sad day! she said.

Pakistan Peoples Party Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari expressed shock over the her demise, saying she was not just a person but was an effective voice for human rights.

Deeply saddened by the news of sudden demise of renowned lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jahangir sahiba. Pakistan has lost a passionate champion of human rights and a staunch supporter of democracy. May her soul rest in peace!, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said in a tweet.

My hero, the woman I always looked up to, the woman who inspired me- heart broken- cant imagine how we will ever recover from this #AsmaJhangir #pakistan said Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan had become poorer with her demise.

@asma_jahangir What a brave woman. Pakistan poorer without her. People like Asma are anchors of a society. The brave and dedicated daughter of a brave father. After 3 generations of camaraderie between our families, this is a deep personal loss. God bless her soul, Asif tweeted.

Asma is survived by two daughters and a son. Her daughter Munizae is a TV anchor.

Born in January 1952 in Lahore, Asma co-founded and chaired the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She has also been Supreme Court Bar Association president.

After obtaining LLB degree from the Punjab University in 1978, she started her career as an advocate at high and Supreme courts.

Asma became a champion democracy activist and was subsequently imprisoned in 1983 for participating in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy against the military rule of Pakistans longest-serving President Ziaul Haq.

In 1986, she moved to Geneva and became the vice-chair of the Defence for Children International. She remained there until 1988 before moving back to Pakistan.

In 1987, she co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and became its Secretary General until 1993 when she was elevated as commissions chairperson.

Asma also played an active role in the famous Lawyers Movement to restore Iftikhar Chaudhry as the chief justice of Pakistan.

She has constantly raised the issue of missing persons in Pakistan and calling for grilling of intelligence agencies.

She was critical of the Supreme Court for judicial activism and also criticised the apex court for disqualifying Nawaz Sharif from the office of prime minister in July last year.

Asma has received several awards including the 2014 Right Livelihood Award, 2010 Freedom Award, Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2010 and Sitara-e-Imtiaz.

She has also been an outspoken critic of the Pakistans powerful military establishment, including during her tenure as the first-ever female leader of Pakistans top bar association.

Asma was arrested in 2007 by the government of the then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, and in 2012 claimed her life was in danger from the countrys top spy agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
A Russian passenger plane carrying 71 people crashed outside Moscow on Sunday after taking off from the capitals Domodedovo airport, killing everyone on board.

The Antonov An-148 plane operated by the domestic Saratov Airlines was flying to Orsk, a city in the Urals, and crashed in the Ramensky district on the outskirts of Moscow.

Sixty-five passengers and six crew members were on board, and all of them died, Russias office of transport investigations said in a statement.

News agencies said witnesses in the village of Argunovo saw a burning plane falling from the sky.

President Vladimir Putin offered his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

State television aired a video of the crash site, showing parts of the wreckage in the snow.

Russia has seen record high snowfall in recent days and visibility was reportedly poor.

The Russian-made plane was reportedly seven years old and bought by Saratov Airlines from another Russian airline a year ago.

Russian media reported that the emergency services were unable to reach the crash site by road and that rescue workers walked to the scene on foot. Emergency services said in a statement that more than 150 rescue workers were deployed to the site.

The transport investigations office said the plane disappeared from radar screens around four minutes after take-off.

The Russian transport minister was on his way to the crash site, agencies reported. The transport ministry said several causes for the crash were being considered, including weather conditions and human error.

The governor of the Orenburg region, where the plane was flying to, told Russian media that more than 60 people on board the plane were from the region.

Prosecutors opened an investigation into Saratov Airlines following the crash. Russias Investigative Committee will consider all possible causes, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Saratov Airlines was founded in the 1930s and flies to 35 Russian cities. Its hub is Saratov Central Airport in southern Russia.

Local media website Ural56.ru in the Orenburg region showed footage of distressed relatives at Orsk airport, where the plane was due to land.

Andrei Odintsov, the mayor of the city of Orsk, told Russian state television that six psychologists and four ambulances with medics are working with the relatives in the small airport.

Orsk is the second biggest city in the Orenburg region, near Russias border with Kazakhstan.

Russia has suffered numerous plane crashes, with airlines often operating ageing aircraft in dangerous flying conditions.

A light aircraft crashed in November in Russias far east, killing six people on board.

In December 2016 a military plane carrying Russias famed Red Army Choir crashed after taking off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, killing all 92 people on board.

The choir had been due to give a concert to Russian troops operating in Syria.

Pilot error was blamed for that crash.

In March 2016, all 62 passengers died when a FlyDubai jet crashed in bad weather during an aborted landing at Rostov- on-Don airport.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said two military personnel were killed when a helicopter was downed during Ankaras offensive against a Kurdish militia in northern Syria.

At this stage, we can say that one out of two helicopters was downed. We have two martyrs, Yildirim said in televised remarks, but added that there was: no evidence (yet) in our hands to prove that it was a result of outside intervention.

On January 20, Turkey launched a military operation against the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) militia in the Afrin region, backing Syrian rebels with air strikes and ground troops.

Ankara says the YPG is a terrorist offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency inside Turkey and is blacklisted by Washington and the European Union.

Yildirim said the helicopter was on a mission in the Afrin region as part of Ankaras offensive dubbed Operation Olive Branch.

Mustefa Bali, spokesman for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces dominated by the YPG, said on Twitter that a helicopter had been hit in the Rajo area of northwest Afrin, near the Turkish border.

But the state-run news agency Anadolu said the incident happened in the southern border province of Hatay, with private run Dogan news agency saying authorities were trying to reach the wreckage in the Kirikhan district.

Earlier, Erdogan said a helicopter had been shot down without saying who was responsible, admitting that such incidents were expected in times of conflict.

Of course, these kinds of things will happen. We are in a war. We will have losses, but we will cause the other side to have losses as well, he said in a televised speech, vowing to make the perpetrators pay a much heavier price.

Threat to Turkey

The Turkish military said one of its helicopters crashed at 1300 (1000 GMT) killing two military personnel but did not give a reason for the incident, only saying that a technical investigation had begun in a statement.

Another three soldiers were killed and five were wounded during the operation on Saturday in a separate incident, the army said later, without giving further details.

Last Saturday, seven Turkish troops died in the worst single-day loss of the operation so far, with five killed in a tank attack.

Some 1,141 terrorists had been neutralised during the operation, Erdogan said, referring to those killed but also those captured or wounded.

It was not immediately possible to verify this figure.

Yildirim earlier said Turkey had not launched its operation in Afrin to enter into a war or because it had an eye on another countrys territory.

Excuse me but no state would ignore a terror organisation growing like a tumour next to it, he said during a televised speech in the western province of Mugla.

This is a threat to Turkey which Ankara has the natural right to fight under international and domestic law, Yildirim added.
Ive been reading an interesting book that takes a look at how ordinary Germans lived during World War II and how they thought about the events they were experiencing.

It is drawn in part from contemporary news reports and news reels along with reports from police, local government officials, and intelligence agencies. But its most important source is letters between friends and lovers separated by the war.

I picked up this book mostly to try to understand how a culturally advanced country could take such a dark and barbaric turn in such short order. But now, about a quarter of the way through the book, the most interesting thing I am finding is something that should be blindingly obvious, but really isnt: these people had no idea how things were going to end up.

We tend to look back on history and see logical chains of events, so logical that they almost seem predestined: Of course Rome would fall. Naturally the economically powerful North would crush the underdeveloped South in the Civil War. Theres no way that Germany, a nation of less than 70 million could beat the combined powers of Europe.

Thats not at all how people saw things at the time, however.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday called for an immediate de-escalation in Syria after Israel carried out raids inside the war-torn country.

Guterres is following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Israel targeted what it said were Iranian positions inside Syria after one of its warplanes was hit by Syrian air defences and crashed.

The Israeli raids came after it intercepted what it said was an Iranian drone entering its airspace.

Guterres stressed that all concerned in Syria and in the region must abide by international law.

He calls on all to work for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence and exercise restraint, Dujarric said.

It was the most serious confrontation between Iran and Israel since Syrias war began in 2011 and came amid growing alarm over Syrian government offensives against rebel-held Eastern Ghouta and Idlib.

The Syrian people are suffering though one of the most violent periods in nearly seven years of conflict, said the UN statement.

Over 1,000 civilian casualties from airstrikes were reported in the first week of February alone.

Guterres urged the parties to move quickly toward a political solution to end the war.

Israels Ambassador Danny Danon called on the Security Council to condemn this dangerous act and to put an immediate end to Iranian provocations.

Diplomats, however, said there were no immediate plans to convene a council meeting despite the sharp rise in tensions.

The council is due to discuss the crisis in Syria on Wednesday.
Ralo's Diary Of The Streets 3 mixtape is the Atlanta rapper's most high-profile release yet. Signed with Gucci Mane's 1017 Eskimo records, Ralo has assembled some enviable features on the project, which includes contributions from Young Thug, Boosie, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and YFN Lucci. Despite being big names in themselves, the guests all make sense within Ralo's no-bullshit Atlanta street rap, something that also applies to Gucci, who shows up on "Lamborghini Music." A clear influence on Ralo, the two rappers sound perfect on a track together, with Ralo's raw nasal delivery contrasting Gucci's increasingly smooth in-the-pocket flows. Guwop is still as creative as they come at spicing up familiar punchlines ("This brand new Lamborghini / She showin' cleavage"), while Ralo is equally flashy and clever: "I bought your favorite car / Ain't this what you savin' for?"

Listen to the full new project from Ralo here.

Quotable Lyrics:

I just pulled up on a barbie

Candy red Ferrari

Non-apologetic

I'm not really really sorry

My neck look like a Fiji

Face look like graffiti

All on these people TV

I know you see me (it's Gucci)

Jumpin' out the 'ghini

My wrist look like it's freezin'

My ears look like they blinkin'

It looks so easy

Park right in front of Neimans

Still can't believe it

This brand new Lamborghini

She showin' cleavage
On the heels of the birth of his first child, Travis Scott continues to rack up his wins outside of the booth as he was recently presented with the key to his native Missouri City. It was during the city's annual Black History Month Celebration of Culture and Music that he was presented with the award by Mayor Allen Owen with the likes of James Harden in attendance.

"All I ever wanted to do was go outside of the city and put on for the city as much as I can," Travis, born Jacques Webster, noted while delivering his remarks at the ceremony. "This place right here gave me all my ideas...I owe everything to this city."

In addition to the honor, February 10th has offically been declared as Travis Scott Day in the Texan city. The 25-year old took to social media to commemorate the moment on multiple instances.

It's certainly a great time to be Travis Scott has this recent accolade arrives as just the icing on the cake of a slew of prefessional accomplishments as we continue to ride out the Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho wave and await his hghly-anticipated AstroWorld solo effort. While we wait, though, he's been steadily delivering as a guest on a handful of natoable tracks including a most recent appearance on the lauded Black Panther soundtrack.
Fans who attended J.I.D.'s show at the Roxy theatre in L.A. got a major surprise when J. Cole showed up unannounced Saturday night. J.I.D., a signee to Cole's Dreamville imprint, brought out his mentor to a wild crowd reception, as seen in some clips posted to Twitter by fans. "When you pay 20 bucks for a ticket to a small venue J.I.D concert and he brings out J. Cole," wrote one user, posting a video that shows Cole rapping his verse from DJ Khaled's "Jermaine's Interlude" in a Chicago Blackhawks jersey.

Outside of performing, Cole was just there to enjoy the show, playing hypeman on stage as J.I.D held it down.

"L.A., y'all see the future right? Don't the future look bright?" J. Cole told the crowd of J.I.D. Fellow Dreamville signees EarthGang also performed earlier in the night.

After the show, J.I.D. shared an action shot of himself and Cole on stage on Instagram. He captioned the photo "Friendly Reminder."

Last year, J.I.D. spoke to HNHH about meeting Cole for the first time and eventually signing with Dreamville. "Cole had a concert in Atlanta, he came to the crib. Ever since it was just history," he said. "It was really organic. It wasn't no industry shit, it was really like 'I fuck with your art'-type shit." It happened so naturally, it didn't even feel like they had to ask me [to sign]."
Goizueta Business School has launched Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, one piece of a collection of programs geared toward entrepreneurship, where entrepreneurs will work with faculty and students each semester.

A mechanism to connect people who have deep experience and insights into entrepreneurship has arrived at the Goizueta Business School, another resource for students looking to start companies.

Goizueta has launched Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, one piece of a collection of programs geared toward entrepreneurship, where entrepreneurs will work with faculty and students each semester to speak in a class or meet in informal settings, like lunches, with students. Its designed to offer students real-life experience with people who have done what theyre studying to do.

The entrepreneurs will advise BBA and MBA students looking to start their own companies and work with faculty on an evidence-based research and course presentation, along with creating connections in the community.

Along with an incubator setting at the Atlanta Tech Village, forums where entrepreneurs are connected with funding, and a detailed process where students pitch ideas to faculty members, the EiR program is one more element directed at supporting student interest in entrepreneurship that is one component of the schools strategic plan.

Amelia Schaffner, Goizuetas director of entrepreneurship, said the cohort is made up of entrepreneurs with skill sets and expertise that range from technical to financial, marketing and sales.

We want to make sure that were able to tap into this variety of skill sets, she said. But also allow the students an opportunity to interact with the EiR who has the experience that best fits their needs. It might be that they have specific industry knowledge, or experience in an area relevant to the students current startup stage, be it ideation, branding, customer discovery, funding, operations, sales and so on.
America is a nation of laws, and those laws should be respected. The point is often underscored by Republican elected leaders in debates over immigration.

Such leaders also stress, and I think most Americans would agree, that government officials should be smart with taxpayer money, that they should talk straight, that they should put the people before politics.

Yet Gov. Greg Abbott essentially violates every single one of these principles in a recent letter to President Trump, pressing him to reinstate tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for women's health care in Texas.

In the Jan. 23 letter, Abbott asks his fellow Republican in the White House to approve a waiver request that would reverse "punitive" and "retaliatory" actions that Abbott claims the Obama administration took against Texas "for pursuing a culture that prioritizes not only the life of the unborn but of the women carrying them."

With these federal funds, Abbott explains, Texas women will have access to critical screening and treatment for hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol, which are the leading contributors to maternal deaths in our state.

Abbott doesn't say it, but Texas is really counting on the influx of $90 million new federal dollars because legislators already accounted for it in the budget. The fact that there's been no answer on the waiver request from the folks at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is making some in Texas nervous.

Falkenberg: 'Gag order' could hurt low-income women

Hence, Abbott's letter  which would be a compelling plea if it weren't so misleading.

You see, America is a nation of laws. And one of the laws governing the allocation of federal health care funding is that states should not exclude qualified providers from the program simply because they or their affiliates provide abortion services.

Starting in 2013, Texas willfully violated this law when it kicked Planned Parenthood out of the state-federal health program for low-income women. Federal law has long banned any public funding for abortion, but because Planned Parenthood offers abortion services at some of its clinics, the state deemed the organization unfit to receive funding for every other service and product it provides, from birth control pills to cancer screening.

State leaders knew that doing so would make the state ineligible for generous federal funding - $9 for every $1 the state spent. They did it anyway. They replaced the former state-federal program with a state-only program, and placed the full burden of paying for it on the taxpayers of Texas.

Principles can be pricey. For some people diametrically opposed to abortion rights, maybe the cost seemed worth it. The problem, of course, is that the decision cost more than dollars.

Falkenberg: The numbers don't lie: Texans need access to birth control

The move did not "prioritize" the lives of pregnant women, or any women for that matter.

In fact, it hurt women. To make a political point, Texas leaders were willing to tolerate sharp declines in access to health care for women.

Study after study has shown the devastating effects of excluding the biggest and most experienced providers with many providers that simply couldn't handle the volume.

Enrollment in state-run women's health services dropped 24 percent, the percentage of women getting health care services plummeted 39 percent and the share of women accessing contraception fell 41 percent, according to the Center for Public Policy Priorities, a nonprofit which advocates for low-income Texans.

In essence, Texas is attempting to get paid for its bad mistake - and CMS could set a dangerous precedent by saying yes.

Besides that, Texas' waiver request doesn't meet basic standards for such proposals.

Such waivers are intended to spur innovation. They're supposed to be for experimental or pilot projects that states are testing with the hope that some will lead to successful reforms that could be replicated elsewhere. The only thing novel about Texas' plan is that the state is seeking to be rewarded for skirting the law.

Under statute, a waiver must be likely to promote Medicaid's objectives, including an increase in overall health coverage of low-income individuals, in access to providers, in quality of care and improvement of health outcomes.

Abbott, in his letter, was careful not to claim Texas' plan would accomplish this. A presentation from last year on the Texas Health and Human Services website does claim that a goal of the Healthy Texas Women waiver is to "increase access" to various women's health services.

Falkenberg: Politicians need to keep grubby hands off science

The truth is that Texas' plan doesn't improve or increase much of anything, except the money in state coffers. It is not seeking to create, but only to supplant.

"It is a simple refinancing of an existing state program with federal dollars," says Stacey Pogue, at the Center for Public Policy Priorities.

CMS, the federal agency, also requires such waivers to be budget-neutral, meaning they don't increase the federal government's financial burden. There is nothing budget-neutral about asking the federal government to pay millions of dollars it is not currently paying.

If Texas doesn't get the funding, women's health services will be covered by state funds.

And that's what should happen here. Sure, the state desperately needs more federal funding for health care. But it should come only when state leaders acknowledge their mistakes and decide to follow federal rules intended to protect women.

Texas leaders, including then-Gov. Rick Perry, seem to have made a costly wager: they sacrificed women's health and squandered taxpayer money for political gain, hoping maybe someday a friendly president would bail them out.

This isn't leadership. It is not good government by any definition I know. It is wasteful, short-sighted and selfish. It should be condemned, not rewarded.
Tracing ancestors has been challenging for many African- Americans because of the legacy of slavery, namely families separated by sale and slaveholder migration, but genetic technology is filling out family trees in a new way.

DNA's special benefit for black Americans researching relatives was the subject of a packed seminar on Saturday at Houston's Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research.

Laws, policies and customs undermined the concept of personhood and family for black Americans before the Civil War and after. That's why finding relatives, if you're black, might involve searching property transaction records including bills of sale, deeds and wills for people who held other human beings as property.

"If your common ancestor goes back into the bondage or enslavement era, you are going to have to identify a slaveholder - unless they were free people of color," said Franklin Carter Smith, a genealogy expert and senior library service specialist for the Houston Public Library. "Before 1870, if they were enslaved, you have to identify slaveholders to find out where they were and where they were from - even with your DNA and your paper records."

Smith shared these revelations in a presentation entitled "DNA and the African-American Experience: Creating networks to identify family connections."

DNA's role in uncovering family history has found a large audience in recent years through riveting television shows such as "Finding Your Roots" hosted by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates.

RELATED: Echoes of slave-owning past bring change to Rice's college masters

Clayton Library Center, part of the Houston Public Library's special collections unit, can help researchers find relatives in the U.S. back to at least 1870.

But black families, unlike others, can't have as much reliance on last names.

"During the enslavement period, if they were separated and moved to different areas, the surnames may be very different," Smith said. "Many times, you're not going to know where those other families were that they were separated from because there are no records that you can track by the census."

Despite advances in technology, everyone must start with a basic outline.

"You have to have a family tree first. You have to have a basis for how people are potentially related to you. You have to understand your connection," Smith told about four dozen attendees. He is the co-author of "A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your African-American Ancestors: How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage."

Researching connections

Smith has been tracing his history based on surnames, oral history and family folklore for three decades. He used his experience with DNA to explain how genealogical research has expanded with technology.

"I have a pretty well built-out tree. I know most of my great-great grandparents. I know where they were from," he said. "I have an idea of where my great-great-great grandparents are from."

DNA has led him to new potential relatives, but only research can unlock and confirm the connections. One of his most recent family research questions had a decidedly Southern flair: "How am I kin to Liz?"

The woman - identified through genetics to a recent common ancestor as a fourth, fifth or sixth cousin - led Smith to new foreparents. He uses sites such as ancestry.com to make connections and builds his own databases of relatives across an ever-broadening family tree.

"This was bringing up all these other people I had made into all these little network groups, but I had no idea which side they were connected on," he said, pointing to one of his slides. "Here's the tree that shows you the genealogical connection and the genetic connection."

The seminar was co-hosted by the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society's 15-year-old Houston chapter. The society was formed in 1977 by founders including James Dent Walker, a genealogy specialist who worked for three decades at the National Archives and Records Administration. He was the organization's first president and helped author Alex Haley on family research that served as the basis for the book-turned-television saga "Roots."

The society's national president, Gene Stephenson, visited the local chapter Saturday and discussed how the organization is preparing for next year's 400-year observance of 1619 - the year the first recorded Africans arrived in English North America at the Jamestown, Virginia colony.

"We are providing the chapters with a blueprint of what we intend to do nationally in that commemoration - how it will connect with educational institutions, legislative bodies and community organizations that would have that same interest," he said.

Search for confirmation

Program attendee Kathleen Evans, a retired Houston teacher, started her dive into genealogy to solve a family mystery: Her mother - the Texas offspring of a black woman and a white man - knew the name of her father, but had never seen his face.

Evans started researching using ancestry.com in 2012 and discovered a photograph of her maternal grandfather in 2016. Her mother, by then in her 80s, finally saw the face of a man with fair skin who looked a lot like her. The family also did DNA testing that delivered a final answer.

"The DNA was confirmation," Evans said.
WASHINGTON  In an early Friday morning budget vote that divided both parties, a bipartisan group of lawmakers from Houston stuck together  bound by a dire need for federal assistance in the recovery from Hurricane Harvey.

Republicans and Democrats representing the storm-torn Gulf Coast overlooked their respective reservations about the budget deal to keep the government open, opting instead to take an $89.3 billion disaster recovery package.

The 240-186 House vote shortly after 5:30 a.m. (eastern time) augured the end of what had been a brief government shutdown, the second in a month.

Four Texas Republicans joined the 67 House GOP members who balked at the two-year, $320 billion spending agreement, which conservatives said would bloat the nation's debt.

Of the four  Joe Barton, Jeb Hensarling, John Ratcliffe, and Louis Gohmert  only Gohmert, a leading member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, represents a district affected by Harvey.

Three Texas Democrats joined 119 Democrats in total who also voted no: Joaquin Castro, Lloyd Doggett and Marc Veasy.

Many Democrats aligned with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who had spoken on the House floor for eight hours in protest of a deal that failed to address the legal status of "Dreamers," immigrants brought into the country illegally as children.

AFTER THE STORM: School transportation woes linger 5 months after Harvey

Houston Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, who joined the majority, cited the importance of the storm recovery funds, which were increased from an earlier $81 billion House-approved package.

"The action this morning addresses one of the major priorities facing the nationthat of disaster relief," she said. "Now, we must move forward with the extremely important and urgent business of providing relief to our nation's Dreamers who are living under the constant threat of deportation."

Gohmert said the disaster aid package  which is not all earmarked for Texas  was not sufficient to overcome his concerns about deficit spending.

"The vote today for a spending bill that in essence runs up our deficit $1 Trillion was an exceedingly difficult one because of some of the things that were cynically put into the bill," he said. "As a Texan, I support helping those devastated by natural disasters, but asking that we borrow a trillion dollars, so Texas can get $25 billion or so is not a good deal."

IMMIGRATION: Designer of solar border wall threatens to sue Trump for taking his idea

An earlier vote in the Senate split 71-28, also along bipartisan lines. Both Texas U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz voted for the budget deal, though Cruz, citing deficit concerns, said he did so "reluctantly."

Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, was a key figure in whipping GOP support for the agreement, which was delayed past a midnight government funding deadline because of the objections of Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and other fiscal hawks.

Paul rebuffed several entreaties from Cornyn late Thursday night to drop procedural tactics and allow a vote before the midnight deadline, pushing the final votes into the early morning hours.
As the Houston region nears the six-month mark after Hurricane Harvey's devastation, pressure is building on public officials to make meaningful changes to the area's flood control strategy and better prepare for the next storm.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and other members of Commissioners Court sought to do that when, as Harvey's floodwaters were still receding in September, they pledged to call a bond election to issue upwards of $1 billion in debt to pay for wide-ranging flood control projects. The bonds likely would come with an uptick in property taxes for county residents.

Now, however the picture has become murkier.

READ: Majority of Commissioner's Court backs proposed flood control bond

In an interview with the Chronicle, Emmett described the various factors that are at play as the county grapples with the possible bond referendum, which would be one of the biggest ever proposed by the county.

What's in it?

Elizabeth Conley/Staff

There isn't a clear picture yet of what would be part of the bond referendum. At a recent Commissioners Court meeting, officials emphasize the need to keep the language vague enough to give them flexibility in how to spend the money, but specific enough to make sure the voters know what they are buying.

Emmett said the construction of a highly-anticipated third dam and reservoir northwest of the city would not be part of the measure.

County officials previously have described buyouts and improvements to Houston-area bayous as things that could be paid for with the bonds.

What is included depends, in part, on what happens in Congress, and whether the state is willing to pay for any projects.

Congress creates confusion

The timing and content of what will be included in the referendum have, thus far, hinged on knowing what the federal government is willing to pay for. That will not become clear until Congress passes legislation that could fund at least some flood control projects, such as improvements to Brays, White Oak, Hunting bayous or Clear Creek.

Congress, of course, hasn't yet acted, and it's unclear when it will. The U.S. Senate currently is deliberating an $81 billion disaster relief bill that would provide for significant local upgrades, but tertiary political issues have clouded that bill's passage.

READ: Long-sought Addicks, Barker revamp hinge on congressional politics

Meanwhile, Emmett said, the county in the coming weeks will have to decide when to give up on the feds and act on its own, which in turn could impact Congressional action.

"You have some in Washington who say if the local government calls a bond election before they act, that will send a signal that 'Well they don't necessarily need as much money because they're doing it locally,'" he said. "There's another group up there that says if a local government calls a bond election, that shows they are real partners."

Politics in play

Emmett said the county also will have to decide when to place the bond measure on the ballot.

The county will have to decide by mid-February if it will try to call the election in May, but Emmett said Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart has expressed concerns about having enough voting machines during that election to accommodate such a bond election.

Emmett said the county also could call the election as a standalone vote on another day this year, but he said turnout in standalone elections tends to skew toward a small, passionate minority, one that could more easily defeat the measure, especially if voters rally behind an anti-tax sentiment.

"You've got to get somebody who cares enough to actually take the time to go vote," Emmett said.

County budget officials estimate that if a $1 billion bond measure is passed, and all of the debt was issued at once, it would likely cost the average homeowner $35 more in property taxes per year. Spreading the debt out over several years, however, could reduce the impact to tax bills, at least in the first few years, budget officials said.

The county also could put the measure on during the November election, when turnout will be larger.

Mihir Zaveri covers flood control and Harris County government. Follow him on Twitter @mihirzaveri, and send him tips at mihir.zaveri@chron.com.
Texans have the right to be safe and secure in their own communities and to be afforded the dignity and freedom that human life demands.

However, innocent lives are being violated every day in the most heinous ways by sexual predators and human traffickers. In many of these cases, the victims are being denied the justice they deserve.

According to a University of Texas study, more than 300,000 people in our state are victims of human trafficking, including 79,000 minors.

Texas cannot and will not tolerate the most vulnerable in our society being exploited by criminals and predators. That is why I have released a plan to protect victims and survivors, help prevent these despicable acts and punish the individuals who commit these crimes.

This starts with strengthening penalties for those promoting prostitution.

RELATED: Sex trafficking must be part of #MeToo movement

In Texas, a conviction for compelling prostitution by force, threat or fraud requires time behind bars. However, the crime of promotion of prostitution - which can include owning, investing in or managing a prostitution enterprise - does not mandate jail or prison time.

This gap in the law is particularly apparent in Harris County. One report found that from June 2014 to December 2016, two-thirds of individuals charged with sex-trafficking crimes in Harris County received probation instead of jail or prison time.

ZERO TOLERANCE: Destroy the safe havens where men who behave badly are protected  including the state capitol

We can no longer allow those who prey on and exploit individuals to go free with a slap on the wrist.

I am calling for an end to this practice by changing the law so that criminals who engage in promoting prostitution are required to serve time behind bars and to register as the sex offenders they are. By mending this gap in the law, we will ensure that the punishment matches the offense, as well as prevent these individuals from repeating this abhorrent crime.

It is also critical that we do more to deliver justice for those who are victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault. To do this, Texas must eliminate the backlog of untested sexual assault evidence kits. According to some estimates, there are more than 15,000 of these untested kits in our state.

O'NEIL: What we still don't know about sexual harassment

Not only does this backlog of untested rape kits hold the potential to deny justice for survivors of rape and sexual assault, but it also hinders efforts to prosecute alleged offenders before they commit more crimes.

It's time to fix this injustice. So I am furthermore calling on the state to provide $14 million in funding next session to eliminate this backlog. To kick-start this effort, my office will direct $1 million to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Texas DPS will use this grant to partner with the University of North Texas to immediately begin work on eliminating the backlog of evidence kits.

KUMAR: Don't forget women's reproductive health in the wake of Harvey

Lastly, we must root out predatory behavior throughout our society, including in our state government. That means strengthening the process of investigating sexual assault and harassment claims made against state public officials.

For state agencies and boards, allegations of sexual assault or harassment are reported to the Texas Workforce Commission. In the Legislature, these allegations are reported to the administration of the specific legislative chamber.

This creates a potential conflict of interest and leaves the investigation of these serious allegations in the hands of those who do not have the proper training or expertise.

MCKINLEY, WATSON: Letter from a Texas juvenile detention center

Under my plan, sexual assault and sexual harassment claims against elected state officials, agency directors and members of boards, legislators, capitol employees and those in the governor's office will be reported to the Texas Rangers.

This will ensure that allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct are fairly and thoroughly investigated, while also empowering victims to come forward without fear of retribution at their job.

Above all else, the primary responsibility of government is to keep our citizens safe. It's time to send a clear message that the physical violation of children, the powerless, the vulnerable and, indeed, any Texan, will never be tolerated.

With this plan, we will protect victims and survivors, prevent more of these crimes from occurring and punish the criminals who commit these heinous acts.

Abbott is governor of Texas.
Democrats hoping to push policy usually focus on legislative seats, but this year one of the best opportunities for change is in the misdemeanor courts.

These seats deal with low-level crimes such as trespassing, drug possession and DWIs, and are currently in the middle of a federal lawsuit alleging that their cash bail system violates the U.S. Constitution. All the judges except one are Republican. All except two are fighting this lawsuit.

A blue wave in November could bring a new generation of judges to end the legal fight. Democratic primary voters should ensure that they're sending forth the best candidates if they want to be successful in this mission. Early voting runs from Tuesday, Feb. 20 through Friday, March 2. Election Day is March 6.

ENDORSEMENTS: See which candidates the Houston Chronicle editorial board supports

RELATED: Cash bail system promotes profit, not justice

ALSO: Time to stop fighting bail reform efforts in Harris County and statewide

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 2: Harold J. Landreneau

Harold Landreneau earns our endorsement for this primary slot with a significant caveat. Landreneau, 49, needs to shed the communication style of a chief clerk of a justice of the peace court, a job he held for over a decade, and assume the more deliberate and focused demeanor of a member of the judiciary. It's not enough to be courteous to litigants: To be an effective manager, a judge needs to be concise.

Then, there's the red flag on Landreneau's record: a public dispute with his former boss, former Judge Dale Gorcynski, who served as Justice of the Peace in Precinct 1 for over 20 years. To avoid issuing a non-endorsement in this primary contest, we're forced to overlook the South Texas College of Law' graduate's drawbacks.

His opponent, Ronnisha Bowman, who has practiced law for five years, needs more seasoning before she is ready to assume the bench. The winner will face Republican incumbent Judge Bill Harmon in November.

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 5: David M. Fleischer

In this toss-up race to replace Judge Margaret Stewart Harris, our endorsement goes to David M. Fleischer, a graduate of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School over Armen "Hammer" Merjanian.

Both candidates believe in more emphasis on rehabilitation in the county criminal court system. Even though Merjanian's noble goal of ending mass incarceration needs more refinement, both candidates showed passion for changing a system that's set in its ways and that needs much improvement. Fleischer, 43, has eight more years of experience as criminal lawyer than Merjanian. The idealistic Merjanian - whose five years of experience barely exceeds the statutory minimum for this bench - has the potential to be a good judge. While we'd strongly urge Merjanian to run again, voters should cast their ballots in this primary contest for Fleischer.

Also running is Aaron James Saldana, who graduated from law school in 2014 and did not interview with the editorial board. The winner will face Republican candidate Xavier Alfaro in the general election.

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 7: Andrew A. Wright

The first thing you'll notice about Andrew A. Wright is his long rockstar-style hair and beard - not what voters are used to seeing on a judge. The reasons for his copious coiffure? He's growing out his hair to donate it, and the beard covers up a double chin.

Wright's experience as a lawyer is significantly more traditional. The South Texas College of Law Houston graduate has been practicing law for over a decade, and has been exclusively practicing criminal defense for eight years. Wright, 35, has endorsed personal recognizance bonds as the norm for misdemeanor court - we agree - and assured us that, hairstyle aside, he plans on staying to the straight and narrow of his judicial responsibilities. That includes helping first offenders, supporting the expansion of diversion courts and sentencing the worst criminals to the highest punishment possible for county criminal courts - one year in jail.

Democratic primary voters have the chance to vote for a candidate who wants to be a force for change. That candidate is Wright. The editorial board did not meet with Danval Scarbrough, who is also running in the Democratic primary. The winner will face Republican incumbent Judge Pam Derbyshire in the general election.

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 11: Gus Saper

A Jewish lawyer appointed to represent a general in the Aryan Brotherhood? That sounds like it could have been a movie, but it's only one case in candidate Gus Saper's 43-year career as a criminal defense attorney. With the Harris County Criminal Justice Center out of action for another two years due to Hurricane Harvey, this bench needs a resourceful judge like Saper.

A graduate of the South Texas School of Law Houston, Saper, 69, has the depth of knowledge and the historical perspective to know how to upgrade the procedures in this court to make them more courteous and efficient even with limited resources.

Opponent Sedrick T. Walker II made some compelling arguments for ways that the county criminal judiciary could achieve more equitable results. Walker is qualified, has all the makings of a good judge and should run again. It's just hard to argue with Saper's experience. The winner will face the Republican nominee in the general election race to replace incumbent Republican Judge Diane Bull.

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 12: Juan J. Aguirre

Juan J. Aguirre started his career in law by working alongside his father - a courthouse janitor in Del Rio.

"I got my baptism into the law field by cleaning up the courtroom," Aguirre told us at his screening.

Since then he has graduated from South Texas School of Law Houston and worked for the past 16 years as a criminal law attorney, first as an assistant district attorney for Harris County and then as a criminal defense attorney. Aguirre, 51, takes pride in his mentorship of young lawyers, advising them to delve deep into their profession by visiting the crime scene and the crime lab and riding with the police to see what law enforcement sees. Before becoming a lawyer, Aguirre worked as a city planner and manager after obtaining a Masters of Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.

His opponent, Cassandra Y. Hollemon, who did not meet with the editorial board, practices largely civil law and can't match Aguirre's stellar qualifications. Harris County voters have a clear choice in this primary. The winner will run against Republican nominee John Spjut in the general election race to replace incumbent Republican Judge Robin Brown.

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 13: Raul Rodriguez

Raul Rodriguez, 58, is our choice for the Democratic primary. With 26 years of experience practicing criminal law, Rodriguez is well-qualified. This naturalized citizen is a clear communicator who also happens to be bilingual. He has judicial experience, having served as city of Houston municipal court judge for 12 years. Finally, he displays the right temperament for the judiciary.

The South Texas Law Center Houston graduate told us, "I believe it's important for a judge to be involved in a community and to know what goes on there."

Democratic primary voters should not hesitate to pull the lever for Rodriguez. He deserves a chance to compete in the general for this open bench against Republican challenger Jessica Padilla. The other candidate in this Democratic primary, Mike Renfro, did not meet with the editorial board.

Judge, County Criminal Court No. 15: Kris Ougrah

In this race between two young, passionate lawyers, we encourage Democratic voters to back Kris Ougrah, who told the editorial board he is running to improve the future of Houston's youth. A graduate of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Ougrah, 40, promises to take personal interest in setting young offenders on the right path in life. He also wants to run a mentorship program. However, we would recommend that Ougrah, who had a habit of being overly loquacious during his editorial board interview, focus on the judicious practice of a succinct comment.

Ougrah has been practicing law about twice as long as his opponent, Tonya Jones, who was admitted to the bar in 2011.

However, Jones stood out as one of the most eloquent candidates for a judicial office that we've screened this primary season. The self-described millennial candidate possesses a rare blend of judicial temperament and passion for rehabilitation that is present in the most dedicated judiciary.

"Don't elect me because I'm a woman or an African American. Elect me because I'm a change agent," she told us.

Harris County will be in luck if Jones gains more experience in criminal law and runs again for a county criminal bench. Nevertheless, voters should back the better qualified Ougrah. The winner will face Republican candidate Roger Bridgewater in the general election race to replace Republican incumbent Judge Jean Spradling.
17:36

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Ramayana jibe at her in Parliament, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury today said there was no GST on laughter and that she did not need anyone's permission to laugh.



She also said that Modi's remarks against her showed his mindset towards women.



The former Union minister said she received a huge support from women across the country after Modi's remarks over her laughter.



"There were hashtags like #LaughlikeSurpankha, #Lolisapasse and #LaughLikeRenukaChowdhury.



"I am a five-time MP and the prime minister draws a parallel of me with a negative character. But he forgets that the women today have changed and they know how to speak for themselves. This shows his mindset towards women," she told reporters.



Chowdhury was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 'Difficult Dialogues' conference on gender in Panaji.



The MP said people's support had been her base throughout her public life.



"If you are right, it resonates all over. That's what is happening now...There is no rule on how and when. You laugh...and there is no GST on laughter. I don't require permission to laugh after being a five-time MP. I have shattered the myth of being stereotyped," she added.



On a lighter note, Chowdhury said her laughter had always been spontaneous but now, she had become conscious about it.



"I had challenged the authority with my laughter. Parliament makes laws, but we need to educate the lawmakers on how to treat women as their equals and that they are here in their own rights. Parliament is a reflection of what our society is," she said.



Chowdhury added that she had challenged the authorities years ago by performing her father's last rites.



"My father had raised me as a citizen of this country and not as a boy or a girl," she said.



Last week, the prime minister had taken a dig at Chowdhury in the Rajya Sabha, saying her laughter reminded him of television serial 'Ramayana'.



As Chowdhury laughed loudly during the prime minister's speech, prompting Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to chide her, Modi had urged Naidu not to act against her as he had the privilege of hearing such a laughter after the popular television serial, which was first aired in the 80s. -- PTI
9 Years of Barfi: Priyanka Chopra Almost Didn't Land the Role That is Now One of Her Best Performances
The U.S. Navy is investigating an alleged drug ring involving a number of sailors based at the 7th Fleetas headquarters in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, it confirmed Saturday.

aNaval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is investigating Yokosuka-based Sailors for alleged drug use and distribution,a 7th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Clay Doss told The Japan Times in an email. aThe Navy has zero tolerance for drug abuse and takes all allegations involving misconduct of our Sailors, Navy civilians and family members very seriously.a

He declined to comment further.

The Wall Street Journal had reported earlier that the U.S. Navy was investigating at least a dozen Yokosuka-based sailors, some serving aboard the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, on suspicion of buying, selling and using LSD, ecstasy and other drugs, it quoted navy officials as saying.

The navy was also probing whether U.S. sailors were using the internet to buy or sell drugs or were distributing them to Japanese residents.

The Journal report said the U.S. Navy first learned of the allegations on Tuesday, when it received a tip about a petty officer third class using drugs, the officials said. That sailor pointed investigators to others aboard the carrier who the sailor said were distributing or using drugs, it quoted a U.S. military official as saying. The official said others could be detained or charged in the continuing probe.

Japanese authorities have also been brought into the investigation because of suspicions that drugs were sold to residents, it quoted two U.S. Navy officials as saying. In addition, a suspicious package related to one of the sailors was intercepted by a local postal service, the report said, citing a navy official.
Time magazine lists it as one of the 10 greatest speeches of all time. It is a poignant expression of the travails of a troubled nation. And it contains an opening line that most Americans can still recite years after they learned it in school.

The speech, of course, is Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. But although you know it well, what you might not realize about "four scores and seven years ago . . ." is that Lincoln's oration followed one of the most effective story structures you can use--the structure that storytelling expert Shawn Callahan calls "the clarity story."

This type of story is so valuable because for people to be engaged, they need to understand why they should take action. "The clarity story provides reasons in the most powerful and digestible format possible," writes Callahan in Putting Stories to Work.

Here's how Lincoln used the clarity story structure to build his famous speech:

Part 1 begins with a look back at the past to take the listener back to the way things used to be.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Part 2 shifts to something that happened: the events that caused a problem or opportunity.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

Part 3 is what Callahan calls "so now . . ." which describes the decision or action needed to respond.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

Part 4 looks ahead to the future to envision a desired outcome.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

That's fine for Abraham Lincoln, but you may wonder: How can you use the clarity story for your own communication?

Callahan gives an example of a bank that adopted a new strategy of calling its branches "stores" as a way of emphasizing customer service. When a new CEO took over several years later, she decided to go back to using the old language of calling them "branches." Employees were confused about why the change was occurring when the bank had made such an investment in the move to "stores."

So the bank's leaders used the clarity story to communicate with employees:

(Part 1) In the past . . . the bank wasn't delivering great customer service, so we made a number of changes, including referring to our branches as stores.

(Part 2) Then something happened . . . we began to hear from customers that they weren't comfortable with the language change; "stores" didn't seem serious enough.

(Part 3) So now . . . we're changing back to referring to our branches as branches. We know the change will cost money, but we need to make sure we put our customers first.

(Part 4) In the future . . . we will continue to make changes that will increase customer satisfaction.

The structure works so well, writes Callahan, because it creates a series of events that cause people to want to know what happens next. "You need to spark people's interest by starting with the context, then hold their attention because something happens that causes a change, then end with an outcome."
Over a half a century ago, Alex Osborne wrote an influential book called Applied Imagination that opined that "the average person can think up twice as many ideas when working with a group than when working alone." Managers must have been convinced because brainstorming groups took off in popularity and are still used widely to this day. In fact, in business schools it is almost heretical to argue that teams are not more creative than individuals.

The only problem is that Osborne was wrong. Dozens of laboratory studies tried to confirm Osborne's claim, but found the opposite: brainstorming groups produced fewer ideas, and ideas of less novelty, than the sum of the ideas created by the same number of individuals working alone.

How could this be? Aren't ideas supposed to cross-fertilize, coming up with new and unusual hybrids through a process sometimes referred to as idea sex? It turns out group idea sex is of the ho-hum variety; more exciting ideas come from going solo.

There are three main reasons that groups are less creative than individuals working on their own:

1. Fear of Judgment

A series of studies by Professors Michael Diehl, Wolfgang Stroebe, Bernard Nijstad, Paul Pauhus, and others found that people self-censor many of their most creative ideas in group brainstorming sessions for fear of being judged negatively by others. When the scientists told groups that their ideas would be judged by their peers, they came up with significantly fewer and less novel ideas than groups that were told they would be evaluated by anonymous judges.

As Isaac Asimov, one of the most famous science fiction writers of all time (and also a biochemistry professor at Boston University) put it, "My feeling is that as far as creativity is concerned, isolation is required...The presence of others can only inhibit this process, since creation is embarrassing. For every new good idea you have, there are a hundred, ten thousand foolish ones, which you naturally do not care to display."

2. Production Blocking

When people take turns to voice their ideas, those bringing up the rear may forget their ideas before having a chance to voice them. Worse still, the process of attending to another person's ideas redirects a listener's train of thought, essentially hijacking their own idea generation process. Scientists were able to demonstrate this by separating individuals into rooms where they would speak their ideas into a microphone when lights indicated it was their turn. In some of the rooms the individuals could hear the contributions of others, and in some they could not. This study resulted in big creativity losses: being required to wait to give ideas caused people to submit far fewer ideas, and even fewer ideas if they could hear the contributions of others.

Now imagine what happens when people do not have to take turns but instead volunteer ideas at will: the most outgoing people in the group will dominate the idea submission while the quieter people, or those more worried about social pressure, do not submit many (or any) of their ideas. Furthermore, if they do submit their ideas, they may submit only those ideas that build upon the ideas that were already contributed - a sure way to drive out novelty.

3. Feasibility Trumps Originality

Another series of studies by Professor Eric Rietzschel and colleagues shows that teams aren't just bad for idea generation; they even impair idea selection. If you let people work alone to generate ideas but then let the group select the best ideas to pursue, they will make decisions that reduce novelty. The studies showed that when groups interactively ranked their "best" ideas, they chose ideas that were less original than the average of the ideas produced, and more feasible than the average of the ideas produced. In other words, people tended to weight "feasible" more highly than "original." If a brainstorming group is intended to elicit novel ideas, asking groups to select and submit their best ideas is not the way to achieve that outcome.

The Benefits of Spending Time Alone

Solitude is immensely valuable for creativity; it affords a person the time to think and pursue those things they find intrinsically interesting. It can help them to develop their own beliefs about how the world works, and to develop a self-concept that is less structured by the opinions of others.

In my research on serial breakthrough innovators, I found that all of the innovators had spent significant time alone, pursuing their own interests. Most were voracious readers --Elon Musk, for example, often read for 10 hours a day, and his brother Kimbal noted "If it was the weekend he could go through two books in a day." Elon Musk himself says, "I was raised by books. Books and then my parents."

Many of the innovators were also "autodidacts," vastly preferring to teach themselves subjects rather than being taught in school. This helped them to become independent thinkers that challenged assumptions. Thomas Edison noted about himself, for example, that he found he "involuntarily challenged" everything he read and desired to demonstrate whether it was right or wrong. His individualistic style of acquiring knowledge and his reflexive challenging of received wisdom eventually led him to question many of the prevailing theories of electricity. And of the innovators I studied, Albert Einstein was most vocal about the need for solitude and individuality in creativity, arguing, "The really valuable thing in the pageant of human life seems to me not the political state, but the creative, sentient individual, the personality; it alone creates the noble and the sublime, while the herd as such remains dull in thought and dull in feeling."

When managers want employees to come up with breakthroughs, they need to give people some time alone to ponder their craziest of ideas and follow their paths of association into unknown terrain. They should be urged to come up with ideas freely, without fear of judgment. They should be encouraged to commit their ideas to paper, and to flesh each of them out before exposing them to others. Managers can also follow Google and 3M's lead and give employees in creative roles a significant percentage of their time (e.g., 3M uses 15% of work hours) where they pursue products of their own creation and choosing. Google's Gmail and Google News, and 3M's Post-it-Notes, and many other products, were developed this way.
When you're attempting to build a ride-sharing startup in the shadow of industry behemoths like Uber and Lyft, being timid is not an option. Regardless of the uphill battle you may face, if a market opportunity presents itself, you have to take it. This is something that definitely holds true for startup Founder & CEO, Louis Yson.

Ride Velo, Inc. is a subscription-based ride-sharing company, currently in preregistration with launch plans for New York City, and roll-outs to follow in New Jersey, Lower Connecticut, and Boston. Drivers using the Velo Ride platform will pay a monthly subscription fee, with the full value of fares going directly to the driver.

A New Kind of Ride

Differentiation is critical when launching an app in a saturated space, so here, riders will be able to book directly with their preferred driver or even gender. Female riders will be able to request female drivers and users will even be able to book rides based on the type of service they need (school pick-up, taking your parents to doctor's appointments, etc.).

The ability for each driver to build their own 'book' of clients by offering exceptional service will allow drivers to treat Velo Ride like their own ride-sharing franchise of sorts. Naturally, there are plans to license the app to limousine companies, as well as a plan to launch a referral program for drivers in return for lowered subscription fees. Mighty big plans for an up-and-comer, right?

The Three P's

Building Velo and rolling it out in multiple cities is no small feat. Yson knows the task in front of him and understands his entrepreneurial game will need to be strong. When asked about the most important attributes that are required when building his startup in a competitive space, Yson shared some insights for entrepreneurs -- and they all center around resilience & discipline.

P erseverance:

Yson stressed to never give up on your dreams and that if you fail, you need to get back up and try again. Where it seems like common advice, it's the entrepreneurial DNA that success is borne from.

P atience:

Yson shared that patience is something that is absolutely necessary -- and that it's needed more deeply understand challenges, the problems we face, and how to find solutions to complex problems. If you master the art of patience, you will be rewarded with the gift of better judgment.

P lanning:

Planning was something that was very critical to Yson and is an integral part of his life, spanning across family obligations and business. A true entrepreneur always plans and your decisions can make or break your chances in becoming successful. It's an ongoing iteration and responsibility that needs to be treated as such.

Yson shared one of his favorite quotes that he preaches to his children and staff -- it's particularly fitting.

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail" -- Benjamin Franklin.
Give Tinder a break and take yourself on a date tonight.

Being single has a handful of benefits, scientific research has found. Alone time is one of them.

Single people are more likely to not only embrace solitude, but benefit from it, recent studies have suggested.

Bella DePaulo, a psychologist at the University of California Santa Barbara, advocates the single life and travels the nation to present these findings, which she says are too often dismissed by the larger psychology community.

In a TEDx Talk she gave last spring, she called living single her "happily ever after."

Studies suggest she's onto something.

Single people tend to have stronger social networks

In 2015, social scientists named Natalia Sarkisian and Naomi Gerstel set out to explore how ties to relatives, neighbours, and friends varied among single and married American adults. They found that singles were not only more likely to frequently reach out to their social networks, but also tended to provide and receive help from these people more than their married peers.

Their results held steady even when they accounted for factors like race, gender, and income levels.

Put simply, "being single increases the social connections of both women and men," Sarkisian and Gerstel wrote in their paper.

Fostering friendship is key to aging well and boosting happiness, several recent studies have suggested. One of them, published in 2008 in the British Medical Journal, found that people who had regular contact with 10 or more others were significantly happier than those who did not, and that people with fewer friends were less happy overall.

Friends who are not your family may be especially important.

In a pair of studies involving nearly 280,000 people, William Chopik, an assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University, found that friendships become increasingly important as we age.

In older people, friendships were a stronger predictor of both health and happiness than relationships with family members.

"Keeping a few really good friends around can make a world of difference for our health and well-being," Chopik said in a statement. "So it's smart to invest in the friendships that make you happiest."

Singles also tend to be fitter

There may be some truth to the idea that people who "settle down" ease into unhealthier habits, at least when it comes to some measures of physical fitness.

In surveying more than 13,000 people between 18 and 64, researchers found that those who were single and had never married worked out more frequently each week than their married and divorced peers.

A 2015 study in the journal Social Science and Medicine compared the body mass indexes of about 4,500 people in nine European countries and found that single people had, on average, slightly lower BMIs than those who were married. Overall, the married couples also weighed about five pounds more than the singles.

Single people may develop more individually and benefit more from alone time

Several studies have linked solitude to benefits such as an increased sense of freedom and higher levels of creativity and intimacy. Amy Morin, a psychotherapist, says that alone time can help people be more productive as well.

"Time alone doesn't have to be lonely," Morin previously told Business Insider. "It could be the key to getting to know yourself better."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA 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. 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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. 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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. 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In a 2016 presentation for the American Psychological Association, DePaulo presented evidence that single people tended to have stronger feelings of self-determination and were more likely to experience psychological growth and development than their married counterparts.

Still, DePaulo acknowledged that research on the psychological benefits of being single is lacking. While combing through 814 studies on singles, she discovered that most of them used singles only as a comparison group to learn about married people, not singledom.

Another analysis of data from the 1998 National Survey of Families and Households suggested that the single people in the sample were more likely to experience personal growth than the married people, as measured by how they perceived the processes of learning and growth and the idea of new experiences.

In other words, while romantic relationships certainly have benefits, being single does too.

"The beliefs that single people are miserable, lonely ... and want nothing more than to become un-single are just myths," DePaulo said.

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The United Kingdom has responsibility for the current crisis in Yemen after exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia, Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman has said.

The Yemeni Nobel Laureate has called on a number of countries, including the US and Iran, to stop supplying both the Saudis and the rebel militias with weapons, as Yemens devastating famine continues amid civil war.

Ms Karman, a politician and activist, is known in Yemen as the mother of the revolution after she took a prominent role in the uprising during the Arab Spring.

She has also urged the UK to put pressure on Iran to cease their interference in Yemen as the death toll surpasses 12,000.

The UK, the US and all the countries that support and sell weapons to Saudi Arabia are part of all the killing in Yemen, Ms Karman told The Independent. We should also talk about Iran. Being silent about Iran interfering in Yemen and Iran supporting and exporting weapons to Houthi militia would be a mistake.

Tawakkol Karman speaking at the Warwick Economics Summit (Gabriele Stravinskaite)

Ms Karman has also called for Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for what she described as the massacres that have taken place in Yemen.

I am calling the humans rights defenders to start a trial against them. We want trials in the local courts in Europe and in the ICC. They have committed massacres in Yemen and have caused the war, she said.

The Saudi-led coalition is waging war in Yemen in a bid to defeat the guerrilla group, the Houthis.

The bombing campaign is believed to have resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, and since the war started in 2015 an estimated 18.8 million people, 69 per cent of Yemens population, have needed some sort of humanitarian aid or assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

A trial at the ICC is highly unlikely because the court has no jurisdiction over countries that have not signed the Rome Statute.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen have all not signed the statute, and because of this it would require the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to refer the case to court for any criminal proceedings to take place.

Geoffery Robertson QC, the former president of the UN war crimes court in Sierra Leone, said initially an investigation would need to be set up by the human rights commission to determine if there had been any crimes against humanity.

If this is shown to be prevalent, the UNSC would pass the issue onto a prosecutor, who would then start their own investigation, before taking the case to the ICC.

Britain would be put in a difficult position if there was evidence from a UN investigation that demonstrated that the weapons the UK has sold were used for crimes against humanity, Mr Robertson told The Independent.

The composition of the UNSC means this is unlikely, with Russia and China both intervening in the past to prevent investigations.

Russia has used its veto power to block action targeting its ally Syria on nine occasions, and China has also intervened to ensure the Middle Eastern nation does not face sanctions.

Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said the Saudi-led coalition had inflicted an appalling humanitarian catastrophe on Yemen.

Over the last three years, a coalition of human rights abusers and dictatorships, including those in Saudi Arabia and UAE, has waged a three year bombing campaign that has killed thousands of people and destroyed vital infrastructure all across Yemen, Mr Smith told The Independent.

The bombardment has been totally immoral, and it is civilians that have paid the terrible price. Those that have carried it out need to be fully investigated and held to account for the destruction that they have unleashed.

The brutal bombardment has only been possible because of the complicity and support of politicians like Theresa May and her colleagues, who have prioritised arms company profits over the rights and lives of Yemeni people.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. 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A spokesperson for the Department for International Trade said: The UK Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. We rigorously examine every application, including those from Saudi Arabia, on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

We will not grant a licence if doing so would be inconsistent with these criteria, and have suspended or revoked licences when the level of risk changes.

Ms Karman was in the UK talking at the Warwick Economics Summit where she accused Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of backing a campaign to divide Yemen by supporting separatists against the internationally recognised government.

The comments led to her being suspended from her political party in Yemen, al-Islah, which said her statements were not in line with the partys positions.

Ms Karman responded to the claims on her Twitter account and criticised the leaders of al-Islah, calling them prisoners and slaves to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

The Independent has contacted representatives of the Saudi Arabian government for comment.
The British government need to make a decision on the relationship they want to have with the EU, the Taoiseach has said.

Speaking on RTE's This Week, Leo Varadkar calls on the UK to make its Brexit intentions clear as "time is running out".

"It is 20 months now since the Brexit referendum, 20 years since some of them started campaigning for it and we still dont really know what Brexit means, or what the British Government wants Brexit to mean, and time is running out," he said on the Sunday afternoon radio show.

"The UK is due to leave the European Union in March 2019, its a little over a year away, and I think we need clarity and urgency from London," he added.

Mr Varadkar also urged that guarantees Theresa May gave at a summit of EU leaders last December around avoiding a hard border be adhered to.

"What was agreed in the joint report stands," he said.

"What were trying to do is ensure that what was agreed in December is now stitched into the legal text of the withdrawal agreement."
So we've morphed from a Celtic Tiger into a Celtic Phoenix. That's the best way the economists are able to label the fact that we've more disposable income per household than at the height of the boom, and that there's as many people back in employment now as there ever was.

Indeed, I'm starting to get calls from employers that have more than a passing resemblance to ones I fielded a decade ago. Staff 'can't be got' and we should open the floodgates to China, Thailand and beyond.

At home here I've still got a crew of Romanian workers who are now into top gear in the daffodil picking season with up to 200,000 stems being individually hand-picked per day. It's what some might term 'hardy' work bent over for hours picking flowers in all weathers in January.

I'm lucky to have a good crew and it leaves me inclined to believe that there are plenty of people more than willing to work hard for the minimum wage still within the borders of the EU.

A weekly cheque for 400 might not seem like a lot of money for Irish people, but I'm told that it is still the equivalent of a month's salary for my crew if they were back home in Romania.

But there are all kinds of glaring disparities in our 'phoenix' economy.

If I don't hit the road by 6.30am, my journey time into the city centre doubles with the volume of traffic queuing along the M1 and every other major road artery heading into the capital.

But out in the country rural towns and villages are as quiet as ever. On my days out filming for Ear to the Ground I see plenty of boarded-up shops, closed pubs and abandoned commercial sites.

Even though I'm only 40km north of O'Connell Street in Dublin city centre, I also experience firsthand some of the handicaps that are keeping the rural economy on the hind teat.

The debacle that it is the rollout of the national broadband network is a case in point.

Earlier this month I got an email from my internet provider to inform me that we had breached the 60Gb limit on the dongle in the house by 20Gb and a surcharge of 933 would be applied on top of my regular monthly bill of 35.

I was gobsmacked. Cue some pretty curt exchanges with the two ladies in my life - my wife and her 18-year-old Kiwi niece that has moved in with us for a couple of months.

This wasn't the first time that I had been hit with a data surcharge. Because some lazy engineer overlooked the cul-de-sac that I live on, the broadband speed available through the landline is actually lower than that available through the dongle.

So we are totally reliant on dongles for internet coverage.

For the last number of years I have continuously cranked up the monthly allowance and, of course, consequent payment to cover the increasing amount of daily living that has drifted online.

I thought we had learned all the pitfalls: that you can opt for lower quality streaming on Netflix that doesn't use as much data; that every hour of streaming video is about 1G of data; that downloading programmes is better done on somebody else's Wi-Fi with unlimited data!

But we never had to factor in a teenager into the equation, and data for today's teenager is what TV was for my generation - just a given, and preferably in copious quantities.

There is no warning from the phone company.

Unlike the text that will be sent to your phone if you are going over your monthly limit, mobile phone companies refuse to send any automated message regarding data usage on a dongle to the owner's phone... refuse until they realise that you've used up the equivalent of two year's dongle fees in a single month.

I queried this with the ComReg, and a pleasant man in their call centre informed me that this was standard practice for mobile phone operators.

Needless to say I was livid. Annoyed that our household has let it happen.

But more annoyed that a company that I pay about 3,000 a year to in phone and internet charges would have the gall to saddle me with such punitive charges.

After pleading my case I was told that the best they could do was halve the surcharge.

I didn't know whether to feel grateful or annoyed. If we had gone out 12 months ago and bought a ready-to-go SIM card with unlimited data for 20 a month, we would never have had this problem.

Would that have been gaming the system?

If we lived in a town or city we would have had hi-speed internet at an affordable price coming out of a socket in the wall for years.

Instead, I'm supposed to feel grateful that I 'only' paid 500 for my December internet service.

All because we live in the country and play by the rules. And then the politicians wonder why there's still a two-speed economy.
George Kelly with Amy O'Dea, Rathmore, Martin Sheehan, Castlemaine and Gerry Smith, John of God Centre pictured at Beaufort Killarney as part of the Kerry Social Farming project. Photo: Don MacMonagle

It is Monday morning but for Martin Sheehan and Amy O'Dea it never holds the dread that particular day of the week promises for some.

Monday is the day they get to spend on George Kelly's farm, helping out with the animals and all the other jobs that need to be done on a suckler and sheep farm.

Both are adults with special needs and, for the past number of years, have been participants on the Kerry Social Farming Project at Hazelfort Farm in Listry, Co Kerry.

Both use the services of St John of God's in Killarney and the social farming project has become part of their weekly routine.

On Wednesdays it's the turn of two adults with Down Syndrome.

Hazelfort Farm is one of 14 taking part in the Kerry Social Farming Project, with six more coming on board shortly.

The project comes under the auspices of the South Kerry Development Partnership and is run by a steering group that includes representatives from St John of God's, Kerry Parents' and Friends' Association, Enable Ireland, Down Syndrome Ireland (Kerry), Cunamh Iveragh, Kerry County Council and the North East West Kerry Development Partnership.

It also receives funding from the Department of Agriculture through CEDRA (the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas).

George Kelly got involved four and a half years ago when the project was in its infancy and he was director of the South Kerry Partnership.

"We had looked at similar projects in Leitrim and how we could do something for people with special needs," Mr Kelly told the Farming Independent.

"I said I'd have to put my money where my mouth was and step forward. We're doing it on a voluntary basis, the farmer doesn't get paid and I think that's the sustainable model."

Funding through CEDRA employs a coordinator, who liaises between the agencies, the farmers and the participants.

"We were impressed by what we saw in Leitrim but their model was slightly different, where the farmers get paid but we felt that wasn't sustainable.

"Now in hindsight, I think we made the wise decision because we're getting funding and that's the model the Department are adopting at the moment, the not-for-profit model," Mr Kelly added.

Amy O'Dea from Rathmore had never been on a farm before she started helping out at Hazelfort a few years ago. She looks forward to Monday.

"I love working with the animals. We look after them and feed them, make sure they have water and make sure they're taken care of," she says.

"I'm not frightened of animals at all. I'm an animal lover."

Martin Sheehan from Castlemaine is no stranger to farming and enjoys working in the outdoors with the animals.

Hazelfort Farm has 25 suckler cows, 20 sheep, four horses, five goats, ducks and even a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig.

Amy and Martin are accompanied by Gerry Smith, a support worker and instructor with St John of God's. He can see the obvious benefits of the project and how it has boosted Martin and Amy's skills and independence.

"They really love it and it's a great outlet for them. There's the social side of it as well, meeting people who come in to the farm, and chatting with George," he said.

Mr Kelly says they try to frame the programme for the day around the weather and the time of year. He also gets a lot from it.

"There's the camaraderie and the work is easier when you have a couple with you for the banter and the work," he says.

"It's a great way of getting over the fear of animals and boosting confidence but it has been a learning curve for all of us.

"I think that's proof our model is working. When I see the difference it makes to people, I think it's worthwhile."

The Kerry Social Farming Project was chosen to represent the county in the Pride of Place awards in Donegal in September.

Insurance

Mr Kelly would advise farmers interested in getting involved or starting a similar project in their county to have no fear.

"We think it's very positive that people are getting employment as well and we would like to think that social farming has played a part in this," he added.

Some of the challenges that had to be overcome included getting insurance and transport, scarce in rural areas where public transport can be non-existent.

Local Link Kerry helped them out in this regard, providing a car and volunteer drivers.

Mr Kelly hopes to see the project growing and would like to bring more sponsors on board.

He says there's clearly an identifiable need for the project and getting to know the participants' families has made it seem more worthwhile. They're also developing an achievement award for participants.

"The agencies have been very supportive but we're all on this journey together. It's a new departure from what happened in the past and everybody is happy when they see the difference it makes," he said.

Leitrim project the template for national rollout

The Department of Agriculture has been providing funding to social farming projects since 2016 and has committed over 1.5million from the Rural Innovation and Development Fund.

The concept was first developed by the Leitrim Development Company and since then has been adapted and implemented by other organisations around the country.

It is defined as the practice of offering activity on family farms as a form of a social support service.

The participating farm remains a working farm but invites adults with special needs to become involved in the day-to-day activities of the farm.

The aim of the project is to promote inclusion and foster good health and well being for participants.

Leitrim Development Company has been awarded two contracts by the Department to support and develop social farming in Ireland in 2017.

It hopes to establish a Social Farming Ireland Network involving all stakeholders.

It will also collaborate with University College Dublin to establish best practice.

Agriculture Minister Michael Creed says this will be key to the development of social farming on a larger scale.

"In my opinion, they are undoubtedly achieving the goal of promoting social farming as a viable option for achieving improved quality of life, greater inclusion and community networking for people with disabilities," he said.
Airline says it has no plans to outsource its ground-handling operations despite IAG move

Complaints staff at Aer Lingus who face having their jobs moved to America have voted to reject a compromise plan drawn up by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

The airline informed its guest relations department before Christmas that it planned to move the entire function to a new US-based Aer Lingus guest relations hub by the end of this month.

About 20 staff are affected by the decision but staff and unions had expressed concern that the plan was a move towards outsourcing small sections of the airline's ground-handling operation - something that the airline has rejected.

After the announcement, trade union officials told management that the manner in which the Dublin-based jobs were to be eliminated was "unprecedented" in the airline's history.

Both sides attended the WRC earlier this month. It issued a recommendation providing for improved exit terms for staff, which Aer Lingus said it was prepared to accept. But more than 75pc of staff who voted rejected the recommendation.

It comes against the backdrop of a new round of productivity talks at the airline, which had stalled briefly but are set to resume this Thursday.

"We are currently engaged in discussions locally with a number of groups throughout our business on measures to increase productivity," said an airline spokesman. "In one area of the business, where progress has not been made on matters of productivity, we have referred the matter to the WRC for conciliation," he said.

Meanwhile, global airport handling company Menzies Aviation is to enter the ground operations business at Dublin to handle all of Aer Lingus parent company IAG's traffic at the airport except for Aer Lingus. This will see it carry out ground handling functions for BA, Iberia and Vueling.

Menzies is advertising for customer service and ramp agents in Dublin. The arrival of the giant handling firm has sparked speculation at the airport that Menzies will ultimately look to also take on elements of the Aer Lingus ground operation.

But when IAG bought Aer Lingus it made a commitment that it would not introduce that level of outsourcing at the airline despite previous proposals to do so at Aer Lingus.

Asked had the position on outsourcing changed with the arrival of Menzies, the Aer Lingus spokesman said: "Aer Lingus has no plans to outsource its catering or ground-handling departments to Menzies or anybody else."
Most of Ireland's top dealmakers expect M&A activity to increase here this year, according to a recent KPMG survey.

Good economic conditions, the increasing presence of private equity, and investor confidence were among the factors behind the positive outlook.

Making an acquisition can be an attractive way to grow a business, but it's not without risk. John Dolan, managing director of private equity with Cardinal Capital Group, says businesses need to have a clear strategic rationale for buying a company.

"You need to have an acquisition plan - why do you want it? Will the combined entity be more valuable post the acquisition? Are you buying it for new products, new geographies, new customers ... there's a combination of reasons why you might do an acquisition but you need to have a pretty clear strategy and rationale for why this acquisition fits."

Cardinal Capital is the joint manager - with the Carlyle Group - of an entity called Carlyle Cardinal Ireland (CCI). CCI has been one of the most active acquirer of Irish businesses in recent years and counts the AA, Carroll Cuisine and Sam McCauley chemists among its portfolio of companies.

It recently exited an investment in chocolate maker Lily O'Brien's after substantial growth at the business, which was sold to Polish company Colian. Dolan said that valuations are at a high point in the cycle - even accounting for the downward movement in equities in recent days.

"You need to be cautious around acquisitions at the moment and make sure that there's the right reward and rationale for doing a deal at that level [of valuations]. Warren Buffett said it's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price, and that summarises our view.

"Even though valuations are high, you still do the deal if it's the right deal. You're better off doing a deal that makes strategic sense rather than getting something cheap and trying to make it work after that."

Dolan said the first 100 days after an acquisition are crucial in terms of integrating the new business with the old. "You've got goodwill and momentum and most people would generally see an acquisition as a positive move, a company growing. But then you've got to make sure you act on that momentum and make sure that employees know exactly what it means for them and remove any uncertainty." He also said companies taking on debt to make an acquisition should make sure they have "sufficient room to be able to survive surprises post-deal".
Huckletree's arrival to its new premises at The Academy on Pearse St was expected to disrupt the vibrant co-working scene in Dublin - and the office space provider is already doing things differently.

"The main thing is that we always try to find truly iconic spaces. There are a lot of serviced offices in the market, where you will be offered a desk and a seat - that's the baseline offering, the boring bit," Irish born co-founder Andrew Lynch told Independent.ie.

"But Huckletree is about finding something a bit quirky so when The Academy came up, it was really a no-brainer for us.

Opened shortly before Chistmas, the Dublin hub is Huckletree's first international workspace, having already made its impressive mark in London in Clerkenwell, Shoreditch and White City Place (Huckletree West, beside the BBC studios).

CEO Gabriela Hersham and Andrew (the group's COO) opened the Clerkenwell site in 2014, one of the first creative co-working spaces to pop up in London.

The ethos the duo created for their company at the outset maintains a firm fixture today, and something they attribute their success to.

"The whole point of it is not just to be a facility where people go and set up shop. We want to add as much value to the members lives' as we possibly can. We want to hire the best people we can possibly hire," said Andrew.

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This is where things get interesting. Huckletree has created its own accelerator program for young tech startups, helping them fine-tune their business pitch and plan. Without taking equity or asking for fees. And they're bringing the program to Dublin.

"For each three months accelerator program, we help three to five early stage firms and integrate ourselves as much as we possibly can with them," said Andrew.

"In terms of a membership proposition, we offer a lot more than our competitors. We only take on those we believe we can actually help and we will set them up well for the next stage. All they have to be is energetic, ambitious and scalable. They get everything that they need - and the right introduction.

"The real pat on the back for us is watching them grow."

Whether you're a freelancer, an entrepreneur, a budding startup, an expanding business, an investor or an agency, there could be a place for you at Huckletree - but you'll have to interview for the spot.

And with an events space, gym, holistic wellbeing programme just some of the features on the 30,000 sq ft site, filling the campus to its 400-member strong capacity is not going to be a difficulty.

We spoke to a number of companies who have already made the old Twitter HQ their Huckletree home.

Datadog

Although it's less than a decade old, SaaS player Datadog has expanded rapidly across the US and Europe and currently has about 500 employees globally. Touting itself as 'the essential monitoring service for modern cloud environment', the company was started by two French tech heads, Olivier Pomel and Alexis Le-Quoc, who were living in New York in 2010

The main technical hub resides in Paris but the corporate sales function for Datadog is based in Dublin, led by Head of Inside Sales, EMEA & Head of the Dublin Office Richard Campbell.

"As more and more businesses move their IT infrastructure on to the cloud, they need to be able to monitor that at all levels to make sure that it's performing. In the past, IT was a function of the business but now it is very much a partner of the business," he told Independent.ie.

"Whether it's moving part of your business online or dealing with your employees internally, for example, many of these services are now provided on the cloud. So it's increasingly important that this is monitored, that it's working effectively and optimised because increasingly it's part of the business, it's not just a function like keeping the lights on."

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Mr Campbell joined Datadog six months ago, when the size of the global team measured around 300 "so the growth of the team is exponential and that trajectory is continuing". Similarly for the EMEA sales team, it has expanded from a small team of four to a current pack of 21 - and growing.

"Before Huckletree opened, I worked from my home and then we moved to another co-working space in Dublin city centre. As we scaled up, we knew we were going to need more space and that wasn't going to be able to serve our purposes anymore," he said.

"So one reason we moved was for that reason, the space, but it was also for the culture of the office. You hear the sales pitch talk about the benefits of collaborative spaces - not to mention the meditation and the yoga - but it's actually all real. There are guys right beside us who are actually customers of ours.

"Because Huckletree have already done this in London and they had all these companies who came in and scaled up, they seemed to get it. Everything that we require, extra white boards, different breakfasts, they'll take stuff on board and change if they think it will be helpful. It's not just a space to work in."

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Kontainers

This start-up aims to solve quite a complicated problem - the problem of world trade. Kontainer's ocean freight platform, which currently serves some of the biggest brands in shipping, simplifies a very cumbersome, time-consuming process.

"At the moment when you ship a container from one place to the other, it's genuinely a 60 email and 20 phone call process. Shipping actually hasn't moved for 50 years. Since the investor of containers, the effectiveness of shipping goods around the world hasn't really changed," Charles Lee, co-founder and CTO, Kontainers told Independent.ie.

"What we do is provide an end-to-end booking engine for the shippers to come on and book a container with us. A normal shipment is now reduced from a 60 email situation to a five email situation and everything is done online, including clearing customs automatically.

Mr Lee, who started the company in 2015 with CEO Graham Parker, saw that there was a need to bring the shipping into the modern technological world, unlocking value in the supply chain of the business customer.

"On the operations side, the people that usually do what we do are called freight forwarders and they usually have a team in-house to look after the customers, the paperwork, etc. Now, because we have an operations platform, we still need people there but it's no longer as laborious," he said.

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Kontainers has really taken off in the last 12 months as a lot of the larger companies are showing interest in using its software to allow them to do similar streamlined process. With seven currently on the team in Ireland and the UK, the firm is currently in the middle of a hiring spree.

Giving them the flexibility to scale up is something that Huckletree can provide - and it helped that the founders were already familiar with the spaces in the UK.

"We didn't rent a space in London but we did a lot of meetings there. We got introduced to it by co-founder Gabriela's brother who brought us there for meetings," he said.

Born in Hong Kong, Mr Lee lived in London for over 30 years but moved over the Irish Sea after getting married to a girl from Tipperary.

"At the time, I was involved in a startup in the UK which was sold so I had the luxury of moving pretty much anywhere," he said.

"But I've been in shared office spaces quite a bit and Huckletree is special and not least because of the team that is in Dublin. They make an effort to make it a very friendly place. the collaboration comes almost organically, they don't do too much shoving and pushing together.

"But providing an environment that allows you to do that, the people that are looking after this place are doing an immense job."

House My Dog

Founded by brothers Timothy and James McElroy when they could not find a reliable sitter for their dog Holly, HouseMyDog enables dog owners looking for alternatives to kennels to message a sitter in their area and book and pay for the service online.

Last September, the Irish start-up broke a crowdfunding record, hitting its initial target of 200,000 in 36 hours - the fastest funds have ever been raised by an Irish company on Crowdcube.

"We're essentially a booking platform for pet services. People go on and search for sitters and we vet the sitters that go out through the platform," James McElroy told Independent.ie.

"The sitters go through a seven-step vetting process, they have to do things like a phone interview, an online assessment and they fill out a full profile. But we find the best way is actually when the community vets itself; if I'm a sitter in D6 and have 70-100 great reviews I'll probably get more jobs than a sitter who has had maybe 10 reviews. It's like booking a hotel and looking at the reviews of those who have stayed there."

House My Dog initially launched in Dublin but has since expanded into the UK and Germany - acquired its German competitor Schnuff und Co - and are currently in about 35 cities in Europe.

"Our plan is to keep expanding but also to add on additional services to our platform, and release an app. Right now we're focussed on sitting but we're planning to launch walking, day care and grooming down the line, ultimately a one-stop platform for all your pet services needs, said Mr McElroy.

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In terms of the people who look after the dogs, Mr McElroy said there were two types of sitters, half of the sitters do it full-time as a job, and the other half are "just dog lovers",

"Some of our top sitters are earning around e1000 monthly. One sitter is a student here in Ireland and she's earned around e50k from the sit over the space of a few years. If you do love dogs, it's a great way to mind a dog; if you have a dog, it's a great way for your dog to have a playmate, and also if you already have a dog it's not 100pc more work," he said.

With a team of five based in Huckletree Dublin (and three tech staff housed in CHQ), Mr Elroy said he was interested in moving to the Pearse Street location when Andrew [Lynch] told him he was setting up a space here.

"At its most basic level you just want a bit of good wifi a desk and a coffee machine, but you spend so much of your life in the office, you want it to be a nice place to be in also. We also find it makes it so much easier hiring also coming into a place like this," said Mr McElroy.

"Huckletree very much focuses on the community aspect of things, maybe more so than other spaces, and right now that's working for us. The space is still in its early stages but I can't wait to see the place filling up.

"The tech space in Dublin is very small so being in that collaborative community is beneficial as a lot of us face the same issues day-to-day so we can work them out together and we can expand our respective network channels also."

Silicon Valley Bank

Silicon Valley Bank - the Californian tech sector lender - placed a permanent representative in Ireland Clive Lennox for the first time, and he's based in Huckletree.

Last year, the bank announced that it is doubling the amount of money it is lending to fast-growing Irish technology companies. It committed $100m (96m) in 2012, and is now committing a further $100m through the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF).

"I was nine years in London and five of those years was with Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). It's great to come back now as part of SVB," Mr Lennox told Independent.ie.

The bank itself are California-based but it has offices throughout the US - "anywhere there's an innovation centre you'll find an SVB office" - and the focus is strictly on technology and life science. SVB then moved over to London and Mr Lennox was part of the bank build in London, a full commercial bank, and there are currently about 180 staff based there.

"From the UK then we started to look at Ireland, spending time in Ireland and looking at Irish companies and we were really impressed with what was going on here, which allowed us to get involved," said Mr Lennox.

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"We've committed $140m to 22 Irish companies over the last few years. Part of my role is to put more fuel in the fire and really push it harder, spend more time with Irish companies and look to get more deals done."

"But the commitment of $200m, that's not a cap as far as I'm concerend. If there's good companies there and we can do more than that we'll do it. It really is about finding really cool companies that we think we can help."

Mr Lennox said that part of his role is to host people coming from the UK and the US. "They like coming here, there are good companies, good CEOs, good management, great support from local government, good legal firms," he said.

"They are here to write cheques and they feel that they can get things done. They can only do that if the quality of the company and ease of investment is there."

In London, Huckletree is actually based in the same building as SVB so the bank was aware of the provider and there was plenty of interaction between the teams, including co-hosting events.

"I'm comfortable in this environment, to me this is quite normal way to work and surround yourself with like-minded people. For example, Datadog are a client of SVB in the US, so you're surrounding yourself with companies that you may be working with, hopefully clients."
The glistening glass and steel office towers that rise majestically from Dublin's Docklands are the jewel in the crown of Ireland's economic recovery. But Ireland's 'Silicon Docks' area, berthed in the heart of the north-east inner city - and decorated with tech giants, state-of-the-art gyms and cosmopolitan cafes - is also home to one of the most socially-deprived corners in the country.

Dublin City Council and Nama - with 75pc or 22 acres of the North Lotts and Grand Canal Docks Special Development Zone (SDZ) under its management - vowed to create a "socially-balanced community".

That vow was converted into a major Government priority when, in 2016, then Taoiseach Enda Kenny commissioned a special report on the area by Kieran Mulvey, former head of the Workplace Relations Commission.

Mulvey's report, conducted after a fresh spate of gangland killings, was unequivocal, recording a strong and deep sense of the NEIC being "left behind" during the Celtic Tiger period. Mulvey observed that in some areas up to half of the population had only attended primary school and less than 5pc held a third-level education.

The renowned mediator warned it could happen again unless key issues - such as enhancing major links between education and employment - especially in the Docklands, were addressed.

As the completion of the SDZ plan draws to a close - with the number of brownfield sites in the SDZ dwindling - new statistics reveal that the fears of the Docklands community have been fully realised.

To date, less than 1pc of the total built space in the SDZ has been afforded to social infrastructure delivery. A total of 2,100 of 2,600 residential units have been approved by Dublin City Council under the SDZ Planning Scheme, including apartments primarily aimed at office workers and a scheme developed by O'Flynn Capital Partners, beside the Point Village, that will boast close to 1,000 beds for students.

For the local community, the Docklands are a world away from their reality, an aching gap confirmed in DCC's own figures.

In North Lotts, just 1,747 sq m - of 204,281 sq m - has been set aside for what the council refers to as community/residential amenities.

And in the entire SDZ, community and residential amenities (unspecified by DCC) account for just 4,000 sq m of a total 351,530 sq m area.

The clash between commercial and community interests, between the State's need to drive the economy and invest in its most vulnerable citizens, is playing out in stalled negotiations between Nama and the National College of Ireland (NCI) over a 0.8-acre site in the SDZ North Lotts.

The NCI, an independent not-for-profit college, has been providing higher education and community learning in the IFSC since 2002.

Half of its students receive SUSI grants.

The college, whose president is Gina Quin, has recently started a programme where 'readers' do home calls to help children who would otherwise be "way behind" by the time they start school.

Its early-learning initiatives (ELI) engage with 9,000 individuals and more than 60 local services in the community each year.

In June 2016, NCI, currently operating at full capacity, offered 4.5m for the 0.8-acre site to build a badly-needed second campus.

The offer was made to Deloitte's David Carson, the Nama-appointed receiver of the site.

The 35m planned 10,000 sq m campus, seven minutes' walk from its existing one, will accelerate the NCI's community programmes, with a new community library, indoor studio/performance space as well as a children's play and learning space.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a community and student learning hub within the north east inner city," says Quin, who has secured backing from the European Investment Bank and the Irish Strategic Investment Fund to provide project financing for the second campus.

The NCI was told in October 2016 that its initial 4.5m bid was too low. In April 2017, the NCI was informed that the site would be combined with two adjoining ones as a single lot.

The NCI says it was encouraged by the receiver to make an offer, on a pre-sale basis, for an above basement build, which would then be incorporated into the final site.

In June 2017, the NCI made a second bid of 8m and up to 26m for shell and core build.

But in August last year, the NCI's offer was again rejected amid plans to bring the conjoined City Block Three to market.

The Docklands has been critical in the recovery narrative surrounding Ireland Inc. Since the property market started to recover in 2012, the Docklands accounted for around three million sq ft, or 22pc, of the total market. In 2012 alone, the Docklands' share of market activity was even higher, accounting for a massive 31pc.

So, where is the community in all of this?

Local leaders in the heart of Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe's Dublin Central constituency, say Mulvey's prediction that the north inner city could be left behind has already come to pass. "Dublin City Council has not done enough, as guarantor of the Docklands SDZ, to ensure that sufficient supply of residential and social infrastructure is delivered within the North Lotts," said Ray McAdam, a Fine Gael councillor who is the party's leader on Dublin City Council and chairman of the Dublin Central Area Committee of the City Council.

"The Planning Department of DCC needs to adopt a much more critical approach to assessing these applications so that the objectives of the Docklands SDZ Planning Scheme are actually being met.

"The communities of North Wall and East Wall deserve more from Dublin City Council than what is being provided at the moment."

For Quin, who says the new campus will deliver 11m in community gain within the first five years, the choice is a gilded community of elite office workers that turns into a ghost town in the evening and at weekends, or a mixed-use city zone that is truly integrated with its community.

"NCI's second campus will be a shared space between offices and new residents and those who've lived in Docklands north and south for generations, offering a common facility for all, a meeting place that nurtures social cohesion."
Lidl said that the new distribution centre would be good news for Irish food and drink suppliers as Lidl purchases of Irish-sourced goods now have a value of over 700m

Discount retailer Lidl is to make its single biggest one-year investment in Ireland since entering the market in 2000, with a total of 200m earmarked for a range of projects over the coming months.

It is investing in both its store network and in the building of a new distribution centre. The group has 154 stores in the Republic of Ireland and has a share of over 10pc of the Irish grocery spend, according to Kantar Worldpanel.

The largest individual project for 2018 will be its new distribution centre in Newbridge, Co Kildare, which will cost approximately 80m. Work on the new facility, which was granted final planning permission three weeks ago, will begin next month and will be the equivalent in size to three Aviva stadia.

Between 1,000 and 2,000 construction workers will work on the project. In addition to employment during construction, 100 permanent jobs will come on stream next year when the warehouse is fully operational - adding to the 250 already working there. A number of new stores are also planned, while two will be knocked down and rebuilt in the chain's modern format. A store in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, will be relocated.

New stores are planned for Grangegorman, Dublin; Dunshaughlin, Co Meath; Santry, Dublin; and Sligo. Stores in Fortunestown, Co Dublin, and Castlerea, Co Roscommon, will be rebuilt.

Last month, the High Court dismissed Judicial Review proceedings challenging An Bord Pleanala's decision to grant permission for a mixed-use residential and retail development in Castleknock, which includes a Lidl store.

Construction will commence on the West Dublin site in the coming months, subject to there being no further appeals. Other proposed new stores, including one in Bray, Co Wicklow, are still going through the planning system.

Lidl said that the new distribution centre would be good news for Irish food and drink suppliers as Lidl purchases of Irish-sourced goods now have a value of over 700m. Total Irish export sales to Lidl stores exceed 200m annually. For example, Keohane's of Bantry, Co Cork, recently agreed a 6m deal with Lidl UK to supply Salmon darnes to three of its depots.

The current year will see significant investment in the wider Irish retail grocery sector. As previously reported in the Sunday Independent, Tesco Ireland is once again investing in its Irish business by putting 70m into its operations here.
As an undergraduate studying music in Indianapolis, Marci Bonham had a revelation while on a college exchange trip to France: the accomplished classical musician realised that she did not have to make a living from her passion.

The now general manager of the Irish arm of global tool and construction equipment maker, Hilti, returned to Indianapolis and quit music to study international business instead.

These days her musical endeavours rarely go beyond full-voiced versions of Adele's Rolling in the Deep while driving in her car.

Is she as good a singer as Adele?

"Not any more. Woulda, coulda, shoulda," she responds, wistfully. "But," she says, brightening, "Adele can't sell power tools. I don't do what she does, she can't do what I do."

As she talks about her chosen field, expounding enthusiastically on the hidden steel anchors that hold modern buildings together, and the tools and people that drive those fittings home, it becomes obvious that Bonham was, of course, wrong.

Passion, it turns out, was a prerequisite after all.

*****

"No one does everything we do," she says of Hilti's varied competitors. Founded in Liechtenstein 76 years ago by inventor and businessman Martin Hilti, the company's global turnover tops 5bn Swiss francs (4.3bn).

"Our tools are aimed at professionals who use them eight hours a day. We don't sell in a B&Q or a Homebase, we only sell direct. Construction sites in the docklands, pharma extensions, data centres - that is where you will find our tools."

But tools are just one part of Hilti's offering and not even the biggest part. Firestop mounting and installation systems are where the company applies its true expertise on many construction sites.

"When you walk into a building you don't notice what is holding up the ceiling. We make designed and specified anchors and our engineering teams work directly with architects and designers."

She stands up and rummages around her office and returns with a chunky bolt-like fitting.

"This anchor attaches to the concrete to hold the fitting that holds up your suspended ceiling."

But it is even more impressive than that, she says: "Think of how the Port Tunnel stays in place there is a lot of Hilti product in there. You need a specified anchor with all that vibration to ensure people are safe."

Bonham and her team at Hilti's Finglas office in Dublin spend time monitoring plans for major new projects as they are submitted.

"It's ebb and flow. We follow market conditions and measure our success in any country against construction output - roads, bridges, airports, schools, hospitals. We are seeing a lot of commercial and industrial builds in Ireland right now - data centres, pharma, dairy, manufacturing."

The new government capital plan is good news for Hilti, but right now it is very tied into foreign direct investment projects and the company has often worked for the clients previously.

"As those projects land here we see the benefit. Chances are we supplied them elsewhere, maybe even for a head office in California. We watch what is going on with these companies."

Bonham's team evaluates the size of each major Irish project to estimate how much work could possibly come Hilti's way. For example, if a tech company submits plans for a new 100m data centre she expects 0.09pc - or 90,000 - of that to involve products that Hilti can compete for.

"How much of that we actually get in the end is another thing, but that is our potential on a typical data centre project. It could be firestop, it could be anchors to tie a steel structure into concrete foundations, or it could be the tools to fasten it all together. It is all potential for us."

Every build is different. Hilti would expect to be able to compete for 1.2pc of supplies into the 23-storey Capital Dock in Dublin's docklands, for example, and a similar amount at the new children's hospital. "The higher or deeper the project, the more potential for us," she says. "The key is to get in early with our engineers when the plans are being drawn."

Overall, the company measures itself against construction output and its goal in Ireland is to outgrow that output by 1.5 times.

"So if the market grows 14pc we want to grow 21pc. Construction output is expected to grow between now and 2020 by 28pc. Things are going really very well."

Hilti does not share its Irish turnover publicly but growth was more than 20pc in 2017, with the same expected this year.

Bonham was not here during the recession but knows it was tough on many of Hilti's Irish staff. Almost overnight, it went from 110 employees down to 46 when a new regional hub structure saw Irish repairs handled from Glasgow and logistical and other support from Manchester.

But thanks to the recovering construction market Hilti Ireland has since grown its staff numbers by 10pc to 15pc each year and now employs 80 people in five stores on both sides of the Border.

Indeed, the company is about to refit its entire Finglas headquarters: "We can't fit any more people and we need to expand."

****

Bonham spends her days talking to people across the Irish construction sector, from small builders, to sub-contractors, to the high-profile contractors at the top of the industry.

"They are cautiously optimistic," she says.

"I think they learned a lot from the last boom and bust. This current boom - data centres, FDI, etc - is a very different boom to the two-storey residential boom of the Celtic Tiger. That is a different kind of construction, high volume, low margin. It was certainly less Hilti-focused.

"Now, these guys are looking more internationally and they have been smart about finding specialty areas to grow, for example, data centres.

That works well for Hilti, given that as Irish contractors win jobs in other countries, they can retain Hilti as a supplier. The relationship with suppliers has also changed, she says.

"We get involved way earlier in the value chain across a whole range of products."

She sighs at the mention of Carillion, the huge British contractor that collapsed in January.

"There is definitely a perforated line between the Irish and British industries. It [Carillion] is not the only one that has happened, it is just the biggest one. We have had several here in Ireland and Northern Ireland that have become insolvent and that is a big cost to us as a business."

The really big issue though is not for a supplier like Hilti, but for subcontractors which take on work on long payment terms but which have to keep paying their own staff regardless, she says.

"They build up a cash flow problem. Cash is such a problem in the industry. And if one of these big contractors folds - Carillion being the current example - there are ripple effects: employees, sub-contractors, the sub-contractor's employees, the caterers, the cleaning companies.

"I know several Irish contractors who are owed significant amounts of money for work done and completed in the UK on some of these projects that have just stopped. What do they do? The work is done. They could have a giant piece of precast concrete ready, just sitting there waiting to be shipped."

Bonham believes it is very important that the industry begins to manage this cash-flow issue and she has concerns that it could impact some companies in the sector here.

"You don't want to regulate everything. But if you don't manage this cash-flow issue from contractor down to sub-contractor then you can stretch the wrong group of people - the people who day-to-day actually do the work, buy the products and pay the labour. How do you manage that? It is something I believe Ireland and the UK really needs to look at in the coming years."

Bonham's team is responsible for everything in the Irish market, in the North and the Republic - branding, marketing, sales, the local website, local engineering and customer service.

"We have what we call a triple bottom line. Firstly, there is the financial results - we have to make money. But we also measure customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. If you don't have all three things then you might make a profit, but it won't be sustainable for the long term."

Operating a business tied to an industry that is so tied to a boom-and-bust profile makes that type of long-term view a challenge. But Bonham says that the company - in Ireland and further afield - did learn lessons during the crash.

"It's important to be lean and we really are," she says, gesturing around the small office with views across the industrial estate towards the M50 beyond. "People see the brand and they assume luxury because there is a certain value placed on a Hilti tool. We want to grow at a sustainable pace."

Because of the company's new regional hub structure, the company focuses on the mobility of the staff that it hires. "We look to hire people with a foreign language, for example, because, like myself, that makes them mobile," she says.

Mobility has certainly been a hallmark of Bonham's own career. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she grew up playing the guitar, piano, French horn and any other instrument she could get her hands on,

"But musicians can count beyond four," she says. The flexibility of the US college system meant swapping from music to international business after her Toulouse revelation was not an issue.

"International business and my vocal performance did not have a lot in common. But I do a lot of public speaking now, so my experience in music makes it easy for me to stand up in front of an audience. Stage fright is not my issue."

After college, Bonham took a job with a joint venture between Mitsubishi and Caterpillar that involved warehouse equipment. The job took her for stints across the US, Argentina and the Netherlands but in 2008 she decided to go back and study for her MBA remotely.

"I was planning on doing that long before the crash, but the timing was good."

The class of 80 students from around the world would travel to spend time, study and do exams in different countries together, with classes in Shanghai, Rio, Buenos Aires and Dubai.

"It was a really interesting way to watch what was going on around the world at that particular time. Good or bad, there were a lot of learnings to be had. For example, we had 11 Russians in our class. They would look at us Americans and say 'You and your bubble, what have you done?' We would argue that it wasn't just us, that Russian and Chinese investors had put money into America too so it was a global problem. It was an interesting time to be in a class like that."

After finishing her course in early 2010 she joined Hilti in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before moving to Manchester to become Hilti's first female sales director for the UK.

*****

Bonham evidently loves her job and is proud of the progress she has made. But life as an ambitious woman in the construction sector has not always been easy.

Often, she is the only woman in the room.

At times, she has felt scared and even physically threatened by certain situations in the male-dominated world in which she spends her time.

"The higher up you go there is less and less of us. You grow accustomed to it and it was never a big issue. I tend to forget because I don't see myself as the female in the room, even if others do."

But in recent years she came to a realisation about the lack of key female representation in the industries in which she has worked: "If I don't talk about it who will? I can talk about the frankly quite crappy times I have had and about things that have happened to a lot of women in the construction industry.

"If we don't talk about the realities in this industry - particularly with our male counterparts - then we cannot address it. I do feel here in Ireland that is really starting to happen, with initiatives by the Construction Industry Federation and others."

Although the problem is as bad in Ireland as anywhere else she has worked, Bonham believes that the openness to discuss it is better here than anywhere else.

"It's really talked about a lot here. That is good. It is about getting men and women talking about diversity. That is what will get change. It is not a women's issue. It is a business issue. Why would we ignore 50pc of the population here in Ireland when we are struggling to get people into the business? It is really important for the construction sector as a whole. We have major commitments in FDI and civil engineering."

Bonham says that she has lots of conversations with her customers where they say 'My biggest struggle is getting skilled labour'.

"They are trying to attract home plumbers and electricians from Australia. That's great. But would it not be faster and better to try and attract the 50pc of the population here that are available to work but have often been ignored?"

Bonham agrees that many girls have no interest in construction as a career but she says this is because it is never presented to them as an option.

"Trades are a wonderful way to have a career but girls and women never get that view, be it because of parents, school or the population in general not making it a respectable career choice."

Change is needed badly says Bonham, not least on construction sites themselves.

"I still get comments and have to look the other way. It is ridiculous that grown people react this way to seeing a woman on a job site."

The comments vary, she says: "Sometimes it is sexist comments that are unrepeatable and really shameful. In some incidents we have actually cancelled a customer from being a customer because it is just insulting and I won't put up with that for myself or any of our female employees. That has happened in both Ireland and Britain. You cannot accept it just because it is a construction site. You have to call it out."

But in general, Bonham says the comments are not so extreme. It's the little things that irritate: the expectation that, as a woman, you will not know what you are talking about.

"I do know how to talk about tools. I do know how to explain deflection-head installation. But they look at me like they expect me not to know. It's a shame because they are looking right past sometimes the best knowledge in our company - the female engineer that we send in there.

"They look at the guy who is bigger and stronger rather than the one who knows how to do it. It's hard to change that overnight because it's a culture. But I think the more that my gals are out in the field to help change that perception one person at a time the better."

The key, she says, is for construction companies to hire more women.

"It's hard to be the only one but when you reach a critical mass that can change," she says.

"We all do the same job. We pull up in a van at a site just like any of the guys do. We wear a hard hat and steel-toed shoes. This is our uniform, male or female," she says, gesturing to her red Hilti T-shirt.

Gender balance at Hilti Ireland is about 80pc male to 20pc female, something Bonham wishes would change. Advertised roles at the rapidly-growing company get few female applicants, she says. "It's growing but it is too slow. But if you don't start with a commitment to do it you will never change it and the main thing is to focus on inclusion to make the female workforce that we do have feel welcome here."

******

When Bonham arrived in Ireland from Manchester in August 2014, things had already started to pick up in the sector.

"I like to think I brought it with me... ride the Bonham wave!" she says, laughing. "But, no, my timing was just very fortunate. It's a great time to manage the business through that kind of growth and make sure we do it in a sustainable, profitable way."

Moving executives like Bonham around the world is strategic on Hilti's part. In Britain she was responsible for more people and more revenue. But in Ireland she is responsible for everything and reports into Hilti's board.

"I get to run the business here in this country. It is part of my development."

That sounds very much like Bonham is on a track to even greater things within the huge company. "I hope so, yeah," she agrees. "I don't know where that leads. I'm enjoying my time here in Ireland. But I am ambitious. I absolutely think I could play a role as a board member."

Right now Hilti has no female board member.

"Could we? Absolutely. And Hilti is open to it. But it has to be the right person with the right experience. We want people coming through the company into those roles."

The sheer diversity of employees at Hilti Ireland is not something found in Hilti workforces elsewhere and the experience of running that is hugely beneficial, she says.

There are other less positive aspects to the Irish market that bring unique challenges too: tool theft is a real problem here and Hilti itself has suffered a series of expensive break-ins.

Bonham says small Irish builders are often left devastated when their tools are taken, depriving them of their means of making a living.

The company now runs a special programme here to replace stolen tools.

"Contractors have their tools stolen and contractors buy stolen tools. It's a vicious circle. It certainly feels like it is a bigger problem here than in the US. Of course, in the US we have ways of ensuring that doesn't happen. You wouldn't dare break in to my Dad's house in Nebraska," she laughs.

All of these varying experiences will only help her as she moves up through the Hilti organisation. She and her husband love Ireland but geographically she says she is open to any move as her career progresses.

"I hope that works to my advantage - I'm not set on any one place. I speak French so I could go to a French-speaking location. But I would go anywhere. And my husband is fantastic, he would move anywhere with me as long as he can find work too. He is amazingly supportive to follow my jobs around the world as he has."

But for now she is in Ireland, enjoying almost every moment of the journey.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name

Marci Bonham

Age

45

Position

General manager, Hilti Ireland

Lives

Dublin city centre and hails from Omaha, Nebraska

Education

MBA from Duke University, North Carolina.

BSc in International Management from Butler University, Indianapolis

Family

Husband Tom

Pastimes

Playing music and travel

Favourite holiday destination

Paris, France

Currently reading

Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes

Favourite movie

Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back.

"I'm a huge Star Wars fan. I loved Princess Leia when I was a kid. I wanted to be her. And Han Solo was easy on the eye," she says

Favourite pieces of advice

"Listen more, talk less" and "find a company where you can be your true self and one that supports your development and learning"
There was consternation this week among horse-racing lovers about the switch of television rights for Irish racing to subscription channel Racing UK. Horse Racing Ireland insists the profile of racing will not suffer but thousands in rural Ireland who depend on it for a living can only hope it does not turn out to be a self-inflicted blow.

Other recent issues in the sector continue to cause concern, with the topic of the work practices "enjoyed" by stable staff to the fore.

A redefinition under employment law that saw horse-related activities fall outside of the agriculture sector has potentially major implications for work practices in the sector.

That redefinition effectively means that stables can no longer have workers on duty for what the Labour Court has said are excessive working hours - an issue highlighted in a report last year by employment consultant Dermot O'Loughlin. Trainers have argued the redefinition should never have happened. The curtailment on the long hours that stable staff have heretofore often worked could mean a stark choice: hire lots more workers or cut back on the number of Irish race meetings.

But why did the problematic redefinition come about? Labour Court documents, seen by this newspaper, show key organisations in Ireland's racing industry themselves lobbied for the change. Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for.
Hilti, founded in Liechtenstein 76 years ago, has global turnover of more than 5bn Swiss francs (4.3bn) but does not reveal Irish turnover

Sales at the Irish arm of construction products seller Hilti grew by more than 20pc in 2017, with similar growth expected this year.

Hilti sells power tools aimed at professional builders, as well as firestop, mounting and anchoring systems, supplying contractors on many of the major industrial and commercial building sites around the country.

It aims to outgrow overall Irish construction output by 1.5 times, Hilti Ireland general manager Marci Bonham told this newspaper in an interview.

"If the market grows 14pc we want to grow 21pc. Construction output is expected to grow between now and 2020 by 28pc. Things are going really very well," said Bonham.

Hilti, founded in Liechtenstein 76 years ago, has global turnover of more than 5bn Swiss francs (4.3bn) but does not reveal Irish turnover.

Bonham said the strong growth experienced by Hilti Ireland meant that it had been able to invest in staff and additional resources. Staff numbers were growing by up to 15pc per annum, she said.

It now employs 80 people in five stores, north and south, and is planning to refurbish its Dublin headquarters to allow for further growth. During the recession the company cut its Irish workforce from 110 down to just 46. "It's ebb and flow. We follow market conditions and measure our success in any country against construction output - roads, bridges, airports, schools, hospitals. We are seeing a lot of commercial and industrial builds in Ireland right now - data centres, pharma, dairy, manufacturing," Bonham said.

She described Hilti's Irish industry customers as "cautiously optimistic" but warned that cash flow issues remain a threat to some in the Irish sector, particularly after the collapse of British construction giant Carillion.

"I know several Irish contractors who are owed significant amounts of money for work done and completed in the UK on some of these projects that have just stopped," said Bonham.

Sub-contractors are in danger of being overstretched if the overall cash flow situation in the sector was not handled properly.

"It is something I believe Ireland and the UK really needs to look at in the coming years," she said. "Cash is such a problem in the industry. And if one of these big contractors folds - Carillion being the current example - there are ripple effects: employees, sub-contractors, the sub-contractors employees, the caterers, the cleaning companies."
Power plant owner Viridian warned a senior Government adviser last year that a new pricing regime for the electricity markets would have "a chilling effect on foreign investments".

Last month Viridian, headed by CEO Ian Thom, said it might have to close its two power plants at Huntstown, Co Dublin, after one of them failed to secure a contract for new payments from national grid operator EirGrid. In a confidential Viridian presentation released under the Freedom of Information Act, the company outlined how new owner, US investment firm, I Squared Capital had invested in Ireland due to the strong economic outlook and stable regulatory environment.

It said it had "restructured a struggling company" since investing in the business in 2016.

"At acquisition, we paid down 190m of debt and recently completed a highly-successful bond refinancing of approximately $705m."

The new Integrated Single Electricity Market (ISEM) is a new wholesale electricity market arrangement for Ireland and Northern Ireland. The new market arrangements are designed to integrate the all-island electricity market with European electricity markets, enabling the free flow of energy across borders.

One of Viridian's Dublin power plants was awarded a capacity contract under the ISEM, but another of the Huntstown plants was not.

In the presentation, dated October 2017, Viridian warned that new pricing regulations "will undermine confidence in Ireland by forcing investors to close existing generation capacity rather than operating at a loss, thus compromising security of supply. In the long term, a regulatory regime that undermines existing investments will struggle to attract new investment and will likely pay a higher price for such investments."
Hundreds attended 404 London this weekend, an event aimed at enticing top tech talent from the UK to Ireland. Pictured at the event in Shoreditch, London, was Jackie Slattery, co-founder of 404, challenging John Romero of Romero Games at Doom, the legendary computer game he created. Photo: Doruk Yemenici.

Pictured at 404 London this weekend were Barbara McCarthy (left), Director of Engineering at HubSpot, and Jackie Slattery (right), co-founder of 404. Hundreds attended the London event, which saw leading tech employers showcasing the career opportunities they have on offer in their Irish sites. Photo: Doruk Yemenici.

Hundreds of people attended a London event this weekend which promoted tech jobs in Ireland.

Tech company 404 London hosted the event which showed what career opportunities were available on Irish sites.

Expand Close Hundreds attended 404 London this weekend, an event aimed at enticing top tech talent from the UK to Ireland. Pictured at the event in Shoreditch, London, was Jackie Slattery, co-founder of 404, challenging John Romero of Romero Games at Doom, the legendary computer game he created. Photo: Doruk Yemenici. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Hundreds attended 404 London this weekend, an event aimed at enticing top tech talent from the UK to Ireland. Pictured at the event in Shoreditch, London, was Jackie Slattery, co-founder of 404, challenging John Romero of Romero Games at Doom, the legendary computer game he created. Photo: Doruk Yemenici.

The event also featured panel discussions about the industry, tech installations and talks from industry leaders. Companies participating include Cartrawler, HubSpot, Indeed Prime, Workday and Zendesk.

404 London was run in partnership with Tech/Life Ireland, a joint initiative of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

John Romero, creator of the popular Doom computer game, was a star attraction. The 1993 science fiction horror game was a 90s hit, and Romero remains unbeaten in the Doom Deathmatch competition at the event, for which he played his own game against 20 fans.

These are people interested in moving to Ireland because they know the best tech companies in the world are located there, said Jackie Slattery, co-founder of 404.

Theyre also attracted by the work/life balance, well-established tech community and the scope for career progression, she said.

Theres a well-documented shortage of skilled tech professionals in Ireland, so were delighted there was such a strong turnout, she said. This is the first Irish tech recruitment event of its kind  directly connecting Irelands tech employers with the large pool of talent available in the UK.
Tech start-up Equine MediRecord is hoping to revolutionise the multi-billion euro horse racing industry by digitising the medical regulatory records of its thoroughbred superstars.

Founded by Pierce Dargan and Simon Hillary, the company sells and maintains a mobile application and website that allows proper, timely recording of the many medicines and vaccinations that are routinely administered to horses.

Existing medicines registers, which must be kept updated for every racehorse under a trainers care, are physical books that require trainers and vets to input data by hand on a day-by-day basis.

As well as the risk of these books being damaged or misplaced, they also suffer from the issue of there being no central database or system to easily check specific regulations in different racing jurisdictions.

Equine MediRecord solves these problems as records can be updated easily and securely in real time.

It is also the first system to be deemed an acceptable alternative to the current Medicines Register system by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board.

"Our system has been well received and is already in use by trainers and vets, and it has been deemed an acceptable alternative by racing regulators. It is easy to use and keep up to date, provides vital information to trainers, and allows technology to assist in horse welfare," Pierce Dargan, chief executive of Equine MediRecord, said.

All equine records are securely stored in the cloud, so they cannot be lost or damaged.

In addition, users will receive notification updates automatically when regulations around certain medications change, making it easier to comply with regulations, while horse locations are updated when they move to vets or other stables, allowing for easier tracking of their whereabouts.

The project was initially nurtured by Trinity College Dublins business incubator programme, LaunchBox, and has been supported from the beginning by a number of trainers and vets who have helped the company develop a very user-friendly system.

Among those who have been impressed by the technology is Hugh Dillon, Veterinary practitioner and partner at Troytown Equine hospital, who described it as "a very user-friendly platform for both trainer and veterinary surgeon."

Michael Grassick, chief executive of the Irish Horseracing Trainers Association, said that the product provides users with "added security and peace of mind."

"With more regulations from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board regarding medical record books it is imperative that we keep records up to date. Using Equine MediRecord solves these problems," Mr Grassick said.
The rollout of the National Broadband Plan has already been hit with delays. Stock image

Does a review of the National Broadband Plan make sense? Will the advent of 5G bail out a stumbling process? And what of Eir's responsibilities to the NBP after it has pulled out of the process? It's a been a busy - and sometimes misleading - week in the life of the government's rural rollout scheme. Here are a few points.

1 A 'review'

Last week, opposition parties succeeded in passing a motion that would urge the Communications Minister to commission a review of the NBP tendering process, presumably to cleanse it of any perceived weaknesses.

This columnist has been one of the most robust in holding the Government to account on the rollout of rural broadband, especially with regard to the NBP. But, frankly, the kind of 'review' being suggested makes little sense.

It would almost certainly add another six to 12 months to an already dragged-out process. It's also hard to realistically imagine any constructive outcome from such an exercise. Instead, it might weaken whatever chance remains of the Government and the one remaining bidder, Enet, doing a deal to start building a rural network in 2019.

For better or for worse, this competitive process has now resulted in one company remaining in the fold. Unless we want to tear the whole process up and start from scratch, we don't really have much choice other than to see it out to its conclusion.

2 5G to the rescue?

Sorry, no. Last week saw an-other interesting development, a demonstration of '5G' mobile broadband by Vodafone Ireland and Ericsson.

The closed test captured an eye-catching 15Gbs, or roughly 15 times the fastest current fibre broadband speed available in Ireland.

Some have looked at this and asked why we're bothering with the hassle of fixed fibre infrastructure on a nationally procured, state-subsidised basis.

There are two reasons. The first is rollout. Despite the current Communications Minister suggesting last year that any new dedicated 5G mobile licence might require total geographic coverage rather than the current system of between 70pc and 90pc population coverage (which leaves large swathes of depopulated rural Ireland with scant signals), this looks increasingly unlikely to happen. Indeed, no-one in the industry sees it as a runner. ComReg chairman Gerry Fahy told me a few months back that this type of departure would probably require some sort of state subsidy, perhaps along the lines of the NBP. But even if such State support were forthcoming, mobile broadband has always been deceptive as a workable alternative to fixed line broadband. Other than speed (especially indoors), the most obvious issue is capacity.

Take 4G which, in cities, often delivers over 30Mbs, the level currently designated as 'high-speed broadband'.

Right now, the best monthly data limit on the market is 60GB from Three, with most market players offering a fraction of that.

Yet the average monthly data usage in, say, a Virgin Media broadband household is 240GB. At present, I can comfortably get between 30Mbs and 50Mbs connection speed on my phone through my 4G sim card, even in some rural spots. But to actually use that as a normal broadband service would - with Netflix and everything else - cost me thousands a year in extra capacity fees from my operator.

3 Eir's new role as enabler or barrier

After the withdrawal comes the strategic quandary. How amenable is Eir to cutting a new deal on access to its rural infrastructure for Enet, once the national tender contract is awarded?

Right now, we don't have a clear idea.

Eir chief executive Richard Moat told me last week that access to its rural poles is no problem - at the current rate of between 10 to 20 per pole. He pointed out that this is a regulated price.

"This is a cost-oriented price set by ComReg, and a fairly recent one," he said.

"We spent more than 100m maintaining fixed infrastructure last year, most of which was on poles and ducts. Last year we replaced around 45,000 poles. If we were to voluntarily reduce the regulated price, it may not just apply to the National Broadband Plan, but for other operators as well."

In other words: "Don't ask us, a private company, to subsidise a State rollout that we have just pulled away from."

But it's not that simple, Enet executives counter. Those regulated prices were set outside the current prospects for the National Broadband Plan. Taking into account the scale and volume of access required by Enet as part of a state-subsidised rollout, a lower price per pole might foreseeably be set by ComReg. The difficulty here is that ComReg doesn't move quickly on these matters.

But time is not something this process has. "Accessing Eir's infrastructure is a critical issue for us," Granahan McCourt boss David McCourt told me.

Both McCourt and Moat are defending their respective interests. But this could produce a stalemate, absent something fresh from ComReg or the government.

4 'Cherry-picking' 300,000 rural homes

It appears to have become a settled narrative that Eir 'cherry-picked' 300,000 of the 850,000 rural homes to take into its own commercial rollout plans.

Eir CEO Moat told me last week that this 300,000 will be, on a standalone basis, a profitable broadband rollout. If that is the case, and the 300,000 homes are not some form of loss-leader tranche to simply maximise Eir's long-term strategic hold over infrastructure, then is it hard to argue that they were 'cherry picked' or that the Government is somehow to blame for allowing this to happen.

Indeed, if they are profitable, the Government actually had no choice: it legally could not have halted Eir rolling out broadband itself in these areas.

Yes, this has made the remaining 540,000 NBP rural rollout much less attractive, probably forcing out Siro (and maybe even Eir itself).

But we shouldn't kid ourselves that the Government had much of a choice here.
British Airways is rolling out its new long-haul wifi  but youll be lucky to find it on board just yet

This summer should see moves in the progress of in-flight connectivity with the latest push to connect passengers over Europe.

Germany's Deutsche Telekom and communications firm Inmarsat are behind the European Aviation Network (EAN), which they say will now launch by the end of June.

The project, to provide reliable onboard wifi on intra-European flights, has 300 base stations now in place across the Continent, working alongside satellite technology.

The network's companies say it will be a massive step-up (think 4G) from satellite-only wifi, which is patchy at best and so, so slow.

The launch customer is IAG, owner of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling.

The downside is that the rollout won't be instantaneous, with no word yet on which flights will offer the service at first.

Short-haul connectivity has been slow to get off the ground, with Ryanair in particular shooting down any calls to introduce it.

Chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs told this column only last year that it was a non-runner for the moment because most of its flights are short, and because the technology puts more drag on the plane, raising fuel costs.

British Airways, meanwhile, is finally getting on board with wifi technology on long-haul routes. One caveat though - a mere total of three aircraft out of 118 will have the service initially, but if you're really lucky to get it, the first hour online will be free for a limited time, courtesy of a deal with Visa.

BA itself said in a statement that "by 2019 we expect to have 90pc of our aircraft connected. While we begin to roll out wifi, customers will only be notified once on board a connected flight". So it's pot luck then.

After your complimentary hour is up, the basic browsing package - appropriately called Browse - starts at 4.99 (5.64) while the more powerful Stream, for Netflix and video-streaming, starts at 7.99 (9).

Browse will have a minimum speed of 250Kbps, the airline said, while Stream offers "no less than approximately 1Mbps", so it should be okay for watching YouTube and so on.

More and more airlines are starting to offer wifi on their planes to meet passenger demand to be connected during flights as well as seek new revenue opportunities.

According to latest stats from Routehappy, which provides a database of information on flight amenities, 82 airlines worldwide now offer in-flight wifi, up 17pc, which is considerable, on last year. But only eight airlines offer free in-flight wifi. These are Emirates, JetBlue, Norwegian, Turkish Airlines, Air China, Philippine Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Nok Air.

Still, the trend will be towards getting you connected in the clouds - with airlines monetising the service through a combination of price structures - the eventual elimination of expensive on-board screens and selling you products and services through your portal.

***

Regular travellers might be alarmed - or if they haven't read the report, they will be now - about a study showing just how many germs they could encounter at airports, or on board aircraft.

The big germ-carrier? Those self check-in kiosks that are now commonplace at most major airports.

The new study by America's insurancequotes.com revealed that those check-in screens contain an average of 253,857 colony-forming units (CFUs), ie bugs, with one recording a nasty-sounding one million-plus.

The study was conducted in three US airports, but doesn't identify them, but does name-check Atlanta's sprawling Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which is America's busiest hub. A place a bit like death, we're all going to end up there eventually.

Other potentially sickening places are airport bench and seat armrests and water fountains, with around 20,000 CFUs each.

And your humble toilet seat at home? A mere 172 CFUs on average. It's no better on board, with loo flush buttons boasting an average of 95,145 CFUs, tray tables at 11,595 and seat belt buckles at 1,116.

Still, while no one wants to be surrounded by the kind of bugs that could produce pus-charging infections, it's worth noting that you're no better off in daily life. Your mobile phone? Around 1.6m CFUs, just ahead of your mouse. Worse still, your computer keyboard, typically with 3.5m CFUs. Lovely.
Oil prices slid more than 3pc on Friday as US futures fell below $60 a barrel for the first time since December on renewed concerns about rising crude supplies.

US and Brent crude futures have slid more than 11pc from this year's peak in late January. Brent fell nearly 9pc for the week while US crude dropped 10pc, the steepest weekly declines since January 2016.

Futures posted a sixth straight day of losses, wiping away the year's gains in a string of high-volume trading sessions, pressured by stronger-than-expected supply figures and a surprising ramp-up of the North Sea Forties Pipeline, which shut earlier in the week.

Turmoil on Wall Street also put pressure on crude. "It's never just one factor that slams the market like this. It's several," said Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch & Associates.

Oil services company Baker Hughes said total US onshore rigs rose by 26 to 791, the highest number since January 2017. Drillers have added rigs as oil prices rallied through mid-January.

The market has been pressured by the weak stock market. Also, oil is inversely correlated with the US dollar, which has strengthened as equities markets slid, because it becomes more expensive in other currencies.

Crude volumes in the North Sea Forties pipeline continued to ramp up faster than expected following a restart, a trade source told Reuters.

The news that the line is reaching full rates intensified oversupply worries, said Gene McGillian, director of market research at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut.

"The idea that it is back up and running normally, combined with the data that show US production is rising, contributes to the overall idea that US production could offset cuts by Opec," said McGillian.

Investors were already worried that rising US crude production will overwhelm efforts by Opec and other nations to cut supply. US output rose to 10.25m barrels per day in the most recent weekly figures, which if confirmed would represent a record. The Baker Hughes figures should mean still more supply in coming months.

On Thursday, OPEC member Iran announced plans to boost production within the next four years by at least 700,000 barrels a day. "We think that surging supply and slowing demand growth will tip the market back into a surplus this year," analysts at Capital Economics said in a note.

Reuters
Q My son will be travelling to Australia in February under a working holiday visa. Is it true that he will have to pay a new backpacker tax when he gets there? If so, can you explain how that tax works - and if he can claim that tax back when he returns to Ireland? Ger, Killester, Dublin 5

The taxation of the working holiday visa holders changed from January 1, 2017. The holders of such visa are now considered generally as non-residents for tax purposes and so are not entitled to a tax-free allowance. All the people with such visa are taxed as per the working holidaymaker tax rates for the 2017/2018 Australian tax year as follows. For taxable income of up to A$37,000, tax of 15c for each $1 is paid; for taxable income of between $37,001 and $87,000, tax of $5,550 is paid - plus 32.5c for each $1 over $37,000; for taxable income of between $87,001 and $180,000, tax of $21,800 is paid - plus 37c for each $1 over $87,000; and for taxable income of $180,001 and over, tax of $56,210 is paid - plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000.

Employers hiring holders of working holiday visas are required to register with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and deduct the correct amount of tax from the employees. As a working holidaymaker, your son's employer also has to pay 'super' (superannuation or pension contribution) for him (if eligible). When he leaves Australia, he can apply to have his super repaid as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). The tax on any DASP made to working holiday makers on or after 1 July 2017 is 65pc.

Will I pay tax on US pension?

I am receiving the contributory pension while I continue to work part-time. I have no other pension in Ireland. When I left the US almost 30 years ago, I chose to leave money in an IRA (individual retirement account) which I had in the US. Currently the pension is worth between 40,000 and 50,000. Am I entitled to draw down a portion of this pension tax-free in Ireland? I file taxes in the US but my income is well below the tax threshold. My ideal scenario is to draw down as much as possible in order to help my son purchase a house.

Ann, Drogheda, Co Louth

In general, foreign pensions (including UK and US pensions) are taxable sources of income in Ireland, and are liable to income tax and the universal social charge (USC). There is a provision in Irish tax law which allows foreign occupational or social security pensions that would not be considered to be taxable income if the individual had remained in their home country, not be taxable here either. However, this is distinct from a pension which is taxable but on which no tax is paid - due to the low level of income.

A tax-free lump sum of up to 200,000 can usually be taken on retirement. This applies to the Revenue Commissioners' approved occupational pension schemes (including Additional Voluntary Contribution - AVC - arrangements), RACs (Retirement Annuity Contracts), PRSAs (Personal Retirement Savings Accounts) and also qualifying overseas pension plans. Unfortunately, it would appear that the definition of a "qualifying overseas pension plan" is limited to plans established within an EU Member State.

It may be worth consulting a pension specialist to ascertain if any other relief is potentially available, or whether the IRA could be converted into a more tax-efficient ARF established here in Ireland.

Payslip anomaly

Q I was wondering if you could advise me on something I have noticed on my payslips and whether there has been a mistake made. In the last two months, I have decided to divert my monthly savings amount of 1,000 from a savings account into an Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) for my pension instead. The 1,000 is obviously deducted by my employer into the pension whereas previously the 1,000 was transferred at a later stage by myself into a savings account. What I have now noticed is that over the last two months, I have been paying no PAYE tax at all -in fact it has been showing as a credit of 26 for the past two months. I am still paying the usual universal social charge (USC) and PRSI. I know that I get tax relief on the pension contributions at 20pc. The amount of PAYE tax I have typically paid before would usually have been about 400 per month. I am 39. Is it correct that I am now paying no PAYE tax at all?

Joan, Shankill, Dublin 18

Without knowing your exact salary level and tax credits receivable, it is impossible to know for sure if an error has occurred, but it does appear to be an unusual result.

Individuals receive income tax relief for pension contributions made. There is no relief from USC or PRSI. Assuming that a salary is paid on a cumulative basis, it can happen that no PAYE is payable, assuming other tax credits are sufficient to cover the PAYE liability.

However, as you are aged 39, relief on pension contributions will be limited to 20pc of yearly earnings. Therefore, if full relief is being granted on a monthly contribution of 1,000, this suggests that your annual earnings must be above 60k. At such a level, credits would need to be very high to cover the tax due. It would therefore seem advisable to query whether an error has been made with your payroll department.

401(k) pension investment

Q Do you know the percentage tax an Irish national would pay on a "401(k)" type pension investment in the US, based on the fact that Ireland and the US have a double taxation treaty?

Conor, Tralee, Co Kerry

There are two standard types of 401(k) plans. The first is a traditional 401(k) plan, where contributions reduce the taxable income. Tax on contributions and earnings is due in the future, when the individual takes distributions from the 401(k) plan. The second is a Roth 401(k) plan, where contributions have already been taxed at the current marginal rate. Therefore, with this plan, all earnings may be distributed tax-free (where the relevant conditions are met).

Based on the double taxation agreement between Ireland and US, this type of pension shall be taxable in the country in which the person is resident. If we assume that the benefit was received on retirement (where all requirements of the plan were satisfied), the individual will be taxed on that source of income in Ireland (as an Irish tax resident). He or she should also consider claiming an exemption from US tax.

The percentage tax that the person will pay on the foreign pension in Ireland depends on the amount of their total worldwide income: if under the standard rate cut-off point, the individual will pay 20pc income tax; if over the cut-off point, the foreign pension will be taxed at the highest rate (currently 40pc). In general, foreign pensions are liable to income tax and the universal social charge (USC) but not to PRSI.

When an individual makes early retirement withdrawals from a 401(k) plan, he or she will be liable to US income tax on that amount (regardless of residency status). The amount cashed out will also be subject to a 10pc early withdrawal penalty in the US. As the person is taxable on worldwide income in Ireland (if resident and domiciled in Ireland), in general such withdrawals are liable to income tax in Ireland, with a credit for the foreign tax paid.
Dave Eggers' gripping real-life tale of Yemen's coffee king is stranger than fiction

Like millions of people across the world, I can hardly get out of bed without a cup of coffee. And given the chance, I will wax lyrical about the relative merits of Yirgacheffe and Huila, or explain the Scylla-and-Charybdis dangers of under and over-extracting espresso. Of course my friends know much better than to set me off like this. After all, coffee is just a hot drink. And not being able to get a good flat white is the definition of a "First World problem".

Dave Eggers's gripping new book, about one man's real-life quest to resurrect Yemen's coffee groves and bring their produce to California, puts a different perspective on things. Flat whites might be a First World luxury, but they are made from a largely Third World product. Coffee is a "seventy-billion-dollar global commodity" that ties some of the richest areas of the world to some of the poorest.

This is not news, but the fact remains that the beans that wind up in the cups of connoisseurs are grown in places such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia and Java, largely hand-picked and hand-processed by people who, if they are lucky, might earn in a day what you or I pay for a single cup. And if they are doing it in Yemen, they will be earning that wage against a backdrop of drone warfare, Saudi air strikes and the constant back and forth of militias locked in an ongoing civil war.

You might think, then, that it would be madness to try to get coffee out of Yemen, and you would be right. Much of The Monk of Mokha, written up by Eggers from three years of interviews with its Yemeni-American hero Mokhtar Alkhanshali, is stranger than fiction. Eggers follows the American-born Mokhtar from the poor, desperately seedy Tenderloin district of San Francisco, to his parents' native Yemen, and back again, via a seemingly endless succession of scrapes and near-death experiences, until the whole enterprise takes on a kind of hysterical absurdity.

At one point, attempting to get coffee samples out of the country, Mokhtar, in a taxi rigged up to run on gas from a tank stuck on the back of the boot, drives into a firefight. The car, somehow, does not have a reverse gear, so he and his cousin have to get out and push it to safety. Mokhtar tells how they broke into giggles, "pushing a taxi with an exposed propane tank while machine-gun fire rattled over their heads", unable to run away because all their coffee was inside.

This is not even the tensest moment. Well served by Eggers's straight-plank prose and sense of narrative, Mokhtar's story is as gripping as anything in Eggers's novels. The later parts of the book trace his desperate dash across Yemen in search of a way to get himself, his partner and his beans to a trade fair in Seattle. Every checkpoint they have to pass is a heart-in-mouth moment. Each time Mokhtar is stopped, neither he nor the reader can predict whether he and his companions will be waved through, taken off to be shot, or guided towards hot showers in a plush hotel. It says something that this is the kind of non-fiction book where one has to be wary of giving away spoilers.

It is a superb story, and Eggers neatly wraps it round the history of coffee. Though little comes from there now, Yemen was the birthplace of coffee as we know it. According to the origin tale favoured by Mokhtar, it was a Sufi monk named Ali ibn Umar al-Shadhili from Mokha who first spotted the invigorating properties of the small red berries native to Ethiopia. The beans inside are said to have helped him and his fellow mystics reach "a kind of religious ecstasy". From the 16th through to the 19th century, Mokha was the world's major coffee port, only falling into decline as colonial powers spread their dominance and set up plantations elsewhere.

Nowadays, Yemen is"one of the world's most menacing places, and home to burgeoning al-Qaeda and Isis cells". Which is the overriding reason behind Mokhtar's quixotic mission. Not a coffee snob himself, he is driven by entrepreneurial spirit and a desire that Yemen be known again for more than "terrorism and drones".

It is about being able to have pride in a heritage and a religion that for most Americans, even as they consume a brew birthed by Sufi mystics, summons up little beyond extremism. This is clearly where the meat of the tale lies for Eggers. Like his latest novel, A Hologram for the King, and 2009's foray into non-fiction, Zeitoun, The Monk of Mokha is about the meeting of American and Muslim cultures, and someone stuck between them.

Eggers is, as much as anything, a one-man social conscience for America, his writing intertwined with activism and philanthropy. As with Zeitoun, money from this book will go to a charitable foundation for issues relating to it, and like Zeitoun it shines a light on a story that says something about America and the world today. .

If Eggers's writing about the "hardscrabble" world of Tenderloin with all its "junkies and hustlers" occasionally thuds towards cliche, it is impossible not to root for Mokhtar. And as with all good bildungsromans, it is as much the reader as the hero who receives an education.
In 2006, Hallgrimur Helgason - by then an Icelandic writer of some international acclaim, thanks to his cinder-black novel 101 Reykjavik - volunteered to canvas for Oddny Sturludottir's election campaign. His job was to ring a list of numbers to talk to them about Iceland's Social Democratic Party.

The third person on his list was Brynhildur Georgia Bjornsson, granddaughter of the first president of Iceland. She was an old lady living in a garage, but her sparkling wit kept Helgason on the phone for well over 40 minutes. "After hanging up, I honestly asked myself why this woman was not a household name in Iceland," he later wrote. Bjornsson died a year after that fateful phone call, but Helgason, unable to shake the beguiling character from his mind, decided to write a semi-fictionalised version of her life. At the outset of the novel, we find our heroine, Herra Maria Bjornsson, living out her final days in a garage, with a number of fictitious Facebook accounts for company.

She has outlived a three-month cancer prognosis by more than 12 years, and in time this becomes one of the least remarkable and impressive things about her. She is not averse to flirting with young Australian men on the internet, and hacks into her daughter-in-law's email account (where she is having an online affair) for fun. She goes on 'toilet strike' to antagonise her care-givers. Herra also sleeps with a German hand grenade (she throws visiting nurses off the scent by telling them it's a cooling device) and rings the local crematorium to pre-emptively book her own 1,000-degree cremation.

In the end, she is found clutching the grenade (the reasons for which unfurl in the tale), and sporting a swastika mark on her arm. "This didn't look good. It was like the opening to some third-rate crime novel," recalls Herra.

It's an understatement to say that she has packed plenty into her 80 years. From multiple marriages, flawed motherhood and traumas - oh, and a kiss with a pre-fame John Lennon in Hamburg - against backdrops as diverse as Nazi Germany, South America, Denmark and rural Iceland, hers is a story that's dizzying in its scope. The 120 vignettes that make up the book come at breakneck speed, bringing the reader from one era to the next, and lending Herra the air of an almost fanciful, unreliable storyteller.

Using a rich variety of tones and landscapes, Herra recounts her upbringing on a small Icelandic island, where her father dispatched her and her mother, only reclaiming them seven years later. Much like Brynhildur, Herra's father was one of the few Icelanders who elected to move to Germany to fight with the Nazis. In 1942, and at the age of 14, she is sent to Germany at her father's behest to meet her mother at a train station. Her mother never arrives. And for a good few years, there's not much to laugh at.

It's Herra's slightly detached re-telling of this cavalcade of horrors and atrocities that really jolts the reader. Occasionally, her account is pitched somewhere between pragmatism and bravado with the odd shocking detail thrown in (like being taught how to masturbate by the daughter of a concentration-camp director).

Events detailing the absolute worst of humanity unfold, and yet somehow Herra retains a sense of humour about it all. She is the doyenne of making the best of life's lemons. Above all, she is a survivor, or at the very least, a woman who was strong enough in the first place to withstand life's rich, often cruel, tapestry.

In current fiction, there's a joyous strand of lovably dysfunctional and crabby misfits. Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is one, as is Susan Greene, the protagonist of Sarah Haywood's The Cactus. They're characters, essentially, who give a writer the chance to divine a line between bleakness and humour, but there's something else afoot. These are complex beings attempting to map out their own traumas, or struggling to make sense of their lives. Herra, after 80 years of really living, is as wise and learned as they come, and Helgason's writing is suitably dense with substance and richness.

It's evident, not least given that the book clocks in at a hefty 446 pages, that Helgason has spent much time imagining the details of Bjornsson's varied and extraordinary life. This, coupled with his own astuteness as a writer, has resulted in one of the most original novels of the year.

Helgason notes in his acknowledgements that, shortly after the book's Icelandic publication, he received a call from an Icelandic sailor who told him that the old lady appeared to him in a session with a medium, and that she was "not amused".

The rest of us, meanwhile, are amused, appalled and affected in equal measure.
Christopher Hitchens once said that it was literature, not gospels, where real ethical dilemmas are met and dealt with. Such a truism springs to mind often in this flexible and pacey debut from Irish-born New Yorker Dan Sheehan that uses the road trip and the coarse textures of Dublin humour to pull a troubled soul out of a Sarajevo nightmare partly his own making.

Karl, Baz and Tom have been knocking around together since their teenage years but now, in their mid-twenties, they're being forced to look at life in a more serious light. Tom has spent the last four years in Sarajevo, lured there by the "siren's call" of foreign gunfire. He encountered unspeakable horrors, ultimately losing the woman he fell in love with - a doctor at a beleaguered hospital in the middle of the conflict - and an eye, now covered in a makeshift patch.

The man Karl (our narrator for most of the time) and Baz encounter at the airport is not the same person, and the scars of major psychological trauma are immediately, shockingly evident to the pair of them.

They decide that they will escort Tom on a road trip to Restless Souls, a therapeutic facility in sunny California that specialises in treating PTSD. There is much to dwell on and work though on the journey there, including the fate of their childhood comrade Gabriel and Karl's wayward relationship with old sweetheart Clara. The choices we make in youth can have consequences, Sheehan's subtext suggests, when we least expect.

The very jacket of Sheehan's maiden voyage clearly spells out the mixture of genres that have been woven in here - comedy, road trip and tragedy. The back and forth banter of Karl and Baz, often stirred up through exasperation and inadequacy around Tom's stupor, is full of rhythm and zing but always resorts to that old Hibernianism of lacing any punchline with a firm, invigorating expletive. When the humour hits its target, it is charming and pronounced. When it doesn't, it is sub-Roddy Doyle.

The results are much better when Sheehan settles down into the familiar mundanity of friendship, the throwaway resentments and contemptuous comfort that skirt its fringes, especially as a seemingly selfless deed starts to take a hidden toll. Karl and Baz are only really mimicking proper, emotionally developed adults assisting their friend's recovery when the truth is far from it.

Tom himself, meanwhile, tells his tale through the replication of diary extracts written during his time in shell-shocked Sarajevo. Back then, he was eager to help and desperate for a trace of humanity in the hatred and bloodshed.

These interspersed chapters provide a jarring counterpoint to the salt-of-the-earth Dublin carry-on and overcast memories from simpler boyhood times. Sheehan read extensively about what day-to-day life was like during that conflict, rendering the unimaginable somewhat comprehensible for readers all these years later.

Pages turn by without effort under Sheehan's watch, something that will stand to him wherever he decides to go from here. The third act, as the trio negotiate the rehab facility of the title, gets a little schlocky in places, with unnecessary hokum about experimental psycho-pharmacological research and unorthodox methods. Dishing out wads of exposition to the eejits from Dublin is the character of Dr Saunders, who routinely says lines like, "I'm not a mad scientist, gentlemen, believe me. I just want to help If you'll indulge me"

The whole passage of the narrative is cartoonish and sits awkwardly between chilling anecdotes of brutal, factually based horrors perpetrated on innocents in Sarajevo. Dr Saunders' facility is the geographic destination for the three men but it is definitely the journey aspect of Sheehan's novel, less constrained by convention, that provides the story with a more sturdy foundation.

Just when the California chapters threaten to round things off on a bit of a bum note, Sheehan gets back to the essence of his tale with a conclusion that erupts with heart and humanity as it examines an ethical question. It is evidence that he certainly has a sensitive ear for those elusive registers of the soul that are perhaps occasionally masked by the burly stoicism of laddish Dublinese. What's more, he is able to make them sing a little when he needs to.
Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst in a Polling Booth circa 1910. She was one of the leaders of the movement to secure votes for women.

Countess Markievicz and Kathleen Lynn, who was born in Co Mayo and was the daughter of a Church of Ireland clergyman. Lynn completed her medical training and by 1913 was Chief Medical Officer of the Citizen Army

It was one of the most eventful years of the 20th century, both in Ireland and across the world.

In 1918, peace came to Europe at the end of World War I after a conflict that killed 16 million people. In Ireland, the victory of Sinn Fein in a general election towards the end of the year signalled the start of a period of political turmoil and violence that ultimately led to independence in the years that followed.

On February 6, the passing of the Representation of the People Act had extended voting rights in general elections to women. The Irish Independent was not exaggerating when it described the move as "one of the most revolutionary acts ever passed by Parliament". It doubled the size of the electorate in Britain and Ireland.

The year was dominated by the fall-out of the 1916 Rising, and the profound impact of the European war on Ireland.

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By 1918, political figures who had been condemned by many of their compatriots at the end of the Rising were now transformed into heroes in the country's most popular political party, Sinn Fein, led by Eamon De Valera.

By the end of 1918, the words of WB Yeats, written after the Rising, seemed relevant: "All changed, changed utterly."

The Spring Offensive

In Europe in the first half of the year, the Germans fought back against the Allies with the Spring Offensive, or Kaiserschlacht. They hoped to score a knockout blow by punching holes in the Allied lines before newly engaged American forces had time to establish themselves on the continent.

It was against the backdrop of this military threat and a shortage of manpower that David Lloyd George's British government raised the prospect in March of introducing conscription in Ireland to raise more men for the war effort.

Tens of thousands of Irish men of military age were expected to join the war effort against this reinvigorated German campaign, but opposition to the Military Service Bill was swift.

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It was a prospect that repulsed nationalist Ireland, and it helped to rally different shades of opinion behind one cause.

The conscription plan boosted the cause of those who wanted independence for the country, and was described by the English writer GK Chesterton as a "piece of rank raving madness", guaranteed to alienate the country.

The union backlash

Backed by trade unions, popular newspapers such as The Irish Independent and politicians across the spectrum, there was overwhelming resistance which ultimately resulted in a national strike on April 23.

Hundreds of thousands of workers withdrew their labour.

According to historian Professor Diarmaid Ferriter, it was the biggest strike in Irish history.

The intervention of the Catholic Church in opposition to conscription was regarded as particularly significant. Before 1918, Bishop MacRory of Down and Connor said a nation had to have a right to say when and why it should shed blood.

He added: "No nation has any moral right to coerce young Irishmen to fight in the alleged interests of freedom until they have been allowed to enjoy freedom for themselves."

Sinn Fein thrived in this febrile atmosphere. The British authorities responded by rounding up prominent members, ostensibly because of a "German plot" to start an armed insurrection in Ireland.

The grounds for these arrests were regarded as spurious, and helped to enhance the influence of the more militant activist Michael Collins, who managed to evade capture.

Conscription was postponed and had not been implemented by the end of the war. While the Germans enjoyed some initial success in its Spring offensive, the threat posed by Allied forces proved to be insurmountable.

But before the guns fell silent, the Irish Sea was hit by the worst disaster in its history.

On October 10, off Kish Bank Lighthouse, the RMS Leinster mailboat was hit by torpedoes from a German U-boat.

Over 500 people perished, with more Irish people losing their lives on the Leinster than on the Titanic or the Lusitania. It is a disaster that fails to attract significant attention now, but there are moving memorials to the victims on the seafront at Dun Laoghaire.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, gunfire on the battlefields ceased over territories that had changed radically since the outbreak of war.

Kaiser Wilhelm II was toppled as a republic was declared in Germany, and the Czar of Russia, Nicholas II, was executed with his family in July in the aftermath of the Russian revolution. The Bolsheviks consolidated their grip on power.

In Britain and Ireland, the Armistice signed in General Foch's railway carriage in France was followed within weeks by the landmark general election.

To accommodate soldiers who had returned from the front, the vote had been extended to all men over the age of 21. There was a huge number of new young voters, who were prepared to turn the old world upside down.

Having extended the vote to young men, the government knew that if they barred women from the polling booth they would face protests.

So, they were allowed to vote, provided they were over 30 and fulfilled certain property requirement. There was a feeling that older woman would have greater mental capacity to deal with the responsibility of exercising the franchise, while younger women would be too flighty.

A rebel parliament

Countess Constance Markievicz, the veteran of the Rising who was in prison for the election, became the first woman ever to win a seat in a Westminster election.

Although she later paid a visit to the House of Commons, and spotted her name above a peg allotted to her in the cloakroom, she never took her seat in line with her party's abstentionist policy.

The mid-December poll resulted in an overwhelming victory for Sinn Fein as they won 73 of Ireland's 105 seats, and 47.5pc of the vote.

The victory of Sinn Fein led directly to the foundation of a rebel parliament in Dublin. The executive committee of Sinn Fein met on December 19 and convoked Dail Eireann, which was convened in the Mansion House a month later.

The election marked a bitter defeat for the Irish Parliamentary Party, the grouping that had dominated elections for decades.

The party leader at the start of 1918, John Redmond, had supported the British war effort at the outbreak of the conflict and had encouraged Irishmen to enlist, believing that this might help to secure Home Rule later on. He died in March of 1918, and so never lived to see his party hammered at the polls.

The battlefields of Europe may have been littered with the bodies of young men by the end of World War I, but the conflict was not the biggest killer of that period. The death toll in the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1919 has been estimated at up to 50 million.

It was known as the 'mysterious malady' because at the time nobody knew where it came from or what it was.

Over 20,000 people in Ireland died as a result of influenza - its symptoms were so brutal that doctors often mistook it for cholera, typhoid and even the plague.

The plight of Ireland's thousands of flu victims was almost forgotten in a year of seismic shifts that changed the face of Ireland, Europe and the World.
The big question over Gerry Adams isn't whether or not he was a member of the IRA. He insists that he wasn't, though he qualifies that by saying that he will never disown the IRA.

Were he to come out today, at his stepping down from the presidency of Sinn Fein, and acknowledge that he had been one of the IRA generals, it would make little difference to anyone but himself.

His critics don't doubt that he was in the IRA and so a late admission would provide no illumination for them.

His followers surely also know the truth, too, if not the full truth. None of them have ever weighed in to endorse his denial. You don't hear Gerry Kelly or Conor Murphy or Caral Ni Chuilin or Jennifer McCann or other prominent Sinn Feiners who were in the IRA attest that Adams wasn't. Nor did Oglach McGuinness when he was alive and well placed to clarify the issue.

So, in terms of how an admission might alter the common understanding or the historical record, it doesn't matter whether he says he was or he wasn't.

But it matters to him personally. In May 2014, the PSNI arrested him and sought to charge him with IRA membership. This was not a half-hearted attempt, though Sinn Fein alleged that the police were trying to interfere with elections at the time. Having failed, in the two-day limit for detaining a suspect, the police took their evidence to a judge and asked him to review it and permit them to extend the detention period. The judge was sufficiently impressed by what they had to agree.

Then, the police approached several former republicans, including ex-prisoners, asking them to make statements. In the end there was no charge, but the energy put into building a case suggests that were Adams to declare himself to have been in the IRA, he would indeed be charged now.

If Adams was in the IRA, he still has to keep denying it or he will go to jail.

Father imprisoned

There are some who rationalise the denials, who wonder if there is a way of reading them as literally true. Perhaps, they say, he was sworn into the IRA before the 1970 split and was never actually sworn in as a Provo. Some wonder if Adams, having been 'Republican royalty', would have been spared the process. He was from one of the core Republican families of Belfast.

His father had been imprisoned in the 1940s for trying to shoot a policeman. The police and the courts seem to have tried to go easy on him on account of his youth, for instead of charging him with attempted murder, they sent him down for possession of an explosive device, the bullet that jammed in his gun.

Gerry's uncle Dominic was a more serious operator and may have sent Brendan Behan to blow up Liverpool docks. Behan's own three-year sentence seems remarkably lenient, too.

Gerry Adams was active in political agitation among a group of IRA men led by Billy McMillen and Jim Sullivan on the Falls Road in the mid-1960s.

McMillen had fought an election as a Republican in 1964 as 'Liam McMillan' but those around him knew him as Billy. Adams at least witnessed the riot that McMillen organised when the police smashed his office window to remove the tricolour. Ian Paisley had been threatening to march up the Falls and remove it himself, a horrendous prospect. Gerry's sister Margaret was inside at the time. Though two years younger than Gerry, she had joined the movement before him.

The usual place for the swearing-in ceremony then was the Ard Scoil in Divis Street. This was an Irish language centre where ceili dances and fainne meetings were held to bring together the boys and girls of the Catholic schools of Belfast, a musty hall where young gaeilgeoiri met their first loves.

There is a story told that when the 50th anniversary parade of the Easter Rising walked up the Falls Road, from Hamill Street to Casement Park GAA ground, the Christian Brothers watching from St Mary's Barrack Street saw young Gerry stewarding it.

Brother Murphy was heard to comment: "I see we have the officers."

The bigger question over Gerry Adams is whether he is a political genius or whether he was favoured by the drift of change.

The astonishing growth of Sinn Fein will be all the more alarming in the Republic if the record, on close analysis, discloses that Adams is a master strategist. More likely he was just a lucky opportunist.

That coterie of militants around Billy McMillen split in 1970. Margaret Adams stayed with the Officials, or Stickies. Gerry gave his loyalty to the breakaway Provisionals.

The political philosophy he espoused as a Provo prisoner in the 1970s was essentially communism.

When he came out of prison, he was able to negotiate a final settlement of the simmering, bloody feud between the two wings of the IRA.

The Officials had sent his own brother-in-law, Margaret's husband, Mickey McCorry, to represent them. The Provos, in those talks, even took the last hit. The victim was Tommy Tolan, a friend of Adams who had joined him on attempt to escape from Long Kesh.

Adams was clearly a man who could commit the Provos to deals.

He could also take them through a political evolution.

Highly flexible

Though firm on his commitment to a united Ireland, his wider vision proved highly flexible.

He moderated his communism of the 1970s into a democratic leftism which appealed to new allies in the British Labour party.

He brought the Provos into electoral politics, reversing the very principle on which they had split from the Officials 15 years earlier.

In the end, he was content to shape Sinn Fein into a slightly left alternative to the SDLP and colonise their electorate.

The united Ireland envisioned now is an internationalist one inside the EU. De Valera would be amazed.

The IRA maintained a small organisation with tight structures. Its function was more to veto political change that wasn't to its liking. It showed no inclination to grow into an army that could present a real military challenge to the British.

And this made it much easier for Adams to secure a ceasefire when it became clear in the 90s that armed struggle was incompatible with electoral growth. Adams converted all politics in the North into peace processing and now exercises a veto over government with votes.

Yet talks did not commence until 10 years after Adams had started sending handwritten, unsigned notes to the Secretary of State Tom King through Fr Alex Reid.

Why did it take him so long? One factor is perhaps that he was waiting for a Labour party to govern in the UK, trusting that it would concede more to him.

And all that time, the demographic shift in Northern Ireland was working in favour of nationalism.

Perhaps the growth of the Catholic population was a wave whose crest any political leader of that community could have ridden to political stardom, especially one with a ceasefire to trade.

Malachi O'Doherty is the author of Gerry Adams: An Unauthorised Life
Gardai at the scene of an incident in Shankill. Photo: Tony Gavin

A three-year-old girl remains in a serious condition this morning after a suspected assault at a house in Dublin yesterday.

Gardai are investigating the suspected assault which occurred at a house in Shankill, shortly after 4pm on Saturday.

The young girl was brought to Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin where her injuries have been described as serious by gardai.

A woman in her 40s was arrested at the scene and is currently detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a south Dublin Garda Station.
Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington was born Johanna Sheehy, daughter of David Sheehy MP. As a university student, and on being asked to sign a petition for women's suffrage, she came to realise her status as a woman was lower than that of "criminals, lunatics and infants" and later joined the Irish Women's Suffrage and Local Government Association with her husband, Frank Skeffington, whom she married in 1903.

They took each other's surnames in order to signify the equality of their relationship. When the Pankhursts set up the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1903, with its slogan 'Deeds not Words', this "stirred a responsive chord in some Irish feminist breasts". In 1908, Hanna and her friend Margaret Cousins co-founded the Irish Women's Franchise League (IWFL) as a militant suffrage organisation that would work on "independent Irish lines". Frank Sheehy-Skeffington and James Cousins became editors of their newspaper, The Irish Citizen (1912-20).

The IWFL devoted its first years to peaceful lobbying, deputations, open-air meetings, heckling and general propaganda. All this was to end when it became clear that the Irish Parliamentary Party would not support votes for women in the Home Rule Bill. On June 1, 1912 a mass meeting, attended by 29 women's groups from all over the country, declared there was a "unanimous demand for political freedom" and they challenged the government to answer their demand. There was no response.

The IWFL decided it was time for militant action. On June 13, eight members of the league - Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, Marguerite Palmer, Margaret and Jane Murphy, Kathleen Houston, Marjorie Hasler, Hilda Webb and Maud Lloyd - set out to smash windows of government buildings. Hanna chose Dublin Castle and the others went to the Custom House and the GPO. The first four women received two-month sentences, the others, who had managed to smash more windows, received six-month sentences. There were "mixed feelings from the general public" who, said Hanna, regarded them "not only enemies of Home Rule, but rebels as women".

Twelve Irish suffragists used the weapon of hunger strike, but forcible feeding was used only on three members of the WSPU, who had followed Prime Minister Asquith to Dublin and thrown a hatchet at him and John Redmond, while also attempting to burn down the building where a meeting on Home Rule was due to take place.

The Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health) Act was passed in April 1913. Known as the Cat and Mouse Act, hunger strikers were released and supposed to resume their sentence when they recovered their health. Protesters against the imposition of the act included Patrick Pearse, Tom Kettle, Constance Markievicz, Jennie Wyse Power and the Dublin Trades Council.

Between 1912 and 1914 there were 35 suffrage convictions in Ireland - 22 took place in Dublin, the rest in the north, where women joined the WSPU when it set up an Ulster Centre in Belfast, campaigning to persuade Ulster Unionists to support votes for women. The last IWFL prisoner was Kathleen Houston, imprisoned in April 1914 for breaking the windows of the Post Office in College Green as a gesture of solidarity with Belfast suffragist Mabel Small, released under the terms of the Cat and Mouse Act.

In June 1914, one further attempt was made to persuade Redmond and Asquith to include women in the Home Rule Bill. All the Irish suffrage groups, militant and non-militant, agreed on a deputation to the House of Commons. After waiting in vain, they held a protest meeting in the Westminster lobby. Margaret McCoubrey from Belfast shouted out, in reference to the formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Irish Volunteers, "they only mind the militants who have guns".

Hanna, a member of the delegation, wrote "our representatives eat strawberries and cream while women slowly starve to death in prison". But this was the last of the big suffrage events. The Great War began two months later.

Margaret Ward is the author of Hanna Sheehy Skeffington Suffragette and Sinn Feiner: Her Memoirs and Political Writings (UCD Press, 2017), available from book shops and from www.ucdpress.ie
A young mother has pleaded with Health Minister Simon Harris to legalise medicinal cannabis or simplify the current Irish drug licensing system.

Noreen O'Neill slated the current licensing system as "a total joke and a farce" and warned that children like her son Michael (18 months) have to be gravely ill before they are allowed access to the remedies.

The little boy suffers from a rare condition of the frontal brain lobe called bilateral frontal polymicrogyria.

Noreen, who lives in Co Cork, has stabilised her son's seizures with a legal herbal treatment. She says CBD oil reduced his seizures by 75pc in the first 48 hours of use. Her concern is that if these benefits begin to erode, Michael may require access to the cannabis oil-based treatment, THC, only available by special licence.

"The current situation is a farce - only four families in Ireland have gotten licences for medicinal cannabis for their children despite them suffering from severe seizures," she said.

"You shouldn't have to fight hard to save your child's life or get access to such vital treatments."
A disabilities centre at the centre of abuse allegations has said a job opening at the centre is not linked to staff suspensions.

Sunbeam House Services (SHS), which has centres in Wicklow and south-east Dublin for people with disabilities, has suspended five staff members pending two investigations into allegations of abuse.

The decision to suspend the staff  who are on paid leave  was taken by management hours after they were informed about allegations of abuse.

Chief Executive Hugh Kane said the employees are on paid leave "at the present time."

The allegations were also referred to the organisation's internal safeguarding team, some of whom had interviewed the complainant before management informed the gardai.

All relevant authorities were contacted and the families of the residents informed.

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The service is currently recruiting a Deputy Client Services Manager, a full-time post with a 12 month contract.

The successful applicant will be based in Bray, Co Wicklow and will begin their duties this month.

The advertisement for the job, which is posted on www.activelink.ie, says: "We are seeking a motivated, organised, and dedicated Deputy Client Services Manager to support the Client Services Manager.

"The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the Nurse Client Services Manager in the management of a residential service.

"Candidates must be innovative in their approach and take responsibility for the provision of a high-quality person-centred service in line with H.I.Q.A. Standards and be committed to the promotion of social inclusion and community participation."

Among the essential experience that are listed for the role are "excellent organisation and communication skills", "high initiative and integrity" and "experience of dealing with responsive behaviours and with behaviour supports."

Mr Kane told Independent.ie that the job vacancy is not linked to the suspension of the five staff members.

"There is no connection between both issues. The posts are as advertised, he said.

SHS is mainly funded by the HSE and receives around 26.6million annually.

The patient safety watchdog and the Health Information and Quality Authority has published three inspection reports on Sunbeam House centres.

It issued a notice to cancel the registration of one centre and the provider had submitted representation to Hiqa's chief inspector of social services.

The inspection found the provider failed to implement their own plan and residents continued to be adversely impacted.

Improvements in meeting the assessed needs of residents were required in a second centre, and in a third, the provider had failed to meet their legal requirements in submitting an accurate and complete application to renew the registration.
A teen missing from Dublin has been located safe and well.

Gardai wish to thank the public for their assistance in this matter. No further action is required.
Two people have been arrested following a search of a house in Dublin on Sunday afternoon.

Gardai seized two handguns, ammunition and cannabis with an estimated street value of 12,000 from the house in Finglas.

One person, aged late 20s, and another, aged early 40s, were arrested.

They are currently being detained at Finglas Garda station under the provisions of Section 30, Offences Against the State Act, 1939 as amended.
'It's not funny," says Tara Flynn, comedian. "It's not a funny word. You can't joke about it. But the silence, the shaming - that is ripe for ridicule."

It's a crisp January morning and the writer, performer and - of late - abortion-rights campaign face is drinking tea. The cafe is quiet but for the murmur of, what else, abortion news on the radio (today the health minister is saying 3,265 women travelled to the UK for abortions in 2016.) Tara Flynn has chosen a corner table in this cafe in Smithfield. "I'm enjoying hiding right now," says the formidable Corkwoman. During an emotional interview, I get to understand why.

Flynn is here to talk about her new play Not a Funny Word, which comes to The Complex (here in this Dublin 7 neighbourhood) as a co-production with star-makers THISISPOPBABY (of Panti fame) and the Abbey.

Flynn's first play (not counting a screwball, standout piece in the Abbey's 24-Hour Plays a couple of years ago), Not a Funny Word is based on her own abortion, told with songs ('The State of Shame', 'Burn Her, She's a Witch' and 'Ride for Ireland'). An honest, hopelessly funny account of a painful journey, it may be her best work yet.

As her monologue describes, Flynn became pregnant in 2006. It was a shock because she had taken a morning-after pill. She had not wanted to become a mother and felt despair and panic. She was single. She travelled to Utrecht and had an abortion at nine weeks' gestation.

She quotes a line from her show: "You can't know until you know.

"When you're faced with it, you just know. Your whole body knows. It's not an intellectual decision. For me, anyway, it was a visceral knowing. This was not something I could continue and come out of it myself."

She went by plane and train alone and was the only woman alone in the Dutch abortion clinic. She paid for the abortion in credit. In her play, Flynn re-imagines herself as a secret agent on a spy mission, which puts a funny spin on a grim experience. But how did she really feel that day she travelled?

"You feel like a criminal, you feel like you're hiding, you wonder if people know your secret. I was really scared.

"I felt abandoned by my country I didn't tell my mum. When you need your nearest and dearest most, you can't be afraid of losing them."

But she is "one of the lucky ones". More vulnerable women, getting backstreet abortions, or "people who don't have a Visa because they're in direct provision."

In the past, Flynn has used satire to highlight things that are wrong and unjust or simply weird. From the Nualas comedy band she founded in the 1990s to her two books, You're Grand and Giving out Yards, her humour has been almost affectionate towards Ireland. But her critiques have become sharper and more politicised in recent years.

Flynn made her most viral YouTube sketch, 'Racist B&B', after her husband - the Fair City scriptwriter Carl Austin, who is African American - was racially abused in her hometown of Kinsale in 2013. But that satirical sketch was not about abortion. Nor did she do more than brush over the topic in her books.

It was after the Marriage Equality referendum that Flynn decided to tell her story, in September 2015, at the Amnesty International My Body My Rights event at Electric Picnic.

Many leading media and arts figures have since got behind the campaign to repeal the Irish abortion laws. The Eighth amendment to the Irish Constitution has, since 1983, given equal right to life to the "unborn child" or foetus, and the mother.

"I don't believe in personhood until late in a pregnancy," says Flynn, who says she "knew nothing" about abortion before 2006, when she had to find out everything.

She is advocating for safe, legal abortion in Ireland, after 12 weeks of pregnancy, if necessary.

"What I'm talking about is early stages, as much as possible, abortion pills, as much as possible, with your GP; safe."

Now that a referendum has been promised by the Government for May, Flynn admits to feeling more "accepted".

"If before I felt shunned or shut out, or not quite welcome, I feel like Ireland might be closer to being my home again. Like the shadow of some very old misogyny might finally be lifting. I know that there's usually political motivation in what politicians do, but I don't mind that one bit.

"My feeling is, whoever you are, if you're standing up for our rights, then welcome. We've been hoping you'd show up.

"I'm not part of a lobby group," she stresses. "I am just a fecking eejit actor comedian who had a crisis pregnancy."

In the past two years she has been receiving abuse from online trolls. She has been threatened and called a murderer, sent graphic imagery and regularly reminded of the "son or daughter" she didn't have. She has lost work and "social currency", she believes: "I don't get invited to stuff."

Of course, she says, "sometimes people come up and start crying and give me a hug, and I know their whole story just from that hug.

"Many people would say I can't see why you did it, but it must have been a very difficult decision for you to make - I'm really grateful for that".

But the trolls are what have her in hiding today. "Sometimes people will say incredibly hurtful or inaccurate things."

Before Christmas, Fine Gael's Barry Walsh resigned from the Executive Council of his party having tweeted something so absurdly off-the-rails about Flynn that it isn't worth printing. In December, Flynn (an 'influencer' of some reach, if you're counting 21,000-odd followers), decided to deactivate from Twitter. She is placidly heated in her attitude today. "It's a very cushy place to be, to say 'I'd never do that'. You don't know. Your daughter might have to. I hope she doesn't have to. If she has to, I hope it's safe."

She feels that "hard-line" attitudes have been fuelled by the "binary" thinking around abortion in Ireland as we head towards a referendum.

"The truth is, there is only nuance in this discussion. Most people are in the middle. I'm in the middle. I don't want anyone to have to have an abortion. I wish every pregnancy was wanted and that every pregnancy that was wanted went well, went healthily, and came to term. So I'm in the middle, but people will paint me as a hardliner. And that's upsetting, to be honest."

Her green eyes fill with tears.

"I don't think I can knock on doors, when the campaign starts. I have been very depleted by the last couple of years, in many ways. There has been a cost. It took an awful lot out of me. If they need someone to punch, I am pretty strong. I'm not invulnerable. I can take it to an extent, I just can't take it constantly."

She laughs, but it's a bitter, tearful laugh. "I've taken some nasty and pretty public knocks."

Flynn has had to "get creative" in how she reaches people, which brings us back to theatre and its troll-free possibilities. Making Not a Funny Word has been a "healing" and "cathartic" way for her to tell her story to the nation.

"A lot of this show is to take my humanity back. I'm me! And I'm a performer, that's how I process things.

"Laughter is the best medicine," she says. "That's my superpower."

There is "no proselytising" in the show. "But it's also got a lot of strength to it. Because the core of it is fire."

Approaching 50, Flynn would appear fabulously busy, prolific across many forms. A book of her devious Headstuff columns is coming out with Mercier Press, and she has finished the first draft of a novel. "The basic premise is what happens if your best friend is anti-choice?"

She has begun not one but three more books, about solo travel. She has been made the voice of Blind Date Ireland.

"I love to pepper everything with something gloriously silly," she muses. "[My abortion] is not the only story I have to tell. It's something very significant that happened to me but it's not all of me."

Maybe Not a Funny Word will reach people in the way a newspaper article or a flyer can't? She agrees. "There's something in that live magic. You're in the room with the performer. You can see the whites in their eyes, they know when you're telling the truth. There's an emotional context that the written word doesn't have.

"You know," she adds. "I find it interesting there hasn't been much anti-choice work. I just find that intriguing. I wish there were.

"Because people say oh, [Repeal] is this trendy liberal actor thing. Well why aren't people submitting work to places, why isn't there anti-choice street art, or poetry or spoken word?

"I see articles by the same people who write articles about everything else. But I haven't seen someone out of whose gut it is absolutely bubbling to express itself artistically."

This performer is bubbling to tell her story - even if it's not a funny word.

Not a Funny Word will be staged in The Complex in Smithfield, Dublin, on March 6-18 as part of Where We Live, presented by THISISPOPBABY and St Patrick's Festival, a two-week programme of theatre, music and live art. Tickets at thisispopbaby.com
A mother has called a response from Minister for Health Simon Harris to her request to legalise cannabis oil as a medical treatment for her son Michael as "a fob off".

Noreen O'Neill recently wrote an open letter to Minister Harris imploring him to pass legislation to make cannabidiol (CBD) oil available as a medicine in Ireland.

It is not illegal in Ireland as it is not psychoactive, but it is also not authorised for medical use.

The response from the Minister to Noreen, seen by Independent.ie, says that CBD oil is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs legislation before adding it was not authorised as a medicinal product.

The Minister went on to advocate the licensing system for medical cannabis use in Ireland: "Ultimately it is the decision of the clinician, in consultation with their patient, to prescribe or not prescribe a particular treatment, including cannabis-based treatment, for a patient under their care. The Minister for Health has no role in this clinical decision-making process."

However, doctors looking to prescribe products with THC do have to apply to the Minister of Health for a licence to do so.

Noreen has said that response felt to her as a "fob off" adding that nobody in her situation should have to wait for an effective treatment as "every single seizure is doing more damage."

She believes that cannabis products should be legalised for medicines, so that doctors would remain in charge of the treatment and so that it could be bought under the long-term illness scheme, rather than having patients pay for it out of their own pocket.

Noreen put the yearly cost of the oil in the region of 11,000.

"I had to take Michael's seizure management out of his doctor's hands and essentially do it myself," she said. "I'm not putting my son at risk in any way but if people have to do that then it is a bad state of affairs. It is absolutely insane."

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Earlier this year, after yet another drug failed to assist his condition, Noreen began to administer a drug known as Charlotte's Web CBD oil to Michael, using dosage information for his weight, age and condition that she sourced online.

On the first day the seizures halved, on the second day of treatment they halved again and on the third day they stopped.

Michael has now been seizure free for more than two weeks.

Speaking to Independent.ie this week, Noreen said Michael is now "flying it".

"It completely changes his life," Noreen said. "He is aware of his surroundings. This is allowing him to be independent."

Michael is 17 months old and he began to suffer seizures aged three-and-a-half months. Soon he was suffering up to 20 seizures a day and doctors diagnosed him with Bilateral Frontal Polymicrogyria and Global Developmental Delay, a condition where excessive folds in the brain affect neurological development.

In her letter to Minister Harris this week, Noreen described what life was like as her young son continued to suffer seizures.

"Can you imagine what its like to watch a baby convulsing, Minister? During those times, a typical day in the hospital would be me waking up to get sick before I did anything else. The thought of what lay ahead and what would become of my baby literally turned my stomach daily. Some days, I had already been up all night as he was having nocturnal seizures intermittently.

"The rest of the day would be spent watching as he entered seizure after seizure after seizure, despite being on the maximum doses of several different anticonvulsant drugs. The days were interjected by blood tests, urine tests, EEGs, MRIs, physical examinations, IV lines, multiple medications and emergency seizure medication at times. What his little body went through was nothing short of torture."

Michael was given various anticonvulsants in a bid to stem his seizures but they either did not work or the side effects on his body were too great.

That's when she tried CBD oil for the first time.

Noreen sources her CBD oil from one of two locations in Ireland that sell it here as a supplement.

The company that manufactures the oil in the US have a disclaimer on their website which says; "This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease".

Currently, doctors can ask the Minister of Health for a licence if they believe a cannabis product containing THC (the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) is the best treatment, on the condition they monitor the patient.

Four such licences have been issued, including one to Ava Twomey, daughter of well-known campaigner on the the issue Vera Twomey.

The Minister's letter to Noreen also said that he was in the process of establishing a 'Cannabis for Medical Use Access Programme' to help access to cannabis products that are not authorised as medicines where "medical conditions have failed to respond to standard treatments".

Noreen also felt that this proposed programme was 'flawed'.

"Patients have to be shoved up against death's door before they say 'there you go so'," Noreen said. "The kids have to earn access to it by being sick enough.

"Some [doctors] are open to it and they believe CBD oil has a role in seizure control. Some of them are just afraid because they are sticking their neck out, they are risking their licences. It has to be made normal.

"A doctor should be able to request a cannabis product just as readily as they request an anticonvulsant. It should be on the shelf in the hospital dispensary."

In a response to Independent.ie The Department of Health said: "To reiterate, it is the decision of the clinician, in consultation with their patient, to prescribe or not prescribe a particular treatment, including cannabis-based treatment, for a patient under their care. The Minister for Health has no role in this clinical decision-making process.

"The Minister's role comes into play once a valid licence application has been received by the Department of Health. Such applications are assessed immediately."

With regard to the Access Programme, the Department of Health statement said: An Expert Group appointed by the Minister has drawn up clinical guidance for healthcare professionals treating patients through the Access Programme and Department of Health Officials are working on legislation to underpin the Access Programme. The access programme is not yet operational; in the meantime access to cannabis for medical treatment is via the aforementioned Ministerial licence application route."

Late last year, a bill to legalise medicinal cannabis use, proposed by People Before Profit (PBP) TD Gino Kenny, was sent back to the Health Committee.

At the time PBP TD Brid Smith said Ireland is lagging behind other countries in legislating for medicinal cannabis.

"Poland are in the process of legalising medicinal cannabis. Already in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and over 23 States in the USA have legalised medicinal cannabis," she said.

Ms Smith added: "I have friends... who suffer with extreme pain because of cancer and other illnesses and theyre being deprived the use of medicinal cannabis its time we caught up with the rest of the planet."
One person has been rushed to hospital after a house blaze in north Dublin last night.

The person was treated for smoke inhalation after the fire broke out in Tyrellstown on Saturday night after 10pm.

Three crews from Blanchardstown and Phibsborough stations rushed to the scene.

ESB and Gas Networks Ireland also assisted in the response and the fire was quickly extinguished.
Irish taxpayers spent almost 250,000 on overseas and domestic trips for TDs and Senators in 2017.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, reveal a total of 248,390.43 was spent on trips that included conferences, parliamentary hearings, Brexit discussions and even a parade.

The most expensive trip was to Dhaka, Bangladesh where four TDs went to an Inter Parliamentary Union conference in March 2017 for six days.

This trip cost 21,104 with flights alone costing more than 3,000 for each TD.

Another trip to Iran, as part of the Inter Parliamentary Association, involved five TDs who were flown out at a cost of 1,820 each.

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The figures, obtained by Independent.ie, also show that more than 5,000 was spent on flights and accommodation, which were never availed of as TDs and Senators did not travel.

The House of Oireachtas spent a total of 5,101.16 on flights and accommodation for TDs and Senators for the 15 trips that were never taken.

These included trips to Brussels, Tallinn, Washington, New York and Iceland.

The House of the Oireachtas confirmed to Independent.ie that these trips were paid for in advance but that refunds may be issued if the travel was not undertaken.

In a statement they said: "If a member is unable to travel, flights and hotels are cancelled and where applicable refunds are applied for flights, hotels (depending on the cancellation policy offered by the hotel at the time of booking) and insurance companies."

The House of Oireachtas confirmed that flights and accommodation are booked by Club Travel on behalf of the Oireachtas service, on the instruction of the staff of the Oireachtas Service. However, TDs and Senators can claim individual expenses for costs during their trip.

Standard subsistence rates are set by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and vary depending on destination.

Among the costs incurred by the taxpayer in relation to travel by TDs/Senators were:

Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin claimed expenses of 319.40 from a trip to Paris from April 10 to 11, 2017. None of the TD's expenses include hotel and flights, which were paid for separately.

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Ms Mulherin attended the Joint Parliamentary Declaration on the future of CAP, alongside colleagues Charlie McConalogue, Pat Deering, Martin Kenny and Paul Daly whose expenses for the trip ranged from 135 to 242.

In a statement to Independent.ie Ms Mulherin clarified that the trip was for two days.

She added: "We departed early Monday morning and returned on late Tuesday evening. We had meetings and work scheduled both days of the trip."

Senator Brian O'Domhnaill expensed 184.42 for a one-night trip to Inis Mor, Galway to discuss community development issues on the Aran islands. Mr O'Domhnaill also had expenses of 428.83 for a one night trip to Cork in October to discuss community development issues in the Muscrai Gaeltacht.

Independent.ie are awaiting comment from Mr O'Domhnaill.

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Senator Frank Feighan (FF) claimed expenses of 246.68 for a one-night trip to Belfast/Cushendall/Raithlin Island on September 12, 2017. Mr Feighan was in Belfast at a meeting examining the impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Feighan told Independent.ie that he filled out his mileage and travel times and then applied for the Standard Expenses Allowance.

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Fianna Fail TD Robert Troy flew to Strasbourg as part of the Council of Europe, in January 2017, with flights costing 710. Six other colleagues went on the same trip, with their flights starting at 270.

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In a statement Mr Troy told Independent.ie that he flew economy, but that it was booked at the last minute due to Dail arrangements.

"If I had known they were that expensive, I would have flown at a different time. I would never take a flight that expensive again and but it was due to short notice," he said.

Senator Alice Mary Higgins travelled to Paris for a Council of Europe meeting from March 20 to 21, 2017 and expensed 410.13, not including flights and accomodation.

When asked for a clarification about her expenses, Ms Higgins said that she didn't submit any personal receipts. She said she requested the Standard Expenses Allowance, which was 262.80 for an overnight stay and another 97.33 for the 10 hours she spent in Paris the next day. Under the Standard Expenses Allowance, Ms Higgins said that TDs are also awarded 25 per day for communications.

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FG Senator Joe O'Reilly claimed 847.23 in expenses for a three day trip to Helsinki in May 2017. Mr O'Reilly was attending a Council of Europe Committee meeting.

Independent.ie is awaiting comment from Mr O'Reilly.

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Labour TD Joan Burton claimed expenses of 1,116.89 for a six day trip to Russia in October 2017. Her colleague, Martin Conway (FG) claimed expenses of 1,515.75 for the Inter Parliamentary Union Assembly. On the same trip, Ceann Comhairle Sean O'Fearghail expensed 573.66 for the trip.

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In a statement to Independent.ie Joan Burton said that her trip was arranged by the Oireachtas and that her colleagues have up to one year to put in expenses, which is why hers may appear to be higher.

Ms Burton says that she had submitted all necessary documentation by the year end.
Tributes have been paid to one of the countrys most experienced criminal investigators who was found dead at a Dublin garda station over the weekend.

Det Supt Colm Fox, who was the senior detective overseeing the Regency Hotel murder probe, was discovered fatally injured in Ballymun garda station at around 9pm on Saturday night.

Gardai and the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) have launched separate investigations into the incident, and his death is being treated as a personal tragedy.

The senior detectives official firearm was also recovered at the scene.

Colleagues of the veteran garda have paid their respects, describing him as a fully committed investigator who was involved in some of the countrys most high-profile murder inquiries.

These included the investigation into the murder of teenager Daniel McAnespie (17) in 2010.

Daniel, who was in the care of the state when he was killed, was discovered in a drain in Rathfeigh, Co Meath three months after he was first reported missing.

Colm Fox, who was a Detective Inspector at the time, oversaw the painstaking investigation which last year saw two men being convicted in relation to Daniel McAnespies killing.

Richard Dekker (31) was found guilty of Daniels murder while Trevor Noone (29) pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Det Supt Colm Fox was also currently leading the investigation into David Byrnes murder at the Regency Hotel in February 5, 2016.

He was also heading the garda inquiry into the double murder of two innocent people in Ballymun last year.

Mother-of-six Antoinette Corbally (48) and locksmith Clinton Shannon (30) were gunned down on August 16 on Balbutcher Drive after being caught in the crossfire of a gangland hit.

Det Supt Fox spent the majority of his career in the Dublin Region, but also served as Supt in Swinford, Co Mayo and in a number of garda national units.

Supt Denis Ferry, General Secretary of the Association of Garda Superintendents, described Det Supt Fox as a very capable policeman and said the organisation was shocked by the news.

Our sympathies must firstly go out to Colms wife, family and friends as well as his colleagues who have worked with him over the years.

He was a fully committed garda who worked in a number of stations in the DMR as well as the Headquarters, and he was at the forefront a number of high profile cases.

We are absolutely shocked and devastated at his death, and he was also very active with the association. He will be greatly missed, Supt Ferry said.

Dublin City Councillor for Fianna Fail, Daithi De Roiste, who is chair of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC) said: This is a tragic loss. As chair of the JPC my thoughts and prayers go out to the officers family and friends and his colleagues at this time.

A Garda Press Office spokeswoman said: We are investigating the sudden death of a member at Ballymun garda station at 9pm yesterday evening. The Garda Ombudsman has also been informed.

Foul play is not expected.

If you have been affected by any issues raised in this article, please contact The Samaritans free helpline on 116 123.
Museo Atlantico, an underwater museum featuring more than 300 sculptural works, has opened to the public.

The installations, by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor, can be found 14 metres beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean in Bahia de Las Coloradas (Coloradas Bay), on the south coast of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.

The site (see our gallery above) spans an area of 2,500 square-metres, and can be explored by scuba divers, snorkellers or from glass-bottomed boats.

The permanent works, which include a 30 metre-long, 100-tonne wall, have been created entirely with pH neutral materials designed to foster the reproduction of local fish species and create a habitat for marine life in the Unesco-designated World Biosphere Reserve.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote / Facebook

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The sculptures aim to portray the dialogue between past and present and the divisions within society, with some of the most notable works including The Rubicon, The Vortex and The Raft of Lampedusa, which references the influx of refugees on the Italian island.

The exhibition pays tribute to the refugees that succeed, but also those whose dreams and hopes remain at the bottom of the sea, Taylor told The Local.

I hope that the Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote represents an entry point to a different world and promotes a better understanding of our precious marine environment and of how much we depend on it, Taylor said at the museums opening earlier this month.

The Museo Atlantico is not the first showcase of underwater artwork by Taylor. He has previously opened the MUSA (Museo Subacuatico de Arte) in the surrounding waters of Cancun and Isla Mujeres in Mexico in 2009, as well as the Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada in the Caribbean, which was the first of its kind when it opened in 2006.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote / Facebook

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In 2014, Mr Taylors Ocean Atlas piece in the waters of New Providence in Nassau, Bahamas, became the largest single sculpture ever to be installed underwater, weighing more than 60 tonnes.

Snorkelling around submerged sculptures is an unforgettable experience, said travel writer Hazel Plush, who visited the Grenada installation last year.

Taylor has an uncanny ability to capture the human likeness, and seeing these figures trapped forever on the bottom of the ocean was a surprisingly emotional experience.

"This isn't just a gimmick  every piece is in harmony with its surroundings, and designed to attract marine life while giving snorkellers and scuba divers some food for thought too.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote Museo Atlantico of Lanzarote. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor / CACT Lanzarote / Facebook

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"It's great news that Taylor's work is now a little closer to home.

See cactlanzarote.com for more.

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Over 200,000 of us will visit the Canary Island this year. Patricia Murphy takes her first trip.

I'm bang in the middle of Lanzarote, perched by a pool sparkling with thousands of penny-sized, white-shelled crabs. This is no lido by the coast, however. It's inland, away from the sandy embrace of Lanzarote's beloved year-round beaches. In fact, I'm deep within a cave once flooded with streams of scalding lava.

Suffice to say, this isn't something I expected to find on the Canary Islands. Lanzarote is one of the top holiday destinations for Irish people, with over 200,000 of us set to fly there this year. Sun, sea and sand offer a tried-and-tested formula in all four seasons, and that's exactly what I was prepared for on my first visit. I did. But there were surprises too.

Deep inside that cave - Los Jameos del Agua, a tunnel carved by Lanzarote's volcanic flows - I'm peering at miniature albino crabs. A little later, a concert strikes up. The first flit of fingertips against the timple, a ukulele-like instrument unique to this part of the world, gives cue to a saxophone player across the chasm. Music swells. A man sings. The acoustics resonate off every inch of the space, enrapturing the audience as moonlight creeps in overhead. Whether we understand the Spanish lyrics or not is irrelevant. The island is working a whole other kind of magic.

Lanzarote's basic charms are obvious. It practically guarantees year-round temperatures of 18-24 degrees. It offers bountiful opportunities to keep the brood splashing about in pools or burying each other at the beach. Playa Blanca in Puerto del Carmen has become a beacon for package holidaymakers, and is fully equipped with pay-as-you-go sun loungers, hammocks, showers and changing facilities.

Check out Independent Travel for last minute summer holiday deals from 395pp - 7 Nights, Flights, Accommodation & Transfers included

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Holiday hotspot: Lanzarote is a perennial favourite with Irish holidaymakers Playa Blanca, Lanzarote. Tapas The road to Soo, near Famara Beach Club la Santa Boats in Lanzarote / Facebook

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A more intrepid drive or boat ride away, you'll find five wild beaches fanning around Punta de Papagayo a nice alternative to the hustle and bustle.

After trips to Spanish holiday hotspots like Santa Ponsa in Mallorca, I was also surprised by the delicious traditional food on Lanzarote. The island's offerings had my eyes bigger than my belly on several occasions (I was a step away from having to be stowed away with the suitcases on my flight home).

Nothing boosted my holiday happiness more than visiting El Risco (restauranteelrisco.com) in Famara, where I had the best tapas of my life as waves crashed against Bahia de Penedo. Handsome waiters served up fish straight from the boat, with dish after dish pouring out of the kitchen in a perfect blur. I could have stayed sipping local wine in good company there forever.

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Food, glorious food

But it's Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote's hotspot, that offers Irish tourists a home from home, with many Irish pubs run by expats who have swapped one island for another. Donegal man Rory Gallagher (*no relation to the late guitarist) is one. He left for Lanzarote following the break-up of his band The Revs in 2006, and opened one of Puerto del Carmen's most popular pubs, The Island Bar (roryandtheisland.com).

"Lanzarote is cheap," he tells me before hopping on stage to perform. "You jump on a flight and you can make it over for under 200. You can get a nice apartment for 30 a night. It's pretty safe, it's VAT free and because of this there's cheaper drinks and cigarettes.

"There's a great nightlife here in Puerto del Carmen," he continues. "It's like Las Vegas down here on the strip. You can get up at 8am in the morning and sunbathe and stay partying until 6am. It can be whatever you want it to be but there's the cultural side, the market places and the caves too."

After a night out in 'Vegas', my belly is sore from laughing and my head a little worse for wear, so I take a car trip to escape the lure of a cure. As Jameos del Agua had shown, there's life beyond the beaches in Lanzarote, so I felt it would be a shame not to rent a car and venture outside of Puerto del Carmen's comfort zone.

With the windows down and Instagram at the ready, a drive through Timanfaya National Park (mma.es) takes me right back into its volcanic origins. Lanzarote's last eruption took place in 1824, but more than 100 volcanoes dot the landscape today, and the drive offers the best opportunity to capture the views. Inside the park, you can also watch some live volcanic action outside El Diablo restaurant. There, park rangers pour buckets of cold water into the earth to coax a minor explosion of hot water. It's probably best to warn the children though, to prevent any frights.

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On the road...

Lanzarote is also dominated by the ghost of Cesar Manrique, an architect who is something of a god to locals. His inspiration is felt in every white building on the island, and in signature works ranging from the converted caves at Los Jameos del Agua to his former home - and now museum - in Tahiche. The house, and Cesar Manrique Foundation (cesarmanrique.com), is paradise, though it continues to leave me disheartened every time I return to my flat in Dublin.

Lanzarote's sunny resorts continue to charm Irish holidaymakers and it's easy to see why. But for me, the little moments of surprise - like those tapas at El Risco - were the dreamiest parts of my trip.

Love Lanzarote by all means, but do yourself a favour and take a day or two to travel off the beaten track.

Getting there

Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies from Dublin and Cork to Lanzarote. Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies to various Canary Islands from Dublin, Shannon, Cork and Ireland West (Knock) airports. Independent Travel (travel.independent.ie) has seven-day packages in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura from 349pp. Book here.

For more on Lanzarote, and other Canary Islands, visit hellocanaryislands.com.

Where to stay

Patricia stayed at Club la Santa (clublasanta.com) on the west of the island - a favourite of the Munster Rugby team. Rates start from 873 for seven nights in June or September. Irish tour operators and travel agents offer a range of packages to Lanzarote.

Check out Independent Travel for last minute summer holiday deals from 395pp - 7 Nights, Flights, Accommodation & Transfers included

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Colm McCarthy Opinion UK is not alone in its Covid failures

New cases, hospitalisations and deaths from the virus have all risen somewhat in the UK over the last week. Given the rapid roll-out of vaccination, the best in Europe, this should not have been happening. The reason seems to be the so-called Indian variant, more infectious and more widespread in Britain, and some experts are worried the government may be forced to pause, or even reverse, the lifting of restrictions.
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Declan Lynch Opinion Declan Lynch: Nothing is as deadly as the enemy within

America is under attack were the words whispered into the ear of George W Bush by an aide on September 11, 2001. A time will surely come when they will look at the Twin Towers going down on that day, and reflect on the strangeness of the fact that there was another tower still standing in Manhattan, from which the ultimate attack on America would emerge.
Not for nothing was Barbara Bush known as 'The Enforcer'

Barbara Bush, tougher than her husband and known to her family as 'The Enforcer', is probably the most popular of all ex-US first ladies of recent times. Jackie Kennedy is remembered across the globe for elegance and tragedy, but she was not loved. Rosalynn Carter worked hard and was a noted campaigner on issues of mental health, but she has suffered in retrospect because of her bitterness at his defeat by Ronald Reagan, who is widely perceived to have been as great a success as Carter was a failure. The brittle Nancy Reagan was an essential support to her husband, but was thought to care little for anyone else. Hillary Clinton was loathed by those who thought her a careerist. The likeable Laura Bush did a lot of useful work but lacked her mother-in-law's commanding personality. And although Michelle Obama had rock-star status, that has diminished as she and her husband embrace luxury and celebrity. Betty Ford is probably the closest rival, having been far more effective and formidable than her husband Gerald, the 38th president, and still having a posthumous reputation for her prowess as a campaigner on addiction, not least because so many of the famous troop to the Betty Ford Clinic.
The sudden volatility in the financial markets tumbling all last week on Wall Street should be a warning to Paschal Donohoe and the Government that the time has probably arrived for the State to get serious about cashing in its chips and bailing out of Allied Irish Banks.

In mid-January at the plutocrat-fest in Davos, Switzerland, the billionaire investor George Soros predicted that the stock market rally would soon end. Now Soros, like all financial gurus, often gets things wrong - but his contention wasn't if it would happen, it was just a question of when? It didn't take long for this prediction to become a harsh reality for investors.

While Europe bounced back, jitters in America's financial capital Wall Street continued throughout the week. In the White House, Donald Trump was left scratching his well-coiffured head. He lamented the fact that in the normal course of events stocks rise on good news. "Today, when good news is reported, the stock market goes down. Big mistake," he tweeted in his inimitable style.

But that is the essence of the market. Watching price fluctuations you often see an established company report healthy profits, only for its shares to fall. Meanwhile, a tech company comes along with massive losses and its stock price soars.

So let us first of all forget about the niceties or otherwise of rescuing Allied Irish Banks with 21bn in taxpayers' money at the height of the financial crisis. What's done is done and it's time to move on.

In the end the taxpayer will get most of that money back through the sale of the 99.9pc of the bank that went into State ownership and through substantial dividends that AIB has paid back since it returned to profitability.

But two things have become clear in recent months.

The first is that the market may be facing into an uncertain future and the Government does not need to gamble with taxpayer money. Let's leave that to people who can afford (or possibly not) to lose their money - like the unfortunate bank shareholders who were cleaned out in the financial collapse of 2009 and didn't get an iota of sympathy then, or since.

More importantly, the State has no business running commercial banks. It doesn't know how to do it properly and politicians are always prone to interfere in decisions in order to court public approval, even if the decision is wrong. This is an especially dangerous strategy in the financial world.

Nobody is saying politicians are actively interfering in running AIB - but let's face it, a lot of ideological warriors would love it if they did.

Allied Irish Banks is, by a long shot, Ireland's biggest bank. It has had a chequered career that continues to this day. But how many times have we heard commentators lament its behaviour on the basis that AIB "is the bank that was bailed out by the taxpayer"?

Excluding the tracker mortgages, which is a scandal, profitable business sometimes have to take tough decisions. They cannot do so with politicians looking over their shoulders trying to protect sectional interests. All the indications are that the Government should think seriously about getting out of AIB and getting out soon, for commercial as well as political reasons.

The sale of 28.8pc of AIB in June of 2017 (at 4.40 a share) was written into the current Programme for Government which does not allow for a further share sale before the end of this year.

In a note last December, Davy analysts Stephen Lyons and Diarmaid Sheridan advised: "We believe it should be revisited as there is a political risk in inaction. Market conditions are favourable at present and investors remain engaged in the AIB story."

They added that there was a risk "that the Government could miss out on the window for a prime selling opportunity". After the fall in the financial markets that note also looks prophetic.

So why is the Department of Finance and Public Expenditure still clinging to 71pc of the bank when it could at least start to offload the remaining shares for an estimated 9bn?

Surely the Programme for Government could be re-written without much difficulty, now that Leo Varadkar has taken over as Taoiseach.

While putting the entire stake on the market in one go is unlikely, selling another large tranche as soon as possible seems advisable - and would send a clear signal that the Government was getting out of AIB in the short-term, rather than the long-term.

It would also be a good message for major investors, who don't like being minority players in State companies.

The final argument is that both the Government and the taxpayer could do with the cash injection. Think of the ways the money could be used and not just frittered away on sticking-plaster solutions for the health service or some other funding crisis, like pay restoration for civil servants.

A serious programme of social housing, properly structured, could bring in a steady income stream for the Exchequer for decades to come.

There are other worthy causes where long-term investment in broadband and a strategy to rescue rural Ireland could be prove a durable and profitable investment for the State.

It's time for innovative thinking, not for leaving billions of euro tied up in bank shares when others with deeper pockets are more than willing to take the risk on them.

The Government insists that financial institutions tell prospective investors that "the value of investments goes up as well as down" - so let's get out of AIB while the going is good.
Of all the slogans of our turbulent age, none has been more potent than "take back control". That enticing message was enough to persuade a majority of British voters to quit the EU. It also took centre stage in Donald Trump's victorious US presidential campaign. After all, what else is building a wall but taking back control?

But translating the slogan into the reality of governing has proven altogether trickier. In Britain and the US, people now realise there is a price to pay for control - one that may ultimately outweigh any benefits. In Britain, both the Conservative government and Labour opposition are openly divided over the extent of control they wish to exert. The British government's own forecasts last week suggested that by leaving the single market in order to control immigration, the poorest regions of the UK - those most in favour of taking back control - would suffer the most economically.

Meanwhile, in the US, the physical limits at the Mexican frontier and China's growing economic power have made border and trade control far less workable in practice than in theory.

Control worked as a political message because it gave voters the illusion that there was an easy solution to the social and economic dislocation they have experienced in recent decades as globalisation took hold. It is no real surprise that the most tangible political reaction to this era of globalisation took place in the two countries that did the least to control or mitigate it.

Shortly after Peter Sutherland's recent untimely death, Fintan O'Toole wrote an ill-judged piece about his legacy, where he laid the blame for the populist counter-revolution that gave us Brexit and Trump squarely at the feet of Sutherland as 'father of globalisation'. In doing so, he missed the most salient point, which is that domestic political choices far outweigh global forces in determining the impact of globalisation. Those small northern European states that have actually taken control by investing wisely in housing and public services and improving living standards, as opposed to just talking about it, have managed globalisation in a way that has not provoked a populist reaction.

In contrast to the UK and the US, where a loss of control to external forces set populist uprisings in motion, populism Irish-style was triggered by a loss of sovereignty brought on by disastrous domestic policy choices. Rather than precipitating a 'democratic revolution', it asserted itself instead within the existing political system, in the replacement of Fianna Fail by Fine Gael in 2011 and Labour with Sinn Fein in 2016. Faced with an existential crisis, the durability of the system prevailed and enabled us to make the right choices. Burkean reform prevailed over Jacobean revolution.

It has taken a decade to get to a position where we can honestly say we are back in control of our national destiny again. Of course, membership of the eurozone constrains us, but getting things right on what matters to ordinary people - housing, public services and living standards - is entirely down to us. The choices we make next will reverberate for decades to come.

The last time a government presided over an economy as strong as today's, it made the wrong choices and we lost our sovereignty. Then, just as now, snake oil was in plentiful supply. Gerry Adams told the Troika to "get lost", singing from the same hymn sheet as the Brexiteers. In the wake of Brexit, he now embraces the same EU institutions he rejected for most of his political career with the zeal of a convert. And yet Vincent Browne frets that we have somehow treated Adams unfairly.

In determining our future path, we are still spooked by the lost decade bookended by Adams's repeated political incoherence. We are by nature 'loss averse', in that we fear losing something far more than we welcome the prospect of gaining something else. It is perfectly understandable that 'never again' is the rule of thumb for those who had to clean up the mess after we last lost control.

However, in politics, past is not necessarily prologue. When the Ceann Comhairle last week told Marc MacSharry to control himself during his fracas with the Healy-Raes, he may have unwittingly stumbled upon the leitmotif for our new political condition. We now have a range of options available to improve our society unimaginable to recent governments, but fear that we may not have the maturity to make the right choices. Instead, we must "control ourselves".

This tension is crystallised in the seemingly unconnected debates on the imminent capital plan and the forthcoming referendum on the Eighth Amendment. The media has come to a consensus that the success of the capital plan will be judged solely on the extent to which it makes 'hard choices' that annoy people in rural Ireland. By contrast, the emerging media narrative on the Eighth is that the political maturity demonstrated by the Oireachtas Committee and endorsed by both Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar in proposing a new regime of abortion without restriction for up to 12 weeks is inimical to the prospects of repeal. The Government is told to make hard choices on national development but to eschew them when it comes to our most pressing social issue.

Fortune will ultimately favour the brave. Having spent the past decade in retrenchment, people want to take back control over their own lives and that of their communities. They are looking for a more expansive notion of our country's future than an overriding determination to avoid the mistakes of the past. However, this should not be mistaken as a desire for irresponsible largesse.

Instead, they seek a vision of personal and societal aspiration that enhances what is distinctively good about Irish life. The majority has no desire for a return to the 'greed is good' era of the Celtic Tiger or the hypocrisy of our 'Irish solution' on abortion. They wish, as the late American political philosopher Richard Rorty put it, to 'achieve our country'.

Achieving this Irish renewal must be the central political enterprise of the coming decade. At its heart should be a national pride that rejects the remorselessly bleak and miserabilist view so common among many of our gesture politicians and recently encapsulated in left critic Rory Hearne's caricature of "this failed Republic of corruption, inequality and continual crises".

Mainstream politics must confront and expose this tendency as both wrong and self-harming. It is wrong because in many respects we have become a more politically attractive and progressive country in recent decades. It is self-harming because this bleak vision ultimately undermines faith in the ability of politics to improve things.

Rorty believed that national pride is to countries what self-respect is to individuals, a necessary condition for self-improvement.

The politicians and parties that can best channel this pride and reflect the public thirst for renewal will dominate our politics in the crucial decade ahead.
In 2014, I wrote for this paper that Mary Lou McDonald needed to gain the trust of the IRA Belfast Brigade in order to reach the top of Sinn Fein, and that she "needed to go from being her own woman, to being theirs".

And so, it has come to pass.

Her steadfastness at defending her party leader over various controversies, coupled with her capability and acerbic forensic questioning of opposition parties, has won over Northern hardliners to allow her to run unopposed for a position which until yesterday was in the lap of Gerry Adams for decades.

Republicans are acutely aware of the Brendan Behan line that the first thing on the agenda is the split, consciously trying to stage-manage any type of transition to within an inch of its life. This one involves invoking the ghost of Martin McGuinness in reverential terms at every opportunity, installing McDonald and O'Neill as part of his "10-year plan".

It's a clever strategy. Sending down a missive from their deceased republican God is less likely to be challenged by restless troops, and implementing it in this way from the man who took the majority of Sinn Fein with him in the first major split after Adams became president by shouting "come, my friends, we will lead you into the Republic" is a perfect backdrop to negotiating through any choppy waters.

Much criticism has been made, unfairly, of the fact that McDonald is being crowned without contest. Other parties have done this.

What is more striking is the fact that since Adams took the reins in 1983, few, if any, officer board positions on its Ard Comhairle have ever been contested. Sinn Fein has managed to control the party by appointing its leadership for more than 30 years, using the excuse of ratification by membership at an Ard Fheis. It shows little sign of changing.

Her own lack of involvement in IRA atrocities is the vehicle in which Sinn Fein should have driven McDonald forward to attract middle Ireland, while quietly stepping down the old guard.

Instead, from 2014, a steady stream of scandals shackled her to the IRA as she chose to publicly defend Gerry Adams at every turn. A wiser thing would have been to keep her counsel and let him get himself out of messes of his own making. Instead, she put her own credibility on the line and did what hard-line republicans see as a necessary evil in order to keep their movement intact. McDonald had to part offer up her reputation as a sacrificial lamb, in order to become the elevated angel.

In March 2014 she was riding high in public opinion, appearing on The Late Late Show to great reception, and receiving relatively good headlines. In May 2014 she raised eyebrows when she described the arrest of Gerry Adams in the Jean McConville investigation as "politically motivated", and tainted her image further when that October, she uttered "I believe the people who volunteered to the IRA were decent", in the wake of a sex abuse scandal.

A few weeks later, she behaved impetuously in a bizarre Dail sit-in. Then came uproar as she read out names using parliamentary privilege in connection with Ansbacher.

Some of her other behaviour would be laughable if it wasn't so serious.

Slab Murphy was described by her as "a very typical rural man" much to the mirth of anyone familiar with his notoriety within republicanism, and the look on her face of embarrassment and later amusement as she shared a smile with Gerry Adams when Bobby Storey described the IRA as a "butterfly that's flew [sic] away" in 2015 is perhaps the starkest illustration of how sitting alongside the heavy hitters in the IRA has put her in a bind and made her look completely ridiculous at times.

When it came to the violence meted out by the IRA, however, she used to be more cautious in her phrasing. In 2013, asked by journalist Ursula Halligan whether she supported the IRA campaign, she responded: "I recognise the right to meet force with force, it's not something I celebrate or necessarily that I support. I'm not sure I'm not being picky with the language here, but I do understand why volunteers came forward, was it necessary to take up arms against the British state in the North? I believe it was."

Fast forward to November 2016 when she tweeted "Delighted to speak at Derry Volunteers Dance. Very moving occasion for all families. Honoured to be honoured", which was accompanied by a picture of her standing on a podium adorned with a poster of two crossed rifles and the caption "Derry Brigade, Oglaigh na hEireann".

Playing to the IRA gallery for whatever reason won't damage the party among nationalist voters in the North, but it is a very dangerous path for Mary Lou to tread when it comes to sustaining or attracting Southern support.

Both jurisdictions are markedly different in their approach to politics, with commentator Mick Fealty aptly describing the South as "senior hurling to the North's U16 game".

While Sinn Fein is in no danger of tearing itself apart, as age besets the Adams brigade and their power starts to ebb, McDonald needs to find a way to navigate through a group of Northerners that runs Sinn Fein as a party of street protests and politics, to transition into one fit for coalition with behaviour and policies fitting of same, while also dealing with a litany of personnel problems within the party on how they conduct themselves in private. It won't be plain sailing.

The woman who once stated that she joined Sinn Fein for "economic and social justice and equality reasons" will have a hard time explaining to her troops the economic equality in the revelation that Sinn Fein TD Dessie Ellis was able to come to an agreement with party honchos to draw his full salary, while others are expected to get by on the "average industrial wage".

The party has had other embarrassments in recent times in Kelly and McElduff, and McDonald hasn't exactly shone in her response.

Sinn Fein's lack of ability to govern with the DUP is an open goal for Southern opposition parties to cite as another reason not to do business, and for that reason, she more than anyone else will be looking for a resolution to the Assembly talks.

And yet, the most pressing issue facing Sinn Fein is that it has never found a way to put the nation over self-preservation. It is this narrow-sightedness which means that Mary Lou is often seen to be jumping through hoops to protect individuals at the real expense of positive politics.

Her effort to presumably be seen in the same light as Markievicz by tweeting from her commemoration last week: "A most unmanageable revolutionary" shows she has her work cut out for her.

Markievicz had cojones. Mary Lou has yet to prove hers by finally standing up to the malevolent force within.

Ironically, it will not be McDonald's opponents but the unmanageable "revolutionaries" in her own party and her public response which is likely to do her the most damage.
Sinn Fein trolls often take me to task for supporting different political leaders and parties down the years.

But my changes always had one consistent aim: to back the political leader or party most likely to stand up to Sinn Fein/IRA's sectarian nationalism.

Seamus Mallon is one of my great heroes because he never minces words in pursuit of moral clarity.

Last week, speaking about Gerry Adams on Vincent Browne's film, Gerry Adams: War, Peace and Politics, he said: "He's a hard man to like. He's an even harder man to trust."

Mallon is the last of a dying breed: Northern nationalists who reject Sinn Fein because of its past sectarian legacy.

All my adult political life my greatest fear has been that Sinn Fein would smuggle Northern nationalist bigotry, and ambivalence about political violence, across the Border into the Irish Republic.

Proof of how that ambivalence can colonise the mind of even good clerics was the late Fr Alec Reid's description of Gerry Adams on Browne's film: "A man sent by God."

Beyond that I have four points to make about Browne's messy profile of Gerry Adams, starting with his attack on the credibility of Richard O'Rawe, a former Long Kesh hunger striker.

O'Rawe was the PRO for the hunger strikers and in his book Blanketmen he charged Adams and Danny Morrison with prolonging the hunger strike for political purposes.

Picking, or rather nit-picking, at O'Rawe's account, Browne used a few dashed off notes in the diary of Brendan Duddy (the British government's secret conduit to the IRA) to claim O'Rawe was wrong to say Danny Morrison brought an offer from the British to Long Kesh on July 5, 1981.

But had Browne made a cursory check he would have found the YouTube video of Brian Duddy being interviewed by journalist Brian Rowan at Feile An Phobail in Belfast in 2009, during which Duddy points at Danny Morrison in the audience, reminding him of his visit to Long Kesh.

Ed Moloney and Anthony McIntyre, who are no fans of mine, both carry detailed confirmation of O'Rawe's account on their websites, The Broken Elbow and The Pensive Quill.

That bit of flawed journalism was typical of a flawed film profile of Gerry Adams in which much was glossed or glossed over.

Rather than bore you by rehashing other minor errors let me move on to my other three criticisms.

First, Adams and the IRA were presented in binary terms as lone protagonists, locked in struggle with an equally lone antagonist, the British government.

Sidelined in Browne's story were the two key political players who really prevented Adams and the Provos from winning their sectarian war: Northern Protestants and the people of the Irish Republic.

The Protestant people of Northern Ireland stood firm under the savage sectarian onslaught - and unlike their nationalist neighbours, steadily refused to support loyalist paramilitaries.

The Irish Republic also rejected the IRA's campaign, travelling in Peace Trains and taking to the streets in protest.

Second, Browne failed to challenge the cliche that we should be grateful to Adams for giving us peace.

Austin Stack answered that firmly. Adams started the fire like an arsonist, so why should we be grateful to him for belatedly calling the fire brigade?

Finally, let me note another glaring gap in Browne's film - the failure to examine the fundamental act of bad faith that lay beneath all that Adams did from the early 1980s.

Because as Ed Moloney asserts - and many of Adams's former colleagues agree with his analysis - by the early 1980s Adams knew the military campaign was lost. By 1993 it lay in ruins with RUC Special Branch running informers at the highest level in the IRA's ranks, in a successful counter-terrorist campaign which saved many lives.

But back in the 1980s, although Adams knew the military campaign was doomed, he allowed the killing to continue for another 10 years before talking to John Hume.

Activists like Anthony McIntyre now ask why he and others spent so many years in jail for conducting what Adams knew was a pointless struggle?

As I said at the start, my acid test for Irish politicians is whether they are willing to confront the danger that nationalist ambivalence about IRA violence could corrupt the moral life of the Irish Republic.

Hence I keep a close watch on the positions of Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin in relation to doing a deal with Sinn Fein.

Accordingly, during the Fine Gael leadership campaign I supported Leo Varadkar and strongly opposed Simon Coveney.

Basically I believed Varadkar was more likely than Coveney to take a tough line with Sinn Fein.

But his appointment of Coveney to look after Northern Ireland badly dented my trust in him.

Furthermore, my early belief that a Leo Varadkar-led Fine Gael would never do a deal with Sinn Fein has been almost dissipated by his flag-waving and subtext signals.

Gerard Howlin, in both the Irish Examiner and on the Pat Kenny Show, seemed to share my belief that on balance Leo Varadkar is more likely to form a limited alliance with Sinn Fein than Micheal Martin - who has deliberately burned all his bridges behind him rather than let Sinn Fein cross over.

The Taoiseach's statement on the eve of Mary Lou McDonald's coronation did not dispel my fears. Most of it stressed the gap in economic policies between Fine Gael and Sinn Fein.

Economic differences are easily bridged with a Tony Gregory deal as depicted in Colin Murphy's new play Haughey/Gregory.

The Taoiseach's finger-wag at McDonald's Sinn Fein compared poorly with Martin's scathing attack - reported in the Irish Independent but not in The Irish Times - in which he damagingly depicted Mary Lou McDonald as a "good soldier".

Adding it all up, I believe Leo Varadkar has left the door open to a deal.

*****

Finally, I applied my iron rule - where you stand on Sinn Fein - to the brief debate on women's suffrage in Dail Eireann last Tuesday.

This gave speakers a fine chance to show feminist solidarity with Councillor Noeleen Reilly, who had just resigned from Sinn Fein, charging party members with both bullying and physical assault. But not a whisper about it.

Replying to the debate, Minister Josepha Madigan - who went on to read a dull speech about Fine Gael's record on women's issues - began with the following mysterious opening sentence which I have watched several times without being any the wiser about what she meant.

"Thank you Leas Ceann Comhairle, I just have a few concluding remarks so I'll be erudite."

Erudite sounded less promising than concise but what followed was neither.

But Seamus Mallon was certainly erudite in his excoriation of Adams's tribal legacy in an interview with Peter Murtagh of The Irish Times last Friday.

Asked if Adams would leave the stage to Mary Lou McDonald, he replied:

"He will not be able to survive without the adulation, the massaging of his ego."
Pippa Middleton & James Middleton seen arriving for day thirteen at The Championships at Wimbledon on July 16, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by HGL/GC Images)

Prince Harry and Maid of Honour Pippa Middleton walk down the aisle at Westminster Abbey following the wedding ceremony of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on April 29, 2011

Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews attend the National Television Awards 2018 at the O2 Arena on January 23, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)

Pippa Middleton, sister of the Duchess of Cambridge goes for a run outside her London home a day after she announced her engagement to financier James Matthews. Picture: Philip Toscano/PA Wire

Spencer Matthews (left), the brother of groom James Matthews, stands at the entrance of St Mark's Church in Englefield, ahead of his brother's wedding to Pippa Middleton

Pippa Middleton and new husband James Matthews are seen getting on a water taxi in Pippa Middleton and new husband James Matthews are seen getting on a water taxi in Sydney harbour during their honeymoon. Picture: Splash News

Pippa Middleton and new husband James Matthews arrive in Darwin on the next leg of their multi-stop honeymoon. Picture: MEGA

Something has changed with Pippa Middleton.

Where she was once the most talked about woman in the world, second only to her older sister Kate, her rise to prominence was a sure thing. After gaining international fame as maid of honour at the royal wedding in 2011, there was a party planning book, columns with Vanity Fair and er, Waitrose, as well as a guest presenting gig on Good Morning America.

The future looked bright.

All were relatively short-lived and by 2016, she had retreated from public life completely, save for a few select charity appearances.

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In the early days of Kate and Prince William's relationship, Pippa was steadfastly by her sister's side, in particular during their well-documented split in 2007.

It's believed Kate and Pippa are as close as ever and both play an active role in each other's lives, but it seems that after seven years, Pippa has finally adjusted to her overnight fame. While Kate never received any official guidance from the royals in the 10 years she was dating William before their wedding, she is now the family's crown jewel. Her sister, on the other hand, was experiencing intensified levels of scrutiny with little to no advice from the experts.

She was deemed fair game by the British press, who relentlessly criticised most of her professional endeavours - sometimes deservedly, sometimes not - which is reportedly one of the main reasons she has become increasingly clandestine.

It's not exactly clear how she fills her days, although she is often pictured exercising around London before returning to the 16million Chelsea mansion she shares with husband James Matthews.

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Even her wedding last May to the multi-millionaire hedge fund manager was intended to be a private event as the media were not invited; but appearances by a number of royals in her inner circle, including niece Princess Charlotte and nephew Prince George's roles as flowergirl and pageboy all but guaranteed the world's press would descend on Bucklebury.

On the rare occasions Pippa does give interviews these days, it's for charity, in particular in conjunction with her role as an ambassador for the British Heart Foundation.

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Royal expert Duncan Larcombe said it's part of her new life as a married woman, instead focusing on a quiet, but lavish, life with her husband of nearly one year.

"Much more so than Kate, Pippa has enjoyed the limelight over the years," Larcombe told Town & Country.

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"I just think now shes happy and happily married, settling down, not having to go to party after party or run these endurance events for charity. She seems to have put all of that behind her at the moment."

"Shes certainly still very much the socialite in terms of her circle of friends. A lot of her friends have gotten married and settled down, so I think these days shes more likely to be hosting dinner parties in their lavish house rather than going out on the town and being photographed."

After a series of disastrous attempts for career independence, it's said her brother-in-law William took her under his wing and advised her on future career opportunities.

"It was felt by William in particular that she needed some guidance and support," the Daily Mail reported in 2016.

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"Among some courtiers, there were also echoes of Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, after her break-up with Prince Andrew and how she sold herself out with various corporate deals. It was felt something needed to be done. So Pippa has been quietly and diplomatically reined in."

It's not easy navigating royal-by-association fame, as Kate and Pippa's brother James (30) also knows. He has been dating tv presenter Donna Air for nearly four years and while they're often pictured out and about, he doesn't attract nearly as much attention as Pippa.

And his business hasn't replicated the success of their parents' party-planning company either.

In September 2017, his customised marshmallow company Boomf reported losses of 2.2 million, but is on the record as giving a lot more interviews to promote the business over the years, including with GQ, Good Morning America and the Daily Mail.

"Its always been, whether at school or now, that I am Pippa and Catherine';s little brother. Its probably going to be the story of my life. [But] I am James Middleton. I am very proud to be 'the little brother of' but, equally, they are proud that I am who I am," he said in 2016.
Sheena O'Buachalla and Jamie Heaslip at the launch of Kronenbourg BLANC. Picture: Kieran Harnett

He might be one of Ireland's most recognisable athletes, but Jamie Heaslip doesn't seek out the spotlight.

The Irish rugby star, however, was on hand to support his wife Sheena, a brand manager, who masterminded the launch of Kronenbourg BLANC in Ireland, just days after they celebrated their one year wedding anniversary.

The couple, clad in matching white outfits, beamed as they posed arm in arm at the new product launch at Haddington House in Dun Laoghaire, which saw a host of familiar faces in attendance, including Xpose's Cassie Stokes and model nutritionist Jodie Wood.

While Sheena unsurprisingly didn't dish about married life at the event, the brand manager did say she was "delighted" to be introducing the drink to the market.

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The pair, who have been together for seven years, wed last summer in a lavish affair in Dublin city centre attended by 200 friends and family.
Kim Cattrall has thanked her Sex And The City colleagues for their support after her brother, who had been missing for days, died.

The actress, 61, announced on Monday that her one of a kind brother Christopher Cattrall had died unexpectedly after she had previously appealed for help in finding him.

She posted a statement Twitter on Tuesday alongside the hashtag #Sexandthecity.

I would like to thank my fans, friends, and my #SexandtheCity colleagues for the outpouring of support for myself and family over the past 72 hours, she said.

The star had previously asked her fans to help spread the word to find her brother, who was 55.

It is with great sadness that myself and my family announce the unexpected passing of our son and brother, Chris Cattrall. At this time we ask for privacy. We want to thank you all on social media for your outpouring of love and support in this trying time. pic.twitter.com/n4dQAMrTvS  Kim Cattrall (@KimCattrall) February 4, 2018

Cattrall posted messages urging people to contact police in Blackfalds in Alberta, Canada, if they saw him.

Last year she was quoted as saying the Sex And The City cast were never friends and that Sarah Jessica Parker could have been nicer after Cattrall turned down a third Sex And The City movie.

Speaking about her three co-stars, she told Piers Morgans Life Stories: Weve never been friends. Weve been colleagues and in some ways its a very healthy place to be.

Cattrall had previously said the relationship had become toxic and hit out at being portrayed as a diva, adding of Parker: I really think she could have been nicer. I dont know what her issue is.
Victoria Beckham has ruled out a rumoured Spice Girls reunion tour.

The pop star turned fashion designer, 43, rejected reports the much-loved quintet would be playing live across the UK and US this summer.

It comes after the group confirmed plans to work again on new projects following a reunion lunch at Geri Horners house in Hertfordshire last week.

Beckham told Vogue: Im not going on tour. The girls arent going on tour.

Asked what their plans did involve, she said: Theres something so strong in the message of what the Spice Girls stood for. What is that in the future? What does that look like? We were just bouncing ideas around. Brainstorming.

It was so great to see the girls. We had such a fun lunch. It was really, really, really lovely. I still speak to them all individually, but for us all to get together was really lovely, Beckham added.

After debut single Wannabe hit number one in 1996, the Spice Girls became a smash-hit success before splitting in 2000.

The quintet embarked on a three-month tour of Europe and the US in 2008 to tie in with a greatest hits release and to act as a final farewell to fans.

They emerged once more to perform at the Olympic closing ceremony in 2012 but an expected comeback in 2016 with Brown, Horner and Bunton failed to materialise.
For some, Valentine's Day is a chance to embrace commercialism and guilt your partner into a date night; for others, it's a reminder of another day they'd rather not to be single and for the rest, it's an annual memorial of drunken debauchery dating back to Ancient Rome.

The exact origins of V-Day still remain a mystery, but historians agree its roots date back thousands of years. The most popular theory relates back to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, which involved the incredibly romantic ritual of goat sacrifice, followed by naked men whipping women with the remains of the blood-soaked goat in order to improve fertility.

Who needs chocolate and roses, eh?

Lupercalia was generally regarded as the historical version of date night in which men and women were paired off after men chose a name at random and were either stuck together for the duration of the festival or the rest of their lives. Again, the romance is palpable.

As Rome became increasingly Christian, the festival later morphed into one honouring St Valentine. The origins of St Valentine's identity are equally murky as Claudius II beheaded two men of the same name, on February 14, in the third century.

Regardless, he (or they as the case may be) was subsequently sainted by the Catholic Church.

The more popular opinion, which supports the lovey-dovey holiday we know today, is that he was a Roman priest martyred after secretly marrying Christian couples.

Historian Noel Lenski, told National Public Radio in 2011 that it was made into a Christian holiday in the fifth century. "It was a little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on it. That didnt stop it from being a day of fertility and love," he said.
Undated family handout photo issued by Slater and Gordon of Lissa Beechey and husband Simon Aberstone, as the mother-of-five died after doctors diagnosed TB meningitis as a common migraine. Photo: Slater and Gordon/PA Wire

Undated family handout photo issued by Slater and Gordon of Lissa Beechey, the mother-of-five died after doctors diagnosed TB meningitis as a common migraine Photo: Slater and Gordon/PA Wire

Undated family handout photo issued by Slater and Gordon of Lissa Beechey and husband Simon Aberstone, as the mother-of-five died after doctors diagnosed TB meningitis as a common migraine. Photo: Slater and Gordon/PA Wire

A mother-of-five has died after doctors misdiagnosed meningitis as a common migraine.

Lissa Beechey, 39, was given an urgent referral from her GP who suspected she might have meningitis after complaining of tiredness, crippling headaches and sensitive eyes.

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But doctors at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend diagnosed her with a migraine and sent her home with paracetomol.

Just 10 days later, she was admitted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and transferred to neurologists. She later died from a form of Tuberculosis (TB) meningitis.

After taking legal action, solicitors acting for Beechey's husband, Simon Aberstone, 49, said the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board have reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement.

Im still so angry that this was allowed to happen, Mr Aberstone said. You dont rule out TB until youve tested for it and if just one doctor had followed the correct procedures and given her the right medication then Lissa would still be here.

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He added that that Beechey was showing all the symptoms of TB meningitis  which include fatigue, headaches, neck pain and dislike of bright lights  when she was initially assessed at the Princess of Wales on September 10, 2015.

But even after requesting her X-ray results, taken three months earlier for an unrelated back problem, and spotting shadows on her lungs the doctors excluded TB meningitis.

Despite his devastating loss, Mr Aberstone says that he tries to stay strong for their children, aged eight and twins aged 12.

Beechey also had two older children from a previous relationship.

She was just a special person and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, Mr Aberstone added. Its hard to think of all the milestones shell miss but Im just doing my best to make sure the kids are looked after. I dont think Ive allowed myself time to grieve.

They havent been out of my sight for the last two years. Its hard but they are whats kept me strong and you have to try and find a way through it for them.

The familys lawyer Kelly Lloyd-Davies, from Slater and Gordon, said, The heartbreaking reality is that there were chances to save Lissas life but procedures werent followed and as a result these were missed.

While nothing can bring her back lessons must be learned to prevent mistakes like this from happening again before any more lives are needlessly lost.

A spokesman for the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board said, We would once more offer our sincere condolences to Ms Beacheys family for their sad loss and apologise for the shortcomings in her care.

We can assure Mr Aberstone we took immediate action such as increased staffing, additional training and awareness-raising. Additionally, a system was put in place to ensure all investigations are followed up promptly.

Although these measures have led to improvements we are continuing to closely monitor the situation and will take any additional action required to ensure the improvements are maintained.
Germany should stop scolding eurozone neighbours over economic policy, the man poised to become its next finance minister said yesterday.

Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democratic party (SPD), said in an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel that "mistakes were surely made in the past," in an apparent reference to the strict austerity policies of his predecessor, Wolfgang Schauble.

"We don't want to dictate to other European countries how they should develop," he said, in a sign that the new coalition of Chancellor Angela Merkel will be less strict on its neighbours over fiscal discipline.

But he said he wanted to preserve Schauble's balanced budget policy, allaying conservative concerns that the next government might spend beyond its means.

Scholz's comments seemed designed to ease tensions after a week when much blood has been spilt on the carpets in Berlin's corridors of power. More political careers seem to have ended in the space of three days than in a year of business as usual, according to German media reports, after Merkel's conservatives and the centre-left SPD finally agreed on a coalition deal last Wednesday.

The most spectacular downfall was that of SPD leader Martin Schulz, who initially emerged from coalition talks triumphant after browbeating Mrs Merkel into handing over control of the most powerful ministries - including the finance portfolio.

The former European parliament president, who has called for a "United States of Europe", was named foreign minister - but within days was forced to step down by his own party, which had not forgiven him for the SPD's poor election result last September.

Meanwhile Scholz, currently Hamburg mayor, is tipped to become not just finance minister but also vice-chancellor - a role that would make him the most powerful player in government after Merkel.

The coalition deal still has to be approved by the vote of over 460,000 SPD members.

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In training: Defence Forces on the Curragh Plains in Co Kildare in December 2017. Photo: RollingNews.ie

Highly trained members of the Defence Forces' elite special unit, the Ranger Wing, are to play a key role in a new EU battle-group.

It will be the first deployment of the Rangers as a unit in overseas duties in a decade.

Small groups of Rangers have been sent abroad in the interim to provide close-in protection for senior Irish military personnel and put on standby for visits by government ministers to foreign "hotspots". But the Ranger Wing has not been active overseas as a unit since it was included in the initial Defence Forces deployment in the peace enforcement mission in Chad in 2008.

It was learned last night that the Ranger Wing will form a "significant element" within the 148-strong military detachment participating in a German battle-group and will spearhead a special operations task group.

This task group will comprise a special operations platoon, engineers with specialist search capabilities, an army bomb disposal unit and a security platoon. The role of the Rangers will be largely similar to that in Chad and they will prepare for tasks such as long-range reconnaissance, gathering intelligence and target acquisition.

The Government gave its approval for Ireland's participation this week.

The battle-group will be on standby for the second half of 2020 and a live joint training exercise will take place in Germany before then. The cost of taking part in that exercise is expected to be around 1m and will come out of the existing defence budget.

Any deployment of the battle-group must be sanctioned by the Dail to complete the "triple lock" mechanism used for all overseas missions, with the United Nations already supporting the EU battle-group concept.

The decision to hand such key tasks to the Rangers is indication of the high esteem in which the specialist unit is held within the EU.

Participation in the battle-group will also allow the Rangers to upgrade their capabilities and the expertise gained in training with troops from the other member countries - Germany, Czech Republic, Croatia and the Netherlands - will also be put to use domestically.

Previous training exercises with troops from other countries allowed the specialist units from the defence forces to use their knowledge and experience in the huge security operations mounted here for the visits of Queen Elizabeth and former US president Barack Obama.

The deployment will lead to significant investment in the equipment available to the Irish troops, to ensure it is at least comparable with other contributing nations.

Making the case for government approval, Minister with Special Responsibility for Defence Paul Kehoe highlighted the benefits of increasing capability for the troops and the prestigious role being allocated to the Irish within the battle-group.

The battle-group is a stand-by military capability that enables the EU to react rapidly and decisively to a crisis, if requested by the UN.

Ireland has previously participated in the Nordic battle-groups in 2008, 2011 and 2015 and the UK-led battle-group in 2016.
An Israeli minister has said that by striking key Iranian sites in Syria, Israel sent a clear message to Iran that it would not tolerate an Iranian military foothold on its doorstep.

The wave of airstrikes came after Israel intercepted an Iranian drone that had infiltrated its airspace, and an Israeli F-16 was downed upon its return from Syria on Saturday.

It was Israels most serious engagement in neighbouring Syria since fighting there began in 2011 and the most devastating air assault on the country in decades.

The military said it destroyed the drones Iranian launching site along with four additional Iranian positions and eight Syrian sites, including the Syrian militarys main command and control bunker.

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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria through activists on the ground, said on Sunday that at least six Syrian troops and allied militiamen were killed in the airstrikes.

The six included Syrian troops as well as Syrian and non-Syrian allied troops, the Britain-based Observatory said.

Minister of Intelligence Israel Katz said: They, and we, know what we hit and it will take them some time for them to digest, understand and ask how Israel knew how to hit those sites.

He told Israels Army Radio: These were concealed sites and we have intelligence agencies and the ability to know everything that is going on there and yesterday we proved that.

In Saturdays attacks, the Israeli jets came under heavy Syrian anti-aircraft fire and the pilots of one of the F-16s had to eject as the plane crashed in northern Israel. One pilot was seriously wounded and the other lightly.

Israel would not confirm whether its aircraft was shot down by enemy fire, which would mark the first such instance for Israel since 1982 during the first Lebanon war.

These were concealed sites and we have intelligence agencies and the ability to know everything that is going on there and yesterday we proved thatIntelligence Minister Israel Katz

Israel has recently issued several stern warnings about the increased Iranian involvement along its borders with Syria and Lebanon, which it attributes to Irans growing confidence following Syrian president Bashar Assads successes in the civil war, thanks to support by main allies Russia and Iran.

Israel fears Iran could use Syrian territory to stage attacks or create a land corridor from Iran to Lebanon that could allow it to transfer weapons more easily to the Lebanese Hezbollah  an Iranian-backed Shiite militant group sworn to Israels destruction.

Hezbollahs fighters are also fighting on Assads side in the Syrian civil war.

Though Israel has largely stayed out of the Syrian conflict, it has struck weapons convoys destined for Hezbollah dozens of times since 2012.

Israel has also shot down several drones that previously tried to infiltrate its territory from Syria, but the capture of an Iranian drone and the direct targeting of Iranian sites in response marked a dramatic escalation in the Israeli retaliation.

Expand Close An F-16 plane crashed in northern Israel on Saturday (Rami Slush/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp An F-16 plane crashed in northern Israel on Saturday (Rami Slush/AP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held several consultations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who backs Assads government and maintains a large military presence in Syria.

Following the Israeli strikes they spoke again on Saturday, with Mr Netanyahu conveying Israels determination to counter Irans intentions.

Russias foreign ministry appeared to criticise Israels actions while the US strongly backed them.

It is absolutely unacceptable to create threats to the lives and security of Russian servicemen who are in Syria at the invitation of its legitimate government, the Russians said.

Heather Nauert, of the US State Department, said: Irans calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance places all the people of the region  from Yemen to Lebanon  at risk.

The US continues to push back on the totality of Irans malign activities in the region and calls for an end to Iranian behaviour that threatens peace and stability.
At least 18 people have been killed at an illegal gold mine in southern Venezuela during clashes with security forces looking to take control of the area.

Violence broke out in Bolivar state on Saturday when the army travelled to the Cicapra mine after receiving information that an armed gang was threatening wildcat miners in the remote area, an officer said.

No soldiers are thought to be among the dead.

The officer said none of those killed carried identification, but that one of those killed is believed to be a woman known locally as "the boss" who is suspected of taking control of the area following the murder last year of her brother, Anderson Rodriguez, an alleged gang leader known for his ruthless treatment of miners.

Four assault weapons, grenades and several light firearms were seized during the encounter.

It is the most violent incident at a mine in Bolivar state since the bodies of 17 wildcat miners were found in a mass grave in 2016.

Violence has been on the rise in Bolivar as Venezuela's cash-strapped government looks to open the resource-rich area to foreign investment amid an ongoing turf war in the lawless area between criminal gangs and the military.
Two captured British Isis militants should not be given the "satisfaction" of being put to death and becoming martyrs, a former hostage has said.

Nicolas Henin, a French journalist, was one of the few captives to survive brutal detention at the hands of the cell that became known as "The Beatles" in Syria. He wants his former jailers, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, to face a fair trial for their crimes.

"The death penalty would achieve what these people claim they wanted when they went to Syria - martyrdom," Mr Henin said last week. "You don't give your enemy such satisfaction."

Mr Henin does not believe the Kurdish militias who have Kotey and Elsheikh in custody have the capacity for a thorough legal process. "Guantanamo Bay wouldn't be a satisfying solution either, as it is a denial of justice," he added. "What I want is an incontestable trial, as fair as possible, where my captors would have all the chances to defend themselves. We must absolutely prevent them reversing the situation by depicting them as victims. We were the victims, not them. If they don't get justice, they will use it to fuel propaganda."

Mr Henin was freed four months before the group beheaded his former cellmate James Foley in 2014, starting a string of murders including aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning and Americans Peter Kassig and Steven Sotloff. Executioner Mohammed Emwazi became known as 'Jihadi John' and was killed in a drone strike, while his fellow 'Beatle' Aine Davis is imprisoned in Turkey.

The remaining two members of the cell - Kotey (34) and Elsheikh (29) - remained at large until they were caught by the Syrian Democratic Forces in January. They have been questioned by US officials following identification using biometric data and other tools.

Hostages have told of their brutality, which included torture, waterboarding, electric shocks, mock executions, and crucifixions. Mr Henin was the first Western journalist to enter Syria after the uprising started, being kidnapped in June 2013 alongside photographer Pierre Torres while filming in Raqqa, which would later become Isil's self-declared capital.

He described all four 'Beatles' as "arrogant, considering themselves as the elite forces of the 'caliphate', connected to the highest level of the leadership of the group, and regularly brutal".

The journalist believed that other jihadis involved in his capture may still be at large but said knowing Kotey and Elsheikh were behind bars was important to his recovery.

"I feel much better. I believe former hostages and the families of those murdered largely share my feelings. We all are looking for justice. It will not bring us what we lost, a year in our life or even a son, but it's still necessary," he said.

While Isil's self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria has collapsed, leaving small pockets of militants surrounded in border areas, it continues efforts to inspire terror attacks around the world and has spread to Afghanistan, Libya and Egypt.

"I'm still happy to see this monstrosity collapsing, also for the welfare of the local population, but am worried of the persistence of a lot of its ideas in the mind of people, both in the Middle East and in Europe," Mr Henin said.

Relatives of the hostages tortured and murdered by 'The Beatles' have spoken of their relief. Bethany Haines, whose father David was killed in 2014 after being held captive for 18 months, said she hoped Kotey and Elsheikh's detention could bring closure.

"In my opinion, they shouldn't be breathing, but that's not a realistic kind of expectation," she said. "I think that they should be locked up with the key thrown away and never released."

Diane Foley, the mother of the first hostage to be beheaded, said the arrests will not bring her son back, but "hopefully it protects others from this kind of crime".

"Their crimes are beyond imagination," she said. "They really have not done anything good in the world, so I think they need to spend the rest of their life being held."

Elsheikh came to the UK as a child from Sudan, when his family were granted refugee status, and lived in White City, west London. He had links to local gangs as a teenager, with his older brother jailed for gun possession, and was not religious until he was introduced to a radical preacher.

He travelled to Syria in 2012 and joined al-Qaeda's regional branch before an internal dispute led to a splinter group creating Isil.

Kotey was born in London, he is half-Ghanaian, half-Greek Cypriot and grew up in Shepherd's Bush. He converted to Islam in his early 20s, and left two young children in Britain when he travelled to Gaza in 2009 as part of an aid convoy organised by former MP George Galloway.

Independent
A Kurdish female fighter of the Women's Protection Unit (YPJ) gestures as she sits in the Sheikh Maksoud neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria February 7, 2018. Picture taken February 7, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki

An Israeli minister has said that by striking key Iranian sites in Syria, Israel sent a clear message to Iran that it would not tolerate an Iranian military foothold on its doorstep.

The wave of airstrikes came after Israel intercepted an Iranian drone that had infiltrated its airspace, and an Israeli F-16 was downed upon its return from Syria on Saturday.

It was Israel's most serious engagement in neighbouring Syria since fighting there began in 2011 and the most devastating air assault on the country in decades.

The military said it destroyed the drone's Iranian launching site along with four additional Iranian positions and eight Syrian sites, including the Syrian military's main command and control bunker.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria through activists on the ground, said on Sunday that at least six Syrian troops and allied militiamen were killed in the airstrikes.

The six included Syrian troops as well as Syrian and non-Syrian allied troops, the Britain-based Observatory said.

Minister of Intelligence Israel Katz said: "They, and we, know what we hit and it will take them some time for them to digest, understand and ask how Israel knew how to hit those sites."

He told Israel's Army Radio: "These were concealed sites and we have intelligence agencies and the ability to know everything that is going on there and yesterday we proved that."

In Saturday's attacks, the Israeli jets came under heavy Syrian anti-aircraft fire and the pilots of one of the F-16s had to eject as the plane crashed in northern Israel. One pilot was seriously wounded and the other lightly.

Israel would not confirm whether its aircraft was shot down by enemy fire, which would mark the first such instance for Israel since 1982 during the first Lebanon war.

Israel has recently issued several stern warnings about the increased Iranian involvement along its borders with Syria and Lebanon, which it attributes to Iran's growing confidence following Syrian president Bashar Assad's successes in the civil war, thanks to support by main allies Russia and Iran.

Israel fears Iran could use Syrian territory to stage attacks or create a land corridor from Iran to Lebanon that could allow it to transfer weapons more easily to the Lebanese Hezbollah - an Iranian-backed Shiite militant group sworn to Israel's destruction.

Hezbollah's fighters are also fighting on Assad's side in the Syrian civil war.

Though Israel has largely stayed out of the Syrian conflict, it has struck weapons convoys destined for Hezbollah dozens of times since 2012.

Israel has also shot down several drones that previously tried to infiltrate its territory from Syria, but the capture of an Iranian drone and the direct targeting of Iranian sites in response marked a dramatic escalation in the Israeli retaliation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held several consultations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who backs Assad's government and maintains a large military presence in Syria.

Following the Israeli strikes they spoke again on Saturday, with Mr Netanyahu conveying Israel's determination to counter Iran's intentions.

Russia's foreign ministry appeared to criticise Israel's actions while the US strongly backed them.

"It is absolutely unacceptable to create threats to the lives and security of Russian servicemen who are in Syria at the invitation of its legitimate government," the Russians said.

Heather Nauert, of the US State Department, said: "Iran's calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance places all the people of the region - from Yemen to Lebanon - at risk.

"The US continues to push back on the totality of Iran's malign activities in the region and calls for an end to Iranian behaviour that threatens peace and stability."
Under fire: Children in Alonei Abba, east of Haifa, northern Israel, cautiously look at the remains of a missile that crashed in their back garden. Picture: Jack Guez/Getty

Anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli warplane returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria yesterday in the most serious confrontation yet between Israel and Iranian-backed forces based across the border.

The F-16, one of at least eight Israeli planes despatched in response to what Israel said was an Iranian drone's incursion into its airspace earlier in the day, was hit by a Syrian anti-aircraft missile and crashed in northern Israel.

Both pilots ejected and were injured, one critically.

Israel then launched a second and more intensive air raid, hitting what it said were 12 Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including Syrian air defence systems.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group said the downing of the plane marked the "start of a new strategic phase" which would limit Israel's ability to enter Syrian airspace.

Iran's involvement in Syria in support of Bashar al-Assad in a nearly seven-year-old civil war - including the deployment of Iran-backed forces near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - has alarmed Israel, which has said it would counter any threat.

But Israel and Syria signalled they were not seeking wider conflict, even as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to military headquarters in Tel Aviv and the pro-Assad alliance pledged a strong response to any Israeli "terrorist action".

"Israel seeks peace, but we will continue to defend ourselves steadfastly against any attack against us or any attempt by Iran to establish itself against us in Syria," Netanyahu said in a televised statement.

Russia, whose forces began intervening on behalf of Assad in 2015, expressed its concern and urged both sides to exercise restraint and avoid escalation.

Netanyahu said he had spoken to Russia's Vladimir Putin and that they agreed Israel-Russia military coordination in regard to Syria would continue.

A Western diplomat in the region said: "My impression is that it seems to be contained at this point. I don't think anybody wants it to escalate further."

A Pentagon spokesman said the US fully supported Israel's right to defend itself against threats.

Saturday's chain of events began at 4:30am when an Israeli Apache helicopter shot down an Iranian drone over the northern town of Beit Shean.

The drone had been sighted taking off from a base in Syria, and was intercepted after it crossed into Israeli territory, said an Israeli spokesman.

Israeli planes then struck an Iranian installation in Syria from where, the Israeli military said, the unmanned aircraft had been operated.

The Israeli military released grainy black and white footage of what it said was the drone's control vehicle in Syria being destroyed. The F-16 crashed on its return from the mission, coming down in an empty field near Harduf, east of Haifa.

"We heard a big explosion and then sirens. We didn't know what was happening, we heard helicopters and planes in the air," said one eyewitness.

Flights at Tel Aviv's international airport were briefly halted, but the area was quiet by mid-afternoon.

Missile remnants were found near the crash site. "We don't know yet if it's an SA-5 or SA-17, but it's a Syrian anti-aircraft missile," said an IDF spokesman.

Israel then launched a second bombing raid in Syria. The pro-Assad military alliance said Israel had attacked a drone base in central Syriabut denied any of its drones had entered Israeli airspace. Iran rejected the Israeli version of events as "ridiculous".

Yesterday afternoon Lebanon protested over Israel's use of its airspace to target Syria, saying it would complain to the UN Security Council about the breach. Lebanon's foreign ministry also said it supported Syria's "legitimate" right to respond to Israeli "aggression".

The statement said such "aggressive policy" threatened stability in the region and went on to urge concerned countries to "rein in" Israel.

It is the first time an Israeli F-16 had been brought down since Israel began using the jets in the 1980s. Israel, which also operates drones, has long maintained air superiority in the region. It mounts air strikes in Syria on a regular basis, striking suspected weapons shipments to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group.

Iranian and Iran-backed Shi'ite forces, including Hezbollah, have deployed widely in Syria in support of Assad. Iran's military chief warned Israel last October against breaching Syrian airspace and territory.

Netanyahu, visiting the Golan last Tuesday, peered across the border into Syria and made public remarks warning Israel's enemies not to test its resolve.

But yesterday, after the downing of the F-16, an official in the pro-Assad alliance said a "message" had been delivered to Israel. But he added: "I do not believe matters will develop to a regional war."

An Israeli military spokesman said Israel did not seek escalation in the region, calling its action a defensive effort triggered by an Iranian act of aggression.

"The tough part is how to continue to walk a tightrope, where neither side wants an all-out war, but no one wants to be the one who absorbed the blow and didn't respond appropriately," said Uzi Rabi of the Moshe Dayan Centre for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, speaking on Israeli television.

The Trump regime has backed Israel's hawkish stance on Iran, and has also declared containing Tehran's influence an objective of its Syria policy. On a controversial visit to Israel last month, US vice president Mike Pence called Iran the world's "leading state sponsor of terror".

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is also expected to visit the region this week and is scheduled to visit Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and other countries.

Tensions have also spiked across the frontier between Israel and Lebanon over Israeli plans for a border wall, and Lebanese plans to exploit an offshore energy block which is partly located in disputed waters.

In Gaza, the armed wing of the Islamic group Hamas declared a full alert among its fighters because of the escalation of violence in northern Israel.

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war and has occupied them ever since, annexing the territory in 1981. The United Nations has continued to reject Israel's claims to the region.

There has been an uneasy stand-off since a ceasefire deal that followed another war in 1973, with UN observer forces manning a buffer zone between the two armies.

Last November, Israel said it had shot down a Syrian reconnaissance drone over the demilitarised zone, and on February 8 shots were fired from Syrian territory at an Israeli drone, hitting a house in Israeli-occupied Golan.
French carmaker PSA Group will source 30% of parts for cars that will be assembled in the Algerian plant from Iran, said a senior official of Iranian Auto Parts Manufacturers Association.

An agreement was signed in this respect between PSA Group and car part manufacturer Iran Khodro (IKCO), Mohammad Reza Najafi-Manesh, a member of the presiding board of Iranian Auto Parts Manufacturers Association told the press.

PSA signed deals worth 700 million with Iran Khodro last May for the joint production of 200,000 cars per year.

The news shows that the PSA plant in Algeria will be largely supplied with parts from abroad turning it into a mere assembly plant. The car assembly plants in Algeria have a low local sourcing rate, with most parts imported from abroad as semi-knocked down kits, thus further aggravating the countrys import bill with only tires being made in Algeria. Locally produced parts made up in 2016, only 10 to 15% of cars made in Algeria.

This will turn Algerias plans to develop car manufacturing into disguised imports when considering the very low local sourcing rate.

Last month, PSA executive vice-president for purchasing, Yannick Bezard, invited Iran Khodro to set up shop in Algeria where Peugeot is launching a manufacturing unit.

Peugeot signed a joint venture worth around 100 million last November to produce cars for the Algerian market, with the production line due to become fully operational in 2019.

The figures are but the tree that hides the forest, when considering that Algerias aim to develop a local car industry has turned into disguised imports.
Mumbai, Feb 11 (IBNS): A massive fire broke out near Maya Hotel in Mankhurd early on Sunday morning, media reports said.

The fire started at 6 AM in the morning.

According to reports, no casualties have been reported.

As the fire broke, twenty fire engines reached the spot to douse the blaze.

Local residents told media the fire started at a shop in a scrap yard, on the Mankhurd-Ghatkopar highway.
Jammu, Feb 11 (IBNS): The Indian Army's operation to flush out the terrorists holed up near the residential quarters inside the Sunjuwan Army camp in Jammu since Saturday left five soldiers martyred and a civilian deceased, media reports said on Sunday.

The five martyred Army personnel include Sub. Madan Lal Choudhary (1st Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, JAK LI), Sub. Mohd Ashraf Mir (1st JAK LI), Hav. Habib-Ullah Qurashi (1st JAK LI), NK Manzoor Ahmed (1st JAK LI) and L/NK Mohd Iqbal (1st JAK LI).

The civilian who was killed has been identified as the father of L/NK Mohd Iqbal.

Even after the passage of 24 hours, the Indian Army's operation continued on Sunday.

According to reports, the Army said that there was no firing during Saturday night.

The operation now mainly focuses on evacuation of people from family quarters.

This comes after three heavily armed Jaish terrorists were neutralized by the Army on Saturday itself.

Reports said that four terrorists had stormed the Sunjawan army camp in Jammu city early on Saturday morning.

The terrorists were not only carrying a large amount of ammunition but wore Army combat dress, reports said.

Presently, Jammu is on high alert and schools near the Army camp have been closed.
Dubai, Feb 11 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited Museum of the Future in Dubai city.

PMO India tweeted: "PM @narendramodi visited the Museum of the Future in Dubai today."

Museum of the Future is a technological museum in Dubai

Prime Minster Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed at the World Government Summit in Dubai and said governments should ensure that technology is used for development and not destruction.

"In Dubai, PM Modi says Governments must ensure technology is used for development, not destruction," Modi said.

He said: "Technology is changing at speed of thought, necessity not the mother of invention anymore."

Modi said technology has empowered commonman.

"Technology has empowered the common man, which has given a fillip to minimum government," he said.

Speaking on 6R's, he said: " The 6 R's - reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign, re-manufacture - and technology will take us to a point where we can rejoice."

Modi is currently touring the UAE.
Srinagar, Feb 11 (IBNS): Five soldiers and a civilian have been killed during 30-hour-long gunbattle which started on Saturday morning after heavily armed terrorists had stormed the Sunjawan army camp in Jammu city .

Defence Spokesman told IBNS in Jammu that four terrorists were also killed who were hold up near the residential quarters inside the camp.

Four dead bodies of terrorists wearing army combat dress and was heavily armed. AK-56 rifles, under barrel grenade launchers, ammunition and grenades were recovered, Defence spokesman said on Sunday.

The operation now mainly focuses on evacuation of people from family quarters, spokesman said.

The five martyred Army personnel include Sub. Madan Lal Choudhary (1st Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, JAK LI), Sub. Mohd Ashraf Mir (1st JAK LI), Hav. Habib-Ullah Qurashi (1st JAK LI), NK Manzoor Ahmed (1st JAK LI) and L/NK Mohd Iqbal (1st JAK LI).

The civilian, who was killed, has been identified as the father of L/NK Mohd Iqbal.

Earlier in a day Army chief Bipin Rawat arrived in Jammu to review the operation that started early on Saturday after heavily armed terrorist in army fatigues stormed the camp at around 4.45am.

Meanwhile, National Investigation Agency team members arrived in Jammu and straightway went to Sunjwan military station , sources said NIA would be probing as to how the terrorists sneaked into the family quarters of the military station .

A high alert had been sounded in the Valley and for Jammu as well to watch out for possible terrorist attacks on the army camps and police stations.

Sunjuwan is third biggest army facility in Jammu and Kashmir after Northern Commands headquarters in Udhampur and Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar.

Terrorists had targeted the Sunjuwan camp 14 years ago in which two Terrorists and 12 soldiers were dead on June 28, 2003.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
The plane had 71 passengers onboard when the mishap occurred.

"Fragments of the An-148 plane and several bodies have been found near the village of Stepanovskoye," a ministry spokesman told TASS news agency of the country.

The Saratov Airlines jet vanished after take-off from the airport.

Russias Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) was quoted as saying in a statement reported by TASS: " The An-148 passenger plane of the Saratov Airlines [flight 730 from Moscow to Orsk] took off from the Domodedovo airport at 14:21 Moscow time. According to preliminary data, there were 65 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane. Radio contact with the plane was lost several minutes after the takeoff and the plane went out of the radars. In happened in Moscow regions Ramensky district."

The exact cause of the crash was not known.

The passengers are believed to have died.

President Vladimir Putin has offered his condolences to the families of the passengers and crew present in the plane.

He has ordered an investigation into the incident.

Rescuers have been reportedly sent to the spot of the mishap.

Saratov Airlines flight #6W703 has crashed about 5-6 minutes after take off from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow.



During the last seconds before it crashed the aircraft was falling with up to 22,000 feet per minute.



The aircraft involved was a 7 year old Antonov An-148. pic.twitter.com/0ENfhyI9Ts  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 11, 2018

"Saratov Airlines flight #6W703 has crashed about 5-6 minutes after take off from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. During the last seconds before it crashed the aircraft was falling with up to 22,000 feet per minute.The aircraft involved was a 7 year old Antonov An-148," Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 tweeted.
New Delhi, Feb 11 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condoled the loss of lives in the plane crash incident in Russia.

"Deepest condolences on the tragic loss of life in today's air crash in Moscow. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims," Modi tweeted.



All 71 people, who were travelling, are feared to have died after a Russian flight crashed outside Moscow on Sunday, media reports said.

"Fragments of the An-148 plane and several bodies have been found near the village of Stepanovskoye," a Russias emergencies ministry spokesman told TASS.

The Saratov Airlines jet vanished after take-off from the airport.

Russias Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) was quoted as saying in a statement reported by TASS: " The An-148 passenger plane of the Saratov Airlines [flight 730 from Moscow to Orsk] took off from the Domodedovo airport at 14:21 Moscow time. According to preliminary data, there were 65 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane. Radio contact with the plane was lost several minutes after the takeoff and the plane went out of the radars. In happened in Moscow regions Ramensky district."

The exact cause of the crash was not known.

President Vladimir Putin has offered his condolences to the families of the passengers and crew present in the plane.

He has ordered an investigation into the incident.

Rescuers have been reportedly sent to the spot of the mishap.

"Saratov Airlines flight #6W703 has crashed about 5-6 minutes after take off from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. During the last seconds before it crashed the aircraft was falling with up to 22,000 feet per minute.The aircraft involved was a 7 year old Antonov An-148," Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 tweeted.


iBeijing, Feb 11 (IBNS): At least one person was killed and 12 others were hurt in a knife attack incident at a mall in China's Beijing city on Sunday, media reports said.

"The attack happened around 1 p.m. at Joy City in the commercial area of Xidan, Xicheng District, Xinhua news agency reported quoting police.

Identity of the other injured people are not known.

Knife attack at JoyCity Mall in Beijing, China. At least one killed four wounded. Motivation of the attacker unknown pic.twitter.com/PaAJ31OkJC  Augustus Manchurius (@1984to1776) February 11, 2018

One injured woman died at a hospital while she was undergoing treatment.

One suspect has been arrested so far.

The suspect has claimed responsibility for the attack and said he was motivated by personal grievances, police told Xinhua.

Image: Twitter page of 1984to1776




Moscow, Feb 11 (IBNS): All 71 people, who were travelling, are feared to have died after a Russian flight crashed outside Moscow on Sunday, media reports said.

"Fragments of the An-148 plane and several bodies have been found near the village of Stepanovskoye," a Russias emergencies ministry spokesman told TASS.

The Saratov Airlines jet vanished after take-off from the airport.

UPDATE The radio communication with the crew was lost several minutes after the take-off, the aircraft disappeared off the radar screen https://t.co/My6L8Frcsy pic.twitter.com/SBpZIW7uca  AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) February 11, 2018

Russias Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) was quoted as saying in a statement reported by TASS: " The An-148 passenger plane of the Saratov Airlines [flight 730 from Moscow to Orsk] took off from the Domodedovo airport at 14:21 Moscow time. According to preliminary data, there were 65 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane. Radio contact with the plane was lost several minutes after the takeoff and the plane went out of the radars. In happened in Moscow regions Ramensky district."

The exact cause of the crash was not known.

The great circle distance between Moscow (DME) and Orsk (OSW) is 1,448 km. Avarage flight time for flight #6W703 is 2h 11 min. pic.twitter.com/CJ7Pc1mmuh  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 11, 2018

President Vladimir Putin has offered his condolences to the families of the passengers and crew present in the plane.

He has ordered an investigation into the incident.

Saratov Airlines flight #6W703 has crashed about 5-6 minutes after take off from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow.



During the last seconds before it crashed the aircraft was falling with up to 22,000 feet per minute.



The aircraft involved was a 7 year old Antonov An-148. pic.twitter.com/0ENfhyI9Ts  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 11, 2018

Rescuers have been reportedly sent to the spot of the mishap.

All available Flightradar24 data regarding #6W703, including CSV of granular ADS-B data downloaded and processed after the crash. https://t.co/bVM7utQ2JG pic.twitter.com/18INzYUo1r  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 11, 2018

"Saratov Airlines flight #6W703 has crashed about 5-6 minutes after take off from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. During the last seconds before it crashed the aircraft was falling with up to 22,000 feet per minute.The aircraft involved was a 7 year old Antonov An-148," Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 tweeted.

Image: AIRLIVE Twitter page
Lahore, Feb 11 (IBNS): Pakistan's senior lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jahangir died in Lahore city on Sunday, media reports said.

Asma Jahangir is survived by a son and two daughters.

She was 66.

The family told DawnNews that she suffered from cardiac arrest and was shifted to a hospital, where she passed.

She was born on January 1952.

Asma was born in Pakistan's Lahore city.

She is widely known for playing a prominent role in the Lawyers' Movement and served as the trustee at the International Crisis Group.

In 1987 she co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and became its Secretary General until 1993 when she was elevated as commission's chairperson.

Jahangir served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion from August 2004 to July 2010, including serving on the U.N. panel for inquiry into Sri Lankan human rights violations and on a fact-finding mission on Israeli settlements.

The nation has been left shocked by her death.

Daughter of former Pakistan CM Nawaz Sharif- Maryam Nawaz Sharif- said: " Democracy, human rights and resistance against oppression lost a great soldier- Asma Jehangir. It's everyone's loss. What a sad day!"

Shocked & deeply saddened to hear of Asma Jehangir's sudden death. It is an irreparable loss. May she rest in eternal peace. Ameen.  Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) February 11, 2018

PTI leader Asad Umar said: "Sorry to hear about asma jahangir passing away. I disagreed with many of her political positions but respected the fact that she clearly stood up for what she believed in."

Sorry to hear about asma jahangir passing away. I disagreed with many of her political positions but respected the fact that she clearly stood up for what she believed in  Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) February 11, 2018

Zaheer-ud-Din Babar Awan, ex-Minister for Law (Pakistan), tweeted: "What a loss! A great colleague Asma Jahangir passes away. Few days ago, we appeared together in the Supreme Court. This distinguished voice shall be remembered for long ."

Saddened to hear about the death of veteran actor Qazi Wajid. A great loss. May Allah bless the departed soul and give patience to the bereaved family  Babar Awan (@BabarAwanPK) February 11, 2018

Pakistani activist Muniba Mazari said: "Rest in Power! #AsmaJahangir."

Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai remarked: "Heartbroken that we lost Asma Jahangir - a saviour of democracy and human rights. I met her a week ago in Oxford. I cannot believe she is no more among us. The best tribute to her is to continue her fight for human rights and democracy."

Heartbroken that we lost Asma Jahangir - a saviour of democracy and human rights.



I met her a week ago in Oxford. I cannot believe she is no more among us. The best tribute to her is to continue her fight for human rights and democracy. pic.twitter.com/Tf7VOYfvq5  Malala (@Malala) February 11, 2018

Image: Asma Jahangir Twitter page
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Head of the Government, Saad Eddine El Otmani, Saturday, visited the eastern town of Jerada, which has witnessed unrest and protest in the wake of the death of three miners in abandoned mines late last year and promised economic alternatives benefiting the locals.

During his visit, which came following a study by the mining ministry on the mines of Jerrada, Head of the government announced a series of measures to offer job opportunities to the citys youth and address the complaints of the local population.

El Otmani affirmed that all illegal exploitation of mines will be halted and new zinc and lead mines will be open.

He also mentioned a set of social initiatives benefiting the workers of the abandoned coal mines Charbonnages du Maroc (CDM), citing the transfer of houses occupied by some workers.

He noted that 2.5 million dirhams will be provided to the legal unit in charge of coordination with the pension and insurance fund in order to manage records of occupational diseases of the employees of Charbonnages du Maroc.

Regarding efforts to develop the province, El Othmani said that the Jerada Industrial Zone, whose works have been launched, will enable young entrepreneurs to carry out projects through allocation of land.

Head of the government also shed light on efforts to develop agriculture in the region, saying that 3000 hectares will be developed including 2000 hectares dedicated to young farmers.
Market has corrected by ~5% since January 29, 2018, the day market closed at all time high, due to global volatility. Investors had made spectacular returns in 2017 as the nightmares of GST transition and demonetization passed away. Investors can also make significant returns in 2018 as the India growth story is still intact and current correction is an opportunity for investors to invest. Investors who do not have expertise and time to track the market can invest in mutual funds.



Investors can invest in a lump sum and/or via SIPs in mutual funds. SIP is a method in which a particular amount is invested in mutual funds regularly for a predefined period. SIPs allow investors to reap the benefit of Rupee Cost Averaging.



Below are 5 mutual funds that should in your portfolio to create wealth in long term.

Scheme Name AUM

(Rs Cr) Absolute Return (%) CAGR (%) MTD YTD 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years ICICI Pru Balanced Fund(G) 25,957 -1.7 -0.6 17.0 12.2 18.3 Aditya Birla SL Top 100 Fund(G) 3,930 -3.4 -2.0 17.7 9.8 17.7 SBI BlueChip Fund-Reg(G) 17,869 -3.2 -2.2 18.1 11.2 18.0 Tata Equity P/E Fund(G) 2,492 -2.7 -1.6 25.1 16.2 23.1 UTI Income Opp Fund(G) 4,127 0.1 0.6 6.6 8.4 8.9

*AUM as of December 2017; Returns as on February 08, 2018; Source: ACE MF

ICICI Pru Balanced Fund

It is an equity-oriented balanced fund that does tactical allocation between debt and equity based on the market outlook to ensure optimal risk reward.

The fund invests ~60-80% of AUM in equity to give steady growth over long term while ~20-40% is allocated to debt investments to cap the down side risk.

Investors who want to create wealth in long term via investing in a balanced portfolio of Debt and Equity with an allocation ~30:70 can invest in the fund.

Aditya Birla SL Top 100 Fund

It is an equity fund that primarily invests in top 100 stocks by market capitalization.

The fund follows growth cum value investment style to create wealth in long-term.

Investors who want to primarily invest in large-cap stocks can invest in this fund to create wealth in long term.

SBI BlueChip Fund

It is a large-cap equity fund that invests in companies whose market capitalization is at least equal to or more than the least market capitalized stock of S&P BSE 100 Index.

The fund aims to provide investors with opportunities for long-term growth through investments in a diversified basket of equity stocks.

Investors who want to primarily invest in large-cap stocks can invest in this fund to create wealth in long term.

Tata Equity P/E Fund

It is a value conscious equity fund, which aims to invest 70-100% of its AUM in stocks whose 12 months rolling PE ratio is lower than 12 month rolling PE ratio of BSE Sensex.

The remaining AUM is allocated in other equity and debt instruments.

Investors who are value conscious and want to invest in large-cap and mid-cap stocks can invest in the fund.

UTI Income Opportunity Fund
Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth, said Marlee Matlin, and its high time that we all realise that. Global warming, ozone depletion, pollutionthe problems are huge and grave. You cannot cure it, but you can prevent it, for sure. Its time to save the mother Earth, and we shall all join hands.

As they say, those who are rich and famous have the power to influence people, Bollywood celebrities have been doing their bit. We have heard how Leonardo DiCaprio is going huge with his environmental activism and is working tirelessly on the issue of climate change. He even did a film The Revenant showed the horrifying story of survival in future.

Here is a list of Bollywood celebrities who work round the year as eco-warriors saving the mother Earth thereby spreading awareness on the issues among public.

1. Dia Mirza -- promotes habitat as well as environment protection

AFP

Proving her mettle as an actress in films like Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Dia Mirza gradually shifted her course. She has been contributing a lot to bring a change in the environment.

Towards the end of the last year, she was appointed as the first United Nations Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India. She is also the ambassador of Wildlife Trust of India, which is a part of Swachh Bharat Missions youth-based programme. Furthermore, she is also a member of the Sanctuary Nature Foundation.





She actively endorses campaigns to save the earth and takes part in habitat as well as environment protection.

I have always advocated the need for sustainable living, to make green and environmental-friendly choices in our day to day lives, and for all of us to think about what kind of a world were leaving behind for the future generations. It begins with simple choices. Within my home, I have made multiple changes. For example, creating green spaces with a bird-feeding unit to attract birds, butterflies, bees and thereby helping urban ecosystems thrive. I have also replaced plastic with glass and ceramics, and ensure compulsory daily waste segregation, she said in an interview.

2. Gul Panag  working on promoting natural energy resources

BCCL

Gul Panag has been actively working on promoting natural energy resources. In fact, she has an eco-friendly home, which uses solar energy for power generation and has water harvesting as one of its key features. Furthermore, she is also a part of Col. Shamsher Singh Foundation and Gul 4 Change which work for proper waster disposal, basic sanitation and effectively employment of natural energy resources.

3. Rahul Bose  working on climate change issues

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Versatile actor and talented director Rahul Bose has also been working towards the cause of climate change. In 2009, the Pyaar Ke Side Effects actor represented Oxfam at the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. He, in fact, joined thousands of people in the mass rally as well as candlelight vigil that took place outside the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen. Furthermore, he also has a foundation which works on climate change issues.

4. Nandita Das  working on the cause of water conservation

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Nandita Das, who is also known for protesting against advertisement of fairness products in the country, has been actively working towards the cause of water conservation. She has done Masters in Social work from University of Delhi. In 2003, she collaborated with New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment for spreading awareness on water conservation as well harvesting. Furthermore, she has also produced and directed educational short films on rain water harvesting for children.

5. Akshay Kumar  promotes cleanliness on roads

PTI

Akshay Kumar has not only been taking on social causes via his films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Padman, but otherwise as well the man has taken a stand. Promoting the Swachh Bharat initiative, Akshay has paired up with BMC to promote cleanliness in Mumbai.

6. John Abraham  supports a campaign that provides solar-powered energy to rural areas.

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The handsome hunk of Bollywood might not be doing many films lately but he is actively working on several social causes. We have all seen him advertising cosmetic brand Garnier, but not all of us know that with that he also supports their campaign that provides solar-powered electricity to the rural areas of the nation. Furthermore, he has associated himself with PETA.

7. Abhishek Bachchan  has been fighting climate change.

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If I have to make a movie on environment, I will, when Abhishek Bachchan said this, he received a roaring response from the audiences on the stage of the Green Globe Foundation and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) award ceremony, where he was awarded Green Globe award for his outstanding efforts in fighting the climate change. He was honoured by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

8. Amitabh Bachchan  is also fighting climate change.

AFP

Like father, like son. Not only Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh is also fighting to save the environment from climate change. He partnered with Global Cool an International Indian Film Academy in order to build awareness about India's vulnerability to climate change. Furthermore, he has also joined the moment to reduce the use of vehicles and air-conditioners while shooting of films.

9. Ajay Devgn  helped in setting up of a solar plant in Gujarat.

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Apart from impressing us by playing strong roles in his films, Ajay Devgn has also been doing his bit to save the mother Earth. He helped in setting up of a solar plant in Gujarats Patan district. Furthermore, he also supported the ban on fire-crackers which causes pollution. For the time being its a right decision. I believe it should be implemented in other cities also, he had said.
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has been soaring high in Bollywood. His films are not only doing well commercially, they have also been leaving a strong message among the youth in India and globally. His last two films, Dangal and Secret Superstar created quite a stir among the audiences, for all the right reasons.

The movie, unlike his previous films, is an epic period action-adventure film, written and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya. After a long time, a movie will have a multi-starrer cast.

Instagram

From Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Aamir, Thugs will also see Fatima Sana Shaikh. The girl who was last seen in Dangal, playing Aamir's daughter will have an interesting role in this.

Infact, new leaked images have surfaced from the film where the duo can be seen shaking a leg. According to reports, the movie is being touted as a typical heavy duty Bollywood song with a beautiful set up and plenty of dancers.

Chinni Prakash, who has choreographed songs for Chennai express, Agneepath and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, has been roped in for this song as well. Take a look at the photos.
Bollywood actor Actor Abhishek Bachchan has become popular with the hackers. Recently, Anupam Kher's Twitter account was hacked and soon enough, the hackers moved on to Abhishek Bachchan's social media accounts.

But they didn't stop at Twitter, but went onto Instagram and Facebook account. Abhishek, who recently got his Twitter back, says he was quite pleased that the pro-Pakistani Turkish cyber army Ayyildiz Tim, who hacked his Twitter account, found him interesting enough.

As a result of the hacking, the verification tick on Abhisheks Twitter account vanished, and his cover photograph featured a missile that read Ayyildiz Tim in chalk.

Yes, yes my account got hacked. Quite chuffed that they thought me interesting enough actually . All sorted out now and back to normal. Well.... As normal as it can get. 

Thank you for your concern.  Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) February 7, 2018

Yes, yes my account got hacked. Quite chuffed that they thought me interesting enough actually . All sorted out now and back to normal. Well, as normal as it can get. Thank you for your concern, Abhishek tweeted.

Passion! #itsinourblood @chennaiyinfc @supermachans A post shared by Abhishek Bachchan (@bachchan) on Nov 23, 2017 at 11:28pm PST



The actor, who is the son of megastar Amitabh Bachchan, thanked the micro-blogging website for their prompt action and help.

Soon after, his Instagram account was hacked with shocking pictures.

One look at the left most picture and it has Abhishek photobombing Amitabh Bachchans pic with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while the right most picture has a the flag of Palestine, dropping a hint about their intention. There was also a caption that said, "I love you Katrina Kaif."
This was as close as it gets. On February 7, a Vistara flight descended to an altitude where an Air India aircraft was flying in the opposite direction, and the two planes then sped towards each other before a midair collision was averted by a few seconds. The near-miss is being seen as the closest shave witnessed in Indian skies in years.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has grounded two Vistara pilots. However, Vistara sources said the air traffic control (ATC) had asked the pilots to be at 27,000 feet and they did not do so inadvertently.

This incident happened in the Mumbai airspace after 8pm on Wednesday when AI's Airbus A-319 was flying from Mumbai to Bhopal as AI 631 and was at a level of 27,000 feet.

representational image

Vistara's A-320 Neo was flying from Delhi to Pune as UK 997 with 152 passengers and, sources said, had been assigned a flight level of 29,000 feet.

However, UK 997 came down to 27,100 feet - after which the two planes were flying towards each other with a vertical separation of just 100 feet. At that moment, the traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) alarms went off in the cockpits of both the planes, and the pilots managed to avoid a midair collision.

"At one point, AI 631 and UK 997 were 100 feet apart vertically and 2.8km laterally apart. They were just seconds away from each other. This is the most serious airport (accident) or near-miss in recent times," said a source.

reuters/representational image

A Vistara spokesperson said: "The safety of our customers and staff is of paramount importance to us and at Vistara we diligently follow all the safety regulations and guidelines.

In this particular incident, the resolution advisory (RA) got triggered due to conflicting traffic. Our pilot followed the SOP (standard operating procedure) to avoid it and carried out an uneventful landing. The matter is under investigation by relevant authorities."

A senior AI official said: "This was indeed a very close call. Our crew was acting just as it should have. There must have been some serious confusion between air traffic control and Vistara pilots that led to this."

reuters/representational image

Modern aircraft have TCAS equipment that issue two types of advisories to pilots: traffic advisories (TAs) and resolution advisories (RAs). In the first step, a TA is issued to give an advance warning to the crew of two planes headed in the same direction. In the second stage, an RA is issued, which asks crew to take evasive action to avoid midair collisions.

This is at least the second 'airprox' situation in Maharashtra skies in a fortnight. On January 28, aircraft of IndiGo and Emirates breached the minimum distance over Nagpur when the IndiGo A-320 was flying from Hyderabad to Raipur and the Emirates Boeing 777 was on its way from Singapore to Dubai.
In a pre-dawn fidayeen attack, a group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists struck at an Army camp in Sunjuwan town on national highway 1A connecting Jammu to Srinagar, killing two soldiers and injuring nine others, including a Colonel and a girl child. Read More

Here are the top news of the day:

UIDAI Will Charge 18% GST If You Plan To Update Your Aadhaar Details, That's Just Ridiculous!

The Aadaar issuing authority Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has suggested that it will apply 18 per cent Goods and Services Tax on updation of Aadhaar details. The UIDAI has tweeted the new charges in addition to Rs 25 that it used to take for demographic update that includes name, address, date of birth, mobile, gender and email. It charges the same amount for biometric updates too. Read More

Careless Doctor Leaves Two Syringes Inside Woman's Body During Sterilization Surgery In Varanasi

Medicine is considered as one of the noblest professions. However, recent cases have shown that medicine is not as reliable because going through a surgery is not just unsafe but can be fatal too due to medical negligence. Read More

Militias Backed By Foreign Countries Fighting Each Other Has Made Syria A Theatre Of World War

The following facebook update of an observer of Syrian gives a hint of what exactly is going on in the war-torn country. It's not only US versus Russia, it's both versus some other groups and some other groups versus Turkey versus Israel versus Iran and so on. This indeed makes it look like the escalation that could turn into a bigger and deadlier war. Read More

Abandoned 6-Month-Old Baby Girl To Get New Parents Soon As Hundreds Queue Up To Adopt Her

After seeing pictures of an adorable six-month-old abandoned baby girl, who was found in a garbage bin on Moradabad-Agra highway on Friday morning, hundreds of couples on Saturday approached police and the child welfare committee (CWC) with requests for adoption. Read More

PM Wants To Advise Students For Exams But Govt Schools Lack Equipment To Air His Address

Several government schools are in a dilemma as CBSE has ordered them to broadcast 'Pareeksha Pe Charcha', a programme where the Prime Minister himself will give advice to students on dealing with exam stress from 11-12 am on February 16 but most of them lack resources to make the necessary arrangements. Read More
The following facebook update of an observer of Syrian gives a hint of what exactly is going on in the war-torn country. It's not only US versus Russia, it's both versus some other groups and some other groups versus Turkey versus Israel versus Iran and so on. This indeed makes it look like the escalation that could turn into a bigger and deadlier war.

The Islamic State group is being routed from its strongholds, and the rebels who seek to topple President Bashar al-Assad are down to a few remaining pockets of land. But seven years on, the war in Syria shows no signs of ending anytime soon. The complex war, which has drawn in foreign powers like Russia, the US, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel, is playing out on four fronts:

Assad Vs Rebels

reuters

The conflict that started the war, an uprising against Assad that evolved into an armed rebellion, is headed toward a conclusion. Even if Assad's forces are depleted, nobody now appears willing & able to topple him.

Turkey Vs The Kurds

afp/representational image

Turkey feels threatened by the predominant fighting group to emerge from Syria's Kurdish minority, which carved out a de facto ministate along the Turkish border amid the chaos of the civil war. Recently, Turkey attacked the Kurdish enclave of Afrin, and they may now target the US-backed Kurds farther east

The Battle Against Isis

afp/representational image

The jihadists have lost nearly all of the territory they had controlled as a self-proclaimed caliphate, rooted out by relentless, separate attacks by forces backed by the US & Russia. But as their territory shrinks, analysts believe they may resort to more violence

Enter, Israel

ap/representational image

Till now, Israel had managed to keep itself out of the conflict. But the bigger Iran vs Saudi Arabia battle for supremacy in the region has threatened to drag them into the conflict, which appears to be happening now.
Mumbai is said to have the richest Municipal Corporation in the country, and also the city of opportunities. India's financial capital Mumbai, with a total wealth of USD 950 billion, has now been named among the top 15 wealthiest cities globally, while New York topped the list, says a report.

According to a report by New World Wealth, the economic hub of India is the 12th wealthiest city, followed by Toronto with a total wealth of USD 944 billion, Frankfurt (14th, USD 912 billion) and Paris (15th, USD 860 billion), reported PTI.

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Total wealth refers to the private wealth held by all the individuals living in each city. It includes all their assets (property, cash, equities, business interests) less any liabilities. Government funds are excluded from the figures, also features among the top 10 cities in terms of billionaire population. The city is home to 28 billionaires, individuals with USD 1 billion or more in net assets.

Regarding Mumbai, the report said, "total wealth held in the city amounts to USD 950 billion. Mumbai is the economic hub of India. It is also home to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the 12th largest stock exchange in the world. Major industries in the city include financial services, real estate and media".

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Going forward, Mumbai is expected to be the fastest growing city (in terms of wealth growth over the next 10 years), it added. The list of 15 wealthiest cities was topped by New York with a total wealth of USD 3 trillion. "Home to the two largest stock exchanges in the world. Areas around New York such as Connecticut and Long Island also contain a large amount of wealth that is not included in this figure," the report said.

London ranked second in the list with USD 2.7 trillion, followed by Tokyo (USD 2.5 trillion), and San Francisco Bay area (USD 2.3 trillion). Others in the list include Beijing (USD 2.2 trillion), Shanghai (USD 2 trillion), Los Angeles (USD 1.4 trillion), Hong Kong (USD 1.3 trillion), Sydney (USD 1 trillion), Singapore (USD 1 trillion) and Chicago (USD 988 billion).

Among the 15 cities listed, San Francisco, Beijing, Shanghai, Mumbai and Sydney were the fastest growing in terms of wealth growth over the past 10 years, the report said. Notable cities that just missed out on top 15 include: Houston, Geneva, Osaka, Seoul, Shenzhen, Melbourne, Zurich and Dallas, it added
Battered by the oil price slump, Algeria will abolish gasoline subsidies in 2019 as it continues to implement time-buying measures, including import restrictions and money printing.

Finance Minister Abderrahmane Raouia confirmed the news to reporters saying that his government plans to undertake a subsidy reform in a bid to reduce the soaring budget deficit as the state coffers continue to dwindle.

The IMF estimates Algeria ran a fiscal deficit of 3.2% of gross domestic product last year, against 13.5% in 2016.

Algeria, which has nurtured a system based on generous handouts to the population taking the form of subsidies to fuel, electricity, housing and foodstuff, is no longer able to maintain the same public spending pace as its budget deficit grows wider since the fall in oil prices from about $119 a barrel to a price range of $40 to $60 a barrel.

Algerias foreign exchange reserves are expected to drop to $85 billion at best by the end of 2018 down from $194 billion in 2014, barely enough to cover 18 months of imports.

The country has just imposed restrictions on the import of over 850 products, the prices of which have risen sharply; local substitutes are scarce and thus equally susceptible to sharp price hikes on the black market.

Last year, violence erupted in many Algerian cities, including Bejai in the north east, in protest against austerity measures. The violence highlights the risks for Algerian authorities from altering its subsidy system in a country where social peace hinges on the distribution of oil rent through subsidizing key commodities.
In Egypt, almost anything can land you in jail. In a bizarre incident, a Russian belly dancer was arrested and the reason might shock you. Ekaterina Andreeva was accused of 'immoral' dancing after she allegedly performed wearing no underpants.

(Image: CEN/@joharabellydancer)

The 31-year-old was told that her dress was extremely provocative after she performed at a nightclub by the Nile in Giza.

The police arrested her after the video of her dance went viral. Like seriously?

Ekaterina is known as Gawhara when she is performing on stage. She is seen in a low-cut backless dress split up one side in the video.

Egyptian prosecutor Hatim Fadl said: "Rules for the dance performance oblige the performer to wear underwear of any colour but beige.

"Gawhara did not have any underwear, and of course it was provocative."

However, she has been released on bail of 204 ($US 285).
At least 71 on board passengers lost their lives when a Saratov Airlines plane crashed in the Moscow region on Sunday. According to a news Russian news agency, there were 65 passengers and a crew of 6 members on the plane.

Ten minutes after taking off from Moscows Domodedovo airport, the AN-148 aircarft bound for Russian city of Orsk had gone missing from radars. Debris has been found, there are no survivors, Reuters quoting TASS as saying.

The cause of the crash was not clear immediately. However, the Russian Transport Ministry was taking into consideration various possible reasons, including weather conditions and a pilot error.
Fuck, shit, god dammit, puta, madre. Do I have your attention now?

Is that because thats not what you expected to read in a news article? Probably. Has it changed your opinion of me? Most certainly, but not all of you will think of me the same way.

You see, scientists believe that swearing, both deliberate and accidental, can have different effects on a listener, based on whos speaking and what position they hold. London based IA researcher Emma Byrne in a book titled Swearing is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language explores that phenomenon, and looks to figure out just how we can use cussing to our advantage.

She says, in some cases, letting loose a few expletives can help you gain credibility and establish a sense of camaraderie.

One study Byrne cites examines the effects of swearing on an audience thats already on your side, as far as the topic of your speech is concerned. A team of psychologists from Northern Illinois University showed three versions of a videotaped speech to undergraduate students. While each speech was exactly the same,talking about lowering college tuition fees, one had no swearing in it, one opened up with a damn and another had a damn sandwiched in the middle.

Curiously the students who encountered the swearing, whether in the beginning or middle, rated the speaker are more charismatic than those who watched the swear-less version, while still just as credible. In addition, these two groups were also more in favour of lowering tuition fees after the video than the group that didnt encountered cussing.

There are two basic types of swearing, the kind thats deliberate and the kind thats accidental. The thing is, people can use swearing deliberately to project their passion for a subject or their authenticity. That might be why, if you accuse someone of stealing something of yours and they get mad and curse at you for suspecting them, its likely youll believe them.

Unfortunately, thats not always the case. Researchers have determined swearing can also sometime diminish your credibility, especially if the person doing it is a woman. In a 2001 study at the Louisiana State University, a researcher showed 377 men and women transcripts of speeches containing multiple instances of the word fuck. The thing is, when he told subjects the speaker was a woman, they consistently rated it more offensive than others who were told the speaker was a man.

The thing is swearing comes off as a masculine trait, obviously right at home with other masculine expectations like aggression. So when a woman swears, a lot of the time people unconsciously see it as wrong. Instead of being powerful and in control, swearing in a woman is often seen as evidence theyre excessively emotional.

So how do we fix this? By ignoring the offensive words themselves, and instead listening to the context theyre in. After all, swear words lose their forbidden flavour over time. Where damn was once a serious expletive, its now a very tame curse. So carry on, just perhaps not so much in front of your mother eh? That never ends well.
Israeli Accusations of Spy Drone Dismissed by Syria/Iran Coalition as False

by Farsnews repost Sunday Feb 11th, 2018 6:12 AM
What Is the Paris Agreement/COP21?

The Paris Agreement, also known as the Paris Climate Accord, is an agreement among the leaders of over 180 countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the global temperature increase to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) above preindustrial levels by the year 2100. Ideally, the agreement aims to keep the increases to below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F). The agreement is also called the 21st Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The two-week conference leading to the agreement was held in Paris in December 2015. As of December 2020, 194 UNFCCC members have signed the agreement, and 189 have become party to it. The Paris Agreement is a replacement for the 2005 Kyoto Protocol.

Key Takeaways The Paris Agreement is a U.N.-sponsored international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The agreement was formed in 2015 and has over 190 signatory nations.

The U.S. officially exited the Paris Agreement in November 2020.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Jan. 20, 2021, announcing that the U.S. would rejoin the Paris Agreement.

Understanding the Paris Agreement/COP21

One of the most significant results of the 2015 Paris Agreement was that both the United States and China initially signed on for it. The U.S. briefly left the agreement in November 2020 but rejoined in February 2021. Together, the U.S. and China are responsible for approximately 43% of global emissions: 28% attributable to China and 15% attributable to the United States. All signatories agreed to the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to rising temperatures and other risks that affect the entire world. Another significant component of the agreement is that it includes countries that rely upon revenue from oil and gas production.

Each country that attended the 21st Conference of the Parties agreed to cut its emissions by a particular percentage based on a base year's emissions level. The United States, for example, promised to cut its emissions by up to 28% from 2005 levels. These promises are called intended nationally determined contributions. It was decided that each participating country would be allowed to determine its own priorities and targets because each country has different circumstances and a different capacity to undertake change.

The United States Withdrawal From the Paris Agreement

On June 1, 2017, United States President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement. Trump reasoned that the Paris Accord would undermine the domestic economy and place the nation at a permanent disadvantage. The United States' withdrawal could not occur before Nov. 2, 2020, according to Article 28 of the Paris Agreement. Until then, the United States had to meet its commitments under the agreement, such as reporting its emissions to the United Nations.

The decision by the United States to withdraw was met with widespread condemnation from proponents of climate change theory in the United States and worldwide, religious organizations, businesses, political leaders, scientists, and environmentalists. Despite the withdrawal, several U.S. state governors have formed the United States Climate Alliance and have pledged to continue to adhere to and advance the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement was also an issue during the 2020 presidential campaign. The U.S. formally left the global pact on Nov. 4, 2020.

U.S. Reentry Into the Paris Agreement

On Jan. 20, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order announcing that the U.S. would rejoin the Paris Agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, it took 30 daysor until Feb. 19, 2021for the U.S. to officially rejoin.

Structure of the Paris Agreement

For the agreement to be enacted, at least 55 countries representing at least 55% of global emissions were required to join. The agreement opened for formal commitment in April 2016 and closed in April 2017. After a country's leader decided to join the agreement, domestic government approval or the passing of a domestic law was required for that nation to officially participate.

Scientists have cautioned that the agreement is not sufficient to prevent catastrophic global warming because countries' carbon emissions reduction pledges will not be enough to meet temperature goals. Other criticisms relate to the agreement's ability to address climate change-related losses in the most vulnerable countries, such as most African countries, many South Asian countries, and several South and Central American countries.

Every five years, governments must report on their progress toward and plans for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris Agreement also requires developed countries to send $100 billion a year to developing countries starting in 2020, when the agreement became effective. This amount will increase over time.
What Is a Security?

The term "security" refers to a fungible, negotiable financial instrument that holds some type of monetary value. It represents an ownership position in a publicly-traded corporation via stock; a creditor relationship with a governmental body or a corporation represented by owning that entity's bond; or rights to ownership as represented by an option.

Key Takeaways Securities are fungible and tradable financial instruments used to raise capital in public and private markets.

There are primarily three types of securities: equitywhich provides ownership rights to holders; debtessentially loans repaid with periodic payments; and hybridswhich combine aspects of debt and equity.

Public sales of securities are regulated by the SEC.

Self-regulatory organizations such as NASD, NFA, and FINRA also play an important role in regulating derivative securities.

Understanding Securities

Securities can be broadly categorized into two distinct types: equities and debts. However, some hybrid securities combine elements of both equities and debts.

3:00 Series 6 Exam Prep: What Is A Security?

Equity Securities

An equity security represents ownership interest held by shareholders in an entity (a company, partnership, or trust), realized in the form of shares of capital stock, which includes shares of both common and preferred stock.

Holders of equity securities are typically not entitled to regular paymentsalthough equity securities often do pay out dividendsbut they are able to profit from capital gains when they sell the securities (assuming they've increased in value).

Equity securities do entitle the holder to some control of the company on a pro rata basis, via voting rights. In the case of bankruptcy, they share only in residual interest after all obligations have been paid out to creditors. They are sometimes offered as payment-in-kind.

Debt Securities

A debt security represents borrowed money that must be repaid, with terms that stipulate the size of the loan, interest rate, and maturity or renewal date.

Debt securities, which include government and corporate bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs), and collateralized securities (such as CDOs and CMOs), generally entitle their holder to the regular payment of interest and repayment of principal (regardless of the issuer's performance), along with any other stipulated contractual rights (which do not include voting rights).

They are typically issued for a fixed term, at the end of which they can be redeemed by the issuer. Debt securities can be secured (backed by collateral) or unsecured, and, if unsecured, may be contractually prioritized over other unsecured, subordinated debt in the case of a bankruptcy.

Hybrid Securities

Hybrid securities, as the name suggests, combine some of the characteristics of both debt and equity securities. Examples of hybrid securities include equity warrants (options issued by the company itself that give shareholders the right to purchase stock within a certain timeframe and at a specific price), convertible bonds (bonds that can be converted into shares of common stock in the issuing company), and preference shares (company stocks whose payments of interest, dividends, or other returns of capital can be prioritized over those of other stockholders).

Although the preferred stock is technically classified as equity security, it is often treated as debt security because it "behaves like a bond." Preferred shares offer a fixed dividend rate and are a popular instrument for income-seeking investors. It is essentially fixed-income security.

How Securities Trade

Publicly traded securities are listed on stock exchanges, where issuers can seek security listings and attract investors by ensuring a liquid and regulated market in which to trade. Informal electronic trading systems have become more common in recent years, and securities are now often traded "over-the-counter," or directly among investors either online or over the phone.

An initial public offering (IPO) represents a company's first major sale of equity securities to the public. Following an IPO, any newly issued stock, while still sold in the primary market, is referred to as a secondary offering. Alternatively, securities may be offered privately to a restricted and qualified group in what is known as a private placementan important distinction in terms of both company law and securities regulation. Sometimes companies sell stock in a combination of a public and private placement.

In the secondary market, also known as the aftermarket, securities are simply transferred as assets from one investor to another: shareholders can sell their securities to other investors for cash and/or capital gain. The secondary market thus supplements the primary. The secondary market is less liquid for privately placed securities since they are not publicly tradable and can only be transferred among qualified investors.

Investing in Securities

The entity that creates the securities for sale is known as the issuer, and those who buy them are, of course, investors. Generally, securities represent an investment and a means by which municipalities, companies, and other commercial enterprises can raise new capital. Companies can generate a lot of money when they go public, selling stock in an initial public offering (IPO), for example.

City, state, or county governments can raise funds for a particular project by floating a municipal bond issue. Depending on an institution's market demand or pricing structure, raising capital through securities can be a preferred alternative to financing through a bank loan.

On the other hand, purchasing securities with borrowed money, an act known as buying on a margin is a popular investment technique. In essence, a company may deliver property rights, in the form of cash or other securities, either at inception or in default, to pay its debt or other obligation to another entity. These collateral arrangements have been growing of late, especially among institutional investors.

Regulation of Securities

In the United States, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulates the public offer and sale of securities.

Public offerings, sales, and trades of U.S. securities must be registered and filed with the SEC's state securities departments. Self Regulatory Organizations (SROs) within the brokerage industry often take on regulatory positions as well. Examples of SROs include the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

The definition of a security offering was established by the Supreme Court in a 1946 case. In its judgment, the court derives the definition of a security based on four criteriathe existence of an investment contract, the formation of a common enterprise, a promise of profits by the issuer, and use of a third party to promote the offering.

Residual Securities

Residual securities are a type of convertible securitythat is, they can be changed into another form, usually that of common stock. A convertible bond, for example, is a residual security because it allows the bondholder to convert the security into common shares. Preferred stock may also have a convertible feature. Corporations may offer residual securities to attract investment capital when competition for funds is intense.

When residual security is converted or exercised, it increases the number of current outstanding common shares. This can dilute the total share pool and their price also. Dilution also affects financial analysis metrics, such as earnings per share, because a company's earnings have to be divided by a greater number of shares.

In contrast, if a publicly traded company takes measures to reduce the total number of its outstanding shares, the company is said to have consolidated them. The net effect of this action is to increase the value of each individual share. This is often done to attract more or larger investors, such as mutual funds.

Other Types of Securities

Certificated securities are those represented in physical, paper form. Securities may also be held in the direct registration system, which records shares of stock in book-entry form. In other words, a transfer agent maintains the shares on the company's behalf without the need for physical certificates.

Modern technologies and policies have, in most cases, eliminated the need for certificates and for the issuer to maintain a complete security register. A system has developed wherein issuers can deposit a single global certificate representing all outstanding securities into a universal depository known as the Depository Trust Company (DTC). All securities traded through DTC are held in electronic form. It is important to note that certificated and un-certificated securities do not differ in terms of the rights or privileges of the shareholder or issuer.

Bearer securities are those that are negotiable and entitle the shareholder to the rights under the security. They are transferred from investor to investor, in certain cases by endorsement and delivery. In terms of proprietary nature, pre-electronic bearer securities were always divided, meaning each security constituted a separate asset, legally distinct from others in the same issue.

Depending on market practice, divided security assets can be fungible or (less commonly) non-fungible, meaning that upon lending, the borrower can return assets equivalent either to the original asset or to a specific identical asset at the end of the loan. In some cases, bearer securities may be used to aid tax evasion, and thus can sometimes be viewed negatively by issuers, shareholders, and fiscal regulatory bodies alike. They are rare in the United States.

Registered securities bear the name of the holder and other necessary details maintained in a register by the issuer. Transfers of registered securities occur through amendments to the register. Registered debt securities are always undivided, meaning the entire issue makes up one single asset, with each security being a part of the whole. Undivided securities are fungible by nature. Secondary market shares are also always undivided.

Letter securities are not registered with the SEC and cannot be sold publicly in the marketplace. Letter securityalso known as restricted security, letter stock, or letter bondis sold directly by the issuer to the investor. The term is derived from the SEC requirement for an "investment letter" from the purchaser, stating that the purchase is for investment purposes and is not intended for resale. When changing hands, these letters often require form 4.

Cabinet securities are listed under a major financial exchange, such as the NYSE, but are not actively traded. Held by an inactive investment crowd, they are more likely to be a bond than a stock. The "cabinet" refers to the physical place where bond orders were historically stored off of the trading floor. The cabinets would typically hold limit orders, and the orders were kept on hand until they expired or were executed.

Issuing Securities: Examples

Consider the case of XYZ, a successful startup interested in raising capital to spur its next stage of growth. Up until now, the startup's ownership has been divided between its two founders. It has a couple of options to access capital. It can tap public markets by conducting an IPO or it can raise money by offering its shares to investors in a private placement.

The former method enables the company to generate more capital, but it comes saddled with hefty fees and disclosure requirements. In the latter method, shares are traded on secondary markets and not subject to public scrutiny. Both cases, however, involve the distribution of shares that dilute the stake of founders and confer ownership rights on investors. This is an example of equity security.

Next, consider a government interested in raising money to revive its economy. It uses bonds or debt security to raise that amount, promising regular payments to holders of the coupon.

Finally, look at the case of startup ABC. It raises money from private investors, including family and friends. The startup's founders offer their investors a convertible note that converts into shares of the startup at a later event. Most such events are funding events. The note is essentially debt security because it is a loan made by investors to the startup's founders.

At a later stage, the note turns into equity in the form of a predefined number of shares that give a slice of the company to investors. This is an example of a hybrid security.
Telcos who have installed Ericsson Radio System products since 2015 have been advised these systems will support 5G New Radio capability through remote software installation.

In the quest to dominate the world of 5G, Ericsson has been very busy, indeed. The company has not only announced that it has completed its 5G platform for operators, so they can launch 5G NR services in Q4 of 2018, but has also ensured its existing Radio System products are 5G upgradeable.

The company explained that this "enables fast and smooth migration to 5G in existing bands, as well as fast coverage expansion of 5G services for operators".

Ericsson said that "this applies to more than 150 different radio variants in Ericsson Radio System that are active in more than 190 networks around the world, meaning that Ericsson Radio System legacy radios from 2015 can support 5G NR".

"This 5G NR readiness also applies to Ericssons delivered micro radios in Ericsson Radio System and existing Radio Dot System products. In short, all Ericsson Radio System products are ready for 5G NR."

Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice-president and head of Business Area Networks, Ericsson said: We have a long history of strong backwards compatibility and our products and software are built for evolution  with Ericsson, there is no need to rip and replace.

"Investments in Ericsson Radio System since 2015 will continue to bring operators value when the time is right to transition to 5G.

Daniel Staub, head of Joint Mobile Group, Swisscom, said: Todays news means that we can launch 5G services more efficiently with our future-proofed Ericsson Radio System products  significantly boosting the long-term value of our network assets.

We're told that "operators will have the possibility to run 4G and 5G in the same band with the same radio and the same baseband".

"It will also be possible to share the spectrum between 4G and 5G with side-by-side carriers in the same band, and even with overlapping carriers using so-called Dynamic Spectrum Sharing functionality."

Ericsson points to its November 2017 Mobility Report, stating: "Total global mobile data traffic is expected to grow eight times, while 5G subscriptions are forecast to reach one billion by the end of 2023.

"This puts increasing demand on operators to continue to expand capacity cost efficiently while addressing their 5G evolution at the same time."
It's not just Ericsson pushing forward on 5G, but Nokia and Qualcomm are also completing "successful interoperability and over-the-air testing compliant with the 5G New Radio specification between network infrastructure and devices".

Nokia and Qualcomm announced successfully completing "interoperability testing in the 3.5Ghz and 28Ghz spectrum compliant with the global 3GPP 5G NR Release 15 standard  which was formally confirmed in December  and using the commercially available Nokia AirScale base station and device prototypes from Qualcomm Technologies".

Focusing on the commercialisation of 5G technology, with New Radio as its foundation, Nokia and Qualcomm state that "testing at Nokia's 5G centre of excellence in Oulu, Finland, will provide the basis for 5G NR field trials with operators in 2018".

Nokia, Qualcomm and operators (listed alphabetically) including BT/EE, Deutsche Telekom, Elisa, KT, LGU+, NTT DOCOMO, Optus, SKT, Telia and Vodafone Group are "already committed to working together in verifying and trialing 5G NR technology".

We're told that "this will be based on the successful interoperability tests of the flexible 5G NR interface from Nokia and Qualcomm Technologies which will support a wide array of 5G services and various deployment scenarios".

Both companies state that in line with their announcement "in September 2017 to collaborate on 5G NR and with the success of these recent tests, Nokia and Qualcomm continue working closely in driving the industry, leading to wide scale 5G deployments in 2019 based on 3GPP standard-compliant 5G infrastructure and devices".

"This will enable timely commercial network launches in 2019, in particular in the United States, China, Japan, Korea and Europe."

Marc Rouanne, president of Mobile Networks, Nokia said: "These tests by Nokia and Qualcomm Technologies are important to the progress of 5G.

"Importantly, they demonstrate how we have quickly applied the 3GPP Release 15 specifications that were set in December, using our AirScale base station  which has been shipped to more than 100 customers  together with a prototype Qualcomm Technologies UE.

"Now, we can look forward to commencing standards-based, over-the-air 5G NR trials with operators."

Cristiano Amon, president of Qualcomm Incorporated, said: "The successful completion of an end-to-end interoperable connection based on the global 5G NR standard is a significant step on the path to launching 5G NR commercial networks and devices starting in 2019.

"We look forward to further collaboration on standard-compliant field trials with Nokia and global operators on the path to commercialisation."
Wind Ensemble Presents First Concert of 2018

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.The Illinois Wesleyan University Wind Ensemble will perform its first concert of the new semester Friday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Westbrook Auditorium in Presser Hall ( 1210 N Park St., Bloomington) .

The concerts program draws from over a century of pieces such as: Ralph Vaughan Williams Toccata Marziale, Richard Wagners Elsas Procession to the Cathedral, Paul Hindemiths March from Symphonic Metamorphosis, John Barnes Chances Elegy, Joaquin Turinas Five Miniatures and Leonard Bernsteins Overture to Candide.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Lev Ivanov directs the Wind Ensemble, which last year won The American Prize in Band Performance . A cornerstone of the IWU music program since 1979, the ensemble frequently tours and has played at the College Band Directors National Association Conference and the Illinois Music Educators Association Conference. This concert is free and open to the public. For additional information, please contact the School of Music at (309) 556-3061.

By Rachel McCarthy 21
Wreckage from Flight 6W703 seen in a video aired on Russian state media. Photo: Screencap/Russian State Media

A Russian passenger plane crashed minutes after taking off from Moscows Domodedovo Airport on Sunday, killing all 65 passengers and the six crew members aboard, according to Russian state media. Saratov Airlines flight 6W703 had been bound for the southern city of Orsk near the Ural mountains and the Kazakhstan border. Wreckage from the seven-year-old Antonov An-148 jetliner was found in a snowy field some 50 miles southeast of Moscow, near the village of Argunovo. It is not yet clear what caused the crash, but Flightradar24 tracked a steep descent from the plane about five minutes after takeoff.

Flight #6W703 took off from Moscow at 11:22 UTC time and 5 minutes later we tracked it descenting with 3300 feet per minute before the signal was lost. pic.twitter.com/6Bt5rCiKlm  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 11, 2018

Unconfirmed reports point to some kind of mechanical problem, though human error or heavy snowfall may have also been factors. The planes black box cockpit voice recorder has apparently been found. There have been no reports suggesting the crash was due to an act of terrorism, but Russian president Vladimir Putin, who expressed his condolences to the friends and families of the dead, has called for a special commission to open a criminal investigation into the crash.

All 65 passengers were reportedly from the countrys southern Orenburg region, which is where Orsk is located.

The BBC reports that Saratov Airlines was temporarily banned from operating international flights in 2015, after unauthorized personnel were discovered in a planes cockpit during a surprise inspection. Plane crashes are relatively common in Russia, as well.
Let Trump be Trump. Photo: Pool/Getty Images

A tale of two tweets:

On Friday, President Trump declined to release the Democratic rebuttal of the Devin Nunes memo, the dud of a document that had purported to blow the lid on a vast FBI conspiracy against the president. Trumps thin rationale, as he explained on Saturday, was that he was responding to the concerns of Justice Department and FBI officials, who warned about exposure of classified information. This, despite the fact that he approved the release of the Republican version over the loud objections of the DOJ, which said doing so would be extraordinarily reckless.

The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency. Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2018

Of course, pretty much everyone knows that Trumps hesitancy to put out the Democratic version of events is about protecting himself and nothing else.

Then, on Saturday, Trump tweeted about his disapproval of the #MeToo movement, complaining that due process was being trampled in the pursuit of vigilante sexual justice.

Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2018

Trumps line of thinking on this point was as risible as his memo reasoning. From the presidents longtime demonization of the Central Park Five (even after they were exonerated) to his queasy birther quest to  well, most of the other things hes said and done in the last several years, Trump has clearly never concerned himself with evidence, reasonable doubt, or any of the components that make up the foundation of law in America.

Again, pretty much everyone knows that he doesnt care about due process at all.

These instances are case studies in Trumpian psychology. As is often the case with the president, its hard to tell whether Trump himself is aware of how ludicrous these premises are  whether Trump needs to believe that there is some kind of intellectual justification behind what he says and does, or whether hes just trying to provoke his opponents into fits of rage by being deliberately perverse. Though its been demonstrated that the president can cut back on lying when he really needs to, the question of how completely he believes his own bullshit is one that may never fully be answered.

But heres a thought: Why does the president even need to go through the motions of rationalizing his most dubious ideas?

As everyone knows, Trump has revolutionized what its possible to get away with in politics: the incendiary remarks you can make, the brazen lies you can spin, the undisguised racism you can espouse. He bellows what used to be whispered, and has faced surprisingly few consequences for it.

Yet despite proving that straightforward demagoguery is a viable path to the presidency, he still sometimes goes through the motions of concealing his true nature behind a screen of respectability, like a pre-Trump politician would.

This seems unnecessary.

If Trump tweeted that he is against releasing the Democratic memo simply because he thinks the opposition party is trying to take him down, it would be consistent with his previously expressed beliefs  that the FBI is out to get him, that he is the victim of a vast left-wing conspiracy, and so on. Thanks to Trumps own advancement of these opinions, they have become mainstream among the Republican Party. So why the need to disguise them?

Similarly, if Trump simply said, Im skeptical of any woman who tells a story of abuse  a sentiment that reflects his true beliefs  it probably wouldnt really change anyones opinion of the president. Trump, after all, has made it clear on camera many times that his sympathies lie with accused men, not abused women. Its not like he has a pristine reputation to hang onto.

Such brutal candor in these kinds of scenarios would inspire a lot of head-shaking from the people who already loathe Trump. But it would probably go over well with Trumps base, who above all treasure his ability to speak freely and sincerely, to bare his corroded soul in ways that resonate with them, liberal piety be damned.

There are, of course, some arenas in which the presidents sincerity could damage him. (His interview with Lester Holt in which he admitted to firing James Comey to stifle the Russia investigation comes to mind.) But generally speaking, there would be little cost for Trump to tell his truth, his way. And it would spare us the spectacle of his bad-faith and plainly ridiculous trollishness. That would amount to a small victory, yes. But a victory nonetheless.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT GHANA MEETS NAIJA (BELGUIM EDITION)



UJ Events, Friend Ent and Empire Ent, the Organizers of Ghana Meets Naija (Belgium Edition) regret to inform the public that the event has been cancelled. The event scheduled for 10th February 2018 in Mechelen, Belgium is called-off due to the sudden demise of our sister and music star Ebony Reigns who was listed as one of the headliners of the show.



We are deeply sorry for all inconveniences caused and we hope you can forgive us for this unfortunate situation. Weve made this decision out of respect for Ebony Reign, the family, fans and friends.



Those with pre-sold/online ticket can contact these numbers (+32 488 394 803) (+32 489 502 594) for more info and refund if possible.



Thank you for your co-operation..



Signed









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Two Public Health Practitioners on Global Work and Family Life

Two driven MPH students met at the Activities Fair in 2007 and fell in love. Then, public health work threatened to put 8,000 miles between them.

People dont always know what their values are until theyre faced with a situation where they might be compromised." Tara Loyd, MPH 08

Crossroads

When Tara Loyd, MPH 08, arrived at Hopkins in 2007, she had a plan.

She was 30 years old and fresh from a position in Lesotho, a country in southern Africa, where shed volunteered with Partners In Health and co-founded a safehouse and outreach program for children orphaned by HIV. Loyd came to Baltimore to earn her MPH on a Reed Frost Scholarship. Then shed return to Lesotho, where a job was already waiting for her.

Her plan did not include meeting James Keck, MD, MPH 08, at the most romantic place any two MPH students could meet: the JHSPH Activities Fair.

Loyd and Keck started dating over the next year. As convocation approached, they arrived at a crossroads: Loyd planned to move back to Lesotho, and Keck had one more year in the Preventive Medicine Residency Program, which included six months in Ecuador with PAHO.

Loyd had always chosen her work in public health over relationships. This time, the choice didnt seem as simple.

The Next Generation of Practitioners

I was at the precipice to take a martyrdom path, Loyd recalls, as she weighed what she saw as her two choices: take the job in Lesotho or stay in Baltimore with Keck. Shed always felt called to global public health work, but she also wanted a family.

One morning, Loyds dad took her out to breakfast and asked her: Where did she see herself in 10 years, or 20, or 50? Which had the stronger pull: the idea of being a family or having a fulfilling global public health career? Were those mutually exclusive?

People dont always know what their values are until theyre faced with a situation where they might be compromised, Loyd says. And over that Shoneys breakfast with her dad, Loyd made the decision to stay in Baltimore with Keck. The details would sort themselves out.

The next step, an intimidating one, was to inform her would-be supervisor in Lesotho. Dreading the phone call to turn down the position, Loyd was prepared to defend her decision.

To her surprise, the director encouraged her to follow love, Loyd recalls. She said something along the lines of, you will always find a way to be of service to the poor and you will make your way back to a place like this. The director had spent most of her career working abroad, sacrificing family life for field researcha choice that came with some measure of regret. If Loyd had doubts about leaving Baltimore, the director explained, she should follow her gut. The work would always be there.

She had hope that there could be a next generation of global health practitioners who managed families along the way, Loyd says.

Alaska to Malawi

Back in Baltimore with Keck, Loyd found a research coordinator day job at the Wilmer Eye Institute and worked nights and weekends waiting tables. When Keck finished his year of training, he unexpectedly landed a two-year dream job with the Epidemic Intelligence Service in Alaska.

Loyd and Keck married in 2010, packed up their lives and relocated to Anchorage with the promise that their next move would be for a job opportunity for Loyd.

Two years later, Loyd got her chance to return to Africa. She picked the spot literally the farthest geographically from AlaskaMalawi, Keck jokes. So, I put my jackets and cross-country skis in storage and joined her there in 2011.

In the rural district of Neno, Loyd worked as a project manager for Partners In Health and Keck was hired as the director of monitoring and evaluation. Within the year, they were on to the next step of their shared goals: starting a family.

Walking through the markets visibly pregnant, Loyd says, actually created inroads for her work. [There was a] kindredness with other women, she remembers. I would get gentle applause or smiles from the women selling fruits and vegetables, sometimes because they, too, were pregnant, but often I think because the sight of the expat project manager in the same humbling position as everyone else was quite equalizing.

Loyd took care not to verbalize anything about her pregnancy with local staff because fetal and maternal mortality are so common in Malawi that its considered risky to even mention pregnancy until the postpartum survival of both mother and child. Loyd struggled with whether to give birth in the rural district where they lived, alongside the women she worked with and cared for, or to return to the U.S. In Neno, women were faced with a bumpy 2-hour drive on rough dirt roads when emergency obstetric care, like a cesarean section, was needed. The lifetime maternal mortality risk was a terrifying one in 36. In the U.S., this number is closer to one in 3,700.

Loyd opted to fly back to the U.S., where her long, grueling labor ended with a vacuum delivery. When she returned to Neno, infant in arms, she authorized the purchase of vacuum extractors for the district hospital.

Loyd and Keck's son, Zeke, with friends in Malawi.

A Family Affair

Now, Loyd and Keck have two children and live near extended family in Lexington, Ky. Keck is an assistant professor of Family and Community Medicine at UK Healthcare and teaches global public health courses. Loyd works for PIVOT, a nonprofit that provides health care services in resource-poor areas. She shares a CEO position with a coworker at Harvard and works remotely with her team in Boston, overseeing ground operations for a project in Madagascar. She visits Boston every other month and spends six weeks every summer in Madagascar.

Whenever possible, she brings her family along.

The experience my children get by traveling to Madagascar is shaping their lives and our role as their parents, Loyd says. This, for Loyd and Keck, outweighs the potential risks of bringing children to an area with a plague outbreak, where health care is inadequate at best and other infectious diseases regularly kill thousands. They mitigate risk as much as possible, monitoring their childrens water sources and making sure they have necessary medications on hand.

Besides, they reason, there are risks everywhere. In Madagascar, they know what many of those risks are and how to avoid them. And there, Loyd notes, her children get to experience a freedom of childhood she finds somewhat lacking in the U.S., and they get to reflect on their similarities and differences to people in another culture.

Ultimately, we feel they are blessed by the amazing perspectives they have on their own privilege and the pride they take in being part of this work. One of my proudest moments as a mother happened recently when the PIVOT annual report arrived in the mail. My five year old opened it and confidently started flipping through the pages, noting I know that doctor and that nurse, and look at the strip on that childs arm [a Mid-upper Arm Circumference strip to screen for acute malnutrition]its green so he is not going to be too hungry, says Loyd.

It also continues to forge inroads when she visits job sites with her kids in tow. Being seen as a mother breaks down so many barriers I have as a white, English-speaking woman, she says.

Nearly 10 years after they met, Loyd and Keck have built a life on their shared goal of global public health service as a family.

Theres a whole generation of public health heroes that sacrificed their personal lives, says Loyd. Now, theres a group of us that are really trying to have global health careers as parents.

In sharing their values, Loyd and Keck have stayed committed to their work in public health, to their families, and to each other.

By Lindsay Smith Rogers

Read More

Motherhood in Madagascar Tara and James's 'Arctic Entries'
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Trumps refusal to release the response of the Democratic minority on the House Intelligence Committee to the declassified Nunes memo cherry-picking intelligence reports has been decried as a politicization of intelligence. It has been pointed out by legal scholar Laurence Tribe that Congress could in any case override Trump and declassify the Democratic response itself, if the GOP representatives wanted to. So this controversy isnt about Trump or Nunes. It is about a Republican Party determined not to play fair.

While these analyses is certainly correct, they miss a crucial problem with our declining democracy in the United States: classified documents are inherently undemocratic and should be rare.

Some 2,000 unelected bureaucrats in the Federal government decide on which documents are classified. They have been ratcheting up the number into the millions during the past three decades. In 2014, the 2,000 bureaucrats classified 77 million government pieces of paper. Impartial outside studies conclude that 50-80% of classified documents could safely be released to the public.

Government officials have many advantages over the public they govern. They have inside knowledge and they often have longevity. Some percentage of them are corrupt. The Federal government routinely is captured by narrow corporate interests and used to advance private profit-making. The Bush Iraq War was certainly wrought up with the interests of US Big Oil. The conflicts of interest in Trumps cabinet of billionaires would make a persons head spin. Scott Pruitt at the Environmental Protection Agency (RIP) is single-handedly poisoning Americas children on behalf of his corporate cronies and will certainly be hugely rewarded.

Democracy in the face of this iron law of bureaucracy is very difficult. One of the few offsets that keeps it viable is constant demand for transparency from the other two branches of government. But most congressmen dont have a security clearance and neither do most judges, and almost no social activists do.

Government officials often pull the wool over the publics eyes by appeal to special sources of information. When Dick Cheney went around saying that Iraq was 2 years from having a nuclear weapon (it did not even have an enrichment program at that time), and he was asked if he knew something the rest of us did not, he said probably so. But he had pressured the intelligence community to give him the intelligence he wanted and then he used the whole secret process to bamboozle the rest of us.

The block on the Democratic memo by the Republican Congress and by the GOP president manipulates this fetish of classification to deny essential knowledge to the voting public. False news (which ironically is mainly spread around by Trumpies) is only half the problem. Lack of key pieces of information is just as big a distortion of reality. Trump is the ultimate purveyor of fake news, both because he thinks up 25 falsehoods each day before breakfast and because he is gaming the bloated classification system for partisan advantage.

The exponential growth in such hidden pieces of knowledge, generated by the government we elect and we pay for, is unacceptable. That the system should be used to shape the 2018 midterm elections is the most striking evidence that it needs a massive overhaul.

-

Bonus video:

CBS This Morning: White House blocks release of Democratic memo
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IMEMC |  

AIDA, an International non-governmental organization (INGO) coordination body consisting of more than 70 of such organizations working in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), expressed alarm at the United States governments recent decision to politicize its assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees. Reducing funding to UNRWA, the UN agency whose primary mandate is to serve Palestinian refugees, will have a highly adverse humanitarian impact.

AIDA said the impact is likely to be particularly grave in the Gaza Strip, where more than 70% of a total population of nearly 2 million are refugees, out of whom 80% depend on foreign aid to meet their daily living requirements. US funding cuts, on top of the last 10 years of Israeli blockade, will lead to increased food insecurity, aid dependency, poverty, isolation, unemployment and hopelessness, and will be a further blow to Gazas already crippled economy.

International Humanitarian Law stipulates that, where humanitarian and developmental needs of protected persons living under military occupation are identified, the occupying power bears ultimate responsibility to provide for those needs. Where an occupying power is unable or otherwise fails to provide for their well being, third states and parties may step in to support the unmet needs of the occupied population.

For the last 50 years, as Israel continues its military occupation of the Palestinian people in the oPt, third states have relieved Israel of its obligations under International Humanitarian Law, by covering the costs of humanitarian and development support for the Palestinian people, AIDA said in a press release.

Humanitarian assistance should be provided based on identified needs, and must not under any circumstances be used as a tool to impose political demands, it added, according to the PNN.

AIDA, therefore, called on Israel, the United States, and other third states to ensure the continued orderly provision of humanitarian and development assistance to vulnerable Palestinians living under military occupation to avert humanitarian crisis.

At the same time, AIDA urged the United States and other third states to apply pressure on Israel to end its 50 year-long occupation of the oPt, including to lift its illegal blockade on Gaza, and to work towards a just and lasting resolution to the conflict, which will restore dignity, guarantee human rights and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Via IMEMC

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Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

AP: UN launches emergency appeal for Palestinians; Ramallah protest
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TeleSur |  

The Turkish military launched an offensive against Kurdish-held Afrin region over three weeks ago.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has reported the downing of a Turkish military helicopter in Syria. Speaking to members of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Saturday Erdogan said these things will happen, we are in a war We might lose a helicopter, but theyll pay.

The Turkish military has confirmed the deaths of the two soldiers since the announcement was made.

The Peoples Protection Units (YPG), who effectively fought the Islamic State in Syrias northern region and are now under attack by the Turkish armed forces, also confirmed the helicopter was downed.

A little over three weeks ago the Turkish government launched Operation Olive Branch, a military offensive against the mostly Kurdish militia YPG in the Afrin region.

The United States had until now backed the Kurdish militias with military intelligence, air-strike assistance, weapons, and training in their fight against the jihadist group. That support proved to be useful as the YPG played a pivotal role in dismantling I.S, even taking the groups self-declared capital Raqqa. However, the U.S. decided to step back, saying that they no longer held an interest in Afrin.

The Turkish Army is currently working alongside the Free Syrian Army and its offspring the Syrian National Army, both backed by Turkey against the Syrian official government.

The U.S., France, the United Kingdom and Russia have urged the Turkish government to show restraint in its military incursion. However, neither Turkeys NATO allies nor the Syrian governments main ally, Russia, has taken direct action against Turkey for the attacks on Syrian soil.

According to Hevi Mustafa, a Kurdish official and top member of Afrins local government, the Turkish incursion has killed 160 people, including 26 children and 17 women, and displaced 60,000 people. These numbers have not been independently confirmed, and Ankara denies the claim.

British-based monitor group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reports the Turkish raids on Friday killed seven YPG fighters and two civilians.

According to Turkish officials, the operations aim to establish a 30-km-deep safe zone across the border Syria-Turkey border. There are, however, fears that a Turk-led occupation of Afrin could bring about the ethnic cleansing of Kurds living there. None of the YPGs former allies have provided military support to counter Turkish air and ground attacks.

Since 2011, Syrians Kurds have formed three autonomous cantons in the north. Neither the U.S. nor the Syrian government supports the Kurds autonomy plans.

Turkey has justified its military operation calling the YPG a terrorist organization. The Turkish government considers the YPG as an extension of the insurgent Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) at war with the Turkish state since 1984.

The PKK was formed in the late 1970s at a time when the Turkish government banned Kurdish language and culture. Currently, the PKK advocates for democratic confederalism within Turkey.

Via TeleSur

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Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

Euronews: Turkish helicopter downed in northern Syria
The influential leader of Polands ruling conservative party on Saturday accused enemies of the country of trying to fan anti-Semitism, as Warsaw is under fire over a controversial Holocaust law.

The new law sets fines or a maximum three-year jail term for anyone ascribing responsibility or co-responsibility to the Polish nation or state for crimes committed by the German Third Reich  or other crimes against humanity and war crimes and set off criticism from Israel, the United States and France.

Today, the enemies of Poland, one can even say the Devil, are trying a very bad recipe This sickness is anti-Semitism. We must reject it resolutely, said Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of the Law and Justice (PiS) party.

But this doesnt mean that we provide fodder for those who insult Poland, he said.

Israel this month said it had observed a wave of anti-Semitic statements in Poland.

Anti-Semitic statements are overflowing the internet channels in Poland, but they have become present on the main stream media too, especially on the TVP Info, the Israeli embassy in Warsaw said.

A recent commentator on the state-run TVP station had made the ironic statement that we could say these camps were neither German nor Polish but Jewish. Because who operated the crematoria? And who died there?

Another commenter had sent out a tweet using the Polish version of offensive term against Jews, greedy kike.

The main aim of the Holocaust law is to prevent people from erroneously describing Nazi German death camps such as Auschwitz-Birkenau as Polish, simply because they were set up on Polish soil.

Israel has expressed deep concerns that the legislation could open the door to prosecuting Holocaust survivors for their testimony should it concern the involvement of individual Poles for allegedly killing or giving up Jews to the Germans.
Kanpur, February 11: Fake Rs 500 notes were allegedly dispensed by an Axis Bank ATM at Marble Market located in Kanpurs Kidwai Nagar on Saturday. The fake notes had 'Children Bank of India' printed on them instead of Reserve Bank of India. A close look at the counterfeited notes showed 'Children Bank of India' was printed on one side while Churan label and full of fun was also printed below. However, the local police has shut down the ATM and investigation is underway.

Sachin, one of the victim was quoted by ANI saying, I came to withdraw Rs 10,000. One of the notes dispensed had 'Children Bank' printed on it. We complained to the ATM guard who noted it down in his register. We are being told that the action will be taken and our notes would be changed on Monday.

Kanpur ATM dispenses 2 fake Rs 500 notes (Image: ANI)

Meanwhile, SP South Kanpur said two people who withdrew money received one fake note each of Rs 500. We came to know that two people had withdrawn Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000 from the said ATM. They received 1 note each of Rs 500 with Children's Bank printed on that. The ATM has been shut down. Investigation is underway, he said.

We came to know that two people had withdrawn Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000 from the said ATM. They received 1 note each of Rs 500 with Children's Bank printed on that. The ATM has been shut down. Investigation is underway: SP South Kanpur pic.twitter.com/zKhc4KScO3  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2018

Kanpur: An Axis Bank ATM located in Marble Market dispensed fake currency notes with 'Children Bank of India' printed on them. pic.twitter.com/fu7D2QbZtB  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2018

As per reports, the bank manager said a private company named CMS fills the cash in the ATM and their officials have been informed about the fake notes. However, the investigation is underway. A similar incident was reported in February 2016 where fake notes were dispensed by a Delhi ATM. The fake notes read Children Bank of India in place of the Reserve Bank of India and Guaranteed by the Childrens Government in place of Guaranteed by the Central Government.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 11, 2018 03:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
At the age of 23, Rathangan native Aoife Kirwan had an idea of what she wanted to do with her life.

She was in her final year of a degree in visual arts in Waterford Institute of Technology, and had planned to go on and teach.

But when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), this all changed.

MS, a disease of the brain and spinal cord, affects approximately 9,000 people in Ireland.

As a teenager, Aoife (now 30) suffered with severe headaches and dizzy spells. In her early twenties she experienced numbness and loss of sensation in her hands and feet.

A number of tests were carried out, but doctors could not pinpoint what the problem was.

That was until she lost full vision in her right eye in February 2011.

Within two days she underwent an MRI scan, followed by a lumbar puncture a number of weeks later.

When I was younger I didnt have other symptoms which were MS specific, so it was never really considered.

I had kind of visual disturbance, it wasnt that I lost my sight, I used to get blurry vision and they put it down to ocular migraine.

But when my vision actually went, that was the absolute key in the diagnosis, because the tests that were carried out uncovered the cause of all of my symptoms.

Aoife, who has a very positive outlook on life, didnt let her diagnosis get her down.

For me, it is a manageable, treatable condition. You learn to just move on and get on with it. Im very lucky in that Im symptom free so it doesnt really affect me on a day-to-day basis apart from the odd time I have a bit of fatigue, but again thats quite manageable.

I do realise that Im very lucky in comparison to some other people.

The sight in her right eye has completely returned and she leads a healthy, active lifestyle.

For anyone who feels like they may be suffering from similar symptoms, Aoife advises to keep a diary of signs and symptoms.

MS tends to be present for quite some time before diagnosis, so you dont just have it from the week before. If you looked at my lesion load on my MRI, MS had been affecting me for quite some time before diagnosis.

I certainly thought that it was possibly stress related, and I didnt want to go back to the doctor repeatedly out of fear they would think Im a hypochondriac.

I had that fear, but you know what, it doesnt actually matter, what matters is you and that you get the best possible healthcare for yourself. Being afraid of what your doctor will think should never be a barrier for you. Seeking out answers and ensuring you get the help you need is what is important.

Document your concerns, watch yourself over time. Issues may have a very simple cause. If you are concerned youre better off to have a documented case for yourself, so if you do ever require further investigation youve got good information to go on.

Aoife said that while every diagnosis is different, everyone knows their own limitations as a person.

You can do what you can to take control of it, everybodys diagnosis is different. Take things day by day.

The best thing you can do for yourself is take control over your lifestyle.

Aoife now works with MS Ireland as their information, advocacy and research assistant.



Im so lucky to have the opportunity, and the team I work with in MS are just incredibly supportive which is fantastic.
Hilda Dunne (1938-2018), from Clonfert, Maynooth, was recently laid to rest at Mainham Cemetery in Clane.

Hilda passed away at Moyglare Nursing Home in Maynooth and leaves behind husband Loughlin, daughters Mary, Louise, Pauline and Celine, sons-in-law Tommy, Ger and Brendan, and grandchildren Maeve, Thomas, Oscar, Aaron, Louise and Claudia, among others.

Born in June 1937, Hilda came from Dublin and moved to Kildare relatively early in life when she married Loughlin in 1958.

Her mother was from Glasnevin and history was in the blood, her daughter, Mary, said.

At her funeral mass at Rathcoffey church on January 8, Michael Quinn, on behalf of Hildas colleagues, said it was honour to present a short tribute to her contribution to civil society.

Hilda had a powerful sense of local and national history, of community activism, and justice.

It was because of a justice for Irish prisoners issue that Hilda became involved in Maynooth community when the Winchester Three Support Group was formed in 1989.

The Three  who had been unjustly tried and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in Britain on conspiracy charges  included a young man from Maynooth, Finbar Cullen.

Hilda immediately joined in the the Groups work to help create a public awareness about the case, and to support legal efforts around a court appeal.

This was a time, prior to the release of the Birmingham Six and the ceasefires in Northern Ireland, when it took a strong sense of moral conviction to speak out on such issues.

Proudly to the fore

In the event, the appeal judge squashed the original verdict and sentences on the Three, and Hilda was proudly to the fore in organising the Failte Abhaile celebration in the town for Finbar.

Thereafter, Hilda, and a number of us from the Group, set out on a journey of successive local initiatives, which included the establishment of: Maynooth Miscarriages of Justice Group, which supported the international campaign to release the Birmingham Six; Maynooth Peace, Reconciliation and Justice Group, which supported the unfolding peace process in Northern Ireland ; the Maynooth branch of Reclaim of the Spirit of Easter 1916, that marked the 75th anniversary of the Rising in 1991, and honoured the Maynooth contingent that fought in 1916; and the 1798 Bicentenary Commemoration Group, he added.

Michael said that Hilda was really in her element in this group, as its events dovetailed with her earlier work.

This was with the ANCO team that restored Ladychapel Cemetery  the cemetery that holds her own Mooney family plot, and the remains of two soldiers from the ranks of the United Irish who had been killed at the battle of Ovidstown in 1798.

Hildas poem The Unmarked Grave was included in the Groups booklet 1798 and Maynooth.

She was involved in launching the Maynooth Local History & Civic Forum, which continues to this day to operate as the Maynooth Local History Group.

Hilda also went on to work on the Community Council and a number of other groups until very recently.

Michael went on to say: Hildas style on committees was not to push her views or herself forward, but rather she knew how best to get things done, with a quiet word, and the best approach.

Yet, she could act decisively! Perhaps her finest achievement was one that she largely undertook herself  to thwart plans to transfer the remains of the Presentation Sisters from their Cemetery located behind their school in Convent Lane, to another graveyard, to make way for building development.

Now, Hilda cherished a special pride for her aunt, Sr Philomena Mooney, who was buried there in 1958. She embarked upon a one-woman publicity offensive in the print and radio media.

Suffice it to say, said Michael, the graveyard remains untouched and intact to this day.

Michael added that Maynooth society has lost a favourite daughter. May she Rest in Peace.
The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers association are holding a protest to highlight the need for a fodder aid scheme that will deliver for farmers that are experiencing fodder shortages.

The INHFA decision which was taken by their National Council will involve a protest at the Department of Agriculture Offices in Drumshanbo tomorrow morning, Monday, February 12, starting at 10.30am.

National President Colm ODonnell outlined how the Minister had ignored the principal recommendation of the stakeholders committee which was for a meal voucher.

While he did deliver a transport subsidy which stated ODonnell was also recommended, its restrictive nature has ensured it will not deliver for most farmers.

The protest will, added ODonnell provide the many farmers that are struggling with fodder shortages the opportunity to highlight how inadequate the current proposals are in dealing with this crisis.

Last months announcement on the transport subsidy continued ODonnell is a piecemeal attempt to sort a crisis that is deteriorating on a daily basis. The protest on Monday will call for the immediate introduction of a meal voucher and the extension of the transport subsidy to licensed hauliers who have for years been providing hay and straw to farmers in the west and north west.

ODonnell concluded by issuing a call to all those experiencing fodder shortages to come on Monday and send a message to the Minister and his officials that whats on offer will have to be improved on if further actions are to be avoided
THE FORMER leader of the Progressive Democrats party and ex-Limerick TD Des OMalley has suggested that the controversial closure of Barringtons Hospital in 1988 has led in part to Limericks over-crowding crisis.

In a letter penned to RTE Radio 1s Marian Finucane last week, Mr OMalley wrote that Barringtons closed following episcopal intervention, after professional and official advice was given to close St Johns Hospital instead.

In December 1987, the Department of Health, run by former Minister Rory OHanlon, made the decision to discontinue funding for the hospital, which had been operating for 160 years. Despite major protests by top political figures and the public, the hospital ceased operations in 1988. It reopened in 1991, after the late Paul OByrne acquired the facility. It is currently run by Bon Secours Health System.

In his letter, which was read out on Ms Finucanes show on Sunday morning, Mr OMalley said: I never opposed the closure of a hospital in Limerick at the time, but I made it abundantly clear then and since that the hospital that should close was not Barringtons, which was efficient and much-used; but St Johns, which was less used and less vital to the needs of the people even though its cost was roughly similar.

My attitude seemed to accord with the professional and the official advice at the time, which was also the overwhelming view on the ground in Limerick.

However, as a result of episcopal intervention, all the advice was overruled and Barringtons was chosen for closure. I could not and did not agree with the decision that apparently was made for religious, rather than medical reasons. I couldnt, in conscience, do otherwise and I would do the same again today.

I greatly regret that failure to achieve my objective at the time. It has caused suffering and loss to the people of Limerick area ever since. This wrong decision about Barringtons has contributed, in part, to the fact that even in this very month Limerick has, from time to time, the longest waiting lists on trolleys in the country.

Fianna Fail TD Willie ODea, who lost the whip for voting against his Government which wanted to close the facility, said he agreed with Mr OMalley 100%.

It is having an impact now. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind about that, and I think my decision to vote against my own Government at the time has been vindicated by subsequent events.

Regarding the episcopal intervention, Deputy ODea told the Leader that he had no direct information of this.
JOB SATISFACTION alone does not put food on the table or children through college, said Limerick IFA chairman Shay Galvin.

It is income that does and the IFA fights every day to try and increase farmers incomes, he said in his address at last weeks Limerick IFA AGM.

Incomes are a problem when trying to encourage younger people into farming. The old joke, You can make a small fortune in farming, provided you start off with a large one in a way highlights how much financial risk the farmer takes compared to other people involved in agri-business, said Mr Galvin.

The event in Adare marked his first year in the role as chairman.

I want to thank you the people of Limerick IFA for giving me the opportunity to represent you for the last 12 months. It has been both enjoyable and a real eye-opener. Since I became chairman I have met a variety of people from farmers with a few suckler cows to the CEO of Kerry with no cows, young and not so young farmers, part-time farmers working full-time and full-time farmers working part-time, all these people no matter how big or small, all have an important and integral role in Irish agriculture.

I have tried my best to advance the cause of all Limerick farmers in the last 12 months be that in dealing with Limerick council, Department of Agriculture, milk and meat processors and others. I will continue to do this to the best of my ability into the future, said the Croom man.

The weather from August has been challenging and while there hasnt been the widespread devastation like Donegal there are pockets in Limerick that are struggling, he said.

They have put down a full winter already and it will be two to three months before they will be able to let animals out. If anybody has fodder for sale or is in need of fodder please let the office know. There has been a few bales donated from other counties for hard cases where lack of money and animal welfare is an issue. Let IFA know of these cases and we will do what we can to help, said Mr Galvin, who along with guest speaker, Sean Kelly MEP spoke about everything from Brexit to Mercosur. There are many different issues which affect farmers throughout the county from hen harrier designated land, labour issues, rural crime and many more. To combat these and all issues that may arise we need to stand together, fight for each other, be one voice, united and we all need to get behind your IFA, said Mr Galvin.
A LEADING Limerick doctor has said that he was alarmed to hear the Governments assumption that abortion would be GP-led if it is passed into law.

The Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment had recommended unrestricted abortion for up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, suggesting that the service would be GP-led.

The National Association of General Practitioners issued a statement this week, calling for immediate engagement with Minister for Health Simon Harris on the matter.

The union, which represents more than 2,000 GPs in Ireland, strongly objects to the assumption that abortion will be a GP-led service.

Furthermore, some members have expressed outrage that there has been no consultation.

Dr Emmet Kerin, NAGP president, who operates the Treaty Medical Centre on the Ennis Road, said: I was alarmed to hear the Ministers comments and presumption that the State would direct GPs to lead an abortion service without any engagement with our members to discuss the implications of this notion. The growing disconnect of the Minister and his Department of Health from the frontline service of General Practice is of genuine concern to me.

Dr Kerin, who is an adjunct senior clinical lecturer at the Graduate Entry Medical School, at University of Limerick, added: General practitioners are dedicated to the health of their patients but feel that their work supporting the increasingly chaotic healthcare system receives no acknowledgment. For the Minister to suggest that our profession should lead out an abortion service without consultation with our member GPs is an affront to our profession and could pose yet another strain on the provision of general practice healthcare services.

On Tuesday morning, Minister Simon Harris sent a tweet to RTEs Morning Ireland, stating: Let me provide that assurance now  there will be conscientious objection provided for. Plenty of time for engagement but legislation not yet published, let alone a referendum held.

In a statement this week, the union said that it strongly urges the Minister for Health to engage with the NAGP before progressing with the proposed legislation regarding abortion in Ireland.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has indicated that a referendum on the Eighth Amendment will likely take place in late May.
UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick saw a 5% increase in emergency department attendances, with more than 67,000 patients treated at the facility in 2017.

According to the UL Hospitals Group CEO, Prof Colette Cowan, 67,800 patients attended the emergency department last year  a 3,100 increase on 2016 figures.

A spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group said that there was an increase in December attendances in comparison to December 2016, adding that the increase was predominantly in people aged over 75.

This comes after the INMO released monthly overcrowding figures at UHL, showing that there were 1,003 patients treated on ED trolleys and additional trolleys or beds in the wards last month.

It was the highest rate of overcrowding in the country.

A spokesperson for UL Hospitals said that it apologises for any distress or inconvenience caused to patients or their loved ones who have experienced long wait times in the ED at UHL, and we would like to reassure patients and their families that we are working to alleviate the situation. We also acknowledge the work of our staff and thank them for their continued dedication and commitment to patient care.

TD Maurice Quinlivan said that the overcrowding figure is a record that the Government should be ashamed of. He has called on Minister for Health Simon Harris to visit UHL as a matter of urgency.

UHL has been suffering from severe overcrowding for years now  it is not just the flu outbreak that is causing this situation  it has become permanent feature in Limerick. The people in Limerick deserve better. UHL needs extra money and extra beds as a matter of urgency to accommodate the patients. Its that simple.
A scraped elbow may not seem like an unusual injury, but for one 11-year-old boy in California, his health took an odd turn after he fell and hurt his left elbow while exploring a tide pool.

The boy's parents cleaned his wound after the incident, but noticed during the following week that the "blister" on his left elbow wasn't healing, but instead was gradually getting bigger, according to a report of the boy's case, which was published Feb. 7 in the journal BMJ Case Reports.

Concerned that their son might have a skin infection, his parents took him to see his pediatrician. After examining the boy's red and swollen elbow, his doctor diagnosed him with a skin abscess, or pus-filled infection, according to the case report. [27 Oddest Medical Cases]

The standard treatment for an abscess is to drain the wound, and the doctor did just that. But as the doctor cut into the boy's elbow, he noticed a small, dark-colored object inside of it.

The object turned out to be a tiny sea snail, snuggled firmly in its shell, according to the report. Even more surprisingly  though the doctor and patient didn't know it at the time  the snail was still alive.

Checkered periwinkle

So, what's a pediatrician to do when he finds a marine animal inside a skin abscess?

Lead author Dr. Albert Khait, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, who treated the boy, said he reached out to a mollusk expert at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, who identified the snail as a checkered periwinkle marine snail (Littorina scutulata).

The egg of the checkered periwinkle, referred to as a micro snail, likely got into the boy's skin when he slipped and scraped his elbow on the wet rock while he was fetching a sea cucumber, which is another type of marine animal, Khait told Live Science. "This is a young snail, though it is bigger than something that can enter the skin unnoticed," he added.

A checkered periwinkle can have a dark, smooth shell, with a white checkerboard pattern, according to the Slater Museum of Natural History in Washington state. The small, pointy-shelled snails feed on algae found on rocks, and, unlike most marine organisms, spend much of their time out of the water. [Dangers in the Deep: 10 Scariest Sea Creatures]

"A unique visitor inside the human body"

One of the unique features of the checkered periwinkle is that it can seal its shell shut, which keeps water and moisture inside, and prevents the snail from drying out and suffocating, according to the case report.

"These characteristics made the checkered periwinkle a unique visitor inside the human body," the case report authors wrote.

What's more, sea snails can thrive in the ocean under extreme temperatures and pressure, Khait said. "This is probably why it was able to live in the abscess as well," he added.

Given the boy's interest in tide pools and marine life, he thought it was cool that his doctor found a sea snail in his elbow. He asked to keep the critter as a reminder of his adventure.

So, after Khait bandaged up the wound and prescribed a course of antibiotics, he placed the sea snail in a specimen jar and the boy took it home to show his friends.

A week later, when Khait called the family to see how the boy was doing, he found out that the wound had fully healed. He was also fascinated to learn that the boy said he saw the snail move on his first day home  meaning it was alive  but there was no movement after that.

After removing the snail, it was hard to tell just by looking at it whether it was still living, but since the snail had grown in size and the family reported it moving, this was the obvious conclusion, Khait said.

Originally published on Live Science.
Since publicly accusing Guess Co-Founder Paul Marciano of harassment and assault, Kate Upton has been in the news as the latest high-profile woman to speak about her experiences in the #metoo movement.

Upton continued to speak out about her experiences including with an interview on "Good Morning America" early on Friday. Upton told Robin Roberts she feels "a sense of relief" since coming forward.

Marciano vehemently denies the accusations telling TIME Magazine: "I fully support the #metoo movement. At the same time, I will not allow others to defame me and tarnish my reputation."

In the TIME piece Upton claims Marciano groped her, harassed her and acted inappropriately to her. The day after it was published her husband, Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, spoke out about his wife's bravery.

ESCAPE: Upton flees Houston's winter weather for Miami





"Couldn't be more proud of @KateUpton," he wrote on Twitter. "I know this difficult decision to tell her story is to empower others in similar situations, and also to encourage those who witness this behavior to speak out to create change. THAT is what the #MeToo movement is all about!"

Photographer Yu Tsai, who corroborated some of Upton's account of events with TIME magazine, also showed his support for her on Twitter.

Upton has not allowed the scrutiny and firestorm surrounding her comments hold her back. After her interview with Good Morning America aired she hit up New York Fashion week. She made appearances at numerous shows, including Jonathan's Simkhai fashion show with Jourdan Dunn and Victoria Justice.

Take a look through the gallery above for a look at just a few of her appearances.
1 Russia probe: Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee will revise their memo about the FBIs Russia investigation to ensure theres no harmful release of secrets, and then try again to get President Trump to release it. Trump overrode Justice Department objections when he permitted the release of a Republican memo alleging an abuse of surveillance powers in the FBIs Russia investigation. But last week he blocked the Democratic memo, which tries to counter those allegations. White House legislative director Marc Short told NBCs Meet the Press Sunday that we will be releasing the memo after Democrats clean it up. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, said committee Democrats will meet with the FBI and ensure the revised memo doesnt betray intelligence sources and methods.

2 Shooting spree: Kentucky State Police say a gunman killed his parents, his girlfriend and his girlfriends mother in a weekend shooting spree before killing himself. Johnson County Sheriff Dwayne Price said authorities in Paintsville received a 911 call Saturday about a shooting at a residence. Two victims were found dead in the kitchen. Price said that after receiving a tip on the whereabouts of the suspects vehicle, three more bodies, including that of the presumed shooter, were later found at an apartment complex. Price identified the shooter as Joseph Nickell. The victims were identified as James and Arlene Nickell, and Lindsey and Patricia Vanhoose.
JERUSALEM - The drone that Israel said it shot down this weekend appeared to have been developed by Iran from technology obtained when it captured a U.S. stealth aircraft in 2011, according to aviation experts and Israeli officials.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for Israel's military, and Yuval Steinitz, a minister in Israel's security cabinet, said the craft was a copy of a U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel spy drone, which Iran claims to have reverse-engineered.

Experts who examined footage of the drone being shot down and images of its wreckage released by the Israeli military agreed that the shape strongly resembled that of Iran's Saeqeh, or "Thunderbolt," drone, which was based on a CIA-operated RQ-170 captured by Iran.

Conricus said that he could not specifically confirm that the drone was a Saeqeh and that the debris is still being examined. Iran has developed several other models based on the RQ-170.

"It was an Iranian copy of a U.S. drone that they got hold of a few years ago and they duplicated," Steinitz told Israeli radio. Israel said the drone, operated by Iran from a base inside Syria, traveled three or four miles into its territory Saturday morning before being shot down.

Iran has described the Israeli claim as "ridiculous."

A spokesman for U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, declined to comment.

The incident sparked a flurry of cross-border confrontations that resulted in an Israeli jet being shot down for the first time since 1982 and Israel's most extensive bombing of Syria in that same period.

The U.S. RQ-170 drone captured by Iran in 2011 was part of a fleet of secret aircraft used by the CIA in an espionage campaign targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, according to U.S. officials who spoke at the time. Iran claimed to have downed it with an "electronic ambush."

The United States later requested that Iran return the drone, but Iran said it should apologize for invading its airspace instead. The U.S. drones are mainly used for surveillance and reconnaissance and can be equipped to capture a range of intelligence material.

Iran first tested its own version of the RQ-170 in 2014, and its elite Revolutionary Guard Corps unveiled the Saeqeh in 2016. Those unmanned aerial vehicles boosted the ambitious drone program the country has maintained since the 1980s, when it first deployed the craft during the Iran-Iraq War.

Its arsenal now includes surveillance and attack drones that have been used from Pakistan to Syria to the Persian Gulf, despite years of international sanctions. In Syria, where Iran is providing military support to President Bashar al-Assad, it has conducted air-to-ground strikes, according to experts.

Iran said the Saeqeh can carry four laser-guided bombs, although experts have said it may not be able to maintain its stealth capability while armed. Iranian leaders often exaggerate the country's military prowess.

The Israeli military has declined to comment on whether the drone that was intercepted Saturday was armed but said it was on "a mission." Israel has carried out regular bombing raids inside Syria in recent years to contain what it says is the growing presence of Iran and its proxies, and officials said Sunday the drone proves that their warnings about Iran were justified.

"It was not an attack, but a test of the limits and rules," said Chagai Tzuriel, director general of Israel's Intelligence Ministry, referring to the incursion. "For the Iranians, there is nothing better than to test the limits and get away with it, and that's why we should not let them."

Wim Zwijnenburg, coordinator for the European Forum on Armed Drones, said that footage released by Israel of the drone being shot down Saturday was notable because the craft's triangular shape did not resemble anything Iran is known to be flying over Syria.

"It would be a new development if they were flying these around," Zwijnenburg said. The RQ-170 is designed to evade radar, made of materials that absorb, rather than bounce, the radar signal, but it is possible Iran has not been able to replicate that capability, Zwijnenburg said.

"They could have been testing air defenses or trying it out," he said. "If it was trying to evade radar it would have to be flying low, and from the video it looks to be flying low."

He said that judging from video it has released, Iran appears to have built about a dozen Saeqehs.

The Israeli military said the drone it shot down had a wingspan of about 85 feet. The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 has a wingspan of about 66 feet.

Tal Inbar, head of the Space and UAV Research Center at the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, said the similarities were clear. Syria, he added, is "a laboratory for Iran to test out new weapons and new tactics."

---

The Washington Post's Erin Cunningham in Istanbul and Paul Sonne in Washington contributed to this report.

---

Video Link:

Video: The Israeli military released video it said shows an Iranian drone in Israeli airspace on Feb. 10, before it was destroyed by an Israeli attack helicopter. (Israel Defense Forces)

URL: http://wapo.st/2BUM1qG
WASHINGTON - The deputy administrator of the nation's top railroad safety agency has resigned after allegations were raised about "outside work" he took on while employed as a senior federal official, the Transportation Department said Saturday.

For weeks, the department had been facing media questions about the official, Heath Hall, a public relations professional and political consultant who served as a spokesman for a sheriff's office in Mississippi before - and, apparently, sometimes during - his time in Washington at the Federal Railroad Administration.

A department spokeswoman said Wednesday that Hall had requested a leave of absence in January "so that he could address an urgent family matter."

Politico first reported Hall's departure and questions about his continued relationship with the outside firm he had run.

Hall, who referred to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao as a hero and mentor, was appointed deputy administrator in June. He could not be reached for comment.

The Federal Railroad Administration has been helping investigate several high-profile crashes in recent months, including the Jan. 31 collision in Crozet, Virginia, of a truck and an Amtrak train carrying members of Congress. The agency has been without a permanent leader as the Trump administration and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., have sparred over the funding and the future of a major rail improvement initiative known as the Gateway Program.

Schumer has put a hold on the nomination of Ron Batory, a longtime rail executive, to be administrator. After the Crozet crash, Deputy Transportation Secretary Jeffrey Rosen asked Schumer "in the interest of public safety" to "set aside wholly unrelated issues" and confirm Batory.

Daniel Stevens, executive director of the Campaign for Accountability, an ethics group, said last week that Hall lacked any experience "for the critical job of overseeing America's rail network" and also appears to have been "holding down a second job as a Mississippi public relations consultant in violation of federal law."

In August, Hall was quoted by a local a television station, WJTV in Mississippi, as a representative of the Madison County Sheriff's Department. The short item concerned a police dispatcher being charged with drunken driving.

The FRA did not answer questions by a Washington Post reporter on Jan. 23 about whether Hall had severed ties with the sheriff's department.

In his federal ethics filing, Hall noted that his public relations and political firm, Strategic Marketing Group, had been hired by a roster of clients including the Madison County sheriff's office, a local district attorney and KDL Solutions, which says it develops products and services for the "Active Shooter training industry."

Hall's July ethics disclosure referred to Strategic Marketing Group as an "individually owned consulting business that will remain dormant during Federal service."

Asked about Hall and the Strategic Marketing Group, a spokeswoman for Chao's office said Wednesday that Hall "has exceeded federal legal requirements."

Hall signed a presidential ethics pledge "and is recused from any particular matter involving specific parties directly and substantially related to their former employer or clients from the applicable time frame," the spokeswoman said.

Stevens said that federal officials above a certain salary level are legally prohibited from having outside employment, and being quoted in August as a spokesman creates a potential legal problem for Hall.

On Saturday, a Transportation Department spokeswoman said allegations of outside work, "if true, are troubling."

Responding to questions on Hall's qualifications to be deputy administrator - and, for a time, acting administrator - of the safety agency, a Chao spokeswoman pointed to Hall's work in Washington and Mississippi. Hall had an earlier stint at the Federal Railroad Administration and also served as public affairs director for former Mississippi governor Kirk Fordice, R, where the spokeswoman said he performed "work across transportation sectors, including rail, on issues ranging from infrastructure, safety and communications, both in Mississippi and the surrounding region."

- - -

The Washington Post's Juliet Eilperin, Aaron Davis and Lori Aratani contributed to this report.
Near a busy North Side intersection, dozens of San Antonians gathered Saturday afternoon to demonstrate in favor of the legalization of recreational and medical marijuana use in Texas.

As soon as we got out and we had flyers on the ground, we already had car honks going, said Shawna Simpson, 28, who set up the event with her husband Jeremy Simpson, 30.

The couple are two of four organizers in the San Antonio area who are part of Cannabis Open Carry Walks, a statewide movement. Other walks were held Saturday in Dallas and Channelview near Houston.

According to their Facebook page, Open Carry Walks began in late 2017 and will continue throughout 2018 and into 2019 with the aim of having the next Legislature, which convenes in 2019, consider legislation to legalize recreational and medical marijuana use.

Paul Espinoza, 50, who is recovering from a serious motor vehicle wreck in 2011, said he came out to promote marijuana use as a better alternative to prescription pain pills.

Ive been smoking for about two years now. The pills the doctor had me on made me moody, suicidal, Espinoza said. Im still feeling side effects, but my anxiety is not as it used to be.

For about four hours near West Rector and San Pedro Avenue, on the sidewalk bordering the North Star Mall parking lot, the activists waved flags and banners and carried signs that read Legalize and Free The Weed.

Jeremy Simpson said the group uses Facebook and other social media to help promote and organize the walks. He added that previous demonstrations in Houston and Dallas were streamed live on Facebook, attracting 30,000 viewers.

We had nearly 150 people show up to todays event, Shawna Simpson said, throughout the afternoon. Texas can expect to see 20 other walks in the coming weeks in other cities, she said. Another one will be held in San Antonio next month; details will be announced later.

People of all backgrounds come to these walks. Weve had cancer patients  and people whove just gone through a lot, Shawna Simpson said. Its eye-opening.

Manuel Martinez, 23, participated in the event Saturday after seeing the groups post about it on Facebook and said he would be back to continue supporting the efforts to legalize marijuana.

Marijuana really helped with my depression when my little brother died, Martinez said. Now that I know (about the walks), Im gonna start coming.

aluna@express-news.net
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz recently took to the Senate floor to object to a unanimous consent agreement that would have allowed a confirmation vote on President Donald Trumps choice to be USDAs undersecretary for farm production and conservation, a critical post as Congress begins deliberations on the farm bills reauthorization.

Cruz objected to the motion, not because he thinks Bill Northey is not qualified for the position; he agrees Northey is a terrific person, but because he wants to use the leverage of holding up Northey to force changes to an energy program completely unrelated to USDA.

He wants to see changes to the Renewable Fuels Standard, or RFS, a program requiring refiners to blend an increasing amount of renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel into gasoline that is enforced by EPA, not USDA.

Not only is the senator wrong to hold one of President Trumps nominees hostage, he is wrong in his continued criticism of the RFS. Sen. Cruz believes the RFS disadvantages independent refiners by requiring them to purchase credits when they choose not to blend the amount of renewable fuels the law requires. Cruz points to the recent bankruptcy filing of a Pennsylvania refinery as evidence of the programs failure. But that refinery is the oldest in the country; it suffers from antiquated technology; is captive to higher priced imported crude oil; and has made a series of poor business decisions leaving it vulnerable to the highly volatile credit market.

It is certainly not a good poster child for RFS reform. Its a poster child for gross mismanagement.

Cruz needs to stop scapegoating the RFS because a few refiners dont like the program. Renewable fuels like ethanol are not the enemy. Indeed, renewable fuels hold the key to a more sustainable energy future that will provide consumers with both choice and savings at the pump.

Ethanol is a high-octane blend component that is cleaner and cheaper than gasoline. Ethanol might actually extend the market for liquid transportation fuels in this country as gasoline and ethanol blends represent a consumer and environmentally friendly alternative to electric vehicles.

This week, more than 1,000 energy experts from across the globe will descend on San Antonio for the 23rd annual National Ethanol Conference. The conference will celebrate groundbreaking achievements and outline future challenges the renewable fuels industry will face.

Despite the unrelenting attacks from opponents, the ethanol industry is achieving success on a widespread scale. Major achievements from the past year include breaking all domestic blending records, with the national blend levels breaching 10 percent above the so-called blend wall. In addition, the renewable fuel industry helps rural economies thrive despite record low commodity prices, protects public health, improves the environment, and provides consumers savings at the pump.

All this is made possible due to the RFS, a hallmark of President George W. Bushs energy policy. President Trump has also recognized the importance of the ethanol industry, reaffirming his support for ethanol and the RFS time and time again as he works to achieve energy dominance for the United States.

So, what do you think, Sen. Cruz? Isnt it time to free Bill Northey and work toward expanding the use of renewable fuels, not toward protecting companies that have failed to keep pace with Americas energy future?

Bob Dinneen is president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association.
In his re-election bid, Rep. Lyle Larson is being targeted ostensibly for being insufficiently conservative. His record and votes give lie to that charge.

His record, particularly on important water issues, makes our decision on a recommendation in the GOP primary in House District 122 an easy one. The Editorial Board recommends Larson.

He is opposed on the ballot by Hollywood Park Mayor Chris Fails, who declined to interview with the board for the purpose of this editorial. But Larson also is opposed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has endorsed Fails.

How should voters read that? Simply, that Abbott was stung by a Larson bill last session that would have prevented him from appointing to state boards and commissions donors who give more than $2,500. An Express-News report discovered that about 29 percent of his appointees have been donors, giving a combined $14.2 million to Abbott campaigns since June 2001. Abbott had an unsuccessful run for attorney general that year.

Larsons bill passed the House but died in the Senate. And thats a shame because there should be no pay to play in Texas politics.

As for Larson being insufficiently conservative, its a familiar charge also when it comes to Texas Speaker Joe Straus  and just as bogus. Straus, by the way, is backing Larson in this race. And that backing, in our view, speaks louder than Abbotts criticism.

Larson notes that he supported most of the legislation that Abbott favored in the special session last year, but says no voter should expect his or her representative to be totally in lockstep with the governor, lieutenant governor or, for that matter, with such groups as Empower Texans, which has targeted Straus and other legislators for allegedly being insufficiently conservative.

Larson is particularly on point on taxation and public schools. While backing a cap on local jurisdictions ability to raise property taxes, he says this will not stop rising property taxes because, even at a 2.5 percent cap, taxes will rise. He correctly points to the Legislatures failure to adequately fund public schools as the real driver of higher property taxes. He would like the states share of funding for public schools to increase from its current 37 percent or so to 50 percent.

Hes right.

The Texas House, particularly with Straus departure, will need reasonable voices to counter unreasonableness, which has been in ample supply in the Legislature generally. Larson has mostly been one of those voices.
This is 2018. The world of politics has never been without agitation, in all that time. Its been going on for over a hundred years.

The treatment of women in society has been an enormous travesty for as many years as I have lived, and long before that.

In 1913, a campaigner for womens rights, Emily Wilding, was trampled fatally by a horse, when she brought the political struggle of women to the racecourse.

Thousands of women marched, spoke out, wrote pamphlets, raised their voices. The struggle that was led by Emily Wilding led to partial suffrage (the right to vote in political elections) two years later, in 1918.

Countess Markievicz was elected to the UK Parliament, in 1918, although she refused to take her seat.

She had stood for Sinn Fein. Some things havent changed.

100 years on, its worth remembering, and celebrating, that for women much has changed.

The rights of women however , have been won at serious cost.

In 1910, in England when the suffragettes were still battling, and Winston Churchill, the then Home Secretary, showed them his wrath and capacity for female persecution on what became known as Black Friday when 300 women attempted to enter the houses of parliament, to argue for their rights.

The police brutality carried out was savage and became brutally out of control.

The British Government, in which Churchill was beginning to be more and more powerful, attempted to cover up the evidence of police brutality and serious physical assault on the suffragettes.

However, the damage was done.

Many of the women among the 300 present on the day felt that the use of such extreme force on what started as a peaceful protest was the final straw.

Women suddenly entered political and public worlds in a way that had never happened before.

Sponsored by the Pankhurst family, the Womens Social and Political Union conducted a nationwide bombing and arson campaign like nothing that was ever seen in Britain, before, or since.

Across the UK the women carried out midnight attacks on MPs houses, railway stations, churches, and post offices carrying guns, bombs, and ready to make war.

The women were of the belief that they must follow the violent footsteps of men. Another of the leaders, Kitty Marion, a Music hall artiste, reduced the home of the Conservative MP Arthur De Cros to a burnt-out shell during one of her attacks. De Cros lived at the time in Sussex, and Marion said: "If the Government must have damage as a token that women want the vote, damage they shall have".

Eventually after uncontrollable social unrest, the women won the right to vote.

Seems almost unbelievable now, but was truly incredible back in those days. Women fighting, physically, in order to win voting rights?

Its a strange world we live in.

Read more from Mattie Fox:

Abortion debate is not a subject to be kicked from pillar to post

Kerry Babies scandal
While many men may think they have above average size penises, most fall into the range experts consider normal size.

Penis size varies amongst men, and in some cases, considerably. A study shows that neither race nor ethnicity has anything to do with penis size.

Penis shrinkage is a decrease in penis size. Sometimes, the shrinkage is permanent, and other times, it is the result of a treatable condition or due to lifestyle habits.

Penis shrinkage is widespread as men age, but there are many other reasons why a penis may shrink:

Aging

As men age, fatty deposits build up in the arteries causing reduced blood flow to the penis. This results in the muscle cells in the erectile tubes inside the penis becoming weaker. The erectile tubes produce erections when they are engorged with blood, so less blood flow means smaller or fewer firm erections.

Another possible reason for penis shrinkage is a buildup of scar tissue caused by years of small injuries from sex and sports. This accumulation of scar tissue affects the spongy erectile tissues of the penis, causes penis shrinkage, and limits erection size.

Weight Gain

The impact of weight gain, particularly around their stomachs, is a genuine concern for many men as they age.

Although a mans penis may appear smaller with weight gain, it has not shrunk. The reason it looks smaller is that the penis is attached to the abdominal wall, and when belly expands, it pulls the penis inward. If a man loses weight, his penis will regain its usual shape and size.

Prostate surgery

Research shows men who have had cancerous prostate gland removal surgery (radical prostatectomy) may experience some penis shrinkage. One report in the International Journal of Impotence Research found that 71 percent of men who underwent a radical prostatectomy experienced some penis shrinkage.

But researchers do not quite know why shrinkage occurs after a radical prostatectomy. Some researchers think it might be related to the urethral tube, which connects to the urinary bladder, shortening during the prostatectomy.

Peyronies disease

In Peyronies disease, fibrous scar tissue develops inside the penis causing it to become curved during erection. Most of the time, a curved erection is not a reason for concern, but for some men, the bend might be significant or painful.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Peyronies affects up to 23 percent of men ages 40 to 70. It is possible that more men have this condition but have not reported it to their doctors due to embarrassment. While Peyronies develops with age, it has been seen in men as young as 30, according to NIDDK.

Peyronies can cause a reduction in length and circumference of a mans penis. Sometimes, Peyronies goes away on its own; most of the time, however, it will either stay the same or get worse. Doctors will only consider treatment if the bend is painful or prevents sexual intercourse. Surgery can be done to remove scar tissue causing the shrinkage, bending, or pain.

Medications

Some medications can cause penis shrinkage. These medicines include Adderall, prescribed for attention deficit or hyperactivity, some antidepressants and antipsychotics, and some drugs prescribed to treat an enlarged prostate.

One 2012 study reported in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that some of the male study subjects taking finasteride to treat enlarged prostate reported smaller penis size and reduced sensation.

One 2014 study reported in the journal Urology found that 41 percent of men taking dutasteride for the treatment of enlarged prostate experienced some form of sexual dysfunction.

Smoking

Chemicals from cigarette smoking can injure the blood vessels in the penis, preventing the penis from filling with blood and stretching. Regardless of the stimuli and the effect on the brain, if the blood vessels are damaged, the penis will not achieve an erection.

A study carried out in 1998 by the Boston University of Medicine examined the erect penises of 200 men. According to one report, the results of the study found smokers had shorter erect penises compared to men who did not smoke. Researchers believe this is because smoking inhibits blood flow, preventing the penis from stretching, which might reduce penis length.
Four Special Tactics airmen, part of an elite Special Operations Surgical Team, will receive the Bronze Star this week for providing quick, life-saving care during an overwhelming surge of casualties while forward-deployed with special operations forces in the fight against the Islamic State.

The Air Force on Friday announced Capt. Cade Reedy, an emergency room nurse; Lt. Col. Matthew Uber, a nurse anesthetist; Lt. Col. Ben Mitchell, an emergency room technician; and Maj. Justin Manley, a surgeon from the 720th Operations Support Squadron will receive the military's fourth-highest medal during a ceremony at the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Feb. 13, for their actions under Operation Inherent Resolve.

Two airmen who are part of the team, Maj. Nelson Pacheco, an emergency room nurse, and Tech. Sgt. Richard Holguin, a respiratory therapist, will not be available for the ceremony, according to 24th Special Operations Wing spokeswoman 1st Lt Jaclyn Pienkowski. The two airmen have already received their awards, Pienkowski said.

Related content:

The Special Tactics airmen treated more than 750 patients, managed 19 mass-casualty events, performed 16 life-saving surgeries and cared for partner-force casualties exposed to chemical weapons during the summer of 2016, according to the team's "Portraits in Courage" story.

The team was featured in the Air Force's 2017 "Portraits in Courage" program, which annually hails a variety of airmen for their heroic or life-changing acts.

The SOST converted an abandoned residence and a makeshift hospital and casualty safe-haven for treatment and surgery, according to the service. They were stationed less than two miles from a besieged city, where electricity, clean water, medical supplies and blood supply were scarce.

Hundreds of patients, limited supplies and ISIS weren't the only obstacles.

In an interview with Air Force Times last year, the team said they too were susceptible to a chemical weapons attack during their two month operation, hinting they were on the front lines in Aleppo, Syria, where chemical weapons such as chlorine gas were evidently used by Syrian government forces against civilians.

"Our SOSTs are equipped to perform life-saving battlefield surgery and trauma resuscitation, far forward, to ensure the men and women who make up our military and partner forces make it home alive," said Lt. Col. Eli Mitchell, commander of the 720th Operations Support Squadron. "We couldn't be more proud of the accomplishments of this team, which is on par with the level of expertise and competence we've come to expect from all the teams," he said in the release.

While local firefighters provided blood to the wounded on multiple occasions, Reedy at one point donated his own, giving more than 30 units of blood to the wounded.

During another incident, families escaping ISIS insurgents ran toward the hospital for shelter as machine gun fire rang out all around. Lt. Col. Ben Mitchell and Pacheco cared for the critically wounded "while the dead lay at their feet," the Portraits in Courage story said.

Inside, Uber and Holguin and the rest of the team treated scores of patients as mortar rounds flew nearby, donning body armor on themselves and readying weapons should the time come to fight.

During the deployment, Manley performed a first-time ever war environment procedure in which he used a balloon catheter "through a critically injured patient's femoral artery into the aorta" to subdue substantial bleeding, the Air Force said. The team used the move three more times in order to effectively buy patients more time before major procedures.

Another SOST member, Maj Jonathon Chin, will also be receiving a Bronze Star for a recent deployment during the same ceremony, Pienkowski said.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct Lt. Col. Eli Mitchell's squadron.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
The new details not only shed light on what may have triggered the incident, but may also help to explain how five other...
The Midland Development Corp. is set to buy the Building of the Southwest.

All that is left is for the Midland City Council to approve the purchase at Tuesdays meeting.

According to city documents, the MDC will purchase  pending council approval  the city-owned property for $50,000. There were 40 requests for proposals issued, according to the city. The MDC was the lone entity to provide a proposal for the property at 310 W. Texas Ave.

The city entered into an agreement last fall with Vandergriff Group architect for oversight of abatement, demolition and improvements of the building.

The Building of the Southwest, which was constructed in 1967 and is approximately 85,000 square feet, has been looked at before as a possible location for downtown parking.

(The building) is an important part of the skyline, said Sara Harris, interim administrator for the MDC. It has been empty for decades. Something needs to be done with it and have it be put to good use. That is what the MDCs goal is.

Harris said part of the MDC strategy has been to assist in downtown development and that Building of the Southwest is a key piece of that puzzle. She said a redeveloped Building of the Southwest will be a complementary piece to the Midland Convention Center, which is set to open next year.

Potential uses include a new home for the MDC, other government offices and downtown child care center. The possibilities, she said, are endless.
The Midland Police Departments new chief wants personnel better trained in emergency and patrol-driving techniques.

Steve Henry is asking the Midland City Council to approve the issuance of requests for proposals for a driving simulator for the police department, according to city documents. The equipment will be used to train personnel in emergency and patrol-driving techniques.

This equipment is a critical part of future efforts to train personnel in emergency and patrol driving techniques in an effort to reduce preventable vehicle accidents, proper driving procedures, reduce injuries and liability reduction, Henry wrote in a memo regarding the RFP request.

RELATED: MPD report: Officer's driving caused Jan. 16 crash

The memo came out on Jan. 24, the same day that MPD provided the Reporter-Telegram with a copy of a report on a Jan. 16 wreck involving an MPD officer. In that report, a Midland Police Department investigator wrote that the police officer did not operate an emergency vehicle with due regard for the public.

On that particular day, Officer Zach Owens was driving a Chevy Tahoe westbound on Louisiana Avenue in the course of making a traffic stop. He attempted to proceed through a red light, according to the investigators narrative opinion of what happened. The report also states that the vehicles lights were activated but the siren was not.

The Jan. 16 incident was at least the third wreck involving a police department vehicle  in which it appeared the police officer was at fault -- since November 2016.

RELATED: DA: Former MPD officer indicted in connection with fatal wreck

Christian Abrahim was indicted Jan. 17 for his role in a fatal wreck in central Midland on Christmas Eve. He was terminated on Jan. 22 and arrested on Jan 23 on manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges.

In November 2016, Officer Jacob Churchwell  one month after graduating from the probationary officer program -- crashed his vehicle after losing control during a high-speed pursuit with a motorcyclist. The police department later said that Churchwell was in oversight of at least four policies of the departments general order, including operating the vehicle in a manner and at a rate of speed in conflict with general orders, according to a previous Reporter-Telegram article. He also did not properly assess criteria required before engaging in the pursuit and was not wearing a seatbelt.
Alex Wong/Getty Images(SEDONA, Ariz.) -- Sen. John McCain, who's been battling an aggressive form of brain cancer for several months, is "gaining strength," according to fellow Arizona Republican lawmaker Jeff Flake.



Following a visit Saturday to the McCain family's cabin near Sedona, Arizona, Sen. Flake tweeted, "Had a nice visit with @SenJohnMcCain today. He's working hard and gaining strength."



McCain, 81, was diagnosed with glioblastoma over the summer, and in July, he began chemotherapy and radiation treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. In December, he was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He subsequently returned to Arizona, and has been there since.



Also on Saturday, CNN aired an interview with McCain's daughter, "The View" co-host Meghan McCain, who also provided an update on her father's health.



"He's doing really good, all things considered," she said. "I've been very open. He had sort of a bad bout at Christmas time. He was hospitalized at Walter Reed. He had ramifications from his chemotherapy. He had pneumonia. But he's made this, like, really incredible comeback. And I was with him at Christmas time. And he's doing a lot of physical therapy ... He's doing good."

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
What would San Antonio be without the Alamo, the heart of Texas liberty?

When Phil Collins made headlines with his fascination for the legend of Davy Crockett and the Battle of the Alamo, the former pop star gave a revitalized perspective to the preciously preserved shrine dismissed by many S.A. residents.

The Alamo is one of the top iconic destinations of the South, but of course it's much more than that. The shrine, rooted in history and wrapped in lore, has undergone many incarnations.

Before it was the hallowed site of a 13-day legendary battle, the turning point of the Texas Revolution, the modest stone building was a Spanish Mission, first established nearly 300 years ago. It had one of the first hospitals in Texas. It was a post for the Confederate Army. At one point in its history, the city of San Antonio, the Catholic Church and the U.S. federal government all claimed ownership of the Alamo.

With all the jockeying over the symbol and meaning of the Alamo, it's no wonder a number of irrevent pranks have ensued.

The gallery above features 20 unique facts that often slip through the history books and guided tours.

For a comprehensive account of the Alamo, visit www.thealamo.org, the official site managed by the Texas General Land Office.

jmscott@mysa.com
In July 1945 the United States government tested the world's first atomic bomb in Alamogordo, New Mexico, but that historic event could have just as easily happened in South Texas.

According to Mike Cox of TexasEscapes.com, Padre Island was on the shortlist to welcome the atomic weapons age.
Almost a year after FourWinds Logistics went belly up, Harlingen investor Denise Cantu was feeling helpless with nowhere to turn as she tried to get back most of the $900,000 she invested with the oil field company.

Cantu, 38, texted Carlos Uresti  a man she has described as her counselor, financial adviser, friend and, eventually, lover  to say no one was helping her, not even the lawyers he referred her to.

Hes now on trial for allegedly defrauding her and other investors.

Before their relationship soured, the Democratic state senator recommended in 2014 that Cantu put her money into FourWinds. She was looking to invest some of the proceeds of a $2.5 million legal settlement he helped obtain for her over the deaths of two of her children in a 2010 vehicle wreck, and Uresti said it was guaranteed and good as gold. She took Urestis advice and ended up losing about $800,000.

This isnt lottery $$$, Cantu raged at Uresti in a June 22, 2016, text message shown to jurors Monday in San Antonio federal court. Yall took BLOOD MONEY, MY KIDS BLOOD MONEY, so whoever is in on this scheme will be judge by the good man above 

What scheme? Uresti replied.

The exchange came a couple of months after FBI agents met with Cantu for the second time regarding an investigation into FourWinds demise. The company  which bought and sold sand used in fracking for oil production  imploded and entered bankruptcy in August 2015 as allegations swirled that investors were defrauded.

Over three days on the witness stand, Cantu told jurors how her relationship with Uresti unfolded, how the two would have sex at his office, and how Uresti instructed her not to cooperate with agents when they started asking her questions. Saying she was trying to protect the man she thought was her friend, she admitted that she never revealed his request on any of the three occasions she met with the FBI.

Uresti, 54, was indicted last year by a federal grand jury on 11 charges  including securities fraud and money laundering  in connection with his roles at FourWinds. He served as its legal counsel and a 1 percent owner, and he helped recruit investors  including Cantu. The trial, which started Jan. 22, enters its fourth week Monday.

Two others were indicted with Uresti  FourWinds CEO Stan Bates, 46, and consultant Gary Cain, 61. Last month, Bates pleaded guilty to eight felony charges rather than sit at the same defense table with Uresti and Cain. Bates was the fourth company official to enter a guilty plea.

Uresti and Cain have denied the charges.

Cantu, the governments star witness against Uresti, wrapped up three days of testimony Monday.

During questioning by Urestis lead lawyer, Michael McCrum, Cantu acknowledged she was upset when she sent the text message to Uresti  both with him and because no one was giving her any answers about where her money had gone. The terms of her joint venture agreement called for her money to be used to buy sand, but an Internal Revenue Service investigator previously told the jury the money didnt purchase a single grain.

Uresti offered to help the exasperated Cantu, but she was skeptical, other texts from that same day in June 2016 show.

How can u help me??? Cantu wondered. I thought it was a conflict of interest? ?

Theres no conflict of interest in trying to help you, Uresti replied.

How are u gonna represent me against Stan? she then asked.

Uresti previously referred Cantu to friend and fellow lawyer Raymundo Valdez, who specializes in immigration law and civil litigation in McAllen. Valdez filed a lawsuit on Cantus behalf against FourWinds and Bates for fraud in May 2015. Bates answered the suit by identifying Uresti as a responsible third party.

Cantu later retained attorney Oscar R. Alvarez, also of McAllen, to represent her in the suit. However, FourWinds bankruptcy, and an involuntary bankruptcy filed against Bates, essentially put a halt to Cantu getting any money from the lawsuit.

In January 2017, Cantu sued Uresti for fraud, saying he and others tricked her into believing she was investing with FourWinds to buy and sell sand. Instead, she said, company officials distributed most of her money among themselves. Uresti has denied her allegations. The case is pending.

Alvarez was in court to hear his clients testimony. Cantu remained composed throughout her three days of testimony, save briefly for when she teared up talking about the 2010 vehicle rollover accident that killed two of her children  Annissa Marie Salazar, 13, and Johnathan Dominic Cortez, 4  and two friends.

I didnt hear any gotcha questions, which is what I thought they (lawyers for Uresti and Cain) were going to try to do with her, Alvarez said.

McCrum, in questioning Cantu, dwelled on X-rated texts that Cantu and Bates swapped within a few weeks of meeting and around the time she invested with FourWinds.

FBI reports provided by Urestis defense team show she denied being sexually involved with either Bates or Uresti when first interviewed by agents in February 2016, but later said she had sexual relations with each of them. Uresti has denied they had sex. McCrum has used Cantus flip-flop to attack her credibility.

Asked about the racy texts Cantu swapped with Bates, Alvarez said, "They're trying to impeach her; they're trying to make her look bad. I don't think it destroys her credibility because it doesn't change the underlying facts, which is, they took her money and they misspent it."

Uresti's lawyers contend he did not not have knowledge of the inner workings of FourWinds and was unaware that investors' money was being misused.

Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday, shifting the trial to Uresti's defense team, which hasn't said whether the lawmaker will testify in his defense.

Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra denied requests to acquit Uresti and Cain last week, saying there was "telling evidence" against Uresti.

With the prosecution's 23rd and final witness on the stand Tuesday, the government played for jurors a recording of interviews Uresti gave to the San Antonio Express-News just days before it published an August 2016 report on FourWinds' demise and the lawmaker's involvement in the company.

Prosecutors: State Sen. Carlos Uresti hindered FBI investigation

Uresti's lawyers argued that an Express-News reporter had "tricked" him by not advising him that he was being recorded, according to Ezra in a Jan. 17 pretrial hearing. The transcript, however, indicated Uresti was advised that he was being recorded and acknowledged so during the first interview.

Ezra said he would wait on issuing a ruling on whether to allow the recording to be played for jurors, but the issue was never raised in court before it was played.

The FBI had recorded the interviews off the newspaper's website, FBI Special Agent Monroe Giese said.

Uresti told the Express-News at the time that he was limited in what he could say.

"As you probably know, it's under investigation" by the FBI, Uresti started out by saying. "I've been contacted to be a witness in this case. So I'm going to be careful about how I answer your questions so as not to jeopardize that investigation."

Uresti didn't cooperate with the FBI's investigation, but McCrum got Giese to confirm that Uresti gave eight hours of depositions to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC's Fort Worth office has been conducting a civil investigation, and an enforcement official with the agency was in court to hear the first part of Cantu's testimony.

FBI: FourWinds investor money kept Uresti law firm's accounts in the black

Uresti at first denied he was legal counsel for either side when Cantu invested with FourWinds.

"I was not the attorney for Denise Cantu nor FourWinds at that time when they entered into the agreement" in June 2014, Uresti told the newspaper.

In a follow-up interview a couple of days later that also was played for jurors, Uresti changed his story to say he became FourWinds' lawyer around May 2014.

Still, Uresti denied he had a conflict because he represented Cantu in the wrongful-death settlement. Asked if he ever requested Cantu sign a "conflict waiver" after becoming FourWinds' lawyer, he would not answer the question, in part, he said, because the settlement was so long ago.

Even though Uresti said he no longer represented Cantu, he took interest in her joint-venture agreement, called FWL-DC, with FourWinds in March 2015 when she first demanded her money back. At the time, FourWinds was beginning to unravel with the plunge in oil prices and withering demand for sand.

Federal prosecutors last week showed jurors an exchange of texts between Uresti and Bates that starts with with Bates asking about a $40,000 loan the company had made to the lawmaker. Uresti quickly changed the topic.

"I need a complete and truthful itemization on Denise Cantu by Friday for the $900,000 she trusted with you," Uresti wrote on March 12, 2015. "Be sure to include the sand that she has purchased and where all the money is currently located. Be sure to send to me via email."

RELATED: Uresti's alleged ex-mistress admits to relationship with his business partner

Bates responded, "Shop being evasive. FWL-DC doesn't have shit to do with a Personal Loan We Made to You." He then added, "She is getting paid this week."

"I suggest you send it to me by Friday," Uresti wrote back.

"Don't start a Fight your not prepared to Fight," Bates snapped. "Once again Your $40,000 debt doesn't have shit to do with any of FWL-DC's business Marine." Uresti and Bates are both ex-Marines.

Evidence presented during the trial showed the $40,000 loan went into the Uresti law firm's trust account. Uresti told the Express-News in 2016 that the loan was "kind of like an advance on future commissions (and) future legal work." Trust accounts generally are set up for holding client funds that are meant to be kept separate from a lawyer's own money.

Tab Turner, an Arkansas lawyer who also represents Uresti, said in a Friday email that they plan to call H. Anthony Hervol, a lawyer who represented Uresti in FourWinds' bankruptcy regarding the $40,000 loan, to the witness stand Monday.

FourWinds' bankruptcy trustee sued Uresti in April 2016 to return the $40,000. The litigation was settled, with Uresti paying back $30,000 in August 2016. He didn't pay back all the $40,000 because, he said, FourWinds had owed his law firm money.

Uresti's lawyers also will present in court a stipulation regarding his communications with Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in 2015 "to alert the authorities to what (Uresti) perceived as possible fraud" at FourWinds, Turner said. Garcia was on a list of more than 200 potential witnesses for Uresti, according to a December court filing.

RELATED: U.S. judge says 'telling evidence' against Uresti, denies request to acquit

The trial continues to attract interest from gawkers, media and lawyers not involved in the case. Six students from a Brandeis High School accounting class attended the proceedings Tuesday.

Dennis Elam, a Texas A&M University-San Antonio accounting professor, said he is using the case in his accounting ethics graduate class.

The case is one for the record books, he said. This is the case that keeps on giving to an ethics professor.

Elams research interest is in how social mood affects accounting and financial events. This case arises from the euphoria that erupted when oil prices surged above $100 a barrel.

People jump in at the end of a  mania, he said. In the short space of a year (at FourWinds), everybody was positive to one another and then when things went south; everybodys mood turned negative.

pdanner@express-news.net | gcontreras@express-news.net
Reddit this week banned "deepfake" pornography - fake celebrity porn videos created with face-swapping technologies - and shut down the community of the same name, becoming the third major internet platform this week to crack down on the increasingly popular clips.

"This community has been banned," the former deepfakes subreddit page reads. "This subreddit was banned due to a violation of our content policy, specifically our policy against involuntary pornography."
Saturday's heavy rain caused wastewater spills on the northern side of downtown Houston, according to a release from the city of Houston.

City-supplied water is safe to drink, the announcement says -- but people should avoid touching water or soil in the two affected areas because it could be contaminated.
Dressed in only lingerie, boxers, panties, tops, tutus and colorful jewelry, men and women gathered Saturday afternoon along Washington Avenue to have fun, raise money and run for a cause.

The Cupid's Undie Run is a nationwide event that raises money for research to help find a cure for neurofibromatosis, a tumor-causing genetic disorder that affects 1 in 3,000 people. From 12 to 2 p.m. participants gathered at Fuego's Saloon, ran for a mile through drizzling rain, then returned to revel at the bar. Organizers said more than 150 people registered for the run, and 10 to 15 more volunteered.

Some attendees wore costumes, like Leah Die, who wore a two-piece Wonder Woman outfit.

"I just wanted to raise some money and have fun with my friends," Die said. "I just wanted do a little something good for a lot of kids who needed it."

According to the Cupid's Charity webpage, since the nonprofit was created in 2012, it has raised over $14.5 million. The money raised Saturday afternoon will go to the Children's Tumor Foundation.

"We are both nurses and we take care of kids who have neurofibromatosis, so it is a good cause," said Audria Odom, who attended with Sarah Burdate, her colleague at Texas Children's Hospital.

Odom said children with neurofibromatosis are sometimes bullied because of their condition, and she helps perform pediatric plastic surgeries to provide kids a more normal life.

"There is a lot of stigma associated with the disorder because they grow a lot of tumors," Odom said. "We try to help them maintain a normal appearance because kids are mean."

Michael Gaither, his wife Morgan and Krista Fredrick were the three race directors of the event.

"I got involved because I have neurofibromatosis. I was diagnosed at six months old," Fredrick said. "It's been a way to raise awareness, to make a positive impact and to meet another people who have neurofibromatosis."

Fredrick said having NF is challenging because doctors are uncertain how the disorder affects the lives of patients. She tries to focus on what she can control, like seeing her doctors annually, having MRIs and educating others about NF.

"It is kind of a limbo," Fredrick said. "You really do not know what to expect and you can't really control how NF is going to develop, so it can be frustrating at times."

Fredrick said when she started working for Cupid's Undie Run in 2010, there were only 10 clinical trials. Now there are more than 50.

"Krista is one of the reasons that has given me courage to say that I have NF because I pretended for so long that I did not have it," said Kristi Johnson, an attendee of the run. "It is so good to see the family that I can have as well. I feel it is good to know that people my age are also fighting my battle."
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, has joined 11 other Democratic senators in sending a letter to the White House demanding to know what officials knew about former Staff Secretary Rob Porters alleged history of domestic abuse.

The senators wrote to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and White House Counsel Don McGahn to raise serious concerns regarding Porters ongoing access to classified information even after Kelly was notified that Porter was unable to obtain a security clearance.
NEW HAVEN  Leadership of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education is pursuing a policy agenda in 2018 that continues to focus on special education, school funding and the achievement gap.

For at least the third year, CABE is advocating for more stable funding, diversity in Connecticuts school boards and among teachers and fewer state mandates that interfere with local innovation.

Clearly the stability of funding for education remains our highest priority, said Patrice McCarthy, deputy director and general counsel for CABE, in a meeting with the New Haven Registers editorial board.

One of the biggest issues facing school board pocketbooks is the rising cost burden of special education, she said.

Statewide, special education students represent about 13.4 percent of the overall student population, said CABE Senior Staff Associate Sheila McKay, but the funding from the national government has not kept apace. Across the state, she said, between 20 and 25 percent of school budgets go to special education costs.

One solution CABE sees to address the growing costs of special education is creating legal pathways to collaboration between school districts.

Regionalization, McCarthy said, is a very cumbersome, complicated, lengthy process that links school districts to one another in a way that makes divorcing difficult to do once school districts are linked.

If school districts were able to make memorandums of understanding to collaborate on certain issues, without violating collective bargaining agreements, schools could pool resources to better handle burdersome costs, CABE says.

Presently, school districts often share back office functions like IT and payroll services, but they are prohibited from sharing staff and programs that would be mutually beneficial and impact schools at the student level, CABE contends.

CABEs agenda also will continue to pursue increasing the diversity within school boards and teaching staff.

Were trying to get our heads around how we can help other towns increase their diversity so their boards will look more like the citizens in their towns, said Donald Harris, first vice president of CABE.

A survey led by the University of Connecticuts education school on the racial makeup of the states school boards and teachers had putrid results, Harris said.

The states certification program is among the most rigorous in the nation, and CABE staff said they would like to see more work done around incubating future teachers of color from within the school systems.

We want to give those students the supports they need, McCarthy said.

Another constant listed on the CABE policy agenda is to address the achievement gap.

According to state Department of Education data, the four-year graduation rate for white students increased 1.2 points in five years, whereas its grown 5.8 points among black students and 7.8 points for Hispanic students. However, there is a 13.7 point gap between white and black students and a 16.1 point gap between white and Hispanic students.

In 2017, more than two-thirds of white students met or exceeded their goal on the English portion of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium exam, whereas less than one-third of black and Hispanic students did the same. In math, more than one-half of white students met or exceeded the goal benchmark, and less than one-quarter of black or Hispanic students accomplished that.

The CABE 2018 legislative document notes its priorities with regard to the achievement gap include encouraging the state to:

Invest in programs that promote cultural competency and the hiring and retention of educators from diverse backgrounds

Continue to increase access to early childhood programs

Provide an accountability system that supports personalized learning to accelerate and enhance student achievement and support low performing students

Expand interagency access to mental health and drug use prevention services for youth.

CABE urges boards of education to provide strong leadership to raise student achievement, and to create a school climate that fosters academic and personal development, the organizations 2018 agenda says.

Further, the group supports the states efforts to address and solve the issues of social and economic isolation in the areas of housing, transportation, employment, access to health care and social services.

Harris said in his hometown of Bloomfield, a focus on data has been effective at turning the district around.

If we are testing for skills students need to have, theres nothing wrong with testing, McCarthy said. We are meeting the needs of more of our students than we ever have before, but we still clearly have the achievement gap and thats got to be an ongoing focus.

When asked about CABEs legislative victories, given its repeated priorities, McCarthy said loosening high school graduation requirements to allow districts more flexibility and reducing professional development mandates that did not allow much time for districts to offer individualized instruction were victories for the group in the last legislative session.

On the agenda item on civility the organization notes it urges public officials at all levels of government to model civil discourse in their

deliberations, allowing for the thoughtful, beneficial productive exchange of ideas and perspectives. CABE urges school boards to provide opportunities

for students to develop their skills in conflict resolution and consensus building, and for school board members to model these skills in their own conduct.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
JERUSALEM - Israel carried out extensive airstrikes inside Syria on Saturday, targeting what the Israeli military said were air defense batteries and army bases as well as Iranian positions, in a day of dramatic cross-border confrontations as the threat of a wider regional conflict looms.

The Israeli military said it launched the "large scale attack" after one of its F-16 fighter jets crashed under Syrian antiaircraft fire. Eight Israeli jets had been responding to an incursion by an Iranian drone launched from Syrian territory by bombing a Syrian air base, Israel said.

Seeking to contain Iran and its proxies, Israel has regularly carried out airstrikes inside Syria, though not on this scale.

If a direct hit on the Israeli aircraft is confirmed, it would be the first time an Israeli jet has been brought down by enemy fire since 1982. The strikes that followed were Israel's most significant bombardment inside Syria since the beginning of the nearly seven-year civil war - hitting 12 military sites in the country - eight Syrian and four that Israel said were Iranian.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli military officials described the initial incursion as an Iranian "attack" and said it was Israel's right and duty to respond. The Israeli army said the Iranian drone did not cross into Israel by accident and was on a "mission" but declined to give further details or comment on whether the drone was armed.

Israel has looked on with alarm as its archenemy Iran has extended its military reach and political influence in the region during conflicts in Iraq and Syria. Along with its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, Iran has provided military support for Syrian President Bashar Assad during his country's civil war, projecting an expanded presence close to Israel's northern border.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who will travel to the Middle East this week, reaffirmed in a phone call with Netanyahu on Saturday that "Israel has the right to defend itself," said Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Steven I. Goldstein.

The United States, Goldstein said, is "deeply concerned" about the escalation of violence and holds Iran responsible.

But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahran Qasemi disputed the Israeli account, describing the claim that an Iranian drone had crossed the border as "ridiculous." He said the Syrian government had the right to defend itself by shooting down the Israeli jet.

The Syrian state news agency, meanwhile, described the airstrikes in Syrian territory as a "new Israeli aggression." A military alliance backing Assad said that any other incursion by Israel would be met with "serious and fierce" retaliation.

The Israeli strikes also riled Russia, which has forces deployed in Syria as part of Moscow's effort to defend Assad's government against a wide range of rebel groups seeking his ouster.

But Russia is seen by Israel as a key to de-escalating the heightening crisis by influencing Iran to contain its presence.

Moscow said the Israeli airstrikes on Syrian bases potentially imperiled Russian military advisers stationed there. "The creation of any threat to the lives and safety of Russian military servicemen currently in Syria on the invitation of its lawful government to help fight terrorists is absolutely unacceptable," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Netanyahu said that he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin to reiterate "our right and obligation to defend ourselves." He said that the two leaders agreed that their military cooperation would continue.

Netanyahu's statement came after the prime minister held an emergency meeting with Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman at Israel's military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

The surge in violence across the Israel-Syria border is the latest front in a multisided Syrian war that in recent days has seen heightened military operations in several places in the north and east of the country as well as close to the capital, Damascus. Russia, Iran, Turkey and the United States, as well as their local allies, are all engaged on the battlefield.

Israel and the United States have expressed serious concerns about the growing assertiveness of Iran and its ally Hezbollah.

"Iran's calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance places all the people of the region, from Yemen to Lebanon, at risk," Goldstein said. "We will continue to push back on Iran's malign activities, and we want an end to this behavior that threatens peace and stability."

The Israelis have been particularly worried about what they say is a buildup of Hezbollah forces from the Syrian city of Palmyra to the country's southwest corner bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Aiming to assuage Israel's concerns, the United States and Russia agreed last year to establish a cease-fire between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters near the southwestern Syrian town of Daraa. That agreement has mostly held.

But outside that small area, Hezbollah has continued to increase strength, Israel says. Israel has pointed to what it says are Hezbollah plants for assembling Iranian-supplied missiles that could be fired on Israel. And Israel has repeatedly carried out airstrikes against what it has described as Hezbollah convoys and operations.

"The Syrians are playing with fire that they are allowing the Iranians to attack Israel from their soil," Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said Saturday. "The IDF is ready and capable to inflict a heavy price on anyone that attacks us."

But the possible downing Saturday of the Israeli jet - and images of its burned remains - is a public relations boost for Assad. The Syrian government had been complaining that regular Israeli incursions were an affront to its sovereignty.

"Israelis must realize that they no longer have superiority in the skies nor on the ground," Fares Shehabi, a member of the Syrian parliament representing Aleppo, said on Twitter. He said Syria had fired more than 24 surface-to-air missiles at Israeli jets. "Much more will be fired in the future . . . if Israel continues its aggressions."

The Israeli military said it was investigating whether its jet was hit directly. Syria asserted that it was.

The conflagration began when an Iranian drone crossed into Israeli territory from Syria about 4:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the Israeli military. It was shot down by an Israeli attack helicopter.

The pro-Syrian military alliance, which includes Hezbollah and Iran, released a statement describing the Israeli claim that an Iranian drone had entered its airspace as a "lie and fabrication."

But Conricus said that Israel was in possession of the remains of the drone and that Israeli officials were certain it was Iranian.

In response, Israel dispatched eight fighter jets to bomb the T4 military base near Palmyra, from where it says the drone was dispatched and controlled. Syria responded with "substantial . . . antiaircraft fire" and two Israeli pilots ejected from their F-16, which crashed inside Israel, according to the Israeli military. One of the pilots was severely injured, it said.

Civilians on both sides of the border were awakened by the military exchange.

"We can hear the sounds of the explosions," said one Damascus resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. He said the sound of Syrian antiaircraft missiles was louder than usual.

Air raid sirens were triggered in residential areas on Israel's northern border. Shlomo Mishal, 55, who lives in Beit Shean in northern Israel, said he awoke to the noises about 4:30 a.m.

"We heard a loud bang, but we did not know what was going on and ran downstairs to the shelter, a safe room in our home," he said. Mishal said that his friends and neighbors in the town started sharing text messages and social media posts, with rumors flying about what had happened, until 8 a.m. when news stations gave details of the shooting down of an Iranian drone.

"The fact that this happened not far from our home, the fact there was an Iranian drone overhead is not nice and makes us uncomfortable," Mishal said.

Eyal Ben-Reuven, a retired Israeli major general and member of parliament, said he hoped the strikes would spark a diplomatic push to protect Israel's interests.

"The political leadership must say to the United States and Russia, 'Take this event very, very seriously,' " he said. " 'You must stop the Iranians in Syria. You must. If you don't do that, we will do that.' "

He said that as a member of the parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee, he had met with Russian representatives three times in the past year and that Russia was well aware of Israel's position. The United States lacks the leverage Russia has in Syria, he said.

Just last month, Netanyahu visited Moscow for talks about Syria, particularly the growing influence of Iran.

After meeting with Putin, Netanyahu in a video statement said he told the Russian president that Israel viewed two developments with severe disapproval: "One, the attempts by Iran to base itself militarily in Syria and the second, Iran's attempt to produce in Lebanon accurate weapons against the state of Israel. I made it clear to him that we will not agree to any of those developments and we will act accordingly."

"I hope this will push the diplomatic efforts," Ben-Reuven added. "This is serious. It's not finished."

Israeli military officials have acknowledged that the cost of any future war on the country's northern border will be high. Israel fought a bloody 34-day war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. The conflict killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon and 165 in Israel.

Since then, Hezbollah has built up its arsenal of rockets, which Israel estimates to be about 150,000 projectiles. Israel has expressed concern that Iran is transferring expertise and know-how to Hezbollah to boost the accuracy of those missiles.

Some Israeli military officials have said that a future war on the northern border could drag in both Lebanon and Syria.

- - -

The Washington Post's Louisa Loveluck in Beirut, Karen DeYoung in Washington, Erin Cunningham in Istanbul and Anton Troianovski in Moscow contributed to this report.
John Gavin, a Hollywood actor who had major roles in the Roman epic "Spartacus" and Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller "Psycho" before being named U.S. ambassador to Mexico, where he had a tumultuous five-year tenure in the 1980s, died Friday at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was 86.

A spokesman, Budd Burton Moss, announced the death but did not specify a cause.

After serving as a Navy officer in the 1950s, Gavin was hoping to work as a technical adviser on a movie about an aircraft carrier. The film's producer, an old family friend, suggested that the strapping, 6-foot-4 Gavin have a screen test.

He found modest success as a contract actor at Universal studios, where he was sometimes hailed as "the next Rock Hudson." Gavin had the lead role in "A Time to Love and a Time to Die" (1958), playing a German soldier returning to his ravaged homeland and falling in love during World War II. He received a Golden Globe Award as most promising new actor.

"He is handsome," Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper wrote at the time, "and has a silken sort of threat which gives women little chills up and down the spine."

The film's director, Douglas Sirk, next cast Gavin as Lana Turner's suitor in the 1959 melodrama "Imitation of Life," which explores issues of racial identity. In 1960, he played Julius Caesar in Stanley Kubrick's Oscar-winning "Spartacus," alongside Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and Laurence Olivier.

The same year, Gavin appeared in Hitchcock's "Psycho" as Sam Loomis, the lover of Janet Leigh's character, Marion Crane. In a climactic scene in the film, he ends up at the Bates Motel with Marion's sister, played by Vera Miles, and has a chilling encounter with Norman Bates, the murderous character portrayed by Anthony Perkins.

Gavin later said he was "terribly disturbed" by the violence and sexual innuendo of "Psycho."

In other film roles, Gavin appeared with such acclaimed actresses as Sophia Loren, Susan Hayward and Doris Day, yet never broke through to mass stardom. His acting was often considered wooden, and Hitchcock called him "the stiff." In a review of "A Breath of Scandal," the film Gavin made with Loren, New York Post critic Archer Winsten wrote, "The actors act, and those who cannot, like Gavin, look beautiful."

Gavin was scheduled to play James Bond in "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) before Sean Connery was lured back with a hefty salary to play the role he had given up four years earlier. In 1973, Gavin was again set to portray Bond before the producers decided to go with British actor Roger Moore in "Live and Let Die."

During his diminishing acting career, Gavin was active in other pursuits, including serving as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1971 to 1973. He had widespread business interests throughout Latin America and spent several years as special adviser to the head of the Organization of American States.

In 1980, he campaigned for his old friend from Hollywood, Ronald Reagan, the Republican nominee for president. After Reagan won the election, he nominated Gavin as ambassador to Mexico.

Mexican authorities and some State Department officials were perplexed at the choice. At the time, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, along with consular offices throughout the country, constituted the largest American diplomatic mission in the world.

Although he had been a Navy intelligence officer and was fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Gavin had no previous diplomatic experience.

Mexicans knew him primarily for television in commercials in which he advertised Bacardi rum. Wags joked that an equivalent appointment would be to name Mario Moreno, a popular comic actor known as Cantinflas, ambassador to the United States.

The Senate confirmed Mr. Gavin for the post in 1981. From the beginning, as the Los Angeles Times noted five years later, "he displayed an instinctive ability to antagonize just about everyone whom diplomats usually try to cultivate."

He was absent from Mexico a third of the time, often spending four-day weekends in Los Angeles. He insulted journalists from both Mexico and the United States, telling some that he knew their bosses and could get them fired.

His meetings with Mexican clergy members and opposition political groups were interpreted as efforts to interfere in the country's internal politics. There were calls for him to be declared persona non grata and expelled from the country.

When Gavin resigned his ambassadorship in 1986, a column in Mexico City's El Universal newspaper described him as "arrogant, imprudent and meddlesome" and as "one of the most ghastly ambassadors" to Mexico in years.

A political cartoon posed the question, "Now, who will follow, Woody Allen or Jerry Lewis?"

Nonetheless, Gavin had strong supporters in the United States, particularly among conservatives who praised his straight talk and unyielding nature.

"Too often in the past we have dealt with Mexico from a condescending position where we look the other way at corruption and inefficiency and deal in vague diplomatic platitudes," Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, said. "He never forgot that he was in Mexico to represent the United States, not to represent Mexico to Washington."

Gavin was born April 8, 1931, in Los Angeles. His name at birth was Juan Vincent Apablasa. When his Mexican-born mother remarried, he took the last name of his stepfather, Golenor.

He graduated in 1952 from Stanford University, where he studied Latin American economic history, and served in Asia and Panama with the Navy from 1952 to 1955.

In his first film roles in 1956, he appeared as John Gilmore and John Golenor before changing his last name to Gavin.

His first marriage, to actress Cicely Evans, ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife since 1974, actress Constance Towers of Beverly Hills; two daughters from his first marriage; and two stepchildren.

After he resigned as an ambassador, Gavin worked for the Atlantic Richfield oil company and later became president of the parent company of the Spanish-language television network Univision. He had other far-flung business interests and served on a variety of corporate boards. He never returned to acting.

During his Senate confirmation hearings in 1981, Gavin was asked how an actor with no diplomatic training could presume to become an ambassador.

He wryly noted that he could show the senators 40 movies "to prove that I'm no actor."
Washington

President Donald Trump on Saturday accused the Democrats of playing politics with classified information, asserting that their memo countering GOP allegations about the conduct of the FBI's Russia probe was a trap meant to "blame the White House for lack of transparency."

Citing national security concerns, the White House notified the House Intelligence Committee on Friday that the president was "unable" to declassify the Democratic memo. White House counsel Don McGahn said in a letter to the committee that the memo contains "numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages" and asked the committee to revise it with the help of the Justice Department.

He said Trump was still "inclined" to release the memo in the interest of transparency if revisions are made.

Trump weighed in with a tweet on Saturday.

"The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency," he tweeted. The meaning of the "(and more)" was not immediately clear.

Trump urged the Democrats to "re-do and send back in proper form!"

The president's rejection of the Democratic memo was in contrast to his enthusiastic embrace of releasing the Republican document, which accuses the FBI and Justice Department of abusing their surveillance powers in obtaining a secret warrant to monitor former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page.

Even before reading the GOP document, Trump pledged to make it public. It was published in full a week ago over the objections of the Justice Department.

The Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, California Rep. Adam Schiff, criticized Trump for treating the two documents differently, saying the president is now seeking revisions by the same committee that produced the original Republican memo. Still, Schiff said, Democrats "look forward to conferring with the agencies to determine how we can properly inform the American people about the misleading attack on law enforcement by the GOP."

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said the move is "part of a dangerous and desperate pattern of cover-up on the part of the president." California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has read the classified information both memos are based on. She tweeted that Trump's blocking the memo is "hypocrisy at its worst."

The head of the House committee, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., who produced the GOP memo, encouraged Democrats to accept the Justice Department's recommendations and "make the appropriate technical changes and redactions."

Trump has said the GOP memo "vindicates" him in the ongoing Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. But Democrats and Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Rep.

Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., who helped draft the GOP memo, have said it shouldn't be used to undermine the special counsel.

The House Intelligence Committee voted Monday to release the Democratic memo. Republicans backed the release, but several said they thought it should be redacted. Ryan also said he thought the Democratic document should be released.

In declining to declassify the document, the White House also sent lawmakers a letter signed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray, as well as a marked-up copy of the memo, laying out portions it considers too sensitive to make public. Among those passages are some that the Justice Departments says could compromise intelligence sources and methods, ongoing investigations and national security if disclosed.

The White House message caps off a week in which Republicans and Democrats on the committee have publicly fought, with the panel now erecting a wall to separate feuding Republican and Democratic staffers who had long sat side by side.

The disagreements have escalated over the last year as Democrats have charged that Republicans aren't taking the panel's investigation into Russian election meddling seriously enough. They say the GOP memo is designed as a distraction from the probe, which is looking into whether Trump's campaign was in any way connected to the Russian interference.

Republicans say they're only alerting the public to what they say is serious misconduct they've uncovered in the FBI and Justice Department.

Trump declassified the GOP-authored memo over the objections of the FBI, which said it had "grave concerns" about the document's accuracy.

In the Nunes' memo, Republicans took aim at the FBI and the Justice Department over the use of information from former British spy Christopher Steele in obtaining a warrant to monitor Page.
WASHINGTON-- President Donald Trump is poised to unveil a long-awaited plan Monday that aims to stimulate $1.5 trillion in new spending on the country's ailing infrastructure over the coming decade, but many lawmakers in both parties say the president isn't providing a viable way to pay for his initiative.

A year in the making, the proposal is an attempt to fulfill a marquee campaign promise and would rely heavily on states, localities and the private sector to cover the costs of new roads, bridges, waterways and other public works projects.

The plan calls for investing $200 billion in federal money over the coming decade to entice other levels of government and the private sector to raise their spending on infrastructure by more than $1 trillion to hit the administration's goal of $1.5 trillion in new funding over 10 years. It also seeks to dramatically reduce the time required to obtain environmental permits for such projects.

White House aides say Trump is open to a new source of funding to cover the federal share - such as raising the federal gas tax for the first time since 1993 - but Congress will have to make such decisions.

For now, the White House is suggesting that lawmakers cut money from elsewhere in the budget, including some existing infrastructure programs. That prospect seems unlikely given that Congress just last week reached a bipartisan deal to spend significantly more funds over the coming two years.

"I think it's just dead on arrival. . . . It's not a plan that will really work," said Rep. Daniel Lipinski, D-Ill., a member of the House Problem Solvers Caucus that works on bipartisan solutions. "Are Republicans going to embrace any kind of funding plan besides stealing from Peter to pay Paul within the federal government?"

In a statement Sunday, Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said legislation "needs to be bipartisan, fiscally responsible and make real long-term investments in our nation."

He has repeatedly called for a sustainable source of funding. At the recent GOP retreat in West Virginia, he floated the idea of raising the gas tax. It's "the elephant in the room," Shuster said.

In a briefing over the weekend for reporters, senior White House aides stressed that Trump's plan is intended to be an opening bid on legislation that will require bipartisan cooperation to pass.

"This in no way, shape or form should be considered a take-it-or-leave-it proposal," said one senior official, who requested anonymity to provide a preview of the president's plan. "This is the start of a negotiation - bicameral, bipartisan negotiation - to find the best solution for infrastructure in the U.S."

As crafted, the plan faces obstacles in both parties.

Democrats have long championed public works projects as a way to create jobs and stimulate the economy, but they are calling for a far larger federal investment than Trump will propose. Just last week, House Democrats unveiled an alternative plan, dubbed "A Better Deal to Rebuild America," that envisioned $1 trillion in direct federal spending - five times what Trump will propose.

Many Republicans, meanwhile, are leery of any new spending, particularly in the wake of passage last year of a $1.5 trillion tax cut plan and last week's budget agreement that will pump more than $500 billion in additional money into domestic agencies and the Pentagon over two years, the biggest increase in spending in almost a decade.

Trump, who is trying to turn the page after a week of turmoil surrounding allegations of spousal abuse against two male aides, plans to tout his infrastructure plan on Monday morning at a White House event with state and local officials.

Aides say in coming weeks he will travel around the country to highlight both the need for new infrastructure projects and instances where states and localities have crafted the kind of projects that his administration is trying to stimulate more broadly.

Many in Washington have wondered whether Trump should have led with an infrastructure proposal as a means to build support for his unorthodox presidency.

Instead, coming a year into his tumultuous tenure, the initiative is being pushed in a toxic partisan environment, following bruising battles over health care and taxes and amid bitter tensions over the Russia probe into election meddling.

Of the proposed $200 billion in federal spending over the coming decade, half of it would be used to create an incentives program to reward states and localities that invest more in infrastructure projects. The money would be doled out on a competitive basis, with awards that amount to up to 20 percent of a project's cost, aides said.

To qualify, states and localities would have to be willing to raise new revenue for their projects. White House aides offered several examples, including increases in property taxes or sales taxes or an increase in tolls or other user fees.

Another $50 billion would be directed to rural infrastructure programs, distributed to governors through block grants. That's in keeping with what White House aides say is a broader philosophical shift to give states and localities a greater say in their infrastructure priorities than the federal government.

Another $20 billion would be spent on "transformative" projects, such as plans to build tunnels for high-speed trains.

The remaining $30 billion would be used to significantly expand loan programs, for private activity bonds and for a capital financing fund. Those provisions are likely to draw more support.

Lawmakers in both parties agree that the low-cost government loan programs for highways and rail projects that began in the late 1990s are working well and should be expanded.

While Trump's push to streamline permitting has been panned by environmentalists, that provision is also likely to garner significant support.

"We've had projects that seem to take forever," said Mick Cornett, the mayor of Oklahoma City who is a Republican candidate for governor. "Here's an example: I used to be a journalist and I covered a city council meeting in 1998 where they chose a new route for Interstate 40 through Oklahoma City. I ended up cutting the ribbon on that route in 2012."

Taken as a whole, Trump's proposal is more of a "financing plan" than a "funding plan," said Mike Friedberg, a former staff director of a subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Friedberg said while Democrats prefer the latter, he sees "a little momentum" on Capitol Hill for some sort of deal. "I don't think it's dead," he said.

Others are skeptical, particularly of legislation emerging from Congress that closely tracks Trump's plan.

The idea that $200 billion in federal money will leverage more than $1 trillion in overall infrastructure investment is "just a prayer and hope," said Martin Klepper, who served most of last year as executive director of the Department of Transportation's Build America Bureau.

"Who is going to come up with all that extra money? The states are broke," said Klepper, who joined the Transportation Department in early January 2017 and resigned in November. He had hoped to help shape an infrastructure plan along the lines of what Trump promised during the campaign. However, he said, he found "a real gap between the president's articulation and the meat of this proposal."

Klepper said the federal government has provided at least half of the financing for major projects like the new Tappan Zee Bridge in New York and the expansion of light rail in San Diego. He said the White House is "misleading" people when it claims that the federal government can fund 20 percent or less and still see the kind of massive transportation upgrades that the American public expects.

In addition to his infrastructure proposal, Trump also plans to release his budget blueprint for the coming fiscal year on Monday. Aides would not describe it in detail on Sunday, but did say that it contains cuts to transit funding and to an Obama-era program that offered transportation grant funding to states and localities on a competitive basis.

An analysis of Trump's first budget released by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., cited $206 billion in proposed cuts to existing infrastructure programs, leading Democrats and advocates to question whether Trump was merely moving money around.

"Funding infrastructure by cutting infrastructure is not a serious proposal," said Beth Osborne, senior policy adviser for the advocacy group Transportation for America and former senior official in President Barack Obama's Department of Transportation.

In private meetings, Trump has mused about raising the gas tax as a means to generate more revenue for infrastructure projects.

The gas tax has been the same - 18.4 cents a gallon - since 1993. Many think tanks and expert studies have recommended raising it to fund road and bridge repairs.

Last month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called for a 25-cent-per-gallon increase, which it said would raise more than $375 billion over the coming decade.

"Raising the gas tax would be a terrific way to finance additional infrastructure spending," said Douglas Elmendorf, dean of the Harvard Kennedy School and a former economist in the Clinton administration. "A lot of people on both sides of the aisle have recognized that the time for the gas tax has come."

Trump's infrastructure plan was initially advertised as a priority for his first 100 days in office. As it failed to materialize, many in Congress began feeling that the whole effort was a "boy-who-cried-wolf" scenario.

The White House designated the first full week in June as "Infrastructure Week," but it quickly imploded after former FBI Director Jim Comey's explosive testimony before Congress about his firing and interactions with Trump. The White House attempted another infrastructure week in mid-August, the week that white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville and Trump blamed "both sides" for the violence.

Top aides then said a plan would be coming in January, only to see that derailed by Trump's comments that America didn't need more immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and Africa, places he described as terrible ones to live. His remark drew swift rebukes from around the world.
A 3-year-old boy died Sunday morning after being found unresponsive in a pool at a Stone Oak-area swim school Saturday evening, according to authorities.

Sunday afternoon the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office identified the boy as Mitchell Chang, and reported he died at 5:35 a.m.

According to Officer Carlos Ortiz, the boy was found by staff members in the deep end of a pool at the Love to Swim School on the 20200 block of Stone Oak Parkway.

Ortiz said staff called emergency personnel around 7:45 p.m. and were performing CPR on the child when emergency medical personnel and police arrived.

It is unclear how long the boy was in the pool, or how the child came to be in the pool by himself.

The school was hosting a parent's "date night" Saturday evening, according to the school's website.

The 3-year-old was transported to North Central Baptist Hospital in critical condition where he later died.

Police are calling the incident a "tragic accident," and no one at the school is currently facing any charges.

aluna@express-news.net | Twitter: alexluna801

Staff Writer Chris Quinn contributed to this report.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is asking for the public's help in locating a woman they believe has information regarding an alleged kidnapping-for-ransom scheme in Laredo.

FBI officials investigating the kidnappings of several undocumented immigrants in the Laredo area say Brittany Pena, 22, may have information about the kidnappings, according to a news release.

The FBI provided a description of Pena and photos of her, but did not explain how she was connected to the investigation.

RELATED: Photos that show the evolution of the U.S.-Mexico over 100 years

Officials with the U.S. Border Patrol's Missing Migrant Program alerted the FBI on Thursday of the kidnappings and ransom scheme.

Special Agent Michelle Lee said the FBI is not releasing the exact number of individuals who have been taken, but that there are multiple victims. She added there may be others that officials do not know about.

The release stats that the victims have been threatened with weapons and have been given little food.

At least three individuals are involved in the kidnappings, according to the news release. The families of the victims have been contacted by the kidnappers with demands for ransom, officials said.

Pena was not named as one of those three individuals.

She is from Laredo and was last seen in that city, but officials would not say when.

"It's possible she can be anywhere in the South Texas area, or anywhere in Texas," Lee said. "And so we're trying to cast a pretty wide net here."

In addition to the FBI and Border Patrol, local Laredo law enforcement, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and Texas Rangers are assisting the investigation.

RELATED: Deadly cartel power struggle continues in Mexico as 7 executed while dining

Anyone with information on Pena or the kidnappings should contact the FBI at 210-225-6741.

Tips may be submitted online at https://tips.fbi.gov.

aluna@express-news.net | Twitter: alexluna801
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With approval from the Trump administration fresh in hand, Kentucky is rushing to roll out its first-in-the-nation plan to require many Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer or train for a job - even as critics mount a legal challenge to stop it on the grounds that it violates the basic tenets of the program.

At least eight other Republican-led states are hoping to follow - a ninth, Indiana, has already won permission to do so - and some want to go even further by imposing time limits on coverage.

Such restrictions are central to Republican efforts to profoundly change Medicaid, the safety net program that has provided free health insurance to tens of millions of low-income Americans for more than 50 years. The ballooning deficits created by the budget deal that President Donald Trump signed into law Friday and the recent tax bill are likely to add urgency to the party's attempts to wring savings from entitlement programs.

Possible struggles

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Thursday that addressing entitlement spending is "what you need to do to fully deal with this debt crisis," though Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the majority leader, said he has ruled out doing so this year.

As Kentucky pushes forward, many who work with the poor are worried that the thicket of new documentation requirements in Medicaid will be daunting for low-income people, who may have little education and struggle with transportation, paying for cellphone minutes and getting access to the internet. Not only that, they note, but the new rules will add the type of administrative costs and governmental burdens that Republicans tend to revile.

On a recent rainy Monday, Bill Wagner, who runs primary care clinics in poor neighborhoods here, listened tensely as a state health official explained how the state would enforce the complex and contentious new rules.

The 20 hours a week of work, job training or volunteering? Ten regional workforce boards will monitor who complies, said the official, Kristi Putnam.

The monthly premiums of $1 to $15 that many will now owe? The managed care companies that contract with the state will collect them.

The "rewards dollars" that many will need to earn to get their teeth cleaned or their vision checked? They'll be tracked through a new online platform, where Medicaid recipients will also be expected to upload their work, volunteer or training hours.

"I know it sounds a little bit complicated," Putnam conceded as the group meeting with her, which has overseen efforts to enroll Louisville residents in health insurance in the Obamacare era, jotted notes. Someone heaved a sigh.

After four years of signing up thousands for coverage under the health law's expansion of the Medicaid program, Wagner told the room, "We're shifting our focus from helping people gain coverage to helping people keep it."

Confusing and hard

The rationale of Gov. Matt Bevin and other supporters is that Medicaid was created for the most vulnerable citizens - those who aren't only poor, but pregnant, elderly, children or disabled - and that for everyone else, working or otherwise engaging in their community will provide dignity and better health. About 500,000 Kentuckians have joined the Medicaid rolls under the Obamacare expansion, and the state estimates some 350,000 will be subject to the new work rules.

While the work requirement is unprecedented, Wagner and others say they're just as concerned about other new rules that will be confusing and hard to follow. For example, many adults who don't pay their small premiums can be locked out of Medicaid for six months, unless they complete a financial or health literacy course. Others will lose access to dental and vision care.

Critics of the plan point to Indiana, which dropped about 25,000 adults from its Medicaid program from 2015 through 2017 for failing to pay premiums there. About half found other coverage, according to state surveys, typically through a job.

Most people on Medicaid do work, research has found; Those who don't often are disabled, even though they may not qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance.
The Tricentennial Commission, of which I was a member, asked community arts organizations in 2016 to participate in the yearlong celebration. The response was overwhelming.

More than 700 organizations proposed activities, exhibitions, performances, parades and concerts to showcase the various aspects of San Antonios diverse history and culture. Each proudly identified their organization as essential to the cultural fabric of San Antonio. And each responded with the explicit understanding that they would develop these celebratory activities with little  if any  financial support from the city.

The responses included everything from the Wittes exhibition Confluence and Culture, which explores 300 years of San Antonios history, to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Hangar 9 at the former Brooks AFB. Other projects look forward, like Logistics Management Institutes holographic exhibition, Where the Past Meets the Future: Using technology to learn about San Antonios History. The Westside Development Corp.s tours, This Happened Here: History in Hidden Corners, reveal lesser-known parts of San Antonios history.

I am particularly gratified that almost every arts and cultural organization in the city  big and small  is participating in the Tricentennial. I cannot write here about all of these projects, so I will focus on a few that illustrate some of the ways that the Tricentennial is making a positive impact on our city.

Arts highlights not to be missed include Common Currents, a collaborative initiative put together by six local arts organizations (ArtPace, Blue Star, the Carver Cultural Arts Center, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, the Instituto Cultural de Mexico and the Southwest School of Art). Three hundred artists were invited to participate in this elaborate and innovative contemporary art project. Each of the 300 artists researched a single year in our history as the catalyst for a work of art. Together, these works present a decidedly 21st-century perspective on the history of our city.

For the McNay, the Tricentennial is an opportunity to highlight diverse voices in our city. Two important exhibitions focus on African-American art: 30 Americans, which examines contemporary African-American art of the last 30 years, and Something to Say, which takes a longer, more historical view of African-American art. Visitors will experience a wide array of African-American art not usually available in our city through these exhibitions.

The San Antonio Museum of Art will present a different aspect of the citys heritage with two exhibitions that examine the regions deep Mexican and Spanish roots. San Antonio 1718: Art from Viceregal Mexico tells the story of our first hundred years as understood through the lens of art made in New Spain, today Mexico. More than 100 works of artborrowed from more than 30 museums in Mexico  illuminate the way that our northern frontier settlement was experienced, seen and understood by its earliest settlers.

This summer, Spain: 500 Years of Spanish Painting from the Museums of Madrid will celebrate the fundamental role that Spain played in the development of San Antonios culture. This exhibition is a survey of Spanish masterpieces by artists like Goya, Ribera, Murillo and Picasso. Eight of the most important museums in Madrid, including the Museo Nacional del Prado, the Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, are lending exceptional works. The majority of the works have never before been seen outside of Spain and never in San Antonio.

Thanks to these aspirational exhibitions and projects of the arts community, 2018 will be an extraordinary opportunity to experience the arts in San Antonio. The collaborations and international partnerships will continue to benefit San Antonio long after 2018, transforming the city into a premier cultural destination.

Katherine C. Luber is the Kelso Director of the San Antonio Museum of Art.
Rep. Tomas Uresti has had a reasonably good run as a freshman legislator. For that reason, we recommend him for a second term.

He is opposed in the Democratic primary for the House District 118 seat by former Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Leo Pacheco.

Both fire salvos at one another for alleged wrongdoing. Pacheco at Uresti for disclosures, first reported by Express-News Columnist Brian Chasnof, that he was the subject of a 2015 FBI wiretap. Uresti says this occurred after he made official complaints as a board member of abuse of public funds at Harlandale Independent School District. Pacheco says that is implausible since people cooperating with authorities generally know they are being wiretapped.

Uresti cites Pachecos subpoena in 1994 by a grand jury in a case involving invalid signatures on a petition used by judicial candidate Nick Milam to get on the ballot. Pacheco says he was simply asked to testify and was not accused of wrongdoing.

In Urestis case, no shoes have dropped, though his brother, state Sen. Carlos Uresti, is in legal hot water for his role in the FourWinds scandal, involving charges that he defrauded investors. Tomas Uresti says his brother is innocent.

And Pachecos story seems to hold up  there was no subsequent legal action against him by the grand jury.

That leaves us with Urestis record. He co-sponsored legislation banning texting while driving and reforming the committee that sets policy regarding students with disabilities. He also authored noteworthy legislation  vetoed by the governor  that would give the state more authority to clean up tire dumps. A big one is in his district. Its being cleaned up now as part of a company sale.

Pending developments, Uresti gets our nod in House District 118s Democratic primary.
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She now spends much of her time in Asia and is currently working on a book about textile artisans.

Shareholder proposals that require companies to disclose specific climate change risks will increase during this proxy season, especially for non-energy companies, according to this report from last weeks Wall Street Journal, More Shareholder Proposals Spotlight Climate Change.

As the Trump administration has backed away from extending even the modest efforts on climate change initiated by his predecessor let alone initiating any policy even remotely adequate toward confronting the magnitude of the problem three types of efforts loom larger. First, are those by other countries to move away from fossil fuels, toward renewable sources of energy. These are not limited to developed countries, but as I wrote here, now also include China and India, the worlds two most populous countries, each of which is attempting to curtail use of fossil fuels. admittedly often motivated by the price drop for renewable alternatives. Second, US states and localities are promoting their own climate change initiatives. And finally private efforts to force greater awareness and accountability concerning climate change risk are also coming to the fore, as discussed in last weeks Journal piece:

Investors in the U.S. so far submitted 66 resolutions about climate change in the 2018 proxy season, according to ISS Corporate Solutions, a consultancy unit of Institutional Shareholder Services. Of that total, 17 are seeking risk assessments based on the 2-degree scenario embedded in the U.N.s Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the average rise in temperatures to below 2-degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels. There were 18 2-degree scenario proposals for all of 2017, eight in 2016, one in 2015, said ISS. More shareholders are voting in favor of 2-degree scenario resolutions; support for the greater disclosures reached an average 45% in 2017, up from 32% in 2016, ISS said.

2017 Turning Point

The Journal notes that last year, three successful proposals at Occidental, Exxon, and PPL were the first to garner majority votes on resolutions for annual disclosure of the impact on business from global efforts to limit the average rise in temperatures.

BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager, supported the general approach, and continues to spotlight the investment risks posed by climate change. Writing last month in Doubling Down on Two-Degrees: The Rise in Support for Climate Risk Proposals for the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, ISS Corporate Solutionss Cristina Banahan observed that in January:

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink released his annual letter to CEOs, an important signpost for investor priorities in the coming year. In his letter, titled A Sense of Purpose, Mr. Fink says: In order to make engagement with shareholders as productive as possible, companies must be able to describe their strategy for long-term growth. The statement of long-term strategy is essential to understanding a companys actions and policies, its preparation for potential challenges, and the context of its shorter-term decisions. Your companys strategy must articulate a path to achieve financial performance. To sustain that performance, however, you must also understand the societal impact of your business as well as the ways that broad, structural trendsfrom slow wage growth to rising automation to climate change [emphasis added]affect your potential for growth. As investors such as BlackRock look deeper into strategy and climate change issues (and call them out specifically in their shareholder engagement activities), they are increasingly becoming more active in their support for calls for increased transparency and disclosure regarding portfolio companies preparedness for climate change. And, when shareholder proposals are filed calling for increased transparency and disclosure, support rates are increasing.

Banahan also discusses a recent survey on the increasing salience of climate change information to their investment decisions:

Marking a departure from previous trends, recent studies indicate that [Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)ESG and climate change considerations are gaining traction among investors. EYs 2017 investor survey on ESG issues found that investors routinely included ESG considerations as part of their investment decisions. Shareholders are not only paying closer attention to non-financial indicators, but they are also more likely to take action on such information. According to the study, the percentage of respondents who consider nonfinancial disclosures to be seldom material or have no financial impact dropped from 60% in 2013 to 16% in 2016. Furthermore, the report found that, when faced with disclosures of risk or history of poor environmental performance, 15 percent of investors responded that they would rule out the investment immediately, while 76 percent would reconsider the investment. Similarly, 8 percent of investors responded that they would rule out an investment with disclosures involving risk from climate change, while 71 percent would reconsider the investment. Actual voting data seems to confirm the study; many shareholders are coming off the sidelines on environmental and social shareholder proposals. The trend of abstain votes has been downward over the past eight years, and took a sharp decrease in 2017.

Source: ISS Voting Analytics

Quality of Disclosure Still Lacking

Now, just because shareholders have asked for greater disclosure and prevailed in getting some companies to comply does not necessarily mean that the quality of the disclosure is necessarily going to be particularly revealing. Companies and their securities law enablers have certainly perfected the art of crafting disclosure that while not outright misleading, is also not especially revealing. But there is a limit to how far companies can take this as they do, at least in theory, face significant legal exposure if they stray too far down the path toward outright obfuscation.

Just as a final aside, 1n an interview last week with the Real News network (transcript here), Carbon Tracker CEO Anthony Hobley was skeptical about the quality of Exxons recent climate analysis for investors, 2018 Energy and Carbon Summary on Positioning for Lower Carbon Energy Future.

D. LASCARIS: Well, lets talk in particular about Exxons most recent disclosure. It paints, I think its fair to say, a mostly rosy future for the oil and gas industry, saying that even aggressive climate policy poses little risk to the company. However, the report does not address, for example, the multiple lawsuits facing Exxon and other fossil fuel giants. Do you think that this is a realistic analysis of the future and the risk that arises from climate policy, and in particular do you think that appropriate account is being taken by Exxon of the risks of climate-related litigation? ANTHONY HOBLEY: Well, theres a couple of questions buried in there. My flippant answer would be yes and no.Yes, because, I think like most of the fossil fuel companies, there is now an acceptance of the concept of demand destruction, the fact that there will not be ever-growing demand for their products and the acceptance that there will come a time when there will be peak demand. We used to talk about peak supply, but actually I think whats more realistic now is peak demand. As we know, fossil fuels have now lost their monopoly in energy generation. Theyre facing competition from ever more efficient and cheaper alternative technologies. And thats each in a way a demand for their products, as is a drive towards energy efficiency and even digital disruption. Weve seen digital disruption in the media. We will see it in our politics. Were seeing it in the realms of photography. Were actually now seeing digital disruption in the energy sector. And there is this recognition. But I think where the blue water exists between us and the likes of Exxon is how quickly we arrive at that point of peak demand. We did some modeling with Imperial College here in London in our report around the disruptive power of new technologies. We felt, even with relatively weak climate policy  and we looked at different [levels], weak, medium level, and strong climate policy  there is still massive amounts of disruption from the emerging technologies of wind, solar, battery storage, electric vehicles that the companies have to respond to. If the companies respond and accept that this is happening and they need to go X growth and recalibrate their business models accordingly, they can actually create a lot of value as part of the transition. But if they deny that or get that wrong, and continue to expand and develop resources we simply dont need, they can destroy a lot of value as many U.S.-listed coal stocks have done over the last five or six years.

Bottom Line

As more disclosure proposals are passed, it may become the norm rather than the exception for companies to disclose their assessment of the climate change risk to which they are exposed. Perhaps, over time, the scope and quality of such disclosure may improve, with greater attention also paid to what the company discloses about its strategic responses to such risks
(Natural News) The shocking resignation of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) head Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald illustrates once again the rampant corruption not only within the United States federal government, but specifically within our nations regulatory bodies.

In case you missed it, Politico first broke the story on Dr. Fitzgeralds voluntary removal from the CDC. The former Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner reportedly purchased stocks in tobacco companies almost immediately after being appointed by the Trump administration as head of the CDC  an obvious conflict of interest.

The only reason Dr. Fitzgerald abruptly decided to resign from her post is because she was caught. Pretending to be against tobacco while maintaining financial ties to the tobacco industry is only possible when nobody else knows about it. In this case, Dr. Fitzgerald had no choice but to accept a recusal.

Like all presidential personnel, Dr. Fitzgeralds financial holdings were reviewed by the HHS Ethics Office, and she was instructed to divest of certain holdings that may pose a conflict of interest, a spokesman from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told Politico about Dr. Fitzgeralds resignation.

During the divestiture process, her financial account manager purchased some potentially conflicting stock holdings. These additional purchases did not change the scope of Dr. Fitzgeralds recusal obligations, and Dr. Fitzgerald has since also divested of these newly acquired potentially conflicting publicly traded stock holdings.

Dr. Fitzgerald was heavily invested in five major tobacco companies prior to being appointed as CDC head

Whats interesting about this plea by the HHS in Dr. Fitzgeralds defense is that it makes no mention of her earlier conflicts of interest prior to being appointed as CDC head. Reports indicate that Dr. Fitzgerald had already been under scrutiny for her questionable stock holdings before this latest incident, and that she was actually prevented from testifying before Congress back in January because of them.

Dr. Fitzgeralds stock holdings before accepting her position at the CDC included five major tobacco companies: Reynolds American, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Philip Morris International, and Altria Group Inc. Because Georgias ethics rules did not prohibit these holdings, Dr. Fitzgerald didnt run into any problems while maintaining office in the Peach State.

It would have been one thing if Dr. Fitzgerald divested of these holdings after joining on with the CDC, at least giving the appearance of neutrality. But reports indicated that she actually sought out new tobacco stocks to purchase after being appointed at the CDC, which makes little sense when the CDC is supposedly an anti-tobacco agency.

Its stunning, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Matthew Myers, told Politico.

It sends two messages, both of which are deeply disturbing. First, it undermines the credibility of a public official when they argue that tobacco is the No. 1 preventable cause of disease. Second, and perhaps even worse, it indicates a public official is willing to put their personal profit above the ethics of investing in a company whose products cause so much harm.

Dr. Fitzgeralds ties to vaccine companies prove without a doubt that she doesnt belong at the CDC

Dr. Fitzgerald was certainly aware of the fact that her private financial dealings didnt match her public persona. After all, just one day prior to visiting and touring the CDCs Tobacco Laboratory  pretending all the while to hate tobacco  Dr. Fitzgerald had invested money in Japan Tobacco, one of the worlds largest tobacco companies.

Dr. Fitzgerald also purchased stock in several drug companies that manufacture vaccines. One of those is Merck & Co., which is currently working on an Ebola vaccine that the CDC will presumably contract to buy from the drug giant at some point in the future. Holding stock in this company as Dr. Fitzgerald does represents a perhaps even more serious conflict of interest than her tobacco holdings.

The same is true of Dr. Fitzgeralds holdings in Bayer, which partners with the CDC Foundation to prevent the spread of the Zika virus. As we reported back in 2016, the Zika scare was little more than a fraudulent medical hoax designed to shovel more cash into the coffers of vaccine companies while scaring the public into being medically raped for corporate profit.

Its not as though the CDC was some kind of beacon of truth and integrity prior to Dr. Fitzgeralds appointment. To the contrary, the agency has functioned as an arm of the vaccine industry for quite a long time. Perhaps most noteworthy was the CDCs blatant coverup of science showing that Mercks MMR vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella had been linked to statistically significant increases in childhood autism, particularly in young baby boys.

Brenda Fitzgeralds personal financial stake in companies such as Merck and Bayer only illustrates, in microcosm, the CDCs longstanding willingness to cozy up to Big Pharma and Big Health Care in defiance of ethics rules, says the World Mercury Project, which is working in the public interest to expose the dangers of chemical-laden vaccines  which, ironically, is what the CDC itself should be doing.

What the United States urgently needs  and taxpayers firmly deserve  is ethical leadership across the board at CDC, provided by individuals who are free from financial conflicts both before and after taking office. The far-reaching health decisions made by CDC officials need to be driven by solid and truly independent science, not by officials pocketbooks.

Follow more revelations about the corruption of the CDC at CDC.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

Politico.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

WorldMercuryProject.org
(Natural News) According to the Cambridge Dictionary, propaganda can be defined as information, ideas, opinions, or images, often only giving one part of an argument, that are broadcast, published, or in some other way spread with the intention of influencing peoples opinions. By that definition, the movie Food Evolution is nothing more than straight-up propaganda for Big Agri companies like Monsanto and DuPont.

Though it claims to fairly examine both sides of the argument regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the film is heavily slanted in favor of the use of genetic engineering, and presents any argument questioning this technology as pseudoscience.

Unfortunately, US Right to Know (USRTK) warns that this documentary is likely to carry clout and be viewed by a large audience, since it was directed by Academy Award-nominated director Scott Hamilton Kennedy, and narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, a well-known American astrophysicist. (Related: Neil deGrasse Tyson caught lying again, blurring distinction between GMOs and selective breeding.)

Though on the surface it might appear to be an unbiased look at GMOs, just a little digging reveals all sorts of industry ties, and it soon becomes obvious that Food Evolutions sole purpose is to serve as a platform for industry messaging and propaganda.

The film was officially sponsored by the Institute for Food Technologies (IFT), which is a trade group that is at least partly funded by Big Food. In addition, when the film was originally planned back in 2014, IFTs president was a former Monsanto and DuPont executive named Janet Collins. She now works for the pesticide trade association, CropLife America.

While both the films director and producer insist that it conveys all points of view regarding GMOs, and that it represents the results of a completely independent investigation, the only science and scientists that are presented as credible in the documentary are those that support genetic engineering. All other points of view are ignored or dismissed as unscientific.

One of the strongest points the film seeks to convey is the idea that glyphosate  the main ingredient in Monsantos toxic weed killer, Roundup  is absolutely safe. From an industry perspective it is vitally important to change the publics perception of glyphosate, since most GM crops (between 80 and 90 percent) are adapted to tolerate being bathed in this chemical.

One farmer interviewed for the film even stated as a fact that glyphosate has very, very low toxicity; lower than coffee, lower than salt. And when asked a question about the link between glyphosate and cancer, Monsantos executive vice president and chief technology officer, Robb Fraley, dismissed any science confirming such as a link as pseudoscience.

In reality, however, there is strong evidence of a link between glyphosate and certain types of cancer  and those sounding the alarm are respected scientists. (Related: Discover what theyre trying to hide from you at Glyphosate.news.)

As USRTK reported:

There is no mention of the carcinogenicity concerns that are engulfing Monsanto in an international science scandal, or the many farmers who are suing Monsanto alleging they got cancer from the companys glyphosate-based Roundup herbicide.

There is no mention of the 2015 report by the World Health Organizations cancer agency that classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen, or Californias decision to add glyphosate to the Prop 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer, or the peer-reviewed studies that have linked various adverse health outcomes to glyphosate and Roundup.

The film was also quick to dismiss the study of French scientist, Gilles-Eric Seralini  which confirmed that rats fed GMO corn went on to develop kidney problems and cancerous tumors  stressing that the study was retracted. It failed to mention, however, that the editor of the journal that retracted the study was on Monsantos payroll, or the fact that the study was later republished. (Related: Editor of science journal that forced retraction of Seralini GMO study entered a promotional contract with Monsanto right before smearing the research.)

Rather than expecting Food Evolution to provide a fair, unbiased investigation into the merits and dangers of GMOs, we should all recognize it for what it is: damage control for an industry that is taking a knock because consumers are starting to wake up to the dangers of genetic engineering.

Sources include:

Dictionary.Cambridge.org

USRTK.org

FoodPolitics.com
(Natural News) It might seem like scientists and other experts have all tried pretty much everything they can to eradicate pesky mosquitoes from the planet. But now, to fight Zika and other kinds of viruses carried by them, a new team of researchers based out of South Miami has decided to simply go after their progeny.

According to a report on the plan, the effort is part of a broader initiative called the Miami-Dade County Mosquito Reduction Test Program, which is a collaboration between the University of Kentucky and biotech company MosquitoMate. It involves releasing lab-bred mosquitoes into the wild to depopulate the local mosquito population.

You read that right: the researchers are going to fight mosquitoes with mosquitoes on their own. The difference is that theyve got lab-bred mosquitoes that have been infected with a virus known as Wolbachia, which occurs naturally and can be found in many insects, so there is no genetic modification necessary.

In a video made about the project, the researchers say that Wolbachia is an effective weapon because it will stop the mosquitoes from reproducing properly. Wolbachia is special because it can prevent an insect from reproducing, they said. There will not be an immediate effect that can be seen once the lab-bred mosquitoes are released, but after they mate with the female mosquitoes, the resulting eggs will die before they hatch.

The plan is expected to be highly effective in combating the infamous Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is known to carry a wide range of diseases, including dengue fever, yellow fever, and of course, Zika. The research team promises that their plan wont result in people getting more bites. Although the mosquito activity in the affected areas will indeed rise, the plan involves releasing only male mosquitoes. And males dont bite or feed on blood.

According to Bill Petrie, the new mosquito control chief in the county, they are going to conduct an initial testing phase to see what kind of options are open to them, as far as implementing the full-scale plan is concerned. This is a roll-out to see if we can make it operational, he said. Then it would be a matter of sitting down and seeing, logistically, what would it take to expand it.

In case you were wondering how exactly the researchers can infect their lab-grown mosquitoes with the Wolbachia virus without going down the genetic modification route, its all thanks to a method that is based on sterile insect control. Its a strategy that has been known and long used in controlling pests in agriculture. And now it is being used to infect male mosquitoes as part of the operation. Once the males mate with the females, their infected sperm prevents the resulting eggs from being fertilized. And thats more than enough to cause the interruption in breeding needed by the researchers.

This method has been used at least one other time in the past: In an earlier effort, MosquitoMate collaborated with Verily Life Sciences, a sister company of Google, in order to released bacteria-infected mosquitoes in Fresno, California. The overall plan was the same back then  release the infected male mosquitoes and have them mate with the females, then wait for them to lay eggs which will never hatch and eventually die.

Although they were able to easily assuage any concerns regarding the use of genetic modification, its still unclear what exactly the teams behind the effort intent to do in case something goes wrong. After all, its not outside the realm of possibility for the bacteria in the lab-grown mosquitoes to somehow mutate, and that could end up becoming a problem for humans. Also, its clear that they have acquired permission to conduct their testing  the same as last time  in an area where the general population lives, and where some people may not necessarily approve of it. So even if it were truly effective, shouldnt it have been necessary to gather everyones consent before proceeding first?

Sure, some people are going to be happy with the effort. But its important to keep a close eye on the outcome to find out what can be done to improve it in the future.

Find out more about whats being done in the fight against Zika in ZikaTruth.com.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

MiamiHerald.com
(Natural News) The worlds first biofuel flight turned out to be a huge success, and it was powered by 24,000 kilograms of mustard seed-based blended fuel. The historic achievement was made possible through a partnership between airline company Qantas Airways and Agrisoma Biosciences, an agricultural-technology company thats based in Canada. The two companies announced a partnership back in 2017 and are only now beginning to realize their shared vision.

According to a news article posted on the official Qantas website, the flight is only one part of the partnership between the two companies. Together, they have also planned to work with certain Australian farmers to grow the very first commercial aviation biofuel seed crop in Australia by 2020. Its quite an ambitious team-up that should see some breakthroughs if they can keep up the progress.

Alison Webster, the CEO of Qantas International, plainly states that the choice of the Qantas Dreamliner 787 as the designated aircraft to make the historic flight is quite fitting, and a proper way of showcasing the future of sustainable aviation. The Qantas Dreamliner marks an exciting new era of innovation and travel, said Webster. The aircraft is more fuel efficient and generates fewer greenhouse emissions than similarly sized-aircraft and todays flight will see a further reduction on this route.

The mustard seed-based fuel used for the Qantas flight is said to be processed from Brassica carinata, described simply as a non-food, industrial type of mustard seed, which is sourced straight from Agrisoma. It is expected that Carinata-derived biofuel will help to reduce carbon emissions by up to eighty percent compared to traditional jet fuel across its entire lifecycle. And the amount used on the first ever flight, which is a ten percent biofuel blend, is said to yield a seven percent reduction in emissions based on the flight path taken.

According to Steve Fabijanski, the CEO of Agrisoma, there are a number of wide-ranging benefits from the use of biofuel produced from Carinata. Biofuel made from Carinata delivers both oil for biofuel and protein for animal nutrition while also enhancing the soil its grown in, Fabijanski explained. We are excited about the potential of the crop in Australia and look forward to working with local farmers and Qantas to develop a clean energy source for the local aviation industry.

In justifying why exactly they opted for mustard seeds for their reliable source of biofuel, Fabijanski said that they are quite easy to manipulate and also offer many other distinct advantages. Its a tough crop. It grows where other crops wont grow. It doesnt need much water and its well understood by farmers, he said. They can grow it and do well with it. For this reason, it has been chosen as the biofuel source of choice for Qantas, which aims to have flights regularly running on the processed biofuel by the time 2020 rolls around.

Although a radical departure from the way that they usually do business, Qantas has no problem at all with adapting to the new protocols involving the use of biofuel. The company CEO himself has stated that its almost like a routine flight, by all accounts. The biofuel goes through exactly the same certification and tests as standard aviation, he offered. And it is said that this includes everything, even engineering, performance, and safety checks.

For now, the technology and methods used by Qantas may be clear on the benefits, but it will take a while before any real data becomes available for long-term analysis. There is hope that it truly does become a sustainable way of making flights possible, which would ultimately be a win for everyone  Qantas, Agrisoma, and of course, the environment.

Find out more energy-related innovations in Power.news.

Sources include:

Traveller.com.au

QantasNewsroom.com.au
South Lake Tahoe native Jamie Anderson will have to wait a bit longer to begin her defense of her gold medal in the women's snowboard slopestyle event at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

That's because qualifiers for the event were canceled due to windy conditions.

Anderson's mother, Lauren, wasn't too concerned about the cancellation.

"Well, I'm glad they canceled it cause it's dangerous," Lauren Anderson said. "It really is. The wind blew her way down the course, and she fell, and she got hurt. Not bad, but it hurts. It's high."

Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley said the current cold conditions in South Korea are great for the course but not necessarily for the athletes who have to compete.

"When you're trying to compete and everything's tight, especially the airborne sports, when you're trying to get up and do complicated tricks and you're waiting around at the top like tonight for women's moguls, you got a whole qualification round, then you have two superfinals, that's a long night out in exposure and some people are better at it than others," he said.

Anderson is among the favorites to take home a medal, but she'll up against stiff competition in the likes of 20-year-old Julia Marino, 17-year-old Hailey Langland and Austrian veteran Anna Gasser.

Those interested in catching the action are encouraged to tune in during NBC's primetime coverage at 5 p.m. PT Sunday, or on digital platforms here.

To watch Garvin Thomas' story, click here.
Citing national security concerns, the White House has notified the House Intelligence Committee that President Donald Trump is "unable" to declassify a memo he called "very political" that was drafted by Democrats to counter GOP allegations about abuse of government surveillance powers in the FBI's Russia probe.

White House counsel Don McGahn said in a letter to the committee Friday that the memo contains "numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages" and asked the intelligence panel to revise the memo with the help of the Justice Department. He said Trump is still "inclined" to release the memo in the interest of transparency if revisions are made.

The president's rejection of the Democratic memo is in contrast to his enthusiastic embrace of releasing the Republican document, which he pledged before reading to make public. The president declassified the document last week, allowing its publication in full over the objections of the Justice Department.

On Twitter Saturday morning, Trump defended his decision, writing, "The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency. Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!"

The committee's top Democrat, California Rep. Adam Schiff, criticized Trump for treating the two documents differently, saying the president is now seeking revisions by the same committee that produced the original Republican memo. Still, Schiff said, Democrats "look forward to conferring with the agencies to determine how we can properly inform the American people about the misleading attack on law enforcement by the GOP."

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said the move is "part of a dangerous and desperate pattern of cover-up on the part of the president." California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has read the classified information both memos are based on. She tweeted that Trump's blocking the memo is "hypocrisy at its worst."

The head of the House committee, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., who produced the GOP memo, encouraged Democrats to accept the Justice Department's recommendations and "make the appropriate technical changes and redactions."

Trump has said the GOP memo "vindicates" him in the ongoing Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. But Democrats and Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., who helped draft the GOP memo, have said it shouldn't be used to undermine the special counsel.

Earlier Friday, White House spokesman Raj Shah said Trump was discussing the Democratic document with the White House counsel's office, FBI Director Christopher Wray and another top Justice Department official.

The president had until Saturday to decide whether to allow the classified material to become public after the House intelligence committee voted Monday to release it. Republicans backed releasing the memo in committee with a unanimous vote, but several said they thought it should be redacted. Ryan also said he thought the Democratic document should be released.

In declining to declassify the document, the White House also sent lawmakers a letter signed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Wray, as well as a marked-up copy of the memo, laying out portions it considers too sensitive to make public. Among those passages are some that the Justice Departments says could compromise intelligence sources and methods, ongoing investigations and national security if disclosed.

Democrats who wrote the memo say it disputes many claims in the GOP memo, which accused the FBI and Justice Department of abusing their surveillance powers in obtaining a secret warrant to monitor former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page.

The White House message caps off a week in which Republicans and Democrats on the committee have publicly fought, with the panel now erecting a wall to separate feuding Republican and Democratic staffers who had long sat side by side.

The disagreements have escalated over the last year as Democrats have charged that Republicans aren't taking the panel's investigation into Russian election meddling seriously enough. They say the GOP memo, led by Nunes, is designed as a distraction from the probe, which is looking into whether Trump's campaign was in any way connected to the Russian interference.

Trump declassified the GOP-authored memo over the objections of the FBI, which said it had "grave concerns" about the document's accuracy.

In the Nunes' memo, Republicans took aim at the FBI and the Justice Department over the use of information from former British spy Christopher Steele in obtaining a warrant to monitor Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. The main allegation was that the FBI and Justice Department didn't tell the court enough about Steele's anti-Trump bias or that his work was funded in part by Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

They argued that the reliance on Steele's material amounted to an improper politicization of the government's surveillance powers.

Democrats have countered that the GOP memo was inaccurate and a misleading collection of "cherry-picked" details.

They noted that federal law enforcement officials had informed the court about the political origins of Steele's work and that some of the former spy's information was corroborated by the FBI. They also noted that there was other evidence presented to the court besides Steele's information, though they have not provided details.

The Democratic memo is expected to elaborate on these points.
A week after New Hampshire regulators soundly rejected a $1.6 billion hydropower project, Massachusetts officials are demanding to know whether Northern Pass still is a viable option for delivering clean energy to their state by 2020.

The project was set to deliver hydropower from Canada to customers in southern New England through a 192-mile transmission line in New Hampshire. But the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee, in a unanimous vote last week, citied the potential impact of the project on local communities, businesses and the region's tourism industry.

Now both states, and a host of other bidders for Massachusetts' largest-ever clean energy procurement, are wondering what happens next.

Judith Judson, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, has asked the three companies that would distribute the power from Northern Pass -- Eversource, Unitil and National Grid -- to advise her by Friday whether they want to continue negotiating over Northern Pass or turn to one of the dozens of other suitors for the contract.

The New Hampshire vote "has the potential to significantly impact or render infeasible the project's ability to deliver clean energy with the timeframe proposed by the bidder," Judson wrote.

Northern Pass is being built by Eversource and would get its power from Hydro-Quebec. Among the project's strengths was its original promise to be online by 2020.

Martin Murray, a spokesman for Eversource, said the company remains confident the project will move forward. It plans to request a re-hearing from the Site Evaluation Committee. If that fails, it could plead its case to the state Supreme Court.

"We feel we have a very strong argument to seek re-hearing," Murray said. "We are hopeful they will grant the reconsideration, and we will then resume the process and earn our certificate."

The Site Evaluation Committee made a "flawed" and "hasty" decision, Murray said. He contends it voted before considering all the required parameters needed to approve or reject a project. The committee never considered an approval with conditions -- such as changes to the route demanded by opponents -- or solutions that might address concerns about the 155-foot towers.

The sense of urgency in Massachusetts is driven by several factors including a mandate for significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and the need to replace energy sources that have left or will soon leave the region's power grid. That includes the scheduled 2019 mothballing of the Pilgrim nuclear plant in Plymouth.

A 2016 Massachusetts law requires utilities to solicit long-term contracts with providers of offshore wind and other forms of clean energy, including hydroelectricity. A lead author of the law, former state Sen. Benjamin Downing, said Massachusetts should cut its losses and move on immediately to project that doesn't have major siting problems.

"I think the worst thing the state could do is compound the problem that it created in selecting Eversource and Northern Pass, by waiting for them to shake this out or fight this out legally," said Downing, now an executive with a Boston-based solar energy firm.

The selection of Northern Pass by a panel that included state officials and utility representatives was a mistake, Downing said, because the project relies solely on hydropower instead of mixing clean energy resources such as hydro and wind.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said in one respect it was "good news" that New Hampshire regulators acted quickly on Northern Pass, making it "possible for people to go back and consider their options." The Republican governor, however, has not offered an opinion as to what the next step should be.

If Northern Pass is jettisoned, other bidders are eager to come forward.

TDI New England, the company behind the proposed New England Clean Power Link, says it already has the permits it needs to provide energy to Massachusetts. The project would bring power 154 miles from Canada, down Lake Champlain and then across Vermont.

And National Grid, which backs a project known as the Granite State Power Link, won the support Wednesday of more than a dozen New Hampshire legislators. The project would bring 1,200 megawatts of wind power from Canada through an existing line that enters the U.S. at Norton, Vermont, and connects with an upgraded power line at Monroe, New Hampshire.

"The SEC decision should not be taken as a 'no' to energy projects in New Hampshire, but rather as an opportunity to refocus on the right project for our state," the legislators wrote in a letter to Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who has backed Northern Pass.
A Connecticut state trooper killed in a traffic collision was laid to rest this weekend.

A memorial service for Trooper Danielle Miller was held Saturday in Southington. Her family says burial will be at their convenience.

Miller was off-duty when her cruiser and a pickup truck collided head-on on Route 69 in Wolcott on Feb. 3. She later died from her injuries.

The 27-year-old Wolcott resident was a 2014 graduate of the state police academy and was assigned to the Litchfield barracks.

The pickup driver in the crash was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released.

Authorities say the crash is still under investigation and no charges have been filed.

The funeral was attended by members of agencies from across the state and even as far as Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.
The ruling party in South Africa will hold a meeting Monday to negotiate the resignation of President Jacob Zuma after he was ousted by Nelson Mandela's protege, Cyril Ramaphosa, NBC News reported.

Ramaphosa will have to unite the ruling party, the African National Congress, which factionalized since Mandelas release from prison after 27 years and the end of white minority rule.

African National Congress committee members say they had been poised to demand Zuma's removal from office at a meeting last week.

Ramaphosa ousted Zuma from the leadership of the ANC, but not yet from the countrys presidency. Zuma was conducting business as usual throughout the week, his office said, despite reports of his imminent resignation.
After 125 years in San Diego, a historic jewelry store is closing its downtown San Diego location later this month.

Jessop Jewelers, located at 401 West C St., will shutter on Feb. 17 as its owner, Jim Jessop, retires. The business will host a final event Saturday at 2 p.m. at its downtown location, where a crowd is expected to come out and celebrate the Jessop family's traditions and place as a historic San Diego business.

During the event, the store will raffle off a Burma ruby jewel flanked by two diamonds worth an estimated $6,500.

The Jessop family's gemstone and fine jewelry business has been around since 1892 after watchmaker Joseph Jessop moved his family from Lytham, England, to San Diego. Joseph Jessop opened his first watch repair and jewelry shop on F Street. The family would later open the J Jessop & Sons jewelry store at 952 Fifth Ave.

In 1991, the jeweler moved to its current location on West C St.

Per the Jessop Jewelers website, the business has kept a sharp focus on family values and building personal connections with their San Customers for the past twelve-and-a-half decades.

San Diegans will remember Jessop Jewelers for its famous street clock, which has been located in the center of Horton Plaza mall's main level since 1984. The clock, adorned with 17 jewels and containing 300 moving parts, took 15 months to build.

According to the Jessop Jewelers website, Joseph Jessop was inspired to build the clock after a trip to Bern, Switzerland. He was impressed by all of the clocks displayed in public places there and wanted to recreate that in San Diego.

The clock was completed in 1907 and originally installed in front of the J Jessop & Sons jewelry store on Fifth Avenue. The Jessop clock was granted landmark status by the San Diego Historical Resources Board in 1998; it is also known as San Diego Landmark No. 372.

If you look closely, you might see a tiny, wooden toy bear lodged inside the clock's pendulum.

In 1907, while the master clock movement was on display at the Sacramento State Fair, a child holding the toy bear decided to place it on the pendulum so it could go for a ride. The bear became wedged inside a small ring and removing it was too difficult, so the Jessop family left it in there, forever to ride inside the clock's movement.

With the closure of Jessop Jewelers, the clock may also experience some change.

A spokesperson for the family told NBC 7 Saturday that the Jessop family, through its foundation, still plans to manage and maintain the clock, though it may not be relocated from Horton Plaza mall to somewhere else in the city.

The family spokesperson said "plans are underway to work on a permanent new space for it" but those details are, for now, still being worked out.
Authorities in Mexico say they have arrested Jose Maria Guizar Valencia, the alleged leader of the Zetas drug cartel.

National Security Commissioner Renato Sales identified him only as "Jose Maria," but a federal official who was not authorized to be quoted by name confirmed Guizar Valencia's last name.

Guizar Valencia is a U.S. citizen known by his Zetas code name, "Z 43."

The United States had offered a $5 million reward for his arrest.

Sales said Guizar Valencia was arrested in Mexico City's trendy Roma neighborhood, which is known for its restaurants and cafes.

The commissioner said the leader was one of the main generators of violence and had directed Zetas' drug trafficking and other activities in southern Mexico.

The arrest of Guizar Valencia may not have the effect Mexican police hope, according to Vanda Felbab-Brown a senior fellow in the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings.

She was attending a conference in San Diego Friday that brought experts from all around the world to discuss the illegal drug cartels and the increasing violence in Mexico.

Felbab-Brown believes Mexico's policy of arresting a cartel leader is counterproductive.

Leadership of criminal group is easy to replenish, she said adding that the arrests can lead to fragmentation of cartels when the state is not able to deter violence from re-escalating.

Instead, the country should adopt the same targeting policy as the U.S. and try to remove as much as the middle operational level of a drug trafficking group at once.

U.S. authorities said Guizar Valencia was born in Tulare, California.
A former Guatemalan police chief living in California was arrested Friday on a charge of visa fraud after authorities said he failed to disclose he had been charged with killing two political activists in his home country.

Catalino Esteban Valiente Alonzo, 77, was arrested Friday in Los Angeles after being indicted by a federal grand jury earlier in the week, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

Prosecutors said Valiente was charged in 1987 with killing two activists in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala's second-largest city and where Valiente was chief of the National Police. He pleaded not guilty and a trial was set for April 10.

Valiente was convicted twice but both convictions were overturned on appeal. An arrest warrant issued in 1993 for Valiente was rescinded in 2015.

It was unclear if there are pending charges in Guatemala against Valiente, who came to the U.S. in 2013 and has been living in Fontana, about 55 miles (89 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

Prosecutors said Valiente entered the U.S. with a lawful permanent resident card that's considered fraudulently obtained because he did not disclose his arrest on the murder charges.

If convicted of visa fraud, Valiente would face up to 10 years in prison.

Valiente's arrest comes as U.S. immigration authorities have been targeting various former members of the Guatemalan army in recent years.

Since 2011, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested at least five alleged participants in a massacre that claimed more than 200 lives in the Guatemalan village of Las Dos Erres in December 1982.

The massacre took place at the height of Guatemala's more than three-decade civil war, which claimed at least 200,000 lives before ending in 1996.

The U.S.-backed army was responsible for most of the deaths, according to findings of an independent truth commission set up to investigate the bloodshed.
What to Know A guard was ambushed by inmates at a Rikers Island jail, officials said

First an inmate punched him in the face, knocking him down. Then other inmates joined in to kick and punch him on the ground

The guard's spine was fractured in his neck region

A guard at Rikers Island was ambushed by a group of inmates who beat him until he fractured his spine, officials said.

First an inmate punched him in the face, then a group of inmates began kicking and punching the officer on the ground, surveillance video shows.

The 39-year-old correctional officer was attacked at George Motchan Detention Center around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, the union sources said. The jail is scheduled to close this year as part of a plan to close the troubled jail complex.

His spine was fractured in his neck region.

"What happened to our brother last night at the hands of a violent group of cowardly inmates was sickening," Corrections Commissioner Cynthia Brann said. "They'll be held accountable for this crime, but right now our thoughts and concerns are with our hospitalized officer and his family."

She said an investigation is underway and anyone involved would be arrested.

The president of the union that represents guards said Rikers has a gang problem and held Mayor Bill de Blasio responsible for the attack.

Elias Husamudeen said he wants the Department of Justice to investigate the gangs at Rikers.

He said the inmate had previously threatened to punch the officer.

De Blasio spoke to the officer and would get to the bottom of the "heinous attack," press secretary Eric Phillips said in a tweet.

Correctional officers "have one of the hardest jobs in city government - often thankless and always dangerous," he tweeted.

The victim's cousin, Gui Souffrant, told NBC 4 New York that he had worked as a prison guard for two years.

He has a masters degree from Haiti and is married, Souffrant said.

The inmate who allegedly threw the first punch, Steven Espinal, has a lengthy rap sheet including charges of attempted murder and assaulting an officer.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Espinal had an attorney.
A pastor from a Glendale church is being sought by police after authorities say he was caught on camera masturbating outside a Covina hotel before then assaulting a preteen girl.

Covina police were searching for pastor Douglas Rivera Friday evening after he was set to turn himself in, and never showed up.

Instead, he posted a video on Instagram where he claimed his innocence.

"No matter what you see on Insta, keep me in your prayers," Rivera said in the video. "I love you, Los Angeles. God will take his truth out."

Rivera, who is from Baldwin Park, was accused of assaulting the preteen Wednesday.

The assault was reported at 8:08 p.m. Wednesday at Vanllee Hotel and Suites, located at 1211 E. Garvey St., according to the Covina Police Department.

The man, identified by police as Rivera, drove through the hotel's parking lot until he saw a lit room with drapes open and then parked his truck to face the interior of the room, police said.

Two minors were inside of the hotel room.

Police said Rivera had masturbated while watching the two minors. He exited the truck and stood outside of their hotel window pretending to be on the phone for more than 30 minutes before he walked through the hotel.

Police then say he forced his way into the room once the minors opened the door, believing it was their chaperone.

Rivera was accused of assaulting one of the minors, between 10 and 12 years old, before fleeing in his truck, police said.

His truck was described as a newer black or dark-colored Dodge 4500 Ram, with a flatbed and a large metal ramp for a tailgate.

Rivera was to have surrendered earlier but did not show up, according to police. Police believe he is on the run. "It appears to be a stall tactic," said CPD Lt. Ric Walczak. "There's no communication with us."

Rivera is a pastor at God's Gypsy Christian Church at 610 E California Ave., police said.

Anyone with information regarding the assault or the suspect was urged to contact the Covina police Detective Ramirez at 626-384-5621, the watch commander at 626-384-5665, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS-8477.

"We ask for people who might believe he's going to turn himself in to consider the fact that hasn't panned out so far and it's important for this person to be in custody," Walczak said.

NBC4's Patrick Healy and Christine Kim contributed to this story.
UPDATE Feb. 12, 2018: Philadelphia police have identified one of the victims killed over the weekend in Southwest Philly. Tafari Lawrence, 23, from Upper Darby was shot in the neck, torso and leg. He was found lying next to a green Volvo.

Police in Philadelphia say three men have been shot to death in a violent weekend in the city, while another was found dead with a gunshot wound and several people were injured.

A triple shooting in Southwest Philadelphia Sunday killed one person and injured two others. Police got the first call just before 2 p.m., and when they responded to 75th Street and Elmwood Avenue, they found a 23-year-old man who had been shot in the neck, torso and leg lying next to a green 2006 Volvo.

Another man, 24, had been shot in the buttocks. Both were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where the first victim was pronounced dead and the second treated and released.

A third victim, 21, came to the same hospital a little later with gunshot wounds to the right thigh and calf. His condition was not released.

Police are seeking two men wearing black clothing last seen driving eastbound in the rear driveway of 7400 Elmwood Avenue.

In other weekend violence, a 22-year-old man was found on a West Philadelphia street on Saturday night with gunshot wounds to the face and torso. Another 22-year-old man was found with multiple gunshot wounds shortly after midnight Saturday in Southwest Philadelphia. Both victims died.

Another man who appeared to be in his 30s and had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the upper thigh was found dead in a vacant lot in North Philadelphia.

Other shootings, including one in a West Philadelphia barber shop, wounded several people.
Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) visited San Diego Saturday, spending his morning touring the San Diego-Mexico border with U.S. Border Patrol Agents. Gutierrez is one of the loudest voices in Congress when it comes to immigration reform and the tour gave him an opportunity to see the challenges faced daily by agents at the border.

I think there are many ways to secure the border, Gutierrez told NBC 7. I think having more Border Patrol is not a bad thing.

Gutierrez toured the border with U.S. Border Patrol agents from Imperial Beach, covering about 6 linear miles from the San Ysidro Port of Entry to the Pacific Ocean. He was accompanied by Ammar Campa Najjar, a San Diego native and San Diego State University graduate running for office in Californias 50th Congressional District against Congressman Duncan Hunter.

Gutierrez is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. The congressman feels like undocumented immigrants are being demonized. He also worries about the Trump Administrations proposal to restrict future immigration.

I know a lot of people say we have to stop that chain migration. That means family visas. If you stop legal immigration, you will cause illegal immigration, Gutierrez said.

Leaders on both sides have been calling for immigration reform but in the budget that passed this week, there were no protections for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, also known as Dreamers.

Gutierrez said he was disappointed in the deal.

I think Democrats are always saying, Manana, manana, manana, when it comes to the immigrant community and we need to make them understand that its today when they need to stand up, he added.

While Gutierrez has blasted President Trump and other Republicans, he said he is willing to negotiate.

Theyve taken the Dreamers hostage, and I say pay the ransom. I dont know what its going to be, but its going to be expensive. Its going to be a lot of border security, Gutierrez said.

This is Gutierrez last year in Congress.

The Senate is set to open debate on an immigration proposal next week. House Speaker Paul Ryan said hell only bring up a bill the president supports.

Following their border tour, Gutierrez and Campa-Najjar held a news conference near the USS Midway Museum to rally for Dreamers and urge Congress to pass DACA legislation. The deadline created by President Trump to end protections for DACA recipients is March 5.

Gutierrez also endorsed Campa-Najjar for Congress.
What to Know The bagel and lox had to weight over 200 pounds to break the record. It weighed in at 213.

Acme and Zucker's planned the record attempt for National Bagel and Lox Day

Onlookers got a taste of history after the monster bagel was constructed

The smell of onions filled the Acme Smoked Fish warehouse as onlookers packed the room to watch an attempt at building the largest bagel and lox sandwich ever recorded. In a partnership with Zuckers Bagels shop, the celebration arrived just in time for National Bagel and Lox Day Friday.

The enormous bagel weighed in just over 213 pounds, making it the New Guinness world record holder for the largest bagel and lox sandwich. It included 30 pounds of smoked salmon and 40 pounds of cream cheese.

In Pictures: The World's Largest Bagel and Lox Sandwich

The event was held at the Acme Smoked Fish facility on 30 Gem Street in Brooklyn, where Acme co-CEO Adam Caslow and Zuckers Bagels shop founder Matt Pomerantz attempted the feat.

According to a press release from Acme, The companies will follow the rules set forth by the Guinness Book in order to set the record, and the sandwich will be carefully constructed and weighed before it is cut and distributed to the crowd.

The crowd went wild after the sandwich was confirmed to weigh in over 200 pounds. Caslow, before the sandwich was completed, said he thought the task was going to be impossible.

I want to thank everyone for being here, he said. I thought [Richie] was nuts. I thought theres no way. It cant be done. Theres no way to make the biggest bagel and lox that weighs 200 pounds.

After the sandwich was weighed, it was sliced up and handed out to everyone to enjoy.

Smash Into a Booze-Filled Cannoli Confection in NYC This Weekend
What to Know The couple that owns the store said they wanted to meet a need in a book desert.

A study says that in Anacostia, 830 kids would have to share one age-appropriate book. In Capitol Hill, just two kids would have to share.

The store is located in the Anacostia Arts Center on Good Hope Road SE.

As Ramunda Young greeted customers at the grand opening of Mahogany Books in Southeast D.C. on Saturday, a man walked in and started to cry.

Young asked him if he was OK, and he told her what brought him to tears.

Ive never seen so many black books, Young said the black man in his 50s told her.

She had tears in her eyes too as she told the story later Saturday.

It feels like our legacy, she said.

Mahogany Books is the first bookstore to open in D.C. east of the Anacostia River in more than 20 years, Young says. She and her husband, Derrick Young, first opened their store in the Anacostia Arts Center on Good Hope Road SE in late November. They held a ceremony Saturday, during Black History Month, to celebrate its opening.

NBC Washington

After a ribbon-cutting ceremony, customers browsed through the bright, 500-square-foot shop and told the Youngs how much the shop meant to them.

Young, 42, said her family opened the store packed with books by, for and about the African diaspora because she wants African Americans, especially children, to see themselves represented.

Its not just a bookstore; were changing perceptions of how we see ourselves, she said.

The Youngs named Mahogany Books after their 13-year-old daughter, and the stores orange logo was designed based off a photo of her. In the photo Young took of her daughter at age 4, Mahogany reads the illustrated childrens book Coretta Scott, by Ntozake Shange.

Courtesy of Ramunda Young

The bookstore's logo shows her little Afro puffs over a large book, her mom said.

NBC Washington

The Youngs, who live in Virginia, opened their store in Anacostia because they wanted to meet a need in a book desert.

Books, especially childrens books, are startlingly scarce in high-poverty neighborhoods. A 2016 study in the journal Urban Education found that in Anacostia, 830 children would have to share a single age-appropriate book, while only two children would need to share a book in the wealthier Capitol Hill neighborhood.

A bookstore for children and young adults is planned in Charnice Milton's memory. This month marks two years since the reporter was killed in Southeast D.C.

The Books From Birth program started in D.C. in February 2016 seeks to fight the problem. Any child who lives in the District can be signed up to receive a free book every month, from birth until the childs fifth birthday.

Two additional bookstores planned for Anacostia also will make a difference. The local bookstore and cafe chain Busboys and Poets is expected to open a new location later this year on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, just blocks from Mahogany Books. Also, work is underway to create the Charnice A. Milton Community Bookstore, in honor of the 27-year-old community reporter who was shot and killed in the area in May 2015 as she waited for a bus.

How will a location of the restaurant and book store Busboys and Poets change Anacostia? News4s Tom Sherwood talks with owner Andy Shallal, Mayor Muriel Bowser and longtime residents.

In the meantime, a number of book readings and events are planned at Mahogany Books. On March 15, Beverly Bond, the founder of the youth empowerment organization Black Girls Rock, is set to speak. Go here to see the full list of events.

Young said she hopes the events and store will add to the cultural life of Anacostia.

You can walk out of your house and go into a bookstore and look around, like you can do in other parts of town, she said.

Starbucks will soon open a location in Anacostia. But will gentrification follow? News4's Tom Sherwood reports.
A Massachusetts man allegedly stabbed his parents in a Millis restaurant on Saturday evening after apparently stabbing his girlfriend to death in a Needham apartment.

Twenty-four-year-old Benjamin Walsh is currently in custody of Millis police, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said Sunday morning, adding that Walsh has not been charged yet in the death of his girlfriend.

The victim has been identified as 20-year-old Olivia Bergstrom of Needham.

Investigators were still collecting evidence from the third floor apartment on Marshall Street Sunday morning.

Morrissey said Millis police officers responded to a report of a stabbing at Primavera restaurant on Pleasant Street, where they found Walsh's parents suffering from stab wounds.

Jerry Gaita, the owner of Primavera, says Walsh's family was celebrating a birthday at the restaurant when Walsh showed up and suddenly attacked, stabbing his mother and father until family members could pull him off.

"I went over to where Benjamin was laying down on the floor, they had him down and Millis police arrived with EMTs."

After taking Walsh into custody, officers learned they had to do a well-being check at his girlfriend's Marshall Street apartment, which is when Bergstrom was found dead, Morrissey said.

The district attorney would not comment on how many times the victims had been stabbed.

Walsh's mother was taken to a Boston hospital, where she's still in serious condition. His father was also treated a hospital, and is in stable condition.

Walsh is scheduled to be arraigned in Waltham District Court on Monday on the charges related to the Millis stabbing of his parents. The exact charges he is facing will be announced at the arraignment.

Subsequent to Walsh's arraignment in Wrentham, he is expected to be arraigned in Dedham District Court for the Needham murder.

It's unclear if Walsh has an attorney.
The Maine state Fire Marshal's Office says a Freeport woman has died in a fire in her home.

Authorities say firefighters found the body of 68-year-old Donelda Madore early Saturday morning near the stairs in her living room. Investigators say it appears she was overcome by smoke as she tried to escape.

The fire was reported around 1 a.m. by her husband, 69-year-old David Madore, who woke up to find his house filled with smoke. He and two other adults were able to escape. David Madore tried to get back in to search for his wife, but was forced out by the smoke.

The fire is believed to have started in the attic, and it burned the roof off the house.
Thanks to the generosity of people across Norfolk and Waveney, the Bishop of Norwichs Refugee Fund has received nearly 36,000 in the past fortnight, to help the arriving and expected new refugees from Afghanistan. The Diocese of Norwich is administering

Thanks to the generosity of people across Norfolk and Waveney, the Bishop of Norwichs Refugee Fund has received nearly 36,000 in the past fortnight, to help the arriving and expected new refugees from Afghanistan. The Diocese of Norwich is administering

Norwich Christian leaders invited to meet together The Transforming Norwich steering group are inviting Christian leaders to meet together in-person for the first time in 18 months to share lunch and to encourage and pray for one another. Read more

Norfolks baking expert Chris serves up a treat After clocking up many years of experience as cafe manager at the Kings Church Centre in Norwich, Chris Bottomley has now launched his own business creating masterpiece cakes. Read more

Heritage events at secret Norwich chapel The Old Meeting House Congregational Church in Colegate will be open during the weekend of September 18 and 19, and will use the occasion to kick start its popular monthly 'Big Sing' event. Read more

A dinosaur roar of hope for Gods creation Andy Bryant, who has been project managing the current Dippy attraction in Norwich Cathedral, points out that the Diplodocus skeleton represents far more than a display of old bones. Read more

Relocation for Norwich Healing Rooms Norwich Healing Rooms returns every Thursday evening at a new venue in Heartsease as well as monthly on Saturdays Norwich city centre. Read more

An African mission for South Norfolk churches An empowering mission for a struggling community in Zimbabwe struck an immediate chord with Carolyn Skittrall who supports several South Norfolk churches to bring change and growth through practical initiative and insight. Read more

Gorleston church thanks Covid volunteers St Mary Magdalene church in Gorleston has hosted a Big Thank You afternoon tea to thank the volunteers who had supported the community during the COVID pandemic. Read more

Fulmerstons Christian footballer celebrates 30 years on the pitch Tim Lovejoy from Fulmerston Christian Fellowship has clocked up over 500 games in a three-decade career with his local football club. Read more

St Martins memorial garden officially open A memorial garden to remember people experiencing homelessness who have died was opened on September 6 by the Rt Rev Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich. The garden is in the grounds of Bishopbridge House, the direct access hostel run by St Martins. Read more

Loving care and Christian ethos at Corton House Excellent loving care and support is provided at Corton House, a care home with a Christian ethos located in the heart of Norwich. Read more

Norma's sponsored walks for Christian charities Norma Broadest is embarking on two walking challenges to raise funds for Christian charities Street Child and Restoration of Hope in Burundi. Read more

93,000 in the East will skip meals if Credit is cut 93,000 people in the East of England fear they will be forced to skip meals if UK government cuts Universal Credit payments this October says the Trussell Trust  the Christian charity behind many of the foodbanks across the country. Read more

Providing retirement care with a Christian ethos Care and retirement homes in Norfolk, including Eckling Grange, Corton House and Quebec Hall, are providing loving care with a Christian ethos. Read more

Jill's teaching series offers a rock in stormy times Jill Gower is beginning a new series of teaching days at the Light House in Heartsease, looking at End Times through Biblical prophecy. Read more

Exciting new roles available at YMCA Norfolk YMCA Norfolk is currently advertising a number of exciting new vacancies available across the organisation including a Senior Maintenance Co-ordinator, a Chef, a Nursery Nurse and Housing Engagement Workers. Read more

Now is the time to start loving our enemies Philip Young has been considering recent events in the Middle East and believes that it is now even more important than ever to remember Jesus instruction to love our enemies. Read more

Norwich Passion Play Co-ordinator needed Celebrate Norfolk requires an organised and enthusiastic co-ordinator to help it deliver on a seven-month project to stage a professional free Passion Play in Norwich city centre at Easter 2022. Read more
500 paddlers help Newbury celebrate 50 years of races along the Kennet and Avon Canal

NEWBURY Canoe Club celebrated a great legacy at the weekend as it marked 50 years of the Waterside Series races.

More than 500 paddlers hit the Kennet and Avon Canal to mark the historic occasion.

The races attract international canoeists, with Dutch competitors turning up for Sundays event, joining other paddlers from across the country.

Newbury Canoe Club member David Seward said the event had been a special day, adding that he was absolutely delighted that the series was still going strong.

We had one paddler who said its lovely that a series has been going on for 50 years. Only one race has been cancelled in the 50 years, because of foot-and-mouth disease.

Even when theres ice and snow we still run it.

Thats the beauty of it. The whole point of doing it in winter is the challenge.

Mr Seward said that the transformation of the canal from a place of dereliction had created an interesting challenge for canoeists.

Among the hundreds of people in the 13.5-mile race were four paddlers who took part in the original race in 1968.

And three original canoe club members turned up to present prizes, joined by Brian Greenaway from Fowey Canoe Club, who handed out trophies in recognition of keeping the series going for 50 years.

The Kennet Valley Canoe Club was formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of members of the Kennet and Avon Association and the regular Newbury paddlers.

By the end of the decade, canoeing in Newbury had become a formalised activity.

Club members Tim Davis and Chris House were keen to improve race times and wanted Newbury to play a key part in the development of long-distance canoeists.

In 1968, the Waterside Series of canoe races was born, with the first race being held from Great Bedwyn to Newbury.

Looking to the future, the club will open its new clubhouse next to the A339 bridge over the canal later this year.

Mr Seward said that the club was looking to get more people involved in the lifelong sport.

You can be any age  four, five, six all the way into your 80s, he said. As long as you can put on a buoyancy aid and follow the instructions you can get in a boat.

Its a very accessible sport and when the new club opens it will be a family club.

Three more races in the series are to be held this year on February 18, March 4 and March 18.
To the Editor:

The year began for me with a difficult decision: whether to renew my position on the board of directors of Village Center for the Arts in New Milford, an organization that I loved dearly.

Having served on the board the past seven years since January 2011, the first six as chairman, it was not an easy decision to make, but ultimately I decided that it was time.

The past seven years have been transformative for VCA, creating unique events like Paint The People and the IPA tasting and dinner; integrating with the public school system with programs such as The Unexpected Artist; impacting the community with activities like the Mosaic tile project or by participating in every public opportunity to face paint or share art.

We expanded our pottery offerings, opening an independent studio; engaged every age and demographic through such offerings as our memorable summer camps  often the highlight of the year for children near and far; by showcasing local artists; by reinventing our programming, staying fresh and ahead of the creative curve, often copied  which is the highest compliment.

At VCA we offered opportunities to many, many children and families to explore their creativity and enrich their spirit, that would not have been possible, due to fiscal or social obstacles.

We took on the challenge of expansion into New York City and proved to ourselves, through VCA NYC that, if so desired, we could do it.

VCA has been a safe haven; a bright spot in the center of town where all are welcome, regardless of color or creed, rich or poor, gifted or challenged, popular or unseen. VCA is where people can discover who they are, what they can do, without judgment or time limits or the constraints of conformity. They are welcome for it is their VCA. It is all of ours. VCA is a gift to the community.

I believe the organization is on the cusp of opportunity. The new administration has pledged its support for VCA. There are new grant opportunities, building assistance, community partnerships and more, that are important pursuits for the future of VCA.

I have every confidence in the board, helmed by Chairman Ben Grinnell, the dedicated staff, led by Executive Director Sharon Kaufman and Jayson Roberts, founder, to apply their creativity, drive and expertise to take VCA to the next level.

Being on this journey with them, and those who have served previously, has been a joy and a privilege. VCA will always be a part of me and I look forward to the next chapter.

Kevin Bielmeier

New Milford
A study released today from an international team of researchers shines new light on "co-infections," infectious diseases that attack the immune system simultaneously. The findings offer insights for treating malaria and worm infections and can help public health officials disentangle how infectious diseases compete in the human body.

Princeton ecologists Andrea Graham and Sarah Budischak examined data from an Indonesian study of 4,000 patients who had two parasitic infections: malaria and hookworm. They focused on the malaria patients who also received deworming treatment and discovered previously unknown interactions between the species. Their ecological perspective proved vital to teasing apart the data and realizing that the co-infecting species are fighting over a shared resource: red blood cells.

"Co-infecting agents can interact within the ecosystem of the body just as species interact on the savannah, via resource competition -- predation and all," said Graham, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and co-director of the Program in Global Health and Health Policy at Princeton University. "Ecologists, thinking about species interactions within the body holistically, can shed light on human health."

When most people think of ecology, they think about the food pyramid of the rainforest or the Serengeti, said Graham, but the same resource battles that explain lion-wildebeest-grass ecosystems can apply to parasites within the human body.

By taking competition for red blood cells into account, she and her colleagues revealed that removing worms from patients who also had malaria allowed their malaria to grow to nearly three-fold higher densities. Conversely, the presence of the bloodsucking worms reduced the density of malaria parasites by over 50 percent. In other words, deworming can exacerbate malaria infections, potentially causing more severe symptoms and increasing the risk of transmitting malaria to other people. They published their findings Feb. 15 in the journal Ecology Letters.

"Whether and how infections interact has important implications for human health and disease spread," said Budischak, a postdoctoral researcher in Graham's lab who is the first author on the paper.

Malaria and soil-transmitted worm infections remain two of the most common and co-occurring types of human infectious diseases, but if and how they interact is a longstanding debate, Budischak said. Using their ecological expertise, she and Graham were able to solve this malaria-worm mystery by recognizing that malaria parasites and certain worm species rely on the same resource within the host ecosystem: red blood cells, the oxygen-carrying workforce of the human circulatory system.

The key to uncovering this strong but hidden effect was changing perspectives, Graham said. The immunologists were looking from a top-down view, focusing on how the immune system attacked the different parasites. That's like looking at the Serengeti and thinking lions determine the populations of herbivores like zebras and wildebeests. That's true in some cases -- but more often, both predators and food availability are important.

"Malaria parasites are ecologically in a similar position to those herbivores," Graham said. "They're depending on resources below them on the food chain -- for herbivores it's the greenery, for malaria parasites it's the red blood cells -- and then all of them are subject to predation from above. For herbivores it's predators like lions, for parasites it's the immune system." Worms are in a similar position in the food chain: they are at risk from immunological "predators," and hookworms eat red blood cells (though other worms instead eat food within the host's belly). Because only some worms compete with malaria parasites for red blood cells, this study highlights the importance of distinguishing among parasite species in terms of how they function and which resources they use.

"Of particular interest in this study is that it is the application of ecological thinking that has enabled the elucidation of the helminth [hookworm]-malaria relationship," said Joanne Lello, a senior lecturer in biosciences at Cardiff University who was not involved in the research. "If resource competition had not been considered, helminths would continue to be treated as a single group and the relationship between these parasites might never have been clarified. The wider implication of this work is therefore in its promotion of ecological thinking and approaches in the field of medical research."

Just like other animals, some disease-causing species are better competitors than others. The bloodsucking hookworms outcompete one species of malaria, Plasmodium vivax. Interestingly, the other species of malaria, P. falciparum, can outcompete hookworms, especially when they are newly infecting a previously dewormed individual.

The ecologists determined that the difference in the reaction to deworming is a function of how "picky" the malaria species are. "If the hookworms are reducing the number of red blood cells that are around, the vivax, which is pickier in which red blood cells it can use, just doesn't have enough to replicate as quickly," Budischak said. "But the falciparum, which use any red blood cell around, can find enough red blood cells to replicate. So the worms slow down the vivax because it's a really finicky eater, whereas the falciparum, which will eat anything, outcompetes the worms."

Previous studies had missed this competitive hierarchy because all malaria and worm species were lumped together. Graham and Budischak's focus on species resource needs was key to sorting the data and discovering that deworming allows vivax malaria populations to increase by as much as three times.

"Although deworming may still provide net health benefits to this human population, our study suggests it has the potential to exacerbate the severity of some malaria infections," said Budischak.

"If you mass administer deworming pills, you risk making individuals who have vivax malaria hiding in their blood cells sicker -- and you also might make the mosquitos more likely to pick up malaria and pass it on from those individuals," said Graham. "So, if logistics and cost permit it, we would advise a 'test and treat' policy, where you tailor what you do to your patient. If it's a child who's got a lot of worms, definitely deworm. But if it's a kid with a light worm burden, then we'd suggest weighing in the malaria risk -- in the neighborhood, in that season of the year. Is deworming worth the malaria risk? Weigh up the costs and benefits."

Graham met one of the principal researchers on the Indonesian clinical deworming trial, Maria Yazdanbakhsh, at a conference in Brazil that Graham co-organized three years ago. Graham recalled Yazdanbakhsh and her collaborator Erliyani Sartono, parasitologists from the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, coming up afterward to discuss their clinical trial that might just have the data necessary to address this disease interaction question. Graham, Sartono and Yazdanbakhsh decided to put their heads together and this study is the fruit of their collaboration.

Graham had spent years testing her theories in mice. "In mouse experiments, you can control the dose and the timing of interaction between malaria and worms," she said. "Repeatedly, in the mice, we saw that red blood cell competition, rather than the immune response, seems best to explain the outcome of worm-malaria co-infection. So this [collaboration] allows us to ask, 'Wow, this resource competition that we observed in the mouse system, can we also observe it in humans?'"

Graham and Budischak hope that their discovery encourages more public health researchers to collaborate with ecologists. "Infectious disease clinicians don't necessarily realize that they might learn something from ecologists," said Graham. "But ecologists, coming in laterally into a clinical trial context -- thinking holistically about what is regulating the size of the malaria population inside a person's body -- were able to make more sense of the health outcomes than the more standard, immunological-based approach."
Selected by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to first outing during its Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, Translating Evidence to Multidisciplinary Care, February 8 - 10 (San Francisco, USA), Joaquin Mateo, Principal Investigator of VHIO's recently created Prostate Cancer Translational Research Group, will today reveal findings from a retrospective and international study showing for the first time that patients with inherited DNA repair mutations benefit from standard therapies in a similar way to other metastatic prostate cancer patients.

Timed to coincide with Joaquin Mateo's presentation at this week's ASCO meeting, these results will be published today in the prestigious journal European Urology.

Given that standard therapies traditionally target the hormonal basis of prostate cancer - as opposed to genetic mutation - the team sought to evidence whether patients with metastatic prostate cancer with identified DNA-repair gene mutations, typically found in one out of every ten of these patients, could derive similar benefit from treatment with standard of care therapies. In so doing, they aimed to establish the prognostic and predictive value of these alterations towards a more personalized stratification of patients.

Between 2005 - 2015, the most common cancer for men was prostate cancer with an estimated 1.6 million cases. Recent findings suggest that while it is relatively rare for prostate cancer to spread in the body, metastatic and aggressive prostate cancer is on the rise.

"While prostate tumors are more generally slow-growing than other cancers, the reality in Spain alone is that this disease claims the lives of 6,000 individuals every year. Translational studies aimed at better identifying which patients would most likely benefit from both standard therapies as well as novel anti-cancer approaches are critical if we are to ultimately improve outcomes for patients with metastatic disease", observes Joaquin, first author of the study.

Until quite recently, prostate cancer was considered to be exclusively dependent on male androgens fuelling prostate cancer cell growth, and the majority of anti-cancer therapies have thus focused on tackling this tumor type from this angle. Current research is rapidly transforming the way in which prostate cancer is both considered and managed, paving the way for more effective and tailored treatment approaches.

Previous findings published in Cell in 2015 showed that between 20-25% of patients with metastatic prostate cancer had DNA-repair related mutations as well as BRCA mutations, or similar.

In 2016, Mateo and colleagues evidenced that DNA-repair gene mutations are found inherited in one out of every ten men with metastatic prostate cancer. This discovery, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, has since placed these mutations firmly under the lens in efforts aimed at benefiting an increasing number of these patients.

Additional research has therefore centered on showing whether individuals with these identified mutations could better respond to other treatments. Clinical findings also reported by Joaquin and co-collaborators from the Institute of Cancer Research - Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust (London, UK), revealed that some of these patients responded to PARP inhibitors, which are already approved in the case of metastatic breast cancer and ovarian cancer in carriers of mutations in BRCA.

This discovery has since led to several currently ongoing international clinical trials in prostate cancer. The next step was to analyze treatment response in these patients to establish whether this inherited genetic variation affects the efficacy of therapy.

In this latest study, results were analyzed for a total of 390 metastatic prostate cancer patients with DNA-repair gene mutations to assess response to standard treatments. Findings indicate that patients with BRCA mutations respond to these therapies in a similar way to other patients with metastatic prostate cancer patients without these mutations.

Overall survival and disease-free progression were therefore comparable and no significant differences in response rate to first-line treatment were observed. In addition, a trend toward greater overall survival was noted in those patients with mutations who had participated in studies with PARP inhibitors or platinum-based therapy.

"Since this cohort of patients is the first with long-term data available on the response to post-therapy with PARP inhibitors and platinum-based agents, our research also marks an important first. We are seeing that patients with these mutations not only benefit from standard treatments, but may also have additional therapeutic options available", explains Joaquin.

"While our data are still preliminary, I believe that we have every reason to be optimistic about these initial results. Importantly, with several trials with PARP Inhibitors for prostate cancer currently underway at VHIO, new clinical data to emerge from these studies will hopefully further support the use of these inhibitors in the treatment of our patients", he concludes.

Joining forces with VHIO's Genitourinary, CNS Tumors, Sarcoma & Cancer of Unknown Primary Site Group Cancer led by Joan Carles, also located within the Vall dHebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Joaquin's Prostate Cancer Translational Research Group will pioneer research aimed at translating prostate cancer genotypes into phenotypes and a clinically-relevant classification of the disease. These teams will also seek to build a precision medicine core for prostate cancer patients.

His group's expertise, combined with that of Joan Carles, will accelerate the translation of the use of PARP inhibitors as a more effective therapy for metastatic prostate cancer patients to the clinic. Currently open clinical studies performed at VHIO, matched to the molecular alterations and specificities detected in individual patients, are possible thanks to its renowned prescreening program, pioneered by VHIO's Cancer Genomics and Molecular Oncology Groups, led by Ana Vivancos and Paolo Nuciforo, respectively.
Sri Lanka's local polls end with over 70% turnout

Colombo : A crucial local government election ended peacefully in Sri Lanka on Saturday as over 15 million voters cast their ballots to elect members to local government bodies, election monitors said.

Voting started at 7 a.m. and ended at 4:00 p.m.

Election monitors said 15,760,867 voters or some 70 per cent of the total eligible voters cast their votes throughout the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Mahinda Rajapakse were among those who voted early in the morning.

Voting for the local government elections was the first to be conducted by the newly-established independent Election Commission as well as the police under the Independent Police Commission.

It was also the first island-wide poll to be held since the coalition government of Sirisena and Wickremesinghe took office in August 2015. The poll was considered an important test of the government's reform agenda.

The government said 65,758 police officers, 41,178 Special Task Force officers and 7,278 other officers were deployed for the local government elections.

The police said that till noon, 11 people had been arrested across the country for violating election laws. No election-related deaths were reported.
U.S Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th, is not happy about President Trumps refusal to release a Democratic memo defending use of the federal warrant system in the ongoing Russian investigation.

"President Trumps refusal to release the Democrat memorandum presenting the full and unbiased facts is a singularly cynical moment in our nations politics," Himes said.
Im always interested to hear whats hot in the franchising industry. With more than 3,000 franchise brands available and new ones entering the market almost daily, its easy to get caught up in the excitement of an emerging trend.

Its important to pay attention to whats coming online in the franchise industry. But franchise candidates would be wise to think twice about making an investment decision based on what the experts are calling the next sure thing.

Selecting a franchise business to grow as your own should not be a gamble. You are not making a quick bet on a favored horse or a booming stock. They are making a major investment in a new life that will impact themselves, their families and possibly future generations, for decades.

The key question, answered.

When a franchise candidate asks me whats hot in the franchise industry, I simply reply, You are. Thats because no matter if a franchise brand is emerging or established, every company wants to award a franchise to a candidate that matches well with their company.

Related: 8 Steps to Finding the Right Franchise

The franchise business and the candidate each want the other to succeed, so both parties need to feel confident that the other is a good fit. Sometimes, a candidate will match up with the hot, new franchise brand, when often theyre better suited for something else.

So rather than asking, Whats hot? franchise candidates would be wise to focus on these questions instead.

Which brands meet my professional goals?

Surprisingly, many candidates havent asked this question of themselves by the time theyve started looking at franchise businesses. However, understanding what a candidate is looking for from a franchise business is one of the most important considerations.

Do you want to be actively engaged in the business on a daily basis or were you hoping to have a manager handle most of the day-to-day duties? Did you envision yourself having an office or retail space to work in -- or does the idea of working from home appeal to you? Are you hoping to leave a family legacy or grow a business with the intent to sell -- and how soon were you hoping to do that? Do you see yourself owning a single unit or running a franchising empire?

What skills can I offer a franchise business?

Remember, franchise businesses arent simply bought, they are awarded. The franchisor gets a vote and they have no interest in awarding their brand to a candidate that lacks the skills they desire in order to succeed.

Related: 5 Professionals Who Make Great Franchise Candidates

Are you a natural salesperson or is customer service more your strength? Are you a savvy marketer or good with numbers? Do you thrive in environments where youre a one-man show or does managing a team better suit your skill strength?

What type of lifestyle do I want the franchise to support?

Owning a franchise is life-changing, especially for candidates emerging from decades working in a corporate environment. Youre no longer punching a clock or answering to a boss, you set the clock and you are the boss! Deciding how a franchise business fits into your desired lifestyle is critical to finding happiness for you and your family as a franchisee.

Do you want strict boundaries between your work and your life or is there room for blending? Are you at your best in the morning or more of a night owl? Is it important that you be home for dinner with your family? Do you care whether or not you have to work on weekends? Does it matter whether or not you can run your business remotely or do you want to be present in the business most of the time?

What kind of support does the franchisor provide?

No matter how good a candidate you are, youre going to need help to grow your business. The unparalleled support offered by franchise businesses is one of the biggest drivers for the franchising industry, but the type and level of support varies by brand.

Are you someone who wants a lot of structure or do you want a franchise that allows franchisees some freedom? What opportunities are there for franchisees to contribute ideas on how the brand moves forward? Will you need a lot of support in terms of advertising your business or would you prefer to handle that on your own? What about human resources, accounting or online support?

What does success look like to me?

Making lots of money isnt the only way business owners define success. Some franchise owners define success by how well their company drives a personal mission or purpose -- such as being environmentally friendly. Others want their business to allow them to contribute generously to their community through sponsorships and events. Some want to be seen as business leaders in their towns, some want to wake up every day excited that theyll be doing something that they love.

Related: Define What Success Looks Like to You

If making money is how they define success, then how much will it take for them to feel successful? How soon can they expect to make a profit and what type of return on their investment can they expect?

So while it may be fun for candidates to envision themselves as owners of a hot new franchise concept, candidates are better served by determining what makes them a hot pick for a franchise and choosing that brand, accordingly.

Related:

Choosing a Hot Franchise May Leave You Cold

Before You Enter into Franchising, Consider Your Exit

Our Top 10 Franchise Categories for 2018



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


Medha Gupta sometimes felt uneasy making the 20-minute walk from the corner where the school bus dropped her off to her home in Herndon, Virginia, - especially during the colder months when it would get dark early.

Her mother had a suggestion: Write an app.

Divya Gupta was half-kidding, but Medha, a sophomore at Fairfax County's Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, took the challenge seriously.

So she went to work.

"I knew I had a problem I needed to solve," said Medha, 16.

The result was Safe Travel, an app designed by Medha to help commuters feel more secure when traveling alone. Using their iPhone (the app is only compatible with iOS), a person can program it to send an alert to someone they trust if they fail to arrive at a destination within a certain time.

It was the first iOS app that Medha had created. It's a program language she wasn't well-versed in, so she didn't think much would come of the project. But her inaugural effort caught the eyes of judges for the annual Congressional App Challenge, who selected her as the winner for Virginia's 10th District.

"We were elated," said her father, Manmohan Gupta, who has a computer engineering background.

The App Challenge is designed to encourage students to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and math by experimenting with coding and computer science. It is modeled after the Congressional Art Competition, where student artists compete to have their works displayed at the Capitol. Once exclusive to high school students, the challenge was opened in 2017 to students in grades K-12 across the country.

"This contest is about building the domestic pipeline for the jobs of the future," said Rachel Decoste, executive director of the App Challenge.

This year, more than 4,100 students submitted nearly 1,300 apps. One winner is chosen for each congressional district that participates. Medha beat out several other competitors in Virginia's 10th District, which is represented by Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va.

"We are always delighted to see the innovation and talent that our students demonstrate through the annual Congressional App Challenge," said Comstock. "It is this kind of skill and innovation which makes this contest so rewarding each year."

The app challenge is an initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, but is managed by the nonprofit Internet Education Foundation. Winning students are invited to attend a reception on Capitol Hill in April and also received $250 in Amazon Web Service credits. (Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, also owns The Washington Post.)

"It's really interesting to see the different apps these kids come up with," said Troy Murphy, public policy manager with the Northern Virginia Technology Council, who served as one of the judges for the competition.

He said while the entries were all impressive, he ultimately voted for Medha's app because it "dealt with an important pressing problem."

Murphy said he also was impressed by Medha's technical expertise.

Decoste said that students who enter the challenge are encouraged to think creatively and can work individually or in teams. Some have created games, and others, like Medha, have tackled health and transportation issues. An all-girl team from Arizona created Teens for Political Action AZ, which is designed to bridge the gap " . . . between the intimidating political jargon and teens looking to become more involved and aware of the issues affecting themselves, their community, and their country," the challenge's website states.

"It's whatever they come up with," Decoste said.

Medha didn't have the congressional challenge in mind when she designed her app. Like many other tech-savvy teens, she said she's always thinking about how she can use technology to solve everyday problems. She's already familiar with several programming languages, having participated in several "hackathons," where students come together to tackle problems using technology.

She said it also helps that she's a bit "obsessed" with her iPhone. But that obsession comes with an upside: the desire to understand what powers the apps that she finds so addictive. It's just who she is.

"Since I'm so obsessed with my phone, I wanted to learn how each app runs and what goes into creating them," Medha said.

Designing the app meant squeezing it into an already jam-packed schedule of Advanced Placement classes and after-school activities that range from studying Indian classical dance to teaching young students how to code. Some days, she skipped lunch with her friends at school or spent nights curled up in a comfy chair or sofa in her family's home typing furiously on her laptop.

"I thought she was on Facebook," Divya Gupta told a visitor, laughing. "She was sitting there for hours."

"Mom, I was working," Medha shot back with only the slightest of eye rolls.

Medha said it took her about 40 hours to design, program, test and troubleshoot the app.

Her app is not available for download; she'd have to pay a fee to do that. But she doesn't rule out offering some version of it in Apple's App Store in the future.

As for her next app? Medha's not certain. She's temporarily put her app development ambitions on hold because she's busy teaching herself artificial intelligence with an eye toward writing an algorithm to help police hate speech on Facebook. Yes, she knows that there are teams of Facebook engineers probably doing the same thing. But she figures it can't hurt to do her part too.

"If we see something wrong with the world, we should do something about it," she said. "After all, the only one stopping us from doing something is ourselves."
Indonesia needs to double its electricity generation capacity over the next ten years, and continue that expansion beyond 2050, to improve access to electricity and meet the demand of its growing economy and population.

Indonesias National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan) is promoting the introduction of nuclear power plants to help meet the countys demand for power. It envisages the start-up of conventional large light-water reactors on the populous islands of Bali, Java, Madura and Sumatra from 2027 onwards. In addition, it is planning small HTGRs (up to 100 MWe) for deployment on Kalimantan, Sulawesi and other islands to supply power and heat for industrial use.

Indonesia is working with the nuclear startup Thorcon to develop and deploy molten salt nuclear reactors.

Price Waterhouse Coopers has a 192 page Indonesia energy guide.
China sees autonomous driving as an amalgamation of the latest technologies, including 5G, manufacturing and new energy. Research is underway on self-driving ships and autonomous rail transit, as well as cars.

More than 24 states in the US have introduced legislation on autonomous driving, whereas China is behind on the regulatory front. China is building self-driving test fields and working on guidelines for open-road tests.

Two months ago Beijing became Chinas first city to green light open road test for autonomous cars. The National Development and Reform Commission, Chinas top economic planning agency, also unveiled a three-year plan in December, making the development of smart cars a national priority.

Smart car demonstration zones in cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chongqing and Wuhan, more cities are expected to follow Beijings lead to relax open road tests in the second half of the year.

Autonomous driving start-ups Pony.ai and JingChi moved their global headquarters to Guangzhou from Silicon Valley last year. Both companies conducted test drives last week, with plans to roll out robotaxi services later in the year, enabling users to hail an autonomous ride via a booking app.

Pony.ai t recently completed a $112 million Series A funding round at an undisclosed valuation. Morningside Venture Capital and Legend Capital, two Chinese venture firms, led the round, and were joined by eight other venture firms, including Comcast Ventures, IDG Capital Partners, Polaris Capital Group, and Sequoia Capital. Its platform aims to connect a self-driving cars sensors, software, cameras, and other technologies to create a system capable of Level 4 autonomy. A vehicle equipped with Pony.ais system would be able to operate on its own under certain confined scenarios, but still feature a steering wheel and pedals, making it similar to the systems auto supplier Aptiv is building.

Pony.ai is co-located in Silicon Valley and Guangzhou.

Pony.ai began operating its autonomous cars in Nansha, Guangzhou. This marks the first time a self-driving car company has made the service available to members of the general public in China. The company has also released a video of its autonomous car driving in rainy weather on the streets of Nansha.

JingChi raised $100 million

JingChi is a mobility company powered by artificial intelligence. We are committed to creating an innovative mobility solution for the China market where every trip will be safe, efficient, cost-effective and leisurely.

In September, 2017, JingChi, the leading self-driving technology company from China, completed a combined $52 million pre-A investment round from lead investor Qiming Venture, strategic investor NVIDIA GPU Ventures, and a consortium of other investors. The investment allows JingChi to rapidly expand its research and development teams globally, and ramp up deployment of a fully Level 4 autonomous driving test fleet in China by the end of 2017. Duane Kuang, Founding Partner at Qiming, will join JingChis board of directors.

JingChi plans to deploy hundreds of autonomous vehicles powered by NVIDIA DRIVE PX in 2018 to provide a Robotaxi ride-hailing service in Anqing City.

JingChi uses Multi-sensor fusion based on LiDAR

LiDAR data is the backbone for perceiving objects around the vehicle. Sensor fusion combines LiDAR point cloud with radar and camera data, which provides data redundancy and allows the vehicle to perceive its surroundings with much more detail compared with individual sensors.
NEW HAVEN  Removing a small amount of extra tissue around a breast cancer tumor may keep a patient from having a recurrence of the cancer or of having to return to the operating table because not all of the malignant cells were removed in the first operation.

Thats the theory thats being tested in a nationwide clinical trial sponsored by the Yale Cancer Center called SHAVE2. Dr. Anees Chagpar, assistant director of global oncology at the Yale School of Medicine and former director of the Breast Center, is the principal investigator.

Chagpar oversaw the first SHAVE trial at Yale, which involved 235 patients with stage 0 to stage 3 breast cancer who were given a partial mastectomy, also known as a lumpectomy. Some were given normal lumpectomies, while others had more tissue removed from around the tumor site, known as cavity shave margins.

I was the biggest skeptic in SHAVE, Chagpar said. I had done this trial not to prove that cavity shave margins were superior. ... But now that we have those trial results from SHAVE, I am absolutely a believer in this technique and use it on all of my patients. I am absolutely convinced that it reduces positive margins and re-excision rates.

The first study was a double-blind trial in which neither the patient nor the surgeon knew in advance whether the extra margin would be removed.

We told surgeons, do your very best operation  and once you were finished doing your best operation and were ready to close, we had sealed envelopes in the operating room, Chagpar said. Inside the envelope were instructions either to close the surgical site or to take an additional 3- to 5-millimeter margin from around the site before closing, kind of what youd take in a re-excision, she said.

This was really a landmark study because ... we found that by taking a little more tissue around the cavity, we could reduce positive margin rates by 50 percent and cut the need to go back to the operating room for re-excision in half, Chagpar said.

This was huge, and we found that this technique only took 10 minutes in the operating room. It did not result in any increased complications and the cosmetic results were equivalent in both groups.

The results were presented to 37,000 oncologists in May 2015 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists in Chicago, Chagpar said. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, accompanied by a very flattering editorial.

The whole SHAVE hullabaloo ... was a remarkable time, she said. The news coverage of that trial was phenomenal. It was in the top percentile of all New England Journal articles in terms of ... social media.

One of the questions that remained, however, was: Could this be reproduceable? she said. Could a general surgeon in rural Idaho do the same thing and get the same results?

So SHAVE2 was designed, a multicenter trial involving nine sites around the nation, all varying in terms of their location, practice setting, etc., Chagpar said. It will involve 400 patients at cancer centers in California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas. They include small private practice centers, big academic centers, she said.

Chagpar said her enthusiasm is not shared by all breast cancer surgeons, which is why we are doing SHAVE2. We couldnt do SHAVE2 if everybody had automatically converted.

When we set out to do the SHAVE2 trial  what was necessary was also to have a central command post to run the trial, Chagpar said. Yale is the central hub for SHAVE2, randomizing patients, collecting and managing data and performing regulatory functions.

Chagpars work is being supported by a $100,000 grant from the David and Katie Burke Fund for Breast Cancer Research, founded by a former patient of Chagpars, which will underwrite oversight of the centers, and by a $50,000 grant from the Connecticut Breast Health Initiative that will help pay for a research associates salary.

Weve had to cobble together resources and have been very grateful for all the support that weve received, Chagpar said.

The Connecticut Breast Health Initiative, based in New Britain, focuses on breast cancer research and education solely within the state and has raised more than $3.6 million for the cause. Its major fundraiser, the Race in the Park, which includes a 5K run, as well as shorter routes at Walnut Hill Park in New Britain, will be held May 12, said Kim Neurath, the race coordinator.

We do fund those forward-thinking programs that have not yet qualified for federal funding, Neurath said. We are seed money for those research and education institutions and individuals who are working on breast cancer research.

The race raised more than $500,000 in 2017, and the organization tries to award at least five grants a year, she said. This is its 15th year.

Joyce Bray, president of the nonprofit organization, said, A lot of times we have more requests than we have money, but that Chagpars proposal was one of the best and we think there will be a good impact and end result.

I just think shes brilliant, very articulate and very dedicated, Bray said of Chagpar. She said she believes the shave margin procedure saves on insurance costs, saves on hospital costs, saves on emotional costs. It just makes sense.

Chagpar is optimistic SHAVE2 will prove that the shave margin technique will become the standard in partial mastectomies for breast cancer. The first trial has already been adopted in places such as Brazil and South Korea and a clinical trial has been undertaken in Pakistan, she said. I think that the initial SHAVE trial is really revolutionizing how breast cancer surgery is performed worldwide, she said.

But I think that the purpose of SHAVE2 is really to validate these findings. ... This will be the first multicenter random controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of this technique across more practice settings nationwide.

This story has been edited to correct the countries in which the SHAVE trial is being studied.

Contact Ed Stannard at edward.stannard@hearstmedia

ct.com or 203-680-9382.
NEW HAVEN  Mayor Toni Harp is fighting requests that she be deposed in separate lawsuits brought by a couple she fired in August 2016.

An attorney for Marcus Paca, her former labor relations director and Democratic primary challenger, as well as his wife, Mendi Blue, who ran a grants program for the city, has filed motions to compel the mayor to sit for depositions as the only person who can answer questions about their separate dismissals.

U.S. District Judge Michael Shea last week denied the motions to compel without prejudice and told the parties to try to work it out.

The issue however, is expected to come back if they cant agree on another form of testimony, such as an interrogatory, which unlike a deposition, does not take place face to face and makes follow-up questions more time consuming.

The Hartford attorney representing the mayor, Alexandria L. Voccio, in a Jan. 29 email to the couples attorney, Joseph E. Fournier, said she could not attend a deposition set for Jan. 30 because she had a scheduling problem and she wanted to discuss alternatives to deposing the mayor.

As a high-ranking official, she should not be deposed where, as here, you have already deposed her chief of staff (Tomas Reyes,) and have other avenues to obtain any additional necessary information, i.e. interrogatories, she wrote.

On Feb. 7, Fournier filed the motion in U.S. District Court asking that it issue an order to Harp as the deadline for completing discovery in the Pace case is Feb. 13 and Feb. 15 for the Blue case.

The filing was made when Fournier said he did not get a response to his offer to limit the depositions to 2.5 hours in each case on the same day, according to court documents.

Neither attorney answered emails seeking comment on the issue.

Citing the 2013 Chevron Corporation v. Donziger case, Fournier said the courts sometimes disfavor requiring the depositions of apex witnesses (a high-ranking corporate or governmental official) unless they have personal knowledge of relevant facts or some unique knowledge that is relevant to the action.

The court can limit discovery if it can be obtained from some other source that is more convenient, less burdensome or less expensive, according to the motion with reference to Chevron.

The case acknowledges there is a tension between getting officials to testify and the broad reach of discovery. It concludes that it doesnt matter if the person is busy, that the party seeking discovery is entitled to test the limits of the witnesss knowledge.

In his motions for each of the cases, Fournier argues that there are questions of fact, of which Mayor Harp likely has sole personal knowledge, and that are relevant and proportional to the needs of the case. These issues of fact cannot be adequately addressed through written discovery.

Fournier said the mayor has personal knowledge of the circumstances surrounded the firings because she made the decisions and informed both of them of the terminations.

The motion said it is clear that the mayor will testify she terminated Paca for cause, alleging instances of poor performances.

Fournier said included on the list is an unfounded accusation that Paca leaked confidential and privileged emails concerning Nichole Jefferson, the former director of the Commission on Equal Opportunities, to Local 3144, a union representing professional staff.

Tomas Reyes, in his deposition, which is attached to the motion, said Pacas staff sent the emails to the union at Pacas direction,

But Reyes did not know who told this to Mayor Harp and did not recall the result of his own investigation into plaintiffs (Pacas) alleged leak, Fournier wrote.

Clearly the only person who can tell plaintiff who told this to Mayor Harp is Mayor Harp herself  particularly as Mr, Reyes testified that he was still surprised, on the date of his deposition (Jan. 8, 2018), that plaintiff would have leaked the emails. Fournier wrote.

In his deposition, Reyes was asked how he knew that Paca allegedly ordered the emails be released.

I recall that I had a discussion with my deputy, and my deputy had a discussion with one of the staff persons, Reyes said.

In his deposition, Reyes was asked:

Are you saying that he (Paca) was terminated because you heard from Patty (Lawlor,) who heard from Joann (Courtmanche) that Marcus told her to send an email? the attorney inquired.

Im saying that the mayor terminated him because the mayor was aware that he had sent these emails to Cherlyn (Poindexter,) Reyes said. Poindexter was president of Local 3144 at the time.

Asked specifically who told the mayor this information, Reyes, in his deposition, answered: I dont know.

The deposition also asked questions about progressive discipline, which generally refers to increasingly serious consequences for violating workplace policies with the final action being termination.

Do you know why he (Paca) was not given progressive discipline?, Reyes was asked.

No, I dont, he said.

In your opinion, did Marcus do anything illegal or in violation of the City Charter? Reyes was asked.

I dont think he did anything illegal. I think he violated the mayors trust, in having those emails sent out. Because he was very aware of the damaging information contained in those emails, he answered.

He explainedthere was a dispute with Jefferson who had a series of cases before the city.

One of the emails in the long-running complicated case, showed the city had already intended to fire Jefferson before it undertook an investigation into her job performance. Another said the mayor wanted to get rid of the other five employees in the CEO office. The mayor denied this. Those workers have since left as funding ran out.

The U.S. Attorneys office found no evidence of wrongdoing by Jefferson and closed its case in January 2016. Jefferson also won two appeals when she was denied unemployment compensation, with one of the investigators calling the citys case against her a witch hunt. .

Two and one-half years after she was fired in August 2015, testimony before a panel of state labor arbitrators has wrapped up, but a decision has not yet been issued.

Harp fired Paca and Blue in April 2016 on the same day in separate meetings.

Reyes said Paca was fired for memoranda of understanding with fire administrators that Reyes said were not vetted by the alders, corporation counsel or the city comptroller and cost the city money. This was in addition to the release of the emails.

Blue was told she was fired because she spoke to the alders about the budget for her office. The mayor said staff was ordered not to take issue with budget cuts in testifying before the alders.

Blue said she had been requested by the alders to explain how grants were pursued and she also told them that Martha Okafor, who headed the Community Services Administration, had failed to follow the citys bidding policy in outsourcing $100,000 in grant work.

In the lawsuits, filed in July 2016, Blue said she was reporting a violation of a municipal ordinance or regulation and was exercising her right of free speech. Paca claims he was fired because he was married to Blue.

In the motion to the court to compel Harp to testify in Blues case, more of Reyess deposition was referred to.

He was asked hypothetically, if Blue had been given the two additional positions in her office that Harp originally approved, but cut, would she have been able to help Okafor more with grants. Reyes said yes.

As for firing Blue, Reyes said it was the right decision because she was not only disobeying a directive that she fully understood, but doing it in a public fashion. Asked how many times Blue did this, Reyes said once.

At another point in his deposition, Reyes said the rules around contracting for outside help had been explained to Okafor and there was discussion as to disciplining her over the issue. He said Okafor violated the procedure more than once.

Asked if she was fired, Reyes said no.

Okafor, who was deposed on Dec. 22, 2017, said each time she was pressed to meet a quick turn around for a grant deadline, she would go to Harp, who was her supervisor, and explain the situation.

So when you were reaching for outside resources, the mayor approved that? Okafor was asked.

Yes, she said. Every time Ive reached out to use outside support my supervisor approves that, yes.

Okafor said to the best of my knowledge, she told Blue she was doing this, but possibly not in every instance.

The suit asks if Harp and Okafor worked to jeopardize Blues job security by allowing the outsourcing of grant-writing work.

mary.oleary@hearstmedia

ct.com Call 203-641-2577


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WASHINGTON  Before his sudden firing last week, the Pentagon official who oversaw military commission trials at Guantanamo Bay was exploring potential plea deals to end the long-delayed prosecution of five suspects in the Sept. 11 attacks, a move that would foreclose the possibility of execution, according to several people familiar with the matter.

No deal was imminent, the people said, but the talks were active and contemplated the defendants  including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described architect of the attacks  pleading guilty and probably receiving life sentences. Most of the people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations.

The Pentagon has refused to explain the moves in public, and it provided no rationale to the men when they were handed one-paragraph letters notifying them of their dismissal, one person said.

It is not clear whether the settlement talks prompted the Trump administrations abrupt ouster on Monday of the official, Harvey Rishikof, who was the military commission systems so-called convening authority. His legal adviser, Gary Brown, was simultaneously fired.
Jeanine Pirro, the Fox News personality and longtime friend and champion of President Trump, has discussed with him the possibility of a book project to counter the damning portrayal of his presidency in Michael Wolffs book Fire and Fury, according to three people with knowledge of their conversations.

The project has been described among West Wing advisers as No Fire, No Fury, according to two administration officials. Ms. Pirro met with Mr. Trump in the White House on Wednesday, hoping to secure his participation.

Over lunch, Mr. Trump agreed to be interviewed by Ms. Pirro for the book, according to one of the people briefed on their discussion.

For weeks, the president has seethed about the depiction of him in Fire and Fury as a volatile and ill-equipped chief executive, even asking the White House counsel and allies whether a libel lawsuit against Mr. Wolff is still possible. (His advisers have told him no.)
It isnt clear why PetroVietnam withdrew the application for American financial support for the Vietnamese coal plant, Long Phu 1. But the project, which is already under construction, faced intense criticism inside and outside the United States.

Environmental and other groups said the project would have had a greater environmental impact than reports submitted by PetroVietnam had suggested. More broadly, the application raised the question of whether the Trump administrations commitment to using more coal at home would extend abroad.

The World Bank and other major institutions have increasingly avoided backing projects supported by developing countries that burn coal and other fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. The United Kingdoms version of the Ex-Im Bank had declined to offer financial support for the Long Phu 1 project for similar reasons.

In addition, the project is partly financed by Vnesheconombank, a Kremlin-connected Russian lender that has been subject to American sanctions since 2014 because of Moscows military intervention in Ukraine. On Jan. 26, the United States Treasury Department expanded its Russia sanctions to include Power Machines, a Russian firm that is one of several construction companies with contracts at Long Phu 1.

The Ex-Im Bank said in a statement that it had not yet completed its due diligence review of Long Phu 1 when the application was withdrawn. It also did not specify a date for the withdrawal and referred further questions to PetroVietnam.
Good morning. Weve all been full of Olympics cheer these past few days, everyone in and around the kitchen gossiping about luge and amplitude, short-track speedskating, womens ski jumping (at last!) and the chance to get text messages from Sam Manchester, our man on the ground in Pyeongchang (heres how to sign up for that). And the call issues forth from a child: Korean food for dinner, please!

Maybe you could start with Melissa Clarks take on the chef Hooni Kims recipe for seafood pajeon, scallion pancakes thick with squid, their texture crunchy yielding to soft. (You could use shrimp if you cant get squid.) Eat those right in the kitchen as soon as they come out of the pan. You can do that on Sundays. It counts as exercise.

But for dinner-dinner, real dinner, how about my adaptation of Roy Chois adaptation of his moms recipe for galbijjim, or braised short-rib stew? Eat that with steamed rice in front of the tube: NBC prime-time tonight has some figure skating (key follow: Jamila Robinson), womens snowboarding and the first run of the womens giant slalom, starring Mikaela Shiffrin out of Vail, Colo., the best female Alpine skier in the world. (Our Bill Pennington wrote about her in March of last year.)

So thats Sunday for you right there, at least if you dont fall down a rabbit hole after reading Tejal Raos ode to vinegar and start making your own right away. (Our wine critic Eric Asimov tried, himself. It didnt work out well.)
Stephanie Mae Roberts and Jared Scott Schubert were married Feb. 10 at Brooklyn Winery in Brooklyn. Stephen Crowley, a friend of the couple who became a Universal Life minister for the occasion, officiated.

The bride, 32, is a patent lawyer for the Manhattan law firm Alston & Bird. She graduated from Tulane University, from which she also received a law degree.

She is the daughter of Marilyn M. Roberts and Thomas E. Roberts of Noblesville, Ind. The brides father, who is retired, was a vice president of Heritage Environmental Services, an environmental research and consulting company in Indianapolis. Her mother, who is also retired, was the owner and founder of Kid Co. Childcare, a child care services company in Greenwood, Ind.

The groom, 30, is a patent lawyer for the Manhattan law firm Haug Partners. He graduated from Northeastern and received a law degree from Boston University.
His investments through New Enterprise Associates, a venture capital firm, and T.R. Winston & Company, an investment bank, were also called into question. Earlier in Dr. Gottliebs career, before attending the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, he worked as a health care investment banking analyst for Alex. Brown & Sons.

That experience, Dr. Gottlieb has said, benefits the F.D.A. because it helps him understand the industry. He has recused himself for two years from matters concerning about 20 companies with which he was associated  in accordance with the White House ethics pledge. The day he was sworn in, he sold all of his health-related stock, including investments in Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Collective Health and U.S. Renal Care, according to a financial report filed with the Office of Government Ethics. He purchased government bond funds.

Like most of Mr. Trumps appointees, Dr. Gottlieb has also hired industry lawyers and lobbyists whose former clients often have business before the agency. Among them are Jack Kalavritinos, an associate commissioner who had lobbied for the device maker Covidien, now owned by Medtronic, for seven years; Nina Devlin, a senior communications adviser who was the head of global communications at Mylan, makers of the EpiPen; and Rebecca K. Wood, who was a partner in the law firm Sidley Austin and is now the agencys top lawyer.

According to her financial disclosure forms, Ms. Wood did legal work for many of the drug industrys largest companies and trade groups, including AbbVie, Bayer, St. Jude Medical and the Medical Information Working Group, which favors the expansion of off-label uses for drugs. She also worked for New Enterprise Associates, in which Dr. Gottlieb was a venture partner. An agency spokeswoman said that Ms. Wood has had to recuse herself already from several matters, but declined to detail the issues involved.

A balancing act

By taking a more conventional approach to the job, Dr. Gottlieb stands out among other presidential appointees, some of whom have aggressively rolled back regulations or are curtailing the scope of their agencies powers, as at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.

He has already disagreed with an administration position, objecting to a plan to move an international food-safety division to the trade office, saying it would hurt the countrys reputation as a food watchdog.

The administration backed down on the trade matter, but Dr. Gottlieb has been forced to compromise on other issues. Last October, he questioned proposals backed by Vice President Mike Pence and others that would give terminally ill patients greater access to experimental treatments. He did make a concession  promising that the F.D.A. would find a way to make it easier for patients to get some of those treatments, although he noted that the agency already approves 99 percent of such requests. Mr. Trump also recently told Republican lawmakers that Dr. Gottlieb was leading the effort to get legislation passed by Congress.
From their opening statements, federal prosecutors made clear that their key witness in a major public corruption case, Todd R. Howe, might have credibility issues.

They were right to be concerned.

Mr. Howe, who has pleaded guilty to eight felonies and is cooperating with prosecutors in the case against Joseph Percoco, who served as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos executive deputy secretary, was taken into custody on Thursday after admitting on the witness stand that he violated the terms of his cooperation agreement.

Now prosecutors have a sartorial concern: When Mr. Howe returns to the witness stand this week for his third day of cross-examination, they do not want him dressed in prisoner garb.

In a letter sent on Saturday to Judge Valerie E. Caproni of Federal District Court in Manhattan, the government asked the judge to explain in court that Mr. Howes bail had been revoked, in an effort to avoid speculation by the jury. The government also asked that Mr. Howe be allowed to continue to wear a suit for the remainder of his testimony.
In January, for example, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, proposed curtailing the use of cash bail in many low-level cases as the centerpiece of a package of criminal justice legislative fixes.

At the same time, district attorneys in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Westchester County have all announced that they will no longer ask for cash bail in many misdemeanor cases. In April, Jonathan Lippman, the states former chief judge, called for bail reform, noting in a broad report on the states criminal justice system that judges and prosecutors rarely consider a defendants financial situation when requesting or imposing bail.

The purpose of bail is to ensure that defendants return to court to answer charges against them and, in part, to ensure public safety. But relying heavily on cash bail often leads to what Ms. Lieberman called a two-tiered system of justice in which wealthy people can pay their way out of custody while the poor remain locked up before they can even contest the accusations against them.

The collateral effects can be devastating and include losing jobs, housing, even the custody of children. Cash bail also places enormous pressures on the poor, Ms. Lieberman said, to plead guilty in their cases simply as a means to get themselves out from behind bars.

That, in fact, is precisely what Mr. Kunkeli did. Shortly after the N.Y.C.L.U. filed its motion in his case, the Dutchess County district attorneys office offered him a plea deal, said his lawyer, Philip Desgranges. Mr. Kunkeli took the deal, which called for him to be sentenced to five months in prison, minus time served. Since he had already served most of that time waiting for his trial, he spent only another week in custody before he was released.

Justice Rosa issued her decision in Mr. Kunkelis case after he had been freed and his case was already over, suggesting she was trying to make a declaratory statement about cash bail not only to her colleagues on the bench, but also to lawmakers in Albany.

While it is clear that the Legislature must act, she wrote, it is undisputed that the earliest such action could occur would be 2019. In the interim, thousands of individuals will be in a similar situation as the petitioner was.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan  Asma Jahangir, a leading Pakistani rights activist, fearless critic of the militarys interference in politics and a staunch defender of the rule of law, died on Sunday in Lahore. She was 66.

The death was confirmed by her daughter Munizae Jahangir, who said the cause was a heart attack.

Ms. Jahangir, a human rights lawyer, had a reputation for speaking truth to power and defending the weak and the marginalized and women and minorities against injustice. She gained international acclaim for being the conscience of a country where liberal, secular voices have continuously been under threat.

She was the founding chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent group, and was a trustee of the International Crisis Group. She won international awards and served as the United Nations rapporteur on human rights and extrajudicial killings.

Ms. Jahangir never minced words while defending democracy and human rights, despite threats to her life, both from military dictators and militants. She championed the rights of religious minorities  especially those who were charged under the countrys blasphemy laws  and women and men killed in the name of honor.
To the Editor:

Re Its Time to End the Scam of Flying Pets, by David Leonhardt (column, Feb. 5):

Fliers traveling with pets are not gaming the system but instead are bending the rules to make dysfunctional air travel work for animals, too. As unpleasant as modern air travel may be for humans, it is far worse for animals who are viewed as family members yet shipped in cages like cargo.

Ironically, traveling with my Labrador, Oliver, provides scant emotional support for me; its stressful to manage him in the cabin. But he clearly provides my fellow travelers with a few moments of distraction and affection during an otherwise miserable travel experience. For every aggrieved passenger or put-upon flight attendant there are many more sporting smiles and playful voices.

The Department of Transportation should adopt more humane in-flight accommodations for animals like Oliver. That would eliminate the need for pretexts and paperwork and make more of us happier travelers. What would not make life better for anyone is to stuff our beloved companions back into cages in a cold and dark cargo hold.

MARK ELLIOT

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.

To the Editor:

As someone with a family member who is blind and must navigate with the help of her dog, I applaud this column. The only problem with the solution being proposed by the airlines is that an additional burden is being placed on those people who are truly disabled and now must provide added documentation to travel because of the many scammers out there trying to take advantage of the previously lax standards.
To the Editor:

Re How Nations Recover, by David Brooks (column, Feb. 6):

While there are lessons to be learned from Britains ability to revive itself, one should never forget that the racism against Irish Catholics was so pervasive during the Irish potato famine from 1845 to 1852 that more than a million Irish died and a million more were forced to emigrate because of the unwillingness of the British to see them as human beings.

So even the most enlightened and politically adroit of political systems can still be guilty of the most unconscionable acts of inhumanity, and maybe that is the real lesson we can learn from this history.

MICHAEL SCOTT, SAN FRANCISCO
When we complain to Egypts Western allies about whichever autocrat is in power, we are asked, But who is the alternative? It is a question designed to frustrate. The allies, led by America, know full well that by giving billions in aid and selling billions more in weapons to our military, they are ensuring the militarys continued political dominance  and in doing that, ensuring the near impossibility of our country coming up with any alternative.

In January, Vice President Mike Pence became the highest-level American official to visit Egypt since President Barack Obama went in 2009. He told Mr. Sisi the United States stood shoulder to shoulder with you and Egypt in fighting against terrorism, but he avoided giving even lip service to the need to ensure free and fair elections.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to visit Egypt and other countries in the region, beginning this week. He, too, is unlikely to bring up Egypts sham elections; after all, the United States consistently puts stability at the top of its priorities for countries like ours, inevitably at our expense.

So we are caught between an American-style Sisi and an Egyptian-style Putin. Mr. Pences  and Mr. Tillersons  boss, President Trump, is emulating our military-backed dictator, Mr. Sisi, every time he unabashedly exercises greater executive powers than the Constitution allows, and Mr. Sisi in turn assures continuation for his own rule by emulating Mr. Putins transparently sham elections.

Caught in such a vise of global authoritarianism, it is cruelly disingenuous and willfully ignorant when the West asks us, Who is the alternative to Mr. Sisi? It is imperative instead to stop giving aid and selling weapons to a military-backed regime that is set on smothering all life out of our politics.

It has been seven years since popular uprisings swept across Egypt, forcing the ouster of another autocrat, Hosni Mubarak, who had once served as head of the air force. When the millions of Egyptians who joined that uprising chanted in Tahrir Square and throughout Egypt, The people demand the fall of the regime! they meant not just him but the system that propped him up. Mr. Mubarak fell. But the military system remained intact.
The Maldives is a curious half-paradise, half-hell: The allure of its romantic island resorts often seems to be in inverse proportion to the sordidness of its politics. These could reach a dangerous new level if the political crisis that erupted last week is allowed to embroil India and China.

The current mess started as February began when the countrys Supreme Court unexpectedly decided to nullify sentences against nine of the many opposition figures thrown into prison or forced into exile by President Abdulla Yameen. Among those cleared was Mohamed Nasheed, a former president who won the only fair election the country has had, but was replaced by the corrupt and authoritarian Mr. Yameen.

President Yameen refused the courts ruling, declared a state of emergency and ordered the arrest of two of the courts five judges, several opposition members and his 80-year-old half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had earlier ruled the Maldives for 30 years. The remaining judges then nullified the courts ruling.

In a nation of about 430,000 people dispersed over an archipelago in the Indian Ocean  which could well vanish as climate change raises sea levels  that might not seem to pose a clear and present danger for the world. Years ago a coup attempt was snuffed when India, then the country with the greatest influence there, sent in paratroopers.
The head of the government has been under criminal investigation for some time. So he launches a counterattack against the credibility of the investigators and their chief, and assails media reports as fake news. Sound familiar?

In this case, though, its Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, who is bracing for police investigators to conclude two long corruption investigations as early as next week by presenting their recommendations to the attorney general.

What they will recommend is not publicly known, though it is known that one case under investigation involves gifts from benefactors, and the other allegations that Mr. Netanyahu tried to get favorable coverage from a newspaper in exchange for curtailing a competitor. The attorney general could choose to indict; or he could do nothing, or just issue a reprimand, which would legally allow Mr. Netanyahu to stay in the office he has occupied for a total of 12 years now.

Mr. Netanyahu, who has been called Mr. Teflon for his ability to weather earlier police inquiries, has repeatedly insisted that the current investigations will come to nothing, because there is nothing. Still, he is taking no chances. (His predecessor, Ehud Olmert, was forced out of office over police accusations of corruption and ended up serving 16 months of a 27-month prison term for bribery and obstruction of justice.)
NEW BEDFORD, Mass.  Carlos Rafael, whose initials are emblazoned on boats all over this port city, boasted that his fishing empire was worth even more than official records showed. His trick? When he caught fish that are subject to strict catch limits, like gray sole or cod, he would report that his nets were filled with something far more plentiful, like haddock.

We call them something else, its simple, Mr. Rafael told visitors who seemed interested in buying his business. Weve been doing it for over 30 years. He showed off a special ledger labeled cash. And he described an under-the-table deal he had going with a New York fish buyer, saying at one point, Youll never find a better laundromat.

But Mr. Rafaels visitors turned out to be Internal Revenue Service agents, and the conversations, caught on tape and described in court documents, began the unraveling of Mr. Rafael, whose reign over a segment of this regions fishing industry gave him his larger-than-life nickname, the Codfather.

As Mr. Rafael sits in prison, having pleaded guilty to lying about his catches and smuggling cash out of the country, nearly two dozen of his boats have been barred from fishing for species like cod and haddock, grinding part of the centuries-old maritime economy in the nations most lucrative fishing port to a halt.
The result is that on his stops in Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, Mr. Tillerson will either be delivering difficult messages  urging partners to follow through on promises  or trying to assuage furious allies. And while previous administrations had papered over differences with generous promises of financial aid, Mr. Tillersons goody bag will be all but empty.

Still, Mr. Tillerson will face those considerable challenges newly fortified. His standing appears to have risen in the White House after a year in which his tenuous relationship with the president undermined his diplomatic efforts, as senior administration officials predicted his imminent departure and foreign leaders quietly wondered whether he actually spoke for his mercurial boss.

But he still must cope with the presidents intemperate remarks about other countries, and he is forgoing a visit to Jerusalem, perhaps because Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and senior adviser, is still Israels principal American intermediary.

Mr. Tillerson begins his official visits on Monday in Cairo, but the most difficult stop on his itinerary will be Ankara. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has threatened to attack the Syrian city of Manbij, where American forces and their Kurdish allies are entrenched after evicting the Islamic State. Turkey views the Kurdish forces as part of a violent insurgency within Turkey.

They tell us, Dont come to Manbij. We will come to Manbij to hand over these territories to their rightful owners, Mr. Erdogan said Tuesday in a speech to his party. As for American assurances that arms given to the Kurds will be used only to fight the Islamic State, dont expect us to believe, Mr. Erdogan said. We dont buy it.

Turkey, a NATO ally, has allowed American forces to use Incirlik Air Base as a crucial staging ground for the air campaign over Syria. But Mr. Erdogans creeping authoritarianism, his security details attack in Washington on peaceful protesters, his saber-rattling on Syria and Turkeys arrests of American citizens and State Department employees have left the relationship severely strained.

For the Turks, fury at the administrations refusal to begin the process of extraditing the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey says orchestrated a 2016 coup from his self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, compounds the anger at American support for Kurdish forces. On Thursday, Serkan Golge, an American citizen and NASA scientist, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for alleged links to Mr. Gullen, although no proof of such links was offered in court. The State Department said it was deeply concerned by the decision.
SAIQI, China  A Chinese Catholic bishop at the center of a dispute between the Vatican and China said on Sunday that he would respect any deal worked out between the two powers. But he cautioned that the Chinese authorities still had a hard time accepting the idea that Catholics should not be completely under their control.

The bishop, Guo Xijin, 59, is one of at least two underground bishops  those recognized by the Roman Catholic Church but not by the Chinese authorities  who have been asked by the Vatican to step down in favor of Communist-approved bishops.

Bishop Guo has spent numerous stints in detention and currently lives under police surveillance.

Last year, a Vatican delegation visited Bishop Guo and asked him to serve under the government-appointed bishop, Zhan Silu, in this diocese of southeastern China. The Vatican had condemned Bishop Zhans installation as bishop because it had not been approved by Rome.

The concession would be part of a historic deal that Rome and Beijing have been negotiating; it could heal a nearly 70-year rift between the two sides and give the Vatican a say in who runs the church in China.
SRINAGAR, India  A brazen weekend attack by heavily armed militants who stormed an Indian Army base in the Jammu region killed at least five soldiers and a civilian, army officials said on Sunday.

It was one of the deadliest attacks on the army in recent years, and Indian officials quickly blamed a Pakistan-based militant group.

The target of the attack early Saturday was the sprawling base of the armys 36th Brigade, which houses more than 3,500 troops, including those of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry.

Indian officials said the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Muhammad, led by Maulana Masood Azhar, was behind the attack. The group has carried out similar attacks in the Indian-administrated portion of Kashmir, particularly along the Line of Control that divides Kashmir into two parts, held by India and Pakistan.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack this weekend, however.

The attack began around 4:55 a.m. Saturday as four militants dressed in army uniforms and armed with AK-47 assault rifles and grenades descended on Chenni, a small village on the outskirts of Jammu City, said Abdul Rehman Veeri, the parliamentary affairs minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The village is among those closest to the de facto border with Pakistan.

The militants entered the family quarters of the army officers, gunning down two soldiers and injuring at least nine other people, including women and children, army officials said.

The militants were cornered and later killed in a residential complex of the camp when the army deployed Special Forces that engaged in a bloody firefight that lasted more than 24 hours, an army spokesman in Jammu, Lt. Col. Devender Anand, said.

The militants entered into the residential quarters where they targeted the family members of the army personnel. A junior commissioned officer and a noncommissioned officer were killed in the attack, the police said.

The death toll stood at 10 people: five soldiers, four militants and the father of a soldier, officials said.

The operation is still in progress, Colonel Anand said. We are still evacuating the trapped family members of the forces.

On Sunday, army helicopters hovered over the Sunjuwan military station, and the Indian Army chief, Gen. Bipin Rawat, arrived in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.

Indias home minister, Rajnath Singh, said from Delhi that he was monitoring the situation closely.

The latest attack is likely to raise tensions between India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars since independence, two of them over Kashmir. New Delhi has often blamed militant groups in Pakistan for sponsoring militant attacks in the region.

Attacks on army bases have become common in the disputed region after the Indian Army killed a charismatic militant leader, Burhan Muzaffar Wani, in July 2016. Protests in the predominantly Muslim valley have increased since then. And more people have joined the fight against Indian rule.

Jammu City is in the southern part of Kashmir Valley, at the heart of the dispute between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

More than 200 militants were killed last year, the largest number in seven years, according to the director general of the Jammu and Kashmir police, Shesh Paul Vaid. And the chief minister of the state, Mehbooba Mufti, said last week in the State Assembly that 71 civilians and 49 police officers had been killed over the past two years.

The police chief for Jammu, Shiv Dev Singh Jamwal, told reporters on Saturday that a sentry had noticed suspicious movement near the camp before the assailants began firing.

A high alert has been sounded in Jammu, and security beefed up in and around the city, he said.

The state government closed schools and several shopping complexes within a three-mile radius of Chenni and the military station.

Mohammad Ashraf Mir, whose son was one of the soldiers killed in the attack, said, He died serving his nation.

The father, a resident of Kupwara, in northern Kashmir, said: People are getting killed every day. India and Pakistan should come together and resolve there differences.

Today it is my son; tomorrow it will be someone elses, he added. Something should be done to stop this bloodshed immediately.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan  On his way to becoming Pakistans top judge, Mian Saqib Nisar built a reputation as a highly regarded jurist known for his expertise in constitutional law and his disapproval of judicial overreach.

Recently, though, Chief Justice Nisar of the Supreme Court has become something of an activist: He conducted a personal inspection of a Lahore hospital during a health-related case, told the father of a young murder victim to call him directly if problems arose with the police investigation and strongly criticized the government for its inability to stop human trafficking in Punjab Province.

Each case, along with a number of others recently taken up by the court, has cast the governing party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, as corrupt or ineffectual. Whether that is the product of a politically motivated effort to tarnish the party, as the courts critics say, or the vigorous exercise of justice in a long-sclerotic system has become a matter of considerable debate.

But the spurt of activity has undoubtedly come at a time of escalating  and direct  confrontation between the countrys top judicial body and its leading political party, a clash that traces to the courts contentious ouster of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a corruption case last year.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  Local elections across Sri Lanka on Saturday were supposed to be about small issues, like installing street lighting for some neighborhoods and improving garbage sweeping in others.

But the countrys first postwar national government has stagnated, with the governing coalition partners at each others throats. Suddenly, the local vote has become a referendum on the national governments performance.

And, to an extent, the results of the elections may signal what direction the island nation takes in its still-fragile transition from decades of a civil war that killed as many as 100,000 people before it ended in 2009.

The results trickling in on Sunday made it clear that opposition party candidates, led by the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, were close to sweeping the local councils. They put Mr. Rajapaksa  a former strongman accused of human rights abuses and corruption who brutally crushed the Tamil insurgency before the war ended  once again at the center of the countrys political future.
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BRISBANE, Australia  Lindsay Carter had his first violent seizure at 14. He toppled face first onto a tiled floor in front of his father.

At 19, Mr. Carter can still have seizures several times a month that can convulse his body and threaten his life. But more often, the recent high school graduate experiences focal seizures, which temporarily arrest his ability to speak or comprehend.

When he gets what he describes as clouds in my head, he turns to a legal but difficult to obtain remedy  medical marijuana.

The teenager has become in recent years a reluctant poster boy for the drugs medicinal use in Australia. Appearing in news reports and radio programs broadcast across the country, he tells a story that exemplifies for many the absurdity of the nations marijuana regulations.
TORONTO  A day after attending Torontos gay pride festivities last June, Andrew Kinsman, 49, a building superintendent with deep roots in the community, dropped out of sight, missing his volunteer food-bank shift and leaving his cat unfed.

Friends knew right away there had to be something wrong, and now, after months of anguished searching, the horrific answer to what happened to him has not only shaken the gay community, but has also widened its longstanding rift with the Toronto police.

Last week, the police said they had recovered the dismembered remains of six people, including Mr. Kinsman, from planters on a property where Bruce McArthur, a 66-year-old landscaper, worked, and investigators were searching 30 other places across the city. Mr. McArthur has been charged with the murders of Mr. Kinsman and four other men, and police said additional charges were expected.
MOSCOW  A Russian plane carrying 71 people crashed near Moscow shortly after takeoff on Sunday afternoon, killing all on board.

Flight 703, operated by the Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines, was carrying 65 passengers and six crew members. The plane went down near the village of Stepanovskoe, about 50 miles southeast of Moscow in the Ramenskoye District, according to the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry.

There were no survivors, Moscows regional transportation prosecutor-general confirmed. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

The Russian aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said the flight departed at 2:21 p.m. from Domodedovo Airport. The Antonov AN-148, a small regional jet, was headed to the city of Orsk in the Orenburg region, about 1,000 miles southeast of Moscow, near the border with Kazakhstan.

Several minutes after takeoff, radio connection with the crew disappeared, the planes mark disappeared from radars, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.

FlightRadar24, an online site that tracks real-time flight information, shows the plane losing altitude just six minutes after takeoff. It reached 6,400 feet before dropping to 5,800 feet, rising again briefly and falling sharply  all within one minute.
Hopes Raised, Then Dashed

Last year, the Palestinian Authoritys president, Mahmoud Abbas, ratcheted up the pressure on Hamas, stopping its payments for fuel for Gazas power station and to Israel for electrical transmission into the Gaza Strip. It slashed the salaries of thousands of its workers who remained on its payroll in Gaza, even though they no longer had jobs to do after Hamas took power. Those measures forced Hamas into reconciliation talks that kindled new hopes, reaching their peak in a much-heralded October agreement in Cairo.

Hamas, eager to rid itself of the burdens of governing  though unwilling to disarm its military wing  showed flexibility at the talks, quickly ceding control over border crossings like the one with Israel at Kerem Shalom, and the tax collections there that had provided it with some $20 million a month.

But a series of missed deadlines for handing over governance to the Palestinian Authority, and the removal last month of the Egyptian intelligence chief who had brokered the reconciliation talks, have dashed hopes and left the two factions squabbling, the rapprochement slowly bleeding out.

Hamas now refuses to relinquish its collection of taxes inside Gaza until the Palestinian Authority starts paying the salaries of public employees. But the authority is refusing to do that until Hamas hands over the internal revenue stream.

The most hard-line people in the P.A. believe they need full capitulation from Hamas, including the dismantling of its military, said Nathan Thrall, an analyst for International Crisis Group who closely monitors Gaza. The vast majority of Palestinians see that as wholly unrealistic. But the P.A. thinks that strategy is working. So they think the pressure should continue, and theyll get even more.
After being hit by stones, Vande Bharat runs into motorcycle

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'Invades Right to Privacy': Allahabad HC makes display of notice for inter-faith marriages optional

Allahabad: Law student beaten to death outside restaurant, accused held

India

pti-PTI

A second year student of LLB on Sunday succumbed to his injuries two days after he was thrashed by a group following an altercation outside a restaurant here, police said.

One of the accused was also arrested after a CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media.

Dileep (26), and two of his friends had on Friday came to a restaurant in Karnalganj when an altercation broke out with some persons there.

Soon after, they assaulted Dileep with sticks and batons, leaving him grievously injured.

On the basis of a complaint lodged by Dileep's brother, an FIR was registered against three unidentified accused, SSP Akash Kulhari said.

The CCTV footage was examined and on that basis the prime accused was identified as Vijay Shankar Singh who is posted as a TTE with the Indian Railways, Kulhari said, adding that the accused is still at large.

The restaurant owner Amit Upadhyay was arrested as he was familiar with the accused, Singh, and did not inform the police about the incident.

The body has been sent for post mortem and further probe into the matter is on, the senior official said.

PTI
Army get Rs 1,487 crore to fortify bases at J&K, North East

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In a bid to fortify its bases in Jammu and Kashmir and North East, the Defence Ministry has sanctioned Rs 1,487 crore for the Indian Army.

Clearing the project, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has set a deadline of 10 months for the Army to carry it out. The Army headquarters has been told to monitor implementation of the project, they said.

The sanction to the project comes amid heightened hostilities between Indian and Pakistani armies along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and several terror attack targeting military installations.

Perimeter security will be strengthened at Army bases under six commands, the sources said.

A security audit of military bases was carried out on the recommendation of a committee headed by Lt Gen Philip Campose which was set up after the daring terror attack on the Pathankot air force base in 2016.

The committee was asked to recommend measures to beef up security at the military bases.

Following the security audit, revised standard operating procedures (SOPs) were sent to the commands of all three services to revamp their security management, including putting in place a multi-tier security structure.

A total of 3,000 sensitive bases, including 600 highly sensitive installations of the Army, Navy and the Air Force were identified by the forces months after the attack on Pathankot air base.

Separately, in July last year, the government had delegated "substantial" financial powers to the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force to strengthen perimeter security at sensitive bases across the country.

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Story first published: Sunday, February 11, 2018, 6:57 [IST]
Naxals from Telangana were in the process of making grenade launchers, IEDs: NIA

Women bikers to embark on seven southeast Asian nations covering 16,992 km

India

oi-Madhuri

By Madhuri

Four women bikers will start their expedition to 7 countries from Hyderabad covering seven southeast Asian nations in seven weeks. and said that 'they want to introduce Telangana to their neighbors'.

The expedition is led by Jai Bharathi, the first woman to win GoUnesco challenge in 2012 by visiting all the 28 Unesco world heritage sites in India within a year. Shilpa Balakrishnan, A.S.D. Shanthi, a police constable, and Piya Bahadur have notable accomplishments in different fields.

According to Azmeera Chandulal, Telangana Tourism Minister,''These 4 girls will travel to 7 countries, covering a distance of about 17,000 km. Telangana Tourism is providing them all the things they need for the expedition.''

The team will travel through Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Lavos, Cambodia, Vietnam and different parts of India. During their journey, they will visit 19 UNESCO World Heritage sites and 35 UNESCO sites, said Tourism Secretary B Venkatesham here on Saturday.

Speaking to ANI, one of the biker,Piya Bahadur said,''We'll be starting from Hyderabad, across India, crossing over to Myanmar & riding through 7 countries. Bigger agenda is to introduce Telangana to not only India but also neighboring countries. Foreign Ministry is aware of our plan. We have all valid permits & visas.''

The women bikers would ride 400cc bikes and would be followed by a back-up team with logistics. They would also organise cultural evenings at selected pit stops

OneIndia News
INX Media case: ED issues fresh summons to Karti Chidambaram

India

pti-PTI

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, in connection with the INX Media money laundering case, official sources said.

They said Karti has been asked to depose before the investigating officer (IO) of the case on February 15.

Karti could not be reached for a comment on the development. The central probe agency had earlier summoned Karti on February 2 after which he informed them that he would be unable to depose as he has an interlocutory application pending in the Supreme Court in this case.

He was earlier grilled by the agency in this case on January 18. Talking to reporters, Karti had said that he told the investigators what he had earlier "clearly stated in his petitions in the court" (in the case).

The former Union minister's son was referring to his moving of various courts, including the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court, in response to the ED's action against him.

The central probe agency had registered the case against him and others in May last year. It had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED's equivalent of a police FIR, against the accused named in a CBI complaint, including Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors -- Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.

The ECIR was lodged under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The sources said the ED was probing the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated in this case.

It was the Enforcement Directorate which had provided information about the alleged illegal payments made by INX Media, based on which the CBI had filed its FIR. The CBI had also carried out searches at the houses and offices of Karti Chidambaram across four cities for allegedly receiving money from the media firm owned by the Mukerjeas to scuttle a tax probe.

The Chidambarams, however, have denied all the charges made against them. The CBI had filed the FIR against Karti and the Mukerjeas on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.

The agency has alleged that Karti received money from INX Media for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in a case of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) conditions to receive investment from Mauritius.

The CBI has said that it also seized vouchers of Rs 10 lakh which were allegedly paid for the services. The vouchers were issued in favour of the Advantage Strategic Consulting (P) Limited, a firm "indirectly" owned by Chidambaram's son.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram, after the CBI searches on May 16 last year, had issued a strong statement against the raids, saying the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son.

"The FIPB approval was granted in hundreds of cases," the senior Congress leader had said.

The CBI FIR was made out against Karti, his company Chess Management Services, the Mukerjeas (currently in jail on charges of murder of their daughter Sheena Bora), INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services and its director Padma Vishwanathan.

PTI
J&K: Ceasefire violation by Pakistan continues along LoC in in Rajouri district

India

oi-Madhuri

By Madhuri

A woman was killed after Pakistan allegedly violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Sunday, a police official said.

Troops from across the border allegedly began unprovoked firing around 10.30 am and the Indian Army responded, PTI reported.

Reports said a 65-year-old victim was killed after mortar shells fired by Pakistani troops fell in Mendhar area along the LoC on Saturday night. A Defence spokesperson said the Indian Army was retaliating strongly and effectively to the Pakistani firing and shelling.

Pakistani troops allegedly launched mortar shells along the LoC in Poonch earlier on Sunday, the official said. No casualties were reported in this incident.

Meanwhile, a young girl who was injured during firing in Shopian in January, succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital on Saturday evening.

Since the third week of January, 20 persons, including 10 security personnel and an equal number of civilians, have been killed in Pakistani ceasefire violations along the LoC and the IB in Jammu.

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Story first published: Sunday, February 11, 2018, 15:07 [IST]
Bibi Jagir Kaur strongly condemned the incident at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib

Farmers can dispose off paddy straw using agricultural: DC Ferozepur
Pune: Theatre director Dilip Kolhatkars wife found dead; 19-year-old carer arrested

India

oi-Madhuri

By Madhuri

A 19-year-old person was on Sunday arrested in connection with murder of Deepali Kolhatkar, wife of Marathi drama and film director Dilip Kolhatkar, in Pune. However, the motive of the murder is yet to be ascertained. But police suspect that the arrested youth, Kisan Munde of Osmanabad, killed Deepali in a fit of rage.

Deepali Kolhatkar was found dead by her neighbours in their house on Thursday. Two male caregivers were employed by the Kolhatkars to look after Dilip Kolhatkar, bedridden for the past three years.

The Kolhatkars have a son in the US and a daughter who also resides in Karvenagar. A police investigation is underway.

According to police, the post mortem revealed that she sustained a serious head injury and an FIR related to murder has been lodged at the Alankar police station.

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Story first published: Sunday, February 11, 2018, 10:12 [IST]
Sunjuwan attack: Rules broken as Islamic terrorists target women, children

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The terrorists who carried out the attack on the Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir were dressed in military fatigues. The terrorists of the Afzal Guru squad of the Jaish-e-Mohammad broke every rule in the book and attacked both women and children.

The injured included five women and children. Havaldar Mohammad Ashraf Mir and JCO Madan Lal Choudhary were martyred in the attack. The operations had slowed down due to the presence of women and children. Defence spokesperson, Col N N Joshi said that the operations were being progressed cautiously to minimise casualties.

The terrorists dressed in combat fatigues had taken a strategic position in the housing area of the camp. On Saturday they engaged with the security forces. IGP Jammu Zone SD Singh Jamwal said around 4.50-4.55am, a group of terrorists barged into the camp, just 8 km from the J&K legislative assembly building. He said the exact number of terrorists is not ascertained yet. Sources said five to six terrorists may have entered the camp through an open culvert. On noticing suspicious movement, the guard on duty opened fire, the IGP said.

The families were taken by surprise as they heard gun shots in the wee hours of Saturday. Most of them were sleeping when the terrorists decided to strike. They positioned themselves strategically and took advantage of the fact that there were several families in the complex. For the forces the job was twice as tough as they had to secure the unarmed members in the complex.

OneIndia News
In Oman, PM Modi takes dig at Congress, slams its style of misgovernance

International

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed a crowd of nearly 20,000 Indians who gathered to hear him at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat.

Addressing the Indian diaspora Modi said that with the mantra of "minimum government, maximum governance", his government was working to make the life of citizens easier.

"The country cannot progress in the 21st Century with a style of misgovernance. The long list of scams (in previous regime) had harmed India's image. We have worked hard to bring out the country from that phase of misgovernance," he said.

Modi said his government has scraped 1400-1450 outdated laws, made procedures simple, pays attention to people's problems with sincerity and take action on them as part of efforts to change the culture of governance in new India.

"All of us are working towards a 'new India' where the poorest of the poor can strive to achieve their dream," Modi told a cheering crowd during his hour-long speech.

"The people have already started to feel a change," he said, amid chants of 'Modi Modi'. The Prime Minister said that his government is developing next generation infrastructure in the country keeping in mind the needs of 21st century. "We are working towards making transportation sector co- dependent. Highway, airway, railway and waterway are being integrated together according to each other needs," he said.

Modi said in new India, there are no scams and decisions are no longer avoided. He said challenges are accepted and targets are achieved. "This is the example of a changing work culture in new India," the prime minister said.

"When decisions are made with pure intent and clear policy, the nation saves money. When the existing resources are best utilised, the country saves money," he said, citing examples of how his government has saved one lakh and 40 thousand crore rupees through increased efficiency. "We renegotiated the oil deals (signed by the previous regimes) with Qatar and Australia and now we have to pay Rs 12,000 crores less that what we would have paid," he said.

"With the help of technology, our government used direct benefit transfer scheme and saved over Rs 57,000 crore of money which could have gone into wrong hands," he added. He said in this year's annual budget, his government had introduced insurance for 10 crore poor families which can avail benefit of five lakh rupees annually.

"Even out detractors are not opposing the scheme but asking how will it be possible? I just say India is country which once decides, completes the task," he said. Modi told the members of the Indian community that they are partners in realising the vision of new India.

"The eight lakh Indians in Oman are good-will ambassadors who have contributed to the development of the country. I get a feeling of home in Oman. This is possible only because of the people and the leadership of Oman," he said.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)
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Narendra Modi in UAE: PM lauds demonetisation move, says 'will achieve our dreams ahead of time'

International

oi-Madhuri

By Madhuri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a four-day visit to three West Asian countries, on Sunday witnessed the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the first Hindu temple in the capital of the UAE, home to over three million people of Indian origin.

PM @narendramodi witnessed laying of foundation stone for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple on Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway! The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi being built on a generous gift of land by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi reflects UAE's commitment to tolerance and harmony. pic.twitter.com/3vDOBp3RmG  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 11, 2018

Addressing Indian community at Dubai Opera House, Modi said,''I thank the gulf countries which provided almost 30 Lakh people from India a home like environment, away from home, here. I want to thank His Highness Crown Price on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the grand temple which will be constructed.''

''India's jump in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented. But we are not satisfied with this, we want to improve even more. We will do whatever it takes to achieve it,'' Modi said in while addressing the Indian Community in Dubai Opera House.

''Even the poor in India know that demonetisation was the right move. Even the poor in India know that #demonetisation was the right move. I promise to you that we will achieve all our dreams ahead of time,'' Modi said.

Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), is a socio-spiritual Hindu organisation set up in 1907 that runs more than 1,100 temples and cultural compounds around the world. The temple will incorporate all aspects and features of a traditional Hindu temple as part of a fully functional, social, cultural and spiritual complex.

He will also visit Oman, the second leg of his three-nation tour.

PM @narendramodi pays tributes at Wahat Al Karama, dedicated to UAEs courageous soldiers who sacrificed their lives in service of UAE. pic.twitter.com/O3sQbhUHqB  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 11, 2018

It is the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the Middle East, said a spokesperson from the BAPS. Calling it a historic event, Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri said that the temple will come up on 55,000 square metres of land.

Earlier in the day, Modi visited the Wahat-Al-Karama (Martyrs' Memorial) and paid tribute to the martyred war heroes of the UAE.

On Saturday night, Modi arrived at the Abu Dhabi International Airport. He was welcomed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

This is PM Modi's second visit to the United Arab Emirates in last two years. The Prime Minister will on February 12 depart for New Delhi.

This comes a day after the Prime Minister met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and held wide-ranging talks with him.

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PM Modi arrives in Oman, holds talk with Sultan Qaboos bin Said

International

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Muscat on the last leg of his tour of three West Asian countries during which he would hold talks with the Sultan of Oman and other key leaders.

Modi, who arrived in Muscat from Dubai met Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said.

Modi greets Indian community outside Grand Hyatt hotel in Muscat

#WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Indian community outside Grand Hyatt hotel in Muscat #ModiInOman pic.twitter.com/oxoMy1rvs4  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018

"A ceremonial and traditional welcome for PM @narendramodi on arrival in Muscat, capital of Oman on his first State visit! Warmly received by Deputy PM of Oman. India accords very high importance to relations with Oman, a key strategic partner in the region," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi, who arrived from Dubai met Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said.

Noting that Oman was a close maritime neighbour with whom India enjoys excellent relations, Modi had said ahead of his visit, "I shall also interact with leading businesspersons of Oman on developing stronger economic and business links with India."

India and Oman have thriving links rooted in centuries old people-to-people exchanges, Modi had said.

More than nine million Indians work and live in the Gulf region. In Oman, they constitute the largest expatriate community.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)
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From Truthdig

The agreement for cooperation between North and South Korea on the Olympics provides a pause in the drumbeat of war threats by postponing joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises until after the Winter Games are finished. But the real payoff from the Olympics detente is the possibility that the governments of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korea's Kim Jong Un could reach agreement on modifying joint U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) military exercises in return for a North Korean nuclear and missile testing freeze.

That intra-Korean deal could open a new path to negotiations between the United States and North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs and a final settlement of the Korean War -- if Donald Trump is willing to take such an off-ramp from the crisis. But it's not just Kim Jong Un who has taken the diplomatic initiative to open such a path out of the crisis. Moon Jae-in has been working to advance such a compromise since he was inaugurated as South Korean president last May.

The Moon proposal -- which has never been reported in U.S. news media -- was first floated just 10 days before Moon was to arrive for a June 29 summit meeting with Trump in Washington, D.C. Moon's special adviser on unification, foreign affairs and national security, Moon Chung-in, presented the proposal at a seminar at the Wilson Center in Washington as a reflection of President Moon's thinking.

Moon Chung-in said one of the president's ideas was that South Korea and the U.S. "can discuss reducing the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises if North Korea suspends its nuclear weapons and missile activities." He added that President Moon "was thinking that we could even decrease the American strategic assets that are deployed to the Korean Peninsula [during the exercises]."

Speaking with South Korean correspondents after the seminar, Moon Chung-in said there is "no need to deploy strategic assets such as aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines during the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises." Military planners use the term "strategic assets" to refer to aircraft and ships capable of delivering nuclear weapons, to which North Korea have long objected strenuously.

Moon Chung-in suggested stripping those "strategic assets," which had never been part of the joint exercises before 2015, out of the joint exercises, arguing that their addition had turned out to be a strategic mistake. "Since the U.S. has forward deployed its strategic assets," he said, "North Korea seems to be responding in this way because it thinks that the U.S. will strike if the North shows any weakness."

Moon Chung-in told South Korean reporters later that he was presenting his own ideas, which were not the official policy of the government, but that "it would not be wrong" to say that President Moon agreed with them. And a senior official in Moon's office who insisted on anonymity in talking to reporters did not deny that the idea discussed by Moon Chung-in was under consideration by President Moon, but said the office had told Chung that his statement "would not be helpful for the future relations between South Korea and the United States."

Another figure with ties to the new government, veteran diplomat Shin Bong-Kil, presented essentially the same proposal at a forum in Seoul in late June. Shin, former director of the Inter-Korea Policy Division of the ROK Foreign Ministry for many years and a member of the diplomatic team the Moon administration had sent to explain its policies to the Chinese government, had just returned from a conference in Stockholm in which North Korean foreign ministry officials also participated. Based on what he heard at the conference, Shin argued that offering to eliminate such elements from the joint Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises would provide what he called "huge leverage" to get North Korean acceptance of a nuclear and missile testing freeze.

The same week that Moon Chung-in made the proposal public, President Moon himself argued in an interview with CBS News against the Trump administration's demand for immediate "complete dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program." Moon said, "I believe that first we must vie for a freeze of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs."

He was suggesting the need to substitute the "freeze for freeze" proposal embraced by Beijing, Pyongyang and Moscow, which would require a complete end to joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises for a freeze on North Korean nuclear and missile testing--an option the U.S. military has rejected.

Two American Korea experts already had been developing their own detailed proposal for downsizing the U.S.-ROK exercises. Joel Wit, a former senior adviser to Ambassador Robert Gallucci in the negotiation of the agreed framework -- who now runs the website 38 North, focused on North Korea -- and William McKinney, former chief of the Far East branch in the political-military division of Army headquarters at the Pentagon, argued that the flights of nuclear-capable aircraft and other "strategic assets" weren't necessary for U.S. military objectives.

As McKinney noted in an interview with me, the U.S. flights simulating nuclear attacks on the North using dual capability aircraft "are generally outside the exercise program." The purpose of those flights, McKinney said, "is to be a visible expression of our deterrent capability, and it could be argued that it has already been shown."

Among other changes, McKinney and Wit proposed that the joint U.S.-ROK Ulchi-Freedom Guardian exercise scheduled to begin in August be replaced by a South Korean government exercise that would be observed by senior U.S. officers, and that the Foal Eagle exercise, which involves coordinated naval and air operational exercises, be conducted "over the horizon" -- meaning farther away from the Korean Peninsula.

Moon quietly pressed his case with the Trump administration, requesting that Ulchi Freedom Guardian be carried out without "strategic assets" being included, and although it went almost unnoticed, the U.S. command in South Korea quietly agreed. The South Korean television network SBS reported on Aug. 18 that the United States had canceled the previously planned deployment of two U.S. aircraft carriers, a nuclear submarine and strategic bomber as part of the exercise at Moon's request.

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From No More Fake News



Individual vs group

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"In the middle of all the brain-research going on, from one end of the planet to the other, there is the assumption that the individual doesn't really exist. He's a fiction. There is only the motion of particles in the brain. Therefore, nothing is inviolate, nothing is protected. Make the brain do A, make it do B; it doesn't matter. What matters is harmonizing these tiny particles, in order to build a collective consensus, in order to force a science of behavior." (The Underground, Jon Rappoport)

Individual power. Your power.

It stands as the essence of what the founding documents of the American Republic are all about, once you scratch below the surface a millimeter or so.

Therefore, it stands to reason that colleges and universities would be teaching courses in INDIVIDUAL POWER.

As soon as I write that, though, we all fall down laughing, because we understand the absurdity of such a proposition. Can you imagine Harvard endowing a chair in Individual Power?

Students would tear down the building in which such courses were taught. They've been carefully instructed that the individual is the greatest living threat to the planet.

If you can't see that as mind control, visit your local optometrist and get a 5prescription for glasses.

So we have this astonishing situation: the very basis of freedom has no reflection in the educational system.

You can say "individual" within certain limited contexts. You can say "power," if you're talking about nuclear plants, or if you're accusing someone of a crime, but if you put "individual" and "power" together and attribute a positive quality to the combination, you're way, way outside the consensus. You're crazy. You're committing some kind of treason.

In order to spot the deepest versions of educational brainwashing, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME STANDARD AGAINST WHICH YOU CAN COMPARE WHAT IS COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE INTO THE MINDS OF STUDENTS.

If you lack that standard, you miss most of the action.

If you lack that standard, you have already been worked over by the system.

And in this case, the standard is INDIVIDUAL POWER.

Clean it off, hose off the dirt, polish it, look at it, think about it, remember it.

Then you'll see some Grade-A prime mind control. Everywhere. Because schools either don't mention individual power, or they discredit it.

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Journalist Abby Martin interviewed Palestinian teen activist Ahed Tamimi in late 2016, when Ahed was 15.

Ahed was 16 last December, when she was arrested for slapping a heavily armed soldier only an hour after her cousin was shot in the head, allegedly by that same soldier or his companions. The soldiers had entered her family's property, and according to her father, had just shot tear gas canisters into their home.

A couple of days later, Ahed was swept away by Israeli police in a night raid, and is now in an Israeli prison, where she recently turned 17, awaiting a trial. When her mother arrived to accompany her minor child during questioning, a right accorded to her by international law, she was arrested and remains detained, also. According to Avaaz, the conviction rate of Palestinian child prisoners in Israeli courts is 99%.

While Ahed waits, an Israeli journalist has publicly called for her to be raped in prison. He has received no public repercussions from his peers for his vile message; the sickening silence bespeaks wordless support. Elie Wiesel famously said, "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

According to the Geneva Convention, people in occupied territories have rights. This includes many rights especially for children, and also includes the right of the occupied to defend themselves, especially when terms of the agreement are broken, which seems to be the situation in nearly every case in which Ahed Tamimi has been involved and accused.

Ahed has been accused by Israelis of being an actor because the inner poise she exudes seems "too adult," they accuse her thoughtful words of being "rehearsed." But what does one expect from a youngster who is a product of a second-generation occupation? Neither Ahed nor her parents have known a moment of freedom from occupation. Loved ones and family are r outinely injured, imprisoned, maimed and killed.

When one's childhood is stolen, naturally one grows up faster.

And while it may seem obvious that this is true for the oppressed, it is also true of the oppressor. Teaching one's children to maim, destroy, and kill others, is just as much a theft of childhood.

When the childhoods of successive generations are stolen, how will future generations be able to identify and embrace peace or joy?

And yet, Ahed has managed to retain a good deal of poise and grace under these circumstances, as can be seen in her interview with Abby Martin:
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Beto O'Rourke did an excellent job in explaining his stance on Medicare for All which Progressives should entertain not as dubious but necessarily pragmatic.

"My questions is in regards to health care," the potential constituent said. "What do you specifically mean by universal health care. Do you mean single-payer or do you mean everyone is getting affordable health care through the exchange?"

The potential constituent explained that while she can afford her insurance, the exchanges have crappy insurance that few doctors in her area take. Additionally, she said she takes care of patients who have no problems seeing the doctors, but diagnostic imaging centers won't accept their insurance.

Beto started his answer detailing many of the problems still afflicting our system. But then he said the following.

"I think we need to go, need to get to yes," Beto O'Rourke said. "It has to be universal. "The only way I know to do this -- and I'm not an expert, but I've been listening to the experts -- is through a single-payer system. Okay? If there's a better way to get there, I'm hoping for that as well. And I've been listening to our Republican colleagues and saying, 'if you've got a better way to do it that uses the market, tell me what it is and I'm open to it. Because I just want to get there. I'm not going to allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good. But along that path to getting universal here's the things we can do now. One is to try to stabilize the exchanges."

Beto would later acknowledge in his response that Medicare's overhead is 2% while private insurance overhead is 17+%. In other words, private insurance uses your premiums to unnecessarily pay executives, shareholders, advertising and other capital costs just for the sake of not being 'government.' That is the giveaway of your money, dollars not going into healthcare but someone else's pocket. It makes no fiscal sense.

Beto O'Rourke understands our healthcare. Even as he says he is not an expert, he understands the numbers well. His intent seems to let America settle into a Medicare for All single-payer system instead of going in full force and making it an ideological battle. There is some merit to that tactic. Progressives should not discount candidates who use this narrative as long as they say they will support Medicare for All single-payer if given the option.
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North Korean Cheerleaders

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[ This article was revised and expanded on February 12, 2018 ]

Despite all efforts of the paranoid and unpredictable US regime, the Koreans are making love not war during the 2018 Winter Olympics. The US regime is furious and pulling out all the hate stops to tarnish North Korea, and try and put South Korea back on the US colonial leash. While not exactly an anti-colonial attack dog, South Korea's democratically elected peace-president Moon Jae-in is showing signs that he is not an America poodle either.

Every four years the US regime uses the Olympics as a political weapons to rain chaos and hate. Historically the Olympics are for bringing the world's best athletes together in celebration of world unity, human dignity, fraternity among all nations and the possibilities that exist when nations come together in peace.

Happiness, unity and peace are a threat to the paranoid US regime, which is dedicated to war, death, and chaos. Like a drone hurling bombs at wedding parties and funerals, the unpredictable US regime tries to sabotage anything good and decent that might come from the Olympics. Such a large gathering of world leaders, athletes and the people sets off the military-industrial-complex's algorithm of a high profile target in need of a signature strike.



North Korean Cheerleaders

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As Obama said , "I have two words for you, Predator Drone; you won't even see it coming". It worked for Obama during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. From the time of the announcement in July of 2007, for almost eight years until 2014, Russia was preparing for the celebration of its emergence like a phoenix from the ashes of chaos sown by US infiltrators of neoliberalism, looting of the state's enterprises, and imposing killer-austerity on Russian citizens during the decade of the 1990's.

The US economic advisors to Russia's drunken president Boris Yeltsin led Russia down a yellow brick road they said would lead to a golden transformation from communism to Western style capitalism. When the neoliberal transformation turned into a train wreck the US Nobel Prize winning economists from the Chicago School of Economics said it was just a temporary hard landing. The Russians had had enough of US-style voodoo economics and elected Vladimir Putin as their leader. Putin told the Chicago Boyz thank you very much, showed the esteemed economic shamans to the exit door and kicked them out. The US would never forgive Putin and they would go on to do everything they could to shun, vilify and regime-change him.

During the years while Vladimir Putin was engineering a recovery of Russia's economy, the US regime was spending $5 billion plotting a coup d'etat in Ukraine. The putsch was timed for when Russia would be distracted with joy and celebrating the Sochi Olympics. To prepare the US public for a resumption of a US-led Cold War the international cartel of Western propaganda organs, led by the New York Times and the Guardian, began laying the groundwork of anti-Russian propaganda. The propagandists led a vilification project that Vladimir Putin is a thug, homophobic, kills journalists, invaded Georgia, and is an evil dictator. Later they would accuse him of invading Ukraine. Anti-Russian propaganda is designed to turn the truth upside down.

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From Libertarian Institute

Of course Donald Trump wants a military parade. I'd be surprised if he didn't. It's just what an insecure narcissist would want. A parade would be the national equivalent of his strutting around like a peacock, dying to turn heads. Even a politician can see that: "I think confidence is silent and insecurity is loud," Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy said. "America is the most powerful country in all of human history; you don't need to show it off."

But harbor no doubts: Trump's parade will be the biggest, best, and most-watched military parade in history -- guaranteed. And I don't mean just American history.

Let's not forget that Trump declared himself the most "militaristic" candidate in the large Republican primary field. That was no small boast, considering that field included Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. Trump couldn't express his awe of the military, the marvelously murderous weaponry, and the valiant veterans often or heartily enough. Nothing animated him more.

Trump may have teased the voters with intimations of military retrenchment and nonintervention (like his two predecessors), but some of us knew he was not to be taken seriously. It was a pose, pure and simple. His opponents were parroting the establishment war-party line (with the occasional exception from Rand Paul), so Trump had to break from the pack. Every president had been an idiot, he said, getting us into all those stupid wars (each of which he favored before the fact) and spending all that money, which could have been spent here in America. He didn't mean it. He's a bullshitter -- is there anyone left who does not know that?

You want evidence? Look at his first year in office. He's hiked (with Congress's enthusiastic help) the military -- not "defense" -- budget by an amount that exceeds Russia's entire military budget: $81 billion versus $70 billion. He's blurred the line between civilian and military by putting generals in key civilian positions. He's shown an eerie fondness for tactical as well as strategic nuclear weapons. He has put troops -- under NATO's banner! -- on Russia's border. (Some Putin puppet he turned out to be.) He's arming the government of Ukraine. His formal national-security strategy targets Russia and China. He has provoked Iran and North Korea. He's doubled down everywhere his two immediate predecessors became embroiled militarily, including Syria, where his imperial stormtroopers are not welcome by the government of Syria. ISIS may be kaput, but Trump's people say we'll be hanging around to get rid of President Assad. So much for Trump's repeated condemnation of regime change and his paeans to national sovereignty before the UN. They mean bupkis. What a con man he is. How did any libertarian fall for the guy?

So about that parade: I don't know how the public will receive it. Of course the Trumpsters will love it, but so might many others who have zero stomach for the abominable one. The safest thing to do in America today is to express reverence for the military and thank the troops for their "service." But what they do is no service to regular people -- it's downright dangerous actually -- though it's important service to the custodians of the empire, Trump included. Oddly, demanding the troops be taken out of harm's way is more often than not branded unsupportive and even disloyal.

At any rate, the sight of costumed -- forgive me -- uniformed men and women in serried ranks, accompanied by missiles, tanks, and artillery, proceeding down Pennsylvania Avenue would likely send chills down the spine of many an American.

But perhaps things are not as bleak as I suspected. Politico reports that "members of Congress from both parties joined retired military leaders and veterans in heaping scorn Wednesday on President Donald Trump's push to parade soldiers and weaponry down the streets of the nation's capital -- calling it a waste of money that would break with democratic traditions."

Politico also quoted Paul Rieckhoff, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, which the publication calls "the largest group of post-Sept. 11 veterans," saying: "This is definitely not a popular idea [with his members]. It's overwhelmingly unpopular. Folks from all political backgrounds don't think it is a good use of resources." Rieckhoff expressed concern with "anything that politicizes the military."

Will that deter Trump, the self-proclaimed champion (but cynical user) of veterans? Not bloody likely. Politico adds, "[Defense Secretary James] Mattis told a White House news briefing that preparations for a celebration are underway."

Here's the thing: a military parade that's not even linked to the end of a war strikes me as deeply un-American. I say this despite my revisionist view of American history, for as the classical-liberal historian Arthur A. Ekirch Jr. wrote in The Civilian and the Military: A History of the American Antimilitarist Tradition (1956), "The tradition of antimilitarism has been an important factor in the shaping of some two hundred years of American history. This tradition, with its emphasis upon civilian against military authority, is accepted as an essential element of American freedom and democracy. Though involved in numerous wars, the United States has avoided becoming a militaristic nation [remember, this was written in 1956.], and the American people, though hardly pacifists, have been staunch opponents of militarism." Ekirch is supported by the fact that the last three presidential winners called for a more "humble" (to use George W. Bush's word) foreign policy, although they did not deliver.

After the Revolution the standing army was an object of popular suspicion, and it engendered opposition in Confederation Congress. When the Society of Cincinnati was organized to honor the revolution's officers, the opposition was swift and widespread. "Almost at once," Ekirch wrote, "the Society was criticized as an attempt to establish the former Revolutionary officers as a hereditary aristocracy, and the volume of protest soon reached impressive proportions." Some Americans feared its members were planning a coup, and the immensely popular George Washington had to distance himself from the Society.

Unfortunately, the Constitution of 1789 did not forbid a standing army, and one was assembled. (Reluctance to be in the militia led some men to support a professional army.) "Three members of the Convention who refused to sign the final draft of the Constitution, Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry, gave as one of their reasons its failure to set any limitation on a standing army." The lack of more specific limitations, such as might be included in a bill of rights, plus the failure to prohibit a standing army in time of peace, were viewed as the two chief defects of the Constitution from the antimilitarist point of view," Ekirch wrote.

James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, authors of The Federalist Papers, sought to allay fears that the Constitution would empower a menacing military establishment, Ekirch noted. But "after the Constitution was adopted, its staunchest supporters readily forgot the interpretation of the document that they had offered in the heat of the struggle for ratification. While the proponents of a strong centralized government lost no time in presenting to Congress their plans for a regular military establishment, the anti-Federalist opponents of the Constitution united to prevent the creation of a standing army." The militarists did not get everything they wanted, but they got enough, and things grew from there with only occasional setbacks.

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Here is another example of how the Trump Effect likely overcame an otherwise seemingly intelligent person. It is clear this woman knew she was on camera. So why do you think it did not matter to her?

The Trump Effect continues. The Donald has made so much acceptable that many people are losing their ability to control their worst inhibitions.

The Miami Herald reported the following.

A WSVN-Channel 7 producer has been suspended pending the station's investigation into an ugly video of an argument with a neighbor in which she spewed out the n-word. Robin Cross, 49, a 25-year news veteran who has worked at CBS 4 and NBC 6 in Miami and CBS 12 in West Palm Beach, as well as WIOD-610 AM radio, has been told to stay home and write a statement explaining her side of her story. ... The video of the confrontation filmed by Fenton is crystal-clear: The argument turned particularly nasty, with Cross showering him with four -letter bombs. "You don't f--king own the road," Cross is heard telling Fenton after he told her she is blocking his driveway. Cross then launches into a tirade about how street parking is illegal anyway, but the 66-year-old Fenton also parks there when the space is open. At the end of the 50-second video, Cross can be heard saying: "Yes, I used the word f--king if you haven't heard it before. Except for your f--king son who's dating a f--king n----r. "Finally, I said it out loud," Cross says as she walks away.

This occurrence is a classic example that indicates why newsrooms and the media must be fully integrated. Many producers at many stations who select stories and the angle stories take are likely governed by their prejudices. Is there any wonder most Americans believe minorities are more likely to commit crimes. If police target minorities more the FBI stats will be skewed. Because of bias, Americans have the impression that people of color are more dangerous than the population at large.

(h/t RawStory)
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From Counterpunch

Up against four decades of mega-corporate erosion of wrongfully injured Americans' access to our courts, trial lawyers are wondering what use is left of the Seventh Amendment, our constitutional right to trial by jury?

Indentured lawmakers pass laws blocking or obstructing harmed individuals who are simply seeking fair compensation for their medical expenses, wage loss and suffering as a result of actions committed by their wrongdoers. Corporations, with their fine print consumer contracts, are eluding justice for some serious crimes by employing compulsory arbitration clauses, which preemptively force victims into closed, private arbitration (in lieu of trial by jury) and block the wrongfully injured from getting their day in open court.

It's unavoidable. Chances are you sign such clauses regularly without ever knowing it. Everywhere, lawsuits, jury trials and verdicts are diminishing in the midst of population growth and ever more invasive technologies, drugs, chemicals, and many other products -- all with the very real potential to suffer from dangerous defects, and all bearing built-in immunities for the guilty parties, should these defects come to light. Indeed, the vast majority of fatalities and serious injuries from preventable causes in the health care industry, factories, mines, drillers and hurtful products never even see an attorney.

Still the corporate lobbies, led by the insurance industry, keep pressing to block the courtroom door and avoid accepting responsibility for their injurious deeds.

They built this system of justice, but collectively, they have not been up to defending and preserving it from the mounting counterattacks.

The trial lawyers cannot match their adversaries in political contributions. However, there is one simple thing they could do. Should they deign to return the calls of consumer, environmental and labor groups wishing to forge alliances at the grass roots, such a union of minds could turn the tide for the trial lawyers who have long been on the defensive. Bear in mind, the law of wrongful injury (tort law) defends all the people regardless of political persuasion, race, gender or economic background. An unbeatable coalition could be assembled.

For over fifty years, I've been fighting, as a volunteer, for more appropriate utilization of our civil justice system to further its goals of compensation for the wrongfully injured, public disclosure of hazards, consequences for crimes against innocent victims and the environment, and deterrence against culpable actors. This effort is part and parcel of consumer, environmental and worker safety movements. In fact, the dangers that prompted safety legislation and regulations were often first disclosed by personal injury lawsuits.

Yet, with luminous exceptions, most major plaintiff law firms are not responding to the mobilization of these constituencies. They tend to their selected clients as attorneys but do not flex their muscles and resources as proactive lawyers by addressing the overall crisis that is the slow-motion destruction of civil justice.

Their adversaries have established so-called "lawsuit abuse" groups in numerous states and activated their dealers, agents and professional societies to keep the siege on our Seventh Amendment rights proliferating with wildly inaccurate assertions and hyperbolic anecdotes.

Inexplicably, these successful law firms will not protect the dwindling forest for the few trees they are nurturing. You call them for collaborative projects and their secretaries keep saying they are "in deposition" or are "on conference calls" that seem to occur perpetually.

I suspect that they are just not interested enough, no matter their enormous wealth from contingent fees in such areas as the great tobacco, asbestos, drug, oil spill or motor vehicle class actions. They have not built collateral civic institutions to begin to match their opponents even though these civic groups would be speaking for tens of millions of families.

In an open letter to plaintiff attorneys circulated in 2012, I described how the great law of torts is under assault and demands a multidimensional mobilization of the public. It was overwhelmingly ignored.

On September 29, 2016, we organized the first ever national celebration of this pillar of private justice at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Some of the region's leading trial lawyers promised to bring people out and help with the expenses. They struck out.

There was a time 25 to 50 years ago when trial lawyers recognized the necessity of community education. They offered seminars in property, consumer, personal injury, civil rights and contract law in a program called The People's Law School. Others joined with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health to share little known product and environmental hazards discovered in their litigation which they hoped would foster broader protections. They started, at my suggestion, a marvelous non-profit litigation group called Public Justice in 1982 that brings fundamental court cases unlikely to be brought by commercial attorneys.

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From Palestine Chronicle



Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu meets with Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras in June 2017.

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For a brief historical moment, Alexis Tsipras and his political party, Syriza, ignited hope that Greece could resurrect a long-dormant Leftist tide in Europe.

A new Greece was being born out of the pangs of pain of economic austerity, imposed by the European Union and its overpowering economic institutions -- a troika so ruthless, it cared little while the Greek economy collapsed and millions of people experienced the bitterness of poverty, unemployment and despair.

The Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza) came to power in January 2015 as a direct outcome of popular discontent with the EU. It was a time where ordinary people took a stance to fend for whatever semblance of sovereignty that was not wrestled away from them by politicians, bankers and powerful bureaucratic institutions.

The result, however, was quite disappointing. Tsipras, now a Prime Minister, transformed his political discourse, and gradually adopted one that that is more consistent with the very neoliberal policies that pushed his country to its knees in the first place.

Syriza sold out, not only politically and ideologically, but in an actual physical sense as well.

In exchange for bailout loans that Greece received from European banks within the period 2010 to 2015 (estimated at $262 billion), the country is being dismembered. Greece's regional airports are now operated by German companies and the country's main telecommunication firm has been privatized, with sizable shares of it owned by Deutsche Telekom.

"The only thing missing outside the office of Greece's privatization agency is a sign that reads: A Nation for Sale," wrote Greek political economist, C. J. Polychroniou.

Unsurprisingly, economic subservience is often a prelude to political bondage as well. Not only did Syriza betray the aspirations of the Greek people who voted against austerity and bailouts, it also betrayed the country's long legacy of maintaining amicable relationships with its neighbors.

Since his arrival at the helm of Greek politics, Tsipras has moved his country further into the Israeli camp, forging unwise regional alliances aimed at exploiting new gas finds in the Mediterranean and participating in multiple Israeli-led military drills.

While Israel sees an opportunity to advance its political agenda in Greece's economic woes, the Greek government is playing along without fully assessing the possible repercussions of engaging with a country that is regionally viewed as a pariah, while internationally becoming condemned for its military occupation and terrible human rights record.

Israel moved to pull Athens into its own camp in 2010, shortly after the Turkish-Israeli spat over the "Mavi Marmara" attack ensued. Israeli commandos attacked the Turkish Gaza-bound boat, killing nine Turkish nationals and injuring many more.

Although Turkey and Israel have, since then, reached a diplomatic understanding, Tel Aviv has moved forward to create alternative allies among Balkan countries, exploiting historical conflicts between some of these countries and Turkey.

Bilateral agreements were signed, high diplomatic visits exchanged and military exercises conducted in the name of deterring "international Jihad" and fighting terrorism.

Greece and Cyprus received greater Israeli attention since they, on the one hand, were seen as political counterweight to Turkey and, on the other, because of the great economic potential that they offered.

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"We need a more Open digital world -- that's good for business, the economy and the future of humanity. To get there is going to take "bottom-up" effort and Rob Kall's book is an exciting roadmap for how that can happen."



Rufus Pollock, author of "The Open Revolution", Founder of Open Knowledge, and formerly Mead Fellow in Economics at the University of Cambridge
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By Dartagnan

The past few weeks have seen some Democrats at certain levels within the Party urging a more conciliatory tone towards Trump and his extremist "policies," with an eye towards the midterm elections in November. From Chuck Schumer's strategic retreat on the budget (which I happen to agree with) to editorials by the likes of Frank Bruni of The New York Times, who partnered with longtime -- many would say "so-called" -- Democratic adviser Joe Trippi to pen this expression of heartfelt "concern," the Democratic establishment has begun to introduce cracks within the Resistance against this monstrous Thing that afflicts us from the Oval Office:

"In the highest circles of Democratic party politics, resistance is waning. 'This is normal enough,' many key Democrats seem to be saying. When Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in advance of Trump's State of the Union several weeks ago, he focused on finding ways to 'work with' the president, such as infrastructure. "Bipartisan rhetoric is nothing new from politicians, but Democrats appear to be slipping towards making substantive policy concessions to Trump. Particularly in the Senate, Democrats have, bit by bit, begun acceding to Trumpian demands. *** "As it stands, Democrats in both houses appear to be on the brink of dropping demands to protect the 'Dreamers,' undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children (protections that are supported by 74 percent of Americans). 'He's not asking for the kind of money that would build a wall sea to shining sea,' reasoned Missouri's Claire McCaskill. 'He's asking for the kind of money that can say he built a wall.'"

The root of the Resistance is the sense of outrage we all feel, and that outrage, for most of us, is manifested in a continual, simmering anger. That anger, in turn, fuels our resolve.

Will Stancil, writing for the Atlantic, recognizes that preserving one's fury day in and day out at what a minority of the electorate inflicted on us last November is exhausting. We all are subject to outrage fatigue -- it would be strange if we weren't. The human mind isn't used to constantly responding to outrage, nor are we in this country at all accustomed to putting up with the steady, unending stream of obscene and malevolent policies this Administration and its Republican enablers have adopted.

We aren't used to loathing the nearly half of Americans who bothered to vote at all who opted, out of blithe ignorance, spite and selfishness, to vote for burning down every decent thing the country stood for during our lifetimes. That's something new, and the mind naturally adjusts to cope with it. When people say they are feeling "numb" by all of Trump's perfidious behavior what they're experiencing is actually a kind of acclimation to a gross, continuing insult to our minds and bodies.

But if we do not preserve our anger, if we regard our rage as anything less than a precious stone to be guarded at all costs, we risk falling into the same trap that citizens of autocracies and totalitarian societies have fallen into for ages -- that of normalizing and accommodating the tyrant by acquiescing, however slowly, through our words and actions, to the notion that he is somehow legitimate. As Stancil writes, this is an all-too familiar phenomenon:

"Institutions abhor abnormality; even in politics, parties would often rather fight along familiar lines. The passage of time makes Trump's America seem less strange. Politicos are wary of challenging a president presiding over a thriving economy. And on some level, Trump benefits from the basic dynamic that sustains any cult: His version of reality is so absurd that the only way to peacefully coexist with it is to accept his behavior as normal."

But the Criminal occupying the Oval Office is not normal. Someone who hides behind didactic Tweets because he can't face a real press conference is not normal.

The Criminal in the Oval Office never did an hour of public service in his life and is wholly, completely and totally unfit for the office. Everything he has done up to this point demonstrates a malignant hatred for and intent to destroy the foundations and institutions upon this country was built. He is in a very literal sense a form of cancer on the Republic.

Stancil believes that the extraordinary successes of a unified, determined, Resistance -- such as blocking the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act, thwarting many of Trump's initiatives in the Courts, and our recent string of electoral victories in deeply red parts of the country, carry with them the risk of breeding complacency. Particularly in light of premature prognostications of Democratic success in the Midterm elections, an atmosphere of self-satisfaction seems to be on the rise among many in the media and the Democratic establishment.

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From Gush Shalom

WHAT THE HELL am I?

An Israeli? A Jew? A peace activist? A Journalist? An author? An ex-combat soldier in the Israeli army? An ex-terrorist? A"?

All of these and more.

OK. OK. But in what order? Which is the most important component?

First of all, of course, I am a human being, with all the rights and duties of a human being. That part is easy. At least in theory.

Then I am an Israeli. Then I am a Jew. And so on.

AN AUSTRALIAN man of English extraction would have no trouble answering such a question. He is first and foremost an Australian, and then an Anglo-Saxon. In two world wars he rushed to the aid of Britain, for no practical reason. But in the second war, when his own homeland was suddenly in danger, he rushed back home.

That was quite natural. True, Australia was created mainly by British people (including deported convicts), but the Australian's mental world was formed by the geographical, political and physical environment of Australia. In the course of time, even his (and her) physical appearance changed.

ONCE I had a discussion about this with Ariel Sharon.

I told him that I consider myself an Israeli first, and a Jew only second.

Sharon, who was born in pre-Israel Palestine, retorted heatedly: "I am first of all a Jew, and only then an Israeli!"

This seems an idle discussion. But it has a very practical relevance for our daily life.

For example, is this a "Jewish" state, how can it exist without the dominance of the Jewish religion?

Israel was founded by very secular idealists. Most of them looked upon religion as a relic of the past, a handful of ridiculous superstitions that must be discarded in order to clear the way for a healthy, modern nationalism.

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High Viscosity Tissue Adhesives Market- Technological Advancements Enhancing the Growth 2017 - 2025

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Closure of the incision location after surgery or tissue / skin injury in emergency or trauma is a critical step in order to avoid blood loss and for tissue rejuvenation. This is achieved by many techniques like suturing, adhesive tapes, adhesive staples and tissue adhesives (chemicals).Tissue adhesives were introduced in 1980s for the closure of the incisions and injury or trauma sites. High viscosity tissue adhesives are widely used during surgeries also to stop the bleeding, which is not possible by techniques like suturing, electrocoagulation, etc. Among tissue adhesives available today, high viscosity tissue adhesives are used mainly for closure of wounds, injuries or traumas and post-operative incisions.Request to View Sample of Research Report @High viscosity tissue adhesives have their own advantages such as ease of application, less time consumption, less risk of dehiscence, reduced infection, no scars, etc. The high viscosity tissue adhesives are different compounds / combinations of Cyanoacrylate. There are three major cyanoacrylate compounds available in market for high viscosity tissue adhesives viz.2-Octyl Cyanoacrylate (2-OCA), n-2-Butyl Cyanoacrylate (n-2BCA) and 2-Ethyl Cyanoacrylate. All these variants differ in their characteristics like polymerization at specific temperature, strength, etc. 2-OCA and n-2BCA are commercially marketed by major suppliers, and mixture of the two is also marketed by several companies. Gelatin based gels of human fibrin were also in consideration for the surgical application in high viscosity tissue adhesives but are not available commercially.Increasing number of surgeries, healthcare network are expected to drive the growth of high viscosity tissue adhesives, also new features such as less time taken for adhesion, ease of use and low risk of infection will capture the market share of high viscosity tissue adhesives from alternative tissue adhesion techniques available.The high viscosity tissue adhesives are mostly topical, which are used in closure of the cuts in skin due to trauma or injury, and closure of incisions made during surgeries, etc. The high viscosity tissue adhesives could be applied by physician or nursing staff also as a primary aid to stop the bleeding or for closure, till the patient is taken to the hospital for further treatments.However, uncertain of dehiscence leading to recheck the cut intermittently, short shelf life, limitation in using only for dry and clean wounds may restrain the expansion for high viscosity tissue adhesives market in near future.Based on end user, surgeons are the major customers for high viscosity tissue adhesives products and their contribution will grow due to the rise in the availability of medical facilities, demands for better closure to avoid post-surgery scars, etc.Moreover, with increase in the network of physicians, clinics and their easy access will rise the demand for high viscosity tissue adhesives products as a preferred cut or wound closure technique than sutures and adhesive tapes. However, the increasingly inclined towards minimally invasive surgeries may act as a limitation or restraint for high viscosity tissue adhesives market over the forecast period.On the basis of geography, global high viscosity tissue adhesives market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and MEA. North America leads the high viscosity tissue adhesives market owing to rising number of surgeries, demand for low risk of infection, and scar less closure. With the growing population, increasing disposable income and rising healthcare awareness Asia Pacific countries like India, China are the next promising markets for high viscosity tissue adhesives.Request Report for TOC @Some of the major players in global high viscosity tissue adhesives market are Pfizer Inc., Johnson and Johnson, Cohera Medical Inc., B. Braun Corporation, Chemence Medical Inc., Reevax Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., Cardinal Health, Cryolife Inc., Meyer-Haake GmbH, Vygon (UK) Ltd. among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Complex Injectable Market: An Overview, Trends, Market Analysis, Growth, Opportunities with Top Key Players

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Complex injectable are designed to infuse drug through a hollow needle and a syringe which is penetrated through the skin into the body. Complex injectable market is gaining traction in the injectable therapies/infusion treatment owing to increase in use in life-threatening and chronic diseases treatments.The manufacturing of the complex injectable products is extremely complex and requires major investment. Since the injectables are highly toxic and infectious in nature, therefore a great level observation of quality and care is required during their manufacturing, packaging, distribution and storage.Request to Sample of Report @From the last few years it is observed that many pharmaceutical companies are adopting mergers and acquisition as strategy to penetrated into global complex injectable market. The increase attention in biologics and targeted treatments has led to an increase in the necessity for injectable drugs, specifically in the area of cancer.In many countries, injectable forms are very common and are widely used in health services for minor symptoms. There are different types of injections designed to inject complex injectable into the body and some of them are intradermal injections, intramuscular injections and subcutaneous injections. The biological drugs have a larger part of the complex injectable market.The global complex injectable market is witnessing supply shortages. The competition in complex injectable market is relatively less because injectable products are complex in nature and require high capital investment for plant establishment. Growth in the complex injectable market are mainly driven by the generic injectables. Across the globe, researchers have found that North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific are the major players which are operating in the global complex injectable market.Market for complex injectable is primarily driven by the rising incidence of chronic diseases, increase in the demand for self-injection devices, technological advancements challenges, stability of the product when combined with other products, growth of biologics market, preference of other modes of drug delivery. Increase number of needle-stick infections is the restraint for the injectable market.The global market for complex injectable is segmented on basis of application, route of administration, molecule type, distribution channel, formulation packaging, usage pattern, site of administration, end user and geography.Based on formulation packaging, the complex injectable market is segmented into the ampules, vials, bottles and cartridges. Amongst them ampules are expected to dominate the market due to its good barrier properties. Factors like ease of transportation and low cost of manufacturing are driving the growth in this segment. On the basis of geography, complex injectable market is segmented into five key regions viz.North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. According to the report published by CDC, North America is expected to dominate the market due to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. Asia is projected to be the fastest-growing region in the complex injectable market due to the rising incidence of chronic diseases and the growing aging population.Request Report for TOC @Some of the key players in complex injectable market are Eli Lilly And Company, Pfizer Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Hospira, Hikma Pharmaceutical Company, Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk, Abbvie.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Molecular Imaging Agents Market to Perceive an Aggrandizing Growth by 2025

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Molecular imaging is a new biomedical research discipline which enables the quantification, visualization, and characterization of biologic processes taking place at the cellular and subcellular levels. Molecular imaging plays a very important role in diagnosis of early assessment, risk stratification, and follow-up of patients with neurological diseases.Molecular imaging offers unique visions that helps in the evaluation and management of cardiovascular disease conditions like heart failure, ischemic injury and left ventricular remodeling, thrombosis and angiogenesis. Molecular imaging is a field which relies on the availability of relevant biomarkers and the improvements in detection technologies.Request Sample Report@The main application of molecular imaging is the analysis of biologic processes of a living subject cell in order to identify their molecular abnormalities that form the origin of disease.Imaging agents are the substances designed to improve the imaging output of specific organs, physiological functions, tissues and diseases. Molecular imaging agents are small molecules, peptides, engineered proteins, aptamers and nanoparticles. The main purpose of a molecular imaging agent is to cross-examine and report back about a specific target of interest during the course of a molecular imaging study.Typically a molecular imaging agent comprises of a targeting component and a signaling component. A molecular imaging agent is designed to specifically interact with one or more molecular targets, which need to be first introduced to study biochemical processes. Imaging agents also have a long list of alternative names including probes, imaging probes, agents, molecular spies, molecular beacons, molecular detectives, radiopharmaceuticals, radiolabeled probes, and tracers.A molecular imaging agent should have the following characteristics: high selectivity for biochemical target, good in vivo stability, cost and time effective synthesis, good ratio of specific to non-specific binding, signal amplification, good safety profile and multiplexing capabilities.The global molecular imaging agents market is driven by the increased functionality of products. Increasing aging population suffering from end stage disease and rising prevalence of cancer disorders are expected to drive the demand for molecular imaging.The need for digitization, expensive investment and novel contrast agents are also driving the molecular imaging agents market. The global molecular imaging agents market is likely to be restrained by the market consolidation. Rapid pace of innovation restricts spending and lack of awareness are some restrains to global molecular imaging agents market.Based on types, the global molecular imaging agents market is segmented into small molecules, peptides, engineered protein fragments, aptamers, nanoparticles and others. Amongst all, peptides have emerged as a very important type of molecular imaging agents. Based on application, the global molecular imaging agents market is segmented into oncology, cardiology, gastrointestinal disorders and neurology disoeder.Similarly, based on end user, the market is segmented into, hospitals and clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, diagnostic & imaging centers, and others. Diagnostic & imaging centers are expected to hold maximum share in the market due to the ease of availability of medication.In terms of region, the global molecular imaging agents market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the leading region of molecular imaging agents market owing to increasing awareness for molecular imaging in disease diagnosis and monitoring.Europe and Asia region are also growing at rapid pace for molecular imaging agents owing to increase in research and development (clinical trials) activities across biopharmaceutical drugs.Request Report for TOC @Some of the key players present in global molecular imaging agents market are General Electric Company, Bracco Diagnostic Inc., Eisai Pharmaceuticals India Pvt. Ltd., Guerbet Company, and others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
New Season Global Denim Jeans Sales Market 2017 by Qyresearchreports

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This report studies sales (consumption) of Denim Jeans in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringLevi StraussVF CorporationPVHGap Inc.UniqloEdwinAEOKIPONEH & MKIPONEParasucoDiesel7 For All MankindDownload Free exclusive Sample of this report:Various aspects of the global Denim Jeans industry such as the value chain and major policies, influencing the Denim Jeans market across the world have been explained in details in this market study. Further, it also talks about the products available in the Denim Jeans market with reference to their production volume, pricing structure, the dynamics of demand and supply, and the contribution in the global market for Denim Jeans in terms of revenue.Several analytical tools such as feasibility, investment return, and market attractiveness analysis have been utilized to provide a complete picture of the developments of the global market for Denim Jeans, determining important market strategies, which are likely to pay off in the long run.In conclusion, the market report analyzes the company profiles major players operating in the global Denim Jeans market in order to produce the competitive landscape prevalent in the worldwide market for Denim Jeans.Table of ContentsGlobal Denim Jeans Sales Market Report 20171 Denim Jeans Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Denim Jeans1.2 Classification of Denim Jeans1.2.1 Essential Function1.2.2 Aesthetic Embellishment1.2.3 Image Projection1.3 Application of Denim Jeans1.3.1 Women1.3.2 Men1.3.3 ChildrenComplete table of content is available at:2 Global Denim Jeans Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Denim Jeans Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Denim Jeans Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Denim Jeans Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Denim Jeans (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Denim Jeans Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global Denim Jeans Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global Denim Jeans (Volume and Value) by Regions2.3.1 Global Denim Jeans Sales and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017)2.3.2 Global Denim Jeans Revenue and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017)2.4 Global Denim Jeans (Volume) by Application3 United States Denim Jeans (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Denim Jeans Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States Denim Jeans Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States Denim Jeans Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States Denim Jeans Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 United States Denim Jeans Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers3.3 United States Denim Jeans Sales and Market Share by Type3.4 United States Denim Jeans Sales and Market Share by Application4 China Denim Jeans (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China Denim Jeans Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 China Denim Jeans Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 China Denim Jeans Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.3 China Denim Jeans Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 China Denim Jeans Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers4.3 China Denim Jeans Sales and Market Share by Type4.4 China Denim Jeans Sales and Market Share by ApplicationTo Get Discount Of This Report Click here @QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
New Report on Wind Power Coating Market Current Trends, Size, Challenges 2022

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Wind Power Coating Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Wind Power Coating in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversHempelPPGAkzoNobelBASFJotunMankiewiczDupontBergolinDuromar3MTeknos GroupAeolus CoatingsMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversDownload Free exclusive Sample of this report:North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Wind Power Coating Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Polymer Coating1.2.2 Ceramic Coating1.2.3 Metal Coatings1.3 Market Analysis by Applications" 1.3.1 Offshore(Including Offshore Blades, Offshore Tower, Offshore Interior)"" 1.3.2 Onshore(Including Onshore Blades, Onshore Tower, Onshore Interior)"Complete table of content is available at:2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Hempel2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Wind Power Coating Type and Applications2.1.3 Hempel Wind Power Coating Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 PPG2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Wind Power Coating Type and Applications2.2.3 PPG Wind Power Coating Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 AkzoNobel2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Wind Power Coating Type and Applications2.3.3 AkzoNobel Wind Power Coating Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)3 Global Wind Power Coating Market Competition, by Manufacturer3.1 Global Wind Power Coating Sales and Market Share by Manufacturer3.2 Global Wind Power Coating Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer3.3 Market Concentration Rate3.3.1 Top 3 Wind Power Coating Manufacturer Market Share3.3.2 Top 6 Wind Power Coating Manufacturer Market Share3.4 Market Competition Trend4 Global Wind Power Coating Market Analysis by Regions4.1 Global Wind Power Coating Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Regions4.1.1 Global Wind Power Coating Sales by Regions (2012-2017)4.1.2 Global Wind Power Coating Revenue by Regions (2012-2017)4.2 North America Wind Power Coating Sales and Growth (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Wind Power Coating Sales and Growth (2012-2017)4.4 Asia-Pacific Wind Power Coating Sales and Growth (2012-2017)4.5 South America Wind Power Coating Sales and Growth (2012-2017)4.6 Middle East and Africa Wind Power Coating Sales and Growth (2012-2017)To Get Discount Of This Report Click here @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Wind Power Coating PictureTable Product Specifications of Wind Power CoatingFigure Global Sales Market Share of Wind Power Coating by Types in 2016Table Wind Power Coating Types for Major ManufacturersFigure Polymer Coating PictureFigure Ceramic Coating PictureFigure Metal Coatings PictureTable Wind Power Coating Sales Market Share by Applications in 2016QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Automotive Parking Sensor Market Forecast By 2025

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Automotive Parking sensor is proximity sensor that is integrated with driver assistance system and acknowledge the driver with required information on the proximity of the automobile to an object. Automotive Parking Sensor also provide safety to an automobile and information to the driver on the availability within the designated area.Automotive Parking Sensor gives better driving experience and enhance the rear view of the driver. There are basically two types of parking sensors ultrasonic and electromagnetic. In ultrasonic sensor using the ultrasonic wave and an electronic control unit to detect the obstacle in the back and rear side of the vehicle while electromagnetic sensor utilize magnetic waves to detect obstructions.Request to Sample of Report @Automotive Parking Sensor Market is projected to boost the growth due to increase in demand for drive assistance sensors and aftermarket sales of parking Sensors of automobiles. The increasing impact of new car assessment program (NCAP) is one of the main factor that accelerate the growth of global automotive Parking Sensor market in the future.Rising demand of passenger cars incorporated with increasing awareness of the people toward safety, in turn, boost the sales and demand of automotive Parking Sensor. This factor will fuel the growth of automotive Parking Sensor market. Increasing demand of driver assistance systems as well as demand of advanced technologies in the automobiles are some other factors that lifted the automotive Parking Sensor market. Moreover, some insurance company offer insurance premium discount for vehicles equipped with advanced technologies.Request Report for TOC @This factor is anticipated for the growth of the automotive parking sensor market. Government of several countries across the globe started implementing stringent safety regulations regarding automobiles that mandate the development and adoption of these systems.High initial and installation cost of automotive Parking Sensors in automobiles as well as high replacement cost associated with automotive parking sensors can act as a restraint to the sales of the automotive Parking Sensor in the market.Moreover, rising prices of vehicles along with high cost incurred in design and testing is also estimated to hinder the growth of said market in the future. Over dependency of safety system is impacting the driving skills that is also a challenge for the automotive parking sensor market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Chocolate Market: Clear Understanding of the Competitive Landscape and Key Product Segments

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While developed countries represent established and thriving markets for chocolate, a shift in consumer taste preferences and rising spending on chocolate and other confectionary products are identified to be the major drivers to market growth, prominently in developing countries. Increasing urbanization and widespread availability of chocolate and derived products will remain another key factor fueling the market for chocolate globally.Antioxidants-enrichment, blood pressure-suppressing character, and supposedly anti-aging properties of chocolate will remain the key factors propelling adoption of chocolate and chocolate products. Dark chocolate that contains a larger proportion of cocoa is especially recommended to prevent or slow down aging and certain diseases, such as CVDs. These and more similar perceived benefits of chocolate will continue to drive demand for chocolate in the global market.A few recent research findings indicate that chocolate consumption aids in looking younger as well as relieving stress, which are expected to further push the demand for chocolate. A sweeping range of new applications of chocolate in food and confectionary products are anticipated to escalate the demand, whereas wide acceptance of chocolate-flavored milk, drinks, bakery products, ice creams, functional foods, and liquor chocolates will sustain the demand throughout the next four years.Request to Sample of Report @Chocolates are still largely considered as an affordable luxury in some regions of the globe. Price-sensitivity may detain the penetration of chocolate market in some of the underdeveloped parts of the world. Moreover, the uncertain economy of the cocoa supply is likely to raise chocolate prices, which is foreseen to be a major challenge to market growth.Chocolate is one of the most profitable components of the confectionary industry globally. The chocolate industry has been representing a multibillion dollar market since the past decade and is expected to reach new levels of growth within the next few years. Rising awareness about health benefits of consuming a chocolate on a daily basis, will remain a key booster to the global chocolate market over the next few years.The chocolate market registered a value of US$ XX Bn in 2016. During a five-year forecast period 2016-2024, the global market for chocolate is expected to witness a robust CAGR. A host of trends and opportunities that are currently driving the market are slated to shape up the market condition during the forecast period.The global chocolate market is segmented on the basis of type and sale frequency.By chocolate type, the market is classified as milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate. Milk chocolate segment registered the largest market share in 2013, followed by dark chocolate.Based on frequency of sale, the market is categorized as daily chocolate, premium chocolate, and seasonal chocolate. Daily chocolate, attributed to affordable price, has been a major segment over the years.Request Report For TOC @Some of the key players participating in the global chocolate market, include Nestle SA, Fererro Group, Hershey Foods Corporation, Mondelez International (Cadbury), Mars Inc, Meiji Co Ltd, August Storck KG, Ezaki Glico Co. Ltd. and Arcor. A few other notable companies are Kraft Foods, Moonstruck Chocolatier Co., and Ghirardelli Chocolate Co.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Industrial Explosives Market Reflecting a CAGR of 5.6% between 2016-2024

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Rising urbanization has catapulted the use of coal-fired power generation. Quarrying activities from all corners of the world are also resuming at a steady pace. Technological advancements are facilitating the resurgence of global mining industry. Factors such as these and many more are instrumenting the growth in global demand for industrial explosives. A recent report published by Persistence Market Research estimates that in 2016, more than US$ 9 billion worth of industrial explosives were sold in the world. In the course of next eight years, the global market for industrial explosives is anticipated to grow steadily at 5.6% CAGR and reach US$ 14.58 billion value.In the report, titled Industrial Explosives Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2016-2024, Persistence Market Research predicts that more than 23 million metric tons of industrial explosives will be used up globally by the end of 2024. Key findings on the global industrial explosives market indicate that environment protection agencies and bodies will strongly coerce the production of industrial explosives. Manufacturers of industrial explosives will be compelled to bring forth advancements in their offerings, particularly towards reducing volumes of explosives used in large-scale explosions and lowering the environmental impact that follows.Request to sample reportSurging Preference to Blasting AgentsWith respect to the type of industrial explosives, the report clearly indicates an outright preference to blasting agents. Industrial verticals, where use of explosives is an integral part of production activities, are favoring the use of blasting agents. As opposed to high explosives, more than 22 million metric tons of blasting agents are forecasted to be sold by 2024. In due course of the projected period, global demand for high explosives will see a negligible dip. Nearly 95% of global industrial explosive revenues will be accounted by sales of blasting agents across various industrial sectors.Construction  Largest End-User of Industrial ExplosivesThe global building & construction industry needs blasting agents and explosives for creating subterranean pits, upon which edifices are erected. While mining remains to be one of the recognizable end-use of industrial explosives, revenues contributed by construction industries will be soaring at the highest CAGR of 6%. The report estimates that in 2016, more than US$ 1 billion of industrial explosives were consumed by construction activities. In terms of volume, metal mining and non-metal mining will collectively consume over 17 million metric tons of industrial explosive by the end of 2024. Stringent restriction for environmental laws, however, will inhibit the use of industrial explosives by quarrying industries.Higher Sales of Industrial Explosives in Asia-PacificIn 2017 and beyond, revenues emanating from sales of industrial explosives across Asia-Pacific countries will be accounting for more than 40% of global revenues. Australian companies  Orica Limited and Dyno Nobel Pty Limited (Incitec Pivot Limited)  are two of the largest producers of industrial explosives in the world. By accounting for nearly 40% share of global revenues, these two companies continue to funnel billions into Asia-Pacifics industrial explosives market. Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group Company Limited, Ideal Industrial Explosives Ltd., and NOF Corporation are other key industrial explosive manufacturers based in this region.North Americas industrial explosives is likely to lose traction over the course of forecast period, and will be valued at US$ 3 billion by 2024-end. US-based Autsin Power Holdings Company continues to contribute to global market revenues by offering accessories for carrying out industrial explosions in quarrying and mining.Request Report for TOC @Meanwhile, Latin Americas industrial explosives market will soar at the highest value CAGR of 6.5%. Chile-based Enaex SA is recognized as a prominent producer of industrial explosives, initiation systems, and blowing agents. Based in Peru, Exsa SA has gained global recognition for providing bulk emulsions, dynamites and cartridge emulsions to industries. Other key players in the global industrial explosives market include, Irish Industrial Explosives Limited, Eurenco, and MAXAMCORP HOLDINGS SL.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated re-search, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Con-sumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Automotive chrome Market to Witness Exponential Growth by 2025

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For vehicle appearance enhancement, chrome accessories are pre-eminent thing because these are composed of chromium and hard metals, which is used for many after-market car and motorcycle decorative products. Moreover, chrome is known for its strength and shine, and easy maintenance features. Such factors have made chrome accessories as a popular choice in vehicles.Furthermore, customization of vehicles have increased the demand of chroming material for various exterior and interior automobile components. Now a days, vehicle drivers are inclined towards modified vehicles, and for these modification vehicles, chrome accessories have been commonly offered by the aftermarket vendors. Of the vehicle types, passenger vehicle and luxury car vehicle segment have a prominent market share in the automotive chrome market.Request to Sample of Report @New age aesthetics and cost-effectiveness are the characteristics associated with chrome decorative articles. Chrome plating is being progressively used for plating numerous passenger vehicle mechanisms such as mirror, inner & outer door handle, bumper, interior decorative parts, grill covers headrest and other parts. In addition, the emerging adoption of the chrome plating in passenger vehicles is anticipated to drive the market growth over the forecast period. In order to make luxury cars more gratifying, prominent OEMs such as Bentley, BMW, Audi and other luxury vehicle manufacturers have been endorsing chrome embellishments thus fortifying the automotive chrome market.The demand for functional chrome plating is mainly driven by the growth in commercial and passenger vehicle industry. Increased demand from the commercial vehicles on account of factors such as high strength and improved processes is expected to have positive impact on the market over the next nine years. Fair rate of product replacement coupled with high margins on sales and installation is expected to drive the global automotive chrome market.Request Report for TOC @The easy availability of counterfeit and cheap automotive chrome accessories in addition to products provided by leading manufacturers have also provided sales impetus to the market of automotive chrome accessories. The growth in two wheeler industry is expected to have a positive impact on the market. In addition, this market is highly fragmented, making it cost competitive to cut throat levels. Also, there are some regulations related to vehicle exterior modifications in certain regions of the world that are hampering the growth prospects of this market during the assessment period.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
President Donald Trump opened his State of the Union address by acknowledging the heroic first responders who came to the aid of victims in the floods that devastated Houston and the wildfires that engulfed California. Its too bad he didnt mention what made these natural disasters so deadly and costly: climate change.

Natural disasters in 2017 produced record-shattering damage estimated at $300-400 billion. Seventeen events cost the U.S. more than a billion dollars each. The severe weather behind these disasters has become more severe because of rising temperatures. Weather-related disasters in 2017 included: Up to five feet of rain fell from Hurricane Harvey and cost us $198 billion. Hurricane Irma, with winds of 185 mph, cost us $66 billion. Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and cost us $100 billion. Drenching spring rains followed by record heat (San Francisco hit 106 degrees), set the stage for a record-breaking California fire season; that cost us $13 billion.

Globally, 2017 was the hottest non-El Nino year on record and the third hottest year ever, after 2015 and 2016. This trend will continue, and weather-related disasters will become more intense and frequent. Without intervention, this will eventually outpace our ability to respond and adapt.

Trump likes to respond to personal threats, hitting back 10 times as hard. But he remains stubbornly ignorant to the threat of climate change. According to his own military leaders, climate change is a clear and present danger. In 2017, Trumps Secretary of Defense James Mattis told the U.S. Senate, Climate change is impacting stability in areas of the world where our troops are operating today. In the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review, the military warned that climate change is a threat multiplier, aggravating issues like poverty, political instability and social tensions. On our own shores, rising seas threaten our military bases, from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine to the Eglin Air Force Base on the Florida Panhandle.

Congress sees the problem with clearer eyes. In December, a bipartisan group of 106 senators and representatives sent a letter asking President Trump to include climate change in Americas National Security Strategy. They wrote, It is imperative that the United States addresses this growing geopolitical threat.

And the bipartisan drumbeat for climate action continues to grow. At the start of this session of Congress, the House Climate Solutions Caucus had 18 members, with equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats. A little over a year later there 68 members, still half and half. Three Michigan Republicans have now joined, unfortunately they do not include our own congressman, John Moolenaar.

Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) has said, I came to realize that this issue was hyper-politicized and highly polarized. And we knew that unless we worked to change that, to extract some of the politics from the issue  then it would be very hard to have a rational conversation about whats happening and what we can do about it.

What can we do about it?

Many conservatives and liberals alike support Carbon Fee and Dividend. This policy would put a fee on all oil, gas, and coal we use in the United States. That would make clean energy cheaper and more attractive than dirty, polluting energy. The money raised would be returned to Americans in the form of a monthly rebate. In 20 years, Carbon Fee and Dividend would reduce our CO2 emissions 50 percent below 1990 levels. Plus, it would create jobs and put money into the pockets of hard-working Americans, so people can adapt and prosper.

Despite the presidents omission, its obvious that the state of our union is closely linked to the state of our climate, and its encouraging to see that Republicans and Democrats in Congress understand the risks our nation faces from a failure to act. When Congress introduces and passes bipartisan climate legislation, the state of our union will be undeniably stronger.

Crissman is the group leader for Midlands chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby. Reynolds lives in San Diego and is CCLs executive director.
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Adam Parker has covered many beats and topics for The Post and Courier, including race and history, religion, and the arts. He is the author of "Outside Agitator: The Civil Rights Struggle of Cleveland Sellers Jr.," published by Hub City Press.
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Gregory Yee covers the city of Charleston. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine.
In South Carolina, tides flow deep inland through twists and turns of creeks, beaches and salt marsh, a shoreline that from above looks more like plant roots than a straight edge.

Now, for the first time, geologists have measured these curves and bends and come up with a stunning number: Straighten everything out, and you could draw a line 8,763 miles long, from Charleston to India.

And geologists discovered something else: More than half of South Carolinas shoreline is eroding under an onslaught of rising seas, pounding storms and other scouring forces.

These and other recent findings cast new light on the nature and fate of our coast.

While South Carolinas photogenic front beaches get lots of attention and visitors, a bigger story about the states coastline is behind them amid the pluff mud and hermit crabs.

Its a story of loss on an incremental but massive scale, a trend thats accelerating  a situation that poses increasingly urgent questions to government planners, insurers and property owners: Amid relentlessly rising seas and a coastal population boom, do you harden these fragile edges so they dont vanish?

Or, do you let nature take its course?

Moving targets

South Carolinas coast may lack the vertical grandeur of Californias coastal cliffs, but here the moon, wind and water have created a massive circulatory system. Twice a day, tides pump huge volumes of water across spongy flats like a slow-beating heart.

Its so dang complicated, especially south of Charleston, Chester Jackson, a coastal geologist from Georgia Southern University, said of this intricate shoreline. When you get inside the ACE Basin, there are an insane amount of nuances in the tidal creeks.

It would take an army of surveyors to tromp through the muck and Spartina grass to trace these capillaries. And, a few years ago, Jackson wondered whether there was a better way. He was at his computer one day thinking about algorithms when the light went on. He punched in some programming and ran scenarios.

Suddenly, he had the beginnings of a program that could map moving boundaries over time. What would have taken years to do in the field, you can run in a day, he said. I kept pressing the buttons to refresh to make sure it was real.

He named the program AMBUR, short for analyzing moving boundaries using R. (R is a programming language.) The Department of Health and Environmental Control eventually hired him to study South Carolinas coast.

He and his colleagues mapped beaches and inlets. They pinpointed docks and culverts and seawalls. Done in three phases, it would become what Jackson says is the most exacting analysis ever done for a large coastline.

Published in December, the results were revealing.

Our eroding marshes

More than 4,600 miles of this soppy and intricate shoreline has been losing ground in recent decades. Other areas were stable. A few stretches gained ground.

On average, eroding areas had lost between a foot and a foot-and-a-half every year to the sea. Erosion was particularly severe in sounds, harbors and inlets that were exposed to the sea, such as those formed by the Beaufort, Coosaw, Broad and Combahee rivers south of Charleston. Nearly 80 percent of rivers had eroded over the long term.

Some river banks lost on average about 3 feet a year. Jackson called these hotspots alarming.

The study also revealed the many ways people manipulate the shape of this shoreline: We've armored it with boulder-strewn breakwaters, built culverts, causeways, seawalls, bulkheads; we've built roads, bridges, gangways and floating docks. All told, researchers found almost 18,000 major structures on our shoreline. More than 1,400 are threatened by erosive forces.

The results, Jackson said, were a wake-up call: In our love for land by the water, weve built in places with inherently unstable boundaries.

Its about the pace

James Morris is a salt marsh mechanic who knows how these edges work. Hes a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of South Carolina  the first to document how Spartina capture sediment as tides come and go. This creates a balance, he said. It allows marsh grasses to rise in tandem with a rising sea.

This harmony happens as long as seas rise and fall slowly, as they have for tens of thousands of years. But climate change has ratcheted up the pace of sea rise, as if normal geologic time was switched on fast-forward.

Morris recently examined data captured by a federal sea level gauge in Charleston Harbor. Its one of the oldest continuous sea level measuring stations in the nation. He calculated that over the past century, the sea level in Charleston rose on average at a rate of about one-tenth of an inch a year.

But in recent years, it has been rising at a rate of .15 inch a year. This may not seem like much but in geologic terms, it's a dramatic acceleration  a 50 percent increase. Like an interest-bearing bank account, this adds up over time. It creates a cascade effect in our marshes; their edges fray; tidal currents eat into the banks of creeks and inlets; the creeks dilate; and more water courses through, creating even more erosion.

This is happening now, Morris said. Some measuring stations that have tracked heights of marshes at the Belle W. Baruch Institute north of Georgetown have been lost. They used to be well into the marsh," he said. "Now, theyre in the water.

The past under water

Storm surges and seasonal high tides blur these edges even more. When the moons pull is particularly strong, gravity pushes the Atlantic farther into our marshlands. Some days, these high tides spill onto what normally is dry land. During the 1960s, Charleston saw a handful of nuisance tidal floods. In 2016, the city saw more than 50.

Stronger currents eat into the banks of the Ashley River on James Island, washing away some of its history. The first shots of the Civil War were fired from earthworks at Fort Johnson. That spot now sits about 50 yards into the harbor.

Meantime, scouring forces have marched into a forest, felling trees and leaving behind a boneyard beach similar to what you find on Hunting Island other fast-eroding front beaches.

Phil Dustan, a marine biologist at the College of Charleston, has taken students to this area of Fort Johnson since the early 1990s. Dustan remembers seeing a saltmarsh on the beach years ago.

Now its gone.

In his mind, this loss is one of many examples of how climate change is accelerating. His academic specialty is coral reefs, and hes seen rapid changes in reefs across the world  changes hidden under the waves. It's an underwater catastrophe. But the loss at Fort Johnson isn't hidden, he said.

Also in plain view are undeveloped properties next to marshlands  low-lying places that he believes should remain in their natural states.

Fort Johnson erosion from 1989 to 2015 Aerial photos of Fort Johnson show how its banks have eroded dramatically since 1989. The first shots of the Civil War were fired in an area that is now under water. 1-Feb1989.jpg 2-Feb1994.jpg 10-Feb2007.jpg 19-Mar2015.jpg Aerial view of fast-eroding bank off Fort Johnson.

One recent afternoon, Dustan and Norman Levine, a College of Charleston geologist, examined aerial maps so detailed they could pinpoint elevation changes as slight as the width of an average persons hand.

Levine used color shades to show changes on Johns Island, which revealed an ancient story: Thousands of years ago, the sea level was higher and created sand dunes across what today is Johns Island. They ran parallel together like corduroy.

Levine pressed some keys and todays development  roads, stores and homes  appeared. Much of this was clustered on the dune ridges. This shows how people built on the ridges and farmed in the swales, Dustan said. Now, developers want to build in these low points. Including some 300 homes near his house on Johns Island, hence his interest in the maps. Levine pressed more keys that showed what sea rise would do to the area: A 9-foot tide similar to Hurricane Matthews surge puts a sizable portion of the tract under water.

Heres your future, Dustan said.

Our temporary edges

By 2100, average sea levels are expected to rise at least 1.6 to 3.3 feet. This will further change the edges of our shoreline, threatening homes and buildings in the way. Zillow recently took its database of 110 million homes and studied how they would fare with 6 feet of sea rise.

Some 1.9 million homes worth $882 billion were at risk. This included 83,000 homes in South Carolina, including 15,551 homes in the Charleston area worth $9 billion.

Using Chester Jackson's AMBUR program, DHEC is working on new online tools that rate an area's vulnerability to erosion and storm surges, said Dan Burger, director of DHEC's Coastal Services Division. The agency will offer these tools to cities, towns and counties first, then property owners, he said.

What happens next is as clear as pluff mud. Will cities protect their land? Will developers forgo profits by forgoing construction on low-lying land? Cities such as Charleston have long lacked a sense of urgency about sea rise  even in the face of constant flooding.

Yet, in January, Mayor John Tecklenburg said in his State of the City address that flooding and drainage are now the citys top priority. The city will hire a floodplain manager to take harder looks at new development in flood-prone areas. Plans call for a higher seawall along the South Battery, massive new underground pumps to drain basins south of the city's medical complex, projects with price tags that have yet to be set but will be measured in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Meantime, the forces of wind and water  moving more quickly now than in recent decades  keep pumping water through our 8,763-mile-long shoreline, a complex coast that has long defied our plans to control it.
Deanna Pan is an enterprise reporter for The Post and Courier, where she writes about education and other issues. She grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati and graduated with a degree in English from Ohio State University in 2012.
Political Reporter

Caitlin Byrd is a political reporter at The Post and Courier and author of the Palmetto Politics newsletter. Before moving to Charleston in 2016, her byline appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times. To date, Byrd has won 17 awards for her work.
Jamie Lovegrove is a political reporter covering the South Carolina Statehouse, congressional delegation and campaigns. He previously covered Texas politics in Washington for The Dallas Morning News and in Austin for the Texas Tribune.
The decision by the NFL to play Lift Every Voice and Sing along with The Star-Spangled Banner before the start of every football game is a Read more
While suspended Archbishop Anthony Apuron hasn't returned to Guam since he was accused of sexually abusing several altar boys and his own nephew, Apuron recently found a way to meet the pope in the Vatican, according to images from the Vatican's official media.

The more than 50 Sundays of marches by Guam's Catholics to call for Apuron to be stripped of his title and leadership role also didn't keep the pope from meeting Apuron on Wednesday.

In a series of images by the Vatican's official media, the pope put his right hand on Apuron's forehead. In a handshake, the pope placed his other hand over Apuron's. In another photograph, Apuron talked to the pope while Apuron's left hand held a folded paper or envelope, which the pope was later seen holding.

A Saturday article in La Stampa, an Italian newspaper, reported the islands suspended archbishop arrived at the Paul VI Hall in a wheelchair, due to health problems.

In the images posted by the Vatican's official media, Apuron was standing when he met with the pope.

The newspaper quoted Apuron as telling the pope, Holy Father, I wanted to see you before dying.

The newspaper stated the pope reacted with affection, shaking the bishops hand and privately giving him a few words of encouragement, the article stated.

A Vatican tribunal held secret hearings on the sexual abuse charges against Apuron last year, but the outcome of that process hasn't been made public.

The La Stampa article states the release of a sentence should have wrapped up last August, but, after several events, appears to have failed to reach a conclusion.

Despite the highly publicized allegations against Apuron, the suspended archbishop didn't appear to have fallen out of the pope's graces. Wearing a formal, black cassock and cap, Apuron also kissed the pope's hand.

The images showed Apuron had a one-on-one talk with the pope after several other church officials, in bishop's or cardinal's garb, took turns meeting the pope.

Last month, Apuron broke his silence, through a written statement, after leaving the island more than a year ago. Apuron's departure from Guam followed accusations from four former altar boys who accused Apuron of sexually assaulting them when he was a priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Agat. A fifth victim, Apurons nephew, Mark Apuron, came forward and accused his uncle of raping him in the chancery bathroom in 1989 or 1990 when he was a teen, Post files state.

Apuron, in the previously released statement released to island media, denied all allegations made against him and said he believed the latest accusation from his nephew, seemed particularly timed to influence the verdict of the Vatican trial.

The canonical trial was expected to be completed and a decision returned last summer based on information provided to those who provided testimony during the trial by Cardinal Raymond Burke and members of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith assigned to investigate the sexual abuse claims made against Apuron.

Last October, Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Byrnes said he had been informed by Rev. Justin Wachs, the canonical notary, that the sentence, or decision, regarding Apuron had been determined, but was awaiting the judges signatures on the sentence. Byrnes said the outcome had not been disclosed.

Post files state Wachs resigned from his post at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith effective Sept. 30, 2017, amid allegations of sexual harassment in his home parish in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Last September, Cardinal Burke was reappointed to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church, according to The Catholic Herald.
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In what appears a major confidence boost for the strength of the Nigerian national currency against other world currencies, the UK Export Finance Agency says it would soon add Naira to its list of pre-approved currencies for trade transactions.

Reuters reported that Naira would soon become one of three West African currencies that UK Export Finance agency has pre-approved for its programme of funding transactions to promote trade with Britain.

The other two national currencies were not disclosed.

The implication is that when added, Nigerians and others in the UK wishing to use the Naira to make payments or provide financing for business transactions denominated in the local currency would be able to do so.

The only exception, the statement said, would be in the area of loans taken in local currency, which must equally be repaid in local currency.

In 2016, a referendum to decide its continued membership of the European Union resulted in a vote for Britain to exit the Union.

Since then there has been extensive consultations by the UK government with the EU and other trade partners on the need to review the terms of its trade ties with the rest of the world.

Since December 2017, the UK government and the EU have agreed to discuss ways to improve future trade ties with member countries.

One of such reviews PREMIUM TIMES learnt was the decision to add Nigerias Naira as one of the few pre-approved currencies.

Nigeria has for long remained one of UK governments biggest trade partners and allies, particularly in the West African sub-region.

This is a clear indication of how much value the UK places on its relationship with Nigeria. It will provide a firm foundation for a significant increase in trade and investment between both countries, Reuters quoted the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, to have said in a UKs credit agency statement on Friday.

The statement said the UK government would provide up to 85 per cent of funding for projects containing a minimum of 20 per cent British content.

The Naira financing will follow the same structure as someone buying in Pound Sterling, except that Nigerian firms taking out a loan in local currency can benefit from a UK government-backed guarantee.

This can enable businesses to manage foreign exchange risks and, many times, to negotiate better terms with local banks.
Officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, involved in Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme, VAIDS, said they have been inundated with calls from Nigerians in the United Kingdom seeking to inquire about how the new UK government Unexplained Wealth Orders, UWOs would affect their property in that country.

A source close to the finance ministry told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday that the pressure from Nigeria property owners in United Kingdom was so overwhelming on Friday that at a point the dedicated hotlines for inquires crashed due to excessive pressure.

The source who requested that his name should not be revealed as he was not authorised to speak on the issue said the volume of inquiries have been overwhelming, particularly in the last 72 hours after the UK government announced the new UWOs regulation.

The UK governments UWO which came into effect last week requires foreign owners of properties in the country to furnish the relevant tax authorities with details of the source of funding for such properties or risk forfeiture.

Under the new law, property owners could forfeit any property or a combination of properties valued at about 50,000 (about N25 million) or above, for which there are no adequate explanation on the legal source of funding for the acquisition of such properties.

Property owners appear to be battling with a two-pronged pressure to keep their assets from tax authorities in Nigeria and abroad.

Apart from the UK governments UWO, the then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had signed an executive order on June 29, 2017, to introduce a new tax policy, VAIDS, granting amnesty by way of full immunity from prosecution for tax defaulters.

Under VAIDS, tax defaulters would between June 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018 be allowed to regularise their tax status relating to previous tax periods if they voluntarily come forward to publicly declare their default.

But, taking advantage of the tax information exchange policy with foreign governments, Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said the federal government had written to a number of foreign governments to request specific information about offshore trusts and bank accounts held by Nigerians.

Consequently, the minister said VAIDS Office has so far collated a huge cache of data of over five million Nigerian corporate organisations and individuals that have executed various contracts and have records with some of the key government revenue agencies.

She listed the agencies from which those records were sourced to include the FIRS, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC; Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN; Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN; Federal Housing Authority, FHA; Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF and the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC.

With the introduction of the UWO by the UK government, the minister said Nigerian users of offshore structures were advised to take advantage of VAIDS to regularise their tax status before the March 31, 2018 deadline.

The data already in possession of the VAIDS Office, an official familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES, involved many Nigerian UK property owners who may have under-declared their tax liabilities under the Nigerian tax system before shifting the funds abroad to invest in property acquisition.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt the bulk of those inundating the finance ministry with calls to book appointments with the VAIDS office were those requesting for extension of deadline for tax amnesty window to allow them complete their declaration documents.

Most of the calls received in the last couple of days were from high net worth individuals, including company executives, bankers, lawmakers and even a governor, the official said. All seem to be in panic over the prospect of losing their investments.

The official said some of the apprehensive Nigerian UK property owners were in Abuja on Friday to attempt to meet with the finance minister and officials of the VAIDS Office, despite not having a prior appointment.

Most of the inquiries bordered on assurance from the government that VAIDs would protect them from potential asset forfeiture to the UK government. Others sought to know if their names appeared on the lists from overseas.

Mrs. Adeosun did not answer calls to her telephones. She equally did respond to mails and text messages sent to her on Sunday.

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The spokesperson to the minister, Oluyinka Akintunde, did not also pick up calls to his telephone, neither did he respond to text messages sent to him seeking his comment for this story.

With the federal government realising over N23 billion revenue from VAIDS between July 1 when it was launched and December 31, 2017, FIRS Chairman, Tunde Fowler, said government was targeting more tax revenue from the scheme this year.

Mr. Fowler, who described VAIDS as a viable strategy to boost the countrys low tax-to-gross domestic product, GDP, ratio, currently put at six per cent, said a lot of the revenue would come from property tax.

He said the FIRS sealed off over 3,000 properties in Abuja for failing to file annual tax returns.

He said government has asked owners of those properties to come forward and regularise their records, or risk court action that may end in their being disposed of.
Why did the governor collapse after a powerful speech? The tough-talking state governor collapsed as he stormed out of his car on his return to the expansive government house, throwing the place into pandemonium.

Doctor, Doctor, his aides yelled as the 70-year-old UK-trained doctor stumbled out of his car to save the life of his boss.

Fast to the Federal Medical Centre, he shouted at the driver after checking the governors pulse, after the ADC assisted in laying the governor carefully in the back seat. There was no ambulance around for the governor fondly called The Strongman.

As they scurried off, the aides wondered what must have happened. For over an hour the governor delivered a thunderous speech that held his audience spellbound. Never before had the governor spoken so passionately about poverty in the state and distress from months of unpaid salaries and pension.

Most of you know my background; I have tasted poverty so I know it, he had said, sending the mini-stadium into a grave yard silence. The people were confused about how to react to that.

But he had planned the speech carefully. Never again will I see my people suffer poverty, lack of medical care and poor education, he had continued.

The opposition who say I am heartless should wait for this: today marks the end of mass poverty in the state because I have been touched by the death of Peter, a teacher who died last week because he had no money to go to the hospital. By the end of the month, all salary arrears will be paid in full, and every poor family will be paid some stipend for a better life.

The stadium roared with joy.

The following day, news leaked that the governor had collapsed from exhaustion after approximately 65 minutes of pretending to be a human being with empathy.

In all my years of practicing medicine, I have never met a leader as healthy and vigorous as the governor, a doctor was reported to have said. But the sustained effort of simulating compassion proved too much for someone who had never exercised that part of his brain for empathy before.

If you have never spent a moment thinking about a human being besides yourself, imagine trying to pretend you are doing that for a solid 65 minutes, the doctor was reported to have explained. Its physically punishing.

A brain scan showed that his brush with human feelings, which he hadnt done for years caused severe strain in the part of his brain that evokes empathy  it was a kind of overload.

This is an adaptation of a satire on President Trump by Andy Borowitz, a New York Times best-selling author, after the Presidents State of the Union Address last week.

If Trump is said to lack empathy, many leaders in Nigeria are perhaps worse. Around the country, much of the ongoing murmuring is why some of our leaders have become rock-hearted, or plain wicked. What happened to that part of their brain that produces empathy?

While some state governors live in disgusting opulence, eat choice food and drink expensive wine, build mansions with the peoples money, some 13 states owe their workers unpaid salaries. How does a poor teacher who has not been paid for 12 months survive? Yet the governors are able to sleep soundly, without any feeling of guilt and talk down on their people, or hire thugs to attack them when they protest. What happened to empathy?

What happened to empathy when leaders are busy stockpiling money and building mansions instead of building people?

What happened to empathy in an era of widespread kidnappings and ritual murders and killing of innocent people?

Where is empathy where many people are out to take advantage of others? What happened to the culture of being our brothers keeper? Some people say if some Nigerians are written into the story of the Good Samaritan as the fourth man who saw the man robbed and in pains by the roadside, they would take what was left of the victim and push him down the slope.

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Empathy

Empathy, a fine human nature, is the experience of understanding another persons condition from their perspective; placing ones self in their shoes to feel what they are feeling. Empathy is known to increase prosocial (helping) behaviour. It is clear from current circumstances that even some of our leaders lack empathy, so what do we expect from people down the line?

Yet many studies have shown that empathy, caring for other, is mutually beneficial. According to Joseph Mercola, empathy has the following features:

 Empathy has complex neurological underpinnings that control the way our brains help us to care about other people.

 Humans have mirror neurons that react to others emotions and reproduce them; a deficit in mirror neuron receptors has been suggested as an explanation for narcissism and neurotic behaviors.

Why it is Beneficial to Practice Empathy

 According to scientists, beyond stress relief, it is important to be empathetic for the following reasons: People who practice it:

 Are more likely to treat the people they care about the way they wish to be treated.

 Understand the unspoken parts of communication with others.

 Are able to more accurately predict the actions and reactions of people they interact with.

 Experience the world in higher resolution as you perceive through not only your perspective but the perspectives of those around you.

 Better understand the needs of people around them

 Will find it easier to deal with the negativity of others if they can better understand their motivations and fears.

 Have less trouble dealing with interpersonal conflict both at home and at work.

 Have less trouble dealing with interpersonal conflict both at home and at work.

 Will more effectively convince others of their point of view.

 Are less likely to be wicked or lose their humanity.

 It has been discovered that teenagers who are empathetic tend to be more purpose-driven and they intentionally succeed in their academics, not because they are looking to make good grades, but in most subjects their goal is to understand the subject material and to utilize the knowledge as one of their ever-increasing tools.

 Also, teenagers who are more empathetic do a much better job in embracing failure, because there is little ego involved in their tasks; setbacks and disappointments are rarely seen as failures; they are rather seen as a learning experience about an approach that does not work for the task at hand.

Why people lack empathy

Clearly, people who are able disuse the part of the brain for empathy, created by God for a reason, are people or leaders who lack the fear of God. A governor who impoverishes the people he governs is no different from a person who eats the food he has been given by a travelling parent for the feeding of his kids. That is sheer wickedness, which is only possible in the absence of empathy.

Some of these people who do not know God are just hard-hearted, without necessarily being wicked. Enoch Adeboye, leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, was in this group before he gave his life to Jesus.

He explained his experience himself: I used to be very hard-hearted. I just couldnt help it. I happened to be the favourite son of my Dad and Mum. I loved my Dad and I mean I really loved him but when he died, I couldnt cry. I wanted to cry but tears just wouldnt come.

It was terrible and I was embarrassed because I really wanted to express some emotion. When the tears failed to flow, I resorted to dipping my finger into my mouth for some saliva to make some marks on my cheeks. Thats how terrible the situation was.

Then I met the Lord Jesus Christ and I cried out to Him for a heart of flesh.

Today, if as we are worshipping God or praying, and a picture of a crying congregant is shown on the screen, before I know what is happening, I would be crying too because my heart of stone has been removed and has been replaced with a heart of flesh.

Some people see me now and say, You seem to find it so easy to do the will of God.

It looks so because He has given me a heart of flesh and then, of course, I constantly cry to the one who lived an absolutely Holy life to help me to do what He had done.

There are still leaders in this time and age who suffer from the primitive acquisition syndrome. Sheer greed! They shamelessly grab state resources meant for the upkeep of the people. Greed kills empathy.

Many leaders try to be quick fixers, perhaps because of a superiority complex. Without listening to people in pains, they rush solutions, irrespective of their efficacy. Leaders are supposed to listen out to the people and even ask questions for better understanding before they rush solutions. Many leaders tend to be in a rush to nowhere.

Some leaders are so obsessive with their personal goals that they see problems of others as threat to their progress. They therefore have the tendency to be defensive; and even blame people for being their own enemies.

Of course, there are leaders who speak more than they listen. Empathy takes time and listening is key to the process. Leaders who listen 2-5 times more than they speak when you meet with people, are said to be far better, more compassionate leaders.

According to reports, in a white paper delivered to the Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology Conference, William Gentry, Todd Weber and Golnaz Sadri argued transformational leaders need empathy in order to show their followers that they care for their needs and achievement; authentic leaders also need to have empathy in order to be aware of others; and that empathy is also a key part of emotional intelligence that several researchers believe is critical to being an effective leader, and our results reveal that empathy is positively related to job performance.

What it takes to be an empathetic leader.

According to Ray Williams, author and president of a firm in Canada that provides executives, Kind and compassionate leaders:

 Have greater levels of self-awareness;

 Are open-minded and open-hearted;

 Regulate their emotions, particularly in crisis or stressful situations;

 Intentional respond to highly charged situations and people, rather than impulsively reacting;

 Lead by example, rather than by direction;

 Remove or decrease judgment and criticism of others as a motivational strategy;

 Are mindful to the effect their words and actions have on others;

 Spend a greater amount of time being emotional observers of others, rather than most of the time being initiators;

 Are sensitive to others feeling and emotional states with their hearts, and not just spending most of the time in their heads in rational thought;

 Are empathetic and compassionate listeners, not just active listeners;

 Demonstrate vulnerability and a willingness to admit mistakes.

Common painkillers that kill empathy

As a proof that there is a section of the brain that produces empathy, some popular painkillers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen have been found to reduce peoples empathy, dull their emotions and change how people process information.

A new scientific review of studies suggests over-the-counter pain medication could be having all sorts of psychological effects that consumers do not expect.

Not only do they block peoples physical pain, they also block emotions.

The authors of the study, published in the journal Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, write: In many ways, the reviewed findings are alarming. Consumers assume that when they take an over-the-counter pain medication, it will relieve their physical symptoms, but they do not anticipate broader psychological effects.

Taking over-the-counter painkillers changed how peoples brains processed information, how they experienced emotions and reacted to emotional events, the authors found.

Other studies also showed this dulling of emotions in different ways. People respond more moderately to unpleasant photographs after taking these painkillers  suggesting reduced sensitivity.

People taking acetaminophen also made more errors while trying to process information.
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A Russian passenger plane with 71 people on board crashed near Moscow soon after take-off on Sunday, Reuters reported.

All 71 people on board got killed in the crash, and investigators said they were looking at all possible causes.

President Vladimir Putin has already offered condolences to those who lost relatives and ordered a special investigative commission to be set up.

The office of Russias transport prosecutor said all 71 people on board had been killed. Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov confirmed there were no survivors and said DNA tests would be needed to identify the dead.

Television images of the crash site showed wreckage of the plane, including one of its engines lying in fields covered with thick snow.

Helicopters were at the scene as well as rescuers on snowmobiles, Reuters reported, adding that an official of the Emergency Situations Ministry said two bodies and a flight recorder had been found.

Investigators said debris and human remains were spread over a radius of a kilometre from the crash site, stressing that a criminal case had been opened into the incident.

Among possible causes listed were weather conditions, human error and the planes technical condition as no distress signals had been received from the crew.

Manufactured in 2010, the plane is said to have been carrying 65 passengers and six crew.

On Sunday, it disappeared from radar screens shortly after taking off from Moscows Domodedovo airport.

But in her reaction, Elena Voronova, a spokeswoman for Saratov Airlines, said there had been no concerns about the technical condition of the plane, which went into service with her company in 2016.

Reuters reports that the citys mayor told the Rossiya 24 TV channel that a team of psychologists was working at the airport to comfort people, seen in footage with hands placed on their heads.
As the 2019 general election approaches, politicians and their supporters are gradually getting prepared for the campaigns.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has already released a tentative timetable for the highly awaited elections.

The INEC time-table shows that party primaries and resolution of disputes arising from them will hold from August 18 to October 7 for national and state elections while that of the FCT area council is slated for between September 4 and October 27.

Campaigns by political parties are slated to commence from November 18 for presidential and National Assembly elections; December 1 for governorship and state assembly elections and December 2 for the FCT area council elections.

To this end, sources in the federal cabinet say President Muhammadu Buhari may soon ask ministers with ambition to seek elective offices to resign to enable them focus on their aspirations.

PREMIUM TIMES findings have indicated that among the ministers who may leave the cabinet to seek governorship tickets in their states are Adebayo Shittu, the Minister of Communication; Aisha Alhassan, Women Affairs; Kayode Fayemi, Solid Minerals Development; Suleiman Hassan, Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing and Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum.

PREMIUM TIMES also gathered that the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, is nursing a governorship ambition.

ADEBAYO SHITTU- OYO

Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications PHOTO: Techpoint

Mr. Shittu is probably the only cabinet member to make public his ambition to seek the governorship seat in his home Oyo State.

The minister told Tribune newspaper in an interview last year that he is best suited to be the successor to current governor Abiola Ajimobi.

Today, as Minister of Communication, nobody in Oyo State has the experience I have in utilising ICT to develop the Oyo State economy to the extent that other countries are using the same ICT to develop their country. They know that with my level of exposure and godliness that I will not steal their money. If you have someone who is ungodly, he will simply steal your state blind.

You need the best, compassionate manager, most honest, experienced, educated manager to run the state so that what comes to Oyo state from federation account and our local resources are put to the best use in the service of our people, Mr. Shittu had said.

Mr. Shittu, however, faces a herculean task to secure the APC ticket. The incumbent APC governor, Abiola Ajimobi, and Mr. Shittu are political opponents. Their rivalry precedes the formation of the APC. Although Mr. Ajimobi is rounding off his second term and is thus not eligible to seek re-election, he is believed to be vehemently opposed to Mr. Shittus candidacy and recently boycotted a presidential event hosted by the minister.

AISHA ALHASSAN  TARABA

Aisha Alhassan

Mrs. Alhassan, fondly called Mama Taraba, was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Taraba State in 2015.

Initial results of the election then, particularly the way the APC was winning states in the northern part of the country, indicated that the nation was about to get its first elected female governor.

That did not happen as she was eventually defeated by Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Mrs. Alhassan was made minister by President Muhammadu Buhari even when the governorship election tribunal for Taraba State on November 7, 2015 declared her the governor-elect.

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By the time she was being sworn in as Minister of Women Affairs by Mr. Buhari, she was considered Taraba governor subject to outcome of appeal filed by Mr. Ishaku. Mr. Buhari in fact referred to Mrs. Alhassan as Her Excellency when he mentioned her name, which elicited general laughter inside the council chamber of the presidential villa.

As politicians gear up for 2019, Mr. Alhassan was seen in a video pledging her loyalty to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

She also told the Hausa service of the BBC that even if Mr. Buhari eventually decides to run, she will tell him she has already made her choice.

The minister is still popular in Taraba and is considered the APC leader in the state. Party elements in Taraba said that her structure remains strong and she is working behind the scenes to upstage PDPs Mr. Ishaku in 2019.

KAYODE FAYEMI  EKITI

Kayode Fayemi, Governor , Ekiti State

Mr. Fayemi served for one term as Ekiti State governor before he was defeated by Ayo Fayose of the PDP.

He is one person expected to leave Mr. Buharis cabinet early because the governorship election in Ekiti is holding this year.

As early as six months ago, his loyalists had already set up a campaign structure, JKF Movement, for his yet-to-be declared ambition to run for the 2018 governorship race.

Speaking after its inauguration in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Chairman of JKF Movement, Ade Kolade, explained that the main focus of the group was to champion Mr. Fayemis development vision and ideals and to create awareness that the current stalemate in Ekitis development process can be reversed.

Mr. Fayemi will, however, have to battle with another presidential aide, Babafemi Ojudu, and other aspirants for the APC ticket.

SULEIMAN HASSAN  GOMBE

Mr. Hassan was inaugurated into the federal cabinet at the end of July 2017 to replace Amina Mohammed from Gombe State who had left to take up the post of Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations.

Mr. Hassan is a political ally of President Buhari and was the pioneer chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Mr. Buharis personally formed political party.

The CPC is one of the parties that dissolved to form the APC.

Sources in Gombe said the APC is currently factionalised along three major groups comprising elements from CPC, ANPP as well as those who defected from the PDP before the 2015 election.

To this end, leaders of the three factions all have their structures and loyalists within the same party.

It is also said that the CPC faction has a stronger structure compared to the rest because it consists of die-hard Buhari supporters. Mr. Hassan is also the undisputed leader of the group and has a powerful grip of the APC in Gombe.

It was also gathered that the ministers loyalists want him to run because the other faction led by former Governor Danjuma Goje produced the governorship candidate in 2015.

IBE KACHIKWU  DELTA

Ibe Kachikwu [Photo Credit: THISDAYLIVE]

Although Mr. Kachikwu has strongly denied nursing any governorship ambition, PREMIUM TIMES gathered that machinery is already in motion for his candidature in 2019.

When news first filtered in that Mr. Kachikwu is seeking to be next governor of Delta under the APC, and his posters were seen all over the state as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the spokesperson of the petroleum Ministry, Idang Alibi, issued a statement describing the rumoured candidacy as false.

However, a source closed to the minister said, he just doesnt want to be distracted from his current job, but I assure you that the Hon. Minister is under pressure to come to the rescue of Delta state.

Mr. Kachikwus Delta State has been governed by the PDP since 1999, and thus he would face a herculean task to defeat the incumbent PDP governor should he finally make a decision.

MANSUR DAN-ALI  ZAMFARA

Mansur Dan-Ali

Three different sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, is also nursing the ambition of taking over from the current chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari.

However, it was learnt that the retired army general is yet to get the needed support from both Mr. Yari and other political leaders in the state.

Mr. Yari is completing his second term and is thus ineligible to seek re-election in 2019.

A source close to the minister said that as far as Zamfara is concerned, the minister is one of those eyeing the governorship.
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The federal government has dragged the senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, to court on a two-count charge for alleged false information.

Mr. Melaye last April reported an alleged assassination attempt on his life while he was in his home state of Kogi.

The senator and the Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello, are members of the same party, APC, but are sworn enemies.

Mr. Melaye had accused the Kogi governor and his aides of being responsible for the alleged assassination attempt.

In the first count charge filed against him, Mr. Melaye was accused of deliberately giving false information to the police to frame the Chief of Staff to Mr. Bello, Edward David, as the mastermind of the assassination attempt on him at his hometown in Ayetoro-Gbede, Kogi State, last April.

In the second count, Mr. Melaye was accused of making false statement of facts in a phone conversation with Mohammed Abubakar, a son to the late former Governor of Kogi State, Abubakar Audu, with the intention of harming the reputation of Mr. David.

The case was filed through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on January 31, Punch Newspaper reports.

According to the charges signed by Magaji Labaran, the police discovered the alleged falsehood in Mr. Melayes claim while investigating the senators assassination claim.

The offences were said to be punishable under sections 140 and 393 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.

Mr. Melaye could not be reached for comments as at the time of filing this report.

However, addressing women of his senatorial district, who embarked on a peaceful protest at Aiyetoro-Gbede days after the alleged assassination attempt, Mr. Melaye claimed that Governor Bello was planning to assassinate him for fighting for the states workers and pensioners.

The senator said workers and pensioners in Kogi were suffering and dying, following the non-payment of 15-month salaries and pensions by the state government.

Yahaya Bello collected N20 billion from the federal government as bailout fund. Still, he refused to settle workers. He also collected N11 billion from the Paris Club fund. Still, he refused to pay workers and pensioners.

Children can no longer go to school. Tenants can no longer pay their house rent. Enough is enough, the people of Kogi State are tired of this government.

The advent of Yahaya Bello as governor and Taofiq Isa as local government administrator in the political history of Kogi State has brought this unfortunate socio-political paradigm shift, Mr. Melaye said.
School Feeding: 10.27 m pupils enrol in public primary schools in North West, North Central  Survey

No fewer than 10.27 million children have been enrolled in public primary schools in the North West and North Central Zones of the country in the last one year, a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria reveals.

Findings in the two zones indicate sharp increase of up to 20 per cent in some states in the school enrolment figure, with the number of girls enrolled at 4,582,706.

The figure does not, however, include that of Kebbi, Jigawa and Benue States.

Stakeholders attributed the increase in enrolment in the last one year to efforts by the federal and state governments to ensure that no child of school age was left without education.

Among measures taken to attract children to schools are the Federal Government Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, free tuition and the provision of infrastructure and other facilities to ease teaching and learning.

Consequently, more children have been attracted to schools and retained in the classes, with steady rise in the number of girls entering the schools.

KANO

In Kano State, Amina Umar, Director, Social Mobilisation, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), said: Kano State presently has about 3.2 million pupils in its 6,333 primary schools across 44 Local Government Areas.

She said 1. 7 million of the pupils are boys and 1. 5 million are girls.

Ms. Umar attributed the increase in pupils enrolment especially in rural areas to the introduction of free feeding programme of the state government.

According to her, the Global Partnership for Education and Nigerian Partnership for Education had through the SUBEB, awarded scholarship to many pupils especially girl-child.

We disbursed about N1.8 billion scholarship to the pupils through their parents. This has encouraged many parents to send their girl-child to school.

The director explained that 40,053 teachers have been deployed to primary schools across the state, out of which 31,690 are female teachers.

Meanwhile, Sani Tanko, Director of Publicity, Kano State Community Re-orientation Committee, said the introduction of the free feeding programme of the federal government in the state at the end of the first term school session had added impetus to pupils attendance.

Since the commencement of the free feeding, parents have enrolled their children more in the schools, because of the free food being given to the children.

The free feeding of primary school pupils was introduced by the previous administration of former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and was sustained by the present administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, Mr. Tanko added.

In Katsina State, Ishaq Bello, the Secretary of SUBEB, said 1,714,757 pupils have been enrolled into primary schools across the state in 2017.

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The number of pupils enrolled in public pre-primary and primary schools included 930,410 males and 784,347 females, he said.

Bello disclosed that the state government had employed 21,870 teachers out of which 16,627 were male and 5,249 were female teachers.

According to him, the board has 2,458 public primary schools across the 34 local government areas of the state.

The secretary revealed that the implementation of the home grown school feeding programme has not started yet, but that the state government has provided enough teaching and learning materials in all primary schools.

The state government has provided materials for school records such as class attendance register, admission register, text books, exercise books and chalks.

ZAMFARA

Lawal Abubakar, Permanent Secretary, Zamfara Ministry of Education, said enrolment of pupils have been on the increase in the state.

Abubakar said that the ministry conduct an Annual School Censors (ASC) at the end of each academic year to assist in planning for the next Enrolment Drive Campaign (EDC).

We have 1,632 primary schools in Zamfara State and 8,951 teachers, in which 7,461 are males, and 1,490 are females.

In 2017, after conducting our ASC survey, we recorded a total number of 638,150 pupils, in which 404,215 were males, while 233,935 were females in the schools,

At the end of 2017, we conducted the EDC survey and discovered that the numbers of pupils had increased to 735,382, in which 473,124 were males and 262,258 were females, he said.

The permanent secretary said that the increase was as a result of the school feeding programme introduced by the federal government in 2017.

The school feeding programme has helped many parents by solving the problem of breakfast and lunch in many homes, as they now encourage their children to go to school, and remind them of the food they will be given, he said.

Ibrahim Mailalle, Director Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry, said that during their visitation to schools, they discovered that pupils performance had improved as they participate well in all school programmes.

On problems encountered in the implementation, Mr. Mailalle said payment to food vendors was not regular.

We asked the people in charge of the vendors, National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, and they explained that it was due to administrative problems.

So if a vendor is not paid, other vendors will supply their own food to the children, but the food will be reduced in quantity as they will have to share it among all the pupils, he said.

Bilyaminu Ahmad, a school teacher, told NAN that some of the pupils now sit on the floor because of the high number in class.

Mr. Ahmad said that the pupils were more active and eager to attend school, adding that most of them were now good in Mathematics, and have showed interest in other subjects.

SOKOTO

Jabbi Kilgori, Sokoto State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, told NAN that 15, 000 teachers are taking charge of the 750, 000 pupils in 2,011 primary schools across the state.

He explained that 60 per cent of the primary pupils were boys while girls constituted 40 per cent, adding that the figure covered Early Child Care, nomadic and physically challenged children schools.

According to the commissioner, the state has from 2015 recorded 27 per cent increase in primary school enrolment.

Mr. Kilgore said the introduction Conditional Cash Transfer scheme which targeted the poor, has helped in raising the enrolment figure.

He disclosed that teachers in the state without the required teaching qualification were being supported to obtain National Certificate of Education, NCE.

According to him, arrangements have been made to retrain the teachers at relevant state-owned tertiary institutions, and at the Usmanu Danfodio University.

The commissioner disclosed that a pilot free feeding programme in six primary schools in Wamakko Local Government introduced three years ago was a huge success as enrolment in the schools had tripled.

He announced that arrangements are being concluded to commence the feeding of 500, 000 pupils in March 2018 under the federal government free feeding programme.

Already, 5,000 cooks and other auxiliary workers have been engaged and have completed all necessary process for the take-off.

Mr. Kilgori said that although the administration met about 150 junior secondary schools in 2015, it has added 85 new junior secondary schools and 23 senior secondary schools.

The effort was to improve access and proximity and for parents to have more confidence in sending their children to school.

Before now, only about 30 per cent of primary school leavers further their studies to junior secondary school due to challenges, but at present more than 50 per cent secure admissions to secondary schools.

He added that school shifting arrangements were made to accommodate more pupils.

Mr. Kigori said the state is getting support from UNICEF on capacity building for teachers and integration of Quranic schools into modern system of education.

He added that World Banks Global Partnership for Education, USAID, Bill and Melinda Foundation, and DFID among others were also supporting educational development in the state including special programmes for the girl-child.

The commissioner particularly said that the DFID is supporting 10,120 girls with N15,000 annually to remain in school.

Mr. Kilgori said the States Consultative Committee on the Development of Education headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, has played important role in encouraging communities to support education pf their children.

Many communities are now constructing classes, renovating and donating temporary structures to accommodate more students.

On budget for the sector, Mr. Kilgori said: Education sector obtained highest percentage in state budgets consecutively in 2016, 26.7 per cent; 2017, 26.3 per cent and this year 27 per cent.

KADUNA

In Kaduna, the government said 1.81 million pupils were enrolled into public primary school in 2016/2017 session.

According to the state Annual School Census Report 2016/2017 obtained by NAN, girls constitute 875,135 of the enrolment figure, representing 48.19 per cent.

The Executive Chairman, SUBEB, Nasiru Umar, said public primary school enrolment as at January 2016 was 1.5 million and went up to 1.8 million in 2017 after the introduction of school feeding programme.

The chairman said that the state has a total of 4,242 public primary schools, and 11, 591 teachers, after the sack of about 22,000 teachers recently.

However, we are in the process of recruiting 25,000 qualified teachers to replace the sacked ones, and the first batch of 10,000 would be posted to schools by second week of February.

Although we require a total of 45,000 qualified teachers to adequately provide quality education in our public primary schools, the ongoing recruitment exercise will increase the number to 36,591.

The remaining 8,409 deficit will be recruited under SUBEBs continuous recruitment programme, Mr. Umar said.

NAN report that the School Feeding Programme in the state ran from January to August 2016, but was suspended due to financial challenges.

John Gora, State Director Higher Education, who heads the school feeding committee, however told NAN that the programme would resume soon.

Mr. Gora explained that under the programme, the federal government was to feed primary one to three, while the state was supposed to feed primary four to six.

But throughout 2016, the state fed all the primary pupils from primary one to six, at the cost of N10 billion, meaning that the state shouldered the responsibility of the federal government.

It was agreed that the federal government would refund to the state about seven billion it spent feeding primary one to three. That was why the programme stopped.

But the federal government has redeemed some percentage of the amount, and so very soon, we will commence the programme, he added.

NAN learnt that the federal government had in July 2017 began the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme in the state targeting 1,045,212 pupils in 3,752 primary schools.

Mr. Gora told NAN that 11,654 vendors were engaged to supply the food to primary one to three pupils.

However, the feeding programme was not consistent due to irregular payment of many food vendors.

One of the vendors, Susan Peter, said most of the vendors now only supply food after getting paid.

NIGER

Report from Niger indicated that 659,173 pupils were enrolled into 3,124 primary schools in the state.

Alhassan Mohammed, Chairman of SUBEB, said 285,599 of the pupils were females and 373,574 males, with 22,367 teachers in all the schools.

Meanwhile, Fatima Madugu, the state Commissioner of Education, said that the implementation of the Home Grown School Feeding Programme began in October 2017.

She however said that the programme was implemented for only two weeks and had to be stopped because of some challenges.

We had to stop the school feeding programme because of some challenges we encountered after two weeks of its implementation in the state.

But I am glad to announce that the number of children that are now enrolled in primary schools has increased, and once the school feeding programme continues there will be massive enrolment of children.

NAN recalls that the state government had in September 2017, said it would spend N1.2 billion every 20 days on the school feeding programme.

TARABA

In Taraba, 560,083 pupils were in the school registers in the 2016/2017 academic session, representing about 5 per cent rise when compared to the 2015/2016 figure of 532,001.

According to Bashir Suleiman, Director of Planning, SUBEB, 305,646 pupils are males while 254,437 are females.

He, however, said that the figures were expected to rise significantly as more pupils had been registered in the 2017/2018 session.

Mr. Suleiman said that 285,000 children of school age were still out of school, adding that they were within the bracket of five and 15.

The Director said that the Federal Governments School Feeding Programme had boosted pupils enrolment in schools, but opined that the scheme would achieve better results if the board was involved in its implementation.

He expressed optimism that the annual enrolment campaign and the World Bank-assisted Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme would further attract more children to enrol in school.

According to him, Taraba has 1,832 schools with 15,670 teachers comprising 10,456 males and 5,214 females.

Nasarawa

In Nasarawa State, the number of pupils enrolled into primary school in the last two years has also risen significantly, with the SUBEB tracing the development to massive infrastructural development in the schools.

According to Musa Danazumi, chairman of the board, many parents withdrew their children from private primary schools to public schools when the infrastructure in the government schools improved.

He said that 347,340 pupils were in the states 1,310 public primary schools, indicating a sharp rise compared to the 287,223 in 2015.

Mr. Danazumi explained that out of the number, 187,490 are males while 159,850 are females.

He said that the board had 15,016 teachers consisting 9,139 males and 5,877 female teachers.

The chairman also said that the Quranic Schools in Awe, Shabu, Angwan Zaina, Laminga, Nasarawa and Toto currently had 1,200 pupils.

He said that the school feeding programme was yet to take off in the state adding, however, that some schools had been selected for the scheme.

The official said that the board had embarked on massive renovation and construction of new classrooms, toilets, supply of furniture, fencing, among others.

We have changed the faces of all the schools and it is little wonder that every parent wants to benefit from what we have done, he said.

PLATEAU

From Plateau, NAN also found an increase in the enrolment into primary schools with 536,850 pupils captured in school registers in the 2016/2017 academic session as against the 523,137 registered in the 2015/2016 session.

The figures released to NAN by Mathew Sule, Chairman of SUBEB, showed that 13,713 fresh pupils were registered in 2017.

He explained that more girls were also flocking into the schools with 260,980 of them registered in the 2016/2017 session, as against the 258,156 in the 2015/2016 session.

He said that 264,981 pupils in 2015/2016 were males, with the population moving to 275,870 in the 2016/2017 session.

According to him, Plateau has 2,420 public primary schools, 307 junior secondary schools across its 17 local government areas, with 15,045 teachers manning the classes.

He said that Plateau had implemented the school feeding programme for children in primaries one to three across the state.

Our target is 297,527 children. So far, it has been very smooth, he said.

On the effect of the school feeding programme on the rise in the number of pupils in the schools, he said that it was too early to correlate them.

It is a new programme which has many factors; it is still faced with some teething problems. We must give it a little more time, he said. (NAN)
The International Criminal Court is moving gradually towards prosecution of Nigerian officials involved in the December 2015 massacre of members of Islamic Movements of Nigeria.

The office of the prosecutor at the war crimes tribunal reached its preliminary conclusion into the killings in December 2017, submitted its findings to the Nigerian government and demanded explanations about the incident.

The ICC said the attack on IMN members, which was carried out by the Nigerian Army and condemned by human rights voices across the world, violated international statutes on human rights.

Also advancing at the ICC is its investigation into the gruesome rights abuses and killings of members of separatist Independent People of Biafra, IPOB.

The group has come under repeated assault by the Nigerian security agencies since October 2015 when its leader Nnamdi Kanu was arrested by the State Security Service in Lagos.

Mr. Kanu was later moved to Abuja where he had been standing trial until September 2017 when he disappeared following a military raid on his country home in Umuahia.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the extra-judicial killing and mass burial of over 120 people in one of several attacks on pro-Biafra supporters in May 2016 by security agencies, an incident described as a genocide against the Igbo by IPOB leaders.

The ICC has submitted its preliminary findings on the Shiites massacre to Attorney-General Abubakar Malami.

The ICC prosecutors said they relied on the different channels of information, including the findings of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State Government.

The panel had found several Nigerian Army officers culpable in the killings and recommended them for prosecution, including Niyi Oyebade, a major-general who was the Grand Officer Commanding of the Nigerian Army 1 Division at the time.

The IMN said it lost more than a thousand members in the attack that took place between December 12 and 14 at its headquarters in Zaria.

A representative of the Kaduna State Government told the commission of inquiry that 347 bodies were handed over by the army for a secret mass burial.

But despite the evidence, the army claimed it killed only seven Shiites who blocked a public road and attempted to assassinate its chief, Tukur Buratai, a lieutenant general.

It said troops only used force after it became clear that Mr. Buratais life was in danger.

The leader of the IMN, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who was arrested by soldiers during the operation, has remained in the custody of the State Security Service more than two years later  in defiance of court orders that he should be released immediately in 2016.

If the ICC chief prosecutor ultimately gives an approval for a trial to go ahead over the crimes, it would mark the first time a Nigerian would be hauled to The Hague to stand trial for crimes against humanity.

But a foreign affairs analyst, Ikenna Nwegbe, said the conclusion of investigation on the Shiites massacre might be a victory for human rights campaigners, but not likely to have any significant impact because of how Nigerian government views the allegations.

For one, Mr. Nwegbe said, the Nigerian government has failed to hold anyone responsible for either the Shiite killings or the atrocities against Igbo separatist agitators.

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Even in the case of Shiites massacre where a judicial panel indicted a major-general, the government didnt take any action whatsoever, Mr. Nwegbe said. Mr. Oyebade is still in the Army till date and even flourishing.

On the basis of this alone, its easier to conclude that the ICC findings will hold no waters where the Buhari administration is concerned, Mr. Nwegbe said.

He also decried the fact that there has been no form of compensation for the victims of the Shiites massacre or IPOB killings, a situation he described as a critical aspect of resolving the crises.

No compensation has been paid to the Shiites or the victims of attacks on IPOB, he said. Instead, their leaders are still in custody despite repeated Nigerian court judgements.

The analyst said a Nigerian government that has not obeyed judicial pronouncements within its borders should not be expected to cooperate with external authorities.

At worse, Nigeria will pull out of the ICC, Mr. Nwegbe said, adding that the ICC is still being disregarded in the case of Omar Al-Bashir, the Sudanese leader against whom an arrest warrant has been pending since 2008 and African leaders have refused to enforce.

The Nigerian government declined comments for this story. For three weeks, PREMIUM TIMES pushed several phone calls and text messages in a bid to get reactions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Tope Elias-Fatile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told PREMIUM TIMES he could not comments because Attorney-General Abubakar Malami did not formally inform the ministry of any development from the ICC.

But during a 2016 meeting with delegates from the ICC, Mr. Malami expressed strong reservations about the investigations being carried out by the tribunal, saying Nigeria will not sacrifice its sovereignty to appease foreign elements.

File photo of IPOB members demonstrate[Photo credit: NAN]

He maintained that Nigeria had the prerogative rights in handling the alleged crimes referred to in the prosecutors 2015 report of activities in the country.

Let me reiterate that Nigeria retains the sovereign capacity to investigate and punish the alleged crimes referred to in the report and will, therefore, continue present efforts in the above direction, Mr. Malami said during the April 13, 2016 meeting.

Responding, the leader of delegation, Phakiso Choko, said that the prosecutor did not intend to compromise the sovereign rights of Nigeria in investigating crimes and meting out punishment.

He said that most cases referred to the ICC were the ones host nations were unable to resolve through internal mechanism.

Mr. Nwegbe said the fact that the Nigerian government has done nothing about the recommendations of a judicial panel or obey court pronouncements on the crises could mean that its internal mechanism has failed.

Mr. Nwegbe said the civil society would be the ultimate beneficiary of the ICC conclusion.

They mere assurance that the ICC is not sweeping the case under the carpet is enough to encourage human rights groups to continue pushing for justice, Mr. Nwegbe said.

Nigeria became a signatory to the ICC statute in 2002, putting it directly under the jurisdiction of the court.

The ICC is also investigating six cases of war crimes in the ongoing war against Boko Haram in the Northeast. Six of the investigations are targeted at the Boko Haram elements while the remaining two are against the Nigerian Army.
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A businessman and chairman of Innoson Group, Innocent Chukwuma, has appealed the decision of a Lagos State High Court asking for his arrest and presentation before it.

Justice Mojisola Dada on Friday issued a bench warrant on the businessman for his failure to appear for arraignment before the court.

Mr. Chukwuma and his company were dragged to the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on allegations of fraud and forgery.

Mr. Chukwuma was, however, not in court for arraignment.

Following application by counsel to the anti-graft agency, Justice Dada ruled that Mr. Chukwuma should be arrested and kept in custody a day before the next adjournment and be produced on the adjourned date of arraignment, March 14.

However, in an application before the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Chukwuma appealed against the trial courts decision and issuance of the bench warrant.

Mr. Chukwuma has also applied to the Lagos State High Court for stay of execution of the order pending determination of the appeal.

J.N. Mbadugha, counsel to Mr. Chukwuma, had during the court proceedings on February 9 raised an objection to the court that there is a motion pending at the court of appeal to stay commencement of proceedings and execution of the courts order of January 17.

He questioned the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.

Mr. Mbadugha also called the attention of the court to the motions pending in the matter, at various courts.

He also informed the court that the 3rd defendant has not been served and as such the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

Mr. Mbadugha, therefore, asked that the court set aside the decision of the trial judge and the bench warrant for the arrest of Mr. Chukwuma issued by the judge.
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The General Overseer of Gods Favour Ministry, Iba, Lagos State, Daniel Onwugbufor, has been arrested for alleged armed robbery.

He was arrested along with an accomplice, Israel Animashaun, by the police in Ogun State.

The Ogun police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said on Sunday said that the two men were arrested on February 1 by officials of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, FSARS, led by Uba Adams.

He said their arrest followed series of car snatching report which the command has been investigating.

Their efforts paid off when one of the snatched car, a Lexus RX 330 SUV, was tracked down to the pastor at his Iba residence consequence upon which the pastor was promptly arrested. This arrest led to the apprehension of Animashaun who is an active member of a three-man gang of armed robbery syndicate specialised in snatching of exotic cars at gun point, he said.

Mr. Oyeyemi said on interrogation, Mr. Animasaun confessed that he and two others snatched the vehicle at gun point in Ajah, Lagos State, and took it to the pastor who helps them sell such stolen items.

He stated further that the pastor only paid him the sum of N350,000 for the car after using it for two weeks before he sent it to his other accomplice in Onitsha who is still at large. He also informed the police that he once robbed somebody of a Galaxy Samsung handset which the pastor bought for N35, 000 from him.

The spokesman said the pastor earlier denied knowing that Mr. Animasaun was an armed robber later confessed and blamed his action on the devil.

He (the pastor) informed the police that the snatched Jeep has been sent to his accomplice in Onitsha but promised to work with the police to get the said accomplice arrested. Efforts are ongoing to get the Onitsha based accomplice arrested, Mr. Oyeyemi said.
A Nigerian lawmaker, Mohammed Usman, has described as poor, insufficient and inadequate the funding for treatment of Cancer, a disease that claims about 10,000 lives in the country annually.

This he said was the resultant effect of the poor funding of the annual health budget which has repeatedly fallen below the 15 percent benchmark of the Abuja declaration.

Nigeria hosted the Heads of State of member countries of the African Union (AU) in 2001. There the Abuja Declaration was made with the leaders pledging to commit at least 15 per cent of their annual budgets to improving their health sector.

Since the declaration, Nigeria has not attained the pledged funding benchmark as the federal government has never voted more than six per cent of its annual budget to the health sector.

Mr. Usman, the deputy chairman committee on healthcare services in the House of Representatives, said the 2018 health budget is even the lowest so far.

This was his remark on Friday in Abuja during a symposium organised by Project Pink Blue in collaboration with the U.S. embassy to commemorate the World Cancer Day 2018.

When you have inadequate funding, there is no way you can cater for a lot of these diseases affecting millions of Nigerians, Mr. Usman said.

He further described the number of functional radiotherapy machines in the country as very inadequate.

Despite having an increasing number of citizens suffering from cancer, Nigeria only has seven radiotherapy machines, five of which are currently faulty.

About half of all cancer patients need some type of radiation therapy during the course of their treatment, whereby high-energy radiation is used to shrink tumours and kill cancer cells through X-rays, gamma rays and charged particles.

Apart from Abuja and Sokoto, there is no other place you can get radiotherapy treatment in the country, Mr. Usman said.

He nonetheless remained optimistic of better days ahead for Cancer patients.

The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, was in the house to defend his budget on Wednesday and he made very sufficient provision and amount of money for cancer treatment in Nigeria so its a step forward.

Last year there was a bill at the Senate and House of Representative, a public hearing was conducted and I am happy to say that early January this year that among the bills which President Muhammadu Buhari accented to was that of cancer so it now means that with the accent to that bill we are going to have a cancer treatment programme as an agency in Nigeria similar to that of HIV.

It will really go a long way because this agency will handle all issues pertaining to cancer and its going have a separate budget, the personnel will be trained and they will have a look at the current situation in Nigeria, he said.

Mr. Usman urged states in the country to allot more of their annual budget to health.

Earlier in his opening remark, the Board Chairman of Project Pink Blue, Peter Edigbo, said the symposium is a yearly event held to create awareness for cancer.

Since 2015, every year we join the cancer communities across the globe to commemorate the World Cancer Day with awareness, policy management, screening among others and launching of various initiatives.

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In the 2015 World Cancer Day, we launched the breast cancer eradication and palliative programme, a programme that trained 43 nurses to become patient navigators helping cancer patients to navigate complex health care system.

In 2016 World Cancer Day, we launched the cancer toll free telephone 08000cancer so people can have access to cancer information.

In 2017, we launched Abuja breast cancer support group with only 9 cancer patients and survivors. Today the group has grown to over 45 members helping each other.

This year, we developed a programme on oncology training targeted to supporting clinical oncologists in Nigeria with thorough knowledge to upgrade oncology care and this programme will be launched today, Mr. Edigbo said.

During the launch, the Project Pink Blue Executive Director, Runcie Chidebe, recounted prominent Nigerians who died of Cancer.

We lost Gani Faweyinmi, Dora Akunyili among others to cancer. These deaths are preventable that is why we are taking a different strategy today.

There is no medical oncologist in the country, but we have radiation oncologists, the radiation oncologist has the skill of medical oncology but its not clearly defined so what this programme will do is that it will work with the association of radiation oncologists of Nigeria to develop a dynamic model that will upgrade their skills in quality of care on cancer treatment, Mr. Chidebe said.

Usually, an oncologist manages a persons care and treatment once he or she is diagnosed with cancer. The field of oncology has three major areas: medical, surgical, and radiation. A medical oncologist treats cancer using chemotherapy or other medications, such as targeted therapy.

According to the World Health Organization, Nigeria among other developing African countries is predicted to expect a 75 per cent increase in cancer-induced death by 2030.
The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Julie Okah-Donli, on Friday reiterated the agencys resolve to partner with witch doctors (also known as Juju Priests) in the fight against human trafficking.

Responding to questions during a meeting with Social Media Influencers in Lagos, Mrs. Okah-Donli said the witch doctors had been unaware of the effects of their practice and had revoked all the curses they laid on the trafficked girls.

The juju priests have a job to do, they are doing their jobs they are making their money, Mrs. Okah-Donli said while reacting to a question by PREMIUM TIMES.

NAPTIP has been able to sensitise them, weve had meetings with all of the juju priests, they said they did not even know, they are now ambassadors for NAPTIP because now they report cases to us.

During a symposium for NAPTIP officials in Abuja on Monday, Mrs. Okah-Donli reportedly said the agency had engaged the services of witch doctors in Benin, Edo State, to curb trafficking in persons.

When we gathered these witch doctors recently to sensitise them on what human trafficking victims go through in Europe they were shocked, the Punch newspaper quoted the NAPTIP boss as saying.

And they have made their commitments to work with us to fight the menace of human trafficking.

However, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, NAPTIP said the agency had not hired or employed witch doctors in the fight against human trafficking.

What the Director-General said was that as part of the agencys efforts to improve prosecution of trafficking cases in Nigeria, the agency is engaging all strata of society to understand their roles in the fight against human trafficking, read the statement issued by Josiah Emerole, Head, Press and Public Relations, NAPTIP.

Bearing in mind that the use of voodoo and administration of oaths on victims is one of the control mechanisms used by human traffickers on their victims, which makes it difficult for victims to open up and assist the agency in investigation, NAPTIP took its sensitisation campaign to Ayelara Shrines, in Edo State, where these oaths of secrecy are administered.

The priests in those shrines were made to understand the implication of the oaths they administer on the victims and most of them have pledged not to work with the human traffickers any longer and have gone as far as assisting the victims renounce the oaths.

On Friday, the Devatop Centre for Africa Development, a nonprofit organisation with focus on combating human trafficking, called for the prosecution of native doctors involved in human trafficking.

But Mrs. Okah-Donli said the juju priests told the agency that they had no idea what was going on with girls brought to them for oath-taking.

All they knew was that the women will bring them that they want to give these girls jobs and they need to swear an oath so they dont run with our money, so that was the impression that they were given.

In fact, when we told them they were shocked and then they revoked the curses on all of these girls and said going forward if any madam comes to them they will report to NAPTIP and they will not administer oath on the girl.

So right now, they are ambassadors for NAPTIP and they are cooperating with us so we cannot arrest them, we need information from them.

The NAPTIP boss disagreed with claims that poverty and unemployment were the major causes of human trafficking in Nigeria.

Most of these people who are trafficked dont go for free. They pay as much as N500,000 to N1 million to be trafficked, so I think its more of stupidity and ignorance on their part, she said.

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How poor can you be if you can afford N500,000 to N1 million? Give N500,000 and I will show you what I can do with it here in Nigeria, I dont need to be a slave in anybodys country. So its not an excuse.

That is not to say that we do not expect the federal government to provide jobs for its people. But the truth is this, not every one of us can work in offices, theres a lot you can do for yourselves, there are so many opportunities the federal government has come up with, there are soft loans, YouWin and all that.

On NAPTIPs fight to combat child marriages, Mrs. Okah-Donli said the agency had already begun the prosecution of some of the offenders.

On child marriages, weve been able to rescue about two girls, she said.

NAPTIP is no respecter of persons when it comes to doing our job, I can assure you, I can tell you that much. Weve been able to rescue two girls, young girls who were forcefully married because as far as Im concerned, a young girl cannot give her consent to marry anybody.

Once we get the report, we rescue, weve rescued two girls like that and weve prosecuted the offenders. So if you know of anybody that has taken a little child and claimed that they are marrying that child, please just report to NAPTIP and see what will happen.
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Hassana Ibrahim, a relative to one of the freed University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) lecturers, Yusuf Ibrahim, has expressed joy over their release from Boko Haram captivity.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the federal government, on Saturday, announced the release of Mr. Ibrahim and 12 other persons abducted by the insurgents in Borno, sequel to negotiations anchored by the International Committee of Red Cross, ICRC.

The freed persons included one lecturer, two geologists and 10 police women.

Ms. Ibrahim, who appeared highly elated, told NAN that the family received the news of the release of her younger brother with great joy.

She said that friends and well-wishers had been calling to register their happiness and rejoice with the family over the development.

Ms. Ibrahim recounted that she experienced trauma and lost hope of seeing her brother in view of their long stay under the insurgents captivity.

My family lost hope of seeing him again because of the circumstances leading to his abduction. We were confused.

We thank God and President Muhammadu Buhari over his commitment to secure their release, we are really grateful to all the parties involved, she said.

Lucy Yunana, a relative of one the abducted policewomen, who corroborated Mr. Ibrahim, expressed the hope that the remaining Chibok girls and others persons in Boko Haram captivity would soon be released.

Also, Ali Ndume (APC-Borno South), lauded the federal government and ICRC over the release of the 13 abducted persons.

Mr. Ndume said, in a statement issued in Maiduguri, that the development had rekindled peoples hope to rescue the remaining Chibok school girls and other persons in Boko Haram captivity.

The development not only gladdens our hearts but also renewed our hope that the remaining Chibok school girls and other persons still in captivity will regain their freedom in due course.

On behalf of the good people of Borno State, I commend all actors that partook in the latest negotiated release of police women and lecturers.

I specifically commend the leadership of the President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping faith with his promise of ensuring that all abducted persons, especially the Chibok schoolgirls, are released, Ndume said.

NAN recalls that the university workers were abducted in July 2017 when the insurgents attacked an oil exploration team in Gubio and Magumeri local government areas of Borno.

Also, 10 police women were abducted on June 20, 2017 when the insurgents attacked a motorcade of police convoy on Maiduguri-Damboa Road.

(NAN)
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President Muhammadu Buhari has sent another federal government delegation to Maiduguri, Borno State, to condole the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, over the death of his father, Yusuf Buratai.

The presidency had on Friday sent a first delegation that comprised the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; defence minister, Mansur Dan-Ali; Chief of Air Staff, Sadiq Abubakar; Minister of States for Works, Baba Shehuri; and the Senate committee chairman on Defence, Abubakar Kyari.

Late Yusuf Buratai passed on at the age of 106 years after a brief illness.

A delegation headed by the presidents chief of staff, Abba Kyari, arrived Maiduguri at 9 a.m. on Sunday to attend the three days post-funeral prayers for the deceased centenarian.

Mr. Kyari was accompanied by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu; Babagana Kingibe, amongst others.

In his condolence message, Mr. Kyari said the president sends his heartfelt sympathy over the death of the deceased elder statesman whom he said had lived a good life of service and sacrifice.

He urged the bereaved army chief and his family to take heart and continue to offer prayers for the deceased.

The president sends his condolence to the family of late Alhaji Yusuf Buratai as well as the government and people of Borno state over the sad demise of our father, said Mr. Kyari who prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest.

The Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, thanked the president for sending two different delegations since the demise of Mr. Buratai on Friday.

He said this is a clear demonstration of the love the president has for the people Borno state and we are eternally grateful for his kindness.

Death is inevitable and very painful. But what is more painful is for the bereaved not to have people around them during the time of their bereavement. But we are very happy that the Chief of Army Staff and his family never lack such great company of well-wishers at this moment of grief.

The mammoth crowd of people that have besieged this home since Friday was not because the deceased was a father to a Chief of Army Staff. No, it was rather a clear testimony of the kind of man the deceased was all his life. He served the world and has lived peacefully with his people. May his soul rest in peace.

Late Yusuf Buratai was a veteran of World War II after enlisting into the West African Army at the age of 18 in 1942.

He is survived by 15 children.
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The FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello has bemoaned the illegal activities of touts and advised the public to desist from transaction on plots of land allocated by the Area Councils until title regularisation process is concluded.

The FCT Permanent Secretary and Chairman of the FCT Land Use & Allocation Committee (LUAC), Chinyeaka Ohaa, made this disclosure at the weekend during the meeting of the committee in Abuja.

The Permanent Secretary stated that this action has become necessary to reduce the knotty cases of illegal land activities being perpetuated at the Area Councils of the Territory and thereby defrauding unsuspected members of the public.

The confirmation of titles of the Area Councils can only be conducted after completion of the ongoing Area Councils title regularisation exercise, and therefore the general public is hereby advised to desist from transacting on the said titles until conclusion of the regularisation exercise.

Mr. Ohaa remarked that by the virtue of Section 297 (2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Sections 18 & 1 (3) of the FCT Act respectively has absolutely vested the entire 8,000 square kilometres of the land in the Federal Capital Territory to the Federal Government of Nigeria, and is being managed by the FCT minister under a delegated responsibility.

According to him, the administration has observed that with the recall of Area Councils Zonal Land Managers and Zonal Planning Officers back to the mainstream, as well as the suspension of land allocation by the six Area Councils of the Territory, the illegal activities still persist.

The Permanent Secretary recalled that the FCT Administration in 2006 had directed the Area Councils to discontinue allocation of land and requested that they update and forward their records of allocations to AGIS for the commencement of the title regularisation for thorough cleaning and validation.

He, however, regretted that the administration has spotted some illegal allocation papers being backdated by fraudulent ex-FCT officials and ex-Land officers at the Area Councils; fake letters of allocations and Certificates of Occupancy in circulation as well as farmers, village heads, community heads selling land in the Area Councils, thereby duping unsuspecting members of the public.

Mr. Ohaa warned the general public to be wary of these illegal activities by fraudulent people; reiterating that all lands in the entire Federal Capital Territory is vested in the FCTA and can only be accessed through application to the Hon. Minister.

The Permanent Secretary used the opportunity to announce that the FCT Administration has several thousands of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) as well as Rights of Occupancy (R of O) for Federal Capital City (FCC) titles unclaimed in the Department of Lands Administration and therefore, called on the beneficiaries to come forward with necessary documents for collection.
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A Borno senator, Ali Ndume, has commended the federal government and the International Committee on Red Cross, ICRC, for the release of 13 abducted persons by Boko Haram.

The presidency on Saturday announced the release of the three geologists and 10 other women who were abducted by Boko Haram fighters in July 2017.

The victims were released after negotiations between the government and the terror group with the involvement of the Red Cross, the presidency said on Saturday,

The ten female abductees, including police officers, are indigenes of Askira Uba Local Government Area in the southern part of Borno State where Mr. Ndume represents.

The 13 abductees regained their freedom three days after the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, in a YouTube video bragged that despite the attacks by the Nigeria military and the claims of rescuing captives from Sambisa forest, he still has the 10 women in his custody.

Mr. Ndume in a statement he issued on Saturday night said the release of the 13 abductees has rekindled his peoples hope on the rescue of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls and other persons in Boko Haram captivity.

It is with great delight that I receive the gladdening news about the release of the ten abducted women as well as the three geological scientists from the University of Maiduguri, who were abducted by Boko Haram in July last year.

This news has not only gladdened our hearts but has also renewed our hope that other abducted persons, including the remaining Chibok schoolgirls who are still in captivity would, in due course, regain their freedom by the grace of God.

I, on behalf of the good people of southern Borno senatorial district and indeed the government and people of Borno state in general, commend all the actors that partook in the latest negotiated release of our women and lecturers.

I specifically commend the leadership of the President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping faith with his promise of ensuring that all abducted persons, especially the Chibok schoolgirls, will be released.

I also thank the ICRC and our military personnel as well as other security agencies who had contributed in one way or the other to see that this great feat is achieved.

We in Borno state have no better way to express our gratitude to Mr President than to given him our assurances of support and massive votes come 2019.

Chibok Local Government is also part of Southern Borno senatorial district, represented by Mr. Ndume, a former majority leader in the Senate.
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Three traditional rulers in Badagry area were on Sunday presented with their staffs of office by the Lagos State Government, reports the News Agency of Nigeria.

NAN reports that the monarchs are Koshoedo Ahisu, the Aholu of Ajara Vetho; Samuel Owolabani, the Aholu of Ajara Topa; and Agano Toniyon 1, the Aholu of Ajara Agamathen.

Presenting the staffs of office to the monarchs, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode restated his administrations commitment to improving the lives of people at the grassroots.

Mr. Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Muslim Folami, said that his administration was committed to the rehabilitation of rural roads in the state.

This administration is determined to give Badagry the development it requires; thats why we have commenced several projects around the ancient city which would be completed in due course.

We intend to make Badagry a tourists haven because of its historical monuments and its proximity to other ECOWAS countries.

We have completed the light up Lagos project in Badagry by illuminating the major streets and other inner ones, he said.

Mr. Ambode said that the state had completed the reconstruction and rehabilitation of tourism development projects such as Heritage Museum, Public Library, the ancient Slave Market, among others.

This shows that the administration would not rest on its oars in bringing infrastructural development to the people at the grassroots, Mr. Ambode said.

He urged the people of Badagry to protect the infrastructure provided by the government.

You are implored to be more responsive to your civic responsibilities by paying your taxes as and when due so that the government can sustain the socio-economic growth and transformation in the state, Mr. Ambode said.

One of the monarchs, Koshoedo Ahisu, commended the state government for the elevation of his status.

He told NAN that he would double his efforts in safeguarding the sanctity of the sacred institution.

Also, Samuel Owolabani and Agano Toniyon 1, commended the state government, noting that their elevation would have positive impact on their communities.

Dignitaries at the ocassion included Olusegun Onilude, Chairman, Badagry Local Government; Akran of Badagry, De Whonu Aholu Menu Toyi 1; Aholu of Kweme Kingdom, James Senior; and Joseph Bamgbose, Member, House of Representatives.

(NAN)
RAMALLAH, Palestine, February 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Arab Palestinian Investment Company (APIC) announced its consolidated preliminary (unaudited) financial results for 2017. According to the reported results, APIC achieved net profit after tax of USD 17.45 million in 2017, a growth of 46% year on year, while net profit attributed to APIC's shareholders amounted to USD 11.87 million, marking 44% growth over 2016. Total revenues grew by 13% year on year and amounted to USD 687 million in 2017. Total assets amounted to USD 355 million as at December 31, 2017, an increase of 7.7% over 2016. Net equity attributed to APIC shareholders amounted to USD 93.8 million as at December 31, 2017, an increase of 9.2% over 2016.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/640722/APIC_Logo.jpg )



Earnings per share grew by 36% in 2017 compared to 2016

In his statement, APIC Chairman and CEO Tarek Aggad announced that the group achieved significant growth in 2017 despite the challenges in Palestine and the region as a whole. Aggad added that earnings per share attributed to APIC's shareholders grew by 36% over 2016 and amounted to 17 cents per share in 2017. He added that earlier in 2017, APIC increased its paid-up capital to USD 70 million by distributing four million free shares to its shareholders, and distributed USD 3.96 million in cash dividends. Accordingly, total dividends amounted to USD 7.96 million, a payout of 12.06% of APIC's paid-up capital.

APIC's market capitalization grew by 116% since listing on the stock exchange

Aggad referred to the significant growth in APIC's market capitalization which amounted to USD 64 million in 2014 (year of listing), and reached USD 138.6 million at the end of 2017 achieving 116% growth since the company's listing on Palestine Exchange. APIC's price to earnings ratio (PE) in 2017 was 11.7x.

APIC invested 7% of its net profit in social responsibility amounting to USD 1.2 million

Aggad highlighted APIC's effective social responsibility role in the communities within which it operates. APIC's strategic social responsibility vision lies in its investment in the education and health sectors, entrepreneurial projects, youth as well as through its support of social, charitable, humanitarian and cultural institutions. Over the past few years, APIC's policy has focused on forming medium- and long-term strategic partnerships with institutions that play an active role in the Palestinian society, assisting them in fulfilling their missions. In 2017, USD 1.2 million was invested in social responsibility by APIC and its group of subsidiaries representing 7% of the company's net profit.

Aggad conveyed his gratitude to APIC's shareholders for their continuous trust in the company. He also thanked the group's employees of over 1650 staff for their hard work. Aggad added that the Late Sheikh Omar Aggad, founder of APIC (who lately passed away), would have been so proud that today APIC employs so many hard working dedicated people who led all these achievements and results.

About APIC

APIC is a foreign public shareholding investment holding company listed on the Palestine Exchange (PEX: APIC). It holds diversified investments across the manufacturing, trade, distribution and service sectors in Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates through nine subsidiaries: Siniora Food Industries Company; Unipal General Trading Company; Palestine Automobile Company; Medical Supplies and Services Company; National Aluminum and Profiles Company (NAPCO); Sky Advertising and Public Relations and Event Management Company; Arab Palestinian Shopping Centers (BRAVO); Arab Leasing Company and Arab Palestinian Storage and Cooling Company. APIC is also one of the founding shareholders of Palestine Power Generation Company and has a stake in Bank of Palestine and Palestine Private Power Company.

http://www.apic.ps

SOURCE Arab Palestinian Investment Company (APIC)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the keynote speaker for the inauguration of the National Press Club's 111th President, Bloomberg editor Andrea Snyder Edney, renowned First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams urged the press to "remain vigilant in using and defending its freedom, and that of all Americans."

Abrams is best known for his successful Supreme Court defense of The New York Times from the Nixon administration's attempt to block the printing of "The Pentagon Papers." The landmark 6-3 decision had a momentous impact on the relationship between the US government and the American media, and reaffirmed the guarantees of the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Speaking from the National Press Club's ballroom nearly fifty years since that Supreme Court ruling, Abrams cautioned the crowd: "These are really dangerous days  difficult days  for the country and for its press. Press protections do remain strong, stronger in the United States as a matter of law than any place else in the world. The question," said Abrams, "is whether it will remain sowhether the press will remain vigilant in using and defending its freedom and that of all Americans."

In her first official speech as President of the National Press Club, Edney answered Abrams' question with a call to action: "If we ask hard questions of our leaders, no matter their political persuasion, if we assiduously pursue fairness and objectivity, if we follow the facts wherever they lead; the freedom of the press will be strong and enduring. That is our charge, and working together, we will keep it."

Edney, a breaking news editor at Bloomberg, first joined the news organization as a reporter in Prague in 1997 and became a member of the National Press Club in 2009. She previously served on the National Press Club's Board of Governors as Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President  and was also the longtime chair of the Scholarship Committee.

The National Press Club

The National Press Club is the World's Leading Professional Organization for Journalists . Founded in 1908, the Club serves its members through activities that bolster their skills, through services that meet the changing needs of the global communications profession, and through social activities that build a vital media community in Washington and across the world. The Club is where news happens in the nation's capital and is a vigorous advocate of press freedom worldwide.

PRESS CONTACT:

Lindsay Underwood, [email protected], (202) 662-7561

SOURCE National Press Club
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FranConnect, the leading provider of franchise management software, announced today that new market research confirms their customers grew 44% faster than the broader franchising market. These results follow on FranConnect's strategic decision years ago to be hyper-focused on helping its customers grow their businesses. Strong unit growth and superior unit economics are core tenants of the Company's value proposition.

FranConnect engaged a third-party analytics firm to collect and parse multiple years of publicly available Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs). The unit growth rates are based upon a comprehensive analysis of publicly available FDDs for 2,185 franchise brands  of which 394 of FranConnect's customers are included in this count. Multi-year data was derived by analyzing more than 6,000 FDDs between 2015-2017. Data contained in the Item 20 of each FDD was carefully collected by a team of data experts and then analyzed by former Bain and McKinsey consultants to determine unit growth rates and to compare the growth rate of FranConnect customers relative to the other franchise brands.

Christopher Fountain, FranConnect's CEO commented, "We embarked on this ambitious project in the Summer of 2017 and were delighted to learn that our customers grow much faster than the broader franchising market." Fountain continued, "We fully realize that we are only one small part of what makes a franchise brand successful. That said, our applications are specifically designed to help our customers grow their units and improve their franchise level economics. The data validates that we are on the right track."

FranConnect also announced that usage of their applications once again grew significantly year-over-year. During 2017, users of FranConnect products logged over 16.7 million hours. During this same period, more than 1.05 million franchise leads were processed by FranConnect.

The analysis of lead volumes across multiple franchisors' systems and associated franchise development activities were the genesis for the groundbreaking FranConnect Sales Index published in conjunction with the International Franchise Association (IFA) in late 2017.

Other notable 2017 usage metrics include:

Greater than 530,000 information assets were managed in the FranConnect library;

Over 24,000 field visits were reported within the FranConnect Field Ops application

More than 2,200 franchise openings were managed within the FranConnect Opener application

FranConnect is aiming to break more records in 2018 and is more committed than ever to helping its customers outperform the market. The Company is not wasting any time as it works towards achieving these goals and will be exhibiting at the International Franchise Association's 2018 conference between February 10 and 13 in Phoenix, Arizona. To arrange a meeting with FranConnect at the conference, please visit: http://go.franconnect.com/ifa-convention-meeting-booker.

About FranConnect

FranConnect provides proven franchise management software to more than 700 brands and 126,000+ franchisees including multi-unit operators and area developers. The company's customers rely on FranConnect to grow the number of units and make them more successful. Only FranConnect comes with Franchising Built-Inexclusive functionality and best practices for the entire franchise lifecycle so franchisors can more effectively manage, track and run their business. For more information, visit www.franconnect.com.

SOURCE FranConnect

Related Links

http://www.franconnect.com


New Great Western Railway Intercity Express Trains for the train operating companys Devon and Cornwall routes have rolled off the manufacturing plant in Italy. They will soon be beginning their journey across Europe to the UK.

The new trains will also allow GWR to run direct services from Bedwyn and Hungerford. The trains will also allow them to serve routes towards Oxford and beyond to the North Cotswolds.

The two trains, number 802003 and 802004 will leave Italy in the next few weeks. They will arrive a few days later at Hitachis West London depot. The trains will be hauled by rail across mainland Europe. The journey will take them via Austria, Germany, and France, before arriving in the UK via the Channel Tunnel.

Two five carriage (802001 and 802002) and one nine-carriage train (802101) prototypes have been tested in the South West of England since Summer 2017. The test programme is being run out of Hitachis newly built Bristol depot.

36 Intercity Express Trains will begin running from London Paddington via Reading, Wiltshire, Somerset and along the coast to Devon and Cornwall and as far Penzance from summer 2018.

Due to Hitachis UK factory running at full capacity, these two trains are having to be built in Pistoia, Tuscany.

Great Western Railways new fleet of trains has also helped local businesses in their supplying parts. The following parts were supplied by local businesses:

Floors from Cornwall (Tiflex)

Pantographs from Somerset (Brecknell Willis)

Braking systems from Wiltshire (Knorr-Bremse)

What did the officials say?

Mark Hopwood, Managing Director at Great Western Railways, said We know how important the railway is to the economies and communities of the South West, and today marks another significant milestone in delivering the improvements we know our passengers wish to see. These trains have been privately financed and will help us deliver faster, more frequent services to the South West with no cost to the taxpayer.

Berry Sas, Projects Director at Hitachi Rail Europe, said We are proud to see our factories producing high-quality trains for the South West using parts sourced from the UK. A strong British supply chain is used in both our UK and Italian factories, and we are delighted to award big contracts to suppliers based along the GWR route. The test programme is moving apace ahead of summer entry into service when passengers will enjoy the benefits of modern intercity trains

Mary Kenny, Chief Executive Officer at Eversholt Rail, who are financing the deal said Eversholt Rail has invested 497m in these new Class 802 trains, built by Hitachi Rail for operation on Great Western Railway, to modernize the rail connection and passenger experience from Devon and Cornwall to London. The despatch of the first completed trains from Hitachi Rails Pistoias works marks a significant milestone in the project for all parties and stakeholders.
WASHINGTON -- It's not easy being on the moderate left these days. Politicians and activists committed to defending both liberal democracy and a practical, socially generous approach to government find themselves constantly torn between short-term imperatives and long-term hopes.

This was brought home last week by two very different political struggles. In the United States, congressional Democrats divided over whether to provide the votes Republicans needed to pass a budget bill to keep the government open. In Germany, Social Democratic leaders agreed to form a grand coalition that would extend Chancellor Angela Merkel's tenure, but the arrangement could still be voted down by the party's rank-and-file.

The contexts, of course, are different. The U.S. is led by an unstable politician who caters to far-right feelings on race and immigration. Merkel is the embodiment of liberal democratic moderation. Trump is pandering to the authoritarian right. Merkel is trying to defeat it.

To that end, she conceded a lot to the Social Democratic Party on public spending, labor questions and European integration, which makes her party's right uneasy. Moreover, given the way the German political system works, the Social Democrats would hold positions in the government as true partners. In the United States, the Democrats have lost both the executive and legislative branches. Yet they feel a responsibility to do what they can to protect social programs and to keep the federal apparatus functioning.

At the same time, Republicans are incapable of governing without help from Democrats. The GOP far right won't give House Speaker Paul Ryan the votes he requires to pass compromises and because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell usually needs supermajorities.

Democrats thus live in a thankless world in which they have responsibility without real power. If they accept less than a full loaf, they are trashed for not sticking to principle. If they turn down what they are offered, they are accused of obstruction.

It's instructive that Senate and House Democrats behaved differently on the budget. In the House, 73 Democrats voted yes, but 119 voted no. The balance was the other way among Senate Democrats: 37 yes, 12 no.

There are a variety of reasons for this contrast, but one is straightforward: McConnell has pledged to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer a real debate and vote on protecting Dreamers, the young immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children but are as American as any of us. Ryan has refused to commit to a similarly open process.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi hoped she could use the threat of holding out enough of her party's votes to push Ryan on the Dreamers. Ryan instead gambled that the proposal contained enough money for Democratic priorities that a sufficient number of Pelosi's troops would find it impossible to vote no.

Ryan was right, because Democratic negotiators got the better end of the deal on the domestic side. They won spending on everything from health care and opioids to disaster relief and infrastructure. Pelosi knew this, too, and praised these gains in a speech on Friday. So while she urged a no vote, she did not make it a test of party loyalty.

When it comes to the Dreamers, their fate depends almost entirely on Ryan: Will he allow passage of a bill satisfactory to the Senate and force President Trump to make a choice? Or will he insist on legislation only acceptable to his right wing? Pelosi & Co. can scream all they want. They still lack the power to force Ryan's hand. It's a reality that's hard to accept with so many lives on the line.

Nonetheless, the choice facing Germany's Social Democrats is tougher. In the United States at least, Democrats are running well in the polls. "In our case, there's some redemption in all of this because at the end of the year, the electoral outcome is extremely promising," said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va.

The Social Democrats, on the other hand, have steadily lost ground in the surveys by allying with Merkel. Forming a government with her again could further strengthen the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) by making it the main opposition. Yet, rejecting the deal would mean walking away from progress on so much of the party's program while risking governmental chaos that could help the AfD anyway.

Because they see compromise as essential to incremental reform, politicians of the moderate left always face dilemmas of this sort. But at a time when democratic values are under challenge, their torment is all the more agonizing.

(c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group
WASHINGTON -- In the spirit of the Olympics, it has long been clear who takes the gold medal for worst performer in the White House. (Hint: his office has no corners.) Now, it's time to award the silver medal to an unexpected choice: White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.

Kelly's triumph, such as it is, comes after serious contenders were eliminated from the competition: 24-day national security adviser Michael Flynn, who barely had time to inflict damage, and adviser Stephen Bannon, who did.

That leaves, somewhat surprisingly, Kelly. He came in as the supposed grown-up in the room, the competent four-star who, if he couldn't corral Trump's worst instincts and behaviors, at least could impose some trickle-down discipline.

Which Kelly, by all accounts, has done. But he has also reaped the whirlwind he was supposed to calm, most explosively with his relentlessly obtuse handling of domestic abuse allegations against one of his most trusted aides, former staff secretary Rob Porter. Remarkably among the Trump administration's unceasing string of problems, this one was not Trump-inflicted -- rather it was inflicted by the very staffer who was supposed to stop the president from self-harm.

Of course, Trump being Trump, he eventually got in on the act himself, with a typically tone-deaf comment that expressed zero concern for Porter's ex-wives and an excess of solicitude for their abuser. "It's obviously a very tough time for him," Trump said of Porter. "We hope that he will have a wonderful career."

It is the job of the chief of staff to head off moments like this, not set the stage for them.

"Every president reveals himself by the presidential portraits he hangs in the Roosevelt Room, and by the person he picks as his chief of staff," historian Richard Norton Smith told Chris Whipple, author of "The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency."

If so, Trump's first definition, in the person of Reince Priebus, was as an executive who preferred to surround himself by toadies prepared to pay the price of slathering Trump with praise and constitutionally incapable of standing up to him. The most vivid illustration came during Trump's first full cabinet meeting, last June, when Priebus gushed, "we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that you've given us to serve your agenda and the American people." That devotion proved insufficient, with Priebus ousted the next month.

Trump's beef with Priebus, as The Washington Post reported on the occasion of his firing, was that Priebus was "weak, weak, weak." Kelly's allure, for Trump chief of staff 2.0, was his standing as one of "my generals," as Trump likes to call them. Just as Priebus revealed Trump's insatiable desire for stroking, Kelly illustrated his unsettling attraction to strongmen.

Chief of staff is a thankless, impossible job for every president. Trump makes the chief's task Herculean. So it's hard to blame Kelly for implementing his own version of the Serenity Prayer, and accepting that there was no way to control the presidential Twitter feed.

The problem, as it turned out, was that Kelly not only reinforced some of Trump's worst instincts -- he displayed them himself. Where Trump resisted condemning white separatists protesting the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville last summer, Kelly followed a few months later with a paean to Lee as "an honorable man" and asserting that "the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War."

Likewise, Kelly seems to share Trump's inclination to escalate and allergy to apology. After Kelly attacked Florida Democrat Rep. Frederica Wilson as an "empty barrel" and a video showed that he had misrepresented her comments, Kelly vowed that he would "never" apologize.

So Kelly's start-to-finish botching of the Porter situation was of a piece with his faltering past performance, and in line with Trump's own dismissive attitude toward domestic violence. Kelly wasn't "fully aware" of the allegations against Porter? If so, only because he failed to take them seriously. He cared more about keeping one of the few capable people inside the West Wing at his side than about having an accused abuser on the staff.

When the Porter story broke, Kelly's response was classic, Trumpian bravado: to urge Porter to fight on and issue a statement praising him as "a man of true integrity and honor." It took more than a dozen hours after the stomach-churning photograph surfaced of Porter's bruised ex-wife for Kelly to pronounce himself "shocked." Right. Too shocked to respond in real time.

In short, Trump and Kelly deserve one another. Their country deserves better.

(c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group
Just outside of Athens in the town of Bogart lies a 98-acre property, most of which is untouched woods, called Earthsong. The first thing one 
Mardi Gras in Athens is drastically different from Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana. There most likely will not be a huge parade that fill
A procession of people will once again spread a message of love and freedom as they walk the streets of San Francisco unclothed in the annual Nude Valentine's Parade.

The event secured a permit in January and is slated to occur Feb. 17, following a route that starts at Jane Warner Plaza in the Castro and ends on the steps of City Hall.

Gypsy Taub, a 48-year-old nude activist, founded the parade after the city introduced restrictions around public nudity in 2013. Up to 100 people have attended past events and many paint their bodies and hold signs with statements advocating for peace, love and nudity.

Taub will be out of the country on Valentine's Day this year, and there was some concern the parade might not occur.

"There were two sets of applications and one had to be destroyed because the lead organizer in the past won't be here for the event," says Giovanni Vassallo, who is helping organize this year's parade. "The police department didn't want an application from someone who wasn't going to be there."

Vassallo, who also works as an administrative officer at UCSF, offered to help because he wants to keep alive an event that he sees as celebrating "interconnectedness and interdependence."

"Valentine's Day is all about love and, if you ask me, the best love is altruistic, genuine love that's not selfish and that includes loving ourselves and all others and that includes loving our bodies," Vassallo says. "The body isn't something you can ignore. It's the celebration of our inherent core goodness."

Michael Capuano of Long Island, N.Y., will be flying across the country with his wife to walk in the buff, as he feels public places and events where nudity is allowed are disappearing and he wants to support the few that still exist.

Capuano says several years ago nudity was banned at the beaches in his community. He thinks this was a mistake.

"If you go to the regular beaches, there are fights and alcohol and extreme rowdiness," he says. "You find on nude beaches it's calm and peaceful."

People will begin gathering for the parade between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Feb. 17 and the walk is slated to start at 11 a.m. sharp.
SALISBURY  A local Democrat and Board of Finance member has announced her candidacy for the 64th District House seat held by Republican Brian Ohler.

Maria Horn, of Salisbury, said she is reacting to the needs and political climate of the moment. After the November 2016 election, she worried about Republican efforts at the national level to tear at and dismantle the social safety net.

If youre afraid of a health-care crisis just completely wiping your family out like Russian roulette, youre not going to be able to take a new job. Youre not going to be able to start a new business. Youre not going to be able to take a risk, take the time that your child is in the right school, is getting a good education, said Horn. Youre not going to be able to do any of those things. If we cant provide basic, stable security for the people of our state, then thats like putting handcuffs on them. That is, ultimately, what tipped me over to paying a lot of attention to state government.

Horn has spent her professional life as a standard-bearer for the causes near-and-dear to her, she said Monday  both as a federal prosecutor in New York and in the nonprofit world.

In recent years, she has been largely concerned with the latter. Among other roles, she is the current president of the Indian Mountain School Board of Trustees and a board member at the Sharon-based Womens Support Services.

She announced her candidacy to represent the 64th District, which includes Falls Village, Kent, Cornwall, Sharon, Salisbury, Norfolk, North Canaan and portions of Goshen and Torrington, this past weekend.

If elected, she said she would hope to institute long-term investment and change in Connecticut, aiming to create attractive, viable communities for businesses and residents, instead of short-term budget cuts and passing issues down to municipalities.

Horn noted health care, including the opiate crisis; the importance of providing a quality education for each child in public schools; and aiding policies that lead to economic growth as issues meaningful to her.

Politics is not identity-based for her, she said  its about the specifics of the issues at hand.

Raised in a Republican household, she became a Democrat with an eye toward the value of realistic, evidence-based policies, concerned the party of her youth was leaving them behind.

For me, being a Democrat is a series of issues that I believe in. Its not a label; its not red team versus blue team, said Horn. Its about looking expressly at the particular issues that were working on and trying to find common ground  some of them should be bipartisan.

In the nonprofit world, Horn said she sought to build constituencies and bring together a disparate group of volunteers for a common cause.

As a federal prosecutor, she strove to do the right thing and determine the truth. The job required her to be persuasive to juries of varied backgrounds and beliefs and to build and maintain credibility over time.

Youre a repeat player  your credibility, your accountability are extremely important, she said. They remember you from the last time you were there, so if you dont back up what you said the first time, theyre going to not believe you the next time. I think that sort of lesson in being consistent and credible and accountable and following through on what youre going to do is very important.

Horn said her husbands ties to the area brought her to Salisbury. Hesitant at first, she said she has fallen in love with the Northwest Corner and gotten to know people who are civic-minded, with hidden depths and experiences.

Horn said shes excited to have the chance to meet and speak with people as part of her campaign, particularly those invested in their communities. She said she likes incumbent Ohler, of North Canaan, and has no intention of attacking him in her campaign. Ohler was elected for his first term in office in November 2016, succeeding longtime state Rep. Roberta Willis.

Horn said she would be an effective champion for the causes at hand.

Im good at listening to other people; Im good at synthesizing issues; and Im good at advocating for them, said Horn. I have been an advocate, of one form or another, all my life.

More information about Horns campaign is available at https://www.mariaisrunning.com/ and her Facebook page, facebook.com/mariaisrunning/.

Parties have until May 29 to choose candidates for the November 2018 election.

Reach Ben Lambert at william.lambert@hearstmediact.com.
Dream Big! Competition under way

The Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) is asking Connecticut students in grades K-8 to answer the question What do you want to be when you grow up? for a chance to win up to a $1,000 CHET college savings account contribution. A total of $26,000 will be awarded statewide.

To enter the Dream Big! competition, kindergarten through third graders are asked to share artwork depicting what they want to do after they go to college. Fourth through eighth grade students are asked to answer in a 250 word essay how they will change the world after college.

The Dream Big! Competition is sponsored by the State Treasurers Office, TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. and CHET. Entry deadline is March 30. Printable entry forms, official rules and additional details can be found at www.CHETDreamBig.com.

Veneta Ladies Bunco For Scholarships is April 6

TORRINGTON  The annual Veneta Ladies Bunco For Scholarships will be held Friday, April 6. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and games begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Veneta Society, 108 Central Avenue, Torrington.

Registration is $20 per person, which includes snacks, desserts, soft drinks, coffee, tea and water provided, with a cash bar, and penny auction and game prizes. Registration is limited to 80 players and the deadline is March 30.

If you are paying for more than one participant please include all their names with payment. For more information, call 860-294-1423 and-leavea message, see our FaceBook event or email email venetabunco18@gmail.com.

Historical society invites applicants

The Harwinton Historical Society is offering a $1,000 scholarship to students who are residents of Harwinton and/or active with the Harwinton Historical Society. The scholarship is to be used to pursue post-secondary education by a graduating senior or by a student pursuing education beyond the high school level. The applicant must show an interest in History/Social Science through course work and/or experiences.

The scholarship application is available on line at www.harwintonhistory.com/historical society.htm, at area guidance departments, at the Harwinton public library and the Harwinton town hall. The due date is April 15 and can be mailed to Harwinton Historical Society, P.O. Box 84, Harwinton,

CHH Auxiliary offers healthcare scholarships

TORRINGTON  The Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH) Auxiliary is offering ten $1,000 scholarships to local students pursuing an education in the healthcare field. Two additional scholarships, the Doctor Alfred Fabro Award and the Doctor Joseph Curi award will also be presented in the amount of $1,000 each.

Applicants must be planning to matriculate at a college or institution of higher education for a healthcare degree prior to applying and accepted before the scholarship is awarded; or be currently working toward a degree or certificate in healthcare and planning a healthcare career. Applicants must reside in a community served by Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and are not available to CHH employees due to their access to the hospitals Employee Tuition Reimbursement Program.

Applications and instructions for completing the application may be obtained by e-mailing CHHscholarship@gmail.com. Area colleges and high schools also have applications available on line through their Guidance Departments.

All completed applications must be printed out and sent by mail, postmarked no later than March 14. Send finalized applications to the attention of Judith Hogan, 15 Minerva Lane, Litchfield, CT, 06759. A letter will be sent to all applicants the first week of May notifying them of their status. Recipients of the scholarships are expected to be present at the award ceremony scheduled for May 8 at 7 p.m.

For more information call 860-567-4381.

Scholarship applications now available

The Greenwoods Scholarship Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that manages funds from individual and corporate donors in northwest Connecticut and makes awards to recipients in the names of individual scholarship accounts. Students who are residents of Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Hartland, New Hartford, Norfolk and Winchester, as well as students at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, are eligible to receive a Greenwoods Scholarship. High school graduates and those already matriculated in a college or university may apply. Application forms and instructions may be obtained online at www.gsfct.org or from The Gilbert School, Northwestern Regional #7, Explorations, Oliver Wolcott Technical School, the Hartland Town Hall, and the Financial Aid Office at NCCC.

Last year the Greenwoods Scholarship Foundation distributed scholarships valued at $110,000 to 79 recipients. In addition, the Foundation also gave a $ 9,000 Allied Health Grant to Northwestern Connecticut Community College. All applications must be returned to the high school counseling office, mailed to Greenwoods Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 834, Winsted, CT 06098 or faxed to Mrs. DePaoli at 860-379-0618 by Feb. 15.

Students can apply for scholarships

The Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation is awarding scholarships for the 2018-2019 academic year. Scholarship applications are now available for the more than $150,000 available to area students. Scholarship guidelines, requirements and applications are available on the Community Foundation website.

Scholarship applications for the 2018-19 academic year must be submitted by April 1, 2018. The Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation serves Litchfield County with a collection of more than 270 funds from local donors. These funds support nonprofit organizations and provide scholarships to area students throughout the Northwest Corner.

Most scholarships are awarded to residents of the Foundations 20-town service area. The Foundation serves the towns of Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Canaan/Falls Village, Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Torrington, Warren, Washington and Winsted/Winchester. For a complete list of scholarships, visit northwestcf.org/scholarships.

Established in 1969, the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation serves 20 towns in Northwest Connecticut. Its total endowment, comprised of more than 250 funds, has grown from initial assets of $15,000 to more than $94 million. Last year, combined grants and scholarships totaled more than $3 million.
Estonia and Russia have swapped two convicted spies after both men received presidential pardons, Estonian authorities say.

Officials on February 10 said Estonian businessman Raivo Susi was exchanged for Russian national Artyom Zinchenko at the Koidula border post in southeast Estonia.

"The Estonian state helps its citizens whenever it can," said Arnold Sinisalu, chief of the Baltic state's security police.

"Estonia deported to Russia the spy who had committed a crime here, and thus the Estonian businessman could return to the people close to him after being confined for a long time in Russia."

The Estonian man had been arrested at a Moscow airport in February 2016 over espionage charges related to his alleged actions from 2004-07. He was sentenced in 2017 to 12 years in a strict penal colony.

Susi, a co-owner of two companies involved in sales and repairs of aircraft, had been on his way to a Central Asian country when detained.

Zinchenko had been sentenced to five years in prison by a court in Tallinn last year, convicted of spying on behalf of Russia's GRU military intelligence.

Zinchenko, who had been living in Estonia since 2013, was found guilty of gathering and transmitting intelligence that compromised national security.

Authorities in the NATO-member Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania -- all former Soviet republics -- have expressed concerns about Moscows intentions in the region, especially following its 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimea region and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Other prisoner swaps have taken place between Estonia and Russia. In 2015, Russia freed Estonian officer Eston Kohver, who had been sentenced to 15 years in jail on espionage and other charges.

He had spent nearly 13 months in Russian prisons before his release.

In return, Tallinn freed Aleksei Dressen, a former Estonian security official serving a 16-year sentence in Estonia for spying for Moscow.

He had been detained in February 2012 and was found guilty of giving classified information to Russia for years following Estonias 1991 independence.

In May 2017, the Estonia Foreign Ministry announced it had expelled two Russian diplomats, without elaborating.

The Baltic News Service named the two diplomats as Dmitry Kazyonnov, Russia's consul-general in the city of Narva on the Estonian-Russian border, and consul Andrei Surgayev.

"This is another unfriendly and ungrounded move, which will not remain without a response," the Russian Foreign Ministry warned at the time.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Baltic News Service
The German defense minister has visited her countrys troops in Iraq's Kurdistan region to determine the forces progress in the fight against Islamic State (IS) extremists and to prepare for a shift in strategy.

The visit on February 10 by Ursula von der Leyen comes as the German government is planning to switch its Iraqi strategy from training Kurdish forces to stabilizing the entire country through "capacity building," although details on the plan have not been revealed.

She said the role of Germany's forces in Iraq must evolve to meet the "needs of Iraq" after a "period of transition" following victory over the IS militant group in most parts of the country.

Germany has about 150 soldiers stationed near Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish autonomous region.

The countrys mission in the region formally ends in March.

"Everyone knows that IS has been beaten but not completely defeated yet," von der Leyen said.

Earlier in the day, the German defense chief met with the Iraqi leadership, including Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi.

She said Iraqi leaders expressed desires for a "commitment from Germany" for "other forms of engagement," including training and logistics.

A previous planned trip to Iraq by a German leader -- Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel  was called off late last year after the Iraqi government in Baghdad blocked his visit to the Kurdish autonomous region.

Based on reporting by Deutsche Welle and dpa
Iranian authorities have confirmed that an Iranian-Canadian environmentalist died in prison and said his death was a suicide, a claim his son said he does not believe.

Kavous Seyed-Emami was one of the defendants in a spying case and unfortunately he committed suicide in prison since he knew that many had made confessions against him and because of his own confessions," Tehran's prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi told the semiofficial ILNA news agency on February 11.

Activists say there have been other suspicious deaths among detainees in Iranian prisons that authorities have labeled as suicide.

Seyed-Emami, 63, was arrested on January 24.

The Iranian authorities told Seyed-Emamis wife that he had died in Tehrans Evin Prison on February 9, his son said in social-media posts.

"The news of my father's passing is impossible to fathom, Raam Emami wrote on February 10. They said he committed suicide. I still can't believe this."

The family has asked for an independent autopsy, he wrote from an unknown location.

The Iran Sociology Association also questioned the official account of Seyed-Emamis death.

In a statement issued on February 11, it said: "The information published about him is not believable and we expect officials to respond.

Seyed-Emami, a U.S.-trained scholar, had been managing director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, which seeks to protect Iran's rare animals.

He had taught sociology for decades at Tehrans Imam Sadegh University, considered a hard-line institution where future leaders of the Iranian establishment are trained. Seyed-Emami had said he felt it was his duty to teach his opposing views.

A Canadian Foreign Ministry spokesman said authorities were looking into the matter.

The news of Seyed-Emamis death comes as Iranian prison officials said two detainees arrested during the recent nationwide antigovernment protests had also committed suicide.

The detainees families and many activists, however, have disputed those conclusions and called for an independent probe.

With reporting by AFP, AP, The New York Times, Reuters, and BBC
President Hassan Rohani called for unity across Irans political spectrum as the country marked the 39th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, weeks after antigovernment protests spread across the country.

Hundreds of thousands of people attended government-orchestrated demonstrations in Tehran and other cities on February 11, chanting slogans against the United States and Israel and burning flags of the two countries.

In the capital, demonstrators converged on the central Azadi (Freedom) Square, where Rohani delivered a speech.

"I request that the 40th year of the revolution, the coming year, be the year of unity, he told the massive crowd. I ask conservatives, reformists, moderates, all parties, and all people to come and be together.

"When the revolution took place, we pushed some off the revolutionary train whom we shouldn't have," he also said, adding, "Today, we have to let them board the train again."

The rallies commemorate February 11, 1979, when followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ousted a U.S.-backed monarch, Shah Reza Pahlavi.

This years celebrations come after antiestablishment unrest spread to more than 70 Iranian cities and towns in late December and early January -- the biggest protests since millions of people took to the streets after a disputed presidential election in 2009.

At least 25 people were killed and more than 3,000 detained during the latest wave of protests, in which some demonstrators called for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down.

In his speech, Rohani said the country has progressed in many fields since the revolution, but he also pointed to shortcomings.

"Maybe in decision-making, we have had delays. Maybe we haven't been speaking transparently with our people," he said.

The Iranian president also pledged more job opportunities and better economic conditions, as the country's economy still struggles despite the 2015 nuclear between Tehran and world powers that has curbed Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the easing of crippling international sanctions targeting Tehran.

Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while the United States and other countries claim it has been trying to develop nuclear weapons.

Western countries have also raised concerns about Iran's ballistic-missile program, which Tehran says is defensive in nature and not negotiable.

In a show of defiance, Iran put its self-produced Ghadr ballistic missiles, which have a range of up to 2,000 kilometers, on display in a Tehran central street on February 11.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters
Iraqs oil minister says Baghdad has asked British energy giant BP to draft a study on boosting production in the Kirkuk oil fields in Iraq's Kurdistan region that were reclaimed by Baghdad late last year.

Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaybi told the AFP news agency on February 11 that he hoped to discuss the proposal with BP's head, who is due to visit Kirkuk in the coming days.

"I suggested they study my proposal and I am waiting for their reply," Luaybi told AFP.

Kirkuk's oil fields  discovered in the 1920s  have been a flashpoint between Baghdad and Iraq's Kurdish region for decades.

BP and Baghdad signed a previous deal on Kirkuks Baba Gurgur and Havana oil fields in 2014, but the work never started.

Baghdad lost the Kirkuk fields to Kurdish forces that year during a sweeping offensive by the Islamic State extremist group.

In January, the Oil Ministry signed a new memorandum with BP after the federal government took back the control of five oil fields in the area in October. A sixth oil field remains in Kurdish hands.

Luaybis comments come as Baghdad seeks to attract multibillion-dollar investments at an international meeting on rebuilding the war-torn country.

Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi is to lead the Iraqi delegation at the three-day conference, which starts in Kuwait on February 12.

An Iraqi official was quoted by the dpa news agency as saying that Iraq "will present 212 investment projects covering all the Iraqi economic sectors, including projects in the autonomous Kurdistan region.

The official said Iraq seeks to lure investments worth $100 billion at the conference, which will be attended by the World Bank and hundreds of international companies and organizations.

Based on reporting by AFP and dpa
Asma Jahangir, one of Pakistan's most prominent right activists and lawyers, has died at the age of 66.

Jahangir's daughter Muneeze said that the pro-democracy activist died in a hospital in the eastern city of Lahore where she had been rushed after suffering a heart attack.

Jahangir co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and was president of the Supreme Court's Bar Association. She also served as a UN special rapporteur on human rights.

In a statement, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi praised Jahangirs contributions toward upholding rule of law, democracy, and safeguarding human rights.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai described her as a "savior of democracy and human rights."

A fierce defender of democracy, Jahangir was an outspoken critic of Pakistans powerful military establishment and Islamic extremists.

In recent years, she was outspoken over the misuse of blasphemy laws that carry the death sentence.

She was imprisoned in 1983 for her pro-democracy activities during General Zia ul-Haq's military rule and put under house arrest in 2007 for opposing President Pervez Musharraf's removal of the Supreme Court's chief justice.

The activist and lawyer received several awards, including the French Legion of Honor and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and the BBC


Difficult conditions mean the search-and-recovery operation at the snow-packed site of a plane crash outside Moscow that killed all 71 passengers and crew could take a week, Russian authorities say.

"The rescue effort is over. All the 71 people onboard are dead. My sincere condolences to their families and friends," Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov told reporters on February 12.

The ministry said that just two bodies had been recovered by late on February 11. Some 400 search-and-rescue workers were being sent to the crash site.

It added that one of the flight recorders was recovered, but it was not immediately clear if it was the data or voice recorder.

Puchkov said the search operation was being made difficult because we have a big area of scattered wreckage, heavy snow, and complicated ground profile," he said.

The Antonov An-148 operated by Saratov Airlines vanished from radar screens shortly after takeoff on February 11 as it was en route from Moscows Domodedovo Airport to Orsk in the Urals, officials said.

"Sixty-five passengers and six crew members were on board, and all of them died," Russia's Office of Transport Investigations said in a statement.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Putin offers his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash.

Putin put off a planned trip to the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on February 12 and remained in Moscow. A February 12 meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas was moved from Sochi to Moscow.

The White House offered its condolences to families of the victims of the crash, saying in a statement that the United States "is deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of those on board Saratov Airlines Flight 703."

"We send our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and to the people of Russia," the statement added.

Yelena Voronova, a spokeswoman for the airline, identified the pilot as 51-year-old Valery Gubanov, who had 5,000 hours of flight experience, and said the co-pilot, Sergei Gambaryan, was also experienced.

The crew was experienced; the plane was reliable, she told the U.S. television network ABC.

Fragments from the plane were found in Ramenskoye district, some 40 kilometers from the airport.

Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 tweeted that the plane was descending at 1,000 meters per minute five minutes after taking off.

The Emergency Situations Ministry website published the official list of passengers and crew.

Most of those on board were from the Orenburg region, where the plane was flying to, local officials said. Three children and two foreign nationals from Switzerland and Azerbaijan were among the passengers.

The Orenburg regional government declared February 12 a day of mourning in the province.

The Transport Ministry was considering weather conditions and human error as possible reasons for the crash, according to Interfax.

Russian officials denied reports that the pilot reported a malfunction.

The aircraft was manufactured by the Voronezh Aircraft Production Company in 2010, the company's press service told TASS.

Domodedovo airport has been the focus of security concerns in the past. In 2004, Chechen suicide bombers destroyed two airliners that took off from the airport on the same evening, killing 90 people. A suicide bombing in the arrivals area killed 37 people in January 2011.

Russia media reported that investigators conducted a search at the airline's main office in Saratov.

Russian airlines have suffered two large-scale plane crashes in recent years: A Tu-154 operated by the Russian Defense Ministry crashed into the Black Sea, killing all 92 people on board on December 25, 2016.

An onboard bomb destroyed a Russian Airbus A321 soon after taking off from Egypt's Sharm al-Sheikh resort, killing 224 people in October 2015.The Islamic State extremist group said it had placed the bomb aboard the plane.

The crash comes after a report by Aviation Safety Network in January that said 2017 was the safest year in commercial aviation in history worldwide.

The report said that 10 airline accidents worldwide with 79 fatalities represented the first year with fewer than 100 deaths among records dating to 1946

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Current Time TV, TASS, Interfax, Reuters, AP, AFP, BBC, and ABC
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reiterated its calls on Tajik authorities to release prominent journalist Hairullo Mirsaidov, after his pretrial detention was extended by another two months.

Bad news from #Tajikistan: Pre-trial detention of independent journalist #KhayrulloMirsaidov is extended by another TWO MONTHS, Steve Swerdlow, the Central Asia researcher for the New York-based rights group, wrote in a message on Twitter on February 10.

He has been unlawfully behind bars already for over two months, Swerdlow wrote. This travesty of justice should end now.

Mirsaidov was charged in December with embezzlement, forgery, false reporting to police, and inciting ethnic and religious hatred and could be sentenced to 21 years in prison if tried and convicted.

The journalists father, Khabibullo Mirsaidov, has told RFE/RL that his son denies the charges.

The Prosecutor-Generals Office of Soghd region told Dushanbe-based Asia-Plus news agency last week that Mirsaidovs pretrial detention was extended at the request of the prosecutor with a view to conducting a full and objective investigation of the case.

Mirsaidov is an independent journalist and a former correspondent of Asia-Plus and Germany's Deutsche Welle radio.

He is also the leader of the Tajikistani national KVN comedy team, a stand-up comedy competition which originated among university students in the Soviet Union and is still popular in many post-Soviet states.

His case has drawn international attention, with London-based Amnesty International describing him as a prisoner of conscience who is being punished solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression.

In New York, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said journalists like Mirsaidov should be recognized for the important work they do, not locked up on bogus charges.

Mirsaidov was initially detained in his native city of Khujand on December 5, weeks after he published an open letter to President Emomali Rahmon, Prosecutor-General Yusuf Rahmon, and Sughd region Governor Abdurahmon Qodiri asking them to crack down on corrupt local authorities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli military has dealt "severe blows" to Iranian and Syrian forces with a series of air strikes in Syria.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on February 11 that Israel "clarified unequivocally" that it will "continue to strike any attempt to strike us."

The February 10 Israeli air strikes came after the military said one of its helicopters downed an Iranian drone that had infiltrated Israels airspace earlier in the day.

Israel said it attacked Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria, during which an F-16 warplane was fired upon, causing it to crash. It said the two pilots were able to parachute to safety before the jet came down in northern Israel.

Israel said it carried out a second wave of strikes on both Syrian and Iranian military targets.

Syria acknowledged the Israeli attacks on sites within its borders but denied that any of its drones had entered Israels airspace. State media said Syrian air defenses opened fire in response to an Israeli attack on a military base, hitting more than one plane.

Tehran rejected Israels version of the events as ridiculous and "lies," saying Syria had the right to defend itself in response to the strikes.

Israeli warplanes have bombed Syrian targets in the past.

Iran, along with Russia, has given President Bashar al-Assad's government crucial support throughout Syria's nearly seven-year civil war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed since it began with a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.

Tehran, Israel's archenemy, has reportedly sent hundreds of military advisers and fighters from its Quds Force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) overseas arm.

Israel has pledged to prevent Syrias territory being used for Iran to set up bases or transfer high-quality weaponry to Lebanon's Hizballah group, which is fighting alongside Assads forces.

Also on February 10, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders."

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement that Guterres stressed that all parties in Syria and in the region must abide by international law amid the flare-up in violence.

Netanyahu on February 10 said that "Israel seeks peace" but will continue to defend itself against Iran.

He also said he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

"I reiterated to [Putin] our obligation and right to defend ourselves against attacks from Syrian territory. We agreed coordination between our armies would continue," Netanyahu said.

The United States said it "strongly supports" Israel's right to defend itself.

"Iran's calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance, places all the people of the region -- from Yemen to Lebanon -- at risk," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
A 39-year-old Uzbek asylum seeker charged with carrying out the deadly truck attack in Stockholm in April 2017 is scheduled to go on trial on February 13 on terrorism charges.

Rakhmat Akilov is suspected of stealing a truck and mowing down a crowd of people on a pedestrian street in the Swedish capital, killing five people.

He faces charges of "terrorism and attempted terrorism" in the trial, which is scheduled to run through May. A verdict is expected in June.

The trial is expected to focus on Akilov's motives and whether the attack was premeditated and if there was a religious motive.

He is scheduled to address the court on February 20.

A joint investigation by RFE/RL's Uzbek and Tajik services and Swedish news agency TT has found that Akilov was in direct contact with alleged Islamic State (IS) militants in Tajikistan before, during, and after the deadly April 7 attack.

The Islamic State extremist group did not claim responsibility for the Stockholm attack.

Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda told RFE/RL that Swedish authorities have not been in contact with Dushanbe over Akilovs ties with suspected Tajik members of the IS group.

Akilov, who is in pretrial detention in Sweden, faces a life sentence if convicted.

Akilov, a construction worker, was arrested a few hours after the incident, and police said he confessed the next day, saying he wanting to mow down "infidels" in the attack.

Akilov's lawyer, Johan Eriksson, said in January that his client "admits committing a terrorist act" and "admits that he should be convicted" and expelled from Sweden if he is not sentenced to life in prison.

Eriksson added that Akilov had not expected to survive the attack.

According to the investigation, Swedish police found the contacts of several people described as "terrorist-related" on messaging apps like Zello and Telegram on Akilov's mobile phone.

The contacts had aliases like Abu Aisha and Abu Umar, which RFE/RL found to be the same names used by alleged Tajik IS recruiters.



Akilov is a member of the ethnic Tajik minority in Uzbekistan.

RFE/RL Uzbek Service correspondent Sirojiddin Tolibov said they were aliases that only senior IS militants would use.

Irina Zamanova, a 38-year-old Ukrainian who lost her lower right leg in the attack, told AFP news agency that it was important for her to attend the trial and to testify.

"I was walking down the street...and you don't expect something like that to happen...All of a sudden, this truck ran me over, she said.

Several truck attacks have been perpetrated in Europe and the United States in recent years.

The deadliest attack, claimed by IS, came in Nice, on July 14, 2016, when a truck rammed crowds leaving a celebration of France's national holiday, killing 86 people.

With reporting by Swedish news agency TT and AFP


Two children, Evgeny Livanov, 12, and Nadezhda Krasova, five, also died in the horror crash. The plane was bound for the Russian city of Orsk in the Orenburg region that borders Kazakhstan. All passengers were from the Russian region to which the plane was flying, It was an Antonov An-148 aircraft. Helicopters were at the scene as well as rescuers on snowmobiles.



Piece of wreckage

An official of the Emergency Situations Ministry said two bodies had been found at the site. Fragments were found in the Ramenskoye area about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the airport. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. but weather conditions, a technical failure or pilot error are considered. Pieces of wreckage and bodies were found spread over a large area The plane had went into service with the company in 2016. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences and pledged to create a commission to investigate the crash. Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said that the bodies are so badly damaged that identification will have to be by DNA matching. Drones will be used to search for bodies. A postal bag, still intact, was among the debris found.
Theres a new tourist attraction at the end of Santa Rosas Kerry Lane. Its the rising skeleton of a house.

It was only a month or so after last years deadly wildfire tore through the Coffey Park neighborhood when construction crews arrived at the site. Ever since theres been daily hammering, drilling and other sounds that go with a house being built from the ground up. In the patchwork of barren subdivision blocks, there are no neighbors to complain about the noise.

Dan Bradfords new home is the first to go up in Coffey Park since his old one and 3,000 others in Santa Rosa were leveled by the Tubbs Fire early Oct. 9. Now drivers slow at the curb, leaning out the window to take photos on their phones. Neighbors want to know the name of his contractor. His house is a sign of hope.

The 61-year-old says he is lucky  or as lucky as someone can be in a situation like this.

The flames didnt damage his old houses foundation, so he wasnt starting from scratch. He used a private contractor for the work, while nearly everyone else in Coffey Park relied on the more affordable U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which usually cleared the old foundations along with the ruined lot. With an intact foundation, crews were able to build on his former homes footprint. It was that simple, he said.

For the first time since his wife died in 2016, hes making decisions on his own. Some are easy, like moving the kitchen from the front of the house to the back and using cherry wood for the cabinets. Others, not so much: Who knew there were so many shades of white paint? He finally decided on ashen white  it wasnt intentional, but he sees the irony.

So much was lost in the Tubbs Fire. Bradford escaped with his two dogs, Abby and Blaze. The flames took everything else: 15 fly-fishing rods, hunting rifles, family photos, and the ashes of his late wife, Vicki, which were stored in a certain precious Chardonnay bottle in a closet.

It was the same type of wine they drank the night they first met. They had both stopped on a highway pull-out near Salmon Creek, west of Santa Rosa, to watch the sunset. She was divorced and had two daughters. So did he.

They bought a bottle of Chardonnay to share, then drove to the Tides Wharf Restaurant and Bar in Bodega Bay. Afterward, he almost couldnt reach her. She was so caught up in their conversation that she forgot her cell phone at the restaurant.

That was 14 years before Vicki Larsen was diagnosed with multiple myeloma; she died in April 2016, in their home in Windsor. Bradford stored some of her ashes in the wine bottle.

He stayed on for several months in their home, but the memories haunted him. He couldnt shake the image of Vicki in her hospice bed, their family ringed around her in the living room.

Losing her was difficult, Bradford said. There was a presence of her in the old house. I felt it. I needed to go.

He decided to buy a new home. He picked Coffey Park because it was less sterile than other subdivisions in Santa Rosa. Children rode bikes in the cul-de-sacs, and mature trees shaded the sidewalks. Neighbors delivered Saran-wrapped plates of cookies to each other during the holidays.

Bradfords offer for the house on Kerry Lane wasnt the highest, but the owner liked that he was an Army veteran working in the medical field, as a respiratory therapist at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. He accepted the bid.

Bradford had lived in the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house for about a year when the Tubbs Fire took it. Bradford had no time to grab anything  he barely woke up in time to put leashes on the dogs and run  and had to leave the Chardonnay bottle with Vickis ashes behind. It was lost.

Now he is beginning again, brick by brick.

Vicki would know which shade of white paint to pick and where to put the electrical outlets. She always knew what she wanted. When Bradford proposed, a year before Vicki died, she didnt like the ruby ring he had chosen. She returned it and went to Costco. She picked out an emerald. But it also wasnt quite right. She returned, it, too, and decided on a sapphire. That was Vicki.

But Vicki is not coming back, so Bradford focuses on his home and the crews that are building it. Sometimes he brings them burritos or pizza, or a cooler of chilled beer.

The house is finally beginning to feel like his. The yard will be bigger, for Abby and Blaze. The garage will have shelving and safes for his hunting gear. The favorite recliner bought at Cabelas will be reordered. But this time, not in camouflage. Bradfords 23-year-old daughter, who lives in Sacramento, recommended a chocolate brown instead.

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Itll match the leather couch now, Bradford said. Vicki used to laugh at it. She called it the beast. Theres a lot of sadness and joy there.

Bradfords home is going up so quickly that not even the city can keep up. Right now theres no running water. The Fire Department has to expand the neighborhoods water mains to accommodate new fire sprinkler systems required in every home.

So far Santa Rosa has issued five building permits for Coffey Park. Another three have been approved for Hidden Valley and Fountaingrove, which were also devastated in the fire. Rebuilding has been a slow process, and many Coffey Park homes remain to be cleared. They look much like they did in October, littered with debris or flooded like in-ground swimming pools after winter rains.

Bradford doesnt know which of his neighbors are coming back. For now the neighborhood feels like the country, quiet and dark.

The electricity was just installed, and Bradford is hoping to move in in May. Soon hell start planning a housewarming party for the people who used to live on Kerry Lane, and may again. He wants to show them theres hope, that they can rebuild on a timeline.

Hell get to that after he finishes reading every book he can find about Mount Everest. He wants to trek to its base camp sometime in 2019.

The original plan is in May of next year for the hike, he said. If everything goes right with the house, that is doable. I think my experience with the fire and my wife passing have taught me to just live life. Theres so much out there.

Oh, wow, he said, pausing. Here comes another carful of people coming to look at the house.

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn
Unlikely activist channels grief after officer killed... Like many people who have lost loved ones in police shootings, Dolores Piper found that grief can be a gateway to advocacy.

Unlikely activist channels grief after officer killed... Like many people who have lost loved ones in police shootings, Dolores Piper found that grief can be a gateway to advocacy.

Sitting in her home last summer, Dolores Piper picked up a pair of scissors and cut the red tape wrapped around a paper bag labeled South San Francisco Police.

She had received the package months earlier and left it untouched in a closet. Just opening it and seeing the contents, she knew, would send her flashing back to the worst night of her life. But it couldnt wait any longer.

Piper reached inside and pulled out a pair of tattered red shorts. She placed them on her dining table. Reaching in again, she retrieved a pair of underwear stained with blood.

The two pieces of clothing were taken off the body of 15-year-old Derrick Gaines, who was shot and killed by a South San Francisco police officer on June 5, 2012.

Piper held in her pain as she looked at her great-nephews tattered clothes on the table. She helped raise him from when he was an infant.

He was a joy in our lives, she said. He was just really engaging all his life. I think that was his most charming quality. He was a diplomat. A lot of people thought he had a lot of promise as a kid.

For many people who have lost loved ones in police shootings, grief can be a gateway to advocacy. For Piper, 75, Derricks death spurred her to become a fixture at San Francisco Police Commission meetings. Its why shes part of a group working to address racial bias among police. And its why she specifically focuses on officer bias against youth.

It propelled me to look at whats happened, what policing is about, how our kids arent protected by these police, and what suffering is out there among women and men and families who lose their loved ones, said Piper, who co-owns a food brokerage company.

I like to be present at a lot of these (meetings). I dont need to do anything or say anything, but be present there. I feel like thats really, really important  to be there.

David Salaverry, co-founder of San Franciscans for Police Accountability, an organization that counts Piper as a member and pushes for police reform, said mothers and other family members who have lost loved ones in officer-involved shootings can make a difference.

Dolores Piper sports a button asking for justice for Derrick Gaines, her great-nephew. Dolores Piper sports a button asking for justice for Derrick Gaines, her great-nephew. Photo: Leah Millis / The Chronicle Photo: Leah Millis / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Unlikely activist channels grief after officer killed 15-year-old loved one 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

If Dolores and people like Mario Woods mother and the parents of Alejandro Nieto are not present in front of the commission, in front of the politicians, in front of the district attorney, then everything is just abstract, said Salaverry, 66, of San Francisco. Its much easier to ignore if there isnt a victim speaking out. The personal aspect of it is really important.

Woods was a 26-year-old stabbing suspect whose December 2015 shooting death in the Bayview prompted criticism of San Francisco police after footage of the incident was posted on social media. Nieto, 28, was fatally shot by San Francisco police in March 2014, after officers said he pointed a Taser at them. Nietos parents filed a federal civil rights claim arguing that police wrongfully killed him, but a jury cleared the officers of all charges.

In July, Piper attended the second annual Mario Woods Remembrance Day in Martin Luther King Jr. Park in San Francisco. She wore a white T-shirt with the names of at least a dozen people who had been fatally shot by police, including Derricks. She greeted Gwen Woods, Mario Woods mother, with a smile and a laugh before making the rounds to say hello to the others who had gathered at the park.

It feels good to be with these people, to learn how to stand up to these institutions and to question them, Piper said. And it feels more powerful together.

On a summer night 5 years ago, a South San Francisco police officer initiated a stop of Derrick and his friend, who were walking through a gas station parking lot near Pipers home. The officer noticed Derrick making furtive gestures near his waistband, according to a report by the San Mateo County district attorneys office.

The officer, Joshua Cabillo, suspected Derrick might have a firearm or drugs, based on his movements, the report said. When the officer tried to question the boys, witnesses said, Derrick ran.

Cabillo told investigators that a .45-caliber revolver fell out of the boys pants when he tackled him to the ground. The gun was later found to be inoperable. During a scuffle, Cabillo said, he got on top of Derrick and pointed his firearm several feet from his face while telling him not to move.

When Derrick reached for the revolver, Cabillo said, the fourth-year officer shot him at point-blank range. Derrick died from a gunshot wound to the right side of his neck and chest, according to the autopsy report.

Steve Wagstaffe, the district attorney for San Mateo County, ruled the shooting was legally justified.

The role of the district attorney is not to say whether this was a good way to do business, Wagstaffe told The Chronicle. We dont deal with police conduct. Our focus is purely: Was this criminal conduct by the officer, or was this justifiable under the California penal code?

The city of South San Francisco settled a civil suit filed by Derricks parents and agreed to pay the family $250,000, without admitting wrongdoing, said City Attorney Jason Rosenberg.

The district attorneys report includes a summary of events from two witnesses, Jaime Gotai and Claudia Li, that says they told investigators Derrick was shot within seconds of being tackled by Cabillo.

Li said she turned her head just before the shots were fired, according to the report. Li confirmed that in an interview with The Chronicle, but said the report left out several details that she witnessed that contradicted Cabillos story.

Li, 31, of San Francisco, said Cabillo actually tackled Derrick twice. After the first time, she said, the boy ran from the gun, putting him out of reach of the weapon.

By the time (Derrick) had kind of slid and stopped, the gun was pretty far away. Maybe a few feet away, Li told investigators the night of the shooting, according to a tape of her interview.

In a second interview three weeks later, Li repeated that the gun wasnt near (Derricks) hands.

What (the district attorney) wrote out was completely different and not what I told them, because I clearly said he fell down and got up again, Li told The Chronicle. To say that someone tried to pick up a gun and tried to take down an officer, that is not what happened. Thats messed up.

Wagstaffe said investigators had taken Lis statement into account, but that Officer Cabillos description was what we believed the evidence showed and what we believed justified the shooting.

More than five years after Derricks death, Piper still refuses to accept Wagstaffes decision to clear Cabillo  in part because of Lis assertion that investigators misreported her testimony.

This is a heartache you just never get over, Piper said. It comes in waves.

She says she wishes she had told Derrick, who was half black and part Puerto Rican, to be cautious around police. The thought never occurred to her, she said, as a middle-class white woman.

I really couldnt understand the struggles that Derrick had, Piper said. I was pushing for him to succeed in this white world.

Since that night in 2012, Piper has followed Officer Cabillos career from South San Francisco  where he spent nearly six years  to the San Francisco Police Department, which he joined in April 2013. He is now assigned to Central Station.

Joseph Lucia, the attorney who represented Cabillo in the shooting, said Derricks death took a toll.

Officer Cabillo was very affected by this, said Lucia, whose client did not respond to requests for comment. He was forced to make a decision that he didnt want to have to make.

The shooting is not the only incident in which Cabillos use of force has been called into question.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against him and several other San Francisco police officers in 2015 on behalf of a 23-year-old man who said police had assaulted him. According to the complaint, Cabillo and the other officers threw the man to the ground, punched him and twisted his arm while threatening to break it.

The city settled the suit in 2016 and agreed to pay the man $40,000, without admitting any wrongdoing by the officers.

I feel like he was trying to appear as a hot shot, Piper said of Cabillos actions the night Derrick died.

But Pipers mission isnt just to keep tabs on Cabillo, she said. She also wants to protect people like Derricks 10-year-old half brother, Michael Red, another biracial child shes helping to raise.

I had this naive feeling that Derrick would be OK out there, no matter what, Piper said. I almost have a repulsion to the (police) uniform and especially to the guns on their hips. I never used to feel that way, but now I really do. Im not afraid, because I dont think theyll ever bother me, really, but Im afraid for other people.

When a family tries to pursue civil action against a police department, Piper sits in the court gallery. When family and friends of someone killed by police rally to protest, Piper marches with a raised fist. Shes present at vigils, memorials, San Francisco Police Commission meetings and other events  all with Michael beside her.

John Burris, a civil rights attorney who represented Derricks parents in the civil suit against Cabillo, said hes become accustomed to seeing Piper at anti-police-brutality events.

She really has turned into a wonderful activist, Burris said. I am more than happy to see her when we have these rallies. Shes there comforting the moms.

Ive met some extraordinary people in this whole movement who are dedicated and have been all their lives, Piper said. If there is any hope, its the hope of people who just dont give up.

Binders of documents and sworn statements from the district attorneys investigation are still scattered throughout her home. Each day, she wears a pin that includes Derricks photo and says, Justice for Derrick Gaines.

As a way of keeping him close, she finds a way to bring up his name in almost any social situation.

Im here fighting for Derrick, Piper said. And I always will.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi had to stand all day and work all night to get it done, and when she finally wrung a concession out of House Speaker Paul Ryan on immigration, it was her partys first victory in weeks.

Forcing Ryan to commit to a House debate on immigration, after her historic eight-hour floor speech Wednesday and her wrestling with unhappy Democrats on Thursday over a spending bill that promised nothing for Dreamers, showed that Pelosi still has the strength and passion to lead the D.C. wing of the party. And it muted critics who say the 77-year-olds time has passed.

Shell need every ounce of credibility she can muster in the next phase of the battle over Dreamers, undocumented immigrants brought here as minors, because President Trump is dead-set on including his precious wall on the Mexican border as part of any deal to keep them from being deported.

Pelosis challenge will be to redefine the wall as being more about increased border security than an actual, physical barrier. Some piece of wall will have to be built, but it will be mainly symbolic.

And Trump, being the practical dude he can sometimes be, will not only accept it  hell brag about it.

It may be hard for some Democrats to swallow, but if they do, they and the Dreamers will come out ahead in the long run.

Mayors mark: Our new mayor is determined to make his mark on the city in the next four months, something he made clear to me at our breakfast the other day.

I told Mark Farrell, Youd better be tough and brutal, because if you are seen as a nice guy, nobody will listen to you. They will just wait you out.

I pitched him on the idea of turning Portsmouth Square Park and the nearby Empress of China building into a Chinese American museum in honor of the late Mayor Ed Lee, something everyone could go for.

Farrell is clearly pouring himself into the job. But at this stage of his life, its probably for the best that hes not trying to win it for the next four years  not when hes got three young children to help raise.

At the Farrell household, the weekends are for the kids, he said.

An excellent philosophy for being a great dad  but not so good if you want to be an effective mayor.

Snipe hunt: The San Francisco mayoral contest is off to a snippy start.

London Breed backers are targeting former state Sen. Mark Leno for supposedly benefiting from the backroom deal that bounced Breed out of the acting mayors job. Leno notes that Breed is being helped out by a super PAC and declares that big money needs to stay out of the race.

And both Leno and Angela Alioto want acting mayor  the title Breed held at the mayoral campaign filing deadline  to be struck from her ballot designation.

The real story behind all this is that there isnt a cigarette papers worth of difference between the candidates on the major issues.

All are calling for more affordable housing. All are calling for compassionate but firm care for the homeless. All say auto break-ins have to stop and that traffic is terrible.

But none of them has a concrete answer for how they will do any of it.

Its all about them  and none of it is about us.

Movie time: Hostiles. Christian Bale does a great job in this Western, but the movie  and its four revolving plots  is a bit tough to follow. Still worth seeing.

Right answer: Jerry and Anne Gust Brown were having dinner at the St. Regis the other night. So many people came up to say hello that his security team turned into the selfie team to handle all the photo requests.

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A tieless Jerry was clearly relaxed and very accommodating.

At one point, a woman came up and asked the question that all politicians dread: Do you remember me?

The governor, paused and thought for a while, then slowly said, Im afraid not.

She just chuckled, thanked him and walked away.

Later, I ran into her at the bar and asked, Why did you ask Jerry if he knew you?

She smiled and said, I just wanted to see if he would tell the truth  and he did.

It reminded me of the time years ago when then-Assembly Speaker Jesse Unruh was approached by a woman who said, I bet you dont remember me.

Unruh, who was not known for his tact, replied, No, and I bet you win that bet often.

Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com
At the heart of a lawsuit against the Academy of Art University in San Francisco is whether the for-profit school used illegal tactics to enroll students and defraud the federal government out of millions of dollars in financial aid.

For nearly seven years, the nations largest art school  and one of San Franciscos biggest property owners  has succeeded in keeping a jury from hearing the lawsuit that plaintiffs say could cost it nearly a half-billion dollars.

Now the school is running out of options. And unless the case is settled, the Academy of Art is expected to have to defend its practices before a federal jury in Oakland this year.

A similar lawsuit against the online giant University of Phoenix was settled in 2009 for $78.5 million. Another California for-profit company  Corinthian Colleges Inc., which owned the Heald, Wyotech and Everett college chains  shut down in 2015 as federal investigators probed allegations that it defrauded the government.

The case against the Academy of Art began in 2009, when three employees and one former employee approached an attorney with evidence that the school raised their salaries based on how many students they enrolled, reduced their pay if they missed recruitment goals, and dangled trips to Hawaii as an extra incentive.

The federal government bans such incentive compensation so colleges wont enroll unqualified applicants who stand little chance of graduating and being able to pay back their government-backed student loans.

The four plaintiffs, who no longer work at the school, said the Academy of Art did just that. They sued the school in U.S. District Court in Oakland on Dec. 21, 2009, and promptly became federal whistle-blowers, alleging the school was cheating the government out of millions of dollars in student loans and grants. The case remained sealed for a year and a half as government investigators interviewed some two dozen potential witnesses. A judge unsealed the case in June 2011.

But the former employees have yet to testify in court.

Its time to go to trial with this, said Scott Rose, who worked as a recruiter for the school and is the lawsuits lead plaintiff. I would be thrilled to have the opportunity to tell my story to a jury, or the world in general, so these heartless enrollment tactics are a thing of the past.

The Academy of Art says the tactics already are a thing of the past  but that when they did occur, they were legal. The school says federal law permitted them under a safe harbor provision created by the Bush administration in 2002 and rescinded by the Obama administration in 2010. The legal case covers 2003 through at least 2010.

Safe harbor allowed colleges to reward employees for recruiting students as long as the employees were also judged by other qualitative criteria, like work quality and teamwork.

The Academy of Art stands by its position that the university was in compliance with federal regulations, said P.J. Johnston, a school spokesman.

Lawyers for the Academy of Art did not respond to requests for comment.

Rose and the other former recruiters  Mary Aquino, Mitchell Nelson and Lucy Stearns  say they can show that the school faked the qualitative measures to evade the ban on incentive compensation.

Their lawyer, Stephen Jaffe, doesnt fear long-shot gambles. Hes running for Congress to unseat House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco. He also expects to seek damages of up to $150 million in the Academy of Art case, which could grow to $450 million because hes suing under the federal False Claims Act.

The act awards triple damages to encourage whistle-blowers to come forward if they believe the government is being cheated. If the former recruiters win, they could keep 30 percent of the damages. The government would take the rest.

Since 2006, the Academy of Art has collected more than $1.5 billion in federal student loans and $171 million in Pell and other federal grants, according to a Chronicle analysis of federal records.

The former recruiters say that those millions motivated the school to vigorously court students and accept all applicants.

No one was turned away, Rose said. Some students he recruited were so unprepared to afford the private school that he had to help them find homeless shelters so they would have a place to sleep, he said.

That was a decade ago. Tuition and fees cost nearly $17,000 a year back then, including art supplies, school officials said. Today, that total is nearly $24,000. Student housing  in buildings the school leases from its owners  costs $8,200 to $16,400 a year.

The Academy of Art can keep student loan and grant money if students stay enrolled for 60 percent of the semester, known by staff as the stick date, Rose said.

Johnston, the school spokesman, said the Academy of Art has paid out more than $10 million in scholarships over the past six years  evidence, he said, that school officials understand that paying for education can be challenging for many students.

Rose, who was hired in 2006, said a new admissions director at the time created an incentive program with recruitment goals that tied the recruiters pay to the number of students they enrolled.

I doubled my salary in a span of less than two years, Rose said. I was very good at what I did.

As for the other legal criteria for winning raises  being a team player and showing up on time  Im living proof that they paid no attention to that, Rose said, recalling what he said were two-hour lunches and Web-surfing sessions.

I was a terrible employee, except for the numbers I produced, he said. And I knew Id never be fired because of that.

The 89-year-old Academy of Art has 14,000 students, about twice the enrollment of a decade ago, with a third of the students taking courses exclusively online, according to a 2016 review by its accreditor, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission.

The commission renewed the schools accreditation in 2016 with notice of concern, in part because of its low graduation rate. The commission found that of the full-time students who enrolled as freshmen in 2010, just 37 percent had graduated by 2017.

In addition to its position as the largest art school in the country, the Academy of Art University is one of San Franciscos largest landlords, with 40 buildings throughout the city. Elisa Stephens, 59, owner, president and granddaughter of the schools founder, Richard Stephens, oversees a family fortune, much of it consisting of properties that for years were out of compliance with the citys planning codes.

While the code violations vexed some city officials, others, including the late Mayor Ed Lee and former Mayor Willie Brown, now a Chronicle columnist, heaped praise on Stephens, whose art empire does business as the Stephens Institute. The school escaped fines year after year, despite evidence that it illegally transformed affordable residential units into student housing, broke rules on historic preservation and improperly installed its signs.

Ultimately, City Attorney Dennis Herrera sued the Academy of Art and settled in 2016 for $60 million.

Stephens is a society figure who grew up in Hillsborough. She is known for lending classic cars from her extensive collection to civic and charity functions, and pedestrians can see her Bugattis, Packards, Duesenbergs and other roadsters in gleaming showcases along Van Ness Avenue, or up close by appointment.

A 2015 article in Forbes magazine estimated the family fortune at $800 million, and described a chummy relationship between the Stephens family  Elisa and her father, Richard Stephens  and the citys elite, noting, for instance, that Brown has been a regular guest on the familys jet and attends the Academy of Arts annual fashion show. Richard Stephens died in June.

The Stephens family has tried three times to get the lawsuit against the art school tossed out. A judge has refused each time.

Last year, their lawyers filed a mid-case appeal, asking a higher court to make it harder for the plaintiffs to prove their case  and arguing that, even if they could prove it, the loss to the government would be too minimal to be of material importance.

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To dispute that assertion, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a lawyer to argue alongside the plaintiffs against the art school at the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in December.

When the appeals court rules in a month or two, the case is expected to return to Oakland and  nearly a decade after the lawsuit was filed  settle or head to trial.

Whatever the outcome, it is unlikely to help former students like 36-year-old Nicholas, who attended the Academy of Art from 2007 to 2010. He exemplifies the kind of high-risk applicants that the governments ban on incentive compensation is supposed to protect from schools they cant afford, and from loans they cant pay back.

Today, Nicholas has no degree and no transferable credits. But he has plenty of student loan debt.

I just thought I would go to art school and get really good and become a painter who makes a lot of money, said Nicholas, who pays so little attention to the federal student loans he owes that he simply estimates its $50,000. In default, he hasnt paid a penny of it  so he asked that his last name not be used.

In 2007, Nicholas searched for art schools on the Internet and liked what he saw on the Academy of Art site. He contacted the school and offered to show the admissions department his portfolio.

But the Academy of Art doesnt require portfolios and declined, he said. Nor did financial advisers care that Nicholas had a spotty job history and a little bit of bad credit, he said.

He didnt qualify for regular student loans, so the school advised him to take out an opportunity loan, Nicholas said. At the time, opportunity loans were offered by the Sallie Mae company to borrowers with bad or zero credit history. In some cases, interest and fees topped 20 percent. The company eventually discontinued them.

The Academy of Art connected Nicholas with Rose, its top recruiter.

Scott actually tried to talk me out of coming because of the opportunity loan. He said its a really dangerous loan. Really high interest, Nicholas said.

But he was set on attending. He bought a one-way ticket to San Francisco from Krum, Texas, population 4,000. And he took out a $25,000 opportunity loan to cover tuition and a school dorm. The next year he took one out for $16,000, which didnt cover housing.

Unable to afford city rent, Nicholas couch-surfed with friends or stayed in cheap single-room-occupancy hotels.

He lasted three years before dropping out in 2010, discouraged with the Academy of Arts courses and costs.

I never thought about the loans as a bad thing, he said. But I traded in my credit to learn how to paint.

Today he is a street artist selling his work and painting murals. He is still couch-surfing.

Shortly before Nicholas dropped out, one of the recruiters, Aquino, had a financial loss of her own at the Academy of Art.

One day in 2009, Rose said, Aquino dropped by his office and told him the company had sliced her $78,000 salary to $48,000 for failing to meet her recruitment goals. He said she confided to him that she had found an attorney and was considering a lawsuit over the compensation incentive program. Did Rose want in?

I was making money, Rose recalled. But I saw the devastating effects of it. I talked to students about taking out these loans, and the debt they were accruing.

Most of them would never have a degree to show for it.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
Once again, with Valentines Day approaching, its time to spill the spoken beans about romance. All year, every year, a good percentage of conversation is about romance: Looking for it, reveling in it, analyzing it, ending it and building it into a lifetime commitment.

And all year, I collect quotes. So today is the first day of the annual three-day story of love, as told in quotes overheard by listeners all around us.

FREE-RANGE HOPING

 "When I said I was hungry, I meant sexually." (Young man to young man, overheard in Golden Gate Park by Steve Finacom)

 "Fall in love? I can't even fall asleep." (Man overheard on the Muni T-line by Joe Mac)

 "What you need is a wife ... a mother ... a housekeeper ... and a mistress. Without them, you are ..." (Woman talking on her cell phone, overheard walking on the Lands End trail by a passerby who couldn't hear the end, Bruce Powell)

 "If I was going to buy a woman, that's the one I'd buy." (Man to man, overheard on Half Moon Bay walking trail by Susan Hopkins)

 "I just want someone to share my space with, maybe watch a little TV. That's about all I can ask." (Young man at New Montgomery and Howard, overheard by John White)

 "It's called fishin' for a reason. It's not called catchin.'" (Woman to woman, overlooking singles partying scene at a Capitola bar, overheard by Steve Finacom)

 "Just remember, you are who you hang out with." (Young woman to young woman, overheard on ferry to Angel Island by Ann Lehman)

PROSPECTS REJECTED

 "Unless they're only interested in sex, women don't respond very well to 'Hey, Hot Stuff.'" (Man to woman, overheard at Mountain View 24-Hour Fitness by Bruce Berger)

 "Anybody who talks about enlightenment you can reject right off the bat." (Woman to woman talking about online dating, and overheard in coffee shop by Robert Hurwitt)

 "Dude, when she told me she was a Master Way-shower, Ascension Guide and Gatekeeper, I told her I was way too busy." (Man in line at Whole Foods Market, overheard by Tosha Silver)

 "Yeah, it was the usual. A young guy, handsome, tattoos to die for and beautiful inquiring eyes, and the first thing he asked me was, 'Do you want to hear about my new startup?'" (Young woman to young woman, overheard at Jane on Larkin Street by Terence Clarke)

 "I can't date him. He separates his M&M's by color before eating them." (Two women discussing romantic prospects, overheard at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art by Adda Dada)

 "He was only 19. I told him, 'I can't date you if you can't take me out for a drink.'" (Woman to friends, overheard in Half Moon Bay by Bill Shields)

 "She's tall. And judgy." (Middle-aged man to middle-aged man, overheard in Santa Rosa by Greg Brennan)

 Man 1: "It was more than I usually get on a first date." Man 2: "Well, you did have to pay for it." (Conversation overheard at Blarney Castle in Ireland by Bruce Wodhams)

 She: "What are you studying in school?" He: "Civil engineering." She: "Interesting. You dance like an engineer." (Conversation overheard on a wedding dance floor by Bertie Brouhard)

 "No, the other guy. The one who's always reminding me of the difference between allegory and metaphor. Ugh." (Woman to women, overheard at the bar during intermission at the San Francisco Ballet by Roger Thornhill)

SO MANY REASONS TO JUST SAY YES

 "If you buy him fluffy socks, you'll win his heart." (Teenage girl to teenage girl, overheard near Macy's by Adda Dada)

 "I've hung out with him like two times in the past 48 hours. It's like the closest thing I've ever had to a boyfriend." (Millennial woman on cell phone, overheard in the Castro by Jason Bennett)

 Man: "My girlfriend and I are actually polyamorous." Friend: "Dude, can you even spell that, let alone be it?" (Conversation in line at Peet's in Alameda, overheard by Tosha Silver)

 "I know you're really smart and you think about these things, but I think you should think less." (Young woman to intense-looking young man, overheard on the 38-Geary by Laura Jacoby)

Tomorrow: The plot thickens. It always thickens.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik
WASHINGTON  The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to crack down on sexual harassment in Congress with legislation so strict that the Peninsula congresswoman who instigated the effort declared that the problem is fixed.

This is a problem that has plagued this institution for generations, and its over, said Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough.

The key to the bill, she said, is a requirement that any member of Congress who settles a sexual harassment claim personally pay the amount in full within 90 days.

If they cant do that, Speier said, we will garnish their wages, we will garnish their Thrift Savings Plans, and we will garnish their Social Security. Its going to impact pocketbooks of members directly. We are not messing around.

The measure, which passed by voice vote, comes during a national awakening of sexual harassment as a problem following scandals that have shaken Hollywood, the corporate world and Washington.

The groundswell of support for dealing with the issue in Congress developed when Speier took to YouTube in October to recount her own encounter with harassment years ago as a young congressional aide and launched a #MeTooCongress campaign to encourage other congressional staff members to go public with their stories. Eight members of Congress have subsequently resigned or retired.

The legislation would overhaul an antiquated process in Congress that provides legal counsel for members accused of sexual harassment but not for those making the claims. The process further protects members by forcing taxpayers to pay any monetary settlement stemming from a harassment claim and forces alleged victims into mediation with the person theyre accusing. In the end, the whole thing is kept secret.

The House Administration Committee published records showing that taxpayers have paid roughly $200,000 in sexual harassment and discrimination settlements and awards against members of Congress over the last two decades.

The legislation still has to pass the Senate, but a separate resolution governing House procedures will take effect immediately.

That measure prohibits sexual relationships between members and any employee of the House that works under (their) supervision. It also bans unwanted sexual advances and prohibits members from using their taxpayer-paid office funds to cover harassment claims. It provides legal counsel to victims, sets up an employee advocacy office, and requires every House member to develop a workplace policy on sexual harassment and discrimination for his or her staff.

The resolution holds members financially liable for their conduct, and requires publication of any awards or settlements that come out of either the court system or processes within the House itself. The House, which imposed its first requirement for sexual harassment training late last year, must conduct a staff survey every two years to assess the workplace climate.

Speiers bill to overhaul the process for handling claims and the related resolution banning sexual relations passed under a procedure used for legislation that has support from at least two-thirds of the chamber. A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate, and although it has not been scheduled for a vote, Speier is confident of its prospects.

When Speier began her quest for reform in 2014, a modest effort to require mandatory sexual harassment training, she said House Republican leaders shut it down.

It was deader than a doornail in 2014, Speier said. But with the revelations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and others last fall, Speier said the #MeToo movement took off. I decided if ever there was a time, this is the time.

When Speier introduced her far-reaching legislation to address sexual harassment in Congress this go around, GOP leaders embraced it. Speier had nothing but praise for the GOP committee chairs who shepherded the process. Among them was Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala., an employment lawyer for 30 years before joining the House, who said he was shocked by the way Congress was handling workplace issues.

In arguing for her legislation on the House floor, Speier said the issue created a rare and crucial moment of bipartisanship. This is the way you can do it. Men and women, Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, coming together to make this place better.

Members of Congress who have resigned amid sexual harassment allegations include Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. and Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz. Others dropped their re-election bids, including Reps. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., and Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., who until his removal had sat on the House Ethics Committee.

What has given me the greatest pleasure is to walk the halls of the Capitol and to have women look at me and break out in a big grin or smile, Speier said. Its almost like theyre saying, Thank you.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead
Its a paradox: How can paying a quarter of a billion dollars to a rival and issuing an apology be considered a win?

But when Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi agreed to an all-stock settlement with Waymo over its bitter trade-secrets lawsuit against his company, he notched another victory for his cleanup campaign, observers said.

This was one of the biggest clouds hanging over Ubers head, said Bradley Tusk, an early Uber investor and consultant. It didnt burst into a thunderstorm, and now its gone.

Since joining Uber in late August, Khosrowshahi has been trying to wipe the slate clean from a scandal-plagued year as he prepares the worlds most valuable startup for a potential public offering on Wall Street in 2019.

Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google parent Alphabet, said Uber had stolen crucial self-driving secrets from it  something Uber denied throughout the case, including in the settlement. The yearlong case was a distraction, a morale drain and an embarrassment to Uber. Waymos lawyers dug up dirt on the ride-hailing company, with revelations that it used underhanded tactics to spy on competitors.

In one of the many apologies hes made since taking the helm, Khosrowshahi said Uber would henceforth eschew such tactics. His stream of apologies have addressed Uber concealing a huge data breach, accusations of a toxic work culture, and safety issues in London that led to it being banned there, among other issues.

But the trade-secrets lawsuit stood out because of the potential for Uber to pay well north of a billion dollars and see its work on self-driving cars, which it considers critical to its future, hobbled.

Waymo may be one of the most expensive and high-profile cleanups, for Dara, but its part of turning his attention to the future and not focusing on the past, said Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University.

That future needs to include a public stock offering so Ubers backers can see a return on their multibillion-dollar stakes in the company, which is far from turning a profit.

Uber now has to show they can make good on bigger promises about their ability to be a global provider, said Max Wolff, chief economist at the Phoenix Group, a technology advisory company.

Khosrowshahi already placated Ubers Increasingly irate backers  who in June organized a palace coup to oust co-founder Travis Kalanick as CEO  by arranging a $10 billion investment from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank that allowed early shareholders to cash out.

SoftBank obviously was important for Uber to gain stability and trust, and to provide liquidity to investors, said Tusk, who liquidated about half of his Uber holdings, which were worth about 250 times more than when he got them starting in 2011 in trade for consulting work at the brand-new startup.

Uber used to be all about brash aggression, act first and ask for forgiveness later, and management be damned, Wolff said. At some point investors get sick of hearing about the things that go wrong with that.

Khosrowshahi even may have gained an ally. Google, which invested $258 million in Uber in 2013, once had a cordial relationship with the ride-hailing company, as Kalanick recounted somewhat wistfully on the witness stand, saying he had hoped the two would join forces on a robot-taxi service. Alphabet also led a $1 billion investment in Uber rival Lyft in October.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Khosrowshahi was well poised to mend the relationship: As CEO of Expedia, he navigated an at-times tense relationship with Google, making sure the online travel agencys flights and hotel rooms were visible in its search results.

Normally when you have a strategic investment, the parties are friendly, Goldman said. Is this the era of a new detente where they can find a way to collaborate instead of tearing each other down?

Jim Scheinman, a partner at Maven Ventures, which has stakes in several self-driving companies, including Cruise, a self-driving rival to Waymo and Uber now owned by General Motors, saw the face-saving settlement as a smart move by Khosrowshahi and good deal for both parties, but especially for Ubers robot-car program.

Now they can focus on their work without this distraction hanging over them, he said. And it might be helpful to attract engineers to work there. They were losing a lot of people.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
Two paths, one truth: On one side of Mount Burdell is a state park, on the other, an open space preserve. The trails from each lead to the 1,558-foot mountaintop that towers over north Marin and San Pablo Bay. Take your pick on your launch point and unique experience to get there.

Location: Mount Burdell is the mountaintop that rises up in the hills near Novato above the North Bay. On the east flank of Burdell is Olompali State Historic Park, with access from a frontage road along Highway 101. On the southwest flank is Mount Burdell Open Space, with inland access north of San Marin.

Olompali: The park (check with a ranger to say it right) is set in the oak woodlands just west of Highway 101, and is best known as the site of a historic Miwok village with a kitchen rock. That is a rock with mortar holes where the Miwok would grind the seeds of shelled acorns to leach out the bitter taste and create flour. The park also has one of the regions highest populations of small black-tailed deer. Dogs, bikes: No dogs, no bikes on trails.

Burdell Open Space: The area is nestled in the grasslands of the Novato Valley and then rises into hardwood forests with some huge oaks and bays. The trails eventually lead into the state park at the ridge and to the summit. Dogs/bikes: Dogs, permitted off leash if under command, and mountain bikes OK, but not beyond state park boundary.

Mount Burdell summit hike: From Olompali: 5.8-mile round trip with 1,500-foot climb on way up, routed through woodlands, up well-graded switchbacks, emerges in grasslands, with picnic site on top. From Mount Burdell Open Space: 7-mile round trip, includes passing large oaks and bays, loop route available (Mount Burdell Fire Road is routed past Hidden Lake).

The views: From the top and lookout points on the way up, directly below to the east is the Bahia Marsh and Petaluma River Valley, and across the massive expanse of San Pablo Bay to the Carquinez Bridge. To the distant north is Mount St. Helena. To the west is the rural foothill country of Marin and Sonoma counties.

Cost: Olompali, $8 per vehicle, payment only by credit card; Mount Burdell Open Space, free.

Maps: PDF at website; detailed hiking map, Novato  North Marin Trail Map, $8.95 at www.tomharrisonmaps.com.

Contacts: Olompali State Historic Park, Marin Sector, (415) 898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov; Burdell Open Space, Marin County Parks, (415) 499-6387, www.marincountyparks.org

How to get there

To Olompali State Historic Park: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take Highway 101 north for 23.5 miles to Exit 463 for Atherton Avenue (toward San Marin). Take that exit 0.2 of a mile to Atherton Avenue, turn left and drive 0.2 of a mile (over the highway) to Redwood Boulevard. Turn right and drive 2.3 miles to park entrance on the left. GPS: 8900 Redwood Blvd., Novato.

To Mount Burdell Open Space: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take Highway 101 north for 23.5 miles to Exit 463 for Atherton Avenue (toward San Marin). Take that exit 0.2 of a mile to Atherton Avenue, turn left and drive 0.2 of a mile (over the highway) to the intersection, then continue straight on San Marin Drive for 2.3 miles to San Andreas Drive. Turn right on San Andreas Drive and go 0.6 of a mile to the entrance gate and a trailhead on the right (the road dead-ends nearby).

Distance to Olompali: 14 miles from San Rafael, 23 miles from Vallejo, 26 miles from San Francisco (at Golden Gate Bridge), 30 miles from Berkeley, 42 miles from Pacifica, 43 miles from Concord.

 Tom Stienstra
In politics, a candidates past never goes away  especially when it involves his sexual history.

Thats one reason three of the men in the nearly all-male field of candidates running for governor  Democratic front-runners Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, as well as GOP Assemblyman Travis Allen  are spending a lot of time responding to concerns about their inappropriate sexual behavior, which in some cases happened a decade ago.

Their challenge in the #MeToo era of heightened awareness about sexual harassment is that they cant dodge the question. They have to explain how they have changed.

That said, womens rights advocates arent asking any of the candidates to leave the race. Instead, theyre urging voters to watch the reaction of the candidates who have engaged in inappropriate behavior.

How they react  be it with contrition and self-awareness or defensiveness and denial  should inform voters about how to view their transgressions. Advocates also suggest looking at the reaction of the women in their lives as a sign of their evolution.

Did they show some leadership in how they grew from their mistakes? said Christine Pelosi, who chairs the California Democratic Party Womens Caucus and is a board member of We Said Enough, a newly formed nonprofit that began a campaign to bring attention to harassment and abuse in the state Capitol.

Id much rather have a leader who owned up to their mistakes and learned from them.

Pelosi, who has not endorsed a candidate in the governors race, said: Were trying to establish a path to justice. If you make it one strike and youre out, youd clear out the Legislature.

Each of the incidents was different.

Eleven years ago, when he was mayor of San Francisco, Newsom confessed to an affair with an employee at City Hall. That same year, while he was mayor of Los Angeles, Villaraigosa had an affair with a TV reporter that broke up his 20-year marriage. And six years ago, according to a newly released Legislature report, Allen, R-Huntington Beach (Orange County), was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by two women in the Capitol.

Their reactions differ, too.

Last week, during an appearance at the University of San Francisco, Newsom was asked what he would say to voters leery of supporting him because of his affair with Ruby Rippey Gibney, who was his commission appointments secretary. At the time, she was married to Alex Tourk, Newsoms campaign manager, and known as Ruby Rippey-Tourk. Newsom was separated from his first wife at the time.

I would say the same thing that I said (then) to the voters in San Francisco. That I acknowledged it. I apologized for it. I learned an enormous amount from it, Newsom said Monday during an onstage interview. And I am every day trying to be a champion and a model  not just for women and girls  but to deal with the issue that we need to focus on, which is the crisis with men and boys in this state and in this country.

When the incident surfaces during the campaign, Newsom often points to the work that his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, has done to highlight gender issues in her films, Miss Representation and The Mask You Live In.

But in a sign of how the culture  and people  evolve, Siebel Newsom initially wasnt that forgiving of Rippey Gibney, referring to her checkered history.

I shouldnt say this, but there are two sides to every story, Siebel Newsom told The Chronicle in March 2007, just a month after the story broke and when she was dating Newsom. If people did research into the scandal ... the woman is the culprit. The next day she issued a written apology.

But while Newsoms affair may seem to fit into the #MeToo paradigm because it involves a boss-employee power dynamic, Rippey Gibney said, In this particular instance, however, I am doubtful that it applies.

Rippey Gibney, who has remarried and said she has been sober for 11 years, wrote on her Facebook page last week: Yes, I was a subordinate but I was also a free-thinking, 33-year-old, adult married woman & mother. (I also happened to have an unfortunate inclination towards drinking-to-excess and self-destruction.)

Still, Newsoms GOP gubernatorial rival, Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox, ripped him for just passing it off as an indiscretion of his and a moral lapse.

It was an endangerment to his position as a leader of this city, Cox said.

Yet it is not enough to disqualify Newsom from running for governor, said Adama Iwu, a Sacramento lobbyist who started the We Said Enough campaign that led hundreds of women to call for an to end the state Capitols pervasive sexual harassment culture. Nor should it disqualify the others.

To the extent that people show remorse and move on  thats all we can ask, Iwu said. Thats what voters need to hear.

Allen has been more defensive when confronted with allegations of inappropriate behavior. He was the only Republican legislator named in documents released by the Legislature this month outlining 20 substantiated complaints of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior against other lawmakers or high-level legislative staffers over the past 12 years.

The allegations involve complaints in 2013 by two women that they perceived him as being too familiar, and it was making them feel uncomfortable, according to the report. One woman told investigators that while sitting next to Allen during a briefing, he moved his foot over so that it was touching hers.

Allen contends he was just being friendly.

If at any time my friendliness was misconstrued, then it was simply that, Allen said. Nevertheless, if anyone ever felt that if I or anyone else had acted inappropriately, that is their right to lodge these complaints.

The #MeToo movement, he said, is about women who have been violated. This is exactly what has not happened in my case.

The only woman in the governors race, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, tweeted: Travis Allen is now a known predator and should drop out. She has not criticized Villaraigosa or Newsom for their affairs.

Pelosi, the daughter of House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, said the difference between Gavin Newsom and Travis Allen is that one of them said, I made a mistake. I understand toxic masculinity. Travis Allen is still denying that it happened, Pelosi said. When you do that, youre minimizing the experience of the women who came forward. He was admonished, and he knows he was admonished.

Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore (Riverside County), the author of a new whistle-blower law to protect people who work in the Capitol, withdrew her endorsement of Allen after the report came out. But she was hesitant to say whether the past conduct of the gubernatorial candidates should disqualify them.

For some people it is, Melendez said. For others  just look at other people who were steadfast in their support for President Clinton after he admitted to an extramarital affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Voters have to decide whats important to them in a candidate.

In Newsoms case, voters havent seemed to mind. He was re-elected mayor in 2007 with 72 percent of the vote and handily won two terms as lieutenant governor.

Voters have been equally forgiving toward Villaraigosa, who was elected mayor in 2004, often portraying himself as a family man with two children and a happy marriage.

In June 2007, he announced that he and his wife of 20 years, Corina, were separating. Telemundo anchor Mirthala Salinas announced the news to viewers that night. What she didnt announce was that she had been having an affair with the mayor.

Nevertheless, Villaraigosa was re-elected in 2009. He and his wife subsequently divorced, and eventually, his relationship with Salinas ended as well. In 2016, he married Patricia Govea.

Given that this was a consensual relationship that didnt involve a subordinate, advocates say Villaraigosas affair is mostly a concern to his family.

That wasnt his first public indiscretion  nor his first public apology. In 1994, during his first run for the state Assembly, he had an affair with the wife of a friend. At the time, he was married and had two small children, whom he often touted in campaign literature in an attempt to portray himself as a family man. He apologized, he and his wife eventually reconciled, and voters re-elected him twice to the Assembly. He became Assembly speaker in 1998.

I dont think anybody should be judged by the worst thing they have done, said Andrea Dew Steele, a San Franciscan who is president and founder of Emerge America, which recruits and mentors female candidates across the country.

Instead, she said, Look at their record. What did they do for women? What is their policies on families?

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
SACRAMENTO  Under investigation for sexual harassment  including allegations that he invited a young staffer to come home with him  state Sen. Tony Mendoza agreed on Jan. 3 to take a monthlong leave of absence from the California Legislature.

But a week later, the Democrat from Artesia (Los Angeles County) showed up in the Capitol and lingered until the leader of the Senate told him to leave. Mendoza instead returned to his district and resumed routine duties: He presented resolutions to community groups, spoke at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event and escorted high school seniors on a district tour. His staff even sent out emails recruiting interns for the spring semester.

Mendozas behavior showed he had no decency and little respect for the institution, state Senate Pro Tem Kevin de Leon said last month. Even so, the Senate refused to use its constitutional authority to formally suspend him.

Instead, the day before Mendozas voluntary leave was to end, senators rushed to create a new rule allowing them to extend it. After an hour of feverish debate, the Senate passed the rule so hastily that it wasnt even in its final form.

If nothing else, the debacle illustrates that the Legislature is struggling to figure out how to respond to the revelations of sexual harassment that have swept the state Capitol.

Not that there has been no response. Just last week, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a long-stalled bill granting whistle-blower job protections to legislative staffers who report misconduct. Last week, the Legislature released records disclosing, for the first time, substantiated harassment complaints against 18 lawmakers and staffers over the past decade. It has set up a hotline for employees to report problems and seek counseling. And a bipartisan panel of lawmakers has opened hearings meant to ultimately overhaul how the Legislature tries to prevent harassment and handles complaints.

But the responses  some plodding, some flailing  are happening while the Legislature is in the midst of more than a dozen investigations of alleged harassment by lawmakers and staff. Those investigations could be complete before May, when the bipartisan panel will probably be ready to make recommendations on a long-term policy.

Our systems obviously are flawed, said Sen. Toni Atkins, a San Diego Democrat who will take over next month as Senate leader. Its up to us to fix this. But quick fixes? Im more interested in substantive over quick.

The harassment cases the Legislature is now investigating include four that have publicly come to light: Sens. Mendoza and Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, as well as former Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra, D-San Fernando Valley, and Matt Dababneh, D-Encino (Los Angeles County). Bocanegra and Dababneh both denied wrongdoing but resigned shortly after they were publicly accused.

Mendoza and Hertzberg are still in office, but facing entirely different scenarios. Hertzberg remains in good standing as a senator while attorneys investigate complaints from female lawmakers that he inappropriately hugged them. Mendoza is on a leave of absence during an investigation of claims that he made advances on three young female employees, which included bringing a 19-year-old intern to a hotel room and giving her alcohol.

Mendoza has denied wrongdoing. Hertzberg has publicly apologized and said his longtime habit of hugging colleagues was meant to foster a warm, human connection.

De Leon said the allegations against Hertzberg didnt necessitate a leave of absence because they came from workplace peers, not subordinates. But Mendoza called out the discrepancy in an angry letter to fellow senators, decrying what he called an opaque and dark process.

Remember, what is happening to me could happen to you, he wrote.

Senators waved copies of Mendozas letter as they debated his fate last month. Democrats had written the resolution allowing Senate leaders to extend a leave of absence. Several Republicans balked at creating the new rule, saying that imposing a leave of absence amounts to a suspension, which requires a full Senate vote.

The first time lawmakers invoked the power to suspend their peers was in 2014, when they voted to suspend three senators charged with felonies including perjury and accepting bribes. The senators continued to be paid while suspended because there was no provision in state law to take away their paychecks without permanently expelling them from office  an action their colleagues deemed premature before a criminal conviction.

So the Legislature put a measure on the 2016 ballot asking voters to let them suspend a lawmaker without pay. It passed overwhelmingly. The upshot: Lawmakers now have two options to suspend a colleague  one with pay, one without. And yet they created a third path for Mendoza, the nonvoluntary paid leave.

The end result is the same. His physical presence is not here, and thats the thing that counts, de Leon said.

Samantha Corbin, a lobbyist who helped write the October letter that started the movement against harassment in the Capitol, said the Mendoza situation highlights the lack of clarity on how the Legislature is supposed to respond to allegations of misconduct in its ranks.

It speaks more largely to the fact that there isnt a process, she said. Weve put our legislative body in a really uncomfortable position where ... the members of the Legislature are now very publicly being asked to play judge and jury.

Laurel Rosenhall is a reporter with CALmatters.org, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
Crazed robots running amok used to be the stuff of late-night science fiction movies, but for some Stanford professors, that entertaining fiction is close to becoming reality and people need to start thinking about the legal implications now.

Robots have been an increasingly familiar sight in recent years, disarming explosives in Iraq, delivering mail in industrial complexes or bringing drugs to nurses in hospitals. But the coming generation of robots will be cleaning houses, doing security work, helping in nursing homes and handling a widening variety of tasks as their capabilities grow.

As robots leave the factories and move into homes and businesses, there is going to be more and more interaction between regular people and increasingly more competent - and mobile - machines, said M. Ryan Calo, a residential fellow at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. And more contact always means more problems, and the U.S. legal system better be prepared, he said.

"These are devices that don't have a predetermined usage; they're not toasters," he said. "There's a growing concern now about robot ethics, but what's missing from those discussions is pragmatic lawyers thinking about what's going to happen in the future."

Fleeing for lawyers

It's not hard to imagine Americans fleeing clanking automatons gone haywire, experts say. Instead of calling for the Army, as in science fiction movies, they probably will be screaming for lawyers, with the battle more likely to include lawsuits than rocket launchers.

"These are machines that may not be intelligent, but they are increasingly autonomous. They do things without being told," said Paul Saffo, a futurist who's a visiting scholar at Stanford Media X, which focuses on how people work with technology.

So if something goes wrong, who's to blame?

There's no easy answer. In 1997, for example, a woman claimed she was injured by Zippy the mail robot at Pacific Bell's San Ramon complex after the robot ran over her foot and then slammed her into a filing cabinet. Pacific Bell later settled the case for an undisclosed amount.

But what about a potential problem with a much more advanced cleaning robot, Calo suggested, where a pair of teenagers use a wireless connection to hack into the robot's system and use it to trash the house?

Who pays for the damage?

The teens are judgment- proof, because they have no money, he said. But what about the manufacturer, who built the robot, or the developer who designed it or the software engineer who programmed it?

Model: Internet law

That's not only a legal question, but also a technical and financial one as well, Calo said, because companies that could face multimillion-dollar liability lawsuits in the future aren't going to be eager to sink billions into research and development of that next generation of robots.

"If other countries have a higher bar for litigation, they'll leapfrog right over us" in robotic research, he added.

Calo, who specializes in Internet law and privacy issues, says the way liability has been handled in Internet cases provides a guideline.

Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act gives "interactive computer services" immunity from liability for information put on their sites, which means Facebook or other Web site hosts can't be sued for what others post on their site.

"It's no coincidence that most Internet companies are based in the United States, which provides that protection," Calo said, arguing that some similar type of immunity might be needed to protect the robotics industry in the United States.

In 2007, Microsoft's Bill Gates wrote a cover story for Scientific American, arguing that the robotics field was in the same position the computer industry was in back in the mid-1970s. The world-transforming revolution sparked by Gates and others in the personal computer area could be repeated, he suggested.

Those changes are beginning to happen now and bringing problems that have to be dealt with, said Saffo.

"Ready or not, robots are racing into our lives," he said. "But for most people, the first time they're going to really notice those robots ... is when the systems go bad."
If your interest in traveling to Cape Town, South Africa has wavered due to the severe drought conditions there, you'll be as pleased a residents that some rain has finally fallen.

This weekend, the region received less than one inch of rain in the first burst of seasonal storms, which have failed to produce much moisture in recent years. When the rain began to fall, Twitter lit up with the delight of local residents. See BBC's compilation of some of the ecstatic tweets.

Last week, cutbacks on the use of water for agriculture was enough to push "Day Zero" when pipes were expected to be switched off, from April until May.

TravelSkills with Chris McGinnis sponsored by See More Collapse

If more storms continue into the (normally) wet winter season, the dreaded date could push back even more. But currently, residents and visitors are still limited to just 50 liters (13.2 gallons) of water per day. Local authorities suggest only two showers per week-- at just 90 seconds each. Bathing is prohibited.

Currently economy class airfares between the Bay Area and Cape Town are quite reasonable for May trips-- around $1,000 roundtrip on both Emirates and Turkish Airlines, which provide one-stop service to South Africa.

With drought conditions far from over (scorching weather is predicted for this week), local tourism officials have jumped in with some "water-wise" tips for travelers:

-How to save water when you visit Cape Town

-Choose to stay in accommodation that has water-saving and contingency plans in place. Make sure you call and ask before booking, so you know exactly what to expect.

-Re-use your towels instead of asking for a new one daily.

-Try to flush the toilet as little as possible. Each flush uses between 6 and 14 litres, depending on the kind of toilet.

-Use a cup to rinse your mouth when you brush your teeth rather than letting the taps run.

-Limit your showers to under 90 seconds, and avoid bathing.

-Report leaking taps and toilets as soon as you notice them.

-Avoid washing clothes until you have a full load's worth of laundry, or make use of water-wise laundry services such as Green Planet Laundry.

-Take a dip in the ocean and tidal pools instead of swimming pools, and maybe even spare yourself a shower.

-If possible, use a dishwasher to clean dishes. Just make sure you only run it when it is full.

Don't miss: My thoughtful trip to Cape Town in 2010

Are you considering a trip to South Africa, or have you been before? How does the dire drought situation figure into your trip planning? Please leave comments below.

--Chris McGinnis

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Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
The Oakland Symphonys expansive Notes From ... series has generally cast a celebratory spotlight on the music of geographically specific cultures  Armenia, Vietnam, India and more. But on Friday, Feb. 9, Music Director Michael Morgan took the orchestra and its patrons in a wonderfully oblique direction, with a concert at the Paramount Theatre devoted to Notes From LGBTQ.

Is sexuality in its multiple and diverse manifestations a geographical denomination, then? Surely not. But can it be a cultural marker in a field as ostensibly abstract as music? Well, yes  in certain interesting and elusive ways, which is one of the things that gave the evening its distinctive flavor.

Or to cite Morgans characteristically aphoristic summation, which the affable MC Michelle Meow quoted in her opening remarks, The orchestra is so gay.

Not that a single concert program is necessarily the best venue for discussing personal identity and its various manifestations in art (we have academic journals for that). Instead, Morgan was content to assemble a range of standard classical works by LGBTQ composers, and to top things off at evenings end with the premiere of a frothy pop song cycle that touched explicitly on gay themes.

But until the gay subtext was (as it were) outed, it was an open question  and perhaps a slightly touchy one  whether and how the classical pieces by Barber, Britten, Jennifer Higdon and Saint-Saens were informed by the sexuality of their creators. To hear these pieces through a biographical lens involves striking a delicate balance, neither denying the facts of these composers lives (as earlier generations might have done) nor letting those facts overwhelm other considerations.

Fortunately, the musical execution was largely first-rate throughout. The Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Brittens probing, virtuosically expressive tour through four centuries worth of English poetry, got a radiant performance that put a premium on rhetorical clarity. Tenor Jonathan Blalock delivered the vocal lines in high, exquisitely shaped tones, and Meredith Brown, the orchestras principal horn, dispatched her assignment with a combination of robustness and deceptive ease.

After intermission came a joyful and unapologetically splashy account of Saint-Saens Second Piano Concerto (the identification of Saint-Saens as a gay man, by the way, seems to be a matter of conjecture and inference rather than known fact, but its not one Im inclined to dispute). Sara Davis Buechner was a formidable soloist, bringing depth and eloquence to the broad opening movement and gleeful technical assurance to the rapid-fire finger-busting movements  not one but two of them, back to back  that make up the rest of the concerto. Morgan and the orchestra provided nimble accompaniment.

For American repertoire, Morgan ceded the baton to Associate Conductor Bryan Nies. He led off the evening with a superb performance of Barbers First Essay for Orchestra, with its surging string lines and bold, peremptory pronouncements from the brass, and did almost as well with Blue Cathedral, Higdons sentimental and perennially popular memorial tribute to her brother.

Finally there was With the Right Music, a 30-minute song cycle commissioned by the orchestra from Tim Rosser and Charlie Sohne, and orchestrated by Matt Aument. Over four songs, it traces a gay coming-of-age story  first crush, heartbreak, and a hot closing kiss  then sums it up with a witty Message from the Gay Community which reveals the diabolical truth of the gay agenda.

The music was punchy and straightforward, and there was a dashing late arrival by Jonathan Cozart as a charismatic deus ex machina. But the ill-tuned and overamplified performance in the central role by Noah Galvin  fresh from his Broadway stint in Dear Evan Hansen  did the piece no favors.

Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicles music critic. Email: jkosman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JoshuaKosman
When Devin Patrick Kelley took a Ruger AR-556 semiautomatic assault rifle to the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in November, he brought 15 high-capacity magazines that each contained 30 bullets.

How many did he empty?

All of them, a Texas law enforcement official said at a news conference in the days after the massacre of 26 people.

If William Ruger Sr., the late co-founder of gun maker Sturm, Ruger & Co., had had his way, Kelleys firepower might have been much diminished. In 1989, Ruger proposed a ban on high-capacity magazines, which led a smaller rival to call Sturm, Ruger the Benedict Arnold of the gun industry.

In 1994, he said his company would sell a high-capacity magazine only to police officers.

Someone who is not a police officer can buy one made elsewhere, but we cant do anything about that, he said. What we can do is be a responsible firearms manufacturer ourselves. And we believe we are.

Ruger was certainly not a cheerleader for gun control. But considering the tide of mass shootings and gridlock on the issue of guns, his willingness to compromise is worth revisiting.

Ruger, a Brooklyn-born gun designer, took an inventors interest in guns after his father gave him a rifle at age 12. A 1981 profile in the New York Times reported that he read everything he could about guns at the New York Public Library and studied gun metallurgy, gun mechanisms, gun designs and came to regard the gun as a uniquely engineered tool.

He also liked to recount how he once revealed to guests at a manhattan cocktail party what he did for a living.

When you mention youre in the gun business, people look shocked, he said. They infer that you have an utter disregard for human life, which is preposterous.

He said at the time: Theres so much hostility, so many people stimulated to violence. But to be talking about gun legislation as a cure for this is ridiculous.

His position appeared to evolve. A series of mass shootings captured headlines in the following years. Among them, an unemployed security guard named James Oliver Huberty used an Uzi semi-automatic rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol during a 1984 rampage at a McDonalds in California that left 21 dead and 19 wounded. In 1991, an unemployed merchant seaman, George Hennard, shot 22 people dead at a cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, and injured another 20.

With momentum building for gun control, Rugers move was partly tactical. He and his allies wanted to take a responsible position to head off any further restrictions that might even have banned all semi-automatic firearms, Robert Wilson wrote in the book Ruger and His Guns.

Gunmakers are not proposing gun control anymore. After the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre led to the deaths of 20 first-graders and six adults in Connecticut, Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., was a co-sponsor of legislation that would have required universal background checks.

Im a big believer in the Second Amendment, Im a gun owner and take my son shooting, he said in an interview. But at the same time, he said, I think its completely reasonable to make it more difficult for those who do not have a legitimate right to a firearm to obtain them.

The legislation, which was also sponsored by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., failed.

Danny Hakim is a New York Times writer.
Toby Talbot/Associated Press

NEW YORK  The maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin said it will stop marketing opioid drugs to doctors, bowing to a key demand of lawsuits that blame the company for helping trigger the current drug abuse epidemic.

OxyContin has long been the worlds top-selling opioid painkiller, bringing in billions in sales for privately held Purdue, which also sells a newer and longer-lasting opioid drug called Hysingla.
WASHINGTON  The Senate begins a rare, open-ended debate on immigration and the fate of Dreamer immigrants Monday, and Republican senators say theyll introduce President Trumps plan. Though his proposal has no chance of passage, Trump may be the most influential voice in the conversation.

If the aim is to pass a legislative solution, Trump will be a crucial and, at times, complicating player. His day-to-day turnabouts on the issues have confounded Democrats and Republicans and led some to urge the White House to minimize his role in the debate for fear hell say something that undermines the effort.

Yet his ultimate support will be vital if Congress is to overcome election-year pressures against compromise. No Senate deal is likely to see the light of day in the more conservative House without the presidents blessing and promise to sell compromise to his hard-line base.

Trump, so far, has balked on that front.

The Tuesday Trump versus the Thursday Trump, after the base gets to him, is how Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a proponent of compromise, describes the president and the impact conservative voters and his hard-right advisers have on him. I dont know how far hell go, but I do think hed like to fix it.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., scheduled an initial procedural vote for Monday evening to commence debate. It is expected to succeed easily, and then the Senate will sort through proposals, perhaps for weeks.

Democrats and some Republicans say they want to help the Dreamers, young immigrants who have lived in the U.S. illegally since they were children and have only temporarily been protected from deportation by an Obama-era program. Trump has said he wants to aid them and has even proposed a path to citizenship for 1.8 million, but in exchange wants $25 billion for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall plus significant curbs to legal immigration.

McConnell agreed to the open-ended debate, a Senate rarity in recent years, after Democrats agreed to vote to end a three-day government shutdown theyd forced over the issue. Theyd initially demanded a deal toward helping Dreamers, not a simple promise of votes.

To prevail, any plan will need 60 votes, meaning substantial support from both parties is mandatory. Republicans control the chamber 51-49 but GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona has been home for weeks battling brain cancer.

Seven GOP senators said late Sunday that they will introduce Trumps framework, which they called a reasonable compromise that has White House backing. The group includes Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, John Cornyn of Texas and Charles Grassley of Iowa.

Democrats adamantly oppose Trumps plan, particularly its barring of legal immigrants from sponsoring their parents or siblings to live in the U.S. It has no chance of getting the 60 votes needed to survive. The plan will give GOP lawmakers a chance to stake out a position, but it could prove an embarrassment to the White House if some Republicans join Democrats and its rejected by a substantial margin.

Another proposal likely to surface, backed by some Republicans and many Democrats, would give Dreamers a chance at citizenship but provide no border security money or legal immigration restrictions. It too would be certain to fail.

Votes are also possible on a compromise by a small bipartisan group led by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. It would provide possible citizenship for hundreds of thousands of Dreamers, $2.7 billion for border security and some changes in legal immigration rules. McCain and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., would offer legal status but not necessarily citizenship, and require tougher border security without promising wall money. Trump has rejected both proposals.

In September he said he was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which lets Dreamers temporarily live and work in the U.S. Trump said President Barack Obama had lacked the legal power to create DACA.

Trump gave Congress until March 5 to somehow replace it, though a federal court in San Francisco has forced him to continue its protections.

Alan Fram is an Associated Press writer.
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. (AP)  A couple who abandoned their workaday lives to buy a sailboat for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure instead lost almost everything when it sank on day two of their journey off Florida.

News outlets report that Tanner Broadwell, Nikki Walsh and their pet pug escaped injury when the 28-foot boat hit something and capsized Wednesday in the Gulf of Mexico near Madeira Beach. But the couple says just about everything else on the boat floated away.

"How do I have everything," Walsh told the Tampa Bay Times, "and end up in a s----- hotel with nothing?"

VIDEO: Whales surround a boat in amazing drone footage. Story continues below.

The couple had no sailing experience, save for some help from Broadwell's father.

They said they planned to escape modern life on the sailboat after leaving Breckenridge, Colorado, last year. Now Broadwell says they have no jobs, no savings and no place to go.

MORE: They gave up their apartments to travel in a van: Here's what this couple learned

Local boat captains say sandbars often shift in the channel in John's Pass where the sailboat capsized. In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, the couple said they got confused while sailing at night, when the "red and green buoys seemed out of place, they said, and the shoal wasn't where their 2016-17 navigational charts said it should be."

MORE: This family of 13 sold everything to live on a boat

The boat sank in about nine feet of water and is still in the channel. The Coast Guard has informed the couple they must pay to remove and store the boat, a process that could cost up to $10,000.

"I'm not going to give up now," Broadwell told the Tampa Bay Times. "I'm going to get another boat down the road."
A Monterey County sheriff's deputy arrested three suspects Thursday who allegedly stole property from a business.

On Thursday night, sheriff's officials received a call from a resident who saw three men break into a business in Point Reyes Station in incorporated Marin County.

The resident said he heard a window break and loud noises coming from inside the store, sheriff's officials said.

When a deputy arrived on the scene she allegedly saw three young men walking away from the business. One of the suspects was wearing a pair of rubber gloves, sheriff's officials said.

The deputy found stolen property that the suspects allegedly took from the store. The deputy then detained and arrested them, sheriff's officials said.
BERKELEY (BCN)

Forty-three people were stranded in San Francisco Bay this afternoon when a ferryboat ran aground on the Berkeley reef, a U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant said.

Coast Guard officials received a distress call at 2:20 p.m. from the ferryboat Osprey, Coast Guard Lt. Bryan Barr said.

You may also be interested in this video: Coast Guard rescues sea turtle entangled in bales of cocaine:

The boat ran aground about a half mile from the Berkeley Marina.

Barr said two rescue boats rescued 40 people and dropped them off at the Berkeley Marina. The smaller of the two rescue boats was going back to pick up one more person.

ALSO: Passengers stuck on Vallejo-SF ferry for five hours dispute company's account

The last two people on board are crewmembers and they plan to stay on board to wait for a higher tide

Barr said Coast Guard officials don't know whether the boat sustained any damage.
A pedestrian was killed Saturday night when they were struck by a vehicle on northbound Interstate Highway 880 in Oakland, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The collision was reported at 7:49 p.m. on Highway 880 just south of 29th Avenue.

A Sig-alert was issued at 8:05 p.m. because three lanes are blocked. All lanes reopened at 9:38 p.m.

A motorcyclist died Saturday night when their bike collided with a vehicle in unincorporated Sonoma County just south of the city of Sonoma, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The collision was reported at 9:13 p.m. at 20872 Broadway in front of The Presentation School, CHP Officer Eric Anderson said.

A Sig-alert was issued at 9:40 p.m. because Broadway, which is also known as state Highway 12, was closed near the collision site.

A man was arrested Saturday morning in Antioch after police found a 76-year-old female family member on a living room floor suffering from serious injuries, police said.

Someone called 911 at 10:22 a.m. to report an assault at a home in the 1200 block of C Street.

Several officers responded to the home and when they arrived they found the victim on the floor bound with tape.

Police said the person that called said a 44-year-old family member admitted to assaulting the victim over several hours.

The caller also told police that the suspect might be under the influence of drugs.

Police said the suspect fled in his vehicle as officers were responding but police quickly located him in the neighborhood.

After a short chase, officers disabled the suspect's vehicle and took him into custody.

The victim was rushed to a hospital where she is in critical but stable condition.

Police said the suspect was also treated at a hospital and cleared to be taken to jail.

One person suffered life-threatening injuries in a vehicle rollover crash Saturday morning in Livermore, Alameda County Fire Department officials said.

Firefighters from the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department and the county responded at 7:59 a.m. to Patterson Pass Road where two people had been ejected from a vehicle that rolled over.

Fire officials said a person with life-threatening injuries was flown to a hospital while another person was taken by ambulance.

Forty-one passengers were rescued Saturday afternoon from San Francisco Bay after a boat ran aground near the Berkeley Marina, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

A distress call was received by the Coast Guard at 2:20 p.m. from the ferryboat Osprey, Coast Guard Lt. Bryan Barr said.

The 52-foot Osprey had 41 passengers and two crewmembers aboard when it got caught on the Berkeley reef.

Coast Guard crews along with Berkeley firefighters arrived and evacuated the passengers and took them to the Berkeley Marina.

"When we pulled up to the vessel, we knew we needed to get the passengers off as safely and quickly as possible," Seaman Jared Reyes, a boat crewmember from Coast Guard Station San Francisco, said in a statement.

Reyes added, "We were fortunate to be able to do so. It's what we train for."

The Osprey's two crewmembers stayed on board with Coast Guard investigators.

Of the 41 passengers, two reported injuries and were transferred to paramedics.

Coast Guard officials said no one has reported any pollution from the grounding. The cause of the grounding is under investigation.

BART employees literally took a beating Friday when a transit employee and then an officer was attacked, one at the Lake Merritt station and the other at the Ashby station, transit officials said.

The first incident was at BART's Ashby station in Berkeley around 4:15 p.m. Sekou Lumumba, 34, of Berkeley, was placed under citizen's arrest on suspicion of battery against a transit employee, police said.

Lumumba was booked at the Glenn Dyer Jail, according to police.

Later, around 5:22 p.m., a man was arrested at BART's Lake Merritt station in Oakland. Thomas O'Bannon, 29, of San Francisco, was arrested on suspicion of battery on a peace officer, resisting a police officer and resisting arrest, police said.

O'Bannon was booked at the Santa Rita Jail, according to police.

Police issued prohibition orders to both Lumumba and O'Bannon.

BART police began issuing prohibition orders in 2013. These orders can be issued against anyone who commits certain offenses on BART, and ban the person for 30 days to a year.

The offenses include violence against passengers or employees, or repeated infractions such as urinating in public or defacing property.

Police in San Jose are warning the public about an illicit video containing child pornography that is being circulated via Facebook Messenger.

The San Jose Police Department is reporting law enforcement agencies across the country have received multiple reports from the public regarding the video.

The police department wants to remind the public that the sharing of a sexually explicit video involving a child, even if it is to help the victim by identifying the suspect, is a crime.

Police are asking anyone who may receive a video or link containing child pornography to report it to local law enforcement before deleting it.

A suspect depicted in the video mentioned above surrendered to law enforcement in Alabama on Tuesday, police said.
BART employees literally took a beating Friday when a transit employee and then an officer was attacked, one at the Lake Merritt station and the other at the Ashby station, transit officials said.

The first incident was at BART's Ashby station in Berkeley around 4:15 p.m. Sekou Lumumba, 34, of Berkeley, was placed under citizen's arrest on suspicion of battery against a transit employee, police said.
When they're not stressing over the Timbers, doing their best to keep their favorite food cart from going out of business or trying to find enough fleshy real estate to lay down one more tattoo, Portlanders of a certain generation are plenty busy embracing fame.

Online.

On Instagram.

That's the conclusion of venerable alt-weekly publication Willamette Week, which on Wednesday published a mammoth look at top Instagram accounts among the city's residents, titled "Portland is a Big Deal on Instagram and Twitter. Meet the City's Social Media Power Players."

"Portland is home to an outsized number of social media influencers (by our admittedly unscientific survey)," reporter Walker MacMurdo writes. "In a handful of industriescannabis, food, sportswear, outdoor adventuring and techPortlanders have impact in New York City and Tokyo."

The article claims that an Instagram account with 1 million followers can earn the owner $200,000 a year through the establishment of sponsorships. Hold up a beer/burrito/lipstick/whatever in that photo (label out, of course) and voila, you are a living billboard.

But lifestyles -- more than just brands -- are what sell on Instagram. You must be seen wearing the right clothes, visiting the right locales and traveling in a fashion that befits your expectations.

Most of us can't do that, of course. That's why we follow people on Instagram who can.

"Nice photography isn't enough," Instagrammer Thomas Guy tells WW reporter Elise Herron in a fascinating sidebar about how to get started. "Doing something cool that other people aren't doing or setting a new trend is typically how you build up a following."

This being Portland, not all of this commercial activity would be transferable to just anywhere. That's why a featured account called "Ladies of Paradise" was particularly amusing, as it billed itself as "portland cannabis styling and photography events and social media branding LA / PALM SPRINGS TRIP FEB 13-18."

See the brief slideshow above for some examples of Portland's top "social media influencers" from Willamette Week's article.

SeattlePI senior producer Shannon Fears can be reached at shannonfears@seattlepi.com. His Instagram account is set to private.
CAIRO  Egypts military has destroyed dozens of targets, killed 16 militants and detained more than 30 suspects as part of its latest operation against Islamic militants in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula, the army said Sunday.

Spokesman Col. Tamer el-Rifai said air strikes hit vehicles, weapons caches, communications centers and illegal opium fields in the sweep, which began Friday and comes as a response to an increase in extremist violence in Egypt.

The air force targeted and destroyed 66 targets used by terrorist elements to hide from air and artillery attacks, for shelter during raids by security forces, he said in a statement. With North Sinai closed off for non-residents and journalists, the armys casualty figures could not be independently confirmed. Telephone connections to the area, both mobile and landlines, are often shut down as well.

The operation, which targets terrorist and criminal elements and organizations, involves land, naval and air forces from the army and police, and covers north and central Sinai, the Nile Delta and the Western Desert along the porous border with Libya.

The offensive comes ahead of a March vote that will undoubtedly see President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi win a second four-year term, after all serious opponents have been sidelined or driven out of the race.

El-Sissi, who has waged one of the most sweeping crackdowns on dissent in Egypts modern history, says he is the only one who can restore Egypts security.

In November, extremists killed 311 worshipers in a mosque attack in north Sinai, prompting el-Sissi to give security forces a three-month deadline to restore order using all brute force required.

Militants launched another brazen attack in December, firing a missile at a helicopter that was part of the entourage of Egypts defense and interior ministers, who were in the provincial capital el-Arish on an unannounced visit. The missile killed an officer and wounded two others.

Militancy has long been a problem in Sinai, but it spiked dramatically after el-Sissi led the militarys 2013 overthrow of elected but divisive Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Violence has been concentrated in north Sinai, but has also spread to the mainland.

Brian Rohan is an Associated Press writer.
LONDON  The British government is reviewing its relationship with Oxfam amid a deepening sexual misconduct scandal involving some of the charitys employees working in Haiti after its devastating 2010 earthquake.

The United Kingdoms Department for International Development sharply criticized the charity for its lack of transparency as questions swirled about how much detail Oxfam provided when it first reported the allegations. The agency, which gave $43.8 million to Oxfam last year, demanded that Oxfams senior officials meet with it to explain their actions.
WARSAW  An adviser to Polands president has said he thinks Israels negative reaction to a law criminalizing some statements about Polands actions during World War II stemmed from a feeling of shame at the passivity of the Jews during the Holocaust.

Andrzej Zybertowicz, a Nicolaus Copernicus University sociology professor who also serves as a presidential adviser, called Israels opposition to the new law anti-Polish and said it shows the Mideast country clearly fighting to keep the monopoly on the Holocaust.

Many Jews engaged in denunciation, collaboration during the war. I think Israel has still not worked it through, Zybertowicz said in the interview published in Polska-the Times newspaper Friday.

Zybertowicz could not be reached for comment. Polish public officials typically have the chance to review their statements before media outlets publish them. Zybertowicz tweeted a link to the article.

His remarks follow open expressions of anti-Semitism that surfaced online and in some government-controlled media when Israeli officials objected to the bill form of the law, which outlaws public statements that falsely and intentionally attribute Nazi crimes to German-occupied Poland.

Jews have sometimes been described, often derisively, as having remained passive during the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust. Key acts of resistance contradict that, most notably the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Smaller revolts took place in the death camps, including Sobibor and Treblinka, where starving prisoners without weapons faced heavily armed German guards.

In Israel, home to Holocaust scholars and families of survivors with roots in Poland, some fear the Polish speech law will allow the government to whitewash the role some individual Poles had in the deaths of the occupied countrys Jews. The law allows for prison terms of up to three years.

Polish President Andrzej Duda and other government officials said it was needed because Poles sometimes are depicted as collaborators or complicit in the Nazi genocide. They cite the expression Polish death camps as shorthand for the concentration camps and gas chambers on German-occupied soil as an example.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that she wont get involved or interfere with Polands law because as Germans, we are responsible for the things that happened during the Holocaust.
MOSCOW  A Russian jetliner that had just taken off from the countrys second-busiest airport crashed Sunday, killing all 71 people aboard and scattering jagged chunks of wreckage across a snowy field outside Moscow.

The pilots of the An-148 regional jet did not report any problems before the twin-engine aircraft plunged into the field about 25 miles from Domodedovo Airport, authorities said.

The Saratov Airlines flight disappeared from radar just minutes after departure for the city of Orsk, about 1,000 miles to the southeast. Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov confirmed there were no survivors.

The 65 passengers ranged in age from 5 to 79, according to a list posted by the Russian Emergencies Ministry, which did not give their nationalities. Six crew members were also aboard.

Emergency workers combed through the field while investigators descended on the airport to search for clues to what brought the jet down. One of the flight recorders was recovered, Russian news reports said, but it was not immediately clear if it was the data or voice recorder.

The airport has been the focus of security concerns in the past. Security lapses came under sharp criticism in 2004, after Chechen suicide bombers destroyed two airliners that took off from the airport on the same evening, killing a total of 90 people. A 2011 bombing in the arrivals area killed 37 people.

Investigators also conducted a search at the airlines main office in Saratov, reports said.

Russias Investigative Committee said all possible causes were being considered. Some reports suggested there were questions about whether the plane had been properly deiced. Moderate snow was falling at the time of the crash.

Airline spokeswoman Elena Voronova told the state news agency RIA Novosti that one of the pilots had more than 5,000 hours of flying time, 2,800 of them in an An-148. The other pilot had 812 hours of experience, largely in that model plane.

Tass said the plane entered service in 2010 for a different airline, but was held out of service for two years because of a parts shortage. It resumed flying in 2015 and joined Saratovs fleet a year ago.

Shabby equipment and poor supervision plagued Russian civil aviation for years after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, but its safety record has improved in recent years.

Jim Heintz is an Associated Press writer.
JERUSALEM  Israels prime minister said Sunday his country delivered severe blows to Iranian and Syrian forces and pledged to take further action against its adversaries following the most serious Israeli engagement in Syria since the war there erupted almost seven years ago.

Benjamin Netanyahus tough words to his Cabinet came a day after Israel carried out a wave of air strikes in Syria. Israel ordered the strikes after it intercepted an Iranian drone that had infiltrated its airspace, and an Israeli F-16 was downed upon its return from Syria.

Yesterday we dealt severe blows to the Iranian and Syrian forces, Netanyahu said. We made it unequivocally clear to everyone that our rules of action have not changed one bit. We will continue to strike at every attempt to strike at us. This has been our policy, and it will remain our policy.

Israel has tried to stay on the sidelines since civil war broke out in neighboring Syria in 2011, though it has periodically carried out air strikes against suspected weapons shipments believed to be headed for Lebanese Hezbollah, the Iranian and Syrian-allied militant group. But as the Syrian war winds down, Israeli officials have voiced increasing alarm that Iran and its Shiite allies are establishing a permanent presence in Syria that could turn its aim toward Israel.

Israeli leaders said the strikes sent a clear message to Iran.

We do not just talk, we act, said Cabinet Minister Yoav Galant. I think that also the Syrians now understand well that the fact that they are hosting the Iranians on Syrian soil harms them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria through a network of activists on the ground, said Sunday that at least six Syrian troops and allied militiamen were killed in the strikes.

They, and we, know what we hit and it will take them some time for them to digest, understand and ask how Israel knew how to hit those sites, Israels Intelligence Minister Israel Katz told the Army Radio station. These were concealed sites and we have intelligence agencies and the ability to know everything that is going on there.

In Saturdays attacks, the Israeli jets came under heavy Syrian antiaircraft fire and the pilots of one of the F-16s had to eject before the plane crashed in northern Israel. One pilot was seriously wounded and the other one lightly.

Aron Heller is an Associated Press writer.
NAIROBI, Kenya  Eleven western envoys, including those from the U.S. and Britain, urged Kenyas opposition leader Sunday to accept President Uhuru Kenyatta as the countrys legitimately elected leader.

The diplomats said Raila Odinga needs to accept Kenyatta is president as the basis for the dialogue that it (the opposition) and many Kenyans want.

We are deeply concerned by recent political developments in Kenya. Both the government and the opposition have taken steps that have undermined Kenyas institutions, and driven wedges among its citizen, said a statement from the group released Sunday.

Odinga held a mock inauguration Jan. 29 in which he was sworn in as the peoples president. The government reacted by shutting down some broadcasters and arresting participants. The government also deported Miguna Miguna, an adviser to Odinga, despite court orders saying he should be produced in front of a judge and released on bail.

The diplomats, in their statement, urged the government to follow the law.

We strongly urge the Government to comply fully with court orders and follow legal process in appealing or contesting them, they said. Freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and all civil rights need to be protected.

Odinga charges he was cheated of victory in the August election by hackers who altered the vote. Kenyas Supreme Court nullified that election after Odinga challenged Kenyattas win. The court ordered a new election that Odinga boycotted, saying electoral reforms were needed. Kenyatta refused the reforms and instead his party changed electoral law to make it harder for the courts to nullify results.

Tom Odula is an Associated Press writer.
JOHANNESBURG  The chairman of South Africas ruling party on Saturday tried to ease national anxiety about President Jacob Zumas fate, saying the country should be patient and wait for a conclusion to private talks with the embattled leader about his possible resignation.

Zuma is under heavy pressure to quit because of corruption scandals and has been engaged in days of negotiations about a power transition with Cyril Ramaphosa, his deputy and expected successor.
Shivaratri 2074 B.S (20018) Hindus are devoting with celebrating the lord Shiva on the occasion of 'Shivaratri'-2074. In this year, Sivaratri is celebrating especially, Nepal and India and in all over the Siva temples in the world.

According to the Hindu Mythology, Lord Shiva (Pashupatinath) spent his most of his time on the top of the holy mount Kailas Mansharobar, practicing Yogic austere, joy and love with his divine consort Parbati (mother of mythology), The Lake Mansarowers and the holy mount Kailas are the soul of all 'OM' followers in the world. The Lord Pashupathinath, Shoyambhunath, Lumbini, Barahachetra, Gosaikunda, Muktinath, Ridi, Janakidham, Devghat of Nepal, Kailash Mansharobar of Tibet (well accessed for Hindus and Buddhas), and Tirupati, Rameshroram, Jagannath, Badrinath, Amarnath, Kedarnath of India are the symbolic shrines of Hinduism & Buddhism. 'Doleswar Mahadev (lord Shiv) (Shipadol-Bhaktapur-Nepal) is the head portion of the Kedarnath (lord Shiv).

The spiritual importance of Mahashivaratri indicates that ethics, morale and integrity have almost been mere world. The spiritual knowledge the Almighty is imparting to the human beings the rays of hope to all of us. The religious scholar express- Mahashivaratri is the day of incarnation of Lord Shiva when the world is experiencing lack of light or knowledge or when it is just like a dark night in the absence of knowledge. The creator of human world messages to all for peace purity and prosperity.





The name Shiva expresses His quality. The God Shiva is incorporeal, eternal, almighty, highest of the high, never takes birth but incarnates in an ordinary human body once in a cycle, accepted by all, omniscient and omnipotent but not omnipresent. Most religions of the world have images, idols or memorials bearing one name or the other to represent the God as light or as an oval shape. Throughout Nepal, India and other countries of the world there are statues of oval shape images. They are called Shivalingams that represent the creator Himself. Somnath-the lord of Nectar, Viswanath-the lord of the Universe and Pasupatinath- the lord Nath) of the lord (Pati) of animal.'





The Lord Shiva is believed to be at the core of the centrifugal force of the universe. Unlike Brahma, the Creator, or Vishnu, the Preserver, Shiva is the dissolving force in life. But Shiva dissolves in order to create, since death is the medium for rebirth into a new life. So the opposites of life and death and that of creation and destruction both reside in Him. Shiva, represented as the symbol of the eternal process of creation and destruction, is absolutely independent and creates all that exists under the influence of desire by the mere force of HIS WILL (Iccha Shakti). He makes the world appear in Himself as if it were distinct from Himself, though it is not so in reality.





Shiv Puran also mentions It.'-(Shree 1008 Jagat Guru Bheemashankarling Shivacharya). Similarly, the Swayambhunath complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period. A Tibetan monastery, museum and library are more recent additions. The stupa has Buddha's eyes and eyebrows painted on. Between them, there is something painted which looks the nose - but is the Nepali symbol of 'unity'. Pashupathinath, Shoyambhunath both are Hindus and Buddhists shrine place. There are some very early Buddhist sculptures here. A lingam, now lost, was named Karunikeswar, another name of the Buddha.





Nepal is known pious land in the world. Hindu philosophy and its culture and tradition are the founder of world civilization. Hindu shrine Pashupatinath (Shiva) is the Lord of all Hindus. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva is worshipped as protector of all animals, including humans. The Nepalese and Indian Hindu men and women perform rituals for the Hindu god Lord Shiva- the god of destruction and creation. In Sivaratri, Axyatritiya, Janaipurnima, Tij and Sawan Mondays are most remarkable times in every year.





We pray to the Lord Shiva, as - "OM! Namo Sivaya ! O Shiva! We worship and adore you, O three-eyed one, you are sweet gladness, the fragrance of life, which nourishes us, restores our health, and causes us to thrive. As, in due time, the stem of the cucumber weakens, and the gourd is freed from the vine, so free us from attachment and death, and do not withhold immortality." The devotees of Lord keep reciting the five letters-'Om Nama Shivaya' followed by occasional singing of Vajanas- hymns, reading and listing to stories and episodes on Shivamahatmyas and by worshiping the Shivalinga.





A scholar Upananda Brahmachari explains- (Hindu Existence July 14, 2012) 'As per Hindu realization (one may degenerate it by calling it Hindu mythology) with a subtle scientific approach, Lord Shiva (Nataraja) is described as Devadideva, the primordial god of all gods, the supreme creator and the Mahadeva, the greatest god, the supreme source of energy. Shiva is the cosmic dancer who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation afresh. This new creation is harmonized and preserved by god Vishnu, obviously by the force of trinity in the singularized and unique entity originated from that Devadideva or Mahadeva. Lord Shiva, the Grand Designer. Lord Mahakal. Shiva is dancing in an aureole of flames with a rhythm of time infinite so beautifully, lifting his left leg and balancing over a demon or dwarf (Apasmara) who symbolizes ignorance and evils. OM! Namah Shiva. It means adorn all endeavors in the light of truth, prosperity and maturity'.

The festival of Shivaratri has tremendous significance in Hinduism. According to sacred scriptures, ritual worship of Lord Shiva on Shivratri festival that falls on the 14th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Phalgun (Feb.) pleases Lord Shiva the most. This fact is said to have been declared by Lord Shiva himself, when his consort the Goddess-Parvati asked him as to which ritual performed by his devotees pleases him the most. Even till date, devotees of Lord Shiva perform the ritual worship of Shivratri with care and devotion. They observe day and nigh fast and give sacred bath to Shiva-Linga with honey, milk, water etc. Hindus consider it extremely auspicious to worship Lord Shiva on a Shivaratri as it is believed that worship of Lord Shiva with devotion and sincerity absolves a devotee of past sins. The devotee reaches the abode of Lord Shanker and lives there happily. It is said that Lord Shiva is an avid dancer to, as one of the superb type of oriental dances. The Lord is always engaged in meditation, Shiva is also NATARAJ, the cosmic dancer who graphically expresses the rhythmic unity of life. His representation as the Shivalinga symbolizes at its simplest His creative and generative powers. Being of an elliptical shape, the Lingam denotes something which has neither beginning nor an end.





It is mysterious to express that rainfall flows automatically in Shivaratri almost Feb.-March, similarly, in Mekh Sankranti (Baisak 1st) almost April,14-15, Srawan Sankranti 17th July and Makar Sankranti almost 15th Jan. The Sivaratri (Day of Lord Shiva) is also is countable event in Hindu festival. In these days- there is natural gift where Sky thundering or rainfall flows.





The Mahashivaratri-festival is observed with great devotion by all the Hindus in the world. 'Shivaratri is a festival of great significance for Hindus all over the globe. Literally meaning Shivas night, it represents the high state of spiritual realization when the world of relativity fades away and perfect peace and calm prevails. On this phenomenal night, the seeker remains fully aware of his identity with Shiva, the source of perennial joy and thus experiences eternal truth, bliss and lasting beauty-Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram. Esoterically, it is the most sacred moment of the union of Jiva, individual soul, and Paramatma, the Supreme Godhead.'(United Hindu front)





The Lord Pashupatinath Temple sits on a sacred river on the edge of Bagmati, Kathmandu. The Bagmati River which runs next to Pashupatinath Temple has highly sacred properties. Thus the banks are lined with many Ghats for use by pilgrims. The Bagmati River is a river of Nepal its flows through the Kathmandu valley and is the river separating Kathmandu from Lalitpur. It is considered a holy river both by Hindus and Buddhists. A number of Hindu temples are located on the banks of this river.





The complex rises up from the bank amid a mass of pagoda- style buildings. The temple moves to ancient rhythms. And one of its many traditions has been to recruit its priests from Brahmins from far-away south India. But, for the first time, the south Indians have been replaced by local, Nepali Maoist priests. It used to be that the temple authorities would appoint its priests in conjunction with the king- and he was always happy to maintain the link with south India. The fiercely secular communists would have few qualms about dispensing with the services of the south Indian Brahmins. Nepalese Maoists have tried to destroy the identity of Pashupatinath, Living Goddess Kumari, Bikram Sambat and its calendar and every norm of Hindus.





The general belief is that if one offers milk, Dhaturo (a kind of intoxicating plant) and 'Belpatra' to Lord Shiva and observes night-long fasting, he or she will receive heavenly blessings. In Nepal, the festival is regarded as a national festival. The occasion consists of "warming" In Kathmandu, thousands of devotees from within and outside the country, predominantly from India, started thronging the Pashupatinath temple since early morning and queued up for hours to worship Lord Shiva. According to the Pashupati Area Development Trust, arrangements were made to provide security, accommodation, food, medical and communication facilities to the visiting devotees. On the occasion, the Nepal Army (NA) observed its annual Army Day coinciding with Mahashivaratri festival amidst a grand ceremony at the army pavilion in Tundikhel in Kathmandu.

It was a matter of grief that the Maoist Govt. in 2008, had appointed their own people as priests in Pashupatinath. We Nepalese people are worried that Pashupati complex is being used as a playground for politics.The Bhandaris are the traditional temple caretakers, including Nepalese nationalists the Bhandaris also protested against the decision of Maosts. The temple decision has led to demonstrations by Hindu groups. Nepals Supreme Court directed the temple authorities to clarify the controversy and not to let the newly appointed Nepali priests perform the rituals. The Supreme Court has ordered the trust to allow the three Indian priests to carry on with the rituals till its verdict.Traditionally; the temple authorities would appoint its priests in conjunction with the king.

King Gyanendra said to keep the hallowed Hindu shrine of Pashupatinath out of dispute and not to tarnish the image of Nepal as a country where different religions had co-existed in harmony down the ages'. So, the Pashupati temple should not be the place for the party's decision. Almost in 1343 AD in the regime of Licchabi, Muslim ruler Samsuddin, who hailed from Bengal (India) attacked Kathmandu and attacked Pashupatinath temple. After 665 years, more than a hundred Maoists and cadres of YCL (agnostic) broke the lock of the Pashupatinath's main shrine and took the newly appointed priest. It was a matter of regret.





Pashupatinath's area is regarded as one of the most important places of pilgrimages for the followers of Hinduism. Thousands of devotees from within and outside the country come to pay homage to Pashupatinath every day. And on special occasions like Ekadasi, Sankranti, Mahashivratri, Teej Akshaya, Rakshabandhan, Grahana (eclipse), Poornima (Full moon day) the whole atmosphere turns festive and mirthful as people congregate here in a far greater number.





During the Shivaratri (also spelled Shivratri) festival Pashupatinath temple is lit with ghee lamps throughout the night and the temple remains open all night. Thousands of devotees take ritual baths in the Bagmati River on the day of the festival and observe a fast for the whole day. Hundreds of Sadhus (sages) from different parts of Nepal and India come here on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.

We want to protect and safeguard the heritage. The decision done by Maoist must be scraped out. Maoist followed the villainous part as played by Samasuddin from Bangal having a force of thirty one thousand Muslims plundering and vandalized the faith and trust of Hindu & Buddhist in Bikram Era 1400. The last Licchivi regime was very weak. There was a great chaos after the Muslims attack. To save the regime from such a dreadful situation Jayasthiti Malla, the Ksha King having cooperation and assistance from kings of Palpa, Kaski, Gorkha and Lamjung, attacked vigorously on Muslim army. Thirty thousand and four hundred soldiers were killed and almost six hundred fled away. It is carved and can be seen in Bhatapur Taleju temple.





Then, Jayasthiti Malla ascended the throne of Kathmandu and reconstructed the temple and constructed the Rama temple across the Bagmati river and established Kumbheshwar Mahadev and performed Kotihom (oblation for one Crore over the sacred fire) Believers in Pashupatinath (mainly Hindus) are allowed to enter the temple premises but non-Hindu visitors are allowed to view the temple from the across the bank of Bagmati river. Due to the attack of anti-Hindu Jayasthiti Malla laid the strict rule regarding the entrance for the Hindus & Buddhists only. This is inviolable. But, now the Bagmati River is dirty and can be smelled well before it comes into sight. So, at any rate, it should be non-dirty.

King Jyotirmalla writes in stone tablets- 'about Pashupatinath in 1465 Bs, lord Pashupatinath having five mouths along with worship able Bashuki the holy serpent. King Pratap Malla was famous in stone tablets. Prithvinarayan shah the great, worshipped lord Pashupatinath duing his integration of Kingdom. It is stated in Lingua Bambshabali. Prithbinarayan Shah had got carved in Basantapur Place in 1826 Bs after his Victory over Kathmandu valley-' Lord Pashupatinath & Goddess Guheshwari may bless Nepal for keeping sovereignty and stability along with Shah popular Regime.





Royal seals were attached regarding the worship of Lord Pashupatinath by King Ranabahadur Shah, King Mahendra, King Birendra and King Gyanendra as well. Since 1979 Unesco has kept this core area as a world heritage. It encompasses four hector of land as a very sensitive area. Let this government be away from imposing political interference over Hindus & Buddhists. The decision done in contravention of all the rules & the regulations regarding the Pashupatinath worship is scraped immediately.





Nepal is the original land of Hindu and Buddha. Nepal is only one Hindu kingdom in the world. Then, without monarchy, the religious culture, traditions and the Hindu kingdom can't save. So, for the sake of Nepal and Indian security and Hinduism, there should be kept the existence of the Hindu monarchy in Nepal.

Email: dirgharajprasai@gmail.com








Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High near 85F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable.
The launch of a Russian cargo ship bound for the International Space Station was aborted in the final minute Sunday (Feb. 11), just as it was poised to fly the fastest resupply mission to the orbiting lab in history.

The uncrewed Progress 69 resupply ship and its Russian-built Soyuz 2.1a rocket were just seconds away from launching into space from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan when the abort occurred. The spacecraft, known as Progress MS-08 in Russia, is carrying 3 tons of food, fuel and other supplies for the station's six-person Expedition 54 crew and was scheduled to make a superfast 3.5-hour trip to the orbiting lab after liftoff.

The next opportunity to launch Progress 69 will be Feb. 13, according to the Russian space agency Roscosmos, but only if engineers can address what caused today's launch abort. [How Russia's Progress Cargo Ships Work (Infographic)]

"The launch of the Progress 69 cargo craft to the International Space Station has been scrubbed," NASA spokesman Rob Navias said during live launch commentary. "The countdown ended just seconds before liftoff with an abort command that was sent from the blockhouse at Baikonur."

In the final minute before liftoff, two umbilical towers are designed to pull away from the Soyuz rocket at key stages in the launch sequence, Navias said. One of those towers retracted as planned about 35 seconds before liftoff, but the second umbilical retraction at the 12-second mark did not, he added.

That second umbilical retraction is typically followed by the start of launch sequencing and engine start sequencing processes, Navias said.

Launch aborts are rare for Russia's Soyuz rockets, the country's workhorse boosters for crewed and uncrewed space missions. However, Sunday's launch abort shares similarities with the last-minute abort of an earlier cargo ship Progress 68 on Oct. 12. That mission also was originally scheduled to last just 3.5 hours. When it launched two days later, on Oct. 14, it flew a more traditional two-day rendezvous to the space station.

Russia's Progress cargo ships are automated resupply spacecraft that can dock themselves at Russian berths on the International Space Stations. The spacecraft have kept the station stocked with supplies since the first crew took up residence in 2000.

Progress vehicles (and Russia's crewed Soyuz capsules) used to take two days to reach the space station, but in 2013 Roscosmos began flying shorter 6-hour trips with the spacecraft, drastically cutting down their transit times.

Those 6-hour trips send Progress vehicles on four orbits around Earth before they arrive at the station. Sunday's attempted launch would have sent Progress 69 on just two orbits of Earth before it arrived.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
WASHINGTON  As the administration prepares to release a fiscal year 2019 budget proposal that may call for ending International Space Station operations in the mid-2020s, advocates for the station in Congress and industry are making the case for keeping the station operating well beyond that.

The budget proposal, scheduled for release Feb. 12, is rumored to contain language calling for the end of NASA funding for ISS operations by 2025 , based on a draft of a budget document leaked last month. Neither NASA nor the administration have confirmed those plans.

Scott Pace, executive secretary of the National Space Council, said Feb. 7 at the Federal Aviation Administration's Commercial Space Transportation Conference that the budget proposal, as well as an ISS transition plan required by a 2017 NASA authorization bill, would shed light on the administrations future plans for the station and a shift to commercial facilities in low Earth orbit.

"Congress has asked for us to generate a transition plan and a direction, and that and the budget submit will be coming out soon," he said. "We want to utilize the space station as much as we can in the remaining time it has and we want to think about what we do next with our partners, both commercial and international."[Quiz! Do You Know the International Space Station?]

The prospect of ending the ISS in the mid-2020s, though, has triggered criticism from some members of Congress. Among those opposed to terminating the ISS then is Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the space subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee.

"There are reports that the administration's new budget would suggest that federal funding for the ISS would expire in 2025," he said in a speech at the conference later the same day. "I hope that those reports prove as unfounded as Bigfoot."

Cruz warned that if "numbskulls" at the White Houses Office of Management and Budget do include such language, it would conflict with provisions in the 2017 authorization bill that require studying extending ISS operations to 2028 and beyond. He also said it made little sense to end the ISS in 2025 when it still had potentially years of useful life ahead of it.

"We have invested massively in the ISS. It has produced enormous benefits to the United States and the world, and we should use that asset as long as it is technologically feasible and cost-effective to do so," he said. "As long as Im chairman of the science and space subcommittee, the ISS will continue to have strong and bipartisan support in the United States Congress.

Other key members of Congress oppose a mid-2020s end to the ISS. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), ranking member of the full Senate Commerce Committee, spoke out against the news immediately after the document leaked. "If the administration plans to abruptly pull us out of the International Space Station in 2025, theyre going to have a fight on their hands," he said in a Jan. 25 statement.

Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA, offered his support for extended ISS operations in a letter published by the Houston Chronicle Feb. 4. "I want to reassure the scientists, engineers and astronauts at NASA that I will fully fund the International Space Station, and I will do everything in my power to keep the International Space Station flying as long as the safety engineers tell us it is feasible to do so," he wrote.

Industry support

At the FAA conference, several executives with Boeing, NASAs prime contractor for the ISS, spoke in favor of continuing ISS operations beyond the mid-2020s while developing a transition plan to gradually move operations to future commercial space facilities in LEO.

"There are rumors about putting an end date out there," said Peter McGrath, director of global sales and marketing for space and missile systems at Boeing, during a Feb. 8 panel discussion. Those rumors, he said, had caused an unnamed prospective user of the station "to step back a little bit" and reconsider those plans.

"The key is to look at a good transition plan, a timeline where you look at capability-based transition. That's what you really want for the space station, instead of an end date," he said, but offered one potential long-term end date based on engineering. "The space station can probably last until about 2040 if you look at it structurally."

An early end to the ISS, other company executives warned, jeopardized the growth of a commercial industry in LEO. "We have seen the damage caused by the early retirement of the space shuttle program before we fielded another domestic human transportation platform, said John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of Boeing's commercial crew program, in a Feb. 7 speech. "We should not advocate for or allow a premature retirement of the ISS."

The ISS, he said, provided an opportunity for companies to demonstrate their capabilities both for supporting commercial activities in LEO as well as being part of partnerships for future missions beyond Earth orbit. "That partnership must be earned and demonstrated through sustained performance, and we as an industry have gaps that must be closed," he said, citing delays in the commercial cargo and crew programs, including Boeing's own CST-100 Starliner vehicle.

John Elbon, vice president and general manager of space exploration at Boeing, also warned of the dangers of an abrupt early end of the ISS. "If we abruptly end that, without a smooth transition plan, all that investment will be for naught," he said during a Feb. 8 panel discussion. "We will cede the commercialization of low Earth orbit to somebody else who has a space station."

"It would be very difficult to survive a transition where we abruptly end the station with the idea that a new capability is going to come some number of years away, and have this commercial industry survive through that kind of gap," he said.

Supporters of the ISS say they recognize that the stations operations will need to come to an end one day, but want to keep the station running as long as it remains useful to do so. "There will come a time when it is at the end of its usable life," Cruz said. "But it is in the interest of everyone to extend that time as long as humanly possible."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
The history-making launch of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, and its Tesla Roadster payload, on Tuesday (Feb. 6) drew crowds of reporters and enthusiasts, including 65-year-old Terry Scott Hilliard, who was found dead in his motel in Cocoa, Florida, the next morning, according to news reports.

Hillard had traveled to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral from Ocala, Florida, according to news reports. The Cocoa Police Department are regarding his death as a homicide, according to Florida Today.

Though the police haven't released Hillard's cause of death, they have identified a person of interest in the case. According to Florida Today, surveillance video from the Dixie Motel revealed a dark-haired white man in his mid-20s who has a short goatee, who had accompanied Hillard to the motel Tuesday evening. Investigators consider the man a "person of interest," and they are now trying to figure out any connection between the two men.

Both state and national bulletins are out to find the person of interest, according to the police department. "Right now we believe he could be armed and dangerous," Police Chief Mike Cantaloupe said during a briefing posted to the Cocoa Police Department's Facebook page.

Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism office estimates about 100,000 people flooded into Florida to watch the historic launch. While that could make finding the person of interest tougher, Cantaloupe said the crowds could work in his favor: "I'm hoping that would work to our advantage, because there were so many people here, maybe if someone sees this picture," Cantaloupe said, asking the media to disseminate the image of the person of interest. "Get that picture out as much as you can. The more people who see it, the better chance we have in getting to him, finding out what happened."

The police department is asking that anyone with information contact the Central Florida CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477). "Callers will remain anonymous and can be eligible for cash rewards of up to $5,000 in this case," according to the department's Facebook page.

Originally published on Live Science.
Shaheed El-Hafed (Refugee Camps), February 11, 2018 (SPS) - The Sahrawi National Committee for Human Rights signed Saturday a memorandum of cooperation with the Algerian National Human Rights Council (CNDH) in the framework of strengthening and consolidating cooperation and exchange of experiences between the two organizations.

In a welcome speech to the delegation of the Algerian National Human Rights Council, the president of the Saharawi Committee for Human Rights, Abba Al-Heisan, affirmed that the signing of the cooperation memorandum between the Algerian National Council for Human Rights and the Sahrawi National Committee for Human Rights reaffirms the strong links between the two countries and two brotherly peoples.

It should be recalled that a high-level delegation of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) is on a working visit to the Saharawi Refugee Camps, headed by its President, Mrs. Benzerrouki Fafa Sid Lakhdar, and composed of the Secretary General of the Council, Mr. Abdul Wahab Marjana, Mr. Buzeid Zahari, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Civil and Political Rights, and Rapporteur of the Commission on Civil and Political Rights. (SPS)

062/SPS/TRA




NORWALK  When Maysa Akbar was in 11th grade, she went to her college counselor.

You dont know my situation, she remembered saying, But Ive got to get to college.

He started outlining the steps she should be taking: They could begin looking at colleges, her parents could take her by for campus visits, and she should take the SATs.

Oh. OK, she said.

Each action item contained its own set of barriers.

Her parents had left her when she was 13, and after getting kicked out by her second cousin, she had been couch-surfing for months. And her under-the-table wages at a shoe store were not enough to cover the test.

Eventually, she managed to overcome these barriers  the counselor drove her to campuses himself and spoke with financial officers he had relationships with, and she worked her way up the ladder in the shoe store while earning the grades to become valedictorian of her class.

Now a board-certified psychologist who completed her pre- and post-doctoral training at the Yale School of Medicine, Akbar shared her difficult path in the Norwalk Community Colleges Gen Re Forum Thursday afternoon.

A lot of times, we think the only way in is through the front door, she said. But you know what? Sometimes, youve got to take the back door. Sometimes, youve got to take the chimney. Sometimes, youve got to go through those Bilco doors to get in. Dont ever let someone tell you that the front door is the only way to get in.

Akbar combined her personal experiences with intergenerational biology and psychology in her book, Urban Trauma: A Legacy of Racism to argue that minorities living in adverse conditions are suffering systemic trauma.

She believes the context is important for schools to understand. Instead of pathologizing kids, labeling them sick, labeling them ill, youre understanding what youre seeing, she said. Akbar herself was a special education student until a teacher took her under her wing. Afterward, she tested out of special education and into the honor program. If you remove the trauma, its like opening a floodgate.

Norwalk Community College mental health counselor Lisa Slade said she met Akbar at a professional development workshop.

I wanted her to come here because so many of our students here are her, Slade said. She immigrated from the Dominican Republic and was abandoned by her parents, and she realized education was her only path to a better life.

Slade hoped students would find, as Akbar had, that even if support did not come from their families, it could come from the colleges faculty and staff.

To see someone who was a statistic break out of being a statistic is inspiring, said Candace Wright, a student who plans to become a social worker, after the talk. You can truly do what you want to do. ... The way she didnt take no for an answer had me thinking that I could do it too  and how, truthfully, students here can do the same.

Rose Dorval, who won the raffle for a free copy of Akbars book and plans to be a physical therapist and fiction writer, felt similarly moved.

I can relate to it personally because Ive gone through a lot of what she has been through, she said. Ive had similar thoughts  even when youre pushing, what are you pushing for?

Hearing Akbar speak honestly about the dark times in her life had helped. I was expecting a lecture, but it was an inspiration.

rschuetz @hearstmediact.com; @raschuetz
NORWALK  Oysters, with their mottled shells, succulent flesh and hard-won pearls, encapsulate the spirit of Norwalk.

At least they do for Rev. Richard Cipolla, the pastor of St. Marys Roman Catholic Church - and given the citys rich oystering tradition, its likely others agree. So when the time came to dedicate the shrine for Our Lady of Norwalk at the church on Wednesday evening, it was only fitting to celebrate with an oyster reception.

As parishioners filed in for Mass, they blessed themselves with holy water and dropped to a knee before the new shrine, which centers around a statue of Mother Mary.

Crowned, she stands in a gold-trimmed dress and a flowing white veil, holding a baby Jesus in one hand and an oyster in the other.

Behind her is a triptych crafted by Alonso Florez, an artist with a workshop in East Norwalk. On golden panels echoing the pointed arches of the church, Norwalk native Henry Egan painted an oysterman standing before the Norwalk islands, 11 apostles and John the Baptist and the outside of St. Marys Church, along with two pearl-filled bivalves surrounded by stars.

Shes beautiful, whispered a woman as she looked up at the statue.

The journey to the dedication on Wednesday started in the spring of 2015, when Cipolla became pastor of the church.

In Italy, every city has its own Madonna, he said. He then went online, where he spent a year searching for a Norwalk

protectress before locating one that was just right.

It was located in Belgium, so the statue, dating from 1840, was flown to Norwalk, where it received two additions: an oyster shell from Calf Pasture Beach and a pearl from a friend of Cipollas.

Over 150 people attended the dedication, including Mayor Henry Rilling and his wife, Lucia Rilling.

Its very special, the mayor said. Its dedicated to Norwalk and our oyster industry.

Im very happy to be here for it, said Auri Boyle, of Fairfield, a parishioner of St. Marys. As the mother church of Norwalk, its important that they set this precedent and show the value of having our lady as our patroness  that our blessed Mother can intercede for us and pray for our city.

In his sermon, Cipolla recounted his childhood eating clams with lemon and Tabasco sauce. It was not until later that I discovered the oyster and the silken mystery that it is.

He remembered learning what causes a pearl  a grain of sand, a foreign source of pain or irritation. The oyster removes it, or covers it up ... and the result is the beauty of the pearl. So beauty is, in a sense, the oysters pain and suffering.

Cipolla drew out the parallels between an oysterman and a priest, as well as between the pearl and Jesus Christ, born into this world because of the deadly irritation of sin.

Finally, he closed with a poem from Seamus Heaney, who described what oysters meant to him:

I ate the day/Deliberately, that its tang/May quicken me all into verb, pure verb.

rschuetz@hearstmediact.com; @raschuetz
Guwahati: 35 crorepati candidates out of the total 297 candidates contesting the Tripura assembly polls.





Among the candidates, Jishnu Devvarma, BJP candidate from Charilam constituency emerged as the richest candidate in the poll bound state with assets over Rs 11 crore.





Total value of Jishnus movable assets is Rs 71,38,073 and value of immovable assets is Rs 10,36,00,000.





Apart from Jishnu Devvarma, 34 other crorepati candidates are in fray in Tripura assembly polls scheduled on February 18 next.





Among the crorepati candidates, 18 candidates from BJP, 9 from INC, 4(7%) out of 57 candidates from CPI (M), 2 from INPT, 1 each from IPFT and AITC have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.





On the other hand, 22 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.





Out of these, 17 candidates have been accused serious criminal charges.





Among the 17, 9 candidates are from BJP , 3 from Congress, 2 IPFT, 1 Trinamool Congress and 1 independent candidate.





Martujuddin Choudhury, an Independent candidate contesting from Bagbassa constituency is accused serious criminal charges related to murder.





Among the candidates accused with grave charges include BJP vice president Subal Bhowmik, senior leaders Ratan Lal Nath and Sudip Roy Barman, IPFT leaders Dhirendra Debbarma, Dhananjoy Tripura and senior Congress leader Gopal Chandra Roy.




Almost a decade after she first swapped life as a pop star for the label of fashion designer, Victoria Beckham chose to celebrate by taking things back to where she began.

When I first started working on this collection, I realised that I wanted to change up the way in which I showed and take it back to a presentation format where people could really see the fabrics and the detail, said Beckham, speaking at a preview in her studio the day before this mornings show.

"This is how I started in New York. I wanted it to feel more intimate, more personal, so people are closer to the clothes.

Mirroring the tiny show-and-tell appointments of her fledgling years, which involved Beckham talking through her collections to just a handful of select press, the designer forgoed the now standard 450 attendee-strong catwalk show in favour of two salon style shows hosting just 90 invited guests. Four of which, of course, were her family, with husband David joined by sons Romeo and Cruz and daughter Harper, with eldest son Brooklyn away in LA for the weekend.

Victoria Beckham

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The show kicked off a year of celebrations for the brand, which will culminate in a homecoming September show in London. What was clear from the moment the first look took to the diminutive catwalk - set in Manhattans jaw-dropping James Burden Mansion - Beckhams brand has come a long way from her debut.

Sensationally supple leather dresses, duchess satin parkas and plisse skirts pleated with origami folds were just some of the highlights in a collection which was without doubt Beckham at her best.

Victoria Beckham

The feeling of testing the water, as present in Beckhams first tentative steps into the industry, had evaporated. Instead, her decision to scale back production revealed a confidence in her work and showcase a desire to highlight the level of detail, skill and thought which goes into every garment.

"Theres lots of detailing in this collection which might get lost in a show, Beckham continued. I think youve got to see these up close to really appreciate them. Im not a brand which is about showpieces. Im a woman creating clothes for women. There is never anything in my collection that I either wouldnt wear myself or that I dont dream about wearing myself.

Among her personal favourites in the collection included a leopard print coat, featuring a fabric sourced in an old Venetian upholstery mill remade in lightweight chenille jacquard. This is a good example of if this was in a show, if you werent close to it, you might think it was a ponyskin or something like that, Beckham added.

Another coat to demonstrate her progression with the use of technical fabrics was one utilitarian style crafted from wool fused with plastic.

She also unveiled her take on faux fur with a print mimicking the texture of fuzz crafted into pleated skirts and day dresses, while cashmere hoodies, knitted leggings and leather cuffs fastened to trouser hems brought a more casual, sports-luxe air.

Her signature, figure-hugging silhouette was also present, but it had evolved from the rib-crushing body-cons of her past into soft, sculptural dress shape which nipped in at the waist and exaggerated the hips.

When I first started, it was very much about celebrating the female form. Ten years on and that message still applies but the aesthetic has really moved on."

The accessories too - a highlight in any Beckham showcase - offered something for every customer, from her first foray into kitten heels to a man shoe and purse belts. But there was one accessory in particular on Beckhams own must-have list - a giant boiled wool tote bag.
A man tried to rape a 10-year-old girl after she became separated from her friends in Manchester, according to police.

The "brave" child was attacked in the Openshaw area shortly after 2pm on Saturday.

She managed to escape before alerting a dog-walker, Greater Manchester Police said.

Patrols have been stepped up in the area as officers search for the attacker.

He is described as a man in his 20s, of Asian appearance, with a slim build and wearing a dark coat.

Detective Chief Inspector James Riley said: "What happened to this young girl is understandably very upsetting and specially trained officers will continue to support her in any way they can.

"Parents and neighbours will be concerned and we have stepped up our visible police patrols throughout the coming days and nights.

"I also want to stress that we are doing everything in our power to find the man responsible for this.

"With the help of this brave girl and the community we have a good description of the attacker and if anyone recognises it or recalls seeing a man matching that description in the area, then please call us."
A murder probe has been launched after a 19-year-old man was stabbed to death in broad daylight off a busy road in south London.

Emergency services rushed to the scene near Streatham High Road at 3.50pm on Sunday.

They found the man suffering from a stab wound in Hopton Road.

An air ambulance was also scrambled as paramedics battled for almost an hour to save the victim.

He was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.39pm, Scotland Yard said. A man was arrested at the scene.

Video posted on social media shows a cordon in place and a number of police cars at the scene.

A spokesman for the Met Police said: Officers are in the process of informing next of kin. Formal identification awaits.

A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

"A man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. He has been taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody.
T he British public have more power to stop Brexit than MPs, Anna Soubry has said.

Pro-Europe Tory Ms Soubry told Andrew Marr on Sunday that it is down to the people to stop Britain leaving the EU.

Asked if she thinks Brexit will definitely happen, Ms Soubry said: "Will it definitely happen? I genuinely don't know what is going to happen."

Responding to whether it might be stopped, she said: "Well I'll tell you who might stop it, and that's the people of this country.

"We won't stop it. It is the people. We gave the people a referendum to start this process."

Ms Soubry, who appeared on the Andrew Marr show with Chuka Umunna, also admitted she had more in common with the Labour MP than with pro-Brexit Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg.

When asked if the pair where closer in terms of their politics she said: I'm not denying that."

Asked by Andrew Marr what Theresa May could say to alleviate her concerns regarding Brexit Ms Soubry said she wants the UK to remain in the customs union.

She said if this is not agreed "not only is it bad for our economy but it also fundamentally undermines the peace process that was achieved and this is really important".

Asked on whether MPs could change to course of Brexit, Mr Umunna said: There is no majority in the House of Commons for us simply to jump off a cliff."

The comments came as International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said a series of major speeches planned by Prime Minister Theresa May and Cabinet heavyweights would set out a Brexit "vision".

Also speaking on the BBC One show she added: "What the public want is they want the vision and they want some meat on the bones.

"And that's what they are going to get. And that will involve at the end of the process the Prime Minister setting out what that new partnership will look like, but it will also give some detail on our trading ambitions and relationship, what it means for devolution, and many other aspects."

Asked if it was a Government red line to not have to grant full rights to EU migrants who come to Britain during a transition period, Ms Mordaunt said: "It is what we are setting out in our position. Again, all of this is a negotiation.

"We are going to be setting out some more detail about our position on all of these issues over the coming months. But, that is something that we are looking for.

"Ultimately, it will be the negotiation, the phrase that is trotted out - nothing is decided until everything is decided.

"But, I think these things make sense and we are right to ask for them."

Thousands of anti-Brexit activists march to Parliament in protest 1 /12 Thousands of anti-Brexit activists march to Parliament in protest Demonstrators head towards Parliament Square. REUTERS Signs include 'I love EU' REUTERS The pro-EU march began in Hyde Park Corner. Si Carrington 'NHS? Brexit Wrexit' Oliver Day The march took protesters through the streets of London. Oliver Day One protester brought along a papier mache Queen, in reference to the blue and yellow hat she wore at the State Opening of Parliament. Peter Bailey 'Exit Brexit' Jonathan Hawley The September sun shone as activists marched through the streets. Martin Tod Roads were blocked during the protest. Maggie Jones The campaigners set off shortly after 11am from Hyde Park Corner. Maggie Jones The rally saw the activists march through the streets of central London. Johann Ketel EU colours of blue and yellow were seen throughout the march. Judi Conner

Ms Soubry yesterday defended calls she made for Theresa May to sling out Brexiteers from the party.

The MP for Broxtowe criticised in-fighting within the party and branded Brexit negotiations the Governments most import decision since the second world war.

During an interview with BBC Radio 4s the Week in Westminster on Saturday she said: Lets be very honest about this, mainly this is a group of people who will always put their own ideology first and foremost  bigger than any leader, bigger than any party  and they are determined they are going to get their own way.
T he Justice Secretary has denied rumours of a plot to gag Cabinet members who want a softer Brexit.

David Gaukes remarks came after it emerged the three leading Cabinet Brexiteers will all give key note speeches on the UK's EU withdrawal stance.

But Chancellor Philip Hammond will not take part in the co-ordinated bid to set out the Government's position.

Mr Gauke told ITV's Peston on Sunday: "He is not part of the set of speeches that have been outlined today, but that doesn't mean that the Chancellor is not expressing his views both internally in the Cabinet conversations, but also externally.

Justice Secretary David Gauke speaks in the House of Commons / PA

"So, I don't think that there really is anything in this, that this is somehow any kind of plot to gag a particular faction of ministers. I don't think that's a fair characterisation at all."

In a bid to regain the initiative on Brexit after a rocky few weeks during which Cabinet tensions came to the surface, Prime Minister Theresa May is set to make two keynote addresses.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Brexit Secretary David Davis, and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox will also deliver speeches, but the only minister who backed Remain taking part in the project is Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington.

Mr Johnson will call for unity over Brexit as the speeches begin on Wednesday.

Mrs May will deliver a major speech on post-Brexit UK-EU security in Germany next Saturday, and will round-off the process in about three weeks time with a keynote address on the overall relationship.
C ritics have hit out at a south London cafe owner who defended asking a mother to settle her crying baby outside.

The woman was in Brick House Bakery, East Dulwich - dubbed "nappy valley" - when she was asked to temporarily leave in order to settle her three-month-old child, friends said.

Owner of the trendy cafe Fergus Jackson hit back at critics and said were a cafe not a creche.

Many branded the incident a disgrace and accused the business of having a no crying policy.

The mothers friend Jennie Hall, wrote on Instagram after the incident: It was three minutes of crying which the mother was trying to settle and she was stressed about it as it was.

Unfortunately it's a fact of life that a three-month-old baby cries, if this had been a first time mother she would have left in tears.

We were not even offered paper bags for the food that had just been purchased.

"Totally on board with a crying baby being annoying but a friendly, would you mind popping outside to see if baby quietens, you can leave your just purchased food here would have sufficed.

A little compassion goes a long way.

People called on Dulwich residents to boycott the cafe and said they were shocked by the owners response.

One person wrote on Instagram: Very happy to take my business elsewhere. A bit of empathy would have gone a long way here. #boycottbrickhouse

Another added: As a local mum and someone that has enjoyed going to your cafe for lunch, Im appalled at your lack of respect to your paying customers. When youre a new mum, it can be an achievement if you make it out of the house especially in the early days and for you to ask a mum to leave because their very young child cries just angers me.

We dont like our children crying just as much as everyone else but theres a way to handle a situation like this.

A third wrote: Wow congratulations for having a magical silent baby. Having no compassion in the post code with the highest birth rate is not a good business plan.

But, supporters stepped in to defend his stance saying it is a parents responsibility to settle their child.

One person wrote on Instagram: I think a lot of you are missing the point: this is about the responsibility parents have for their childrens behaviour. It is about how parents teach their children how to behave in public.

It is about parents having an awareness of those around them and how the behaviour of their child impacts on others. Nobody blamed a baby for crying, its a question of how the parents deal with that in a particular context bearing in mind that the world does not revolve around them & their offspring.

Inconsiderate, selfish, self-absorbed parents = inconsiderate badly behaved children etc. #isupportbrickhouse

Another added: Love your bread - love your attitude. After this I will be in more often bravo.

One person said: You did the right thing by asking the mother to settle the child outside, the rest of us that want a quiet coffee get sick to the back teeth of listening to babies crying all the time when we are trying to relax. Thank you for sticking up for the rest of us.

Another added: Loving you even more. Keep it up, never change.

Mr Jackson told the Daily Mail: Parents have a responsibility to look after their children. We are a cafe, not a creche.

Weve had a number of complaints recently that our cafe is turning into a creche. We dont have a policy about crying children but as business owners we are responsible for the overall environment.

She was very politely asked if she would step outside for a minute to settle the baby but she chose to leave.
P araffin-based skin creams may be linked to hundreds of deaths, a senior firefighter has warned.

Chris Bell, a watch commander with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the creams - used to treat a variety of skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis - are safe to use.

But he warned they can become flammable when they soak into fabrics, clothing, bandages and dressings, then come into contact with a cigarette, naked flame or other heat source.

"Hundreds of thousands of people use them, we're not sure how many fire deaths might have occurred but it could be into the hundreds," he told the BBC.

His comments come after an investigation by BBC 5 live Investigates and Inside Out Yorkshire and Lincolnshire found only seven of 38 products containing paraffin that are licensed in the UK carry warnings on their packaging.

"People are using paraffin-based skin products to treat eczema and psoriasis and various other skin creams, putting it all over their bodies and different parts of themselves - treating themselves for those different skin conditions," Mr Bell told 5 live.

"But unfortunately, that cream can get into fabrics, clothing, bandages and dressings, and become flammable.

"The creams are safe to use in their own right, but if that person is exposed to a naked flame or some other heat source, they can go up."

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency advises patients using paraffin-based products not to smoke, use naked flames, or go near anything that may cause a fire while creams are in contact with dressings or clothing.

Its advice states: "Patients' clothing and bedding should be changed regularly - preferably daily - because emollients soak into fabric and can become a fire hazard."

Last summer London Fire Brigade issued a warning over the use of potentially flammable creams.

Fifteen people have died in the capital in between 2014 and 2017 after using flammable moisturisers that "turned them into human wicks," the Fire Brigade has warned.

Crews called on carers to stop using flammable paraffin and petroleum-based moisturisers on their elderly patients, especially those who smoke.

MS sufferer Hilda Batten, of Earlsfield, was a smoker living alone and receiving daily visits from carers in July 2016 when she set herself on fire. She died later in hospital.

Shopkeeper spared jail after selling toxic skin lightening creams
U kip leader Henry Bolton has said he has "strong affections" for ex- girlfriend Jo Marney whose "racist" texts about Meghan Markle led to calls for him to be sacked.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr show, Mr Bolton said: "There are strong affections there yes" when asked if he was "still in love" with the 25-year-old.

Mr Bolton told Mr Marr the "general consensus" was that there was a "problem with my judgment around that whole episode", but he added: "the point is that actually we are off, and we have been for a very long time, off the field in terms of the debate on leaving the European Union.

"What we should be doing is shaping the future of this country's independence, and that's what we should be focusing on, not whether or not somebody, way before I met them, actually sent private messages that actually had nothing to do with me and I had no means of knowing about."

Many called for the Ukip leader to resign after leaked text messages from his former girlfriend revealed highly offensive comments about Meghan Markle and black people.

Sixteen members of Ukip resigned in protest and Mr Bolton received a vote of no confidence in his leadership by the partys National Executive Committee.

Henry Bolton to fight on as Ukip leader despite revolt

Mr Bolton has refused to step down as party leader and cannot be dismissed unless voted out by party membership.

He has since been spotted out in public with Ms Marney but maintains that romantic side of the relationship is off for now.
T hree people have died and four are injured after a helicopter crashed in the Grand Canyon, police said.

The helicopter crashed around 5.20pm EST on Saturday (12.20am on Sunday UK time).

Rescue workers battled through the night to free four passengers trapped in the helicopter, Arizona police said.

One is believed to have suffered serious injuries, police chief Francis E. Bradley Snr told reporters.

Grand Canyon helicopter crash

The pilot was carrying six passengers when the helicopter plummeted to the ground, police added.

Shocking images of the crash site show flames bursting from the charred helicopter.

The helicopter was an Airbus Eurocopter EC130, local media said.

It is not currently clear what caused the crash.
P olice forces across the world use e-fit images in a bid to catch wanted criminals but numerous attempts to capture crooks have sparked ridicule.

From Suffolk Polices infamous ninja to images likened to Fred Flintstone and Lord Voldemort this rogues' gallery includes the most baffling of faces.

Kent Police faced a barrage of a ridicule over an image released as they investigated a robbery on a 75-year-old man in Cliftonville.

One person said the image 'looked like Fred Flinstone'.

Kent Police released this image that 'looked like Fred Flintstone' / Kent Police

Portuguese police notoriously issued an image resembling an egg with hair during an inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, dutifully recreated by local Brit Simon Russell.

Suffolk Police's image was likened to a 'ninja'

An amusing digital image of an alleged burglar issued by Norfolk police came after a victim said the suspect was "like no-one I'd ever seen in my life.

According to the East Anglia police, only around one in every 30 arrests in 2015 came as a result of their lookalikes.

A National Police Chiefs Council spokesman told the Standard: "Where a crime is reported to a police force, they will deploy what resources are necessary for the effective investigation of that crime.

"This may include appealing for information from the public and that appeal may or may not include an e-fit, dependent on whether the senior investigating officer feels it may be of benefit.

"What is essential is that, where public assistance with information is required, every effort is made to maximise the prospect of identifying vital leads.
Guwahati: Journalists Forum Assam (JFA) expresses sorrow over the demises of two journalists in the last few days and urged the government to sanction financial assistances to the bereaved families.





The city based journalist Dharani Kalita, who used to work for The Assam Tribune expired on Friday night at his Jotia residence. Retired in 2005, Kalita died at the age of 74 after a brief illness. A former office bearer of Guwahati Press Club, Kalita left behind his wife, two sons & a daughter with a host of relatives.




Russian media reported on Feb.8 that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is preparing for peacekeeping operations under UN auspices. The bloc is working on creating a legal basis for such missions. On Jan.30, a road map was agreed on. A stand-by force is ready for military as well as police missions. CSTOs Deputy Secretary General Valery Semeryakov said on Feb.8 that preparatory work had been done and signing regulatory documents was the only thing left to do.

The force has been created upon the request of Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. It was not made precise which country or region the peacekeepers will go to but Mr. Semeryakov emphasized that roughly 7,000 Islamic State militants operating in Afghanistan pose a threat to the CSTO.

The CSTO has boosted its defense capabilities. It has a 17,000 strong collective rapid reaction force and a specialized peacekeeping brigade. Last October, the CSTO held Combat Brotherhood-2017 military exercise involving 12,000 personnel, 1,500 pieces of hardware, 90 aircraft from all the members: Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The forces trained to preserve peace in a country situated in the Caucasus. This was an exercise of unparalleled scope. It was the first time the training episodes were performed within a single concept. The large-scale training event is held regularly to greatly boost the professional skills of many soldiers. These skills will be indispensable for the personnel assigned to peacekeeping missions.

Armenia and Kazakhstan have taken part in peacekeeping missions outside the CSTO. Russia boasts great experience, which includes four peacekeeping operations in the post-Soviet space: Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Southern Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russian peacekeepers have been deployed to such faraway places as Cambodia, Angola, Chad and the Golan Heights. The Russian Navy has fought pirates in the Indian Ocean together with EU and NATO task forces.

The CSTO is the only entity focused exclusively on security. It has no other dimensions, such as economic cooperation, to distract it from peacekeeping missions.

Last year, the organization adopted a new security strategy effective till 2025. The document includes an expanded list of threats to counter. Today, the bloc is able to respond to a wide range of them. And it does. The CSTO reacts as the situation at the Tajik-Afghan border deteriorates. A joint service center is setup to maintain armored vehicles. Russia plans to establish a collective aviation force to be added to the ground component. The plan will inevitably be followed by creating regional air defense and communication systems.

Russia is trusted internationally as a protector of national sovereignty. This is a notion the Western peacekeepers often put aside. Its enough to recall the bombing campaign in Serbia in 1999 and the 2011 air operation in Libya. NATO operates illegally in Kosovo. The Wests peacekeeping performance is nothing to brag about. As a UN Security Council member Russia will scrutinize peacekeeping mandates to protect the host states interests. The lesson of Libya has been learnt. Moscow will not step on the same rake.

The CSTO can significantly contribute into potential peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, Syria and other countries. A large scale UN-sanctioned international operation in Libya is a possibility. The presence of CSTO force trained for peacekeeping missions will enhance the credibility of UN or OSCE operations to make a host country agree to the terms it would otherwise reject.

The CSTO could link an international peacekeeping force with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to expand the international representation. The idea to merge the two organizations has been debated since 2014. Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are members of both the CSTO and the SCO.

Russia and Belarus could join a UN force in Ukraine if the Security Council okays such an operation. The CSTO can also cooperate with the OSCE. The relationship has been on the rise since both organizations signed a document on priorities of cooperation. Contacts have been maintained through different forums, including the OSCE Annual Security Review Conference, the Forum for Security Co-operation, conferences and seminars.

The fact that the United Nations has asked the CSTO to create a peacekeeping force shows that the organization is viewed as an important tool for peacebuilding. Its global clout has grown immensely. The UN needs its contribution to promoting global security. With so many hot spots on the world map, the CSTO peacekeepers may see action pretty soon.
Since 2015 China has been arming its troops with the ZH-05, a weapon that combines a 5.8mm assault rife with a computer controlled, laser rangefinder assisted 20mm grenade launcher (with a max range of 700 meters). In late 2017 the name of the ZH-05 was changed to QTS-11. At that point the Chinese had over two years experience with the QTS-11 and found that the most commonly used 20mm ammo was the air-burst round. That was the American experience with their M25 in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Another popular feature was the light weight. Unloaded the QTS-11 weighed 4.27 kg (9.4 pounds). Loaded with a 20 round magazine for the assault rifle and one 20mm round the QTS-11 weighed 5 kg (11 pounds). This proved to be a major factor in the success of the QTS-11 compared to similar weapons from South Korea and the United States.

The South Koreans noted this and are upgrading their similar K11 weapon to reduce weight from 6.1 kg (13 pounds) to about 5.5 kg. Another popular feature of the QTS-11 is that the computerized electronic sight can be easily removed and replaced with a lighter and smaller optical sight. The 20mm grenades can still be used but only those that detonate on impact. Apparently infantry commanders and troops believe this is a useful option. Another useful option, which has been tested but not yet issued to the troops, is an eyepiece that connects, via a cable, to the computerized sight and enables the soldier to fire around corners.

The QTS-11 was first seen in public during 2015 when Chinese marines assigned to warships working with the international anti-piracy patrol off Somalia. Chinese special operations troops also had the QTS-11 and the army ordered several thousand of them so that each four man infantry fire-team would have one. That puts China ahead of the United States and South Korea. The Chinese version is lighter, simpler and cheaper and the Chinese feel the QTS-11 is worth buying and issuing to the troops. Theres not been similar enthusiasm with the American and South Korean versions.

One reason for that is the way the Chinese handled the fact that the QTS-11 had three types of 20mm ammo and only one of those types was really essential. The impact detonation shell is useful, especially when not using the computerized sight. The air burst shell is unique and really only available with the QTS-11 when equipped with the computerized sight. The third type of round is a shotgun type shell that uses the computerized sight, which only provides for the user to select at what range the air burst or shotgun round will detonate. Because these 20mm rounds have fewer electronics in them they carry more fragments and the Chinese believe (but dont know from combat experience) that this supplies adequate wounding capability. Tests show that the airburst round wounds out to seven meters and is apparently as effective as a hand grenade.

China was able to learn from South Korean experience because in 2009 South Korea revealed it had developed (since 2006) the K11, a $14,000 20mm/5.56mm weapon which appeared to be identical in concept to the U.S. Army XM29 (from the late 1990s). The South Korean version weighed 6.1 kg (13.4 pounds) empty and combines a 5.56mm rifle, with one firing 20mm computer and controlled shells. The South Korean weapon appears to operate the same way as the 20mm shell of the XM-29. The South Koreans plan to issue the K11, on the basis of two weapons per squad (an infantry unit containing 10-12 men). The K11 was both cheaper and lighter than the XM29 but not as cheap or as light as the QTS-11.

The South Koreans found solutions to the problems American encountered with the XM29 and XM25. South Korea used some K11s in Afghanistan and there were lots of complaints about reliability and effectiveness. This did not result in the K11 being cancelled but the weapon did not have a good reputation among the troops. The South Koreans found that their 20mm smart shell was effective out to about 500 meters. South Korean troops began receiving the K11 in 2010 but in 2011 production was halted for a while because nearly half of those already distributed to the troops had design or manufacturing problems. Some of the problems were encountered during combat in Afghanistan. The K11 problems were fixed and so far over 4,000 have been built. The K11 manufacturer insists that problems are a thing of the past but troops and many commanders are not so confident. By 2017 the K11 was considered reliable but not a particularly spectacular new weapon. Thats why the manufacturer has redesigned it to make the K11 lighter and address a rather long list of suggestions and complaints from users. Even the Chinese and Americans do that and it usually pays off.

The U.S. began working on this type of weapon back in the 1990s as the OICW (Objective Individual Combat Weapon) and that mutated into the simpler and lighter XM25 (the X in XM25 designates a system that is still in development) as well as inspiring the South Koreans and Chinese to develop similar weapons that were lighters, simpler and more useful in combat. The South Korea M25 got rid of the assault rifle element and upped the caliber to 25mm. Thus an M25, with a four round magazine, weighs 5.5 kg while the loaded K11 weighed 7.2 kg.

The initial spectacular success and popularity of the XM25 grenade launchers in Afghanistan led the army to request that the weapon enter regular service as the M25 in 2014. But Congress, looking for ways to reduce military spending in 2013 cut all money for the M25. The army managed to scrounge enough cash to keep the M25 on the books and hopes to get the money to build 1,100 of them. Currently the M25 cost $35,000 each with the 25mm ammo going for $55 per round. SOCOM (Special Operations Command) apparently has some M25s but with few American troops in combat there is not a lot of demand for a weapon like this.

When the first evaluation models of the XM25 arrived in Afghanistan in 2011 the weapon became much sought after by infantry troops. There were never more than a few dozen XM25s in Afghanistan and limited supplies of ammunition. Despite that the weapon quickly developed a formidable reputation. The Special Forces have priority on the weapon because it is very useful for special operations missions. The army planned to buy enough so that they could issue one per infantry squad. There are 27 squads in an infantry battalion but the army never had enough cash to pay for this and also fix problems that developed with the M25.

The XM25 grenade launcher went through several major design changes and it wasnt until 2005 that the first XM25s were delivered to the U.S. Army for troop testing. In 2007 a few were sent overseas for testing in combat situations. While the troops have been very enthusiastic about the new weapon, there were a lot of suggestions, mostly about minor items. So the army kept tweaking and refining the weapon. It appeared that the XM25 was a success after only 55 of the 25mm rounds were fired in combat. The users protested having to give them up after the few months of field testing. All this was because the XM25s worked as advertised, firing "smart rounds" that exploded over the heads of Taliban hiding behind rocks or walls, or hiding in a cave or room. Enemy machine-guns have been quickly knocked out of action and ambushes quickly disrupted with a few 25mm shells. Encounters that might go on for 15 minutes or longer, as U.S. troops exchange fire with hidden Taliban, end in minutes after a few 25mm, computer controlled rounds were used. But over time it was found that there were not that many situations in combat calling for an M25 and some troops left them behind most of the time.

The XM25 was originally one of two weapons (the other being a 5.56mm rifle) incorporated in the 8.2 kg (18 pound) XM29 OICW. The OICW was originally developed as a replacement for the 40mm grenade launcher attached to the grenadiers M16 as well as providing a more accurate and capable grenade launcher. Didn't work out as intended. The big problem was effectiveness. The older 40mm, unguided, grenade rounds weigh 540 grams (19 ounces) each, the original 20mm OICW round weighed half that. This was one of the several major problems with the OICW. It was too heavy and ungainly, and the 20mm "smart shell" it fired did not appear capable of effectively putting enemy troops out of action consistently, especially compared to the 40mm shell it was replacing. So, in August, 2003, it was decided to take the 5.56mm portion out of the OICW and develop it as a separate weapon (the XM8) while the grenade launcher part that fired the "smart shell" continued development as the XM25. But the XM-25 would now use a 25mm shell, which would generate 50 percent more fragments (and heavier ones at that) than the 20mm shell of the OICW. China and South Korea insist that their 20mm grenades inflict sufficient hurt on the enemy to be effective. The U.S., with lots of combat testing believes that 25mm is the only way to go. China disagrees and insists its 20mm shell is quite lethal in part because they have more compact electronics in the shell and more space for explosives.

The 20mm and 25mm "smart shells" both use a computer controlled fuze. The XM25 operator could choose one of four different firing modes via a selector switch on the weapon. The four modes include "Bursting" (airburst). For this to work, the soldier first finds the target via the weapons sighting system. The sight includes a laser range finder and the ability to select and adjust the range shown in the sight picture. For an air burst, the soldier aims at an enemy position and fires a round. The shell is optimized to spray incapacitating (wounding or killing) fragments in a roughly six meter (19 foot) radius from the exploding round. Thus if enemy troops are seen moving near trees or buildings at a long distance (over 500 meters), the weapon has a good chance of getting them with one shot. M-16s are not very accurate at that range, and the enemy troops will dive for cover as soon as M-16 bullets hit around them. With smart shells, you get one (or a few) accurate shots and the element of surprise. The smart shells can be used out to 700 meters, but not as accurately. At those longer ranges, you can't put a shell through a window, but you can hurt a crowd of gunmen standing outside the building.

The other modes are "PD" (point detonation, where the round explodes on contact), PDD (point detonation delay, where the round detonates immediately after it has gone through a door, window or thin wall) and "Window", which is used for firing at enemy troops in a trench, behind a stone wall or inside a room. The round detonates just beyond the aiming point. For buildings, this would be a window or door frame, cave entrance or the corner of a building (to get enemy troops thought to be around the corner.) All these options were more than the troops needed.

The XM25 was still a heavy weapon, with the final version coming in at 5.5 kg (12 pounds). The 25mm shells weigh over half a pound each (270 grams). On the plus side, there is already a 25mm armor piercing round (using a shaped charge capable of penetrating over 50mm of armor) available. This makes the XM-25 capable of knocking out light armored vehicles. Then there are the types of 25mm ammo, like fuel-air explosive (or "thermobaric"). Such a shell would cause greater blast effect in an enclosed space, and actually suck most of the oxygen out of a cave or closed room long enough to make surviving troops at least a bit groggy. This gives the attacking troops an opportunity to rush in and kill the enemy or take prisoners. In combat, every little advantage helps, if you can afford to equip the troops with a weapon that works. With the XM-25, hiding behind rocks, trees, walls or in caves will no longer protect you. There is also a flechette ("shotgun") round that was generally ignored. The XM-25 also has a 4x thermal sight which made the XM-25 at night useful for just the sight.

The M25 is the only one of three to have been tested extensively in combat but because of misfire during a demonstration, budget cuts and troops finding there were not really that many situations calling for the M25 the army lost the will to keep the M25 in wide service. This was essential when there was a problem with German firearms manufacturer Heckler and Koch, which controlled key patents used in the M25. Heckler and Koch cited one of the laws of war (Hague Conventions) which, technically, made the explosive 25mm shells of the M25 illegal. The U.S. government refused to get involved in expensive and time-consuming litigation over this matter and the M25 was cancelled in early 2017. The U.S. could always buy the K11, but American resistance to purchasing foreign weapons has always been strong, even if the foreign stuff is the best, or only, solution to a problem. It sometimes happens, but like the Heckler and Koch lawsuit, it is often seen as one problem too many.
An An-148 regional twin-jet passenger aircraft during its first flight from the Antonov aircraft factory in Kiev, Ukraine. (Myshko Markiv/AP)





MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia's Emergencies Ministry says a passenger plane has crashed near Moscow and fragments of it have been found.





The An-148 regional jet disappeared from radar screens shortly after takeoff from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport on Sunday afternoon. News reports said 71 people  65 passengers and six crew  were aboard the plane heading for the city of Orsk, about 1,500 kilometers (1,000 miles) southeast of Moscow.





The Tass news agency says the plane fragments were found in the Ramenskoye area about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the airport.




Newnham College BME Students have today released a statement on the Fly Girls of Cambridge website, confirming that their 'Newnham x Robinson: BME Open Mic Night' hosted by Newnham College BME Students was "forcibly shut down by the Bar staff upon receiving complaints by white students that they didnt enjoy the BME performances".

The open-mic night, billed on Facebook as featuring "amazing performances" with "a chance to meet other BME students", was intended to showcase performances ranging "from spoken word, singing, dancing or any creative outlet of your choice." It invited "BME students and performers from colleges other than Newnham and Robinson", and also stressed that "in the spirit of inclusivity and celebrating diversity, non-BME performers wishing to perform something by a BME artist are more than welcome".

However, the event was shut down mid-way through, with performers facing chastiement for their content and forced to move venue. The FLY statement detailed the evening's disruption, describing that "upon entering the bar space that we booked for 8pm, we were shocked to find that several BME students took up a small table in an large bar filled with drunken white people dancing and singing. We knew that the Robinson Beer Festival was also scheduled to run all day, but there was no indication to us that at 8pm, BME students and performers would be pushed aside to occupy a small fragment of the bar room. Despite the uncomfortableness of the situation, we started the performances. Adas lovely rendition of I Love You Porgy by Nina Simone was followed by Hasan's stand-up set about whiteness and the racism hes faced, and Kritarths set about Economics and Technology."

"We then took a short 30 minute break in the JCR to deal with technical difficulties and to allow everyone to socialize. However, the Bar manager then told us that we needed to leave, saying that because the Bar is a business we could not leave it empty, and that other students were complaining that the performers in the first half werent good and people said they didnt like it so were leaving.

In a statement to TCS, performer Hasan Al-Habid said: "Id like to applaud Teddy and Sara for their dignified handling of the very difficult and unfair circumstances they were put in. The actions of Robinson bar were belittling, extremely disrespectful and totally unwarranted. Its really sad and sobering that an event that was intended to give BME students a voice and celebrate their diverse talents turned into a cruel reminder of why such nights are still so vitally important."

Kritarth Jha, another performer, said to TCS: "As a performer, it just seemed like a difficult crowd, which is an occupational hazard. However I performed just before a break, after which the show never resumed, which was suspicious, but being very new to both the comedy scene and the organisers, I attributed it to unknown unknowns and thought nothing of it. However, after learning of what happened today; it's very disheartening. But you know, onwards and upwards."

Though the Bar manager offered to reschedule the event, the organisers argued this was "completely disrespectful to the BME performers who had gathered the courage to perform and shed light on meaningful issues in front of an audience for that nightSome white students took offence at the stand-up comedies, and the Bar Manager found these complaints legitimate and so used the break as an excuse to kick us out."

Though acknowledging that the Bar has an "interest in doing business", the statement went on to explain the complications to the event which arose in the break, claiming that "the Bar Manager never told the BME officers that breaks were not allowed when we met them prior to the event to confirm all the details; in any event, we had announced that we would be returning shortly."

Following this disruption, the event moved to the JCR, where the team claimed they "still made it OUR night  despite the booming Taylor Swift and Nickelback from the Bar, where those who watched as we were kicked out continued to have a good time."

The authors then argued "white people are happy to appropriate the cool aspects of BME cultures when it suits their own enjoyment, but completely fail to stand up for BME people when they most need support," despite the event being "created as a space for BME students to be heard  to give them an opportunity to vent about the everyday and celebrate the talent in our community. However, the message that was sent was clear  white comfort is more important than BME voices."

"Last night, BME students extended a hand to white students to learn about important issues as racial profiling and the racialized and Islamophobic Prevent legislation through their performances. Instead, a platform for education was willfully ignored, and BME peoples labour was demeaned as a side-show."

"We are not trying to segregate white and BME people any further; in fact, the BME community appreciates and needs white allies in our struggle for equal opportunities and recognition (we express our gratitude to the white students who joined and supported the BME performers in the JCR last night). Rather, the point is that white people in this institution and beyond MUST start acknowledging their privileges of being white, confronting their discomfort."

In a statement, Robinson College Students Association said, "Last night, in collaboration with Newnham, Robinson college played host to a BME Open Mic Night aimed at "Celebrating Diversity". Regrettably, we were asked to leave the bar and reschedule for another night after having taken a short break to deal with various issues. We are very disappointed that this does not send the message of togetherness through diversity which was our aim however we hope to be able to host a more successful night in the near future. Finally, we would like to extend our gratitude to all the talented people who came to perform as well as those who came to support our wonderful acts and who continued their support as we resolved to continue the event in the more intimate setting of the JCR."

Allegations of the disruption were first revealed on Twitter yesterday evening, with several students commenting on the occurences at the event.

**This has been amended to remove unfounded allegations repeated in an earlier version of this article.**
Crushed wood is stronger than steel A chemical bath and a hot-press can transform wood into a material that is stronger than steel, researchers report. The process, and others like it, could make the humble material an eco-friendly alternative to using plastics and metals in the manufacture of cars and buildings. Its a new class of materials with great potential, says Li Teng, a mechanics specialist at the University of Maryland in College Park and a co-author of the study published on 7 February in Nature. Nature.com

Designing Windows 95s user interface Three years ago I came across an interesting paper written up by a Microsoft employee, Kent Sullivan, on the process and findings of designing the new user interface for Windows 95. The web page has since been taken down  one reason why Im a bit of a digital hoarder. It specified some of the common issues experienced from Windows 3.1s Program Manager shell and looked at the potential of developing a separate shell for beginners. Socket 3

How to Design a New Chip on a Budget We recently had an interesting exchange with bunnie Huang, hardware guru and creator of Chumby, NetTV, and the Novena laptop, among other things. Hes also the author of Hacking the Xbox, The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen, and not one but two feature articles in IEEE Spectrum. IEEE Spectrum

Mass production of new class of carbon nanotube semiconductors is close University of Waterloo chemists have found a way to simultaneously control the orientation and select the size of single-walled carbon nanotubes deposited on a surface. That means the developers of semiconductors can use carbon as opposed to silicon, which will reduce the size and increase the speed of the devices while improving their battery life. Next Big Future

Windows 10 Build 17093: Multi-GPU Controls, Fewer Passwords, HDR Calibration Microsofts upcoming Redstone 4 build of Windows 10 (aka Windows 10 Spring Creators Update) is still adding features, including several new capabilities of interest to enthusiasts -- and a few puzzling changes unique to Windows 10 S. Lets take a look at whats in the pipeline. ExtremeTech

'Humans Not Invited' Is a CAPTCHA Test That Welcomes Bots, Filters Out Humans Chances are that at some point when searching Google, purchasing concert tickets, or signing up for a forum, youve had to click a few boxes to confirm your humanity. But while these CAPTCHA tests are usually meant to keep robots out, one website is welcoming them in. The conceit of Humans Not Invited is essentially a reverse CAPTCHA. Motherboard

The Equifax hack could be worse than we thought The Equifax breach may have exposed more personal information of customers than previously thought. Additional information, including tax IDs and driver's license details, may have been accessed in a hack that affected 145.5 million customers, according to confidential documents Equifax provided to the Senate Banking Committee seen by CNN.

Also read: The Biggest Tech Fails of the Last Decade

The Sixth Stage of Grief Is Retro-computing Over the last few days Ive been crazy for emulationthat is, simulating old, busted computers on my sweet modern laptop. Ive been booting up fake machines and tearing them down, one after the other, and not doing much besides. Machines Ive only heard of, arcade games I never played, and programs I never used. Software about which I was always curious. And old favorites like MacWrite. Medium

The Argument Against Quantum Computers Sixteen years ago, on a cold February day at Yale University, a poster caught Gil Kalais eye. It advertised a series of lectures by Michel Devoret, a well-known expert on experimental efforts in quantum computing. The talks promised to explore the question Quantum Computer: Miracle or Mirage? Kalai expected a vigorous discussion of the pros and cons of quantum computing. Instead, he recalled, the skeptical direction was a little bit neglected. He set out to explore that skeptical view himself. Quanta Magazine

Researchers discover efficient and sustainable way to filter salt and metal ions from water With two billion people worldwide lacking access to clean and safe drinking water, joint research by Monash University, CSIRO and the University of Texas at Austin published today in Sciences Advances may offer a breakthrough new solution. It all comes down to metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), an amazing next generation material that have the largest internal surface area of any known substance. Phys.org

A freeze dryer you can build in your garage What do trail mix, astronaut ice-cream, and cryogel have in common? This may sound like the introduction to a corny riddle, but they are all things you can make in your garage with a homemade freeze dryer. [The Thought Emporium] built his own freeze dryer with minimum fuss and only a few exotic components like a vacuum pump and a high-quality pressure gauge. The video is also posted after the break which contains a list for the parts and where they can be purchased. Hackaday

New Device Could Drive MicroLED Displays, Li-Fi A new device could make upcoming microLED displays easier to engineer and visible light communications systems, like LiFi, faster. As IEEE Fellow Kei May Lau sees it, the problem with conventional LEDs, which are current controlled devices, is that turning them on and off rapidly to control brightness or using them for Li-Fi takes careful engineering and a bunch of circuitry. IEEE Spectrum

Would You Have Spotted This Skimmer? When you realize how easy it is for thieves to compromise an ATM or credit card terminal with skimming devices, its difficult not to inspect or even pull on these machines when youre forced to use them personally  half expecting something will come detached. For those unfamiliar with the stealth of these skimming devices and the thieves who install them, read on. Krebs on Security

Man Handed Conditional Prison Sentence for Spreading Popcorn Time Information A man from Denmark has been handed a six-month conditional prison sentence for spreading information about Popcorn Time. In what is being described as a first for Europe, the man was convicted after telling people how to download, install and use the movie streaming service. He was also ordered to forfeit $83,300 in ad revenue and complete 120 hours community service. TorrentFreak

How did Google Talk change from a dream to a nightmare? Years ago, I used Google Talk with almost everyone I talked to. Nowadays, I talk with almost no one on Hangouts. Google Talk has changed from so good I can recommend to everyone to a nightmare called Hangouts. So how did we get to this point? tnhh
A technical report was released Monday by a multidisciplinary research team created by the Cuban Academy of Sciences (ACC) on the "unidentified health incidents" reported in... | Read More
Investors got a stark reminder of how fast their bets can turn in China, where the most bullish trades are falling apart.

The country's currency was their latest favourite to succumb to a rout that has roiled financial markets around the world this week, losing as much as 1.2 per cent on Thursday for the biggest decline since the aftermath of its 2015 shock devaluation. That follows a sell-off in large caps and banks that has wiped out about $US660 billion ($848 billion) from the value of Chinese equities.

On Friday, the Shanghai Composite sank as much as 5.8 per cent on Friday, before paring some of its retreat to trade 4.1 per cent lower at 3128.25 as of 1pm local time.

The slide resulted in Chinese stocks following their US counterparts into correction territory - a fall of 10 per cent or more.
When thinking about small business, our thoughts often go to the local florist or our favourite plumber  some sort of visible enterprise, perhaps run by a mum and dad with kids helping out during school holidays. Rarely do we think about a different type of business; one that's less visible and regarded by many as immoral. Sex work is one such enterprise; a business arguably as legitimate as any other.

A study published last month by Canadian researchers has illuminated this darkened world. The researchers interviewed more than 200 sex workers spanning a diverse spectrum of age, gender, sexuality, and even the nature of services offered (such as whether the work was solicited on the street or via indoor venues). The scholars discovered quite a few of their interview subjects perceived their work in genuinely entrepreneurial terms.

A study published last month by Canadian researchers has illuminated the world of sex work. Credit:James Davies

Take, for example, this comment from Marie who saw her work as facilitating the autonomy many other salaried employees are denied: "I guess I think about myself being independent and I like the idea that I'm kind of an entrepreneur in many ways and sex work is just one of the ways. I know how to make money. I feel good about having control over my body and what I'm allowed to do with it."

Similar sentiments regarding self-determination were expressed by Giselle: "Since I'm in this job, I get to control when, where, how  all of these things. So, I feel more empowered."
He employs more than 100 staff and Fairfax estimates the business turns over about $15 million but Delia is not resting on his laurels. Shane Delia grew up in Melbourne's Western suburbs. Credit:Simon Schluter "I am scared of the future," he says. "I'm scared but it drives me to get better." While some restaurateurs are wary of the influence of delivery companies on the restaurant industry, Delia is ramping up his reliance on his partners. A busy night of home deliveries at Biggie Smalls. Credit:Kristoffer Paulsen

He operates two brick and mortar Biggie Small stores and two dark stores, known as "Uber exclusive stores", which are online only, and this is where Delia wants to build his business. "By the end of the year there will be another seven of those," he says. "By the end of 2018 there will be nowhere in the Melbourne Uber reach that you can't order Biggie Smalls." Watermelon and rosewater ice. Credit:Suppied. I have never considered myself one of the country's best cooks, I consider myself a good business man who tries to do things right. Shane Delia Delia is contemplating focusing solely on Uber Eats and abandoning the other food delivery companies.

"Currently we are using everyone but I think moving froward you can't play the field forever, eventually you have to choose one and marry it," he says. "We have had a great relationship with Uber Eats and moving forward I think they are the winning horse and I want to be in the jockey seat." Shane Delia plating the poached mussels with saffron and moghrabieh couscous served at his restaurant Maha. Credit:Pat Scala 'I learnt a hell of a lot' It's been a hard graft for Delia to get to where he is today but he gives a lot of credit to his wife Maha, who he met while heading up the kitchen at Chateau Yering in the Yarra Valley.  "I realised I was not happy anymore," Delia says. "Mentally I was not in a great space, I've always had a bit of attention deficit disorder and I did go through a stage where it was pretty bad. After proposing to [Maha] I decided I had to make a change, either leave the career or do something to be the husband that was expected of me and to be around more."

Shane Delia at his Collingwood kebab diner Biggie Smalls. After leaving Chateau Yering, Delia caught up with his old friend George Calombaris, who he had completed an apprenticeship with. Delia agreed to open a restaurant with Calombaris and his partners Made Establishment and that restaurant was Maha. "To be honest I didn't know his partners, I knew him," says Delia. "I don't just trust everyone I meet with my life savings. If someone is my friend and I trust them I assume they have my best interests at heart. We went into the business and I learnt a hell of a lot it turned me from a chef to a prospectful restaurateur. I learnt a lot about restaurants, friends, and pressures and how to deal with it and not deal with it." Going it alone

After five years in business together with Maha, Delia bought out Made Establishment in 2013. When asked if this caused a rift with Calombaris, Delia is sanguine. "There was never any argument and there was never any bad blood," he says. "We were the best of friends and when you are in business together, that's a hard space. It was the same fuel and drive that we built on in the past but this time it caused a little fracture. It wasn't a falling out, we decided it was time to go our separate ways." Calombaris declined to comment for this article. For the first time, Delia truly had ownership and control of his own restaurant.

"It was scary but it was liberating too," he says. "I felt like I should be ready to take on the next step and I had something to prove to myself that I had created it and I wasn't just riding on the coat tails of others, but at the same time you do doubt yourself. I think anyone high achieving always doubts themselves." Delia says going it alone was tough. "When I came out of that partnership I was in a really bad position mentally and emotionally," he says. "Our business has been consistent and stable for a great number of years so the financial pressure of not paying bills has not really been an issue. But when you are the primary investor and it is all on you and you go to bed at night with millions of dollars at risk it is stressful. I have two young kids and a wife. That pressure also fuels me, that combined with untreated mental illnesses is a cocktail for disaster and it almost broke me and I'm lucky I have a wife who stuck by me through that process." Delia says since then he has gone through a "total transformation" mentally and emotionally. "The lows ground you and form who you are, and how you recover from that is a true test," he says. "I have never considered myself one of the country's best cooks, I consider myself a good business man who tries to do things right."
Kathmandu, Nepal: The Election Commission (EC) has submitted the results of the National Assembly (NA) elections to President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday.





Chief Election Commissioner Dr Ayodhee Prasad Yadav submitted the election report by reaching at the President office, Sital Niwas on Sunday afternoon.





In the NA elections held on February 7, 56 members were elected from different political parties.





In the 59 member strength NA, three members will be nominated by the President in the recommendation of the Nepal government.




Teachers groups say a new push to make it easier to enter the profession would be similar to letting tradies into operating theatres to conduct surgeries, and will not be tolerated by parents.

A national review of teacher registration to make it easier for people with experience in specialist areas such as nurses and tradies to become teachers, which was announced by the Turnbull government on Saturday, has been strongly opposed by two of the biggest teachers groups in the country.

A review of teacher registration requirements announced by Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham has been blasted as a "brain snap" by teachers groups. Credit:Dominic K Lorrimer

"The medical profession would not support lowering their registration for tradies to conduct surgery, and we don't support it for teachers," said Correna Haythorpe, president of the Australian Education Union, which represents 185,000 educators.

"Children deserve fully qualified and registered professionals as teachers and parents expect that."
Angelina Jolie coves US Elle magazine for their March issue, and because she's Angelina Jolie, she didn't need a reason.

The part-time actress, director, UN Ambassador and single mum of six kids, spoke with former US Secretary of State, John Kerry about the usual topics: systemic violence, politics, rape as a weapon of war, and how to make lasting change as an American.

Angelina Jolie covers Elle Magazine for their March 2018 issue.

The interview took place in New York City in December last year in accordance with Jolie's wishes to promote International Women's Day on March 8.

Jolie, who turns 43 in June, spoke at length about her reticence to get into politics, but conceded that it was necessary, given that it's at the "root" of so many conflicts, telling Kerry
London: Victoria Beckham has ruled out a rumoured Spice Girls reunion tour.

The pop star turned fashion designer, 43, rejected reports the much-loved quintet would be playing live across the UK and US this northern summer.

The Spice Girls won't be heading off on a tour, according to Victoria Beckham. Credit:Universal Pictorial Press Photo

Beckham joined author Geri Horner (nee Halliwell), radio presenter Emma Bunton, former Australian reality TV judge Melanie Brown and musical theatre star Melanie Chisholm at Horner's house north of London on Saturday. All five then collectively shared a group shot to their social media platforms before the internet lost its collective mind.

Shortly after the social media saturation, the group were joined by their original manager Simon Fuller  the man who helped them become one of the biggest selling pop group's in history  and an official statement was released.
A fear of flying prevented Tiffany Darwish from visiting Australia at the peak of her musical success  but now she hopes to tour Down Under.

"I was tired of my life being small [because I couldn't fly anywhere]," Darwish says. On Sunday, she became the first contestant voted off the current season of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! (Campmates Bernard Tomic and Anthony Mundine have previously chosen to quit the show.)

Darwish wasn't always afraid of air travel. But early in her career, she caught a domestic flight from New York. It was a clear, sunny day  so everyone was caught off-guard by a freak windstorm, causing the plane to tip on its side and hurtle towards the ground.

"It literally did this," Darwish says, sticking her arms out to mimic the stricken aircraft. Drink trolleys  and unrestrained passengers  were tossed around the cabin like rag dolls. Others screamed, "We're all going to die!", which did little to calm the mood.
Schoolyard bullying was largely contained within school grounds in the pre-digital age. Now, it can follow students home and target them 24/7, via messages, posts and tweets on their phone, laptop or tablet. Instances of bullying are no longer isolated events witnessed by a few. Instead, as long as an offensive post remains live, the cyberbullying continues and can even grow as others comment, like or share a post with just a few taps of keyboard.

For the young person on the receiving end of the bullying, it feels like there is no escape from their attackers. They are physically bullied at school, and then at home in the cyber world. In my job as a lawyer, I've represented schoolchildren who have self-harmed, attempted suicide and tragically died by suicide after being bullied, including cyberbullying. We only need to look back a few weeks to one family's farewell to Amy "Dolly" Everett to see exactly how cyberbullying can change lives forever.

Amy Jayne Everett had been the young face of Akubra hats as a girl. Credit:AP

It's clear that the impact of cyberbullying on young people and families can be devastating, which is why action to fight it is needed from multiple fronts. Important lessons about cyber safety begin at home with parents and carers, but schools also have a critical role to play. Under the law, schools have a duty of care to ensure the safety of its students, so that children can attend school without experiencing emotional or physical harm. If a school fails in its duty to protect students from bullying or take action to address allegations of bullying, then affected families may have a legal case against the school.

Meantime, governments need to make sure the existing laws are appropriate when it comes to cyberbullying. It's a complex and difficult area for policy makers, but there are some helpful models elsewhere including New Zealand where a Harmful Digital Communications Act was brought in three years ago, with civil and criminal options available to address cyber abuse.
On Friday, November 5 in 2010, Leola Rose headed into her office for what she had assumed would be an ordinary day at work. It wasn't. That afternoon the then 28-year-old marketing executive suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm and would spend the next three months in hospital, and another three months after that as an outpatient.

"People can live with [brain aneurysms] and be fine for their whole lives but when they rupture, it's potentially fatal," she says.

After the hospital stay, Leola Rose spent another three months as an out-patient relearning to walk and talk.

She fell over in the bathroom at her office and was unconscious for about 15 minutes before she regained consciousness. She was rushed to hospital and it took several hours of exploratory surgery to discover the bleed in her brain.

"They told my parents and my now-husband that I was bleeding from the brain and would die if they couldn't stop it."
Sydney's latest transport projects have experienced significant teething problems, only worsened by problems with the new trains timetable. But there has been a 30 per cent growth in public transport use in the past five years, and the Metro and new light rail will ensure Sydney can continue to cope with such growth for the next 40 years.

A little perspective can be useful. Before the 2011 election, The Sydney Morning Herald, frustrated by a decade of inaction on transport, established an independent public inquiry, chaired by Ron Christie, to formulate a long-term public transport plan for Sydney.

A full train at Strathfield on January 25. Passenger numbers on public transport have grown by 30 per cent growth in the past five years. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Some of the inquiry's ideas were taken up by the incoming Coalition government. The Opal card was introduced, construction began on major new metro and light rail projects and more rail, bus and ferry services were brought on line. In addition, real-time information and travel apps have made public transport more convenient.

But more train drivers and trains are needed to accommodate the growth in passenger numbers on the existing rail system, which has caught the government with its pants down. This network will also need to be extended to places like Badgerys Creek, St Marys and Camden.
Who knew that hiring out jumping castles for kids' parties could be such a cut-throat industry?

One of Melbourne's biggest party-hire operators has faced allegations of arson, insurance fraud and launching cyber attacks on competitors during a committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court last week.

Awesome Party Hire owner James Balcombe, 53, is accused of inciting and paying two men to torch five rival businesses between December 2016 and February last year.

According to a former employee, Mr Balcombe was desperate to dominate the jumping castle market, which had been flooded by copycats who he accused of stealing his ideas and offering cheaper rates.
It felt like my whole statement was disregarded, Semovic said this week. Dr Andrew Churchyard took his own life after he was committed to stand trial over sex abuse allegations. But what most worried him in 2007 was the fact that the medical board - one of several boards around the nation that now work with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) to protect patient safety - had allowed the neurologist to return to work clear of any stain. Future patients would not know the details of Churchyards misconduct, who did not need to undergo any further training nor close scrutiny. Semovic was kept up at night by a single, recurring thought. Had the boards decision to give Churchyard the benefit of the doubt enabled, or even empowered, the senior, highly respected doctor to abuse other patients?

It took more than 10 years, but Semovic finally learnt the answer to this question late last year. He was called by AHPRA and told someone had sought to access his complaint file via a freedom of information (FOI) request. He was also told something else: Churchyard had been accused of sexually assaulting up to 100 patients, many of whom were abused after Semovic made his complaint. The whistleblower Most of these victims came forward after Fairfax Media revealed the story of another sexual assault victim of Churchyard, Melbourne law student Tom Monagle. Monagle had also lodged a formal complaint about Churchyard with the medical board, this time in 2015. Tom Monagle, an alleged victim of sex abuse at the hands of neurologist Dr Andrew Churchyard. Credit:Jason South

His abuse at the hands of Churchyard mirrored that suffered by Semovic. Like Semovic, Monagle had also been left reeling by the failure of the medical regulator to suspend Churchyard. Instead, the neurologist was required to have a chaperone present during some consultations and while investigations, including by police, continued. He kept working at Melbourne hospitals and, despite the presence of a chaperone, Churchyard continued offending. He killed himself in 2016, as more victims emerged. The FOI request to access Semovics 2007 complaint was lodged by Tom Monagles mother, Sharon, who is herself a doctor. Monagle, a steely general practitioner, had spent months fighting AHPRA to learn if it or the medical board had mishandled any complaints about Churchyard prior to her sons sexual assault, or if the subsequent investigations into Churchyard had failed to take note of his past.

AHPRA blocked her at every turn, blaming the enormous distress that would be caused to the 2007 complainant should this matter be brought up". I found this incredible, recalls Monagle. It ignored the fact that this man must surely already be incredibly distressed at their failure to act in 2007. It also ignored the enormous distress that had been caused to my son and to our family (and hundreds of others) because Churchyard had been allowed to continue to practice after this earlier sentinel event. When AHPRA finally contacted Semovic and asked if he would mind if his file was publicly released, the former truckie had no hesitation. Within days, he and Sharon Monagle were comparing notes about an oversight system that the pair believe privileges the rights of an accused doctor over the safety of patients.

Its a live issue across Australia. 'Boundary violations' At present, AHPRA has 106 investigations under way into "boundary violation" allegations against medical practitioners and 35 similar probes involving nurses. In 2016-17, AHPRA received 6898 notifications about health practitioners across the 17 different health sectors it oversees. The federal agency insists the system is working well and constantly improving, noting reforms to the way chaperones are used and the amount of information made available to patients about a doctor's misconduct record. Investigators now have better training about how to handle allegations of sexual assault. AHPRA would not comment on the Semovic case because the matter was "managed by a previous board under different legislation".

But Monagle believes there is a bias towards protecting the reputation of doctors and the industry at the expense of informing and protecting future patients. Among her evidence is AHPRAs reluctance to release information about Semovics complaint, despite his own desire to publicly expose it. Other cases raise similar concerns. Fairfax Media has learnt that AHPRA recently re-registered a Victorian male psychiatric nurse after he served a 20-month ban for inappropriate sexual contact with three female patients. A tribunal found Harpreet Singh engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with three female patients by kissing them, touching their breasts and seeking contact outside the hospital. Singh is free to return to the health system without any restrictions on his practice or any reference on AHPRAs public register about his disciplinary history.

This has angered one of his female victims, who was previously under his care in the mental health unit of Eastern Health's Maroondah Hospital in Melbourne's east. "As a result of what happened to me, I always check AHPRA's registration page before I see a medical professional, says the woman, who cannot be identified due to court orders. But how would anyone know what that man did to me and the other women from what is on the AHPRA register at the moment? Learning from the past A spokeswoman for AHPRA says the existing laws limit what can be disclosed about a practitioner's past. But she also says that the agency is changing the way it handles cases and discloses information about findings, including by publishing online links to tribunal or court rulings.

Leading Melbourne medical negligence lawyer Bree Knoester, who launched a successful legal action against Churchyards estate on behalf of dozens of his victims, says the Singh case indicates reforms have some way to go. "It suggests that they [AHPRA] haven't appreciated that when you have been found to have engaged in sexually predatory behaviour in the past that makes informing the public more important than someone's right to work unimpeded," says Ms Knoester. "I'm amazed that AHPRA has not learned and been more motivated by the Churchyard case." Sharon Monagle believes there has been a failure to openly and thoroughly investigate previous cases that appear to have been mishandled, and to ensure AHPRA and the medical boards it works with are meaningfully accountable when they stuff up. Izey Semovic agrees. I dont want what happened to me to happen to other people, he says.
The government has on Monday decided to bestow martyr status to the government employees who were killed during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. With the decision, the family members of those killed government employees-Nepali Army, Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force, National Investigation Department, teachers and civil servants and others during the period of decade long insurgency are entitled to Rs one million from the state. The decision is made just after the decision of lowering the age of eligibility for receiving social security allowance from the existing 70 years to 65 years.





Similarly the government had also declared martyrs to those people killed during different period either from the states or from the Maoists. Likewise, the government has also made a decision to grant additional Rs100, 000 for the reconstruction of the damaged houses during the devastating earthquake in 2015. Though the decision made by the government is esteemed most from the victims sides, it is also criticized from different sectors for creating long term fiscal consequences in the country. It is obvious that the decision will exert additional pressure on the already stressed budgetary situation of the country.





It is likely that to be formed new government will find it incredibly hard to undo the populist decisions. Since the leftist alliance particularly its head CPN UML is believed to lead the next government, it is in front to criticize the decision. We have also a conviction that such a populist decision made by the government is nothing than the wrong precedence established by the political parties on the name of earning popularity.





It is obvious that the decision would create long term consequence in the national economy in the mean time when the country requires a sustainable development plan for the overall development of the country. Such a populist decision does not suit even to the Nepali Congress though it has suffered from the defeat in the recently held provincial and federal assembly election due to the contemptible election agendas and false promises distributed by the leftist alliance. As the competitive populism has benefited to the UML, it would have worried from the fear that the decision would benefit the Nepali Congress to buy votes in coming elections rather than other reasons.





The UML had been selling the populist decision made in 1994 by then CPN UML Chairman Manmohan Adhikari-led government even in the recent elections. The UML is in forefront to distribute such a competitive populist agenda as it has promised to increase elderly allowance to Rs5, 000 in the election manifesto.

The elections campaigners mobilized by the UML seemed to have asked questions to the elderly people with their own answer that which party had begun to distribute Rs. 1000 to the elderly people- UML, which party had doubled the amount to Rs2000- UML and which party is going to increase the elderly allowance to Rs5, 000- UML with the motive to bag the votes from the elderly people. The incumbent Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government copied the UMLs populist formula with the aim to regain the lost strength of the party. But the decision has not benefitted the party to bag the votes as it was made just after the elections.




More than 20,000 homes in Melbourne's south-east have lost power in the third mass outage in Victoria in recent weeks.

Thousands of homes in Boronia, Ferntree Gully, Knoxfield and Wantirna were affected just before midnight on Sunday after a fault at Boronia substation.

Traffic and street lights were also reportedly impacted before power was fully restored at 1.09am.

A spokeswoman for energy company AusNet Services said sub-station equipment was designed to shut off power to isolate the fault.
Two teenage girls were repeatedly punched in the head and one was robbed after being set upon by four other teenagers at Melbourne's South Wharf shopping centre.

Footage has emerged of the shocking attack in which the two teenagers were pushed and punched while shopping at the Direct Factory Outlet on Saturday, January 27.

Both victims were repeatedly punched in the head by their four attackers.

The footage shows one victim being shoved and then struck in the head three times by one of the attackers who approached from behind.
She was taken to the Northern Hospital with a minor hand injury. The residence in Callistemon Rise, Mill Park, where the stabbing is alleged to have occurred on Friday afternoon. Credit:Chris Hopkins Ambulance officers treated the man, who is known to neighbours as "Roger", at the scene and transported him to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with injuries to his neck and shoulder. He was due to undergo surgery on Saturday and is in a serious but stable condition. 'There was blood everywhere': neighbour

On Saturday afternoon, police opened the garage door at the Callistemon Rise address, which revealed bloodstains on the floor of the garage. A neighbour who provided assistance after the stabbing said the woman was calm and did not try to escape or put up a struggle when police arrived. "When I got there there was blood everywhere and a neighbour was putting pressure on the wound," he said. "She was still there and I talked to her. She was very calm but didn't tell me anything." He said the victim was a man named Roger who had lived in the street for many years.

He said the woman had been living at the home for the past two days and that Roger regularly housed student lodgers. The neighbour, who did want to be named, said Roger was a "good man". Blood stains could be seen in the garage of the property at Callistemon Rise. Credit:Chris Hopkins Another neighbour, Mary, said Roger had stumbled out of the garage, covered in blood and carrying the kitchen knife his house guest had used to stab him. She said she called triple zero and followed instructions on how to treat Roger's wounds until paramedics arrived.

During this time Roger recounted what had happened, she said. "He said he was asleep on the mattress and when he woke up, she was standing over him with the knife still at his face. He tried to take the knife off her and he had a wound on his thumb," she said. She said the woman who stabbed him had been staying at Roger's address for the past two days and was due to attend classes at La Trobe University. She said an agency had asked Roger to house the woman at his property for 10 days until permanent accommodation could be found for her. A second university student had also been living at Roger's address for several months. "He hesitated and said there was something about her that made him uncomfortable," she said.

She said the woman started shouting when she was taken away by police, and was wearing a burqa when she was arrested. Australian Federal Police Acting Deputy Commissioner National Security Ian McCartney (Left) and Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner Ross Guenther brief the media on the incident. Credit:AAP Suspect had become 'self-radicalised' Deputy Commissioner Guenther said it appeared the woman had become self-radicalised over a period of time. Asked why police suspected that was the case, he said: We know things like Inspire Magazine and some of the online publications of both al-Qaeda and ISIS can be a source of inspiration.

When asked if police found evidence of the material, Deputy Commissioner Guenther said: We will investigate all of those materials ... we look at social media, whether thats on computer or phones that will be part of the investigation. Police did not believe that this was part of a broader threat, the Deputy Commissioner said. We are confident at this stage that this person acted alone and it was an inspired by a person who had become self-radicalised over a period of time. The incident, as it will be alleged ... appeared to be directed just at that one person. 'An isolated incident': police

Australian Federal Police acting Deputy Commissioner (National Security) Ian McCartney said the woman was inspired by ISIS, and designed to cause harm to the community, but confirmed that police would allege that this was an isolated incident. We will allege before court that shes ISIS inspired, so shes been inspired by the doctrine of ISIS, he said during a press conference on Saturday afternoon. The exact time when the student became radicalised, why she was radicalised and whether she was radicalised before she arrived in Australia would form part of the investigation. When that radicalisation occurred is the subject and real focus of the investigation, he said. The case highlighted "that the threat in relation to terrorism in Australia is real and ongoing".
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The telling feature of the poll was not the one that got the most publicity. The big noise was about the partisan contest. The poll showed that the Turnbull government's share of the two-party preferred vote was up by 1 percentage point and Labor's was down one. In a poll with a margin of error of 2.4 per cent, it's pretty hard to convince yourself that this means anything, yet the obsessives among the political class applied the customary overinterpretation. Malcolm Turnbull's personal ratings were up too, so The Australian's interpretation was "PM surges" as "Coalition closes gap". But, intriguingly, while Turnbull's approval rating was up, so was Bill Shorten's. It's nothing to write home about because both remain unpopular. Yet the Prime Minister's net approval rating had improved from minus 25 to minus 14, and the Opposition Leader's from minus 24 to minus 18 compared with the last poll of last year. Is this because of their brilliant performances over the summer break? Or is it because of the summer break itself, where the political class and the media go into a torpor and the country goes on holiday? We can't be sure, but there's a strong chance that, when the political leaders shut up and disappear for a while, we think less harshly of them.

The independent pollster John Stirton has had a look at what he calls the "summertime effect" over recent decades. He emphasises that the size of the effect is tiny, yet whimsy moved him to describe voters' reactions to the pause in political hostilities this way: "In January we're relaxed and like you more than we did at the end of last year. In February we remember why we hate you." As the parliamentary hothouse heats up, the politicians lose themselves in the thrill of partisan conflict, mistaking the excited attention of the tiny perverted population of the Twitter terrarium for the wider world's interest and attention. The inhabitants of the terrarium adore furious partisanship where the people want co-operative problem-solving. Yet, before the year becomes far advanced, there are traces of the sort of humanity and decency that most Australians hope for in their leaders and representatives. Bill Shorten, recognising, as he put it, the "time for politicians to focus on the issues that matter to Australians, not the petty bickering of the Canberra bubble" made an important announcement: a Labor government would establish a national anti-corruption commission. This brings forward the inevitable day that the Coalition, too, will support this essential improvement to Australia's governance. And Turnbull this week addressed the report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Some 16,000 people contacted the commission about cases of abuse in 4000 separate institutions. "Now that those stories have been told, now that they are on the record, we must do everything within our power to honour those stories and to act," said Turnbull as he outlined the process for responding to the commission's 409 recommendations.

This included the government's plan to strengthen the working with children checks, and the national redress scheme for survivors. "I am committed and my government is committed to doing everything possible to make sure that this national tragedy is never repeated," he said. Politicians of all sides were united in displaying genuine sadness as they spoke the truth about Michael Gordon, the recently retired Fairfax press gallery veteran who last week died unexpectedly during one of his favourite pastimes, an ocean swim: "He was gentle, he was wise," said the Prime Minister. "He was always calm in a business not known for calm." Said Shorten: "As a journalist, he never chose to put himself in the centre of things or make himself the star. He was an understated, earnest man who, in his understated, earnest way gave the reader the respect of intelligence." And there were moments of cross-partisan warmth in tributes to the fallen Labor politician Barry Cohen. It wasn't only the Labor side of the Parliament that praised the man who, as Bob Hawke's environment minister, had doubled the size of the Kakadu National Park, extended the Great Barrier Reef protected zone, and presided over the return of Uluru to its original owners. Cohen was an indefatigable storyteller and jokester. "Behind the laughter was a man who felt acutely and cared profoundly," said Turnbull. "He once revealed that John Steinbeck's haunting The Grapes of Wrath prompted his political career and his advocacy for others was the perfect illustration of one of the novel's central themes; that we're at our best when we work together, rather than toiling alone to overcome hardship. He abhorred discrimination, something he experienced as a young Jewish man in the 1940s. He possessed a fierce desire to combat it." And yet, the moment the opportunity for partisan conflict opens, the adrenaline surges and these truths and virtues are in danger of disappearing. Problem-solving and compassion, calm and intelligence, co-operation and the defeat of discrimination  what happened to those ideals? When Jim Molan, new Liberal senator and outstanding Australian warrior and patriot, was found to have posted anti-Muslim hate propaganda, he distanced himself from the British bigots who produced the material. But why, under attack from Labor, wouldn't he remove the offending material? And why did the Greens' Adam Bandt abandon his senses and accuse Molan of war crimes?

And then there's the pursuit of dual citizens. Labor's Susan Lamb this week repeated that she'd taken all possible steps to renounce her British citizenship but acknowledged that she'd been unable to produce a vital document, her parents' Queensland certificate of marriage. If either parent is alive, they have to consent to the release of the certificate. Tearfully, she explained why she couldn't get her parents' consent  her father was long dead and "one day when I was six-years-old my mum dropped me off at school and she never came back". She has no contact with her mother, she said, and appealed to the Parliament to stop pressing her. The government has so far refused to relent, even though the government had made a similar appeal to Labor's better angels to relent in the case of Energy and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg. His family's experience in the Holocaust presented a similarly impossible case of document recovery and a similar basis for special consideration. Labor has dropped the Frydenberg case; the government should do likewise with Lamb. In the Edelman Trust Barometer, low though the repository of trust in Australia's government may be, there is one set of institutions Australians trust even less. The media. The Daily Telegraph provided a case study this week in why this is so. It screamed from its front page that Barnaby Joyce is having a child with his new partner, a former member of his staff, after separating from his wife last year. The story was illustrated by a paparazzi-style snap of the pregnant woman, taken without her consent. In general, the Australian media, unlike its American and British counterparts, chooses not to intrude into the private lives of its public officials unless there is clear evidence that there are serious consequences for the way the official discharges his or her duties. Unlike the big debates under way in the Parliament about tax, welfare, foreign espionage and a dozen other matters, this story has no consequences for anyone outside its immediate impact. The best possible argument for publicising this story is that Joyce supported traditional marriage in parliamentary debate, while his own marriage was failing. He is, therefore, a hypocrite. But you didn't need to embarrass, hurt and humiliate the people caught up in this marital breakdown in order to establish Joyce to be a hypocrite. That's well established already, on a range of issues. To name one, he claims to be passionate about eliminating the government deficit, yet he fights furiously to spend big on every boondoggle he can find  so long as it's spent outside the capital cities.
In 2002, Laurie Oakes controversially reported a relationship between Cheryl Kernot and Gareth Evans after she omitted the relationship from her autobiography. And the evidence is clear: it was more likely to be broken for women in politics, whose relationships, sexuality and gender rendered them somehow more accessible. The private life convention has often rested on an assumption that men are not affected by love affairs, flings and trysts, while women are. It's a peculiar kind of unconscious bias. When I called former Democrats leader Cheryl Kernot after the news about Joyce broke, she was puzzled. In the 1990s, Kernot was a star; ALP pollster Rod Cameron described her as the "ideal political leader in Australia", and when she moved from the Democrats to the ALP she polled as the person we most wanted as prime minister. She was lauded as a no-nonsense, effective negotiator. "Saint Cheryl", cooed the headlines. But once she moved parties  "defected"  and the halo slipped, stories began to break (One front page read: "Cheryl goes into Labor").

First came a report in this newspaper published about a relationship she had 20 years prior with a former student. In response, gallery veteran Alan Ramsey told me: "If it was a bloke, it would never have been written. Blokes f--- round in their young life, whatever." Journalists, he said, are hardly "holier than thou", "and yet they are throwing the stones  but they don't throw them at the men". Not long after this story broke, West Australian MP Don Randall said Kernot had "the morals of an alley cat on heat". But the biggest story did not come until she had left politics and had written a political memoir. She did not mention her relationship with former foreign minister Gareth Evans, another open secret. Gallery leader Laurie Oakes went straight to print. His reasoning was this: it could place her defection "in a different light", it would help "explain some of her erratic behaviour" and was "a key factor in the erosion of her emotional and physical health". The "distraction and distress", he said, had made her "flaky". Having an affair with a colleague is undoubtedly dangerous and indulgent. Yet there was no actual proof of a causal connection between the bloom and decline of a love affair and Kernot's professional and psychological slump.

But have we seen timelines of male politicians who have had affairs drawn up alongside key decisions, policies, outbursts or failings? No. Exhibit A: Joyce. Today, Kernot says she accepts she had taken a huge risk, which hurt innocent people, and takes responsibility for that. But the lack of proportion in the response to her story remains jarring. Reflecting on the Joyce story, she told me: "I have been astounded and just a little bit angered by the double standards in operation. You have to own your life, but mine involved a consensual relationship between peers where it was the female who was utterly hounded, psychoanalysed, stalked, with huge doses of sanctimony thrown in. And her professional life consequences were affected. Unlike those of her consensual partner." "Of significant interest to me," she says, "was the way journalists revisited the issue with me when I was being interviewed about another topic for a long time after, but not so for Gareth. In fact, when his recent memoir was published covering the period of our relationship and where he did mention my role in the Native Title debate, not one journalist asked him why it was omitted." Male "gravitas" matters, it seems.

She has a point. Evans has received an Order of Australia; she is still fielding calls about their relationship (yes from me, too). She is the scarlet woman; he is the statesman with a blip in his past, not to be mentioned in polite company. To be clear: none of us want grubby, prurient, intrusive reporting into the private lives of MPs. We all make mistakes; history is littered with people who are fools in private and formidable in public. But the anomalies are important. Kernot invited the same kind of peculiar frenzy Julia Gillard did  a heated, uncontained and particularly nasty scrutiny that hinged on likeability, not professional ability, and provided a vivid disincentive for women contemplating a political career. Like Kernot, Joyce took a huge risk. But his was greater. He is the Deputy Prime Minister. He has spoken repeatedly about the importance of a secure heterosexual union, arguing against same-sex marriage while breaking his own vows. He argued against a national cervical cancer vaccine on the grounds it could make young women promiscuous. He featured his family prominently during his byelection campaign last year. In an interview with The Weekend Australian, he revealed he had placed his wife through a strict vetting process, surmising: "No point starting a project you can't see the end of." Except that he was, apparently, then staring at it. When Leigh Sales grilled him about his affair, he swatted it away: "Private", "private, "private". It's a remarkable privilege.
She leans towards a glass half-full view of China. If there is an area in which the orthodox foreign policy community is watching closely to see where Wong will land, it is how she will position herself if and when the US decides to take a firmer stance in pushing back against Chinese assertiveness - and expects Australias help. Donald Trump with Xi Jinping in Beijing in November. Credit:Bloomberg This prospect is hardly a distant one. Washingtons two recent security statements both called out China - along with Russia - as a competitor that couldnt be relied upon to follow the international system of rules which have, since World War II, helped ensure free and open trade, resolved many disputes peacefully and ensured small countries as well as large are heard and respected. Wong made a point of marking this important shift in US policy in her Singapore speech, astutely linking it to a New York Times story that quoted Donald Trump as saying the postwar international order was not working at all. This is fundamental to Australia. As a middle power, Australia needs a rules-based system. It cant impose its will on the world through sheer power, even if it wanted to.

When dissected, Wongs views on the US and the rules-based order are revealing. On the one hand, she is resolute that the 70 years since World War II, in which the US has underwritten the global rules, have been about the best 70 years the worlds ever had. I think America has been the key guarantor in an international system which has enabled more peace and prosperity than probably any period in the worlds history, she says. The postwar period has been by historical terms a remarkably stable and peaceful period  We see there have been conflicts and we see a lot of tragedy and bloodshed, [but] in historical terms its actually been a remarkably stable period. Stephen Loosely, a senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, praises Wongs very mature understanding of the alliance as the bedrock of Australias national security. Loosely is a former Labor senator and party elder statesman, but he is also a very solid supporter of the US alliance. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Senator Penny Wong in Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen On the other hand, Wong has some forthright views about the US of 2018. She doesnt back away, for instance, from a commentary she wrote for Fairfax Media after Donald Trumps election in which she called Trump a change point and said his presidency meant Australians need to consider a broader range of scenarios than was previously within contemplation. It unnerved some pro-US thinkers at the time because it seemed to call for a rethink of the alliance.

This week she said those comments had been proven correct. My point about that was to say there will be times when there are differences of views, she says. Australia would have to work to ensure constructive engagement by the US in Asia. I think the US remains engaged in Asia, but we cant simply sit back and assume that that constructive engagement will continue to the extent that we in the region want, she says. We will continue, as their ally and partner, to work with them and others in the region to ensure that constructive engagement continues. That means sometimes we will differ on issues but we should work as hard as we can in the context of our relationship to maximise their constructive engagement in the region.

She is cautious on the general question of how far Australia should be prepared to go to back up the US if, having given up on Beijings behaving within the rules, Washington decides to push back more firmly. First, I think youre always better off seeking co-operation than seeking contest. Second, it does come back to [the fact that] weve got an interest in a constructive US-China relationship and we should continue to encourage that. Third, I think it comes back to identifying very clearly what our national interests are. And what do we think is right for Australia? She adds that we should be telling the Americans what kind of strategy we want to fit into, rather than just accepting Washington's. We also ought to put our view about what that means as an ally. We should be putting - and I hope the government is doing this - [our views on] ... the architecture of that engagement, the narrative around that engagement, the specifics of that engagement  Part of what we can do as a US ally is ensure that we give our view about what the most constructive way of engaging with the US looks like. Penny Wong sees the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a positive step. Credit:Bloomberg

Wong says the international system will need to evolve as major powers such as China have a quite legitimate expectation to be rulemakers as well as takers. Beijing's creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) - which the US tried to discourage Australia from joining - is an example of Chinas making rules constructively to the benefit of the region. What cant be tolerated, she says, is for countries to unilaterally tear up the rule book when it suits them. In Singapore, she pointed to the South China Sea as an example - a reference to Beijings remaking the physical territory of those waterways in clear violation of international law. But what do we do about it? China hawks - indeed many strategic thinkers - advocate sailing warships close to the islands to challenge Beijing's claim over the surrounding waters. Wongs pro-US colleague Richard Marles has in the past expressed support for these operations. This strand of thinking says if we stand up to China - or any other revisionist power - as a group, well be making it clear such rule-breaking cannot be tolerated. So far, the US is the only country to have carried out these operations in the South China Sea. Everyone knows the US would have liked Australia to follow suit. US and Philippine troops carry out manoeuvres in the South China Sea near Scarborough Shoal. Credit:AP

Wong doesnt give a position on this sharp point. But observers doubt very much she would support such a move, which would be seen as highly provocative by Beijing. China will continue to develop economically, it will continue to become more assertive in our region and globally and I think we need to approach that fact with respect but not with fear," she says. Wong's views here are not radical, it must be said. The Coalition has not carried out freedom-of-navigation operations. After some internal deliberations, it joined the AIIB. In a somewhat cloaked fashion, the governments foreign policy white paper accepted the possibility that the US would play a less substantial role in maintaining the rules-based order in Asia and advocated reaching out to other like-minded Asian countries to hedge against a diminished or changed US role - a view Wong says she basically shares. On closer ties to South-east Asia, Wong says she has been out in front of the government. We probably have a stronger regional focus, although they are coming to that late, she says. I think part of Labor tradition is a tradition of regionalism and our instinct around ASEAN and regional institutions is stronger.

Indeed, she mounts a somewhat unfashionable defence of ASEAN, which because of its demand for consensus before action has been effectively neutered by China picking off a couple of members. US President Donald Trump does the "ASEAN-way handshake" in Manila last year. The regional grouping is often dismissed but Wong insists it has value. Credit:AP ASEAN is a strategic buffer for Australia, she argues, inviting critics to imagine the region without it. Having been born in Malaysia to a Malaysian Chinese father and Australian mother, Wong says she has a very instinctive sense of [South-east Asias] importance to us. One area where Wong is very strong is her advocacy of open economies. While a backlash in some advanced democracies against free trade has united left and right in an anti-globalist spasm, Wong has a clearly articulated rationale for openness.

Free trade grows the national pie as an aggregate. The benefits dont naturally spread themselves evenly, but when combined with domestic redistribution policies, it unquestionably makes people better off, Wong says. She accepts that political elites have failed to properly champion the benefits of free trade. But we have to stand against some of the nationalist and populist tendencies that were seeing. Thats not an answer, she says. Apart from my strong view its not an answer to the well-being of the Australian people, particularly to lower and middle-income Australians, its actually not an answer to security and peace in the world. If you look at our history, the world is a more stable and peaceful place if we are more connected. An isolationist approach to economic policy and a defensive approach to international relations is not how you find security.

In a little-noticed remark in a recent television interview, Wong noted that as foreign affairs spokeswoman, it was her job to see the strategic advantages in Australia's joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. That presages a potential internal tussle with colleagues, but demonstrates she is thinking in terms of the nation's external relations rather than her party's internal ones. When Fairfax Media notes shes from the Left faction, she quips: I know, its odd isnt it? The view around Canberra is that Wong is still on the learning curve common to shadow foreign affairs ministers. The influence of her speechwriter Allan Behm - a former senior defence official - is obvious to everyone, though it is said Wong is highly interrogative of the advice she is given. When she does reluctantly offer a criticism of Julie Bishop, it is this: She has been a hard-working and competent foreign minister. I would make the observation that it has been, at times, difficult to see how she has articulated a framework and vision for Australias foreign policy. To me, fundamentally, foreign policy is about your place in the world and how you see Australia in the world. Having a sense of what your purpose is is as important as the day-to-day management."
Treasurer Scott Morrison, a devout Christian, has offered a less-than-enthusiastic defence of his colleague Barnaby Joyce.

"In terms of Barnaby's own private conduct it's not for me to defend him on that," he told the Daily Telegraph.

"People know my views on these things, but I'm also very aware of human frailty."

The Treasurer continued today's government tactic of shifting the responsibility for the appointment of Joyce's partner to two senior positions onto the Nationals.

"It's for the National Party to decide how to they allocate positions."

Morrison also said he was determined to lower both corporate and personal income taxes despite a hostile Parliamentary environment.

"We are reducing the tax burden to make sure the economy grows," he said.

But he would not be drawn on whether personal income tax cuts will be included in the forthcoming May budget, which he would now be in the middle of preparing.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is referring "a number of matters relating to citizenship and the operation of section 44 of the constitution" to the parliamentary committee that looks at electoral matters.

"Australia is the most successful multicultural society in the world and around a half of our citizens were either born overseas or have a parent born overseas. These Australians may be citizens of another country and, as we have seen with several members and senators, not be aware of it," Mr Turnbull said in a statement.

The committee has been asked "to examine how our electoral laws can be improved to minimise the risk of candidates being found to be ineligible in the future and what, if any, changes should be made to section 44 (i) of the constitution".

Mr Turnbull says people "expect us to resolve the citizenship issue once and for all" and the inquiry "will help us ensure similar issues do not affect future parliaments".
Multimillion-dollar security bollards designed to protect Parliament House from a terrorist attack have destroyed five luxury cars used to ferry federal politicians around the national capital.

The heavy steel bollards, driven by powerful pneumatic motors, are capable of springing out of the roadway with such force they can fling large trucks into the air.

But in five separate incidents since November last year - two in the past couple of weeks - bollards have been impaling Commonwealth cars, smashing everything from transmission systems to motors, and piercing the vehicles undercarriages.

A Comcar enters the grounds of Parliament House by driving past drives past retractable bollards. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The trouble began when the $126 million works to fortify Parliament House against terrorist attack - including erecting a ring of steel fences - interfered with the automatic operation of the bollards, requiring them to be run manually.




Kathmandu, Nepal: Following the footsteps of others national and international right agencies, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also slammed the government for failing to implement the transitional justice mechanisms even after the transitional political system has come into the phase of end with the completions of the three phases of elections.





The NHRC has come heavily against of the government and the political parties for failing to investigate even a single case of conflict-era human rights violations over the past three years through the means of the transitional justice mechanisms- Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) established by the country on the name of dealing with the war-era crimes.





NHRC Chairman Anup Raj Sharma hinted to the severe consequences recently in the case of failing to implement the transitional justice system in the country. He has a view that international organizations and instruments could be attracted to Nepals case if there was delay in the investigation process of war-era cases of human rights violation with prompt and widely agreeable closure to the crimes committed during the Maoist insurgency.





The TRC and CIEDP were formed to probe insurgency-era cases of human rights violation, killings, disappearances, kidnapping, torture, physical attacks, maiming, injury, extra-judicial custody, rape and sexual violence, property capture and displacement, but why have been unable to look even into a single case out of more than 60,000 cases registered by conflict victims during the three years period, Sharma questioned over the performances of the TRC and the CIEDP and the motive of the government and the political parties.





The reason would be that political parties are not cooperating with the transitional justice mechanism; he cautioned stating that everyone should be concerned about not creating a situation in which victims are compelled to seek justice beyond the border.





Conflict victims might be forced to seek justice beyond the borders and the international community might be active, which would put at risk the entire peace process if the country failed to proactively work to address these issues seriously on time, he said.





Not only had the NHRC Chairman Sharma but the TRC Chairman Surya Kiran Gurung had also made similar remarks stating recently that global attention would be attracted if Nepal failed to provide justice to the war era victims.

The remarks have come in the mean time when the government extended the terms of the two transitional justice bodies TRC and CIEDP by one year.

The remarks made by UNHCR Chairman Sharma and TRC Charman Gurung would be an indication that international community would be active to implement the human right in as international community have been opposing the existing transitional justice process adopted by the country pointing fingers in the lacking of proper laws to adhere to international standards of investigation into war-era crimes.





As Sharma and Gurung have indicated about the situation, the Nepal Army (NA) Colonel Kumar Lama was arrested in January 2013 while he was on leave in the United Kingdom (UK) from his posting as a United Nations peacekeeper in South Sudan.





He was arrested on the charges related to the torture that were allegedly occurred between April and May 2005 at the NAs Gorusinghe of Kapilvasti district barracks. However, he was freed in September 2016 after the court found no evidence in the allegation charged against Lama.





Though the TRC and CIEDP have registered hundreds of thousands cases related to serious human right violation during the decade long Maoist insurgency. But, these transitional justice mechanisms have not settled even a single case. Others state agencies have kept in distanced to deal on the case in the pretext that all the war-era cases have to be dealt from the transitional justice mechanism.

Considering to the situations, the rights watchdog agencies including the NHRC have been calling for laws criminalizing enforced disappearance and torture as the existing laws related to the TRC and the CIEDP do not clearly define serious crimes against humanity.




A letter to traders from Queen Victoria Market Pty Ltd states: "I agree that I shall not disclose, for whatever reason, to any other person, any details discussed in this meeting without the written permissions of Queen Victoria Market Pty Ltd. "The information discussed in this meeting is confidential and between QVM management and the licence holder." Traders are allowed to use a support person during their talks with management, but that person must also sign the confidentiality agreement. Queen Victoria Market management said the confidentiality agreement was a request, not a demand, and for the good of traders to minimise confusion during the lengthy meeting process. Queen Victoria Market Pty Ltd chief executive Stan Liacos said: "We recognise that traders will want to share information from their meetings with their community, however, we want to ensure that traders receive information related to their individual stalls directly from market management.

Queen Victoria Market, which attracts 9.5 million visitors a year, is the top destination for international tourists to Melbourne Credit:Eddie Jim "So out of the respect for all of our traders, we have asked traders who have attended meetings to keep their relocation information confidential. "It is the traders choice whether they consent to signing the confidentiality agreement. "Traders who refuse to sign a confidentiality agreement will in no way be unfavourably treated throughout the relocation process  [and] will be briefed once all other meetings have taken place. "Currently, all traders who have attended meetings have willingly signed the agreement in the understanding that it is to protect the commercial information that relates to their business and those of their fellow traders."

He did not answer when asked if the market had sought confidentiality agreements from traders before, but one trader said this was the first in their decades at the market. With 9.5 million visitors a year, Queen Victoria Market is the top destination for international visitors to Melbourne and the longest surviving marketplace of its size and diversity in Australia, according to consultants SGS Economics and Planning. Owned by the City of Melbourne, it posted a loss for the first time in the 2016-17 financial year, due to falls in customer receipts, rents and car park fees, combined with rising costs including consultancy fees. Queen Victoria Market Pty Ltd says a redevelopment is essential to enable the market to operate more efficiently, improve safety, decrease costs and create more opportunities for business. The redevelopment follows half a decade of planning, more than 7500 submissions and more than 60 comprehensive studies, then Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle said last year. Under the plans, the market's heritage-listed sheds that house the fruit and vegetables stalls and souvenir stalls will be partly demolished and then reconstructed once lifts, ventilation shafts, 220 customer parking spaces and refrigeration areas have been constructed.

In addition, on Therry Street, near the corner of Elizabeth Street, there be a tower 125 metres high - about 42 storeys - with apartments, retail, a hotel and 500 car parks undernearth. On the same site there will be 56 low-cost units, a 120-place childcare centre, a community centre, artists studios, a gallery, and a retail space. In a business case for the redevelopment, SGS said "only renewal will ensure the future viability of the market" and a "business-as-usual approach will result in a continued loss of profitability and a requirement for council to subsidise Queen Victoria Market Pty Ltds operations over time". But the project has had problems, including the Wurundjeri Land Council withdrawing its support for the project due to fears it would disturb a burial ground, and Heritage Victoria seeking more time to rule whether Sheds A to D be dismantled and rebuilt, and a below-ground car park and storage area built. A temporary pavilion housing traders disrupted by the development was supposed to start in October last year but will not start until this year. In an email to traders last week, Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal program director Joanna Wandel said: "With a number of key renewal projects awaiting planning process outcomes, a full view of the operation of the transitional market will not be available until around May 2018, with major trader relocations associated with renewal unlikely to occur until late 2018.
Amateur astronomer Scott Tilley was in his home office on a recent evening, using his radio equipment to scan space in a needle-in-a-haystack search for a spy satellite operated by the US Air Force.

Tilley, 47, a Canadian, launches himself on missions like this nightly.

Scott Tilley, pictured near his home in Canada, found a NASA satellite that had been lost for more than a decade. Credit:Courtesy of Scott Tilley

Since he was about eight, he has been a devoted but earthbound space explorer, looking for hidden satellites in the sky for hours on end.

As he scanned the skies that night a few weeks ago, he did not find what he was looking for, but he came across something possibly even better: a different satellite, a weather craft NASA lost more than a decade ago.
Your face is open for business Apple's face tech sets some good precedents, and some bad ones. It won praise for storing the face data it uses to unlock the iPhone X securely on the phone, instead of sending it to its servers over the Internet. Less noticed was how the iPhone lets other apps now tap into two eerie views from the so-called TrueDepth camera. There's a wireframe representation of your face and a live read-out of 52 unique micro-movements in your eyelids, mouth and other features. Apps can store that data on their own computers. To see for yourself, use an iPhone X to download an app called MeasureKit. It exposes the face data Apple makes available. The app's maker, Rinat Khanov, tells me he's already planning to add a feature that lets you export a model of your face so you can 3D print a mini-me. "Holy cow, why is this data available to any developer that just agrees to a bunch of contracts?" said Fatemeh Khatibloo, an analyst at Forrester Research.

Being careful is in Apple's DNA, and it has been slow in opening home and health data to outsiders. But it also views the face camera as a differentiator, helping position Apple as a leader in artificial intelligence and augmented reality. Apple put some important limits on apps. It requires "that developers ask a user's permission before accessing the camera, and that apps must explain how and where this data will be used," Apple's Neumayr said. And Apple's rules say developers can't sell face data, use it to identify anonymous people or use it for advertising. They're also required to have privacy policies. "These are all very positive steps," said Clare Garvey, an associate at Georgetown University's Center on Privacy & Technology. Privacy holes

Still, it wasn't hard for me to find holes in Apple's protections. The MeasureKit app's maker told me he wasn't sensing much extra scrutiny from Apple for accessing face data. "There were no additional terms or contracts. The app review process is quite regular as well, or at least it appears to be, on our end," Khanov said. When I noticed his app didn't have a privacy policy, Khanov said Apple didn't require it because he wasn't taking face data off the phone. After I asked Apple about this, it called Khanov and told him to post a privacy policy. "They said they noticed a mistake and this should be fixed immediately," Khanov said. "I wish Apple were more specific in their App Review Guidelines."

The bigger concern: "How realistic is it to expect Apple to adequately police this data?" Georgetown's Garvey asked. Apple might spot violations from big apps like Facebook, but what about gazillions of smaller ones? Apple hasn't said how many apps it has kicked out of its store for privacy issues. Then there's a permission problem. Apps are supposed to make clear why they're accessing your face and seek "conspicuous consent," according to Apple's policies. But when it comes time for you to tap OK, you get a pop-up that asks to "access the camera." It doesn't say, "HEY, I'M NOW GOING TO MAP YOUR EVERY TWITCH." The iPhone's settings don't differentiate between the back camera and all those front face-mapping sensors. Once you give it permission, an active app keeps on having access to your face until you delete it or dig into advanced settings. There's no option that says, "Just for the next five minutes." Overwhelming people with notifications and choices is a concern, but the face seems like a sufficiently new and sensitive data source that it warrants special permission. Unlike a laptop webcam, it's hard to put a privacy sticker over the front of the iPhone X. Without a fingerprint reader, it's the main mechanism to unlock the thing.

Android phones have had face-unlock features for years, but most haven't offered 3D face mapping like the iPhone. Like iOS, Android doesn't make a distinction between front and back cameras. Google's Play Store doesn't prohibit apps from using the face camera for marketing or building databases, so long as they ask permission. The value of your face Facial detection can, of course, be used for good and for bad. Warby Parker, the online glasses purveyor, uses it to fit frames to faces, and a Snapchat demo uses it to virtually paint on your face. Companies have touted face tech as a solution to distracted driving, or a way to detect pain in children who have trouble expressing how they're feeling. It's not clear how Apple's TrueDepth data might change the kinds of conclusions software can draw about people. But from years of covering tech, I've learned this much: Given the opportunity to be creepy, someone will take it. Using artificial intelligence, face data "may tell an app developer an awful lot more than the human eye can see," said Forrester's Khatibloo. For example, she notes researchers recently used AI to more-accurately determine people's sexuality just from regular photographs. That study had limitations, but still "the tech is going to leapfrog way faster than consumers and regulators are going to realise," said Khatibloo.

Our faces are already valuable. Half of all American adults have their images stored in at least one database that police can search, typically with few restrictions. Facebook and Google use AI to identify faces in pictures we upload to their photo services. Facebook has a patent for delivering content based on emotion, and in 2016, Apple bought a start-up called Emotient that specialises in detecting emotions. Using regular cameras, companies such as Kairos make software to identify gender, ethnicity and age as well as the sentiment of people. In the last 12 months, Kairos said it has read 250 million faces for clients looking to improve commercials and products. Apple's iPhone X launch was "the primal scream of this new industry, because it democratised the idea that facial recognition exists and works," said Kairos CEO Brian Brackeen. His company gets consent from volunteers whose faces it reads, or even pays them, but he said the field is wide open. "What rights do people have? Are they being somehow compensated for the valuable data they are sharing?" he asked. What keeps privacy advocates up at night is that the iPhone X will make face scanning seem normal. Will makers of other phones, security cameras or drones be as careful as Apple? We don't want to build a future where we become numb to a form of surveillance that goes far beyond anything we've known before.
"It's incredibly challenging," the police chief in Tucson, Arizona, Chris Magnus, said. "There's such a lack of clarity." The rise of the crimes flies in the face of the proclamations of politicians who declare crime an all but defeated societal ill. Statistics don't tell the story "You have to go back to the 1950s to see crime this low," Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City's second-term Democratic mayor, said recently on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." His comments reflected last year's historically low numbers of murders and shootings, burglaries, robberies and auto thefts  offenses measured by the police CompStat tracking program. But to many criminologists, academics and law enforcement leaders, crimes like car theft are anachronisms in a modern era in which the internet's virtual superhighways have supplanted brick-and-mortar streets as the scenes for muggings, prostitution rings or commercial burglaries. They see dips in traditional violence and larceny as offset by a twin phenomenon: A surge in the evolving crimes of the digital era, and the fact that they are not fully captured in law enforcement's reporting systems.

"It's the old iceberg metaphor," said Nola Joyce, a former deputy commissioner of Philadelphia's police department. "What we know about is above the surface. But in terms of value, and in terms of harm, a lot of that crime is below the surface." "There's an old saying that came out of the Vietnam War," she added, "that said, `If you can't measure what matters, what you measure matters a great deal." Joyce is working with others on a panel of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, to modernise local and federal crime-classification systems. New solutions are a priority, too, for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and progressive police commanders. They say that without timely, accurate data on crime, criminal justice leaders cannot see and respond coherently to national trends or make informed policy and spending decisions or tailor deployment strategies to best battle them. As Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based research group that has studied the issue, put it: "The problem is, to use an overused expression, `You don't know what you don't know,' and by that I mean we don't know the extent of these incidents in our communities or from a national perspective."

Indeed, an Internet Crime Complaint Center established by the FBI in 2000, to capture internet crime, received 298,728 complaints in 2016, reflecting $1.3 billion in combined losses, according to a new report by Wexler's group. But Donna Gregory, the head of the center, said that number of complaints only represented about 10 to 12 percent of all estimated cybercrime victims in the United States in 2016, and a fraction of all victims worldwide. In fact, a single category of internet crime  identify theft  generated $15.4 billion in losses in 2014, according to a crime victimization survey by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. A wake-up call In its report, Wexler's group said its findings represented a wake-up call for the nation's 18,000 policing agencies facing an increase in technology-based crimes, that sprawl across jurisdictions, and recommended they fight back with similar tools by: developing their own digital expertise; hiring civilian analysts; mining technology, to help solve crime; encouraging banks to forward reports of theft rather write off their losses. Above all, policing needs "better systems for gathering data," the report said. It is an issue that dates back to 1929, when the FBI first rolled out its Uniform Crime Reporting system that still stands today. Designed as a summary count, it mainly tracks a handful of Part One index crimes: murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, grand larceny, arson and auto theft. The counts include only the top charge in a given episode.

In the 1980s, the FBI, with Bureau of Justice Statistics, tried to improve the reporting by building the National Incident-Based Reporting System to capture deeper levels of data across more categories. It created, for instance, "crimes against a person" which includes: assault, murder, kidnapping, abduction and sexual offenses. Each act is counted separately, within an incident or a crime that encompasses several criminal elements. But 40 years later, data collection is still haphazard as policing agencies that protect just 31 percent of the country's population volunteer to abide by the deeper reporting standards. (An example: There is no national database of police officers' use of deadly physical force.) Still, the FBI is charging forward, vowing to move fully to its 1980s-era vision by 2021. Only last year did it began collecting data on two new offenses in its fraud category: hacking/computer invasion and identify theft. "Crime data reporting  in its current state  is not collecting the right information to understand and analyze current events," Stephen G. Fischer Jr., an FBI spokesman, said. "Today's information age has changed how we see the world and what the world expects from policing." The panel of the National Academy of Sciences is looking past the FBI's unmet goals  which it sees as one component of a new approach. The panel wants a fresh system for understanding the nature and extent of crime today, said Janet L. Lauritsen, the panel's chair and a criminology professor at the University of Missouri. It envisions a format modeled in part, on an international framework organized by the United Nations that would reflect 11 prime categories of crime and 189 sublevels, including many that "are just not even part of the national conversation on crime," Lauritsen said. It would, for instance, capture reports from federal agencies, she said, that have never reported crime data to the FBI, "even though there is actually a law on the books," the Uniform Federal Crime Reporting Act, from 1988, that compels it.
Huawei surprised attendees at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona by announcing an ultra-portable laptop and tablet hybrid device, at the trade show more traditionally focused on mobile phones.

The Matebook is Huawei's first foray into the world of two-in-ones, and the Chinese company's first consumer product to run Windows 10.

In an interview following the announcement Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei, was upfront about the choice to partner with Microsoft on the Matebook. While Huawei loves working with Google for it smartphones, he believes Windows 10 is the best platform for hybrid tablets and laptops.But he also wanted to create a device that matched the beauty of Apple products.

"Apple PCs look beautiful, and not many others look as good. But the problem is Apple only run Apple software. We believe there's a market for beautiful Windows tablets", Mr Yu said.
Loading But when I called several experts, I found they agreed with the investors. Sure, they said, Apple isn't responsible for the excesses of the digital ad business, but it does have a moral responsibility to  and a business interest in  the well-being of its customers. And there's another, more important reason for Apple to take on tech addiction: because it would probably do an elegant job of addressing the problem. "I do think this is their time to step up," said Tristan Harris, a former design ethicist at Google who now runs Time Well Spent, an organisation working to improve technology's impact on society. "In fact," Harris added, "they may be our only hope."

For one thing, Apple's business model does not depend on tech addiction. The company makes most of its money by selling premium devices at high profit margins. Yes, it needs to make sure you find your phone useful enough to buy the next one, but after you purchase your phone and sign up for some of its premium services, Apple doesn't really need you to overdo it. Indeed, because it can't make infinite battery life, Apple would probably be OK if you cooled it with your phone a little. Yet even though Apple is not part of the ad business, it exerts lots of control over it. Every tech company needs a presence on the iPhone or iPad; this means that Apple can set the rules for everyone. With a single update to its operating system and its app store, Apple could curb some of the worst excesses in how apps monitor and notify you to keep you hooked (as it has done, for instance, by allowing ad blockers in its mobile devices). And because other smartphone makers tend to copy Apple's best inventions, whatever it did to curb our dependence on our phones would be widely emulated. Harris suggested several ideas for Apple to make a less-addictive smartphone. For starters, Apple could give people a lot more feedback about how they're using their devices. Imagine if, once a week, your phone gave you a report on how you spent your time, similar to how your activity tracker tells you how sedentary you were last week. It could also needle you: "Farhad, you spent half your week scrolling through Twitter. Do you really feel proud of that?" It could offer to help: "If I notice you spending too much time on Snapchat next week, would you like me to remind you?" Another idea is to let you impose more fine-grained controls over notifications. Today, when you let an app send you mobile alerts, it's usually an all-or-nothing proposition  you say yes to letting it buzz you, and suddenly it's buzzing you all the time.

Harris suggested that Apple could require apps to assign a kind of priority level to their notifications. "Let's say you had three notification levels  heavy users, regular users and lite, or Zen," Harris said. Apple could set rules for what kind of notifications were allowed in each bucket  for instance, the medium bucket might allow notifications generated by other people (like a direct message in Instagram) but not those from the app itself (Instagram just sending you an alert to remind you that your high school friend's mom's brother posted a new picture recently). "And then Apple could say, by default, everyone is in the middle level  and instantly it could save a ton of users a ton of energy in dealing with this," Harris said. There's a danger that some of these anti-addiction efforts could get too intrusive. But that's also why Apple would shine here; building a less-addictive phone is chiefly a problem of interface design, which is basically Apple's entire corporate raison d'etre. Another thing that Apple is good at is marketing, and I suspect it could make a lot of gauzy ads showing people getting more out of iPhones and iPads by unplugging from them for a little while. Note that it already sells a device, the Apple Watch, whose marketing extols the magic of leaving your phone behind.

Done right, a full-fledged campaign pushing the benefits of a more deliberative approach to tech wouldn't come off as self-interest, but in keeping with Apple's best vision of itself  as a company that looks out for the interests of humanity in an otherwise cold and sometimes inhumane industry. "How we live with technology is the cultural issue of the next half-century," said James Steyer, the founder and chief executive of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that studies how children are affected by media. He suggested that the feeling was ripe for Apple to tap into. "It's something that everyone cares about  whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, liberal or conservative, whether you live in San Francisco or Biloxi, Mississippi, you know that you and your kids are part of the arms race for attention," he said. Apple released a statement last week saying it cared deeply "about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them," adding that it had a few features on addiction in the works. Apple hardly ever talks about future products, so it declined to elaborate on any of its ideas when I called. Let's hope it's working on something grand.
It will be a wearily familiar scenario to just about anyone with a pressing deadline who has found themselves up to their elbows in toner, frantically trying to pull a scrunched-up piece of A4 from a pair of stubborn rollers.

The story of how they unclogged a city's broken criminal justice system is told in the latest edition of The New Yorker, and a spokesman for the copier company said it was not just a throwaway line but that the engineers stood by their extraordinary claim.

New York. Engineers at Xerox have made a bold claim for their skills at unclogging printer jams: their expertise was responsible for a drop in Chicago's crime rate during the mid-Nineties.

John Viavattine, the head of Xerox's Media Technology Centre, told the magazine: "I was asked to go to Chicago to visit the Chicago children's court.

"This was the mid-Nineties, and a sales rep had put our printers - I think they were 400 Series - over at the court system. What was happening was, lawyers had to deliver certain court documents to the defence attorneys within a certain amount of time. Otherwise, the defendant was let go. They were losing two out of three cases because of paper jams."

As he told the story, he paused for emphasis. "Two out of three defendants were gone - walking out the door - because of paper jams."

Their investigations soon found the culprit. And it certainly wasn't their 400 Series printers. "The problem was that they were using some off-brand, really down-in-the-dumps paper," he said.

It was no doubt a memorable professional victory. But the tale grows bolder. Eric Ruiz, leader of the paper jam team, said: "Now you know why the crime rate in Chicago went down."
Stuffed with sausages, sunburnt and, let's be honest, a little bit smashed from a day of drinking too much in the sun, Australians were flopped on their couches relaxing when President Trump took the podium at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the snowy Swiss resort town of Davos.

Amid fears the world's Tweeter-in-Chief would unleash a new global trade war, ushering in a new era of protectionism, Trump instead delivered a more statesmanlike speech, declaring: "America First does not mean America alone".

Which shouldn't really have surprised anyone. For all his rhetoric about helping the "lost generation" of middle income Americans, pre-presidential Trump would have not looked out of place amid the chalets, jets and glittering cocktail parties of Davos. Only he would never have been invited, considered too "gauche"  and probably not rich enough  to take seriously.

The reality is that the US under the Trump administration is embarking on more a trade tantrum, than all out trade war.
3 Men Sentenced to Life in Prison Over Revenge Killing of 7-Year-Old Girl

Three men were sentenced to life in prison on Friday, Feb. 9, over the revenge drive-by slaying of a 7-year-old girl in Memphis, Tennessee.

Authorities said 24-year-old Jordan Clayton, 22-year-old Branden Brookins, and 25-year-old Carlos Stokes shot young Kristan Williams as she was playing in the front yard, according to the Shelby County district attorneys office.

All individuals received a life sentence, plus more than 40 years.

Life sentences for 3 in 'revenge' killing of 7-year-old girl https://t.co/f8CfSKQsgR  Fox News (@FoxNews) February 10, 2018

They were convicted of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.

Stokes had a further 54 years added to his life sentence after Criminal Court Judge James Lammey Jr. called him the leader in the 2015 murder at the 2600 block of Durby Circle, the Shelby County district attorneys office said.

Prosecutors said the address was specifically targeted by the killers in retaliation for an earlier shooting.

Witnesses at the time heard Stokes saying before the shooting I want a body for a body, according to the Shelby County district attorneys office.

An earlier shooting on the same day took the life of Stokess sister, 15-year-old Cateria. Prosecutors said Stokes wanted revenge for his sisters death, the Commercial Appeal reported.

The shooting was linked to an ongoing dispute over a drug deal gone wrong in 2014.

They were hunting this girl, basically, Judge Lammey said about the three mens actions, according to the newspaper.

The murder of Stokes sister still remains unsolved, Fox News reported.

SENTENCING: Three men convicted last month in the shooting death of a 7-year-old girl in South Memphis were sentenced Friday to life in prison plus more than 40 years. https://t.co/BbQhfmaTkc pic.twitter.com/8pXbYBxufJ  Local 24 News (@LocalMemphis) February 9, 2018

Both slayings, which took place just hours apart, drew public outcry in Memphis, according to the Commercial Appeal.

A fourth man, identified as Carl Johnson, also faces charges in relation to the case.

From NTD.tv

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem February 11, 2018. (Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)

Netanyahu Says Israel Undeterred After Syria Shoots Down F-16

JERUSALEM/BEIRUTPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces would press ahead with Syria operations despite their loss of an advanced warplane to enemy fire for the first time in 36 years.

Syrian anti-aircraft fire downed the F-16 as it returned from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria early on Saturday. The Iran-backed forces are supporting President Bashar al-Assad in Syrias near seven-year civil war.

Israel then launched a second and more intensive air raid, hitting what it said were 12 Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including Syrian air defense systems.

However, Israel and Syria have both signaled they are not seeking wider conflict and on Sunday their frontier was calm.

Yesterday we landed hard blows on the forces of Iran and Syria. We made unequivocally clear to everyone that our modus operandi has not changed one bit, Netanyahu said.

Irans involvement in Syria, including the deployment of Iran-backed forces near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, has alarmed Israel, which has said it would counter any threat. Israel also has accused Iran of planning to build precision-guided missile factories in Lebanon.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said Israels strikes on Saturday had killed at least six people from Syrian government and allied forces. Syrian state media have yet to disclose any casualties or damage.

The downing of the F-16 over northern Israel  as the air force struck back for what it said was an incursion by an Iranian drone launched from Syria  was a rare setback for a country that relies on regional military supremacy.

Security cabinet minister Yuval Steinitz told Israel Radio the Iranian drone was modeled on the U.S. RQ-170 drone that was downed in Iran in 2011. The U.S. Embassy did not immediately comment.

The jets two-man crew survived with injuries, and Israeli generals insisted they had inflicted much greater damage in Syria  even as Damascus claimed a strategic gain in the decades-old standoff with its old foe to the south.

Broadest Attack On Syria Defenses

Israel said it had destroyed three Syrian anti-aircraft batteries and four targets that are part of Irans military establishment in Syria during Saturdays raids.

This is the broadest attack on Syrias defense systems since (Operation) Peace for the Galilee, air force Brigadier-General Amnon Ein Dar told Army Radio, referring to Israels 1982 Lebanon offensive, in which it battled Syrian forces.

It was also the first downing of an Israeli warplane by enemy fire since that conflict.

In Syria, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper said the countrys air defenses had destroyed the myth of Israeli air superiority in the region.

Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which fights in support of Assad in Syria, spoke of the start of a new strategic phase that would limit Israels activity in Syrian airspace, where Israeli planes have regularly attacked suspected weapons shipments to the Islamist movement.

Both the United States, Israels closest ally, and Russia, which supports Assad in the Syrian civil war, have expressed concern over the latest clashes.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was due to begin a previously scheduled visit to the region on Sunday, expecting what a State Department official said would be tough conversations. He is due to travel to Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt and Kuwait during the Feb 11-16 trip.

In a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, Netanyahu affirmed Israels right to self-defense and pledged continued cooperation with Moscow to avoid inadvertent clashes with Russian forces in Syria.

Putin, whose country supplies Syrias air defense systems, urged Netanyahu to avoid an escalation of the conflict.

The Eurasia Group, a New York-based political risk consultancy, said in a commentary that in order to reinforce deterrence, Israeli leaders will probably assess they need to show Iran, Hezbollah and Syria they will continue to strike targets despite the risk.

(But) in a fog of war environment, another incident can easily drag the relevant parties toward a regional conflict.

Reporting by Jeffrey Heller and Lisa Barrington. Additional reporting by Dan Williams.
Blockchain is so hot right now. Coinschedule reported that 235 ICOs (initial coin offerings) debuted in 2017 alone. But do you really understand how the multiple Blockchain variations at play in todays landscape work? An founding document behind the technology, Satoshi Nakamotos 2008 paper, contains sophisticated mathematical proofs that are probably incomprehensible to the average bitcoin buyer, never mind the general public.

Related: Beyond Cryptocurrency: 5 Do's and Don'ts for Using Blockchain in Your Business

That's why it's vital to find industry influencers who truly understand what theyre talking about. This means people who'll help you sort out Blockchain, even if you're lacking a Ph.D. in math or experience at writing code.

The influencers I'm about to suggest to help you with this sorting out are all female -- with a reason. And that reason is that I find it so refreshing to see so many women jumping into the Blockchain universe, given the barriers to women in tech overall.

This helps creates diversity (welcome!) in that space and reassures all interested parties that the future of the internet will have more to offer than the traditional Silicon Valley archetype.

So, here are nine influencers I follow -- again, all women -- who have helped me understand Blockchain's unique aspects, its trends' future and the current state of cryptocurrency. They may do the same for you.

1. Christa Freeland, director of Partnerships, Nano Vision: This revolutionary healthcare startup uses microchips, cryptocurrency and AI to gather and analyze healthcare research data. Freeland has built key partnerships for the company's Blockchain and data platforms.

Related: 2017-Budget Expectations of Financial Inclusion for Women Entrepreneurship

Shes also a notable entrepreneur in her own right, having founded Switch Cowork, a platform that facilitates shared coworking spaces. Currently, she also serves as managing director of Powershift Group, a company that founds, funds and scales promising tech startups.

2. Elena Knysh, VP of Sales, SolidOpinion. This ICO company uses Blockchain cryptocurrency to incentivize quality customer engagement and allow content-smart ad placement by advertisers. SolidOpinions clients include the Chicago Tribune, the Baltimore Sun and Spil Games. Reading this white paper from SolidOpinion provides a great look into the ad space and how Blockchain will play a major role.

3. Anna Irrera, fintech correspondent, Reuters. She's an experienced financial reporter with a close understanding of the Blockchain economy. Her articles consistently deliver breaking news and astute analysis.

4. Tamara McCleary, expert on marketing, branding and Blockchain. McCleary is the founder of Thulium, a hugely successful financial and technology branding firm. She was named one of Onalyticas top 50 Blockchain influencers.

5. Elizabeth Stark, co-founder and CEO, Lightning. This company is responsible for a decentralized, scalable and fast system of Blockchain-based financial transactions. A former professor at Yale and Stanford, Stark anticipated, in an article published on Coin Telegraph, that the further decentralization of the Blockchain system is inevitable.

6. Meltem Demirors, director of development at blockchain advisory firm Digital Currency Group. Demirors manages a portfolio of 100 companies. She is also a Blockchain and technology lecturer at the MIT Media Lab and at the University of Oxford.

7. Diana Biggs, twice named one of the UK's top 25 fintech Influencers by CityAM. CityAM is London's first free daily newspaper. Biggs currently serves as industry engagement advisor for the University College Londons Centre for Blockchain Technologies and as HSBCs head of business model innovation for the U.K. and Europe.

8. Neha Narula, director, the Digital Currency Initiative at the MIT Media Lab. Narula leads the Lab's research on new digital currency and Blockchain applications. Shes delivered a Ted talk on The Future of Money," and is a member of the World Economic Forums Global Future Council on Blockchain 2016-2017.

9. Imogen Heap, Grammy-winning British artist. Shes the founder of artist and musician collective Mycelia, a group that explores how Blockchain technology can be used to disrupt the music economy ecosystem and ensures fair pay for artists. She practices what she preaches, having released her album, Tiny Human, on the blockchain Ethereum in 2015.

Related: You Don't Have to Be All That Corporate to Make an Impact With Corporate Social Responsibility

These nine women are pushing the Blockchain boundaries. They're creating the dawn of wide adoption for this technology;and they're helping to welcome Web 3.0, which is sure to usher in a much more diverse and decentralized internet age than we have today.

Related:

9 Blockchain Influencers for You to Follow -- Who All Happen to Be Female

Thanks to Blockchain, Decentralization -- and Data Security -- Are the Future

Digital India Gets a Triple Push in the Union Budget 2018-19



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


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NORWALK  Celebrate Connecticuts first open green spaces! Join the Norwalk Historical Society on Earth Day at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, at Mill Hill Historic Park for a look at the history of the town greens of Connecticut. Author Eric D. Lehman will lead a lively lecture: Time Machines to the Past: Connecticut Town Greens.

Town Greens are thought of as relics of another time, but as residents of Connecticut they are part of our lives. In fact, over 170 public spaces remain on which we can walk where our ancestors and predecessors walked. Lehman will tell the remarkable story of these time machines that put us in touch with thousands of people over hundreds of years, from the past to the future. Lehman will also be selling and signing copies of his book, Connecticut Town Greens.
NORWALK, Conn.  Every time Robert Deluca of Westport thinks of the ocean, he thinks of his father.

The two loved to scuba dive together, and Delucas father had a passion for all things related to the sea.

So when his father passed, Deluca didnt think a traditional burial was fitting. Instead, he went online in search of something special. Thats how he discovered Eternal Reefs, a company that incorporates cremated remains into structures designed for coral reefs to grow over. His father is now part of a reef off the shore of Florida, between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Its just beautiful, because its so much better than a regular cemetery, Deluca said. When you drive past a regular cemetery, you think, what a waste. But with a reef, its great  youre creating something new, something alive. Its a great way to remember loved ones.

He has already made arrangements in his will to do the same with his body after he dies.

More and more, people are prearranging their own funerals and moving away from traditional burials, funeral directors throughout Fairfield County told the Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

People want to find more personal meaning in their funerals, said Rebecca Lautenslager, funeral director of Shaughnessey Banks Funeral Home in Fairfield. I think its just part of society now. Everything is tailored to be unique to each person, which is a good thing.

The number of burials, which had long been the most common type of funeral in Connecticut, fell behind the states number of cremations in 2014, according to statistics from the National Funeral Directors Association. As of 2018, 58 percent of dead bodies in the state are cremated. And funeral directors only see that trend rising  the NFDA projects that 80 percent of dead bodies in Connecticut will be cremated by 2030. The Connecticut Department of Public Health has already reported seeing the number of funeral homes licensed to provide cremation services rise over the past few years.

With the rise of cremations came the rise of the question of what exactly to do with those cremains.

While a burial necessitates a plot and a casket, a cremation opens both to deliberation. A casket can be rented to show the body before the cremation for considerably less than the $2,000 the Federal Trade Commission estimates to be the cost of an average casket, but the step can also be skipped all together.

And while a plot eventually works out to be cheaper for urns than caskets (three urns are allowed per plot, according to John Lesko, the director of the Hoyt-Cognetta Funeral Home in Norwalk), the decision of whether or not to inter often comes down to religion. Hinduism embraces cremation and families often scatter ashes in a meaningful location, while the Catholic Church maintains that cremains should be kept together and placed in a grave or a tomb. Cremation is off-limits to Orthodox Jews altogether.

A changing society has also impacted decisions to purchase plots. As Gary Miraldi pointed out, You have no idea where your kids are going to be ... will your kids really visit it like we used to? Also, with population growth, theres less free land.

If not in a cemetery, then where? Miraldi has been designing jewelry in Connecticut for 36 years, and his work has unexpectedly led him to grapple with the question.

Over two decades ago, a customer who had lost a son in a car accident came to him with what was then an unusual request. The person wanted to create a piece with the ashes that didnt seem religious, and Miraldi was able to help.

Since then, objects incorporating peoples ashes  known as keepsakes  have become a significant part of Miraldis business, A Soul to Heart.

Its more acceptable, he said. Jewelry remains a common choice, but he once inserted ashes into a Disney Service Award and has also turned a microphone into a keepsake memorializing a karaoke-loving mother.

You try to give them what they want that makes them connected to the person they lost, he said.

At Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home in Stamford, Crematory Manager Anthony Notaro opened a case of urns ranging from the classic to the unconventional.

Those are actual Harley Davidson parts, Notaro explained of an urn that resembled industrial tongs with drums on either end. The transmission pan and pistons. And inside the transmission pan can go cremated remains.

Other options at the funeral home included an organically shaped vessel made of corn starch, salt and non-toxic glues, designed to dissolve in water for a burial at sea, and a metal rose which could unscrew to hold ashes within the stigma.

The funeral home is one of only four in the state that has its own crematory on the premises and has witnessed cremations rise in popularity. Lesko said that now many people are surprised by all of the options. We ask: What would you like to do? Merchandise evolved for cremation out of the needs of people and what theyd like to have.

But many, like Deluca, have already decided on the ritual that means the most to them. Dolly Curtis of Easton said that when her husband passes away, her family plans to cremate his body and incorporate it into one of her sons works of handblown glass.

It would just be the natural thing to do for his dad, she said. I wouldnt think of anything else.
A U.S. grantor of a foreign trust that is a grantor trust that receives a distribution from the trust as a beneficiary has two U.S. filing...
NORWALK  East Avenue traffic has been a concern of residents long before a local developer proposed 195 apartments at the East Norwalk Train Station.

Residents shuddered several years ago when the state and city released their respective conceptual plans to replace the Metro-North Railroad bridge and widen East Avenue, which in their opinion would open the roadway to even larger trucks.

Now, as those projects remain in planning, South Norwalk-based Spinnaker Real Estate Partners has submitted plans for a transit-oriented development at the train station.

Transit-oriented development puts housing, retail and other uses near public transportation to create walkable neighborhoods and reduce vehicular traffic.

The Norwalk Zoning Commission has begun its review of Spinnakers proposal and has scheduled a public hearing for March 1. Traffic likely will be a major topic at the hearing.

East Norwalk resident Deb Goldstein said the city shouldnt base East Norwalk transit-oriented development decisions on connectivity studies done for South Norwalk.

Bike lane changes, new traffic signals and roadway lowering and widening of East Avenue are all on the drawing board, as is a restructuring of the railroad bridge and platform, Goldstein wrote in a letter to the Norwalk Department of Planning and Zoning. Every roadway around the train station is two lanes wide, with little opportunity for significant traffic management without major infrastructure changes.

Diane Cece, another East Norwalk resident, said transit-oriented development must be more than a minimum mix of uses on a single parcel that benefits only the developer and occupants.

It is a concept that looks holistically at the entire area, taking into account infrastructure, walkability, city services and connectivity, Cece wrote in a letter to the department. By designating this parcel TOD, and allowing a density and use mix that may not be appropriate, East Norwalk residents, taxpayers and stakeholders are robbed of being able to take part in the future of our own neighborhoods, and preservation of our property values.

Spinnaker has proposed 195 apartments, 40,955 square feet of offices, 2,130 square feet of restaurant space and 1,500 square feet of retail space for 230 East Ave. and 3 Rowan St.

A five-story, 149-unit building would rise to the west of the old Factory Outlet, which would be revamped. A small, two-story building dedicated to commuter-oriented retail would be built at 230 East Ave. The Pooch Hotel building, although part of the parcel, would remain.

Clayton Fowler, Spinnaker chairman, maintains the TOD plan is the appropriate plan for the location and is intended to reduce vehicular traffic.

Its putting density where density should be, at a train station, hopefully eliminating some cars, Fowler said after zoning commissioners continued their review of the plan earlier this month.

On Feb. 1, Spinnakers traffic engineer summarized his findings to the commission. Michael Galante, principal of Frederick P. Clark Associates, said the development would lower traffic overall by shifting the property from a commercial to a residential use. He said the development would reduce traffic by 60 trips during the morning peak and add about 80 trips to the roadway system on Saturdays. In his written report to the city, Galante outlined the anticipated traffic patterns.

It was found that 60 percent of the site traffic will arrive from and depart to the north on East Avenue, 35 percent of the site traffic will arrive from and depart to the north on Osborne Avenue and 5 percent will arrive from and depart to the south on Osborn (sic) Avenue, the traffic study reads. The trip assignment was made considering logical routings and available roadway capacities.

Galante said the projections dont take into account the proposed widening of East Avenue nor the planned replacement of the railroad bridge. Both are intended to improve traffic flow along the roadway, which is now a jumble of narrow turn and travel lanes.

East Avenue, between Van Zant and Fitch streets, carries approximately 18,800 vehicles each day, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

The Department is aware of the proposed development near the East Avenue Train Station and is working closely with the developer as well as the City of Norwalk to coordinate construction activities, said DOT spokesman Judd Everhart. The East Avenue Roadway Improvements Project is a city design project that the state will construct during the Walk Bridge Replacement Project, beginning in late 2019.

Everhard said replacement of the East Avenue rail bridge, as well as improvements to the adjacent train station platforms, will occur in coordination with the Walk Bridge replacement.

Traffic on East Avenue is being studied under the Walk Bridge Program, and will continue to be investigated to consider the anticipated traffic generated by the development, Everhart said.
NORWALK  Finding Colony Grill restaurant and other businesses located along the pedestrian street within the Waypointe development can be difficult for persons unfamiliar with Norwalk.

Few of the businesses front West Avenue.

There are a lot of businesses that exist on the first floor of the middle block and the north block, said Craig Flaherty, principal of the Stamford-based land-use consulting firm Redness & Mead. Many of them look inward on this really cool pedestrian street  its a part of the project. Whereas that was a really great planning idea and creates a very unique and interesting space, it provides a negative for some of the businesses that are faced internally and not externally.

If you drive by, you dont know theyre there, he added.

Flaherty, representing the owner of the Waypointe mid-block development, this month asked the Common Councils Public Works Committee to allow the placement of advertising banners on city-owned street lamps along West Avenue, Merwin and Orchards streets.

Conceptual drawings presented to the committee show 3-foot-tall, double-sided, digitally printed vinyl banners hanging from light pole banners arms on one side of the each street lamp. On the opposite side, similar banners would advertise the Block  the name of the inner pedestrian street  and Norwalk attractions.

Waypointe has requested encroachment permits to place the banners on three city street lamps on West Avenue, eight lamps along Orchard Street and six more along Merwin Street, according to the drawings.

The request is part of a larger proposal by Waypointe mid-block owner Carmel Partners to place street furniture, art murals, improved signage and lighting, according to Flaherty.

Rules needed

The request for the banner placement came before the committee at the recommendation of the citys law department, said Norwalk Principal Engineer Lisa Burns.

Our concern was not so much with the banners themselves, but the banners are going to be displaying advertising of private businesses, and our sign ordinance is kind of silent on putting banners on light poles, Burns said. So we reached out to Corp Counsels office and they suggested it go through committee and the council to make sure you all approved of this application of banners on light poles.

The committee tabled the matter until its March meeting after raising various concerns about the request.

I would be OK if there was a standard for signs along the entire strip and it wasnt for commercial purposes, said Councilman Thomas Livingston, a District E Democrat on the committee. I cant support the way it is now.

Councilman Michael Corsello, an at-large Democrat, asked if approving the request would open a Pandoras Box. He said hes against Norwalk looking like Times Square.

Councilwoman Eloisa Melendez, a District A Democrat, however, expressed support for the concept provided rules can be established for all such banners.

Im in favor of this. Ive seen it in other places, Melendez said. I think it would be great, but I think Im with my colleagues here, that we need to organize this a little bit better before we just say, Yeah sure, because its signs. We need to have some sort of control over whats on it or who gets the money.

Such banners would not be the first in Norwalk. The Third Taxing District places banners promoting itself on its street lamps in East Norwalk.

Burns counted the street lamps in the West Avenue area as among the few owned by the city. Most in Norwalk are owned by utility companies such as Eversource, the Third Taxing District and South Norwalk Electric and Water, she said.

Flaherty said hes been working with the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency on establishing standards.

Norwalk Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Timothy Sheehan said Thursday that discussion has begun but added that a whole host of issues remain to be resolved  not just for the Waypointe request but for all organizations, including nonprofit groups.

There needs to be some controls in place, and some guidelines as to what can go on the banners, how long the banners can go up and what the fee structure is going to be, Sheehan said. One of the concerns that I have is theyre actually talking about promoting private businesses. I dont necessarily think that the public right of way should be allowing a banner for a private business.

Waypointe has proposed a management plan, which would require the posting of a bond to address safety issues. The plan requires regular maintenance and replacement of the banners, Flaherty told the Public Works Committee.

Restaurants, patrons welcome idea

Several pedestrians, as well as two restaurateurs in the Waypointe midblock, on Thursday expressed support for placing banners on the nearby city street lamps.

Colony Grill has established itself after moving into the pedestrian street two years ago. Co-owner Ken Martin said hes pleased with the location but added more exposure is always desired by businesses.

Waypointe is just trying to do its best for its tenants, and obviously the town has to balance that with the aesthetics and community at large, Martin said. If the town approves a certain design, wed certainly love to have the exposure. If its a fit and the town approves the design wed certainly like to have as many arrows pointing our direction as possible.

Jeff Hardy, owner of Sedona Taphouse, said banners would draw attention of people passing by along West Avenue. While having frontage along West Avenue, the restaurant largely faces the courtyard.

Weve been here two and a half years and were doing OK, Hardy said. But theres a lot of traffic that goes by and unless youre looking directly left or right (you dont see us.)

Toni Sutton and Steven Lopez, employees of Norwalk Hospital, agreed after having lunch at Sedona.

When I mention Sedona or Barcelona, no one knows. They dont know where Im talking about, Lopez said.

Olive Hayward, who lives in Norwalk, knows where both restaurants are located but said lightpole banners would help out-of-town visitors.

Were trying to make Norwalk friendly, where people are welcome, Hayward said. They might drive by  and say, Theres Barcelona, we have one in Westchester.

At the same time, Hayward recommended placing limits: As long as its not a distraction, because too many banners on the street makes it look too commercial.
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SEEN: New Milford Chamber of Commerce Crystal Winter Gala 2018
Xcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company, which engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity primarily in portions of generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

Read More
sacw.net - 11 February 2018 [ last update on 27 Feb ]

A Public Event Announcement - Remembering Asma Jahangir (New Delhi, 15 Feb 2018) http://www.sacw.net/article13640.html

o o o

Road side flex in Lahore as hundreds march to attend Asma Jahangirs funeral prayers at Lahores Gaddafi Stadium on 13 Feb.

Thousands of men and women bid farewell to the mighty Asma Jahangir in Lahore. As a sharp lawyer and passionate human rights activist she battled bigotry, misogyny, repression and dictatorship for Pakistanis of all faiths, class and creeds. Good bye, fighter. Photo via Tweet from Nadeem Paracha

Photo of front cover of the lahore newspaper Daily Times (14 Feb 2018) on Asma Jahangirs fundral prayer meeting

Funeral bridges religious and ethnic divides by Marvi Sirmed (14 February 2018) https://dailytimes.com.pk/201679/funeral-bridges-religious-ethnic-divides/

o o o

I. News reports from around the world from 11 Feb 2018

PAKISTAN MEDIA:

https://www.geo.tv/latest/181414-human-rights-icon-asma-jahangir-passes-away-in-lahore

Leading human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir passes away in Lahore https://www.dawn.com/news/1388771/asma-jahangir-leading-human-rights-lawyer-passes-away-in-lahore

Human rights icon Asma Jahangir passes away in Lahore https://tribune.com.pk/story/1632167/1/

Eminent lawyer and activist Asma Jahangir passes away https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/279732-eminent-lawyer-and-activist-asma-jahangir-passes-away

Asma the fearless - Editorial in Dawn (February 12, 2018) https://www.dawn.com/news/1388808

INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43023082 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43023082

Pakistani leading rights activist, Asma Jehangir, dead at 66 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistani-leading-rights-activist-asma-jehangir-dies-at-66/2018/02/11/891e2e2a-0f16-11e8-a68c-e9374188170e_story.html

Mort dAsma Jahangir, militante pakistanaise des droits de lhomme http://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2018/02/11/mort-d-asma-jahangir-militante-pakistanaise-des-droits-de-l-homme_5255135_3382.html

Leading Pakistani Rights Activist Asma Jahangir Dies At 66 https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-leading-rights-activist-asma-jahangir-dead-66/29033365.html

REPORTS IN INDIA / SOUTH ASIA:

Pakistanas iron lady Asma Jehangir passes away http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistans-iron-lady-asma-jehangir-passes-away/article22721342.ece

Asma Jahangir, Champion Of Human Rights, Critic Of Pak Army, Dies At 66 https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/top-pakistani-rights-advocate-asma-jahangir-dies-family-1811316

Threats Did Not Stop Asma Jahangir From Fighting For Rights In Pakistan https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/threats-did-not-stop-asma-jahangir-from-fighting-for-rights-in-pakistan-1811433

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistani-activist-asma-jahangir-dies-of-cardiac-arrest/articleshow/62872038.cms Pakistani activist Asma Jahangir dies of cardiac arrest - PTI | Updated: Feb 11, 2018

Condolences pour in for Asma Jehangir on Twitter http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/condolences-pour-in-for-asma-jehangir-on-twitter/article22722098.ece

o o o

II. STATEMENTS / TRIBUTES:

South Asians For Human Rights

SAHR mourns the passing away of Asma Jahangir

February 11 2018

Press Statements

South Asians for Human Rights ( SAHR), a regional network of human rights defenders, is deeply saddened at the passing away of Asma Jahangir. Asma was a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a founding member of SAHR, and its current Spokesperson and bureau member. As a remarkably vocal human rights advocate, her contribution at regional and global level is immense.

Asma Jahangir was a former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan. She held the UN mandate as Special Rapporteur on Extra Judicial Killings from 1998 to 2004 and Freedom of Religion or Belief from 2004 to 2010. At the time of her demise she was a board member of International Crisis Group and UN Special Rapporteur of Human Rights in Iran.

SAHR offers its deepest condolences to Asmaas family at this difficult time. Her sudden demise is a irreplaceable loss not only to SAHR but to her fellow human rights comrades in Pakistan, South Asia and the world.

On behalf of the members of South Asians for Human Rights

Sultana Kamal, Chairperson

Mohamed Latheef, Co-chairperson

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The UN Secretary General on the death of my tireless human rights activist Asma Jahangir . pic.twitter.com/pmRp2Oo4wv  Munizae Jahangir (@MunizaeJahangir) February 12, 2018

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Pakistan: My friend Asma by I A Rehman

A little lawyer from Lahore became the greatest defender of human rights in the subcontinent. What a life to celebrate for a long, long time http://www.sacw.net/article13648.html

The Importance of Being Asma by Mohammed Hanif

For a couple of years, Mohammed Hanif followed Asma Jahangir on her annual fact-finding missions to Balochistan. http://www.sacw.net/article13647.html

Against Deification | Maryam Hussain

Little Big Woman | Najam Sethi (The Friday Times Issue: 16 Feb 2018)

In Memoriam: Asma Jahangir, 1952-2018 by International Crisis Group https://www.crisisgroup.org/who-we-are/crisis-group-updates/memoriam-asma-jahangir-1952-2018

Pakistan: Asma Jahangir leaves behind a powerful human rights legacy

Amnesty International (12 February 2018) https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/02/asma-jahangir-leaves-a-brave-human-rights-legacy

Asma Jahangir obituary by Victoria Schofield (13 February 2018) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/13/asma-jahangir-obituary

o o o

III LINKS TO SOME PAST INTERVIEWS AND PORTRAITS OF ASMA JAHANGIR

Profile: Asma Jahangir: The street fighter https://herald.dawn.com/news/1153540

Who is Asma Jahangir? http://indianexpress.com/article/who-is/who-is-asma-jahangir-pakistan-lawyer-human-rights-activists-5059594/

Asma Jahangir Interview by Amitav Ghosh (1997) http://amitavghosh.com/blog/?p=6123

A conversation with Asma Jehangir by Ritu Menon (2001) http://himalmag.com/a-conversation-with-asma-jehangir-interview/

Days of Rage: Challenges for the nationas future by William Dalrymple

( 2007) https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/07/23/days-of-rage

Blood and guts by Declan Walsh https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jul/21/pakistan.declanwalsh

IV SELECT VIDEO RECORDINGS:

25 Oct 2017 - Remarks by Ms. Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the 31st meeting of the Third Committee http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/treaty-bodies/watch/asma-jahangir-special-rapporteur-on-human-rights-in-iran-at-the-third-committee-31st-meeting-general-assembly-72nd-session/5621682190001/?term=&sort=popular

Asma Jahangir: Personal Journey to Justice (2016) [Jahangir received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania on May 16, 2016]

2014 Right Livelihood Award Laureate Asma Jahangir on defending human rights in Pakistan

2014 Right Livelihood Award Laureate Asma Jahangir on defending human rights in Pakistan from Right Livelihood Award on Vimeo.

Walking Together for Freedom with Asma Jahangir (2012)

Asma Jahangir: "Will Pakistans Democracy Survive?" (2009)
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The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. 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LOS ANGELESThe pro-trade message Canada is touting in the United States will resonate with everyday Americans and their political class, even if the words get obscured by the breaking news of the day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.

Standing at the Griffith Observatory in the Los Angeles hills  a site made famous as a setting in multiple movies  Trudeau said his pitch to save the North American Free Trade Agreement from falling apart was well received.

Behind Trudeau, a cloudy California sky obscured the citys most famous message: the Hollywood Sign.

Local coverage of the prime ministers visit to California has focused on U.S. President Donald Trumps talk and actions on immigration, a particularly acute issue in this blue state on the border with Mexico and home to the largest population of Canadians outside of Canada, some 150,000 people.

Trudeaus message Friday night at the Ronald Reagan library was overshadowed with international headlines about a crash between an SUV and a motorcycle officer in the prime ministers motorcade. The California Highway Patrol officer broke his clavicle in the accident.

Trudeau said Canadians needed to continually remind Americans about the bilateral relationship between the two countries, which can often be taken for granted.

The conversations Ive had across this country over these past few days have been extremely positive, the prime minister said on Saturday morning.

Maybe its not as breaking news as something else might be, but that emphasis that we are working together for the betterment of our citizens is a message that does continue and does resonate.

A weekend hike through Griffith Park marked the last public event for Trudeau on his four-day trip through the United States, where he hit communities that swung Democrat in the last presidential election to talk trade.

He met with governors and mayors as part of an ongoing charm offensive to win over states and cities on the merits of trade to pressure the White House. Congressional lawmakers were supposed to be at Trudeaus speech Friday night at the Reagan library in Simi Valley, outside Los Angeles, but a brief government shutdown forced them all to stay longer in Washington and miss the event.

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti said the content and the timing of the speech were critical for Americans to hear through the white noise of other domestic issues.

We can talk about the fights, but were a family. Canada and Mexico are our two closest friends, Garcetti said.

We really have a depth of relationship that isnt just about one visit.

California sells some $25.4 billion in goods and services to Canada, and almost 1.2 million jobs in the state rely on trade, according to federal statistics.

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OTTAWASay youre a backroom strategist, charged with charting the New Democratic Partys plan for electoral victory. You have this flashy new leader, a 39-year-old who professes the requisite leftist ideals, yet does so with flair and an attitude that seems linked to a generational shift. He talks of vibes and calls things fire, and though still untested without a seat in the House of Commons, he has influence at his fingertips with tens of thousands of followers on Twitter and Instagram.

What do you do with that?

You can bet the team assembled around Jagmeet Singh is grappling with this very question. He cruised to victory in the NDP leadership race last year, when he vastly out-fundraised his opponents and won on the first ballot. The goal in the first months of his leadership surely has been to carry that momentum into his new role and set up the NDP for growth in the 2019 federal election.

One way to glean insight into how the party is trying to accomplish this is to look at what Singh has been doing with his time. Without a seat in Parliament, the leader has pledged to have 100,000 conversations with Canadians as he travels the country on a national get-to-know-me tour.

Using a list of stops provided by the party, as well as information plucked from Singhs social media feeds, the Star has assembled a 32-stop itinerary of his movements between Oct. 1, when he won the leadership, and the beginning of February.

At first glance, it seems like an aggressive battle plan. Two-thirds of the ridings Singh has visited belong to opposing parties. Hes spent a lot of time in Toronto, the fortress of Liberal seats that was painted red in 2015. And hes been to Conservative ridings, too  even touching down for one of his JagMeet and Greet soirees in Regina-QuAppelle, home turf to none other than Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.

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The majority of his time is in non-incumbent ridings, observed Karl Belanger, a longtime NDP insider who worked as a high-ranking staffer for former leaders Jack Layton and Thomas Mulcair. It shows that there is willingness and certainly a strategy to grow the party.

But different eyes on the same list provoked an alternate analysis from David Coletto, chief executive officer of Abacus Data. Several Liberal ridings Singh has visited, Coletto noted, are in places where the NDP has a decent shot of winning. Take a look at his stop in Halifax on Nov. 12, when he hosted an event with supporters in a riding the party held from 1997 to 2015, when prominent NDP MP Megan Leslie lost to her Liberal challenger.

Its a similar situation in downtown Toronto, Coletto said. Singh has been to Liberal ridings there at least eight times as NDP leader, delivering speeches at events such as a Canadian Union of Public Employees convention and the National Black Canadians Summit.

Coletto also pointed out that, during the leadership race, many observers predicted Singh  a Scarborough-born former provincial lawmaker from Brampton  could open up new, suburban constituencies for the NDP. But according to the Stars list, Singh hasnt held any events in the 905 yet. Nor has he visited the sprawling cities outside Vancouver in British Columbias Lower Mainland.

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When you consider that, alongside the 10 stops Singh has made to hold events and tour local communities with incumbent NDP MPs, his strategy appears to be much less focused on charging into new territory and more on defending what the NDP already has.

It almost looks like theyre back to a position where theyre trying to re-establish some beachheads, Coletto said.

The strategy seems to be shoring up or introducing the new leader to parts of the country that have, historically or recently, voted New Democrat ... Theyre not at a stage where theyre looking to grow.

Farouk Karim, a former NDP caucus press secretary who was communications director for Quebec MP Guy Carons leadership campaign, agreed the NDP appears to be focused on securing its foundation  but he argued this is actually a smart place to begin.

Its smart to concentrate where youre strong, Karim said, pointing out that Singh has touched down in every region of the country  except the territories  and focused on vote-rich areas where the NDP can win, such as Vancouver and Toronto.

Elections are about math. Its mathematics. You have to see where the bulk of the seats are  the bulk of the seats are Ontario, Quebec and B.C. . . . You have to be strong in those areas, he said.

Karim added that hes happy to see that Singh has gone to Quebec at least four times for official events  and not just in Montreal, but in regions such as Quebec City, the eastern townships and Lac Saint-Jean. To have a shot at repeating any semblance of the partys Orange Wave breakthrough in 2011, Singh has to become a familiar face in the province, Karim said.

There were a lot of questions about his religious symbols, Karim said, referring to Singhs turban and kirpan dagger, which he wears as a practicing Sikh.

Thats going to be happening the first time he goes to those media markets. The second time its going to be questions about issues, Karim said. He has to go early and to go often.

Whether hes aggressive, defensive or just plain smart, the strategizing will continue as the party gathers in Ottawa for a national convention over the Family Day weekend.

Last time the NDP family gathered as one, Mulcair was turfed in a vote of non-confidence as leader. You can bet Singh and his team are hoping for a cheerier vibe this time around.

Oct. 1, 2017  Toronto, 1 Harbour Square (Leadership victory)

Oct. 6, 2017  Toronto, 222 Bremner Blvd. (CUPE speech)

Oct. 10, 2017  Alma, Que. He was touring the Lac-Saint-Jean riding; no specific address. (Byelection campaign)

Oct. 15, 2017  Ottawa, 55 Colonel By Dr. (National tour launch)

Oct. 20, 2017  Vancouver, no specific address in the riding of Vancouver East (toured Chinatown with local MP)

Oct. 26, 2017  Saskatoon, 1007 Windsor St. (JagMeet and Greet)

Oct. 27, 2017  Regina, 1600 Elphinstone St. (JagMeet and Greet)

Nov. 1, 2017  Vancouver, 319 Main St., Vancouver (JagMeet and Greet)

Nov. 2, 2017  Vancouver, 380 East Hastings St. (visit to Vandu overdose prevention site)

Nov. 3, 2017  Vancouver, Brockton Point Lightouse in Stanley Park (Bike ride with local supporters)

Nov. 4, 2017  Victoria, 720 Douglas St. (BC NDP Convention)

Nov. 11, 2017  Ottawa, National War Memorial on Elgin (Remembrance Day ceremony)

Nov. 12, 2017  Halifax, 2534 Agricola St. (JagMeet and Greet)

Nov. 14, 2017  St. Johns, 230 Elizabeth Ave. (JagMeet and Greet)

Nov. 15, 2017  Sherbrooke, Que., (toured community with local MP)

Nov. 16, 2017  Toronto, 317 Dundas St. W (attended Broadbent Institute Progress Gala)

Nov. 17, 2017  Edmonton, 11113 87 Ave. NW (JagMeet and Greet)

Nov. 18, 2017  Calgary, 4826 11 St. NE (JagMeet and Greet)

Nov. 21, 2017  Toronto, 123 Queen St. W (Ontario Federation of Labour speech)

Nov. 22, 2017  Ottawa, 1 Rideau St. (delivered speech to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities)

Nov. 24, 2017  Toronto, 37 King St. East (attended the Toronto Life party for most influential Torontonians)

Nov. 25, 2017  Scarborough, 2101 Brimley Rd. (JagMeet and Greet)

Dec. 1, 2017  Windsor, 471 Ouellette Ave. (toured community with local MP)

Dec. 2, 2017  Kingsville, Ont., 1876 Seacliff Dr. (toured greenhouse with local MP)

Dec. 2, 2017  Windsor, 2090 Wyandotte St. E (JagMeet and Greet)

Dec. 4, 2017  Toronto, 789 Yonge St., (delivered a speech at the National Black Canadians Summit)

Dec. 6, 2017  Ottawa, 75 Laurier Ave. E (Hosted a youth voting seminar at the University of Ottawa)

Dec. 10, 2017  Montreal, 6524 St. Hubert St, (JagMeet and Greet)

Jan. 16, 2018  Toronto, 17 Baldwin St. (invited media to his engagement party)

Jan. 20, 2018  Toronto, Nathan Phillips Square (attended the Womens March)

Jan. 24-25, 2018  Ottawa, 180 Wellington St. (held the NDP caucus strategy session)

Jan. 30, 2018  Levis, Que. 22 rue George-D.-Davie, (visited the Davie Shipyard)

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Caroline Mulroney starred in a town hall event last week to kick off her bid to lead the Ontario Tories in the June election  but her dad, former prime minister Brian Mulroney, stole much of the spotlight.

Some supporters in the crowd liked her precisely because she grew up at 24 Sussex Drive, while others said her lineage had nothing to do with their endorsement. But all who spoke to the Star mentioned the elder Mulroney at the outset and without prompting.

I dont know her very well but I heard that shes the daughter of Brian Mulroney, and I like Brian Mulroney . . . I think (the) daughter must be influenced by daddy, said Helen Kim, a 67-year-old woman who immigrated to Canada from South Korea in the 1970s, when Pierre Trudeau was prime minister.

Hes Justin Trudeaus father, Kim noted and laughed.

The Trudeaus are Canadas most prominent political dynasty, the only father-son duo elected to the countrys highest office.

Its plausible the Mulroneys are next.

Caroline Mulroney has two challengers thus far, Doug Ford, ex-city councillor and brother of late mayor Rob Ford, and Christine Elliott, a former MPP and wife of late federal and provincial finance minister Jim Flaherty.

Caroline Mulroney says constantly being referred to as former prime minister Brian Mulroneys daughter bothered her as a teen. Mulroney is running for leadership of the Ontario Progressive Conservative party. (The Canadian Press)

That effectively makes the race to replace former Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown a three-way contest between dynastic candidates  who tend to get a major leg up in the electoral arena, experts say.

The top Tory spot became available late last month when Brown abruptly resigned following accusations of sexual misconduct. He has denied the allegations.

Dynastic candidates offer a familiar brand that sticks out because voters already know, or think they know, what the candidate stands for based on their famous relatives, said Jonathan Malloy, chair of Carleton Universitys political science department.

That is a big shortcut for candidates struggling to get noticed, Malloy said. Family relationships can certainly give candidates a head start because they can tap into or expand pre-existing networks, contacts and donors.

The Ford clan is well-known in Toronto. Fords dad, Doug Sr., was an MPP in the 1990s in the Mike Harris government, and ex-prime minister Stephen Harper once thanked matriarch Diane Ford for giving us this great Conservative political dynasty.

When you get a name like Mulroney or Ford, theyre immediately recognizable. They have a brand, said historian John English, prominent biographer of Canadian first ministers and a former Liberal MP elected in 1993, the same year Brian Mulroney exited politics.

As a successful lawyer, businesswoman, philanthropist and mother of four, Caroline Mulroney makes a strong candidate. But political scientists and pundits argue the electoral rookie would not be in contention for the leadership and the provinces top post without the Mulroney name.

People remember (Caroline) as attractive and articulate and well-educated. Shes got all those qualities that her father had, and her mother had  obviously she was born into politics, English said.

He said politics is becoming less rooted in local communities and, at least when it comes to leadership, more about the celebrity factor. So its remarkable Mulroney lives in Forest Hill in Toronto (currently represented by the Liberals) and is running in the rural Tory bastion of York-Simcoe.

That would never happen. The branding is trumping everything, he said.

Mulroney was acclaimed with much fanfare last year to run for MPP in the riding north of Toronto. She also owns a home in the district in Georgina.

Debbie Salmons lives in the riding and said shes backing Mulroney because of her background, not just her lineage or her name, but her character and what shes accomplished.

I dont think she should be penalized for being related to someone that was famous before, Salmons said at the town hall. Its not her fault, but its not a fault-finding thing, it actually gives her intuition.

Christine Elliotts political resume and relatively loose family ties arguably make her the least dynastic of the three.

She decided not to take her husbands last name, but did take his seat  Elliott replaced Flaherty as MPP for the Whitby area in a 2006 byelection when he moved to the federal government. She then launched two unsuccessful PC leadership bids and after losing to Patrick Brown in 2015, she quit politics and took an appointment as Ontarios first patient ombudsman.

(Elliott) really cultivated and built up her own career and profile completely separate from Mr. Flaherty, Malloy said.

Political kin resonate strongly with parties and the electorate because they offer something familiar, especially at a time when the publics trust in democratic institutions seems to be waning, said Myer Siemiatycki, a political science professor at Ryerson.

The brand and name power of a line of leaders and political figures seems to have clout . . . whether its a comfort factor, whether its deferential, he said.

Its not surprising that sons and daughters of politicians follow in their parents footsteps or see the public service as a worthwhile career. Mulroney, Ford and Elliott say political talk was often served at the family dinner table.

They may win or lose in democratic elections, but dynastic candidates have a clear advantage that average citizens do not.

Thats troubling, Siemiatycki said. A democracy should include equal opportunity for political voice and political role.

Mike Morden, research director at democracy think tank Samara Canada, said, generally, dynasties may signal a party struggling to bring fresh voices into the camp.

On the one hand, you want to see new people in politics. On the other hand, its probably not a path thats open to a lot of people to go straight to the top, Morden said.

Mulroneys ascent has rubbed some grassroots Tories the wrong way.

I know Caroline Mulroney has lots of personal accomplishments but it would be naive to suggest that the push by a lot of the PC party insiders to anoint Mulroney is not a reflection of her political pedigree and what her fathers accomplishments are, said Russell Hillier, son of Ontario PC MPP Randy Hillier. Russell Hillier currently lives in Calgary and isnt voting in the PC leadership race.

The veteran, author and teacher said he is really proud of his dad but never felt pressure or desire to follow him into the political fray.

Would I consider it? At this stage, no, he said. Family members see the demands of public life and a lot of the internal machinations of politics, and theyd rather not get involved.

There are other disadvantages for political offspring. They tend to make easier targets for opponents to attack their experience and paint them with an entitled brush, said Tom Flanagan, Harpers ex-campaign manager.

Nobody would be taking (Caroline) seriously as a leadership contender if her name wasnt Mulroney, Flanagan said, adding that, there was an amazing loyalty to her father among the old Conservative party when I jumped in.

Having a name can get you in the door and out of the gate, but then you have to perform. This is the risk for somebody who has a name and not the experience. Its a real gamble to trade entirely on name, he said.

Other notable political kids tend to get their legislative feet wet before gunning for the top job.

Justin Trudeau won a tough nomination battle in the Montreal riding of Papineau before serving as an MP and then chief Liberal. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, daughter of erstwhile NDP leader and MLA Grant Notley, sat in the legislature for about seven years before becoming first minister.

The political apprenticeship is quite important for everybody whether you have the name or not. Im not saying Caroline Mulroney cant win, she now has to demonstrate that she can actually do it, Flanagan said.

Mulroney has been quick to point out her dad left the Hill when she was 19, and she has carved her own path since. Shes also being positioned as the voice of generational change.

Its been 25 years and Ive been working hard building a life and a family, she said during a friendly Q&A at her town hall. Mulroneys campaign said she was unavailable to answer questions for this story.

I take a lot of what I learned from my time in Ottawa and what he taught me, she said. My name is Caroline . . . Im bringing my own experience, and my own perspective into this.

Ford disagrees hes part of a political royal family.

I think we have a great last name, he said. Were average people just trying to help the common folks and thats it. We are definitely 100 per cent not a dynasty.

Elliott said she and Flaherty obviously talked about politics a lot.

We came at it from slightly different perspectives . . . We didnt disagree on the big things, she said. Im proud of my husband Jims accomplishments . . . but I really see my career as being different and being my own.

With the clock winding down to the general election, the next Tory chief will have to learn the ropes quickly. The party will announce its captain March 10, with roughly three months to go before the June 7 vote.

So it makes sense that dynastic candidates have emerged given the hurried nature of the PC leadership contest, said Malloy. Candidates have little time to build a profile . . . so those that already have one possess a clear head start.

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Growing up, Natalie Mukherjee and her sisters were cared for by Filipino nannies. Her family had two Filipino nurses taking turns to look after their late grandmother. Now a mother of three, she gets help from a Filipino live-in caregiver.

Despite the many reincarnations through the years, the foreign caregiver program has been an integral part of Canadian immigration since women from England, Ireland and Finland were granted permanent residence in the early 1900s to come as nannies, nursemaids and governesses.

With Ottawa set to start public consultations on the future of the caregiver program, Canadian families say the demand for foreign caregivers, especially in suburban Canada, is as great as ever.

Read more:

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Earlier this month, the federal government announced the current caregiver program will expire in November 2019 after a five-year run. The news has raised questions among families and caregivers about the future of the popular program.

We have an aging population and are caught up in a generation where our parents are still working and our kids cant rely on their grandparents, said Mukherjee of Markham. She and her husband, an accountant, have two daughters and a son, all under 7 years old.

Canadians are not picking up nanny jobs and theres a wait-time galore for daycare spots. We work odd hours and the flexibility of having a live-in caregiver is something that no daycare can replace.

Canadas caregiver program is unique because it allows a group of what are generally considered low-skilled migrant foreign workers to become permanent residents, along with their families, based on their commitment to work as full-time caregivers for a minimum of two years.

The access to permanent status was bait, in the past, for the workers to leave behind their families back home and work as live-in caregivers in Canada  a hard-fought right by the Foreign Domestics Movement in the 1980s. Other low-skilled temporary foreign workers such as farmworkers do not have such access to permanent residency.

However, in 2014, Ottawa introduced what it called two new pathways for caregivers by removing the live-in condition as a way to eliminate potential work abuse and exploitation, though many caregivers continue to live with their employers because they cant afford transportation and rent to have their own place.

The government also imposed higher language and post-secondary education requirements for caregivers to qualify for permanent residence, and raised the employers application fee from $275 to $1,000 for a more robust assessment process to ensure the job is genuine and cant be filled by a Canadian. (Since December, the federal government has eliminated the $1,000 caregiver application fees for families with medical needs and whose gross annual income is less than $150,000.)

Earlier this month, Immigration Canada announced the caregiver program is under review and those who have not accrued two years of employment by Nov. 29, 2019 will be ineligible for permanent residence.

The announcement has created a buzz among caregivers and their Canadian employers.

People do feel blindsided, said Ilana Katz, an Aurora mother of two, whose caregiver just arrived from the Philippines last October and would have to go without a vacation in order to make the 2019 permanent residence cut-off.

In caregivers applications to her job posting for a nanny in Canada, said Katz, All say they want a better future and have their family here.

A speech pathologist who works from a home office, Katz said there is no infant child care in Aurora and the family had been unsuccessful in finding a local caregiver. Only two Canadians responded to her ad  one could only work until 4 p.m.; the other didnt want to commute from Toronto.

The family ended up hiring a part-time au pair, a girl from France, who was in Canada on a working holiday visa for a year before paying an agent to hire a foreign live-in caregiver to look after their two young daughters, Maya, 4, and Noa, 2. Ontarios commitment to create 45,000 new daycare spots doesnt help families like Katzs.

We need daycare during non-daycare hours. No one wants to come to Aurora to work for us, said Katz, who often has clients coming to her after school or on weekends. Her husband, an apprentice in trades, works long hours and is busy with his studies.

Having hired and employed four foreign caregivers over the last 10 years, Joele Tan said the program, whether its the old live-in caregiver program or the revised one in the last few years, has been a mess.

Im not 100 per cent convinced theres a shortage of caregivers. Maybe for specialized care for the aging population, but not for child care, said the Toronto mother of twins, who works in sales and marketing. If you go to these (online) mom and nanny groups, there are so many people looking for jobs.

Tan said many foreign caregivers would leave their sponsored families for factory and Tim Hortons jobs as soon as they get their open work permits and commence the permanent residence application process.

Canadian caregivers feel they are more educated and they are not foreigners. None wants to live in and they are not flexible with their hours, said Tan, whose husband travels a lot for work and whose twins are 11. With foreign caregivers, by 24 months, they check out. Or they decide to come back and ask to work for cash.

The changes to the program in 2014 didnt make the process any easier, said Tan, who used to complete the caregiver applications herself but had to use an agent to bring in her latest nanny because the process has become so convoluted and specific.

We need the caregiver program. This is not a luxury, but a necessity, said Tan. Canada is big on immigration and diversity is wonderful, but we need to ask if our country needs more citizens or do we need more workers?

While she does not object to granting permanent residence to caregivers, she says the two-year employment requirement should be expanded to four to allow families the stability they need and save them from the bureaucratic nightmare of having to hire a new caregiver every two years.

A string of changes to the process has also made it more expensive to hire and employ foreign caregivers, said Tan.

Employers said Ontarios minimum wage hike to $14 from $11.60 last year  and to $15 in 2019  has made many families in the province reconsider using the caregiver program.

Nathalie Cansino, whose nanny came in 2016, said the higher minimum wage has pushed the cost of foreign caregivers much higher, despite what she calls the convenience factor of having someone live-in.

Without her caregiver, she said she would need to spend $1,700 on infant care for her 2-year-old son and another $500 on after school programs for her 4-year-old daughter. The federal child care tax credit is really just a drop in the bucket on how much families invest in their childrens care, she said.

Ontarios minimum wage raise makes the caregiver program not a cheaper option. Hiring a live-out costs you $15, $16 an hour, noted the transportation system manager, who must arrive at work by 7 a.m.

At this point, it does not make any financial sense. I need to do the math on before- and after-school care, summer and March breaks to see if this is costing me much more.
SAN SIMONE DI VALLEVE, ItalySan Simone, a tiny village in the Italian Alps, once had a thriving ski trade. But financial issues kept the lifts closed this winter. The local hotel now houses about 80 African asylum-seekers who were assigned to live there when they arrived in Italy.

But restaurant owner Davide Midali saw promise in both his village and its new residents. To lure tourists back, he set out to build igloos that could be rented overnight, like ones he had seen in Sweden. Thats how a handful of immigrants unaccustomed to the cold picked up the art of igloo-making.

When some of them saw me creating these blocks of snow, they voluntarily decided to give a hand to reach a common goal, Midali said.

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Working with a small crew of volunteers, Midali built six igloos, each taking four or five days to complete. Omar Kanteh, a Gambian citizen who has been in Italy for nine months, is among the newcomers who embraced the construction project, as well as its friendly foreman.

God made snow, but this time, man made igloos, Kanteh said. It was very strange to me, so I am very excited. This is a new talent in my life.

The igloos, which were set up as a mini-village, sleep 18 altogether and have been fully booked on weekends since mid-January. Curious people stop by to snap photographs or for a peek inside the snow domes. Schools in Milan and Bergamo have brought children up for field trips.

For $123 (U.S.) per person, a couple can dine at Midalis restaurant, sleep in an igloo and eat an organic breakfast before embarking on a guided snowshoe excursion in the Valle Brembana mountains.

Midali thinks the project has allowed him and the migrants to understand each other a little better, maybe even to serve as an example for others in San Simone.

In that way, the connection forged with tools and snow is a small counterpoint to the pre-election campaigning in Italy that has featured right-wing parties pledging to expel thousands of migrants.

You learn to know these young men, where they are from and their background, and they also learn about our background and life here, Midali said.

Praising Midalis courage and open-mindedness, Kanteh said he would like to settle in San Simone if his application for Italian asylum is approved.

He loves me for who I am, and I also love him for who he is, he said. Its not about me being from Africa and him from Europe. We are all from one race.

Cristian Palazzi, president of the local tourism board, said the igloo undertaking project was a small step to give life to a small community.

I cannot guarantee whether this is enough, but for sure this has been a great idea because without it, today San Simone would be dead.
TEHRAN, IRANAn Iranian-Canadian professor and environmental activist has died in prison in Iran, according to media reports and the social media accounts of his son.

Kavous Seyed-Emami, a professor of sociology at Imam Sadiq University in Tehran and the managing director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, was arrested Jan. 24, according to his son.

In a post on Twitter and Instagram, Raam Emami called the news of his fathers death impossible to fathom.

He said his mother, Maryam, was told on Friday that Kavous had taken his own life.

On his Instagram account, Emami wrote that authorities said his father had committed suicide. He did not respond to requests for further comment.

Iran Wire writer Arash Azizi told CTV News Saturday that Emami was among a number of environmental activists who were arrested on trumped-up charges of espionage. He said a prosecutor had said publicly that environmental activism was being used as a cover for spying.

A member of Seyed-Emamis family, who does not want to be identified, told CBC News late Saturday that the family is utterly shocked and devastated at his death and calls for the Canadian government to demand that Iran allow an independent autopsy to be performed.

In an email statement to The Canadian Press, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada says the department is aware of these reports.

Natasha Nystrom says consular officials in Turkey are working to gather additional information and are providing assistance to the family of the Canadian citizen.

The family member said Seyed-Emami was last in Canada on a sabbatical at the University of Lethbridge in late 2017.

With files from CBC

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WESTERVILLE, OHIOTwo Ohio police officers responding to a 911 hang-up call were fatally shot on Saturday after entering a townhome in a Columbus suburb and a suspect who police were once warned carries a gun all the time was taken into custody, authorities said.

Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said officer Eric Joering, 39, died at the scene and his colleague, Anthony Morelli, 54, died at a local hospital.

Morbitzer said the officers were responding to a potential domestic situation. A neighbour who heard the gunfire said it happened at a home where the occupants were always arguing and fighting.

The officers gave their lives in defence of others, Morbitzer said during a news conference, struggling to keep his emotions in check. He called them true American heroes.

Police did not identify the suspect at a news conference, but confirmed late Saturday that he was 30-year-old Quentin Lamar Smith. They released incident reports showing police had been to his home or had dealings with him several times since 2017, some for alleged domestic violence involving a woman identified in the reports as his wife, Candace Smith.

Authorities said he was wounded and was treated at a hospital.

In a Nov. 29 incident, Candace Smith, 33, went to a police station and asked about protection orders because she said she and her husband werent getting along and she discovered she had a sexually transmitted disease. She also told police that when she threatens to leave Quentin, he tells her that he would kill her, their daughter, and himself, the report said.

Candace Smith told police her husband has a gun that he carries all of the time, and if it isnt on him, it is close by. Police were called to the home later that night to investigate a report of domestic violence.

The Columbus Police Department is investigating the shootings.

Republican Gov. John Kasich, who lives with his family in a nearby township, tweeted that he was very saddened to learn of the deaths of two of my hometown police officers. He asked Ohio residents to join him in lifting up these officers families in prayer.

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted: My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers, their families, and everybody at the @WestervillePD.

Joering was a 16-year police veteran and Morelli was a 30-year veteran.

These were two of the best we have, said Morbitzer. This was their calling.

He added, that they both gave their life for the protection of others and thats what they lived and breathed.

Trea Horne, 17, told The Associated Press he was upstairs in the townhome he shares with his mother when he heard five or six gunshots early Saturday afternoon. He said he came downstairs and saw police cars racing to a townhome directly across the street.

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A couple had moved into the home about eight months ago, he said. Theyre always arguing and fighting, said Horne, who graduated from Westerville South High School in December.

Jennifer Ripperger, 46, said her neighbourhood of townhomes has a mix of owners and renters. She said heard police pulling up on Saturday and watched as officers nearly dragged firefighters toward the residence where the officers had been shot.

Ive never known anything like this to happen, said Chad Temple, 32, who lives directly behind the townhome where the shooting happened. It just kind of surprises me (that) in Westerville this happened.

Westerville, on the northeast side of Columbus, is a suburb of about 39,000 with a per capita income well above the rest of Ohio. It regularly tops lists of the countrys best suburbs.

Kasich plans to give his last State of the State address March 6 at Otterbein University, a liberal arts college in downtown Westerville.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATESAn Iranian-Canadian university professor detained in Tehran has died in custody, activists and a family member said Sunday, marking the latest suspicious death of a detainee in Iran after a crackdown on dissent following nationwide protests.

They identified the professor as Kavous Seyed-Emami, a 63-year-old professor of sociology at Imam Sadeq University in Tehran and the managing director of the Persian Heritage Wildlife Foundation. His son and the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran say that authorities told Seyed-Emamis family that he committed suicide in custody, something they described as suspicious following other detainee deaths.

Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi later confirmed the professors death on Sunday, saying he had been detained in an alleged espionage ring. The prosecutor on Saturday announced the ring, saying it had targeted people who were implementing scientific and environmental projects to collect information on strategic areas.

He knew there were a lot of confessions against him and he also confessed himself, Dolatabadi was quoted as saying Sunday by the semi-official ILNA news agency. Unfortunately, he committed suicide in prison.

The professors son, musician Ramin Seyed-Emami who performs under the stage name King Raam, wrote on Instagram that his father had died following his arrest on Jan. 24.

They say he committed suicide. I still cant believe this, he wrote.

Canadas foreign ministry said it was aware of reports of Seyed-Emamis death. An Iranian reformist lawmaker, Mahmoud Sadeghi, tweeted that he failed to get information on Seyed-Emamis death despite calls to related officials.

Some of them refused to comment, some others said we pursued (but) failed to get information, the lawmaker wrote.

Iran entered the new year with nationwide protests sweeping across 75 cities and towns. The demonstrations initially focused on Irans poor economy despite its nuclear deal with world powers, but quickly spiralled into chants directly challenging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and its theocratic government.

Authorities arrested nearly 5,000 people in the crackdown that followed, according to Alireza Rahimi, an Iranian lawmaker. At least 25 people were killed in clashes surrounding the demonstrations.

Activists say they have concerns about Irans prisons and jails being overcrowded and dangerous, pointing to allegations of torture, abuse and deaths that followed the mass arrests during Irans 2009 Green Movement protests. Since the most recent protests, activists have said they also remain concerned by reported suicides within Irans prison system.

Analysts and family members of dual nationals and others detained in Iran have suggested that hard-liners in the Islamic Republics security agencies use the prisoners as bargaining chips for money or influence. A UN panel in September described an emerging pattern involving the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of dual nationals in Iran, which Tehran denies.

Iran does not recognize dual nationalities, so those detainees cannot receive consular assistance.

Read more:

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Others with ties to the West detained in Iran include Chinese-American graduate student Xiyue Wang, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly infiltrating the country while doing doctoral research on Irans Qajar dynasty. Iranian-Canadian national Abdolrasoul Dorri Esfahani, a member of Irans 2015 nuclear negotiating team, is believed to be serving a five-year sentence on espionage charges. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman, also is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly planning the soft toppling of Irans government while travelling with her young daughter.

Iranian businessman Siamak Namazi and his 81-year-old father Baquer, a former UNICEF representative who served as governor of Irans oil-rich Khuzestan province under the U.S.-backed shah, are both serving 10-year sentences on espionage charges. Iranian-American art dealer Karan Vafadari and his Iranian wife, Afarin Neyssari, recently received 27-year and 16-year prison sentences respectively.

Iranian-American Robin Shahini was released on bail last year after staging a hunger strike while serving an 18-year prison sentence for collaboration with a hostile government. Shahini is believed to still be in Iran.

Also in an Iranian prison is Nizar Zakka, a U.S. permanent resident from Lebanon who advocated for internet freedom and has done work for the U.S. government. He was sentenced to 10 years last year on espionage-related charges.

Former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission, remains missing as well. Iran says that Levinson is not in the country and that it has no further information about him, though his family holds Tehran responsible for his disappearance.

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JERUSALEMIsraels prime minister said Sunday his country delivered severe blows to Iranian and Syrian forces and vowed to take further action against its adversaries following the most serious Israeli engagement in Syria since the war there erupted almost seven years ago.

Benjamin Netanyahus tough words to his Cabinet came a day after Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes in Syria. Israel ordered the airstrikes after it intercepted an Iranian drone that had infiltrated its airspace and an Israeli F-16 was downed upon its return from Syria.

Yesterday we dealt severe blows to the Iranian and Syrian forces, Netanyahu said. We made it unequivocally clear to everyone that our rules of action have not changed one bit. We will continue to strike at every attempt to strike at us. This has been our policy and it will remain our policy.

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Israel has tried to stay on the sidelines since civil war broke out in neighbouring Syria in 2011, though it has periodically carried out airstrikes against suspected weapons shipments believed to be headed for Lebanese Hezbollah, the Iranian and Syrian-allied militant group. But as the Syrian war winds down, Israeli officials have voiced increasing alarm that Iran and its Shiite allies are establishing a permanent presence in Syria that could turn its aim toward Israel.

Israeli leaders said the airstrikes sent a clear message to Iran.

We do not just talk, we act, said Yoav Galant, a former Israeli deputy chief of staff and member of Netanyahus Security Cabinet.

I think that, also, the Syrians now understand well that the fact that they are hosting the Iranians on Syrian soil harms them, he told The Associated Press.

Saturdays airstrikes marked the toughest Israeli aerial assault in Syria in decades.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria through a network of activists on the ground, said Sunday that at least six Syrian troops and allied militiamen were killed in the airstrikes. The six included Syrian and non-Syrian allied troops, the Britain-based Observatory said.

They, and we, know what we hit and it will take them some time for them to digest, understand and ask how Israel knew how to hit those sites, Israels Intelligence Minister Israel Katz told the Army Radio station. These were concealed sites and we have intelligence agencies and the ability to know everything that is going on there and yesterday we proved that.

In Saturdays attacks, the Israeli jets came under heavy Syrian anti-aircraft fire and the pilots of one of the F-16s had to eject before the plane crashed in northern Israel. One pilot was seriously wounded and the other one lightly.

Israel would not confirm whether its aircraft was shot down by enemy fire, which would mark the first such instance for Israel since 1982, when it was fighting a war in neighbouring Lebanon.

The drone that Israel said it shot down this weekend appeared to have been developed by Iran from technology obtained when it captured a U.S. stealth aircraft in 2011, according to aviation experts and Israeli officials.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesperson for Israel's military, and Yuval Steinitz, a minister in Israel's security cabinet, said the craft was a copy of a U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel spy drone, which Iran claims to have reverse-engineered.

Experts who examined footage of the drone being shot down and images of its wreckage released by the Israeli military agreed that the shape strongly resembled that of Iran's Saeqeh, or Thunderbolt, drone, which was based on a CIA-operated RQ-170 captured by Iran.

Conricus said that he could not specifically confirm that the drone was a Saeqeh and that the debris is still being examined. Iran has developed several other models based on the RQ-170.

It was an Iranian copy of a U.S. drone that they got hold of a few years ago and they duplicated, Steinitz told Israeli radio.

Israel said the drone, operated by Iran from a base inside Syria, travelled three or four miles into its territory Saturday morning before being shot down.

Iran has described the Israeli claim as ridiculous.

A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, declined to comment.

Israel has recently issued several stern warnings about the increased Iranian involvement along its borders with Syria and Lebanon.

Israel fears Iran could use Syrian territory to stage attacks or create a land corridor from Iran to Lebanon that could allow it to transfer weapons more easily to Hezbollah  a powerful Iran-backed Shiite militant group sworn to Israels destruction.

Though Israel has largely stayed out of the Syrian conflict, it has struck weapons convoys destined for Hezbollah dozens of times since 2012.

Israel has also shot down several drones that previously tried to infiltrate its territory from Syria, but the capture of an Iranian drone and the direct targeting of Iranian sites in response marked a dramatic escalation in the Israeli retaliation.

Israel has long complained about the involvement of arch-enemy Iran, and Iranian proxy Hezbollah, in the Syria war. Both have sent forces to back Assad, who appears headed toward victory. Israel has said it will not accept a permanent military presence by Iran and its Shiite allies in Syria, especially near the Israeli border.

Netanyahu has held several consultations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has also sent forces to back Assad. Following the Israeli strikes, the two spoke again on Saturday, with Netanyahu conveying Israels determination to counter Irans intentions.

Still, Russias foreign ministry appeared to criticize Israels actions by calling for restraint and respecting Syrias sovereignty.

It is absolutely unacceptable to create threats to the lives and security of Russian servicemen who are in Syria at the invitation of its legitimate government, it said.

The United States, on the other hand, strongly backed Israel.

The White House issued a statement in which it said it supports Israels right to defend itself from the Iranian-backed Syrian and militia forces in southern Syria.

We call on Iran and its allies to cease provocative actions and work toward regional peace, it said.

With files from Washington Post

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ISLAMABADAsma Jahangir, a leading Pakistani rights activist, fearless critic of the militarys interference into politics and a staunch defender of the rule of law, died Sunday in Lahore. She was 66.

The death was confirmed by her daughter Munizae Jahangir, who said the cause was a heart attack.

Jahangir, a human rights lawyer, had a reputation of speaking truth to power and defending the weak and the marginalized, women and minorities against injustice. She gained international acclaim for being the voice of conscience in a country where liberal, secular voices have been continuously under threat.

Read more: Before Malala, there was Asma Jahangir

She was the founding chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent group, and was a trustee of the International Crisis Group. She won several local and international awards and served as the United Nations rapporteur on human rights and extrajudicial killings.

Jahangir never minced words while defending democracy and human rights, despite threats to her life, both from military dictators and militants. She championed the rights of religious minorities  especially those who were charged under the countrys blasphemy laws  and women and men killed in the name of honour.

Born on Jan. 27, 1952, into an affluent family in Lahore, Asma Jilani Jahangir studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, receiving her bachelors degree from Kinnaird College in Lahore. She received her law degree from Punjab University in Lahore in 1978.

Jahangir was exposed to politics and activism at an early age. Her father, Malik Ghulam Jilani, was a civil servant and a left-wing politician who was frequently jailed for opposing military dictators. Jahangir initially appeared in court to represent her jailed father.

Her first foray into politics was in 1969, when she participated in a womens march to the residence of the governor of Punjab and clashed with the police. In 1983, she was put under house arrest and later imprisoned when she campaigned for womens rights and democracy during the rule of Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

In 2007, Pervez Musharraf, then a general, also put her under house arrest as the countrys lawyers and politicians began a movement to restore democracy.

Jahangir worked for the rights of religious minorities and bonded labourers, especially brick kiln workers.

In bonded labour cases, judges would ask me why I had brought those people to the courts who stank. You are here precisely for them, I would respond, she told the Herald, a local magazine.

While Jahangir was widely respected internationally, she faced bitter criticism from the military and right-wing nationalists. She was attacked for advocating peace with India, and was often accused of being an Indian agent or a traitor.

Her criticism of the countrys military and its intelligence agencies made her a target of campaigns on television and social media.

Some Pakistanis accused her of looking the other way when it came to the corruption of two mainstream political parties  the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz  and of being single-mindedly focused on criticizing the military.

In 2012, Jahangir said that an assassination plot against her had been hatched at the highest level of the security establishment. She refused to leave the country despite the threats, however, and told the British newspaper the Telegraph that she would not follow other activists out of the country.

I will not leave, she said. My ancestors are buried here, and my life is here.

Jahangir is survived by her husband, two daughters and a son.

An active member of bar politics, she was the first female president of the Pakistan Supreme Courts Bar Association. Until her death, she spoke out against corruption in the legal community and strongly advocated judicial reform.

She was critical of the proliferation of suo motu notices  a legal provision that empowers a judge to start a hearing on virtually any matter. She, along with other lawyers and critics of the courts, believed that the justices were overreaching and interfering in the executive sphere.

To many women in the country, Jahangir was an inspiration.

Asma Jahangir was a voice of the oppressed and an icon of courage and valour, said Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter and political heir of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. She endured so much but chose to be on the right side of history.

Critics often questioned her pointed focus on the countrys minorities and on women rights. She fended off such criticism as misplaced.

Yes, I am very unhappy, extremely anguished at human rights violations against Kashmiris in India or against Rohingyas in Burma or, for that matter, Christians in Orissa. But obviously I am going to be more concerned of violations taking place in my own house because I am closer to the people who I live with. I have more passion for them, Jahangir told the Herald magazine.

And I think it sounds very hollow if I keep talking about the rights of Kashmiris but do not talk about the rights of a woman in Lahore who is butchered to death.

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Two of the greatest bulwarks of a democracy are freedom of expression and a free press.

So it was alarming to hear that in his effort to be tougher than his predecessor, Canadas new Ethics Commissioner, Mario Dion, is seeking to gag MPs and impose publication bans.

Dion made the disturbing remarks during an appearance last week before a Commons committee while discussing how he believed that ethics investigations should be conducted in private.

Theres nothing wrong with that. But then he raised concerns that MPs can tell the media when theyve filed a complaint and the press can report on it. That, he said, pollutes the environment within which we have to do our examination.

To prevent that from happening he suggested he should have the power to issue confidentiality orders to prevent MPs from informing the public about a complaint and stop the media from reporting on an investigation, no matter who their source was for the information in the first place.

Those are very dangerous ideas, indeed, and Dion should immediately drop them from his otherwise sensible proposed reforms on ethics issues.

While the former career civil servant complained that it complicates our lives as investigators when people start to know something is under investigation, he better get used to it.

Transparency can be messy, but it is vital to a democracy.

Indeed, freedoms of the press and expression are both protected by Canadas Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which states these rights are subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

Dions worries about complications hardly fit that bill.

And as Conservative MP and former journalist Peter Kent pointed out, Dions suggestion also ignores the fact that the ethics commissioner sometimes undertakes investigations because of issues that are reported in the media in the first place.

I think protections of free speech, journalistic practice, need to be defended and balanced, Kent said.

And so they should be.

Despite his stumbling on free speech and media rights, Dions appearance before the committee indicated that he is on the right track with other ideas that are actually within his purview.

For example, he said he would seek the right to impose substantial fines in the range of $25,000 on MPs for ethics breaches.

This is a sensible suggestion that would go a fair way to restoring public trust in government. That was undermined when Dions predecessor, Mary Dawson, ruled that the prime ministers holiday vacation on the Aga Khans private island was illegal, but there were no consequences beyond public embarrassment.

Dion also rightly suggested doing away with a clause in the conflict-of-interest law that allows public office holders to accept gifts from friends. That was the defence the prime minister invoked for accepting the Aga Khans invitation.

And Dion wisely repeated his promise to advocate for a tougher conflict-of-interest law to close what the opposition now calls the Bill Morneau loophole.

Morneau was allowed, by law and purportedly on the advice of the then ethics commissioner, to maintain control over a large stake in his former company, even as he ran the countrys finances. It is established procedure, but not a requirement, for ministers to place their holdings in a blind trust as a way of avoiding conflicts of interest, real or perceived. That Morneau was not required to do this is concerning. The loophole should be closed.

Overall, Dion is on the right track in his new role of holding MPs accountable for any ethics violations. But he must avoid trampling on charter freedoms to do so. It should go without saying that any curtailment of free speech and freedom of the press should be out of bounds for an ethics commissioner.
On a frosty mid-winter Friday night in Battleford, Sask., Gerald Stanley got away with murder.

Yes, that is an interpretation. But how else could one interpret the fact that an all-white jury acquitted a white man who shot a young Indigenous man, Colten Boushie, in the head?

I cannot possibly suggest the jurors in this case were racist. I dont know any of them and I wasnt in the courtroom.

Read more: Were going to fight back  Colten Boushies mother delivers emotional message

But I do know they live in a white world, as do I, and we would all be incapable of knowledge of an Indigenous upbringing in this country, something that carries with it fears, despair, lack of opportunities and outright racism.

This happened because Canadas justice system is broken.

That also appears to be the opinion of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, and other Canadian ministers including Jane Philpott and Carolyn Bennett, both of whom have Indigenous portfolios.

The reaction of Wilson-Raybould, an Indigenous justice minister, to a jury verdict was extraordinary and possibly without precedent.

Those who thought she was questioning a verdict pushed back hard.

My thoughts are with the family of Colton (sic) Boushie tonight, she said via Twitter. I truly feel your pain and I hear all of your voices. As a country we can and must do better  I am committed to working everyday to ensure justice for all Canadians.

She spoke out on social media after receiving a call from Trudeau, who was in California and the prime minister said Saturday that Canadians, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, know we need to do better.

There is a simple way to do better, and a quick way to do better  eliminate the system of peremptory challenges, something that invites racism in the system and can be eliminated by a Criminal Code amendment introduced by Wilson-Raybould tomorrow.

And so, maybe this intervention by the justice minister wasnt so extraordinary. She appears to have foreshadowed change when she released a statement after the jury was selected.

Peremptory challenges allow the Crown or defence to reject potential jurors without giving reasons. In this case, the Boushie family says the Stanley defence team used its 14 peremptory challenges to reject any potential jurors who appeared Indigenous. It is often cited as a reason for Indigenous underrepresentation on juries.

The under-representation of Indigenous jurors is an issue in several provinces and it is a reality I find concerning, Wilson-Raybould said in a statement.

But she promised only careful study of ending peremptory challenges, something the United Kingdom did three decades ago.

The first call to end that system came in Manitoba in 1991 in a study on aboriginal justice in that province co-chaired by Sen. Murray Sinclair, the head of the groundbreaking Truth and Reconciliation commission.

In Ontario, we are headed toward the fifth anniversary of a report on the under representation of Indigenous people on juries by former Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci.

He also said the province should urge the federal government to end peremptory challenges.

The status quo, Iacobucci said in 2013, will mean any hope of true reconciliation between First Nations and Ontarians generally will vanish. Any provincial progress on this issue has been negligible at best.

But as Kent Roach, an expert in criminal law at the University of Toronto, told me, eliminating peremptory challenges is not a magic solution because the problem of Indigenous representation on juries remains.

In fact, he said, in the Boushie case the Indigenous pool of prospective jurors was likely so small that it was relatively easy to seat an all-white jury.

Under representation is a product of many factors  the often prohibitive travel involved for Indigenous jurors getting to a courthouse, distrust of the system and the use of documentation to build a jury roll that favours non-Indigenous jurors.

This problem has existed for years. Wilson-Raybould should move on this with the provinces.

Its clear the system failed Boushie and his family from the starting point, when his mother said RCMP officers searched her home without permission and asked her if she had been drinking (allegations denied by the RCMP after they investigated their own), to what the family saw as the stacking of the jury.

We have witnessed an injustice in 2018, but the Trudeau government can quickly rid our system of an archaic, racist jury selection practice.

Its merely a step, but it doesnt have to study it.

It just has to do it.

It must act in the memory of Colten Boushie. Everything else is just words.

Tim Harper writes on national affairs. Tjharper77@gmail.com Twitter: @nutgraf1
If you are going about your business without a break in your step this weekend, with nary a thought for Colten Boushie, ask yourself why that is so.

Why is it that Friday nights not guilty verdict in the young mans death, which is a moment of national shame, does not shake you to your core? Why has the grief and outrage that led spontaneously to more than a dozen protests across Canada the day after the verdict not enraged you, not fired up your fears for your childrens future, and not driven you to speak up against repeated centuries-old injustice enacted under your nose?

Do you see how indifference makes us all complicit?

Battleford, Sask., might as well be America from the 1950s. An all-white jury in a court presided by a white judge found Gerald Stanley, a white farmer charged with second-degree murder, not guilty after a bullet from his gun killed 22-year-old Boushie, an Indigenous man from the Red Pheasant First Nation.

In the selection of the jury for the trial  where lawyers are allowed to use peremptory challenges to reject a potential juror without giving any reason  every single Indigenous person who showed up was rejected.

Indigenous people are tired of being part of a justice system that excludes them. Tired of being tried by white judges and juries and then thrown into jails that in some parts of Canada  Saskatchewan, Manitoba and in northern Ontario  are almost entirely Indigenous, says my colleague Tanya Talaga, author of the bestselling Seven Fallen Feathers, in which she chronicled the lives and deaths of seven First Nations students who left their homes and families so they could get a high school education.

The issue of makeup of juries is not new.

Former Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci reviewed Ontarios jury roll system for a year following legal challenges from First Nations families and organizations, and released his report in 2013. At a Thunder Bay press conference then, he said there was widespread systemic racism in the courts, justice and police systems in the north.

He warned that if nothing was done, any true hope of reconciliation between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people would disappear, says Talaga.

He is correct. There can be no reconciliation without rights.

This demand for Indigenous civil and political rights is met with the same askance and skepticism from non-Indigenous Canadians as U.S. civil rights activists received from other Americans in the 1950s and 60s.

During the Stanley trial, his shooting of Boushie was justified by the barest of all plausible reasons: an accident. The trigger for the semi-automatic gun had to be pulled for a shot to be fired. Two bullets had already been fired as warning shots, the defence said.

The defence lawyer blamed the shooting of the third bullet that went through Boushies head, on something called hang fire. That is a delay from when the shot is fired to when the bullet leaves the gun. Plausible, perhaps, except experts had testified that delay is not only rare, its also very short  less than one second.

People gathered in North Battleford, Sask., Edmonton and Toronto on Saturday to protest the acquittal of Gerald Stanley in the shooting death of Colten Boushie. The crowds sang and chanted justice for Colten. (The Canadian Press)

Boushie and his friends were returning home on Aug. 9, 2016, after a day of swimming and some drinking, when their car had a flat tire. They had tried to steal a truck on a farm, but failed. They then drove to Stanleys property, where they tried to start an ATV.

This led to yelling and shouting and a hammer to the windshield of the car Boushie was in, and finally his death. He was still in the car. Many people have pounced on this element of imperfection in the victims to rationalize the shooting.

If death is an acceptable outcome for trespassing and attempting to steal, then it should follow that Indigenous people be allowed a free hand with settlers who have grabbed their land and stolen its resources by hook and crook.

Why then are they now being asked for restraint after the verdict? For calm? Forgive us, for we know not what we do  even when we kill you. What blinding nature of self-absorption is this?

But it has been thus for so long we see no aberration in it: White man kills Indigenous person and lawfully walks free.

Due process once again needs no tweaking when the outcome favours the privileged.

Earlier, before the trial, the RCMP had lost the vehicle in which Boushie was killed. Then, the Mounties waited a strangely long time to charge Stanley in the aftermath of the shooting, wrote Kyle Edwards in Macleans. No matter how you dissect the case, Stanley was given virtually every advantage from the outset.

The jury had been instructed to find Stanley guilty of murder if they believed he intended to kill. If the jurors determined Stanley was merely careless in discharging the firearm, they could have found him guilty of manslaughter.

As it turned out they found him not guilty of anything.

This means they believed Stanley acted reasonably when he killed Boushie.

If this doesnt fill our minds with rage and our hearts with despair, then it tells us a lot about who we really are.

What a shame.

Shree Paradkar writes about discrimination and identity. You can follow her @shreeparadkar
At the end of January, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the official Canadian recognition of the UN Decade for People of African Descent, which runs from 2015 to 2024.

The gesture was three years late and largely overlooked by traditional media, but for some, the very act of a sitting prime minister acknowledging anti-Black racism  and making a public commitment to dealing with it  was a moment of historical significance.

The fight against anti-Black racism in Canada is not new. Generations of Black community members have been tirelessly carrying out this work across the country with insufficient support from government. Its worth reading through the #BlackLivesCDNSyllabus developed and updated by Anthony Morgan and Huda Hassan for Canadian context.

As a next step, strategies and plans should be developed that include milestones for cross-ministerial policy collaboration with budgeted allocation, public and private partnerships, and sincere, thoughtful regional community consultations to guide the process.

There are opportunities for the private sector, unions, academic institutions, community-based organizations, and individuals to participate in seeking to understand, celebrate, and most importantly, support the advancement of the challenging work ahead.

Some key targets for these plans should include national celebrations of emancipation alongside official apologies for the enslavement of Black people in Canada and the systemic, anti-Black racism that continues to permeate Canadian institutions.

Aug. 1 should be a national holiday celebrating emancipation in Canada. Perhaps as a part of the federal recognition of the decade, the Greatest Freedom Show on Earth in Windsor, Ont., could come alive once more.

On the heels of Canada 150, we have an opportunity to band together to preserve and celebrate Black Canadian history and cultural contributions, beyond the month of February alone. There are extraordinary institutions  specifically many churches, built as sanctuaries and celebrations of Black Canadian freedom  well past observing their sesquicentennials.

Churches like Salem Chapel BME, where Harriet Tubman herself worshipped and organized to emancipate hundreds of enslaved Black families through a courageous journey to reach Canadian soil.

While we study and celebrate Black history lets take a closer look at both the present and the future we want to create. The federal government should follow provincial leadership and gather disaggregated data, so we can see with numbers how our policies are having a disproportionately negative impact on Black Canadians.

Its also important to remember that the African diaspora in Canada is beautifully diverse. We have different experiences, and will have different definitions of what success looks like as the Canadian acknowledgement of the decade is carried out.

We must also consider that it is real intergenerational trauma we are exploring and seeking to rectify. In the process, Black Canadians live in different stages of grief that impact how individuals contribute to this mentally and emotionally exhausting dialogue and work.

The federal government has taken an important step forward, and I hope that an equity lens can be applied in the development of policy with consideration to unique barriers faced by Black women, persons with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Tangibly this means policy focus and investments in education, poverty reduction, health equity and especially mental health supports necessary for the success of Black Canadians.

This means acting on our responsibility to respond promptly to the issues facing Black communities at this very moment. This includes cannabis legalization, which should be rolled out with a proactive pardoning approach that ensures individuals with previous cannabis related convictions are not restricted from participating in the legal market.

It requires action to improve the experiences and outcomes of Black workers as they come forward with stories about the racism and micro-aggressions faced when training and working within their respective sectors. It further requires taking an honest look at public and private sector leadership positions and sponsoring a definition of diversity that goes beyond gender.

It means not turning a blind eye to the disproportionate impact of the global migrant crisis on Black families seeking refuge within our borders, and working to correct the systemic injustices, like the risk of deportation of children and youth in care that the case of Abdoul Abdi has shown us.

I challenge Canadians to aspire to global leadership, beginning by taking an honest look at our own shortcomings and contributing to the powerful role we can play as a country in creating better outcomes for people of African descent, both within and outside of our borders.

Tiffany Gooch is a political strategist at public affairs firms Enterprise and Ensight, secretary of the Ontario Liberal Party Executive Council, and an advocate for increased cultural and gender diversity in Canadian politics.
Last week, Toronto celebrated an inauspicious occasion: the 37th anniversary of Operation Soap.

Better known as the Toronto bathhouse raids, Operation Soap saw dozens of Toronto police officers storm four bathhouses and arrest more than 250 gay and bisexual men on a variety of humiliating charges. Lives were changed forever  jobs lost, reputations destroyed, personal relationships left in tatters, lives taken by suicide.

The next night, thousands of LGBTQ Torontonians took to the streets with the message that enough was enough; stunning the city with the ferocity of their protests.

It marked the beginning of change between the LGBTQ community and governments at all levels. Finally, officials began to understand the damage they had inflicted on often vulnerable and marginalized people.

Since that time, there have been all kinds of legislative accomplishments and relationships between LGBTQ people and governments have grown close, if not downright cozy.

Today, it is difficult for many to truly understand the symbolic importance of the Gay Village. Church and Wellesley seems more like a secondary traffic artery, spattered with no-name pharmacies, second-rate fast-food restaurants and unassuming bars  at least from the outside.

But the truth is that this corner has been a home to thousands of Canadians.

It can be profoundly isolating to be a member of the LGBTQ community. To grow up understanding oneself to be different is an experience that many of us struggle to shake even well into adulthood.

Torontos Gay Village has been a sanctuary, a home, a place to embrace just who you are.

More than one public official has questioned why gay spaces or gay celebrations, such as Toronto Pride, still need to exist when extensive regulatory and legislative changes have been made to protect LGBTQ Canadians.

The last several months in Toronto have provided the answer.

For many years, segments of the LGBTQ community have protested their experiences with police. Advocates have argued that members of the trans community and people of colour continue to be treated differently than cisgender and white members of the LGBTQ community.

They argue these same segments of our community have been silenced, ignored and abused by institutional biases.

This public angst threatens to disrupt the relative harmony many felt had developed between the LGBTQ community and the Toronto police in the decades since the bathhouse raids.

Public battles, like the Black Lives Matters protest at Pride Toronto 2016 and the subsequent banning of the police from participation in the Pride Parade, fractured opinions of the LGBTQ community.

While much progress has been made, it has become abundantly clear that many challenges remain in the way the Toronto Police interact with the LGBTQ community.

Advocates have always had a point, and statistics have backed them up. There have been long-standing issues, including a number of unsolved missing persons cases, a propensity for police to arrest vulnerable people in the community, and sporadic efforts at crackdowns. This has painted a negative picture about the relationship between the police and a community.

Three recent cases have put a starkly human face on these issues.

In late November, 22-year-old Tess Richey disappeared after a night out at Church and Wellesley. Police responded with an investigation, but failed to uncover anything until Richeys mother found her daughters body at a construction site mere metres from where she was last seen. Police called the incident a misadventure for several days. Last week, second-degree murder charges were laid.

Alloura Wells, a missing trans woman, was found dead on Aug. 5 of 2016. Police failed to identify Wells until November 2017, when her father went to the media. When he tried to report her missing at a Toronto police station, he said he was told that due to her past history, she was not considered high priority. Instead, he was given a non-emergency line to contact.

But the most infamous case is that of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur. Activists and advocates have been warning that older gay men seemed to be disappearing for years now. Last summer, a poster circulated with the pictures of the missing men, warning of a potential serial killer.

Toronto police responded by denying that a serial killer existed. In a move that revealed the communitys distrust of the police, a neighbourhood association organized to provide walks home to allow for a measure of safety for those who felt threatened.

Months later, the community was proved right. McArthur has been charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder. It is alleged he had been targeting gay men for years, killing at least five. The number of charges seem likely to increase as the investigation continues.

That police denied the existence of a threat when one so plainly existed undermines their mission to provide support for a community that is so often the target of violence, harassment and discrimination.

I do not believe there is malicious intent by Toronto Police. Rather, the challenge lies in the nature and characteristics of the problem. When police raided the bath houses many years ago, the laws and regulations which were at the essence of the problem could be pointed to, identified and fixed.

Todays challenge is actually more daunting. The Toronto Police Service must reflect on how to change a culture and how to protect a community that so desperately needs that protection.

A community of vulnerable people depend on it. And all of us must speak out and acknowledge that change needs to occur.

Jaime Watt is the executive chairman of Navigator Ltd. and a Conservative strategist.
Idris Elba and girlfriend Sabrina Dhowre are engaged after the film star dropped on one knee during a screening of his new film.

The Luther actor, 45, was greeted with cheers from the cinema audience on Saturday morning as he popped the question at the Rio Cinema in Dalston, east London, before a preview of his directorial debut, Yardie.

A video shot by audience member @AgentMarsden from inside the cinema showed Elba down on one knee before Dhowre appears to say yes and plants a kiss on her future husband to applause from the crowd.

Rio Cinema confirmed the news on their Twitter account, writing: Another @riocinema first! Still 5 days to Valentines Day but @idriselba went down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend live on stage this morning before a preview of his film.

Another @riocinema first! Still 5 days to Valentines Day but @idriselba went down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend live on stage this morning before a preview of his film #Yardie pic.twitter.com/XRtca1xcv0  Rio Cinema (@riocinema) February 10, 2018

Elba and Dhowre, a model and former Miss Vancouver, have reportedly been dating since early 2017.

The London-born actor has previously been wed to Hanne Norgaard and Sonya Hamlin.

Set in Jamaica and the UK, Yardie is an adaptation of Victor Headleys 1992 novel of the same name.
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WASHINGTON _ More and more Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is charting her political course in a leftward direction, voting with liberal stalwart Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., against the two-year budget deal hashed early Friday.

Her fellow New Yorker, Sen. Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, was one of the chief architects of the deal, a compromise that the Brooklyn native characterized as a major breakthrough against legislative gridlock.

What makes Democrats proudest of this bill is that after a decade of cuts to programs that help the middle class, we have a dramatic reversal, said Schumer in a statement issued in the wee hours after the Senate approved it 71-28. Funding for education, infrastructure, fighting drug abuse, and medical research will all, for the first time in years, get very significant increases, and we have placed Washington on a path to deliver more help to the middle class in the future.

But compromise wasnt in Gillibrands lexicon for this vote, or others over the past year since Republican Donald Trump became president.

In the case of the budget, Gillibrand said failure to extend the legal status of Dreamers who came to the U.S. illegally as children was the deciding factor.

Republican leadership has refused to do the morally right thing by protecting the young people who know only this country as their home, said Gillibrand, referring to the 700,000 young immigrants who became legal through then-President Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. We shouldnt allow our young people to be used as bargaining chips in this country. I believe Senators on both sides of the aisle should fight for these kids as hard as we would fight for our own families.

Trump cancelled DACA last September, setting the clock ticking down to a March 5 deadline, after which all DACA beneficiaries would be in the U.S. illegally if Congress fails to act. In New York, there are about 42,000 DACA recipients.

Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, as part of negotiations to win budget-deal votes from Democrats, agreed to put DACA-related legislation on the Senate calendar for Monday.

Although McConnell said he couldnt guarantee the outcome, he did commit to what he said is an open process aimed at seeing what kind of measure could win 60 votes _ the number needed for passage.

That was enough for other Democrats such as Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who had made previous votes on temporary spending measures contingent on DACA relief.

But it was not enough for Gillibrand. (The Albany native was not available for a phone interview.)
Albany

Newspapers are just one of the pieces of the trade tensions that appear to be growing between the U.S., New York, and the state's largest trading partner, Canada.

As the administration of President Donald Trump continues contentious negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement with trade officials from Canada and Mexico, the president last month slapped a 6.5 percent tariff  a kind of a tax  on imported newsprint from Canada, which the Times Union uses in its press.

And last week, the leader of Ontario vowed to push a law that could restrict New York companies from bidding on billions of dollars of government contracts in that Canadian province in retaliation for a ''Buy American'' program signed two months ago by Gov. Andrew Cuomo for major state road and bridge projects.

To Khawar Nasim, a Canadian diplomat who visited the Capital Region last week, these are increasingly perilous times for economic ties between Canada and New York, which have a trading relationship currently worth more than $30 billion a year.

More than 700 Canadian-owned companies employ more than 72,000 people in New York with combined payrolls of more than $4 billion, according to Canadian government figures. About 400,000 people cross the New York-Canadian border every day, many of them on business.

Trump has been critical of the 23-year-old NAFTA pact with Canada and Mexico, and has threatened to withdraw from it as his administration continues to negotiate potential changes with those two countries. He has blamed the agreement for destroying America jobs.

"Protectionist sentiments are beginning to emerge in the U.S., as well as Europe," said Nasim, who is the Canadian deputy consul general for New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. He said that could choke off cross-border trade, costing jobs and raising consumer prices in both countries, particularly in New York.

Nasim said the recent Trump decision to tax Canadian newsprint exports to the U.S. can only increase tension over the ongoing NAFTA negotiations, which were already under pressure from a Canadian trade complaint last month to the World Trade Organization (WTO) that alleged unfair U.S. global trade practices.

"We have to respond, when we have been pushed," said Nasim, who has represented Canadian trade interests abroad, including in Europe and the Far East, since the early 1990s, broken by a stint working for a major Canadian gold company. "When we take our past complaints (to the WTO), we win," he added.

At the Port of Albany, Michele Tosini is also watching with some alarm. He is a vice president with Montreal-based Federal Marine Terminals, which last year signed a 10-year agreement to operate the port, with an option for an added 15 years.

"Although we are following the ongoing NAFTA negotiations very closely, our concerns lie more with the protectionist sentiment we detect from the current U.S. government, and the potential trade barriers, tariffs, dues and quotas that might be imposed on trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific trade," he said.

He said that could affect some of the products handled at Albany's port, such as wood pulp or scrap metal. Another major export out of the port has been gas and wind turbines made by General Electric.

A spokesman for General Electric declined comment when asked about the impact of potential trade barriers on its Albany exports, instead referring a reporter to a blog post last summer by GE Vice President Karan Bhatia, who wrote that NAFTA was positive for the U.S. and noted that Canada and Mexico are both top 10 export markets for GE.

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In New York, farm and business groups, including the Business Council and the Farm Bureau, have warned the Trump administration against damaging the New York-Canada trade relationship. Business Council leaders met with Nasim during his visit here, said council spokesman Zack Hutchins, whose group represents 2,400 large and medium-sized businesses from across the state.

If NAFTA were to collapse, it would be bad news for both the U.S. and Canada, according to a November survey of investment professionals by the Trade Leadership Coalition. The survey represents managers from companies that handle more than $2 trillion in total investments.

More than 80 percent of those professionals said the impact on Canada would be "negative" or "very negative." That same survey said the impact of NAFTA withdrawal on the U.S. would be more negative than positive by a 62 percent to 12 percent margin. The rest  26 percent  said it would have little or no impact.

Canada is a major market for New York agricultural exports, including milk and other dairy products, accounting for 44 percent of all farm exports from the state, according to a U.S. Farm Bureau study published in November.

"We have remained engaged on trade issues," said Farm Bureau communications manager Steve Ammerman. "We have some members in Washington, D.C. talking to their representatives."

Congressman John Faso, a Kinderhook Republican and member of the House of Representative's Agriculture Committee, said he has met with Canadian trade officials over their concerns. He said the state's farms and businesses benefit from Canadian trade, accounting for about 600,000 trade-related jobs

Calling the Trump administration's trade stance "unnecessarily negative," Faso said that "trade cannot be reduced to slogans ... Trade can be broadly misinterpreted, and especially in times of economic difficulty, some people want to look for scapegoats."

bnearing@timesunion.com  518-454-5094  @Bnearing10
New York appears increasingly likely to join several other states that have enacted bail reforms.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed bail changes in his State of the State address and included funding for it in his proposed 2018-19 budget. State Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Democrat, has introduced a bill on it. Last week, New York's chief judge, Janet DiFiore, said the state's courts welcome a discussion on criminal justice reform in her State of the Judiciary. On Jan. 31, a state Supreme Court judge in Dutchess County ruled that issuing bail without considering a defendant's ability to pay violates his or her constitutional rights.

Critics of cash bail say it creates a two-tiered system of justice. Those who can afford bail or bond get out of jail and those who can't stay in. But law enforcement and the bail bond industry say removing bail takes away consequences for repeat offenders and could lead to a rise in crime rates.

In the Capital Region, people awaiting trial spend an average of 33 to 40 days in county jail, according to a study released in 2017 by the Vera Institute of Justice.

At a joint legislative budget hearing in January, Michael Green, executive deputy commissioner of the Division of Criminal Justice Services, said cash bail is a larger burden for minority defendants, who are often unable to afford their release on bond due to poverty.

In 2016, 45,000 people in New York stayed in jail for more than five days on misdemeanor, non-violent offenses Green, a former prosecutor from Rochester, told the panel.

"Cash bail carries a fundamental unfairness that needs to be addressed," he said.

In his State of the State address, Cuomo proposed ending cash bail for all misdemeanors and some nonviolent felony charges. Judges would release defendants outright pending their next court appearance or place them under various levels of monitoring.

Bail reform was part of a broader criminal justice reform package proposed by Cuomo.

New York would join New Jersey, California and New Mexico as states where cash bail is either heavily reduced or erased. Smaller efforts have been implemented on the local level in areas that include Atlanta and Harris County, Texas.

It remains to be seen how much bail reform would cost local court systems, what the impact would be on the state's correctional system and how police, prosecutors and defense attorneys would adapt to changes.

But Albany County District Attorney David Soares criticized the method of pushing criminal justice reform in the budget, rather than proposing separate legislation with hearings on the topic.

"We do believe there's some solutions to be had, it's just not in the form of this sweeping legislation here," Soares said. "And we're not looking at bail in isolation, we're looking at all of these proposals. Because each is inextricably linked."

Bail reforms would greatly affect bail bond businesses, which make money by agreeing to put up a bond that allows suspects to remain out of jail while their cases move through the justice system. In exchange, they keep part of the bond amount, usually less than 10 percent.

The United States is one of two countries in the world that still relies on a commercial bail system, the other being the Philippines.

The state's Bail Bondsman Association's 212 members are pushing back against the potential reforms.

Led by Michelle Esquenazi, the Brooklyn-based owner of Empire Bail Bonds known as "The Bail Bond Queen," the association has started an online public relations campaign. It warns of a dystopian "Purge"-style future, based on a movie where all laws are suspended for a 24-hour period, and play up some of the crimes that would no longer require bail.

"These are crimes that have human victims," Esquenazi said in an interview with NY1 last month.

Alice Green, executive director of the Albany-based Center for Law and Justice, said reform would hurt the bail bonds business, but the benefits would outweigh that harm.

"We've seen so many people damaged by money bail and of course if you don't get bail you are more likely to be convicted, you're not out there working on your case," she said.

Alice Green said she's pleased to see the state considering an issue the center has advanced for years but added she's concerned about the potential for other issues, including increased indefinite detention and private companies charging defendants high monthly fees to pay for any pre-trial monitoring.

"The way the system works now is poor people are in jail simply because they can't pay for their freedom," she said. "So anything that brings us back to that point is a concern."

Two-thirds of all arrests in New York are for misdemeanor charges, the Vera Institute report said. Where suspects are arrested plays a huge role in determining if they're then jailed on such charges or released. In its report, the Vera Institute says nearly 90 percent of the people in Clinton County jail were facing misdemeanor charges. In New York City, it was 10 percent of the jail population.

New Jersey almost completely removed bail from the justice system in 2017.

There were no dramatic jumps in crime, according to New Jersey State Police statistics for last year.

Meanwhile, the number of prisoners awaiting trial fell nearly 20 percent in a year, continuing the trend of a decreasing jail population.

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But the reforms were met with hostility from bail bonds industry supporters, law enforcement members and others.

Esquenazi's complaints are similar to those made in New Jersey. In the first few months after bail reform took effect, there were media reports about defendants being charged with gun crimes, typically weapons possession, being released. In at least two cases, people were shot and killed by men who had been released under the new bail reform measures.

The state attorney general acted and modified the state's rules for those charged with gun crimes.

There was also the case of Christopher Wilson, a 21-year-old convicted pedophile from Ocean County, N.J.

Wilson was arrested just weeks after bail reform began for propositioning a 12-year-old girl, offering her a gaming system at a bus stop in exchange for sex, according to local media reports. Six days after his arrest he was released without bail, placed under house arrest and electronic monitoring, and ordered not to have contact with the victim. A local police chief also went door-to-door alerting neighbors.

Wilson was convicted when he was 12 years old for attempted sexual assault and classified as highly likely to re-offend.

The state's system for evaluating defendants for release didn't consider juvenile records or, if they were sex offenders, their tier ranking on the state's sex offender registry.

Two months after his arrest, he was sent back to jail where he remains to await the results of plea-bargain proceedings.

Unlike New Jersey, New York's proposal would not get rid of bail for all crimes.

Gianaris, the state senator, is sponsoring a bill that would require judges to release defendants on their own recognizance for misdemeanors and violations.

Defendants would be interviewed before their first appearance to determine the likelihood they wouldn't reappear and a pre-trial interview agent would make a recommendation to the judge.

Gianaris said that the state's current system punishes people who have not been convicted of the crime they are accused of.

"Any opposition to the notion of eliminating bail is based on misinformation," he said.

Soares said he is concerned that releasing defendants outright could lead to more people not showing up for their court appearances, creating extra work and increased costs for local law enforcement.

Soares added that he wasn't trying to minimize the impact the current system has on those who can't afford bail.

"I just don't see how the criminal justice system can withstand that ... kind of assault on process," he said. "The idea that you can author a bill, like the particular proposal this year that's going to address court congestion and some of the inequities that we see in the criminal justice system, to me is just very shortsighted."

shughes@timesunion.com - 518-454-5420
Can federal prosecutors in Manhattan clean the stain off their star witness?

Todd Howe claimed he experienced a "come to Jesus" moment and dedicated himself to honesty when the ex-lobbyist and convicted felon started cooperating with the government in 2016 against ex-pal Joseph Percoco, a former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Now it could be a "come to prison" moment.

While testifying at Percoco's corruption trial in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Howe admitted conning credit card companies. And was arrested.

It should make for quite a day in court this coming week when the trial continues before Judge Valerie Caproni. Testimony has been delayed until at least Tuesday because defense attorney Daniel Gitner, who has been cross-examining Howe, is sick.

"I've never had what happened there happen to me. Wow," one prosecutor not involved in the case, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Law Beat.

Asked about how the government might try to salvage the situation, the prosecutor said: "In general, I am very upfront with the jury about witnesses who act in their own self-interest. I would likely embrace that the witness is who he is but that he should be believed because of corroborating evidence. Then there's the old line, 'I didn't pick the witnesses. The defendant did.'"

The prosecution, in fact, requested Saturday that the judge instruct the jury about Howe being remanded to custody because his bail was revoked. However, prosecutors also asked that Howe be allowed to wear a suit  not his current incarceration get-up.

Prosecutors regularly rely on nefarious characters to deliver damning testimony against the most insidious of criminals. What Howe did Thursday -- testify about a new crime and get arrested in mid-trial -- is rarer.

Howe admitted that while in New York City in 2016 to meet with prosecutors to secure his cooperation deal, he stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel ... and billed it to his credit card company ... and then lied to the credit company and said he was never at the hotel and demanded a refund... and billed the card for high-speed Acela train service to-and-from Washington D.C....and then lied to the credit company and said he never took the train and demanded a refund.

Federal prosecutors already knew they had a deeply flawed star witness in Howe. He arrived on the witness stand Feb. 5 as a multiple felon and grifter  a man who admittedly stole, altered emails, dodged creditors, had his wages garnished and even stiffed the family dog walker.

Of course, Howe wasn't called to testify because of his integrity. He was called to testify to tell the jury about his dealings with Percoco and COR development executives Steve Aiello and Joseph Gerardi, and Peter Galbraith Kelly of Competitive Power Venures, an energy company. The three businessmen allegedly paid Percoco, the former-top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, more than $300,000 in bribes.

"You're going to hear a lot about Todd Howe during this trial," Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Boone told the jury in his opening statement.

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That's for sure.

Even the judge, away from the ears of the jury, opined: "The jury is well aware Mr. Howe was not a good guy. Why people kept dealing with him is beyond me. Why your clients got in bed with him is beyond me."

But before you declare the case against Percoco and three co-defendants dead, remember one thing: Sketchy star witnesses and convictions often go hand in hand in federal and state court.

Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano admitted killing 19 people, but the turncoat gangster's testimony still sank Gambino crime family boss John Gotti and a host of other mobsters.

And look at last year's murder trial in Troy of Johnny Ofoquendo, the man convicted of killing his 21-year-old stepdaughter Noel Alkaramla and dumping her body in a suitcase in the Hudson River. The prosecution's star witness was accused of engaging in a sexual encounter with a dog  a charge she denied. She also claimed she could communicate with the dead and that she could use her mind to transform a spoon into a fork.

The jury in that case was out in less than three hours.
Washington

President Donald Trump is expected to unveil Monday a plan that would fulfill one of his signature campaign promises: a $1.5 trillion, once-in-a-generation proposal to rebuild, restore and modernize the nation's aging infrastructure.

"We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways and waterways all across our land," Trump said in his State of the Union address.

But while the proposal represents one of the administration's main legislative ambitions, it could directly clash with one of its defining regulatory principles, which is to question the risk from global warming and roll back regulations addressing climate change.

The Trump infrastructure blueprint is almost certain to call for expensive new roads, bridges, airports and other projects in areas that are increasingly vulnerable to rising waters and other threats from a warming planet. Engineers and researchers say that construction plans should consider these design constraints at the outset. Their concern is that a plan led by a White House that has both discounted climate science and weakened climate change regulations could mean that costly projects may be vulnerable to damage or, in a worst-case scenario, quickly rendered obsolete by the changing environment.

"The impact of not considering climate change when planning infrastructure means you end up building the wrong thing, in the wrong place, to the wrong standards," said Michael Kuby, a professor of geographical sciences and urban planning at Arizona State University and contributing author to the National Climate Assessment, the federal government's most comprehensive scientific study of the effect of global warming on the United States. "That's a whole lot of waste."

Climate change already poses one of the most significant threats to the nation's infrastructure, according to dozens of scientific and engineering studies, including several prepared by the federal government. A 2017 report by the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that, through the end of the century, up to $280 billion will be needed to adapt the nation's roads and railways to the effects of a warming climate.

A White House spokeswoman, who asked to remain anonymous because the plan was not yet public, declined to discuss whether climate change reports were considered in the preparation of Trump's blueprint. "The president's team spent almost a full year formulating his infrastructure plan and all relevant scientific data was considered," she said in an emailed statement.

Since the beginning of his administration, Trump and his appointees have steadily worked to roll back climate change regulations.

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Trump's EPA chief, Scott Pruitt, has taken the lead role in the administration's efforts to undo climate policies and question the validity of climate science. On Wednesday, Pruitt suggested that global warming could benefit humanity.

Those views are contradicted by research conducted by his own agency.

The 2017 EPA report warned that some 6,000 bridges nationwide face a greater risk of damage in coming decades from the effects of a warming climate. It provides analysis showing that "proactive adaptation"  essentially, planning for global warming before you build  could save the government up to 70 percent in future costs of repairing damage caused by climate change-driven weather events such as deluges, coastal flooding and heat waves.

A spokeswoman for the EPA did not respond to requests to interview the study's lead scientist, Jeremy Martinich. An academic colleague of Martinich's, who has worked with him on several climate reports, including the EPA study published last year, described in practical terms what the findings mean for federal infrastructure planners.

"Say you're going to build a new road in Denver that's designed to last for 25 years," said the colleague, Paul Chinowsky, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "What climate science tells us is that, over the next 25 years, the climate in Denver is going to look more like the climate in Albuquerque"  meaning that the asphalt will have to be designed to withstand much higher levels of heat than a Denver road might historically have experienced.

"If you don't do that," he said, "It could double the cost of maintenance and the amount of delays on that road."
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Mazda just introduced the refreshed Mazda6 sedan at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November, and with its unveiling, the brand also dropped a long list of updates and upgrades. Long story short, we like what we see. In fact, we like it so much, we decided to give it a spot on our Best In Show list. Now, Mazda is giving us a look at the refreshed wagon Tourer model, which is headed to this years Geneva Motor Show sporting several of the sedans various updates.

The Full Story

The changes are so significant, you could call the latest model year the 3.5 generation.

Mazda first introduced the 6 back in 2002 as a replacement for the 626, and since then, weve seen three generations make their appearance. The latest was introduced in 2012, which makes this new refresh more or less a mid-cycle update. However, the changes are so significant, you could call the latest model year the 3.5 generation.

Lets start outside, where the 6 gains several changes to the exterior styling. The looks is sleek and mean, falling in line with Mazdas Kodo design language, something that were pretty big fans of. In front is a large elliptical front grille, which comes with a metal mesh grille insert that looks great on the front end. Theres also plenty of chrome details and LED headlights to boot.

While you probably wont confuse the 6 with a European luxury car any time soon, the updates still manage to enhance the cars sense of premiumness, a characteristic emphasized even further by whats waiting inside the cabin.

Step into the interior of the new 6, and youll find a brand-new design sporting a horizontal layout. Long lines are laid left to right in unbroken shapes, cleaning up the look while simultaneously enhancing the cars spacious feel. Theres new switchgear in the center console that looks like it was plucked from Audi, plus new seats that are more comfortable and supportive than before.

Long lines are laid left to right in unbroken shapes, cleaning up the look while simultaneously enhancing the car's spacious feel.

Theres also new infotainment technology as wielded by an 8.0-inch touchscreen mounted high on the dash. Buyers are offered an optional 7.0-inch TFT screen in the gauge cluster, while the i-Activsense safety feature suite adds convenience and driver assistance tech to the package, including stuff like a 360-degree top-down camera.

Were also looking forward to seeing what Mazdas got in terms of the 6s updated powertrains. Details on the Tourers engine lineup are still unannounced, but its expected the wagon will offer a freshened 2.2-liter diesel and a 2.0-liter gas engine. Its also possible Mazda will toss in the new turbocharged 2.5-liter that were so lucky to get here in the U.S., a mill that produces 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.

Cog swaps come courtesy of a six-speed manual transmission, or a six-speed automatic for those who prefer just two pedals to work. Standard spec routes all output to the front wheels exclusively, while extra grip can be had with the optional AWD system. Theres also new suspension bits and suspension tuning for higher levels of comfort and handling prowess.

In addition to the new 6 Tourer, Mazda will also be bringing its latest concept cars to the show, which includes the stunning Vision Coupe and exciting Kai, both of which provided inspiration for the exterior styling on the new 6.

All we can say is  bring the wagon over here, Mazda!

Look for further updates when the Geneva Motor Show kicks off next month.

References

Turbo engine makes 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque

Read our full review on the 2018 Mazda6.

Read more Geneva Motor Show news.

Read more Mazda news.
rivaling Polestar 2 saloon and the Polestar 3 SUV. Both models are expected to debut in the coming years, though the Polestar 2 will arrive sooner in 2020 than the Polestar 3, which is set for a 2022 debut.

Polestars status as a standalone brand may still be fresh in a lot of peoples eyes, but that hasnt stopped the company from already making big plans for the future. According to reports, that future will now include a pair of new models, including the

The two new models not only help build the companys legitimacy, they also provide a better perspective of what we can expect from Volvos new performance brand

This is big news for Polestar as it tries to build its brand from the ground up. The two new models not only help build the companys legitimacy, they also provide a better perspective of what we can expect from Volvos new performance brand. The Polestar 2 will arrive sooner, and its taking the form of an all-electric saloon that will compete against the Tesla Model 3. Polestar 2 will join the competition with Tesla Model 3, so people should have an understanding of the size and the price tag as well. It will start around 40,000 (35,000), Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath told Auto Express.

Ingenlath added that Polestar plans to unveil the Polestar 2 in the second half of 2019, ahead of the planned launch that will begin around the start of 2020.

Once the Polestar 2 is out on the market, the company will shift its focus on the Polestar 3, which Ingenlath describes as an SUV with a low, aerodynamic silhouette. Details are still scarce on both models, but the segments theyre being slotted in paints a clear picture of what we can expect from the Polestar in the coming years. The Polestar 1, for example, will occupy the premium segment. The Polestar 2 will be the volume model of the brand and the Polestar 3 will be its resident SUV.

Once the models become available, potential buyers will be presented with a number of purchase options, including through a subscription service

In that vein, the Polestar 1 and 3 will share the same production facility in Chengdu, China. The Polestar 2, on the other hand, will be built in another facility by virtue of the planned production volume of the model. According to Auto Express, the Polestar 2 will require a production facility that can accommodate the production of 50,000 units annually.

Once the models become available, potential buyers will be presented with a number of purchase options, including through a subscription service. This option allows buyers to pay flat monthly fees for the car over a period of two or three years. Once that contract is up, the car is returned to Polestar. "The way you own a Polestar, we believe is an appealing to people, as you have a much more precise idea of what it actually costs to own, Ingenlath said, referring to the subscription service. It is a very clear and committed price per month and is hassle-free.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Polestar 1.

Source: Auto Express
What does this have to do with train travel, specifically?

It is by no means certain that they will stamp your passport in the first place, as they tend to use API instead for management of entry and exit dates. In any case, the first issue is whether or not you will have a visa. You MAY be able to visit for up to 6 months if you aren't actually considered to be working in the UK ( ), but if you are you may need a visa.

If you are basically asking how long you need to stay out of the UK to benefit from visa waiver again (assuming that you did in the first place), I believe there is no hard and fast rule: but if you stay for a full 6 months, leave for 1 month and then want to return, I would suggest you apply for a visa, or you could well be refused entry: it would look as though you were trying to live in the UK on a longer-term basis than you originally said you were going for. On the other hand, if you stayed away from the UK for at least 6 months, and were returning for a SHORT visit, probably you would have no problem (if it was for another 6 months, I would suggest a 1-year interval..or visa).
Hello. We are a group of four male adults (aged 56,55,30 and 21 years,, Dad, friend, nephew and son) and we are flying into San Jose Airport on Sunday 31 July from Bocas Del Toro. We land at 14:30hrs. We fly out on Wednesday 01 August departing at 12:30hrs. This is a very short stop off and I wondered if anyone had any ideas of how we can make the most of such a short visit.

We are considering travelling for a couple of hours out from the airport to hopefully experience rainforest environment with associated wildlife (monkeys, toucans etc.,) and staying over for a couple of nights somewhere. Then return to San Jose for the last night before flying out of Costa Rica.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I have been trawling the forums and I am still no closer to deciding. A place where there is the opportunity to see the rainforest and wildlife and have a few quiet beers in the evening would be ideal.

Any towns/villages in the hills that anybody could recommend would be appreciated. Somewhere as a base to visit surrounding area. We have no hard preferences and would welcome any ideas.

Thank you.
Re: How safe & easy is it to do Costa rica without renting a car

2. Re: How safe & easy is it to do Costa rica without renting a car

We traveled by public bus. It was comfortable, safe and cheap. Just go to the bus terminal (or in some cases flag down a bus). You will find a public bus to most places but sometimes not to parks or attractions (in which case we have walked, taken a taxi or hitchhiked). On some legs public buses are easy but on other legs you have to change buses several times.

This schedule helps (it gives a good general idea but is not completely accurate/up to date and not always user friendly):

I like this too:

(scroll down to "what I have learned")

And what really works is asking the locals.Or go to the bus station and ask there.

Our backpacks usually go in the compartment under the bus and we keep a small daypack with anything of value with us on the bus. On shorter legs our backpacks went in the back of the bus or we kept them on our laps.

Most bus drivers do not accept USD.Pay in colones. Bus drivers also don't like large bills.

If you are going to Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre: we really liked rainforest hostel Bolita. You have to walk 30 minutes through the rainforest to get there. Basic lodging but amazing setting and trails. As for Corcovado: do you have the budget for the three day guided trek Los Patos-Sirena-Carate or Carate-Sirena-Carate? We loved it. If it is too expensive consider a guided day hike into Corcovado (for example from Dos Brazos) but you can also see lots of wildlife without entering the park. Go to Cabo Matapalo and maybe Carate as well.
First Landing may be an option for a couple of nights. It is next to Vuda Point Marina. We were there in October and did trips around including Garden of the Sleeping Giant. First Landing is a 3 star resort where we found the accommodation good as was the food, the beach is not good but up to you as you could use this as a base to do main land things.

Blue lagoon Beach Resort may also be another option because of the activities up in the northern Yasawa's or you could stay where you are for another 3 or 4 days you will be surprised at what you can do.

Good Luck
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 88F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 69F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
A Crimean Tatar leader and Ukrainian MP Refat Chubarov urged Crimea residents to boycott the "presidential elections".

Crimean Tatars working in budgetary institutions are being urged to participate in the work of "election commissions" in the forthcoming "Russian presidential elections ", to be held including in the occupied Crimea on March 18.

"They try to recruit Crimean Tatars working in budget institutions, those in any way dependent on the current authorities, to become part of election commissions in the upcoming Russian presidential elections. The thing is that many of our compatriots in Crimea until 2014 very often participated as observers in the elections and know these processes very well. The current government is exploiting this fact," a Crimean Tatar activist and veteran of the national movement Zevdet Kurtumerov told Krym.Realii, an RRE/RL project.

Read alsoEx-U.S. envoy to Russia tells why Crimea annexation must not be recognizedA week ago, pro-Russian Crimean Tatar organizations held a meeting at the Crimean Engineering Pedagogical University, promoting participation in the process of holding elections in the occupied territory.

Among campaigners were the Crimean Tatar Association Krym, Crimean Tatar Art and Ethnography Foundation, Crimean Tatar Youth Committee, and Mr Fevzi Yakubov, who is a president of the Crimean Engineering Pedagogical Institute.

"The authorities acting in Crimea on behalf of Russia are taking strong measures to involve Crimean Tatars in the electoral process. Local clergy headed by Mufti Emirali Ablaev as well as officials working both in the government and parliament are involved. The count on Crimean Tatars will go to the polls," added Kurtumerov.

Read alsoAnother German delegation to visit occupied Crimea As reported earlier, the presidential election will be held on March 18, the fourth anniversary of the illegal annexation of Crimea.

If Vladimir Putin wins the election, this will be his fourth term in office.

Ukraine has not recognized the elections to the State Duma of Russia that were held in Crimea in 2016 and will raise the issue of illegality of Russian elections in the region at the international level - in particular, in PACE, OSCE and NATO.

Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov urged all residents of Crimea to boycott "Russian presidential elections".
The ongoing trial of the fugitive ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych returned to the public discourse an issue of who is actually to blame for the Russian seizure of Crimea.

The defense team are trying to make their point that the peninsula was "abandoned" by the post-Maidan authorities, who were at the time engaged in internal political talks on their future positions in the new government instead of fighting for Crimea.

Those who were at the countrys helm in late February 2014 assure that there was no chance to defend the peninsula as too many factors played into Russia's favor. Against this background, politicians from the opposition camp have intensified their rhetoric, striving to receive political dividends from the Yanukovych trial ahead of the upcoming elections, Yevhenia Horyunova wrote in an op-ed for Krym.Realii, the project of RFE/RL.

The very substitution of concepts ("surrender" instead of "aggression") is extremely beneficial to the Kremlin, allowing Moscow to shift accents and the blame for the occupation of a foreign territory.

This Crimea trump card plays a key role in the Yanukovych defense teams tactics, aiming to convince not so much the court but the Ukrainian people that the post-Maidan authorities failed to take necessary steps to preserve Crimea. "No one tried to talk with the Crimeans, no one tried to resume the dialogue with the representatives of Crimea, no state of emergency was introduced. In fact, all theyve done was distributing posts and making effort to retain power they illegally gained in February 2014," said Vitaly Serdyuk, the lawyer for Viktor Yanukovych.

This point of view is channeled by Yanukovych supporters, and also by the Opposition Bloc MPs Nestor Shufrych and Vadym Novynsky. Although it is easy to see discrepancies in their claims that potential negotiations with Crimean regional authorities were hindered on the part of Ukraine and that this led to the Crimea seizure.

Read alsoEx-SBU chief's testimony: Russian FSB officers visited Ukraine three times amid Maidan protestsObviously, no negotiations between Kyiv and Simferopol after the seizure of administrative buildings by Russias "little green men" could change the situation in Crimea.

The unleashing of hostilities on the peninsula would be extremely beneficial to Putin - this would pave the way to a full-scale war with Ukraine and the restoration of the rule of Mr Yanukovych, who had by then already asked Putin to deploy Russian troops in Ukraine.

At that time, about 40,000 Russian troops and loads of military equipment had already been deployed at the borders with Ukraine. And Putin later recalled that he was ready to employ even nuclear weapons for the sake of Crimea.

Kyiv could not count on military aid from the West after a five-day war in Georgia showed that neither the U.S. nor EU were ready to confront Russia militarily. Therefore, there is no reason not to trust the words of Andriy Deshchytsia (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in 2014) about the collective decision not to start a war with Russia in Crimea. "This was a collegial decision of the Security Council, the UN and Ukraine," he recalls, explaining that such a move allowed Kyiv to hold presidential elections, ensuring legitimization of the new government.

Read alsoAide to ex-envoy of Ukraine to UNSC elaborates on Russias moves to seize CrimeaThe attempt to accuse the leaders of the Maidan of "surrendering Crimea" is a typical political manipulation which the former Yanukovych allies use to try to absolve themselves of responsibility for a protracted and deliberate capitulation to Russia - ratification of Kharkiv Agreements, which extended Russias military presence in Crimea, and allowing free operations of Russian intelligence services (not only in Crimea, but across Ukraine), and generally sabotaging combat readiness of the Ukrainian army.

Central to this manipulation is the substitution of concepts: "aggression" is being replaced by "surrender," shifting the emphasis from Russia's aggressive policy toward the failure of the Ukrainian authorities to preserve the countrys territorial integrity.

As a result, the idea is being imposed upon Ukrainians that it was not Russia that annexed Crimea, it was Ukraine that "surrendered" it.

This method is being used to discredit todays government in Kyiv, at the same time fighting off a growing nostalgia for Ukraine in Crimea itself as its residents are being convinced that the official Kyiv at that time abandoned the peninsula.

Read alsoWitness in Yanukovych case: Ex-chief of General Staff Ilyin in 2014 compelled troops to defectThe Ukrainian authorities allowed a number of political miscalculations in those tragic February days. But this does not give grounds for shifting the blame on them for the occupation of the peninsula. The Russian military medal "For the Return of Crimea" marks the beginning of the annexation - February 20 - when Viktor Yanukovych was still in power in Kyiv.
According to Russias top diplomat, "solid European states are well aware of the dangers of such actions".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia would "draw conclusions" in connection with the U.S. weapons supplies to Ukraine.

"We can not prohibit Americans from supplying anything, but we will certainly draw conclusions, Lavrov said in an interview with the Rossiya-1 TV channel, an UNIAN correspondent in Russia reports.

It is also an objective fact that representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk are looking closely at this, being able to stand up for themselves. I believe this must also be kept in mind," Lavrov said.

Read alsoRussia names own "reasons" why lethal aid for Ukraine greenlighted by TrumpHowever, he argues that Europe "quietly and non-publically objects" the move. "According to our data, in their conversations with the United States they express disagreement in response to Washington's urgent demands that Europe join these supplies.The U.S. is already trying to lure into their endeavors the countries marked by Russophobic tendencies - our Baltic neighbors. They also try to entice Poland," the foreign minister said.

According to Lavrov, "big, solid European states are well aware of the danger of such actions and try to reason with their neighbors, because the Americans, together with Canadians, have already taken up these supplies."

"This is an unfortunate fact," he said.

Read alsoMoscow has no intention of getting out of Donbas  Atlantic CouncilAsked if Russia could recognize "LPR" and "DPR" in response, Lavrov claimed that Russia is a country keeping its word.

"This word, especially when it became a subject of negotiations at and approved by the UN Security Council, we always keep and stick to. Nobody canceled the Minsk agreements. I believe that the one who will take the first step toward scrapping the Minsk agreements will make a colossal mistake. In fact, the Kyiv authorities are only one step away from this mistake, thats if they finally pass the law on reintegration, which they now passed in the second reading. We'll see," said Lavrov.
No casualties are reported in the past day.

Russian-occupation forces continued to shell the strong points of Ukraines Armed Forces on Saturday.

According to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation Headquarters, the enemy intensified the attacks after dark.

In the Luhansk direction, the enemy launched several 82-mm mortar shells, grenades of various types and fired from large-caliber machine guns outside Krymske in the Luhansk direction for several hours in the evening, with small breaks.

Read alsoU.S. General names major challenges facing Ukraine troops in DonbasThe invaders also used mortars of the same caliber, as well as the weapons installed on the infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers and machine guns near Svitlodarsk.

Grenade launchers and small arms were used against the ATO troops near the recently recaptured Novo-oleksandrivka.

In the Donetsk direction, the aggressors fired from 82-mm mortars, infantry fighting vehicles, and heavy machine guns at positions of Ukrainian defenders near Talakivka.

Throughout the past day, eight violations of the ceasefire were recorded.

Ukrainian forces reported no casualties as a result of the enemy attacks.
Seven candidates are vying to become the next head of the beleaguered World Trade Organization -- with two entering the race just before the close of nominations on Wednesday

The Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood on Wednesday said, Information Technology (IT) and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) is one of the top priorities of the government to encourage local and foreign investors in local IT sector

Iraq, which has systematically found it hard to comply with the OPEC+ oil cuts, is unlikely to reach full compliance with the quotas despite some improvements in its conformity levels, the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies said on Wednesday

Records 14251 To 14275 (Total 65197 Records)

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Saudi Press Agency has reported that the 35-year old prince has walked out of King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh with entourage and got into the front passenger seat of a car.

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MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) ::Police arrested 27 alleged criminals and recovered drugs and fireworks from them on Sunday. According to sources, police conducted raids at various places and arrested 13 drug-peddlers.

The teams recovered 68-litre liquor, 42 bottles of imported liquor and 3470-gram hashish from them.

Five gamblers were also arrested. Police also apprehended five proclaimed offenders. Police teams arrested four fireworks sellers. Separate cases were registered. APP/thh/rsd
(@FahadShabbir)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :As many as overall 97.5 per cent work has already been completed on the strategically important 969 MW Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project and its wet testing will be carried out in March.

This was stated by Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project Chief Executive Officer Brig (R) Muhammad Zareen while taking to APP. He said 100 per cent concrete work of the project had already been completed, besides 98 per cent dry test of the equipment.

The CEO said that National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) would hand over 500 kV transmission line shortly after which feedback of switch-yard would be assessed. Muhammad Zareen said water filling (pressurization) of its waterway system, comprising 51.5-kilometer long tunnels, has also been commenced in January.

He said the project was fast heading towards completion and most of the works  critical in nature  had been successfully completed. Construction of the weir (dam) of the project, waterway system, installation of electrical and mechanical equipment including turbines, generators and transformers in the power house and the switch-yard and dry-testing of these equipment had already been completed, he said.

Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project is being constructed on river Neelum in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The project is an engineering marvel with 90 percent of the project being underground in the high mountain areas.

It is worth mentioning that Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project is a component of least-cost energy generation plan, being implemented by WAPDA on priority. It has four generating units, each of them having a capacity of 242.25 MW.

The first unit will start electricity generation in March this year, followed by the second third and fourth units at one month interval respectively. The project will provide about five billion of low-cost and environment-friendly electricity to the national grid every year. Annual benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs 50 billion.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) ::Provincial Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah Khan said on Sunday the PML-N government successfully rooted out terrorism and overcome energy crisis, besides putting the country on road to progress and prosperity.

Therefore, people should vote and support PML-N in next general election for continuation of development process in the country. He was addressing a public gathering during inauguration of construction work of 2.38 km long dual carriage way from Narwala Road Bypass to Aminpur Motorway Interchange.

Addressing the ceremony, the Punjab Law Minister said that a wide network of durable roads had been laid in Punjab so as infrastructure of roads was very important for the socio-economic development.

He said that now Faisalabad had been transformed into developed city by executing a number of mega projects including underpasses, flyovers, express way, dual carriage way, water projects and establishment of public welfare institutions.

He said the CM Punjab had inaugurated development projects of worth Rs 40 billion last year during his visit and he announced various development projects including the dual carriage way of Narwala Bypass to Amin Pur Interchange.

Rana Sanaullah Khan said that due to the project, the linked villages would not only get benefits of communication but also entire Faisalabad would be linked with the Motorway M-4 and traffic pressure on the Sargodha road and expressway would be decreased.

He lamented that opponent political parties created hindrance in the development process through sit-ins, lock-down, protests and other tactics but the PML-N government continued its development journey in spite of various conspiracy.

He highlighted the performance of PML-N government and claimed that load shedding of electricity had been ended and 80% terrorism was rooted out through revolutionary policies of the incumbent government.

He hoped the PML-N government would also win general election 2018 on performance basis and the rest of development projects would be completed in next tenure. He also criticized 'Dharna politics' of Imran Khan and said the present government would complete its constitutional tenure.

MPA Zafar Iqbal Nagra thanked the Law Minister for initiating the mega project of dual carriageway. He said that long standing demand of public had been materialized. Mayor Municipal Corporation informed that approval of the project had been given by CM Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif during his visit.

State Minister for Textile Hajji Muhammad Akram Ansari, parliamentarians Muhammad Nawaz Malik, Hajji Ilyas Ansari, Hajji Khalid Saeed, Zafar Iqbal Nagra, Mian Ajmal Asif, Mayor Faisalabad Municipal Corporation Muhammad Razzaq Malik, Deputy Mayors Ch. Abdul Ghaffor, Sheikh Muhammad Yousaf and large number of PMLN workers were present on the occasion. APP/aar/ia/zhr
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee would meet on Friday (29, Jamad-ul-Awwal,1439, Hijri) (Feb 16) at Pakistan Meteorological Department building, Main University Road, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi for sighting the crescent of Jamadi-ul-Sani 1439 AH.

Chairman of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman will chair the meeting of the cental committee whereas the Zonal/District Ruet-e-Hilal Committees would meet at their respective headquarters on same day, said an official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

Talking to APP, he said the meeting of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) committee would be held at Ministry of Religious Affairs, near General Post Office (GPO) Islamabad. All information about the position of crescent should be conveyed to Chairman, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee in Karachi on Cell No 0300-9285203; 0321-2022000; 0333-5453499; 0333-2697051; 021-99261412 and 021-99261413.

The Chairman Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman will announce the decision of crescent sighting or otherwise subsequently on the basis of information received.
(@FahadShabbir)

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :The district administration has urged the citizens not to allow their children to violate kite flying ban imposed by the provincial government else strict action in accordance with the law would be taken and the ban violators would be sent behind the bars.

A district administration spokesman informed that 12828 kites were recovered during February with 386 kites flying string rolls while 49 accused were sent behind the bars. He said that police have registered 105 cases since Jan first this year while 122 violators were sent behind the bars.

Total 62074 kites and 3105 kite flying string rolls were recovered during the period, he added. He said, on the directive of Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Talat Mahmood Gondal and City Police Officer Rawalpindi Israr Ahmed Khan Abbasi, strict action is being taken against the ban violators.

Now it has been decided that FIRs would also be registered against heads of the families whose children to be found violating the ban or their rooftops to be used for kite flying. The DC has directed the authorities to conduct regular operations against the ban violators and also launch an awareness campaign to acquaint the citizens about risks involved in kite flying.

He informed police recovered over 6000 kites and 100 kite flying string rolls on Friday.

Waris Khan police under the supervision of SHO also conducted a raid and netted a kite seller namely Ahsan who was using Facebook to contact the customers.

The CPO also requested the parents to stop their children from getting involved in such activities as a crackdown against kite flyers had already been started in the city. The CPO has suspended SHO City Khalid Satti as on Friday a young boy namely Miraj Khan resident of Khana Pull was injured near Committee Chowk, Murree Road after his throat was cut by kite flying string.

The spokesman said, no one would be allowed to violate the kite flying ban and action in accordance with the law would be taken against kite sellers and kite flying ban violators. The spokesman informed that special squads have been formed to net the violators while Deputy Superintendents of Police and Station House Officers are also taking part in the operation.

It is pertinent to mention here that the arrangements are being finalized to celebrate Basanat on February 22 and 23. According to sources, over 100,000 kites and thousands of kite flying string rolls including chemical have been stocked up in the stores and on the recommendations of old customers, the kite sellers are supplying kites and string rolls to new customers.
(@rukhshanmir)

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :A man along with gas filling instruments was arrested by the City Line Police on Sunday for illegal gas re-filling. According to a police spokesman, the arrested accused was identified as Farhat Hussain.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :Pakistan and Canada will hold trade dialogue on Monday that is aimed at promoting bilateral trade, between the two countries to its true potential.

According to a message received here, Commerce Minister Pervaiz Malik, who is on the visit to Canada at the invitation of his Canadian counterpart, is scheduled to meet with Minister of International Trade Francois-Philippe Champagne to discuss all trade related issues.

The current volume of bilateral trade has increased by 133% during the last three years from C$ 732 million in 2013 to C$ 1.

8 billion during the last year. Both sides recognize that there exists a huge potential for enhancing the existing bilateral trade.

Besides meetings with Canadian Minister of Agriculture, Lawrence MacAulay and Minister for Immigration Ahmed Hussen, at Ottawa, the commerce minister is also expected to meet with the Canadian investors and businessmen at Montreal and Ontario Chamber of Commerce at Toronto. He will also interact with the Canadian media.
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique Sunday said the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government had utilised all available resources for betterment of the country.

Addressing a public gathering after laying foundation stone of a bridge in Cantonment area here, he said the PML-N had fulfilled all the promises it had made during the 2013 election campaign. He said elimination of terrorism was one of the promises, which was fulfilled as peace had been restored in Karachi, Balochistan and other parts of the country.

"Now terrorists hardly succeed in their attempts to destroy peace in any part of the country," he added. The minister said terrorism eradication became possible with unflinching political support across the country.

Another promise, he said, was about ending load-shedding, which had been reduced to a great extent despite numerous hurdles created by the opponents. Saad said when the PML-N took over the government, queues at CNG (compressed natural gas) stations had become a routine because of gas load management, but now the situation was far better.

He said all the elected prime ministers in the past had to suffer, but dictators were set free. Despite working for the national development, politicians were portrayed in negative sense, he added.

"The PCO law was a black law, which was imposed by a dictator," he added. He said it was the high time to decide that the country should be run through vote. The minister said the Pakistan Railways had become a dump house when he took over its charge.

But now it was earning Rs40 billion against Rs18 billion in the 2013, he added. "If the Railways can be operated successfully, the country can also be run," he said.

Saad Rafique said non-professional journalists should also be held accountable for telling "lies".

He expressed the hope that the people would vote for Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N in the general election 2018 as the PML-N government had completed several development projects across the country without any discrimination.

He said neither the PML-N want any confrontation nor to weaken any institution in the country. The minister said institutions had a greater role to play in the national development. The government, he said, was working to improve the infrastructure in the country and it should be given a chance constitutionally.

He said it was need of the hour to respect the point of view of one another and all should work within their constitutional parameters. He said the PML-N would work for the nation by raising the flags of Pakistan and party.

He said Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had been nominated as party's candidate for the prime minister's slot and he would make other provinces a model like Punjab after winning the next elections.

He asked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership to avoid abusive langauge as such politics had always failed. He claimed that a conspiracy had been hatched against the PML-N.

"Several allegations have been leveled against it and its leadership," he added. He asked PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari as to what change he had brought in Sindh and questioned Imran Khan as to how many universities, hospitals and roads he had constructed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier, he expressed grief over the death of renowned lawyer Asma Jahangir and payed her tributes over her services for democracy. APP/msh/rsd
(@rukhshanmir)

Advisor to the Prime Minister Engineer Amir Muqam Khan Saturday said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government had failed to provide good governance to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and PTI chief had a lot of contradictions between his words and actions

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Feb, 2018 ) :Advisor to the Prime Minister Engineer Amir Muqam Khan Saturday said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government had failed to provide good governance to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and PTI chief had a lot of contradictions between his words and actions.

Talking to a private news channel, he said Imran Khan had double standards regarding accountability and failed to hold accountable any person in the province. He said Imran Khan was claiming to introduced fast and merciless accountability in the province but he locked the office of accountability bureau in Khyber Paktunkhawa where his party was enjoying full powers.

People of the province were badly disappointed from PTI and its leadership's way of politics, he added.

Amir Muqam said Imran Khan was speaking lie that his party government had completed billion trees project in the province.

He said education sector was on decline, but the PTI leadership was claiming that it had brought mega improvement in education. The advisor said cousin of Imran Khan was running the health policy of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa through Skype and said mega corruption would surface in future in Metro Bus and billion tree projects.

PTI had introduced only politics of sit-ins and protest demonstrations on roads and nothing else, he said. He said people would cast their vote on the basis of performance and would decide in general elections 2018 that who would rule the country.
(@FahadShabbir)

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :Rawalpindi Cantonment board (RCB) will auction its 38 under construction shops on February 12. Talking to APP, RCB spokesman, Qaiser Mahmood said, the Board has finalized all the arrangements to auction its 38 shops being constructed in Westridge area on old Rex Cinema site.

He said, the shops are being offered on non-returnable premium/rent basis and help generate considerable revenue. He said, the details of the shops, location and plaza can be checked on the Boards website.

To a question the spokesman informed that RCB has purchased 10 mini-dumpers at a cost of Rs9.795 million to improve its sanitation services particularly in congested areas. He said 56 big and small vehicles were being used earlier to shift garbage and solid waste from cantt areas while over 600 trash trolleys were also placed in different areas.

He informed that RCB has completed annual dredging, de-silting work of Nullahs. The cleanup work of Nullahs which was started last month at a cost of Rs2.8 million has been completed. He said excavators were used to properly clear the Nullahs.

The focused areas were Peshawar Road lanes, Chak Madad Khan, Habib Khan, Addra, Azizabad, Faisal Colony and other areas. He urged the residents not to throw garbage and solid waste in nullahs which create obstacles in flow of water particularly during heavy rains and cause flash flood.

Qaiser Mahmood said, RCB has purchased a new excavator at a cost of Rs 12.50 million which would be used for cleaning Nullahs. The excavator would help save huge amount being spent annually to pay rent to complete dredging, de-silting work of Nullahs.
Federal Interior Minister Mr. Ahsan Iqbal called on the Deputy Secretary of State Mr. John Sullivan at the Department of State and discussed with him bilateral relations and regional issues.

WASHINGTON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Feb, 2018) : Federal Interior Minister Mr. Ahsan Iqbal called on the Deputy Secretary of State Mr. John Sullivan at the Department of State and discussed with him bilateral relations and regional issues. Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Iqbal highlighted to his US interlocutor the efforts and achievements of Pakistan in defeating terrorism and extremism in the country.

He informed the US side that Pakistan's efforts in this regard were guided by its own National Action Plan (NAP), a coherent and comprehensive strategy based on nation's vision for a peaceful and prosperous Pakistan. "The government is committed to continue to make efforts to handover a peaceful and tolerant Pakistan to the next generations", remarked the Minister.

We have achieved internal peace at a huge cost in blood and resources, added the Minister.

The Minister also informed the Deputy Secretary about the economic revival in the country which was a result of the internal peace in the country and government's sustained policy of economic development of Pakistan. Ahsan Iqbal underscored the need for Pakistan and US to evolve a joint framework for peace in the region based on legitimate mutual security concerns of the two countries in the region.

Peace and stability of Afghanistan is vital for Pakistan's progress and development while some regional elements see instability in Afghanistan as a pressure on Pakistan's security apparatus and act as spoilers in efforts for restoration of peace. Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan agreed that cooperation between Pakistan and the United States was key to peace and stability in the region.
(@rukhshanmir)

Aden, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :A drone strike killed six suspected Al-Qaeda militants on Sunday in central Yemen, a security official said. The US military is the only force known to operate armed drones over Yemen.

The official said the strike happened after sundown and targeted a vehicle in Bayda province. "An unmanned drone -- likely American -- bombed the group's vehicle in the area of Qayfa, where Al-Qaeda is active," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Al-Qaeda's global network remains "remarkably resilient," posing more of a threat in some regions than the Islamic State group, UN sanctions monitors said in a report seen by AFP on Wednesday.

The report sent to the Security Council said that the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) served as a communications hub for the UN-designated terror group as a whole.

A long-running American drone war against AQAP has intensified since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. The extremist group has flourished in the chaos of Yemen's civil war, which the UN has called the world's biggest humanitarian disaster.
Baghdad, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :Iraq has asked British energy giant BP to draft a study on boosting production in the oil fields of northern Kirkuk province, Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaybi said Sunday.

Luaybi told AFP he hoped to discuss the proposal with BP's head, who is due to visit Kirkuk in the coming days. "I suggested they study my proposal and I am waiting for their reply," Luaybi said.

In 2014, the oil ministry and BP signed a consultancy deal under which the oil titan would study reserves in the Baba Gurgur and Havana fields and ways of developing them. But Baghdad lost the Kirkuk fields to Kurdish forces that year during a sweeping offensive by the Islamic State group, and the deal was never implemented.

"Because of IS, it was frozen," Luaybi said. Iraq signed a new memorandum with BP in January after the Federal government took back control of the area. Baba Gurgur, discovered in 1927, is Iraq's oldest oil field.

Central government forces reseized it from the Kurds in October along with the fields of Havana, Bai Hassan, Jambu and Khabbaz. The five fields have a total output of around 470,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) but production and export have been slow as the main pipeline linking Kirkuk to the Ceyhan oil terminal in Turkey was damaged and needs repairs.

A sixth oil field, Khurmala, remains in Kurdish hands, but Luaybi insisted it belongs to Iraq's state-owned North Oil Company. "Khurmala belongs to NOC and was discovered more than 30 years ago," he said.

"We started developing it in 1995. NOC and the oil ministry have finished drilling 36 wells there." Luaybi said the Iraqi oil ministry had launched a $37 million programme in 2004 to develop Khurmala.

The ministry of resources in the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq seized Khurmala in 2008-2009, Luaybi said. "But it's a field that belongs to the oil ministry of the federal government," Luaybi said.

Iraq is the second largest producer in the OPEC cartel after Saudi Arabia. It reported its oil exports at 109.6 million barrels a day in December, the same month that the government announced victory over IS. Iraq in 2017 earned around $6.5 billion (5.3 billion Euros) from crude sales, at $59.3 per barrel.
Baghdad, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :Iraq has asked British energy giant BP to draft a study on boosting production in all the oilfields of northern Kirkuk province, Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaybi said Sunday.

Luaybi told AFP he hoped to discuss the proposal with BP's head, who is due to visit Kirkuk in the coming days. "I suggested they study my proposal and I am waiting for their reply," Luaybi said.

In 2014, the oil ministry and BP signed a consultancy deal under which the oil titan would study reserves in the Baba Gurgur and Havana fields and ways of developing them. But Baghdad lost the Kirkuk fields to Kurdish forces that year during a sweeping offensive by the Islamic State group, and the deal was never implemented.

"Because of IS, it was frozen," Luaybi said. Iraq signed a new memorandum with BP in January after the Federal government took back control of the area. Baba Gurgur, discovered in 1927, is Iraq's oldest oilfield.

Central government forces reseized it from the Kurds in October along with the fields of Havana, Bai Hassan, Jambu and Khabbaz. The five fields have a total output of around 470,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) but production and export have been slow as the main pipeline linking Kirkuk to the Ceyhan oil terminal in Turkey was damaged and needs repairs.

A sixth oilfield, Khurmala, remains in Kurdish hands, but Luaybi insisted it belongs to Iraq's state-owned North Oil Company. "Khurmala belongs to NOC and was discovered more than 30 years ago," he said.

"We started developing it in 1995. NOC and the oil ministry have finished drilling 36 wells there." Luaybi said the Iraqi oil ministry had launched a $37 million programme in 2004 to develop Khurmala.

The ministry of resources in the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq seized Khurmala in 2008-2009, Luaybi said. "But it's a field that belongs to the oil ministry of the federal government," Luaybi said.

Iraq is the second largest producer in the OPEC cartel after Saudi Arabia. It reported its oil exports at 109.6 million barrels in December last year, the same month that the government announced victory over IS. Iraq in December 2017 earned around $6.5 billion (5.3 billion Euros) from crude sales, at $59.3 per barrel.
(@FahadShabbir)

United Nations, United States, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :They often go by the description of jack of all trades and have a reputation for being thick-skinned, perseverant, experienced and willing to take on a mission impossible.

The men and women who take on the job of UN special envoy to the world's trouble spots seem to be drawn to the challenge of confronting horrors in places like Syria, Libya or the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The United Nations has about 20 special envoys, some of whom take on short-term missions, others who plod on for decades. "It's a tough job and a bit of a dog's life," said a diplomat. "They get upbraided by one side and then the other, they are the focus of any frustration." Some missions may not be dangerous, such as reuniting Cyprus, finding a name for Macedonia that will satisfy Greece or resolving decades of disagreement over the status of Western Sahara, but these can be just as intractable.

"They have to show so much humility and patience and know when to jump at an opportunity to create conditions for dialogue," the diplomat said. "It's like being a master chess player and asking others to move the pieces on the board." A UN official, who also asked not to be named, said the envoys are "civil servants -- with convictions and a healthy ego." For most UN envoys, the job is seen as "a big privilege," he said.

- Keeping a lid - Success for a peace envoy hinges not just on diplomatic acumen, but also on the willingness of the parties involved and, in some instances crucially, on the support of the big powers at the UN Security Council.

In Colombia, these conditions are all met and UN work to support the peace deal with the FARC rebels is often singled out as an example of a peace mission that is working. Italian-Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura, the third UN envoy to take on the Syria file, has been walking a tightrope between Russia and Western countries who are sharply at odds over a peace settlement.

But success for an envoy is not just about ending violence. Containing a crisis or "keeping a lid" can also be considered a diplomatic achievement. The UN's top envoys appointed for Libya, Syria or Yemen earn about $12,000 per month, but in exchange they agree to put their personal lives on hold, travel almost constantly and report to UN headquarters on their advances and setbacks.

Candidates to the posts must obtain approval from the five permanent council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and the parties themselves. Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who is stepping down as Yemen envoy at the end of the month, fell out with Huthi rebels, which contributed to the failure of his mediation efforts.

Many envoys have thrown in the towel. "My dream is to be the last special envoy for Libya," said Ghassan Salame in an interview with AFP late last year. "I don't want my role to drag on."
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The Venezuelan government has sharply condemned the suggestion by US Senator Marco Rubio that "the world would support" an armed coup to remove President Nicolas Maduro, whom the American lawmaker denounced as a "dictator."

Caracas, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2018 ) :The Venezuelan government has sharply condemned the suggestion by US Senator Marco Rubio that "the world would support" an armed coup to remove President Nicolas Maduro, whom the American lawmaker denounced as a "dictator." The Venezuelan armed forces are "committed to the constitution" and will defend the presidential elections set for April 22, said Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza.

Arreaza suggested that Washington wanted to replace Maduro with a right-wing dictator like those who ruled regional countries with an iron fist in years past, someone like Augusto Pinochet of Chile.

"But these are different times," Arreaza, who recently toured Caribbean countries, told the Telesur network on Friday. Rubio tweeted on Friday that "the world would support the Armed Forces in #Venezuela if they decide to protect the people & restore democracy by removing a dictator." He added that "soldiers eat out of garbage cans & their families go hungry in #Venezuela while Maduro & friends live like kings & block humanitarian aid.

" And he quoted the country's national hero, the "Liberator" Simon Bolivar, as saying, "When tyranny becomes law, rebellion is a right." Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, chairs a Senate subcommittee dealing with democracy and human rights in the Western Hemisphere.

US President Donald Trump said last year he would not "rule out a military option" in Venezuela amid the deepening unrest there. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino called Trump's remark an "act of craziness." Maduro is seeking re-election to a second six-year term.

With the opposition coalition barred from fielding a candidate and several top Maduro critics banned, opponents of the deeply unpopular leftist president accuse him of rigging the April vote. Presidential elections were not due until December.

But the Constituent Assembly, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, moved the date forward. The country is suffering dire food and medicine shortages brought on by low oil prices and economic mismanagement. It is teetering on the brink of default and is increasingly isolated internationally.
The association between aryl hydrocarbon receptor gene (AhR) polymorphism and male infertility risk remains conflicting. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the AhR Arg554Lys polymorphism in relation to the susceptibility to male infertility.

Studies concerning the association between AHR polymorphism and male infertility were searched and related information were extracted from the included studies. The STATA 12.0 software was used to perform a meta-analysis. Pooled odd ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the association.

Six case-control studies with 1234 cases and 1755 controls were included after literature research and data collection. Overall, the results indicated there was no association between the AhR Arg554Lys polymorphism and male infertility risk (G versus A, OR (95%CI) = 0.958 (0.710-1.291); GG vs AA, OR (95%CI) = 0.874 (0.702-1.088); GA versus AA, OR (95%CI) = 0.911(0.477-1.740); GG + GA vs AA, OR (95%CI) = 0.891 (0.468-1.696); GG versus GA + AA, OR (95%CI) = 1.049(0.896-1.229)). Subgroup analysis by study population revealed there was no association between AhR Arg554Lys polymorphism and susceptibility to male infertility in Asian population (G versus A, OR (95%CI) = 1.099 (0.940-1.286); GG vs AA, OR (95%CI) = 0.982 (0.781-1.235); GA versus AA, OR (95%CI) = 1.220 (0.726-2.052); GG + GA vs AA, OR (95%CI) = 1.221 (0.740-1.982); GG versus GA + AA, OR (95%CI) = 1.087 (0.919-1.286)).

The association between AHR Arg55Lys polymorphism and male infertility risk was not confirmed in our meta-analysis. However, the results should be interpreted with caution and further studies are required.

European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology. 2018 Jan 31 [Epub ahead of print]

Yong Wei, Zheng Zhang, Guotao Chen, Leilei Zhu, Hesong Jiang, Baibing Yang, Yun Chen, Yutian Dai, Quanbing Chen

Department of Urology, Nanjing Gaochun People's Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China., Department of Andrology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China., Department of Andrology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Nanjing Gaochun People's Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: .

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29427904
ISLAMABAD - Officials in Afghanistan say four operatives of the national intelligence agency have gunned down their 16 colleagues before fleeing to join the Taliban insurgency in the southern Helmand province.

The rare overnight insider attack took place at a facility linked to the National Directorate of Security or NDS in the Gerishk district, security sources told VOA Sunday.

Omar Zawak, the provincial government spokesman, confirmed the incident saying the Taliban also assaulted the NDS Center while the insider attack was under way, sparking fierce clashes with Afghan security guards.

Zawak said both sides suffered heavy casualties but would not give further details.

Map showing Helmand province, Afghanistan Map showing Helmand province, Afghanistan Map showing Helmand province, Afghanistan

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out by three infiltrators who seized all weapons and equipment at the facility.

The slain Afghan personnel belonged to the Songaryan unit working for NDS in Helmand. The unit is named after a popular a Turkish television soap opera and has been playing a key role in gathering intelligence for NDS on the Taliban in volatile districts of Helmand.

Taliban sympathizers or infiltrators in Afghan army and police forces routinely carry out insider attacks, but such incidents are extremely rare at NDS-related installations in Afghanistan.

The insurgency controls or contests most of the 14 districts in Helmand, the largest Afghan province and one of the worlds major poppy producing regions.

The illegal narcotics trade funds 65 percent of insurgent activities, and the U.S. military has recently unleashed a new air campaign to destroy drug labs in a bid to disrupt Taliban financial resources in Helmand, which borders Pakistan.
PHNOM PENH - The killing of three conservationists patrolling Cambodia's biggest carbon credit project exposes the nearly insurmountable conflicts of interest plaguing schemes in which huge corporations such as Disney and Virgin Atlantic have invested millions of dollars, observers say.

Military Police Officer Sek Wathana, Environment Ministry Ranger Teurn Soknai and Wildlife Conservation Society staffer Thol Khna were shot dead Jan. 30 in O'Raing district while patrolling in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary.

Border Police Chief Phal Penh confessed to the shooting. He and his partner, Military Police Officer Keut Veha, have been charged with premeditated murder, while another military police officer, Keut Veta, has been charged as an accomplice.

Penh has alleged in a videotaped confession that the victims tried to solicit bribes to keep quiet about illegal logging they had witnessed, although court and Ministry of Environment officials say they do not believe him.

The 292,690-hectare Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, in Cambodia's northeast, is protected under the purview of the ministry and is supposed to be the example of Cambodian carbon credit plans.

In a major coup in 2016, the Wildlife Conservation Society, or WCS, helped negotiate the sale of $2.6 million worth of carbon credits in the protected area to The Walt Disney Corp. through an initiative known as REDD+, which stands for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

Critics' questions

REDD+ is designed to enable polluting corporations to offset their emissions by paying developing countries to protect forests, which store significant amounts of carbon dioxide. The process is supposed to stop much of this carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere by slowing deforestation, although critics of the scheme have long raised questions about how this is measured and enforced, or whether it amounts to a reduction at all.

In its role in the Keo Seima REDD+ project, WCS must negotiate a precarious balance among competing interests to try to guarantee those credits in an area where cross-border illegal logging is a well-documented trade linked to powerful local officials.

WCS Country Director Ken Serey Rotha said his organization could not negotiate those interests alone.

"You get all the ingredients, and it's a matter of what kind of lunch you want to cook," he said. "We are here to help government to protect and conserve natural resources, forestry and wildlife. ... Basically, the ball is in the hand of government."

FILE - Cambodian villagers are pictured next to pi FILE - Cambodian villagers are pictured next to piles of timber in Koh Kong province, 300 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh, in May 2012. The Cambodian government has long been battling the problem of illegal logging. Villagers in some areas have sought to take forest protection into their own hands. FILE - Cambodian villagers are pictured next to piles of timber in Koh Kong province, 300 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh, in May 2012. The Cambodian government has long been battling the problem of illegal logging. Villagers in some areas have sought to take forest protection into their own hands.

Rotha refused to discuss the implications of the killings on the carbon credit program, while Disney has not responded to VOA requests for comment.

In January, Virgin Atlantic announced it was pulling out of Cambodia's first REDD+ project in Oddar Meanchey province following the release of a damning report on the project by the nongovernmental organization FERN, which showed ongoing and rampant illegal logging linked to military syndicates.

A 2016 study by Sango Mahanty and Sarah Milne, lecturers at Australian National University, examined how a juggernaut of powerful interests, including military and border police, have logged and cleared areas of the Seima Protected Forest since 2005.

Little restraint on powerful actors

Describing Keo Seima as a "frontier borderland" where carbon conservation efforts looked "rather quaint in the face of Seima's deforestation problem," the authors concluded that powerful actors "pursue their interests almost unhindered."

Milne is a lecturer in the Resources, Environment and Development Group at Australian National University's Crawford School of Public Policy. She said it was "incredibly hard" to make sure carbon credits didn't "evaporate" under such conditions.

Evidence of violence in REDD+ project areas should be a signal to Disney and any buyer of carbon credits about what is actually packed inside those credits, Milne said.

"It's an ephemeral and risky kind of commodity, so that's a warning to Disney, and that's a warning to all buyers," she said.

Conservationists like Milne see the voluntary Oddar Meanchey and Keo Seima projects as test sites for a national framework for selling compulsory carbon credits that the United Nations and its partners aim to have up and running by 2020.

U.N. Development Program Country Director Nick Beresford told VOA his organization and the national framework project "have no relationship with either the Oddar Meanchey project or the Keo Seima voluntary forest carbon projects."

"We therefore, do not monitor its implementation nor evaluate its results," he wrote in an emailed response.

Vietnam's Department of Customs data just compiled and released by deforestation nonprofit monitor group Forest Trends show that, despite a government ban on exports of timber to Vietnam in 2016, the number of Cambodian logs imported by its eastern neighbor from border areas like Keo Seima increased by close to 20 percent in 2017.

Chea Sam Ang, general director of natural resources preservation at the Ministry of Environment, declined to speak about the carbon credit project.

Environment Minister Say Samal reportedly held up the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary as an example of Cambodia's success in combating illegal logging at a business luncheon in January, according to The Phnom Penh Post.
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British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says the United Nations must supervise the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar because many are scared to come home on their own.



Johnson spoke to reporters Sunday after his meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, de facto leader of the country formerly known as Burma



"I saw real apprehension both in camps in Bangladesh and amongst the remaining villagers," Johnson said. "The Burmese authorities need to work very hard with international agencies to overcome the real alarm that people feel about coming back to Burma."



A military crackdown on Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority sent hundreds of thousands fleeing to refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh. Those who stayed behind in their destroyed villages still fear for their lives.



Along with the refugee camps, Johnson toured some of those villages attacked by Burmese forces.



"I've seen nothing like it in my life. Hundreds and hundreds of villages torched. It's absolutely clear that what is needed now is...some calm leadership working with the U.N. agencies to get these people back home."



Myanmar's Nobel Peace Prize winning leader Aung San Suu Kyi has a shaky power-sharing agreement with the powerful Burmese military. She and her image as a woman of democracy and peace have come under global criticism for her reluctance to speak out against the tough crackdown on the Rohingya.



Rohingya Muslims say they are a long-persecuted minority in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and are denied many basic rights and educational and job opportunities.



The latest action by the Burmese military and others came after Rohingya rebels attacked police stations and army posts last August.



U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has accused Myanmar authorities of "ethnic cleansing"  a charge they strongly deny even as they refuse to allow U.N. investigators into the affected region.
YAOUNDE - Cameroon President Paul Biya has addressed his countrymen, saying tensions in the English-speaking regions that began more than a year ago have abated. Biya also congratulated his military for successfully curbing Boko Haram atrocities.



Cameroon President Paul Biya, in a nationwide message, thanked the country's youth, saying they have been instrumental in bringing peace and order along the northern border with Nigeria, where Boko Haram has been active, and in the English speaking northwest and southwest regions where complaints by teachers and lawyers about the overbearing influence of the French language degenerated into separatists calls for independence that resulted in armed conflicts with the Cameroon military.



"The situation in the southwest and the northwest is stabilizing. Indeed, the characteristic resilience of the Cameroonian people deserves to be hailed once again. Allow me once again to underscore the heroism of our defense and security forces, mostly young people," he said.



In his speech, Biya urged Cameroon's to youth prepare for the decades ahead, when they will be leaders. He said they need to be up for the task and acquire the necessary skills and experience.



Biya acknowledged that economic growth had slowed due to outside factors, but said he would forge ahead in various sectors of development. He said 2018 will mark the completion of his major road and hydro power development projects.



Cabral Libii, a 38-year-old Cameroonian who has announced his intention to run for president and challenge Biya this year, said he had expected Biya to call for reconciliation to solve the long-standing problems his country has been facing but feels that Biya instead gave an impression all was well and launched his campaign for this year's presidential election.

Libii said Cameroonian youth only have residual roles to play in Cameroon politics and at the same time they face rising unemployment, a questionable education system, and an underperforming health care system. He said a majority of young people are in despair and suffocating under Biya's regime, which does not want to leave power. Libii said the youth should be ready to sacrifice to stop Biya's long hold on power.



Cameroon has been enveloped by the Boko Haram insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives on its northern border with Nigeria, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and pushed 80,000 Nigerian refugees into its territory.



The central African state also is affected by the crisis in neighboring Central African Republic, with regular attacks and kidnappings for ransom in its territory. And, recently, the crisis in the English-speaking regions of the country have led to hundreds of people, including 23 policemen and soldiers, being killed.



In spite of the continuing threats from Boko Haram and the English speaking separatists which opposition political parties say may hamper the organization of elections, the 85-year-old president, who has served for 35 years, insisted that elections will be held this year since peace is returning. Biya has said party supporters have urged him to run again.



"2018 will be an important election year and all youths aged 20 years and above should be able to  or rather should  exercise their right to vote because by voting, they will be performing an act of responsible citizenship and, thus, participating in forging their destiny," said Biya.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The United Nations migration agency reports that thousands of Ethiopian migrants continue to make the perilous journey to war-torn Yemen in search of better economic opportunities despite the dangerous security conditions.



Despite the ongoing war and general insecurity in Yemen, the country remains a major transit point for thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa.



Desperately poor migrants risk their lives to cross the Mandab Strait and reach Yemen, from where they move on to the Gulf countries in hopes of finding work.



The International Organization for Migration reports more than 87,000 migrants, most of them Africans, arrived in Yemen last year.These journeys were facilitated by smuggling networks.



IOM spokesman Joel Millman said this human trafficking continues to flourish.



He said four boats, carrying 602 migrants, mainly men and women from Ethiopia, arrived off the coast of Yemen Friday. He said three boats reportedly arrived with all their passengers on board. Millman said that was not the case for the fourth vessel, which initially had 117 people on board.



"Only 95 arrived. We understand that passengers on the boat had been dropped into deep water and forced to swim to shore. No bodies have been recovered, but 22 remain unaccounted forOur staff says it is extremely unusual to have four boats with this number of migrants arriving at the same time, at the same location," he said.



Most of the Ethiopians head to Yemen from Djibouti. Millman told VOA that IOM staff there try to inform the migrants of the dangers that lie ahead, including the strong currents in the strait. Unfortunately, he said most people do not pay attention to these warnings.



Of the more than 100 migrants who arrive in Djibouti every day, he said only about 10 agree to go home and not make the dangerous sea crossing to Yemen.
Egypts military said Sunday it has killed 16 militants and arrested more than 30 suspects in a major counterterrorism operation that was launched last week, targeting terrorist and criminal elements and organizations across the country.

Reuters reports Army spokesman Colonel Tamer el-Rifaal said Sunday that vehicles, weapons caches, communications centers and illegal opium fields were targeted in the sweep.

The army said Friday in a televised statement announcing the operation that both the army and police were involved in the comprehensive confrontation.

The security operation was focused on the restive Sinai region where last year militants attacked a Sufi mosque killing 311 worshippers.
WASHINGTON - The first round of three-day talks between Ethiopian officials and representatives from the Ethiopian rebel group of ethnic Somalis, Ogden National Liberation Front (ONLF), began Sunday at a secret location in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

Delegates from the two sides arrived Saturday for the talks that are being facilitated by Kenyan officials.



Abdulkadir Hassan Hirmoge, a spokesman for the ONLF, confirmed to VOA Somali that the talks have begun.



Hirmoge said each side has sent a delegation of four members. The ONLF delegation is led by Foreign Secretary Abdirahman Mahdi. It is unclear who is leading the Ethiopian delegation, but photos released by the Kenyan facilitators show the president of the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia, Abdi Mohamud Omar, sitting on the opposite side of the table, along with other officials.



A source close to the talks told VOA Somali that "Day One of the talks covered considerable ground and ended on a high note."



Hirmoge cautioned that it was too soon to say how the talks might end because "there are big issues at stake."



"We can't talk prematurely, but these talks are about principles, on compensation, on self-determination, on freedom, referendum, on the economy and centuries-old aggression," he said.



ONLF and the Ethiopian government fell out in 1994 after a dispute over self-determination. The dispute drove ONLF to war and turned the ethnic Somali state, rich with gas and oil, into a deadly battleground that claimed many lives.



In April 2007, ONLF rebels attacked an oil field in an Obolleh village near the regional capital of Jigjiga, killing 67 Ethiopian soldiers and nine Chinese oil workers. In response, Ethiopia heavily militarized the region and carried out a brutal operation, according to human rights organizations.



Previous failures



Talks were held in 2012 and 2013 in Kenya without concessions from either side.



Rashid Abdi, Horn of Africa project director for the International Crisis Group, said there were a number of issues that made the previous talks difficult.



"They (talks) have been characterized by a lot of mutual suspicion and a lack of confidence. But I think there was also the death of (former Ethiopian prime minister) Meles Zenawi, and the transition had an impact on how the talks should proceed," he said.



"I think clearly all parties seemed to lack a bit of focus. On the part of the ONLF, I think they came to the table without having a clear vision on how they wanted to proceed, while the Ethiopians were basically seeking very minimal tactical advantages."



Even with the talks having resumed, Abdi said it won't be easy for the two sides to reach an agreement without significant compromises. The main sticking points are the Ethiopian constitution and referendum.



"Ethiopians want ONLF to concede on the issue of the constitution," Abdi said. "ONLF previously said they were not going to recognize the federal constitution, and that was one of the sticking points. So, I suspect this issue will not be quickly resolved.



"Then there is the issue of what exactly ONLF wants? Does it want greater autonomy in the Somali region? Does it simply want power sharing, so that it can be part of the federal system? Does it want to monopolize power in the region? Does it want full independence? Those are the key issues."



History of unrest



Ethiopia has seen political upheavals since 2016 following waves of protests in the Oromo region. There was also deadly ethnic violence in 2017 between Ethiopian Somalis in Oromo, which claimed dozens of lives and displaced tens of thousands of people.



ONLF's Hirmoge said conditions on the ground in Ethiopia have something to do with the resumption of these talks.



"Now, we believe there have been big changes in Ethiopia. The conditions are changing. People cannot be silenced now. The talks coincide at a time when things are changing in Ethiopia on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These have their own ripple effects," Hirmoge says.



"I believe the conditions around the talks are better," he added. "The prediction is different compared to previous ones (talks), but I don't want to prejudge the result." .



Abdi agrees that the timing of the talks is interesting and could work in favor of the stressed Ethiopian government.



"It comes at a time when Ethiopia feels under pressure from many multiple forms," he said. "It has serious unrest, so they desperately need a good story. So, the resumption of the peace talks plays well internationally. Ethiopia can say 'We are engaging the opposition.' It's good publicity, but one has to also consider whether there is really a strategic shift and interest to find a peaceful settlement, or are we simply back to the old games of simply playing tactical games?"



VOA Somali could not reach Ethiopian officials for comment.




BRUSSELS - EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is dismissing criticism of the newly released European Commission enlargement strategy for the Western Balkans.

Unveiled Tuesday, the strategy document says aspiring member nations Serbia and Montenegro in particular could become full members by 2025, assuming they successfully implement all required reforms and commit to fundamental values of the European bloc.

As widely reported, the document is a product of Brussels' redoubled efforts to exercise power in a region under growing influence from Moscow and Beijing, as one of its own member nations, Britain, pulls away.

"Although Europe has identified the [Balkan] regions problems with great clarity, the proposed responses lack teeth," wrote Dr. Florian Bieber, director of the Austria-based Centre for Southeast European Studies, in Foreign Affairs.

Calling a "renewed rivalry between Russia and the EU and the United States... intertwined with rising authoritarianism in the Balkans," Bieber suggests the EU's "updated and considerably more robust strategy" for a region teetering on democratic decline may lack adequate direction for states where corruption is endemic. Worse, he says, the document's benchmarks for measuring EU standards aren't clear.

Asked whether the European Commission is risking credibility by touting a seven-year timeline for Serbia and Montenegro  both of which continue to grapple with issues such as vote buying  Mogherini said the enlargement plan guidelines trump its hypothetical timeframes.

"The date of 2025 is a realistic perspective, and we understand that there is a value in having an idea of what could be the [timing] if things go" according to plan, she told VOA's Bosnian Service, largely echoing comments made by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Tuesday.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivers a speech during a debate on the Future of Europe at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Feb. 6, 2018. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivers a speech during a debate on the Future of Europe at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Feb. 6, 2018.

"It's a perspective  not a target, not a deadline, not a set date, but a realistic perspective for concluding negotiations for the countries that are currently negotiating," she added, calling similar timelines credible even for Balkan nations just starting the negotiations process.

Mogherini also called the new strategy document a milestone for an institution that "has had difficulty in even speaking about enlargement, and even speaking about the Western Balkans from time to time."

"The future of the European Union will be with more members than 27 after Brexit, and we want the Western Balkans to be these new members," she said. "There is no other player in the world that can offer to the people of the region  and to the people of Bosnia in particular  as much as the European Union can offer in terms of job creation, in terms of rights and freedoms, in terms of living in a normal country and having European standards. I know very well this is what the people of the region want.

"If [Balkan leaders] focus on what their people ask and expect and want more than [focusing] on divisions," it is possible, she said. "Be courageous. Make compromise. Think only on the interest of your citizens, and you will get there."

This story originated in VOA's Bosnian Service.
Just days after the European Union laid out a membership roadmap for six Balkan states, Macedonia appears to be on the cusp of resolving the 27-year-old diplomatic impasse with neighboring Greece, but some experts fear fringe voices on both sides of the border could undermine a rare breakthrough in negotiations.

Greece and Macedonia have been feuding over who gets to use the name since Macedonias independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Many Greeks say allowing the neighboring country to use the name insults Greek history and implies a claim on the Greek territory also known as Macedonia  a key province in Alexander the Greats ancient empire.

WATCH: Macedonia Proposes Geographical Name Change to End 25-Year Dispute with Greece

As a result, Greece has blocked Macedonian efforts to join the EU and NATO. Despite recognition by 137 countries, Macedonia is officially known at the U.N. as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM.

Davos pledge

Following a pledge at the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos to rapidly resolve the dispute, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Tuesday said his country is ready to add a geographical qualifier to its name and officially rechristen the main airport and a key highway, which had both been named after Alexander the Great.

Although Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos has indicated hes prepared to accept a composite name that is clearly distinct from Greek Macedonia, both presidents now have to persuade their respective constituents across the political spectrum to support the initiative.

In northern Greece, hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated against any solution that would include the word Macedonia, while many officials in Athens appeared to welcome moves toward resolving the impasse.

In Macedonia, a recent survey by the Skopje-based Institute for Democracy, Societas Civilis, indicates majority support for modifying the countrys name if it expedites and enhances prospects for NATO and EU membership.

Protesters hold a Greek flag during a rally agains Protesters hold a Greek flag during a rally against the use of the term "Macedonia" in any settlement to a dispute between Athens and Skopje over the former Yugoslav republic's name, in Athens, Greece, Feb. 4, 2018. Protesters hold a Greek flag during a rally against the use of the term "Macedonia" in any settlement to a dispute between Athens and Skopje over the former Yugoslav republic's name, in Athens, Greece, Feb. 4, 2018.

Macadonian diaspora

Macedonians living abroad, however, are less enthusiastic, says Meto Koloski, president of the United Macedonian Diaspora, whose organization has called on Skopje to pull out of negotiations completely.

There is Republic of Macedonia, and there is a province known as Macedonia. If they want to rename Greek Macedonia, I dont think anybody would dispute that, he told VOAs Macedonian Service.

Clearly someone is trying to stir the pot in Greece, he added, referring to the size of the protests in Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city and capital of the Greek administrative region of Central Macedonia. I dont know if it is some Russian involvement or domestic political issues theyre facing, but ... 137 [countries] have recognized Macedonia, so public opinion is on Macedonias side.

Russia meddling?

SAIS-Johns Hopkins conflict resolution expert Daniel Serwer, however, isnt so quick to dismiss the prospect of a deal.

There is a real possibility of some sort of agreement between the countries, he said, adding that Russia is doing everything it can to block NATO membership in the Balkans.

EU efforts to reassert its power in the Balkans coincide with growing regional influence from Moscow  and Turkey and Beijing  along with Western concerns that ongoing civil unrest over domestic issues could rekindle local conflicts.

The 2015 migrant crisis brought home the strategic importance of the Balkans region, when hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers traveled through the region to try to reach western Europe. Tens of thousands of migrants are still stuck in the Balkan states.

Strategic Balkans

In Washington, Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican, and others have called for a substantially strengthened U.S. commitment to the Balkans, warning that Western nations ignore it at their own peril. In 2017, the Washington-based Atlantic Council issued a report calling for a permanent American military presence in the Balkans to fortify southeastern Europe against malign foreign influences.

Beyond high-level geopolitics, however, SAISs Serwer, a former U.S. diplomat, had some plainspoken advice for opponents of the deal on the ground in Skopje and Athens.

I dont have any doubt about my American identity, and it doesnt bother me at all that Mexico is called Estados Unidos Mexicanos, and it doesnt bother Mexicans that we have a state named New Mexico, he said.

If you are confident of your own identity, nobody can take it from you, he added.

Although the European Commission has stated that it will not try to influence UN-led talks to find a solution to the long-running name dispute, Jean-Claude Juncker is due to visit Skopje by the end of the month as part of a push to reinvigorate Macedonias membership ambitions, along with that of Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia, and Kosovo.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOAs Macedonian Service.
 "Bail Reform and Risk Assessment: The Cautionary Tale of Federal Sentencing" | Main | "The American people have spoken: Reform our criminal justice system" 

February 11, 2018

California judge rejects state efforts to limit reach of new parole eligibility rules approved by voters via Proposition 57

As reported in this AP piece, "California must consider earlier parole for potentially thousands of sex offenders, maybe even those convicted of pimping children, a state judge said Friday." Here is more about a notable ruling about a notable effort to limit the reach of a notable ballot initiative:

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Allen Sumner preliminarily ordered prison officials to rewrite part of the regulations for Proposition 57. The 2016 ballot measure allows consideration of earlier parole for most state prison inmates, but Gov. Jerry Brown promised voters all sex offenders would be excluded. That goes too far, Sumner said in rejecting Deputy Attorney General Maria Chan's argument that the ballot measure gave state officials broad discretion to exclude any class of offenders whose release might harm public safety. "If the voters had intended to exclude all registered sex offenders from early parole consideration under Proposition 57, they presumably would have said so," Sumner said. He said the scope of exclusions should be narrowed to only those now serving time for a violent sex offense. And he said the Corrections Department must better define what falls into that category. The judge said those who already served their time for a sex crime, even a violent one, and now are imprisoned for a different crime should be eligible for early release. The language in Prop. 57 "left way too much wiggle room," opening the door to Sumner's ruling, said Mark Zahner, chief executive of the California District Attorneys Association that opposed the initiative. "There's a great danger of truly violent people being released early and people who commit, in this case, sex offenses that involve violence being released early." The Governor's Office declined comment. Corrections officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment or say whether they plan to appeal. They also did not provide an estimate of how many offenders might be affected. The ruling Friday could allow earlier parole for more than half of the 20,000 sex offenders now serving time, said Janice Bellucci, a Sacramento attorney and president of California Reform Sex Offender Laws. Her lawsuit on behalf of sex offenders argued that the rules conflict with the ballot measure's language and voters' intent in approving Proposition 57. Bellucci argued the measure requires earlier parole consideration for any sex crime not on the state's narrow list of 23 violent felonies, which includes murder, kidnapping and forcible rape. That could allow earlier parole for those convicted of raping a drugged or unconscious victim, intimately touching someone unlawfully restrained, incest, pimping a minor, indecent exposure and possessing child pornography. The judge said corrections officials can make the case for excluding those offenders as they rewrite the regulations, but Bellucci said she will sue again if officials go too far.

The full 18-page ruling discussed here is available at this link. Here is a key paragraph from the opinion's conclusion:

Under Proposition 57, Any person convicted of a nonviolent felony offense . . . shall be eligible for parole consideration after completing the full term for his or her primary offense. CDCR adopted regulations defining the term nonviolent offender to exclude anyone required to register under section 290, regardless of their current commitment offense. CDCRs overbroad definition must thus be set aside.

February 11, 2018 at 04:04 PM | Permalink

Comments

It's great to see a sane ruling against the crazed lawheads that want to descriminate. Sex offenses have the lowest recidivism rate of any crime except for homocide. Kudos to Bellucci.

Posted by: restless94110 | Feb 12, 2018 9:48:35 AM

Please qualify, "a danger to society."

A study reviewing sex crimes as reported to police revealed that:

a) 93% of child sexual abuse victims knew their abuser;

b) 34.2% were family members;

c) 58.7% were acquaintances;

d) Only 7% of the perpetrators of child victims were strangers;

e) 40% of sexual assaults take place in the victims own home;

f) 20% take place in the home of a friend, neighbor or relative (Jill Levenson, PhD, Lynn University)

Posted by: Laserbeam Larry | Mar 23, 2019 12:22:04 AM

Post a comment
WASHINGTON - An Iranian academic and environmental activist imprisoned by Iranian authorities last month has died in prison, his son wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

Kavous Seyed-Emami was the managing director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, which seeks to protect Iran's rare animals, and a U.S.-trained scholar in sociology.

Seyed-Emami's son, the Iranian musician Raam Emami, wrote on Twitter that his father was arrested on January 24, and that his mother had been informed of Emami's death on February 9. It was not immediately clear where he was tweeting from.

"The news of my father's passing is impossible to fathom," Raam Emami wrote. "I still can't believe this."

On his Instagram account, Raam Emami wrote that authorities said his father had committed suicide. He did not respond to requests for further comment.

Tehran's prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi said Saturday that Iran's security forces had arrested several people on espionage charges, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported.

"They were gathering classified information in strategic areas" under the cover of conducting scientific and environmental projects, he said, without giving further information.

Arrest wasn't announced

The Iranian judiciary could not immediately be reached for comment on Saturday evening. Iranian authorities had not announced an arrest of Seyed-Emami, and his death was not confirmed by official sources.

Seyed-Emami received his doctorate in sociology from the University of Oregon in 1991, according to an online alumni listing maintained by the university.

Seyed-Emami is believed to have been a dual Iranian-Canadian citizen. A spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said authorities were looking into the matter.

"He was a very knowledgeable man and a very kind and generous man," said Nahid Siamdoust, a scholar at Yale University who knew him. "He lived a simple life that was connected to nature and that's why he was an inspiring man. People could see this was what he believed, and he lived that way, too."

Iran faces a number of serious environmental crises, including water scarcity, air pollution and wildlife poaching.

Human rights groups say civil society activists in Iran face the risk of arbitrary arrest and harassment by Iranian authorities.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the second day of his visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday by unveiling a model of the first Hindu temple that will be built in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, a testament to the stronger ties that both countries seek.



Standing on stage at the Dubai Opera, Modi spoke before hundreds of diplomats and Indian expatriates about the historical ties linking India with the small, but oil-rich and increasingly influential UAE, where 3.3 million Indians reside - far outnumbering the country's own local population.



Around half of the Indians living in the UAE are lower-wage migrant laborers. Many hold construction jobs, building the UAE's dazzling skyscrapers and shopping centers. The UAE is also home to wealthy Indian investors, some of whom run the country's largest hospitals, schools and supermarkets.



India's cultural and economic influence on the UAE is so great that Dubai's daily English newspaper, Gulfnews, created a video on its website titled: "How Indian is the UAE?" The video explains that, for example, the UAE used to use Indian rupees before the local currency, the dirham, and that many locals still refer to one dirham as a "rubiya".



"Today, whether it's the UAE or other countries in the Arabian Gulf, our relationship is no longer just that of a buyer and seller, it's a partnership that's been built," Modi told the audience in Dubai.



India and the UAE are key trading partners and seeking to boost investments. On Saturday, Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan oversaw the signing of several agreements, including a $600 million deal awarded to a consortium of Indian companies for a 10 percent stake in a major Abu Dhabi offshore oil concession.



The deal marks the first time Indian oil and gas companies will have a share in the UAE's crude production.



On Sunday, Modi unveiled the model of the traditional stone temple that will be built in Abu Dhabi, which is scheduled to be completed by 2020. The historically Muslim country already has one Hindu temple in the nearby emirate of Dubai.



On his first visit to the UAE as prime minister in 2015, Modi announced that the Abu Dhabi government had allotted land for the first Hindu temple there.



Modi, a Hindu like most of India's population, has in recent months spoken out to condemn vigilante killings of Muslims in his country. His comments last year came amid growing public pressure by Indian novelists, poets and other intellectuals who condemned the attacks by vigilante Hindus angry over beef-eating or what they believe is the abuse of cows, which many Hindus consider sacred.



Although Modi's nationalist Hindu party has an uneasy relationship with his country's roughly 120 million Muslims, Modi is still popular among a broad spectrum of Indians. He is expected to seek another five-year term in 2019.



His Mideast tour is strategically important for India as it seeks a greater foothold in the Muslim-majority region, particularly in the Gulf, which has one of the highest defense spending budgets in the world.



While in Dubai, Modi met with business leaders from across the Arabian Peninsula and Dubai's ruler and the UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He also spoke in Dubai at the World Government Summit, an annual gathering of influential policymakers and heads of state.



He said that more than half of India's population is under 35 years-old, linking its youthful population and its start-up culture to the theme of innovation and technology at the summit.



He also praised Dubai for its ability to virtually transform its deserts and sand "into gold" - a nod to the emirate's rapid transformation from a community of pearl divers to a metropolitan city of skyscrapers.



Modi is scheduled to head next to the neighboring Gulf state of Oman. He was in the Palestinian territories on Saturday and met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Afghan security officials say that Pakistan-based militant group Lashakar-e-Islam (Army of Islam) has been engaged in a firefight with Islamic State militants in Achin district.



A spokesperson for Nangarhar Police Department, Hazrat Hussain Mashriqiwal said both groups sustained causalities during the firefight that has dragged on for almost a week. The groups are believed to be fighting for territorial control.



"Six IS militants were killed and another four were wounded. Also, three Lashkar-e-Islam militants were killed and three others were wounded during the firefight," said Mashriqiwal. "No civilians were harmed."



IS and Lashkar-e-Islam operate in Shirzad, Shinwar, Nazian and Achin districts of eastern Nangarhar province and have footprints in the Tora Bora area. Tora Bora was once a stronghold of slain Al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden.



Lashkar-e-Islam has been operating in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area. The group was reportedly founded by a local cleric, Mufti Munir Shakir, in 2004 in the Bara tribal area of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.



According to multiple reports, Mangal Bagh, also known as Haji Mangal Bagh Afridi, took charge of the group in 2015 after Munir went into hiding during a tribal dispute over his activities.



Reports of Mangal Bagh's death have emerged a couple of times in Pakistani media. But Pakistani officials and political experts dispute the reports and charge that he is still alive.



Ahmad Sayedi, a regional expert told VOA, "Mangal Bagh is alive. His group, Lashkar-e-Islam is a Pakistan Inter Intelligence Service (ISI) proxy and is assigned to engage in terror related activities in eastern Afghanistan."



Some Pakistani political analysts however, deny that claim and say that Bagh has fought against Pakistani security forces on multiple fronts.



"Lashkar-e-Islam is a militant group that has martyred dozens of Pakistan Army men in different fronts. It is a false claim and propaganda to say that the group is an ISI proxy." Shaukatulla Khan, former governor for northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan told VOA.



Lashkar-e-Islam first engaged the IS militants last Sunday in eastern Afghanistan. Locals who witnessed the firefight claim the groups are targeting each other with heavy and small weapons in the Bandar valley of Achin district.



Initially based in southern parts of eastern Nangarhar province, the Islamic State Khorasan branch, also known as ISIS-K, emerged in early 2015 in the mountainous areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan to cover the two states and "other nearby territories."



As the Islamic State terror group is trying to expand from its traditional enclave of eastern Afghanistan to other parts of the country, Taliban insurgents and now Lashkar-e-Islam militants are blocking them, sparking periodic and deadly clashes among different groups.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his country had dealt "severe blows" to Iranian and Syrian forces inside Syria and would continue to combat any further aggression.



"We made clear to everyone that our rules of engagement will not change in any way," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting. "We will continue to harm anyone who tries to harm us. This was our policy and this will remain our policy."



Saturday's raids came after Syrian air defenses shot down an Israeli F-16 fighter with anti-aircraft fire, the first time Israel has lost a warplane in battle since 1982.



The Israeli pilots were able to eject from their aircraft, which crashed in Israel, according to the Israeli military. Israel said one of its pilots was "severely injured" in the "emergency evacuation," while another pilot was slightly injured.

The Israeli pilots were able to eject from their aircraft, which crashed in Israel, according to the Israeli military. Israel said one of its pilots was "severely injured" in the "emergency evacuation," while another pilot was slightly injured.



Israeli security forces walk next to the remains o Israeli security forces walk next to the remains of an F-16 Israeli warplane near the Israeli village of Harduf, Israel, Feb. 10, 2018. Israeli security forces walk next to the remains of an F-16 Israeli warplane near the Israeli village of Harduf, Israel, Feb. 10, 2018.

Israel said it hit a dozen Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including command centers and missile defenses. Israel conducted the airstrikes after anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli warplane returning from a raid on Iranian-backed positions in Syria. Earlier, Israel said it had shot down an Iranian drone launched from Syria after it entered Israeli territory late Friday.

Several Israeli officials said they refused to accept an Iranian military presence in Syria, which Tehran denies exists.

"From everything I know and everything I have read and what people on the ground have told me, Iran has thousands of military personnel in Syria. They've contributed enormously in a financial sense to the Syrian regime to keep it economically afloat," David Lesch, a Trinity University history professor and regional analyst, told VOA. "Of all the powers that have supported the Syrian regime, including Russia, I would say Iran is the one that has involved itself the most, has expended the most resources to keep Bashar al-Assad in power, and has the most to lose if he falls from power."

The United States defended the Israeli response to the attack on its fighter jet.

"Israel is a staunch ally of the United States, and we support its right to defend itself from the Iranian-backed Syrian and militia forces in southern Syria," the White House said in a statement. It urged "Iran and its allies to cease provocative actions and work toward regional peace."

Syria says with the Israeli attack across its border, the rules of engagement have changed.

Syrian legislator Ahmad Miri said the downing of the warplane creates a new situation in which Israel can no longer act with impunity in Syrian airspace.

The Israeli airstrikes were the most significant since the Syrian civil war began seven years ago and have raised fears of an escalation and possibly war. Russia and the United Nations called on all sides to ease tensions.

A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that "all concerned in Syria and the region have a responsibility and must abide by international law and relevant Security Council resolutions." The secretary-general has also called for "all to work for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence, and exercise restraint."

Netanyahu said he spoke Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I reiterated to him our obligation and right to defend ourselves against attacks from Syrian territory," Netanyahu said. "We agreed coordination between our armies would continue." Netanyahu also discussed the strike with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Syria's state media said earlier Saturday Syria is responding to "new Israeli aggression," following the Israeli raid.

Feras Shehabi, a Syrian lawmaker, said Syria's response to Israel's assault signals a "major shift in the balance of power in favor of Syria and the axis of resistance." He said "Israelis must realize they no longer have superiority in the skies or on the ground."

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said "Iran is dragging the region into a situation in which it doesn't know how it will end. We are prepared for a variety of incidents. Whoever is responsible for this incident is the one who will pay the price."

The Syrian attack resulted in air raid sirens being activated in the Golan Heights and Beit She'an, but no casualties were reported.

Robert Berger contributed to this report from Jerusalem.
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel declined to comment Saturday on a Polish law that imposes jail terms for suggesting the country was complicit in the Holocaust, saying she did not want to wade into Poland's internal affairs.

The law would impose prison sentences of up to three years for using the phrase "Polish death camps" and for suggesting "publicly and against the facts" that the Polish nation or state was complicit in Nazi Germany's crimes.

"Without directly interfering in the legislation in Poland, I would like to say the following very clearly as German chancellor: We as Germans are responsible for what happened during the Holocaust, the Shoah, under National Socialism [Nazism]," Merkel said in her weekly video podcast.

She was responding to a question from a student who had asked whether the new Polish law curbs freedom of expression. Israel and the United States criticized President Andrzej Duda for signing the bill into law this week.

Israel says the law will curb free speech, criminalize basic historical facts and stop any discussion of the role some Poles played in Nazi crimes.

A Polish government spokeswoman welcomed Merkel's remarks, the PAP news agency reported. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will hold talks with Merkel in Berlin next week.

Poland's ruling Law and Justice party has clashed with the European Union and human rights groups on a range of issues since taking power in late 2015. It says the law is needed to ensure that Poles are recognized as victims, not perpetrators, of Nazi aggression in World War II.

More than 3 million of the 3.2 million Jews who lived in pre-war Poland were killed by the Nazis, accounting for about half of all Jews killed in the Holocaust.

Jews from across the continent were sent to be killed at death camps built and operated by Germans in occupied Poland  home to Europe's biggest Jewish community at the time.
NEW DELHI - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed support Saturday in Ramallah for an independent Palestine and said he hoped for the return of peace to the region, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on India to support multicountry sponsorship of future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Modi's three-hour stop in Ramallah, the first by an Indian prime minister, was being seen as New Delhi's bid to balance its blossoming ties with Israel.

Saying that Palestinians were ready to engage in dialogue, Abbas said he was counting on India's support for negotiations between Israel and Palestine. "The formation of a multilateral mechanism that stems or is produced by international peace convention is the most ideal way to broker such negotiations," he said.

Jerusalem status

Since U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December, Abbas has been seeking international support for countries from Europe and the Middle East to be included as mediators between Palestine and Israel  efforts that the U.S. has led. But so far, he has failed to win such commitments.

After holding talks with Abbas, Modi said he had assured the Palestinian leader that "India is bound by a promise to take care of Palestinian people's interests. India hopes that soon Palestine will become a free country in a peaceful manner."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Ind Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspect an honor guard upon his arrival at Palestinian Authority headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Feb. 10, 2018. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspect an honor guard upon his arrival at Palestinian Authority headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Feb. 10, 2018.

The two sides signed six agreements worth nearly $50 million in areas such as health, agriculture, information technology and education as Modi sought to emphasize New Delhi's commitment as a development partner for Palestinians. The agreement includes building a specialty hospital, three schools and the construction of a center for empowering women.

Modi came to Ramallah via Jordan as New Delhi sought to emphasize that it wants its relations with Palestinians and Israel to be mutually independent and exclusive, or in the words of India's foreign ministry officials, "de-hyphenated."

Early backer

New Delhi was one of the earliest and staunchest supporters of the Palestinian cause and has traditionally voted in its favor at international forums. In December, India backed a U.N. resolution that opposed the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

India and Israel have drawn closer in recent years, however, partly because of common concerns about Islamic terrorism. And Modi has openly embraced their growing strategic partnership, hosting the Israeli prime minister in New Delhi three weeks ago after making a high-profile visit to Tel Aviv last July. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the India-Israeli partnership "a marriage made in heaven."

Analysts say that although India wants its relations with the two countries to be independent of each other, the tilt is toward Israel, which is now among the top defense suppliers to New Delhi.

Modi also is set to visit Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

The Indian leader said that building good relations with the Gulf countries is a key priority. Not only does India import much of its oil from the Middle East, but Modi is also wooing these countries for much-needed investments, especially the UAE, which has committed billions of dollars in sectors such as health care and infrastructure.
YANGON - Last month, the residents of Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, felt a strong bump in the night. Their national leaders in Naypyidaw, the country's thinly populated capital, were also stirred from their sleep.



A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck between the two cities, in the early hours of January 12.



The Southeast Asian country is well accustomed to earth tremors but there are fears that the catastrophe of a major earthquake would overwhelm Myanmar's already thinly stretched government and undo the fragile development gains of recent years.



Myanmar's key cities, Yangon, Naypyidaw and the northern hub of Mandalay, all sit close to the Sagaing Fault, which bisects Myanmar from northern Kachin State, through the central Dry Zone, and into the Andaman Sea.



In addition, the country's west is rattled by the continued subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Burma Platelet. In the eastern highlands the Kyaukkyan Fault was the source of Myanmar's strongest recorded earthquake, measuring 8.0, in 1912.



A network of more than 30 seismic monitoring stations, launched across Myanmar last year, picks up four to five minor earthquakes each day, according to the Earth Observatory of Singapore, which worked on the project.Big ones, exceeding 7.0, hit roughly once a decade, according to seismic data for the past 170 years.



The big one



The Sagaing Fault exposes up to 10 million people to disaster and casts a shadow over the development of Yangon, the commercial capital. With rural to urban migration increasing, the government projects Yangon's 5.2 million population to almost double by 2040.



The city's infrastructure, characterized by badly maintained British colonial relics and cheap modern blocks built over decades of regulatory chaos, struggles to cope even with day to day activity.



According to geologists, the fault segment that exposes Yangon is due for a large quake.Professor Myo Thant, vice chair of the Myanmar Earthquake Committee, told VOA the recurrence interval for a 7.0-and-above earthquake is 80-100 years. The last one to strike the segment was in 1930, killing more than 550 people.



But there are signs the government is becoming more aware of the threat.



The Chauk effect



Myo Thant, and fellow Earthquake Committee vice chair Saw Htwe Zaw, an engineer, have been laboring for the past two decades to plot the country's seismic risk, partnering with foreign universities and institutes as well as U.N.-Habitat, the United Nations' urban division.



Both told VOA they are encouraged by the high-level activity of recent months.This included a U.N.-assisted crisis-room simulation for the national and Mandalay Region governments on Feb. 1-2 in Naypyidaw.



The table-top exercise was the first real-time test of the National Disaster Management Committee, chaired by Vice President Henry Van Thio, outlined in the 2013 Natural Disaster Management Law.

Soldiers enter a damaged building after an earthqu Soldiers enter a damaged building after an earthquake in Taik Kyi township in Myanmar, March 14, 2017. Soldiers enter a damaged building after an earthquake in Taik Kyi township in Myanmar, March 14, 2017.

A nearly $1 million project backed by the European Commission was launched in December to draw up an earthquake Preparedness and Response Plan and Resilience strategy, as well as rolling out earthquake education across vulnerable areas.



In late January, two schools in Yangon's outskirts conducted a tsunami evacuation drill as part of a regional, Japanese-funded program to address a threat directly linked to earthquakes. SEEDS Asia, a Japanese-registered organization that aided the exercise, has also been conducting workshops in schools in coastal Yangon and Ayeyarwady regions.



Myo Thant and Saw Htwe Zaw of the Earthquake Committee credited the response to the 6.8-strength Chauk earthquake in August 2016, which ravaged temples in the tourist site of Bagan in central Myanmar, with pushing earthquakes up the government's agenda.



"Sometimes these shocks are the best opportunities to build both government and public interest," Yoko Okura, SEEDS Asia country representative, told VOA.



A state of ruin



Addressing Yangon's neglected urban infrastructure has become a core priority, but safety standards conflict with government desires for big investment and a quick expansion of the housing stock.



A new, earthquake-sensitive building code, overseen by engineers from the Earthquake Committee, was presented to the government last year.It has yet to be worked into law or even translated from English into Burmese, according to Saw Htwe Zaw, and it's unclear when it will take effect.



The code would provide a solid safety blueprint for planned expansions and satellite towns in Mandalay and Yangon, but it would do nothing for older buildings.Many in Yangon are in a state of ruin.



The absence of a viable insurance market and a general lack of funds for costly repairs don't help, neither do the Building Completion Certificates issued by the Yangon municipal government, which don't require any later assessments, even on resale.



But the Earthquake Committee has conducted earthquake risk assessments of several towns and cities, including Mandalay, and is now assessing Yangon, starting with a few townships, with a view to producing retrofitting guidelines.Meanwhile, the World Bank has agreed to fund the reinforcement of around a dozen public buildings in Yangon.



A low base



The unpredictable nature of earthquakes, and the lengthy intervals between major quakes, pose challenges to improving public awareness."People forgot earthquakes easily," said Myo Thant.



By contrast, 2008's Cyclone Nargis, said to have killed more than 138,000 people, is within recent memory, and its lingering effects of displacement and poverty remain visible.



Myanmar's internationally reviled military junta drew condemnation for its handling of Cyclone Nargis, by spurning an international relief effort while largely failing to stem the death and destruction for which the country was so badly prepared.But international humanitarian and development partnerships have evolved since limited democratic reforms began in 2011.



Shashank Mishra, a program manager for U.N.-Habitat, told VOA the government has been very receptive to outside advice and assistance on natural disasters."There's a lot of momentum now," said Mishra.



But earthquake preparedness is starting from a very low base.A basic arrangement of ward-level assembly points and reinforced shelters stocked with provisions remains generally absent across Myanmar's towns and cities.



Saw Htwe Zaw admitted there is "still a long way to go" before the country catches up with the grave risks it faces.
WASHINGTON - North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns invitation to South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit Pyongyang could complicate the Trump administrations diplomatic efforts to pressure the reclusive communist state to abandon its nuclear weapons program, analysts say.

Kim extended the rare invitation to the South Korean leader through his closest confidante: his only sister Kim Yo Jong, who was visiting the South as part of the North Korean delegation to the Winter Olympics, according to South Koreas presidential office on Saturday.

Moon said he wanted to create the environment for that to be able to happen, according to the office.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and South Korea's P U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in attend a speed skating event at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, in Gangneung, South Korea, Feb. 10, 2018. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in attend a speed skating event at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, in Gangneung, South Korea, Feb. 10, 2018.

?Dialogue or pressure or both?

The North Korean diplomatic initiative comes amid growing international pressure, led by the United States, aimed at imposing maximum economic and diplomatic pressure on the regime. Former U.S. officials and analysts say the North Korean move could put Moon, who supports Trumps pressure campaign while pursuing dialogue with the North, at odds with the Trump administration.

The invitation is a very clever move by Kim Jong Un to drive a big wedge [between Washington and Seoul]. Kim has been masterful at public relations in regard to the summit and playing on feelings for Korean unity, said Robert Manning, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

FILE - South Korean trucks with food aid prepare t FILE - South Korean trucks with food aid prepare to leave for North Korean city of Kaesong in Paju, South Korea, Sept. 21, 2012. FILE - South Korean trucks with food aid prepare to leave for North Korean city of Kaesong in Paju, South Korea, Sept. 21, 2012.

In the past, inter-Korean summits often resulted in a substantial economic aid to Pyongyang. If Moon follows in the footsteps of his predecessors, it would hurt the Trump administrations pressure campaign against the North, according to Ken Gause, director of the International Affairs Group at the Center for Naval Analyses.

If it leads to promises of aid, then it would definitely undermine the maximum pressure strategy, Gause said, referring to the proposed summit between the two Koreas.

Bruce Klingner, a former CIA analyst who is now senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, warned Seoul could violate international sanctions by providing economic aid to Pyongyang.

Moon should realize that offering economic benefits for symbolic North Korean gestures is not only ineffectual but would themselves risk being violations of U.N. resolutions, Klingner said.

Pictures of South Korean President Moon Jae-in (L) Pictures of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are seen on a sign during a rally to denounce the United States' policy against North Korea and demand the peaceful Winter Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Pictures of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are seen on a sign during a rally to denounce the United States' policy against North Korea and demand the peaceful Winter Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

Balancing act

The Moon government has been engaging in a delicate balancing act between Pyongyang and its longtime ally Washington after Kim Jong Un offered to send a delegation to the Olympics in the South. Moon has accommodated the Norths demands on Olympics participation in hopes of persuading Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table to discuss denuclearization, while trying to allay concern in Washington that the North was using a charm offensive to simply ease sanctions and earn time to complete its nuclear weapons program.

The Norths invitation, Manning said, apparently puts Seoul in a difficult position, where it needs to prove its efforts will bear fruit.

President Moon must balance his desire for North-South reconciliation with his policy of denuclearization, Manning said.

Dennis Wilder, a Georgetown University assistant professor, who served as National Security Council senior director for East Asian affairs during the George W. Bush administration, suggested Moon should accept the invitation only if Pyongyang agrees to discuss denuclearization with Washington.

My own view is that President Moon should only go if there is a strong signal from the North of willingness to engage seriously with the Trump administration, Wilder said.

Joseph DeTrani, former U.S. special envoy for nuclear talks with North Korea, said Moon should make it clear to Kim that he wants to discuss the nuclear and missile issues at the summit. The former envoy believes Moon should use the meeting as an opportunity to push Kim to accept his predecessors promise to denuclearize.

Washington unmoved

The latest North Korean diplomatic overture does not appear to have discouraged Washington from pursuing its strategy of pressure.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who led a U.S. delegation to the Olympic Games, told reporters that he and Moon discussed the South Korean leaders meeting with Kim Jong Uns sister, adding he remains confident about Seouls support for the pressure strategy.

There is no daylight between the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan on the need to continue to isolate North Korea economically and diplomatically until they abandon their nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Pence said.
LONDON - Britain's Charity Commission must conduct a "full and urgent investigation" into Oxfam following an alleged cover-up of its staff hiring prostitutes in Haiti during a 2011 relief effort on the earthquake-hit island, the prime minister's office said Saturday.

"The reports of what is unacceptable behavior by senior aid workers in Haiti are truly shocking," a spokeswoman for Theresa May said. "We want to see Oxfam provide all the evidence they hold of the events to the Charity Commission for a full and urgent investigation of these very serious allegations."

The call came as the British charities regulator released its own statement detailing Oxfam's previous disclosure of the events, including that it characterized the misconduct as "inappropriate sexual behavior."

"Our approach to this matter would have been different had the full details that have been reported been disclosed to us at the time," the commission said.

It confirmed that it had asked Oxfam to urgently provide fresh information.

Late on Friday, the Department for International Development (DFID) also said it was reviewing its relationship with the U.K.-based charity, to which it gave nearly $44 million last year.

It said Oxfam's leaders had "showed a lack of judgment" in their handling of the matter and their level of openness with the government and Charity Commission.

'Appalling abuse'

"The international development secretary is reviewing our current work with Oxfam and has requested a meeting with the senior team at the earliest opportunity," a DFID spokeswoman said. "The way this appalling abuse of vulnerable people was dealt with raises serious questions that Oxfam must answer."

Oxfam Chief Executive Mark Goldring said Saturday that the charity receives less than 10 percent of its funding from DFID and hoped to continue working with the department while rebuilding trust with the public.

He admitted Oxfam did not give full details of the scandal to the commission in 2011 but insisted it "did anything but cover it up."

"With hindsight, I would much prefer that we had talked about [the] sexual misconduct," Goldring told BBC radio. "But I don't think it was in anyone's best interest to be describing the details of the behavior in a way that was actually going to draw extreme attention to it."

The charity is under growing pressure after an investigation by The Times found young sex workers had been hired by senior staff in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Groups of young prostitutes were invited to homes and guesthouses paid for by the charity for sex parties, according to one source who claimed to have seen footage of an orgy with sex workers wearing Oxfam T-shirts.

In further revelations Friday, the paper said Oxfam failed to warn other aid agencies about the staff involved, which allowed them to get jobs among vulnerable people in other disaster areas.

Roland van Hauwermeiren, 68, whom Oxfam said was forced to resign as Haiti country director in 2011 after allegedly admitting hiring prostitutes, went on to become head of mission for Action Against Hunger in Bangladesh from 2012 to 2014.

Good references received

The French charity told AFP it made pre-employment checks with Oxfam but that the U.K.-based organization "did not share with us the reasons for his resignation as head of mission in Haiti or the results of its internal inquiry."

"Moreover we received positive references from former Oxfam staff  in their individual capacities  who worked with him," including from a human resources staffer, a spokesman said.

In a statement, Oxfam denied providing positive references for those implicated.

It said the vast number of aid operations working around the globe made it impossible "to ensure that those found guilty of sexual misconduct were not re-employed in the sector."

"Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to stop individuals falsifying references, getting others that were dismissed to act as referees and claiming it was a reference from Oxfam," a spokeswoman added.

And there was also nothing to stop them from getting former or current staff to provide a reference "in a personal capacity," she said.

The charity said it launched an immediate investigation in 2011 that found a "culture of impunity" among some staff, but it denied trying to cover up the scandal.

During the probe, Oxfam dismissed four staff members and another three resigned, including van Hauwermeiren.

The charity also said it had yet to find evidence proving allegations that underage girls were involved.
WASHINGTON - Pakistan has again banned Valentine's Day events and media coverage of them, after a court ruled the holiday un-Islamic for a second consecutive year.



The judgment prohibited any advertising or the sale of merchandise associated with the day.



In order to comply with the court ruling, Pakistan's Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) last week sent out instructions to its TV and radio licensees to remind them of the ban.



"Respondents are directed to ensure that nothing about the celebrations of Valentine's Day and its promotion is spread on the Electronic and Print media," PEMRA's directive stated. "No event shall be held on an official level and at any public place. PEMRA is directed to ensure that all the TV channels shall stop the promotion of Valentine's Day forthwith."



On Feb. 13, 2017, the Islamabad High Court issued a judgment on a petition claiming Valentine's Day was spreading "immorality, nudity and indecency" in the society.



The court prohibited Valentine's Day celebrations in public places and government offices in Islamabad, and further instructed PEMRA to "ensure that nothing about the celebration of Valentine's Day and its promotion is spread."



PEMRA's reminder to media outlets has renewed debate about the romantic celebration among different segments of society. Some view the day as an opportunity to express love, while others question its validity in relevance to Islamic, societal and cultural norms.



Saleema Hashmi, a Lahore-based artist and renowned educator, expressed her frustration with a system that focuses on "irrelevant issues," rather than making decisions on issues that really impact society and the country.



"Don't our courts have better things to do instead of passing rulings on celebrating a mere romantic day?" she asked. "I do not understand how celebrating or denouncing Valentine's Day can impact our religion, traditions, social or cultural norms."



She added, "If we do not agree that girls and boys can enjoy their right of expressing love, then it is our issue. We need to revisit our thinking patterns and accept the reality."



Valentine's Day has gained popularity in recent years in Pakistan, where Pakistani youths use the symbolic day to exchange cards, chocolates and gifts with their loved ones.



But public displays of affection and love is not allowed in the largely conservative society that considers such acts violations of Islam and Pakistani culture.



Aniq Ahmad, a prominent TV host who conducts a religious show on Dunya TV, believes the day holds no significance for Pakistan on moral, social and religious grounds.



"I agree with the court ruling that was passed last year, Ahmad told VOA. "Our values were being compromised. Our cultural norms and religious values were being affected. Celebrating the day of love is an insult to our religion. We need to teach our youth the morals and cultural norms in the light of Islam and the Quran," he said.



The ruling has impacted many businesses. Last year, flower vendors and shops selling Valentine's Day-related merchandise experienced a huge drop in sales after the ban was imposed.



The symbolic day of love has been openly condemned by religious groups and political parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami. In 2016, Valentine's Day celebrations were prohibited by local authorities in Kohat, a city in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Also that year, Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain warned citizens to refrain from celebrating, as Valentine's Day was "not a part of Muslim tradition, but of the West."
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Holly Harris, executive director of the Justice Action Network, has this notable new Hill commentary with a headline that I have used as the title of this post. Here are excerpts:

Republicans and Democrats are both invested in fixing the justice system, which makes it difficult for either side to politicize this effort. That wouldnt be smart politics anyway. Polls show widespread support for specific reforms that will lower the swelling prison population, save money, and make communities safer. This support is strong among voters in both parties, as well as Independents and women, who are swinging elections in this country.

Three-quarters of American voters think the countrys criminal justice system needs to be significantly improved, according to a poll conducted earlier this year by the conservative polling firm Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of the Justice Action Network. That conviction is shared equally among Republicans, Democrats and Independents. Robert Blizzard, who conducted the poll, said, I cant think of a more positive issue to run on that has more bipartisan support. His advice matters, as his firm polls for more than a quarter of the Republicans in the House....

Congress must now stop using the president as an excuse not to bring criminal justice bills to a vote. The House and Senate are both expected to consider legislation later this year that would implement some of the reforms that voters crave, and the presidents words on the worlds grandest political stage gave Congress a clear runway to act.

Any credible pollster out there would tell members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to tackle this issue and go big before you go home. Voters, by wide margins, favor major changes to our criminal justice system. Nine out of 10 American voters believe we should break down the existing barriers that make it harder for people leaving jails to find work and support their families. Republicans are just as likely to hold that view as Democrats.

That is overwhelmingly good news for supporters of ban the box or fair chance hiring policies, which dozens of states have adopted that would prevent public employers from asking job applicants whether they have been convicted of a crime before they have a chance to explain their qualifications for the job. Two-thirds of all voters want Congress to enact this policy at the federal level, and Republican governors from Kentucky, Georgia, Arizona, Oklahoma and Indiana have recently taken up this cause.

Attitudes of Americans toward incarceration have shifted dramatically since a generation of Republicans and Democrats enacted tough-on-crime policies at the state and federal levels in the 1980s and 1990s. Voters now demand more policies that give judges and the justice system more discretion to tailor punishments specifically to individual crimes and cases.

One of the best examples of this shift is the overwhelming opposition to mandatory minimum sentences. Some 87 percent of voters want judges to have more discretion to sentence nonviolent offenders on a case-by-case basis rather than saddle them with formulaic sentencing requirements that have clogged our prisons with people convicted of nonviolent crimes. That includes 83 percent of Republicans.

Its mind-boggling that this issue is controversial in Washington. Not only do Americans want to change how many people we lock up and for how long, they also want policies that will get them back on track. Some 85 percent of voters think the primary goal of our justice system should be to rehabilitate people so they can become productive, law-abiding members of society. Americans now understand that investing in more treatment rather than more prisons will ultimately make us all safer when these individuals do not return to crime.

Americans no longer believe everyone who commits a serious but nonviolent crime should automatically wind up in prison. Some 87 percent of voters would like governments at the state and federal levels to shift some of the money spent incarcerating nonviolent offenders toward alternative programs, like electronic monitoring, community service or probation. A majority 59 percent feel strongly about it.

Budget concerns are one driver of these changing attitudes. American voters overwhelmingly believe we spend too much money locking people up, and should spend more on treating drug addiction, helping victims and preventing future crimes. Voters also want to see more oversight of prisons to ensure taxpayer funds are being spent responsibly.
ISLAMABAD - Different people called her different things: a fighter who spoke truth to power, a traitor, a champion of human rights, anti-Pakistan, a national icon, anti-Islam, a voice for the voice-less.



Asma Jahangir, the first and so far the only female president of Pakistans Supreme Court Bar Association and a leading human rights attorney, died due to a cardiac arrest at the age of 66 Sunday in Lahore.



A fiery critic of the military in a country that has been under one dictatorship or another for almost half of its existence, Jahangir often found herself in trouble with the institution and its supporters.



In 1983, her pro-democracy struggle against dictator Zia ul Haq landed her in jail. Her time behind bars though, failed to curtail her passion for the rule of law and constitution, according to Pakistani lawyer and political analyst Babar Sattar who tweeted, She stood tall among pigmies, spoke truth to intoxicated power & stood up to fight when she thought she was right.



Her critics, though, accused her of being an agent of Pakistans rival India. Zaid Hamid, a controversial political commentator known to have a liking for conspiracy theories, compared her to a Pakistani politician who is accused of treachery and inciting violence.

Tell me, how will you feel if you hear that Altaf Hussain has died ? Joy, relief, satisfaction that a traitor & monster responsible for so much bloodshed has gone to hell. Same is for #AsmaJahangir too. She was female version of Altaf! Do we doubt how God will treat Altaf? NO.  Zaid Hamid (@ZaidZamanHamid) February 11, 2018

Jahangir was one of the founders of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, a forum that went on to highlight rights violations across the country.



Comments on Twitter, like the one below from a person apparently belonging to Pakistans restive Balochistan province, where activists often complain of enforced disappearances and other rights violations, show how those in the country who felt oppressed viewed her.

"Asma Jahangir YOURE MY PRIDE, tweeted someone who went by the name Arya Stark Khan, with a profile picture of Arya Stark of the famous HBO series Game of Thrones.

Asma Jahangir YOURE MY PRIDEAs a Balochistani, Im Highly indebted to you.lost the Comrade of the oppressed.Voice of the voiceless.Void cannot be fulfilled. Huge loss.Pakistan lost a Bahadur khatoon.What an inspiration for the women @marvisirmed @abbasnasir59 @Benazir_Shah https://t.co/jYHq0dpwQY  Arya Stark khan (@Haya_GCU) February 11, 2018



Another tweet expressed how she was viewed as a safety blanket by many activists across the country.

There is the fiery, passionate @Asma_Jahangir & there was also this other warm & jovial side to her. In an interview she told me she played the accordion & would get together to sing old film songs with good female friends. Not what I expected but such a lovely memory pic.twitter.com/hMebJQQnWA  Fifi Haroon (@fifiharoon) February 11, 2018



Jahangir also served as United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights. On its website, the international rights body praised her for her contribution to the cause of human rights for which she received multiple awards both nationally and internationally.

"We have lost a human rights giant," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement about Jahangir. "She was a tireless advocate for inalienable rights of all people and for equality - whether in her capacity as a Pakistani lawyer in the domestic justice system, as a global civil society activist, or as a Special Rapporteur. Guterres said Jahangir was "brilliant, deeply principled, courageous and kind."

Special Rapporteur Asma Jahangir delivers her repo FILE - Special Rapporteur Asma Jahangir delivers her report on the human rights situation in Iran. New York, Oct. 25, 2017. (UN webcast) FILE - Special Rapporteur Asma Jahangir delivers her report on the human rights situation in Iran. New York, Oct. 25, 2017. (UN webcast)

As soon as the news of her death broke, #AsmaJahangir started trending on Twitter in Pakistan.



A female member of Pakistans National Assembly, Nafisa Shah, called her the founder of Pakistan's homegrown human rights movement , a bold, fearless voice of the downtrodden &dispossessed.



Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter of Pakistans recently ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif tweeted, Democracy, human rights and resistance against oppression lost a great soldier- Asma Jehangir. It's everyone's loss. What a sad day!

Pakistans former foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, tweeted, There s no one who can match her bravery and courage. Pakistan is poorer today.



And Adil Najam, the Dean of the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University tweeted she was not just the voice of our collective conscience. She was our conscience. Her spirit will live as long as that voice in our head keeps telling us what is not right, what must not be tolerated,why not to give in or give up.



#AsmaJahangir was not just the voice of our collective conscience. She was our conscience. Her spirit will live as long as that voice in our head keeps telling us what is not right,what must not be tolerated,why not to give in or give up     pic.twitter.com/tSsHwZCpQn  Adil Najam   (@AdilNajam) February 11, 2018



Several actors, writers, and poets from Indias famous film industry expressed grief over her death, calling it a loss for the entire region. She is survived by a son and two daughters.




Pashtuns have felt neglected and wrongly targeted in Pakistan for some time. But the death of a shopkeeper, who died in an alleged extrajudicial killing, led to a protest by some Pashtuns.

Naqeebullah Mehsud, 27, was killed January 13 in Karachi, the capital of Sindh province. Law enforcement authorities initially accused him of having ties with the Pakistani Taliban.

The charge was later dropped following an internal inquiry, and amid growing anger among Pashtuns, who viewed his death as an extrajudicial killing  when someone is killed by government officials without a sanctioned judicial proceeding.

Ordinary shopkeeper

Mehsuds father, Muhammad Khan, told VOA that his son was not a terrorist but an ordinary shopkeeper who had moved to Karachi to open a shop and provide for his family.

He was the kind of person who never touched a pistol, a gun or a knife, and was always against violence, Khan said of his son.

Mehsuds death mobilized thousands of Pashtun protesters to march from Dera Ismail Khan district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to the capital, Islamabad, about 400 kilometers to the northwest.

In Islamabad, the Pashtuns held a 10-day peaceful protest against militancy and extrajudicial killings. It ended Saturday, but organizers said they would reconvene if their demands were not met by the government.

Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen, one of the main organizers of the protest, told VOA that Pashtuns are singled out in the country and wrongly targeted by the authorities.

Since 2014, 400 to 500 cases of Pashtuns [mostly belonging to the Mehsud Tribe] have been killed in Karachi police encounters, Pashteen said.

Whether it is the issue of mines planted in our area or violence against ordinary people in the aftermath of a terror attack, we want the government to give us in writing that there will be no violence against ordinary people from now on, he added.

#PashtunLongMarch time for Baluchs and Sindhi to join the protest pic.twitter.com/FzafmvYqRU  Wais Barakzai (@WaisBarakzai) February 7, 2018

?Platform to raise voices

The reaction to the death of Mehsud provided a platform for all those affected by militancy and government military operations to raise their voices.

Now its not just about the killing of Naqeebullah. It is about the people of FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas] and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who have been put in this war for decades, Mohsin Dawar, a political activist from North Waziristan, told VOA.

Dawar referred to the suffering of the residents of seven tribal agencies of FATA, an area that borders Afghanistan.

It is not about only North and South Waziristan but the whole Pashtun belt living on the periphery, Noreen Naseer, a professor of political science at the University of Peshawar, told VOA, echoing Dawars concerns.

This sit-in is an indication to the [state] that the young tribal men do not want to live under the old structures and old social contract, Naseer added.

?Dilemma

Militancy and military operations in the region have claimed the lives of many residents and forcibly displaced thousands of others.

Those who chose to remain in their homes have been subject to government interrogation and militant threats, activists say.

Malik Attaullah Jan, a resident of North Waziristan and a member of the FATA Grand Alliance, said he was picked up by security forces at a toll plaza in 2012 and held for 18 months before he was released.

Officials accused Attaullah Jan of harboring the Taliban. He denies the charges.

The Taliban were so powerful. Anyone who owned a hujra [house] would be paid a visit by the Taliban. They would force their way in  you could not say no to the Taliban, Attaullah Jan said.

Afterward, the government would come and accuse residents of sheltering militants, he added.

They [security forces] would ask us if Baitullah came to our house, if the Taliban came to our house. And they tortured us for harboring them, Attaullah Jan said.

Women from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are on the way to join #PashtunLongMarch We request women from all over Pakistan to join us today at 5 pm Islamabad press club. #JusticeForPashtun pic.twitter.com/qOBemtqoHd  Shawanashah (@ShawanaShah92) February 8, 2018

?Social media

Social media played a key role in the organization of the protest and in encouraging others to join the crowd.

The organizers, mainly youths, took to social media, including Facebook and Twitter, and created the hashtag #PashtunLongMarch, which motivated Pashtuns from different parts of Pakistan to join with the cause and raise their voices.

Pashtun women, considered conservative by some, joined in the protest in large numbers, too.

Many Wazirs [a Pashtun tribe] from Karachi joined the protest. I came from Lahore to join the protest, Azra Nafees Yousufzai, a women's rights activist in the protest, told VOA.

The crowd was peaceful, yet the speeches were very emotional and based on real facts, she said.

Prominent figures, including Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and Pashtun political leaders, announced their solidarity with the protesters.

I express my solidarity with the ongoing peaceful #IslamabadSitin and appeal the Prime Minister, the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take immediate notice of the genuine demands of the people of FATA and Pukhtoonkhwa.#PukhtoonLongMarch#JusticeForNaqib  Malala (@Malala) February 6, 2018

In a series of tweets, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said the Pashtun march was a positive initiation against fundamentalism.

I fully support the historical #PashtunLongMarch in Pakistan. The main purpose of which is to mobilize citizens against fundamentalism and terrorism in the region.  Ashraf Ghani (@ashrafghani) February 9, 2018

This is the most organized and well-put protest I have come across recently. I am happy to see that Pashtun have put their demands to the government in a very organized manner, Afrasiab Khattak, a Pashtun political leader, told VOA.

?Media coverage

Organizers criticized local Pakistani media outlets for not covering the protests.

If an animal falls into a gutter, media would be all over the news. Our march continued peacefully for weeks and the local media did not cover us, activist and organizer Pashteen said. We gathered in Islamabad against this very discrimination thats present in the system against us.

VOA Deewa contributed to this report.
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP said Saturday that it has cut its sales force in half and will stop promoting opioids to physicians, following widespread criticism of the ways that drugmakers market addictive painkillers.

The drugmaker said it will inform doctors Monday that its sales representatives will no longer be visiting physician offices to discuss its opioid products. It will now have about 200 sales representatives, Purdue said.

We have restructured and significantly reduced our commercial operation and will no longer be promoting opioids to prescribers, the Stamford, Connecticut-based company said in a statement.

New marketing push

Doctors with opioid-related questions will be directed to its medical affairs department. Its sales representatives will now focus on Symproic, a drug for treating opioid-induced constipation, and other potential non-opioid products, Purdue said.

Opioids were involved in more than 42,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Amid the opioid epidemic, Purdue and other drugmakers have been fighting a wave of lawsuits by states, counties and cities that have accused them of pushing addictive painkillers through deceptive marketing.

The lawsuits have generally accused Purdue of significantly downplaying the risk of addiction posed by OxyContin and of engaging in misleading marketing that overstated the benefits of opioids for treating chronic, rather than short-term, pain.

Lawsuits in 14 states

At least 14 states have sued the privately held Purdue. Most recently, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing Purdue of deceptively marketing prescription opioids to generate billions of dollars in sales.

Purdue is also facing a federal investigation by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Connecticut.

Purdue has denied the allegations in the various lawsuits.

It has said its drugs are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and account for only 2 percent of all opioid prescriptions.

Purdue and three executives previously pleaded guilty in 2007 to federal charges related to the misbranding of OxyContin and agreed to pay a total of $634.5 million to resolve a U.S. Justice Department probe.

That year, Purdue also reached a $19.5-million settlement with 26 states and the District of Columbia. It agreed in 2015 to pay $24 million to resolve a lawsuit by Kentucky.
STATE DEPARTMENT - Building on Vice President Mike Pence's recent visit to Cairo, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to strengthen a shared commitment between the United States and Egypt to fight terrorism.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with E FILE - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Jan. 20, 2018. FILE - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Jan. 20, 2018.

Tillerson is in Cairo to begin a five-country Middle East trip. He is also visiting Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, and Kuwait from February 11-16.



The chief U.S. diplomat is meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to discuss other regional security issues such as Libya and Syria, as well as Israeli-Palestinian issues.

Egypt has launched a major military offensive against militants on the Sinai peninsula, said to be a major counterterrorism operation.



Turkey



In Ankara, Tillerson will press Turkey to release Americans detained by Ankara, and urge the NATO ally to show restraint in military operations in northern Syria, according to senior U.S. officials.

"At times like this, engagement is all the more important," said a State Department official on Friday, while acknowledging, "It's going to be a difficult conversation."



The top U.S. diplomat's visit to Ankara comes amid escalated tensions between the two NATO allies over a series of disagreements, including human rights cases and the Syria crisis.



"Look, it's difficult. The rhetoric is hot, the Turks are angry and this is a difficult time to do business, but it's our belief that there are still some very fundamental underlying shared interests," the senior official said Friday.

Human rights activists stage a protest demanding t Human rights activists stage a protest demanding the release of Amnesty International's Taner Kilic, outside a court in Istanbul, Turkey, Jan. 31, 2018. Human rights activists stage a protest demanding the release of Amnesty International's Taner Kilic, outside a court in Istanbul, Turkey, Jan. 31, 2018.

The State Department says U.S. citizen Serkan Golge, a NASA scientist who was arrested in July 2016, was convicted "without credible evidence" on February 8 by Turkish authorities for being a member of a terror organization. On February 1, Amnesty International's Turkey chairman, Taner Kilic, was re-arrested and placed back in pretrial detention. Kilic is facing terrorism charges.

The State Department said it is deeply troubled by those cases and urged the Turkish government to "end the protracted state of emergency, to release those detained arbitrarily under emergency authorities, and to safeguard the rule of law consistent with Turkey's own domestic and international obligations and commitments."

In the year after a failed coup in July 2016, Turkey arrested more than 40,000 people and fired 125,000, including many from the police, army and judiciary.



Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Fethullah Gulen, an exiled cleric based in the Unitewd States, of orchestrating the attempted coup. Gulen has denied any role in the plot. Ankara has also asked Washington to extradite Gulen.

Turkish artillery fires toward Syrian Kurdish posi Turkish artillery fires toward Syrian Kurdish positions in Afrin area, Syria, from Turkish side of the border in Hatay, Turkey, Feb. 9, 2018. Turkish artillery fires toward Syrian Kurdish positions in Afrin area, Syria, from Turkish side of the border in Hatay, Turkey, Feb. 9, 2018.

The lack of trust between Washington and Ankara grew after Turkey started an air and ground offensive in Afrin, Syria, against a Kurdish group known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG. Turkey considers the YPG to be a terrorist organization, alleging it is an extension of a Kurdish group fighting for autonomy in Turkey for decades.



The United States denies those connections and sees the YPG as a key ally in the battle against Islamic State militants.

"We are urging them [Turkish authorities] to show restraint in their operations in Afrin, and to show restraint further along the line across the border in northern Syria," said a senior State Department official.



"We can work with them to address their legitimate security concerns while, at the same time, minimizing civilian casualties and above all else, keeping everything focused on the defeat ISIS fight, which is not over," he added, using the acronym of the Islamic State militants.

Jordan and Lebanon



In Amman, Tillerson will meet with the Jordanian leadership on the conclusion of a new memorandum of understanding on bilateral assistance, and discuss key regional issues, such as the ongoing crisis in Syria and Jordan's support for Middle East peace.

In Beirut, he will meet with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri to emphasize U.S. support for the Lebanese people and the Lebanese armed forces.

Ministerial meeting in Kuwait



The chief U.S. diplomat will also lead a delegation to the ministerial meeting in Kuwait of the 74-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. He will also participate in the Iraq Reconstruction Conference, which is the first since Islamic State was defeated in Raqqa, Syria and Iraq declared some of its own territory liberated.

The three-day Iraq Reconstruction Conference will showcase private sector investment opportunities and international support for Iraq.




They left their homes by the thousands, multiple waves of supporters and would-be foreign fighters who abandoned lives of relative comfort in the West to fight in Iraq and Syria  the majority ultimately aligning with the Islamic State terror group.

Now, with IS's self-declared caliphate in tatters, new studies are painting a complex picture of the threat the survivors pose to their home countries. And it runs contrary to what many Western intelligence officials first feared.

"It does not appear that returned foreign fighters represent the large-scale threat to Europe that was envisioned," concludes a report issued this month by the Egmont Institute, a Brussels think tank that looked at the dangers posed by 500 fighters from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands who have already returned.

"There are unlikely to be mass numbers of foreign fighters who launch major attacks," the report said. "If there were, hundreds or thousands of returnees from Syria would have already made the attempts."

Similar conclusion

A new U.S. study, by George Washington University's Program on Extremism, reached a similar conclusion.

"The risk of returned travelers being engaged in terrorist attacks has, to date, been limited," according to the study's authors.

"There is currently no publicly available evidence to suggest that American travelers have slipped into the country without the knowledge of authorities," they wrote. "Homegrown extremists currently appear to be more likely to commit domestic jihadist attacks than returning travelers."

In all, U.S. intelligence officials estimated that of the more than 40,000 foreign fighters who traveled to Syria and Iraq, only 5,000 to 6,000 came from Western countries, and only a small fraction of those were from the United States.

The exact number who successfully left from the U.S. is unclear. Officials have said only about 250 to 300 U.S.-based people left or tried to leave to join groups fighting in Syria.



The George Washington University study, a multiyear effort, found that at least 50 would-be travelers from the U.S. never made it, having been arrested before they were able to exit the country.

Of the remaining 200 or so who left or tried to leave the U.S., the study identified 64 so-called travelers who fought or otherwise supported Islamic State, al-Qaida and other groups in Syria and Iraq.

FILE - Arafat Nagi is shown in a 2013 arrest file FILE - Arafat Nagi is shown in a 2013 arrest file photo provided by the Lackawanna (N.Y.) Police Department. He pleaded guilty Jan. 22, 2018, to a charge of attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization. FILE - Arafat Nagi is shown in a 2013 arrest file photo provided by the Lackawanna (N.Y.) Police Department. He pleaded guilty Jan. 22, 2018, to a charge of attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization.

Only 12 of those travelers are known to have returned, the study said. Nine of them have been arrested and charged with terror-related crimes.

Twenty-two are thought to have died in Syria or Iraq. And the whereabouts of another 28 are unconfirmed.

None has successfully carried out an attack in the United States, the study said, with the lone plot stopped after the returned traveler was arrested early in his planning.



European statistics

Europe has not been as fortunate, where returning foreign fighters have successfully carried out attacks, starting with the May 2014 shooting at a Jewish museum in Brussels by French-Algerian foreign fighter Mehdi Nemmouche.

But since the November 2015 attack in Paris and the March 2016 attack on Brussels, the involvement of returning foreign fighters in terror attacks on European soil appears to have dissipated.

The findings, by both George Washington University and the Egmont Institute, are a far cry from warnings issued by top U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism officials less than two years ago, when many warned of an inevitable "terrorist diaspora" that would follow the fall of IS in Syria and Iraq.

"Those thousands of fighters are going to go someplace," James Comey, the former director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), told lawmakers at the time. "Our job is to spot them and stop them before they come to the United States to harm innocent people."

Yet over the past several months, U.S. and European officials have modified their expectations, agreeing the exodus they once feared has failed to materialize.

Instead, they have increasingly worried about the capabilities of the returning fighters, especially those who saw action on the battlefield and who remain committed to jihad.

"The quality of the fighters after the experience on the ground in Iraq and Syria is something we're paying very close attention to," one U.S. counterterrorism official told VOA.

Others have described these few returning foreign fighters as force-multipliers, capable of having a disproportionate effect. And they worry, in particular, about the Islamic State terror group, which has proven especially adept at maintaining lines of communication, even as its self-declared caliphate has collapsed.

A member of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forc FILE - A member of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces throws a bomb to check for more explosives as they clear the stadium that was the site of Islamic State fighters' last stand in the city of Raqqa, Syria, Oct. 18, 2017. FILE - A member of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces throws a bomb to check for more explosives as they clear the stadium that was the site of Islamic State fighters' last stand in the city of Raqqa, Syria, Oct. 18, 2017.

?IS seen as 'very active'

As recently as October, some European intelligence officials described IS's planning and communication wings as "very active," despite the fall of both its Iraqi capital of Mosul and its Syrian capital of Raqqa.

The Egmont Institute study warned that even after IS itself fades or morphs into something else, the relationships that have facilitated such communication could prove troublesome.

"Human connections that were established in Syria and Iraq will define jihadi networks for the coming decades," the study concluded. "European intelligence services will have to sustain their surveillance of those FTF [foreign terrorist fighters] remaining abroad [in the Middle East, Africa or Asia]."

Experts see other reasons to worry, as well, including the impact some of these foreign fighters can have on their home countries even from afar.

"These people who successfully make it into Iraq and Syria and join a foreign terrorist organization, they often do become the recruiters," said Mary McCord, a former acting assistant attorney general at the U.S. Justice Department's national security division.

"They are also oftentimes the ones who are going to reach out to people here in the U.S. and in Western Europe and in other countries and encourage homegrown attacks," McCord said.

And there are questions about what will happen with travelers or foreign fighters who return only to spend time in prison as many of them will eventually be freed.

Seamus Hughes, deputy director of George Washington University's Program on Extremism and a co-author of the GWU report, said the average prison sentence for those who traveled from the U.S. to take part in the fight in Syria and Iraq is only 10 years, shorter than the average prison terms handed out to would-be U.S.-based jihadists who were arrested at airports.

Hughes and his co-authors worry that the lack of deradicalization or disengagement programs could allow for problems in the future.

"If left unaddressed, returnees can augment jihadist networks in the U.S., provide others with knowledge about how to travel and conduct attacks, and serve as nodes in future jihadist recruitment," they wrote.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate begins debate this week on a topic Congress has left unaddressed for decades: immigration reform.

Yes, its going to happen right here  stay tuned, Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said in a recent floor speech. Next week could be historic.

President Donald Trump has consistently framed immigration reform as a security matter, first and foremost.

Glaring loopholes in our laws have allowed criminals and gang members to break into our country, Trump said in his weekly address, issued Sunday. During my State of the Union, I called on Congress to immediately close dangerous loopholes in federal law that have endangered our communities and imposed enormous burdens on U.S. taxpayers.

Of immediate concern to many lawmakers of both political parties are hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants soon to be at risk of deportation. Some Republicans also want to reshape and restrict legal immigration, which could have a major impact on those aspiring to come to America from around the world.

Trump set the stage for the upcoming debate last year, when he terminated Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, a program that granted temporary work and study permits to immigrants brought illegally to America as children, and gave Congress a March 5 deadline to address their plight.

At that point [March 5], 1,000 young people each day, on average, will lose their protection from deportation and their legal right to work in America, Durbin said.

FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump listens to U.S. FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump listens to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill., during a meeting with legislators on immigration reform at the White House in Washington, Jan. 9, 2018. FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump listens to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill., during a meeting with legislators on immigration reform at the White House in Washington, Jan. 9, 2018.

I see this as an opportunity for these individuals who have literally grown up in our country to be able to be full participants in our country, Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma said.

The president has made clear he wants more than a DACA fix.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen an Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and President Donald Trump listen to Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., during a meeting with law enforcement officials on the MS-13 street gang and border security, in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Feb. 6, 2018. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and President Donald Trump listen to Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., during a meeting with law enforcement officials on the MS-13 street gang and border security, in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Feb. 6, 2018.

We need the [border] wall. Were going to get the wall, Trump said at the White House last week. Weve identified three priorities for creating a safe, modern and lawful immigration system: securing the border, ending chain migration, and canceling the terrible visa lottery.

Aside from building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump has proposed lower the number of immigrants America accepts from around the world and prioritizing newcomers with advanced work skills.

Democrats say they are open to a smaller deal, legal status for DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers and beefing up U.S. borders.

Theres an appetite on both sides and in both chambers to get this done, both helping the Dreamers and border security, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said.

Senior Republican lawmakers say Trump deserves credit for the totality of his immigration proposal.

President Trump has done something that President Obama never did. Hes offered 1.8 million young adults who are currently DACA recipients and DACA-eligible an opportunity to get on a pathway to American citizenship, Republican Senator John Cornyn said. Thats an incredibly generous offer.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has not speculated what, if anything, the chamber might pass.

While I obviously cannot guarantee any outcome, let alone supermajority support, I can ensure the process is fair to all sides, and that is what I intend to do, McConnell said last week.

Were not going to solve the whole problem in this next week, Maine independent Senator Angus King warned. We are not going to solve all of the complicated  and believe me they are complicated  issues.

McConnell promised an open debate, meaning there is no time limit and senators of both parties can, in theory, offer an unlimited number of proposals for the chamber to consider. Anything the Senate approves would need to pass in the House of Representatives and get Trumps signature to become law.
The United States is urging allied nations to help deal with the growing number of foreign fighters that are being held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, saying the militants should be turned over to face justice in their home countries.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to raise the issue during a meeting in Rome this week with other members of the coalition that is fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

The SDF is currently holding thousands of IS detainees, including hundreds of foreign fighters from a number of nations. The issue became more prominent in recent days, after the announcement that the SDF had captured two notorious British members of an Islamic State cell who were commonly dubbed the Beatles and were known for beheading hostages.

U.S. officials have said putting the two in the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility is not an option. And British leaders have suggested they don't want the two men returned to Britain.

"We're working with the coalition on foreign fighter detainees, and generally expect these detainees to return to their country of origin for disposition," said Kathryn Wheelbarger, the principal deputy assistant defense secretary for international security affairs. "Defense ministers have the obligation and the opportunity to really explain to their other ministers or their other Cabinet officials just the importance to the mission, to the campaign, to make sure that there's an answer to this problem."

Speaking to reporters traveling with Mattis to Europe, Wheelbarger said the key goal is to keep the fighters off the battlefield and unable to travel to other cities.

"The capacity problem is very real," Wheelbarger said, noting that at one point the SDF was capturing as many as 40 militants a day. "Success in the campaign means you get more people off the battlefield. ... These facilities are eventually going to be full."

U.S. military officials have confirmed that El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey, who grew up in London, were captured in early January in eastern Syria.

U.S. officials have interrogated the men, who were part of the IS cell that captured, tortured and beheaded more than two dozen hostages, including American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and American aid worker Peter Kassig.

Hundreds of foreign citizens fought alongside IS as it took control of large parts of Syria, raising concerns that they will bring terrorism with them if they ever return home.

The legal issues are daunting. Most nations, including the U.S., would be unwilling to take back detainees unless they have the evidence to prosecute them, and that often is difficult to collect in such battlefield captures.

While officials say that Guantanamo is not a viable option for the two British insurgents, questions remain about any potential use of the facility. President Donald Trump issued an executive order last month that keeps the prison open, prompting speculation that additional detainees could be brought in.

A number of allies, however, have openly criticized the use of Guantanamo, where detainees have been held for years without trial. And experts have argued that the facility serves as a recruiting tool for extremist groups.

Former Islamic State hostages and families of the group's victims are saying that Elsheikh and Kotey should be brought to trial.

French journalist Nicolas Henin, who was held by the men and their comrades for 10 months, said he wants justice, and that the men should be tried in Britain, not shipped to Guantanamo Bay, because revenge will just breed more violence.

"What I'm looking for is justice and Guantanamo is a denial of justice," he told The Associated Press.

Wheelbarger said the detainee problem is just one of the issues the defense ministers will discuss during the meeting.

The Islamic State group has been largely defeated in Iraq and is near destruction in Syria, where pockets of insurgents still operate along the Euphrates River, near the Iraq border and in other scattered locations. As a result, the coalition is shifting from an emphasis on combat operations to stabilization.

"There are numerous questions about what's next," said Mattis.

He said that will include ensuring that explosive devices are found and eliminated, getting schools re-opened and making sure clean water is available.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The World Health Organization is calling for resolute action to end violence against children. WHO's appeal comes in advance of a meeting in Stockholm, Sweden this week that will seek solutions to the problem of violence, which affects one out of every two children on this planet.



The upcoming conference will explore ways to achieve the U.N.'s sustainable development goal of ending violence against children by 2030. But, the statistics weigh heavily against this aspiration.



The World Health Organization reports one half of the two billion children on earth, aged between two and 17, are victims of physical, sexual or emotional violence, or neglect. This violence, it says, occurs in the home behind closed doors or in schools. It involves bullying and violent behavior between young people. It says violence thrives in situations of conflict and other fragile settings.



The ultimate consequence of violence is death. WHO Director of Non-Communicable Diseases, Etienne Krug, says homicide is one of the three leading causes of death for adolescents.



"But, beyond that, there are also for those that survive, which is the vast majority a wide array of health consequences  mental health consequences, depression, anxiety, insomnia, changes in behavior," he said. "They are more likely to smoke, to drink alcohol, to engage in risky sexual behavior, which leads to HIV, NCDs, etc."



Krug says violence is not inevitable.It is predictable and preventable. He says the Stockholm conference will consider seven strategies for ending violence against children.



These include the enforcement of laws against this practice, changing norms so violence is no longer acceptable, dealing with aggressive behavior of boys, creating safer environments and teaching young parents how to be good parents.
The U.S. Senate is set to begin an unusual debate on immigration Monday. The debate is unusual because it will begin with a blank slate instead of an actual piece of legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will open discussion with a shell bill that has no immigration provisions in it. Lawmakers will then propose amendments or provisions that will fill up the shell.

The Kentucky Republican has said the amendment process "will ensure a level playing field at the outset."

Lawmakers are expected to discuss the fate of immigrant youths now benefiting from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was implemented during the Obama administration. It has allowed young people who were brought into the country illegally as children to gain temporary protection from deportation and permission to work. Its beneficiaries are often referred to as Dreamers, a name taken from a legislative effort that would have provided similar protections but was not passed.

President Donald Trump rescinded the program last September but gave Congress until March 5 to come up with a legislative replacement.

Senators on Monday are also expected to discuss a proposed border wall, the diversity visa lottery, family sponsorship visas and just about anything else that comes under the heading of immigration reform.

No 'permanent fix' seen

So what legislation will come of all this?

Not much, said Alex Nowrasteh, a researcher with the libertarian Cato Institute. Nowrasteh told VOA he did not see a "permanent fix" coming out of Senate after next week's debate.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., lis FILE - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., listens to questions from reporters as he walks to his office after speaking on the Senate floor at the Capitol, Jan. 21, 2018, in Washington. FILE - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., listens to questions from reporters as he walks to his office after speaking on the Senate floor at the Capitol, Jan. 21, 2018, in Washington.

"At best, we can hope for a bridge bill, a bill that delays or allows some DACA recipients to extend it for a short period of time in exchange for border security," he said.

Sarah Pierce, a policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute, has an even darker view. "As much as my gut is telling me that an ultimate bill could have just border security and a DREAM Act component," she told VOA, "the White House is really going to be the final determinant in whether or not such bill could go through."

And President Donald Trump has said that no bill will meet his approval unless it contains his "four pillars": funding for the border wall, the end of the diversity visa lottery, a switch from family-based immigration to merit-based immigration and a solution for DACA recipients.

McConnell's decision to have a shell bill on the floor was not made because Congress lacks other options.

Republicans have introduced several bills to try to resolve the immigration impasse, among them the Senate's RAISE Act and the House's Secure America's Future Act  both of which call for comprehensive immigration reform and have Trump's support.

Nowrasteh said no proposed legislation has a chance of getting the 60 votes needed to pass. He said another bill, the United and Securing America Act introduced in the House, is a "much more modern" approach to immigration. This narrow bill would give DACA recipients a chance to apply for permanent residency in the U.S. while also increasing funds for border security. A companion bill was introduced Tuesday in the Senate  and almost instantly was rejected by Trump.

FILE-Maria Angelica Ramirez carries a large key re FILE-Maria Angelica Ramirez carries a large key reading "My Dream" during a protest outside the office of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Congress passing a clean Dream Act. FILE-Maria Angelica Ramirez carries a large key reading "My Dream" during a protest outside the office of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Congress passing a clean Dream Act.

But Nowrasteh was no more optimistic about these bills: "There's not going to be a bill that's passed that resolves this issue."

'Really interesting' week

Debate begins a week before the Senate's February recess and just a few weeks before March 5, when DACA recipients' protection will begin to phase out.

It is going to be a "really interesting" week," Pierce said, noting that the senators' amendments could have serious consequences for many people. And while almost 700,000 undocumented young people are protected by DACA, many others aren't.

"The Migration Policy Institute has estimated that there are 3.6 million individuals who are in the United States, who are unauthorized, who were brought back here under the age of 18," Pierce said. So, any bill, according to Pierce, is going to be addressing a subgroup of that population.

Other factors that concern her are what kinds of benefits might be extended to the young undocumented population.

"Will it be a path to legal status and citizenship or will it simply be an extension of this temporary nonlegal status that they currently hold?  So, in one week of debate, are they really going to be able to solve that issue? I think that's very much an open question," Pierce said.
A statement from the White House press secretary Sunday affirmed that Israel is a staunch ally of the United States, and we support its right to defend itself from the Iranian-backed Syrian and militia forces in southern Syria.

The statement follows Israels attack Saturday on a dozen Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria. Israel conducted the air strikes after anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli warplane returning from a raid on Iranian-backed positions in Syria. Earlier Israel said it had shot down an Iranian drone launched from Syria after it entered Israeli territory late Friday.

The White House statement urged Iran and its allies to cease provocative actions and work toward regional peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Jan. 28, 2018. FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Jan. 28, 2018.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet Sunday "We will continue to harm anyone who tries to harm us." That "has been our policy," the prime minister said, " and that will continue to be our policy.

Also Sunday, a spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general said that "all concerned in Syria and the region have a responsibility and must abide by international law and relevant Security Council resolutions." The secretary-general has also called for "all to work for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence and exercise restraint."

US: Israel entitled to protect itself

On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Defense also said that Israel is entitled to protect itself against acts of aggression.

Israel is our closest security partner in the region and we fully support Israels inherent right to defend itself against threats to its territory and its people, said Pentagon spokesman Adrian Rankine-Galloway, who added the U.S. was not involved in the attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

I reiterated to him our obligation and right to defend ourselves against attacks from Syrian territory, he said. We agreed coordination between our armies would continue, said Netanyahu, who also discussed the strike with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Syria: New Israeli aggression

Syrias state media said earlier Saturday Syria is responding to new Israeli aggression, following the Israeli raid.

In Saturdays raid, an Israeli F-16 fighter jet was downed by the Syrian Army with anti-aircraft fire.

The Israeli pilots were able to eject themselves from their aircraft, the IDF said. Israel said one pilot was severely injured in the emergency evacuation, while another pilot was slightly injured.

Feras Shehabi, a Syrian lawmaker, said Syrias response to Israels assault signals a major shift in the balance of power in favor of Syria and the axis of resistance. He said Israelis must realize they no longer have superiority in the skies or on the ground.

IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Ronen Manelis said, Iran is dragging the region into a situation in which it doesnt know how it will end. We are prepared for a variety of incidents ...whoever is responsible for this incident is the one who will pay the price.

The Syrian attack resulted in air raid sirens being activated in the Golan Heights and Beit Shean, but no casualties were reported.

The IDF will continue to operate against attempts to infiltrate Israeli airspace and will act with determination to prevent any violations of Israels sovereignty, an IDF spokesperson said Saturday.
Delivering warm Tet greetings to the Vietnamese expats, Ambassador Luan Thuy Duong informed the participants of Vietnams achievements in 2017 like economic growth, corruption fighting and APEC Year 2017 as well as the sound bilateral relations with Myanmar.She called on Vietnamese businesses and people in Myanmar to strengthen solidarity, obey rules and respect culture of the host nation. They should join hands to popularise Vietnams images to Myanmar friends, making contributions to nurturing the comprehensive cooperative partnership between the two countries, she said.The Vietnamese diplomat noted that the embassy stands ready to support Vietnamese companies and people in Myanmar.Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos organised a reception on February 9 to welcome Tet holiday.The event was attended by Lao Minister of Defence Chansamone Chanyalath, head of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party Central Committees Commission for Propaganda and Training Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, representatives from Lao ministries and authorities, Vietnamese expats and businesses in Laos.Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung noted that cooperative relations between the two countries have been deepened in the fields of politics-diplomacy, security-defence, culture-education. Particularly, 12 cooperative deals inked at the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee last month will create impetus for bilateral collaboration in the coming years.He hailed the Vietnamese communitys contributions to the socio-economic development in both countries and thanked the Lao Government for creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese nationals living and doing business in Laos.For his part, Lao Defence Minister Chansamone Chanyalath congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in national construction and socio-economic development.He expressed his deep gratitude for Vietnamese Party, Government and peoples support for Laos during the national liberation, protection and development.He affirmed that Laos will accompany with Vietnam to nurture and preserve the special traditional solidarity founded by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane.The function featured Vietnamese traditional dishes and art performances extolling Vietnam-Laos solidarity.Earlier on February 6, Lao Ambassador to the US Mai Sayavongs delivered New Year greetings to Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh and all staff of the embassy in Washington D.C.

VNS
MARIB, YEMEN - Along a narrow road in Yemen, choked by natural gas tankers and heavily armed soldiers, lies an ancient temple neglected and threatened in a nation now at war.

The Awwam Temple links a region now on the front lines of the Saudi-led war against Shiite rebels to Arabias pre-Islamic past, a time of spice caravans and the mysterious Queen of Sheba.

Experts fear the temple, as well as other historic and cultural wonders across Yemen beyond those acknowledged by international authorities, remains at risk as the countrys stalemated war rages on.

All the villages are historic in a way, said Anna Paolini, the director of UNESCOs regional office in Qatar that oversees Yemen and Gulf Arab nations. Theyre still heritage of the country. Its sad to see whats happening.

FILE - A pediatrician attends to a boy infected wi FILE - A pediatrician attends to a boy infected with diphtheria at the al-Sadaqa teaching hospital in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, Dec. 18, 2017. FILE - A pediatrician attends to a boy infected with diphtheria at the al-Sadaqa teaching hospital in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, Dec. 18, 2017.

?War's tragedies

The nearly 3-year-old Yemen war has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced 2 million and helped spawn a devastating cholera epidemic in the Arab worlds poorest country. Amid its humanitarian crises, Yemens culture and historical sites also have been affected.

Saudi-led airstrikes have destroyed historic mud homes in Saada, the birthplace of the Shiite rebels known as Houthis. Airstrikes also have hit the over 2,500-year-old Old City in Yemens rebel-held capital of Sanaa, a UNESCO World Heritage site for its intricately decorated burnt-brick towers. Shelling and airstrikes also have struck museums and other sites in the country. In 2015, airstrikes damaged part of the Great Marib Dam, near the Awwam Temple and built by the same civilization, according to UNESCO.

Even just the shockwaves of an explosion in the distance can be enough to damage delicate structures. UNESCO has shared coordinates of some 50 historical sites with militaries involved in the fighting to try to protect them, Paolini said, though many remain unguarded now in the chaos of the war.

Although weve seen less collateral damage and targeting of heritage, it still happens, she said.

Foreign historians and archaeologists also fled the country over the fighting, halting work at sites like the Awwam Temple, also known as the Mahram Bilqis. Scholars believe the temple, with parts dating to the 7th century B.C., served as a shrine to the god Almaqah.

A Yemeni official explores the Awwam Temple, also A Yemeni official explores the Awwam Temple, also known as the Mahram Bilqis, in Marib, Yemen, Feb. 3, 2018. A Yemeni official explores the Awwam Temple, also known as the Mahram Bilqis, in Marib, Yemen, Feb. 3, 2018.

?Queen of Sheba

The nearby city of Marib was the capital of the Saba dynasty, which ruled the area for centuries before the birth of Christ. The kingdom built the Great Marib Dam and controlled spice and incense trade routes. The legendary Queen of Sheba, said in the Bible to have visited King Solomon in the 10th century B.C., has been linked to Saba, though Ethiopians claim her as their own.

She gave the king ... gold, large quantities of spices and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon, the enigmatic Bible story goes. King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for. ... Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

The Sabaean dynasty later succumbed to challenges from other kingdoms and the Great Dam gave way in the 6th century A.D. Islam quickly spread across the Arabian Peninsula soon after. Islams holy book, the Quran, blames the dam collapse on Sabaeans being ungrateful to God.

An official points to ancient South Arabian script An official points to ancient South Arabian script at the Awwam Temple, also known as the Mahram Bilqis, in Marib, Yemen, Feb. 3, 2018. An official points to ancient South Arabian script at the Awwam Temple, also known as the Mahram Bilqis, in Marib, Yemen, Feb. 3, 2018.

?Marib then and now

Marib, which has grown into a city where many displaced by Yemens war now live and gunfire echoes through the day and night, has never been a particularly easy place in modern history. Famed American archaeologist and oilman Wendell Phillips began excavation of the Awwam Temple in 1951, but had to abandon all his equipment and flee raiding Bedouin tribesmen with his team.

Associated Press correspondent Wilton Wynn and his photographer wife, Leila, visited the temple in 1957 on a royal tour of the then-Kingdom of Yemen, apparently becoming the first Americans since Phillips to see the ruins. Wynn described Marib at the time as so remote our plane was lost for more than a half hour trying to find it.

After the dam burst, the city of Sheba was drowned and the kingdom never recovered, Wynn wrote in his AP dispatch. Its population drifted away, leading to tribes moving to Syria, Mesopotamia and Palestine.

German archaeologists resumed work in the region in 1988, though foreign tourists remained a target of militants and tribesmen eager for ransom money. In July 2007, a suspected al-Qaida militant detonated a suicide car bomb in a crowd of tourists, killing eight Spaniards and two Yemenis.

FILE - Two Yemenis stand near a column bearing anc FILE - Two Yemenis stand near a column bearing ancient South Arabian script at the Awwam Temple, also known as the Mahram Bilqis in Marib, Yemen, in February 1957. FILE - Two Yemenis stand near a column bearing ancient South Arabian script at the Awwam Temple, also known as the Mahram Bilqis in Marib, Yemen, in February 1957.

?A fence for protection

Today, a simple fence surrounds the temple, just off a heavily guarded road leading to a Saudi coalition air base and an oil refinery. A watchman lives in a small makeshift shack against the fence with his children.

Foreign journalists and officials on a recent tour of Yemen organized by Saudi Arabia slipped through a large hole in the fence to marvel at the ancient South Arabian script inscriptions on stones inside. Some still bore what appeared to be red paint.

Eight limestone pillars towered over the site, though weathered, chipped and marred by the occasional bit of graffiti. A Yemeni militiaman with a Kalashnikov assault rifle over his shoulder quickly shimmied up between two pillars, looking down with a smile at what was one of ancient Yemens holiest sites.
Stratovolcano 1536 m / 5,039 ftKamchatka, 54.05N / 159.43E(3 out of 5)1771, 1830, 1852, 1854, 1908, 1911, 1912, 1915, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1929, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1996 - ongoingDoninantly explosive, construction of lava domes, near constant activity.(volcano expedition to Kamchatka)

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Karymsky, the most active volcano of Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone, is a symmetrical stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera that formed during the early Holocene. The caldera cuts the south side of the Pleistocene Dvor volcano and is located outside the north margin of the large mid-Pleistocene Polovinka caldera, which contains the smaller Akademia Nauk and Odnoboky calderas. Most seismicity preceding Karymsky eruptions originated beneath Akademia Nauk caldera, which is located immediately south of Karymsky volcano. The caldera enclosing Karymsky volcano formed about 7600-7700 radiocarbon years ago; construction of the Karymsky stratovolcano began about 2000 years later. The latest eruptive period began about 500 years ago, following a 2300-year quiescence. Much of the cone is mantled by lava flows less than 200 years old. Historical eruptions have been vulcanian or vulcanian-strombolian with moderate explosive activity and occasional lava flows from the summit crater.

Hekla, Katla, Krafla, Askja, Eyafjallajokull, Heimaey, Surtsey are famous names of active volcanoes, but there are many more in Iceland.

This beautiful stratovolcano in western Mexico is one of the most active volcanoes on the American continents. It is known for its often spectacular explosions and sometimes glowing avalanches.

11-16 Feb 2019: short-notice special tour to see the ongoing eruption of Karangetang volcano in northern Indonesia. Starting and ending in Manado. Small group 2-6 people, experienced volcano expedition leader from our team (Andi).

Look at one of the most surreal landscapes on Earth, created by hot springs, colorful salt deposits and volcanic gas vents.

We organize tours to particularly active volcanoes and during ongoing eruptions for extended observation time from various viewpoints. These trips, exclusively for very small groups, are often announced only at short notice and require fast travel and flexibility. Each trip is accompanied by a volcanologist from our team. Examples include: Kilauea (Hawai'i), Colima (Mexico), Krakatau and many others.

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HARTFORD  Connecticut saw 11 more flu-related deaths over the past week, according to a release from the state Department of Public Health.

The number of flu-related deaths has reached 63 in Connecticut as of Feb. 3, the department said. From Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, the department saw visits to the statewide emergency department increase by 14.2 percent  the highest weekly flu level observed in the state since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. State Public Health Commissioner Raul Pino said its possible this years flu season has not even hit its pinnacle yet.

There are two strains of the flu plaguing the state  flu A and flu B. Fifty of the cases are associated with flu A and 13 with flu B. Of the deaths around the state, 52 were among patients over 65, six were 50 to 64, three were 25 to 49, one was between 19 and 24 and one was between 5 and 17. So far, 3,895 influenza-positive laboratory tests have been reported this season. Of those, 1,360 patients have been hospitalized.

Nursing homes fined

FAIRFIELD  The state Department of Public Health has fined six Connecticut nursing homes for violations that resulted in injuries to residents.

Ludlowe Center for Health & Rehabilitation in Fairfield was fined $1,530 after a resident suffered leg fractures while being moved from a shower. The resident, who required the help of two staff members for transfers, became weak when exiting a shower on May 4, and a nurses aide lowered the resident to the floor without help, according to DPH. The resident had tibia and fibula fractures and was taken to a hospital.

Cheshire Regional Rehabilitation Center was fined $3,000 after a resident, who required staff assistance to eat, was left alone and choked on a roll. Whitney Rehabilitation Care Center in Hamden was fined $1,950 after a resident fell from a bed and broke an arm. Wolcott Hall Nursing Center in Torrington was fined $1,530 after a nurses aide was abusive to a resident. Apple Rehab Laurel Woods in East Haven was fined $1,530 after a resident fell when being transferred by a family member into a car during a leave of absence. Cobalt Lodge Health Care and Rehabilitation Center in East Hampton was fined $540 after a resident went six days without receiving medication.
OTTAWA  The Liberal government says itll do what it can to help curb Winnipegs growing meth problem, but a leading expert says Ottawa can only play a limited role.

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This article was published 11/2/2018 (1310 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The Liberal government says itll do what it can to help curb Winnipegs growing meth problem, but a leading expert says Ottawa can only play a limited role.

"There isnt really a lot the federal government can do. (It doesnt) have a lot of levers," said Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association.

Last week, Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth said the citys methamphetamine epidemic was putting strain on frontline officers, with meth busts rising over the past two years because its price keeps dropping.

Officials raised the issue at a meeting involving Mayor Brian Bowman, deputy premier Heather Stefanson and federal Energy Minister Jim Carr, who is the only Manitoban in the federal cabinet.

The meeting was aimed at clearing a logjam between the Trudeau and Pallister governments over issues such as infrastructure projects and carbon taxes. A memorandum released after the Jan. 18 meeting said the three also discussed Winnipegs meth crisis.

"It was raised, and all governments agreed it was a growing problem, and that we would co-operate fully to combine our efforts to combat it," Carr said Friday. "Were determined to work co-operatively within our own jurisdictions to do whatever we can to help ease the crisis.

Culbert said its not surprising meth is Winnipegs main drug problem, noting the citys location makes it tough to import heroin from Asia. "Every city has a drug of choice, and it changes over time," he said.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The falling price of methamphetamine has played a role in it becoming Winnipegs drug of choice.

Experts say the fentanyl crisis was partially borne out of doctors over-prescribing opioid painkillers, and governments have imposed restrictions to change that. Meth, however, is made in home labs and isnt a conventional drug sold in pharmacies, meaning there is less Ottawa can do to curb its use.

"I think its a bigger picture of creating a drug strategy that isnt just about the substances themselves, but a broader look at why so many people need to numb their physical or emotional pain," Culbert suggested.

He said it requires tackling social issues and poverty.

"More times than not its an emotional pain that they dont have tools to deal with otherwise. So where is that coming from? And what are we doing about that?"

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Last week, Winnipeg Liberal MP Doug Eyolfson, a medical doctor, sponsored a petition calling on Ottawa to make available some cold medications only by prescription, when they contain pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient thats used to manufacture meth. The petition was drafted by the provincial Liberals.

Culbert said that petition is well-intentioned, but the trade-off of inconveniencing patients and health-care workers wouldnt be worth it.

"The barrier you create for legitimate users is going to put an undue burden on the health system," he said.

Culbert said it would mean people who have a cold would go to doctors offices and spread germs in order to get Sudafed or Allegra-D, and pharmacists would have another set of drugs to log and monitor.

He suggested those drugs could instead be put behind the counter, which can help pharmacists deter people who keep asking for the same drug.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
Hundreds of people answered Indigenous calls for a day of action in response to Fridays not-guilty verdict in the trial Gerald Stanley, a Saskatchewan farmer who was on trial for second-degree murder in the shooting death of Colten Boushie, a 22-year-old Cree man, at Stanleys farm.

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This article was published 10/2/2018 (1311 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hundreds of people answered Indigenous calls for a day of action in response to Fridays not-guilty verdict in the trial Gerald Stanley, a Saskatchewan farmer who was on trial for second-degree murder in the shooting death of Colten Boushie, a 22-year-old Cree man, at Stanleys farm.

In Winnipeg, they braved bitter cold and a wind chill of -24 C to gather at The Forks for a peace rally that honoured the Boushie family. They listened solemnly to prayers and calls for reforms to Canadas justice system made in Cree, Ojibway and English.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Drummers lead the peace rally as they march to and from the Law Courts Building and The Forks.

Similar rallies and marches took place across Canada in response to public outrage over the verdict and an overnight social-media campaign that swept the nation in response.

An estimated 500 people filled the Oodena Celebration Circle at The Forks, many of them Indigenous and many who were not.

"This is a reminder walk, a reminder to this country that we are still here. We are not going anywhere. We are here today to commit to a spirit of change," one rally organizer, University of Manitoba native studies professor Niigaan Sinclair said in opening remarks.

Stanleys second-degree murder trial wrapped up in North Battleford, Sask., Friday night with the acquittal of the accused. Court heard Stanley fired three shots after an SUV pulled into his farmyard near Biggar, Sask., the night of Aug. 9, 2016 and that the death was accidental.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A man bears silent witness with his banner at The Forks.

Many couldnt understand how the verdict could have been reached.

"Im here because there is such a sense of injustice," said university professor Shirley Thompson, who marched with an estimated 500 people from The Forks.

By the time the march traced its way with a Bear Clan escort and a couple of truckers with drummers along Broadway to the Law Courts Building, the march had swelled to nearly 1,000.

"This was an all-white jury," the university professor added as she reached the courthouse. "And Im concerned about the inequality. Not just with justice, but with living standards for Indigenous people in Canada".

Manitobas three grand chiefs joined organizers at both locations to urge Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians to unite and push for justice reform.

Northern Grand Chief Sheila North told the crowd the Boushie family was aware of the rallies and was gathering strength from the public support.

"We are standing united against violence, against racism and against injustice," North said. Her office issued a joint statement Saturday with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indigenous Nations that said there are many Indigenous mothers who share the pain of the Boushie family, when their children are lost, removed or jailed in Canada.

Assembly of First Nations vice-chief Kevin Hart described the trial and verdict as a "dark day in Canadas history."

Manitobas Leader of the Opposition, NDP leader Wab Kinew, attended the rally along with St. Johns NDP MLA Nahanni Fontaine.

"This is very emotional for a lot of people and its important to take time to recognize why people are mad. There is a sense as Indigenous people we are not treated like other Canadians who come before the justice system," Kinew said.

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By the time a second round of speeches got underway at the doors of the courthouse, some in the crowd openly expressed their frustration, swearing as they shouted.

A ring of women with hand drums sang healing songs in front of the courthouse doors and Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlen Dumas addressed non-Indigenous supporters in the crowd.

"We must not let this go away quietly. Listen to the difficulties we have. We need you to come and advocate on behalf of us because, in the end, you are advocating for yourselves. In a second it can happen to you. We must advocate for change and the only way we can do that is to come together like this," Dumas said.

Organizers initially planned a second stop in the march, at the RCMP D Division headquarters several kilometres to the west on Portage Avenue at Dominion Street, but called the march short at the courts because of the cold.

"Youve turned out on a very cold day to walk here and that is love. We will keep going forward and continue to call for change," rally organizer Leah Gazan told the crowd before the event wrapped up at the Law Courts.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
LOS ANGELES  On his last stop in a three-day visit to California, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti at Griffith Park on Saturday for an early morning hike.

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This article was published 11/2/2018 (1310 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LOS ANGELES  On his last stop in a three-day visit to California, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti at Griffith Park on Saturday for an early morning hike.

The two men, wearing shorts and T-shirts, met briefly with reporters at Griffith Observatory. Garcetti noted that Canada was a major trading partner with the city.

"Mr. Prime Minister, its such an honour to receive you here in Los Angeles," Garcetti said, amid overcast skies and cool temperatures. "We brought a little Canadian weather to make you feel right at home."

"This isnt Canadian weather," Trudeau said with a laugh, not bothering to mention that the overnight low in Ottawa was -8 C.

Garcetti thanked Trudeau for the time he spent connecting with key industries in California, emphasizing that the friendship with Canada is "critically important to us."

"This is the largest collection of Canadians outside of Canada here in Southern California and were very proud of that," Garcetti said. "It shows why these relationships are so important at a time when we need to have more bridges and more connections and not more divisions."

Trudeau, alternating between French and English, answered a few questions from reporters. At one point, he touched on immigration, calling it a "source of strength."

"Canadians know that having a strong (immigration) process  where we ensure security, ensure that people coming are going to be able to be successful  is integral to keeping a strong system," Trudeau said.

Trudeau emphasized that there has always been a strong relationship between Canada and the U.S.

"I continue to engage regularly and constructively with U.S. President (Donald) Trump," Trudeau said.

"Theres things we dont agree on, but theres a lot we do agree on as well, and looking for common ground and trying to build shared prosperity here in North America is something we agree very much on."

Afterward, Trudeau joined Garcetti for the weekend hike the mayor usually takes with friends and family. As the pair made their way toward the Mount Hollywood hiking trail, star-struck hikers and residents snapped photos.

Monica Santino, along with Ron Basical and his wife, Kira, were outside the observatory when Trudeau passed and greeted them with a wave and a "hello."

"He was super friendly," said Santino, a Pasadena resident. "He seems very personable and very unassuming."

On Friday night, Trudeau spoke at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. A California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer accompanying his motorcade was injured in a crash after Trudeau left the library.

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The officer was sent to a local hospital, where he was treated for moderate injuries. Trudeau and Garcetti told reporters Saturday that the officer was doing well.

The mayor said the officer suffered a broken clavicle, "but hes going to heal, hes going to be OK."

On Friday, Trudeau met privately with Gov. Jerry Brown and Lt.-Gov. Gavin Newsom in San Francisco to discuss economic, health-care and environmental issues. The day before, the prime minister lobbied Silicon Valley tech companies to invest more in Canada.

On the hike, Trudeau and Garcetti got a good workout and learned that they had a lot in common, Garcetti said.

The mayor also managed to snag an invite to visit Trudeau in Canada.

 Los Angeles Times
The story of Nigel, a seabird who lived and died among concrete decoys on a rocky New Zealand island, flew around the world last week. It was widely received as a tragedy.

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This article was published 11/2/2018 (1310 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The story of Nigel, a seabird who lived and died among concrete decoys on a rocky New Zealand island, flew around the world last week. It was widely received as a tragedy.

Here was a beautiful gannet bird who had been lured to a strange place by humans. In the face of solitude, he directed his mating instincts toward a false love interest: a painted decoy, still and stone-hearted, eternally oblivious to his wooing. Years passed, no other gannets arrived, and there Nigel died, alone in the nest he built his cement princess.

Conservationists, however, are not mourning his fate. Nigel, they say, was a hero among gannets  a tragic hero, maybe, but a hero nonetheless.

"He was a pioneering spirit," said Stephen Kress, vice-president of bird conservation at the National Audubon Society. "Was he a brave pioneer or a foolish pioneer? I would think of him as a brave pioneer, because it isnt easy to live on the edge like that."

Kress knows something about being a pioneer. In the early 1970s, he came up with the idea of using decoys and recorded bird calls to attract seabirds to islands. He was trying to re-establish a colony of Atlantic puffins on Eastern Egg Rock, a Maine island where hunters had wiped out the birds a century before. The method he was using  moving chicks to the island and hoping theyd come back to nest there  was not working. They werent returning.

Then Kress had a revelation.

"It kind of hit me one day that the thing that was missing for this highly social bird, that always nests in colonies, was others of its kind," Kress said. "I put out some decoys, and almost immediately puffins started appearing."

He also broadcast puffin calls, because puffins are vocal. And he put out mirrors, because although the birds were savvy enough to lose interest in an immobile model, they seemed "fooled" into believing their own reflections were peers, Kress said. As of last summer, Eastern Egg Rock was home to 172 puffin breeding pairs. And Kresss method, known as "social attraction," is now used worldwide to start seabird colonies on islands.

That includes in New Zealand, where gannets are not endangered, but are clustered in just a few places. Wildlife officials would like them to be "more geographically diverse," said Chris Bell, a conservation ranger who is the sole human inhabitant of Mana Island, where Nigel made his home. Mana was deemed a good site for a gannet social attraction project because invasive predators have been eradicated and because the birds, with their fertilizing guano, could help "restore the kind of ecosystem (the island) had before humans arrived," he said in an email.

Yet such projects depend on birds that defy their deep instinct to return to their birthplace  a tendency known as philopatry. In other words, success depends on Nigels.

"Without birds like Nigel, there wouldnt be any new colonies. The species would be locked into this philopatric pattern," leaving it vulnerable to wipeouts caused by introduced predators or sea-level rise or illness, Kress said.

"Hes a hero! He gave it all for the species. He tried."

The Mana project began in 1988, when schoolchildren first painted gannet decoys, but it was not until 2015 that a real one  Nigel  showed up. By staying, Bell said, Nigel acted as a living, breathing advertisement for the spot. In recent months, after Bell and colleagues moved the speakers playing gannet calls closer to the decoy colony, three more gannets showed up.

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Gannets "like to see that other birds have gone there before they trust a place," he said. "The three regular birds we currently have are Nigels legacy."

Despite the birds isolation, Bell said New Zealand conservation officials never considered relocating Nigel. Gannets are known to fly thousands of kilometres between Australia and New Zealand; Mana Island is located three kilometres from New Zealands North Island.

"Nigel was a free agent," said Bell, who added that officials are performing a necropsy to confirm the birds cause of death, which they suspect was old age. His infatuation with a decoy "was odd behaviour for a gannet, but every group has their individuals."

Many seabirds attracted to islands by decoys leave early on, Kress said. Nigel may simply have seen advantages in Mana that his fellow gannets did not: a sense of peace, a lack of crowds, a strife-free relationship.

"Either theyre going to attract other members of their kind, or theyll give up and theyll leave," Kress said. "Nigel could have done either of those things. But time caught up with him."

 Washington Post
UPDATE with Schiff interview video Is Donald Trump just an epaulet away from being a dictator? According to Bill Mahers on-going Dictators Checklist, it appears so.

With Trumps announcement this week that hed love a military parade, Maher was able to cross off yet another entry on the authoritarian to-do list he unveiled on an episode of last seasons Real Time With Bill Maher.

That puts the president within one still-to-be-checked item for a perfect 10. All he needs is Military Costume.

Its pretty scary, Maher said, somewhere between a joke and a wince. The roster before tonight: narcissism and name or face on buildings; family members in positions of power; rallies; his own propaganda outlet (Fox, said Maher); using the office for personal financial gain; aligned with other other dictators and strongmen; claims minorities are responsible for the countrys problems; and you lie so freely that people dont know what the truth is anymore.

The last one, the one he hasnt done?, said Maher. Military costume.

Thats the day I have to resign, said panelist April Ryan, White House correspondent for the American Urban Radio Network.

Itll be Real Time from Vancouver, Maher quipped.

Also on tonights show, Rep. Adam Schiff, Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, lambasted Trump for blocking the Democrats rebuttal to the Nunes Memo, sarcastically ascribing the presidents decision to a newfound admiration for the FBI. (See the interview above.)

During the YouTube-only Overtime segment of the show, Schiff told Maher that he and Devin Nunes, the California Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who composed the controversial four-page memo that Trump did release, used to get along very well together.

Story continues

Same home state, same support and love of the Oakland Raiders, Schiff said.

And he didnt use to be a nut, Maher interjected.

I think what happened, Schiff continued, is the Chairman got very close to the president during the campaign. He was part of the transition team. He had a seat at the table. Thats a very heady thing, and then when he was put in charge of the investigation, he still wanted a seat at the table, and he couldnt do both credibly. And the investigation is what suffered.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxEmwdd97j4&w=605&h=340]

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Two days after top Trump aide Rob Porter resigned amid domestic abuse allegations from his two ex-wives, President Donald Trump is weighing in for the first time and showing support for his former staff secretary.

We wish him well. He worked very hard, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, according to a pool report.

The president added that it is a tough time for Porter.

As you probably know he says he is innocent, Trump said, adding that Porter did very well in the White House.

Porters ex-wives, Jennifer Willoughby and Colbie Holderness, alleged to The Daily Mail on Wednesday that he was physically and verbally abusive to them during their respective marriages.

On Friday, Willoughby, Porters second ex-wife, appeared on the Today show, where she said she took out a temporary protective order against her then-husband after he pulled her wet and naked out of the shower to continue the rage during an argument.

She also alleged that Porter punched in the door of a home she was staying in during their separation.

In a statement read by White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders at a press conference on Wednesday, Porter denied Willoughby and Holderness allegations  including photos The Daily Mail published showing Holderness with a bruised right eye, which she claims was the result of Porter punching her in the face during a trip to Italy in the mid-2000s.

These outrageous allegations are simply false, Porter wrote. I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described.

Porter also alleged that Willoughby and Holderness were conspiring against him.

Trumps defense of Porter comes as chief of staff John Kelly is facing widespread criticism for his own show of support for the ousted aide. After Porters ex-wives came forward with their stories, Kelly defended Porter as a man of true integrity and honor in a statement.

Trump faced swift backlash from politicians and celebrities over his comments Friday.

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Whats sad is having a complete moral vacuum in the Oval Office, Sen. Tim Kaine said. Domestic violence is evil, and there arent both sides on this issue. Real leaders stand with survivors, not perpetrators.

Sen. Bob Casey tweeted, Seeming to offer a defense of Mr. Porter and saying nothing about the women who have come forward is wrong.
Three officers have been shot in a rural area southeast of Atlanta and the alleged gunman is dead, PEOPLE confirms.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the officers are from two different police departments. Two Henry County Sheriffs deputies and one Locust Grove police officer have been wounded and were taken to nearby hospitals. The Locust Grove Police officer has died.

The officers arrived at the suspects house with an arrest warrant for his failure to appear in court.

In a press conference on Friday afternoon, authorities said that one of the Henry County deputies is in fair condition after being hit with a bullet in his vest. The other deputy was shot about two inches below his vest and is in serious condition.

The gunman was shot during the encounter. Authorities are not identifying him until his relatives can be notified.

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According to Tyisha Fernandes, a reporter with WSB-TV, police have cordoned off the area, and say that they are not looking for any other suspects.

Three ambulances, followed by police escorts, took the victims to the Atlanta Medical Center. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, dozens of police officers are at the hospital.

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The shooting has elicited a response from nearby police agencies. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Henry Co Sheriffs deputies and Locust Grove officer who were shot this morning in Henry County, the Gwinnett County Police Department said in a tweet. We hope they survive their injuries and make a full recovery.
Theres no tolerance in this White House, and no place in America for domestic abuse, Vice President Mike Pence told NBC News Lester Holt, from whatever alternate universe Pence is living in.

Technically, the two men are in PyeongChang, South Korea, where Pence is leading the U.S. delegation at the Winter Olympics.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Pences boss President Donald Trump was sitting in front of a gaggle of press, bidding a fond farewell to ousted White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, who resigned Wednesday after domestic abuse allegations against him became public.

Porter had been operating without top security clearance, but had access to classified material, since he joined the White House in January 2017, because the FBI had learned of credible allegations of domestic abuse by his two ex-wives. White House counsel Don McGahn and Chief of Staff John Kelly have known of the allegations for months.

Even so, Porter was not only not sidelined, per Pences zero-toleranace claims, he was promoted to have more responsibilities, according to political pundits with knowledge of the inner workings of the Trump White House.

In remarks Friday, Trump told reporters, of Porter, We wish him well. He worked very hard. We found out about it recently.We certainly wish him well. Its obviously a tough time for him. He did a very good job when he was in the White House and hopefully he will have a great career ahead of him. It was very sad when we heard about it, and certainly hes also very sad.

As you probably know, he says hes innocent and you have to remember that, Trump continued, saying, He said very strongly yesterday that hes innocent.

When I return to Washington, D.C., Im going to look into the matter and Ill share my counsel with the president directly, Pence assured Holt in their interview, which airs Friday night on NBC Nightly News.

Check out the clip above.

Story continues

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For a celebrity couple, Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling tend to keep things pretty secretive when it comes to their family life. Although Gosling was very open about thanking Mendes for her love and support during his 2017 Golden Globes acceptance speech, Mendes responded to her partner's thanks in a much more subtle way. There's not much we know about the inner workings of their relationship, but Mendes recently opened up in a rare interview about Gosling and her daughters.

During an interview with People Chica, Mendes discussed how her family celebrates its Cuban heritage.

"Esmeralda mostly speaks Spanglish right now. Its really cute," Mendes said about her oldest daughter. "Shes definitely bilingual, and its really important for us to make sure that shes not only just familiar with the language, but also with the culture."

Mendes depends on her parents to help her daughters, 3-year-old Esmeralda and 1-year-old Amada, learn about their background. "My mom, who lives 15 minutes away, makes it is easy because she speaks to the girls in Spanish and cooks them Cuban food. And were always listening to Cuban music. It really is a big part of our way of life. I wouldnt have it any other way," she explained.

The girls also learn Spanish from Mendes' father. "My dad, who has been here for 45 years and still doesnt speak English, is a real asset," she said. "Its so cool because now that Im trying to make sure that my girls speak Spanish, its like, OK, Dad, take them, because I know that all theyre going to speak with him is Spanish."

She also discussed her new collection and plus-size extension for New York & Co, which goes from size XS to 3X. "Creating clothes available to women of a variety of body types is really important to me," Mendes said.

She later continued: "Being Cuban and being raised in a very typical Cuban household influences everything I do. My mom and two sisters  us 4 girls  all have completely different body types, and I love that about Latin culture. Under this beautiful umbrella of being Latin, are many shapes, colors, and sizes. I grew up with everyone looking so incredibly different from one another. Its part of my heritage and culture to embrace all different kinds of body types."

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Idris Elba has been hard at work these past 12 months, taking over the big screen in films such as The Mountain Between Us and Thor: Ragnarok and making his directorial debut with Yardie (released on January 20). It seems hes also been making big strides in the love department, as well, because the British actor has just gotten engaged!

The notoriously private 45-year-old shocked movie-goers at a screening of Yardie in Londons Rio Cinema when he got onstage with his 29-year-old girlfriend, former Miss Vancouver Sabrina Dhowre, and openly professed his love for her for all to see, dropping down on one knee to pop the big question.

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While reps for the actor have yet to confirm the news to outlets for People, Rio Cinema took to Twitter to confirm the exciting news, sharing a snap of the actor and writing, Another @riocinema first! Still five days to Valentines Day but @idriselba went down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend live on stage this morning before a preview of his film #Yardie.

Lucky for us, David Marsden, managing director of Sainou Talent Agency London, was in the audience and managed to capture the special moment on video, joking, When you turn up to the #Yardie screening and the director @idriselba steals the show with a #marriageproposal.

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The clip shows the actor down on one knee as Dhowre bends over in shock before embracing her soon-to-be husband as the crowd roars its thunderous approval.

The newly engaged lovebirds met while Elba was on location in Canada shooting The Mountain Between Us with Kate Winslet. Falling in love while making a movie about falling in love is pretty special, the actor told People following the pairs red carpet debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.

The native Londoner was previously married to makeup artist Hanne Norgaard from 1999 to 2003, with whom he shares a 15-year-old daughter, Isan. He was briefly hitched to lawyer Sonya Hamlin n 2006, and welcomed a son, Winston, with then-girlfriend Naiyana Garth in 2014.

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Congratulations to the actor and his bride-to-be!

Whats your fave Idris Elba movie? Tweet us @BritandCo.

(Photo via Kevin Winter + Rich Fury/Getty)

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The actor popped the question to girlfriend Sabrina Dhowre during a screening of his new film, Yardie.

With Valentines Day just days away, its undeniable that romance is in the airwell, at least it is for Idris Elba. The actor proposed to his girlfriend, model Sabrina Dhowre, today while attending a screening of his directorial debut, Yardie, at the Rio Cinema in London. And, it being the time of the iPhone, the cute moment was completely caught on tape by attendees of the screening. In the video, Elba is seen popping the big question on one knee in front of an entire audience, and then Dhowre emotionally accepts with a yes. (Phewthat could have been awkward). The cinema also confirmed the proposal on their twitter account, saying, Another @riocinema first! Still 5 days to Valentines Day but @idriselba went down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend live on stage this morning before a preview of his film #Yardie.

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While Elbas traditional proposal wasnt exactly on Vogues list of epic proposal ideas, one cant deny the charm of a traditional engagement ask. Some things never lose their luster. Women on the Internet would agree, though most were more heartbroken than congratulatory. Just moments after the news broke, dedicated Elba fans took to Twitter to voice their, ahem, disappointment, surrounding the engagement. Below, see the best reactions.

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Its officially here! The 2018 Winter Olympics, taking place in PyeongChang, South Korea, kicked off with Fridays Opening Ceremony, which saw all of the competing teams triumphantly enter the arena for the Parade of Nations.

Team USA was led in by flag bearer Erin Hamlin, the first American to win an Olympic singles luge medal when she nabbed the bronze in Sochi in 2014. Behind her, the rest of the athletes excitedly waved and smiled, dancing along to Psys 2012 hit Gangnam Style, as US Vice President Mike Pence cheered them on in the stands.

The group dressed warmly for the cold South Korean temperatures, donning custom *heated* Ralph Lauren outerwear as they snapped selfies and videos of the proceedings.

History was made by this years US Olympic team before any competition even began  with 242 athletes, its the largest competing group in history. (Team USAs previous record was 222 athletes at the Sochi Games in 2014.) Not only that, but the 2018 games mark the first time that openly gay male athletes are representing the US at the Winter Olympics: Freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy and figure skater Adam Rippon will both compete.

If youre wondering how you can tune in to watch Team USA and others compete, check out a day-by-day TV schedule of which events will be airing and when right here.

And if you missed the live broadcast of the Opening Ceremony (it was on early!), dont worry  NBC will re-air it on Friday at 8pm ET.

Are you excited to watch the 2018 Winter Olympics? Let us know @BritandCo!

(Photos via Ryan Pierse/Getty + Matthias Hangst/Getty)
tyga Stormi Webster Kylie baby daddy

Tyga is reportedly still clinging on to the hope that he and Kylie Jenner will reunite  and that Stormi Webster might actually be his baby.

According to a report from Hollywood Life, the rapper can seem to shake the feeling that he might be Kylie's real baby daddy, not her current boyfriend, Travis Scott.

"Scott has been encouraging Tyga to get over it and move on from Kylie," a source said. "Tyga has been complaining to Scott about his unresolved feelings for Kylie."

RELATED: Did Travis Scott Cheat On Kylie Jenner? New Details About How The Pregnant Reality Star Accused The Rapper Of Sleeping With Her Friend

"Tyga feels like he belongs in the Kardashian family and he still wants a DNA test to determine paternity of the new baby, which might be his last chance at actually being in the family. But Scott is not having any of it.

But apparently, Tyga isn't the only one who thinks there could still be a chance.

"Tyga has heard through the grapevine that Stormi looks a lot like his little son King when he was a newborn," the source continued. "Tyga wants to see for himself. Hes trying to get a picture so he can get eyes on Kylies little girl and be the judge.

The rapper is reportedly going to great lengths to get this photo.

"He has tried to get Kris (Jenner) to get him a picture but shes iced him out suddenly. Shes stopped taking his calls."

RELATED: 5 New Details About Kylie Jenner's New Baby, Why She Kept Her Pregnancy A Secret And The Sweet Announcement Video She Released After Her Birth

Tygas pissed but hes not backing down on this. He wants to get to the bottom of this. Hes started bugging Scott Disick, he knows hell be seeing the baby soon enough. Hes asked Scott to get him a picture but Scott hasnt made any promises yet.

Instagram

So could Tyga really be Stormi's father? Well, the couple broke up for good a month before she started dating Travis Scott in April of 2017.

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Kylie learned she was pregnant pretty soon after she and Scott started dating, and it's that timeline that's led Tyga to wonder if the baby girl could be his.

However, Kylie hasn't wavered about Travis being the father and he's listed as Stormi's father on her birth certificate.

RELATED: 9 Cringey Details About Kylie Jenner & Travis Scott's Relationship

Emily Blackwood is an editor at YourTango who covers pop culture, true crime, dating, relationships and everything in between. Every Wednesday at 7:20 p.m. you can ask her any and all questions about self-love, dating, and relationships LIVE on YourTangos Facebook page. You can follow her on Instagram (@blackw00d) and Twitter (@emztweetz).

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Tamlynn Yoder, 25, of Lake Park, Fla., lost her job at Outback Steakhouse after she complained in a social media post about not getting a tip.

Christ Fellowship Church placed a $735 takeout order and sent someone to pick it up. They did not leave a gratuity for the order.

We take the order over the phone, we put the order together, take payment and then take order to the car, Yoder told the Palm Beach Post. Its a lot of work just as much as serving.

Yoder took to Facebook in frustration and called out Christ Church on not leaving a tip, but didnt mention where she worked.

A friend of Yoders told her to delete the post and that he would call the church about the tip. When Yoder came into work the next day, she was told that the church had been given a full refund and that she was fired.

Cathie Koch, a spokeswoman for Outback Steakhouse, told the Post that its company policy to not allow employees to post on social media about customers and wouldnt discuss specifics of this incident.

We did not call the restaurant to have her fired; we wanted to get the situation resolved, said David Lonsberry, an executive director of business for Christ Fellowship, in an interview with the Post.

Lonsberry went on to say that the person they sent to pick up the food didnt realize that a tip is customary on takeout orders.

He probably didnt know to tip since it was a rush of the moment thing, said Lonsberry. The volunteer was sent because Outbacks delivery service was delayed.

Yoder is looking for a new job and says that shell stay in the service industry. One day I would like to own my own restaurant, Yoder told the Post. I love this business.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russia May 25, 2018

Nikolas K. Gvosdev [timestamp]

Security, Europe

NATO needs a frank discussion among the allies about Russia.

At the Brussels Summit, NATO Faces a Crucial Test

The July 2018 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit will test whether the trans-Atlantic alliance can produce a unified, sustainable position on Russia which, if embraced by United States President Donald Trump, would act as the defining prequel for his proposed bilateral sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vienna. The NATO meeting in Belgium, however, is likely to accentuate growing divergence among the allies as to their assessment of the threat Russia poses to the Euro-Atlantic community. The G-7 summit in Canada was a useful trial runin which significant differences over Russia were patched over in the search for a vague consensus statement.

I am increasingly worried that the standard effort to bury significant policy differences by finding flexible language whose meaning is in the eye of the beholder is becoming counterproductive. It may serve in the short-term to keep the appearance of solidarity but, in the long-term, it contributes to policy incoherence. This is based on conversations and meetings I had the good fortune to take part in during recent daysthe Loisach Group in Berlin (the dialogue cosponsored by The Munich Security Conference and the Marshall Center) and the Sustained Dialogue Institute's meetings in Washington. These meetings aimed to explore whether a long-term, bipartisan approach to Russia policy is possible.

Instead of burying policy differences, NATO needs a frank discussion among the allies about Russia. This need not take place in the klieg lights of public forabut it must address the growing divergences in threat perception and find ways to solidify what is now an increasingly shaky unified trans-Atlantic approach to the Kremlin.

First and foremost, NATO members must recognize that different countries in the alliance assign different priorities to the Russian question. For the Baltic States, Poland and Romania, Russia is an immediate national security threat and is the number one foreign-policy challengealbeit in a very narrow geographic frame of reference. For a country like Estonia, the risk of a clash with Russia over the Narva region, for instance, drives its search for reliable, unimpeachable security guarantees from its NATO partners. What Moscow does, however, concerning Syria, or Iran, or North Korea, is far less relevant, and only matters to the extent it impinges on the immediate Russian threat in northern-eastern Europe.

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For countries like Norway or the United Kingdom, Russia is a security threat but a significant economic partner, which creates divergences in their responses to the Kremlin. Special service operations on UK territory or Russian deployments in the Arctic cause discomfort in London and Oslo, but British and Norwegian financial and business relationships with Russia create imperatives for maintaining positive ties.

For southern Europe, Russia is distant and poses no threat while the opportunities for cooperation aboundespecially in the trade and energy fields. This is also true of the remarkable transformation in Russia-Turkey ties, where Ankara has gone from being the southern redoubt of the Atlantic alliance vis-a-vis Russia to a de facto strategic partner with Putin forged by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

For France and Germany, Russia poses no direct security threat to their countries' territorial integrity or security but both Paris and Berlin are worried about the negative impact of Russian policies on the European order they prefer. At the same time, both see massive advantages to their national interests and to Europe's as a whole for a productive relationship with Russia.

Finally, for the United States, Russia emerges as a factor in many regional and functional issuesthe Middle East, Europe, and East Asia, as well as energy-policy, questions about cyber warfare, and maintaining nuclear strategic stability. But Russia as Russia is not a central organizing principle for U.S. foreign-policy, and much of the attention given to Russia tends to be episodic, rather than a core security concern. For instance, America might focus on the question of Russian interference in the 2016 elections rather than constantly worry about Russia as does Poland or Romania.

One failed approach is to make the case, on the basis of Euro-Atlantic solidarity, that the concerns and perspectives of one set of members should become the default position of the alliance as a whole and accepted by all members. No one, however, is willing to cede to Estonia or Portugal the responsibility for defining the joint trans-Atlantic position on Russia. Instead, countries like Germany promote a dual-track approachembracing both deterrence and engagement. Deterrence is chosen to assuage the concerns of Estonia as to its vulnerability to Russian pressure. This is done by using select sanctions or by contributing to rapid reinforcement initiatives designed to show that NATO can respond quickly and effectively to any conventional Russian incursion. At the same time, Germany also engages in trade and investment deals with Russia. This is done either to nudge Russian international behavior in directions preferred by Germany or by because Berlin simply prioritizes German economic and business interests over every last security concern of other European states. This approach, in turn, comes under fire from the southern Europeans who see sanctions and military deployments further east as unnecessarily provocative while also being criticized by Baltic states and Romanians as appeasement which strengthens Russia's position.

Furthermore, the United States has, despite Trump's preferences, been leaning towards a more confrontational approach that tries to isolate Russia and put pressure on the Kremlin. The matter is complicated because the United States is not willing to trade cooperation on Russia for consideration on other issues of concern to other European allies. It would have been challenging to convince Germany to abandon the Nordstream-2 pipeline project or for France to get its energy companies to pull out of key Russian projectscertainly President Barack Obama had no such luck! But the chance that countries like France and Germany will be more willing to part company with Washington over Russia policy has increased with recent American decisions. These have included Trump's imposition of tariffs on European allies who are now deemed to be national economic security risks and the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal. Moreover, America's withdrawal from the agreement threatens that U.S. secondary sanctions will be imposed on European companies doing business with Tehran.

The risk is that a contentious NATO summit gives the appearance of major fractures in Euro-Atlantic solidarity right before Trump sits down with Putin in Vienna. It may also shape the tenor of French President Emmanuel Macron's "historic dialogue" with Russia in a way that suggests that daylight is opening up in the positions of NATO allies vis-a-vis Russia. Such an outcome would not serve Western security interests.

Nikolas K. Gvosdev is a contributing editor to the National Interest. The views expressed here are his own.

Image: Reuters.

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Hong Kong saw its deadliest bus crash in more than a decade on Saturday, leaving 18 dead and more than 60 injured.

A double-decker bus operated by Kowloon Motor Bus tipped over while traveling from Sha Tin to Tai Po Center, in Hong Kongs New Territories, the New York Times reports. At least 18 people were killed in the accident, while 62 more were injured, the paper reports. Among those, according to the Times, 15 were hospitalized in serious condition, and 10 were deemed critical.

The crash was deadlier than any bus accident in Hong Kong since one in 2003 that killed 21 people.

Passengers said the driver was breaking the speed limit to make up for being behind schedule, according to Now News. Police did not immediately confirm the cause of the accident.

Hong Kong implemented guidelines in 2010 that limit drivers shifts to 14 hours total and 11 hours behind the wheel, but officials said after a crash last year that more wide-reaching policies would be necessary to improve safety and working conditions, the Times reports.
Two police officers were fatally shot in the line of duty in a Columbus, Ohio, suburb on Saturday, authorities said.

The City of Westerville first announced on Saturday afternoon that one officer had been killed while on duty. About an hour later, the city confirmed via Twitter that a second officer had also been killed.

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The shooting occurred when officers responded to a 911 hangup from an address on Crosswind Drive, NBC4 reports. A suspect was also wounded and taken to a nearby hospital, according to NBC4. The scene is reportedly still active, and the investigation will be handed over to Columbus police.

Authorities planned to hold a press conference on Saturday afternoon, but postponed the update.
At least six teenagers have submitted paperwork to run in the November election for governor of Kansas, where lawmakers are now scrambling to change the rules to limit who can campaign for state office.

Jack Bergeson, 16, was the first teen to jump into the race after he realized there was no age requirement stopping him from doing so.

Five other teens Aaron Coleman, 17; Joseph Tutera Jr., 16; Tyler Ruzich, 17; Dominic Scavuzzo, 17; and Ethan Randleas, 18announced their bids for the seat in the months that followed.

Under Kansas law, there is no law governing the qualifications for governor, not one," Bryan Caskey, director of elections at the Kansas secretary of state's office, told The Kansas City Star last year. So theres seriously nothing on the books that lays out anything, no age, no residency, no experience. Nothing.

Bergeson is running as a Democrat, while Scavuzzo and Ruzich are running as Republicans. Coleman is running as a Green party candidate and Randleas is running on a Libertarian platform.

All five have created campaign websites or social media pages that explain why they have chosen to run and the platforms on which they are running.

I may be too young to vote, but I am not too young to see the problems in Kansas that the government should be, but is not, working to fix, Bergeson writes on his campaign website. I am a Kansas resident and a student before I am a politician, which has inspired me to run for office, to make changes for the people, people like me, who want the best for Kansas.

Ruzich, whose slogan is a Republican for the next generation, said on his campaign website that he is a young man with serious concerns about the welfare of our state and some ideas about how we can make Kansas a better place to live, learn and work.

I was elected president of the Freshman Class, and I have been involved in student government ever since. I currently serve on the city of Prairie Village's Teen Council. Thats why I feel so strongly about my candidacy  I truly want to help people, Ruzich continued.

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Coleman noted he has been interested in politics his whole life and wants to work to disband the military-industrial complex.

This constant state of war is bankrupting our nation. We need peace not further war, he wrote.

I am running to shake up Topeka, breaking up the stranglehold of statism(sic) that has began to cast its dark shadow over our great state, Randleas, a senior at Wichita Heights High School, said on his website. I may be young, but that does not mean that I am incapable of serving the people of Kansas.

Lawmakers, however, feel differently.

Republican Rep. Blake Carpenter introduced a bill requiring candidates to be at least 18 years old to run for the state's top elected offices, including secretary of state, attorney generaland governor.

Those wanting to run for governor or lieutenant governor would have to have lived in the state for at least four years, the bill notes.

"We have age requirements on voters, and I really think that anybody who's running should be able to vote for themselves," Rep. Keith Esau, a Republican running for secretary of state, told The Topeka Capital-Journal.

The bill, HB 2539, passed out of the House committee on Monday.

Hey, I get the idea, Tutera wrote on Twitter of the lawmakers concerns. However, you will be alienating candidates who represent the concerns and viewpoints of young adults across party lines.

The mid-term election will be held on Nov. 6.

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Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday mooted a "new chapter" in relations with Poland, strained by Warsaw's rejection of the EU's mandatory refugee quotas as well as Poland's controversial judicial reforms.

Speaking ahead of a visit next Friday by Poland's rightwing Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Merkel said it would be an occasion to open "a new chapter in German-Polish relations," alluding to "divergent views on some issues".

The remarks came during Merkel's weekly podcast, and were in answer to a question from a student.

Germany and other fellow EU member states have also criticised Poland over a law enacted on Tuesday making it illegal to attribute Nazi crimes to the Polish state, notably by referencing "Polish death camps".

On the refugee issue, the Polish government announced in mid-January, shortly after Morawiecki took office in a reshuffle, that it would not reverse its opposition to the quota system.

Merkel said in the interview that she hoped her talks with Morawiecki would lead to "united and European solutions".

Poland's controversial justice reforms, which have also drawn fire from Brussels, prompted the resignation of the head of a Polish body overseeing judicial impartiality.

On December 20, after months of warnings, the European Commission launched an unprecedented procedure against Poland that could strip Warsaw of its voting rights in the bloc if it does not scrap the reforms.

On Saturday, Merkel noted that all EU member states were pledged to "respect the principles of the state of law."

The podcast did not cover the conservative Polish government's decision last year to revive the issue of World War II reparations which it believes Germany owes Poland -- an issue that for years had been considered settled.

Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz paid a fence-mending visit to Berlin in January saying the debate should not undermine bilateral ties.
The accused killer was seen around town: Reuters

The alleged serial killer accused of killing at least six people and stuffing them into planter boxes also did work on nearby properties, according to neighbors.

He would work on the lawn, take care of flowers, planters, and stuff like that, Frederic Bisson, a former neighbour of the area, told CBC Canada. Im really shocked  he was really calm and quiet.

The alleged killer, Bruce McArthur, has been charged for first degree murder for nearly half a dozen deaths after investigators found bodies of several individuals in planter boxes. Representatives of a nearby apartment complex say that Mr McArthur was never an employee, but that it was possible that he was hired to work by tenants individually.

Police say that they expect more charges for Mr McArthur. As of Friday, investigators have been able to search just five of the 15 planter boxes that the alleged killer has been tending, and that police have siezed.

He has worked for the family that owns the planters where remains were found for roughly 10 years, when he struck a deal to do landscaping work in exchange for equipment storage.

News that Mr McArthur is an alleged serial killer has left neighbours and former neighbours, including Mr Bisson, scratching their heads and recalling their experiences with the accused.

Mr Bisson remembers a storm in 2008, when his apartment area was flooded, in particular.

He was around after that with planters, not rocky ones  but big plastic, dark black planters, Mr Bisson said.

All these new planters were installed alongside our building, he continued.

Police have not finished searching all of the 15 planter boxes that they have seized, and it is unclear if investigators plan on taking more boxes in their search for potential victims.
Sebastien Roblin

History, Asia

In fact, Dominator crews fought the last U.S. air battle of World War IItragically, after the war was over.

The B-32 Waged Americas Last Air Battle in World War II (After the War Ended)

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress heavy bomber achieved fameand infamyfor its role in the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Developing the huge bombers, which could lug heavy bomb loads over long distances at high altitudes and speeds, amounted to the most expensive weapons program undertaken by the United States during World War IImore expensive even the Manhattan Project.

However, the Superfortress actually had a little-known rival developed by the manufacturer Consolidated, better known for its mass-production of the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. Had the Superfortress failed to perform as expected, the so-called B-32 Dominator was to be the fallback option. However, the B-29 actually did end up performing according to expectations when it began operations in the Pacific Theater in 1944, but Consolidated still produced more than a hundred B-32s which were deployed into action in mid-1945. In fact, Dominator crews fought the last U.S. air battle of World War IItragically, after the war had ended.

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The program for a super heavy bomber actually predated Pearl Harbor. However, Consolidateds project, which used the B-24 as its basis, fell considerably behind Boeings development of the B-29. The hulking bomber went through several permutationsits original design included twin-rudder tail and bizarre configuration mounting 20-millimeter cannons to fire rearward from each engine nacelle, but these elements were eventually ditched.

In the end, the B-32 is most visually distinguished by its enormous tail which stretched ten meters tall. The Dominator wound up resembling the B-29 in key performance parameters: both aircraft used four Wright R-3350-23 Cyclone engines for power, had a maximum speed of around 358 miles per houras fast as an early-war Bf-109E fighterand could lug a huge bomb load of 20,000 pounds. The B-32s defensive armament included ten conventionally manned machineguns, operated by a similar number of crew.

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However, though Consolidated also tried to implement the pressurized fuselage and remote-control gun turrets that were features on the B-29, it eventually gave up due to technical difficulties. This resulted in the Dominator being considered a low or medium-altitude bomber, when compared to the B-29.

On the other hand, the B-32 had a nearly 20 percent greater range of 3,800 miles, and could maintain a much higher cruising speed of 290 miles per hour, compared to 230 for the B-29. The Dominator also benefited from reversible-pitch propellers and the thick Davis wing inherited from the B-24, which minimized drag at lower speedsan especially useful quality while attempting to land.

Despite the B-32s upsides, the Army Air Corps was largely satisfied by the B-29s performance and only dispatched three B-32s for operational testing in the Phillippines at the request of the 5th Air Force. Eventually transferred to the 386th Bombardment Squadron, the Dominators conducted a series of raids against Japanese forces in the Philippines and the island of Formosa (modern-day Taiwan). The targets in Taiwan included a sugar mill and an alcohol plant, indicative of just how far-reaching and indiscriminate the U.S. strategic bombing campaign against Japan had become.

The 386th was fully outfitted with B-32s in July, and in August was redeployed to Yontan airfield at Okinawa where it was reassigned to flying photo reconnaissance missions over Japan. On the evening of August 15, Emperor Hirohito made a speech declaring his intention to surrender and ordering the armed forces to cease resistance. While anticipating the surrender of Japanese forces on the USS Missouri in September 2, the Army Air Corps continued reconnaissance overflights of Tokyo to verify compliance with the terms of surrender and scout out the road network for the occupation forces.

However, Japanese fighter pilots on the ground perceived the overflying bombers in a different light. One Japanese ace, Saburo Sakai, later claimed that they feared the American bombers were returning to bomb Tokyo in violation of the surrender, and decided they were justified in attacking them.

Another Japanese ace, Sadumo Komachi, simply stated that they were infuriated by seeing the American bombers flying unopposed over the Japanese capital after the immense devastation wrought by American bombs.

To put things in perspective, earlier that year on March 9, 1945 American B-29s had dropped thousands of cluster bombs loaded with napalm bomblets over working-class residential areas of Tokyo, igniting a firestorm which sucked the air out of lungs and melted concrete. The conflagration killed around 100,000 Japanese civiliansmore than died in either atomic bombing.

Thus on August 17, Japanese fighters intercepted the reconnaissance B-32s and harried them for two hours while the bomber crews shot back with .50 caliber machine guns, neither side inflicting much damage on the other. The surprised bomber unit decided to dispatch of a follow up recon mission on August 18 to investigate whether the intercept was an isolated incident. Its worth noting that that same day, Japanese forces in the Kuril islands also engaged in air battles against Russian aircraft supporting a surprise amphibious invasion, another post-surrender conflict which would take several days to sputter to a halt.

At 7 AM on the morning of the 18th, two B-32s set out for Tokyo again, each plane loaded with three additional photo-recon specialists drawn from the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron. The extra crew normally flew aboard F-7s, a reconnaissance version of the B-24.

By 2 PM the two B-32s completed their runs over Tokyo at altitudes of ten and twenty thousand feet when they noticed Japanese fighters rising from their aerodrome towards them.

In fact, records show fourteen A6M Zero fighters and three N1K-J Shiden (Lightning) fighters launched to intercept from Yokusuka air base. The Shiden was one of the best Japanese fighters of the war, capable of exceeding 400 miles per hour and well-armed with four fast-firing 20-millimeter cannons, though it had relatively poor performance at high-altitude.

Nonetheless, the aircraft swarmed over the larger B-32s, their machineguns and cannons chattering. The ten .50 caliber machineguns on each bomber were soon spitting back curtains of lead in response.

Both the bomber crew and fighter pilots on that last mission recalled what happened next. Screaming down from 12 oclock high, Komachi raked the engine of the B-32 named Hobo Queen II with his 20-millimeter cannons and burst the plexiglass bubble of the top turret, wounding turret gunner Jimmy Smart. Another fighter strafed Hobo Queens fuselage, the rounds slicing through the plane and riddling the legs of aerial photographer Joseph Lacharaite. The wounded specialist began applying a tourniquet to his wounds, and fellow photographer Sergeant Anthony Marchione, a nineteen-year old Italian-American from the Bronx, helped move him to a cot.

Suddenly, a cannon shell penetrated Hobo Queens fuselage and struck Marchione in the chest. The young man crumpled, bleeding from a big hole in his chest. Three crew members came to his aid, applying compression bandages and administering blood plasma and oxygen.

Meanwhile, both B-32s entered a steep dive, their relatively high speed combined with the momentum gained from their greater weight allowing them to surge ahead of the Japanese fighters. Both managed to limp back to base by 6 PM that evening. Hobo Queen II was down one engine, had a damaged rudder and was pocked by thirty large holes in its fuselage. Lacharite would spend several years recovering from his wounds.

Marchione, however, bled to death thirty minutes after his injury, and would bear the unfortunate distinction of being the last U.S. airman to fall in combat during World War II. His Italian immigrant family was stunned to receive notice of his death after the end of hostilities had been declared. The following day the Japanese military was compelled to begin removing the propellers from their aircraft to avoid further such incidents.

Just three weeks later the Army Air Corps canceled production of additional B-32s and began swiftly decommissioning the 116 already producedthe B-29 had simply rendered the type redundant. The last Dominator was scrapped in 1949, leaving little evidence behind of the aircraft type that had embarked on that fateful last mission over Tokyo.

Sebastien Roblin holds a masters degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

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So far in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games, Norway leads all countries in both the overall medal-count (8 total  1 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze) and egg count. But the country known mostly for its fjords and vikings have now accomplished the impossible, rewriting the physics of aerodynamic drag by way of the color blue.

At the expense of anyone who has ever taken a seventh-grade science class or possesses common sense in general, Norwegian scientists have thrown caution to the wind by proclaiming that the fastest color in the ever-evolving color-to-speed Olympic algorithm is in fact, blue.

Its been proven that blue is faster than other colors, according to a sprint specialist for the Netherlands, Dai Dai Ntab, quoted in an article by (yes, seriously) the New York Times.

GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA  FEBRUARY 11: Havard Bokko of Norway competes during the Mens 5000m Speed Skating event on day two. (Getty Images)

Just a quick note to complete your mind-blown state, the New York Times article made no indication to its readers whether or not a sarcastic tone was involved with the interview. Adding, Every Olympic season, everybody is trying to find the hidden gem [that provides a competitive edge]. This year its the blue suits.

So, is this an inside joke that no one but Norway is IN on? Is Norway THAT funny? Lets jump into this blue-suited, head-first.

When a single millisecond of time can determine a gold medal or a fourth-place finish, every Olympic athlete on Earth will take any minuscule advantage available. Even if the advantage is only psychological it can possibly manifest into the extra inch you need between wining and losing. At this years Pyeongchang games in South Korea, most Olympic teams are up to the same old tricks. From aerodynamic racing suits to jackets and pants that deflect distracting light and even sound.

Enter stage left: the Norwegian speed-skating teams racing in blue uniforms this year instead of their traditional bright red suits. While evidence doesnt suggest that the color blue is actually faster, the mind can be a chaotic carousel of motivational thought. Is it really any weirder than any other superstitions that athletes assign to their daily routine? In reality, this all comes down to creation of self-confidence, and confidence can come from anywhere, even the color blue.

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Self confidence can come in many shapes and forms, so can confusion and purposeful mind games to consume an opponent. In true Lavar Ball-style marketing, the Norwegians have altered their own narrative and played a little sleight of hand in front of their opponents. Now when a Norway skater lines up at the starting line, the first thought of many (possibly including the opponent) could be, Is blue really faster?, thus completing the mind-bending power of the color blue.

To quote Adam Sandler in the comedy classic Billy Madison: I drew the duck blue, because Ive never seen a blue duck and to be honest with you, I wanted to see a blue duck.

If youre scratching your head in confusion like a monkey reading Ikea bookshelf assembly instructions, rest assured that youre not alone.

Gold medalist Sven Kramer of the Netherlands and bronze medalist Sverre Lunde Pedersen of Norway shake hands during the victory ceremony after the Mens 5000m Speed Skating event. (Getty)

I have come to a point in my life that I have sufficient confidence in what Ive done and what I know, but at the same time Im not so arrogant to dismiss claims people make, Renzo Shamey, a professor of color science and technology at North Carolina State University, which has a leading textiles program, told the New York Times.

Having said that, based on my knowledge of dye chemistry, I cannot possibly imagine how dyeing the same fabric with two dyes that have the same properties to different hues would generate differing aerodynamic responses.

Maybe it doesnt need to make sense, maybe its just crazy enough to work. If you dont believe the Norwegians, next time you see someone with blue eyes, challenge them to a foot race immediately and test this blue-flame theory of aerodynamics.

Hege Bokko, a Norwegian Olympic skater, told the Times: They said [the blue] skates a little faster than red, so I like to believe that.

Whatever you believe it or not, Norway has already been impressive at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and the blue uniforms seem to be doing the trick so far.

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Actor, Rob Delaney described his son as smart, funny, and mischievous - AP

Catastrophe star Rob Delaney has revealed his two-year-old son Henry has died.

The actor and writer, 41, said his family were devastated following the toddler's death from cancer in January in a lengthy statement on Facebook.

Henry had surgery and treatment to remove a brain tumour shortly after turning one in 2016 before the cancer returned last autumn.

He had been left with significant physical disabilities by the tumour, Delaney said, but had "quickly learned sign language and developed his own method of getting from A to B shuffling on his beautiful little bum".

"His drive to live and to love and to connect was profound," he added.

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"I am astonished by the love-in-action displayed by Henry's mom and his brothers.

"They are why I will endeavour to not go mad with grief. I don't want to miss out on their beautiful lives. I'm greedy for more experiences with them."

Delaney called Henry a "joy" and praised the NHS nurses and doctors, home carers and charity workers who helped during his illness.

"He was smart, funny, and mischievous and we had so many wonderful adventures together, particularly after he'd moved home following fifteen months living in hospitals," he added.

He said he was "desperately sad" and urged people to help other families in the UK with sick children by supporting the Rainbow Trust or Noah's Ark organisations.

I am desperately sad right now, but I can say with authority that there is good in this world.

Rob Delaney

"Our family would be in much worse shape right now if it weren't for them. I would also urge you to take concrete and sustained action to support the NHS, however you can. Do not take it for granted.

"The NHS nurses and doctors and the home carers and charity workers who helped our family survive Henry's illness will be my heroes until the day I die. I am desperately sad right now, but I can say with authority that there is good in this world.

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"Thank you, beautiful Henry, for spending as much time with us as you did. We miss you so much," Delaney added.

Last year the US star, who lives in London, said it would be "bad parenting" if he moved back to the States with his children in the current political climate.

The actor previously said it would be bad parenting for him to return to the US, praising London, the BBC and the NHS in the UK Credit: Ian West/PA

He said he was concerned about US President Donald Trump's stance on healthcare, and will not return.

"In the United States of America you could be denied healthcare if you have a pre-existing condition, which can literally include 'has had a child'," Delaney told the Radio Times.

"It would be bad parenting for me to bring children back to that country."

He said: "I'm crazy about London, I love it so much. I love the NHS. I love the BBC. I love the Tube. I love the bus. I love tea. I love bacon sandwiches, I really do."
Zachary Keck

Security, Asia

But just how good is it?

China Claims That It Has Tested a Mid-Course Missile Defense System

This week, China's Ministry of Defense posted a terse statement announcing a test. China carried out a land-based mid-course missile interception test within its territory on Feb. 5, 2018 and achieved the desired test objective, the statement said. It concluded by saying,The test is defensive in nature and not targeted against any country.

No other details were included in the statement, including what system was used in the test, leaving analysts to speculate. Many believe China was testing its SC-19 missile. The SC-19 was most famously used as the payload booster in 2007 when Beijing destroyed a weather satellite in orbit, sparking an international firestorm over the resulting space debris. Since then the system has repeatedly been tested for what China claims is ballistic-missile defense purposes. For instance, China was believed to have used the SC-19 during missile-defense tests in 2010 and 2013.

As some analysts were quick to point out following the test this week, the SC-19 is only useful against medium-range ballistic missiles. Under the terms of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, neither the United States nor Russia is supposed to field ground-based medium-range missiles, although Washington accuses Moscow of currently being in violation of the INF.

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This fact led many to conclude that the recent antiballistic-missile test wasnt done with the United States in mind, but rather regional nations. This missile system is designed to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles, and Washington does not deploy those in the Asia-Pacific, Sam Roggeveen, a senior fellow at the Lowy Institute in Australia, told the Associated Press. On the other hand, both North Korea and India do have such missiles, so this test is more about them.

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Zhao Tong, a fellow at the CarnegieTsinghua Center for Global Policy, also said the system had countries like India and North Korea in mind, while one Chinese military analyst suggested it could be deployed opposite of Taiwan. The United States and South Korea also recently agreed to loosen restrictions on the size of Seouls missile payloads, which theoretically gives the country the ability to reach many parts of China with missiles carrying lighter payloads.

It is also possible that China was testing its HQ-19 missile-defense system. Most analysts depict the HQ-19 as being similar to Americas Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which intercepts missiles during their terminal phase rather than during their midcourse phase. Based on the limited imagery of the HQ-19 available, this comparison seems valid. Still, in its latest report to Congress on Chinas military modernization, the Pentagon stated, When operational, the HQ-19 may fill the midtier of Chinas BMD network. China has tested the HQ-19 interceptor missile specifically used for intercepting a ballistic missile at mid-course, according to regional media. The report went on to say The HQ-19 is still undergoing PLAAF-organized testing; as of May 2016, China was focused mainly on testing the HQ-19s capability to intercept 3,000 km ranged ballistic missiles.

The HQ-19 and SC-19 are believed to be extremely similar. According to Joseph Trevithick at The Drive, the SC-19 is a derivative of the HQ-19 that combines portions of the latter missile with [the] significantly larger rocket motor from the Kaituozhe-1 space launch vehicle. Past tests have seen conflicting reports about whether an SC-19 or HQ-19 was tested. China seems to be fine with the ambiguity.

This confusion points to a larger question of whether China is actually testing a ground-based ballistic-missile defense system or rather an antisatellite (ASAT) weapon. China and America have often disagreed publicly about what Beijing was up to in similar circumstances. After the international condemnation of its 2007 ASAT test, Beijing has shied away from overtly testing ASAT capabilities (i.e., destroying satellites in orbit, which creates debris). However, the United States has accused it of continuing to test ASAT weapons under the guise of missile defense.

For instance, in July 2014, China announced that it had conducted a ballistic-missile defense system, issuing a similar statement to the one this week. U.S. officials disagreed. Despite Chinas claims that this was not an ASAT test; let me assure you the United States has high confidence in its assessment, that the event was indeed an ASAT test, Frank Rose, then the assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance, later claimed in a speech. The continued development and testing of destructive ASAT systems is both destabilizing and threatens the long-term security and sustainability of the outer space environment.

The same dynamic was evident in a similar 2010 test. A State Department memo later published by Wikileaks shows that the United States believed an SC-19 was used in that test, and questioned China about whether it was actually being used to further its ASAT capabilities. In reality, both missile defense and ASAT capabilities could be furthered by the test, although the technological requirements are not identical. As the cable published by Wikileaks stated: This test is assessed to have furthered both Chinese ASAT and ballistic missile defense (BMD) technologies.

There are other questions surrounding the test this week. For instance, it isnt clear if it actually involved the interception of a missile. Regardless, Chinese analysts continue to maintain that Beijing intends to build both ground-based and sea-based ballistic-missile defense systems in the years ahead. Currently, however, it is believed to be substantially behind the United States in acquiring the necessary technology.

Zachary Keck (@ZacharyKeck) is a former managing editor of the National Interest.

Image: Reuters

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Three years ago, the National Park Service banned trucks and buses heavier than 10 tons from crossing over the Arlington Memorial Bridge, a major transportation artery connecting Virginia to Washington D.C. And there's speculation that the U.S. Secret Service now refuses to cross the 82-year-old concrete span, though the agency would not confirm whether this was the case.

From afar, the bridge's neoclassical design  finished with sculptures of eagles and bas relief of bison  looks glorious. But inside, it's rotting.

"Most people would be horrified to look behind the curtains of parks," said Robert Manning, professor emeritus at the University of Vermont's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources.

SEE ALSO: The new Park Service head once allowed a billionaire to chop down 130 protected trees

The Park Service has quite a maintenance liability, accumulating an over $11 billion backlog in the upkeep of historic structures, trails, and roads that need to be repaired, and in some cases, held up. The agency is budgeted around $3 billion a year for the totality of its operations, which Manning notes, is less than one-tenth of one percent of the federal budget.

An influx of money is the obvious way to solve the parks' structural woes, but it's unlikely Congress will appropriate enough funding in the near term to shore up this failing infrastructure. For this reason, a group of around 150 sustainability experts, technologists, and business leaders are gathering in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area this weekend to conceive novel solutions to address the backlog.

The ideas produced during the "Parks and Tech Challenge" event, hosted by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the consulting company CivicMakers, will be vetted by a panel of park experts.

"This is not an attempt for technologists to solve problems for government or park staff," CivicMakers CEO Lawrence Grodeska told Mashable. "This is a collaboration."

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Decaying infrastructure inside the Arlington Memorial Bridge in 2014.

Image: NPS/National Parks Conservation Association

The coming solutions  which could involve ideas such as making expensive and recurrent trail work cheaper  will certainly be welcomed by the Park Service if they're deemed useful. Few people, however, seem welcoming of the current administration's proposal to tackle the cash problem, which suggests raising entrance fees to $70 in 17 popular parks, including the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. This will more than double the price of admission.

"I think it is incredibly stupid," said Jon Jarvis, who stepped down as director of the Park Service in January 2017, of the proposed fee increase.

While Jarvis is supportive of the park service fee program, as it brings in some $230 million annually, he's not in favor of imposing such a dramatic fee hike  as this would make some parks unaffordable or discouraging to some Americans.

"The national parks were established for the people  not some of the people or wealthy people. They have to be affordable to American people," said Jarvis.

"Raising prices to $70 is preposterous," agreed Manning. "It has no grounding in the reality of the issue."

The Interior Department estimates this fee increase, if it goes into effect this summer, will bring in another $70 million dollars. But this will likely have little impact on the greater budget problem.

"Let's say you get to $300 million," said Jarvis. "The backlog is $12 billion. Youre not going to make much of a dent."

Manning does concede that many Patagonia-clad park visitors are well-off, "can pay more, and they probably should"  but not if it means making admittance into parks inequitable.

"We need to lower barriers to get into the national parks, not raise them," said Manning.

A park service spokesman told Mashable that the agency is still reviewing comments about the proposed fee hike. The spokesperson said that a decision would be made "in consultation with the Department of Interior."

The federal government closed down the prison on Alcatraz in 1963 largely due to decaying buildings and an antiquated sewage system. Now a national park site, the Park Service has spent millions in the last decade to preserve the eroding structures.

Image: Getty Images

Due to insufficient funds, the Park Service expected to completely close the decaying Arlington Memorial Bridge to vehicle traffic in 2021, rendering it an over-sized footpath. The bridge, however, was recently saved by political deal-making and a large dose of funding, to the tune of $227 million, with a sizable $90 million lump of support coming from the Department of Transportation. But the agency can't rely upon piecemeal funding efforts to fix a decades-long systemic problem.

"The Park Service is like managing small cities in which the population turns over every few days," said Jarvis. "There's incredible infrastructure associated with park systems," he said, noting that sewer systems, medical response, jails, roads, and communications systems all need to be maintained in often extreme, isolated environments.

Regardless of the novel solutions that may come out of the forthcoming Parks and Tech Challenge, the inescapable reality is that aging park infrastructure  some of which is centuries-old, is dependent upon significant increases in funding.

"Were looking for some dedicated funding from Congress," said Emily Douce, director of budget and appropriations for the National Parks Conservation Association, in an interview.

"Congress talks a good talk about how much they love our national parks, but this is an issue they havent figured out how to address," she said.

Following a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in August 2011, the National Park Service paid $15 million to fix large cracks in the 555-foot tall Washington Monument.

Image: Getty Images

A bill, however, has been introduced in both houses of Congress to address the park system's infrastructure woes  but its source of funding might seem incongruous with the Park Service's conservation goals. Called the National Park Service Legacy Act, Douce says the bill has the support of 12 senators and 56 representatives  still a far cry from becoming law.

As currently written, the law would draw from taxes collected from the extraction fossil fuels  such as coal, oil, and natural gas  from both on-shore and off-shore locations, including public lands managed by the Interior Department.

In 2017, the federal government received $4.5 billion in taxes from off-shore drilling activities. Much of this, $3.5 billion, is set aside as unassigned spending  and the bill hopes to draw from these funds.

Since the Trump Administration took office, the Department of the Interior  whose agencies grant permits for fossil fuel extraction  has already successfully opened up previously-protected land for commercial use, which could mean drilling and mining. This was most apparent when President Trump, under the recommendation of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, decided to dramatically slash the size of two national monuments in December 2017. Bears Ears National monument was reduced by a staggering 80 percent, losing over a million acres.

Former park director Jarvis suggested a more conventional source of park funding  though likely far less substantial  which is increased philanthropy. For instance, billionaire businessman David Rubenstein donated $18.5 million in 2015 to restore the Lincoln Memorial.

But philanthropy will have its limits, not least because many critical park infrastructure needs aren't as attractive as a sponsorship that involves sprucing up President Lincoln's heavily-visited memorial.

"Its not a glamorous thing for companies to invest in new toilets or water systems," noted Manning.

Some thirty years ago, Manning visited the north rim of the Grand Canyon, which gets water by piping it up from a spring. Decades ago, the pipes were broken. Manning visited again last year, and again, the pipes were broken.

"Im sure every year the park asks for more money and its still going on," said Manning.

"Thats an example of a crown jewel park that cant even fix its water system."
Lille (France) (AFP) - The case of a French nun who recovered from a decades-old back problem that prevented her from walking normally has been recognised as the 70th miracle at the fabled French shrine of Lourdes, her church said Sunday.

Sister Bernadette Moriau from northern France visited the holy spring in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains in July 2008, aged 69, seeking a cure to her ailment like millions of other pilgrims each year.

Shortly after returning home, her chronic sciatica or pinched spinal nerve disappeared for the first time since she was first diagnosed at the age of 27.

Sister Bernadette had undergone four unsuccessful operations.

"She experienced an unusual feeling of relaxation and heat in the whole of her body (and) heard a voice telling her to take off her equipment, the corset and the leg brace," said a statement from her parish in Beauvais in the north of France.

After further examinations by doctors and three meetings of church figures in Lourdes, the medical committee in the town confirmed that Moriau's recovery could not be explained scientifically, the statement said.

Lourdes is one of the most revered sites for the world's 1.2 billion Catholics because the town is said to be where the Virgin Mary appeared to a peasant girl in a grotto.

A press conference has been scheduled for Tuesday in Beauvais featuring Moriau, the bishop of the local diocese Jacques Benoit-Gonnin, and the head of the Lourdes Medical Bureau, Alessandro de Franciscis.
Long-time CBS anchor Dan Rather called President Donald Trumps defense of Rob Porter, a former White House staff secretary accused of domestic abuse, a heat-seeking missile aimed at some of the presidents biggest vulnerabilities.

After Porter left his job Wednesday in the wake of media reports of domestic abuse accusations by both of his ex-wives, Trump praised his work in the White House and wished him a wonderful career. Trump emphasized that Porter insists he is innocent and indicated in a tweet Porter may have been falsely accused.

Rather wrote in a Facebook post that Trumps support of Porter reminds everyone that Trump, too, has been credibly accused of assault (by multiple women). Twenty-one women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct.

Rather also pointed out that, like Porter, there are several people in the White House still lacking security clearance  including Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Trumps incredible cocoon of privilege and ego ... blinds him to the sheer horror of his statements in defense of Mr. Porter, Rather said.

Debating whether credibly accused wife beaters should be allowed the honor ... to serve in the White House isnt democracy. Its madness  and a moment of sadness for the country, Rather concluded.

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Both of Porters ex-wives told media they divorced Porter because of his violence. Both also said they were contacted in 2016 by a woman  reportedly working in the Trump administration  who said she was a girlfriend of Porter and was being abused by him, CNN reported.

Porters first wife, Colbie Holderness, told The Intercept that Porter punched her in the face in 2005. She provided photos of herself with a black eye.

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Porters second wife, Jennifer Willoughby, told The Daily Mail her ex-husband emotionally, mentally and physically abused her. She said Porter once visited her in her home, violating a restraining order, and broke a window with his fist.

On Friday, Trump defended Porter, saying: As you probably know, he says hes innocent, and I think you have to remember that.

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He also tweeted on Saturday, without mentioning Porters name: Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation ... There is no recovery for someone falsely accused  life and career are gone.

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On Friday, White House speechwriter David Sorensen also resigned after his ex-wife accused him of physically abusing her.

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New York (AFP) - A New York activist for immigrant rights whose struggle against deportation got the backing of Mayor Bill de Blasio received a temporary reprieve Friday from US officials.

Ravi Ragbir feared he could have been arrested on Saturday again for deportation to Trinidad and Tobago, his country of birth which he hasn't seen in a quarter-century.

The reprieve came as Ragbir, backed by several activist groups, sued US immigration authorities for allegedly targeting those working to help immigrants.

They say such targeting violates free speech rights guaranteed under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

As a result of the lawsuit, immigration agents agreed to defer any new arrest of Ragbir, said the New York Immigration Coalition, a migrants' defense group.

It is the latest court skirmish as the administration of President Donald Trump tries to clamp down on both illegal and legal migration.

"Like so many people who are living in this country under the threat of deportation, I know how important it is to raise our voices against the injustices in the system," said Ragbir, who is married to an American immigration lawyer and whose daughter is American.

"This lawsuit is not just about me, it is about all of the members of our community who are speaking out in our struggle for immigrant rights."

Scuffles erupted between his supporters and police after Ragbir, 53, was arrested on January 11 in the New York borough of Manhattan at his annual appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He was held on the basis of a wire fraud conspiracy conviction in 2001, for which he already served his sentence.

Trump's administration has increasingly targeted those with any kind of criminal misdemeanor, in contrast to previous governments which prioritized deportation only of violent criminals.

In late January a judge ordered Ragbir's release, though he still faced deportation.

Ragbir is executive director of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City, a coalition of more than 150 faith-based groups that advocate for immigrant rights.

Hundreds of people mobilized to support Ragbir, and de Blasio, a Democrat and critic of Trump's immigration policies, wrote authorities this week to ask that Ragbir not be deported.
By Suzannah Gonzales

(Reuters) - Former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar has been transferred to a high security federal prison in Tucson, Arizona, after being convicted of molesting scores of young women who went to him for treatment, authorities said on Saturday.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons said the 54-year-old Nassar was at the United States Penitentiary, Tucson, which holds about 1,390 male inmates. The bureau's website listed his release date as March 23, 2069.

After weeks of horrifying testimony from nearly 200 victims about his decades of abuse, Nassar was sentenced on Monday in Michigan to 40 to 125 years in prison.

He had already received a 40-to-175-year sentence in a neighboring Michigan county, and was sentenced to a 60-year federal term for child pornography convictions.

Prosecutors have said there are about 265 known victims in total, including Olympic gold medalists McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman.

The Nassar scandal has prompted multiple investigations into why the U.S. Olympic Committee, the sport's governing body USA Gymnastics, as well as Michigan State University, where Nassar also worked, failed to investigate complaints about him going back years.

United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors Chairman Larry Probst said on Friday before the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Games in South Korea that the U.S. Olympic system "failed" the hundreds of young female athletes who were sexually abused by Nassar.

The U.S. Olympic Committee has launched an investigation into its own conduct as well as that of USA Gymnastics and U.S. lawmakers are also investigating.

Senior officials at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State have been forced to resign in recent weeks.

(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago; Editing by David Gregorio)
Despite news about blocked memos and even a brief government shutdown, the biggest story thats developed this week out of Washington, D.C. surrounds Rob Porter, a top white house aide who resigned on Wednesday amid accusations of domestic abuse. By the end of the day Friday, a second White House official, speechwriter David Sorensen, had also resigned over similar allegations by his ex-wife, Jessica Corbett, who said he ran a car over her foot and burned her hand with a cigarette. (Sorensen denies the allegations.)

Porter had kept his new job despite two of his ex-wives, Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby, telling the FBI that hed been physically and emotionally violent to them. He was given increasing responsibilities even after an ex-girlfriend, who works for the administration, reportedly informed the chief of staff, John Kelly, of their claims. He was defended by Kelly and others when Holdernesss black eye stared them down from just about every newspaper and corner of the Internet. In the end, it was Porter who chose to resign, denying the claims of abuse.

Amid the growing backlash to the news about Porter, Kelly apparently told officials in the West Wing that hed be willing to resign over the incident.

And what was the Presidents response to all this? "I found out about it recently and I was surprised by it," Trump said Friday. "We certainly wish him well. It's obviously a very tough time for him. He did a very good job while he was in the White House."

"He says he's innocent, and I think you have to remember that," the President continued. "He said very strongly yesterday that he's innocent, but you'll have to talk to him about that."

Trump elaborated further on Saturday: "Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?"

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Look, one can argue that Porter's private life is not relevant to his ability to perform a job. (It can be chilling how competent and charming abusers are at work, only to go home and terrorize their partner.) But consider this: What if Porter had allegedly assaulted two men? And what if one of those men filed a police report and received a restraining order against him, as Willoughby did? Would the White House still have looked the other way? Would Kelly have called him a man of true integrity and honor? Would the President have publicly stood by him?

All these developments have renewed pointed questions about the administrations commitment to women. In only a year, it has rolled back an Obama policy aimed at closing the gender pay gap, as well as a mandate ensuring birth control (now any employer can claim a moral or religious objection to covering it.) Trump has also opened the door for states to defund Planned Parenthood. He officially endorsed Roy Moore, the Alabama GOP Senate candidate accused of sexually assaulting teenage girls. And then Trump has his own checkered history with women: This is a President who has famously bragged about groping women, and he has a personal list of women18 at last countwho have accused him of sexual misconduct.

But the Porter story shouldnt be seen as just another comma in this administration's series of woman problems. I think this could have happened under any President, says Cindy Southworth, executive vice president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Until we change the culture and show the same level of concern toward an abuser as we do a stranger rapist or serial murderer, we will keep writing it off as, 'Oh, it was just domestic violence.'"

Its true. The country still has a massive blind spot when it comes to partner abuse. This is why the numbers havent changed: Three women are killed by an intimate partner every day. For anyone who still asks why they stay, the highest risk of homicide is when a wife or girlfriend of an abuser tries to leave. About a third of those who get restraining orders are murdered within a month; a fifth within two days.

And for anyone who asks why women dont speak up about abuse, stop: Look at these womenthey told. And nothing happened.

How do we fix this? For starters, says Southworth, companies (which here includes our own government) should make a policy not to hire someone with an abusive history who hasnt undergone treatment to successfully end the pattern. Doing so sends the message that domestic violence is OK. They should hold their employees to higher standards.

As for each of us? It might feel uncomfortable, but if youre standing online at the grocery store, and the man in front of you is yelling at his girlfriend, Southworth suggests: Ask something very innocuous like, Excuse me, do you know where the produce is? It gives a cue that, 'Hey, there are people around; were watching.' Any little comment can interrupt the escalation of violence. If the guy is someone you know, she says, call him on his behavior: It doesnt have to be vicious. It can be very loving, like, 'I care about you and I dont want you to treat your girlfriend that way.' Then reach out to her separately to see if she needs help." If you see a woman who might be in danger, call 911.

This moment, though, should be a time of reckoning for a White House in which so many women have lost hope. It should be a wake-up call, that going forward, it will be held accountable for condoning unacceptable behavior among its own ranks. And hopefully, what happened this week is already opening up a brave new front in the world off #MeToo: one about domestic abuse, and one in which women will not only break their silencebut when they speak, they will be heard.
Mr Trump made the statement during a meeting in the Oval Office: Getty

President Donald Trump has defended former White House official Robert Porter, who has been accused of domestic abuse by his two ex-wives.

He says hes innocent and I think you have to remember that. He said very strongly yesterday that hes innocent, Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. But we absolutely wish him well. He did a very good job when he was at the White House.

Mr Porters ex-wives accused him of physical abuse in interviews with the Daily Mail. Both alleged that their ex-husband had consistently, violently abused them over the course of several years before he entered the White House.

These outrageous allegations are simply false, Mr Porter said in his statement. I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign.

The President said his administration only recently found out about the accusations and that he was surprised by them.

We hope he has a wonderful career and he will have a great career ahead of him, Mr Trump added. But it was very sad when we heard about it and certainly hes also very sad now.

The White House initially issued a supportive statement when Mr Porter announced his resignation on Wednesday. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly called him a man of true integrity and honour and said he was proud to serve alongside him.

But hours later, after seeing pictures of one of the ex-wives with a black eye, Mr Kelly said he was shocked by the new allegations released today against the ex-White House aide.

There is no place for domestic violence in our society, Mr Kelly said in a follow-up statement. I stand by my previous comments of the Rob Porter that I have come to know since becoming chief of staff, and believe every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation.

Mr Porter said in his statement that he took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described.

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On Thursday, White House spokesman Raj Shah defended Mr Kelly for not firing Mr Porter, saying the Chief of Staff was unaware of the full nature of the accusations.

I think its fair to say we all could have done better dealing with this over the last few days, Mr Shah said during a White House press briefing.

As for Mr Kelly, told reporters on Friday that he he learned Tuesday night about the allegations. Forty minutes later he was gone, Mr Kelly said.

Mr Kelly's handling of the Porter matter has cast a harsh spotlight on the chief of staff, however a White House official said that Mr Kelly has not offered his resignation.

Associated Press contributed to this report
Cairo (AFP) - Egypt's army said Sunday it had killed 16 jihadists and detained 34 more in the Sinai Peninsula since launching a major operation against them on Friday.

The security sweep in the Sinai, heart of a persistent Islamic State group insurgency, comes as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi seeks re-election next month.

Army spokesman Tamer al-Rifai said 16 jihadists had been killed and 34 detained during a "sweep and raids... in northern and central Sinai".

The army destroyed 66 jihadist hideouts, 11 pickup vehicles and 31 motorbikes, he said in a statement.

It also discovered and destroyed an explosives-making laboratory and a communications centre, as well as six cannabis and opium fields, he said.

Egypt's security forces have been increasingly targeted by jihadists since the army in 2013 overthrew Sisi's predecessor, Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

In November, Sisi ordered his armed forces chief of staff to restore security in Sinai within three months after militants killed more than 300 worshippers at a mosque.

No group has claimed responsibility for that attack.

"Operation Sinai 2018", which involves the air force and navy, is also to target jihadists in the Nile Delta and Western Desert near the border with Libya.
Egyptian Army's Armoured Vehicles are seen on a highway to North Sinai during a launch of a major assault against militants, in Ismailia - REUTERS

Egypt launched a major assault against militants Friday focused on the Sinai peninsula, where Isil has staged deadly attacks, aiming to crush their insurgency by an end of February deadline set by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The former general last November ordered the military to defeat militants in North Sinai within three months, after an attack on a mosque which killed more than 300 people, the deadliest such incident in the Arab world's most populous country.

Residents said they saw warplanes flying above the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, which borders North Sinai to the west.

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip north-east of the vast desert region said they could hear explosions coming from across the border, but there was no immediate word on any casualties.

The campaign by the army, navy, air force, border patrol and police is taking place ahead of a March election in which Mr Sisi is seeking a second term.

Egyptian Army's helicopters join the assault Credit: Reuters

He is widely expected to win. In a Facebook posting on his account, Mr Sisi wrote: "I follow with pride the heroic actions of my sons in the armed forces and police to clear Egypt's territory of terrorist elements."

A military spokesman said the operation would cover large parts of Sinai, but also parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert, where other militants have waged attacks, some believed to be staged out of neighbouring Libya.

Security sources said on Thursday the operation, which had been in planning for some time, was unprecedented in its scope, coordination and size, involving thousands of troops, but did not provide further details.

"The armed forces calls upon the Egyptian people in all parts of the country to closely cooperate with law enforcement forces to confront terrorism, uproot it and immediately report any elements threatening the security and stability of the country," military spokesman, Colonel Tamer al-Rifai, said in a televised address.

Col Tamer el-Rifaai said in a second statement the air force had targeted militant hide-outs in north and central Sinai, while the navy tightened its maritime control to cut off supply lines.

State television said Friday that all schools in North Sinai had been ordered shut from Saturday until further notice.

The Suez Canal Authority chairman said the international waterway was operating normally.
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's air force pounded militant targets in northern and central Sinai early on Saturday, the military said, the second day of an assault to try to crush an insurgency that has killed hundreds of people since 2013. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is seeking re-election in March, ordered the armed forces in November to defeat militants within three months after an attack on a mosque killed more than 300 people. Islamist insurgents have been targeting security forces since 2013 when the army led by Sisi, then the army chief, ousted President Mohamed Mursi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, following mass protests against his rule. The military said its warplanes struck "terrorist concentrations and hideouts" in northern and central Sinai through the night and into the early hours of Saturday, targeting weapons warehouses and logistics support areas. On the ground, special forces, working with police, conducted raids inside cities in Sinai to seize militants, military spokesman Colonel Tamer al-Rifai said in a statement. Border guards and naval forces were securing the Suez Canal to make sure navigation through the international waterway was not affected, the statement said. It gave no details on any casualties in the operation or any figures on the number of people arrested, but said the assault would continue. "The armed forces and the police assert their determination to uproot terrorism and to achieve peace and stability," Rifai said, according to the statement. Apart from Sinai, the Egyptian army said the operation would also cover parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert, where other militants have waged attacks, some believed to be staged out of neighbouring Libya. State television said on Friday that all schools in North Sinai had been ordered shut from Saturday until further notice. The Suez Canal Authority chairman said the waterway was operating normally. Forty-eight ships passed through the canal on Saturday amid extensive security measures, the authority said. The success or failure of the military's latest push will most likely not affect the result of the March 26-28 election. Sisi is widely expected to win as all opposition figures thought to pose a serious challenge to him have pulled out of the race. (Reporting by Cairo Bureau; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Clelia Oziel)
(Corrects Feb 9. story lead to remove reference to shelving the investigation) By Lisandra Paraguassu and Ricardo Brito BRASILIA (Reuters) - A bribery investigation into Brazilian President Michel Temer regarding the extension of port concessions last year has found no evidence of corruption and could soon conclude no crime was committed, the head of the federal police told Reuters on Friday. Director General Fernando Segovia said in an interview that police found no proof that a decree signed last year by Temer favored logistics firm Rodrimar SA, which operates services in the Port of Santos, Latin America's busiest container port. The bribery probe is the only case pending against Temer, who last year avoided standing trial before the Supreme Court when allies in Congress shielded him from charges of corruption, obstruction of justice and organized crime. "What we see is that the decree itself did not in theory benefit the company. There was no benefit. And there is no word about money being paid," said Segovia, who was appointed by Temer late last year, in the interview at police headquarters. "Until now, absolutely nothing has appeared that would be the basis for corruption," he said. The main piece of evidence turned up by the investigation was a wiretap of a conversation between former Congressman Rodrigo Rocha Loures, a close aide to the president, and a presidential legal advisor, Gustavo Rocha. But the conversation shows the legal advisor saying the decree could not be changed to favor the company and that Temer opposed such a change, Segovia said. The decree, published in May, extended contracts governing port concessions, benefiting current operators. Rocha Loures was arrested in June after being filmed with a suitcase of cash received from meatpacker JBS SA as part of a separate investigation, in which he has been charged with corruption, which he denies. Temer has denied any role in the corruption scandals and answered questions put to him in writing by the police even though he was not legally obliged to do so, his lawyer said. According to press reports, police asked Temer whether he was offered campaign donations by representatives from the Port of Santos in exchange for fulfilling their demands, among other questions. Segovia said the investigation should be wrapped up within three months. Asked if the case was likely to be shelved, he said: "In the end, we could even conclude that there was no crime committed." Temer took office in 2016 when he succeeded impeached leftist president Dilma Rousseff. Her supporters claim she was ousted in a conspiracy to protect Temer, then vice president, and his political associates from prosecution for corruption. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu and Ricardo Brito; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by James Dalgleish)
LONDON (Reuters) - Facebook launched a community leadership program on Friday that will award $10 million in total to more than 100 people who have successfully built groups on the social network as part of its push to create "meaningful" interactions. The initiative, announced at a Facebook Communities Summit in London, will give five people with a track record in creating groups up to $1 million to fund a project, Facebook's Jennifer Dulski said. Another 100 leaders from around the world will receive up to $50,000 each, she said in an interview. "We are looking for communities that provide meaning to the people that are in them, we are looking for initiatives that drive positive impact, and we are looking for communities that have both online and offline components," said Dulski, Facebook's head of groups and community. Facebook's Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said last June that the company's new mission was "to bring the world closer together", and he set a goal of helping one billion people join "meaningful communities" built around hobbies, neighbors, churches, pets and the like. The focus on groups came after the social network, which has 1.4 billion daily active users, had been criticized for its role in the distribution of so-called fake news. Facebook and other internet groups such as Google's YouTube and Twitter have also faced pressure from the European Union and European governments to do more to stem the proliferation of extremist content on their platforms. The company's top European executive Nicola Mendelsohn said in December that the number of people working on safety on the platform would double to 20,000 by the end of 2018, including more engineers in London. The contest is open to Facebook community leaders worldwide, with the winners chosen by a panel of independent experts and Facebook employees, Dulski said. (Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Adrian Croft)
Ashley Graham walks the runway at Christian Sirianos show during New York Fashion Week 2018. (Photo: Getty Images)

All things considered, Council of Fashion Designers of America president Steven Kolb should be personally thanking Christian Siriano  who presented his 10th anniversary collection on Feb. 10  for revitalizing a roster of mostly fine but generally forgettable collections in this years New York Fashion Week.

Its easy to feel jaded about NYFW in its current form. Several designers have left for other cities, industry turnover and turmoil are rampant, and the existential dread of it all is draining  a feeling not placated when usually reliable designers release disappointing collections. Sirianos show at the gilded Grand Lodge in New York City, however, offered a take on the new American aristocracy that fused the best of the past with the most promising parts of the future.

The casting, for example, maintained the new standard for diversity and inclusion for which Siriano might be credited with trailblazing. In addition to the tallest and thinnest across races, Siriano cast powerhouses like Ashley Graham (who opened the show), gender nonconforming breakout star Avie Acosta, Danielle Brooks of Orange Is the New Black and Selma Blair, both of whom received applause for what were exceptionally fierce walks.

Danielle Brooks walks the runway for Christian Siriano during New York Fashion Week on Feb. 10. (Photo: Getty Images)

Speaking of celebrities, Sirianos used to having a stacked front row of stars who gush about how much they adore him both as a designer and a person. This season, Laverne Cox cheered on Brooks while Meg Ryan chatted up Molly Shannon, who was seated next to Cardi B. Whoopi Goldberg  whose fashion week appearances this season have been a delight  also sat in the front row.

Christian Siriano (center) is surrounded by collaborators and fans, including (from left) Larsen Thompson, Danielle Brooks, Whoopi Goldberg, Laverne Cox, Ashley Graham, Molly Shannon, Selma Blair, and Brad Walsh. (Photo: Getty Images)

For all those stars, Siriano offered an extraordinary collection. Inspired by late 18th century British art, according to the show notes, regality was on high: plush coats in jewel tones, rich velvet, jacquard suiting, feathered hats and headbands, and opulent crystal cage collars on evening gowns evoked the richness of European aristocracy to a modern America sorely lacking gentility.

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There were, of course, the kinds of billowing silhouettes for which Siriano is known and at which he excels. Those would be enough of a statement on its own, but for safe measure, Siriano also included turtlenecks that, in theory, would seem out of place in this collection. Ultimately, the addition punctuated an indelibly strong message: Christian Siriano has solidified his position atop American design royalty.

Goldberg, who spoke with Yahoo Lifestyle, recounted her love for Siriano.

Ive loved it all. [Siriano] is one of my favorite people, and I feel like fashion week is turning into peoples week. There are so many different body types that made me happy.

While a royal family may not have a place in American democracy, fashions newest king certainly serves symbolic value: The people can look up to Siriano and see the best of themselves.

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooLifestyle.





Alexandra Mondalek is a writer for Yahoo Style + Beauty. Follow her on Twitter @amondalek.
Maybe you were overconfident. Or perhaps you felt that you needed the money but now have some form of buyer's remorse. Either way, you may be concerned that you claimed Social Security too early.

It's a common dilemma, according to Kate Stalter, co-owner and senior financial advisor at Better Money Decisions, a financial services company in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

[See: 10 Ways to Increase Your Social Security Payments.]

"The vast majority of Americans take their Social Security benefit prior to full retirement age. It's a problem because they lock in a lower benefit for the rest of their lives," Stalter says.

Surveys and statistics back her up. While the trend is to file for benefits later in life, according to a 2017 survey from Fidelity, 28 percent of Americans still planned on receiving Social Security benefits as early as possible.

If you feel you've taken your benefits too soon, and you're wondering what you should do, as it turns out, you have some options.

First, familiarize yourself with rules around taking advantage of the retirement benefit. The earliest you can apply for Social Security benefits is when you're at least 61 and 9 months of age (and then the earliest you can start getting paid is age 62). It takes about three months for the checks to roll in, so you should apply for Social Security three months before you're ready to get paid. Keep in mind, the Social Security Administration recommends signing up for Medicare three months before your 65th birthday, even if you aren't retiring any time soon. Also remember, you receive less money if you file for Social Security benefits before your full retirement age.

The full retirement age is 67 years, if you were born in 1960 or later. If you were born before 1960, the retirement age is between 65 and 66. Your Social Security benefits are based on Social Security work credits, which you get from your work history and what you pay into Social Security taxes.

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Generally, you have three strategies you can employ if you want to reverse your decision to file for Social Security benefits. Here are your options:

1. Withdraw the benefits claim if it's been less than a year. Here's the good news: All you have to do is submit in writing that you'd like to withdraw your claim for your benefits. Then, you can go back to not receiving your Social Security and wait until a later period when your payments will be higher. And now the bad news: You'll have to pay back all of the money you received from Social Security, including any payments a spouse or child may have received. That may not be too hard if it's just been a month or so, and you aren't on a fixed income. If it's been several months or more, and money is already tight, then it may be another story.

2. Suspend your benefit payments. If you've reached your full retirement age but aren't 70 years old, you can contact the Social Security Administration and ask them to suspend your benefits.

At that point, you would receive delayed retirement credits, or DRCs, which are worth 8 percent per year guaranteed growth from your full retirement age up until age 70 to your benefit amount, says Brett Gottlieb, a financial advisor who owns Comprehensive Advisor, an insurance and financial services firm in Carlsbad, California.

"This is a great way to make up for filing at an earlier age and realizing a mistake was made," he says. "In fact, for some people, given your financial situation, it might make sense to purposely create this strategy which is known as start -- stop -- start," he says.

3. If you aren't at full retirement age, start working again. If you aren't yet at your full retirement age, you could work while you receive your Social Security benefits and see higher earnings later.

[See: 10 Social Security Claiming Strategies That Work.]

If you claimed retirement benefits too early, don't beat yourself up. Filing for Social Security can be complicated for anyone. David Demko, a clinical gerontologist based in Jacksonville, Florida, says that he decided he filed for Social Security too early. Even experts on senior issues can make mistakes with filing for Social Security "that result in perplexing consequences," he says.

Demko took his benefits at age 65. But then at age 67, he wound up refunding his benefits and postponing until age 70. But at age 68, he reversed his decision again, and the SSA paid him back what he had refunded.

Demko isn't wishy-washy. He just had a lot of life choices to make. For instance, he had some health issues, including mysteriously losing 55 pounds in six weeks, that made him think he wouldn't live until age 70, which inspired him to start taking his Social Security benefits at age 65. He's now in good health, he says.

Don't be afraid to seek advice. Demko says that returning the money to the Social Security Administration, because it was a considerable amount -- $35,000 -- created "an IRS tax-return nightmare."

That's why Gottlieb's advice would be smart to heed: "If you feel you have made a mistake or just aren't sure and you want to make a change, find an expert in Social Security planning and work with them to review your personal situation and determine your overall goals and options before acting on any adjustments," he says.

[Read: How to Keep Your Social Security Number Safe.]

It may cost you upfront to consult with an expert, but if you make more changes with your Social Security account and don't fully understand what you're doing after filing too soon, opting not to work with a professional may be the second biggest mistake you make.
(Reuters) - Five people, including a suspected gunman who apparently took his own life, were killed in a shooting spree at two locations in northeastern Kentucky, officials said on Sunday.

Police received a 911 call about 4 p.m. on Saturday about a shooting at a rural home near Paintsville, about 160 miles (260 km) southeast of Louisville, Johnson County Sheriff Dwayne Price said in a statement on Facebook.

Officers found two people dead at the home then began searching for the shooter, Price said in the statement. A second 911 call led deputies and police to an apartment in Paintsville, where three people were found fatally shot, including the gunman, the statement said.

"This has been a horrific murder spree," Price said. "There are no words to describe the heartbreak in seeing four lives taken due to the actions of one man. I have worked in law enforcement for 34 years. This is one of the most disturbing acts of violence I have ever seen."

Officials identified the gunman as Joseph Nickell, but no other information about him was made available.

The victims were identified on Sunday by Kentucky State Police as the suspect's mother, Arlene Nickell and his father, James Nickell, killed at the rural home. Also killed, at the apartment in Paintsville, were his girlfriend, Lindsey Vanhoose, and her mother, Patricia Vanhoose.

The shooting came about three weeks after the state was rocked by a high school shooting in Benton, where two students were killed and 18 students wounded by a fellow student, who remains in custody.

(Reporting by Rich McKay and Bernie Woodall; Editing by Paul Tait and Alistair Bell)
Le Puy-en-Velay (France) (AFP) - A French appeal court on Sunday sentenced a mother and her ex-partner to 20 years for the brutal murder of her five-year-old daughter whose disappearance in 2013 shocked the country.

Cecile Bourgeon, 30, drew nationwide sympathy in May 2013 when she appealed for help in finding the blonde, blue-eyed five-year-old, saying she had disappeared from a public park.

But four months later, she and her then partner Berkane Makhlouf both admitted they had buried her in a forest near the central city of Clermont-Ferrand, saying she had died in an accident at home.

In 2016, a lower court had acquitted Bourgeon of murder but sentenced her to five years for lying about her daughter's fate while handing Makhlouf 20 years behind bars.

But following a two-week appeal hearing in Le Puy-en-Velay in central France before a nine-member all-woman jury, the sentence was overturned with Bourgeon handed a 20-year penalty for her daughter's death alongside Makhlouf, 36.

Prosecutor Raphael Gentile de Sanesi described the couple as a pair of "torturers", who had collaborated in the "ongoing violence" suffered by the child during "the days and hours leading to her death".

The couple's deceit and the brutal truth that one or both of them killed Fiona sparked a wave of local fury even though details of her death remain shrouded in mystery.

- Body never found -

Bourgeon, a drug addict, initially said Fiona had been "accidentally punched" and then claimed that Makhlouf had beaten her to death in a drunken fury.

He in turn accused her of kicking the little girl in the stomach and the head, according to his lawyer.

But they both maintained that the violence was not the cause of Fiona's death, claiming it was due to some form of "domestic accident". On finding her body in the morning, they said they panicked.

Her body was never found.

Despite the hearing, no new evidence emerged to shed light on the full facts about how Fiona died nor determine the exact responsibility of each adult in her death, although the court recognised the child was the victim of "mistreatment".

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The jurors stopped short of handing the pair the 30-year sentence the prosecutor had requested but did approve his demand to withdraw Bourgeon's parental authority over her two other children.

Bourgeon's lawyers said she would appeal the sentence.

The child's father, Nicolas Chafoulais, expressed satisfaction with the verdict.

"She got the sentence she deserves. It is relief for me and justice for Fiona," he told AFP.

"But am I at peace? No," he said, choking back the tears.

"It hasn't brought my daughter back."
Three people were killed and four were injured when the helicopter they were flying in crashed in the Grand Canyon, officials said.

The Papillon Airways EC130, which was carrying a pilot and six passengers, crashed under unknown circumstances near Quartermaster Canyon on the Hualapai Reservation at about 5:20 p.m. Saturday.

Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley said the tour helicopter, was traveling from Las Vegas, Nev., when it crashed about 60 miles west of Palm Springs, Ariz.

First responders had difficulty reaching the crash site and were assisted by military aircraft from Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas to evacuate the injured, authorities said.

High winds, the darkness and the extreme rugged terrain where the crash site is located hampered rescue efforts, Bradley said.

The fatally injured victims were identified as Becky Dobson, 27; her boyfriend Stuart Hill, 30; and his brother Jason Hill, 32. All three were tourists visiting from Great Britain.

Three other British tourists, Jonathan Udall, 32; Ellie Milward, 29; and Jennifer Barham, 39, survived the crash. They were airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital. The pilot, 42-year-old Scott Booth, 42, was also hospitalized.

Photos of the crash scene showed dark smoke and high flames rising from the wrecked aircraft.

Las Vegas-based photographer Teddy Fujimoto was photographing a wedding about 500 feet above where the crash occurred.

Everyone kind of ran over to see what happened, he said.

Fujimoto said he could hear screams and see two women make their way out of the helicopter after the crash.

It was horrible, he said.

Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters has held the title of the worlds oldest and largest sightseeing company since 1965, according to its website. The carrier flies about 600,000 passengers a year on Grand Canyon and other tours, its website notes.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

"It is with extreme sadness we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families involved in this accident," Brenda Halvorson, CEO of Papillon Group, said in a statement to InsideEdition.com. "Our top priority is the care and needs of our passengers and our staff.

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"Family members seeking immediate assistance, please call 1-866-512-9121. We are cooperating fully with NTSB investigators and local authorities."

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The White House communications head is tangled in plotlines involving the Russia investigation and domestic abuse allegations against Rob Porter

Hope Hicks at the White House. Photograph: Pool/Getty Images

Throughout Donald Trumps campaign and relentlessly chaotic presidency, the single constant presence at his side, outside of his family, has been the 29-year-old former Ralph Lauren model and White House communications director Hope Hicks.

While aides and advisers fall in and out of favor, Hicks has remained Trumps Oval Office gatekeeper, companion and sounding board, offering consistent loyalty.

But now Hicks has herself been cast into two plotlines currently playing out in the presidential daytime reality-soap.

In one, Hicks features as a likely target in the special counsel Robert Muellers effort to acquire cooperating witnesses in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Hicks has reportedly been interviewed by Muellers investigators.

In the other, her prized judgment is being called into question over Rob Porter, the senior White House aide accused of physically abusing two ex-wives and whom Hicks has reportedly been dating.

Publicly, Trump has offered his support for Hicks, saying: Hope is absolutely fantastic. She was with the campaign from the beginning, and I could not ask for anything more. Hope is smart, very talented and respected by all.

But in private, the president is believed to have issued rare criticism of a woman who by some estimates is the most influential figure in the administration after Trump himself.

At issue is whether Hicks, who also served as communications director during the campaign, relaxed her judgment owing to her relationship with Porter.

White House officials have said Hicks knew that an ex-girlfriend of Porters had informed aides that both of Porters ex-wives had said he was violent. Hicks continued to see him and did not tell the president. Porter denies the allegations against him.

If the unfolding episode calls into question the maturity of Hicks judgement, she clearly is invaluable as a personal assistant. In his campaign memoir, Let Trump Be Trump, Corey Lewandowski, the early campaign strategist  with whom, coincidentally, Hicks also had an affair  described her steaming Trumps suit while he is wearing it.

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Shes really quite talented and able, Christopher Ruddy, a close friend of the president and chief executive of the conservative website Newsmax, told the Washington Post.

But her professional experience, especially where is comes to matters that carry potentially legal consequences, is limited. Hicks came to the Trumps through a PR firm that represented the Trump Organization. The family later hired her away to work exclusively for them, furnishing her with responsibilities that included working on Ivanka Trumps fashion line.

A GQ magazine profile in June 2016 described her: She is a hugger and a people pleaser, with long brown hair and green eyes, a young woman of distinctly all-American flavor  the sort that inspires Tom Petty songs, not riots.

But her looks and fashion background can cause people to underestimate her. She has a background in PR and is a graduate of Dallas Southern Methodist University.

Trump has claimed she has an ability to quickly acquire political experience. She was very natural when it comes to picking it up, and a lot of people cant pick it up, because its so fast-moving. Its faster-moving than anything else.

In his account of the Trump White House, the author Michael Wolff described Hicks role as the single most important job in this White House: interpreting the media for him [Trump] in the most positive way it could be interpreted, and buffering him from the media that could not be positively spun.



In a column for the Hollywood Reporter, Wolff wrote: With Melania a nonpresence, the staff referred to Ivanka as the real wife and Hicks as the real daughter.

But now that Hicks is herself part of the media narrative, can she do her job effectively? According to the Washington Post, Hicks has appeared visibly upset as her love life has become a news story: West Wing aides say she has glanced at the TV screens, seen her face and quickly looked away.
Idris Elba appears to be off the market.

Video shows the Luther star getting down on one knee and proposed to girlfriend Sabrina Dhowre during a screening of Yardie  the first film Elba has directed  in Dalston, London.

Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre at the actor's Christmas Party in December 2017. (Photo: David M. Benett via Getty Images)

Neither Elba nor Dhowre have publicly confirmed the engagement, and reps for Elba didnt immediately reply to a request for comment. But screening attendee David Marsden-Sainou posted a clip of the sweet moment on Twitter Saturday.

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Rio Cinema, where the screening took place, also posted about the proposal.

Still 5 days to Valentines Day but @idriselba went down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend live on stage this morning, read a tweet from the theater.

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The theater also noted that that Dhowre, a model and former Miss Vancouver, said yes and there was much clapping and cheering.

The British actor met Dhowre in Canada while he was filming 2017s The Mountain Between Us.

Falling in love while making a movie about falling in love is pretty special, he told People editor-in-chief Jess Cagle in September.

Congrats to Elba and Dhowre, and condolences to many of the rest of you out there.

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2013 Toronto International Film Festival - Guess Portrait Studio - Day 4

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 08: Idris Elba at Guess Portrait Studio on Day 4 during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at Bell Lightbox on September 8, 2013 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Charles Leonio/Getty Images for Guess)

Giorgio Armani - Milan Fashion Week Menswear Spring/Summer 2012

MILAN, ITALY - JUNE 21: Idris Elba attends the Armani fashion show as part of Milan Fashion Week Menswear Spring/Summer 2012 on June 21, 2011 in Milan, Italy.on June 21, 2011 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

Gillian Anderson and Idris Elba

IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR HARPER'S BAZAAR - American actress Gillian Anderson and British actor Idris Elba attend Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards 2013 at Claridge's Hotel on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, in London. (Photo by Jon Furniss/Invision for Harper's Bazaar/AP)

Giorgio Armani - Milan Fashion Week Menswear Spring/Summer 2012

MILAN, ITALY - JUNE 21: Idris Elba attends the Armani fashion show as part of Milan Fashion Week Menswear Spring/Summer 2012 on June 21, 2011 in Milan, Italy.on June 21, 2011 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

BET Awards '11 - Press Room

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 26: Actor/singer Idris Elba poses in the press room at the BET Awards '11 held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 26, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Idris Elba, Michael Pitt, Aloe Blacc And Karen Elson Launch 'Tonight We Tanqueray'

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 13: Actor Idris Elba Launches 'Tonight We Tanqueray' at The Green Building on July 13, 2011 in New York, United States. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Tanqueray)

Premiere Of Paramount Pictures & Marvel Entertainment's "Captain America: The First Avenger" - Arrivals

HOLLYWOOD, CA - JULY 19: Actor Idris Elba (R) and his daughter attend the 'Captain America: The First Avenger' Los Angeles Premiere at the El Capitan Theater on July 19, 2011 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 - After Party

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actor Idris Elba attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

Guests Arrive For White House State Dinner For UK Prime Minister Cameron

WASHINGTON - MARCH 14: Actor Idris Elba arrives for a State Dinner in honor of British Prime Minister David Cameron at the White House on March 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. Cameron is on a three day official visit to Washington. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

Y-3 Fashion Show Autumn/Winter 2012-13 - Front Row - Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 12: Idris Elba attends the Y-3 Fashion Show Autumn/Winter 2012-13 at 82 Mercer on February 12, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Kohen/Getty Images for Y-3)

Y-3 Fashion Show Autumn/Winter 2012-13 - Front Row - Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 12: Idris Elba attends the Y-3 Fashion Show Autumn/Winter 2012-13 at 82 Mercer on February 12, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Kohen/Getty Images for Y-3)

Y-3 Fashion Show Autumn/Winter 2012-13 - Front Row - Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

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NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 12: Idris Elba attends the Y-3 Fashion Show Autumn/Winter 2012-13 at 82 Mercer on February 12, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Kohen/Getty Images for Y-3)

BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 - After Party

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actor Idris Elba spins at BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 - After Party

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actor Idris Elba spins at BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 - After Party

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: DJ Beverly Bond and actor Idris Elba attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 - After Party

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actor Idris Elba spins at BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 - After Party

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actor Idris Elba attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

Harper's Bazaar Woman Of The Year Awards - Arrivals

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 31: Idris Elba attends the Harper's Bazaar Woman of the Year Awards at Claridge's Hotel on October 31, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Fred Duval/Getty Images)

GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2012 - Photocall

PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 16: Idris Elba attends GQ Men of the year awards 2012 at Musee d'Orsay on January 16, 2013 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images)

BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 - Show

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actor Idris Elba speaks onstage at BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

Prince's Trust Celebrate Success Awards - Arrivals

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 26: Idris Elba attends the Prince's Trust Celebrate Success Awards at Odeon Leicester Square on March 26, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Prince's Trust Celebrate Success Awards - Arrivals

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 26: Idris Elba attends the Prince's Trust Celebrate Success Awards at Odeon Leicester Square on March 26, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Pacific Rim - European Premiere - Red Carpet Arrivals

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 04: Idris Elba attends the European Premiere of 'Pacific Rim' at BFI IMAX on July 4, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)

Pacific Rim - European Premiere - Red Carpet Arrivals

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 04: Idris Elba attends the European Premiere of 'Pacific Rim' at BFI IMAX on July 4, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)

"Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" Premiere - Arrivals - 2013 Toronto International Film Festival

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 07: Actor Idris Elba attends the 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' premiere during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 7, 2013 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

"Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" Premiere - Arrivals - 2013 Toronto International Film Festival

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 07: Actor Idris Elba attends the 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' premiere during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 7, 2013 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

"Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" Premiere - Arrivals - 2013 Toronto International Film Festival

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 07: Actor Idris Elba attends the 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' premiere during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 7, 2013 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

"Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" Portraits - 2013 Toronto International Film Festival

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 08: Actor Idris Elba of 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' poses at the Guess Portrait Studio during 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2013 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

"Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" Portraits - 2013 Toronto International Film Festival

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 08: Actor Idris Elba of 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' poses at the Guess Portrait Studio during 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2013 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

BRITAIN-ENTERTAINMENT-CINEMA-THOR

British actor Idris Elba attends the world film premiere of 'Thor, The Dark World' in central London on October 22, 2013. AFP PHOTO/ANDREW COWIE (Photo credit should read ANDREW COWIE/AFP/Getty Images)

"Thor: The Dark World" - World Premiere - Red Carpet Arrivals

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Idris Elba attends the World Premiere of 'Thor: The Dark World' at Odeon Leicester Square on October 22, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

SAFRICA-ENTERTAINMENT-MANDELA

Nelson Mandela's second wife Winnie MadikizelaMandela (R) and British actor Idris Elba, who plays the role of Nelson Mandela in the movie 'Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom', attend the movie's premiere in Johannesburg on November 3, 2013. The movie 'Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom', largely based on his autobiography of the same name, traces the life of the anti-apartheid icon from his childhood in the rural Eastern Cape to his election as the country's first black president in 1994. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images)

Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance in 3D Fangoria Fan Event

Idris Elba poses next to poster art from his latest film, "Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance," at a promotional event with fans at Times Scare in New York on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. The film, also starring Nicolas Cage and Johnny Whitworth, opens on Feb. 17. (AP Photo/StarPix, Dave Allocca) -PICTURED: Nicolas Cage -PHOTO by: Dave Allocca/Starpix -FILENAME: DA5670255.JPG -LOCATION: Times Scare Startraks Photo New York, NY For licensing please call 212-414-9464 or email

Deon Lotz, Anant Singh

Actors Idris Elba, left, and Naomie Harris pose for a picture during the photo call for "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Galit Rodan)

Idris Elba, Naomie Harris

IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR THR - Idris Elba, left, and Naomie Harris arrive at The Hollywood Reporter's 2013 TIFF Cocktail Reception presented by Bulgari on Sunday, September 8, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision for THR/AP Images)

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Parisa Hafezi ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran's judiciary said on Sunday an Iranian-Canadian activist had committed suicide in detention because of the weight of evidence against him in a spying case, an Iranian news agency reported. Kavous Seyed-Emami's son on Saturday wrote on Twitter that his father, arrested on Jan. 24, had died in prison. Environmental activist Seyed-Emami, 63, a dual national, was a sociology professor at Irans Imam Sadegh University. "The news of my father's passing is impossible to fathom," son Raam Emami wrote. "I still can't believe this." The family has asked for an independent autopsy, he said. Seyed-Emami was the managing director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, which seeks to protect Iran's rare animals, and a U.S.-trained scholar in sociology. "He was one of the defendants in a spying case and unfortunately he committed suicide in prison since he knew that many had made confessions against him and because of his own confessions," Tehran's prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi told the semi-official ILNA news agency. On Saturday, Jafari-Dolatabadi said Iran's security forces had arrested several people who had been "gathering classified information in strategic areas ... under the coverage of scientific and environmental projects". Authorities on Friday called Seyed-Emami's wife to say her husband had committed suicide in Tehran's Evin prison, his son tweeted. COLLEAGUES ARRESTED The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), a non-profit group based in New York, said at least nine other staff members and executives of Seyed-Emami's organization had been arrested on the same day as him, citing a relative of one of those detained. They include an Iranian-American dual national, Morad Tahbaz, CHRI said. A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said the United States was "aware of reports that a U.S. citizen has been detained in Iran". Separately, Iran's judiciary has announced in recent weeks the suicides of two Iranians among those arrested during nationwide anti-government protests last month. Their families, rights groups and lawyers have rejected the explanations of their deaths and demanded an independent investigation. An Iranian official in Tehran said more arrests were expected in connection with Seyed-Emami's organization. "A group of those who gathered strategic intelligence and handed it over to foreigners have been identified. Some of them were arrested and some others might be arrested soon," the head of Tehran's Justice department Gholamhossein Esmaili told ILNA. In 2003, an Iranian-Canadian photographer, Zahra Kazemi, was beaten to death in Evin prison after she was detained while taking pictures. Her death led to a downgrading in diplomatic relations between Iran and Canada. There is currently no Canadian embassy in Iran, which does not recognize dual nationality. A spokeswoman for Global Affairs Canada, which manages Canadian foreign and trade relations, said on Saturday the government was aware of reports of the death of a Canadian citizen in Iran. Dozens of dual nationals are in jail in Iran, mostly on spying charges. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; editing by Andrew Roche)
ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran, Israel's regional arch-enemy, rejected as "ridiculous" reports that Israel had intercepted an Iranian drone launched from Syria on Saturday, state TV reported.

Separately, a Revolutionary Guards' official said he could not confirm the report because Israelis were "liars".

Israel said it launched air strikes against air defences and Iranian targets in Syria on Saturday and the Syrian army claimed to have hit an Israeli F-16 that crashed in northern Israel in a major escalation of tension.

"Reports of downing an Iranian drone flying over Israel and also Iran's involvement in attacking an Israeli jet are so ridiculous," state TV quoted Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi as saying.

Shi'ite-dominated Iran is Syrian President Bashar al-Assads main regional ally and denies having any conventional armed forces in Syria, though it has acknowledged having military advisers and volunteers from its elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Syria.

"Iran only provides military advice to Syria based on the request of the country's legitimate government," Qasemi said.

The Israeli military said the F-16 jet crashed during a mission to strike Iranian drone installations in Syria, where Iranian and Iran-backed forces have established a major foothold while fighting in support of Assad.

Israel said it had sent its jets into Syria after shooting down an Iranian drone flying over Israeli territory on Saturday. Israel said its warplanes came under fire in Syria, though it was still unclear why the jet had come down.

"Syria's legitimate government has every right to defend its soil and territory against any foreign aggressor," Qasemi said, state TV reported.

Earlier the deputy head of Iran's IRGC declined to comment on the reports, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

"We cannot confirm this report on the drone because Israelis are liars ... if Syrians confirm it, Iran will confirm it as well," Brigadier General Hossein Salami said.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Tehran (AFP) - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday called for a "year of unity" after recent protests as Iran celebrated 39 years since the Islamic revolution.

Rouhani said conservative officials should not block candidates they dislike from future elections, and that there should be greater trust in the people, including the use of referenda on key issues.

"I request that the 40th year of the revolution, the coming year, be the year of unity. I ask conservatives, reformists, moderates and all parties and all people to come and be together," he said in a speech before a huge crowd in Tehran.

Rouhani, a long-time regime insider who won power in 2013 and again in 2017 with the backing of reformists, has faced tough criticism from conservatives over his efforts to rebuild relations with the West and ease civil liberties.

He has tried to use protests that hit dozens of cities over the new year as a way to convince conservatives that they must follow his calls for reform.

"We should trust the people. We must allow all inclinations to participate in elections," he said in an apparent swipe at the conservative-dominated Guardian Council, which regularly blocks hundreds of reformist candidates from standing in presidential and parliamentary votes.

"Our revolution was victorious when we were all together," he said.

"And today we must once again invite everyone to get on board the successful and victorious train of the revolution.

"All Iranian races, all Iranian religions, Shiites and Sunnis, Muslims, Christians, Jews and Zaroastrians -- whoever believes in the constitution, that is our criteria. He is a revolutionary and he must be respected," Rouhani said.

He raised a controversial demand to use referenda, which are allowed under article 59 of the constitution that was passed after the 1979 revolution, but have not been used for decades.

"If there are differences of opinions on a couple of issues... bring the ballot box and according to the article 59 of the constitution, whatever people say, act accordingly," said Rouhani.

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His words immediately triggered support on social media, including tweets with the hashtag #referendum.

Rouhani did not specify which issues could be put in question, but his comments come amid growing debate over social freedoms including an imposed headscarf for women, which has triggered unprecedented protests by a small number of people in recent weeks.

Rouhani's office issued a study last month saying half of Tehranis did not support mandatory hijab, making it very difficult to enforce.

"We should leave people alone and not interfere in their private sphere," said Rouhani.

He referred to an order from revolutionary founder Ruhollah Khomeini, which banned the authorities from intruding in people's private lives.
By Maayan Lubell and Lisa Barrington JERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli warplane returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria on Saturday in the most serious confrontations yet between Israel and Iranian-backed forces based across the border. The F-16, one of at least eight Israeli planes despatched in response to what Israel said was an Iranian drone's incursion into its airspace earlier in the day, was hit by a Syrian anti-aircraft missile and crashed in northern Israel, an Israeli official told Reuters. Both pilots ejected and were injured, one critically. Israel then launched a second and more intensive air raid, hitting what it said were 12 Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including Syrian air defense systems. Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group said the downing of the plane marked the "start of a new strategic phase" that would limit Israel's ability to enter Syrian airspace. Iran's involvement in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad in a nearly 7-year-old civil war - including the deployment of Iran-backed forces near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - has alarmed Israel, which has said it would counter any threat. But Israel and Syria signaled they were not seeking wider conflict, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to military headquarters in Tel Aviv and the pro-Assad alliance pledged a strong response to any Israeli "terrorist action". "Israel seeks peace but we will continue to defend ourselves steadfastly against any attack against us or any attempt by Iran to establish itself against us in Syria," Netanyahu said in a televised statement. Russia, whose forces began intervening on behalf of Assad in 2015, expressed its concern and urged both sides to exercise restraint and avoid escalation. Netanyahu said he had spoken by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that they agreed Israel-Russia military coordination in regard to Syria would continue. Putin told Netanyahu in the phone call that there was a need to avoid any steps that would lead to a new confrontation in the region, Interfax news agency reported. A Western diplomat in the region said: "My impression is that it seems to be contained at this point. I don't think anybody wants to escalate further." A Pentagon spokesman said the United States fully supported Israel's right to defend itself, and a State Department spokeswoman said the United States is "deeply concerned" about the "escalation of violence over Israel's border." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is closely watching the "alarming" military escalation throughout Syria and calls on all sides to exercise restraint and work for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence, a U.N. spokesman said. CHAIN OF EVENTS Saturday's chain of events began at 4:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) when an Israeli Apache helicopter shot down an Iranian drone over the northern town of Beit Shean, the Israeli military said. The drone had been sighted taking off from a base in Syria, and was intercepted after it crossed into Israeli territory, spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said. Israeli planes then struck an Iranian installation in Syria from which, the Israeli military said, the unmanned aircraft had been operated. The Israeli military released grainy black and white footage of what it said was the drone's control vehicle in Syria being destroyed. The F-16 crashed on its return from the mission, coming down in an empty field near Harduf, east of Haifa. "We heard a big explosion and then sirens. We didn't know what was happening, we heard helicopters and planes," said Yosi Sherer, 51, who was staying at a hostel in Beit Shean. Flights at Tel Aviv's international airport were briefly halted. The area was quiet by mid-afternoon. Conricus said missile remnants were found near the crash site. "We don't know yet if it's an SA-5 or SA-17, but it's a Syrian anti-aircraft missile," he said. Israel then launched a second bombing raid in Syria. The pro-Assad military alliance said Israel had attacked a drone base in central Syria but denied any of its drones had entered Israeli airspace. Iran rejected the Israeli version of events as "ridiculous". David Ivry, a former Israeli Air Force chief, told Reuters he believed it was the first time an Israeli F-16 was brought down since Israel began using the jets in the 1980s. AIR SUPERIORITY Israel has long maintained air superiority in the region, mounting air strikes in Syria on a regular basis, targeting suspected weapons shipments to Hezbollah. Hezbollah said in a statement: "Today's developments mean the old equations have categorically ended." Iranian and Iran-backed Shi'ite forces, including Hezbollah, have deployed widely in Syria in support of Assad. Iran's military chief warned Israel last October against breaching Syrian airspace and territory. Netanyahu, visiting the Golan on Tuesday, peered across the border into Syria and in public remarks warned Israel's enemies not to test its resolve. An official in the pro-Assad alliance said after the downing of the F-16 that a "message" had been sent to Israel. But he added: "I do not believe matters will develop to a regional war." The Israeli military said it did not seek escalation, calling its action a defensive response to an Iranian act of aggression. The U.S. administration has backed Israel's hawkish stance on Iran and declared containing Tehran's influence an objective of its Syria policy. On a visit to Israel last month, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called Iran the world's "leading state sponsor of terror". Pentagon spokesman Adrian Rankine-Galloway said the United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself. "We share the concerns of many throughout the region that Iran's destabilizing activities ... threaten international peace and security, and we seek greater international resolve in countering Iran's malign activities," Rankine-Galloway said. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected to visit the region in the coming week to discuss Syria and other issues, and is scheduled to visit Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and other countries. Netanyahu said he and Tillerson discussed the flare-up on Saturday. Tensions also have spiked across the frontier between Israel and Lebanon over Israeli plans for a border wall, and Lebanese plans to exploit an offshore energy block partly located in disputed waters. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war and has occupied it since, annexing the territory in 1981 in a move not recognized internationally. There has been an uneasy standoff since a ceasefire that followed a war in 1973, with United Nations observer forces manning a buffer zone between the two armies. In November, Israel said it had shot down a Syrian reconnaissance drone over the demilitarized zone, and on Feb. 8 shots were fired from Syrian territory at an Israeli drone, hitting a house in Majdal Shams, in Israeli-occupied Golan. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell, Stephen Farrell and Dan Williams in Jerusalem, Lisa Barrington, Tom Perry and Laila Bassam in Beirut; Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Ankara, Jack Stubbs in Moscow, Yeganeh Torbati in Washington, and Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Robin Pomeroy, Dale Hudson and Bill Trott)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli air strikes in Syria the previous day were a "heavy blow" to Iranian and Syrian forces in the war-torn country.

"We inflicted on Saturday a heavy blow to Iranian and Syrian forces," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting, referring to major Israeli air raids in Syria.

"We made clear to everyone that our rules of engagement will not change in any way. We will continue to harm anyone who tries to harm us. This was our policy and this will remain our policy."

Israel said its raids were against both Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria.

The raids came after an Israeli F16 fighter jet was shot down by Syrian air defences. The pilots survived, but it was the first time Israel had lost a warplane in battle since 1982.

The strikes began with Israel shooting down what it described as an Iranian drone that had entered its airspace from Syria -- calling it an "attack."

Iran denied the allegations regarding the drone and said Syria had the right to defend itself against Israeli attacks.
New York (AFP) - Johann Johannsson, the award-winning Icelandic composer whose haunting yet minimalist scores instilled depth in films full of abstraction, has died, his manager announced Saturday. He was 48.

Johannsson was found dead Friday at his apartment in Berlin, where authorities were investigating the cause of death, said Tim Husom, his Los Angeles-based manager.

"I'm so very sad. Today, I lost my friend who was one of the most talented musicians and intelligent people I knew," Husom said in a statement.

Johannsson, who blended classical form and electronic instrumentation, had become an increasingly in-demand musician for directors whose films probed more theoretical ideas.

He won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score for "The Theory of Everything," about physicist Stephen Hawking.

Johannsson was nominated again for "Arrival," for which he altered human voices to create amorphous, otherworldly sounds to dramatize the story of a linguist seeking to communicate with an extraterrestrial visitor.

He scored several films out in 2018, including "Mary Magdalene," a biblical drama about the much-debated female follower of Jesus.

While Johannsson won acclaim outside of the film world as an avant-garde composer, he was careful never to make his music needlessly convoluted or overbearing.

He kept strong, repeated melodies and said that many movies had far too much music, not allowing silences that were also crucial.

"I think my music is a way of communicating very directly with people and with people's emotions. I try to make music that doesn't need layers of complexity or obfuscation to speak to people," he told the online interview magazine The Talks in 2015.

- 'Always pushing boundaries' -

Daniel Pemberton, the composer for films including Danny Boyle's biopic "Steve Jobs," said he sat transfixed when he heard Johannsson's music for "Sicario," which showed "you could still do something radically new in mainstream film music."

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"He was always pushing the boundaries, creating works of art so unique and exciting it becomes hard to imagine they didn't exist before," Pemberton wrote on Twitter.

The experimental DJ Flying Lotus tweeted that he was in "disbelief" over his death, calling Johannsson a major influence and hailing his score for the new thriller "Mandy."

Growing up in Reykjavik, Johannsson said he listened to everything from John Philip Sousa marches to deafening shoegaze rockers The Jesus and Mary Chain, but was transformed when he discovered ambient music pioneer Brian Eno.

Largely self-taught as a musician, Johannsson studied literature and took inspiration from the French Oulipo school of writers such as Georges Perec who aimed to stir up fresh ideas by imposing constraining rules on their compositions.

Johannsson co-founded Kitchen Motors, the influential Icelandic artist collective that also helped launch experimental rockers Sigur Ros, and in 2002 released his first album, "Englaborn," set to a theatrical piece.

- Strings about computers -

His most ambitious albums included "IBM 1401, A User's Manual," inspired by the early mass-manufactured computer.

Johannsson's father, a programmer in 1960s Iceland, had playfully transformed the computer into a musical instrument by making reel-to-reel recordings.

Turning the concept of computerized music on its head, Johannsson made his ode to the clunky old computer fully human by writing for a 60-piece string orchestra.

He again brought in strings for the mournful melodies of his 2008 album "Fordlandia," inspired by Henry Ford's disastrous project to build a city for rubber plant workers in Brazil.

Johannsson in 2016 signed a record deal with leading classical label Deutsche Grammophon and released "Orphee," an exploration of portrayals of Orpheus, the legendary bard of music, from ancient Greece onward.

Johannsson had little sign of slowing down and was recently announced on the lineup of Barcelona's Primavera Sounds festival.

"Arrival" was Johannsson's third film collaboration with Denis Villeneuve, although the French Canadian director surprisingly replaced him for last year's anticipated sci-fi sequel "Blade Runner 2049."
A highway patrol officer who was part of a motorcade accompanying Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was taken to hospital after the crash: Ryan Remiorz/Associated Press

A crash involving Justin Trudeaus motorcade left a police officer requiring hospital treatment.

Officials said the Canadian Prime Minister's vehicle was not involved and he was not hurt.

The incident happened was on the second day of his visit to California.

The incident involving California Highway Patrol Officers happened shortly after the motorcade left the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, southern California, where Mr Trudeau gave a speech, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

One officer was taken to hospital with moderate injuries.

The cause of the crash has not been confirmed, but local media reported that the motorcycle collided with a Toyota SUV.

The vehicle's driver of the vehicle and her son were also taken to hospital, news channel KABC reported.

The drivers husband, Michael Sternberg, who was also in the car, said that his wife had not seen the motorcycle.

She saw one motorcycle pass and she was not aware of the other motorcycles, he said.

Mr Trudeau is expected to continue with his California tour, where he is set to appear in Los Angeles.

Agencies contributed to this report
By Bobby Yip HONG KONG (Reuters) - At least 18 people died in a high-speed bus crash in Hong Kong on Saturday in one of the city's worst traffic disasters in recent years. Television footage showed the mangled remains of the bus as it lay toppled on the side of a major highway in the northern reaches of the city. Firefighters on the scene cut open the bus roof to free passengers still trapped inside. Some victims were laid out nearby beneath sheets by emergency workers. Police said at least 18 people, including 15 men, had been confirmed dead on the scene. Dozens more were hurt, some sitting hunched on the highway with blood streaming from their injuries. One elderly man interviewed on television said the driver had been going extremely fast at the time of the accident, even taking bends at high speed. An executive surnamed So, with The Kowloon Motor Bus Co that operated the bus, said HK$80,000 ($10,230) in financial assistance would be paid to the families of each victim. The company said it would also set up an investigation team to probe the cause of the crash. (Writing by James Pomfret; Editing by Stephen Powell)
A man in the United States illegally who killed two California police officers smiled after being found guilty of the slayings and said hed kill more cops as he was led out of the courtroom.

Luis Bracamontes, 37, was convicted on Friday in the 2014 killings of Sacramento County Sheriffs Deputy Danny Oliver and Placer Sheriffs Detective Michael Davis Jr.

Yay, he said, smiling after the first verdict was read, KOVR- TV reported. He continued smiling as he looked at the victims' families and the jurors.

Bracamontes was also convicted of attempted murder, carjacking, weapons violations and other crimes.

Im going to kill more cops soon, he said as he was led out of the courtroom.

Prosecutors said Bracamontes intentionally shot Deputy Oliver in the parking lot of a Motel 6, before killing Det. Davis Jr. hours later.

Bracamontes then led police on an hours-long chase before he was caught, officials said.

Defense attorneys said Bracamontes is mentally ill and was high on methamphetamine at the time, The Sacramento Bee reported.

"Mr. Bracamontes clearly was not in his right mind," Dawson said. "His mind was altered."

But Bracamontes refused to enter a not guilty plea by reason of insanity, and he was found competent to stand trial.

"This is nothing but willful conduct from start to finish," Placer County prosecutor Dave Tellman said. "He had the intent to kill."

During his trial, Bracamontes was reportedly barred from the courtroom after repeated outbursts.

He also made repeated threats against deputies and others since his arrest, Tellman said.

This is unadulterated hate, Tellman said.

Bracamontes is a Mexican citizen who repeatedly entered the U.S. illegally, officials said.

President Donald Trump used Bracamontes outburst during the opening moments of the trialI killed f***ing cops. Theyre f***ing dead. I dont f***ing regret thatin a 30-second commercial on the anniversary of his inauguration.

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The ad said Democrats were complicit in the killings of police by those in the country illegally.

After Bracamontes was found guilty, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said his immigration status has no bearing on the crimes he committed, the New York Daily News reported.

The fact that hes an illegal alien or an undocumented immigrant, been removed four times, that doesnt make him evil, he said. He is evil because hes a despicable human being that just happens to be here illegally.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Bracamontes, who has reportedly requested to be executed.

He will be sentenced on March 5.

Bracamontes wife, Janelle Marquez Monroy, who was in the car during the pursuit, is also on trial.

A separate jury is considering whether Monroy, an American citizen, should be convicted of murder.

Her attorneys have said that Bracamontes was abusive and paranoid, and that Monroy was a victim.

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Paris (AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday to help ease civilian suffering caused by Syrian government attacks on rebel positions.

In a telephone call, the French leader "asked Vladimir Putin to do everything so that the Syrian regime puts an end to the unbearable deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Eastern Ghouta and Idlib," a statement said.

Russia has intervened alongside Syrian regime forces in the seven-year civil war and Putin is seen as the foreign leader with the most influence over Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Fresh air strikes hit the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Friday, AFP correspondents reported, the fifth straight day of a bombing campaign that has killed more than 220 civilians.

Macron added that he was "worried about indications suggesting the possible use of chlorine on several occasions against the civilian population in Syria these last few weeks".

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday that "all the evidence" suggested the chemical was being used.

But Defence Minister Florence Parly was more reserved on Friday when asked if Damascus had crossed a "red line" set out by Macron in May when he said the use of chemical weapons would spark reprisals from France.

"At the moment because we don't know what happened and the consequences of what happened, we can't say we are where you say we are," she told France Inter radio when asked about the "red line".

In his call with Putin, Macron hailed the "dynamic of our bilateral relations" since the pair's first meeting at the Versailles Palace outside Paris at the end of May, the statement said.

Macron also confirmed he would travel to Russia for his first time as president to attend the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum scheduled for May 24-26.
(YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio)  An Ohio man who authorities said impregnated 14-year-old twins and their 12-year-old sister while living in their home was sentenced to 27 years in prison on rape and sexual battery charges.

Assistant Mahoning County Prosecutor Jennifer McLaughlin said before sentencing Thursday in a Youngstown courtroom that 34-year-old Arnold Perry abused the trust of the girls family after their mother allowed him to move in when he had nowhere to live, according to The Vindicator.

The girls were impregnated in 2015 and 2016. McLaughlin said one of the twins had an abortion while her sisters had babies because their pregnancies were discovered too late to end them. McLaughlin said Perry committed similar crimes as a juvenile.

These girls will suffer the rest of their lives because of this, McLaughlin said.

Perry pleaded guilty in November to two counts of rape and one count of sexual battery. His plea deal called for a 25-year sentence.

Defense attorney Mark Lavelle said in court that Perrys was the most heinous case hed ever handled, yet argued his client should be sentenced to between 15 and 16 years in prison. Lavelle said Perry suffered a brain injury as a child that prevents him from having feelings about his actions.

Perry apologized before sentencing.

I know now what I did was wrong, he said. I wish I could take it back.

The girls mother said she is raising two babies, and that Perrys family isnt helping her.

Perry must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life after his release from prison.
A 19-year-old man in a Seattle suburb has been arrested and accused of raping a high school student as she was dying from an overdose and texting explicit pictures of her to friends.

The suspect, who has been identified as Brian Roberto Varela, was charged Friday with second-degree rape, manslaughter and controlled substance homicide, the Associated Press reported.

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He was arrested Tuesday, after police found the body of the victim, 18-year-old Alyssa Mae Noceda, stuffed in a plastic crate at his home, The Herald in Everett reported.

He told investigators that Noceda had recently split up from her boyfriend and had come to his home to party and hang out.

During the evening, Noceda took Percocet and liquid THC before collapsing in Varelas room, police said.

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But instead of helping the woman, Varela allegedly took explicit photographs of her while she was dead or dying and sent them to friends.

LOL, I think she odd, still breathing, he allegedly wrote in an accompanying message.

The next day, Valera went to work a shift at Dairy Queen.

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One of Varelas co-workers contacted police when Varela said that he didnt know if Noceda was still alive when he was having sex with her.

He told a friend that "she died having sex with me," and that he was having sex with her "to pass the time," according to court records cited in reports.

Valera told police that after Noceda died, he used her thumb to access her cellphone and sent a message from her Snapchat account to make appear to family members that shed run away.

Snohomish County prosecutors charged Valera on Friday.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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(BISMARCK, N.D.)  Court documents unsealed Friday show a Minnesota man charged with attacking and trying to kill a priest in North Dakota believed the priest had sexually assaulted the mans girlfriend.

Police say the womans story changed when she was interviewed, and the Catholic Diocese of Fargo is standing by the priest, saying the woman denied rape allegations to diocese officials.

Chad Legare, 42, of Alexandria, Minnesota, is accused of assaulting the Rev. Robert Wapenski Jan. 30 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Anamoose. Hes charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and burglary.

An affidavit from state Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Craig Zachmeier says that 15 days before the attack, Legare forwarded texts to police from his girlfriend saying she had been raped.

The affidavit does not contain the name of either the woman or the priest, but the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo has identified Wapenski as the priest who was attacked, and Legare during a bond hearing Thursday accused the priest of being a rapist. The affidavit says the woman is someone Legare met in an online dating website about six weeks before the attack.

Wapenski did not immediately respond to telephone and email requests for comment Friday. McHenry County Sheriff Trey Skager and States Attorney Josh Frey also declined to talk about the case, though Frey did confirm that the actions of the woman and priest are an open and active investigation.

Zachmeier in the affidavit said the woman first denied the rape allegations during a police welfare check on Jan. 15, then renewed them the day after the attack and acknowledged telling Legare she had been sexually assaulted.

The diocese said the woman denied rape allegations directly to the diocese. When asked about the womans texts to Legare that were provided to police, spokesman Paul Braun said the diocese had not seen the affidavit and had no information.

The affidavit also provides more details about the attack on Wapenski, saying he suffered head injuries that required stitches and also was choked with computer speaker wires.
(PYEONGCHANG, South Korea)  For all of Vice President Mike Pences efforts to keep North Korea from stealing the show at the Winter Olympics, the images of the two Koreas marching together  and their officials shaking hands  at a time of heightened tensions on the peninsula proved impossible to counteract.

Pence spent the days leading up to Fridays opening ceremonies warning that the North was trying to hijack the message and imagery of the Olympic Games with its propaganda.

But the North was still welcomed with open arms to what South Korean President Moon Jae-in called Olympic games of peace and the U.S. appeared to be the one left out in the cold.

Pence sat stone-faced in his seat as Moon and North Koreans officials stood together with much of the stadium to applaud their joint team of athletes. White House officials stressed that Pence had applauded only for the American team, but Asia experts said the vice presidents refusal to stand could be seen as disrespectful to the hosts.

U.S. officials have been urging South Korea to be cautious in its rapprochement with the North  a point Pence drilled home in private meetings with Moon on Thursday.

But North Koreas terrible record on human rights and the growing threat from its nuclear weapons program appeared out of mind as Moon warmly greeted Kim Yo Jong, the sister of dictator Kim Jong Un, and Kim Yong Nam, the countrys 90-year-old nominal head of state.

Even Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has shared the American skepticism of warming inter-Korean relations, greeted Kim Yong Nam.

At an earlier VIP reception for delegation leaders, Pence arrived late and stayed for just 5 minutes  and did not interact with the delegation from the North.

The Koreans will think its a mood kill, said Frank Jannuzi, an expert on East Asia at the Mansfield Foundation in Washington. He criticized the Trump administration for straining too hard to signal disgust of Kim Jong Uns government.

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The grievances that the world has about North Korea are very legitimate. But the Olympic moment that President Moon is trying to generate here is not a time to nurse those grievances, Jannuzi said. Its a time to focus on messages of reconciliation and peace.

As it turned out, with the two Koreas celebrating a moment of unity, the United States was left outmaneuvered by an adversary and out of step with an ally.

Past administrations have been wary of efforts by Pyongyang to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul, but still generally supportive of efforts to calm tensions at the heavily militarized border.

On Saturday, Kim Yo Jong and other North Korean delegates will have lunch with Moon at the presidential Blue House. Rumors are swirling that she could be carrying an offer for Moon to travel to North Korea. The last inter-Korean summit was in 2007.

That may turn out to be errant speculation, but the U.S. doesnt appear to share global relief that theres a glimmer of hope for diplomacy after a year of escalating tensions and fears of nuclear war, fueled by insults slung between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Although South Korea has been a trenchant supporter of Trumps campaign of maximum pressure against North Korea, Moon has been keen to use the Olympics to pry open the door to better relations with its adversary. North Korea has jumped at the opportunity.

The downside for Washington is that it could expose growing differences with Seoul on the best way to deal with North Korea and achieve the ultimate goal of denuclearization.

American officials attempted to paint a rosier picture of Fridays ceremony as showing solidarity among allies. They stressed the North Koreans in the VIP box had watched Pence, Moon and Abe hold a running discussion in the front row for the more than two-hour ceremonies.

The officials, who spoke on condition because they were not authorized to discuss the U.S. approach publicly, also denied that Pence had been blindsided by the seating arrangement  with the North Koreans in the row behind him, allowing Kim Yo Jong to be easily pictured in profile next to the vice president.

Although some White House aides were leery that the arrangement could produce less-than-ideal optics for Pence, there was no concerted effort to lobby their Korean counterparts for a change, in part out of fear of upsetting the Olympic hosts, said one administration official.

Its not a complete disaster, said James Schoff, former senior Pentagon adviser for East Asia policy. He supported Pences moves to meet with North Korean defectors, paying respects at a memorial to 46 South Korean sailors killed in a 2010 torpedo attack blamed on the North. Pence also invited as his Olympics guest the father of U.S. college student Otto Warmbier, who died after he was imprisoned by North Korea for stealing a propaganda poster.

But Schoff said that by pouring cold water on hopes for better inter-Korean relations, Pences stance could be viewed as critical of Moons outreach to North Korea.

The fact thats become the narrative is due in part to things that hes said and his body language, Schoff said.

While Moon did not hesitate to shake hands and smile with his North Korean visitors, Pence didnt appear to even look in the direction of the North Korean delegation during the Friday event.

___

Pennington and Associated Press writer Jon Lemire contributed from Washington.
Mr Pence speaking during his visit to South Korea: Getty

US Vice President Mike Pence has told reporters that the US and South Korea are united in their approach to North Korea's nuclear programme after the Olympic opening ceremonies in Pyeong Chang featured a joint appearance between the two Koreas.

"There is no daylight between the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan on the need to continue to isolate North Korea economically and diplomatically until they abandon their nuclear and ballistic missile program," Mr Pence told reporters on a flight back to the US from South Korea.

The Olympic opening ceremonies emphasised the joint North and South Korean presence, and the announcers on the American broadcast of the event frequently noted the approach.

The United States has spearheaded efforts to marginalise North Korea over the past year, championing economic sanctions from the majority of the world aimed at cutting the country's ability to raise funds.

Those sanctions have resulted from North Korea's continued efforts to develop nuclear weapons capabilities that could hit the United States. The country conducted several weapons tests last year, sparking a war of words between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korean and South Korea athlete walked and sat together during the opening ceremonies in Pyeong Chang in a rare statement of unity there. The seeming message sparked a wave of speculation about the relationship between the two countries.

Mr Pence, during those ceremonies, did not stand when the two countries came in, nor did he clap to applaud those athletes. He did, however, stand and applaud the American athletes when they arrive.

Even with Mr Pence's insistence that the US and South Korea are unified in their opposition to North Korea and its nuclear programme, relations between the two Koreas has appeared to thaw recently.

In addition to the joint appearance in the Olympics, South Korean President Moon Jae-in has reportedly been invited to North Korea for a visit.

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If Mr Moon accepts the offer, it would mark the first tine since 2007 that leaders from the two countries meet.

Mr Kim took over as leader of the country in 2011.
After a back and forth between Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon and Vice President Mike Pence, the athletes agent has weighed in.

Rippons agent, David Baden, said Pences team contacted them to set up a meeting.

That was 100 percent true. We were contacted by the appropriate channels that the vice president wanted to talk to Adam, Baden told USA Today. What I did is I called Adam and I explained the request and I wanted to get his feedback on it. We talked about it and he said he would think about it. He was really taken aback. He never expected it to get to that point. He wanted to think about it.

Baden said Rippon later told him that he didnt think now was the appropriate time for the meeting. Rippon previously said he would consider a meeting with Pence after the Olympics are over because he wants to focus on training and the competition right now. Rippon had also criticized Pence for his history of supporting anti-LGBT legislation.

Adam told me, I already have a voice, but there are a lot of young kids out there who dont have a voice, and if I decide to have a conversation with the vice president after my competition is done, Id like to take some of these young kids who are really struggling and have their voices heard too, Baden told USA Today.

Pences team has denied that they reached out to Rippon for a one-on-one discussion.
Rabat (AFP) - Moroccan authorities said Sunday they had seized nearly 541 kilos (1,200 pounds) of cocaine in a container from Latin America which arrived in Casablanca.

Six people including a Brazilian suspected of being the "mastermind of a criminal network" were arrested, according to the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ).

It also seized five vehicles and "large sums of money" in Moroccan dirhams and other currencies.

In a statement, the BCIJ said it was investigating a "dangerous" criminal network linked to Latin American cartels taking advantage of "the kingdom's strategic position as a transit point to European territory".

Cocaine traffickers have developed new routes to Europe over the past decade.

The drug is mostly sent from Central America via West African countries and more recently through North Africa, according to a recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

In recent years, the Moroccan authorities have reported increasing cocaine seizures, including a record 2.5-tonne haul in October last year.
As the 2018 winter Olympics opened in Pyeongchang, South Korea, dozens of miles south of the heavily fortified border that has divided the Korean peninsula for more than half a century, 22 athletes from North joined the South Korean team under a blue and white unification flag. South Korean President Moon Jae-in shook hands with Kim Yo Jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns younger sister, and Kim Yong Nam, the 90-year-old titular head of state in Pyongyang. Sitting awkwardly nearby was U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who studiously avoided interacting with the North Korean guests.

And no wonder. The brief, polite spectacle between the Koreas masks an intensifying debate in Washington: What should America do as North Korea comes closer to being able to hit the U.S. with a nuclear warhead? The Trump administrations stated policy remains the samethat North Korea must stand down and get rid of the weapons it already has (a number that analysts say may now be as a high as two dozen.)

How, precisely, to achieve that resultor whether it is even achievableare entirely different questions. One option is whats come to be known as the bloody nose strategy. It involves a limited strike against either a missile or nuclear site in the North and is intended to send an unmistakable message to Kim Jong Un: This administration will not acquiesce.

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The strikes intention would not be to wipe out all of the Norths nuclear sites, but rather persuade Pyongyang to rethink its strategy. The option is predicated on Kims rationality; that once hit, he would not retaliate in a serious way because to do so would ensure the destruction of his regime, and the collapse of his country, in a war with the U.S. and its allies.

This option, the work of Trumps National Security Council under Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, was first raised as a possibility last year, and it has not gone away. The argument in favor of it is that living with a nuclear North is simply untenable from a U.S. security standpoint. It creates nightmarish proliferation concernseverything from Japan and South Korea deciding to go nuclear themselves, to the sale of North Korean weapons of mass destruction to rogue regimes.

Story continues

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No one in the administration downplays the risks of a nuclear Northand theyre all withering in their critique of the Obama administrations policy of strategic neglect, which contributed to this mess, says a White House official, who asked for anonymity because he wasnt authorized to speak on the record. But many Trump administration officials dont believe a limited, unprovoked strike makes any sense. Defense Secretary James Mattis and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joe Dunford, along with Secretary of State Rex Tillersonall oppose the scenario. At a meeting of allied foreign ministers dealing with North Korea in mid January, Mattis emphasized that this effort right now is firmly in the diplomatic realm. That is where we are working it.

The other foreign ministers needed to hear that, says a Japanese diplomat present at the meeting said, because there seems to be a pretty consistent, serious undercurrent in this administration that war is an actual possibility, and thats spooking some people.

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The jitters among allies spiked recently when the administration withdrew the nomination of Victor Cha, a former staffer on the NSC under George W. Bush. He had worked the North Korea issue for years, as ambassador to Seoul. Cha advocated a tougher policy toward Pyongyang than the one carried out during the Obama years, but he does not support the bloody nose strategy. Nervous outsiders saw the withdrawal of his nomination as a result of policy differences, but it turned out to be more complicated than that. (One of Chas family members apparently has business interests in South Korea that may have presented at least the appearance of a conflict of interest.) That was the 'red flag that derailed him, said an administration source. Cha could not be reached for comment.)

Yet to the consternation of many, the bloody nose strategy remains one the White House is considering. Critics are most alarmed by the assumption that we know how Kim Jong Un would respond to a limited strike, says Sue Mi Terry, former North Korea analyst at the CIA and now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. We dont necessarily know, and why would we test that?

Within the administration, advocates for a tougher contain and deter strategy, as Terry calls it, are now putting together a series of options for the White House: they include a much more comprehensive package of sanctions, more aggressive interdiction of container ships carrying everything from amphetamines to missile parts that the North sells abroad for hard currency, as well as an aggressively ramped up system of missile defense in the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Yet this strategy may be ill-timed. Washington worries that the aftermath of the unification Olympics in South Korea will make Seoul reluctant for a tougher line against Pyongyang. At a lunch President Moon Jae-in, hosted on Saturday for the North Korean delegation, Kim Jong Uns sister, as expected, passed on invitation to the South Korean leader from her brother: come to Pyongyang after the Olympics and lets talk. The Trump administration was worried that Moon, who comes from the more dovish of the two main political parties in South Korea, would agree on the spot, given the feel good aftermath of the opening ceremony. For the moment Washington was relieved, because Moon handled the invitation deftly, saying hed be happy to go when the conditions are right. But that wont be the end of the matter, given that Moon will likely come under post Olympic domestic political pressure to make the trip.

Diplomacy, in other words, is hard enough when it comes to dealing with Pyongyang. But the nerve-wracking discussion about giving Kim a bloody nose makes Washingtons task even more difficult.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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As President Donald Trump has stocked federal appeals courts with a record-breaking number of conservative judges, the decision by a veteran Republican to break with recent Senate tradition has helped smooth the way.

As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley decided to overturn an unwritten rule that both home-state senators had to consent to a judicial pick for it to move forward. Using paperwork known as blue slips, senators from the minority party could use the process to halt the presidents more controversial judge picks.

Last week, the Senate confirmed 8th Circuit Judge David Stras, the first nominee seated since Grassley loosened the blue slip rule. (Former Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, who has since resigned over a sexual misconduct scandal, had announced that he opposed Stras last fall because he was too conservative.)

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In an interview with TIME, Grassley defended the decision, arguing that the blue-slip policy was not a formal rule, although his immediate predecessor, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, had an absolute policy that he would not move forward on a nomination without the consent of both home-state senators.

If youre going to look at a blue slip policy, you look at it as a chairmans use of it, Grassley told TIME in his office last month during an interview for a story published this week. Its a very important part of the process, he added, but its not entirely definitive.

On this, Grassley and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agree. In a separate interview with TIME in January, McConnell said his view is that the blue slip tradition ought not to apply to circuit judges. (As opposed to district judges, on which home state senators usually get more say.) Blue slips ought to be treated as a notification of how youre going to vote, McConnell said, rather than a blackball.

Stras was not the only judge to move ahead under the change in policy. Grassley also held a hearing for 7th Circuit nominee Michael Brennan at the end of January despite not receiving a blue slip from Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

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Democratic senators were upset by the change. In a statement about the Brennan hearing, Leahy argued that Grassleys interpretation of the policy would do lasting damage to the confirmation process.

I never believed that protecting blue slips was a partisan issue, Leahy said in a statement about Brennans hearing. To me, it was always about protecting the prerogatives of home state senators. That means all senators, Republican and Democrat. Apparently, home state senators have no such prerogatives in this Congressif they happen to be Democrats. I fear this will do lasting damage to the integrity of this Committees judicial confirmation process.

After Stras confirmation, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, argued the rule change would lead to the Senate becoming a rubber stamp for the White Houses picks.

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For Democrats, not honoring the blue slip tradition on appellate judges takes significant power away from the minority party. But talking to TIME in January, Grassley noted the difficulty in maintaining an absolute policy on the other side: potentially ceding too much power to a minority party in an obstructionist mood.

You kind of get the feeling that the leadership of the Democrat caucus, he said, would want to not have any of them return a blue slip.

Grassleys decision to move forward on circuit nominations without both blue slips is just one element of how Trump was able to confirm a record number of appellate judges in his first year as President.
The Oxford comma is probably the most divisive punctuation mark in the English language: academics root for it, journalists are torn over it, and the general public has some strong feelings about it.

And recently, Oakhurst Dairy settled a dispute for $5 million because a policy lacked an Oxford comma.

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What's the Oxford comma? It's also called the "serial comma" and it's the comma used in a list of three or more before the words "and" or "or." If you're listing the influential people in your life, you could say that you love your parents, Jesus, and Oprah. Without the Oxford comma, you'd have this:

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It turns out the Oxford comma is worth more than just its academic weight. According to court documents filed Thursday, the lack of the punctuation mark cost Oakhurst Dairy $5 million the Associated Press reports.

Last March, dairy drivers in Maine won an overtime labor case over the lack of Oxford comma in Maine's labor laws. The three truck drivers sued Oakhurst Dairy in 2014, claiming they should have been paid for four years' worth of overtime labor.

According to Maine's labor laws, anyone who works more than 40 hours a week is entitled to time-and-a-half. There were, however, exemptions:

The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of:

Agricultural produce; Meat and fish product; and Perishable foods

"Distribution" is the key word here. Without the Oxford comma, "packing for shipment or distribution" is one activity that's exempt from time-and-a-half pay.

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As the circuit judge overseeing this case ruled, the lack of a comma caused confusion over whether "distribution" itself was exempt from overtime pay.

Maine's labor laws were updated last June to the following:

The canning; processing; preserving; freezing; drying; marketing; storing; packing for shipment; or distributing of:

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Agricultural produce; Meat and fish products; and Perishable foods.

All of the commas  Oxford or not  have been replaced with semicolons, and "distributing" remains unquestionably exempt from overtime pay.

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And for comma enthusiasts, the truck drivers' win was a victory.
(Reuters) - OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP said on Saturday that it has cut its sales force in half and will stop promoting opioids to physicians, following widespread criticism of the ways that drugmakers market addictive painkillers.

The drugmaker said it will inform doctors on Monday that its sales representatives will no longer visit physician offices to discuss its opioid products. It will now have about 200 sales representatives, Purdue said.

"We have restructured and significantly reduced our commercial operation and will no longer be promoting opioids to prescribers," the Stamford, Connecticut-based company said in a statement.

Doctors with opioid-related questions will be directed to its medical affairs department. Its sales representatives will now focus on Symproic, a drug for treating opioid-induced constipation, and other potential non-opioid products, Purdue said.

Opioids were involved in more than 42,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Among other opioid producers, Endo International Plc agreed in July to pull its Opana ER painkiller after the Food and Drug Administration called for its withdrawal.

Purdue and other drugmakers have been fighting lawsuits by states, counties and cities that have accused them of pushing addictive painkillers through deceptive marketing.

The lawsuits have generally accused Purdue of downplaying OxyContin's addiction risk and of misleading marketing that overstated the benefits of opioids for treating chronic, rather than short-term, pain.

At least 14 states have sued privately held Purdue. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed a lawsuit on Tuesday accusing Purdue of deceptively marketing prescription opioids.

Purdue is also facing a federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Connecticut.

Purdue has denied the allegations in the various lawsuits. It has said its drugs are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and account for only 2 percent of all opioid prescriptions.

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Purdue and three executives pleaded guilty in 2007 to federal charges related to the misbranding of OxyContin and agreed to pay $634.5 million to resolve a U.S. Justice Department probe.

That year, Purdue also reached a $19.5-million settlement with 26 states and the District of Columbia. It agreed in 2015 to pay $24 million to resolve a lawsuit by Kentucky.

U.S. President Donald Trump has drawn criticism for his response to the opioid crisis. He has yet to declare it a national emergency as he pledged to do in August following a recommendation by a presidential commission.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle in Toronto, Nate Raymond in Boston and Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

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MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday he has ordered the military to cancel a $233 million agreement to purchase 16 helicopters from Canada, whose government expressed concerns they could be used to fight rebels. "I want to tell the armed forces to cut the deal, don't proceed anymore and somehow we will look for another supplier. We respect the stand of Canada," Duterte said in a televised briefing. Duterte also directed the military not to buy arms anymore "from Canada or from the United States because there is always a condition attached." The Philippines and Canada formally signed the helicopter deal on Tuesday. The following day, the Canadian government ordered a review, in response to comments to Reuters by Philippine Major-General Restituto Padilla that the helicopters would be used for operations against communist and Islamist rebels. Canadian officials said they were concerned about possible human rights violations and said they had understood the helicopters were intended for non-combat operations. The Philippine defense minister later clarified that the Bell 412EPI helicopters were mainly for transport, rescue and disaster response. Duterte, however, said they were to go after Maoist rebels. "The reason I'm buying helicopters is because I want to finish them off," he said. In Ottawa, Canadian Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement that Duterte's "troubling comments only underscore the confusion and contradictions that have emerged recently on the intended end use of the helicopters". The Philippines hit a hurdle in trying to procure for the police some 26,000 M4 assault rifles from the United States. Duterte eventually canceled the plan after several senators threatened to block the sale over human rights concerns. But Duterte said on Friday he did not blame the United States and that he remains a staunch supporter of its president, Donald Trump, whom he said was misunderstood. "He is a good president. He is doing it also for his country. People just don't understand," he said. (Reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr. in Manila and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Martin Petty, Toby Chopra and David Gregorio)
Seattle police move on counterprotesters Saturday at Red Square at the University of Washington. (Photo: Getty/David Ryder)

Five people were arrested Saturday when counterprotesters clashed with members and supporters of a controversial right-wing Patriot Prayer group at the University of Washington campus in Seattle.

The group was invited by the schools College Republicans to lead what was touted as a Freedom Rally. While the Prayer group chanted, We died for liberty, not for socialism, some of the hundreds of counterprotesters, who dwarfed the number of those at the rally, chanted: Say it loud, say it clear, racists are not welcome here, The Seattle Times reported.

The rally remained peaceful for about 75 minutes. But then police in riot gear struggled to keep the sides separated, using their bikes as barriers  and pepper spray  as the protesters began to clash.

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Those arrested faced charges of disorderly conduct and trespassing, according to police. There was no immediate word on injuries. The square returned to normal soon after the rally was over.

The square was the same spot where a protester was shot by a right-wing activist the day of President Donald Trumps inauguration last year when alt-right journalist Milo Yiannopoulos spoke on campus, again at the invitation of the College Republicans.

The university had demanded that the College Republicans put up $17,000 for extra security for the event. But a federal judge on Friday blocked the charge, saying that demanding the payment would would violate free-speech rights.

University President Ana Mari Cauce said in statement Friday that the school had obtained credible information that groups outside the community were planning to join the event with the intent to instigate violence. She didnt reveal the political affiliation of the outsiders.

The university discouraged students and others from coming to the campus for the rally. But several student organizations urged members to come to stand against Patriot Prayer.

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Patriot Prayer, located in Vancouver, Washington, has a history of sparking violence. In a video of a speech posted to the groups Facebook page, founder Joey Gibson called the West Coast the most intolerant region in the nation. He vowed to challenge liberals, who have teamed up with Antifa ... and expose the violence ... and get it on film. He added: We will take the West Coast back.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
(WASHINGTON)  The House moved swiftly early Friday to reopen the federal government and pass a $400 billion budget deal, overcoming opposition from both liberal Democrats and tea party conservatives to endorse enormous spending increases despite looming trillion-dollar deficits.

The 240-186 vote came in the pre-dawn hours, putting to bed a five-and-a-half hour federal freeze that relatively few would notice. Many who did quickly labeled it a pointless, head-scratching episode. The shutdown was the second in three weeks.

The breakdown came largely in the Senate, when after a day of inaction, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky went rogue and stalled a vote in protest over his partys willingness to bust the budget. But Democrats also had their divisions and wrangling, largely with liberal upset the measure were not tied to any plans to assist the Dreamer immigrants.

Most Democrats opposed the measure, following the lead of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who tried and failed to use the moment to secure a promise for a separate vote on immigration. Up to the final minutes, it was not clear the bill would pass and many Democrats held their votes, allowing the tally to creep slowly and giving no indication which way it might fall.

House Speaker Paul Ryan urged Congress to avoid a second needless shutdown in a matter of weeks  entirely needless.

There was far less drama in the Senate, where the measure sailed through by a 71-28 tally. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law.

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The White House was forced to order the government shutdown shortly after midnight, but leaders quickly hustled to move before federal employees were due back at work, hoping to minimize the disruption. A shutdown essentially cuts the federal workforce in half, with those dubbed non-essential not allowed to work, while military and essential workers remain on the job.

The House vote ensured most employees would report for work as usual. Under federal law, passage of the measure is enough to call off the shutdown; Trump is expected to sign the measure as soon as he receives it.

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The White House kept its distance from the quarreling on Capitol Hill. Trump did not tweet and aides did not try to assign blame.

Senate GOP leaders, however, were clearly irked by the debacle. In his attempt to sway Paul to relent, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas declared his fellow Republican was wasting everyones time and prompting a shutdown for no good reason. But Paul, the resident contrarian, repelled suggestions to stand aside.

I didnt come up here to be part of somebodys club. I didnt come up here to be liked, Paul said.

The budget agreement is married to a six-week temporary funding bill needed to keep the government operating and to provide time to implement the budget pact.

The bill includes huge spending increases sought by Republicans for the Pentagon along with a big boost demanded by Democrats for domestic agencies. Both sides pressed for $89 billion for disaster relief, extending a host of health care provisions, and extending a slew of smaller tax breaks.

It also would increase the governments debt cap, preventing a first-ever default on U.S. obligations that looms in just a few weeks. Such debt limit votes are usually enormous headaches for GOP leaders, but the increase means another vote wont occur before March 2019.

Senate leaders had celebrated the budget deal as a sign they had left behind some of their chronic dysfunction. Just three weeks ago, Senate Democrats sparked a three-day partial government shutdown by filibustering a spending bill, seeking relief for Dreamer immigrants whove lived in the country illegally since they were children.

Senate Democrats had no appetite for another shutdown.

House GOP leaders shored up support among conservatives for the measure, which would shower the Pentagon with money but add hundreds of billions of dollars to the nations $20 trillion-plus debt.

House Democratic leaders opposed the measure  arguing it should resolve the plight of Dreamers  but not with all their might. Pelosi made it plain she wasnt pressuring her colleagues to kill the bill, which is packed with money for party priorities like infrastructure, combating opioid abuse and helping college students.

She negotiated the deal. Her team was in on it, said top GOP vote counter Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. And they were a no. And at the end her team broke.

Pelosi continued to press Ryan for a promise to bring an immigration measure sponsored by Reps. Will Hurd, R-Texas, and Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., up for a vote. But many Democrats backed the measure without that assurance.

Ryan said again Thursday he was determined to bring an immigration bill to the floor this year  albeit only one that has Trumps blessing.

We will solve this DACA problem, Ryan said just before the vote. Once we get this budget agreement done  and we will get this done for no matter how long it takes for us to stay here  we will focus on bringing that debate to this floor and finding a solution.

The episode was a clear defeat for those who had followed a risky strategy to use the partys leverage on the budget to address immigration. Protection for the Dreamers under former President Barack Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, formally expires next month and theres no sign that lawmakers are making progress on an agreement to extend the program.

Republicans, too, had their disappointments. Many were sheepish about the bushels of dollars for Democratic priorities and the return next year of $1 trillion-plus deficits. But they pointed to money they have long sought for the Pentagon, which they say needs huge sums for readiness, training and weapons modernization.

It provides what the Pentagon needs to restore our militarys edge for years to come, said Ryan.

Beyond $300 billion worth of increases for the military and domestic programs, the agreement adds $89 billion in overdue disaster aid for hurricane-slammed Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, a politically charged increase in the governments borrowing cap and a grab bag of health and tax provisions. Theres also $16 billion to renew a slew of expired tax breaks that Congress seems unable to kill.

I love bipartisanship, as you know, said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. But the problem is the only time we discover bipartisanship is when we spend more money.
By Sonam Rai and Muvija M (Reuters) - (This Feb. 9 story has been refiled to correct reported statement in paragraph three to "had said they would likely move designs away" from previous "had vowed to move away.) Qualcomm Inc warned on Friday it could lose two large clients if it accepted chipmaker Broadcom Ltd's revised $121 billion buyout offer and said it saw no path to regulatory approval of any deal. In a filing that followed up on its letter to Broadcom Chief Executive Hock Tan on Thursday rebutting his latest offer, the San Diego-based company laid out more detail on its reservations about the deal. It said two customers who provide more than $1 billion in chip revenue had said they would likely move designs away from Qualcomm if the deal went through, citing a lack of confidence in Broadcom's ability to continue to lead in technology. (http://bit.ly/2nVvbOU) Broadcom, which makes connectivity chips used in products ranging from mobile phones to servers, first approached Qualcomm in November. After its first offer was rejected, Broadcom nominated a slate of directors to replace Qualcomms board. Qualcomm shareholders are scheduled to vote on the nominations on March 6. With that in mind, the company is seeking to strike a balance between continued resistance to Broadcom's takeover and heeding the calls of shareholders who have urged the company to engage with its rival in case it can clinch an attractive deal. Qualcomm counts Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd among its key customers. Other clients include Huawei Technologies, LG Electronics, Oppo, Sony Corp, Vivo and Xiaomi, all of which make smartphones. In rejecting Broadcom's latest offer on Thursday, Qualcomm offered to meet its rival to see if they can hammer out their differences. Broadcom welcomed the move, but said it wanted to meet before Qualcomm's proposed date on Tuesday, ahead of scheduled meetings with proxy advisory firms. A date for a meeting between Qualcomm and Broadcom had not been finalized as of Friday morning. In the filing on Friday, Qualcomm also raised concerns about potential antitrust issues and said Broadcom would damage, if not destroy, its licensing business that is valued at over $4 billion. "Broadcom completely ignores the reality that in the last five years, several large, complex international mergers involving multiple regulators have taken over 18 months. And at the moment, there is no 'next' step," Qualcomm said. Broadcom said it will pay Qualcomm $8 billion if the deal fails to win regulatory approval. Separately on Friday, Qualcomm said it extended the cash tender offer to buy NXP Semiconductors NV by two weeks to Feb. 23. Broadcom had said earlier that its revised offer was contingent on either Qualcomm buying NXP at currently disclosed terms of $110 per share in cash or the $38 billion deal being terminated. (Reporting by Sonam Rai and Muvija M in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Patrick Graham)
Cape Town (AFP) - South Africa's ruling party leader Cyril Ramaphosa admitted Sunday to "disunity and discord" within the African National Congress as it struggled to remove scandal-tainted President Jacob Zuma from power.

Ramaphosa, 65, said he wanted to replace "a period of difficulty, disunity and discord" with "a new beginning" for the ANC party, and he vowed to tackle the corruption that has tarnished Zuma's government.

"We know you want this matter to be finalised," he said to rapturous cheers at a rally of party faithful in Cape Town.

With the 75-year-old Zuma refusing a February 4 request to resign by senior party officials, the ANC's top decision-making committee will meet on Monday.

The committee could recall the president from office, though he would be under no constitutional obligation to obey the order.

"We know you want closure -- we will be doing so keeping our eyes on what is in the interests of all our people," Ramaphosa, who is the country's deputy president, said to loud applause.

"As you have all heard, the National Executive Committee of the ANC will be meeting tomorrow... and because our people want this matter to be finalised, the NEC will be doing precisely that."

Several thousand ANC supporters wearing the party's signature yellow, green and black colours -- many also sporting images of Ramaphosa on their shirts -- attended the rally at Cape Town's symbolic Grand Parade square.

Nomaza Nkukwana, a 54-year-old unemployed woman from nearby Driftsands, said: "We liked the speech and I liked the language he was using."

"Ramaphosa must come -- then we'll be having a real president."

It was in that same vast square in front of City Hall on February 11, 1990, that Nelson Mandela spoke to euphoric crowds hours after his release from prison.

That was Mandela's first major speech as a free man and a key moment in South Africa's modern rebirth as white-minority apartheid rule crumbled.

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Holding the microphone for Mandela that day was a young Ramaphosa, then a trade union leader.

Zuma's presidency has been marred by corruption scandals, slow economic growth and record unemployment that have fuelled public anger in sharp contrast to the mood of national optimism that swept South Africa after Mandela's release.

The stalemate over Zuma's departure has left Africa's most developed economy in limbo, with a series of public events cancelled last week including Thursday's State of the Nation address to parliament.

- Dispute over exit deal? -

Zuma's hold over the ANC was shaken in December when his chosen successor -- ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma -- narrowly lost out to Ramaphosa in a vote for new party leader.

Sunday's rally was part of ANC celebrations marking 100 years since Mandela's birth -- as well as efforts by Ramaphosa to repair the party's reputation ahead of next year's general election.

"We have arrived at a moment in the history of our country where we can relive that moment when Nelson Mandela was released.... We have a new mood right across the country, we can capture that mood and move forward," Ramaphosa said.

Local media reported that Zuma's potentially ruinous legal fees from prolonged court battles against multiple criminal charges were a key sticking point in the negotiations.

One case relates to 783 payments he allegedly received linked to an arms deal before he came to power.

He is also reportedly seeking legal protection for his family and other associates who have been involved in controversial deals.

"Even if the ANC meeting on Monday decides Zuma needs to step down, he can still refuse because they have no legal authority," Mcebisi Ndletyana, politics professor at the University of Johannesburg, told AFP.

"He is not willing to step down voluntarily. They need to close this thing early this week."

Opposition parties are calling for a parliamentary vote of no-confidence within days.

- Zuma silent -

Zuma has not spoken publicly since being asked to resign by senior ANC officials on February 4.

In 2008, the party pushed out then-president Thabo Mbeki over allegations of abuse of power.

Under Zuma, the ANC suffered its worst electoral setback since coming to power with Mandela at the helm in 1994, winning less than 54 percent of the vote in local elections in 2016.
Sebastien Roblin

Security,

Is it a match against the F-22 or F-15?

All of the Reasons Why America Should Fear Russia's Su-35 Fighter

The maneuverability of the Su-35 makes it an unsurpassed dogfighter. However, future aerial clashes using the latest missiles (R-77s, Meteors, AIM-120s) could potentially take place over enormous ranges, while even short-range combat may involve all-aspect missiles like the AIM-9X and R-74 that dont require pointing the aircraft at the target. Nonetheless, the Su-35s speed (which contributes to a missiles velocity) and large load-carrying abilities mean it can hold its own in beyond-visual-range combat. Meanwhile, the Flanker-Es agility and electronic countermeasures may help it evade opposing missiles.

The Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E is the top Russian air-superiority fighter in service today, and represents the pinnacle of fourth-generation jet fighter design. It will remain so until Russia succeeds in bringing its fifth-generation PAK-FA stealth fighter into production.

Distinguished by its unrivaled maneuverability, most of the Su-35s electronics and weapons capabilities have caught up with those of Western equivalents, like the F-15 Eagle. But while it may be a deadly adversary to F-15s, Eurofighters and Rafales, the big question mark remains how effectively it can contend with fifth-generation stealth fighters such as the F-22 and F-35.

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History

The Su-35 is an evolution of the Su-27 Flanker, a late Cold War design intended to match the F-15 in concept: a heavy twin-engine multirole fighter combining excellent speed and weapons loadout with dogfighting agility.

(This first appeared in 2016.)

An Su-27 stunned the audience of the Paris Air Show in 1989 when it demonstrated Pugachevs Cobra, a maneuver in which the fighter rears its nose up to 120-degree verticalbut continues to soar forward along the planes original attitude.

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Widely exported, the Flanker has yet to clash with Western fighters, but did see air-to-air combat in Ethiopian service during a border war with Eritrea, scoring four kills against MiG-29s for no loss. It has also been employed on ground attack missions.

The development history of the Su-35 is a bit complicated. An upgraded Flanker with canards (additional small wings on the forward fuselage) called the Su-35 first appeared way back in 1989, but is not the same plane as the current model; only fifteen were produced. Another upgraded Flanker, the two-seat Su-30, has been produced in significant quantities, and its variants exported to nearly a dozen countries.

The current model in question, without canards, is properly called the Su-35S and is the most advanced type of the Flanker family. It began development in 2003 under the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO), a subcontractor of Sukhoi. The first prototypes rolled out in 2007 and production began in 2009.

Airframe and Engines

The Flanker family of aircraft is supermaneuverablemeaning it is engineered to perform controlled maneuvers that are impossible through regular aerodynamic mechanisms. In the Su-35, this is in part achieved through use of thrust-vectoring engines: the nozzles of its Saturn AL-41F1S turbofans can independently point in different directions in flight to assist the aircraft in rolling and yawing. Only one operational Western fighter, the F-22 Raptor, has similar technology.

This also allows the Su-35 to achieve very high angles-of-attackin other words, the plane can be moving in one direction while its nose is pointed in another. A high angle of attack allows an aircraft to more easily train its weapons on an evading target and execute tight maneuvers.

Such maneuvers may be useful for evading missiles or dogfighting at close rangesthough they leave any aircraft in a low-energy state.

The Flanker-E can achieve a maximum speed of Mach 2.25 at high altitude (equal to the F-22 and faster than the F-35 or F-16) and has excellent acceleration. However, contrary to initial reports, it appears it may not be able to supercruiseperform sustained supersonic flight without using afterburnerswhile loaded for combat. Its service ceiling is sixty thousand feet, on par with F-15s and F-22s, and ten thousand feet higher than Super Hornets, Rafales and F-35s.

The Su-35 has expanded fuel capacity, giving it a range of 2,200 miles on internal fuel, or 2,800 miles with two external fuel tanks. Both the lighter titanium airframe and the engines have significantly longer life expectancies than their predecessors, at six thousand and 4,500 flight hours, respectively. (For comparison, the F-22 and F-35 are rated at eight thousand hours).

The Flanker airframe is not particularly stealthy. However, adjustments to the engine inlets and canopy, and the use of radar-absorbent material, supposedly halve the Su-35s radar cross-section; one article claims it may be down to between one and three meters. This could reduce the range it can be detected and targeted, but the Su-35 is still not a stealth fighter.

Weaponry

The Su-35 has twelve to fourteen weapons hardpoints, giving it an excellent loadout compared to the eight hardpoints on the F-15C and F-22, or the four internally stowed missiles on the F-35.

At long range, the Su-35 can use K-77M radar-guided missiles (known by NATO as the AA-12 Adder), which are claimed to have range of over 120 miles.

For shorter-range engagements, the R-74 (NATO designation: AA-11 Archer) infrared-guided missile is capable of targeting off boresightsimply by looking through a helmet-mounted optical sight, the pilot can target an enemy plane up sixty degrees away from where his plane is pointed. The R-74 has a range of over twenty-five miles, and also uses thrust-vectoring technology.

The medium-range R-27 missile and the extra long-range R-37 (aka the AA-13 Arrow, for use against AWACs, EW and tanker aircraft) complete the Su-35s air-to-air missile selection.

Additionally, the Su-35 is armed with a thirty-millimeter cannon with 150 rounds for strafing or dogfighting.

The Flanker-E can also carry up to seventeen thousand pounds of air-to-ground munitions. Historically, Russia has made only limited use of precision-guided munitions (PGMs) compared to Western air forces. However, the capability for large-scale use of such weapons is there, if doctrine and munition stocks accommodate it.

Sensors and Avionics

The Su-35s most critical improvements over its predecessors may be in hardware. It is equipped with a powerful L175M Khibiny electronic countermeasure system intended to distort radar waves and misdirect hostile missiles. This could significantly degrade attempts to target and hit the Flanker-E.

The Su-35s IRBIS-E passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar is hoped to provide better performance against stealth aircraft. It is claimed to able to track up to thirty airborne targets with a Radar-cross section of three meters up to 250 miles awayand targets with cross-sections as small 0.1 meters over fifty miles away. However, PESA radars are easier to detect and to jam than the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars now used by Western fighters. The IRBIS also has an air-to ground mode that can designate up to four surface targets at time for PGMs.

Supplementing the radar is an OLS-35 targeting system that includes an Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST) system said to have a fifty-mile rangepotentially a significant threat to stealth fighters.

More mundane but vital systemssuch as pilot multi-function displays and fly-by-wire avionicshave also been significantly updated.

Operational Units and Future Customers

Currently, the Russian Air Force operates only forty-eight Su-35s. Another fifty were ordered in January 2016, and will be produced at a rate of ten per year. Four Su-35s were deployed to Syria this January after a Russian Su-24 was shot down by a Turkish F-16. Prominently armed with air-to-air missiles, the Su-35s were intended to send a message that the Russians could pose an aerial threat if attacked.

China has ordered twenty-four Su-35s at a cost of $2 billion, but is thought unlikely to purchase more. Beijings interest is believed to lie mostly in copying the Su-35s thrust-vector engines for use in its own designs. The Chinese PLAAF already operates the Shenyang J-11, a copy of the Su-27.

Attempts to market the Su-35 abroad, especially to India and Brazil, have mostly foundered. Recently, however, Indonesia has indicated it wishes to purchase eight this year, though the contract signing has been repeatedly delayed. Algeria is reportedly considering acquiring ten for $900 million. Egypt, Venezuela and Vietnam are also potential customers.

Cost estimates for the Su-35 have run between $40 million and $65 million; however, the exports contracts have been at prices above $80 million per unit.

Against the Fifth Generation

The Su-35 is at least equalif not superiorto the very best Western fourth-generation fighters. The big question, is how well can it perform against a fifth-generation stealth plane such as the F-22 or F-35?

The maneuverability of the Su-35 makes it an unsurpassed dogfighter. However, future aerial clashes using the latest missiles (R-77s, Meteors, AIM-120s) could potentially take place over enormous ranges, while even short-range combat may involve all-aspect missiles like the AIM-9X and R-74 that dont require pointing the aircraft at the target. Nonetheless, the Su-35s speed (which contributes to a missiles velocity) and large load-carrying abilities mean it can hold its own in beyond-visual-range combat. Meanwhile, the Flanker-Es agility and electronic countermeasures may help it evade opposing missiles.

The more serious issue, though, is that we dont know how effective stealth technology will be against a high-tech opponent. An F-35 stealth fighter that gets in a short-range duel with a Flanker-E will be in big troublebut how good a chance does the faster, more-maneuverable Russian fighter have of detecting that F-35 and getting close to it in the first place?

As the U.S. Air Force would have it, stealth fighters will be able to unleash a hail of missiles up to one hundred miles away without the enemy having any way to return fire until they close to a (short) distance, where visual and IR scanning come into play. Proponents of the Russian fighter argue that it will be able to rely upon ground-based low-bandwidth radars, and on-board IRST sensors and PESA radar, to detect stealth planes. Keep in mind, however, that the former two technologies are imprecise and cant be used to target weapons in most cases.

Both parties obviously have huge economic and political incentives to advance their claims. While it is worthwhile examining the technical merits of these schools of thought in detail, the question will likely only be resolved by testing under combat conditions. Furthermore, other factors such as supporting assets, mission profile, pilot training and numbers play a large a role in determining the outcomes of aerial engagements.

The Su-35 may be the best jet-age dogfighter ever made and a capable missile delivery platformbut whether that will suffice for an air-superiority fighter in the era of stealth technology remains to be seen.

Sebastien Roblin holds a Masters Degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring.

This first appeared in 2016.

Read full article
By Joseph Ax (Reuters) - Republican leaders in Pennsylvania's legislature submitted a plan for redrawing the state's congressional districts just hours before Friday's court-ordered deadline, but Democratic Governor Tom Wolf questioned whether the proposal will pass legal muster. The newly-drawn political map was ordered on Jan. 22 by the state Supreme Court, which invalidated the existing congressional district boundaries as an illegal gerrymander created by the Republican-controlled state legislature. In a 5-2 vote along party lines, the high court's majority of Democratic-appointed justices found the existing map's lines were precisely drawn to deliberately dilute the voting strength of registered Democrats, in violation of the state's constitution. A revamped map of the 18 U.S. House districts in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state in the 2016 presidential race, could reshape the political balance in this year's mid-term electoral battle for control of Congress. Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal of the state's high court decision, leading top Republicans in the state Senate and House of Representatives to present the governor with a proposed remedy at the 11th hour on Friday. "The Republican legislative leaders in the House and Senate have agreed to a congressional district map that complies fully with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's order and opinion," state Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and House Speaker Mike Turzai said in a joint statement. But a spokesman for Wolf suggested the plan would fail to meet the high court's requirements because it lacked approval from the state legislature as a whole. While the courts order did not appear to allow for two individuals to draw a map on behalf of the entire General Assembly, Governor Wolf will review Speaker Turzai and President Scarnatis submission in consultation with the experts retained by the administration to determine his next course of action," the statement said. Wolf has until Feb. 15 to accept or reject the new map. "I intend to do my part to implement the court's order and ensure that fair maps become Pennsylvania's new reality," he said in a statement earlier on Friday. The redrawn map reduces the number of cities and counties split by district lines, among other changes, according to a spokesman from Turzai's office. It wasn't immediately clear if any Democratic lawmakers played a role in devising the proposal. Wolf said he would consider his options if the map were not the result of a "bipartisan process". Mimi McKenzie, legal director of the Public Interest Law Center, one of the groups challenging the existing congressional boundaries in court, said her organization would also review the submitted maps. Legal battles are playing out in several U.S. states over partisan gerrymandering. Pennsylvania has long been seen as one of the worst offenders, with one of its more oddly shaped districts described derisively as "Goofy Kicking Donald Duck". Republicans have held 13 of the state's 18 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives since the current map went into effect for the 2012 election, despite Pennsylvania's status as a closely divided swing state. A redrawing of district lines would likely increase Democratic chances to pick up several seats. The party needs to capture 24 seats nationwide to retake control of the House in November elections. The state Supreme Court said it would draw the lines itself if an acceptable map is not reached by next week - a move Republican leaders have said they would consider challenging in federal court. (Reporting by Joseph Ax in New York, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Chris Kenning in Louisville; Editing by Steve Gorman and Richard Borsuk)
Actress Rose McGowanaddressed the death of former manager Jill Messick in a brief Instagram caption Saturday, three days after Messicks suicide.

For Jill: May your family find some measure of solace during this pain, McGowan began.

That one man could cause so much damage is astounding, but tragically true. The bad man did this to us both. May you find peace on the astral plane. May you find serenity with the stars.

McGowans comments followed a scathing statement from Messicks family to The Hollywood Reporter, calling Messicks death collateral damage in the Harvey Weinstein scandal that shook Hollywood and sparked a global movement against sexual abuse. The family specifically blamed McGowan, Weinstein and journalists for contributing to stress in Messicks life.

A post shared by Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan)on Feb 10, 2018 at 11:22am PST

Seeing her name in headlines again and again, as part of one persons attempt to gain more attention for her personal cause, along with Harveys desperate attempt to vindicate himself, was devastating for her, Messicks family said.

Messick, 50, was McGowans manager in 1997, the year McGowan told The New York Times in an article published in October that Weinstein raped her. McGowan told the Times she informed her manager about the attack shortly after it occurred.

She put her arms around me, McGowantold the paper.But in the months that followed, McGowan said she did not feel Messick supported her legal fight against the now-disgraced studio mogul.

Messick later took a job at Miramax, helmed by Weinstein at the time. She went on to produce hit films, including Shes All That and Mean Girls.

Messicks family rejected the suggestion that she was not supportive to McGowan, saying she was the first person who stood up on Roses behalf.

Weinstein has called McGowans rape accusation a bold lie through his lawyer, claiming the actress told Messick soon afterward that the encounter was consensual. Weinstein in late January provided news outlets with emails from Messick detailing what she remembered of the day McGowan told her about the alleged rape.

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A representative for Weinstein has not replied to HuffPost emails seeking comment.

Messick is survived by her two children, along with her father, brother, and partner.

If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HELLO to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow is seriously concerned by the latest developments in Syria and calls on sides to exercise restraint and avoid an escalation of the situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. Israel launched heavy air strikes in Syria on Saturday, saying it hit air defenses and Iranian targets, and the Syrian army claimed to have brought down an Israeli F-16 that crashed in northern Israel in a major escalation of tension. "We urge all sides to exercise restraint and to avoid any actions that could lead to an even greater complication of the situation," the ministry said in a statement. "It is necessary to unconditionally respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and other countries in the region." (Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian state news agency SANA said on Saturday that Syrian air defences were responding to a "new Israeli aggression" and a military source said the defences had thwarted attacks on military positions in the south of the country. Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military said an Israeli F-16 jet crashed in northern Israel during a mission to strike an Iranian drone installation that launched a drone into Israeli-held territory. "The Israeli enemy has resumed aggression on some military positions in the southern region and our air defences have responded to them and thwarted the aggression," a Syrian military source said in a statement. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israel has been targeting areas in the countryside southwest of the capital Damascus and in the eastern countryside of Homs province for several hours since dawn. One set of raids hit positions belonging to the Syrian government and its allies in central Syria around the T4 airbase and in the Homs desert, the Britain-based Observatory said. Another set of raids hit southwest of Damascus. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Today, the world will watch athletes from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea unite to march beneath one flag during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, just 50 miles from the DPRK border. For many, the sight of two nations that have been in conflict for generations coming together to compete in the Winter Games exemplifies the core mission of the Olympics: to unite people of the world in the spirit of solidarity and fair play.

However, we  as Americans and citizens of the world  cannot afford to allow a brief image of camaraderie eclipse the very real threat of war from one of the worlds most dangerous regimes.

Recent diplomatic talks regarding the Winter Olympics and Paralympics were a welcome development. Only time will tell whether such talks can lead to something else, maybe even peace.

Much of what will unfold on the Korean Peninsula during the coming months may still be uncertain, but one thing was made clear during my recent visit to the region: Kim Jong Un poses a serious and deadly threat to millions of people in the Peninsula and in the United States, and the prospect of war is far more dangerous  and far more likely  than many Americans realize.

We cant forget that in the months leading up to the 88 Games in Seoul, DPRK leaders secretly plotted and executed an attack on Korean Air Flight 858, killing 115 people. Nor should we forget that even when appearing to promote peaceful negotiations  as they appear to be now  the DPRK regime has a long history of using diplomatic entreaties as cover while they further develop their nuclear and ballistic missile capability. Kim Jong Un has made no commitments to halt his nuclear research program during the time of the Olympics.

We also cannot allow the DPRK to use this limited engagement as a way to split the U.S.South Korea relationship, as there is no doubt that Kim Jong Un will attempt to drive a wedge in the regional alliance structure.

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Fortunately, there are still diplomatic off-ramps on this road to war. As long as they exist, its vital that the United States and her allies allow the diplomats time and space to operate. We must remain unified with our allies in our shared strategic goals for the Korean Peninsula and we must remain committed to preventing the DPRK from skirting the recently adopted U.N. Security Council sanctions.

With the drums of war growing louder in Washington each day, it is about time we all start thinking more seriously and more deeply about the reality and true cost of war with the DPRK, not just in dollars and cents but in human lives.

That includes our Commander-in-Chief. With every threat, every reckless or contradictory tweet from President Trump, we get a little bit further from a diplomatic solution and a little bit closer to putting the lives of our service members in danger. The cavalier attitude with which the President tweets policy decisions and taunts foreign leaders  beyond being beneath the dignity of his office  delegitimizes serious diplomatic efforts, and undermines the efforts of our military while sowing confusion amongst our allies in an international system that is crying out for stability.

Its important to understand whats at stake when Trump tweets childish threats about the size of his button at the DPRK regime. A war of any kind with the DPRK would endanger millions of people across the globe. There is no such thing as a so-called bloody nose strike. There are roughly 30,000 American troops stationed in South Korea and 25 million civilians from many nations, including our own, living in or around Seoul. Every single one of them could be in danger if conflict breaks out.

The American people need to see stronger, more measured leadership from their President. They also need to see it from members of Congress. Lawmakers in Washington have skirted their responsibility to make decisions on matters of war and peace for decades. In recent years, presidents from both parties have seized more and more power over decisions to send our military men and women off to war as Congress sits idly by.

We need to restore accountability and transparency to how we entangle ourselves in these conflicts, as well as to countless other matters of war and peace. Congress must uphold its constitutional responsibilities: Article I clearly vests in Congress the responsibilities to declare war, establish an Armed Forces and do everything necessary and proper to carry out its responsibility to defend the nation. It seems that some of our leaders may have forgotten that.

As athletes from the DPRK and South Korea march together in the shadow of a potential war, the American people must hold members of Congress accountable to have tough conversations about Americas place in the world and the true costs of deployment for our troops  and Congress must listen. The fate of those attending the Winter Games, our troops, our citizens and millions of lives around the world hang in the balance.
By Wendell Roelf

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) leader Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday the party's executive body would meet on Monday to finalise discussions on the future of President Jacob Zuma, who is under mounting pressure to step down.

Speaking at a rally as part of celebrations marking 100 years since the birth of former President Nelson Mandela, he said Zuma's exit should be undertaken in an orderly fashion just as the anti-apartheid icon would have handled it.

The 75-year-old Zuma, in power since 2009 and mired in corruption allegations, has been living on borrowed time since Ramaphosa took over his other role as leader of the ruling party in December.

Addressing ANC supporters in Cape Town, Ramaphosa, who is deputy president, said: "The National Executive Committee of the ANC will be meeting tomorrow to discuss this very matter, and because our people want this matter to be finalised, the NEC will be doing precisely that."

The party's National Executive Committee has the power to instruct Zuma to resign.

Though he avoided mentioning Zuma by name, Ramaphosa spoke several times of a "transition of power" in reference to talks on Zuma's future and said the ANC wanted to resolve issues around the "president of the country".

In a speech which also marked 28 years to the day since Mandela was released from an apartheid-era prison, Ramaphosa said the talks on Zuma's future should be handled in an orderly, purposeful manner, "in Madiba's way of doing things," - using Mandela's clan name.

Ramaphosa was at Mandela's side, holding a microphone, when the leader addressed thousands outside Cape Town's city hall on the same day 28 years ago after his release.

Ramaphosa had earlier on Sunday attended a service at Cape Town's Anglican St George's Cathedral.

"We leave this church well armed with the good blessings and prayer ... so as the leadership of the ANC we have been well empowered as we move ahead... and as we manage this transition," Ramaphosa told reporters.

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St George's Cathedral was at the forefront of the anti-apartheid struggle and during a Christmas mass service last year its Archbishop Thabo Makgoba called on the new ANC leadership to act "quickly and decisively" to replace Zuma as head of state.

NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE

The ANC called off a special meeting of its executive body on Zuma scheduled for last Wednesday after the president and Ramaphosa agreed to hold talks on a handover of power.

The party has only said that the talks were "constructive".

ANC spokesman Pule Mabe said the executive committee's meeting on Monday had been brought forward from next weekend, because of the urgency of the leadership issue.

Zuma, who no longer holds a top position in the party, has not said whether he will resign voluntarily before his second term as president ends in the middle of next year.

Zuma also faces another no-confidence vote against his leadership in parliament on Feb. 22, brought by the ultra-left Economic Freedom Fighters party.

(Additional reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Alexander Winning in Johannesburg; Editing by Susan Fenton and Richard Balmforth)
By Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africans should be patient with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) leader Cyril Ramaphosa as he holds talks with President Jacob Zuma for a transition of power, the party's national chairperson said on Saturday. Ramaphosa has been lobbying for Zuma to resign and has said he hopes to conclude talks with him "in coming days ... in the interests of the country." Addressing an ANC rally in the eastern province of Mpumalanga, Gwede Mantashe said ANC officials should be fearless and must be able to make difficult decisions, but leaders had a duty to "analyse and mitigate risks". Mantashe said ANC officials would meet on Saturday to discuss the transition, but Zuma will not be part of the meeting. "There is no disagreement about where we want to go (on Zuma) but the tactics on how to do that is the responsibility of leadership," Mantashe told the rally. Speaking to state broadcaster SABC television after his speech, Mantashe said people should give the ANC space to manage a "very complex situation". "Allow (Ramaphosa) to lead, Leadership is a science, a profession and also an art. Allow Cyril Ramaphosa to execute and use his art and his personality to manage this," Mantashe said. Ramaphosa, who negotiated on behalf of the ANC in talks to end apartheid, has ignored frustration from the opposition parties who have been howling for Zuma to go for years. Zuma, South Africa's most controversial president since the end of white-minority rule in 1994, has overseen a tumultuous nine years in power marked by economic decline and numerous allegations of corruption. Zuma has not said whether he will resign voluntarily before his second term as president ends in the middle of next year. But Zuma's wife Tobeka Madiba-Zuma caused a stir on social media on Friday after she posted a picture on her Instagram account, @firstladytzuma, showing her and the president inside what appears to be a plane, with part of the caption reading "It's going to be ugly. Don't fight someone who is not fighting you." On Saturday, the part saying "it's going to be ugly" had been edited out of her post. Zuma's family said Madiba-Zuma's remarks were "unfortunate". "It's her own personal view, as family ....we still believe in the democratically elected leadership of the ANC under the leadership of Comrade Ramaphosa, whom we will all support to lead the country beyond," Zuma's son Edward Zuma told the SABC on Saturday. The young Zuma said the family had no direct knowledge of how the talks between Zuma and Ramaphosa were going. "Government issues and ANC issues are not family issues, therefore the family does not have anything to say regarding this. We as family we will respect whatever decision is taken by the leaders that are in power at the moment," he said. Ramaphosa is due to give a speech on Sunday as part of year-long celebrations to mark 100 years since the birth of former President Nelson Mandela. (Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Stephen Powell)
The Trump administration said a Spanish language White House website would launch at the end of 2017: Getty

The White House website has yet to produce any Spanish-language content a year into Donald Trumps presidency, despite his administration's promises to the contrary.

Spanish articles were removed from the official site when Mr Trump took office in January 2017, in a departure of policy from the previous two administrations, which both published content in the language.

The US is now lagging behind Iran and even reclusive North Korea in terms of its Spanish language offerings, with both regimes providing official content for Spanish speakers.

A year ago, then-presidential press secretary Sean Spicer said content had been deleted because IT staff were working overtime to develop a new Spanish site.

In July, the White House director of media affairs, Helen Aguirre Ferre, said she expected a website in the language, which is spoken by one-in-five people in the US, to launch at the end of 2017.

However, Ms Aguirre Ferre has now declined to confirm whether the administration still has plans for a Spanish language website.

Javier Palomarez, president of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said the absence of a White House webpage in Spanish sends a very troubling message".

There are over four million Hispanic-American entrepreneurs and businesspeople in this country, many of whom are receptive to the administrations pro-business agenda, Mr Palomarez said.

If they made even a little effort to communicate and engage with the Latino community, perhaps they would win a few of them over.

Latinos became the largest minority in the US during the presidency of George W Bush, when Spanish language content was added to the White House website for the first time.

The Obama White House also produced Spanish articles geared towards Latinos on topics such as immigration, health issues, banking and veterans affairs.

However, Mr Trumps relationship with Latino voters has been damaged by several controversies since his entry into politics.

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During his election campaign, he castigated Republican rival Jeb Bush for answering a reporters question in Spanish, saying he should set the example by speaking English in the US.

The President also turned off large portions of the Hispanic electorate with anti-immigration rhetoric, claiming many Mexican immigrants were criminals and rapists.

The Trump White House does keep a Spanish Twitter account, @LaCasaBlanca, but it has only issued 200 tweets since January 2017, compared with 3,200 from the English version over the same period.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
Khartoum (AFP) - Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday replaced powerful intelligence chief Mohammed Atta, official news agency SUNA reported, amid a security crackdown on opposition protests against rising food prices.

Bashir issued a presidential decree announcing Salah Abdallah Mohammed Salih as the new head of the country's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), SUNA said, without providing further details.

Salih, widely known as Salih Ghosh, previously headed NISS and was replaced by his then deputy Atta in August 2009.

Atta's removal came after he returned this week from Cairo where he was part of a Sudanese delegation that held talks with Egyptian officials on several issues including security.

In recent weeks NISS has been leading a crackdown on sporadic opposition protests that have erupted since early January against rising food prices.

Protesters have taken to the streets after bread prices increased on the back of a government decision to leave wheat imports to the private sector that triggered a sharp rise in the cost of flour.

NISS agents and anti-riot police have swiftly broken up these rallies held in Khartoum and some other parts of the country.

The agency has also arrested several senior leaders of opposition groups since January in a bid to prevent the protests from spreading.

The authorities have detained several journalists covering the protests. Most of them have now been released.

"The NISS seems to be arresting just about any journalist it can catch," Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said in a statement this week.

"This wave of arrests and confiscations of newspapers since the start of the year is unprecedented."

Under Atta, NISS stepped up its overall crackdown on opposition activists and anti-government media coverage.

NISS agents confiscated entire print-runs of newspapers that criticised government policies or reported on anti-government protests.

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- 'Strong guy' -

Salih, until Sunday a lawmaker for the ruling National Congress Party, worked on and off for NISS since the 1989 coup that brought Bashir to power, according to Sudanese media.

As its chief, he was credited with building NISS into one of the most powerful security agencies of Bashir's regime before his dismissal in 2009.

He was later jailed on accusations that he had planned a coup to topple Bashir, but no evidence was found against him and the president pardoned him.

Salih is still seen as a powerful and influential figure despite the coup accusations that were made against him, Magnus Taylor, Sudan analyst at International Crisis Group told AFP.

"He may be seen (by the president) as a strong guy who could handle the difficult political situation given the recent protests," Taylor said.

"It may suggest that President Bashir is shoring up the leadership of NISS behind him by appointing a very established powerful figure as its chief."
By Jibran Ahmed Saud Mahsud PESHAWAR/DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - A pair of suspected U.S. missile strikes killed a senior Pakistani Taliban deputy and other militants in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, officials said on Friday. Four Pakistani intelligence officials and three Taliban commanders told Reuters on Friday that two separate U.S. missile strikes on Wednesday killed the fighters. One of the strikes, they said, killed a Pakistani Taliban commander, Khan Said, alias Sajna, and three more people, when missiles struck his pick-up truck in Margha village of Birmal district in Paktika province of Afghanistan. The NATO-led Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan said it had no information about the strike. The officials sought anonymity because they weren't authorized to disclose the information. They are based in Pakistans northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and have informants on the ground on both sides of the border. They said on Friday they have also been picking up militants' chatter through phone intercepts in which they were talking about Sajna's killing. Three Pakistani Taliban commanders confirmed their account. Sajna has been an important militant commander of the Pakistani Taliban and had close links with the Afghan Taliban, the officials said. Two of the officials said they were trying to confirm reports of another suspected U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan on Pakistani side of the border. The second strike hit a compound in Gurwek town of North Waziristan, killing seven militants, the three Taliban commanders said. North Waziristan and Paktika province in Afghanistan are adjacent to the border, and the officials and the militant commanders may have been reporting the same strike as two separate ones. The border region has long been home to local and al-Qaeda linked foreign militants. It is off limits to journalists and verifying any information independently is difficult. U.S. drone strikes in the border regions of Pakistan have picked up since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January 2017, though they are a long way off their peak in 2010. Relations between Washington and Islamabad have frayed in recent months after Trump's angry tweet on Jan. 1 about Pakistan's "lies and deceit" over its alleged support for the Afghan Taliban and their allies. Last month, the United States suspended about $2 billion assistance to Islamabad. Pakistan denies sheltering militants and accuses Washington of not respecting Pakistan's sacrifices in the war on militancy. "Therere still several drones flying here," one of the three Taliban commanders said on Friday speaking by phone from the Paktika province. (Writing by Asif Shahzad, editing by Larry King)
Douma (Syria) (AFP) - Syrian regime air strikes on the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta eased on Saturday after five days of heavy bombardment that killed more than 240 civilians, a monitoring group said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 30 people were wounded by air strikes and artillery fire but that the intensity of the bombardment targeting the Eastern Ghouta region near the capital had lessened from Friday night.

"There have (since) been practically no air raids and even artillery fire is less intense," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, although warplanes had struck areas near Douma, the region's main town.

Rebel shelling triggered a fire at a power plant in the capital, the official news agency SANA said.

The sharp drop in violence came as regime forces and their allies were targeted by major Israeli air raids Saturday after an Israeli warplane crashed after being fired on by Syrian air defences.

Five straight days of bombardment by regime warplanes and artillery from Monday to Friday killed more than 240 civilians, including 60 children, and wounded 775 people, the Observatory said.

The offensive had trapped thousands of families in makeshift bomb shelters and overwhelmed rescue workers, but on Saturday life in Eastern Ghouta appeared to be returning to normal in some areas.

Some shops reopened in Douma, Erbin and Hammuriyeh, and residents were seen sweeping up rubble outside their homes as others salvaged what they could from destroyed houses, AFP correspondents said.

The UN Security Council is considering a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow for urgent deliveries of humanitarian aid, according to the text seen by AFP on Friday.

Sweden and Kuwait presented the measure that would also demand an immediate end to sieges, including in Eastern Ghouta.

Negotiations on the proposed measure are to begin on Monday, and diplomats said it could quickly come to a vote at the council.

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Western powers have expressed alarm over the government's campaign against rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people have been besieged since 2013.

UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Saturday accused Syrian forces of carrying out "no-holds-barred" military offensives.

He denounced "wave after wave of deadly air strikes leading to civilian casualties" in Eastern Ghouta and the opposition-controlled northwestern province of Idlib.
Beirut (AFP) - Syrian regime air strikes killed six civilians including two children overnight in Eastern Ghouta after a day of respite from deadly bombardment of the rebel enclave, a monitor said Sunday.

Since February 5, President Bashar al-Assad's regime has intensified its bombardment of the besieged region outside Damascus, killing more than 245 civilians including dozens of children.

On Saturday, the Damascus government eased up its strikes on Eastern Ghouta as it faced Israeli air raids on what Israel said were regime and Iranian targets inside the country.

But the regime raids picked up again on Saturday night, killing six civilians and wounding more than 50 others, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

Five of those, including two children, were killed in the region's main town of Douma, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Western powers have expressed alarm over the government's campaign against Eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people have been besieged since 2013, facing severe food and medicine shortages.

The UN Security Council is considering a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow for urgent deliveries of humanitarian aid, according to the text seen by AFP on Friday.

Sweden and Kuwait presented the measure that would also demand an immediate end to sieges, including in Eastern Ghouta.

Negotiations on the proposed measure are to begin on Monday, and diplomats said it could quickly come to a vote at the council.

Syria's war has killed more than 340,000 people and displaced millions since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
The toll from a deadly 6.4-magnitude quake in Taiwan rose to 15 Saturday as rescuers searching for a missing family of Chinese tourists discovered three more bodies in a partially toppled building.

Scores of emergency workers combed the rubble at the foot of the 12-storey Yun Tsui apartment block that was left leaning at around a 50-degree angle by the quake, complicating rescue efforts due to fears of an imminent collapse.

The three bodies and the last missing pair are believed to be members of a family from Beijing who arrived in Taiwan on Monday, authorities said.

They were staying in a second-floor room at a hotel in the building in the eastern city of Hualien when the quake hit the following night.

"(We) are digging from the fourth floor down and even though the site is leaning at 45 degrees we are making an all-out effort for the rescue," the Hualien fire department said in a statement.

The bodies pulled from the site were of a 12-year-old boy, an adult man and an adult woman, rescuers said, meaning 12 of the 15 people killed in the quake perished in the Yun Tsui building.

Three partially collapsed buildings in Hualien are being demolished for public safety, including the local landmark Marshal Hotel where one employee was killed.

Hualien, on Taiwan's picturesque east coast, is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations, but the mountains that rise up behind the city are testament to the deadly tectonic fault lines that run through the island.

The island's worst tremor in recent decades was a 7.6-magnitude quake in September 1999 that killed around 2,400 people.

That quake ushered in stricter building codes but many of Taiwan's older buildings remain perilously vulnerable to even moderate quakes.
A change in leadership among Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee could alter the politics of the Iran nuclear deal in U.S. Congress, and possibly play to the advantage of the White House and its Republican allies.

Barely noticed amid a brief government shutdown and budget deal over the past week, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) quietly took back his spot as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, nearly three years after being forced out while battling corruption charges.

An outspoken hawk on Iran, Menendez could offer a lifeline to the White House and its Republican allies in Congress eager to rewrite the deal, congressional staffers and lobbyists said.

Menendez, who at the end of last month saw years-old federal corruption charges dropped after a mistrial, resumed his senior status on the committee just as lawmakers are weighing how to fix the Iran deal. In October 2017, President Donald Trump demanded Congress or European allies revise the terms of the accord or he would withdraw the United States from the international agreement.

Menendez is a staunch hard-liner on both Cuba and Iran, but its unclear if he will break with Democratic ranks over the Iran agreement. His predecessor, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), was no fan of the 2015 nuclear agreement, but once it was in place, he opposed legislation that would have sunk the deal.

The agreement between Iran and world powers imposed limits on Tehrans nuclear program in return for lifting an array of U.S. and international sanctions. But Trump and other critics of the deal insist the agreement needs to be amended before a mid-May deadline, with stricter curbs on Irans missile program and extending restrictions on the nuclear program that are due to expire over the next decade.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) is drafting legislation that would add tougher limits on Irans nuclear and missile programs as a trigger for reimposing sanctions on Iran. The acid test is where Menendez comes down on the Corker proposal.

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The first indication will be, what does Sen. Menendez say about the state of discussions about legislation that would meet the presidents demands? said a lobbyist on Middle East issues. That will give us a first indication of whether there is a shift.

White House officials have consulted closely with Corkers staff on the bill, and a more cooperative approach from Menendez could help sway the votes of some Democrats in the Senate, lobbyists and experts said.

While Corker tries to work out language that can secure sufficient bipartisan support in the Senate, he also faces pressure from hard-liners within his own party.

In the House, Republican Reps. Peter Roskam (Ill.) and Liz Cheney (Wyo.) have put forward a bill with sweeping language that would reimpose sanctions on Iran for an array of activities, including if Tehran used ballistic missile technology designed to deliver nuclear weapons. Corker, who will need to secure 60 votes (Republicans hold 51 seats), is likely to propose more limited language in his bill to win votes from across the aisle.

Menendez drew the wrath of the Barack Obama administration and left-leaning activists, including advocacy group MoveOn.org, over his fierce opposition to the Iran deal in 2015.

But when Trump informed Congress in October that he could not certify that the Iran deal was in the countrys interest, Menendez sharply criticized the presidents announcement, saying it created uncertainty among our allies and that it would embolden an already belligerent Iran. The New Jersey senator said the United States cannot afford to ignore our international obligations.

Menendezs return to the high-profile spot could see him lock horns with both Democrats and Republicans, creating plenty of uncertainty over key issues such as the Iran deal, Cuba, and even the fate of the State Department under the Trump administration.

At varying times, Menendez is likely to be a thorn in the side of both the administration and [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer [D-N.Y.], said Daniel Vajdich, a Republican foreign-policy expert and former Senate Foreign Relations Committee staffer.

Menendez stepped down from the post nearly three years ago after he was indicted on federal bribery charges that included allegations of abusing his post on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The Justice Department moved to drop all charges against Menendez on Jan. 31, after a drama-filled federal bribery trial ended in a mistrial last November.

Menendez is still the subject of a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into whether he violated Senate rules by accepting gifts from a friend and campaign donor. The federal bribery charges centered on allegations he intervened with the State Department to help the friend and campaign donor settle a lucrative foreign contract dispute and secure U.S. visas for several foreign girlfriends.

Throughout the trial, Menendez staunchly denied the allegations and maintained his innocence.

Sen. Cardin will take over ranking member roles on the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Western Hemisphere affairs.
On August 21, 2015, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, three childhood friends from Sacramento performed an extraordinary feat of heroism aboard a passenger train in France. In directing The 15:17 to Paris, the challenge for Clint Eastwood was to turn this relatively brief encounter into a compelling 90-minute narrative. To do so, he recruited those same three men, none of whom had any formal acting training, to play themselves on film.

Those heroes-turned-actors are Spencer Stone, a former U.S. Air Force Airman, Alek Skarlatos, a former Oregon National Guardsman, and Anthony Sadler, a senior at California State University at the time of the incident. On that August day, the trio was riding on a Thalys train headed towards the French capital when a man armed with an assault rifle and pistol opened fire, wounding a passenger. A struggle to restrain the gunman ensued, with Stone and Skarlatos instinctively deciding to charge at the assailant, and Sadler not far behind.

Despite several injuries, including a slashed neck and thumb for Stone, the three friends managed to overpower the gunman with the assistance of a British passenger. The four were hailed as international heroes and received various honors for their valor. The movie, the screenplay for which was adapted from the three mens co-authored memoir of the same name, largely stays faithful to the story. Heres where it sticks to the truth and the few facts with which it takes liberties.

Fact: The three men met as boys at a private Christian school.

Stone and Skarlatos both had some troublemaking tendencies growing up and could often be found shooting authentic-looking replica guns around their neighborhood for a paintball-like game called Airsoft. The boys mothers, also close friends, opted to enroll them in a Christian middle school, where they met Sadler and all became companions.

Fact: Stone didnt qualify for the Air Forces Pararescue troop because he lacked depth perception in his vision.

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Not only did Stone fail to get into his dream unit after months of dedicated training, but he had to watch pararescuemen conduct their battlefield training in one of the bases buildings next to his training facility. As the memoir puts it, He was constantly confronted with his failure.

Fact: In the days preceding the attack, Stone wondered whether the men might be destined for something significant.

In the film, Stone asks Sadler, Do you ever feel like life is pushing us toward something, some greater purpose? It may feel like fabricated dialogue, tailored for dramatic effect, but Stone really did express the sentiment aloud to his friend while they were perched on a roof in Italy.

Fiction: Lisa, who Stone and Sadler met in Venice, was from Los Angeles.

The filmmakers changed the hometown of the friend Stone and Sadler met while on a gondola in Venice. That decision was likely made to set up a conversation in which Sadler riffs on how uncanny it was that three Californians would meet on a boat in Italy  creating a more compelling reason for Lisa (played by Alisa Allapach) to travel alone with two strangers. But as Stone and Sadler describe in their book, Lisa told them she was from New York, and that shed been in Venice for a few days.

Fact: The three friends considered not going to Paris.

Lisa really did attempt to put the men off from going to Paris. And she wasnt the only one. Multiple people they encountered during their travels in Europe cautioned them that the City of Lights was overrated, including a woman they met in a Berlin hostel who said that Paris is just really expensive and that its residents were actually kind of rude. Based on these conversations, Stone, Skarlatos and Sadler were uncertain about visiting the French capital. They struggled to find a reason to leave Amsterdam  the city they most enjoyed during the trip. But ultimately, the trio opted to give Paris a shot, and the rest is history.

Fact: The Thalys train shooter changed in the bathroom prior to initiating his attack.

The assailant, 25-year-old Moroccan national Ayoub El Khazzani, did not enter the train car wielding weapons while shirtless. He was in the restroom preparing for the attack and stepped out to find a 28-year-old French banker, who first engaged the gunman. Another passenger, the 51-year-old French-American Mark Magoolian, then succeeded in wrestling El Khazzanis assault rifle from him, before, as shown in the movie, El Khazzani used a concealed pistol to shoot Magoolian in the back.

Fiction: Stone charged down the train car at the gunman before he knew the rifle was jammed.

In the movie, Stone decides to run down the narrow train aisle directly towards El Khazzani, who has just retrieved his Kalashnikov assault rifle. Its a scene in which Stone, while hustling as fast as he can, basically looks like he expects to get shot. But according to Stones own description of the event to reporters days after the incident, it went down in a slightly different way.

It looked like it was jammed or it wasnt working, and he was trying to charge the weapon, he told press gathered at the U.S. embassy in Paris. Alek just hit me on the shoulder and said, Lets go.'

Fact: The three friends hometown, Sacramento, threw them a parade to celebrate their heroism.

Although they had already received Frances highest decoration, the Legion of Honour, as well as recognition on late-night talk shows and national media, the three childhood friends were given a heroes welcome upon their return to Sacramento. Approximately 10,000 people gathered, according to the mayor.

I just want to say how overwhelming this all is, Sadler said to a crowd at the time. Weve been all around the world these past couple weeks. But I just want you all to know, all the thanks weve received everywhere, it doesnt feel anything in comparison to being in front of our home crowd like this.
Following resignation of Rob Porter, who was accused of physical abuse by two ex-wives, Trump tweets: Lives are being shattered by a mere allegation

Trump tweeted: Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process? Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump on Saturday appeared to offer a new defense of a former White House aide who was forced to resign after two ex-wives accused him of domestic abuse.

In a statement on Twitter, Trump said: Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?

Porter, a key White House aide, left the administration on Wednesday after two ex-wives accused him of physical abuse. The allegations, first reported by the Daily Mail, included a photo of Porters first wife with a black eye that she said her ex-husband had given her.

The White House has faced criticism over its response to the allegations against Porter, including an initial defense of the White House aide as a man of integrity from the chief of staff, John Kelly. There have also been questions raised about when top White House staffers learned of the allegations which had blocked Porter from receiving a permanent security clearance.

Porter has dismissed the allegations against him as outrageous and simply false.

Trump previously defended Porter to reporters on Friday, saying: We wish him well, he worked very hard. We found out about it recently and I was surprised by it, but we certainly wish him well and its a tough time for him.

He did a very good job when he was in the White House. And we hope he has a wonderful career and he will have a great career ahead of him. But it was very sad when we heard about it and certainly hes also very sad now.

He then added a defense of Porter: He also, as you probably know, says hes innocent and I think you have to remember that. He said very strongly yesterday that hes innocent so you have to talk to him about that, but we absolutely wish him well, he did a very good job when he was at the White House.

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A second White House aide, speechwriter David Sorensen, was on Friday forced to resign amid similar accusations, which he denied.

The Porter controversy has intensified pressure on White House chief of staff John Kelly over his strong initial defence of the official.

Trump has been grumbling about Kellys performance and weighing up possible replacements, according to media reports. The New York Times suggested that Kelly told staff on Friday he was willing to resign over his mishandling of the domestic violence allegations that led to Porters resignation, and that simultaneously Trump was now considering Mick Mulvaney, currently White House budget director and head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as a possible successor.

Trump has long been skeptical of believing allegations by women claiming abuse by men. He endorsed the Alabama Republican Roy Moore for Senate in 2017 despite credible statements that the Republican hopeful sexually assaulted underage girls, noting that Moore denies it.

Trump also has pushed back on at least 19 allegations of sexual misconduct against him by saying that the accusers are all liars. The White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders affirmed this was the official position of the administration in October 2017.

However, Trump has been more comfortable making allegations about others. He led the charge against the Central Park Five, five African American youths wrongly convicted of rape, running advertisements implying they should be executed.

He has still maintained, in spite of DNA evidence to the contrary, that the five are guilty.

He also led cheers during his presidential campaign of lock her up that insisted his rival Hillary Clinton should be imprisoned and long falsely claimed that Barack Obama was not born in the United States.
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump is refusing to declassify a high-profile memo written by Democratic lawmakers about the Russia probe.

In a letter to the chair of the House Intelligence Committee Friday, White House counsel Don McGahn says the memo "contains numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages."

The Democrats' memo aimed to counter a Republican-drafted one the president declassified and released.

However, portions of the memo "would create especially significant concerns for the national security and law enforcement interests," McGahn wrote.

FBI chief Christopher Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in a separate letter indicated that releasing this material would present concerns for the "protection of intelligence sources and methods, ongoing investigations and other similarly sensitive information."

House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called Trump's move to block the memo a "stunningly brazen attempt to cover up the truth about the Trump-Russia scandal from the American people."

"The president's decision to block the Democratic memo from release is part of a dangerous and desperate pattern of cover-up on the part of the president," she said in a statement.

"Clearly, the president has something to hide."

However, Republican lawmaker Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and author of the previously released Republican memo, said it was "no surprise" the Department of Justice and FBI advised against publishing the Democratic memo.

"Intelligence Committee Republicans encourage the minority to accept the DOJs recommendations and make the appropriate technical changes and redactions so that no sources and methods are disclosed and their memo can be declassified as soon as possible," he said in a statement.

The previously released Republican text alleges anti-Trump bias in the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 US election that brought Trump to power.

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The Justice Department and the FBI had also warned against releasing the Republican memo, saying it could jeopardize US intelligence collection methods. Trump authorized its release anyway.

Democrats on the intelligence committee complained the Republicans' four-page memo cherry-picked facts and explained events out of context and was thus not accurate.

They joined other Trump administration critics in calling the release of the Republican document an effort to undermine the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

On Friday, Adam Schiff, the top democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, accused the president of holding double standards in approving the release of the Republican memo, but blocking the Democratic one.

"After ignoring urging of FBI & DOJ not to release misleading Nunes memo because it omits material facts, (the President) now expresses concerns over sharing precisely those facts with public and seeks to send it back to the same Majority that produced the flawed Nunes memo to begin with", he wrote on Twitter.

In his letter, McGahn said Trump has instructed Justice Department officials to be available to help the intelligence committee revise the Democratic memo, if it so wishes, so as to "mitigate the risks."

"The executive branch stands ready to review any subsequent draft of the February 5th memorandum for declassification at the earliest opportunity."
By Sarah N. Lynch and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House advisers on Sunday tried to quash speculation that President Donald Trump may seek to replace Chief of Staff John Kelly over his handling of domestic abuse accusations against an aide who resigned last week. Senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said the president asked her to make clear he supports Kelly, who has come under intense scrutiny since the allegations against White House staff secretary Rob Porter surfaced. Porter resigned on Wednesday after two former wives said he abused them. His abrupt departure raised questions about how long it took Trump's team to act on the accusations. "He has full confidence in his current chief of staff, General John Kelly and he's not actively searching for replacements," Conway said on ABC's "This Week." Two days after Porter stepped down, White House speechwriter David Sorensen resigned amid his ex-wife's allegations of domestic violence. Both men have denied the accusations. The scandals follow months of allegations by women of sexual harassment or abuse at the hands of powerful men in entertainment, business and politics. Kelly has so far taken the brunt of the blame for the handling of Porter's case, and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters he had offered to resign. White House aides on Sunday television news shows stressed that Kelly was not in any danger of being ousted from his post. Trump's legislative liaison Marc Short denied that Kelly had offered to resign and said he was doing an outstanding job. Budget director Mick Mulvaney blamed talk of a Kelly ouster on people disgruntled because they lost access to the Republican president after Kelly became chief of staff in July during a White House shakeup. "I think that talk about the chiefs departure is much ado about nothing," he said on "Fox News Sunday." Jeh Johnson, a homeland security secretary during the Obama administration and a friend of Kelly, said the White House would be worse off without Kelly. "I think as long as Donald Trump is president, our government is best served if John Kelly is in the job of chief of staff," he told CNN's "State of the Union." 'LACK OF COMMUNICATION' Mulvaney said Trump and Kelly were saddened by the accusations against Porter. "For the president and the chief of staff to give that person the benefit of the doubt is probably a very normal and human reaction," he said. Short, meanwhile, acknowledged on NBC's "Meet the Press" that there may have been a "lack of communication between different elements in the White House." Kelly learned about the allegations against Porter in November, according to media reports. Porter was only able to secure an interim security clearance while the FBI continued to investigate his ex-wives' claims. In a letter on Friday, a group of 12 Democrats demanded to know why the White House hired Porter despite knowing about the allegations and the problems he had getting the security clearance. Trump, for his part, has repeatedly defended Porter without expressing sympathy toward domestic violence victims in the past week. In a tweet on Saturday that did not mention any names, Trump lamented that "peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation." Over the past two years, more than a dozen women have accused Trump of making unwanted sexual advances against them. In all instances, they claimed the purported misconduct occurred years before he entered politics. Trump has denied the accusations and has accused rival Democrats and the media of a smear campaign. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Doina Chiacu, David Morgan; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Daniel Wallis and Paul Simao)
President Donald Trump on Saturday tweeted that lives are being shattered and destroyed by mere allegations, and lamented what he framed as a lack of due process.

Though the subject of the tweet is unclear, it comes just a day after Trump defended former staff secretary Rob Porter, who resigned amidst allegations of domestic abuse from his two ex-wives.

He says hes innocent, and I think you have to remember that, Trump said Friday. He said very strongly yesterday that hes innocent.

In the tweet on Saturday, Trump wrote that some [allegations] are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused  life and career are gone.

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The president has offered similar defenses in the past, such as after former Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore was accused of having inappropriate relationships with underage girls.

He says it didnt happen, Trump told reporters in November. You have to listen to him, also.

More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang's Remarks on Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor Yang Jiechi's Visit to the United States

2018/02/11

On February 10, 2018 EST, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang answered a reporter's question regarding the visit of member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor Yang Jiechi's visit to the United States.

A reporter asked: Recently, the media has been closely following the visit by member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor Yang Jiechi's visit to the United States. Can you give us more details and brief us on the specific outcomes regarding this visit?

Lu Kang said that at the invitation of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor, paid a visit to the US from February 8 to 9. During his visit, Yang Jiechi met with US President Donald Trump, held talks with US Secretary of State Tillerson and attended a working luncheon held by him. Yang Jiechi also met with H.R. McMaster, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to the President, and held talks with representatives from all walks of life in the US.

Yang Jiechi conveyed to President Trump the sincere regards of President Xi Jinping. President Trump thanked him and asked State Councilor Yang Jiechi to convey his sincere regards to President Xi Jinping.

Yang Jiechi held in-depth exchanges of views with President Trump, top US officials and people from various sectors on China-US relations and international and regional issues of common interest.

Yang Jiechi said that over the past year, China-US relations have made important and positive progress under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Trump. During President Trump's visit to China last November, the two heads of state reached important consensus and outcomes. The two presidents emphasized that China and the US share broad common interests and important responsibilities in safeguarding world peace, stability and prosperity. The trend of the China-US ties has important global relevance, and a constantly developing bilateral relationship is not only in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also meets the common aspirations of the international community.

Yang Jiechi pointed out that since the beginning of this year, the two heads of state have mapped out the future direction for bilateral efforts through their close contacts via telephone calls and letters, in which the two leaders said they wanted to accelerate bilateral cooperation in multiple areas. The teams on the two sides will continue to conscientiously implement the consensus and outcomes reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in Beijing, maintain close contacts at all levels, including the highest level, and make good use of the four high-level dialogue mechanisms to expand communication and cooperation in economy and trade, military, law enforcement, drug control, people-to-people exchanges and sub-national contacts, among other areas. The two sides will strengthen communication and coordination on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and other major international and regional issues and stick to constructive manners in managing differences and sensitive issues, so that the China-US relations will yield more positive results.

Yang Jiechi stressed that China unswervingly follows the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, vigorously promotes comprehensive reforms at home and adheres to the path of peaceful development and upholds a mutually beneficial and win-win strategy of opening up to the outside world. The sustained positive development of China-US relations is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples and in line with the widespread aspirations among the international community. We hope that the US and China will meet each other half way, respect and benefit each other and promote the long-term healthy and steady development of China-US relations.

The US also held the opinion that under the guidance of the two heads of state, positive progress has been made in the China-US relations in the past year. President Trump's state visit to China last November was very successful. The US-China relations are of great importance. There are a series of cooperation being conducted between the US and China. The US stands ready to strengthen cooperation and develop productive and constructive relations with China. Both sides should follow through on the consensus and outcomes of the meeting between the two heads of state in Beijing. The US is willing to make joint efforts with China to consolidate and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, properly handle differences with mutual respect and promote more positive progress in bilateral relations.

As for the economic and trade relations between China and the US, Yang Jiechi pointed out that numerous facts have proved that the China-US economic and trade relations are mutually beneficial and win-win in essence, which have delivered tremendous benefits to both peoples. The two sides should implement the outcomes in the field of economy and trade reached by the two heads of state during the meeting in Beijing, explore more pragmatic cooperation in such fields as energy, infrastructure construction, the Belt and Road Initiative and continue to strengthen policy coordination with regard to macroeconomic situation of the two countries and international economic affairs. Both sides should properly handle economic and trade issues by opening up markets to each other and making the pie of cooperation bigger so as to safeguard the sound development of economic and trade relations between the two countries.

The US also believed that China-US trading relations are very important. Both sides should jointly look into and discuss ways to effectively solve the economic and trade problems between the two countries.

The two sides exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Yang Jiechi said that China has always committed itself to the denuclearization of the Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula and resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation. The international community should support the DPRK and the ROK in improving their relations and carrying on the current momentum of amelioration in the situation on the Peninsula. China stands ready to work with the US to maintain communication and coordination on the basis of mutual trust and mutual respect and jointly promote the proper settlement of the Peninsula issue.

Yang Jiechi also had an in-depth exchange of views with the US side on the extensive cooperation between China and the US on important bilateral and international issues. The two sides agreed to hold the second round of the China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in China in the first half of this year and the second round of the Comprehensive Economic Dialogue, Social and People-to-People Dialogue, Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity Dialogue within this year as early as possible.

Lu Kang said that State Councilor Yang Jiechi's visit to the US this time was the first face-to-face contact at the high level between the two countries following the meeting of the two heads of state in Beijing. During the visit, both sides exchanged in-depth views on China-US relations and important issues of mutual concern, which is conducive to following through on the consensus and outcomes reached by the two state leaders during their meeting in Beijing and planning and promoting across-the-board exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in the next stage.
A year into his presidency, President Donald Trump has become an aggressive practitioner of economic sanctions. So far, the Treasury Department has added over 700 people, companies, and government agencies to sanctions lists. The administration has also increased other forms of economic pressure on North Korea and Venezuela. Its tactics are different too. Trump has threatened to rip up the Iran nuclear deal, thereby abandoning a multilateral approach to the application of financial sanctions on Iran.

Trumps use of sanctions has notched some notable wins. Three rounds of North Korea sanctions adopted by the U.N. Security Council last year will, if fully enforced, cut off 90 percent of North Koreas pre-sanctions export revenues. Sanctions on Venezuela target President Nicolas Maduro, who has presided over a humanitarian catastrophe that prompted over half a million Venezuelans flee in the last two years and caused hunger and child mortality rates to soar. U.S. sanctions have dramatically increased pressure on Caracas.

But there are worrying signs that Trumps use of sanctions may not be sustainable. The administration needs a long-term strategy to shore up multilateral cooperation, prevent career staff burnout and departures, and get ahead of emerging trends that threaten to undercut U.S. sanctions dominance. Absent a holistic plan, Americas dealmaker-in-chief risks leaving his successors with a much weaker tool to deploy against future national security threats.

The first troubling sign is that Trumps aggressive use of sanctions is straining cooperation with allies. While the United States has more sanctions leverage than any other country, the reality is that U.S. sanctions have powerful bite when allies apply coordinated, parallel measures. This is particularly true of sanctions targets such as Iran and Russia that have deeper economic ties with other countries than they do with the United States. European and Asian cooperation was essential to success of the oil sanctions on Iran between 2012 and 2015, since the United States did not purchase Iranian oil.

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The Trump administrations threat to end the Iran nuclear deal is the most significant example of the rift between the administration and key U.S. allies. European governments denounce this possibility in uncharacteristically derisive terms. Actually tearing up the deal would damage U.S.-EU cooperation on Iran and poison transatlantic ties needed to secure cooperation on other security priorities, including Russia and North Korea.

Like it or not, the Trump administration can only deliver true economic impact over the mid- and long-term if it invests significantly more diplomatic energy in securing sanctions alignment with U.S. allies. Moreover, sanctions are only as good as the broader strategy in which they are applied. So going it alone without allies to counter major global security threats will reveal both Trumps strategy, and his tools, to be damningly inadequate.

Another troubling sign of sanctions unsustainability is the specter of staff burnout and departures at U.S. sanctions agencies. Sanctions depend on human capital  the talented women and men across the U.S. government who analyze targets, develop regulations, and work with allies to craft broad-based financial pressure campaigns. There has always been high turnover among sanctions staff, given the demanding workload and pull of lucrative private sector job offers. But the frenzied pace, with no additional resources, and hasty reversal of sanctions implementation conducted over the last several years on Iran, Cuba, and Russia, pushes more bureaucrats toward the door.

This is the recipe for institutional crisis. The Pentagon needs an increase in resources to adapt to the growing range of U.S. national security threats, and the same is true of the economic wing of the U.S. national security arsenal. Congress should include a dramatic increase in staffing and other resources for sanctions agencies in its next appropriations bill.

Perhaps the most alarming indication that Trump may preside over the end of the era of powerful U.S. sanctions is that his team is not staying ahead of emerging trends that threaten to undercut U.S. sanctions dominance.

Over the next decade new financial technology, such as cryptocurrencies and blockchain-based international settlement mechanisms, could significantly diminish the impact of U.S. financial sanctions. Cost-cutting and efficiency-seeking entrepreneurs drive financial technology innovations. However, the reckless use of U.S. sanctions could speed the migration of China, Russia, and other U.S. adversaries away from U.S. markets and currency. The Trump administration needs a major new effort to understand and adapt to potential risks that threaten to reduce the power of U.S. sanctions.

Sanctions have been a central part of the U.S. foreign policy toolkit for the last two decades. No president has been more ambitious in the use of this tool than Trump. But his team must craft a long-term strategy, and bigger fighting force, to ensure continued impact in the years to come.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A classified memo by congressional Democrats related to investigations of Russian influence in the 2016 U.S. presidential election is "very political and long" and must be "heavily redacted" before it could be released, President Donald Trump said on Twitter on Saturday. The release of the memo was blocked by Trump on Friday, kicking off a new skirmish between Democrats and the White House. Written by Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, is was intended to rebut a Republican document made public last week with Trump's consent. The memo by committee Republicans claimed bias against Trump by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Justice Department in the federal investigation of Russia and the 2016 U.S. election. The Intelligence Committee had voted unanimously on Monday to release the document drafted by the panel's Democrats, contingent on the Republican president agreeing. "The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency," Trump tweeted. "Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!" Trump's decision to block the release of the memo infuriated Democrats, who said it showed a double standard on transparency on the part of the Republican president. Representative Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said in a statement on Saturday that he will review redactions recommended by the FBI and Justice Department. "We hope this matter can be quickly resolved so the committee can return to its charge - fully investigating the Russian interference in our election and the role of the Trump campaign, and what steps need to be taken to protect against foreign interference in the next election, now only months away," Schiff said. He was referring to November's U.S. elections in which all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 34 of 100 Senate seats are in play. Currently, Republicans hold majorities in both chambers. Democrats hope Trump's low popularity in public opinion polls will help them win majorities, and some analysts give them a good chance. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, in a statement posted on Twitter, called on Democrats to accept the Justice Department's recommendations and "make the appropriate technical changes and redactions" so that the memo can be declassified as soon as possible. Trump on Feb. 2 allowed the release of the Republican document with no redactions, even though the Justice Department and FBI argued against making it public. The FBI expressed "grave concerns about material omissions of fact" in the Republic memo. Democrats said it mischaracterized highly sensitive classified information and was intended to discredit special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of potential collusion between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia. Trump repeatedly has denied any such collusion. Late on Friday, Senator Dianne Feinstein, a senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, accused Trump of "hypocrisy at its worst" in blocking, at least for now, release of the House Democrats' memo. "Any minor redactions should be made as quickly as possible and the memo should be released, she said. (Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Writing by Richard Cowan; Editing by Bill Trott and DAvid Gregorio)
Jerusalem (AFP) - US President Donald Trump said in an interview published on Sunday that he was "not necessarily sure" Israel was seeking to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Trump has previously denounced the Palestinians for what he sees as their unwillingness to negotiate, but he has largely refrained from criticising Israel.

Speaking to freesheet daily Israel Hayom, Trump noted that while US-Israel relations were "great", peace with the Palestinians would make them "a lot better".

"Right now, I would say the Palestinians are not looking to make peace. They are not looking to make peace," Trump said in the interview with the right-wing paper.

"And I am not necessarily sure that Israel is looking to make peace. So we are just going to have to see what happens."

Trump also expressed concerns about Israeli settlement building, although his administration has been far less critical of settlements than his predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has in the past been a supporter of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

"The settlements are something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace, so I think Israel has to be very careful with the settlements," he said.

Trump has said he intends to bring the Israelis and Palestinians to the "ultimate deal" that would resolve the decades-long conflict, but in the interview he questioned whether negotiations were even possible for now.

"I don't know frankly if we are going to even have talks. We will see what happens, but I think it is very foolish for the Palestinians and I also think it would be very foolish for the Israelis if they don't make a deal," Trump said.

"It's our only opportunity and it will never happen after this."

Relations between Washington and the Palestinians have been severely strained since Trump's December decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the American embassy there.

Palestinian leaders say there can be no talks with the US administration until the decision on the city that they also see as their capital is reversed.

Trump is also withholding tens of millions of dollars from UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Friday named U.S. Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris, who is known for his hawkish views on China's military expansion, as his pick to serve as the American ambassador to Australia, the White House said in a statement. The naval officer has served in the military for 39 years and is in his seventh command assignment as head of the U.S. Pacific Command, according to the White House. During Harris' tenure as head of U.S. forces in the Pacific, tensions over North Korea's missile and nuclear programs increased as President Donald Trump's administration and Pyongyang exchanged threats. Harris, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, favors diplomacy in countering North Korea's missile threat. Harris is also known for his combative views on Beijing's South China Sea expansion and a strong supporter of so-called freedom of navigation operations under which U.S. ships and aircraft challenge other countries' maritime claims. He upset China by dubbing its construction of islands and building-up of military facilities in the South China Sea as a great wall of sand. Two deadly collisions involving U.S. warships in the Pacific also occurred during his time as head of Pacific Command. Ten sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer John S. McCain died when it collided with a tanker near Singapore on Aug. 21. Its sister ship, the Fitzgerald, almost sank off the Japanese coast on June 17 after colliding with a container ship. Seven crew died. Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Harris' likely replacement was Admiral Philip Davidson, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command. The officials did not comment on when an announcement could be made and any replacement will have to be approved by the U.S. Senate. (Reporting by Susan Heavey and Idrees Ali; Editing by David Alexander and Alistair Bell)
When seemingly spontaneous protests erupted in cities across Iran, beginning in the last days of 2017, the prospect of a new, uncertain, and even hopeful chapter in the countrys tortured history seemed possible. But in Washington, there was little indication of change or opportunity. Instead, the same old debate about the Iran nuclear agreement unfolded.

As thousands of Iranians took to the streets, critics immediately bellowed that the protests proved that the Iran deal was a failure because it had not improved the lives of ordinary Iranians, or claimed that it legitimized the regime and was the reason such unrest had not come about earlier, practically blaming former President Barack Obama for the Islamic Republics continued existence.

Indeed, for many opponents of the Iran deal, it has become the single explanation for every (allegedly bad) decision Obama made on Middle East policy over his entire presidency, ranging from his restrained approach to the Green Revolution protests in Tehran in 2009 to his reluctance to become more militarily engaged in Syria. Such airbrushed history distorts the debate  and does little to illuminate what the United States should do next on Iran.

By caricaturing the complex reasons Obama chose to make the decisions he did, critics squander the opportunity to forge a way forward on Iran, driving a wedge through the common ground that exists. As two people who were in the room for many interagency discussions on Obamas Middle East policy, we can attest that while the effort to address Irans nuclear program was of course important, it was not the determinative issue in every decision about the region  and in fact, on many decisions, it was not a factor at all.

To be sure, not all of those decisions were correct. The Obama administration certainly made mistakes in trying to manage a highly chaotic Middle East, especially after 2011 (although we are confident history will record that those mistakes will pale in comparison to those made between 2003 and 2006, under President George W. Bush). But to learn from these events, we need to be able to have an honest discussion about the reasons why the United states pursued certain policies, any why they failed or succeeded, instead of just falling back into the same old trap of rehashing the Iran deal.

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For example, take Obamas decision to show restraint in 2009 during the Green Revolution protests in Iran. Critics contend this silence was due to the fact that he did not want to jeopardize his nascent engagement with the Iranian regime. But only three months later, Obama surprised the world by exposing a secret nuclear facility Iran was building deep in the mountains outside the city of Qom, which had no other plausible purpose than the pursuit of a nuclear weapons program. Within a year, the United States had worked with its partners to pass U.N. Security Council resolution 1929, which significantly stiffened sanctions on Iran and was quickly followed by U.S. legislation that cut off Iran from much of the global financial sector. And soon after that, the administration concluded several record-setting arms sales to its Gulf partners, and provided significant security support for Israel, which enhanced these countries military capabilities against Iran.

These werent the actions of an administration afraid to confront the Iranian regime. This was all in the service of turning the tables on Iran  manufacturing leverage and pursuing what then-National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon described as a simultaneous multivector pressure strategy, which was indispensable to bringing Iran to the table.

In 2009, the fair explanation was that Obama was hesitant because of his fear that publicly supporting the protestors would make the United States a lightening rod and undercut their support inside Iran. In fact, this is what the administration was hearing from many protestors. Moreover, given Americas limited influence over domestic Iranian politics, it was not clear how much of a difference Washington could make. This issue is hardly settled  as the similar debate in recent weeks, about what the United States should or shouldnt say about the protests, shows.

It is perfectly legitimate to question whether Obamas approach in 2009 was right. One could argue that since the Iranian regime was going to try to blame the United States and accuse it of being behind the protests regardless, Obama should have spoken out more quickly and loudly. It may not have made much of a difference  just as theres no evidence Trumps tweets about the recent protests mattered at all  but at least the United States would have been on the right side of history. Yet that is entirely different from the question of whether or not the president stayed silent because of some misguided hope for reapproachment with Iran, which was nowhere on the horizon.

Another recent example was a long article by Politico that focused on Project Cassandara  an effort by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration during the Obama years to track Hezbollahs use of drug smuggling networks to fund its operations. The first sentence of the nearly 15,000-word article sets the stage: In its determination to secure a nuclear deal with Iran, the Obama administration derailed an ambitious law enforcement campaign targeting drug trafficking by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah. This slanted claim only caused Iran deal critics to pounce further, even as former Obama administration officials attacked the article as at best misleading and at worst false.

The actual situation was far more complex than the article revealed. Career officials at the CIA, Treasury, and State Department all objected to the DEAs proposals to target Hezbollah  because they believed the evidentiary basis was not strong enough, and because they thought moving forward could jeopardize ongoing intelligence operations in Lebanon and delicate diplomatic efforts. There was also concern about whether targeting Lebanons financial system could destabilize a weak American partner, and also fear that further targeting Hezbollah could provoke retaliation. But despite the articles substantial word count, it didnt surface any evidence showing the Iran deal as the determinative factor.

The fate of Project Cassandra warrants a genuine debate. One could argue that the Obama administration was too risk averse, or that bureaucracy got in the way of a creative initiative. Perhaps the administration was justified in not moving forward for the various reasons that caused the program to shut down. But that debate never really happened  because it immediately devolved into a highly contentious food fight about the Iran deal, fueling the false claim that Obama went out of his way to accommodate Tehran. Daniel Byman, the Foreign Policy editor of Lawfare, recently provided an example of the kind of sober and smart analysis were thinking of by thoroughly deconstructing the Politico article and the underlying questions it raises.

None of this is to say that the Iran nuclear deal doesnt matter  it is one of Obamas most important diplomatic achievements, one that we believe puts the United States in a better position to work with its partners to address the challenge posed by Iran. To argue that Obama approached every policy decision in the Middle East with the desire to close the Iran deal is simply wrong. This is no different from faulty claims offered by liberal critics who spent years saying that George W. Bushs policies in Iraq were all about oil or spawned from some dark conspiracy cooked up in the evil lab of Vice President Dick Cheney.

And in many ways, this helps explain the Trump administrations struggle with what to do about the Iran deal today. The Trump teams approach rests on a cartoon of Obamas policies, one those currently in power have invested years  and significant financial and political resources  constructing. Yet they have found it hard to reconcile their assertion that the nuclear agreement is the worst deal ever with a viable plan to replace it. Instead, the best they can do is bluster and punt  warning that they will pull the plug on the deal unless others (Congress and the Europeans) fix it.

America faces profound challenges in the Middle East, and needs a robust, clear-eyed, honest debate about what to do. And there is plenty of common ground upon which to build a new approach. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen if Trump and his supporters continue to obsess about the Obama presidency instead of looking forward.
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Saturday told Democratic lawmakers to refile a memo about the probe into his campaign's possible collusion with Russia, leaving a chance the document could still be released.

The document is the Democrats' response to a four-page memorandum written by Republican legislator Devin Nunes, which Trump agreed to declassify and release on February 2 -- against the advice of his own FBI director and the Department of Justice.

On Saturday Trump called the Democratic document "a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted."

That would allow them, he said, to "blame the White House for lack of transparency.

"Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!" the president said in a tweet.

On Friday, Trump refused to declassify the Democratic document.

In a letter to the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, White House lawyer Don McGahn said the Democrats' rebuttal "contains numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages."

McGahn wrote that portions of the Democratic memo would create "significant concerns for the national security and law enforcement interests," concerns which FBI chief Christopher Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein raised in a separate letter.

The FBI had previously issued a highly unusual warning against releasing the memo from Republican Nunes, saying it could jeopardize US intelligence collection methods.

Democrats on the intelligence committee complained the Republicans' four-page memo cherry-picked facts and explained events out of context and was thus not accurate, sparking their wish for a rebuttal.

They joined other Trump administration critics in calling the release of the Republican document an effort to undermine the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into possible links between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, as well as possible obstruction of justice.

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The Nunes memo claimed Democratic-funded research prompted the FBI to spy on a former Trump campaign aide, Carter Page, which the White House said raised questions about FBI and Department of Justice integrity.

Mueller has already indicted two officials including Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Two other officials, including onetime national security advisor Michael Flynn, have admitted lying to investigators.

Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia.
Ankara (AFP) - Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party elected two new leaders on Sunday, one of whom replaced its charismatic jailed co-chief Selahattin Demirtas, ahead of elections in 2019.

Demirtas, the best-known face of the left-wing Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), has been behind bars since November 2016, detained on terrorism charges, and faces a possible 142-year prison sentence.

Former MP Sezai Temelli, 54, was voted by party delegates to replace Demirtas while Pervin Buldan, 50, was elected co-chair as well.

Buldan, a serving MP and deputy parliament speaker, replaces Serpil Kemalbay, who herself took over from another incarcerated former leader, Figen Yuksekdag.

The party says it always has a woman and man in leadership positions in the interests of equality.

There was heavy security at the congress in Ankara where the venue was filled with several thousand HDP supporters waving the party's symbol of a tree.

The new leaders take over a party isolated in parliament where many of its beliefs will likely clash with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The HDP has regularly accused the president of "authoritarianism", many of its MPs and members have been detained, and it opposes Turkey's current offensive against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in northern Syria.

Ankara views the YPG as a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought the Turkish state for decades.

"The solution is not with war but with peace, not with dying or with killing, it is with living and to keep (others) alive," Buldan told supporters.

- 'Peaceful opposition' -

The new co-chairs will attempt to lead the party to a fresh start ahead of general and presidential elections in November 2019.

On Thursday, MEPs in the European parliament called on Ankara to scrap emergency powers brought in after the failed July 2016 coup, which they said were being used to stifle "legitimate and peaceful opposition" and a free press.

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Since the attempted putsch, more than 140,000 people have been suspended or sacked over alleged links to coup-plotters.

Demirtas, dubbed by some the "Kurdish Obama" after the ex-US president, came to prominence after leading the HDP into parliament for the first time in June 2015.

Analysts say his success was because he appealed to voters outside the Kurdish minority including non-Kurdish leftists and liberals.

Huseyin Gungor, a HDP supporter, said "the party would never forget Yuksekdag or Demirtas".

But he told AFP: "We are behind Temelli and Buldan."

Demirtas and Yuksekdag were among a dozen HDP MPs detained in November 2016 as part of a crackdown that followed the attempted coup. Nine HDP lawmakers remain in jail.

Yuksekdag was stripped of her lawmaker status in February 2017 and stepped down as co-leader in May last year.

Demirtas, 44, faces multiple legal cases including accusations he has links to the PKK, which is also blacklisted as a terror group by Ankara's Western allies.

- 'Terror propaganda' -

The government accuses the HDP of being a political extension of the PKK, but the party denies any direct links to the group and calls for a political solution to the conflict raging in Turkey's southeast.

At the congress, images shown on a large screen of the PKK jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Since entering parliament under Demirtas's leadership, the HDP has come under heavy pressure with seven of its lawmakers losing their MP status. The party had 59 MPs in late 2015.

The party says some 3,300 HDP members have been arrested since the collapse of a two-year ceasefire between the Turkish state and the PKK in July 2015.

In a letter read out during the congress, Demirtas said "if (their) response to resistance is to arrest us, they can build a thousand more prisons, they will not find the space to fill us all".

Since Turkey's offensive in Syria began in January, there have been more arrests. The HDP says 368 of its members had been detained over their opposition to the fighting.

But supporters remained defiant: "In 2019, we will either be ruled by a one-man regime or as members and voters of the HDP we will say 'stop'," Ilknur Guc said.
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish army helicopter was shot down by Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters near the north Syrian town of Afrin, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, and the Turkish military said two soldiers on board the aircraft were killed. YPG sources separately confirmed the downing of the helicopter. "One of our helicopters was downed just recently," Erdogan told members of his AK Party in Istanbul. "These things will happen, we are in a war ... We might lose a helicopter, but they'll pay the price for this." A statement from the Turkish military did not specify a reason for why the helicopter crashed. It said two soldiers on board were killed and technical crews were investigating the crash. The downed helicopter was the first officially confirmed loss of a Turkish aircraft over Syria since the start of the country's long-running civil war. In another statement, the Turkish military said a total of nine soldiers were killed and 11 wounded on Saturday in clashes with mainly Kurdish forces near Afrin. It said it had killed 39 militants. Ankara launched an air and ground offensive last month against Kurdish fighters in Syria's Afrin region on its border, opening a new front in the multi-sided Syrian war. Separately, the Turkish military said on Friday the construction of a fifth military post near Syria's northwestern region of Idlib had begun. Turkey agreed to set up 12 observation posts in Idlib and neighbouring provinces under a deal reached with Tehran and Moscow to try to reduce fighting between pro-government forces and mainly Islamist insurgents in northwest Syria. However, the "de-escalation" in violence they were meant to monitor has collapsed. The Syrian army, alongside Iranian-backed militias and heavy Russian air power, launched a major offensive in December to take territory in Idlib province. Idlib is one of the last main strongholds of rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad, who have been driven from most of their bastions in Syria since Russia joined the war on the side of Assad's government in 2015. Turkey has long been one of the main allies of the anti-Assad rebels. (Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen in ISTANBUL and Lisa Barrington in BEIRUT; Editing by Stephen Powell and Paul Tait)
CNN is facing a backlash over an article about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Uns sister, Kim Yo Jong, which critics claim paints her familys repressive regime in a positive light.

The piece, published on Saturday, is headlined: Kim Jong Uns sister is stealing the show at the Winter Olympics.

The article does note that Kim Jong Un has ruled with an iron fist since coming to power and operates Nazi-style prison camps.

It says Kim Yo Jong, whose attendance at the Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, has attracted wide attention, is seen by some as her brothers answer to American first daughter Ivanka Trump. Kim Yo Jong, the article says, is not only a powerful member of Kim Jong Uns kitchen cabinet but also a foil to the perception of North Korea as antiquated and militaristic.

She made headlines across the globe, according to CNN, when on Saturday she invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit the North.

Critics including Russian chess legend and political activist Garry Kasparov have claimed the article is propaganda.

CNN did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment.

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Two Indian soldiers and two attackers were killed Saturday in an ongoing firefight after a group of suspected insurgents assaulted a military base in the Jammu region of Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said.

The pre-dawn attack left nine others injured, including women and children, after heavily armed militants stormed the Sunjuwan Army camp near Jammu, the second largest city in the disputed Himalayan region close to the border with Pakistan.

"The army has killed two heavily armed terrorists. One Junior Commissioned Officer and one Non-Commissioned Officer have been martyred and nine others injured, including five women and children," an army statement said late Saturday.

The statement said the operation was continuing late into the night, with an unconfirmed number of attackers still holed up inside the installation.

Arms, ammunition and other belongings seized from the slain attackers confirmed their association with Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the statement said.

Jammu's regional police chief S.D. Singh told AFP that the attack kicked off around 4:55 am (2325 GMT Friday) when guards came under a hail of bullets near the base's boundary wall.

"The attackers later entered the camp and they have been cornered in one of the family quarters," Singh told AFP.

Television footage showed a helicopter hovering over the gunfight site as soldiers moved inside the base in armoured vehicles.

Officials said scores of people from the army's family quarters were safely evacuated before a counter offensive was launched by elite commandos.

There was no clarity on the number of attackers or their nationalities.

Hindu-majority Jammu, located in the foothills of the mountainous region, is relatively peaceful but has repeatedly seen militant assaults on military bases close to the state's border with Pakistan.

Seven soldiers were killed in a similar attack in Jammu after suspected Pakistani militants in police uniforms stormed a major army base in November 2016.

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The attack came just a month after India said it launched "surgical strikes" on militant bases inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir to avenge the killing of 19 soldiers in an assault on another base in Kashmir region in September 2016.

India accuses Pakistan of sending armed militants from across the border to attack its forces, a charge denied by Islamabad.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from Britain in 1947. Both claim the territory in full and have fought two wars over the mountainous region.

Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died in an armed insurgency that erupted in 1989.

Rebel groups, including the JeM, have for years fought the roughly half a million Indian soldiers deployed in the region, demanding that Kashmir be granted independence or merged with Pakistan.

New Delhi accuses JeM of staging attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere, including a deadly strike on the Indian Parliament in 2001 that brought the two nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of war.
How do you say "Death to America" in Swedish? Pictured: Iranians hold a rally on November 4, 2013 in Tehran, to mark the 34th anniversary of the 1979 US embassy takeover, in which Islamist students held 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Amir Taheri, formerly editor of Iran's premier newspaper, Kayhan, before the Iranian revolution of 1979, is a prominent author based on Europe. He is the Chairman of Gatestone Europe.

This article first appeared in Asharq Al Awsat and is reprinted here with the kind permission of the author.



For the past decade, February, part of which coincides with the month of Bahman on the Iranian calendar, has been marked by febrile political activities in Iran under the Khomeinist regime. February 1 marks the anniversary of the late ayatollah's return to Tehran after 16 years in exile. And February 11, regarded as the crescendo of the Iranian Revolution, marks the day that Shapour Bakhtiar, the last Prime Minister to be named by the Shah, went into hiding, leaving a vacuum quickly filled by Khomeini's supporters visibly surprised by the ease with which they had won power.There were no revolutionary battles, no dramatic ups-and-downs, and, on a personal level, no opportunity for heroic shenanigans.The Khomeinist revolution took around four months to achieve victory, not long enough to allow a lot of people to conjure a heroic biography for themselves.Just a year before the "final victory" on 11 February some of the mullahs who emerged as grandees of the revolution, among them Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati who now heads the all-powerful Council of Guardians of the Islamic Constitution, were kissing the Shah's hands during audiences for clerics. Other grandees of the revolution like Hojat al-Islam Morteza Motahari were on Empress Farah's payroll as members of the "philosophical" boutique she had set up as solace from boredom.The revolution had not lasted long enough to establish its ideological colors.Pro-Soviet Communists along with kindred Maoists, Castroists, Trotskyites, and Titoists believed that this was their revolution, as did veteran Mossadeqists, westernized Third-Worldists, and mullahs of all shapes and sizes.For the first year the ideological vacuum was filled with the drama around the seizing of American diplomats as hostages.Once the embassy hostage drama had become as a boring as a second-rate TV soap opera, Iraqi despot Saddam Hussein rode to the rescue by invading Iran, helping fill the new Khomeinist regime's ideological emptiness.In the first two years, the new regime kept the revolutionary temperature up by mass executions, purges of the military and civil service, the squandering of human lives in ineffective maneuvers on the battlefields of Iraq, and the assassination of men that Khomeini regarded as potential threats to his hold on power. Using the Lebanese branch of Hezbollah to seize Western hostages added spice to the bland dish the mullahs served.With the end of the war and Khomeini's death, the new regime found itself ideologically naked. Then "Jihad" against the United States was formally adopted as the regime's core ideology.In that context, adopting an anti-Israeli position was inevitable, if only tangentially. The mullahs forgot that Israel had smuggled arms to them to fight Saddam Hussein, and, in an act of gargantuan ingratitude, called for the "elimination of the Zionist entity."Once the anti-American and anti-Israel themes were established the regime tried to weave a cobweb of ideological mumbo-jumbo around them.Under Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic launched annual seminars with such titles as "The End of America" and "A World Without Israel."It also provided an annual platform, always in February, for Holocaust deniers from all over the world. Special prizes were offered for anti-Semitic cartoons, posters, photos, and sculpture.By 2013 Foreign Minister Muhammad-Javad Zarif could claim that the Islamic Republic was scoring one success after another in "exporting" its culture, whatever that meant.The new administration of President Hassan Rouhani felt confident that, thanks to support from US President Barack Obama, the Khomeinist regime could talk like Sweden but act like North Korea.However, it seems that the arrival on the scene of an unknown quantity named Donald J Trump has confused the mullahs, forcing them to ponder whether it is still possible to hoodwink the Americans and the rest of the world while pursuing repression in Iran and destabilizing policies abroad.Strictly speaking Trump hasn't yet done anything concrete against the mullahs apart from expressing sympathy with recent mass protests in Iran.However, the fact that Trump has kept the mullahs guessing about his intentions has already impacted their behavior.To start with Tehran has ended provocative naval acts in the Strait of Hormuz and its environs, winning praise from the Pentagon. Throughout the Obama presidency the Iranian navy operated "swarming sorties" against US naval units in the region with small speedboats approaching American battleships like so many gnats trying to sting an elephant.Under Trump, however, the "gnats" are keeping away from the American elephant.In another register, Tehran has also shelved its annual "End of America" and "A World Without Israel" shows.Zarif has issued a few dozen visas for professional Holocaust deniers and anti-Americans, mostly from Europe and the US, but their comings-and-goings is to be kept away from the limelight.More importantly, perhaps, the Khomeinist regime, which has not passed a single day without holding some foreign hostages, has not seized any new American hostages.The most high-profile hostages still held are dual nationals who had lobbied in the US for the Islamic Republic under the control of Obama's special adviser Ben Rhodes.In a bid to counter Trump's chest-beating about human rights in Iran, the mullahs acted out of character when they chose not to massacre people in the streets during the recent nationwide uprising.More interestingly, all regime grandees, including Khamenei himself, dwelling on the "benefits of protest and criticism in Islam," have donned their fake Swedish mask, hiding the North Korean face behind it.At regional level, too, the mullahs are trying to talk Swedish.They muse on reducing their footprint in Syria, claiming that they have already won the war for their protege Bashar al-Assad.And last Sunday, Defense Minister General Amir Hatami even offered to give Afghanistan military aid to fight ISIS and its groups installed there.The next issue on which I expect Tehran to start singing Swedish concerns Trump's demand for renegotiating the nuclear "deal", concocted by Obama.The initial tune from Tehran was a "No! No! Nannette" number! with a harsh North Korean accent. Recently, however, I hear a "Maybe baby!" number with a soft Swedish accent.
(Reuters) - A federal investigation into the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Texas has found no evidence he was attacked, as President Donald Trump suggested at the time, but may have died from a fall, an internal federal agency memo shows.

The message from Kevin McAleenan, acting head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to his staff said an exhaustive probe into the death of agent Rogelio Martinez was still under way but had not yet turned up any signs he was the victim of a crime.

"We do not know all the answers at this time. However, according to the FBI, currently none of the completed interviews, locations searched, or collected and analyzed evidence have produced evidence that would support the existence of a scuffle, altercation or attack," McAleenan wrote in the memo.

Martinez and another agent who survived, Stephen Garland, were in sparsely populated Culberson County, about 130 miles (210 km) southeast of El Paso, on Nov. 19 when they suffered head injuries and broken bones.

Garland's injuries have left him unable to recall the incident.

Last week the FBI's El Paso Field Office said in a statement that after conducting 650 interviews it had found no evidence of an attack. An autopsy report released a day earlier showed that Martinez died of blunt-force trauma.

Shortly after Martinez's death, Trump tweeted: "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"

According to McAleenan's memo, both agents appeared to have fallen into a nine-foot-deep culvert near Interstate 10 at about 11:30 p.m. local time on a moonless night.

In late November, the U.S. Department of Justice offered a $25,000 reward for information related to a "potential assault on a federal officer" in the case.

Some 33 border agents have died on duty since the CBP was created in 2003, the libertarian think tank Cato Institute said in a report after Martinez' death. Of those, about half were from auto accidents and four were murdered, the institute said.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Paul Simao, Alistair Bell and Daniel Wallis)
Los Angeles (AFP) - A California state police officer escorting a motorcade carrying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada was injured when his motorcycle collided with a passenger car, US news media reported.

The patrol officer, whose name has not been released, was hospitalized late Friday with "moderate" injuries, according to a tweet from the Ventura County Fire Department.

Trudeau had just left the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, near Los Angeles, after delivering a speech in defense of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). He was not injured.

The passenger car driver and her son were taken to a hospital as a precautionary measure. The woman's husband later told local television station KABC-TV that the son might have suffered a broken wrist.

The Canadian leader had earlier visited Chicago and San Francisco on his three-day US swing, and was set to meet Saturday with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, before returning to Ottawa.

In his Friday speech, Trudeau said the trade pact uniting the United States, Canada and Mexico needs improvements but had brought clear benefits to all.

The agreement has been the subject of arduous negotiations since President Donald Trump said the United States would abandon NAFTA unless Mexico and Canada offered major concessions.
MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace asked why women who are serving in the White House are not resigning amid the Rob Porter scandal and President Donald Trumps response to the domestic abuse allegations.

The former aide to President George W. Bush questioned on Friday why women like communications director Hope Hicks and other women in the White House dont walk out in protest due to Trumps behavior toward women during an MSNBC segment.

"Where are the women?" Wallace asked. "Why dont they walk out en masse?"

Trending: Was Carter Page a Spy? For the Russians? Or for the US?

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Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Wallace noted that she understood many of the women felt picked on, but still continued to question why women working in the White House are not leaving.

But why dont you walk out? Why dont they leave? she said.

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This is not the first time the chief political analyst has spoke out against the Trump administration. Wallace said Trump was running the White House like a freak show in January after comments surfaced that he reportedly called Haiti and African nations shithole countries.

Her comments come after two of Rob Porters ex-wives came forward and told the Daily Mail that Porter had abused both of them emotionally and physically. Porter denied the allegations when he resigned from his position on Wednesday and said the two women were involved in a smear campaign against him.

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White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and counsel Don McGrath reportedly knew about the allegations. President Donald Trump commended Porter on his work at the White House, and said his former aide had a great career ahead of him.

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"He did a very good job when he was in the White House and we hope he has a wonderful, hopefully, he has a great career ahead of him," Trump said.

A few days after Porters resignation, a second White House aide left due to domestic abuse allegations. David Sorensen, a speechwriter, stepped down on Friday after a Washington Post report said he had abused his ex-wife, Jessica Corbett.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday that he is counting on India's support for a multi-country sponsorship of any future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

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Such a framework would ostensibly replace Washington's long-standing monopoly as mediator. Abbas rejected the traditional US role after President Donald Trump recognized contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December. Trump's pivot upset Palestinians who seek the city's eastern sector as a capital.

Abbas and Modi hug (Photo: AP)

Abbas has appealed to the international community, including countries in Europe and the Arab world, to demand a say in future negotiations, but has so far failed to secure commitments.

European leaders have criticized Trump's dramatic policy shift on Jerusalem, but appear unwilling to confront Washington over its handling of more than two decades of failed efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian partition deal.

Modi's visit to the city of Ramallah was the first by an Indian prime minister to an autonomous Palestinian enclave in the West Bank.

Indian leader Modi and PA President Abbas (Photo: EPA)

The Indian leader pledged $41 million for a hospital, three schools and other projects in the West Bank. He said India remains "committed to Palestinian national rights," but stopped short of offering support for Abbas' political agenda.

Modi's West Bank visit was seen, in part, as an attempt to compensate the Palestinians after he hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for six days last month, in a reflection of warming ties between Israel and India.

Modi flew to Ramallah from Jordan by helicopter Saturday and laid a wreath at the grave of Abbas' predecessor, Yasser Arafat, located in the Palestinian president's walled government compound. Modi then toured the Arafat museum, which is also part of the compound, before holding talks with Abbas.

Abbas said after their meeting that he remains committed to negotiations with Israel as the path toward Palestinian independence. Palestinians seek a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, but no meaningful talks on statehood through a partition deal have been held for almost a decade.

"We never have and never will reject negotiations," said Abbas. "We consider a multi-lateral mechanism that emerges from an international peace conference as the ideal way to sponsor the negotiations."

"Here we count on India, with its status as a great power, its historical role in the non-aligned movement and in international forums ... to achieve a just peace," Abbas said.

Israel staunchly opposes any international framework for negotiations, arguing that only the US can be a fair broker. The Palestinians have criticized Trump's shift on Jerusalem as a sign of blatant pro-Israel bias by Washington.

Modi told Abbas that "support for the Palestinian cause has been one of the mainstays of our foreign policy" and that he hopes a Palestinian state will be established through peaceful means.

The Indian leader arrived late Saturday night to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi's powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met Modi on arrival at the airport and had talks with him, according to the state-run WAM news agency. In honor of Modi's visit, the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building in Dubai, displayed the Indian flag on its massive LED light display.

Abbas is scheduled to meet Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia's Black Sea town of Sochi.
Police officials will convene Sunday to discuss the matter of issuing and publicizing recommendations in the bribery investigation against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and whether or not they should be delayed.

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Following the escalation in the north and in light of the fact that there is still no consensus on what the police will recommend indicting the PM for, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh will hold a discussion on the timing of their publication.

Alsheikh (R) and PM Netanyahu (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg, Alex Kolomoisky)

There are elements among the police brass that believe that at this point in time, when the prime minister is occupied with security tensions in the north, it is not right to publicize the police findings and release recommendations.

A final decision has not yet been reached, partially because Alsheikh observes Shabbat (refrains from doing work and using the phone on the sabbeth) and was not available to discuss the issue. The police also want to avoid the image of hounding Netanyahu and since the recommendations were already delayed multiple times, they prefer to wait a little more.

Alsheikh met with his organization's senior brass Wednesday evening to discuss providing recommendations on indictment in cases pending against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with seeming consensus forming on recommending charging Netanyahu on the illicit gifts affair, as sufficient evidence exists to indict him for receiving bribes.

Several hours later, Netanyahu launched an unprecedented attack on Alsheikh, after the police chief accused "powerful" elements of trying to collect information about police officers involved in the investigations against the prime minister.

In recent days, Netanyahu and his aides have considered petitioning the court to prevent the publication of the police recommendations until the police chief's accusations are looked into.
Israels diamond exchange is turning to digital currencies to inject new life into a marketplace long ruled by cash and backroom handshakes, but it must first persuade traditionally conservative players that the technology can work.

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One of the worlds largest diamond centers, the exchange hopes its virtual currency will make trading more efficient and less opaque.

Current transactions are often carried out anonymously, with the shake of a hand and minimal documentation, according to a recent report by Israels Justice Ministry. That murkiness has led the FBI and Europol to target the trade as a vehicle for money laundering and crime financing.

Narrow profit margins between rough and polished gems make it hard for polishers to get financing, and banks have cut back lending or pulled out entirely.

Backers of the digital currency program believe it will help address those issues.

We foresee alignment behind this currency because its going to make things easy, Eli Avidar, managing director of the exchange, told Reuters in an interview.

This industry is facing challenges, and this is going to in a lot of aspects address those challenges ... the profitability element of the business, the speed of doing business, money laundering aspects and the problematic elements of banking nowadays, he said.

The exchange is planning to launch two coins.

The first, to be known as the Cut, will be available only to dealers on a peer-to-peer basis. Traders from around the world will receive digital wallets after being vetted by the exchange, similar to todays background checks.

Each transaction will be verified in a matter of minutes and be available to the public on blockchain - a digital ledger maintained by a random group of peers - but the identity of who owns what will be kept private. The exchange can provide that information to regulators upon official request.

Difficult transfers

The Cut could solve increasing problems moving money between traders and retailers, one mid-size diamond dealer said.

Transfers of money have become increasingly difficult. With banking regulation, even the smallest move becomes complicated. It can take days, said the dealer, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the process.

Buyers dont want to give the money till they get the stone, and sellers dont want to give the stone till they get the money.

He wanted to see how it will be regulated, however, which may take some time, given that the coins are being launched without any government regulation in place, as is typical in the cryptocurrency world.

Bitcoin, the original cryptocurrency, has lost 70 percent of its value from its peak in December partly because of market concerns about a global regulatory clampdown. Many Bitcoin backers say regulation should be welcomed.

A spokeswoman for the Economy Ministry, which oversees the diamond trade, says there has been no in-depth discussion yet on how the coins would be regulated.

Presale of the Cut went live at the International Diamond Week that started on Monday. The coins should enter into use within a few weeks, said Avishai Shoushan, CEO of the year-old CARATS.IO, which created the coins for the exchange.

The coin is based on an index using 14 parameters, compared with just four characteristics used to price physical diamonds.

Price is determined by an algorithm, because whereas gold is priced by the ounce or oil by the barrel, for example, diamonds are priced individually since each diamond is so different from the next.

A second coin, Carat, will be issued later and is meant for institutional and retail investors who want to invest in the diamond market without taking possession of physical diamonds.

We are creating a way for people to invest in the market without actually buying and selling diamonds, Shoushan said.

A quarter of the market value of both coins will be backed by diamonds held by a third party. All this, he said, should make the tokens much less volatile compared to any other cryptocurrency.

High security

In the high security four-tower complex on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, $23 billion changed hands between local and foreign traders in 2017. The area is known as the diamond district, and visitors coming by train access it across Diamonds Bridge.

Visitors are fingerprinted before they can enter the buildings and look down on the worlds largest trading floor. Should a diamond go missing, the entire complex locks down.

Israels diamond district is full of polishers who specialize in large, high-end diamonds. The country cannot compete in smaller stones with massive operations in India and China. The trade by nature is global. The State Bank of India has a branch beside the exchange.

Diamond exchange Ramat Gan (Photo: Reuters)

Israels diamond exports in 2017 fell 12 percent to $15.5 billion. Consultancy Bain said in a 2017 industry review that diamond jewelry sales, which according to De Beers hovered at $80 billion in 2016, were stagnant.

Slowing long-term demand and the shaky financial position of polishers are two big concerns, it said.

Martin Rapaport, chairman of the highly influential Rapaport Group whose diamond price list is a global industry benchmark, has a big presence in Israel and may have to compete with the new system.

He applauded the effort to expand diamond demand, but told Reuters he thought cryptocurrencies were a bit of a fad and is unsure of their sustainability.

Diamonds have an inherent value and that inherent value has been around for centuries. Whether or not you can take that and hype it into something modern and something interesting like a cryptocurrency is highly questionable, he said.
A piece of a surface-to-air SA-5 missile launched from Syria at IAF jets Saturday morning fell in the yard of a family home in the Jezreel Valley.

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Only slight damage was caused to the yard.

Part of Syrian missile in family yard (Photo: AFP)

Noam, a resident of the home, was witness to the incident: We awoke at around 5:00 am because my son and I planned to go on a bicycle trip.

"I loaded our equipment in the car and shortly after 5:30 I heard a whistle and looked up to see a twirling smoke trail and then I saw a large object fall from the sky. It was slow enough for me to make out and it made half a turn before landing. There was a loud noise but no explosion.





Noam contacted the police and after determining that there were no injuries, he continued to his bike trip. The IDF said that the projectile would be moved by evening.

Events in the north became quite tense after an IAF Apache helicopter downed an Iranian drone that had infiltrated Israeli airspace Saturday morning.

Israel launched a series of raids against Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria and Syrian anti aircraft fire brought down one IAF F-16. The pilots bailed out and one was seriously injured.
Some 2,000 people participated in what has become a weekly protest against the Ashdod municipalitys policies on businesses operating on Shabbat and the fines issued by the city against said businesses.

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This weekend, no fines were issued, though that didn't stop protesters fro, calling on Ashdod Mayor Yehiel Lasry to resign.

The protest

Ofer Tzachar, one of the leaders of the struggle, warned that "after Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, Ashdod will be next," referring to the rising religious coercion the two cities saw in recent years.

Fellow Ashdod resident Jacob Segev, 74, said recent steps by the municipality have "crossed all lines."

"Haredim are taking over every nook and cranny. They control the city council and Lasry and they decided that the city belongs to them like in Beit Shemesh," he exclaimed. "Even conservative Jews are opposed to this."

Ashdod resident Irit Rosman, 37, who came to the demonstration with her husband and two small children, said she wants to "live freely in (her) city."

"I want to be able to shop, go to restaurants, walk with my children in parks and go to museums and enjoy myself," she said, reiterating her opposition to the municipality's religious coercion.

Protests were also held Saturday near the home of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit calling on him to speed up the investigation and possible indictment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and in Jerusalem against the government's decision to expel African migrants.
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
At least six members of the Syrian regime and its allies were killed Saturday in the Israeli Air Force strike in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday.

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The report, which the organization announced via twitter, noted the deceased were "of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities," but didn't elaborate further.

There were no casualties reported on the day of the attack, although Israel deemed the strikes an "operational success."

The downed F-16 (Photo: AFP)

The IDF said Saturday it launched a large scale attack against Syrian aerial defense systems and Iranian targets in Syria.

"Twelve targets, including three aerial defense batteries and four Iranian targets that are part of Iran's military establishment in Syria were attacked," the military said in a statement.

#SOHR The #Israeli strikes on several areas in #Homs, #Rif Dimashq and its outskirts kill 6 members of the regime and its allies of #Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities https://t.co/W7tf4fZdfo  # #SOHR (@syriahr) February 10, 2018

Syrian SA-5 and SA-17 surface-to-air missile batteries were targeted, the IDF said, adding that the Iranian targets to be hit were in the vicinity of the Syrian 4th Armored Division.

According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, during the attack on the site from which the drone was launched, carried out by eight Israeli fighter jets, the Syrian army retaliated with widespread antiaircraft fire. Pilots of one of the fighter jets recognized antiaircraft missiles locking onto their plane, prompting them to eject.

Footage of drone's interception and the destruction of its operations trailer (:  ")

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The fighter jet crashed in an open area near Kibbutz Harduf. The police said the crash caused no casualties or damage in the community.

One pilot was seriously wounded, while the other was only lightly hurt. They were taken to the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa for treatment.

The IDF's strike was in response to an earlier infiltration into Israel of an Iranian drone originating from an airfield near Palmyra, Syria, which was successfully intercepted by an IDF Apache helicopter.
While the armed forces of the Syrian regime have been suffering from 7 years of brutal war, there is one aspect of the military that has not only preserved its strength, but was even bolstered and became far deadlierits air defense capabilities.

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It was reported Saturday that the pilots in the downed F-16 did not have time to even report the incident over the communications network. This is evidence of the closing speed of the Syrian anti-aircraft missiles which intercepted it.

SA-5 missile launch (Photo: AP)

The number of missiles fired by the Syrian forces was large, about 20, from two batteries: one firing SA-5 missiles and the other SA-17 missilesboth of which were targeted in the Israeli strike.

The SA-17 Grizzly is considered to be the advanced missiles possessed by the Syrian air defense forces, and was supposed to be supplied to Hezbollah's air defense battalion, but this operation was thwarted several years ago in an attack attributed to the Israeli Air Force.

It is a portable anti-aircraft missile capable of ranges up to 150 kilometers and is designed to hit fighter planes with good maneuverability, such as the F-16.

The SA-5 Gammon is a larger missile, with a larger range of about 300 kilometers, and was originally built to deal with relatively large western warplanes with difficulty maneuvering.

SA-17 battery (Photo: Wikipedia)

This is not the first time Syrian forces fired at Israeli jets when they acted against Hezbollah's buildup, as anti-aircraft shootings such as the one on Saturday occurred dozens of times in recent years, though in most cases failed to endanger the planes.

"The Syrian army took hit a hit in almost all its systems, suffered casualties and desertions, but made sure to equip and renew its anti-aircraft system at all times, even at the height of the fighting," a senior IAF officer told Ynet earlier this year, emphasizing that the army mainly fought ground forces.

"Our level of alertness and capability in the northern arena is increasing," he said. "The (Syrian army) was working to close the gap of aerial superiority, and sometimes we felt that it was close to doing so, but today their capabilities are on a completely different level."

'Facing experienced army supported by two superpowers'

Now the Syrian defense system has a variety of modern antiaircraft capabilities, which were supplied to it in recent years courtesy of Russia . It is evidence that although the rebels have almost overthrown Assad, he still sees the IDF as his main enemyfuture and present.

Top-of-the-line anti-aircraft systems such as the SA-300 have not yet reached the Syrian army despite a deal that has been in limbo for years, partly due to Israeli pressure.

SA-5 missile launched against the IAF F-16 and crashed in Hasbaya, south Lebanon (Photo: EPA)

Most anti-aircraft missiles, such as surface-to-air missiles, are not intended to hit targets on the ground, such as bases or towns. Up until Saturday, most Syrian anti-aircraft missiles fired at Israeli warplanes exploded in mid-air, with their fragments scattered across the northern region of the country.

The battle against air defense systems is one to be fought by the whole army and not by the pilot alone," said F-16 pilot Col. (res.) Neri Yarkoni.

"We are facing an experienced and intelligent opponent. This was not an attack on rebel forces or on ISIS. It is a large, experienced army supported by two superpowers, Russia and Iran

"In general, when you work again and again in this arena, you shouldn't be so surprised when such an event occurs. Anyone who thinks that we will do so much without getting hit back once or twice is mistaken.

The downed Israeli warplane (Photo: AFP)

"We are in a war over the skies. We set our red lines and on Saturday they defined their own."

Regarding Saturday's incident, Col. Yarkoni noted that the pilot has preliminary intelligence about anti-aircraft missiles that may be launched against him in addition to intelligence he receives while in flight, but stressed that there's a big difference between being targeted by only one or two missiles and being assaulted with entire missile batteries.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Saturday's interception of Iranian drone, IAF strike in Syria and downing of an Israeli F-16 in Sunday's Security Cabinet meeting, telling cabinet ministers the IDF "dealt severe blows to the armed forces of Iran and Syria."

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"We made it unequivocally clear to everyone that our rules of action have not changed one bit; we will continue to strike at every attempt to strike at us. This has been our policy and it will remain our policy," he asserted.

PM Netanyahu at the Security Cabinet meeting (Photo: AFP)

Netanyahu told the ministers that he had spoken before the cabinet meeting with the navigator who was lightly wounded in Saturday's incident.

"I was glad to hear that he was on his feet, literally, and I was pleased to hear that the pilot's condition has improved," he said, wishing both a speedy and full recovery.

Housing and Construction Minister and former commander of the IDF's Southern Command Yoav Galant stressed at the meeting that "the center of the problem in the Middle East is Iran. It created an axis of evil: Iran-Hezbollah-Syria.

"We will break this axis of evil. On Saturday we set very clear red lines on the matter," he added, saying Israel is "not only talking but acting."

"There will be no infiltration of any unmanned or manned aerial vehicle into Israeli airspace without a response. Those who send them put themselves in danger, and I think that the Syrians also understand very well now that the fact that they are hosting the Iranians on their soil is causing them great harm," Galant summarized.

Strick, in the middle, during the ceremony (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

"They, and we, know what we hit and it will take them some time for them to digest, understand and ask how Israel knew how to hit those sites," Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz told Army Radio. "These were concealed sites and we have intelligence agencies and the ability to know everything that is going on there and yesterday we proved that."

GOC Northern Command Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick on Sunday said "Iran wants to create a front command in Syria," and Israel will "not allow it."

Strick, the first IDF commander to publically address Saturday's events, warned at an IDF promotion ceremony that "whoever crosses the border in will receive an appropriate response."

According to him, "Iranian involvement in the region is a disturbing threat to Israel and the entire world," though he clarified that, despite that, Israel does not seek to escalate the situation.

Saturday's airstrikes marked the toughest Israeli aerial assault in Syria in decades.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria through a network of activists on the ground, said Sunday that at least six Syrian troops and allied militiamen were killed in the airstrikes. The six included Syrian and non-Syrian allied troops, the Britain-based Observatory said.

In Saturday's attacks, the Israeli jets came under heavy Syrian anti-aircraft fire and the pilots of one of the F-16s had to eject before the plane crashed in northern Israel. One pilot was seriously wounded and the other one lightly.

Israel would not confirm whether its aircraft was shot down by enemy fire, which would mark the first such instance for Israel since 1982, when it was fighting a war in neighboring Lebanon.

Israel has recently issued several stern warnings about the increased Iranian involvement along its borders with Syria and Lebanon.

Israel fears Iran could use Syrian territory to stage attacks or create a land corridor from Iran to Lebanon that could allow it to transfer weapons more easily to Hezbollaha powerful Iran-backed Shiite militant group sworn to Israel's destruction.

Though Israel has largely stayed out of the Syrian conflict, it has struck weapons convoys destined for Hezbollah dozens of times since 2012.

Israel has also shot down several drones that previously tried to infiltrate its territory from Syria, but the capture of an Iranian drone and the direct targeting of Iranian sites in response marked a dramatic escalation in the Israeli retaliation.

Israel has long complained about the involvement of archenemy Iran, and Iranian proxy Hezbollah, in the Syria war. Both have sent forces to back Assad, who appears headed toward victory. Israel has said it will not accept a permanent military presence by Iran and its Shiite allies in Syria, especially near the Israeli border.
This isnt the response we expected from our friends in Moscow. Instead of warning the Iranians, or at least taking a neutral stand, the Kremlin didnt really leave any doubt as to whose side its on, expressing deep concern over the attacks in Syria and declaring (or actually warning) that all sidesin other words, Israelmust respect Syrian sovereignty.

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In light of the multiple apparently warm meetings between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent months, we can definitely be disappointed by the Russian response, but we shouldnt be surprised: Israels working assumption in the past few years, that Russia will protect Israeli interests in Syria, was all wrong. So urgently asking the Kremlin on Saturday morning to prevent an escalation in the region was like asking a pyromaniac to put out the fires he himself helped ignite.

Netanyahu (R) and Putin in Moscow in late January. Russia is the only one that may gain from a war in the Middle East (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Those who have their hopes pinned on the Russians to calm down the situation in the region are forgetting (or ignoring) the fact that Russia is the only one that may gain from a war in the Middle East. The Russian foreign policy in the Middle East is mainly inconsistent, which is why diplomats and researchers often refer to it as opportunist pragmatism. In other words, detecting and seizing every random potential opportunity to advance their own interests.

Thats exactly what should be keeping us all up at night. As far as the Russians are concerned, this is the optimal time for a regional war, which may serve their interests on two important strategic channels.

First, oil. The past weeks stock market drops dragged the price of oil down with them, as it lost more than 10 percent and fell under $60 per barrel. Since oil exports are the Russian economys lifeline, a flare-up in the Middle East would threaten the supply of global oil, raise tensions among investors, and thereby increase the demand and send the prices back up.

Second, arms exports. While the Syrians will likely use the images of a (US-made) Israeli F-16 fighter jet downed by a (Russian-made) Syrian anti-aircraft missile for propaganda purposes, the Russians might make commercial use of these images for marketing purposes. And this is something they need: In the past few years, the Russian weapon industry been experiencing a drop in demands due to growing competition from China, and well as losing its monopoly over important markets like India, Eastern Europe and Vietnam in favor of Western countriesincluding the United States and Israel. A regional war solves both problems for Moscow.

Remains of Russian-made Syrian antiaircraft missile in Israel, Saturday (Photo: AFP)

Israeli officials keep saying that the Russians are interested in stability, but stability is relative and, in this case, also misleading: The Americans, the Europeans, and recently the Chinese as well, are interested in regional stability to protect billions of dollars in civil investments and allow a cheap supply of oil. Because of the Russian economys differentand primitivenature, the Russian capital invested in our region is mostly related to infrastructures and oil, and is therefore a lot less vulnerable.

We must remember a painful but important historical lesson: Russia doesnt really care about the Middle East. Its vital strategic targets were and remain in Eastern Europe and along its endless borders in Asia. This means that unlike the fires close to homein Ukraine and North Korea, for exampleRussia wont rush to put out the fire in the Middle East, especially when its allies and clients are the ones who ignited this fire.
The navigator who was lightly injured Saturday after bailing from an F-16 jet due to being intercepted by Syrian anti-aircraft missiles was discharged from Rambam Hospital in Haifa.

The pilot who bailed with him was seriously injured and was also taken to the hospital.

He underwent surgery and his condition stabilized, and is now defined as moderate.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied on Sunday to mark the anniversary of Irans 1979 Islamic revolution, denouncing the United States and Israel as oppressors.

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Demonstrators burned American and Israeli flags, as well as images of President Donald Trump, whose refusal to re-certify the nuclear deal with world powers has riled Iranians. A few burned a white sheet reading BARJAM, the Farsi acronym for the 2015 nuclear accord that Tehran signed with world powers.

President Hassan Rouhani, addressing flag-waving crowds on central Tehrans Azadi (Freedom) Square, made no specific reference to Israels air strikes in Syria on Saturday which it said were aimed at air defense and Iranian targets.

But he told the crowd: They (US and Israel) wanted to create tension in the region ... they wanted to divide Iraq, Syria ... They wanted to create long-term chaos in Lebanon but ... but with our help their policies failed.

Iran backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war, supports Shiite militias in Iraq, Houthi rebels in Yemen and Lebanons Hezbollah.

US President Donald Trump, who sees Iran as a rising threat to regional stability in the Middle East, has pledged to work with Israel and Irans key regional rival Saudi Arabia to curb what they say are Tehrans attempts to extend its influence in the region.

Israel has warned about the increased Iranian involvement along its borders with Syria and Lebanon.

Israels air strikes on Saturday which it said successfully hit air defense and Iranian targets represented the most serious confrontation between Israel and Iranian-backed forces in Syria in the seven-year civil war.

Long Range Missile

In a show of defiance of Western pressure to curb its ballistic missile program, Iran put its Ghadr ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles) on display in Tehrans central Vali-ye Asr street.

Iran says its missile program is solely defensive in nature and is not negotiable as demanded by the United States and the Europeans.

Iranian State television said tens of millions of people rallied to support the revolution across the country of 81 million, which faced its worst domestic crisis in nearly a decade in late December.

For over a week, thousands of young and working class Iranians angry about official corruption, unemployment and a widening gap between rich and poor, staged anti-government rallies in 80 cities and towns. Irans elite Revolutionary Guards put down the protests.





Iranian authorities said 25 people died and over 3,000 people were arrested during the unrest. Most of those arrested have been released but around 300 remain in jail facing charges, according to Irans interior ministry.

America wanted to interfere in our state matters. But they failed because of our nations awareness and unity, Rouhani said, echoing Irans claim that the protests were instigated from abroad.
A security camera in a village in northern Israel captured the crash of the F-16 fighter jet shot down by a Syrian anti-aircraft missile on Saturday.

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The footage shows the burning plane plummeting down, followed by a massive flash of light caused by the explosion when the plane hit the ground.

"We heard an insane explosion, the entire house was shaking," said Mussa from Ka'abiyye-Tabbash-Hajajre, whose security camera captured the crash. "I went outside towards the crash site, and only when I returned home did we see in the cameras and realized what had happened."

F-16 crashes

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After an Iranian drone infiltrated Israeli airspace and subsequently shot down by the IAF, Israeli fighter jets attacked Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria.

Syria's air defense systems fired 10 anti-aircraft missiles at the plane, hitting one of them. The pilots ejected before the plane crashed. One of the pilots was seriously hurt and the other was in light condition.

IDF soldiers continued on Sunday morning to clear the debris of the plane that crashed near Kibbutz Harduf.

"The plane crashed right at the entrance to the kibbutz, several meters from the high school, the electricity room, the rest of the kibbutz," said kibbutz secretary Yuval Elad. "There was great panic in the early morning hours (of Saturday), but we came out of this miraculously, we suffered no damagesnot in lives nor in property."

Soldiers clear debris from crashed plane ( ")

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Saturday's airstrikes marked the toughest Israeli aerial assault in Syria in decades.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria through a network of activists on the ground, said Sunday that at least six Syrian troops and allied militiamen were killed in the airstrikes. The six included Syrian and non-Syrian allied troops, the Britain-based Observatory said.

In Saturday's attacks, the Israeli jets came under heavy Syrian anti-aircraft fire and the pilots of one of the F-16s had to eject before the plane crashed in northern Israel. One pilot was seriously wounded and the other one lightly.

Israel would not confirm whether its aircraft was shot down by enemy fire, which would mark the first such instance for Israel since 1982, when it was fighting a war in neighboring Lebanon.

Firemen putting out plane that crashed near kibbutz Harduf (Photo: Fire & Rescue, Northern District)

Israel has recently issued several stern warnings about the increased Iranian involvement along its borders with Syria and Lebanon.

Israel fears Iran could use Syrian territory to stage attacks or create a land corridor from Iran to Lebanon that could allow it to transfer weapons more easily to Hezbollaha powerful Iran-backed Shiite militant group sworn to Israel's destruction.

Though Israel has largely stayed out of the Syrian conflict, it has struck weapons convoys destined for Hezbollah dozens of times since 2012.

Israel has also shot down several drones that previously tried to infiltrate its territory from Syria, but the capture of an Iranian drone and the direct targeting of Iranian sites in response marked a dramatic escalation in the Israeli retaliation.

Israel has long complained about the involvement of archenemy Iran, and Iranian proxy Hezbollah, in the Syria war. Both have sent forces to back Assad, who appears headed toward victory. Israel has said it will not accept a permanent military presence by Iran and its Shiite allies in Syria, especially near the Israeli border.
LA PAZ, Bolivia - A street vendor's cooking gas container exploded on Saturday night amid a Carnival celebration in the Bolivian city of Oruro, killing eight and injuring 40 others, police said.

The vendor, who was cooking deep fried llama rinds, had likely dripped hot oil onto the hose of the cooking gas container, prompting the blast, Oruro police chief Romel Rana said.

The accident took place on a crowded street not far from the main route of the festival's 4-km (2.5-mile) parade. Three children were killed and several others were in critical care, he said.

President Evo Morales on Saturday night expressed his condolences on social media.
Education Minister Nafatli Bennett argued Sunday Israel must act systematically to weaken Iran, "the head of the octopus" sending its tentacles to fight the IDF from Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, while Tehran itself remains immune.

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"We need to wage a persistent and continuous campaigndiplomatic, economic, preventative, intelligence-basedagainst the Al Quds Forces and Iran. Otherwise you're fighting the octopus's tentacles, when you could've neutralized them by neutralizing its head," Bennett explained in an interview with Ynet.

Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, "is very generous when it comes to the lives of Lebanese and Iran's militias from Pakistan and Afghanistan. He's also very generous when it comes to sacrificing the lives of Gazans. But when it comes to Iranians paying with their lives, he tucks tail and runs. We need to create an equation in which he is also paying the price," he argued.

Education Minister Bennett (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The education minister, who is also a member of the Security Cabinet, said Saturday's events, which began with the interception of an Iranian drone in Israeli territory followed by an IAF attack in Syria and the subsequent shooting down of an Israel F-16 plane, were only part of an overall campaign against Tehran in Syria.

"We won't allow them to entrench themselves. It's a fact they don't have divisions, brigades or even battalions in Syria. They don't have airports and sea ports," Bennett said.

"And so I think that with all of the unpleasantness of yesterday's events, the wider picture is that Israel's policy is the right one, and we will continue with it," he asserted.

Syrian anti-aircraft missile that landed inside Israel after being fired at IAF planes (Photo: AFP)

Bennett insisted the shooting down of the Israel F-16 "was a specific incident that doesn't indicate a systematic problem," noting "they've fired anti-aircraft missiles at us during every operation we've done in recent years, this wasn't an unusual action on their part, we're used to it."

He also rejected the possibility the Iranians were trying to set a trap to the Air Force by shooting down a plane and perhaps capturing a pilot. "There's no basis to that," he said.

According to the education minister, "We know how to stop them deep (inside Syria), and we've only used an ounce of our abilities. I think this is a pretty good display (of abilities)."

He went on to argue that "Had we not acted, and had we allowed Iranin return for quiet now, in the presentto bring divisions of Iranian militias and tens of thousands of missiles to the Golan Heights border, we'd be in an entirely different situation. We won't allow them to have a foothold, we won't wait for them to get to the border fence."

Debris of downed Israeli F-16 (Photo: AFP)

Bennett said that in order to achieve stability and calm, "the way to go is actually with systematic offensives. You can buy some calm on the short term if you don't do anything and enjoy a few months of quiet, but that would be burying your head in the sand, because under the cover of this quiet, Iran will establish a base on the frontline. Later, when we have no choice but to act, the price would be much higher."

At present, Bennett said, Iran's presence in Syria "is sparse, small."

He went on to say Israel "has been peeling the layers of defense of the Syrian anti-aircraft (apparatus) around Damascus. We've exposed (Syrian President) Assad, so he's naked and vulnerable. And this is really just an example of what we can do."

Israel has "full freedom of operations" in Syria, "both militarily and diplomatically" from Russia, he stressed.
The head of IAF Air Division, Brig. Gen. Amnon Ein Dar said Sunday the IDF has carried out thousands of missions in Syria in the last year alone.

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Speaking from the Tel Nof Airbase, Ein Dar also noted the IAF was learning from Saturday's events, which began with the interception of an Iranian drone in Israeli territory followed by an IAF attack in Syria and the subsequent shooting down of an Israel F-16 plane.

Ein Dar said the IAF jets struck deep inside Syrian territory. During their mission, a large number of anti-aircraft missiles were directed at them and one hit its target, or near the target, forcing the pilots to bail.

Brig Gen Amnon Ein Dar

"In this instance, our aircraft was hit; we are of course unsatisfied and we will study the incident and learn for the future," he told Ynet in an interview.

In his view, the strike against Syrian air defenses was a very significant event: There has not been such a strike since 1982; it was very broad and it will have an effect on their decision-making process. I assume that they will continue to attempt to defend themselves, but they were hit very seriously and the indications of that are only beginning to come to light this morning, despite their attempts to conceal it.

He also noted Israel's own air defenses are not meant for intercepting other air defense systems, We have the capability but this was not the place.

The IDF's working assumption, Ein Dar explained, is that this was not a planned Iranian ambush intended to drag Israel into an operational blunder. Rather, the belief is that the Iranians assumed that they could succeed in sending the drone without the IDF defenses noticing and they were mistaken.

We took down the drone and the rest of the fire was the result of us rapidly tracking down the drone operators from long distance, he said.

Iranian drone interception (:  ")

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According to Ein Dar, The drone was of top quality technology, it was a copy of an American drone that fell into their hands. He added: The Iranians are operating in Syria and we therefore hit them in addition to intercepting the drone; and we will continue to do so wherever we find them.

And, indeed, based on photos of the downed drone, it seems to have been an imitation of an American stealth drone that was felled over Iran in 2011. Aviationist Magazine noted that the drone is based on the American RQ-170 model, which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin and was nicknamed the Beast of Kandahar for its intelligence gathering over the Afghan city.

The Iranian drone took off from Syria and spent 1.5 minutes in Israeli skies after crossing the border in the northern Jordan Valley region.

Although multiple aircraft were scrambled to intercept the drone, an Apache helicopter was chosen for the task as its speed is similar to that of the drones as well as for its optical capabilities.

Apache pilot

The squadron was scrambled to defend the nations skies. We detected it as an Iranian drone and when it crossed the border we brought it down over Israeli airspace, said Lt. Col. L., the commander of the 113th Air Squadron (the Wasp), which intercepted the Iranian drone.

The IDF will now study the downed Iranian aircraft to better understand the Iranian arsenal.
Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.




The Israeli government will not send its envoy to the opening ceremony of an Israeli film festival in Paris over the organizers' decision to screen a contentious, critically-acclaimed Israeli film.

Samuel Maoz's "Foxtrot" is a drama exploring Israel's West Bank occupation and the modern Israeli psyche. It has come under fire from Culture Minister Miri Regev, who has said the film "slanders" the military.

The Foreign Ministry said Sunday the Israeli ambassador to France will not attend the festival's opening night event when the film is being screened. It said the ambassador had urged organizers to choose a film that "is not controversial and suits a festive opening night" which "Jewish donors" are expected to attend. It said the festival, being held next month, declined the ambassador's request.
Israeli officials said Sunday Iran was determined to establish military presence in the region and that the IDF's next confrontation with the Islamic Republic was only a matter of time.

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However, the defense officials stressed that in the next clash, Israel will deliver a much harder blow to Iran.

On Saturday , an Iranian drone that infiltrated Israeli territory was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force. This incident was followed by an IAF attack on Iranian targets in Syria, which resulted in an Israeli F-16 fighter jet being shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft missiles.

Israel intercepts Iranian drone, destroys control center (:  ")

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Footage released by the IDF showed the bombing of the command and control center of the drone, which was launched from the T-4 Syrian army base in the eastern Homs province, 60km east of Palmyra.

Defense officials said Sunday that the Air Force also attacked an additional Iranian target in Syria, which holds great importance to Tehran.

The F-16 crash site (Photo: AFP)

And while the Israeli officials allowed that the downing of the Israeli F-16 increased Syrian President Bashar Assad's confidence, they insisted Syria understands the price it would pay if such an incident happens again.

And despite Russian calls to respect Syrian sovereignty, the Israeli defense officials claimed Moscow was nevertheless bothered by recent developments in the region.
Israel has notified Poland that it will not receive a Polish delegation set to arrive to discuss the Holocaust Law until Warsaw expresses willingness to amend the controversial legislation, which outlaws blaming Poland as a nation for Holocaust crimes committed by Nazi Germany.

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The law, approved by both houses of Polish parliament and signed by the president, caused a diplomatic rift between Israel and Poland.

Warsaw has appointed a five-person team, including diplomats and historians, to conduct a dialogue with a corresponding Israeli team in an effort to resolve the crisis.

Ambassador Chodorowicz (Courtest of the Polish Embassy)

The Polish Ambassador to Israel, Jacek Chodorowicz, was at the Foreign Ministry recently to coordinate the arrival of the Polish delegation, but the deputy director of the Western Europe Division, Rodica Radian-Gordon, told him that if Poland was not prepared to seriously consider amending the law, there was no need for the delegation to come.

Recent statements by Polish Presidential Adviser Andrzej Zybertowicz only fanned the flames when he told a Polish newspaper that: Israels reaction to the law stems from feelings of guilt for the Jews' passivity during the Holocaust.

Zybertowicz (Photo: Polskawielkiprojekt.pl)

Poland expected Israel to protest the law, but did not expect such a serious diplomatic crisis. Currently, they are seeking ways to alleviate the wrath without seeming to have folded and bowed to Israels will.
An Israeli woman was shot to death during a robbery in Mexico on Friday. The incident occurred while she was driving her vehicle to Punta Soliman Beach, south of Cancun. The womans husband told police that the woman was carrying a large sum of money and that her bag was stolen.
Yoav Horowitz, the prime minister's chief of staff, promised residents in Har Brakha on Thursday that he would "do everything" to approve the settlement's zoning plan.

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Horowitz visited the settlement last week to offer his condolences to the Ben-Gal family after Rabbi Itamar Ben-Gal was murdered in a terror attack , bringing with him a letter from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the bereaved family.

"Unfortunately, the murderer's hand cut Itamar's life short. The hatred of our enemies will not defeat us. We will continue building this country and ensure, with G-d's help, an eternity for Israel," Netanyahu wrote.





Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister's wife, visits Miriam Ben Gal to offer her condolences (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO)

After a visibly emotional Horowitz finished reading the letter, Ben-Gal's widow, Miriam, said they "want comfort in the form of construction."

She also asked for the prime minister to come in person to offer his condolences.

Horowitz said he would convey her requests to the prime minister, and promised to advance construction in the settlement.

"I know Har Brakha's zoning plan well, I know the plan and I know the history of the processes that happened. We'll do everything to implement (the zoning plan) as soon as possible," Horowitz said. "We're examining when we could expand this community."

Yoav Horowitz (Photo: Tal Shahar)

There are some 5,000 residents living in Har Brakha. The zoning plan for the settlement has been approved in the past, but not in full. Some 800 housing units are awaiting approval after they've been put on hold during the Obama era. Approving the full zoning plan, as well as the 800 homes, could help double the settlement's population.

Yossi Dagan, the head of the Samaria Regional Council, joined Horowitz's visit. Dagan has been applying pressure to the prime minister and other ministers to approve Har Brakha's zoning plan, as he has done with Havat Giladan illegal outpost that received the backing of the government after the murder of Rabbi Raziel Shevah , one of its residents.

"This family is very strong, filled with faith," Dagan said. "Their statement shows their values. We always need to be building, but here in particular we need a strong Zionist statement. We need to make it clear terror doesn't pay off. It needs to be clear that because of the attack, this community has been doubled in size."
Likud MK David Bitan has been maintaining his silence during police questioning over alleged corruption at the Rishon LeZion municipality, but Lahav 433 investigators were recently able to surprise him when they produced a recording made by real estate developer Dror Glazer in which Bitan is heard offering his assistance to Glazer with a south Tel Aviv project.

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I will take care of you at city hall with (Tel Aviv deputy mayor) Arnon Giladi, Bitan can be heard saying to Glazer in one recording.

Lobbyist Merav Shmueli, meanwhile, was recorded telling Glazer: I am supposed to share in the money.

Bitan (L) Glazer (Photo: Shaul Golan, Zvika Tishler)

Shmueli, the lobbyist, was allegedly the contact person between Glazer and Giladi.

Bitans attorney Efraim Dimri said: My client is maintaining his silence and is willing to confront anyone.

Last week, Ynet reported that the police began a series of confrontations between Moshe Yosef, a friend of Bitan who was considered his "banker," and other suspects in the case.

During a confrontation last week with the contractor Benny Sulimani, who was put on house arrest for nine days, Yosef said that in exchange for earth works, Sulimani paid him tens of thousands of shekels to be given to Bitan.

The second contractor involved was supposed to supply Yosef and Bitan with apartments in Rishon LeZion. Ultimately, the project did not go ahead and the deal did not materialize.
Sydneys overheated housing market is pricing key workers out of metropolitan areas, forcing them to live in suburbs situated hours away from their workplaces. This in turn is threatening the viability of the key services they provide, according to a new report commissioned by member-owned Teachers Mutual Bank, Firefighters Mutual Bank, and Police Bank.

The Key Worker Housing Affordability in Sydney report, conducted by the University of Sydneys Urban Housing Lab, said the outlook for housing affordability in the Greater Metropolitan Area for teachers, firefighters, nurses, police officers, ambulance drivers, and paramedics was increasingly grim.

Our key workers are increasingly being forced to outer metropolitan areas in search of an affordable place to live, said Nicole Gurran, a professor at the University of Sydney and co-author of the report.

In the ten years leading up to 2016, key areas in Sydney lost between 10-20% of teachers, nurses, and police and emergency service workers to outer and regional areas. The Inner South West (-14.6%), Inner West (-11.3%), Eastern suburbs (-15.2%), Ryde (-14.2%), and Parramatta (-21.4%) all experienced a net loss of key workers, while areas such as Illawarra (+10.5%), Southern Highlands (+17%), and Hunter Valley (+13.6%) all experienced net gains.

The nature of this groups shift work, combined with living a considerable distance away in neighbourhoods with inadequate transportation, meant that 77.4% of key workers drove to work in 2016, compared with just over 43% for the general population.

Only 5% of key workers used public transportation to commute to work, compared with 12.7% for the general population.

Steve James, CEO of Teachers Mutual Bank, said the pressure this situation places on people already employed in high pressure jobs is unfair.

Longer commute times, especially in private vehicles, lead to significantly higher financial costs and serious social consequences for key workers and their families, disrupting work life balance and impacting their lifestyle, he said. Critically, lengthy commute times are also associated with lower rates of workforce participation.

Between 2003 and 2016, the median price of an established home in Sydney more than doubled, from $400,000 to about $900,000well beyond the means of many key workers. Soaring rents have strained affordability even further, making a 20% down payment unattainable for many.

According to Peter Phibbs, a professor at the University of Sydney and co-author of the report, by addressing the key barriers to affordability, residential housing in the metropolitan area could be as much as 20% cheaper than current prices, with vastly more manageable deposits for key workers looking to buy a home.





Related Stories:

Sydneysiders Must "Plan Growth" Together

The Sydney Households That Prefer Apartment Living




- Investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has lost his mother

- 62-year-old Mariam Damba, died at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital

- Anas has thanked all doctors at the hospital for taking good care of his mother

Mother of investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has died. Yen.com.gh can confirm.

READ ALSO: 12 hard truths we gathered from Ebony's shocking accident

Mariam Damba died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, She worked as a community nurse at the Nima Polyclinic in Accra, Ghana and died aged 62.

YEN.com.gh is learning that Anas' mother will be buried under the custom of Islam as funeral arrangements are yet to be revealed.

The internationally respected journalist, who reacted to the death of hi mother, expressed fond gratitude to all nurses and doctors who offered their best in ensuring that his mother had the best of health care.

READ ALSO: 12 hard truths we gathered from Ebony's shocking accident

I thank all hard working doctors at the Medical Emergency Unit at Korle Bu for their frantic efforts at trying to save my mothers life also to you the energetic nurses who did their best too, I thank you, he said.

Anas is a celebrated investigative journalist whose works has exposed corruption in the judiciary, drug cartels, prostitution syndicates, among many others.

His most recent expose, which is yet to be published, is reported to involve over 60 top public officials who were caught in acts of corruption.

Send us a message via our official Facebook and/or Instagram page to get it published on YEN.com.gh.

Source: Yen
The best of Alberta's harness racing industry were honoured at the annual Alberta Standardbred Horse Association (ASHA) Awards Gala on Saturday, February 10 at the Northlands Park Paddock Theatre in Edmonton, Alta.

Outlaw Fireball was named Horse of the Year after an outstanding sophomore campaign. The daughter of Blue Burner - Watchasgirlsgoby never missed the board in 14 seasonal starts, sporting a stellar 8-4-2 summary. Her biggest win of the year came on September 30 in a come-from-behind score to capture the $132,390 Northlands Filly Pace for driver J.F Gagne.



Outlaw Fireball, winning at Century Downs Outlaw Fireball, winning at Century Downs

Majorie Dumont, trainer of Outlaw Fireball, also took home honours for Trainer of the Year Under 200 starts while owners Gagne, Peter Van Seggelen, Carl Warnaar Tapron Holdings Ltd. garnered the Owner of the Year Award.

Horseman Kelly Hoerdt had his hands full with hardware after winning Horseperson, Trainer and Driver of the Year honours. The Beaumont, Alta. native enjoyed one of his best years of his career numbers-wise, with 95 wins and $732,172 on the driving side to accompany a lifetime-best 117 training wins and $928,000-plus in purses for horses from his stable. Divisional winners from the Hoerdt stable include two-year-old pacing colt Custard Laststand and older pacing horse Iwondothatagain.



Custards Laststand and Kelly Hoerdt, winning at Northlands Custards Laststand and Kelly Hoerdt, winning at Northlands

The full list of winners appears below.

Two-Year-Old Alberta Sired Filly

Roaring Home

Two-Year-Old Filly

Maid In Alberta

Two-Year-Old Alberta Sired Colt/Gelding

Custards Laststand

Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding

Paradise Hill

Three-Year-Old Alberta Sired Filly

Outlaw Fireball

Three-Year-Old Filly

Outlaw Fireball

Three-Year-Old Alberta Sired Colt/Gelding

Mateo

Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding

Da Magician

Champion Aged Mare

Tajmeallover

Champion Aged Horse

Iwontdothatagain

Champion Claimer (Fillies/Mares)

Take On Da Boys

Champion Claimer (Colts/Geldings)

Blue Eyed Cowboy

Fastest Girl

Watch My Luck (1:52.4 at Century Downs)

Fastest Boy(s)

Kokanee Seelster (1:51.4 at Century Downs)

Royal Renegade (1:51.4 at Northlands Park)

Caretaker of the Year

Mike Raymond

Trainer Under 200 Starts

Marjorie Dumont

Trainer of the Year

Kelly Hoerdt

Driver Under 200 Starts

Preston Shaw

Driver of the Year

Kelly Hoerdt

Owner of the Year

JF Gagne, Peter Van Seggelen, Carl Wamaar, Tapron Holdings

Breeder of the Year

Meridian Farms ~ Bill Andrew

Horseperson of the Year

Kelly Hoerdt

Breeders Award of Recognition

Gordon & Helen Empey

Ron McLeod Award of Recognition

Don Bougie

Horse of the Year

Outlaw Fireball
Putin tells Netanyahu new spiral of violence in Syria should be avoided

Tass, Moscow :

In a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the air strikes conducted by Israel's Air Force against targets in Syria, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

"The Russian side called for any steps, which might trigger a new spiral of dangerous for all confrontation in the region, to be avoided," the press service said.

In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's press office said that Netanyahu agreed in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin that interaction between the two countries' militaries would be continued. "I have recently spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin," Netanyahu said cited by his press office. "We agreed that security coordination between our countries will continue."

Putin and Netanyahu held a phone conversation amid a sharp deterioration of the situation on the Israeli-Syrian border after an Iranian drone had been shot down in the Israeli airspace and an F-16 fighter jet of the Israeli Air Force had crashed.

"I emphasized in the talk with him [Putin] that it is our [Israeli] right and duty to defend themselves from attacks from Syria," Netanyahu said.

On Saturday, the Israeli military said their helicopter downed above the Golan Heights an Iranian UAV, which had entered the Israeli airspace from Syria. In response, Israel conducted air strikes against Iranian facilities in Syria and destroyed the Iranian UAV control center.

During the operation, the Syrian air defense launched a few missiles to hit Israel's F-16. The pilots ejected - one of them was badly injured, while the other received minor wounds. After that, Israel delivered a heavy strike against Syrian air defense and Iranian facilities in Syria, hitting twelve targets in the neighboring country, Israel's Defense Forces said.

In the autumn of 2015, Israel and Russia agreed to exchange data in order to safeguard their militaries against any accidental engagements during operations in Syria. A special coordination center was set up at Israel's General Staff for the purpose.




Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images(LONDON) -- Prince William spoke candidly about fatherhood at a black-tie charity event at Kensington Palace Thursday night, joking to guests that hes already exhausted from his two children.



The father of Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 2, told guests at the Centrepoint Charity awards event that hes trying get some sleep before his wife, Kate, gives birth to baby number three.



Our third child is due in April, Im getting as much sleep as I can, he told guest Raymond Stoner, as Stoner told the press.



When Stoner teased William that he could save time by having twins, the second in line to the throne replied, Twins? I think my mental health would be tested with twins.



William told another guest at the reception that he was preparing to be permanently tired when the family becomes a party of five.



Two is fine  I dont know how Im going to cope with three, William said. Im going to be permanently tired.



William is following in the footsteps of his mother, the late Princess Diana, as Royal Patron of Centrepoint Charity, which raises awareness about homelessness.



The awards celebrate the achievements of young people who have turned their lives around after experiencing homelessness.



At the reception, a group of celebrities, including Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, presented awards.



William told the audience that like his late mother he gets frustrated that their country still has children living in the streets.



"I feel immense pride in all Centrepoint has accomplished in that time, but with it, disappointment and frustration  frustration that in one of the most prosperous countries in the world homelessness is still putting the lives and futures of our young people at risk, he said.



"Tonight, it is right that we celebrate the outstanding progress made by these extraordinary young people, but, as we do, I urge every one of you to reflect on our shared commitment to end youth homelessness. I sincerely believe we can and must do more," the prince said.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
May to set out 'Road to Brexit' in speech

Reuters, London :

British Prime Minister Theresa May will make two speeches on Brexit in the coming weeks to provide more details setting out the country's path to leaving the European Union.

Britain is hoping to seal a transition deal next month to smooth its exit from the EU, and reach agreement on a long-term trade agreement later this year. However, Brussels said last week a transition deal was not a certainty and that London needed to clarify what it wanted from the EU.

May's government will aim to address that in a series of six speeches by the prime minister and other senior ministers in the next few weeks, which her office dubbed "The Road to Brexit".

"Brexit is a defining moment in the history of our nation," a source in May's office said.

"As we move along the road to that future, we will set out more detail so people can see how this new relationship will benefit communities in every part of our country."

May's first speech, to be delivered at a conference in Munich next Saturday, will set out the security relationship Britain wants with the EU. She will deliver another setting out Britain's future partnership, although a date for that has yet to be confirmed.

Foreign minister Boris Johnson, a leading Brexit advocate, will begin the 'Road to Brexit' series with a speech on Wednesday, described by May's office as a "rallying cry to those on both sides of the Brexit debate."

Brexit minister David Davis will outline how Britain's businesses can maintain their global reputation after Brexit in an as yet unscheduled speech. Trade minister Liam Fox and cabinet minister David Lidington will also give speeches.

Finance minister Philip Hammond, seen as the most pro-EU member of May's cabinet, will not give a speech.

The EU would deny Britain the Brexit transition period requested by Theresa May if ongoing disagreements in negotiations are not resolved, Michel Barnier has warned.

The European Commission's chief negotiator told reporters in Brussels that a transition period was "not a given" and that "there will undoubtedly be a problem" if the UK sticks to its guns.

The UK is at odds with Brussels in a number of areas: it has demanded a power to object to new rules imposed on it during the transition period, restrictions on the rights of EU citizens who come to Britain during the transition, and the ability to opt in to certain European policies.

The EU says its plan for the transition agreed by the 27 member states, which does not include these aspects, is "logical" and "non-negotiable".

Talks also appeared to be making little headway on Friday after Mr Barnier accused the UK of cancelling a planned meeting due to a "diary clash". But British officials immediately denied cancelling the meeting and said it had merely been moved to the afternoon.




Pakistan's exports increase by 11.11pc in 7 months

Xinhua, Islamabad :

Pakistani export surged by 11.11 percent during first seven months of the current fiscal year ranging from July 2017 to June 2018 as compared to exports during the same period of the preceding year, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

The country's exports rose to 12.966 billion U.S. dollars during July 2017 to January 2018 against the exports worth of 11.67 billion U.S. dollars during the same period of the fiscal year 2016-17, according to trade data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Friday.

While on the year-on-year basis, Pakistan's exports rose to 1.971 billion U.S. dollars in January 2018 against 1.775 billion U.S. dollars in January 2017 thus registering an increase of 11.04 percent.

However, on monthly basis, the country's exports decreased by 0.3 percent during the month of January 2018 against the same period last years.

The country's imports increased by 14.2 percent in January 2018, thus further expanding the trade deficit to 23.97 percent.

On the other hand, the imports into the country also witnessed an increase of 18.92 percent as it jumped to 34.512 billion U.S. dollars during July 2017 to January 2018 from 29.021 billion U.S. dollars in the same period of previous year.

During the first seven months of the fiscal year, the trade deficit expanded by 24.18 percent to 21.546 billion U.S. dollars as compared to the deficit of 17.351 billion U.S. dollars in the corresponding period of last year.
No more pay cuts under austerity drive in chad

AFP, N'djamena :

Chad's finance minister says the country will not impose further cuts on civil servants' pay this year, after strikes and protests erupted over one of the most unpopular measures in an austerity programme.

"There won't be further cuts this year," the finance and budget minister, Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul, told AFP in an interview on Thursday.

The government last month reduced civil servants' bonus pay by 50 percent, adding to a previous 50-percent cut in 2016.

Income tax was also hiked but "the lowest-income workers are now exempt" from it, Sabre Fadoul said.

The impoverished state is enforcing cuts in public spending that the finance ministry says are vital to stave off bankruptcy.

But the cuts have increased social tension and anger towards President Idriss Deby, in power since 1990.

Trade unions initiated an indefinite general strike in the state sector on January 29, and followed this with strikes in the private sector on Monday and Tuesday.

They also called for a "Day of Anger" on Thursday, but the protest drew only a meagre turnout amid tight security.

Chad's economy has been badly hit by a downturn in the price of oil exports since 2015.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) opened up a three-year $312 million (254 million euro) credit line last June under a stabilisation programme.


Court, EC to settle Khaleda's election participation issue

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Sunday said the court and the Election Commission will take the final decision whether BNP chief Khaleda Zia will be able to participate in the upcoming national election.

"The government is not scared of any threat. The law will take its own course...the government has no control over it," he said. The minister came up with the remarks while replying to queries from reporters about Khaleda Zia's participation in the upcoming election after inaugurating 22 Judicial Administration Training Course for the District and Sessions Judge or Equivalent Judicial Officers at JATI. Mentioning that the government does not want to keep anyone out of the parliamentary election, the law minister said if anyone cannot participate in the election because of the constitution and law, then the government has nothing to do with it.

Anisul said, there are certain procedures after BNP Chairperson's verdict and they can appeal to the High Court seeking bail. The independent judicial system will take action according to the appeal, he added.

While inaugurating the five-day training course, Anisul said the government is working for infrastructural development in judicial sector and this course is one of these processes. The minister also urged the judges to increase the reputation of judicial sector through quick, neutral and honest judgment.

Law and Justice division secretary Abu Saleh Sk Md. Zahirul Haque and Director General of Judicial Administration Training Institute Justice Khondker Musa Khaled also spoke on the occasion.
UK FS meets Suu Kyi on Rohingya crisis

Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi (L) shakes hands with Britain\'s Foreign Minister Boris Johnson at the start of their meeting in Naypyidaw, in a photo taken and released on February 11, 2018 by Myanmar\'s Ministry of Information. Photo: AFP

AFP :

Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson met with Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar's capital on Sunday to press for action on the Rohingya crisis, as the country faces mounting pressure to punish troops accused of atrocities against the Muslim minority. Johnson spoke with the embattled Myanmar leader, whose reputation among the international community has plunged over her handling of the crisis, in Naypyidaw while on a four-day tour in Asia.

The meeting followed Johnson's visit to a refugee camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, where nearly 700,000 Rohingya have sought sanctuary in squalid settlements since a Myanmar army crackdown in northern Rakhine last August. The UN has accused Myanmar of driving the Muslim minority across the border in an ethnic cleansing campaign. Doctors Without Borders estimates at least 6,700 Rohingya died in the first month of violence. But Myanmar has staunchly denied the charges and blocked UN investigators from the conflict zone, souring relations with a host of western allies.

Fresh reports of mass graves in Rakhine-and the arrest of two Reuters journalists investigating an alleged massacre-have heaped new pressure on Suu Kyi to condemn the army, who she is in a delicate power-sharing arrangement with. But the Nobel laureate has refused to change tack and is accused by critics of bunkering down in a siege mentality. On Sunday Johnson and Suu Kyi "discussed in an open and friendly manner the latest developments in Rakhine State, including planning for the reception of returnees who fled", Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a Facebook post alongside photos of the pair meeting.

Ahead of the talks the UK's foreign office said Johnson would press for an "end to the suffering in Rakhine and the safe and voluntary return of the refugees". Johnson is scheduled to visit Rakhine later on Sunday.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have inked a deal to bring refugees back to northern Rakhine, but repatriation has yet to begin. Many Rohingya do not feel safe returning to a country where they have faced violent persecution and decades of discrimination at the hands of a state that has denied them citizenship.

Others have no home to return to after their villages were torched in the military crackdown. Johnson is scheduled to fly on to Bangkok Sunday for a two-day visit that will include meetings with junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha and the Thai chairman of an advisory board on the Rohingya crisis. Veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson dramatically stepped down from the board last month, saying he could not in "good conscience" sit on a panel he feared would only "whitewash" the causes of the Rohingya crisis.
Jail not for leading a luxurious life: Quader



Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said jail is not a place for leading a luxurious life or for spending leisure time.

Quader made the remarks while relying to queries from reporters at his ministry about division for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and allowing housemaid for her in jail. "The BNP chief is getting facilities available in all jails as per jail code," said Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister.

Mentioning that during 11/1 period, the two former prime ministers were not provided with any housemaid in the sub-jail, Quader said there is no such example to allow domestic help with great leaders like Moulana Bhasani and Bangabandhu in prison. Asked why Khaleda Zia has been kept at an abandoned building, the minister clarified that it is not an abandoned building at all. "She has been kept at the office of jail superintendent after its renovation, and it is a well- furnished one."

About bringing back four other convicts in the Zia Orphanage Trust Graft Case, including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, Quader said Interpol has already been informed officially about the matter.

Replying to queries about other corrupt politicians, Quader said the verdict against Khaleda Zia is a cautionary signal for other corrupt politicians. Two ministers of the incumbent government are regularly appearing before court in cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). A lawmaker is serving jail term in a murder case and 100 Chhatra League activists and a good number of Awami League activists are now in jail, said Quader adding," This proves that we don't spare anybody. During the BNP regime, there was no such example." A special court here on Thursday convicted former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the much-talked-about Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
29 involved in question paper leakage held

Internet services to remain suspended for 30 minutes before exam

DB police arrested 14 suspects of SSC question paper leakage from different areas of the city on Saturday night. About 23 mobile sets along with Taka two lakh 24 thousands in cash were recovered from their possessions.

Staff Reporter :

At least 29 people allegedly involved with Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations' question paper leakage have been arrested from Dhaka, Mymensingh, Naogaon and Sherpur districts.

The Detective Branch of Police and the National Security Intelligence personnel arrested them during drives from Saturday night.

The law enforcers recovered one laptop, 23 smart phones and Tk 2 lakh cash from their procession.

The arrestees distributed the question papers in exchange for Tk 500-2000 using social media and mobile communication platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and IMO, the detective sources said.

The arrestees confessed their link to question paper leakage using different social networking sites and OTT apps during preliminary interrogation.

Abdul Baten, Joint Commissioner of Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, at a press briefing said, "It is hardly possible for the examinees to get benefit from the question paper leakage as the real question papers are leaked just 30 to 40 minutes before the examination starts from the exam centres."

The arrestees have been identified as Md Rahat Islam, Md Salahuddin, Md Sujon, Md Zahid Hossain, Sufal Roy alias Shaon, Al Amin, Saidul Islam, Abir Islam Noman, Shahadat Hossain alias Swapon, Fahim Islam, Tahsib Rahman, three brothers Aman Ullah, Barkat Ullah, and Ahsanullah. They were arrested from different parts of the Dhaka city. Ahsanullah is a student of Sirajul Islam Medical College.

In another drive, DB personnel arrested eight persons, including five guardians and three SSC examinees, on charge of question paper leakage early yesterday from different parts of Mymensingh division.

The detainees are Israt Jahan, 25, Ariful Islam, 18, Rakib Mia, 18, Rafiqul Islam, 20, Khairul Islam, 16, Zakaria, 16, Fazle Rabbi Rumi, 16 and Sourav Barman, 16, from three centres of Mymensingh," Officer-in-Charge Ashikur Rahman of Mymensingh district DB told newsmen.

During the drives conducted in different parts of Naogaon, the NSI personnel arrested seven persons, including two teachers early Sunday.

The arrestees are Al Mamun, 29, Zahid Hasan Iman, 16, Mortuza Ahmed Hadi, 16, Provat Kumar Mohonto, 16, Anwar Hossain, 30, Zohirul Islam, 16, and Israfil Alam, 16.

At least 30 people, including teachers and examinees' relatives, have been detained or arrested so far in connection with the question leakage in different parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the detectives suggested turning off the mobile phones of those who are involved in handling question papers right before examinations start.

The list will include people from peons to upper-level officials.

Abdul Baten said, in Dhaka someone takes a snapshot of the question paper when it reaches the examination centres from deputy commissioner's office on the day of the examination.

These people then spread and distribute the snapshots 35-40 minutes before the start of the day's examination, he said.

Police are yet to identify the perpetrators, the police official said.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid had earlier accused "dishonest teachers" of taking photos of question papers and leaking them but on Saturday the SSC Mathematics questions were leaked at a time when the scripts did not even reach the examination centres.

Images of handwritten questions circulating social media sites and messenger groups made it clear that there were other actors involved in it.

Amid widespread criticism about the SSC question paper leakage, the Education Ministry is on hard line to check the leakage. In the meantime, the ministry has taken many initiatives in this regard.

Secretary (Secondary and Higher Education Division) of Education Ministry Sohrab Hossain said, "We will check the question paper leakage at any cost. We are changing our strategy every day to nab the perpetrators of the question papers leakage. I think everyone involved in the leakage will be arrested soon."

Following the Education Ministry's direction the telecom operators stalled internet connections for over an hour before the SSC examination on information and communication technology started on Sunday.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission conducted the operation to prevent question leaks in the board exams, a BTRC official said.

The SSC and its equivalent examinations started on February 1. The three-hour examinations start at 10:00am.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said he would urge regulators to block Facebook for a certain period after reports of question leaks surfaced over the past few days.

An official of a telecom company said BTRC had issued a letter calling on them to snap the connections at 9:00am but it was 9:30am when they were finally able to oblige due to technical glitches.

Mobile data traffic dropped across the country for an hour, said Suman Ahmed Sabir, Chief Strategy Officer of International Internet Gateway Fibre@Home.

However, the services of internet providers or ISPs remained unharmed, said MA Hakim, President of Internet Service Providers Association Bangladesh.
Police stand guard as security was beefed up around the old Dhaka Central Jail where BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia being imprisoned. This photo was taken on Sunday.
20-Party Alliance backs BNP prog for Khaleda`s release

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir presiding over the meeting with senior leaders of 20-party alliance at party office on Sunday discussing the alliance\'s joint strategy centering BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia\'s 5-year jail.

Staff Reporter :

The 20-Party Alliance on Sunday expressed solidarity with all the programmes announced by BNP and decided to actively take part in those demanding Khaleda Zia's release from jail.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the disclosure after a meeting of the alliance last night.

"The 20-Party alliance has expressed solidarity with all the programmes taken by BNP for our leader's (Khaleda) release. They will also actively participate in the programmes,"he said.

At the meeting, Fakhrul said, the alliance leaders strongly protested and condemned Khaleda Zia's conviction.

He said they also demanded the government to immediately withdraw the 'false' case and release Khaleda unconditionally.

The BNP leader said their meeting also urged the government to release all the arrested leaders and activists of BNP and its alliance partners.

Asked who will now lead the 20-party alliance in absence of Khaleda, Fakhrul said their Chairperson is still the main leader of the alliance. "But, I'm now working as a coordinator of it."

Earlier in the day, top leaders of the BNP-led alliance sat in a meeting at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office last night to discuss the evolving situation following the jailing of Khaleda Zia, and work out its next course of action.

Fakhrul said BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman addressed the meeting through mobile phone from London.

He urged the 20-Party leaders to form a people's platform and national unity.

The alliance partners supported it, the BNP leader added.

BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and top leaders of the alliance were present at the meeting.

This was the first meeting of the alliance after Khaleda landed in jail on Thursday last.

On Saturday, BNP standing committee members had a meeting with party chairperson's advisers, vice chairmen and joint secretaries general.

A special court here convicted Khaleda and sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on Thursday.

Jamaat-e-Islami's central executive council member Abdul Halim, Jatiya Party's Mostafa Jamal Haider, BJP's chairman Andalib Rahman Parth, Kalyan Party chairman Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, LDP's Redwan Ahmed, Jagpa President Prof Rehana Pradhan, NAP chairman Jebel Rahman Ghani, chairman of People's League Newaz, Fariduzzaman Farhad of NPP, Labor Park Ira Saiful Rahman Iran, Islamic aikyejotera (part) Abdur Rakib, based NAP ajaharula, Jamiat Ulema Islam, Mufti Mohiuddin, Saifuddin Muni Democratic League, Bangladesh Muslim League HM karujjamana, NDP Khandaker Golam Murtaza, the Communist Party, Sayeed Ahmed were also present.
Khaleda gets division after court order

Staff Reporter :

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who was jailed for five years in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, got the facilities of first class division as a Dhaka court on Sunday ordered the jail authorities to provide her the facilities.

The judge of the Special Court-5, Dr. Md Akhtaruzzaman, passed the order after considering a petition moved by Khaleda Zia's lawyer Sanaullah Miah seeking division for her in jail.

The lawyer also submitted another petition for providing certified copy of the judgment as early as possible as they would file an appeal with the High Court challenging the lower court verdict in this case.

According to the jail code, a prisoner, who is provided with the division, gets a bed, a table, chair, a newspaper and a television in the prison.

While asked, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Sunday said the government has already executed the court's order that provided Khaleda with the division.

"We have already taken necessary steps in jail for BNP Chief Khaleda Zia considering her the former Prime Minister and also her social dignity," the Minister said while he was talking to reporters after a meeting at Secretariat in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Prisons Syed Iftekhar Uddin said, "According to the 1964 and 2006 jail code, there is no mention of former Prime Minister enjoying division facilities in the jail."

In the jail code current lawmakers and former presidents only get division facilities, Inspector General of Prisons told journalists during a press briefing at Directorate of Prisons in Bakshibazar of Dhaka.

"Khaleda Zia is kept as a general prisoner, because providing division facilities are the court's jurisdiction," the IG said.

However, given her social status and her physical condition, the three-time Prime Minister is enjoying certain facilities that are not provided to general prisoners, the official said.

Soon after the verdict was delivered on Thursday, Khaleda Zia landed at the Old Central Jail at Nazimuddin Road in Dhaka.

Since then, BNP senior leaders has been accusing the government of keeping the party's Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a solitary confinement at the "abandoned" Dhaka Central Jail and alleged that Khleda Zia is not being treated well there.

The government would be held responsible if anything bad happened to her in jail, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a press conference at the Party Chief's Gulshan office on Saturday night.

After meeting Khaleda Zia at jail on Saturday, BNP senior leader Moudud Ahmed alleged that she (Khaleda) has been kept in the jail just like any other ordinary prisoner. It is the violation of the Jail Code because she is supposed to get division [status] as a former Prime Minister and the Chief of a political party.

The government, however, claims that Khaleda Zia is being treated as a "first class prisoner", getting all her due benefits.

The special court also sentenced Khaleda's eldest son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, and four others to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Tk 2.10 crore each.

The Anti-Corruption Commission had filed the case with Ramna Police Station in July 2008, accusing Khaleda Zia and the five convicts of misappropriating over Tk 2.1 crore that had come from a foreign bank as grants for orphans.
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UNSC must halt disastrous march of Myanmar's ethnic cleansing of Rohingya

Matthew Wells :

Abdu Salam stayed in his village as Myanmar soldiers and local vigilantes burned down dozens of homes there last August. He stayed as news spread of atrocities that soldiers had committed in other Rohingya villages across northern Rakhine State. He stayed because Hpon Nyo Leik village was his home, the only home he'd known, and he wanted to protect his family's property and right to live there.

But when, at the end of 2017, the Myanmar military's starvation tactics left Abdu Salam's family struggling to find food, they were forced to join the exodus to Bangladesh.

On 13 February, the UN Security Council will be briefed again on the situation in Myanmar. The briefing comes as the Myanmar government says it's ready to start repatriating people from Bangladesh. But the military's efforts to drive the Rohingya population out of the country haven't even ground to a halt. The Security Council's inaction, amid a weak international response to the ongoing crimes against humanity, has been a key part of the problem.

Abdu Salam and I sat in his recently erected bamboo shelter at the edge of Kutupalong Extension, the ever-growing refugee camp in southern Bangladesh that houses most of the 688,000 Rohingya who have fled Myanmar since last August. He was with his wife and six children, including his baby son, visibly emaciated, who slept in a makeshift crib that hung from the shelter's ceiling.

His family arrived in Bangladesh in early January, among the hundreds who still cross the border each week. As part of our latest research in Bangladesh, my Amnesty International colleagues and I interviewed 19 men and women from this newest wave of refugees. I heard the same story again and again: the Myanmar military squeezed them out of northern Rakhine State by driving them to the brink of starvation.

Abdu Salam told me he used to go to the hill near his village and collect wood to sell at market. But even before the current crisis began, that source of livelihood was cut off, due to the severe movement restrictions imposed on the Rohingya population, as part of the conditions of apartheid under which they have lived.

Then, following the 25 August attacks on around 30 security force outposts by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the Myanmar military unleashed a campaign of violence against the Rohingya across northern Rakhine State. Our October 2017 report documented in detail the military's crimes against humanity, including the widespread killing of Rohingya men, women and children; rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls; forced deportation; and the targeted burning of villages. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) estimates that at least 6,700 people were killed in the first month of the crisis. The UN, other rights organizations, and media outlets have all painted the same, devastating picture.

Hpon Nyo Leik village was spared the worst of the military's violence. But security forces arrested Abdu Salam's 14-year-old son, accusing him of involvement with ARSA. To secure the boy's release, the family scraped together almost their entire savings. It's one of many examples of arrest-for-extortion we have long documented.

In the months after 25 August, movement restrictions grew even tighter for the remaining Rohingya, and already strict curfews were extended. Soldiers and vigilantes looted and torched Rohingya markets or, as in Hpon Nyo Leik, restricted market access to people holding a National Verification Card (NVC), a temporary identification document that most of the Rohingya community rejects, since it fails to recognise them as citizens.

Even as pressure mounted and hundreds of thousands left, many other Rohingya families stayed. Agriculture is central to livelihoods across Rakhine State, and the harvest season for rice, the area's staple crop, occurs in November and December. Stockpiles from the previous harvest began to run low.

The Myanmar military must have known what was to follow when, in many Rohingya villages, it then blocked people from going to their paddy fields.

As the harvest started, Abdu Salam worked for several days. "Then the soldiers came and said, 'This harvest is not your harvest'," he told me. "There were many [of us] harvesting there. All of us were forced to leave." Soon after, he saw non-Rohingya villagers using machinery to harvest the same crops.

With no food for their six children, except occasional handouts of a little rice from wealthier neighbours, Abdu Salam's family fled in late December, joined by others facing the same situation. Even before the August attacks and subsequent lockdown, the World Food Programme warned that malnutrition rates in northern Rakhine State were at emergency levels.

As Rohingya families fled toward the coast in recent weeks, Myanmar forces dealt a final blow by systematically robbing them at checkpoints. More than a dozen recent arrivals, including Abdu Salam, described to me the worst such checkpoint, near Sein Hnyin Pyar village tract in Buthidaung Township. There, soldiers separate men from women; search sacks and bodies, often sexually assaulting women in the process; and steal whatever of value they find, including money, jewellery, clothes, and phones.

Though the tactics may have changed, it should come as no surprise that the military's ruthless campaign races forward. In the midst of its almost incomprehensively-efficient ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population, some states around the world have expressed alarm or even condemned the atrocities. But the international community has taken almost no concrete action.

The Security Council must finally act, and send a clear, united message to the Myanmar military that atrocities must stop, and there will be no more impunity for its crimes. To start, the Security Council should impose a comprehensive arms embargo, as well as targeted financial sanctions on senior officials implicated in serious rights violations. It should explore avenues to bring to justice perpetrators of crimes under international law. And it should call on Myanmar to dismantle the apartheid system that forms the backdrop of the current crisis.

In addition, the Security Council must demand that Myanmar authorities provide full and sustained aid access throughout the country, as well as access to independent investigators, including the UN Fact-Finding Mission. It should also demand that Myanmar respect a free press and immediately release two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, being detained and prosecuted simply for carrying out their reporting work on the military's atrocities.

The Security Council has to quickly decide which side of history it wants to be on. With each day it fails to act, more people like Abdu Salam are forced to flee.



(Matthew Wells is a Senior Crisis Advisor at Amnesty International, and has just returned from two weeks of research in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh).


Khaleda will secure bail: say pro-AL lawyers

risingbd.com :

Pro-Awami League (AL) lawyers opined that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia who was sent to jail in a graft case will secure bail at High Court (HC).

At the same time, they also urged BNP-backed lawyers not to create smog over her (Khaleda) conviction.

Pro-Awami League lawyers came up with the statement in a press briefing on Sunday. Former law minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed said, Article 66 of Bangladesh constitution stipulates that a person is not eliglble for election as, or for being, a Member of Parliament if he has been convicted for a criminal offence involving moral turpitude and sentenced to suffer imprisonment of two years or more unless a period of five years has elapsed since his release. Khaleda Zia can appeal with High Court and will also secure bail. She can also seek stay of the punishment. At this circumstance, if someone files an appeal petition, he can participate in election until the trial ends. So, it should not be created any debate over Khaledas participation in polls. Law will run with its own speed, he added. Abdul Matin Khasru, former law minister of Awami League, said, A court sentenced Khaleda Zia. Here, the government has nothing to do. High Court usually grants bail to a convict if he/she sentenced till five years. So, Khaleda Zia will also get bail. Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, member secretary of Bangabandhu Awami Ainjibi Parishad, said, Rule of law has been established through the verdict of Khaleda Zias graft case. Now she will appeal for bail. The court will consider whether she secures bail or not. And now she can secure bail through legal procedures.




US official visits BNP office

risingbd.com :

An official of US embassy in Dhaka suddenly visited BNP central office of Nayapaltan in the capital on Sunday afternoon.

The US official, known as the first secretary of US embassy, met the party's senior joint general secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed at the office.

He entered BNP office along with a translator around 5:00pm on the day.

However, it was not clear immediately why he visited BNP office.

The Party's Central Assistant Office Secretary Belal Ahmed, who was then staying at the office, also said that he does not know name of the US official.

He, however, said he was from US embassy in Dhaka.

Belal Ahmed said, "The US official met Rizvi alone and talked to him. He left the office around 5:30pm."
BNP politics shows positive change

The imprisonment of Begum Khaleda Zia in a politically controversial graft case has definitely come as a blow to BNP politics but it is also true that we are witnessing a big turning point of BNP politics over the past few days by not resorting to violence to protest her imprisonment.



When the leaders of Awami League celebrated victory over the jail sentence of Begum Zia, BNP men also exercised critical restraint. The BNP party men very distinctly showed a new rend towards peaceful political protests avoiding violence in street action and instead they are organising masses to gather public support behind to their cause.



The rejection of violence by BNP men such as street vandalism, torching of vehicles and fighting pitch battles with ruling party cadres has been widely viewed by common people as a good move towards positive party politics.



BNP men has the right to organize protests and demand release of party chief so long as they will be peaceful and non-violent. This is perhaps for the first time they did not give the ruling party the opportunity to turn their protest into bloody, violent act.



BNP men were in huge number in the city streets and all over on Thursday to face ruling party cadres and raise their protests but they consciously avoided it.



This is no doubt a distinctly qualitative change in BNP politics that did not miss attention of even the common people. The question is how long will BNP be able to sustain such non-violent politics in facing ruling partys provocations, torture and arrest in the election year.



We must say people are quite conscious, they are not fool and watching the development. Police, army and public administration are also not keeping their eyes closed. Saving democracy and establishing the rule of law is the responsibility of all for maintaining law and order.



Meanwhile indiscriminate arrests by police in the city and elsewhere throughout the country had terrorized the nation. None had come to create chaos in the city. Police could have avoided such arrests. They need to be peoples police. Now that the innocent ones must be released at the earliest.



We must say it is time for both the major political parties to denounce violent politics. People want peace and politics must be peaceful in the first place.



Now that Begum Zias conviction is achieved, the government has to prove now how honest it is in pursuing big corruption cases going unattended.




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Raccoon/archives Distemper symptoms in dogs

An incident with a raccoon suffering distemper led to a second-hand warning about an unspecified virus when Toronto police re-broadcast information from Toronto Animal Control on Sunday. It is now said a raccoon captured at St. Clair Ave East and Danforth Rd. was suffering from distemper, but was not rabid. For humans, the information is concerning because while distemper will not make humans ill it can make them carriers of the distemper virus which may then be communicated to pets. Here is an extract from Vetinfo describing this concern.

OWNERS CAN INFECT PETS WITH DISTEMPER

Distemper is closely linked with the measles virus in humans. The two diseases are so similar, in fact, that it is speculated by medical historians and pathologists that the measles virus may have mutated at some point and spread to dogs. Because of this close link between the two, human beings can be infected with the canine distemper virus. However, an important thing to note is that, while the virus can successfully replicate in the human system, it produces no illness and no symptoms. Unfortunately, this does mean that you can be a carrier of the disease and that you, as a human, can then pass the distemper virus on to your pets. Therefore, if youve previously owned a pet that suffered from distemper, its a good idea to ensure that any pet that you get later on be vaccinated against the disease before it comes into your home, just in case you might pass distemper on to it.
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Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial centre in Abu Dhabi, held an event to welcome BNP Paribas Group, one of the worlds largest international banks, in establishing its branch within the ADGM jurisdiction.



The event was attended by Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Princes Court, and Edouard Philippe, the Prime Minister of the Republic of France.



The event was hosted jointly by Ahmed Al Sayegh, chairman of ADGM and Jean Lemierre, chairman of BNP Paribas Group; and it was attended by more than 200 industry leaders and corporate clients.



BNP Paribas received the Financial Services licence from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM to conduct regulated activities and provide services to its clients.



Al Sayegh said: We extend our sincere congratulations to BNP Paribas Group and welcome them to ADGM. I would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Excellency Edouard Philippe for their presence and witnessing this occasion with us. We greatly value BNP Paribas long-standing commitment to Abu Dhabi and the UAE.



The new BNP Paribas branch signals a significant step in the development of ADGM as an international financial centre. We look forward to growing together with BNP Paribas and catering to the dynamic needs of the industry in this region, added Al Sayegh.



The inauguration of the new BNP Paribas branch reflects the Groups commitment to financing the development of Abu Dhabi and to accompany its investments on an international level, notably in Europe. It will also enable us to further develop our relationships with our corporate and institutional clients in the region, said Jean Lemierre.



Prior to the event, Sheikh Hamed met with the French Prime Minister at ADGM Authorities Building on Al Maryah Island to further the discussion on strengthening cooperation and friendly relations between the UAE and France.



Both parties will explore additional avenues for economic and investment-related cooperation between the two countries. Acknowledging the importance of diversifying and expanding the scope of their mutual ties, the discussion focused in particular on joint investment ventures.



The meeting also discussed the current ties between the two countries on the corporate and institutional levels, and how they can leverage each others diverse range of resources and capabilities to bolster development programmes in both countries.  TradeArabia News Service
Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (Dafza) has officially inaugurated the new office of Ireland-based Aerogen, a leading provider of acute care aerosol drug delivery for major hospitals globally, in the free zone.



Dafzas director general Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni was joined by Jim Daly, Irish Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People; Paul Kavanagh, Ambassador of Ireland to the UAE and John Power, Founder and CEO of Aerogen, along with other Irish and Dafza officials, at the event.



The opening is part of Aerogen's continuing expansion efforts across the Middle East  aiming to ensure the availability of high-performance inhaling devices for healthcare providers in the region, said a statement.



According to Dafza, Aerogens new office will serve as a hub for the Middle East to ensure timely delivery of critical healthcare equipment in the region for the treatment of various respiratory illnesses, it said.



The opening follows after Ireland expressed its eagerness to drive in a 40 per cent increase in its exports to the UAE--looking to reach Dh8.61 billion ($2.34 billion) before 2020. In view of this, the inauguration of Aerogens new facilities in Dafza is expected to play a key role in the further consolidation of trade relations between the two countries and to attract more Irish companies to set up businesses in the UAE, it added.



Dr Al Zarooni said: This is an auspicious start for our latest key partner from Ireland, which embodies our freezones commitment to assembling some of the best names in healthcare in Dubai.



The opening of Aerogens new office demonstrates Dafzas strategy to drive in more foreign direct investments (FDI) across various industries, especially in healthcare, and to also provide key support for the country's economic diversification policy through the achievement of Dubai Plan 2021, which has named the development of a global health system as one of its top priorities, he said.



This inauguration provides a timely opportunity for us to celebrate the UAEs blossoming relations with Ireland and share with you how we can help Irish companies achieve their ambitions and grow beyond their expectations, he added.



Dr Al Zarooni continued: We are delighted to include Aerogen among the global members of our elite healthcare fraternity. To date, 45 per cent of our healthcare customers are multinational companies. Moreover, we are confident that our presence at this year's Arab Health will further reinforce our efforts to support the move to position Dubai as a major national and regional treatment centre.



We are excited as well to introduce you to opportunities to benefit from, and complement, the objectives of Dubai Health Strategy 2021 and the overarching UAE Vision 2021 development agenda, which aspires to establish a world-class health system. We highly appreciate Aerogens trust in us as the best place to pursue growth in Dubai, the UAE and the region. We assure you that we will always be within your reach to provide all the necessary support to ensure your success, he concluded.



Power said: We are pleased to announce the opening of our new regional Middle East office in Dubai based in the Dubai Airport Freezone. We have taken the decision to expand our Middle East team and open the Dubai office in order to get closer to our customers and support its growth in the Middle East region.



Our Dubai office is an integral part of our growth strategy and the investment in it demonstrates the companys long-term vision to developing and supporting its customers in the Middle East region. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dafza for all the help extended to us during the process of establishing our office within their premises, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
GWC, a leading logistics provider in Qatar, has posted net profits of QR215.5 million ($58.5 million) in 2017, representing an increase of 4.7 per cent in comparison with QR205.7 million in net profits listed for 2016.



The company has maintained its growth by increasing its operational efficiency, and actively seeking new revenue streams, drawing in gross revenues of QR966.9 million at the end of 2017, representing 13.8 per cent increase from QR849.5 million in 2016.



The companys assets continued to develop, with total assets reaching QR3.774 billion by the end of December 2017, compared with QR3.741 billion at the end of December 2016.



The company held its Ordinary Assembly General Meeting on February 5 at the Four Seasons Hotel Doha, and chaired by GWC chairman Sheikh Abdullah bin Fahad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani and was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, GWCs external auditors KPMG, the companys shareholders, and media representatives.



The Board of Directors has proposed to distribute a cash dividend of 17 per cent the nominal share value (QR1.7per share).



The company has validated its position this year as a bona fide national asset when it harnessed its varied strengths in a seamless, effective manner when our country needed it most, said Sheikh Abdulla.



It brought into play the companys proven competencies in operational management, customized solutions and personnel deployment, displaying a remarkable level of acumen and adaptability  a determined, decisive exercise in solidarity that immensely benefited the nation and its people.



The general assembly has gathered following a year of achievement for the company, with the GWC Bu Sulba Warehousing Park was launched on schedule during Q1 2017, representing the countries first fruit of Public Private Partnership (PPP).



GWC departments have continued to widen their client base, particularly in the Government and Oil & Gas sectors, with major projects being initiated and completed in record time in Doha and Ras Laffan Industrial city.



The companys niche departments, such as Fine Art and Equestrian have also worked diligently to bring in a number of projects while working on the nations biggest events. In our endeavour as the authorized service contractor for UPS, the company has grown its market share in the local market and enlarged its footprint through strategic partnerships.



GWC, through its well-founded infrastructure and innovative systems and solutions, has stood by the nation through the extraordinary circumstances its been experiencing lately, added Sheikh Abdulla.



We remain committed to delivering the best, partnering with our nation in our collective quest for excellence, confident that in so doing we will remain on the path towards continued growth in the near future and far, God willing.  TradeArabia News Service
Khalifa Industrial Zone of Abu Dhabi (Kizad) has signed an agreement with Shaheen Chem Investment for the land lease of a two-phase chemical complex in the industrial zone with an expected investment of Dh4 billion ($1.08 billion).



The plant will support the UAEs growing chemical manufacturing sector as well as supply major industrial giants such as Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) with raw material, said a statement from Kizad.



Shaheen Chem Investment will also pioneer the production of ethylene dichloride in the UAE, showcasing Kizads role as an industrial hub for the country.



The complex will come up over a dedicated 330,000 sq m area in Kizad, in addition to a dedicated port terminal at Khalifa Port, it stated.



The first phase of the plant is expected to produce 130,000 tonnes per year of caustic soda for EGAs Al Taweelah alumina refinery and 160,000 tonnes per year of ethylene dichloride.



Upon completion of the second phase, caustic soda production capacity will double and the plant will expand operations with vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride production, said the statement from Kizad.



Rashed Al Suwaidi, the chairman of Shaheen Chem, said: "We now look forward to building our plant at Kizad to supply EGA with the caustic soda it needs. We are also excited to become the first producer of ethylene dichloride in the UAE and to later bringing vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride production to the country as part of phase II of the project."



Abu Dhabi Ports CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said: Since the launch of Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, under the guidance of our wise leaders, we have aimed to support the growing industrialisation of the UAE and diversification of our economy. We are delighted to embark on this partnership with Shaheen Chem Investments, which is an embodiment of our vision of being a world-class, integrated industrial zone.



Through this signing, we are reinforcing our commitment to promote growth and trade as well as providing our valued customers from a wide range sectors convenient access to raw materials and the Khalifa Port facilities, as well as international standard infrastructure, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), one of leading employers of Bahrainis in the Kingdom, recently announced the appointment of Hassan Qader as the manager for Casthouse Maintenance &Services.



Qader joined Alba in 1998 as a trainee in Casthouse Electrical Department following which he was promoted to higher grades in the same department as well as Casthouse 1 and 3.



In 2011, he was appointed as Electrical &Automation Engineer in Casthouse 1, 2& 3 and in 2014, he was promoted to Electrical & Instrument Superintendent in Casthouse 1, 2& 3. Qader has been the acting Manager for the Casthouse Maintenance &Services Department since May 2017.



Albas chief executive officer Tim Murray, said: Alba is committed to promote from within all the while provide opportunities for Bahraini nationals to empower them to take-up higher roles. Hassan has demonstrated good managerial skills and I am confident that he will contribute to the growth and development of his department.



Qader holds MBA from the French Arabian Business School / ESSEC in addition to his Bachelors Degree in IT & Computer Science.  TradeArabia News Service
Commodity experts from across the world discussed latest industry trends at the fifth Global Commodity Outlook Conference in Dubai, UAE, today.

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), the worlds leading free zone for commodities trade and enterprise in Dubai, and Richcomm Global Services, the Dubai-based international commodity services company, in collaboration with DGCX, welcomed industry experts at Almas Tower for the conference.

The conference was attended by government representatives, industry experts and traders including Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman, DMCC; Nura Abba Rimi, minister plenipotentiary, Embassy of Nigeria; and Omar Khan, director, international offices, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, to discuss the latest commodity trends and sectors, including energy, agriculture, base metals, and precious metals, as well as the macroeconomic outlook for 2018 and the impact of crypto-currencies.

Omar Khan said: Our goal is to support the development of business and promote Dubai as an international business hub. Since 2012, we have been focused on emerging markets and we are among the few chambers in the world to have such a global presence, with four offices in Africa and now a presence in Sao Paulo, and Shanghai. We welcome over 250 delegations and go to over 60 destinations every year. We look forward to working with our partners, including DMCC and the many other free zones who work hard to keep you connected.

Sanjeev Dutta, executive director, commodities, DMCC, added: I am delighted to see that so many industry professionals from a range of areas of activity have been able to join us here today. It is through events like these that we are able to further connect markets and identify new opportunities so we together can lead the next wave of growth. As a market maker for trade, at DMCC, we are naturally passionate about these topics as we do everything we can to lead and operate a global marketplace that enables businesses to succeed.

Paresh Kotecha, managing director, Richcomm Global Services, commented: We are thrilled to be hosting the fifth edition of the Global Commodities Outlook Conference in the presence of a distinguished list of panellists from around the globe. We have gathered industry experts in energy, agriculture, cryptocurrencies and base and precious metals to provide their deepest insights and discuss the latest trends in their respective sectors. Thank you for joining us today as none of this would have been possible without your support and encouragement.

The keynote speeches were followed by a panel discussion on the global macroeconomic outlook, moderated by Andrew Torchia, chief financial correspondent at Thomson Reuters. The discussion focused on the current economic market volatility, described by the panel as a shortage of market event rather than an economic paradigm.

In the session dedicated to the energy sector outlook, the panellists debated the role of Opec in crude supply, particularly given the widely-publicised cuts. There was an overall agreement that Opec is likely to maintain their current levels of production. On the 2018 outlook, an overall slow-down with a slight decline in prices by the end of the year was forecasted.

Esa Ramasamy S&P Global Platts added: Every barrel of oil is transformed into Dubai. Brent and Dubai are interlinked and it is difficult to separate the two.

Agricultural panel experts included Vaughn Marles, DMCC, as moderator; James Wild, director - Wild Agri DMCC; Erik Norland, executive director economics of CME Group; Jonathan Grange, grains broker at Sunstone Brokers; and Sanjay Sethi, director  sustainability at Phoenix Global DMCC. The industry specialists discussed the regional price drivers for global grains and the implications of Chinese and Indian demand for edible oils as well as the impact of weather conditions.

DMCCs own Franco Bosoni, director of innovation hub, took the stage to discuss the rise of cryptocurrencies and the levels of global investment in this field. Bosoni also delved into the disruptive nature of FinTech and how tech-focused start-ups are transforming the financial services industry today.

The conference concluded the conversation with panellists presenting the 2018 outlook for base metals and precious metals. Key spokespeople explored the electric car revolution and its implication on copper, aluminium, lead and zinc pricing.

Speakers from the precious metals industry also explored the latest trends in gold, its value, and how ethical investors are shaping the future of the industry. - TradeArabia News Service
Abu Dhabi yesterday signed an agreement awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent interest in its offshore Lower Zakum concession.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, witnessed the signing of the historic agreement.

The agreement, which has a term of 40 years and an effective date of March 9, 2018, was signed by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Adnoc Group Chief Executive Officer, and member of Abu Dhabis Supreme Petroleum Council and Shashi Shanker, chairman, ONGC Group of companies.

Lower Zakum is one of three new separate concession areas that make up the former ADMA offshore concession, namely Lower Zakum, Umm Shaif and Nasr and Sateh Al Razboot (SARB) and Umm Lulu. The restructuring of concessions is aimed at maximising commercial value, broadening the partner base, expanding technical expertise, and enabling greater market access.

The concession award to the Indian consortium, marks the first-time Indian oil and gas companies have been given a stake in Abu Dhabis hydrocarbon resources.

Speaking at the signing, Prime Minister Modi said: The offshore concession in favour of the Indian consortium has taken our bilateral engagement in the oil and gas sector to a new level, which befits the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries. I am happy to note that we have progressed from a buyer-seller relationship to an era of mutual investments in the oil and gas sector.

The consortium, led by Indias ONGC Videsh, contributed a participation fee of Dh2.2 billion ($600 million) to enter the concession. The concession will be operated by Adnoc Offshore, a subsidiary of Adnoc, on behalf of all concession partners.

Dr Al Jaber said: Our strategic partnership with ONGC, and the other members of the consortium, marks a new chapter in the strategic and economic relationship between the UAE and India. This mutually beneficial partnership will help India meet its growing demand for energy and refined products, create opportunities for ADNOC to increase its market share in a key growth market, and build a solid foundation as ADNOC explores potential international investments, particularly focused on downstream opportunities.

This agreement demonstrates the confidence of the international market in Adnocs long-term production targets and Adnocs strategy to maximise economic value and recovery from its offshore oil and gas resources. This is an attractive and strategic agreement for both parties that will deliver competitive returns and long-term growth opportunities.

The Indian consortium is made up of ONGCs wholly owned subsidiary ONGC Videsh, which has stakes in 39 oil and gas projects, in 18 countries; the Indian Oil Corporation, Indias largest commercial enterprise, encompassing the entire hydrocarbon value chain, which caters to nearly half of Indias petroleum consumption with 11 of Indias 23 refineries a 13,000-km pipelines network and a countrywide marketing set-up of over 47,000 customer touch-points, and Bharat PetroResources, which has stakes in 23 oil and gas assets in 7 countries and is a 100% subsidiary of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited which has interests encompassing the entire hydrocarbon value chain.

Expanded production from its offshore reservoirs is part of Adnocs plans to raise its onshore and offshore production capacity to 3.5 million barrels a day by the end of 2018. Today, Adnocs offshore fields produce about 1.4 million barrels a day.

Adnoc is finalizing opportunities, with potential partners, for the remaining 30 per cent of the available 40 per cent stake in the Lower Zakum offshore concession, earmarked for foreign oil and gas companies.

Alongside the concession award, Adnoc and the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) exchanged agreements, today, to implement the strategic crude oil storage facility, in the southern Indian city of Mangalore. The partnership with ISPRL, an Indian government-owned company mandated to store crude oil for strategic needs, covers the storage of 5.86 million barrels of Adnoc crude oil in underground facilities, at the Karnataka facility.

The oil storage facility will help ensure Indias energy security, as well as enable Adnoc to efficiently and competitively meet market demand in India and across the fast developing south east Asian economies. The decision to establish the strategic reserve was announced, in January 2017, during a visit to India by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. - TradeArabia News Service
The Sharjah Light Festival (SLF) 2018, which highlights the identity of Sharjah as a guiding light for intellectual, cultural, and scientific inspiration, kicked off recently in the Emirate for the eighth consecutive year.



The event, which runs until February 17,is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.



Organized by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), the leading event opened at the Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi Centre.



Sheikh Sultan welcomed the launch of the festival, which made the Sharjah University City witness a spectacular display of light, decorated with millions of glittering lights that celebrate the role of science, knowledge and culture in building generations and future pioneers. He received a commemorative gift from Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of the SCTDA, on the occasion of the launch of this year's event.



The shows, which were witnessed by a large audience at the opening of the festival, were impressive and innovative. They produced beautiful light panels that used latest technology to blend light and music, and reflected the Emirate's identity by embodying the heritage of its architectural buildings to form exquisite works of art.



The exhibition also varied between history, originality, and modernity, and an account of the history of the ancient emirate, with rare paintings of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, on the occasion of the year of Zayed.



The Festival, which is spread across the cities of the emirate, is an invitation to promote intercultural dialogue, especially as it hosts international artists from around the world. This year, 24 artists from 10 different countries will host the most beautiful displays under the direction of the French director Mathieu Felix.



"Over the past seven years, the emirate has managed to organize the Sharjah Light Festival on a world-wide level, and it is comparable to other festivals hosted by major world capitals for decades. Last year, the Festival attracted more than 700,000 people, and it was followed by more than two million people around the world through social media," said Al Midfa.



He added that the Authority has been working over the past seven years to develop the Festival and diversify its activities to achieve its objectives to be consistent and to reaffirm the position of the emirate of Sharjah locally, regionally and globally. The Festival aims to highlight the cultural aspect of the UAE and the emirate of Sharjah in particular as a tourist and cultural destination.



Al Midfa emphasized on the keenness of the Authority to make more efforts to present a new and distinguished light festival year after year, to achieve the objectives of Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021.



The Sharjah Light Festival will be held in 18 locations inside and outside the emirate of Sharjah. These include: Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi Center for Gulf Studies; Sharjah University City Campus Avenue; University City Hall; Police Academy; Khalid Lagoon; Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Qassimi Mosque in Dibba Al Hasn; Planning and Survey Department in Khorfakkan; Khorfakkan Municipality; Kalba City Municipality Council; the Directorate of Human Resources in Kalba and the Municipality Building of Al Hamriyah Town for the first time.



Daily performances will be held from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm on weekdays and from 6:00 pm to 12:00 midnight on weekends.  TradeArabia News Service
The last weekend of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) was the most rewarding period for shoppers, as more than Dh1.5 million ($408,200) worth of prizes were given away at the final weekend draws held at Global Village.



A total of 50 shoppers got lucky during the last weekend of DSF, which concluded on January 27, with each of them taking home life-changing prizes including luxury cars, gold or cash. One winner was lucky enough to take home a Nissan Patrol in the Nissan Grand Raffle.



In the Infiniti Mega Raffle, four lucky winners each took home Dh50,000 in cash with three additional winners taking home a brand-new Infiniti QX60 and Dh150,000 in cash each.



To mark the end of Dubai Gold and Jewellery Groups exciting gold promotion, one winner took home a grand prize of a whole kilo of gold, worth the equivalent of Dh160,000.



Dubai Shopping Malls Group gave away Dh300,000 worth of prizes in its final weekly draws, making 30 lucky winners very happy, whilst 11 raffle ticket holders won Dh350,000 between them, thanks to participating loyalty partners; Air Miles, Club Apparel, Jashanmal and Shukran.  TradeArabia News Service
It has come to light that scammers have found a new way to con people, they seem to be informing people that they owe a substantial amount of tax. According to those that have fallen for this scam, the cold caller explains to victims that they are to pay off the outstanding tax debt through an Itunes voucher.

An 81-year-old man who has been a victim of this act reported that he was conned out of 20,000 after being contacted numerous times.

Victims are being called by a person who is posing as a member from HMRC, they are told they owe an outstanding tax balance, the scammer gives them instructions to go to a supermarket and purchase an iTunes voucher (as this is the only way that they can pay the tax that they owe).

Once they have purchased this voucher, they are then told to read out the redemption code on the voucher; this will then relieve them from the outstanding tax bill that they supposedly owe.

This redemption code is then used by the fraudsters to buy high-value items for themselves, or they sell the codes to somebody else.

This scam has been successful as scammers have managed to generate at least 1,150 on average, there has been a high number of reports; from over 1,500 victims that have unfortunately fallen for this scam.

This is how the scam is carried out step- by- step

Step 1: The fraudsters cold-call the victims and pretend to be someone from HMRC.

Step 2: Once they are on the phone, Scammers tell victims that they owe an outstanding amount of tax.

Step 3: Victims are then told to buy an Apple iTunes voucher, once this is purchased they must read the redemption code out to the scammer.

Step 4: The scammer goes on to sell the redemption code, or they buy themselves a high-value product.

It is said that the scammers have been more successful with those who are aged 65+, the scam has been going on since 2016 and has only recently become known.

HMRC has now created an awareness campaign to stop this scam

HMRC is now doing all that they can to stop this horrible scam, there is an Awareness Campaign that has been created to put an end to this. HMRC has told supermarkets to alert their staff members of any customers that they see buying a large number of gift vouchers, they are to help these customers and stop them from becoming victims to this heinous scam.

Since these supermarkets were warned, there have been reports of customers that are being stopped from becoming new victims. HMRCs director general of customer service Angela MacDonald said:

"It's really reassuring to see reports of supermarket staff, off their own back, taking action to keep customers safe. Raising public awareness is the best safeguard against this vicious scam.

"Supermarket staff are often the last line of defence against these fraudsters. Thats why Ive written to the chief executives of major UK retailers to urge them to make their staff aware of this scam so they can help protect unsuspecting customers."

If you or anyone you know has fallen into this trap, or if you have received a phone call along the lines of this please call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 immediately and report this.

Help us put an end to this crime!
When Donald Trump leaves office he will be remembered for his practice of supporting, defending, ignoring and sympathizing with the men in his circle who are accused of vicious assault on their female partners, Sexual Misconduct and assaults including those involving underage girls. In the latest case, Trump has come under fire for praising his aide Rob Porter who recently resigned after his two former wives accused him of domestic abuse.

Blackened eyes - no problem

When photos surfaced of one of Porter's wives with blackened eyes, it was not enough for Donald Trump to scold his staff secretary.

He completely ignored the plight of the woman involved and praised the accused. The White House had denied knowledge of the domestic violence allegations against White House staff secretary Rob Porter until Wednesday when the accusations were made public. It was no secret that his history of abuse was well known and both ex-wives had reported the abuse to the FBI. According to reports including those from the abused women, Porter kicked, punched, choked, blackened eyes, insulted and berated these women. Their reports were supported by photos and other relevant documents and publications. Donald Trump heaped praise on the alleged abuser, sympathized with him and has not reached out to the women who complained.

Roy Moore - we need him in the Senate

Donald Trump totally ignored the desperate cries of multiple women who came forward to make allegations about Roy Moore's alleged sexual misconduct. He was the Republican Senate candidate and Donald Trump publicly supported him even though many in the Republican party withheld their support.

His reason for continuing to back Moore was because he totally denied it and said he didn't do it. He also made public pleas to voters to put him in the Senate as he was needed there. Allegations against the senator included a sexual assault on a 14-year-old and sexual encounters with teenage girls.

Corey Lewandoski - A loyal friend

During his 2016 election campaign, Trump found it necessary to defend Corey Lewandowski his campaign manager who was accused of battery. A 28-year-old reporter, Michelle Fields, said she was trying to interview Donald Trump when she got into an altercation with Lewandowski which left her with bruises. He was charged with battery but the charges were dropped for insufficient evidence. The president's classic response to the allegations was to ask, how does anyone know the bruises weren't there before? He also made it very clear that he had no intention of firing his 'loyal' campaign manager.

A questionable circle of friends

There is a long list of accused men whom the president has defended, who were part of his inner circle or were just friends.

Roger Ailes, a top Republican strategist was accused by multiple women of sexual harassments as chairman of Fox news. But as far as he was concerned, the alleged predator was a good person and a friend. He defended him and attacked the women who made the allegations, He said they were complaining and saying horrible things about someone who had helped them. Other friends of Trump facing allegations of abuses against women include Fox News host Bill O Riley, Donald Trump himself, Steve Bannon, Steve Wynn and Andy Pudzer.

Some men who were accused decades ago are also recipients of his support and sympathy. He defended Mike Tyson who was convicted on rape charges in the 1990's and when Bill Clinton faced several sexual misconduct allegations he called him the victim.
Donald Trump made headlines once again on Thursday night when the Washington Post broke a story revealing that the president insulted various foreign couturiers. Once the news made the wrongs, even one Fox contributor and part-time host had to speak out.

Judge on Trump

Donald Trump is no stranger to controversy, which was was one of the many building blocks of his presidential campaign. From day one, Trump planted a seed of recklessness that has since grown into his agenda as commander in chief. One issue that the former host of "The Apprentice" has harped on since the start of his political career has been Illegal Immigration, which included the potential of mass deportation of as many as 11 million illegal immigrants, with the promise of forcing Mexico to pay for a border wall.

These ideas, which have yet to become reality, still ring true in the current administration. Over the last week, both Democrats and Republicans have attempted to compromise on issues involving immigration reform, most notably DACA and funding for increased border security. During a meeting at the White House on Thursday, lawmakers proposed to the president the idea of extending protection to immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, and countries in Africa. According to the Washington Post, Trump scoffed at the idea, labeling the countries a "sh*thole." This issues was discussed during a Fox News segment on January 1.

Napolitano: "This is a new low ... The racial implications are reprehensible ... Flip side of this is, a lot of his supporters will agree with that tone."



Fox figures have been explaining Trump's comments by basically saying 'it's cool, Trump's supporters are racist too' pic.twitter.com/6detVo4N7C  Lis Power (@LisPower1) January 12, 2018

Following the report by the Washington Post, Donald Trump's "sh*thole" remark was front and center.

During an interview with host Fox News host Bret Baier, fellow network host and contributor Judge Andrew Napolitano didn't hold back his thoughts on the president. "Ive known him for 30 years, Napolitano said, explaining that he had grown to "like" and "admire" Trump over the years, but wasn't happy about the comments in question.

Despite this, Andrew Napolitano then turned on Donald Trump, saying of the aforementioned comments, "The language, the racial implications are reprehensible." "He deserves the criticism hes going to get," Napolitano added. Not stopping there, the judge warned that the president's core base "will cheer him on."

Next up

After the news broke, the White House released a statement where they refused to confirm or deny the reports in the Washington Post story. Instead, the statement defended the president's commitment to American security and defending legal immigration. As of press time, Donald Trump has not spoken publicly about the reported incident.
Over the weekend, the biggest story to dominate the news cycle has been allegations of domestic abuse against Rob Porter, the recently resigned White House staffer. In an attempt to deflect attention from Donald Trump, some over on Fox News are blaming former President Barack Obama.

#AMJoy puts Fox News on blast and accurately describes how they are trying to blame Obama for Trump's wife beating White House. https://t.co/Hzb3WZ5u5n pic.twitter.com/AUJxxd4BJ0  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 11, 2018

Reid on Fox News

Once the story made the rounds that Rob Porter was out at the White House after his two ex-wives accused him of various acts of domestic assault, Donald Trump and pro-Trump media outlets scrambled to come up with a defense.

Trump, as expected, gave Porter a pass, praising the work he's down in the administration while casting doubt on the accusers. Over on Fox News, host Judge Jeanie Pirro went a step further, putting the blame on Barack Obama for the reports of alleged domestic violence. "You hate Donald Trump. Find another scapegoat. You might want to look at the last president," Pirro said.

Fox News Jeanine Pirro Somehow Finds Way to Invoke Obama in Rob Porter Scandal https://t.co/Mcv7gLhnfb (VIDEO) pic.twitter.com/4Zy2Ao84HA  Mediaite (@Mediaite) February 11, 2018

Addressing these issues on Sunday morning was MSNBC host Joy Reid. "Fox News, Donald Trump's favorite TV channel, has revived its tried and true tactic of getting the Republican president out of a jam; blame Obama," Reid said.

"Fox has actually found a way to blame the former president. A man who did not abuse women, much less his wife. Who did not face multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, for the latest Trump White House scandal," she added.

"Fox's Trump defense should come as no surprise, the network reflects the attitude of Trump himself, who has a long history of defending men accused of misconduct and assault against women and girls, including Roy Moore, Bill O'Reilly, and Roger Ailes," Joy Reid pointed out.

Reid went on to cite Trump's latest Twitter defense of Rob Porter when he blamed false allegations for ruining the careers and lives of men who could be innocent.

Trump's Fox ties

Judge Jeanine Pirro's latest Trump defense doesn't come as a surprise as reports recently noted that the Fox News host could soon sit down for an interview with the president in what is being described as a rebuttal to Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury" book.

From hosts like Sean Hannity to the crew on "Fox & Friends," the majority of the network has not hidden their allegiance to the president, regardless of the information that is presented. With Trump's approval ratings remaining around or below 40 percent, it's expected that Fox News and other conservative news outlets will continue to push back against the media in an attempt to paint a brighter picture of the commander in chief.
Ever since the news broke that Donald Trump had ordered the Pentagon to throw a military parade in honor of his presidency, backlash quickly followed. The latest name to push back against Trump's decision is the man who reportedly killed Osama bin Laden.

A military parade is third world bullshit. We prepare. We deter. We fight. Stop this conversation.  Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) February 8, 2018

Parade reaction

It's no secret that Donald Trump is an alleged supporter of the United States military and veterans. As have many other Republicans, Trump used the talking point in support of the military to help generate backing during his campaign, which he has continued to stand by since his election win in November 2016.

Despite Trump not making much progress for veterans and the military over the last year, the Washington Post reported last week that the president wants to hold a multi-million dollar military parade.

Navy SEAL who says he killed Osama bin Laden calls Trump's military parade "third world bullshit" https://t.co/Ad8DNHHhhc pic.twitter.com/ZFXvtIkTLP  Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 8, 2018

Military officials who heard the request during a recent meeting were flabbergasted, as the costs are projected to reach millions of dollars, with the Pentagon unsure as of press time how it would cover the expenses. Responding to the news in a tweet on Thursday morning was retired Navy SEAL Robert J.

O'Neill, the man who reportedly fired the fatal shots into former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and he wasn't pleased with the idea of a parade.

Trump wants to have a massive military parade  heres what they look like around the world https://t.co/wnpngmla2O pic.twitter.com/9eehZtSqrh  Business Insider (@businessinsider) February 8, 2018

"A military parade is third world bullsh*t," Robert O'Neill tweeted.

"We prepare. We deter. We fight. Stop this conversation," he added. O'Neill, who is politically conservative, recently had dinner at the White House with Donald Trump, but doesn't appear on board with his latest plan.

Instant backlash

At the White House on Wednesday, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Secretary of Defense Gen.

James "Mad Dog" Mattis confirmed the plans for a military parade, noting that they were in the "brainstorming" phase. Not stopping there, Mattis went on to defend Trump's request, claiming it would be done to honor the military by showing "affection and respect" for the troops.

Despite the defense from the White House, even some over on Fox News are not on board. Co-host of "Fox & Friends" Brian Kilmeade referred to the potential parade as a "waste of money," with fellow network host Shepard Smith ripping into Trump, suggesting he go play with toy soldiers instead. In an attempt to troll the president, the D.C. Council chimed in on their offical Twitter account on Wednesday, writing, "The DC government will open on time today. DC Public Schools will open on time today. Sadly, the Giant Tank Parade is cancelled. Permanently."
Another front has opened against Syria. Israels Air Force attacked Syria Feb. 10. Three Syrian air defense batteries and four Iranian military targets were among 12 positions attacked. Israel lost an F-16. Two crew ejected and were recovered in Israel. One has been released from the hospital; the health of the pilot remains unclear.

Israel claims its attack was launched in response to an Iranian drone launch into Israeli airspace. Tehran rejected the claim that one of its drones had made an incursion.

Russia issued a warning to Israel cease and desist after the attack.

The Israeli Prime Minister held phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after the retaliation. Putin urged Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid any steps that could lead to a new round of confrontation dangerous to everyone in the region, Russias U.S. mouthpiece RT reported.

Moscow has Russian service members stationed in Syria and said it considers any threat to their lives unacceptable. That might be why the Russians abandoned posts in Afrin before Turkey attacked Kurds in Syria.

Israel's attack came just two days after U.S.

military equipment routed Syrian forces Feb. 8. A Pentagon reporter suggested, Russian contractors" were within the pro-Syrian force attacking a Kurd/U.S. position in Deir al-Zor province east of the Euphrates.

When Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attempted to retake oil fields in Khusham, he found it costly. No U.S. or U.S.-backed forces were reported dead.

One SDF was injured. Washington estimated that more than 100 pro-Syrian government forces were killed in the counter-attack.

Syrian state television reported that the coalition had caused dozens of dead and wounded. But a commander in the military alliance supporting Assad disputed the death toll, saying only seven members of the pro-government forces were killed and 27 injured.

Exactly who comprised those forces is unknown. Russia provides air support for Syria. Iran provides arms, military advisers, and combat troops. Hezbollah has also sent thousands of fighters. Shia Muslim militias, recruited in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Yemen also fight for Syria, according to the BBC.

Mixed signals

Moscow and Washington reportedly maintain contact in eastern Syria to prevent unexpected confrontation between forces they support. The Pentagon claims Russias command in Syria was warned before the attack.

The U.S.-led coalitionincluding Arab militias and Kurdshad alerted Russian officials about the presence of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S. official said. Some YPG fighters seemed to adopt the SDF moniker last summer to continue U.S.

support. Russias Defense Ministry said the pro-government militias involved in the attack had been carrying out reconnaissance and their activities had not been previously agreed to with Russia, according to Russias Interfax.

The reconnaissance included a battalion-sized unit formation supported by artillery, tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars, a Pentagon spokesperson said. The West considers the Kurdish Democratic Union Partys armed wing, the YPG, a terrorist group with ties to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long fight inside Turkey.

Want to fight?

After 20 to 30 artillery and tank rounds landed within about 500 yards of the SDF headquarters, the SDF, supported by the U.S.-led coalition, targeted the attackers with a combination of air and artillery strikes, the spokesperson said.

The Assad's forces then decided to charge in a different.

The U.S.-led coalition was set up in 2014 to battle Islamic State fighters in both Syria and Iraq, who were largely defeated last year. Some 2,000 U.S. forces remain on the ground in Syria. Americas reaction was a counter-punch, according to U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. This is self-defense, he added.
After Senator Rand Paul forced the government into a temporary shutdown, the Senate approved a two-year budget deal on Friday, which would open the government for another six weeks and give more than $400 billion for defense and domestic spending.

According to Yahoo News, the Senate voted 71-to-28. While the government's ability to spend money was set to expire, there were not any immediate effects. Essential personnel would stay in operations. Paul push the final vote past the midnight deadline when funding ran out and the shutdown started.

Paul spoke out over the increased deficits and told everyone he would be willing to cause a shutdown.

This massive deal eliminates budget caps that were in place since 2011 and increases the defense budget by $165 billion and increased domestic spending by $131 billion over the next few years.

The deal includes disaster aid for Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico

Paul said he wanted to make people uncomfortable who were voting in support of the big deficits. The deal also includes $89 billion for disaster aid for hurricane ravished Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. The legislation has passed the Senate but now faces a tough battle in the House.

President Trump has called on Democrats and Republicans to back the Senate bill and even took to Twitter to say lawmakers must support our troops and this deal.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi is fighting to have the legislation include protections for Dreamers, which are set to expire in March. Several key Democrats oppose the Senate deal including the House Freedom Caucus because they say it would lead to more government spending.

Military at risk without funding

According to CNN, the House Freedom Caucus supports funding the military but not increasing the size of the government.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he supports the bill and says we are risking the military with not having the funding. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis called on republicans to support the bill because it increases the military budget.

The budget deal is supposed to help with the opioid crisis, military strength, infrastructure, and veteran care.

Several top House Democrats sent a letter to Speaker Ryan begging him to make a public statement on scheduling a vote on immigration and DACA. The future of DACA and immigration legislation was unclear as Pelosi took the floor for eight hours and talked about DACA and immigration. Ryan has said he is willing to address the future of young immigrants but has not laid out an exact timeline.
An oklahoma woman who pleaded guilty to attempting to shop using a counterfeit check and theft charges at a Walmart store in 2014, received a reduced sentence on Thursday (Feb. 8), after consenting to a sterilization procedure. Fox News reported.

When she appeared in June of last year before US District Judge Stephen Friot, 34-year-old Summer Thyne Creel, who is also a mother of seven children, received a suggestion from the Judge. If she underwent sterilization to prevent her from having more children, she would receive a reduced sentence in return.

Creel underwent the procedure, and Judge Friot sentenced her to a year in Federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The maximum penalty for the charges she faced, was up to 10 years in prison.

Habitual drug use

Creel, who tested positive for crystal meth and crack cocaine in December, also has a long rap sheet. Judge Friot observed that according to the dates of birth of her seven children, Creel most probably carried the pregnancies to term while under the influence of drugs and narcotics.

Some time back, Creel relinquished her parental rights to six of her seven children. After her last court appearance in June, according to her lawyer, she volunteered to undergo the sterilization procedure in November.

As a result of taking up the Judge's suggestion, Creel will now serve much less time, and will not be able to have any more children in future. Creel was apologetic and expressed remorse for her crimes and drug addiction.

Advocacy groups up in arms

Creel's case and sentencing sparked outrage and condemnation from women's rights groups.

Some of whom termed it as a case of using coercive reproductive policies and practices.

According to Centre for Advancing Innovative Policy managing partner Eesha Pandit, the circumstances, and conditions that led to Creel's reduced sentence were manipulative and also set a dangerous precedent.

Pandit added the threat of a harsher sentence that was floated, was meant to coerce Creel to consent to the sterilization procedure.

Lynn Paltrow, the founder of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, talking to the Washington Post, was horrified when she read the ruling.

Paltrow observed that it was highly unlikely that Judge Friot had ever asked a man the number of children he had sired, and pegged a ruling on the response. In her opinion, Creel's reduced sentence owing to her seven children was discriminatory and infringed on the reproductive rights of the accused.

In his ruling, Judge Friot also ordered Creel to pay up to $15,200 in restitution.
President Donald Trump is obsessed with illegal immigrants who, in his opinion, are threats to the United States and wants to control their entry. Many of these unwanted elements include drug smugglers who enter via Mexico and he wants to plug those routes. Therefore he feels there is a need for a permanent US-Mexico Border Wall even though such walls and fencing are existing in certain places. It was a promise he had made during his presidential campaign, and he is pursuing it.

Daily Mail UK reports that an initial funding of $3 billion would go towards making portions of the existing walls stronger.

They could be modeled based on the prototypes that are 30-foot-tall and will add to the safety of America.

The tentative plan

During his campaign, Donald Trump had expected Mexico would fund the project but, according to indications, that is not likely to happen and taxpayers will have to bear the burden of funding the US-Mexico border wall. The initial funds would be used to acquire private land in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas and acquire materials like steel.

The tentative plan is to construct 60 miles of new steel bollard fencing along the border with 2018 funding and another 64 miles with 2019 funding. The objective is to control the entry of illegal immigrants into the United States because they include drug smugglers.

There are gaps created by natural barriers and unauthorized persons use these apart from gaps in the walls and fencings and Trump wants to end that.

History of the border wall

Donald Trump is not the first President who is keen to tighten border security. Mexico became independent in 1824 and it was only a century later that the US Border Patrol was born.

One of its tasks was to check the entry of illegal immigrants from Mexico to the United States. The usual practice used to be simple pat-downs because most of them were poor and were in search of a livelihood. They would enter through wire fences. However, over a period of time, the security measures were tightened to check the entry of drug smugglers.

If one goes by a story in the Texas Tribune, there was an initial drop in the arrest of illegal people after Trump took over, but it is again increasing. The Rio Grande Valley is now the busiest sector for such illegal entry, and the Trump administration has rightly planned to plug that area.

An agent involved in human trafficking has revealed that there are Border Patrol agents or customs official who will look the other way in exchange of some consideration. The proposed US-Mexico border wall may not be of much help to stop drug smuggling either because those who smuggle drugs use drones or catapults or cannons or even the mail to send the contraband across the border.
Leah Messer recently teamed up with her "Teen Mom 2" co-star, Kailyn Lowry, for an upcoming episode of her podcast series with Lindsie Chrisley, "Coffee and Convos," and during their on-air chat, the mother of three reportedly revealed that she and her second husband, Jeremy Calvert, are continuing to hook up with one another. While the episode of the podcast series has yet to air, a new report has revealed shocking details about the former couple's Physical Relationship.

[Leah Messer] revealed she and [Jeremy Calvert] have been hooking up, and that it is not going to stop anytime soon, an insider close to production revealed to Radar Online on February 9.

However, according to the source, Messer is insisting that she and Calvert's relationship isn't serious. Instead, she reportedly claimed, she and her former husband are "just having fun" and Messer is completely in control of the situation.

News of Messer and Calvert's friends-with-benefits relationship comes on the heels of a flirty video between them that Messer shared on Instagram Live earlier this week. As Radar Online explained, Messer and Calvert, who share five-year-old daughter Adalynn Faith, appeared quite flirty with one another during the session and didn't make an effort to hide their rekindled feelings.

Leah Messer and Jeremy Calvert divorced three years ago

In mid-2015, as Leah Messer remained in an Arizona rehab center, where she claimed to be addressing struggles with depression and anxiety, her divorce from Jeremy Calvert was finalized.

A short time after that, Calvert was seen accusing his former wife of having a prescription pill problem, which she denied. Calvert also said Messer had cheated on him with another man but she denied that as well.

After their split, Jeremy Calvert embarked on a years-long relationship with Brooke Wehr and for a short time, they were engaged to be married.

We selected the best for you. From our partner Music Crowns Introducing: Julia

Calvert and Wehr ultimately ended their relationship in early 2017 amid allegations claiming Calvert had been unfaithful.

Leah Messer has been private about her love life in the past

Following her divorce, Leah Messer dated T.R. Dues for several months but didn't confirm their romance publicly until after their breakup. Messer was also sure to keep Dues far away from the MTV cameras throughout filming on "Teen Mom 2." Since then, Messer hasn't confirmed that she has dated anyone in particular.
While Apple has just launched its iPhone X, setting record margins on it, it seems that Apple would like to chew into Netflix, HBO or Amazon Prime Video by launching its own streaming video service for 2018.

CNBC launched the new that Apple is preparing to announce the creation of a streaming video service in 2018. While the company started out by designing peer computers and software, it quickly diversified by launching new products, like the iPod, the iPad or the well-known iPhone, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

An SVOD service in 2018?

They are a manufacturer of products but also of services. This is not the first time that the computer manufacturer is embarking on a new segment such as services. We remember the appearance of iTunes with the iPod that revolutionized the CD sales sector by offering dematerialized versions of music titles to the unit for 0.99 cents.

Later, the Apple firm launched its own cloud service for its users: iCloud, working with a subscription principle to increase the storage capacity of its devices.

More recently, the Apple group bought the well-known Beats headphone company for a whopping $3 billion. Beats then had a small Streaming Music Service, Beats Music. It is the latter in particular that interested Apple since the company took advantage of this purchase to create a user base and launch its own streaming music service: Apple Music.

The latter is today a key player in the sector, with many users, and a consequent music catalog, taken from its former iTunes platform, after crashing into the Spotify or Deezer sector.

Does Apple want to skin Netflix?

Highly interested in the success that Netflix is currently experiencing around the world and its successful original programs, Apple is also looking to get into the breach.

The firm could currently invest in film studios, scriptwriting teams, and establish numerous partnerships with television channels to offer authentic programs of quality.

We still do not know more about this new service that Apple will launch in 2018. We can still speculate on a monthly subscription plan as the firm had opted for Apple Music, the same strategy as its (future) competitor Netflix.

However, this strategy may not work in the future, as Amazon plans to develop its offer of SVOD, Amazon Prime Video, with a free formula funded by advertising and a major exclusive which includes a series in the world of the "Lord of the Rings."
 Courtesy of Mathias - Fotolia.com





Bhutan's modern capital of Thimphu is bursting with restaurants, night clubs, and cafes. Despite this busy city's fast pace, visitors won't see any stoplights here. Navigating intersections means paying attention to policemen directing traffic from decorated corner pavilions. Thimphu is the ideal place to immerse travelers in contemporary Bhutanese culture with its vibrant mix of ancient tradition and modern amenities. Visitors will appreciate the convenience of Thimphu's many ATMs, a rarity in Bhutan. Getting local currency for traveling outside the city is as important as having cash to spend in Thimphu's lively retail scene. The giant golden Shakyamuni statue containing 125,000 small Buddha statues and a meditation hall is a must-see.

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The largest natural gas exporter in the U.S. announced two major deals with China on Friday to sell U.S. natural gas through the 2040s. Cheniere Energy agreed to supply China's state-owned energy company with 1.2 million tons of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, per year. As Washington Examiner writes in an article "US' largest natural gas exporter announces huge deal with China", the long-term supply and purchase agreements were built on a Memorandum of Understanding the company signed with China's energy authority in November.

Cheniere will begin shipping a portion of the fuel from its LNG export facility at Sabine Pass, La., later this year. The rest of the fuel will be made from its second facility being built in Corpus Christi, Texas, beginning in 2023. The supply and purchase agreements extend through 2043. The company is in the middle of completing its Corpus Christi facility, which now will include a third natural gas export station as an addition to its original design. Each export station is able to serve one LNG shipping vessel. Once all production facilities are up and running, the company will be one of the top five exporters of LNG in the world. The company began shipping fuel to China from Sabine Pass in 2017 with a single shipment. But China is looking to boost its imports of energy to support its plan to phase out its coal power plants in favor of cleaner-burning natural gas. The announcement would boost President Trump's energy dominance agenda that looks to increase energy exports abroad.

The U.S. became a net natural gas exporter in 2017, shipping more natural gas to other countries than it receives each year as imports. The Energy Information Administration projected this week that the U.S. will become a net oil exporter in 2022, adding to the country's increasing export status. Republicans on Friday hailed the company's announcement as a move to support the president's vision, while Democrats took a different tack. This is great news for working families in Louisiana, said Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, home of the Sabine Pass facility. From the wellhead to the liquefaction facility, people in Louisiana will benefit from selling more American-made energy," the senator said. "This is another example of Louisiana fueling Americas energy dominance and reaping the economic benefits of trade.

Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, called on the State Department and Treasury to probe imports of LNG from Russia that may have violated U.S. sanctions. Massachusetts is dependent on natural gas imports from other countries, given New England's historic energy supply constraints. A shipment of LNG that docked in Boston last week may have contained Russian-produced fuel, even though it reached the U.S. under a different country's flag. In a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Markey said that although the natural gas was only partially sourced from Russia, the purchase of the fuel provides revenue to Russia's largest natural gas company, Novatek, which is a violation of sanctions.

"This shipment may therefore circumvent the U.S. sanctions and calls into question to what degree those sanctions are serving our broader foreign policy goals regarding Russia or require adjustment to better achieve those goals, Markey wrote. The senator said he believes the event marked the first successful attempt by Russian energy companies to overcome U.S. sanctions imposed after the country took over Crimea. Markey wants Tillerson and Mnuchin to confirm by Feb. 23 whether the shipment constituted a violation of sanctions.
Iravan is historically Azerbaijani land and Azerbaijanis should return there, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said, speaking at the 6th congress of the ruling party on February 8. Armenian side either didn't understand this statement of the head of Azerbaijani state, or simply decided to distort its meaning both in their own and in Russian media. President Ilham Aliyev also stressed that Iravan is historically Azerbaijani land and that this fact can't be to refuted because it's the truth. We will provide historical facts that confirm this.

Even before the Iravan Khanate existed, there was the Chukhursaad province, which was one of the four provinces of the Safavid Empire. In 1504, on the order of Shah Ismail, Safavid commander Revangulu Khan began to build fortress here.

It took seven years to build a fortress on the rocky bank of the Zangu River (later renamed by Armenians to Hrazdan). In honor of Revangulu Khan, it ws named Revan Galasi ("Fortress of Revan").

There's a very simple answer to the question "Why fortress' name was pronounced as Iravan, and not Revan?", which also shows how wrong Armenians are when they claim that Muslim population of the region, like Safavids themselves, were anyone but Turks. The fact is that in Turkic languages, including Azerbaijani, words can't begin with such letters as "l" or "p". Almost all words that begin with these consonants are borrowed from other languages. That's why local population pronounced Revan as Iravan. For example, Azerbaijanis who don't know any languages except for their own pronounce names such as Rasim, Ramin and so on as Iramin, Irasim.

At that time this fortress, which turned into a city, was famous for large number of mosques and minarets - there were 8 mosques and arout 800 houses, where Turkic Azerbaijanis lived.

During expansion of the Russian Empire into the Caucasus and other regions, contrary to Russians' plans, who were sure that they will conquer these territories within 2-3 years, the city of Iravan successfully opposed Russian troops for 23 years.

In 1827, on fifth attempt, Russian army finally managed to capture this fortress.

Despite the fact that over the past years this fortress was partially destroyed, there still were a couple of buildings inside Iravan fortress until the 1920s, when, after Soviet authorities came to power in Armenia, local authorities began to completely demolish this fortress, including and other building that were an evidence of Muslim and Turkic past of Iravan.

Iravan, which would have turned 500 years old in 2011, was renamed into Yerevan in 1936.

However, there are still picturesque paintings and photographs, which depicts Muslim heritage of Iravan.

It also should be remembered that throughout the 20th century, Armenia periodically carried out ethnic cleansings, deportations and killings against Azerbaijani population. That's why there are no Azerbaijanis in Armenia today.

Xenophobic policy of official Yerevan is also evident because of the fact that Armenia, located in one of the most multi-ethnic regions of the world, is the only mono-ethnic country there.

It should be noted that at the beginning of the 20th century, despite numerous resettlement of Armenians from Iran and the Ottoman Empire during the second half of the 19th century, Azerbaijanis were still a majority in the city of Iravan.

Rthnic cleansing and massacre of unarmed Azerbaijani population, committed by Armenians throughout Armenia, especially in Zangezur, led to significant reduction in the number of Azerbaijanis and their mass outflow to neighboring regions of Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey.

After Soviet authorities came to power in Armenia, it repeatedly presented a plan to take Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan and make this Azerbaijani region a part of Armenia to Soviet leadership.

At the same time, they raised the issue of repatriation of Armenians from foreign countries to Armenia.

These issues weren't seriously considered until the end of the Second World War.

But in 1947, Stalin, who planned to attack Turkey in order to seize the Bosphorus and Dardanell Straits, signed a decree on deportation of about 100,000 Azerbaijanis from Armenia to Azerbaijan.

As a result, from 1948 to 1954, over 100,000 Azerbaijanis were forcibly deported from their native lands, while over 90,000 Armenians came from abroad, which had a serious impact on demographic situation in Armenia. Since mid-1980s, another stage of Armenians' attempts to seize the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan began. Taking advantage of tacit support of the leadership of the USSR, in 1987 Armenia began to deport Azerbaijani population from Armenia. By the beginning of 1990, there were no Azerbaijanis left in Armenia.

This is a historical aspect of this issue.

As for political aspect, it should be noted that every logical person can easily understand that after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on norms and principles of international law, as well as corresponding resolutions of the UN Security Council, Azerbaijanis will can to return to their homeland - to Iravan, Zangezur and other territories of Armenia.

Naturally, it also means that just like Azerbaijanis can return to Iravan, Armenians can return to Baku, Ganja, Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan.

All of this will happen after peaceful and just settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijani government supports this peaceful settlement.

Against this background, one can only guess why Ilham Aliyev's statement mdae the Armenian side so mad.

It happens despite the fact that current Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who participated in the crime against humanity in the city of Khojaly, previously said that the goal of Armenian leadership is not only to take Azerbaijani territories, but also to prepare new generation of Armenians for new aggressions.

This isn't a baseless fact. Armenian President said that in July of 2011 at a meeting with participants of the 5th Pan-Armenian Olympiad.

One of participants in this event asked Sargsyan the following question: "My name is Grigor Ambartsumyan, I'm a student of the Shaumyan middle school of the Ararat region. Dear President, Armenia is considered one of the most ancient countries in the world, and at one time, during the reign of Tigranes the Great, our country was also one of the most powerful states in the world. But we can't say the same about current Armenia. I wonder if our future will resemble the Treaty of Batum, or we will see the future where Western Armenia returns together with Ararat."

Armenian President responded: "It all depends on you and your generation. I think my generation already fulfilled its duty when in the early 1990s we protected one part of our homeland, Karabakh, from our enemies. And I'm not saying this in order to put a burden on someone, I want to say that each generation has its own duty and it must be able to fulfill this duty and fulfill it well..."

Let's compare the message of President Ilham Aliyev - "Iravan is historically Azerbaijani land, and Azerbaijanis should return there" - and the message of President Serzh Sargsyan - "My generation returned Karabakh, Ararat's return is a duty of your generation."

While Azerbaijani President says that Azerbaijanis should return to Iravan, Serzh Sargsyan orders Armenian youth to return Ararat.

That's what he asks future generations of Armenia to do. This is one of the many evidences of aggressive nature of Armenians. That's Armenia's position and it will never change. Most importantly, it's impossible to resolve problems together with this country in a peaceful way. State that promotes fascism, occupation policy and use of force only understands the language of power.
Iranian people took to the streets on Sunday for countrywide rallies on a national holiday marking the 39th anniversary of victory of the 1979 revolution that toppled the Pahlavi monarchy and founded the Islamic Republic in Iran, Tasnim news agency reports.

Iranian people in more than 1,000 cities and towns as well as 4,000 villages have attended rallies with flags of Iran and banners in support of the Islamic Republic to mark the revolutions victory anniversary, known as Bahman 22nd in Iran.

In capital Tehran, demonstrators marched across different routes to reach the Azadi (Liberty) Square, where President Hassan Rouhani is going to give an address.

Hundreds of foreign guests, including scientific, political, and influential figures have travelled to Iran for the event, which is also a great opportunity for reporters.

More than 6,000 cameramen and journalists cover the massive rallies in Tehran and other cities.

This year, rally organizers in Tehran have put on display the countrys latest achievements in the scientific and military spheres, including long-range ballistic missiles.

Iranian political and military officials have also attended the rallies along with other people to rejoice at the auspicious ceremony.

The crowd of demonstrators in the rallies paid tribute to the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, under whose leadership the revolutionary movements triumphed over the despotic regime of Pahlavi on February 11, 1979.

Imam Khomeini had lived many years in exile, in Iraq and France, before returning home and leading a historical revolution that overthrew Pahlavi regime.

The 10-day period from the return of Imam Khomeini until the revolutions victory is celebrated annually in Iran, and is known as the Ten-Day Fajr (Dawn).
In a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the air strikes conducted by Israels Air Force against targets in Syria, the Kremlin said, TASS reports.

"The Russian side called for any steps, which might trigger a new spiral of dangerous for all confrontation in the region, to be avoided," the press service said.

In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus press office said that Netanyahu agreed in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin that interaction between the two countries militaries would be continued.

"I have recently spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin," Netanyahu said cited by his press office. "We agreed that security coordination between our countries will continue."

Putin and Netanyahu held a phone conversation amid a sharp deterioration of the situation on the Israeli-Syrian border after an Iranian drone had been shot down in the Israeli airspace and an F-16 fighter jet of the Israeli Air Force had crashed.

"I emphasized in the talk with him [Putin] that it is our [Israeli] right and duty to defend themselves from attacks from Syria," Netanyahu said.
The head of Russias strategic defense industry corporation Rostec says Moscow is ready to sell S-400 air defense systems to any nation that feels insecure and wants to seal its airspace, including the US if it wants to, RT reports.

Just before the end of the year, Moscow agreed to supply S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries to Ankara, making Turkey the first NATO member state that will integrate Russian technology into the North Atlantic defense structure once the $2.5 billion order is delivered. On Wednesday, Sergey Chemezov, head of the Russian state conglomerate Rostec, extended the offer to purchase S-400 Triumf, or the SA-21 Growler as it is known by NATO, to the Pentagon.

The S-400 is not an offensive system; it is a defensive system. We can sell it to Americans if they want to, Chemizov told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) when asked about the strategic reasoning behind the S-400 sale to Turkey.

When the political situation in the world is tense, every country tries to ensure its security and, of course, to ensure the safety of its airspace. That is why the demand for missile defense systems is high, Chemezov told WSJ in an interview published Saturday. Many countries would like to buy such systems, and we have many orders. I am not saying that we do not compete with Americans  of course we do. But according to my information, our system is better.

Chemezov somewhat ironically offered the US some Russian-engineered protection for its skies. There is really no issue from the strategic point of view. And I dont see any problems for Russia from the point of view of security, he noted. On the contrary, if a country is capable of ensuring the safety of its airspace, it will feel more secure, Chemezov said.And those who might have intentions to attack this country will think twice.
The local emergency services are investigating the information about the crash of the Russian An-148 in Moscow region, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said Sunday, Sputnik reports.

A total of 65 passengers and six crew members were on board of An-148 plane of Saratov Airlines which had disappeared from the radars in the Moscow Region, the Russian Emergency Ministry said, adding that the crashed plane was subsequently detected from the air in the Ramensky District of the Moscow Region.

Debris of the crashed An-148 plane were discovered in the Ramesnky District of the Moscow Region, the main directorate of the Emergencies Ministry in the Moscow Region said.

"On February 11, 2018, at 02:45 p.m. [11:45 GMT] ... a message was received on disappearance from radars of an aircraft at the address - Moscow region, Ramensky municipal district, Stepanovskoye village ... at 03:40 p.m. [12:40 GMT] the debris of the aircraft were discovered," the statement said.

A total of 34 units of equipment and 167 people are operating in the crash site.

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency's (Rosaviatsia) spokesperson confirmed to Sputnik that 65 passengers and six crew members were on board of the crashed An-148 plane, adding that the communication with the crew was lost few minutes after the aircraft's take-off.

"At 02:21 p.m. Moscow time [11:21 GMT] An-48 plane flight 703 ... took off from Domodedovo airport. According to preliminary data, 65 passengers and six crew members were on board. The radio communication with the crew was lost several minutes after the take-off, the aircraft disappeared off the radar screen. According to preliminary information, the communication was lost in the Ramensky district of the Moscow Region," the spokesperson said.

Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov is heading to the scene of Saratov Airlines An-148 crash in the Ramesnky District of the Moscow region, a spokesperson for the ministry told Sputnik.

"He [the transport minister] held talks with [Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir] Puchkov, [Governor of Moscow Oblast Andrei] Vorobyov and [Rosaviatsia head Alexander] Neradko and after that flew to the search site," the spokesperson said.
The United States fully supports Israeli airstrikes in Syria, a Pentagon spokesman said, Metro reports.

It comes after Israel said it struck 12 Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including Syrian air defence systems.

Pentagon spokesman Adrian Rankine-Galloway said the US did not participate in the Israeli attack. "Israel is our closest security partner in the region and we fully support Israels inherent right to defend itself against threats to its territory and its people," Rankine-Galloway said.
In a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, Uzbekistans Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov delivered a letter from Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, formally inviting Iran to take part in a conference on Afghan peace, slated for late March, Tasnim news agency reported.

The Tashkent conference would involve foreign ministers of 21 countries as well as representatives from the United Nations and the European Union for finding ways to bring the Afghan government, the Taliban and other parties into direct peace talks.

Elsewhere in the meeting, the Uzbek foreign minister voiced the Central Asian countrys readiness to open up a new chapter in ties with Iran, calling for closer cooperation in the fight against radicalism and narcotics trafficking.

The Iranian president, for his part, highlighted the significance that Tehran attaches to the security and stability of its neighbors, particularly Afghanistan.

Stressing the need for joint efforts to counter violence and extremism, President Rouhani also urged coordination between Tehran and Tashkent to contribute to regional peace and stability.
The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV), Nguyen Phu Trong, has emphasised the need to consolidate public trust to enable the country to push forward.

In an exclusive interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of the Lunar New Year, Year of the Dog, the Party leader highlighted the countrys outstanding achievements in 2017 and outlined the main tasks for 2018.

He said the fight against corruption had made marked progress thanks to drastic measures in making deeds match words.

Trong said that last year, many serious cases of corruption and economic crimes involving senior party and goverment officials were discovered and brought to court.

He said that in the first days of 2018, several major corruption cases were brought to trial, demonstrating determination to carry the combat further, leaving no prohibited zone in the fight against the evil.

Trong said the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat and the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission imposed disciplinary measures on many Party Committees and Party organisations at different levels, as well as on Party officials and members, including those holding high positions, for violating the law.

Tourism boom: About 13 million foreign visitors came to Viet Nam last year. VNA/VNS Photo Tran Thi Thu Hien

However, he said, it was even more important to prevent wrongdoings by enforcing regulations, laws and policies.

Power must be kept within mechanisms, the Party chief stressed.

He said Viet Nam had fulfilled and overfulfilled all 13 socio-economic targets for the first time in the context of multiple challenges.
by Ha Nguyen

Rich or poor, Vietnamese at home or abroad carefully cook traditional dishes to put on the home altar to worship their ancestors during Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

At Tet , each ethnic group has its own culinary specialties that reflect the culture of their people. Most Kinh (V ietnamese ethnic majority) people start preparations a month before the festival.

My mother usually cooked nine dishes: banh chung (square sticky rice cake), dua hanh (pickled onions), gio nac (boiled lean pork sausage) and gio thu (boiled pork head sausage), thit ong (frozen meat), nem ran (spring rolls), canh mang ( bamboo shoot soup), canh bong tha (dried pig skin soup), boiled chicken, and che kho (sweet green bean paste).

Of all the dishes, banh chung is the soul of Tet, reflecting the quintessence of heaven and earth through the skilled hands of humans. My mother had to invest much time and effort to make the cakes. She had to choose the most fragrant and fibrous sticky rice to make a cake that can last for a month. They often had pork, green beans, dried onions and pepper in the centre.

I remember my mother wrapping the cake like a professional. In two hours, she would wrap 30 big square cakes (1.5kg each), which she asked us to line them up in a big pan for almost 14 hours. Your mothers banh chung are the most tasty and they are much bigger than others, said one of my neighbours.

The cakes are often eaten with dua hanh (pickled onion) because its sour and light peppery flavour helps digestion. Meanwhile, gio nac and gio thu have remained on the offering food tray at Tet from the past to the present.

Culinary expert Nguyen Anh Tuyet said for Vietnamese, a plate of these foods had played an important role in turning traditional offerings into delicacies.

Thit ong (frozen meat) of pork or chicken is a particular Tet dish for northerners.

Tuyet said the dish was easy to cook. Ingredients included bacon or chicken plus 0.2kg of pig skin. All are cut into small rectangles (two fingers) then stewed slowly for an hour and then let cool before putting in a fridge.

A must: Most Vietnamese offer a whole boiled chicken to their ancestors. In the past, few people had a fridge, so I often put a pot of thit ong on the ground outside for the night during the winter. The cold froze the food, which was served with pickled onions, said Tuyet. "One never forgets its taste."

Nem (spring rolls) is a popular dish in the north that always has a place on a Tet food tray because it is so flavourful and healthy. It is made out of minced pork, carrots, wood ear fungus, green-bean sprouts, bean glass noodles and other ingredients. The fried rolls are then dipped into a bowl of sauce of mixed fish sauce, sugar, lemon or vinegar, chili and minced garlic.

The Tet food tray of northerners never lacks a big bowl of canh mang kho (dried bamboo shoot soup). Tuyet said the soup could be eaten throughout the Tet holiday. Canh mang with rice vermicelli or noodles helps always is a winner, she said.

Canh bong thap cam (Assorted dried pig skin soup) is a Ha Noi delicacy made from kohlrabi, carrots, peas, shrimp, pork tenderloin, and lean pork paste. It is a dainty dish. Hanoians often cut the carrots into flower shapes, scoop the pork paste into balls and slice the fried eggs into thin threads. They add it to the chicken broth with dried skin pig (similar to dried fish bladder), said Tuyet.

The last two dishes on the tray are boiled chicken and che kho (sweet green bean paste). People believe the boiled chicken offered to heaven in spring will bring advantages and happiness year round. Yellow-chicken meat covered with sliced lemon leaves is dipped in a bowl of salt, lemon, chili and pepper. It is more enjoyable when eating a 1.3-1.4kg free range chicken raised by small farmers, said Tuyet.

Che kho is another popular dish with Hanoians. The dish is made of green beans, white sesame and sugar. Elderly people say the dish brings children good luck at studies and good health for themselves. The dish exudes the special fragrance of green beans and has the buttery taste of white sesame. It melts in your mouth, Tuyet said.
by Andrea Nguyen*

When the Vietnamese celebrate Tet, they say an Tet, literally eat the Lunar New Year. During the festivities, which traditionally last a full month in Viet Nam, food is a primary focus. But people actually take in the holiday with all their being. Tet is the most important event of the year, symbolizing rebirth, family, and relaxation. It is like Christmas, New Year, Easter, Thanksgiving and Yom Kippur all bundled together.

Many overseas Vietnamese, nostalgic for days gone by, return to Viet Nam to spend Tet with family and to pay respect to elders and ancestors. People are busy in the days before the first day of the Lunar New Year, known as Tet Nguyen an. They clean their homes and then decorate them, particularly with flowering branches of yellow hoa mai (ochna) or pink hoa ao (similar to apricot, peach and quince blossoms).

Everyone shops for specialty items wrapped in auspicious red and gold packaging. Superstitions abound as people try to ensure good luck, prosperity and happiness for the future. Among them is the belief that the first person to offer Tet greetings at your home will share his or her good fortune with you in the coming year.

At the centre of the hubbub is the food, most of which is prepared in advance to allow people plenty of time for fun once the holiday begins. While regional differences exist, typical dishes include such rich meats as long-simmered kho made with pork or beef and various gio and cha sausages; pickled and preserved vegetables to cut their richness; and candies and sweetmeats to refresh the palate.

But regardless of the region, banh chung are always on the menu. The square sticky rice cakes are wrapped in green leaves (dong leaves in Viet Nam; banana leaves abroad), then boiled for up to twelve hours, depending on their size. Small ones measure four to five inches (10-12cm) wide and larger ones are the size of adobe bricks. The outer layer of rice becomes perfumed and tinted by the green leaf. Inside, the grains remain white and encase a buttery bean filling streaked with pepper and studded with chunks of lean pork and bits of its opaline fat.

Banh chung may be eaten warm or at room temperature; they may also be panfried up as crispy pancakes. (When the same ingredients are wrapped as cylindrical cakes, they are called banh tet.) Because they are inexpensive to prepare and they keep for a long time, Vietnamese families traditionally cooked up dozens of them.

My parents, who are now in their eighties, revel in describing the sequence of events that went into making the cakes when they lived in Viet Nam. Two days before Tet, the ingredients were gathered and readied. The next day, everybody from young to old got involved in wrapping and boiling the cakes, which lasted from early morning to late at night. The boiling was done outdoors in huge pots set over a wood, coal or rice-straw fire.

Since the moon barely shone on New Years Eve, the pitch black night was lit by peoples banh chung fires. Everyone eagerly anticipated their first tastes of the cakes, especially the children, some of whom slept by the fire. By the time the cakes were done, it was already the first day of the New Year, and the leaf-wrapped banh chung were quickly carried into the house, where they were prominently displayed to signal the start of the feast.

My Tet celebrations today in California are not that elaborate. However, I do make banh chung from a recipe that my mother taught me, and which I wrote up in my first cookbook, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen. She brought the recipe from Viet Nam when we left in 1975. I use a wooden mold that an American friend made for me.

Many Vietnamese people nowadays buy banh chung because they lack time and perhaps know how. I understand, but after all these years I can tell you this: Banh chung is a magical thing.

You can count the number of ingredients on one hand. With those ingredients and some leaves, you can create a three-dimensional edible object that looks like a gift box. And that culinary origami is sturdy enough to endure hours of boiling. Finally, when you unwrap your bundle of joy, it is incredibly fragrant and beautiful.

The simple deliciousness and genius of banh chung embodies the grace and spirit of the Vietnamese people. It is a food marvel, conjured from humble ingredients. It is incredibly Viet. Most importantly, it makes me very proud. VNS

*Andrea Nguyen, Vietnamese-American cook and author in California
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Several social movements in the region have denounced the death of the two leaders.

Amid peace talks between the National Liberation Army, ELN, and the Colombian government, two more campesino leaders were assassinated on Friday in the municipality of Guapi, in the Cauca department of Colombia.

Human rights defenders Orlando Grueso, a former guerrilla, and Jonathan Cundimi, a local activist, were working to help campesinos transition from growing coca crops to alternative crops in the region. Grueso was reportedly a former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Ever since the launch of the government's national substitution program in May 2017, conflict over cultivating coca leaves, the base ingredient for cocaine, has escalated as the government has mounted pressure on campesinos to stop the practice altogether and replace it with growing cocoa, coffee or banana.

Both the leaders were members of the Ethnic and Popular Movement of the Pacific, MOEP, the National Coca, Marijuana and Poppy Growers Coordinator, Coccam, and the Political and Social Movement of the Patriotic March in Cauca.

Marino Grueso, Orlando's brother, confirmed he was assassinated while meeting with a regional leader and representative from the Cauca region, Ancizar Barrios, along with Aida Avella, a left-wing political leader of the Patriotic Union.

Several social movements in the region have denounced the death of the two leaders.

Jhonatan Centeno, a fellow human rights defender, told local media: "Orlando was a great leader of the Patriotic March and promoted the process of voluntary substitution of crops for illicit use."

Nearly 170 social leaders have been killed in Colombia in 2017, according to the Institute of Studies for Peace Development, Indepaz, a Colombian non-governmental organization.

Indepaz director Camilo Gonzalez Posso said, "The rise in homicides is over two main conflicts: (access to) land and (natural) resources. This latter refers to the rentiership in illegal mining and cultivation of illicit crops."

Until November 2016, the FARC controlled most of the coca-growing territories in the country, but after they signed the peace deal with the government, the government also pledged to banish growing the illicit crop in the region.
Activists opposing a hydroelectric project in Puebla, Mexico, were traveling back home in a rented bus when armed masked men stopped them.

A group of environmental activists traveling from Zacatilihuic to Tehuacan, Mexico were attacked Saturday after protesting the Atzala-Coyolapa hydroelectric project in the Sierra Negra, the mountain chain that crosses the state of Puebla.

When driving by Zacacoapan, a black double cabin pick-up truck blocked their way and masked armed men forced the activists to step down, get on their knees, face the bushes by the road with their heads down and wait while they sprayed gasoline over the bus.

When the attackers left, the activists turned their heads only to see their bus on fire. They weren't able to identify any of the attackers or the truck's details.

Some have pointed out the bus could have been attacked because it belonged to a company outside of Puebla, rather than a local one. However, victims believe it was an act of political intimidation for their activities against the hydroelectric project.

The Sierra Negra de Puebla is a region under constant threat by mining, manufacturing and other environmental threats in a mostly Indigenous territory. Activists and local residents fear the new hydroelectric may damage the region's ecosystem.

The project consists of three different dams spread across seven kilometers along the Coyolapa, Atzala and Huitzilatl rivers, affecting about 160,000 people in the Zoquitlan, Coyomeapan and Tlacotepec Indigenous municipalities in the Sierra Negra.

The plants have an investment of 327 million Mexican pesos (about US$17.5 million) and will provide energy to local mines and manufacturing enterprises for the next 30 years. The project will be taken over by the Hydroelectric Company of Puebla and the Hydroelectric Projects of Puebla, a branch of the Railroad and Mining Mexican Group, GFM.

The main beneficiary will be the Autlan Mining Company in Teziutlan, which provides metal alloys to GFM.

The main dam will rise 11 meters above the Coyolapa river, in Zoquitlan, where more than 77 hectares of forest will be chopped down.

Since it's a mainly Indigenous territory, the government must carry out popular consultations to approve the project. However, local residents have denounced it as treacherous, claiming the consultation shouldn't even happen.

The mayor (of Zoquitlan) has sold out to the company, said Martin Barrios, president of a human rights group in Tehuacan. "He resembles more a legal representative than a mayor. In a meeting, they had a screen, a mock-up of the project and a truck full of beer for the people.

Barrios claims the project would affect local ecosystems, agriculture, ranching, water tables and fauna.

About 17 different Indigenous communities are organizing to stop construction.

Other hydroelectric project in the Sierra Negra, called San Antonio, has just recently been approved by Mexico's environmental department, despite being rejected by the country's water ministry and four of the five affected communities.

The San Antonio Hydroelectric will be built over the Ateno and Zempoala rivers and will annually require almost double of the rivers' waters. While the rivers only carry 350 million 837 thousand cubic meters of water each year, the project will need 614 million 952 thousand cubic meters in the same period.

Experts and activists warn this will be an environmental disaster, draining the region from its water.
Feb 9, 2018 | By Tess

DNV GL, the international quality assurance and risk management firm, has announced it will be launching a Global Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Singapore. The new facility will be dedicated to the research and development of 3D printing technologies for the oil & gas, offshore and marine (O&M) sector.

The company says that with the new Singapore-based AM center, and by providing technical standards and guidelines for certifying 3D printing hardware, processes, materials, and 3D printed parts, it will help to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing in the O&M industry.

The establishment of the center is timely due to the rising interest in adopting additive manufacturing, said Remi Eriksen, Group President and CEO of DNV GL. With our long track record in R&D and strong position in developing industry technical standards, DNV GLs Global Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence will play a catalytic role in the oil & gas, offshore and marine sector.

The choice to base the facility in Singapore is no coincidence either, as the city-state has become a hub for 3D printing in Southeast Asia. Since 2015, with the launch of the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), Singapores government, universities, and businesses have been aboard the 3D printing train. Singapore is also a globally significant oil hub.

The regions commitment to 3D printing technologies has resulted in some exciting Singapore-based partnerships and investments. Just yesterday, SIA Engineering and Stratasys announced their joint plant to establish a 3D printing service center in Singapore for the development of 3D printed parts for the commercial aviation industry.

The upcoming DNV GL center, which will reportedly be located in an existing building, is expected to become the companys global competence and service delivery center for assurance and advisory services in 3D printing and allied technologies for ship, offshore, and oil & gas industry sectors.

For Singapore, the facility will help to enhance and bolster its position as a leader in 3D printing technologies. DNV also adds that it will be working closely with local industry partners and research organizations for its R&D.

DNV GLs Global Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (CoE) will help enhance the manufacturing competitiveness of Singapores marine and offshore engineering industry, added Lim Kok Kiang, Assistant Managing Director of Singapore EDB.

This CoE will join a growing ecosystem of advanced manufacturing technology providers in Singapore, attracted by our vibrant and diversified manufacturing sector. We welcome this investment from DNV GL and look forward to our continued partnership, Kiang concluded.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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Feb 11, 2018 | By Benedict

A professor of mathematics at the Politecnico di Milano in Italy has made a breakthrough in 4D printing, the 3D printing of objects that are programmed to change shape over time. The discovery involves controlling the nucleation of localized creases in soft solids.

Leonardo Fibonacci, perhaps the most famous Italian mathematician of all time, deserves a great deal of respect. He introduced the Arabic numbering system to Europe, pioneered use of the abacus, and devised the famous Fibonacci system, which explains the Golden ratio found in nature, architecture, and artworks like the Mona Lisa.

Unfortunately, many of Fibonaccis discoveries werent accepted until several centuries after his death. Professor Pasquale Ciarletta, a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Italys Politecnico di Milano (Polytechnic University of Milan), will be hoping his latest discovery is recognized a bit faster than that: hes made a breakthrough in 4D printing, finding a new way to fabricate objects with a programmable shape over time.

His research reveals insights into controlling the sudden nucleation of localized furrows, or creases, in soft solids.

Ciarletta says his discovery is of interest not only for engineers, who can use 4D printing to fabricate devices with adaptive surface morphology at different length-scales, but also for developmental biologists, who can use the research to better understand the spontaneous emergence of patterns during tissue morphogenesis.

Despite almost a century of thorough experimental investigation of the problem in engineering, the physics behind creasing [have] remained largely unexplained up to date, due to its formidable complexity, Ciarletta says. This study proposes a novel mathematical approach to accurately predict the experimental conditions triggering the onset and the morphology of creases, thus paving the way for controlling their appearance on-demand, down to nanometric scales.

The study could lead to improvements in the design and fabrication of the next generation of morphable materials, which could then be used in stretchable electronics, self-foldable machines, and lab-on-a-chip devices.

Last year, as part of its 2017 Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, research firm Gartner identified 4D printing as a megatrend to watch out for over the next five to 10 years.

Posted in 3D Printing Technology

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I.AM.Magic wrote at 2/12/2018 7:40:11 AM:The video is old, but the publications are recent.jill wrote at 2/11/2018 9:20:58 PM:why is this even an article that video was from 2013. late much




Stephen T. Asma in TruthOut:

"How will you make sure the dirt stays inside the sandwich?" I asked my brother Dave. He was trying to figure out how to send a dirt sandwich to Nancy Grace, the shrieking CNN legal analyst and gossip show host. In 2005, Grace told viewers she was so convinced Jerry Hobbs killed his daughter that she would gladly eat a dirt sandwich if police failed to turn up the physical evidence. My brother Dave and a handful of public defenders finally proved that Jerry was innocent and paved the way for his release in August 2010.

On Mother's Day, May 2005, as the sun began to set in a rural part of Zion, Illinois, Jerry Hobbs grew anxious that his eight-year-old daughter Laura was not back home yet. Laura and her friend, nine-year-old Krystal Tobias, were last seen sharing a single bike around the wooded suburban community north of Chicago. But by nightfall, it became clear that both girls were missing. A frantic search ensued. Jerry and others searched throughout the night and, at daybreak, it was Jerry himself who found his daughter and her friend stabbed to death in the nearby woods of Beulah Park. Several hours later, the distraught father found himself sequestered in a legal "blacksite"  unlocatable to family, friends and legal representation  and under intense interrogation by police.

Within forty-eight hours, Jerry Hobbs, now "Monster Hobbs," was arrested for the murder of Laura and Krystal. This is the inside story of Hobbs' exoneration five years later and his drive back to Texas with my brother Dave.

More here.
Kenan Malik in Pandaemonium:

Before Facebook, there was the coffee house. In the 17th-century, panic gripped British royal circles that these newly established drinking salons had become forums for political dissent. In 1672, Charles II issued a proclamation to restrain the Spreading of False News that was helping to nourish an universal Jealousie and Dissatisfaction in the minds of all His Majesties good subjects.

Now, 350 years on, legislators across the world are seeking to do the same. Last week, the House of Commons digital culture, media and sport committee flew to Washington DC to grill representatives of big tech companies, including Facebook, Twitter and Google. The title of their session echoed Charles II: How can social media platforms help stop the spread of fake news?

If there is a long history to fears about fake news, there is a long history to fake news, too. In 1924, four days before a general election, the Daily Mail published the forged Zinoviev letter, a supposed directive from Moscow to British communists to mobilise sympathetic forces in the Labour party; Labour lost the election by a landslide.

In the wake of the Broadwater Farm riot of 1985, in which a policeman, PC Keith Blakelock, was hacked to death, the police and the press organised a lurid campaign against the key suspect, Winston Silcott, depicting him as the Beast of Broadwater Farm. Convicted on the basis of virtually no evidence, he was released three years later after it was shown that the police had forged their interview notes.

More here.
 NY Times: "Hard-Line" Jews Support Recognition of Jerusalem as Capital | Main | Huffington Post Arabic, Platform for Hamas Propaganda 

February 10, 2018

UPDATED:The Washington Post Claims Israel Used Iranian Drone As Pretext For Attack



The Washington Post treated an Iranian attack against Israel with unwarranted skepticism, using the event to unfairly question the motives of the Israeli military.

The Post asserted in a Feb. 10, 2018 report (Israel claims incursion by Iranian drone?) that the Jewish state used an Iranian drones alleged incursion? into Israeli airspace as a pretext for Israeli strikes on what it described as Iranian targets in Syria.? The Posts claim was part of a problematic and inaccurate caption that accompanied a video that the paper posted online to describe events that transpired in the early morning hours of Feb. 10, 2018.

As the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) noted, the IDF intercepted an Iranian made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) after it entered Israeli airspace from Syria. During the attack, several anti-aircraft missiles were launched at Israeli fighter jets and sirens sounded in northern Israel. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) responded by engaging twelve targets, including three aerial defense batteries and four Iranian military targets, all of which were located in Syria. An Israeli attack helicopter successfully destroyed the Iranian UAV. An IAF F-16 jet also crashed, after its two pilots ejected. The pilots are currently hospitalized and it's unclear at the time of this writing what led to the downing of the IAF plane.

The IDF has released footage showing the Iranian drone infiltrating Israeli airspace and the IDFs response.

However, in its report, The Washington Postwithout reason or explanationsought to impugn the IDFs motives and obfuscate on what happened. The paper wrote the Israeli military released video it said shows an Iranian drone in Israeli airspace on Feb. 10, before it was destroyed by an Israeli attack helicopter. The alleged incursion was used as the pretext for Israeli strikes on what it described as Iranian targets in Syria [emphasis added].?

Yet, as CAMERA told Post staff and editors, this language is both unwarranted and evidences unprofessional editorializing. Numerous other reports, photographic evidence and the IDFs own video, clearly detail an Iranian drone in Israeli airspaceand Israels subsequent response.

Nor, contra to what The Posts language implied, is Israel alone in asserting that an Iranian drone entered Israeli air space. After the incident, the U.S. State Department, among others, expressed support for "Israel's sovereign right to defend itself." The language of "it said" and "claims" could lead readers to think that the matter is up for reasonable debate. Its not.

Webster's Dictionary defines pretext as "a reason that you give to hide your real reason for doing something." The chain of events (an account of which can be found here) proves otherwise. The phrase "pretext" is journalistically imprecise, misleading and violates The Post's own standards for fairness in reporting.

Following contact with CAMERA, The Washington Post agreed that the caption was "less helpful than it could have been in informing readers," and eliminated the phrases "pretext" and "alleged incursion." The "clarification," however, remained imperfect; claiming that the incursion "was used as justification for Israeli strikes."

Note: This post was updated on Feb. 13, 2018

Posted by SD at February 10, 2018 10:56 PM

the use of the word "pretext" is not objectionable only if one would regard the attack on Pearl Harbor, on 12-7-1941, as a pretext for an American response. or, say, the German attack on Poland, 9-1-1939, as a pretext for a British and French declaration of war. in other words, if one is an imbecile, use of the word might make sense. in addition, the drone entered Israeli airspace, so, the use of the word "alleged" to modify "incursion" is, also, objectionable. it displays an unmistakable bias that should be disqualifying for a "reporter."

Posted by: dante at February 12, 2018 02:24 AM

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Shareholder Update

Sydney, Feb 12, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Big Un Limited ( ASX:BIG ) ( OTCMKTS:BGGNF ) (or 'the Company') herewith provides an update to the market. As the Company continues to grow it remains committed to prioritising best practice corporate governance together with full transparency and disclosure to its shareholders.Mr Massie confirms that he has disclosed his interests in the Company. Further, Mr Massie has confirmed that Gajah Investments Pty Ltd [Coddington Investment Account] is not a related party to Mr Massie, is not controlled by Mr Massie and Mr Massie does not have any beneficial interest in BIG shares held by it. Further, Mr Massie transferred ownership, control and beneficial entitlement in Coddington Nominees Pty Ltd [Coddington Investment Account] to Gajah Investments Pty Ltd prior to becoming a director of the company. Further, the company secretary and share registry were notified of the ownership changes prior to Mr Massie becoming a director. Therefore, Mr Massie has not controlled these accounts since becoming a director and does not have any beneficial interest in shares held by them.FC Capital and FinstroThe board confirm the purchase of a total of 3,030,303 BIG shares by FC Capital was negotiated in November 2016 at a premium price of $0.20 when the Company's share price was $0.16. The Company's directors remain confident that the purchase of and payment for stock made by FC Capital remains commercial, at arm's length and satisfies corporate governance requirements. These are the only shares issued to FC Capital, and no further securities will be issued pursuant to this agreement. Financing arrangements with FC Capital remain in place for BIG customers.The Company has and continues to use the Finstro financing arrangement to help accelerate its market share growth. However, the company is not dependent on the arrangement for achieving future growth on a sustainable basis.Further information about the Finstro arrangements will be provided in the investor roadshows taking place this coming week.Share IssuesIn relation to the Company's historical issuing of shares for services, Mr Hugh Massie stated, "The issue of script in return for services has been carefully considered and taken to ensure the best outcome for all shareholders. When BIG embarked on its growth strategy post listing, the strategy of the board was to use script as a method of payment for strategic suppliers. Examples include technology suppliers, strategic and corporate advisors. It is the view of the board that this strategy has bought better alignment with BIG in the long term."Corporate GovernanceThe board has been reviewing candidates to be appointed as non-executive directors and will make further announcements on this in the future.OutlookRichard Evertz CEO said "The Company is continuing to experience strong growth both here and in the US, and the board confirm that the fundamentals of the business remain unchanged and strong. We will provide the usual quarterly update to the market later this week as planned, along with undertaking an investor roadshow."About Big Un Ltd

Big Un Ltd (ASX:BIG) is the parent company of Big Review TV Ltd. Big Review TV are innovative disruptors in the online video space delivering subscription based video technology products and services. The Company has operations across Australia and in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vancouver and was listed on the ASX in December 2014.


High Purity Battery Grade Lithium Carbonate Produced from Seymour Lake Concentrate

Perth, Feb 12, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Lithium developer Ardiden Limited ("ADV" or "the Company") ( ASX:ADV ) has produced battery-grade lithium carbonate from preliminary metallurgical test work using concentrate sourced from its 100%-owned advanced Seymour Lake Lithium Project in Ontario, Canada.HIGHLIGHTS:- Battery grade Lithium Carbonate at 99.52% Li2CO3 produced from initial downstream processing testwork by leading producer Shandong Ruifu Lithium Co. Ltd- Tests confirm the high purity Li2CO3 can be made from the spodumene concentrate obtained from the Seymour Lake Lithium Project bulk sample, and demonstrate robust conversion and recovery rates- Strategic development partner Yantai continues to complete extensive metallurgical testwork programs on the spodumene bulk samplesThe test-work showed that battery grade lithium carbonate of 99.5% Li2CO3 could be made from the Dense Media Separation (DMS) lithium concentrate that was produced by strategic development partner, Yantai Jinyuan Mining Machinery Co. Ltd, and sourced from Seymour Lake's North Aubry deposit.The aim of this initial testing program was to test the spodumene concentrate suitability for commercial downstream Lithium Carbonate (Li2CO3) production. The initial tests found the beta lithium converting rate produced a satisfactory 90%, however further testing will determine if the rate can be improved further.Brad Boyle, Ardiden CEO, commented: "These are highly encouraging results. To be able to produce battery grade lithium carbonate of such high quality from early testing highlights the exceptional high quality of the Seymour Lake spodumene concentrate. We maintain a high level of confidence that the Seymour Lake project is well placed to potentially become a strategic supplier to the lithium sectors in both America and Asia."TESTWORK DETAILSThe testwork was conducted by leading lithium carbonate and hydroxide producer Shandong Ruifu Lithium Co. Ltd. ("Ruifu").As previously announced (15 November 2017), Ardiden's Chinese strategic partner Yantai Jinyuan Mining Machinery Co., Ltd. had undertaken the metallurgical test work on a bulk sample which demonstrated that the Seymour Lake ore can be processed by Dense Media Separation producing very high-grade lithium concentrate of >6.0% Lithium Oxide (Li2O) concentrate.Ruifu testwork report stated "After cross checking with the battery level lithium carbonate standards in China, we are confident to confirm that battery level Li2CO3 can be produced from the concentrate produced from Ardiden Limited samples..."Further, the Ruifu report concluded: "With the feature of low viscosity and impurities of the concentrate after calcination and high efficiency in acidification, Ruifu thinks the concentrate can be fed into Ruifu's operating facilities to produce high quality battery level Li2CO3 and it should be a premium product if it can come into the market in the future."COMMERICAL PRODUCTION POTENTIALThese latest downstream processing testwork results obtained from Ruifu once again confirm that the North Aubry spodumene quality is world-class and appears to contain only trace amounts of deleterious minerals (announced 12 April 2017). High purity lithium carbonate with excellent convertible rates can also be achieved.The Company anticipates the development of a robust commercial process flowsheet from the bulk sample testwork program currently being completed by Yantai.CONCLUSIONArdiden considers these preliminary testwork results from Ruifu to be extremely encouraging. The Company looks forward to advancing the development of an optimal process flowsheet to produce a commercial grade lithium concentrate which is ideally suited for the lithium end users such as Ruifu.Ardiden confirms that as these are still only preliminary test-work results and further work is underway.The Company looks forward to providing further updates as they come to hand.To view tables and figures, please visit:About Ardiden Ltd

Ardiden Limited (ASX:ADV) is an emerging international diversified exploration and development company possessing a mature multi-element asset portfolio, with a near term development pipeline, focused quality projects located in the established mining jurisdiction of Ontario, Canada.


Kidston Renewable Energy Hub Project Updates

Sydney, Feb 12, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Genex Power Limited ( ASX:GNX ) (Genex or Company) is pleased to provide an update in relation to the development of the Kidston Renewable Energy Hub in North Queensland.50MW Kidston Solar Project (KS1)Following the successful on-time energisation of KS1 in November 2017 (refer ASX announcement 24 November 2017) and the subsequent achievement of first revenues in December 2017 (refer ASX announcement 4 December 2017), Genex is pleased to inform stakeholders that the commissioning works for the project are progressing well.Commissioning is scheduled to continue over the coming months as the project ramps up to full capacity. During this period, Genex will continue to receive revenues for the electricity sold into the National Electricity Market (NEM) in addition to the revenues received for the sale of Large-Scale Generation Certificates, which the project is entitled to receive for every MWh of electricity produced.Following the achievement of full capacity and the finalisation of all commissioning works (known as Practical Completion), the 20-year Revenue Support Deed with the Queensland State Government will commence.Kidston Stage 2 Project (K2)Following the appointment of UGL as preferred Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contractor for the 270MW Kidston Stage 2 Solar Project (K2-Solar) in December 2017 (refer ASX Announcement 12 December 2017), Genex has been working with UGL to advance the detailed design works, which are progressing as scheduled.Following the favourable design optimisation for the 250MW Kidston Stage 2 Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro) (refer ASX announcement 20 October 2017), and the appointment of a preferred EPC Contractor through the McConnell Dowell-led Joint Venture (refer ASX announcement 23 October 2017), the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) process is continuing to advance as scheduled.As part of this ECI process, Genex and McConnell Dowell have revised the joint venture arrangement, with John Holland Pty Ltd (JHG) replacing Downer EDI Ltd as joint venture partner. JHG is at the forefront of Australia's property and infrastructure markets. Their contracting and services capabilities cover the full spectrum of the traditional building and civil engineering markets as well as specialist engineering in the resources, energy, marine, water and waste water and tunnelling sectors. JHG is owned by China Communication and Construction Company Limited, which is listed on the Hong Kong and Shanghai Stock Exchanges.The ECI processes for K2 remain on track toward agreeing full fixed price EPC wrap contracts with UGL for K2-Solar and with McConnell Dowell and JHG for K2-Hydro well in advance of financial close, which is scheduled to occur during calendar 2018.The Federal Government, through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), has provided $8.9 million in funding to support the construction of Genex's KS1 Project, and up to $9 million in funding to support the development of K2-Solar and K2-Hydro.The Queensland State Government has continued to support the development of the Kidston Renewable Energy Hub, providing a 20-year revenue support deed for KS1 through the Solar 150 Program, and designating the Hub as 'Critical Infrastructure' to the State.About ARENA:ARENA was established by the Australian Government to make renewable energy technologies more competitive and increase the supply of renewable energy in Australia. Through the provision of funding coupled with deep commercial and technical expertise, ARENA provides the support needed to accelerate the development of promising new solutions towards commercialisation. ARENA invests in renewable energy projects across the innovation chain and is committed to sharing knowledge and lessons learned from its portfolio of projects and information about renewable energy. ARENA has committed $1.1 billion in funding to more than 270 projects. For more information, visit www.arena.gov.au.About Genex Power Ltd

Genex Power Limited (ASX:GNX) is focused on developing a portfolio of renewable energy generation and storage projects across Australia. The Company's flagship Kidston Clean Energy Hub, located in north Queensland, will integrate large-scale solar generation with pumped storage hydro. The Kidston Clean Energy Hub is comprised of the operating 50MW stage 1 Solar Project (KS1) and the 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro) with potential for further multi-stage wind and solar projects. The 50MW Jemalong Solar Project (JSP) is located in NSW and provides geographical diversification to the Genex Power Limited portfolio. JSP was energised in early December 2020 and commissioning is now underway. Genex is further developing its energy storage portfolio via the early stage development of a 50MW/75MWh standalone battery energy storage system at Bouldercombe in Queensland. With over 400MW of renewable energy and storage projects in development, Genex is well placed as Australia's leading renewable energy and storage company.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - A bus has plunged from a hill while traveling on Indonesia's main island of Java, killing at least 27 people.

Local police chief Muhammad Joni says 16 other people were hospitalized with injuries, some in critical condition, from the accident, which occurred Saturday on a winding slope in Subang district of West Java province.

He says the vehicle's engine apparently lost power while going up a hill and rolled backward and hit a motorbike before falling into a grass field.

Television footage showed police, soldiers and medical personnel evacuating the victims from the upside-down bus, which was carrying more than 40 local tourists. The bus was headed for Tangerang, a satellite city just south of the capital, Jakarta, from West Java's Tangkuban Perahu, a popular mountainous resort.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
YOLA, Nigeria (AP) - Nigeria's government says Boko Haram extremists have released three university lecturers and 10 women who had been kidnapped in separate raids last year.

Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said Saturday the release of the 13 people follows negotiations directed by President Muhammadu Buhari and facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross. It said the 13 are now in the custody of the Department of State Security Services in Abuja.

The university lecturers were abducted while conducting oil evaluations in the Lake Chad area last year. Many of their colleagues were killed. The 10 women had been kidnapped in a raid on a military convoy last year on Damboa road near Maiduguri.

The ICRC said it acted only as a facilitator at the talks.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Jurors have convicted a man in the United States illegally of killing two Northern California deputies in a case that helped fuel the national immigration debate.

Luis Bracamontes was found guilty Friday of shooting Sacramento County sheriff's Deputy Danny Oliver in 2014, then killing Placer County sheriff's Detective Michael Davis Jr. hours later.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Bracamontes, who has repeatedly blurted out in court that he killed the deputies and wished he had killed more.

President Donald Trump's re-election campaign recently featured Bracamontes in an ad calling out Democrats on immigration.

Defense attorneys argued that Bracamontes is mentally ill and should be spared. He was found competent to stand trial.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Get AfricaFocus Bulletin by e-mail! Format for print or mobile Sudan: Perilous Crossroads on Refugee Map AfricaFocus Bulletin

February 12, 2018 (180212)

(Reposted from sources cited below) Editor's Note Sudan is one of the central crossroads for African migrant journeys, particularly for refugees from Eritrea and other counties in the Horn of Africa. The international media spotlight falls most often on the deadly crossing of the Mediterranean or slave auctions in the Libyan dessert. But the vulnerability and deadly perils facing those forced to flee by war, repression, or the struggle for economic survival extends to a far wider terrain, of which Sudan is one example. Most African migrants, in fact, are displaced within their own countries (http://www.internal-displacement.org/) or have sought refuge in immediately neighboring countries, which bear the primary burden of hosting them. In sub-Saharan Africa in 2016 alone, there were an estimated 2.6 million people dispaced by conflict, the largest numbers within the Democratic Republic on the Congo and Nigeria. African countries host moer than 20 million displaced persons, more than Europe and the Americas combined ( http://reporting.unhcr.org/population. Most African migrants, moreover, as stressed by a recent report to the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), do not fit the pattern of displacement, but are similar to migrants elsewhere in the world. They "move for reasons of work, study, and family" and "are not from the poorest section of their societies of origin." This 33-page report, although too detailed to easily excerpt here, is essential for anyone wanting an empirical overview of migrant flows in and out of Africa, is available at http://tinyurl.com/y9vgjake. It does not deny the reality of the perils of forced migration, but it makes clear that solutions will be elusive as long as policy-makers do not accept the legitimacy and normality of migration as such. This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains a report on how European Union support for Sudan to contain migrant flows promotes the systematic abuse of migrants involving both state security forces and criminal gangs. Also included, for a wider context, are links to a selection of recommended articles and reports highlighting other places and analyses. For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on Sudan, visit http://www.africafocus.org/country/sudan.php For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on migration, visit http://www.africafocus.org/migrexp.php In particular see

June 19, 2017 Africa/Europe: Mediterranean Trajectories

http://www.africafocus.org/docs17/migr1706.php March 6, 2017 South Africa: Targeting Immigrants, Again

http://www.africafocus.org/docs17/migr1703.php November 17, 2016 Somalia: Rising Threats to Dadaab Refugees

http://www.africafocus.org/docs16/som1611.php ++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++ Recent Sources on African Refugees: Sudan "Sudan: The E.U.'s Partner in Migration Crime," Refugees Deeply, Jan. 29, 2018

http://tinyurl.com/ybgpt77o Recent Sources on African Refugees: Israel "Prison or deportation: The impossible choice for asylum seekers in Israel," IRIN News, 31 Jan. 2018

http://tinyurl.com/ybbq9ps9 "Stop Deportations and Grant Asylum to African Refugees in Israel," Jews of Color, 27 Dec. 2017 [includes short video: Do Black Lives Matter in Israel?]

http://jocsm.org/signhere_stopdeportingrefugees/ Recent Sources on African Refugees: Other "How weavers in Burkina Faso are now on Europe's migration front line," IRIN News, 6 Feb. 2018

http://tinyurl.com/yascqta4 "Human smugglers operate as 'independent traders,' study finds," University of Cambridge, 22 Jan. 2018

http://tinyurl.com/y9ee3dcm "6 years, 8 countries: A Refugee Couple's Harrowing Search for Safety," Nation, Feb. 9, 2017

http://tinyurl.com/y8vf7seg Martin Lemberg-Pedersen, "Externalizing brutality to Libya is not an answer to displacement," European Council on Refugees and Exiles, 1 Dec. 2017 http://tinyurl.com/ybdmmjxx Recent Sources on Global Migration: Structural Analyaes "Moving Targets: An Analysis of Global Forced Migration, Haas Institute, September 2017 [64-page research report]

http://tinyurl.com/yak3kfsn Hein de Haas, Sonja Fransen, "Social transformation and migration: An empirical inquiry," International Migration Institute Network, Jan. 2018, [40-page working paper]

http://tinyurl.com/y9jus7j7

Inside the EU's flawed $200 million migration deal with Sudan Without addressing the root causes of migration, only corrupt government officials and traffickers are benefiting from criminalising migrants Caitlin L. Chandler IRIN News, Khartoum, 30 January 2018 http://www.irinnews.org  Direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/yac6xac5 Key Points The EU has allocated over $200 million to help Sudan stem migration since 2015

Asylum seekers allege Sudanese officials are complicit in abuse, extortion

Traffickers said to hold people for weeks, beat and torture them for money

Arrivals in Italy from Horn of Africa fell to a fraction in 2017, but new routes are opening up

Crackdown has seen asylum seekers rountinely rounded up, taken to Khartoum to pay fines or be deported

The EU insists strict conditions govern the use of its money and it is monitoring for abuses As millions of dollars in EU funds flow into Sudan to stem African migration, asylum seekers say they are increasingly trapped, living in a perpetual state of fear and exploitation in this key transit country. In interviews with over 25 Eritrean and Ethiopian asylum seekers in Khartoum and the eastern city of Kassala, as well as local journalists, and lawyers working on behalf of refugees, IRIN has documented allegations of endemic police abuse, including extortion, violence, and sexual assault. The pattern of corruption and rights violations uncovered feeds into broader concerns over whether the EU's migration policies are making a difficult situation worse. Across Sudan's capital, Khartoum, some 30,000 Eritrean, Ethiopian, and other African refugees are crammed into decrepit, non-descript houses, waiting for their chance to escape the country and make it to Europe. Sudan's previously porous northern border with Libya has become increasingly dangerous to cross after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir deployed the former Janjaweed  a paramilitary group implicated in war crimes during the Darfur conflict  in 2015 as border guards. This militia, re-named the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and integrated into Sudan's army in January 2017, arrests asylum seekers and hands them over to the police, who detain, fine, and deport them for illegal entry  regardless of whether returning them to their countries will result in torture or imprisonment. Tortured for money The Shagarab refugee camp appears out of nowhere, a sprawling, dusty settlement in eastern Sudan near the Eritrean border, two hours by road from the main town of Kassala, through a series of tightly controlled checkpoints that require police permission to pass. Some 40,000 refugees, primarily Eritreans, are registered at Shagarab, but it feels deserted. For many Eritreans, the camp is only a temporary stop for two or three months before the next stages of their journey, on to Khartoum, and then on to Libya or Egypt, before the final goal of Europe. Inside Shagarab's centre for unaccompanied minors, teenagers watch TV and stay glued to their mobile phones, eager to be in contact with the outside world. But some have experienced awful abuse at the hands of traffickers as they escaped from Eritrea  one of the world's most oppressive states  and into Sudan. Dawit*, 17, fled Eritrea to escape military conscription  in a country where unpaid army service can last for years  travelling first to Ethiopia and then hiring smugglers to take him into Sudan. He couldn't pay the smugglers up front, and so once inside Sudan was trafficked and held for ransom in Hajer, a town almost all Eritrean refugees interviewed by IRIN mentioned as a place to avoid. "Sudanese smugglers tortured us for the payment," said Dawit. "They stripped us naked and beat us with whips while our families were on the [telephone] line. New arrivals had two-three days after arrival to pay before being beaten. "Those who had been there longer were beaten every day. The women fared even worse  men would come, pick them out, and take them away. When they returned, they were bleeding and crying." Dawit said that after being held for five days, the smugglers got a call warning them that there was about to be a police raid, and they all escaped. The tip-off is entirely in keeping with numerous accounts of the involvement of Sudanese officials in the trafficking industry. Sudan has long been a transit country for Eritreans and others on the move, as well as a country people flee from. Sudan's increasing criminalisation of refugees and migrants, as well as conditions in Libya, where the EU backs the Libyan coastguard to capture refugees at sea and return them to detention centres, have contributed to a steep drop in the number of people arriving in Italy. In 2016, 40,773 refugees and migrants from the Horn of Africa arrived in Italy; in 2017, only 8,688 people made it. Yet young Eritrean men and women in Khartoum and Kassala told IRIN they had no intention of remaining in Sudan, despite being aware of the risks of using smugglers to take them through Libya and Egypt, where they can experience torture and death. Some said they would wait for new, safer routes to open, while others were working as maids and daily labourers to raise enough money to start the journey as soon as possible. "When I came from Eritrea, I was kidnapped for two weeks. I didn't know where I was, and I was raped many times. So, nothing [worse] will happen to me. All of us left our families behind," said a young Eritrean woman in Khartoum. "We'll take the risk of going to Europe." Over the past two years, the EU has allocated more than $200 million in migrationrelated funds to Sudan, part of its broader strategy to outsource migration control to third countries. EU financing for border management includes training and equipment for border police, capacity building for the judiciary, and legal reforms to encourage increased arrests and prosecution of traffickers and smugglers. This support is despite the fact that the Sudanese government has for years been condemned for its human rights record  al-Bashir has an outstanding arrest warrant for crimes against humanity issued by the International Criminal Court. The EU sidesteps accusations it is working with Sudan's repressive security apparatus by arguing that it doesn't fund the government directly, rather it funnels its aid through international organisations, including UN agencies. But these EU partners are willing to work with controversial arms of the Sudanese government. For example, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, confirmed to IRIN it has provided motorbikes in Kassala to the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS)  a spy service responsible for the arrest, torture, and detention of human rights activists and the government's political opponents. Extortion and abuse In densely populated Khartoum neighbourhoods like al-Geraif and al-Daim, groups of 10 to 15 Eritrean refugees live in sub-divided shanty houses. Rooms are occupied by entire families or as many as eight single young men and women at a time. Many rely on donations from family members abroad to afford food, children's school fees, and other basic expenses. Those without family support are destitute, eating only one meal a day, without access to proper sanitation or medical care. Filmon, 21, arrived in Sudan in November 2016 from Ginda, Eritrea. He shares a dirty, cramped room with five other young men. Until recently, it lacked a latrine. "Life in Khartoum is very hard. I don't get enough money or good work and it's not a safe area," he told IRIN. "I've been asked [by the police] about my cards, my refugee card, regularly. I think about going to Europe through Libya  I have no choice," he said. Although Sudan has a policy that refugees must live in camps, the majority of Eritreans either stop in them just long enough to claim asylum status and collect an identification card, or head directly for Khartoum. Many have travelled with smugglers, and some have experienced trafficking, violence, and sexual assault crossing into Sudan or once inside. In Khartoum, they find a prison of a different kind. Refugees report being terrorised by the police, who enter their neighbourhoods  sometimes in the middle of the night  and extort and detain people for not having ID cards. Cash and valuables are routinely stolen. Sara is a bubbly young Eritrean woman who attends henna training classes. She told IRIN how she was arrested on the street for not having her refugee card, and at the police station was offered a choice: "If you want to be free, you will have sex with us." Sara, who was 17 at the time, narrowly avoided being raped because her 19-year-old female companion went with the policemen instead. Feeding corruption Each month, police funnel hundreds of refugees and migrants through courts in Khartoum, where they are charged with violating Sudan's Passport and Immigration Act and fined the equivalent of $360. If they do not pay the fines, they are deported to their home country, usually without having the opportunity to consult a lawyer or claim asylum, even though some may have experienced violence, torture, and other acts in Sudan or in their home countries that could qualify them. Hundreds of Eritreans have been extradited over the past two years, including some who were registered as refugees. Deporting an asylum seeker back to the country they fled from and where they face persecution is known as refoulement, and it is a violation of the UN Refugee Convention. Lawyers working to represent refugees in court before they are extradited describe a justice system that is just as corrupt as the police force. "In many cases the traffickers are let go because they have police officers as [defence] witnesses," said Khalid, a lawyer working in Khartoum. "There are trials where 250 refugees are arrested, and each one is fined. It happens so fast  the process of being arrested, the trial and the conviction  and the judge and the police force responsible get a cut of the money. These judges are the same ones who were trained by the British embassy." The Khartoum Process Europe's focus on curbing migration from Sudan began in November 2014, with the launch of the Khartoum Process  a dialogue between the EU and Horn of Africa countries to combat trafficking and smuggling. It initially emphasised protection and human rights, but in operation its focus has been a law enforcement response to migration. In 2015, Brussels created a special pot of money  the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa  to assist the Khartoum Process in addressing the root causes of migration and fighting trafficking and smuggling. An Oxfam analysis found that of the 400 million allocated through the fund, only three percent went towards developing safe and regular routes for migration. The bulk was spent on migration control. Police Lieutenant General Awad al-Neel Dahiya, head of the Ministry of Interior Passports and Civil Registry Authority and a key interlocutor for the EU's migration efforts, believes the focus is justified. "As a matter of fact, we have very long borders  7,000 kilometres plus," he told IRIN. "Compared to our resources, it is very difficult to control  maybe we can be assisted by technology, so we can control the influx, as well as those going out  whether its Sudanese [people or people from] other countries passing through Sudan." But Sudanese specialists say the EU is operating on the flawed assumption that the government is sincere in wanting to end the lucrative trafficking business. "There is a lack of political will from the Sudanese government to fight trafficking," Rifat Makawi, another lawyer in Khartoum, explained. "Creating new policies and drafting laws is just done by the government to please Western countries. On the ground, nothing changes." A recent report from the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat noted that despite the flurry of anti-smuggling and trafficking efforts, new smuggling routes continue to open across the Horn, with Eritrean and Sudanese smuggling networks gaining influence. One estimate puts the profits of the smuggling business on the northwestern route from the Horn of Africa to Europe at approximately $203 million in 2016. An uncomfortable alliance The US State Department's 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report concludes that Sudan "does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so." Human Rights Watch has accused the security forces, including the RSF, of colluding with human traffickers and smugglers rather than investigating them. The EU's interest in managing migration has precipitated a sharp shift in how member countries engage with Khartoum. For years, European governments avoided dealing with al-Bashir because of the ICC arrest warrant and his rights record, but there has been something of a sea change. The UK is now engaged in a biannual "strategic dialogue" focused on migration, trade, and counter-terrorism. Italy has signed a policing agreement on trafficking, irregular immigration and terrorism; and Norway is discussing an agreement to facilitate easier deportation of Sudanese asylum seekers. Belgium recently allowed Sudanese security officials to vet asylum-seekers; those who were then deported back to Sudan were detained, interrogated and tortured. Michael Aron, the UK ambassador to Sudan, said the EU can influence police behaviour through dialogue. "There are people we talk to in the police who are definitely trying to do the right thing," he explained. "We should be helping the good guys so they can increase their influence over decision-making and gradually get the situation more under control." Meanwhile, over the past three years, the Sudanese government has made it clear it expects the EU to provide funds and equipment for its migration control efforts. The head of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan, regularly boasts about the RSF's role in assisting the EU. He recently told Al Jazeera: "[The EU] lose[s] millions in fighting migration, that's why [it has] to support us." The EU ambassador to the Sudan, Jean-Michel Dumond, rejects criticism of Europe's relationship with Khartoum. "We have been accused of all the sins of the world, and it's quite clear we have never cooperated with the RSF  we have no link," he told IRIN. "[EU] aid is given [under] very clear conditions." Meanwhile, former border control officials from European countries are arriving in Khartoum as consultants, replacing development experts in some international agencies. One of the latest EU-funded projects is a Regional Command Center in Khartoum (ROCK), to be run by Civipol out of the Sudanese police training compound. "The migration issue is becoming like the Darfur crisis, it's a business," said Fatima, a Sudanese journalist covering migration who also pointed to the creation of numerous new government charities that have started turning up at migration-related meetings. "Everyone wants a piece of the pie," she added. "Where to keep them?" Yusef, an Eritrean refugee, tried to head to Europe in 2014 via Libya, but was returned to the Sudanese border by a militia in Libya. There, he was arrested, along with hundreds of other refugees. The Sudanese border guards brought Yusef to the northern town of Dongola that now serves as an informal detention facility for refugees captured at the border. On the three-day journey, Yusef alleges that over 50 people died from lack of food, water, and medical care. Their pleas for help went unanswered. "We told them our friends are dying, are thirsty, hungry, suffering. They don't protect you," he told IRIN. In Dongola, Yusef was kept in a large compound along with hundreds of other people. Eight Bangladeshi men in the facility paid and were immediately released, along with a number of Somalis and Sudanese. But the Eritreans and Ethiopians were detained for a month. Yusef said he counted nine people who died due to lack of medical care. Representatives of the UN visited  a team of four foreigners with an Eritrean translator  and told the inmates that if they had a refugee card they could go back to the Shagarab refugee camp in eastern Sudan, or else they would be deported. Yusef had a refugee card but did not trust the UN or the Sudanese government to protect him. To avoid being sent back to Eritrea, where he could likely face torture and imprisonment, Yusef claimed to be Ethiopian. He was deported to Ethiopia, and crossed back into Sudan a few weeks later. Monitoring from afar The EU is now planning to work in Dongola through its flagship Better Migration Management project, a $46 million regional programme run by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), in partnership with the International Organization on Migration (IOM), Italian police and Civipol, a consulting wing of the French ministry of interior, among other organisations. "The proposal came from us, because we have nowhere to keep people," said Dahiya, the head of Sudan's Ministry of Interior Passports and Civil Registry Authority. "Every month we have to intercept almost 100 or sometimes 500 irregular migrants; we have to process their return and their protection  it gives us real challenges  where to keep them?" According to the UK ambassador, BMM will set-up a centre in Dongola to help receive the arrested refugees and migrants. But it's not clear how human rights abuses will be monitored, especially somewhere where there are no international NGOs or observers at present. Martin Weiss, the BMM project head in Germany, insists the programme aims to protect migrants. "BMM is not about border surveillance, but about protecting refugees, facilitating migration, and improving conditions for people who are fleeing their homes," he wrote in an email. "At present, many refugees are vulnerable to violence, slavery or rape. We want to provide an effective response to the problem." But the EU and its partners don't appear to have a viable strategy to mitigate human rights abuses. In the case of the BMM project, the EU and GIZ claim that its steering committee  composed of the European Commission, Germany, UK, France, Italy, and the Netherlands  oversees human rights risks remotely from Brussels. "The steering committee has a clear view of what is possible and what is not possible," said Dumond, "and we don't think there is a big risk [of human rights violations as a result of EU funding]." He added that EU officials frequently go on mission in Sudan to assess conditions first-hand. But such visits are tightly controlled by the government and the security services. When IRIN visited Shagarab, for example, police and NISS officers followed, transcribing every interview. The EU and GIZ also declined to show country specific budgets for Sudan for the BMM programme. That opacity is a way to escape "accountability and scrutiny", explained Giulia Lagana, a migration specialist at the Open Society European Policy Institute, via email. Rethink needed The situation Yusef faced in Eritrea forced him to leave. Stricter border controls did not deter him in striving for a better life, and neither did the rights abuses he encountered. Yet there is no indication the EU is open to adjusting its migration management strategy in the face of mounting criticism that its approach in Sudan is not only ineffective but also causing harm. "The real root causes of migration are very complex," said Dumond. "You cannot hope to address all these problems and have quick solutions in a few months." But a new report from the International Refugee Rights Initiative, The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), and The Centre for Human Rights Law at SOAS, University of London, argues that a re-think is urgently needed. "As barriers are created without sufficient alternatives being offered, people are taking greater and greater risks and journeys are becoming increasingly dangerous," the study found. "The only people benefitting  are the smugglers and traffickers." Caitlin L. Chandler reported from Sudan with a fellowship from the International Reporting Project (IRP) *To protect their identities, sources referred to by a first name only have had their names changed. AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus Bulletin is edited by William Minter. AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at africafocus@igc.org. Please write to this address to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the original source mentioned. For a full archive and other resources, see http://www.africafocus.org
By Cathy Jameson

Ronans siblings tolerate quite a bit from their brother, but they rarely ever complain about it. They could  the noise he makes when he gets overly excited is ear piercing, the attention he needs is constant, and the frequent rearranging of their schedule because of his needs gets tiring. It can be heartbreaking for them. It can be heartbreaking for me as well.

Being able to live through what they have had to has made Ronans siblings stronger though. Its made them more sympathetic. Its made them more aware of issues other kids their ages are years away from being introduced to. Knowing what they know and witnessing what theyve witnessed has made them more vocal, too. Ronans big sister has taken her sibling viewpoint to the classroom a few times already. She did so again last week.

Fiona was assigned to write a bill for one of her classes. She told me she couldve picked from any number of topics but immediately knew which one shed write about: vaccines. More specifically, she wanted to focus on vaccine choice. I had no doubts that shed put 100% effort into her work, but I asked her, Are you sure? Are you sure you want to go there? Other teachers know that Fionas younger brothers health drastically declined post vaccination and have been very understanding. I wasnt sure if this teacher would also be. I shouldnt have worried. My girl took the challenge and ran with it. Before I could ask her again if she wanted to reconsider, she confidently replied, Mom! Dont worry. Ive already got a lot done, and its not even due for a few weeks.

For the next few weeks, Fiona collected quite a bit of information. Some of it was added directly to the bill while other data was entered on a worksheet and saved as a reference. Because the topic of her bill is a topic we discuss regularly here at Age of Autism, I asked Fiona if I could share some of the information in todays post. Enthusiastically, she said yes.

Topic: Health and Safety

Purpose: To ensure that all students (preK-Post Baccalaureate) in any public, private, and/or charter schools, and all employees in the private and government sectors are guaranteed their right to an education and employment without regard to their vaccine status.

Benefits: the guarantee of educational rights and employment security

Effective: immediately and indefinitely

Knowing that the bill she was asked to write could raise some eyebrows, Fiona offered comments. She didnt need to do that, but she found a section where she could include supportive information. She wasnt adding it wasnt just to supply useful facts and figures but to educate others, especially those who have yet to experience negative side effects of vaccines like she has:

This bill gives the people the opportunity to attend school and work without jeopardizing their personal or medical rights. It does not take anything away. It does the opposite - it protects citizens' rights and opportunities.
https://www.aish.com/jw/me/How-to-Talk-About-Israels-African-Migrant-Crisis.html

Switzerland, too, is toughening its stance on Eritreansand no one is calling it a Gestapo state.

How did Israel become a place of no refuge?

That was the question posed by Rabbi Susan Silverman in an op-ed in The New York Times earlier this week, as she addressed the Israeli governments decision to deport thousands of African migrants. Calling the decision a deeply anti-Jewish policy, Silverman dubbed the effort to oppose the deportation the Anne Frank movement, making it abundantly clear that, to her mind, the issue was morally stark, pitting helpless victims against the contemporary reincarnation of Hitlers death squads.

This is a serious charge. Before we embrace it, we would all do well to take a deep breath and turn to facts before rhetoric. The problem at hand is real, and it deserves a real discussion.

Eleven years ago, in January 2007, the Knessets Internal Affairs and Environment Committee held a meeting to discuss how to respond to a small group of migrants from Sudan who had entered the country illegally. We, the State of Israel, somehow we really lost our minds, said Avshalom Vilan of the left-leaning Meretz party. There are currently 288 asylum-seekers from Sudan who have successfully escaped from hell. Were talking about 300 people who came from a country where a genocide is claiming millions of lives. Were talking about 288 people, and theyre trying to scare us that tomorrow itll become a stream of thousands and tens of thousands.

As of October of last year, there are now 38,000 documented migrants living in Israel, the vast majority of whom are Eritrean and Sudanese.

Except that is precisely what happened: As of October of last year, there are now 38,000 documented migrants living in Israel, the vast majority of whom are Eritrean and Sudanese. The Hebrew word for this group is mistanenim, or infiltrators, and it consists solely of individuals who have crossed the Egyptian border into Israel without permits. Migrants are eligible to file for asylum, and their status changes to asylum-seekers as soon as their application is received. In addition, there are 74,000 people residing in Israel who had entered the country as tourists and have overstayed their visas, as well as 18,555 foreign workers without valid permits, but theyre not the ones making headlines.

Who, then, are these migrants? According to a recent report by a coalition of Israeli human-rights groups who are strongly opposed to the deportation, between 2013 and 2017, 13,764 migrants have filed for asylum, with only 10 requests approved by the courts. This may have to do with the fact that Eritrea, for example, is not particularly punitive toward returnees who have fled it, many of whom simply wish to avoid the countrys lengthy, and mandatory, military service. A 2016 report by the European Asylum Support Office, a European Union agency, found that international representatives stationed in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, to monitor the returnees well-being were unaware of any more recent examples of people being arrested on entering the country. The report also conveyed the Eritrean governments 2015 policy of offering clemency to the returnees, further supporting the Israeli courts reluctance to grant Eritreans the status reserved only for those threatened by severe prosecution back home. In their ruling, the judges in Jerusalem are similar to their colleagues in the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled last year that the expulsion of Eritrean asylum seekers from Switzerland would not breach the European Convention.

The overwhelming majority of those who arrived in Israel did so simply to find better work.

Rather than see the migrants as helpless refugees, then, the Israeli government, aided by a simple demographic calculation, ascertained that the overwhelming majority of those who arrived in Israel did so simply to find better work, which explains why among those alleging refugee status an overwhelming number are young single men. In 2014, the Institute for Zionist Strategies published a paper that found that of the 13,940 migrants who stole across the border into Israel in 2010, 11,961 were men; a year later, in 2011, male migrants counted for 11,567 of 13,686 overall arrivals.

Even if the migrants in question were indeed refugees, the United Nations 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees states that each country may handle refugees as it sees fit, as long as it doesnt deport them to their countries of origin. Israel does no such thing: In an effort to find an acceptable solution, it negotiated with two African countries, Rwanda and Uganda, reportedly offering to pay them $5,000 for each migrant they absorb. Israel is also offering $3,500 to every migrant who agrees to leave of his own free will.

What happens to the migrants once they arrive in Rwanda and Uganda? To hear Israels NGOs and media tell it, deportation is akin to a death sentence. Late last month, for example, an El Al pilot named Shaul Betzer was applauded by some for taking to Facebook and posting that theres no way that I, as a pilot, will take part in flying refugees/asylum seekers on their way to a destination when their chances of surviving upon arrival to that country is almost zero.

Again, the facts dont mesh with the rhetoric here: Addressing an appeal by human-rights groups to cancel the deportation, Israeli judge Rachel Barkai of the Beer Sheva District Court found that not a single deportee has argued that he was arrested in the third-country destination [to which he was deported]  nor was it argued by anyone that staying in that country will expose them to any danger to their lives or their liberty. The NGOs appealed to Israels supreme court and were again rebuked by the justices there for painting a patently false picture of the fate that awaits the migrants in Uganda and Rwanda. After examining the evidence, wrote former Supreme Court Chief Justice Miriam Naor in her verdict, it is my opinion that the appellants did not succeed in proving that the [countries to which the migrants will be deported] are unsafe or that they are in any danger. Naor also stressed that most migrants do not meet the criteria of asylum seekers, and reminded the appellants that most migrants never even bothered filing for asylum.

Complicating matters further is the fact that many of those deported will then leave again in the hope of making it to Europe or somewhere else where economic opportunities are plentiful. Some, for example, try for Italy and end up in Libya, a failed and perilous state where scores of the migrants were arrested and a number killed by armed militias. To argue, however, that this tragedy is any way the responsibility of the Israeli government is absurd.

The Sudanese and Eritrean migrants struggling to stay in Israel arent Anne Frank, and the Israeli government isnt the Gestapo.

The Sudanese and Eritrean migrants struggling to stay in Israel arent Anne Frank, and the Israeli government isnt the Gestapo. Thinking in these terms is morally unserious, intellectually dishonest, and politically unwise. And they prevent us from carefully and effectively addressing the real question: Should the migrants be allowed to stay?

Take the sound and the fury out of the picture, and youll find good and convincing arguments on both sides. Its perfectly fine to argue that Israel, a Jewish state founded in the shadow of unprecedented persecution, should be sensitive to all who wish to make a better life for themselves, and therefore loosen its immigration policy to absorb as many newcomers as it can without making spurious arguments and claiming that theyre all in imminent mortal danger. That said, anyone making this argument should be prepared to explain precisely how Israel ought to welcome torrents of newcomers. The last decade was proof that, in the absence of clear guidelines, Israels free society and robust economy will attract an exponentially growing number of African migrants. Even if you believe the freedom to pick up and move anywhere you like to be a universal human righta problematic propositionyoud still have to explain just how Israel is supposed to take in so many newcomers without jeopardizing its ability to sustain its citizens first, losing its inherently Jewish nature, or both.

This, of course, is a more jagged version of the very same conversation Americans are having when they talk about immigration. Israelis, so frequently the canaries in the global coal mine, would do well to lead the way by rejecting the temptation of empty outrage and engaging instead in a difficult and complicated conversation, the kind adults have when faced with inconvenient truths and imperfect choices. Its time for us to talk.

This article originally appeared in Tablet Magazine.
https://www.aish.com/jw/me/The-Cape-Town-Water-Crisis-and-Hating-Israel.html

Demonstrating the irrationality of hatred, Cape Town rejected Israels offer to help forestall their crisis.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about anti-Semitism and the worlds hatred of Israel is illustrated by Cape Towns frightening water crisis.

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Until just recently it was also one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa, responsible for almost 10 percent of the countrys $33 billion economic output.

But the city is now facing a crisis of unimaginable proportion. The sources of water have dried up and the water taps will soon have to be shut off completely. Current estimates put that day  now called Day Zero  sometime in mid-April.

As of now, there is water rationing previously unheard-of in modern civilized cities. People are urged not to flush toilets, to shower and bathe infrequently with minimal water, and walking around with unwashed hair is considered a sign of national patriotism. The government admits they are facing a probable total collapse of their economy, their infrastructure, and their way of life.

As soon as Israel became aware of Cape Towns water problem, it volunteered assistance, making clear their ability and willingness to help. They were rebuffed.

Cape Town has been aware of this threat for some time  and they also had an easily accessible solution. Israel is a country which achieved the scientific know-how to make its desert bloom, its minimal water supply to suffice for its needs, and the desalination of seawater for everyday purposes a reality. Israel has learned how to recycle about 85 percent of its water and has achieved what many considered impossible: making water readily accessible to all of its inhabitants. As soon as Israel became aware of Cape Towns water problem, without any hesitancy it volunteered assistance, making clear their ability and willingness to help.

Former Israeli Ambassador to South Africa Arthur Lenk, current Ambassador Lior Keinan, and Israels economic attaches to South Africa all made repeated overtures to the relevant bodies to assist with the Cape Town water crisis. Scientists were prepared to share their knowledge. Volunteers were ready to come to implement them. Organizations were ready to help in the planning and even in the financing for what was required to prevent Day Zero from becoming a reality.

But the governing body of Cape Town sides with the Palestinians. That makes Israelis the enemy. And that allowed hatred to trump sanity and enmity to prefer calamity over offered salvation.

Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.

Harry Emerson Fosdick put it well when he famously said, Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.

In the early part of 2016, when it already became clear that parts of South Africa would be facing one of the most severe droughts in its history, an important conference was called to make plans for the initiation and implementation of specific programs to prevent catastrophe. Listed on the program as one of the delegates was Israels ambassador to South Africa, Arthur Lenk, who had already spent considerable effort in educating and assisting the region wherever possible. No sooner did this become public than Prof Lorenzo Fioramonti of the University of Pretoria, withdrew his participation. That was immediately followed by the BDS movement successfully lobbying the South African government to entirely cancel the water conference due to Israels participation.

Thanks to the growing influence of the increasing Muslim population and the leadership of the pro-jihad President Jacob Zuma aligned with the BDS, South Africans rejoiced at their ability to tell off the Israelis and to deny Israel the ability to claim credit for any humanitarian aid.

It is hard to imagine how much joy there must be today for a people to know that soon they are destined to helplessly watch their citizens die of thirst rather than accept aid from those accursed Jews.

It is a story of tragedy in South Africa  but it is more than that as well. It is a paradigm of the conflict between the world and the Jews, between the Arabs and the Israelis, between those consumed by a hatred and those anxious to extend a hand of help and of friendship to even the bitterest of enemies.

I find it significant that the Cape Town crisis revolves around water. Water has special meaning in Jewish tradition. It is so essential to life that it is the most frequently used metaphor in Judaism for Torah itself. Water and Torah are both indispensable for survival. When the Jews who left Egypt were in the desert of Sinai they could not, the Torah tells us, go three days without water. For that reason the sages instituted the public reading of the Torah on the Sabbath, Mondays and Thursdays  so no Jew would ever go three days bereft of the life-giving words of Gods gift to human kind.

We are the people of the book. Our role, as those designated to become  in the words of Isaiah  a light unto the nations, is to bring to the world the blessings of the Almightys spiritual waters. And yet, people thirsting for meaning in their lives and for purpose to their existence, prefer to reject us, even at the cost of their own survival.

Here is a profound example for the irrationality of hatred.

As my heart goes out to the victims, I have one great hope: If only the crisis of Cape Town could open the eyes of Israel haters to how much they have to gain if they would but choose peace over war, life over death and mutual blessings over eternal strife and conflict.
Jennifer R. Statham For AL.com

For nearly 60 years Stanley Construction Company has laid the groundwork, sculpting much of the Tennessee Valley area.

The family owned and operated company, based in Huntsville, has reached many milestones over the years. The most recent came in the form of recognition of the industry trade association for construction of the largest irrigation reservoir in the southeast United States.

Stanley Construction, specializing in site preparation, road building and site development consulting, was awarded the Associated General Contractors of Alabama's 2017 BuildSouth Award last month in Birmingham. The award recognized the company in the category of Heavy Industrial Construction under $5 million for their work on the design and construction of the Bragg Farms Irrigation Reservoir, located just across the state line in Taft, Tennessee.

"(The award) brings a little bit of notoriety and it also helps you judge where you are, as far as your peers and other companies. Then it also gives your employees a sense of pride to know they worked on projects that are recognized and that their work is definitely valuable and seen throughout the community," Vice President of Project Management, Al Stanley said. "One of the great things about construction, as a business owner or an employee, is you have an opportunity to actually see what your hands are doing every day, when you see the finished project, when you ride by them. So for our employees and for us, this is a milestone project."

Largest of its kind

The Stanleys' business relationship with the Bragg family, who own large farms in the Toney community in Madison County and Taft, Tennessee, goes back to the previous generation.

Years ago, the Stanleys did paving and clearing on the farm and created a smaller reservoir. Dennis Bragg brought the Stanleys in again to solve the irrigation problem on the family's 2,000-acre row crop farm.

"When you have a farmer or person who has vision and wants to do something different and could see how doing something different, that hasn't always been done, it can be beneficial to everybody," Executive Vice President, Thornton Stanley Jr. said.

The Bragg Farms irrigation reservoir is a "retention pond on steroids," and involved site selection, site design, and construction of a 100-acre irrigation reservoir that will provide 472.5 million gallons of water to irrigation systems on the farm.

"We wanted to build a large-scale irrigation project where water is not available from rivers or wells," Bragg said. "The project needed to economically harvest substantial amounts of water during the offseason and store and use that water to increase crop production in the dryer months."

The completed project was more than a three year process, with construction from June to November of 2016, involving clearing and grading 120 acres and moving approximately 550,000 cubic yards of dirt to form the reservoir and levees. The results were a massive reservoir, spanning 0.90-miles long and 0.25-miles wide.

"Most practically the first option is to pump out of a creek. So if you have a creek or river close by that's your first option. A lot of farmers do that, after that they dig wells. A well is the next cheapest option. If your farm doesn't have good well, good aquifers, then you have to evaluate storage options, especially in Tennessee where he is, the rock is shallow and there's very low well water volume," Al Stanley said.

The Stanleys pointed out a reservoir, especially one this size, is only suitable under certain circumstances. First of all, there is crop land lost to the holding pond as well as a higher upfront cost. Also, a reservoir would need to be located on land with a large watershed, such as a valley location, to ensure there is enough runoff water availability to keep the holding pond full.

However, ponds such as the Bragg Farm irrigation reservoir reduce sediment movement, which is beneficial to neighboring residents.

"This shows how farmers can be good neighbors through control of sedimentation through the timing of water usage and capture. It allows the farm to provide optimal water usage at the precise time in a way that does not affect the surrounding residents. If you drill a well and pulling out of the aquifer for that well, you might be pulling out of the aquifer for the residents' water as well," Thornton Stanley said. "Just like any invention, you see the use of something that is sometimes reasonably simple to attack a problem in a novel way. That's what we saw with the generation of this lake."

Family history

Stanley Construction estimates an aggregate economic impact on the North Alabama economy of more than $38 million in wages to area workers since its founding in 1961.

Stanley Construction projects in the Huntsville-Madison County area include subdivision site preparation for The Village at Providence, The Reserve, and Jackson Bend, as well as major sitework for Gate 7 Access at Redstone Arsenal, Jemison High School and McNair Middle School, Buckhorn High School, Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary, Oakwood University and Oakwood Church, St. Luke Church, Union Chapel School, Progressive Union and First Missionary Baptist Churches. Other projects included dorm sites and site prep for the Alabama A&M Louis Crews Stadium in the 2000s.

In the 1960s and 1970s the company helped develop the Squaw Valley subdivision in Huntsville. They are currently working on several projects including numerous Dollar General sites, as well as a 45-acre commercial site development called Friendship Commons, located on Winchester Road in Huntsville.

Thornton Stanley Sr., who still serves as CEO and president, founded the company with hopes of becoming a family business and establishing a strong reputation in the Tennessee Valley area.

Stanley Construction Company was awarded the Associated General Contractors of Alabama 2017 BuildSouth Award. The award for Heavy Industrial Construction under $5 million for their work on the design and construction of the Bragg Farms Irrigation Reservoir, located just across the stateline in Taft, Tennessee. Shown from left are Executive Vice President Thornton Stanley Jr., Vice President of Project Management Al Stanley, site owner Dennis Bragg, and Wade Hayes.

Thornton Stanley Jr., said the siblings are fortunate to grow up in the business with their father giving them on-the-job training that everyone else was looking to get at a later date.

"The concept of providing a quality product and working to work again, not that your stuff is going to break down but because the person recognizes the value that you add  That was instilled on us as young people as we were growing up. Once we got to be adults it was not that we were thrown in. Some people don't relate to each other as youth very much, so it's difficult when they get to an adulthood to say how is it that I'm going to fit in, but the beauty is I can say my brother is my best friend," Thornton Stanley Jr. said.

"We don't know anything other than to fit in," Al Thornton added. "We are blessed to be a family that can work together...We see each other and talk to each other everyday, regardless of work."

The brothers, Thornton Stanley Jr. and Al Thornton, along with their older sister, Karen Stanley Fleming, and a cousin. Wanda Stanley Rice, all hold divisional vice president positions.

"We live close together, work together and go to church together," Thornton Stanley Jr. said. "It was something that was developed early on by my father, that everyone has value and has something to add. So when we were children working, even though we were children, there was something we could had to whatever the product was doing and he recognized that and valued us so that was the case. As we came back to the company he did a very similar thing, so that although we overlap, we don't have in general 'big I's and little U's.' That's a concept that my father had."
A federal judge has dismissed the case involving five Southtown Court residents who are against the redevelopment of the housing project on the city's Southside.

Court records show U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallon ordered on Jan. 31 that the case be dismissed without prejudice, meaning the case could come back to court if new evidence is presented.

Southtown Court, commonly referred to as Southtown, residents Irene Johnson, Raymond Fuller, Catherine Headen, Linda Green and Rose Crowder were named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. They were suing the Housing Authority Birmingham District, the City of Birmingham and Southside Redevelopment Group-- a group formed of contractors who are working on the redevelopment plan.

Southtown is a 455-unit housing project that houses approximately 1,000 people, located on 26 acres off University Boulevard. The property has an estimated value of $26 million.

HABD commissioners voted last year to make Bayer Properties, Brasfield & Gorrie, the Benoit Group, A.G. Gaston Construction, SPM Property Management, Corporate Realty, and BREC Development partners on developing the community, and decided to refer to the group as the Southside Development Company.

The company pitched a mixed-use and mixed-income development, meaning the housing would be a combination of subsidized public housing units and units leased at market rate. Initial ideas in the redevelopment plan included a senior center, office and medical space, a green space, and retail stores.

Current Southtown residents, however, are concerned they will be left without a home. Their attorneys Richard Rice and April Collins filed the case claiming HABD was discriminating against Southtown residents and violating the Fair Housing Act.

Kallon's order states some of the plaintiffs' claims about the redevelopment are not yet ready to be reviewed. He also wrote that their claim of the defendants "intimidating, threatening, interfering or otherwise retaliating" against the Southtown plaintiffs is not backed up. He wrote the claim is being dismissed because "their allegations are not sufficient to show a causal connection between any protected activity and the retaliatory acts or to show conduct that rises to the level of [retaliation]."
Pelham police announced at 8:25 a.m. Sunday that a Chelsea woman missing since Saturday has been found alive in a search of a wooded area of Pelham where her car was found abandoned. Details were not immediately available.

A statement released by the family Sunday afternoon said Lisa Michelle Holman, 45, had suffered "a few broken bones."

Pelham Police Chief Larry Palmer, at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, issued a statement on Facebook:

"I want to personally thank everyone involved in the search for Lisa Holman. This was a true community effort...from surrounding law enforcement agencies, to fire and rescue, to search teams, and volunteers. I also want to thank local media outlets for sharing Lisa's story with you.

While we are still working to piece together the events of the past few days, we do want to let you know Ms. Holman was alert when we found her, and she was able to walk out of the woods to medical professionals standing by to treat her.

We are thankful to serve a community where help and support is offered at a moments notice. We are so happy this situation had a good ending."

The search for Holman had resumed early Sunday morning with volunteers scouring the area of Shelby County where her car was found. Pelham police issued a statement on Facebook that because of the overwhelming response of volunteer, the number was being capped at 200. Police had already been set to add more volunteers for the afternoon when Holman was located.

The Holman family issued a statement Sunday afternoon thanking searchers and updating Holman's condition:

"Needless to say, the last two days have been very emotional for our family; Lisa's rescue Sunday morning was definitely an answered prayer. Amazingly, she has suffered only a few broken bones and other minor injuries as a result of the accident. Her ability to withstand these injuries, the weather conditions, and the length of time in the woods is a testament to her resiliency.

"We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the coordinated effort provided by the Pelham Police Department, Pelham Fire Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. They led this rescue mission not only with determined tenacity, but also with true compassion. They kept the family comforted and well informed while organizing the rescue efforts. We would also like to thank the following agencies who assisted in the search: Shelby County EMA, Chelsea Fire Department, Childersburg Rescue Squad, Alexander City Rescue Squad, Regional Paramedic Service, SAR K9's of Alabama, the American Red Cross, and Red Mountain Search Dog Association.

"We would like to thank the literally hundreds of volunteers who offered their assistance throughout Saturday and Sunday. It was a team of these volunteers that finally reached Lisa on Sunday morning. Chelsea High School was instrumental in providing a staging area and bus transportation for the volunteers beginning at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning. In addition to those who were able to physically show up, there were literally thousands of others lifting the entire effort up through prayer. We are grateful to be part of a close-knit community that never hesitated when their assistance was needed."

UPDATE (8:25A.M. SUNDAY): Lisa Holman has been located by a search team in the woods and is ALIVE! We will provide more... Posted by Pelham, Alabama Police Department on Sunday, February 11, 2018

Pelham Police announced Saturday afternoon they are searching for a local woman, whose car was found abandoned after an apparent crash.

By Saturday evening police were asking the public for help when the search resumed early Sunday morning. Volunteers met at Chelsea High School at 6 a.m. Sunday.

Officers found Holman's vehicle along County Road 36 on Saturday morning.

She was last seen wearing a hot pink sweater and black leggings, according to police.

Authorities on Saturday searched the area of County Road 36 between Bent Creek Drive and Brasher Road for answers to Holman's whereabouts. The area was closed during the search.

Updated at 8:25 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Sunday with information that Holman had been found and statement from police chief; updated at 5 p.m. with statement from family.
Sen. Hank Sanders of Selma, the longest serving member of the Alabama Senate, has decided not to seek a 10th term and said his daughter, Malika Sanders-Fortier, will run instead.

Sanders had planned to run for one last term and qualified with the Democratic Party.

But in a press release, Sanders said he reevaluated over the last couple of weeks:

"Some time it is time. Some time we do not realize it is time until something special happens. I had thought that I would run to serve one more term in the Alabama State Senate, and I qualified to run in January. However, when I took off 24 hours for our 48th wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago, I began to realize what a heavy load I carry. I realized that when you cannot get 24 hours away except for your wedding anniversary, then it is time to reevaluate. I thought and prayed on it."

Sanders said he asked his daughter, Sanders-Fortier, on Friday, the last day of qualifying for the June 5 primary, if she would consider running.

"We discussed it, and she said yes," Sanders said. "I felt great because Malika has my spirit. She is a lawyer, a mother, and is dedicated to lifting the community. I am convinced that she can carry on as well as I could, and I will not have to struggle to take 24 hours for another anniversary or other special occasion."

Sanders was one of the Senate's most powerful members when the Democrats controlled the chamber. He served as chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, which handles the annual education budget.

"I want to express my heartfelt thank you to the people for electing me to serve on so many occasions," Sanders said. "It has been my honor to serve in the Alabama Senate, and I will continue to serve, even when I am not in elected office."

Sanders is the 10th senator to decide not to seek reelection. Nine of the Senate's 26 Republicans are not running. Four of those are running for statewide office instead.
Alabama lawmakers are pitching nearly two dozen pieces of legislation to retool the state's elections process.

The effort arrives ahead of a 2018 election that will see all of the state's constitutional offices and legislative seats on the ballot. It also follows one of the major political upsets of modern era when Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in December's special U.S. Senate contest.

The most notable of the changes would eliminate future special U.S. Senate elections like the one that Jones won. Proponents say that this will save the state millions of dollars; opponents say it will subvert the democratic process. A floor fight could occur in the Alabama Senate next week.

Other pieces of election-related legislation involve: revisions to absentee balloting, clarifications on recounts, specifications on when write-ins can be tabulated, updates to inactive-voter lists, and provisions for requesting open primaries. Also, one bill would impose term limits in the Legislature, in another would raise the eligible age of judicial candidates to 75.

"You only tend to get interest with reforming the election code and the process of elections if you have a scandal or some development that adversely affects the majority party," said Jess Brown, a retired political science professor at Athens State University. "We've now had both: scandals related to campaign finance and a surprise election."

But state Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne, and chairman of the House Constitution Campaign and Elections Committee, suggested that voters themselves might be the driving force: "Maybe people are hearing things back home, 'You didn't do what you were supposed to do.'"

'The money part'

Generating the most attention is HB17, sponsored by Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, who heads the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee. The bill would empower the governor to appoint a placeholder to a vacant U.S. Senate seat, to serve through the next general election cycle. The appointee could not run for the seat.

Under this scenario, Alabama's junior senator would still be Luther Strange. A year ago, Gov. Robert Bentley chose Strange to replace Jeff Sessions, who had departed the Senate to become U.S. attorney general.

Strange lost in last summer's GOP runoff election to Moore, who then became embroiled in a scandal in which he was accused of sexually pursuing teenage girls decades ago when he was a Gadsden lawyer. Jones narrowly defeated Moore on Dec. 12, becoming the first Democrat to prevail in a statewide race since 2008.

Democrats have taken particular offense at Clouse's bill, labeling it as "reactionary." But the bill seems on the way to passage: The House of Representatives green-lighted it along partisan lines, 67-31.

Said Clouse, "People can say what they want, but the facts are that the bill was pre-filed in August and it had nothing to do with the personalities in that race. But it had everything to do with the money part."

Republican supporters say that Clouse's bill will be a big cost-saver, should another mid-term Senate vacancy occur. They estimate that last year's special Senate election cost anywhere from $12 million to more than $15 million.

On the other hand, House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, maintains that the special Senate battle - months of campaigning, advertising, media coverage and the like -- delivered an economic impact that far outweighed the cost of holding primaries, a runoff and a general election. By his estimation, the positive impact was $80 million.

"How can we put a price on democracy?" Daniels said. "This just goes to show you that the Alabama Legislature is being too reactive."

HB17 is expected to go before the Senate's Constitution Ethics and Elections Committee for a hearing in the coming week. The Senate sponsor is Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, who believes that the bill has "good momentum" in a chamber that is ruled by a Republican supermajority.

Dial and Clouse say the bill was strengthened with an amendment that prohibits the governor's appointee from running for the seat in the next election.

Alabama is one of 14 states that allows Senate vacancies to be addressed with a special election. In 36 states, vacancies are filled by gubernatorial appointment until the next regularly scheduled election.

Prior to last year, the last time a vacancy occurred among Alabama's U.S. Senate contingent was in 1978.That year, Gov. George Wallace appointed Maryon Allen to the Senate after her husband, Jim, died suddenly in office. Maryon Allen would go on to lose the Democratic Party's 1978 special election runoff to Donald Stewart.

"It could be another 39 years, who knows?" Clouse said. "It could be next year. We know the budgets are in fairly good shape this year, but I can assure you, they won't be next year. If we have to do this again next year, people would be raising cain that we'd have another special election and would have to spend another $11 million to $12 million."

'Awfully coincidental'

But it's not only Democratic lawmakers who are wary of HB17 bill. Various political science professors and even some conservative commentators in Alabama have questioned the bill's motivations.

In an online commentary, one conservative radio personality described the bill's rationale this way: a "red state electing a Democrat to represent it after Republicans nominated a beatable candidate."

"The proposal to get rid of the special election seems like an obvious and very transparent attempt to prevent Democrats from winning again," said Richard Fording, a political science professor at the University of Alabama. "With Republicans in power and with a Republican governor, that seat would be in Republican hands if there were no special elections. That seems awfully coincidental."

Derryn Moten, chairman of the Department of History and Political Science at Alabama State University, said he thinks that voters should be "alarmed and concerned" by the bill. "I don't think for a minute that this has anything to do with the costs of the election," Moten said.

To such jabs, Clouse emphasizes that bill was originally drafted last in May. "It's pretty obvious there has been some grandstanding going on," he said.

'Keep pushing'

Some of the election-law changes enjoy the open backing of Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill. They include:

HB247

HB239

HB241

SB228

Merrill said the proposals that his office is backing are "directly related to the administration of the election process."

He added, "Some of the political ramifications of those items are not things we've been concerned about."

Merrill's office, for instance, has no position on Clouse's bill to alter the U.S. Senate special election procedure.

Nor has his office taken a position on two bills, backed by Democrats, which would create open winner-take-all primaries in Alabama, except for the presidential elections.

Davis, head of the House committee that considers the election proposals, said the open-primary bills aren't likely to advance to a committee hearing. "There is a ton of things that have been introduced and a lot of times people just introduce it to see where it's going to go and to get feedback," said Davis. "I don't know why they waste time sometimes with these things."

Term limits also appear unlikely to advance this session. But a sponsor of one of the bills floating around the Statehouse said it's worth the effort. "I don't know that we'll get much traction this year," said Rep. Matt Fridy, R-Montevallo, who's pitching HB340, which would establish a four-term maximum for the Legislature's members. "I filed the same bill last year, and we'll keep pushing for it."

Fridy, though, is more hopeful for another election-related change that he's sponsoring. HB339 would up the eligible age for a judicial candidate to 75 from the present 70. Fridy said that probate judges advocated for the higher threshhold. He said he decided that it ought to apply to all judges in Alabama.

"I don't believe in age limits," he said. "And I don't think it's fair we age-limit judges, but we don't age limit legislators." Fridy continued, "It doesn't make sense for me we would chose to age-limit the people who interpret the laws, but we have no age limits at all for any of the other branches."

Asked whether he had Roy Moore or any other past or present judge in mind when he developed his bill, Fridy said that he did not. Moore, the former Alabama State Supreme Court chief justice, turns 71 today.
Kevin_Ferguson

Kevin Ferguson II is co-president of the student body at Harvard Business School and was recently selected to study in China on the Schwarzman Scholarship.

(Contributed photo)

It's a long way from Gadsden, Alabama, to Beijing, China - 7,128 miles to be exact.

Kevin Ferguson II can't do anything to shorten the distance between the place he was born and the place he'll be spending a year studying global affairs in 2019.

But as one of only 200 worldwide recipients of the prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship - it's been called the Rhodes Scholarship of the 21st century - Ferguson hopes he can at least help his fellow Americans better understand China, its people and its culture.

Ferguson, 27, was raised in Gadsden, graduated from Gaston High School, and then graduated from Alabama A&M University in Huntsville in 2012 with a degree in engineering.

His engineering professor at Alabama A&M, Stoney Massey, boosted his confidence by telling him he had "the chops" to go to the likes of Harvard, or any other school he desired to attend. He also drew inspiration from being a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, which includes as its brothers "transformative" men like Martin Luther King Jr., Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and W.E.B. Dubois.

So after working as an engineer for Chevron in Texas for a while, Ferguson enrolled at Harvard Business School, where he now serves as co-president of the student body.

In a recent class on global economics, he spent two days studying China and its growing international importance.

"I became increasingly aware that China is going to play a significant role in the world economy in my lifetime and my children's lifetime," Ferguson said. "I want to understand China from an immersive standpoint -- its people, its culture, its government.

"Many Americans may have a viewpoint of China that's 20 years old. I kind of want to serve as a bridge," to update that understanding, he said.

That's the goal of the Schwarzman Scholarship, to create "a global network of the the world's most talented young leaders, helping to build stronger links between China and a rapidly changing world," according to the organization's mission statement. The scholarship is named for its benefactor, billionaire businessman and philanthropist Steven Schwarzman, CEO of the global private equity firm, The Blackstone Group.

Ferguson is no stranger to adapting to new surroundings and learning how to thrive in them. At Gaston High School, he was one of only three black kids at the school. At Alabama A&M, a historically black university, he was surrounded primarily by African-American students.

At Harvard, "my classmates' families are, in many case, multi-millionaires."

Those experiences have exposed him to many different people, "but in reality, we're all pretty much alike."

Before Ferguson decided to change the world on a global scale by applying for the Schwarzman Scholarship, he began doing what he could to change his little corner of it.

In 2012, he and his father, Kevin Ferguson Sr., started The Ferguson and Son Foundation, which provides scholarships, ACT preparation and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workshops to local kids who might not otherwise have those opportunities.

Kevin Ferguson II, left, and his father, Kevin Ferguson, hold a donation of $1,000 to their foundation, which provides educational opportunities to students in the Gadsden area.

They started with $500, and through help from the Gadsden City Council, fundraisers through his church and at Harvard, this past year the foundation was able to raise $10,000 to help Alabama kids get the skills they need to succeed.

"Technology is rapidly changing this world, so we need to have programs in the Deep South that expose these kids to that technology," Ferguson said.

Ferguson attributes his accomplishments to three things: Having a strong father figure, having good teachers, and having friends and church family who supported his ambitions.

His father "has these three pillars," that are the base of his and his family's life: "First, always give honor to God. God giveth and God taketh. Second, family is your strength. If my older sister opens up a business, I should be the first in line to be a customer. Third, whatever community you are a part of, you should always try to give more to that community than you take.

"I try to deliver on those principles," Ferguson said.

Want to help?

Visit www.fergusonscholarship.com to donate

Haskins writes about points of pride statewide. Email your suggestions to shaskins@al.com, or tweet them to @Shelly_Haskins using #AlabamaProud
Joint Security Area, South Korea  A deafening silence greets visitors as they step out of the Freedom House after a briefing on the history of the Koreas and the war.

A few steps away from the Military Demarcation Line that divides the two Koreas, the tension cuts through the air.

Not far, on the northern side of the Joint Security Area (JSA), the truce agreement was signed between North Korea and the United Nations Command in 1953, signalling the end of the Korean War.

Suddenly, the silence in one of the most militarised zones in the world gives way to infamous propaganda music.

Watchful South Korean soldiers wear dark sunglasses and cameras from the South and the North add to the palpable unease.
Late last month, the Trump White House released its legislative framework for immigration reform. Its sticking points are familiar ones: the $25bn that President Trump wants to use to build the border wall he has promised his supporters; and a path to citizenship for beneficiaries of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act (DACA), whose fates hang in the balance as the US wrangles over who to let through its borders. The White House framework also seeks to eviscerate visa quotas for family reunification, via which parents and siblings of US citizens can migrate to the US (disparagingly termed chain migration) and completely eliminate the Diversity Visa Lottery.

The White House framework will not be passed unchanged; other bills also aiming at immigration reform have already been or will soon be introduced in the legislature. Internal administrative memos are further suggesting their own changes to immigration regulations. While none of these have yet made it to a vote, a look at their cumulative contents provides a view of the drastically altered immigration regime that would-be US immigrants could face in just a few months. Pre-empting some of these changes can enable those affected to take action now and avoid disappointment and discrimination later.

The most significant changes will likely occur in the family immigration category. Even while Democrats have expressed opposition to limiting the family re-unification visa quotas to only spouses and children, it is quite likely that they will acquiesce to at least some cuts to the category. The reason is simple: to make significant gains in 2018, Democrats must make gains among white working-class voters. These voters have routinely expressed an animosity towards immigration in general and towards chain migration in particular. Signing off on cuts in this category, Democrats may decide, will endear them to this key demographic.

The consequence for current US citizens who have family members (parents and siblings) whom they would like to sponsor for an immigrant visa are grave. If the White House proposal is followed, they will no longer be able to do so for anyone except spouses and children under 18. It is imperative, therefore, that those US citizens and legal permanent residents (green card holders) who are intending to file immigrant petitions for parents and siblings do so immediately. Forms filed prior to the passage of any reform bill (even a day before) will be evaluated and processed under the old rules. The required forms are all available on the website for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and can be filed without the assistance of a lawyer. An incompletely filed petition is better than none at all.

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The second major area of proposed reforms is in the H-1B visa category. The time-limited H-1B visas for skilled workers, which are sought by technology giants, are meant for scientists, engineers and computer programmers. Both the White House proposal and the Immigration and Innovation Act 2018 (referred to as I-squared) introduced by Senators Jeff Flake and Orrin Hatch make some mention of the category. The White House proposal wants to divert some of the visas freed up by the elimination of the Diversity Visa Lottery to the applicants who are awaiting green cards filed via the H-1B programme. The Flake-Hatch proposal addresses the H-1Bs more comprehensively, its provisions centring on preventing US employers from replacing US workers with foreign workers. Consequently, it includes clauses that increase H-1B wages so that employers dont import workers from abroad to undercut labour costs and prevent employers from requiring a US worker to train an H-1B worker who would replace him or her. Penalties are proposed for large cash-rich employers that file a lot of H-1B petitions, so that they dont freeze out small businesses.

On the positive side, the I-squared bill would increase the current 65,000 H-1B visa quota by 20,000, with an unlimited number of exemptions for those with US masters degrees or above. Two other bits of good news include the elimination of the country-specific quotas so that applicants from, say, India or China will not be barred simply because too many from their country have filed. Finally, the employment restriction on the H-4 visas, issued to immediate family members (spouse and children under 21 years of age) of the H-1B visa holders, would be removed under I-squared, permitting spouses them to work while they are in the US.

The I-squared Bill is currently under review in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Like the White House proposal, it is unlikely to pass in its entirety; however, many of its provisions overlap with the stated White House intent to create a merit-based immigration system rather than one based on family ties. Given this, and the fact that the Bill reveals the intent to keep talented foreign students, particularly those in science and technology fields in the US, a good portion of it could become law. Heading to the US for a Masters degree or higher is likely to pay greater dividends than before and may be worth the exorbitant expenditure that it usually involves.

Excluding Sunni Muslims

A revised H-1B visa system would likely to be good news for talented immigrants from most of the world, except if they are Sunni Muslims. On February 5, 2018, Foreign Policy magazine released the contents of a leaked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo that declares that it would be great value for the United States Government if it were to continuously evaluate persons of interest. These persons of interest include Sunni Muslims (both US residents and visa applicants) who are believed to be vulnerable to terrorist narratives based on a number of risk indicators. These indicators are being young, male and having national origins in the Middle East, South Asia or Africa. The memo was produced at the request of US Customs and Border Protection to inform United States foreign visitor screening, immigrant vetting and on-going evaluations of United States-based individuals who might have a higher risk of becoming radicalised and conducting a violent attack.

The most alarming of the DHS memos contents include the fact that a single religious and regional category is targeted for these extreme vetting measures. If the provisions are adopted, which can be done far more easily because it is an interagency directive (and not legislation), then it would mean that even those Sunni Muslims who have already immigrated would be subject to prolonged surveillance and questioning. Those applying for immigrant or other visas from these categories can expect to have every aspect of their life, from posts on social media to every organisational membership, thoroughly scrutinised, with rejections issued based on the barest of pretexts. In reality, such scrutiny would be a far more effective Muslim Ban than the executive order issued by President Trump earlier this year.

With this sort of discriminatory extreme vetting in place, even the most brilliant doctor, engineer or scientist who applies for a US visa could be rejected because he is Sunni and Muslim, young and male, from South Asia, the Middle East or Africa. Furthermore, family members of Sunni Muslims in the US applying for tourist visas or other non-immigrant visas will likely find it more difficult to obtain them and hence to visit the US under any visa category.

The new immigration regime likely to be brought into effect under the Trump administration, then, is anti-family, anti-Muslim but pro-genius. The suggested immigration reforms will likely affect millions of people around the world who have family or business interests in the US. US citizens who have family abroad and hope to sponsor them must do so immediately, and Sunni Muslim males planning to visit the US but not in possession of a tourist visa should apply without delay. Islamophobia and immigration are inextricably tied together in the Age of Trump, and anyone hoping to evade its xenophobic restrictions must act now.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
The 39th anniversary of the revolution in Iran promises to be a somber occasion for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The 39th anniversary of the revolution in Iran promises to be a sombre occasion for the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who was forced to acknowledge the mass discontent in the country as result of the recent protests and received letters from two dissident insiders accusing him of negligence and empire building.

The letters came from two prominent establishment figures from either end of the political spectrum. On the left, Mehdi Karroubi, one of the leaders of the reformist uprising of 2009, in a letter published on January 30, blamed Khamenei for the countrys chaotic political, economic, cultural and social situations. And on the right, the former hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, published a similar letter marking the anniversary of the revolution and held Khamenei responsible for not doing anything about the judiciary which has turned into a major pillar of oppression against the Iranian people.

At the same time investigations into the protests that took Iran by surprise six weeks back have put the blame firmly at the door of the establishment with official polls indicating almost 75 percent of the population are unhappy with the situation in the country.

Ayatollah Khamenei has recently admitted that the country has social justice and corruption problems, adding those officials directly responsible must pay special attention. But he has not come up with any solutions.

Peoples recent anti-corruption protest across the country is an alarm bell that you should take note of, Karroubi said in his letter. You, who have changed almost every pillar of the revolution to your preferred policies, must answer to the public, he added.

It is not the first time that Karroubi or Ahmadinejad have spoken out against what they describe as injustice. Nor is the idea of writing letters a novelty. Since the early days of the revolution, several letters of criticism have been written by prominent insiders.

What is important about the recent letters is their harsher than usual tone and the fact that they target the leader. The timing of these two letters is also crucial because it adds momentum to the expressions of discontent during the recent protests, some calling for the downfall of the regime and its leader.

In his letter, Ahmadinejad implied that either direct complicity or ineffectiveness of the leader has led to haphazard judicial decisions and widespread injustice. They insult and abuse power without fear, they charge and convict without oversight, he said.

Karroubi, on the other hand, blamed the leader for destroying the foundations of the revolution and making a mockery of the main oversight bodies such as the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts.

He also accused Khamenei of authorising the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to enter into economic activity, indulge in corruption, get involved with intelligence, culture and politics when it was established to be only a military set up.

A demand for substantial changes

According to an official poll, the underlying causes of the widespread discontent in the recent protests were social and political. The head of Strategic Analysis Centre, Hessamudin Ashna, said that the polls show 60 percent of the population want reform but another 31 percent want substantial changes.

The protests should be taken seriously otherwise they may have dire consequences, said Ashna, who is an adviser to President Hassan Rouhani.

Yet inside the establishment there is an ongoing blame game. Rouhani stresses the social and political reasons behind the protests while the hardliners highlight the economic aspect to pressurise the president who is responsible mainly for the economy of the country.

What both sides are avoiding is that comprehensive reforms are required otherwise there would be more protests: in the same official poll, 37 percent of the respondents said protests are highly likely to be repeated.

Rouhani has put in place development projects for the southern Khuzestan province where protests about confiscation of land, shortage of water and environmental issues have gone on for over a year. He has also initiated an urban housing reconstruction programme to provide housing for young couples. Youth unemployment standing at 25 percent has been seen as one of the major roots of the recent unrest.

Yet reforming the political and judicial architecture of the establishment can only come from the supreme leader and his reaction has been slack. He has continued to pay more attention to regional issues, angering the protesters.

The two recent letters and the public pressures for creating change in the body of the Islamic Republic should give President Rouhani the necessary tools he requires to push Khamenei for his proposed reform of the IRGC and the judiciary as well as his anti-corruption surgery as demanded by the International Monetary Fund.

And the protesters call for the downfall of the leader should give sufficient impetus for reforms in the Assembly of Experts which has the duty of supervising and disqualifying the leader. As it stands Karroubi is right to refer to it as a ceremonial council that only praises the Leader.

After all, even the hardline Speaker of the Assembly, Ahmad Janati, who is always undermining dissent has said he is concerned about what the future holds for the Islamic Republic.

If the establishment in Iran wants to avoid further protests and possible civil disobedience the leader needs to take some drastic measures. These must include major reshuffles at the highest levels of the judiciary and the IRGC.

Otherwise, the next years anniversary could be even gloomier.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
The December 21 election in Catalonia produced some striking results and accentuated the deepening polarisation in the region. In the middle of what the pro-independence camp called a Spanish occupation, with the regions autonomy practically repealed, the Catalan President Carles Puigdemont forced into self-exile in Belgium and some Catalan legislators sent to prison, those who support Catalonias independence from Spain still managed to maintain a slim majority in the regional parliament after the snap election.

The unionists in Catalonia, however, did not accept defeat gracefully. The pro-union Citizens Party won the majority of votes across the region, but failed to secure the necessary majority to either govern alone or in a pro-Spain coalition. Also, anti-secessionist parties obtained an even higher percentage of the votes in both the province of Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, and in the neighbouring province of Tarragona. All this fuelled the unionists frustration and provided them with an opportunity to exploit the situation  they decided, it seems, to appeal to a not-so-funny joke in order to argue their case and delegitimise the oppositions significant electoral victory.

A not-so-funny joke

In June 2017, an obscure political movement called Platform for Barcelonas Autonomy came up with the term Tabarnia, to define Tarragona and Barcelona, the two provinces of Catalonia in which the support for the independence movement is lower compared with the rest of the region, and started arguing that if Catalonia eventually declares independence from Spain, the fictitious region of Tabarnia should separate from the rest of Catalonia and remain Spanish.

The idea did not attract much attention initially, as everyone was focused on the ongoing political crisis. But after the election in December, Tabarnia became a prominent unionist talking point. Even some mainstream anti-secessionist politicians started referring to this fictional region in an attempt to belittle the independence movement they failed to defeat in the election.

Tabarnia reflects the contradictions within the independence movement and demonstrates the fragility of their arguments, Ines Arimadas, the leader of the Citizens Party, said in a tweet. It is significant how it made some people very nervous.

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Unionists like Arimadas claim that this joke demonstrates the supposed fragility of the independence movement, because it forces proponents of Catalonias secession from Spain to contradict themselves. If Catalonia secedes from Spain, they say, in line with the current secessionist discourse, Tabarnia should also be allowed to hold its own referendum and separate itself from the new state of Catalonia. After claiming they have a right to hold a referendum to separate from Spain, they ask, would Catalan secessionists dare deny the same right to Tabarnians?

Tabarnia is clearly a provocation, and not even a very intelligent one at that. It trivialises the notion of identity, treating it as if it is something as pedestrian as changing clothes. The notion of the Catalan nation and the Catalan identity emerged as result of a complex historical, political and cultural process and the Catalan independence movement grew over decades (if not centuries) of debates, tensions and conflicts. Therefore, the Catalan struggle for independence can not, under any circumstances, be equated to a satirical movement concocted by a small group of people with ties to far-right organisations.

The movement for Tabarnias independence, indeed, has some very controversial names among its supporters. For example, the movements spokesman, journalist Jaume Vives, is famous for posting on twitter phrases like Islam and Gender Ideology are the main instruments of Satan in our times.

Vives support for the movement should not come as a surprise to anyone who is familiar with the history of the Platform for Barcelonas Autonomy. This movement was born out of the association Societat Civil Catalana (SCC), a unionist organisation with close ties to the Spanish far right, including parties claiming to be the heirs of General Francisco Franco, such as the Spanish Falange de las JONS. Demonstrations organised by the SCC are always crowded with illegal Francoist and Fascist symbols.

Hiding repression behind satire

So far, the central government in Madrid used all political and judicial tools at its disposal to repress the Catalan independence movement. It jailed the Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras, as well as political and social leaders such as Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart. It levied rebellion and sedition charges upon Puigdemont to prevent him from returning to his country and taking back the presidency  a post for which he was once again elected by the Catalan people in December. Meanwhile, the European Commission remained silent about the political violence experienced during the October 2017 referendum, the enactment of the article 155 and the imprisonment of Catalan MPs who did nothing but represent the will of their constituents. The Commission has also not addressed the fact that the legitimate leader of Catalonia is still in exile. If Puigdemont returns to Catalonia he will undoubtedly be arrested and as his lawyer Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas stated, there is no guarantee that he will even get a fair trial.

Even in the face of all these blatant rights abuses and crimes against democracy, unionists and their supporters across Europe still insist that they are simply trying to defend democracy. And now, it seems, they are stooping so low as to try and hide their hypocrisy behind a not-so-funny joke.

Contradictory positions and opposing point of views are normal in a democracy, but the attempts to repress and delegitimise the fair demands of an independence movement clearly demonstrates the undemocratic character of Spanish unionism. Using Tabarnia, unionists are trying to argue that the secessionist movement in Catalonia is promoting the division of not only Spain, but also the Catalan society. In reality, however, the unionists are the only ones attempting to silence Catalan voices. If and when Catalonia secedes from Spain, the legitimate demands of all peoples of Catalonia will be listened to. For example, the tiny region of the Val dAran (Aran Valley) in Catalonia where the population speak Aranese (a dialect of Occitan), will have the right, if the population wishes, to separate from Catalonia and to remain part of Spain. Therefore, people using the example of Tabarnia to delegitimise the Catalan independence movement are not really fighting for democracy, but rather twisting reality in an attempt to subvert democracy to their own objectives.

Also, it is difficult to assign any legitimacy to the narrative imposed by the defenders of Tabarnia, as they are very same people who supported the violent repression of the Catalan independence referendum in October 2017  the moment where every Catalan had the chance to make their position on independence clear.

In the end, the options for a peaceful solution to the Catalan problem in which the majority of the people will be respected are scarce while tension in the region grows. And the jokes about a fictitious region are not helping anyone.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Abbas seeks Indias support in future Israeli-Palestinian talks

Palestinian leaders have hailed Narendra Modis visit to Ramallah  the first ever by an Indian prime minister  as historic.
for the overwhelming majority of prospective applicants, seeking assistance from a patent attorney is not something that they may consider. It is an essential step without which they might as well flush their application fees, and whatever their own time and effort is worth, straight down the toilet!

Overview  A Patent is a Business Asset

Searching

Case Studies

Conclusion  Four Stars!

IP Australia  the government authority responsible for (among other things) examining and granting Australian patents  has just published its Engaging an Attorney Toolkit , an online guide on how, why, what and when to engage your patent attorney. The toolkit is the result of a project undertaken in the second half of 2017, with the assistance of external branding and communications consultants, having the aim of dispelling myths and closing knowledge gaps around patent protection. It is intended primarily to assist people and businesses with minimal knowledge and experience of the patent system in preparing to engage with an attorney.In the course of the project, online surveys and interviews were conducted with various stakeholders, including patent attorneys (full disclosure: I was one of the patent attorneys interviewed), to identify what new prospective patent applicants know, do not know, and should know, about the process of obtaining a patent. Naturally, IP Australia is primarily concerned with assisting the public, and is hoping that the toolkit will help to reduce costs and make it easier and more attractive for innovators with limited understanding of the patent system to engage with an attorney. If it is successful, however, the toolkit will also benefit attorneys by creating better-prepared and more knowledgeable clients, reducing the time and effort often required to educate them about what to expect from their attorney, and from the patent system.It is no secret that I have been a critic of some of IP Australias educational resources in the past. Almost exactly one year ago I wrote about its information on  what to include in your application , calling its downplaying of the importance of obtaining professional assistance rubbish, and suggesting that:This might seem harsh, but it was backed by an analysis, based on IP Australias own data, of extremely poor outcomes for self-represented applicants when compared with those employing the services of patent attorneys. IP Australia, to its credit, engaged positively with this criticism , and within two months had updated a number of pages on its website with stronger recommendations on the value of obtaining professional assistance and advice.Compared to this short-term fix, however, the Engaging an Attorney Toolkit is a huge leap forward. Not only does it contain valuable information, in an accessible format, but the very fact that it now exists sends a clear message to prospective applicants about the importance of seeking professional assistance. For the first time,  is now a headline topic on the main page on applying for a patent , along with a link to the toolkit. With just one small caveat (of which, more later) I would have no hesitation, if I were still working as a private-practice attorney, in referring prospective clients to the toolkit in the expectation that it would make the early stages of our engagement run more smoothly.The toolkit is divided into 12 sections, each of which fits comfortably onto a single A4-sized page (there is a PDF version, for those who prefer something that they can print out and carry with them). Most of the toolkit is refreshingly free of patent jargon, however the final section is a glossary of common terminology, just in case.The first section covers 6 Myths about getting a patent, including I can get a worldwide patent (you cannot), a patent attorney will steal my idea (no, they will not), and a patent will automatically make me lots of money (no, patents are not magical). All six are misconceptions that I have heard many times over the years, so the toolkit is doing everyone a favour by clearing the air about these myths from the outset.The section Do I need a patent? contains a flow chart to assist potential applicants not just in determining whether they may have devised something patentable, but also in starting to think about whether obtaining a patent is the right choice. Indeed, my favourite thing about the toolkit is its strong emphasis on the fact that a patent is a business asset, and that whether to dedicate time, effort, and money to obtaining a patent is a commercial decision.The section A patent should fit with your business plan opens with the statement that A patent is above all a commercial tool. The section Preparing to see your attorney contains a crib sheet (a fillable PDF form) which includes more questions about the prospective clients business and commercialisation plans than it does about the invention. In my experience, this is the correct emphasis. I have never met with a new client who is not enthusiastic about their invention and able to tell me all about it in great detail, but I have met plenty with absolutely no idea how they are going to make money from their invention, or where a patent might fit in to their business plan.The toolkit includes sections on Patent searching and How to search patents yourself. I am a long-time sceptic when it comes to inexperienced inventors conducting their own patent searches, although the development of smarter and more user-friendly search tools like Google patents and The Lens is certainly helping people to obtain some useful results by themselves. Even so, conducting a comprehensive global patent search remains challenging without commercial databases, English-language abstracts, and a good knowledge of patent classification systems . These days, however, an initial search conducted by the inventor is likely to be a better starting-point than it was only a few years ago.One small criticism I would make of the information on searching is its discussion of infringement. As patent attorneys and professional patent searchers know, novelty prior art searching and infringement searching are very different things. And telling the target audience of the toolkit (i.e. new and inexperienced potential users of the patent system) to pay attention to the claims of the patents they find is unlikely to be of much practical assistance. On the other hand, it is not unknown for novelty searches to unearth infringement risks, so to this extent the advice is useful.The toolkit includes three case studies. The first of these, about the experiences of the inventors of the Mango Stick  a device for holding a mango firmly by the stone to minimise sticky hands  is unusual for these types of educational materials in that it is not a success story. While the Mango Stick was no doubt an innovative idea, there were problems with cost-effective manufacturing, and ultimately insufficient market demand. The case thus stands as an example of how inventors need to tie their patent strategy to the commercial viability of their invention, and consider giving up patent protection if it doesnt look as if theyll be able to make money from their invention.The second case study is about How patent attorneys and clients work together. There is one Australian firm, and one patent attorney in particular, who will doubtless be delighted with the free publicity provided by this case study. I am sure that IP Australia will have given considerable thought to the pros and cons of actually naming the firm and attorney involved. Since one aim of the toolkit is to demystify engaging with a patent attorney, using a real case and putting a human face on the process is obviously advantageous. Equally obviously, a case with a productive client-attorney relationship was required, meaning that the client was inevitably going to say positive things about their attorney. However, a bit like gaining positive coverage on a news or current affairs program on the national public broadcaster, this is advertising that money literally cannot buy!This is the source of the reservation that I might have in referring prospective clients to the toolkit if I were still working as an attorney in private practice. Some attorneys may be reluctant to direct a potential client to materials that they might regard as promoting the services of a competitor, especially if the technical field of the invention is similar to that of the inventor in the case study. The whole point of the toolkit is that it is designed to assist individuals and small businessesformally engaging a patent attorney, when they are still presumably undecided about which attorney or firm they will choose. At one level, of course, this is not IP Australias concern. On the other hand, I would have thought that it would want to get the entire Australian patent attorney profession on-side with publicising this useful resource.The final case study is a Success Story about an invention called Stormseal  a polyethylene film that heat-shrinks to cover damaged roofs or walls until permanent repairs can be made. Oddly, given that the toolkit is directed to the process of engaging with a patent attorney, there is no mention of any attorney in the case study (and, having taken a look at the history of a couple of Stormseal applications, I suspect there are reasons for this omission). However, the main point of this case study appears to be the importance of having a patent strategy that is aligned with a business plan  in this case, through growth in Australia followed by expansion into overseas markets.Overall, I would give the Engaging an Attorney Toolkit four out of five stars. Notwithstanding my relatively minor reservations about the second case study, and the discussion of infringement, it is one of the best resources IP Australia has developed, and a big improvement over some of the dense and jargon-rich information on preparing and filing patent specifications that has been prepared in the past (although, of course, this information is still available for those able to make good use of it).Personally, I believe that getting inventors to talk to a patent attorney before they make some unfortunate and irreversible error is a far more worthwhile and valuable objective than trying to help them prepare their own patent specifications. I hope that the Engaging an Attorney Toolkit is successful in achieving this outcome. It will be interesting to watch the statistics over the next few years to see whether there is any reduction in the proportion of self-represented applicants in Australia.
Acapulco: Mexicos murder capital torn apart by violence

Acapulco was once a sought after holiday destination, but now it has the highest murder rate in the world.
YPG depend on Assad regime to supply Afrin against Turkey, Assad relies on YPG for grain and oil to supply his forces

US-backed YPG in northern Syria says it has reached agreements with the Russian and Iran-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad to allow reinforcements to be sent to Afrin, to sustain their war against Turkey.

YPG is regarded by Turkey as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade armed conflict in Turkey and is regarded as a terrorist group by the US and the European Union.

Kino Gabriel, spokesman for the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said to Reuters news agency that YPG has reached an understanding with the Assad regime.

There are different ways to get reinforcements to Afrin, but the fundamental route is via regime forces. There are understandings between the two forces  for the sake of delivering reinforcements to Afrin.

While YPG depends on Assad to reach Afrin, Damascus also needs the YPGs cooperation to source grain and oil from areas of the northeast under Kurdish control, the source added.

Pro-Assad forces backed by Russia and Iran, and YPG forces have fought each other elsewhere in Syria, and Damascus opposes YPG demands for autonomy. But, in Afrin, they have a common enemy and a mutual interest in blocking Turkish advances.

A commander in the military alliance fighting in support of Assad said, on condition of anonymity, The Syrian regime is helping the Kurds with humanitarian support and some logistics, like turning a blind eye and allowing Kurdish support to reach some fronts.

Turkey, which regards the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin as a terrorist organization and a threat to its southern border, launched an assault on the region last month. In return, YPG has asked Damascus to send forces into the region to fight the Turkish army.

The Assad government shows no sign of doing so, but it is providing indirect help by allowing men and supplies to reach Afrin through the territory it controls, representatives of both sides told Reuters.

Assad stands to gain while doing little.

The arrival of reinforcements is likely to sustain YPG, bog down the Turkish forces, and prolong a conflict that is sapping the resources of military powers that rival Assad for control of Syrian territory.

For the US, it is a welcomed development in Syrias seven-year-old war, as complicated as it may be. Nevertheless, its strategic ally, the YPG, must at times make deals with Assad for its survival.

Turkish campaign moves slowly

The Turkish military is making slow gains nearly three weeks into the operation it calls Olive Branch.

The US has relied on the YPG as a vital ground component of its war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) in Syria, and has backed the group in other Kurdish-controlled regions in northern Syria along the border with Turkey.

But US forces are not in Afrin, so they have been unable to shield Afrin from the attack by Turkey, its NATO ally.

The YPG, meanwhile, accuse Russia of giving a green light for the Turkish attack by withdrawing observers it deployed in Afrin last year.

The Afrin war marks another twist in the complicated story of relations between Assad and the Syrian Kurdish groups, spearheaded by the YPG, that have carved out autonomous regions in northern Syria since the war began in 2011.

The YPG controls nearly all of Syrias frontier with Turkey. But Afrin is separated from the bigger Kurdish-controlled region further east by a 100km-wide zone controlled by the Turkish military and its Syrian militia allies.

For much of the war, Damascus and the YPG have avoided confrontation, at times fighting common enemies, including the rebel groups that are now helping Turkey attack Afrin.

But tensions have mounted in recent months, with Damascus threatening to march into parts of eastern and northern Syria captured by the SDF, with support from the US-led coalition.

Underlining that, pro-Assad forces attacked the SDF in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, drawing coalition air attacks overnight that killed more than 100 of the attackers, the coalition said.

The regime has allowed the YPG to bring people into Afrin, while attacking it east of Euphrates (River). I think that is indicative of the state of relations right, said Noah Bonsey, International Crisis Groups Senior Analyst on Syria.

He added: There is still a significant gap between the YPG and regime positions on the future of northeastern Syria.

Fighting for Afrin

The main Syrian Kurdish groups remain wedded to their vision of a Syria where they gain autonomy, in a form of federalism, that is at odds with Assads determination to control all of Syria.

Each side has allowed the other to maintain footholds in its territory. In YPG-held Qamishli, Assad forces still control the airport. In the Sheikh Maqsoud district of Aleppo, a regime city, YPG forces patrol the streets.

Scores of Kurds from Sheikh Maqsoud have gone to Afrin to support the fight, Kurdish officials there said. The short journey requires movement through areas held by the government or its Iran-backed Shiite militia allies.

Of course people went from Sheikh Maqsoud  in the hundreds  to bear arms and defend Afrin, said Badran Himo, a YPG official from Sheikh Maqsoud.

Around 10 of them were martyred, he told Reuters as YPG forces held a rally to commemorate one of the dead.

Earlier this week, witnesses say, people drove in a convoy of hundreds of cars to Afrin, from other YPG-held areas, to support the group.

The Syrian government has ignored appeals by YPG authorities to guard the Syrian border at Afrin.

We tried to convince them, via the Russians, to at least protect the borders, to take a position, but we did not get a result, Aldar Khalil, a top YPG politician, told Reuters.

If they dont protect the borders, then at least they dont have the right to block the way for Syrian patriots who are protecting these borders, regardless of other domestic issues.
Buzzfeed says British parliamentarian was paid thousands to help organise conference criticising Qatar in London.

A British parliamentarian was paid 15,000 ($20,700) to help organise an anti-Qatar conference in London, according to a Buzzfeed report.

Daniel Kawczynski, a conservative politician, pocketed the sum, despite telling reporters he was only attending the conference to learn about the Qatari opposition, Buzzfeed said in a report on Sunday.

The Qatar, Global Security and Stability Conference was held in September, amid a diplomatic boycott of Qatar by a Saudi-Arabia-led group of countries.

The boycotting countries, which include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt, severed ties with Qatar after accusing it of supporting terrorism and having links to their regional foe, Iran. Doha strongly denies the allegations.

Qatars alleged sponsorship of terrorist groups was one of the main subjects at the London conference.

It was hosted by Khalid al-Hail, a 29-year-old Qatari national, the founder of the Qatar National Democratic Party, which supports regime change in the Gulf nation, according to the Middle East Eye.

At the time, analysts described the conference as an attempt to gather support for a coup in Qatar, and accused Saudi Arabia and the UAE of funding it.

Kawczynski, dubbed the honourable member for Saudi Arabia for his support of the monarchy, declared receiving two payments of 7,500 pounds ($10,370) from a company linked to Hails wife, Tatiana Gisca, according to Buzzfeed.

The declarations, however, did not mention which conference the fees relate to or its subject matter.

Kawczynski told Buzzfeed he did not believe Saudi Arabia or UAE financed the conference.

I am very concerned about what you are doing, he said, responding to questions from Buzzfeed.

As long as I live, I will never get to grips with you journalists. I spoke at a conference, a very interesting, exciting conference, I registered [the payment] within the time scheduled, he said.

He added: Your conduct is wrong, youre trying to make something an issue where there isnt an issue.

Hail also denied receiving funding from Qatars regional rivals.
Antonio Guterres says international law must be respected by all in Syria and the region following Israeli air raids.

The UN chief has called for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence after Israel launched intensive air raids on what it called Iranian bases in Syria, raising tensions in the region.

[A]ll concerned in Syria and the region have a responsibility and must abide by international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Saturday.

The secretary-general is following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders, the UN chiefs spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

The Israeli army on Saturday launched large-scale attacks inside Syria after intercepting what it said was an Iranian drone that entered occupied Golan Heights and the subsequent downing of an Israeli fighter jet by Syrian air defence forces.

The UN chiefs reaction came after Russia, which intervened in support of Syrias President Bashar al-Assad in 2015, said they were seriously concerned by the confrontation.

We urge all parties involved to exercise restraint and to avoid any actions that could lead to an even greater complication of the situation, Russias foreign ministry said in a statement.

We consider it necessary to unconditionally respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and other countries of the region, it added.

US support

The White House expressed its support for Israel after the hostilities.

Israel is a staunch ally of the United States, and we support its right to defend itself from the Iranian-backed Syrian and militia forces in southern Syria, the White House statement released late on Saturday read.

We call on Iran and its allies to cease provocative actions and work toward regional peace.

The Pentagon and the Department of State made similar comments earlier on Saturday.

Saturdays incident marked the first such warplane loss for Israel since 1982 [R Zvulun/Reuters]

The Syrian military and its allies denied that the drone violated Israels airspace, Syrias state-run SANA news agency reported.

The joint operations room, run by Syria, Iran, Russia and Hezbollah, said the aircraft was on a regular mission gathering intelligence on fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

Sources in Damascus said there were casualties among Syrian forces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor, said Israel had targeted several bases in the east of the central province of Homs.

It said the bases are used by both Iranians and Russians deployed in support of the regime.

Israel is technically at war with Syria and occupies a swath of the strategic Golan Heights that it seized in the Six Day War of 1967 and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

Israel has sought to avoid direct involvement in the Syria conflict but acknowledges carrying out dozens of air raids there to stop what it calls deliveries of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah.
More than 60 targets destroyed in major military operation in the restive Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian army says.

The Egyptian army says it killed 16 fighters and imprisoned more than 30 others in a major military operation launched in the northern Sinai Peninsula.

Dozens of targets were destroyed in air attacks, including vehicles, weapons depots, and communication centres, military spokesman Colonel Tamer Rifai said on Sunday.

The air force targeted and destroyed 66 targets used by terrorist elements to hide from air and artillery attacks, Rifai said in a statement.

The armys casualty numbers could not be independently verified.

Egypt launched a comprehensive security operation involving the countrys army, navy and air force, aimed at pushing armed groups out of the Sinai Peninsula, parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Delta on Friday.

Egypt has, for years, battled an armed anti-government campaign in the rugged and thinly populated Sinai Peninsula, which has gained pace since the military overthrew democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2013.

In November 2017, at least 235 people were killed in a bomb and gun attack on a mosque in Bir al-Abed, a town in North Sinai province.

Afterwards, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi gave a three-month deadline to restore order in the region, using all brute force necessary.

Egypt will go to the polls next month, in a vote with little opposition that Sisi looks poised to easily win.
Decades after the First Intifada, todays demonstrations against Israels occupation fail to achieve united resistance.

Ramallah, occupied West Bank  What first began as a local protest in Gazas Jabalia refugee camp in December 1987 spontaneously spread to the West Bank and quickly grew into a massive uprising.

It was the beginning of the six-year-long First Intifada.

After two decades of illegal Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, Palestinians of all generations and political parties worked together in astounding unity as one force, demanding Palestines liberation.

With their non-violent tactics, such as protests, general strikes, and a boycott of Israeli products, the First Intifada became a model for grassroots resistance.

We were expecting that this intifada would bring a state for us Palestinians. [The movement] was that strong. Its not like these days, said Naila Ayyash, who was in her mid-20s when the intifada broke out.

At that time, political parties were very strong, especially the womens movement inside the parties.

According to Rula Salameh, who was a freshman at Ramallahs Birzeit University when the intifada began, there wasnt a single student who hadnt joined a political party on campus. All students spent their time and energy helping their community and working towards the collective mission of liberating Palestine from Israeli occupation.

Salameh recalled sleeping in tents for three nights in a village near Tulkarm with 150 university students; the student council arranged the trip so they could help a Palestinian family collect olives on their land.

Since an Israeli military area and a settlement were located near their land, soldiers would typically prevent the family from reaching their lands during olive harvest season, Salameh explained.

This was the first time that [the family] managed to collect all the olives without being attacked by soldiers, Salameh said.

Compared with the situation today, its totally different. Voluntary work was really a part of our life, part of what we were educated to do. Everyone felt that they were doing something positive for their community. We werent wasting our energy.

While the student movement served as an engine that helped propel the First Intifada, todays youth face drastically different dynamics.

Rula Salameh [Mersiha Gadzo/Al Jazeera]





New obstacles

Following US President Donald Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital in early December, both Fatah and Hamas called for a new intifada, but only some 3,000 protesters showed up, compared with tens of thousands of Palestinians on the streets during the First Intifada.

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Omar Kiswani, president of the student council at Birzeit University, told Al Jazeera the Palestinian Authority (PA) is the biggest obstacle for politically active youth today; students are regularly arrested and imprisoned for their political affiliations on campus.

The PA, formed under the 1993 Oslo accords that officially ended the intifada, has long been criticised as an obstacle to Palestinian resistance because of its security collaboration, as a quisling authority, with Israel.

Kiswani was arrested as he prepared his candidacy in student elections. He spent a year in Israeli prisons for his participation in a Hamas-affiliated group on campus.

They say that our work is illegal, Kiswani said. We get arrested regularly. Students from all parties get arrested, but Hamas students are arrested more. Were getting used to it.

In the past year, two presidents of the student union were arrested, as well as other members, said Kiswani.

PA-Israeli collaboration

Birzeit student Yahya Rabee, 21, was arrested at 2am by PA forces who raided his home. They detained him for three days before handing him over to Israeli forces. He was imprisoned in Israel for eight months, enduring physical abuse.

In his jail cell, he found seven friends from Birzeit also imprisoned for being part of the Hamas-affiliated group. All the young members of his family have been imprisoned for the same reason.

According to Birzeits Right to Education campaign, since Trumps Jerusalem declaration, there has been an increase in student arrests. Currently, there are more than 60 Birzeit students imprisoned in Israeli jails, detentions that are illegal under international law.

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Since 2004, more than 800 Birzeit students have been arrested. Some have been sentenced to more than one life sentence.

Israel tries to destroy [the youth] by arresting them, imprisoning them and by attacking, especially, the student council, said Sondos Hamad, coordinator of the Right to Education campaign.

The Israeli occupation feels threatened by student leaders, by members of the student council, by those who are our hope to change the status quo.

About 40 percent of Palestines male population has been imprisoned by Israel since 1967.

Any Palestinian who has shown strong potential as a leader has either been imprisoned or assassinated.

We believe and hope that every Palestinian in prison will be freed, Rabee said. Theyre the ones who are able to lead Palestinians, not the PA. Some of them are doctors, professors; they have [the capacity] to lead.

Rabee and Ayyash both pointed out the Palestinians financial dependency on the PA as a factor for some to avoid civil disobedience.

Some people just care about their money and how they live. Theyre afraid of the PA and of being imprisoned, Rabee said.

The Palestinian Authority employs about 30 percent of the workforce in the occupied territories. An end to the PA could impoverish about one million Palestinians.

Birzeit University students Yahya Alawi, 20 (L) and Yahya Rabee, 21 (R) both spent time in prison for their participation in a Hamas-affiliated group on campus [Mersiha Gadzo/Al Jazeera]

Division and isolation

For Ayyash, the Oslo Accords were extremely detrimental for the Palestinian cause.

After Oslo, everything changed, Ayyash said. It brought us disconnected cities, settlements are more than before, the wall is everywhere.





After Oslo, hope continued, but many points in Oslo werent in our interest, especially when they divided the land into Areas A, B and C. This is very bad. This is Palestinian land. Why divide it like this?

Division and isolation is what Palestinians living in the besieged Gaza Strip have been struggling with for the past decade.

Besieged by Israel and Egypt, the UN has repeatedly warned of a humanitarian crisis unfolding.

Al-Azhar University student Randa Harara, 21, often attends non-violent demonstrations, and said they do make a difference in letting the world know about the suffering in Gaza.

Last December, an Israeli sniper shot her in the thigh while she was protesting near Gazas eastern border. Harara had just finished giving a TV interview when she was shot, standing 300 metres away from the fence. Despite her painful injury, she is adamant about rejoining the demonstrations as soon as she recovers.

This is our duty towards Jerusalem. As a Palestinian from Gaza, this is the least that I can do for my nation to fight against [oppression]  As long as were besieged, its normal that we keep protesting against it.

However, because of Gazas isolation, its difficult for protests to pick up momentum, as was the case with the First Intifada. For a population of two million, the number of people who join the demonstrations every Friday is low, Harara explained.

Theres a distance between us and Jerusalem. If we [werent under siege], we could do more.

There has to be a better way to organise the movement. We have to express our anger and frustration in any way that we can, because its a big issue. There should be more people going to the streets, attending demonstrations. Its for the Palestinian cause. If we, the youth, dont move, then who will?

Social stigma

Ayyash said during the First Intifada the majority of demonstrators were women. However, today, in Gaza, it is rare to see women participating in protests.

Many told Harara that, as a woman, its better for her to stay at home or to focus on her education.

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I believe in what Im doing. What people say about me is meaningless, as Im sure Im not doing anything wrong, Harara said.

I think that if other women werent facing social stigmatisation, which prevents them from attending demonstrations, there would be many more people willing to express their frustrations through demonstrations.

Ayyash and Salameh agree the role of Palestinian political parties has diminished since the Oslo Accords.

The new generation has the energy and willpower, but no one is guiding them in the right direction, Salameh said.

This is what I hear all the time [from the youth]: We dont know what to do,' explained Salameh.

[Political parties] arent interested in working with the young generation and explaining to them the power that they have and how they should use it  Were not giving them a chance to replace [the old generation.]

The key to success is unity, said Ayyash. The split between Fatah and Hamas has continued for 11 years and without unity, no goal can be achieved.

Before, we were united [during the First Intifada], Ayyash said. There is a gap between the [political] leaders and the people, and Israel is playing with it.
Iran marks 39th anniversary of Islamic Revolution

Iranians are celebrating 39 years since the revolution that overthrew Irans monarchy and gave way to the countrys Islamic system of government.
Italy: Anti-racism protest after migrant shooting

Several thousand people have rallied in the town of Macerata where a gunman wounded six people he took for migrants a week ago.
Rohingya men were hacked with swords or shot dead in the village of Inn Din and the bodies were buried in a mass grave.

Members of Myanmars security forces will face legal action over the hacking and shooting deaths of Rohingya Muslims in restive Rakhine state, a government spokesman said.

The killings of 10 Rohingya men occurred in the village of Inn Din in September last year and the bodies were buried in a mass grave after they were hacked to death or shot and killed by Buddhist neighbours and Myanmar soldiers.

Action according to the law will be taken against seven soldiers, three policemen, and six villagers as part of an army investigation, said government spokesman Zaw Htay on Sunday.

The military said in January the 10 slain Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 terrorists who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, it said.

But the militarys version of events was contradicted by accounts given to Reuters news agency by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses.





Buddhist villagers reported no rebel attack on security forces took place in Inn Din, and Rohingya witnesses told the news agency soldiers seized the 10 men from among hundreds of people who had sought safety on a nearby beach.

Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine and crossed into southern Bangladesh since August, when attacks on security posts by rebels triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said may amount to genocide.

Myanmars government has denied the allegations.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson met Myanmars leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Sunday in the capital, Naypyidaw, to discuss how hundreds of thousands of Rohingya can be safely repatriated.

Suu Kyi  a Nobel Peace Prize laureate  has faced a barrage of international criticism for failing to halt the violence against the Rohingya.
Netanyahu says Israel to continue to strike back amid tensions over downing of warplane by Syrian government forces.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, has described his countrys most significant air attacks on Syria in decades as a heavy blow to Syria and Iran.

The attacks were in response to Syrian government forces shooting down an Israeli fighter jet on Saturday, and claims that an Iranian drone entered Israeli airspace.

The air attacks reportedly hit an airport on the outskirts of al-Suwayda, in southern Syria, and a weapons depot near the capital, Damascus.

Israel has sounded several warnings about the perceived, increased Iranian involvement along its borders with Syria and Lebanon.

Russias President Vladimir Putin has urged Netanyahu to avoid any steps that could escalate tension.

Netanyahu has held several consultations with Putin, who, for his part, has sent forces to back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Following the Israeli attacks, the two spoke again on Saturday, with Netanyahu conveying Israels intention to counter Irans actions.

Russian criticism

Russias foreign ministry appeared to criticise Israels actions by calling for restraint and respecting Syrias sovereignty.

It is absolutely unacceptable to create threats to the lives and security of Russian servicemen who are in Syria at the invitation of its legitimate government, it said.

However, Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday that Israel would continue to strike against any aggression.

Yesterday, we dealt severe blows to the Iranian and Syrian forces, Netanyahu said.

We made it unequivocally clear to everyone that our rules of action have not changed one bit. We will continue to strike at every attempt to strike at us. This has been our policy and it will remain our policy.

Saturdays air attacks marked the toughest Israeli aerial assault on Syria in decades.

Saturdays incident marked the first such warplane loss for Israel since 1982 [R Zvulun/Reuters]

Israel has confirmed its fighter jet was shot down by enemy fire, marking the first such instance for Israel since 1982, when it was fighting a war in Lebanon, according to a Washington Post report.

Our preliminary understanding is that the plane crashed due to a ground-to-air missile, Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Cornicus, Israeli military spokesperson, said on Sunday.

It was hit.

The jet was one of eight planes carrying out the Israeli raid inside Syria, said the report.

In the first, direct public acknowledgment of an attack inside Syria during the countrys civil war, Israel also said it had bombed 12 military sites across the border  eight Syrian and four that it said were Iranian.

The Syrian military and its allies have denied that the Iranian drone violated Israels airspace, according to a report by Syrian state-run SANA news agency.

The joint operations room, run by Syria, Iran, Russia and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, said the drone was on a regular mission, gathering intelligence on fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

Sources in Damascus said there were casualties among Syrian forces.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors the war in Syria through a network of activists on the ground, said that at least six Syrian troops and allied militia members were killed in the Israeli air attacks.

The six included Syrian and non-Syrian allied troops, the SOHR said, adding that Israel had targeted several bases east of the central province of Homs.

It said the bases are used by both Iranians and Russians deployed in support of the Assad government.

Israel is technically at war with Syria and occupies a chunk of the strategic Golan Heights that it seized in the Six Day War of 1967, and later annexed, in a move never recognised by the international community.

Israel has sought to avoid direct involvement in the Syria conflict but acknowledges carrying out dozens of air raids there, to stop what it calls deliveries of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah.

UN chiefs appeal

Against this backdrop, the UN chief has called for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence.

[All] concerned in Syria and the region have a responsibility and must abide by international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Saturday.

Stephane Dujarric, the UN chiefs spokesman, said: The secretary-general is following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders.

The White House issued a statement in which it said it supports Israels right to defend itself from the Iranian-backed Syrian and militia forces in southern Syria.

We call on Iran and its allies to cease provocative actions and work toward regional peace, it said.
A leading Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist, Asma Jahangir, has died in the eastern city of Lahore at age 66.

Local media reported Jahangir died in a hospital on Sunday after suffering cardiac arrest.

She was always on the front line for progressive voices, even when democracy was under threat, said Sherry Rehman, an opposition senator in Pakistans parliament and Jahangirs friend.

As a close friend, we bickered on issues, but she introduced me to human rights when I was a young journalist, she told Al Jazeera. We are all reeling from shock, the global human rights community is bereft  one of Pakistans brightest faces is gone.

Known for her persistence on advocating for issues including womens rights and discrimination against minorities, Jahangir was the first woman to serve as president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.

Speaking truth to power a phrase, we often use. #AsmaJahangir lived,practiced till her last breath. Questioned mullahs, military, judges, politicians, all the powerful;defended downtrodden. Faced threats &

attacks. Was never afraid.What a hero. We have to contend with a void. pic.twitter.com/NFamtObL0s  Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) February 11, 2018

Critical of Pakistans military, intelligence and armed groups, she braved death threats, imprisonment and beatings as she pushed for human rights cases.

She helped bonded labourers get legislation passed through parliament and worked on blasphemy cases.

She was arrested in 2007 by the government of then military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

Pakistan mourns for losing one of its bravest daughters who fought for human rights. She will be remembered throughout the journey towards stronger women rights in Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab chief minister, told Al Jazeera.

Jahangirs supporters and colleagues took to social media to offer their condolences.

She is survived by two daughters and a son. Her daughter Muneezay is a leading journalist.

Pakistan has lost its fiercest leader, said Salman Sufi, director general Strategic Reforms Unit of the Punjab Government.

He told Al Jazeera Jahangir propelled the issues of womens rights in the darkest days faced by our country.

Her role in getting the Punjab Women Protection Authority was undeniably crucial, he continued, referring to an order protecting women from violence by establishing centres across Punjab province.
As Egypt gears for presidential elections, analysts say US weak stance on Egypt policies will encourage terrorism.

Washingtons stance on the Egyptian presidential elections has been weak, particularly in light of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisis internal policies that have silenced opposition and public dissent, experts say.

Although the relationship between the two countries has become markedly warmer since US President Donald Trump took office in 2016, analysts note that the US should take steps to hold Sisi accountable for human rights abuses against journalists, Egyptian civil society, and political opposition now that the upcoming presidential elections have been rendered a sham.

An example of Sisis repressive policies is the detention of Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein, who has been held by the Egyptian authorities for more than a year and accused of broadcasting false news  accusation Al Jazeera strongly denies.





Last month, a UN body ruled his arrest arbitrary and said there is no legal basis in Egyptian law for Husseins continued pre-trial detention.

According to Heather Nauert, US State Department spokesperson, the issues of press freedom and the right for opposition groups to practise politics in Egypt have been on the agenda when talks between the two sides have ensued.

We want countries [like Egypt] to hold free and fair elections, Nauert told Al Jazeera during the State Department briefing on Thursday.

Thats something we consistently bring up, she said.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 20 journalists have been arrested in Egypt, some of whom are pending trial.

Andrew Miller, deputy director for Policy, Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED), believes that Egypts instability reflects poorly on US interests in the region, especially with the country being one of the few in the region that is not involved in a war.

Miller, who previously served in the US embassy in Cairo, said Sisis policies regarding the upcoming presidential elections and press freedom do not serve the countrys stability  rather, they encourage instability and terrorism.

Egypt has for years been battling an armed movement in the thinly populated Sinai Peninsula, which has gained pace since the military overthrew democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2013.

In 2014, after a deadly suicide bombing that killed 31 soldiers, Sisi declared a state of emergency in the peninsula, describing it as a nesting ground for terrorism and terrorists.

Since then, Sisis brute force strategy has led to mass displacements, civilian deaths, the erasing of entire villages and the destruction of an agricultural economy.

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Yet Trump has been a firm supporter of the Sisi governments efforts in fighting terrorism in the country.

The actions recently taken to pressure or force opposition into stepping out of the presidential race do not indicate that Sisi is confident in his position as leader  which will amplify the driving factors behind the instability in the country, Miller told Al Jazeera.

Phillip J Cowley, former US assistant secretary of state, said that despite US efforts taken to curb human rights abuses in Egypt, like withholding $1.3bn in aid, Egypt under Sisi has deteriorated.

Egyptians do not have much of a real choice in the upcoming presidential elections, Crowley told Al Jazeera.

I think the seeds of the revolution are budding in Egypt right now, he added.

Mohammed Farouk, founder of POMED, said the system in Egypt is turning its people into a group of corpses instead of enabling them and facilitating their participation in public life.

The US administration perceives the situation in Egypt incorrectly. It believes that if it refrains from speaking of press freedom or civil society for instance that it is enhancing its ties with the Egyptian government, he said.

While Farouk maintains that Egypts policies are reflective of other regimes in the region, Sahar Khamis, a media professor at the University of Maryland, said that Egyptians of the revolution have always only demanded one thing from the US  for its government to stop supporting authoritarian dictatorships like overthrown Egyptian President Hosni Mubaraks regime.

Seven years post-revolutionary Egypt, US policy towards the Middle East has remained unchanged, in fact, it has deteriorated and worsened, Khamis explained.

Crowley noted that there is a role for the US to play in reminding the Egyptian authorities and others alike of its obligations under international UN treaties, like respecting freedom of expression.

This is something we have previously done, he said, but Trump has undermined this through his struggle with US media, accusing it of broadcasting fake news.
Sri Lanka opposition calls for government resignation

Sri Lankas opposition says the coalition government must resign, following a heavy defeat in local government elections.
UK targets a modern health scourge: loneliness

Minister appointed to help the vulnerable in a society where more than half of all over-75-year-olds live alone.
As thousands protest against fascism, three of six injured victims targeted by a far-right gunman talk to Al Jazeera.

Thousands of Italians have marched against fascism in Macerata, a sleepy central Italian city where a far-right gunman recently opened fire on a group of African refugees.

Protesters on Saturday warned against a revival of fascist sentiment during the campaign for the March 4 national election.

A week earlier on January 3, police caught 28-year-old Luca Traini wrapped in an Italian flag two hours after his drive-by shooting.

A copy of Hitlers Mein Kampf was found at Trainis home alongside other books and items related to Nazism and white supremacy.

Traini had links to neo-fascist organisations and had unsuccessfully run in local elections with the right-wing, anti-Islam League party, also known as the Northern League.

Traini, whose weapon was licensed, remains under arrest and faces up to 20 years in prison.

According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Traini told investigators that he had wanted to avenge the death of Pamela Mastropietro, an 18-year-old woman whose body had been found dismembered in two suitcases a few days earlier, by targeting black people.

A Nigerian, Innocent Oseghale, is under investigation in the case.

The victims of Tranis attack were hospitalised with non-critical wounds, mostly to the torso and arms. A number of others are believed to have fled the scene.

Of the six known victims, three are from Nigeria, including one woman, while the rest are from Mali, Ghana and the Gambia.

Nigerians made up the largest number of arrivals to Italy in 2017 and previous years through the central Mediterranean route.

According to the EU border agency, Frontex, the route saw a one-third drop in arrivals compared with the previous year after Italys much-criticised deal with Libyan authorities and militias.

Nigerians are also most likely to be denied asylum in Italy.





The Macerata attack has brought the issue of migration back to the fore.

Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi  who is making a comeback despite a conviction for tax fraud banning him from running for office  said 600,000 migrants in Italy should be deported.

Berlusconi runs with a coalition that includes the nationalist Brothers of Italy and the League, whose leaders have described the shooting as an effect of uncontrolled migration and policies of the current centre-left government.

Figures on the left, meanwhile, accused the League party leader Matteo Salvini of being the moral instigator of Trainis attack for encouraging xenophobic rhetoric.

Al Jazeera spoke to three victims of Trainis attack:

Festus Omagbon, a 32-year-old taxi driver from Nigerias Edo State, underwent vascular surgery on his left arm 

That day, Saturday, I was walking alone to the supermarket when I saw a black car. It just blocked me. I saw the guy after he shot me. He moved fast. I was shouting, there was a lot of blood. I didnt know him. He was alone inside the car, shooting and driving.

I came to Italy by sea. Being here, I thought I was safe. This is Europe, everybody wants to come and live a better life. I was surprised. This is what we run from. We run to save our lives.

A lot of Italian people are nice, but life in Italy is not easy. When you leave the camp, you suffer in the streets. In Italy, I have a residency permit. But where is the work? I cant get a job in Italy.

I travelled from Nigeria to Libya for one week. We drove day and night with smugglers from Libya. In the Sahara desert, a lot of people died. There was no water, no food, strong sun. Festus Omagbon, victim of far-right attack

In Nigeria, there was a crisis in my community. [Attackers] killed my father. There were fights for land; my father died. I ran away to Libya. I dont know where my family is now, because there is no communication from them. With the residency permit they gave me, I cant go home, I have to stay here in Europe.

I travelled from Nigeria to Libya for one week. We drove day and night with smugglers from Libya. In the Sahara desert, a lot of people died. There was no water, no food, strong sun.

We went to Gatron in Libya, from Gatron to Sabha, Sabha to Tripoli. Tripoli to Sabratha.

From there, we wanted to push to the Mediterranean Sea and waited for a rubber boat  we call it a balloon, or lapalapa. A German rescue ship ended up bringing us to Italy, to Messina, Sicily.

Festus Omagbon says he was surprised by the attack in Italy, having fled to the country to seek refuge from danger in Nigeria [Courtesy: Festus Omagbon]

I have been here for a year and six months. I live in a camp. We have luck to come here; many people die, we are the lucky ones.

If Libya is good, people would settle down in Libya. There is work there, but there is racism. I was a store assistant in Sabha. Sabha is not good at all. Theres no government in Libya, so everybody carries a gun. They control black people.

Kofi Wilson, a 20-year-old builder from Accra, Ghana, was shot in the chest 

At around 11am on Saturday morning, I was with my friend. We heard a gunshot five metres from us.

My friend said: Kofi, its a gunshot.

I said: No, its not a gunshot, because we are in Europe. Its not normal to hear a gunshot like this.

In another five minutes time, we saw cars coming. Thats when I realised Id been shot.

People started to come near me, Italian people were trying to wake me up. At that moment, I didn't see anything again. Kofi Wilson, victim of far-right attack

Then, I dont know; I saw more people, they were running.

People started to come near me, Italian people were trying to wake me up. At that moment, I didnt see anything again.

Before coming to Italy, I was in Libya for more than a year. I went to prison in Libya. Living there is hell. I was in Tripoli working as a builder. Now in Italy, Im looking for work. Sometimes I have work, sometimes I dont.

I came from Tripoli to Messina. The journey was very bad. Its not a small journey, its a very, very difficult journey, but you know, if you come to Libya, its not easy to go back to Ghana through the desert again. The route is dangerous. They are killing people, they are doing enough things to black people. I had to face what was in front of me.

I paid $1,130. It took a day to get from Tripoli to Messina. There were more than 100 people on the boat. A lot of them were injured. Before we were rescued, our boat capsized so a lot of people died in the sea.

Me, I also fell in the sea, but I survived. When the boat capsized, the rescue wasnt close. Before the rescue came, a lot of people died.

Now I am seeking asylum. I pray everything will be OK.

Jennifer Otiotio, a 25-year-old hairdresser from Nigerias Delta State, was shot in the chest 

I was standing in front of the train station when I heard a gunshot. I was with a friend waiting for a bus to come to go to Civitanova.

I have lived in Macerata for seven months. Before that, I was in Nigeria. I came through Libya, by boat.

If someone wants their hair done, they can call me. I go to their homes. I cant move my hand now, I am afraid to lose my hand. I pray to God to make my hand good, make me use my hand to work.

I was shocked after what happened. Italy is a peaceful place. Let there be a big calm. Let Italy go back to the days before. Let there be no trouble. Jennifer Otiotio, victim of far-right attack

Macerata was good, peaceful. Italy is OK. I was shocked after what happened. Italy is a peaceful place. Let there be a big calm. Let Italy go back to the days before. Let there be no trouble. A place where there is no peace, nobody can stay.

You dont pay bad with bad. If you commit a crime, you face your punishment.

In Nigeria, I was also working as a hairdresser. I left Nigeria because of a little peace crush. I gave my nine-year-old child to my mother and I ran to Libya. When I got to Libya, they said there was going to be trouble there, too. So I decided to come to this side Europe to have a piece of rest.

These interviews have been edited for clarity.
Posted 2/11/18

Outdoor retailers Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops, together with The Harry and Reba Huge Foundation, will award $40,000 in scholarships to four female graduates of Missouri Ozarks region or Nebraska 
A Time Must End before Another Time Begins

The cyclical nature of history is helpful in understanding the times we live in and those toward which we are transitioning. An epic explanation of transitional trauma is found in Hermann Hesse's 1927 book Steppenwolf: "Every age, every culture, every custom and tradition has its own character, its own weakness and its own strength, its beauties and ugliness; accepts certain sufferings as matters of course, puts up patiently with certain evils. Human life is reduced to real suffering, to hell, only when two ages, two cultures and religions overlap." Human beings suffer terrible internal conflict especially during such periods, as if God and the devil are fighting for their souls, which they must suffer through with gallows humor to form a new unity from opposites (Heraclitus, ca 535-475 B.C.). Such is mankind's condition today, with great acrimony among groups and a sense of decay, but it is not unique, being only the latest manifestation of the "eternal recurrence" envisioned by Nietzsche, where events repeat in different epochs. There are several historians widely viewed as offering a cyclical theory for the rise and fall of civilizations, including GiambattistaVico (1668-1744); Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527); Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900); and, most notably, Oswald Spengler (1880-1936). But the first cyclical theory of history is one layer of interpretation in the Book of Revelation. Written around 96 A.D., the book is divided into a prologue, five major visions, and an epilogue, with each vision setting an emotional context conducive to a sense of urgency for the subsequent.

The Book of Revelation can be interpreted as pertaining to events that had occurred or were occurring when it was written, but many of its themes of conflict between good and evil have relevance to contemporary Western civilization, as well as previous civilizations and those yet to appear. L. Michael White presents a succinct summary of Revelation in which he notes, for example, that the second vision (Rev. 4.1-11.19) shows "the dire and precarious position in which the faithful are now standing ... as a time of famine, plague, oppression, and woe." While the "desperation and suffering ... central to Vision II" most directly refer to the recent war of 66-70 A.D., such a description would apply to Christians, as well as Jews, in much of the world today, not only in terms of direct violence, including mass murder, rape, and forced slavery but also in culturally oppressive ways. A public manifestation of the latter was an accusation by a congressman of the U.S. being like Nazi Germany, where swastikas were in churches. The "woes and suffering" on Earth are a continuation of a cosmic war between God and Satan (Rev. 12.1-17). After being flung to Earth, Satan and his evil angels bring war against the saints, enlisting secular authorities, personified by "the beast from the sea" (Rev. 13.1-10) and "the beast from the Land" (Rev. 13, 11-18) to impose his will. Following manifestations of God's wrath, the evil forces are defeated at the "Battle of Armageddon, after which God's final [judgment] is made, the faithful rewarded, and Satan "bound ... for a thousand years[.] ... After that, he must be set free for a short time." While most hold Revelation to be a historical narrative of Roman times, St. Augustine (354-430 A.D.) believed that the thousand years refers to the "ever increasing influence of the church in overturning evil," before which Satan again returns for his final defeat. This would roughly coincide with the Middle Ages, referred to also as the Medieval Period, from the 5th to the 15th centuries, ending in the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The best known secular proponent of the cyclical theory of history is Oswald Spengler, who believed that man is inherently evil and history recurs in patterns of birth, growth, maturity, and old age, as mankind pursues Nietzsche's "will to power." Influential men, such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, and the South African colonialist Cecil Rhodes, manifest similar actions and achievements at similar points in this progression in separate civilizations. Spengler believed that "high cultures," in their growth and maturity phases, have life spans of about one thousand years, strikingly similar to that in Revelation and Saint Augustine. He drew that conclusion from studying eight civilizations: Egyptian, Babylonian, Indian, Chinese, Classical, Arabian, Mexican, and Western. Spengler's timeline differs from Augustine's in that Spengler traced the beginning of Western culture to around 900 A.D., but the two views overlap significantly, and both include the period of Gothic cathedral-building in the West. Crucially, Spengler believed that religion provides the spiritual foundation of a culture and that Christianity esteemed the soul "as an eternal source of radiant energy ... captures the individualism, dynamism, transformative energy, and expansive power unique to the West." To quote Thomas Leniham, "Spengler believes that everything in the West has direction and religion provides meaning and justification for people's actions" and that atheism is a spirituality of limited religious possibilities, lacking in core beliefs. Spengler marks the transvaluation of the West from dynamically manifesting its inner possibilities in the form of culture to an all-encompassing rationalism as a civilization, with the French revolution of 1793. Rationalism brings with it an obsession with quantification, measurement, and the worship of materialism, at the expense of spiritual values, quality, and endurance; the triumph of money over principle; the growth of metropolises with their concurrent anonymity; and the destruction of the social hierarchy and traditional values. This is much of what we observe happening in modern America, with family breakdown; self-indulgence; hedonism; and the emergence of a kind of personal Gnosticism, whereby one defines oneself according to a feeling of the mind and not the physical characteristics of one's body. While there is no notion of how long the "short time" of Satan's subsequent return will last, Spengler casts it in terms of centuries, having begun in the early 18th century with the Age of Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason, as it is sometimes known, culminating in the French Revolution. With reason as the primary source of authority, religion, traditional values, and the social hierarchy all came into question and appears to be crescendoing in our time. Knowing the biblical and historical contexts within which our time exists provides understanding of the sense of anomie found in Steppenwolf, and the tenacity to cautiously but unwaveringly persevere.
Barack the Brick-Thrower

The same Saul Alinsky-style community organizing methods that served Barack Obama well on the Southside of Chicago became indispensable tools in his quest to "fundamentally transform" the whole world from "what it is" into "the world as it should be." It was Barack Obama's friend and former chief campaign strategist, David Axelrod, who confessed to NPR that community organizers in Chicago would throw bricks through the window of Democrat campaign headquarters and call a press conference to blame the opposition. So when Obama accused Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin of colluding to steal an election, the brick that landed on the accuser's toe was one he planted there himself.

Let's not forget that although the International Court of Justice deems interfering in a foreign election a violation of international law, and notwithstanding the fact that U.S. regulations ban the use of tax dollars to sway foreign elections, it was brick-throwing Barack, not Donald Trump, who repeatedly defied the law on behalf of a larger global agenda. In 2006, U.S. senator Obama traveled to Kenya on the taxpayer's dime at a time that coincidentally corresponded with Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders strategizing to help Muslim-sympathizer Raila Odinga unseat incumbent President Mwai Kibaki. Obama delivered the $1 million he had raised for the Luo tribesman's bid for the presidency and showed up at rallies with Odinga, where he criticized Kibaki and preached "hope and change." After Obama's alleged distant cousin lost by more than 200,000 votes, Kibaki appointed Odinga prime minister in a power-sharing deal, but not before Alinsky-style chaos broke out in the streets. When it was over, the new prime minister's sharia-supporters had killed thousands of Kenyans, destroyed 800 Christian churches, and incinerated fifty Christian believers inside an Assemblies of God. Apparently, tossing blocks of cement through his own window for all these years has caused Obama to forgot that in 2009, the late Hugo Chavez's friend, Honduran president Manual Zelaya, decided to ignore term limits and keep his presidency open-ended. In response, the Honduran Supreme Court decided to have Zelaya forcibly removed by the military  a decision Barack Obama referred to as a "coup d'etat." In an attempt to both punish and persuade the Honduran people to reinstate the deposed Zelaya, a vindictive Obama made permanent the suspension he imposed on non-humanitarian aid. Obama's large-scale efforts have not been limited to aiding and abetting Luo tribesmen from Africa and leftist dictators from the Americas. In February of 2011, Obama decided to oust Moammar Gaddafi from power by instructing the State Department, headed by Hillary Clinton, to interfere in Libya's political and military affairs. President Obama spent a billion dollars to fund the operation, which included the U.S. military joining jihadi rebel groups to topple and ultimately kill the Libyan leader. As a result, Barack managed to community organize a nation and "fundamentally transform" Libya from a moderate Islamic regime, that was no longer a threat to America, into a safe haven for ISIS and al-Qaeda. Egypt saw transformational community organizing at its best. Obama spent $200 million dollars supporting Mohammed Morsi, Islamist opponent of the largely secular/pro-American President Hosni Mubarak. By channeling money through the trusty Hillary Clinton-led State Department and with the help of cover organizations, Obama was able to boost to victory the Islamist Muslim Brotherhoods Freedom and Justice Party, whose leadership advocated implementing Sharia Law. Obamas community organizing skills were so well honed he was able to transform the Muslim Brotherhood into the Islamist wing of ACORN. But Obamas success was short-lived. A year after Morsi won the rigged election a military coup ensued, the president was ousted, and a pro-American Muslim-moderate named Abdel Fattah al-Sisi replaced the toppled leader. From there, President BO moved his world as it should be operation further east to deliver a sucker punch in a dispute over Israels refusal to acquiesce to the community organizers demands concerning the Palestinian state. Not once, but twice, in 2009, and again in 2015, the Alinsky acolyte sharpened his election-meddling skills, enlisted the US State Department, and deposited thousands of dollars into the coffers of Bibi Netanyahu opposition groups. In hopes of blocking Netanyahu from being reelected Obama even dispatched to Tel Aviv his grassroots National Field Director from two successful presidential campaigns, Jeremy Anyone But Bibi Bird, who joined forces with like-minded Israeli activists. Undeterred by failing to keep his nemesis from becoming Prime Minister, just prior to the 2016 Brexit referendum, Americas erstwhile egomaniac moseyed on over to Britain to issue back of the queue threats to Brits contemplating the benefits of exiting the European Union. Although Obamas efforts failed more than they succeeded, the late Saul Alinsky would still be proud. Then, in 2017, during the French presidential election, on behalf of Macron, Obama resurrected his 2009 inauguration speech that appealed to peoples hopes and not their fears. Philip Gordon, Obamas assistant secretary of state for Europe, said in an interview with The Guardian, that Emmanuel Macron represents everything [Obama] is for and Le Pen everything he is against. Barack Obamas illegal use of government money and resources for nefarious purposes inspired a group of Republican senators to petition Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, to investigate the former presidents habit of siphoning and redirecting tax money to leftist extreme and sometimes violent political activists that are oftentimes tied to liberal billionaire George Soros. According to a March 2017 article in the Washington Free Beacon, the six Republican Senators wrote Tillerson a letter citing personal conversations with foreign diplomats who disclosed incidents of political interference by the Obama State Department. Allegations included Obamas use of taxpayer funds to support leftist causes in countries like Macedonia, Albania, Latin America, and Africa. Stateside, Obama now is assisting the effort to destabilize the current president. Thats why, based on the former presidents history of illegally influencing foreign elections, it does not seem implausible that it was Barack Obama who recruited the FBI, the DOJ, and the US State Department to perform their own versions of the ACORN, Organizing for Action (OFA), and the New Black Panthers dance. At the end of the day, the former president has track record of applying Alinsky-tactics to promote sociopolitical change, which may be why Putin and Trump were blamed for throwing bricks through windows that, under closer scrutiny, appear to be covered with Barack Obamas fingerprints. Jeannie hosts a blog at www.jeannie-ology.com
In the 1999 film titled Shackled: Women , Shiren Samieh explains that "the hijab comes from the Arabic word meaning 'curtain,'" and as such, it is intended to be "a limitation" so that women are restricted in movement, thinking, and freedom. In fact, Islamic religious leaders maintain that a woman who is not covered will excite men, and women who are uncovered lead themselves to being raped.

On Thursday, February 8, 2018, Tucker Carlson featured Sonia Ossorio, president of the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). The portion begins here at 20:30 . The interview occurred because Macy's has decided to unveil Muslim garb  i.e., the hijab. The brainchild of Muslim convert Lisa Vogl, the items are part of Macy's development program, The Workshop , which "helps nurture businesses owned by minorities and women."

In fact, "Islamic law ([s]haria) requires women to cover themselves. The head covering is interpreted as a symbol of male domination by most critics  and many Muslim women, who fight for the right to dress as they please. In 1994, a 21-year-old named Katia Bengana became the first casualty of the renewed Islamist terror campaign in Algeria after refusing to cover her hair. She defended her choice even as the gun was pointed at her head.

Some apologists insist that the veil is not mandated by the religion, although they do not have anything within the sacred texts to counter the passages in which Muhammad instructed its use. In fact, verse 24:60 says that the veil is optional only for unmarried women too old to have children. CAIR's Jamal Badawi, often held up as a 'moderate' scholar, insists that the hijab is 'a command of Allah to Muslim women' and it should be 'the duty of the state' to enforce it. In 2017, al-Azhar university in Egypt decreed that the veil was compulsory for Muslim women ... and not even open for debate: 'It is not acceptable that anyone from the public or non-specialized people, regardless of their culture, to voice their opinions on the matter.' In 2011, an imam at a supposedly moderate mosque in Sammamish, Washington claimed that Muslim wives wear the hijab because they want to, but then stated that they may be 'punished' if they refuse. In Pakistan, uncovered women are routinely attacked with acid. In Iran, Basij fundamentalists have raped and killed dress code[-]violators.



Clerics, such as Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali, have said that unveiled victims of public rape invited their attackers. In 2017, an Islamist lawyer on Egyptian TV stated that 'when a girl walks about like that, it is a patriotic duty to sexually harass her and a national duty to rape her.'

Nike has already released a ProHijab for Muslim athletes, American Eagle offered a denim hijab, and Mattel has introduced a hijab-wearing Barbie. Clearly, those who would profit from female customers simply ignore the fact that the hijab is intrinsic to a system based on coercion, intimidation, and terror for so many women around the world. How damning that sexual harassment of the most extreme forms is ignored by these companies in this era of the #MeToo movement!

So Tucker Carlson wanted to discover what a Western feminist leader would say, considering that millions of women lead lives of oppression, of which clothing is just one manifestation.

According to Ossorio, "Islam isn't any different from other religions" when she was asked if "Islam is a feminist religion." Yet the following is from the Koran:

Quran (33:59)  "O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known so as not to be [harmed]" or molested.

Pundit Bill Warner explains that "the veil is the supreme symbol of duality and Islam. The most dangerous aspect of a women is her sexuality. All aspects of the veil/hijab control this, including the headscarf. It says to Muslims, 'I have submitted to Islamic men.'"

In fact:

The Muslim female dress is a battle flag of jihad[.] It says to the civilization of equality and freedom, 'I hate your freedom. I hate your equality. I want nothing of you (except your money and technology).' The veil/hijab is also a way of subjugating the woman in public. All aspects of being a woman are controlled by Islam (men). In the end, there are two things to remember about Islam and sex  duality and submission. Islamic dualism separates men from women. Submission makes sure that the women submit to the men.

Warner's "Sharia Law for the Non-Muslim" lays out in clear detail all the dictates of sharia or Islamic law and its tenets concerning women.

Ossorio thought it was "spectacular" that Muslim women "possess $44 billion in buying power," but Carlson persisted and asked if women should be coerced to dress modestly. He asked if that was a "feminist goal." In response, Ossorio asserted that women should be in control of their lives and their destinies and therefore, "hijab ... is not the point." In fact, notwithstanding Tucker's pointed rebuttals, Ossorio maintained that there are times when wearing this garment is a symbol of empowerment.

It is because of people like Ossorio that naive American girls will be seductively persuaded to don a garment that is used to diminish their sex. It is a typical Muslim maneuver: begin ever so innocently to ingratiate an Islamic idea, and before anyone realizes it, Islam becomes ever more dominant.

Unlike previous waves of migrants, far too many Muslims have no desire to assimilate. In England, for example:

Husbands living in a 'harem' with multiple wives have been cleared to claim state benefits for all their different partners. A Muslim man with four spouses  which is permitted under Islamic law  could receive 10,000 a year in income support alone. Ministers have decided that, even though bigamy is a crime in Britain, polygamous marriages can be recogni[z]ed formally by the state  provided they took place overseas, in countries where they are legal.

Furthermore, "[m]edical staff working in England's National Health Service recorded close to 5,500 cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in 2016, but no one has been successfully prosecuted since the practice was banned over 30 years ago. Meanwhile, the practice is rising. The police and the Crown Prosecution Service are too frightened of seeming racist or 'Islamophobic' to apply the law."

How ironic that while Iranian women are shedding the hijab at great personal risk, the U.K. Foreign Office celebrates World Hijab Day.

While admitting that discrimination is alive and well in the workplace, Ossorio maintains that "it is not in the form of the hijab." Evading the factual points that Tucker kept making concerning Islamic dehumanization of females, Ossorio finally went into standard leftist talk, claiming that what really bothers her is the possibility that the Trump administration will roll back women's "full reproductive rights." Moreover, she wants to close the wage gap, and "if wearing the hijab can do that, more power to them."

It is beyond belief to see a feminist movement, whether in America or elsewhere, that has lost its connection with truly oppressed women and is willing to put young girls and women at great risk. I ardently hope that, for starters, Macy's hijab sales tank big-time.

Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com.
It wasn't something Democrats wanted anyone to know, but sure enough, photos have emerged of top Democratic leaders partying it up with one of Iran's top mullahs, President Hassan Rouhani, and radical anti-semitic Nation of Islam founder, Louis Farrakhan, back in 2013 .

Three Democratic congressmen attended a private dinner hosted by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in 2013, a new report reveals. Reps. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Andre Carson of Indiana and Gregory Meeks of New York attended the private dinner, along with Louis Farrakhan, a notorious anti-Semite who leads the black supremacist group Nation of Islam.

What exactly does this say about the people in charge of the Democratic Party?

The three congressional dupes, Keith Ellison, Gregory Meeks, and Andre Carson not only got in bed with one of the monster Iranian rulers right under our noses, doing it with the full knowledge of how the mullahs suppressed Iranian democracy campaigners in 2009, they also partied hearty with the U.S.'s loudest and most demonic of radical reverends, the former Gene Walcott or Calypso Louie Farrakhan, a man whose anti-Semitism is matched only by his anti-Americanism.

All anyone can conclude from this is that the party has swung very hard left.

Should a guy like Farrakhan have any influence or power whatsoever? He shouldn't, based on his views. But here he is, with enough pull to bring in three U.S. congressman, including one who later almost came to lead the Democratic Party, to visit with America's most dangerous enemy, the Iranian mullahs, and a good time was had by all.

Powerline's Scott Johnson has a good take on the inordinate influence these gamy extremists have on top Democrats who are now running things in that opposition party.

Minnesota Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison is now the Vice Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Hes not some inconsequential backbencher from flyover land. He embodies the alliance of radical Islam and the Democratic Party. He signifies.

So will this revelation about who influences the Democrats result in a much-needed housecleaning in that party? Have we heard any condemnations from the likes of Nancy Pelosi or young Joe Kennedy? Farrakhan has made the most grotesque anti-Semitic statements and has called for the destruction of Israel in his "preaching."

No, and no, given that the news has been out there for awhile and none of them have done anything about it. But such revelations should provide fodder for Republicans to define Democrats as they fight back against the blue wave that is supposedly about to engulf us in November. Democrats have been infiltrated by the mullahs and their anti-Semitic buddies.

The GOP should get that out there, because it's the truth.
Lee Kuan Yew, the great statesman of Singapore, once warned the U.S. that if Iran gets a nuclear bomb, " It will travel ."

It's not very visible in the news, but based on Saturday's deliberate Iranian drone attack on Israel, and the subsequent Israeli retaliation, it's obvious that Iran is gearing up to start a war with Israel.

The New York Times reports:

JERUSALEM  Israel clashed with Syrian and Iranian military forces on Saturday in a series of audacious cross-border strikes that could mark a dangerous new phase in Syrias long civil war. The confrontations, which threaten to draw Israel more directly into the conflict, began before dawn when Israel intercepted what it said was an Iranian drone that had penetrated its airspace from Syria. The Israeli military then attacked what it called the command-and-control center from which Iran had launched the drone, at a Syrian air base near Palmyra. On its way back from the mission, one of Israels F-16 fighter jets crashed in northern Israel after coming under heavy Syrian antiaircraft fire. It is believed to be the first Israeli plane lost under enemy fire in decades. That prompted a broad wave of Israeli strikes against a dozen Syrian and Iranian targets in Syrian territory. The Israeli military said it hit eight Syrian targets, including three aerial defense batteries, and four Iranian positions that it described as part of Irans military entrenchment in Syria. The events, including Israels direct engagement with Iranian forces, threatened to intensify the crisis in Syria and showed the extent to which the country has become a battlefield between Israel and Iran, bitter foes in the region.

So Israel beat the crap out of the hostile invaders and the Times seems to be surprised at this.

What's really surprising is the lack of scrutiny of what started this incident in the first place: That Iran launched a deliberate military strike with an attack drone inside Israel and nobody seems to be alarmed about it? Mullahs will be mullahs, is that it?

Here is the sequence of events, according to astute Iran/Israel observer, Omri Ceren, on Twitter:

Took the Israelis less than 3 hours to assess that an F-16 had been downed, pluck out a dozen Iranian and Syrian targets from their target bank, & dispatch warplanes to wipe out the targets. https://t.co/UZWknw19Mp  Omri Ceren (@omriceren) February 10, 2018

What we're seeing is an act of war. Imagine the reaction if Mexico deliberately did this to us. (Mexico does do this sort of of thing, but it's by accident, and leads to nothing). A drone strike is a prelude to much bigger strikes, much the same way a mini-stroke is a warning of a much larger stroke coming ahead. It can't be ignored.

And that demands scrutiny as to why in this era of low oil prices, angry mass protests over the economy, and global sanctions, Iran's mullahs seem to have so much money to throw around for starting new wars.

Scroll back to 2016. President Obama touted his Iran Deal, Ben Rhodes defended it, and cash from the U.S., previously locked in from sanctions since the 1970s. rolled off the pallets into the happy hands of the mullahs: first a $400 million shovel-out and then $1.3 billion more. Money in that amount can easily be invested to multiply it, and if nothing else, can be spent to upgrade military capabilities.

As Ceren observes:

The Israelis say the military drone used by Iran in last night's attack was highly sophisticated and emulated Western technology. Somehow in the last few years the Iranians got the breathing room, resources, and knowledge to build and deploy these things. https://t.co/xQvTTv700u  Omri Ceren (@omriceren) February 10, 2018

Already we know the Obama-approved cash went to Iran's acts of war against Saudi Arabia, through its financing of the Houthi rebels on its southern flank in Yemen. That drove Saudi Arabia to seek help from its militarily competent northern neighbor, Israel.

Now we are seeing Iran get itself into a two-front war, initiating it with these fresh, and direct, attacks on Israel, which it knows will be answered. Out in Syria, there actually was Israeli contact with the mullah troops as the retaliation began. Incredibly, the media seems to be reporting this as Israel's fault, rather than Iran's, and ignoring that Israel's retaliation is the act of a nation defending itself.

Ceren observes:

To read global headlines - including the headlines from America's top dailies - the Israelis attacked Iranian assets in Syria for no reason & then got shot down. https://t.co/u1xYBEPQIf  Omri Ceren (@omriceren) February 10, 2018

What we are seeing here is the Iran Deal in action. The Obama cash gave Iran's mullahs a new battery for launching attacks abroad, well beyond terror and into warfare as it seeks to expand its global reach, and it didn't take long to "travel."

As Ceren observes:

Only took 2 years after Iran deal implementation for Iran to start openly staging attacks on Israeli territory. Entirely predictable - and potentially catastrophic - result of flooding Iran with billions in resources and incentivizing powers to turn blind eye to its aggression. https://t.co/dTTAAuaWKE  Omri Ceren (@omriceren) February 10, 2018

Even the Russians in the region are spooked, calling for some kind of calm, which suggests they think the status quo is shifting.

Iran's cash from the Obama-brokered Iran deal is now bringing Israel a war. Incredibly, the Obamatons and the foreign policy establishment continue to defend the bad deal. The rest of us look on in horror at the idiocy of giving billions to the mullahs.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, arrived at the Olympics and was immediately dubbed a "star" by the South Koreans and the US media. Some outlets gloated over the fact that Ms. Kim was receiving more attention than US Vice President Mike Pence. But as the Weekly Standard points out, there is a a frenzy in the media to hail the dictator's sibling as a bringer of peace.

The sister of one of the most murderous dictators in the world who leads the most closed society on the planet is, if you read the American media, a celebrity superstar on par with Ivanka Trump.

The peace of the grave.

Kim Yo-jong is no mere spectator to her brothers misrule of North Korea. Shes an elite member of his regime, as director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers Party of Korea. There she oversees the propaganda regime that constitutes a key component of the enslavement her countrys people. Shes also a member of the Politburo. But dont just take it for meKim is personally sanctionedby the U.S. Treasury Department for her role in sustaining North Koreas oppressive regime.

Kim is being promoted in the media like a mafia princess - a celebrity from a family of cutthroats and thugs but who has a nice smile and takes a good picture.

CNN is especially gushy:

You wouldnt know that from, for example, CNNs treatment of Kim, however. Instead, the most trusted name in news reported this weekend she is stealing the show at the Olympics by virtue of her smile, and warm message. CNN further said that Kim was earning a gold medal for her diplomatic dance. Here are a few terms that did not appear in CNNs article: gulag; human rights; nuclear weapons; missiles. The article literally does not even mention that Kim is sanctioned by the U.S. government. Other U.S. outlets were similarly glib; Business Insider celebrated that Kim threw a look at the camera while standing behind Vice President Mike Pence. By the way, it later emerged that a highly paid PR firm had midwifed the Assad Vogue article. Whats CNNs excuse? While CNN and others have feted Kims visit, those with the most at stakethe South Koreanshave been decidedly more clear-eyed about the purpose of her visit. Take this editorial in the Chosun Ilbo, South Koreas newspaper of record: It would of course be wonderful if the Moon Jae-in administration's efforts lead to denuclearization talks, but Kim Jong-un is not sending his people to Pyeongchang to talk about disarmament. He is sending them to weaken sanctions and spread propaganda, the paper argued. The Joongang Ilbo, another leading daily, made the interesting point that Kim Yo-jongs visit is a sign of North Korean weakness, not the confidence that others have projected on it: South Korea is North Koreas last resort. Pyongyangs dispatching of Kim Yo-jong testifies to its deepening pains from sanctions, the paper argued.

The South Koreans have more cause to be hopeful that Ms. Kim's visit would have tangible results. But unlike our own media, they have no illusions about the true purpose of her visit.

Whatever the case, one cant help but be stunned at the blatant amorality of CNN and the likes coverage. Kim Yo-jong is thought to be about 30 years old; like her older brother, she appears to have been educated in Switzerland while a mass famine, caused by their fathers callous policies, killed hundreds of thousands (or perhaps even millionsthe true extent is still not known) of her countrymen in the 1990s.

The description of Ms. Kim as a mafia princess is not hyperbole. The Kim family is a crime family, guilty not only of murder, but extortion, torture, murder for hire (Kim's own half brother), and an oppression unlike any seen elsewhere. Like a crime family, they govern by fear and intimidation. Like a crime family, they skim cash off the top of state enterprises and have amassed a fortune of at least $5 billion.

In short, these are not very nice people and to pretend they're just like us - pretty, glamorous, media friendly - is not only ignorant but an insult to the victims of this criminal regime.

Otto Warmbier, the young American beaten, tortured, and finally murdered by North Korean prison guards could not be reached for comment. But his father made his feelings known in no uncertain terms

Their athletes are not exchanging ideas with other athletes in the Olympic Village or really participating, so that's a political statement." Fred Warmbier is attending the Olympics as a guest of Vice President Mike Pence and member of the U.S. delegation. [...] Fred Warmbier denied the U.S.'s decision to have him as a guest was a political action. "This is not political for me," he said. "Their treatment of Otto is their standard, that's the way they do business."

Do you think CNN will do a story about the murder of Otto Warmbier or has the young man's ordeal been thrown down the news rabbit hole?
While the work requirement is unprecedented in the history of Medicaid, Mr. Wagner and others say they're just as concerned about other new rules that will be confusing and hard to follow. For example, many adults who don't pay their small premiums can be locked out of Medicaid for six months, unless they complete a financial or health literacy course. Others will lose access to dental and vision care.

Imagine if you were poor and you got Medicaid, heavily subsidized by the taxpayer, but you had to pay between $1 and $15 a month in premiums. Wouldn't that be confusing? For many people, it is so confusing that they don't understand how to pay and end up being kicked off Medicaid .

Critics of the plan point to Indiana, which dropped about 25,000 adults from its Medicaid program from 2015 through 2017 for failing to pay premiums there.

Some also find the new work requirements some states have imposed troubling:

I'm wanting to go back to work, but if I was told, 'You have to go back,' I do think that would step up my anxiety," Ms. Penney said. "Volunteering would be less pressure, but you would still want to be consistent and reliable." She expects she will find a way to pay the new premiums she'll owe under the plan  $4 a month  but predicts [that] it will mean going without other necessities at times. "I was at the store yesterday, looking in my wallet and going, 'Do I have enough money for dog food?'" she said. "The thought of taking on even one more expense feels overwhelming."

Imagine having to eat dog food to pay $4 a month in premiums! Or, alternatively, imagine working a minimum wage job for 20 minutes, long enough to earn $4. Some people would rather eat dog food. But Ms. Penny is fighting back!

[S]he's a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed last month to stop Kentucky's new requirements from taking effect.

Ms. Penny says she is too "mentally ill" to work, but she is not too mentally ill to file a lawsuit. I wonder if they sell dog food laced with Prozac! That would certainly help her cut costs!

The article goes on to worry about the complication of the work requirements and the bureaucracy and cumbersome record keeping that would be required to comply with it. You know that a government program is really worthy, really fundamentally important, when liberals start complaining about the cost of complying with it.

What do you think? Do you think a bill for $1 for medical care is confusing for people with an entitlement mentality? What could be done to make it simpler for them?

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.
Way to go, Trump-haters! NBCs coverage of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics has managed to insult the entire Korean nation  North and South  by stepping on their bitterest sensitivity, and has made a humiliating public apology to the Korean people. But as of this publication, the apology has been limited to words read on only one of the Network's cable properties.

NBC has commited a gaffe of epic proportion, and in the process a certifiable member of the global elite has revealed the delusions common among his cohort.

The Koreans are paying attention, and so should you.

Jun Ming Ho of the Korea Times reports the gaffe:

During the live broadcast of Friday's opening ceremony, Joshua Cooper Ramo, a commentator for The U.S. broadcaster's coverage of the Olympics, said, "Now representing Japan, a country which occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945. But every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural and technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation

Joshua Cooper Ramo

Chris Chase of MSN:

NBC issued an apology a few hours later. In a statement read live on NBCSN early Saturday morning, anchor Carolyn Manno said: "During our coverage of the Parade of Nations on Friday we said it was notable that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the trip to Korea for the Olympics, "representing Japan, a country which occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945 but every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural, technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation." We understand the Korean people were insulted by these comments and we apologize."

Mr. Ramo managed to rip the Olympic spirit scab off the deepest wound on the soul of the Korean people.

Hatred of Japan is a foundational element[i] of the Korean psyche, and a driving force behind the stunning rise of South Korea from utter poverty and devastation to rich country status. The cruelty of Japans occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945 is almost beyond comprehension. Rape, slave laborers, comfort women and other atrocities live on today in the Korean mind as crimes that require vengeance. And the chosen means of vengeance, thankfully, has been to outdo the Japanese in the climb to wealth, technological sophistication, and international prestige.

The fact that Ramo does not understand this wound tells us a lot about the delusions that are common to the members of the global elite. Goldman Sachs and the Council of Foreign Relations stints adorn his resume, and he currently (for now) sits on the boards of FedEx and Starbucks. He has lived in Beijing many years and now divides his time between New York and the Chinese capital, speaks Guo Yu (Mandarin) and has done trans-border deals for a living. NBC brought him in as an expert, failing to realize thow far the standards have fallen for membership in the elites ever since the left took over the educated classes. If only NBC had understood the lesson that President Trump is teaching the American public. Professor Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit laid it out:

One of Trumps major accomplishments has been to reveal the lack of civic virtue and self-control across our elite institutions.

So how on earth could someone like this say something so earth-shatteringly insensitive? This was a gaffe of classic Michael Kinsley character: Inadvertently telling the truth in an offensive way. The Koreans are reacting in horror because of the implication that they admire the Japanese and are inspired to emulate them. They do not want Japan to be seen as a shining examle to anyone, least of all to Koreans.
All of the talk about "a blue wave" was based on two things: President Trump's bad approval ratings and millions of Democrats who couldn't wait to show up and vote. It was 2010, but this time, the Democrats were going to win.

Back around Thanksgiving, the conventional wisdom was that a major electoral hurricane was coming. Will it be 60 or 50 or 40 seats in the House? Could the Dems even pick up the Senate?

Well, the political meteorologists are now adjusting the forecast. Let's bring in The Atlantic and talk among party leaders that maybe running against Trump is a bad idea. It's time for Democrats to tell voters something else:

For instance, a recent New York Times interview with former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick and Democratic strategist Joe Trippi (entitled "Enough Trump Bashing, Democrats") emphasized the dangers of overreach, stridency, and partisanship. "We need to focus less on what's wrong with Trump and the Republicans and more on what's right with us," said Patrick. With Trump calling for an infrastructure bill  the holy grail of performative bipartisanship  the pressure for moderate Democrats to work with Trump is likely to grow.

By the way, we saw some of those moderates rise up during the DACA shutdown talk.

President Trump has a few things going his way at the moment, such as the U.S. economy. It's amazing how much a strong economy can protect a president. Who remembers President Clinton 1998-99?

We caution everyone that November is still eight months away.

However, I saw an interesting contrast in the streets of Dallas a couple of weekends ago.

On one side, you had your women's march, a largely anti-Trump gathering with zero diversity. On the other hand, thousands showed up for a pro-life march, according to The Dallas Morning News. The pro-life march had a huge Hispanic presence.

What happens in November? We will wait for the voters to tell us, but I saw a lot of resistance in Dallas, and it was not against Trump.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
What makes the poll interesting is that, despite the media's best efforts to downplay the role of the Obama administration in spying on the opposition's political operation, so many Americans have tuned the media out and found alternative sources of information.

An IBD/TIPP poll shows that the American people overwhelmingly believe that the Obama administration improperly surveilled the Trump campaign.

Breitbart:

There is simply no other way to explain these poll results, which unambiguously prove that a majority of the public believe the exact opposite of what an unceasing, coordinated media campaign wants them to believe  which is that President Trump colluded with the Russians to win the 2016 campaign and that the heroic FBI is being unfairly smeared by Trumps eeeevil defenders. Well, despite more than a year of this relentless propaganda coming from all four corners of the mainstream medias fabricated reality, here are the results from all four corners of actual reality A clear majority of 55 percent believe it is likely that the Obama administration improperly surveilled the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. That includes 31 percent of Democrats, 87 percent of Republicans, and 55 percent of Independents. A clear majority of 54 percent want a special counsel to investigate whether the FBI and the Department of Justice improperly surveilled the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election. Only 44 percent said no. The partisan breakdown shows that 74 percent of Republicans and 50 percent of Independents want a special counsel  as do a full 44 percent of Democrats. In this particular poll, one fairly positive result for the FBI and Justice Department is that only 35 percent believe these institutions attempted to outright frame President Trump for colluding with the Russians. A just-released Rasmussen poll, however, shows that a full 50 percent of Americans believe its at least somewhat likely senior federal law enforcement officials broke the law in an effort to prevent Donald Trump from winning the presidency. Only 40 percent disagree.

This poll should be troubling for Democrats who have spent the last year with their media allies, pushing a narrative that has no room for any counter information that would tend to discredit it. That counter information includes a concerted effort by the top levels of the Justice Department and FBI to destroy the Trump presidency, regardless of the facts.

How much pre-election "meddling" there was by the FBI is unknown at this point. There are suggestions, but little proof. But there is no doubt that once Trump was elected, the long knives of the FBI bureaucracy came out and top officials sought to establish a narrative that looks more and more false; that Trump and his top aides sought and received the help of Russians to win the election. They are still using this narrative, not to prove "collusion, but to create perjury traps and find wrongdoing unrelated to any investigation of Russian involvement in the election.

The American people aren't buying the FBI's storytelling. And as more information emerges about the Obama administration's effort to use the Russian collusion angle to surveil the Trump campaign, I suspect it will begin to pull down the legacy of Obama brick by brick.
China's Su-35 fighter jets for a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea area and its latest J-20 stealth fighters' commission in combat service will maintain airspace safety in the new era, a military expert said Saturday.

File photo shows Su-35 fighter jets are on a training. China has recently sent Su-35 fighter jets for a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea area, according to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force on Feb. 7, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force announced on Wednesday that China has recently sent Su-35 fighter jets for a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea area.

The deployment is expected to improve the air force's adaptive capacity in complicated situation in the air and on the sea, and enhance its ability to maintain national sovereignty and security and maritime interests in the South China Sea area, said Wang Mingzhi, a professor with the PLA Air Force Command Academy.

An undated file photo shows a J-20 stealth fighter. China's latest J-20 stealth fighters have been commissioned into air force combat service, a spokesperson confirmed Friday. [Photo: Xinhua]

The patrol mission is an annual training of combat readiness, embodying the air force's resolution to implement mission in the new era and firmly maintain national sovereignty and security and maritime interests, Wang said in an interview with Xinhua.

Photo of a video capture shows Su-35 fighter jets are on patrol. China has recently sent Su-35 fighter jets for a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea area, according to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force on Feb. 7, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

The air force will further increase real combat training on the sea and enhance the real combat capability especially under long-distance and high-sea conditions, he said.

Wang said that the air force will often carry out patrol missions and normalize the patrol in the South China Sea area.

On Friday, the air force also announced that China's latest J-20 stealth fighters have been commissioned into air force combat service.

An undated file photo shows pilots of J-16 and J-20 fighters taking an oath together. China's latest J-20 stealth fighters have been commissioned into air force combat service, a spokesperson confirmed Friday. [Photo: Xinhua]

The J-20 signals that China's air force has greatly increased its ability to deal with new security threats in airspace, and made steady progress in the aero equipment system, Wang said.

The stealth jets will enable the air force to improve ability to tackle conventional threat and enhance real combat capacity, he added.

File photo shows a Su-35 fighter jet taking off. China has recently sent Su-35 fighter jets for a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea area, according to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force on Feb. 7, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

The J-20 is China's fourth-generation medium and long-range fighter jet. It made its maiden flight in 2011 and was first shown to the public at the 11th Airshow China in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, in November 2016.

The fighters made their parade debut when the PLA marked its 90th anniversary in July 2017 at Zhurihe military training base in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
On Thursday and Friday, Feb. 1 and Feb. 2, angry Iranians in multiple Iranian cities expressed their hatred of the mullah regime, despite the vigilance and alertness of the repressive forces. The people of Tehran, and many other cities, came to the streets, chanted slogans of Death to [Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei, and Death to the Dictator.

They also burned images and banners of Khamenei as well as the late, unlamented Ruhollah Khomeini, as well as held protests at many government offices and repressive centers.

At the same time, protests by angry workers and other deprived groups over the atrocious state of living conditions and the economy continued.

As in Tehran, the cities of Sanandaj, Ahvaz, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Zarrin Shahr, Shahrood, Hamedan, Tuyserkan, Mashhad, Dorood, Arak, Maragheh, Yazd, Rasht, rallied while chanting, Death to the Dictator and clashed with Revolutionary Guard (IGRC) forces.

At the Vali Asr intersection in Tehran, the police force attacked the people at sunset. The youths continued their gathering, rallies, chanting slogans, death to the dictator and clashed with regimes forces. These are largely the women who protested the mullah law that all women must wear headscarves.

See a fresh clip here:

It continued from there. On the evening of Feb. 2, various cities of the country witnessed demonstrations and clashes between people and repressive forces.

In Ahvaz, the youth chanted the slogans of Death to Khamenei, death to the dictator, and noble Iranians, support, support. The guards shot weapons to disperse the people

In Tehran, in the Daneshjou Park, people were defending themselves by throwing stones against the forces attack. The forces arrested a number of protesters.

On Tehran's Parkway Street, a group of people chanted slogans against Rouhani, the clerical regimes president:

In the Azadi Square of Kermanshah, people rallied with the slogans for the death of Khamenei, shouting Death to the Dictator. The plainclothes security organs arrested a boy and two young girls. The repressive forces, in detaining people, did not even allow people to use cell phones.

In Boroujerd, young people burned Khomeini's picture in the citys Khomeini square. The youth of Bojnourd also burned the image of Khamenei.

In Meshkinshahr, the people and the youth protested with the same slogan: "Death to the Dictator".

In Mashhad, people clashed widely with the regime's mercenaries.

In so many cities, the people were burning Khomeinis pictures, and expressing their hatred of dictatorship in the 40th year of its occupation.

A new round of strikes, this time among the Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers, entered its fourth day. The police force went to the site to prevent the spread of protests outside the factory and the city.

In Qazvin, a group of workers rallied in front of the governorate in protest of the non-payment of their salaries for several months.

In Boein Zahra (Qazvin), workers of the Arian Steel Plant protested for the second time in front of the tax office of the city against the firing of 500 workers of the factory, as well as taxing from the workers' pocket.

The simple word here, is that strikes across Iran, for both economic and political reasons, are happening.
White House quietly working on immigration compromise

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the White House is quietly floating a compromise on immigration reform that would include legalizing 1.8 million DREAMers, as well as ending chain migration and the visa lottery. Also included in the White House plan is a pledge not to cut legal immigration for 10 years. The Senate is ready to have a debate on the issue this coming week and there are several issues on the table that will no doubt cause controversy on both sides.

President Trump has proposed a series of measures, including restrictions on family unification, which he calls "chain migration," and an end to the visa lottery, that critics say ultimately could cut legal immigration to America by 40% or more. But a White House official said Saturday that the Trump administration is working with allies in the Senate on a proposal that would create a path to citizenship for an estimated 1.8 million people who were brought to the country illegally as children, and that would clear the backlog of nearly 4 million sponsored relatives who currently are waiting for green cards. The combined effort, officials said, would effectively make up for the cuts in other immigration categories for about 13 years, the official said. After that, if Congress takes no additional action to add or expand visa categories, the total number of people allowed to resettle in the U.S. each year likely would decline by hundreds of thousands. The outline began emerging early this week when John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, and Kirstjen Nielsen, the secretary of Homeland Security, met with a half a dozen or so Latino Republicans at the White House and said the administration was prepared to ensure that overall immigration levels would remain steady. There is a large number of Republicans who would not support much of what is being proposed. This means that Trump is going to need Democratic votes - and lots of them. But are the Democrats really interested in passing any kind of immigration reform, including legalizing DREAMers? On Saturday, Trump accused the Democrats of trying to politicize the Dreamers' plight ahead of the midterm election in November. "Republicans want to fix DACA far more than the Democrats do," he tweeted. Democrats "only want to use it as a campaign issue." Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), have signaled privately to the White House they are willing to negotiate Trump's demand for $25 billion as part of a broader immigration package that would include help for the Dreamers. The money would go into a "trust fund" for walls or fences on the southern border, as well as other border security purposes. The hardest sell for Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates has been Trump's insistence on limiting the types of family members that U.S. citizens and permanent residents can help resettle in the U.S., and what happens to those who already have applied. Deriding the program as "chain migration," Trump says only sponsors' spouses and non-adult children should be admitted. People now can sponsor parents and, in some cases, siblings and adult children. Trump is correct. From a political point of view, it would be advantageous for Democrats not to have any immigration reform at all. They can simply blame Trump and the Republicans for inaction. But there is danger for Democrats in trying to obstruct immigration reform. This proposal - if it is fleshed out - would sound reasonable to a majority of voters. Dems wouldn't be seen as heroes, but as obstructionists. That could even hurt them with Hispanics - a group that Democrats are hoping will turn out in huge numbers in November. Twenty-five billion dollars for immigration enforcement is a lot of money. If Democrats are willing to vote for that, many Republicans may swallow their opposition to some of Trump's reform proposals and vote for it as well.
For more than a decade. we all have endlessly been lectured, Diversity is our strength, and the only permitted reaction to the arrival of MS 13, honor killings, and clitoridectomies is to Celebrate Diversity.

You are a bigot and a hater if you dont agree with Nancy Pelosi that all of the DACA recipients deserve not just immediate citizenship and the right to vote for Democrats, but that they are morally superior to those of us born as citizens. In fact, we are lucky they chose to grace us with their presence. No stunt is too weird  no even an 8-hour speech in well-photographed and celebrated stiletto heels -- if the goal is to extol the virtues of open borders.

And it is not just Americans subjected to this nonsense. The elites of most of the Western democracies are intent on forcing their own peoples to absorb millions of immigrants from cultures with values hostile to their own. Ask the German women gang raped in Cologne, the Swedes cautioned about going out alone at night, or the Jews of France, subject to lethal attack on the streets if wearing identifiably Jewish garb.

It is all a result of elites brainwashed into a belief system that runs counter to common sense. Thankfully, a pseudonymous technology executive and writer living in New York City has written a penetrating essay in Quillette that explains why the Western elites embrace nonsense and try to impose it on the rest of us, beyond the simple self-interest of new voters or cheap labor.

Consider this datum:

Of the top ten most diverse countries in the world, every single one has suffered major, lethal political violence since 2001. (snip) For whatever economic benefits it may bring, it will also bring tribalism, disunity, and violence. And for those of you who think this isnt a major issue or that the worst has passed, please note we are just in the opening act of this drama.

George Gallatin offers a very useful anthropological discussion of the origins of tribalism, and why it is adaptive.

The reason why we are still tribal today is because tribalism appears to have been evolutionarily adaptiveat least for our ancestors. Researchers at McGill University have described it thusly: ethnocentrism eventually overcomes its closest competitor, humanitarianism, by exploiting humanitarian cooperation across group boundaries. Despite prevailing moral fashions, we are the products of this evolutionary competition. This observation has no moral polarity, it is a mere reality. And while it is undoubtedly noble to argue that we should try to overcome tribalism, it is a very different matter to argue that it is achievable, or that in doing so we wont be outcompeted by less noble, more unified groups.

So, where do elites come by their fanatical dedication to diversity. Gallatin supplies an answer that hits a bulls-eye:

Many elite Westerners have a passionate belief in diversity because they have lived it. Not always in their neighborhoods, but quite often at university. What they fail to realize is that a top-flight university offers a very narrow type of diversity. For example, in my university class we had over 50 nationalities. It was a wonderful experience, and I formed abiding friendships with people from all over the world. What I later realized, is that the social cohesion of my class was greatly assisted by the fact that the admissions office was a border. They had heavily screened the incoming class for intelligence, socialization, and personality characteristics. The relevant distinction wasnt between the Tamil Brahmins and Tatar Russians, but between students and non-students. We were all members of a university created community, enjoying carefully curated luxury diversity. None of this is surprising, elites have always gotten along. What the connoisseurs of luxury diversity miss, is that not everyone is a well-socialized member of the culturally converging global bourgeoisie. People from across the world differ significantly in behavior and custom. Some of these behaviors and customs are awesome, others, such as honour killings, are not, (just as the West has traditions that are awesome, and others such as mass shootings, which are horrific). When migration occurs, we have to be aware that these behaviors and customs come along and can cause considerable strain in the receiving nation. (snip) some in the West adhere to a frenzied millenarianism about migration and diversity. They hold that mass migration is not a public policy challenge to be soberly regulated, but a path to moral redemption and economic utopia. When reality intrudes on these delusions the advocates mumble while citizens navigate the consequences. History has demonstrated innumerable times that at-scale diversity doesnt create utopia but tension. This tension can sometimes be negotiated, but often leads to societal fragmentation, secession, or the establishment of sprawling despotisms like the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Mughal empires. This is because civilizations are staggeringly complex economic, social and political coordination systems that slowly develop over hundreds of years. When these coordination systems are stressed by rapid change, they sometimes shudder and break.

Read the whole thing!
The report delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, to the 19th CPC National Congress has been published in 10 foreign languages.

Chinese President Xi Jinping [File photo: Xinhua]

The book, published by the Foreign Languages Press, is now available in English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Lao, according to an announcement on Sunday.



Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered the report on October 18, 2017. The report was entitled "Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era."
Poland absolves itself of all complicity in the Holocaust

The letter from the Polish League Against Defamation informed us: There were only camps established by Germany in German-occupied Poland. The proper reference to the German camps therefore is as follows:

 German camps in German-occupied Poland  German Nazi camps in German-occupied Poland  German camps in Nazi-occupied Poland  Nazi camps in German-occupied Poland.

It is gravely false and highly defamatory to call the Nazi camps in German-occupied Poland Polish death camps, or any variant thereof.

Polands president Andrzej Duda has signed-off a law that that makes it criminal to suggest his country supported Nazi war crimes during the 1939-1945 occupation. The new law, he reasons, maintains Polands dignity and historical truth. If you call Auschwitz a Polish death camp you could be fined or imprisoned for three years.

All the atrocities and all the victims, everything that happened during World War II on Polish soil, has to be attributed to Germany, says Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. We will never be accused of complicity in the Holocaust. This is our to be or not to be This law is not going to limit speech, not even one iota.

Germany is on side.

Without directly interfering in the legislation in Poland, I would like to say the following very clearly as German chancellor: We as Germans are responsible for what happened during the Holocaust, the Shoah, under National Socialism (Nazism), said Angela Merkel in her weekly video podcast.

German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel states: This organized mass murder was carried out by our country and no one else. Individual collaborators change nothing about that. We are convinced that only carefully appraising our own history can bring reconciliation. That includes people who had to experience the intolerable suffering of the Holocaust being able to speak unrestrictedly about this suffering.

But how can any law banning words and opinions enable unrestricted speech?

Peter Muchlinski, SOAS, University of London, UK, notes: There are fears that the law would put virtually every Jewish survivor of the Holocaust in Poland at risk of prosecution. Ive read hundreds of survivors testimonies, yet I do not recall a single one where the writer has not described an episode of betrayal, blackmail or denunciation on the part of their fellow Polish citizens.

Is something more in this?

Polands lower house of parliament endorsed the new legislation on January 26, the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Why then?

Many Poles helped Jews during the war. They were brave and righteous. If caught, they faced execution by the Nazis.

Morawiecki was touring the Ulma Family Museum of Poles Saving Jews in Markowa when he spoke.

The Markowa museum, which opened in 2016, stands near the place where German soldiers in 1944 killed Jozef Ulma, his pregnant wife Wiktoria and their six small children, as well as eight members of the Goldman, Gruenfeld and Didner families that the Ulmas were sheltering. Mateusz Szpytma, deputy director of the museum, said it is estimated that between 700 and 1,100 Poles were murdered by the Germans for helping Jews during the war.

At the Yad Vashem Holocaust remembrance center in Jerusalem, 6,706 Poles are honoured for their role in helping Jews.

Facts are vital. But how are they established if not through free speech and free expression? Its a perverted sense of liberty that advances freedom in negative terms  a freedom from ideas, speech and words, rather than the pursuit of a positive freedom to speak and to challenge. From Arbeit macht frei, the sick message that hung over the gate to Auschwitz, the message to todays Poles is Gesetz macht dich frei, the law will provide.

Arkady Rzegocki, Polish ambassador to the UK, writes to the Times:

The new law does not set a precedent. Legislation penalising, for example, Holocaust denial is also reflected in the legal systems of other European countries.

Absurd, of course. Dont try to understand why and how? Just dip the Holocaust in aspic and serve it as an orthodoxy to be consumed. Only bigots and berks deny the Holocaust and make liars of the millions murdered and everyone who knew them. That speech is trammelled on pain of law to protect the sane and reasoned from the foolish, biased and people who prefer the other side in the war is a sadness that undermines free speech, elevates the losers to something too close to martyrdom and presents Germans, French and anyone else living where Holocaust denial is a crime as mass-murderers-in-waiting, people for whom the Holocaust is not a horror but a neatly-packaged slice of history that were it not for banning orders most would consider an experiment worth revisiting.

You wonder who it is the authorities really hate and fear?

Rzegocki continues:

According to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances working definition of Holocaust denial, this is not only a denial that the Holocaust took place, but also a distortion of historical truth about its perpetrators and its circumstances. We believe that the truth about German death camps and the cruel reality of the German occupation of Poland is a part of the Holocausts history, and see the new law as complementary to the existing world regulation on Holocaust denial.

World regulation on Holocaust denial. To anyone who supports free speech, that line is chilling.

And now for some more context. The Guardian spots another landmark to Jewish persecution:

One lesser-known memorial is a small plaque on the wall of the Warszawa Gdanska railway station, a nondescript socialist-era building on the north side of the city. It was from here that many Poles of Jewish origin departed in the wake of the anti-Zionist campaign in March 1968, when cold war politics and a power struggle within the Polish Communist party led to an antisemitic propaganda campaign forcing thousands of Polish Jews to leave the country. Loyalty to socialist Poland and imperialist Israel is not possible simultaneously, prime minister Jozef Cyrankiewicz had declared in 1968. Whoever wants to face these consequences in the form of emigration will not encounter any obstacle. The plaque bears a tribute from the Polish-Jewish writer Henryk Grynberg: For those who emigrated from Poland after March 1968 with a one-way ticket. They left behind more than they had possessed.

And this:

Ruling party officials have claimed the row has been confected by Jewish advocacy groups seeking compensation for property restitution claims. An editorial on the rightwing TV Republika website described the crisis as a big test of loyalty for the Polish Jews whose organisations are linked personally and institutionally with American Jews, and accused them of too rarely and too weakly defending Poland and the Poles in the international arena. They want to break us  its about sovereignty, truth and money, read the cover of Sieci, a weekly that has close ties to Polands ruling Law and Justice party.

DW adds:

Andrzej Zybertowicz, an adviser to Polish President Andrzej Duda, said Israels negative reaction to the law stemmed from what he called a feeling of shame at the passivity of the Jews during the Holocaust. Zybertowicz called Israels opposition to the new law anti-Polish and said it shows the Mideast nation is clearly fighting to keep the monopoly on the Holocaust. Many Jews engaged in denunciation, collaboration during the war. I think Israel has still not worked it through, Zybertowicz said in the interview in The Polska-The Times newspaper on Friday.

Two words in reply: never forget.

Paul Sorene

Posted: 11th, February 2018 | In: Key Posts, News, Politicians Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
One person was killed and 12 injured in a knife attack at a shopping mall in downtown Beijing Sunday.

The attack occurred around 1 p.m. at Joy City in the commercial area of Xidan, Xicheng District, police said.

The photo shows a man suspected of knife attack being arrested by police at a shopping mall in downtown Beijing on Sunday. [Photo: weibo.com]

Three men and 10 women were sent to hospital after the attack, and one woman died of her injuries. None of the injured are in critical condition.

Police have caught the suspect and identified him as a 35-year-old man surnamed Zhu. He is a native of Xihua County in central China's Henan Province.

The suspect has confessed to the attack and said he was motivated by personal grievances, according to the police.

A witness who was dining at a restaurant on the fifth floor told Xinhua that she saw a man suddenly take a knife out of his bag and start hacking at people indiscriminately.

Video footage circulated on the Internet showed blood spattered on the floor in part of the mall. A chef at the restaurant told Xinhua that he saw that one of the victims was injured in the neck.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits villages in Zhaojue county, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sunday, for poverty alleviation work. [Photo: Xinhua]

The Chinese President has visited the homes of impoverished villagers of the Yi ethnic group who live deep in the Daliang Mountains of Sichuan province.

Xi Jinping asked the villagers about their lives and discussed poverty alleviation with local officials and villagers.

It took Xi Jinping two hours of travel from the city of Xichang to reach the Sanchahe Township deep in the Daliang Mountain.

The president visited local households one by one to see the progress of the country's poverty reduction efforts.

"I'm very happy to visit you here. Visiting people of Yi ethnic group has long been my wish. Our goal is to help you lead a better life. To build a moderately prosperous society means nobody and no households should be left behind," said the President.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits villages in Zhaojue county, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sunday, for poverty alleviation work. [Photo: Xinhua]

Jihao Yeqiu, a 10-year-old school girl, is among those the president met. She loves singing.

When Xi Jinping visited her family, she sang a song for him. Her voice touched everyone present.

Xi Jinping said that "seeing you better off by the day I feel very happy. I hope the children can live a better life."

Superstition is still common among local villagers.

One woman told Xi Jinping that she used to believe that disease was caused by ghosts, until the head of the village told her that the "ghosts" were actually germs and developing hygienic habits can help prevent illness.

"There were ghosts once. Poor education and poverty are the ghosts. Now, we've solved the issues. People have better lives which helped chase away the ghosts," said the President.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits a family of Yi ethnic group in Zhaojue county, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sunday. [Photo: Xinhua]

As Xi Jinping wrapped up his visit, local people lined up and sent off the President who told the heads of villages to translate targets into real action.

Official stats show that China lifted over 68.5 million people out of poverty over the past five years.

It was equivalent to an annual reduction of at least 13 million. The country's poverty rate dropped from 10.2 percent in 2012 to 3.1 percent in 2017.

Meanwhile, there were still 30.5 million rural people living below the national poverty line at the end of 2017.

The Chinese government aims to lift all of them beyond the poverty line by 2020.
The 2 sides signed a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in offshore oil concession.

India and the UAE also signed an MoU that aims to institutionalise collaborative administration of contractual employment of Indian workers in the Gulf country. (Photo: Twitter/ @PMOIndia)

Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday as the two sides signed five agreements including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in offshore oil concession.

Modi, who arrived in Abu Dhabi from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour, was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family at the airport. The two leaders hugged each other and exchanged pleasantries.

The Prime Minister thanked the Crown Prince for the special gesture of receiving him at the airport and said his visit will have a positive impact on India-UAE ties.

"We warmly welcome our state guest and valued friend, the Indian Prime Minister to the UAE. His visit reflects our longstanding historical ties and is testament to our friendly bilateral relationship," Mohammed Bin Zayed, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, tweeted.

Modi, who is in Abu Dhabi on his second visit to the UAE, held wide-ranging talks with Mohammed Bin Zayed. The Prime Minister had visited the UAE in August, 2015.

After their talks, the two sides signed five agreements related to energy sector, railways, manpower and financial services.

An MoU between an Indian consortium comprising OVL, BPRL and IOCL and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was signed for acquisition of a 10 per cent participating interest in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum Concession, a statement issued by the Indian embassy said.

The concession will be for 40 years from 2018 to 2057. Sixty per cent of the participating interest will be retained by ADNOC and the remaining 30 per cent will be awarded to other international oil companies, the statement said.

"This is the first Indian Investment in upstream oil sector of UAE, transforming the traditional buyer-seller relationship to a long-term investor relationship," the statement said.

India and the UAE also signed an MoU that aims to institutionalise collaborative administration of contractual employment of Indian workers in the Gulf country.

Under the MoU, both sides will work to integrate their labour related e-platforms for ending malpractices, combat trafficking and organise collaborative programmes for education and awareness of contractual workers.

An MoU for technical cooperation in railways was also signed between the two sides. To deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of finance, an MoU between Bombay Stock Exchange and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was also signed.

Another MoU between Jammu and Kashmir government and DP World was also signed to set up a multi-modal logistics park and hub in Jammu comprising warehouses and specialised storage solutions.

Some buildings in Abu Dhabi were lit in the Indian tricolour as the city was decked up to welcome Modi, who also attended a state banquet hosted by the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.

The Prime Minister will visit Wahat Al Karama, the UAE martyr's war memorial, on Sunday before travelling to Dubai where he will interact with the Indian community at an event at the Dubai Opera House and will see a ceremony of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. The ceremony will be live-streamed to the Opera House.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will then speak at the World Government Summit in Dubai, where India is a guest of honour this year. He will make inaugural the address on the theme "technology for development".
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants India to play role in talks with Israel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the media after his meet with Palestine President Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi/Ramallah (Palestine): Narendra Modi, who on Saturday became the first Indian Prime Minister to officially visit Palestine, underlined Indias support for a soverign and independent Palestine, and held out hope that it will become a free country soon in a peaceful manner.

Mr Modi held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during which the latter sought Indias help in achieving just and desired peace with Israel, adding that while he is ready to engage in negotiations with Israel, East Jerusalem should be the capital of Palestine.

I have assured President Abbas that India is bound by a promise to take care of Palestinian peoples interests. India hopes that soon Palestine will become a free country in a peaceful manner, said Mr Modi.

We hope for peace and stability in Palestine, we believe a permanent solution is possible with dialogue, said Mr Modi.

President Abbas said, We rely on Indias role as an international voice of great standing and weight through its historical role in the Non-Aligned Movement and in all international forum and its increasingly growing power on the strategic and economic levels, in a way that is conducive to just and desired peace in our region.

We have not and will not reject negotiations ever and we have said and we still say that we are ready to engage in negotiations, the formation of a multi-lateral mechanism that is produced by an international peace convention is the most ideal way to broker such negotiations, the 82-year-old Palestinian leader said.

Earlier, the two leaders exchanged hugs and stood for the national anthem of the two countries and inspected the guard of honour before their bilateral talks. Archbishop of Catholic Church, Poulos Marcuzzo, and religious leaders of the Al-Aqsa mosque were also at the Muqataa to greet Mr Modi.

Though India has shied away from becoming a party in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the Palestinian leader has, on several occasions, stressed on a possible role for New Delhi in the West Asia East peace process.

India believes in a two-state solution in which both Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist peacefully. PM Modis visit to Palestine comes amid heightened tensions in the region after US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. India had voted in favour of a resolution at the UN, opposing the US move.

The Palestinians see East Jerusalem as their future capital. The Palestinian President also conferred the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine on PM Modi in recognition of his wise leadership and his lofty national and international stature, and in appreciation of his efforts to promote the historic relations between Palestine and India.

On his felicitation, PM Modi said, This is an honour for India and a symbol of Palestines friendship. I thank you on behalf of all Indians for this.

The Grand Collar is the highest order given to foreign dignitaries  kings and heads of state/government.

PM Modi assured President Abbas that India is committed to the Palestinian peoples interests and that friendship between India and Palestine has stood the test of time. He added that India hopes for return of peace in the West Asian region.

PM Modi is on a three-nation trip to the Gulf and West Asia from February 9 to 12. He arrived in Ramallah, Palestine, on Saturday via Jordan.

After talks between PM Modi and President Abbas, India ramped up economic assistance to Palestine for its nation-building, with the two sides signing six agreements worth around $45 million. The agreements include setting up of a $30 million super speciality hospital, a centre for womens empowerment, a national printing press and two schools in Palestinian villages.

Transiting through Jordan on his way to Palestine earlier, PM Modi flew in a Jordanian Army helicopter straight from Amman to Ramallah, where he was received by his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah. PM Modis chopper was escorted by choppers from the Israeli Air Force.

Soon after his arrival, PM Modi visited the mausoleum of Palestininan leader Yasser Arafat in Ramallah and laid a wreath at his grave. He was accompanied by his Palestinian counterpart Mr Hamdallah. After paying homage to Arafat, Mr Modi took a short tour of the Arafat Museum located adjacent to the mausoleum.

Abu Ammar (Arafat) was one of the greatest world leaders. His contribution to Palestine is historical. He was a good friend of India. I paid tributes to him in Ramallah, Mr Modi tweeted, adding later that it was an unforgettable moment for me to visit a museum dedicated to him. I once again pay tribute to Abu Ammar.

President Abbas received PM Modi in an official ceremony at the presidential compound, also known as Muqataa, in Ramallah  the Palestinian seat of government.

President Abbas said in a joint press statement with Prime Minister Modi, I would like to re-assure our commitment to political action and negotiations as a means of achieving our national goals to freedom and independence in accordance with the two- state solution along the lines of 1967 and internationally legitimate resolutions so that both Palestine and Israel can co-exist in peace and security, provided that East Jerusalem is the Capital of the state of Palestine.

He also acknowledged that the Indian leadership has always stood by peace in Palestine.

PM Modi assured President Abbas that India is committed to the Palestinian peoples interests. Friendship between India and Palestine has stood the test of time. The people of Palestine have shown remarkable courage in the face of several challenges. India will always support Palestines development journey, PM Modi said.
Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the country.

The Prime Minister who arrived in Abu Dhabi from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour on Saturday, was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Abu Dhabi/New Delhi: A day after the historic visit to Palestine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple project, the first Hindu temple to be built in Abu Dhabi.

The Prime Minister who arrived in Abu Dhabi from Jordan on the second leg of his three-nation tour on Saturday, was received by Mohammed Bin Zayed and other members of the Royal family.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the country.

Addressing the Indian Diaspora at Dubai Opera, Modi thanked Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the grand temple which will be constructed in the capital of UAE.

He also thanked the gulf countries for providing home-like environment to almost 30 lakh Indians.

The Prime Minister also assured the Indian community that the both the governments will work together to bring to reality their dreams in UAE and in India.

PM Modi further said India's relations with the UAE was much more than that of a buyer and a seller as he hailed the country's growing ties with the Gulf countries as "deep, broad and vibrant."

Speaking on India's achievement in the economy sector, Modi said India's jump in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100 was unprecedented.

Modi also hailed his government's bold decisions like demonetisation and implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Earlier on Sunday, Modi heldwide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in an offshore oilfield in UAE.

Also read: India, Abu Dhabi ink 5 pacts, including important offshore oil-deal

To deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of finance, an MoU between Bombay Stock Exchange and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was also signed. It aims at enhancing cooperation between both the countries in financial services industry.

The MoU would facilitate investment in financial markets by investors from both the countries.

(With PTI inputs)
The Christian organization in an open letter to all parties in Nagaland has asked to rely on the state's own strengths for development.

The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), the state's biggest church organisation, has launched a fresh campaign by asking believers to choose between the Trishul and the Cross. (Photo: Representational | file)

Guwahati: After the Nagaland Joint Christian Forums bid to stop the elections, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), the state's biggest church organisation, has launched a fresh campaign by asking believers to choose between the Trishul and the Cross while fearing that voters getting seduced by money and development offered by those whose hands seek to pierce the heart of Jesus Christ.

The influential Christian organization in an open letter to all political parties in Nagaland has asked to rely on the state's own strengths for development.

"We can develop ourselves if we can say 'enough is enough'. For that matter, leave the Naga political solution alone and let it take its own course. If it were possible, it would have happened a long time ago," NBCC general secretary Rev Zelhou Keyho said in a letter of appeal addressed to all political parties.

Strongly opposing what it called the "invasion" of Hindutva forces in Nagaland, Rev Keyho said that the party in power at the Centre is fighting tooth and nail to assert its presence in Nagaland, a Christian-majority state.

"We cannot deny that the Hindutva movement in the country has become strong and invasive in an unprecedented manner over the last few years with the BJP, the political wing of the RSS, in power," Rev Keyho said.

The letter further said, Our people are fond of propaganda and because of this we often miss the reality unnoticed. But India has experienced worst persecution ever in 2015-2017. You will be fully aware that persecutions have been tripled in recent years. Pastors, evangelists and missionaries are dragged openly in the streets, harassed and insulted and many made to suffer. Their homes destroyed and children discriminated in schools. Worship places were burnt down and believers are often disturbed and harassed. The Bible is openly burnt and confiscated.

The NBCC in its letter also flagged the point to which Congress leaders have been rising in neighboring Meghalaya assembly elections. In the past 3 years many of NBCC Church partner leaders from abroad were denied visas and barred from entering India. The most recent happening is the refusal of visa for the Baptist World Alliance President, Rev. Dr. Paul Msiza, whose entry was denied to visit Northeast India and this happened just yesterday, the open letter said while regretting, God must be weeping when Naga politicians are running after those who seek to destroy Christianity in India and in our land.

In what may be called an attempt to influence the electorates, the open letter to political parties further said, Dear Sir, if you believe that God has raised you to be a politician for the Naga people, fear God and no other thing. But if you are trying to do it yourself for some other reasons you cannot run away from God now or later. God exists and he will never let things go our way if we misuse his name as Christians. May I also impress upon you as a leader that running for political office for development is only half of your task. The other half is to protect and safeguard your faith and the principles, which your people hold dear. Development is not everything but when we put our house in order development and others will follow.
Rahul Gandhi accused the PM of helping corporates by providing them land, power and water at highly subsidised rates in Gujarat.

Hosapete: Virtually kicking off his partys campaign for the Karnataka assembly polls, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, deftly played on the sympathy of the people here on Saturday, recalling his mothers connect with Ballari, and tore into the government for failing to come clean on issues like unemployment, farmers suicides and the Rafael deal.

Launching the Congress Janaashirwada Yatra in Hosapete, he said the Prime Minister in his hour-long speech in Parliament spoke only of the Congress and its past history, but did not spell out his plans to take India forward. Accusing Mr Modi of driving India while looking into the rear-view mirror, Mr Gandhi claimed that the PM was causing several accidents in the process such as demonetisation, the Gabbar Singh Tax (GST) and the Rafael deal scam.

Questioning the NDA governments silence on the Rafael deal with France, Mr Gandhi said that Mr Modi had snatched a contract from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to award it to his friend. Why did you snatch the deal from HAL and award it to your friend? Why did you destroy the bright future of Bengaluru youth? What is the price of each jet fighter? Did PM Modi seek permission from the cabinet committee on security for this deal? Mr Gandhi demanded, advising Mr Modi to learn from chief minister Siddaramaiah on how to run a transparent government.

Mr Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of helping corporates by providing them land, power and water at highly subsidised rates in Gujarat. Incentives amounting to Rs 33,000 crore were given to the Tatas for manufacturing the Nano car in Gujarat, he recalled, while merely Rs 55,000 crore was given for the welfare of scheduled caste and scheduled tribes of Karnataka, while Rs 27,700 crore had been allotted for their welfare in the state alone.
AAP said that the word was the last one that could be used against fellow Indians, and demanded an apology from Sardesai.

Sardesai had on Saturday claimed that he was quoted out of context but maintained that some section of tourists were "scum of the earth" for their behaviour while holidaying in Goa.

Panaji: The Aam Aadmi Party in Goa on Saturday demanded an apology from Goa minister Vijai Sardesai for calling domestic tourists "scum".

The party said that the minister's outburst was derogatory, abusive, disgraceful and indignified.

"The word scum is unacceptable coming from a minister against fellow Indians and generalising all domestic tourists," said Pradip Padgaonkar, general secretary of the Goa unit of AAP.

He said that the word was the last one that could be used against fellow Indians, and the party demanded an apology from Sardesai.

He added, "His making cultural segregations and commenting on the quality of the guest only defines his outdated feudal, classist mindset."

"The government's inability to govern and therein provide facilities and systems for visiting tourists is not a reason to blame the visitor. Popular tourist destinations across the globe do not distinguish between visitors but provide necessary infrastructure to manange the influx," Padgaonkar said.

Also read: Domestic tourists 'scum of earth', make Goa exclusive for rich: State min

He said that while the state government made high decibel announcements on attracting "high spending" tourists to the state, the move had led to the curtailing of overall arrivals.

He added that the state was now getting tourists who were out on a shoestring budget.

"This is due to the sheer lack of political will to change things in Goa. This is the reason for the tourism industry to go down the drain," he said.

"The tourism industry is not marred by domestic tourists but by drug-trafficking, prostitution, gambling dens, illegal constructions and the like, all with the blessings and patronage of our politicians," he alleged.

He said that the state was plagued with infrastructure woes and the garbage disposal mechanism was in shambles.

He said that with the roads of the state lined with tonnes of garbage, tourists were taking home images of these along with swaying palms and white sand beaches.

"Ministers and beauracrats embark on yearly junkets, in the name of studying methods of garbage treatment, to Austria, Germany and Italy, but there has been no improvement on ground," he added.

Sardesai had on Saturday claimed that he was quoted out of context but maintained that some section of tourists were "scum of the earth" for their behaviour while holidaying in Goa.
Giving out the definition for E-governance, Modi said E stands for effective, efficient, easy, empower, and equity.

Modi said it was an honour for him and the people of India that he has been called as the Chief Guest at the 6th edition of World Government Summit. (photo: ANI | twitter)

New Delhi/Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a three-nation tour, on Sunday delivered a keynote address at the World Government Summit on the theme: 'Technology for development' in Dubai.

Addressing the summit on the second day of his two-day visit to the UAE, Modi said it was an honour for him and the people of India that he has been called as the Chief Guest at the 6th edition of World Government Summit.

Technology is changing at the speed of thought, Modi said, adding that it has empowered the common man through minimum government, maximum governance.

"We must make technology a means of development, not a means of destruction," PM said while addressing the summit.

Modi voiced concern over massive global investment in missiles and bombs, and warned against the misuse of technology. He also expressed concern over attempts by some people to radicalise the cyber space with the use of technology, in an apparent reference to its use by jihadists to recruit cadres.

Citing Dubai as an example for the world, Modi said technology has transformed a desert.

Giving out his definition for E-governance, Modi said E stands for effective, efficient, easy, empower, and equity.

Also read: Modi launches 1st Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, signs 5 pacts to strengthen ties

Modi earlier on Sunday inaugurated Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple project, the first Hindu temple to be built in Abu Dhabi.

The Prime Minister held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in an offshore oilfield in UAE.

Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the country.

(With agency inputs)
The supervisor turned to one of the companys emergency specialists for advice, saying a caller feared the Hollywood nursing home could have customers literally passing away because of the heat.

The co-workers response: tell the nursing home to evacuate. We cant expedite any outages. So tell em to make plans. Its going to be a long time, to be honest with you  at least a week.

The next day, on Sept. 13, eight nursing home residents died of the heat. Another four died in later days.

How Florida Power & Light responded to desperate pleas from the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills after

is revealed in depositions, audio files, and internal FPL records obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel under Floridas public records law. They include recordings of calls to the utility over the three days the nursing home was without power to its air conditioning.

FPL is one the nations largest electric utilities and serves about half of the state. After hurricanes strike, it is a critical lifeline for millions of people and demands on it are extraordinary.

The records reviewed by the Sun Sentinel show FPL workers inability to grasp the gravity of the nursing homes situation, confusion over whether it qualified for priority service, and efforts to mollify callers without actually mustering a crew to the scene for what ultimately was a minor repair.

The utility -- which works alongside state and local officials after a storm to address pressing problems -- even failed to respond to an urgent request the evening of Sept. 12 from Broward Countys emergency operations center.

Officials at about 7:30 p.m. appealed to FPL to restore power to the air conditioning at the nursing home and included a hard time frame to get the job done: within two to six hours.

FPL did not comply. About seven and a half hours later, nursing home residents began to die.

Anyone who has ever called a large company for assistance or to register a complaint can relate to the experience of those at the nursing home who tried to convey to FPL the seriousness of the matter and get some extra consideration.

Calls went to customer care center representatives in Miami, West Palm Beach or El Paso, Texas. Those who called numerous times got different FPL agents. Calls were inadvertently dropped and people put on hold. Despite being issued trouble ticket numbers, callers had to give the address of the nursing home over and over and continuously restate the nature of the problem.

The customer care representatives dutifully took down the reports, updated notes in the files, and apologized.

Oh goodness, so sorry! an operator told James Williams, nursing home engineer, who called Sept. 10, the day the storm hit, to report that the building lost power to the A/C.

Hed explained that it looked like the fuse just popped out. He said he could see it hanging on the electric pole outdoors.

The woman entered Williams comments into a computer, then appeared to read from a script, saying:

Unfortunately due to the impact of Hurricane Irma were unable to provide an estimate as to when the power will be restored. Currently we have more than 2 million customers out and we have 16,000 workers ready to restore the power. Were also working with partner utilities, and their workers to restore everyone as quickly and as safely as they can.

The representative told Williams: I reported it. I just hope it doesnt take too much more for you.

Priority status unclear

FPL spokesman Chris McGrath declined to comment or answer questions from the Sun Sentinel about the utilitys actions or processes in response to Hurricane Irma

Before hurricane season, FPL and local officials designated which facilities would receive the highest priority for power restoration in each county. In Broward County, they included major hospitals, police and fire stations, 911 centers and other critical sites, but not nursing homes.

Employees and relatives of residents of the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills believed the nursing home had some priority status as a medical facility  given that it served sick, elderly, bed-ridden people  and was under the same roof as a small psychiatric hospital.

In reporting the outage, Williams urged the FPL representative to keep in mind that we are a hospital, were actually a double hospital: we are a rehabilitation center, and were a behavioral hospital.

Within FPL, there seemed to be confusion over just what that meant.

An FPL agent told Williams that someone at the utility was personally assigned to restore power to the nursing homes chiller account because we do know its a high priority. The woman put him on hold to get the persons name and phone number but when she returned Williams had been disconnected. When he called back he got another agent, who didnt know of any such contact.

In another instance, FPL reassured a caller: We do recognize it is a nursing home location. It is a priority to us, maam.

Yet when that agent called an emergency specialist about the problem, the agent was told there was no expedited push. Well just let dispatch know, and theyll work it as soon as they can.

After a storm, FPL can juggle who gets faster attention, based on the nature of the circumstances.

In a deposition, Gregory Jones, operations lead in FPLs Gulfstream Service Center covering south Broward County, said the utility gives priority in restoring power to police stations, hospitals, and other facilities, including those that service major customer accounts. The process, he said, consists of getting the largest number of customers on at any given time, first, then working our way down by customer account.

Typically, if there is an urgent need, he said, FPL would send the request through to upper management, which would funnel it down to the local service center.

Asked if there was ever a specific request made to him or his operations center to prioritize restoring power at the nursing home, he said: To my knowledge, no. If it was deemed a priority, he said, he would have been told.

Records show a service request was sent electronically  in bulk with others -- to the Gulfstream Service Center on Sept. 11, one day after the storm and two days before the deaths.
The remnants of a missile that US sold Pakistan was recovered after a fire assault and brought to New Delhi to be shown as proof.

The sale of these weapons to Pakistan was cleared by the US Congress in October 2007 for the purposes of "self defence" and to aid the US operations against the Taliban in the country. (Representational Image)

New Delhi/Washington: India has given proof to United States that weapons like the US TOW-2A anti-tank guided missiles that were originally given to Pakistan to fight the Taliban, are now being used against the Indian Army.

In 2018 itself, at least 9 Indian soldiers have been killed in ceasefire violations and fire assaults by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).

The sale of these weapons to Pakistan was cleared by the US Congress in October 2007 for the purposes of "self defence" and to aid the US operations against the Taliban in the country.

India and US renewed a 10-year defence framework agreement in 2015.

In 2016, India was designated a major defence partner by the US after which the US Congress voted to bring India on an equal footing with its other NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) allies for defence-related sales and transfer of technology.

The remnants of a missile that US sold Pakistan was recovered after a fire assault and brought to New Delhi to be shown as proof to US representatives.

Pointing out Pakistan's misuse of US missiles is also part of India's policy to make Pakistan lose face in the global arena.

In the past, India has objected to sale of lethal weapons to Pakistan,

President Trump also accused Pakistan of the same in one of his tweets earlier this year, accusing the country of harbouring terrorists despite US contributing billions of dollars in foreign aid.

"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" President Trump had tweeted on 1st January 2018.
Each move, each step, each expression slowly and steadily bring the dancer closer to the divine power.

It is said for a dancer, dance should always be a very spiritual thing, a way that connects him or her to the supreme power, the power that has blessed the dancer with the gift of dance itself. Each move, each step, each expression slowly and steadily bring the dancer closer to the divine power. On the other hand there are some truly and completely gifted artists, no sooner they step on the dance floor the floor turns into a holy place and the dancers moves become a tool that starts praying to the divine power. It does not take much time for the artist to start glowing that is because the power above starts to communicate with the dancer through his or her dance.

You must be wondering what am I trying to hint at. Well, on my recent trip to the exotic Egypt, I feel fortunate that I met an artist that connects to the divine power as soon as he starts to whirl and spin. In a small town called Ismailia in the north-eastern Egypt lives a dancer who is the master of masters in the dance called Tanoura. Ismailia is situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal and is popularly known as the city of beauty and enchantment. Let me bring to your notice that this enchantment is all because of this magnificently celestial Tanoura dancer Hassan Moora.

From Ismailia, Hassan has taken Tanoura, a folklore dance of Egypt to the world. The ministry of culture, Egypt has sent him to popularise Tanoura at various international festivals in countries like Hungary, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Greece, Nigeria, Thailand, China, Japan and the list is endless.

During my Egypt trip, I saw Mr Moora perform or should I say connect to the divine on two occasions and I was totally in awe of him and his love for the art of Tanoura. He actually glows, shines and glitters when he starts to spin and whirl at a shocking high speed, spreading his hands and simply calling out to the power above. He and all his friends laugh it off by saying the glow is because of the shower he takes before the show or like he says before his prayer.

After his performance or prayer like he says, I took the help of his English speaking friend Khaled Loda and nailed him down for a few minutes to talk to this spiritual and saintly dancer.

Tell me more about you interesting dance Tanoura?

The word Tanoura simply means A skirt in English and Tanoura dance or El Tanoura is a kind of an Egyptian folkloric dance which is very common in Islamic countries. Tanoura is associated with Sufism and is performed by Sufi men at Sufi festivals, but now a days it is also performed by non-Sufis as a concert dance, or at events, weddings and parties. In this dance the dancer keeps on going round like the dervish dance. The whirler wears colourful skirt, with a colour representing each Sufi order. Although in todays times the multi-layered skirt with effects and lights is mainly used for visual effects and show value.

At what age did you start dancing and why did you choose this particular form?

I started dancing when I was 20. Egypt is a very tourist-friendly country, the initial idea to dance was to show the rich Egyptian culture to all the guests who visited my country. In Egypt we believe that a dancer does not choose Tanoura, Tanoura chooses a dancer. So I cannot answer as to why I chose Tanoura.

People say you go into a scared trace when you showcase Tanoura. Are you a very spiritual person?

I am not at all spiritual, in fact, I am a very practical person in real life (laughs), but when I dance Tanoura I dont know what happens to me, I go into another world completely, my mind just automatically empties from all the worries of life, in a way it clears my soul and a divine power starts to connect with me and starts talking to me. This talk, this conversation just goes on and on and on and suddenly the music stops and I hear applause. Each time I have danced Tanoura I have only felt the start and the end, what happens in the middle I can never remember.

You have people from all over the world who come to learn from you. How do you feel about this?

I never advertise my dance school, you will never see my advertisements in newspapers, television or social media. I believe the spiritual power that talks to me when I pray through Tanoura, brings people to me without any promotions. I am honest towards my art and grateful to God that he gave me the art of teaching Tanoura to people world over.

How is your dance different from other Tanoura dancers?

To me Tanoura is not a dance, it is a prayer I offer to the supreme, and each time the method I use is different. Sometimes I use 2, 4, 6 to even 8 round-shaped dishes to showcase how problems in life are many but it is our inner power and strength that reduces all the troubles of life. Then sometimes through scarves I talk about emotions of a person and how we can overcome them. And many a times with my hands wide open I offer my prayer to him asking him for forgiveness and requesting him for love and compassion. And at the end of my talk with the divine I simply remove all the worries, anxiety and concerns and throw it out of my body, which the audience calls it a finish to my dance.

You are known as the master of Tanoura. What advice you have for people who dance Tanoura or who seek to learn this dance?

My advice to all those who dance Tanoura or wish to learn it is that: Dont learn Tanoura to get name, fame or money, learn it to attain power  a power that will connect your soul to the divine. Dont spin to get applause, but spin to spread the message of Tanoura, a rare message that the divinity will give you while you spin.

I was lucky to see Hassan Moora glow while he danced, oops praying, I cannot even imagine how he must be feeling when he is spinning and praying like he says. This saintly man will soon be making a whirling trip to India, the UK and the US. So wherever you are, I suggest dont miss a chance to learn from the guru of the gurus and make sure you see the divine man glow when he prays thorough this dance of Tanoura.

Sandip Soparrkar is a World Book Record holder, a well known Ballroom dancer and a Bollywood choreographer who has been honoured with two National Excellence awards and one National Achievement Award by the Government of India. He can be contacted at sandipsoparrkar06@gmail.com
The FAR is the ratio of a buildings total floor area (gross floor area) to the size of the piece of land on which it is built.

New Delhi: The DDA has received 725 suggestions from the public on its proposed amendment to the Master Plan for Delhi, which includes bringing a uniform floor-area ratio (FAR) for shop-cum-residence plots and complexes at par with residential plots.

The proposed move aims to bring relief to the traders from a sealing drive, which was initiated late December from the Defence Colony market in south Delhi, at the instance of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee. After issuing a notification on the amendment about a week ago, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had sought public suggestions and objections to it.

We have received 725 feedback from the public, which include suggestions and objections. After a meeting of the board of inquiry, they will now be put before the authority and its decision will then be sent to the Centre for approval, a senior DDA official said.

Asked, how much of the feedback would be incorporated into the Master Plan, he said the authority would take a decision on that.

Initially, the window to receive suggestions or objections was kept for three days from the date of notification, but it was later extended to two more days. The DDA has proposed to bring a uniform FAR for shop- cum-residence plots and complexes at par with residential plots.

The FAR is the ratio of a buildings total floor area (gross floor area) to the size of the piece of land on which it is built. BJP leader and DDA member Vijender Gupta had earlier said, The FAR for 100 sq. mtr was earlier variable, ranging from 180 to 225, but now it is proposed to be a uniform 350 for 100 sq. mtr.

The urban body has also proposed reducing the penalty charges from 10 times to two times for the violation of the other terms and conditions for properties meant for mixed use.

The proposals, which hinge on an amendment to the Master Plan for Delhi (MPD-2021), were approved during a meeting of the DDA recently, held under the chairmanship of lt-governor Anil Baijal. The DDA, however, said the provisions for parking as per the prevailing standards should be mandatory for approval or sanctioning of any revised plans by the local bodies.
The court noted that the assault on the woman's head was "so brutal" that it resulted in fracture of underlying skull bone.

The man had murdered his wife on the intervening night of October 31 and November 1, 2012 by stabbing her 21 times with a peeler knife and hitting with a brick. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court for brutally stabbing his wife 21 times to death with a peeler knife six years ago.

The court noted that the assault on the woman's head was "so brutal" that it resulted in fracture of underlying skull bone.

A bench of justices Sunil Gaur and Prathiba M Singh dismissed the appeal of Devender Dass saying it was without any substance and upheld his conviction and sentence of life imprisonment by the trial court.

The man had murdered his wife on the intervening night of October 31 and November 1, 2012 by stabbing her 21 times with a peeler knife and hitting with a brick.

He committed the crime following a quarrel with his wife.

The bench said the man had acted in a "cruel manner" in brutally assaulting his wife without any provocation.

"It is quite evident that Dass had brutally assaulted his wife. So, in our opinion, in the instant case, it cannot be said that the offence committed by Dass is 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder'. It is a case of brutal murder," it said.

Dass had claimed that he was falsely implicated in this case.

The incident had come to light when the man's landlord informed the police.
'We are looking into the matter. Our forensic experts are collecting evidences from the spot,' the officer said.

14-year-old Rintu Shaw was taken to the Calcutta Medical College Hospital when the round-shaped object he was playing with exploded. (Photo: Pixabay)

Kolkata: A 14-year-old boy was critically injured when an object with which he was playing inside an abandoned hostel of a college in Kolkata exploded on Sunday, police said.

14-year-old Rintu Shaw was taken to the Calcutta Medical College Hospital when the round-shaped object he was playing with exploded inside the abandoned hostel of City College on Amherst Street at around 9:40 am, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.

"The reason why the boy had entered the abandoned premises is still not clear. He had picked up a bag lying there which had a round object inside. The object, which was probably an explosive, went off when he tried to play with it," the investigating officer said.

Police personnel from the local Amherst Street police station besides the bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs were rushed to the place, he added.

Locals have complained that the building, abandoned for several years, has become a den of all forms of suspicious activities.

"We are looking into the matter. Our forensic experts are collecting evidences from the spot," the officer added.
According to BJP sources, the main plank for the Gairb Rath Yatra will be affordable housing.

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to reach out to the poor in every ward of Mumbai through its Garib Rath Yatra. The yatra will inform slum dwellers about the governments initiatives for their welfare. Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar will start the rally from Kalachowki on Sunday. The BJP is trying to reach out to urban poor and lower middle class families after the city Congress started focusing on this segment with its Sankalpa Sabha, which is aimed at creating awareness about the governments anti-people policies.

According to BJP sources, the main plank for the Gairb Rath Yatra will be affordable housing. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured affordable housing for all by 2022, the state government has taken a few decisions on those lines. All slum dwellers who have been in the city before 2011 will get homes, according to the decision of state government. Mumbai BJP will try to inform the people about this.

There will be 12 corner meetings in Mumbai from Sunday and almost six different sets of raths (cars) will traverse the 227 wards of the city. The five-day long yatra is aiming to reach out to 25,000 people directly. There will be big rally on February 16 in Bhandup.

Political observers believe that with this rally, BJP is trying to give a suitable reply to the Congresss Sankalpa Sabha. The Mumbai Congress had planned a two-month long programme of Sankalpa Sabha and its chief Sanjay Nirupam is reaching every corner of the city.

After loosing the upper middle class and a large part of the middle class to the BJP in previous elections, the Congress is now trying to focus on the lower middle class and the urban poor.
According to sources, in the Friday meeting in Delhi, Mr Shetti and Mr Pawar discussed the issues arising in the formation of an alliance.

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar met MP Raju Shetti in Delhi on Friday. Though there was no official communication about the meeting from both ends, sources close to both camps said that both discussed the possibility of an alliance as well as issues to be raised in the next few months.

Recently Mr Shetti had taken lead with Nationalist Congress Party leader Jitendra Awhad to plan the Samvidhan Bachao Rally in Mumbai. Mr Pawar was also present for the occasion. This had created a buzz that Mr Shetti was joining hands with the Congress and the NCP, ahead of the elections. When leaders of the Congress and the NCP discussed the alliance proposal last Tuesday in Mumbai, they had also considered the political adjustment with Mr Shetti.

According to sources, in the Friday meeting in Delhi, Mr Shetti and Mr Pawar discussed the issues arising in the formation of an alliance. If the broader alliance of Congress and the NCP with smaller parties takes place in the future, Mr Shetti is likely to be accommodated in it. As of now, Mr Shetti is a member of Lok Sabha from Hatkanangale constituency in western Maharashtra. This seat was with the NCP in the past.
Cops say will make case against angel investor stronger.

Mumbai: The Khar police has appealed to women who have allegedly suffered sexual harassment by angel investor Mahesh Murthy to come forward and speak up so as to build a strong case against him. Sources said that so far there is no concrete evidence against Murthy, who has been accused of sexually harassing a woman by sending her lewd text messages.

Police sources have said that the complaint was lodged in the first week of January this year, after the National Commission of Women (NCW) wrote to the Maharashtra DGP office. Murthys arrest on Friday was based upon lewd text messages he had sent to the complainant on WhatsApp. However, as soon as the complaint was registered in January, Murthy had sought anticipatory bail in the case, hence making the arrest just a technical one. Sources in Khar police station have said that other than the lewd text messages found on the complainants phone, the police do not have any concrete evidence to put him behind bars. The police has seized Murthys phone.

Paramjit Singh Dahiya, deputy commissioner of police, Zone 9, said, We are trying to get a hold of more evidence. As of now, there is only one FIR registered against him at Khar police station.

Murthy was placed under arrest on Friday under sections 354 (D) (stalking) and 509 (word, act or gesture to outrage modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and under sections of the Information Technology Act, before he was let out.
Along with this, there is another process before the tests begin at the examination hall where the students hall ticket photos are verified.

The photos on hall tickets will be verified before the examinations at each centre.

Mumbai: Only female constables will be authorised to identify the faces of the female students wearing burqas and hijabs during the upcoming board examinations, which are being conducted by the Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). The MSBSHSE issued the notification after receiving several complaints from students of the Muslim community stating that male personnel were asking female students to raise their burqa for the verification process, which is against their religious beliefs.

Last year, there was a ruckus after several students were forced to remove their burqa to show their faces during the exam. Checking is done in case suspicions arise, and not everyone is subjected to it. Several incidents were reported where students discreetly hid chits or study material under their burqa. Hence, we came up with this notification where the checking will be done by female constables instead of male personnel, a senior MSBSHSE official told this newspaper.

Along with this, there is another process before the tests begin at the examination hall where the students hall ticket photos are verified.

This verification happens for both Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations. The notice dispels rumours that the board had asked for burqas to be banned during these examinations.

For Rabiya Khan, an HSC student, the move brings relief. My seniors had told me that checking is a bit uncomfortable when done by a male person. It is a relief that we wont have to go through such a situation, said Ms Khan, a student of a Matunga based college.
Vidya Kamble, a social activist for 10 years, is the 1st transgender to be a Lok Adalat panel member in the state.

The panel Vidya was part of resolved several disputes, including a Rs 19 lakh claim settlement between an insurance company and a medical insurance policy-holder. (Representational Image)

Nagpur: A transgender activist, who has become a member of the judicial panel at a National Lok Adalat conducted in Nagpur, says the society should not discriminate against the LGBT community and rather support such people.

Vidya Kamble (29), who has been working as a social activist for around 10 years, is the first transgender to be a panel member of the Lok Adalat in the state, district legal aid committee secretary Kunal Jadhav claimed.

The activist was on the panel of the Lok Adalat held in the Nagpur district court on Saturday.

The panel resolved several disputes, including a Rs 19 lakh claim settlement between an insurance company and a medical insurance policy-holder, Kamble said.

Asked what prompted her to be a part of the Lok Adalat, she said it gave her a feeling of pride.

"The (other) members of the panel were very supportive. The secretary of the district legal aid committee gave me the opportunity to be a part of the panel," she said.

"For the last nine days, I was involved in verification of cases (that were listed for the Lok Adalat). We were able to settle a case where a girl got her medical insurance claim of Rs 19 lakh," Kamble said.

She said the society should not discriminate against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community members and rather these people should be supported.

"If a child is born with a disability, he/she is not neglected or thrown out, then why transgenders are rejected?" she asked.

When a transgender is ostracised by the family, the person can go astray and take a wrong path, she further said.

On Kamble's inclusion in the Lok Adalat panel, Jadhav said such people such be recognised by the society.

"Many of these people are well educated. They should be recognised by the society. People do not accept them easily or employ them," he said.

People have fixed notions about transgenders, he said, adding that a platform like the Lok Adalat panel is required to improve their status in the eyes of the ordinary people.

He said even disabled persons have been a part of the Lok Adalat panels in the past.

Lauding Kamble's work efficiency, Jadhav said she did very well while dealing with the cases that came before the Lok Adalat.

The Lok Adalat panels comprise a sitting or a retired judge, a lawyer and a social activist.

The members of these alternative dispute redressal forums try to settle amicably the cases pending in courts, or disputes which are at a pre-litigation stage.

The Lok Adalats have a statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 10)  The pageant season is definitely on!

Fifteen of forty Binibining Pilipinas candidates proved theres more to them than just beauty at the pageants talent competition held at the Farmers Plaza activity center in Cubao Saturday.

Some danced, some sang, while others showed less conventional performances like dog tricks.

Among the contestants-- familiar faces like, reality show star Vickie Marie Rushton, Miss World Philippines 2016 Catriona Gray, and former collegiate athlete Michele Gumabao.

Rushton played the Piano, while Gray once again showcased her vocal prowess singing Adeles power ballad, Set Fire to the Rain.

Meanwhile, Gumabao shared the stage with mans best friend as she performed some tricks she taught her dogs.

The event was hosted by beauty queens Bb. Pilipinas 2017 Supranational Chanel Olive Thomas, and Bb. Grand International 2017 and Miss Grand International 2017 2nd runner-up Elizabeth Clenci. The winner of the talent show will be announced on pageant night.

The Binibining Pilipinas Grand Coronation Night will be on March 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

CNN Philippines' Makoi Popioco contributed to this report
Israel targeted what it said were Iranian positions inside Syria after one of its warplanes was hit by Syrian air defences and crashed.

Guterres stressed that all concerned in Syria and in the region must abide by international law. (Photo: AFP)

United Nations: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday called for an immediate de-escalation in Syria after Israel carried out raids inside the war-torn country.

Guterres is following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Israel targeted what it said were Iranian positions inside Syria after one of its warplanes was hit by Syrian air defences and crashed.

The Israeli raids came after it intercepted what it said was an Iranian drone entering its airspace.

Guterres stressed that all concerned in Syria and in the region must abide by international law.

He calls on all to work for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence and exercise restraint, Dujarric said.

It was the most serious confrontation between Iran and Israel since Syrias war began in 2011 and came amid growing alarm over Syrian government offensives against rebel-held Eastern Ghouta and Idlib.

The Syrian people are suffering though one of the most violent periods in nearly seven years of conflict, said the UN statement.

Over 1,000 civilian casualties from airstrikes were reported in the first week of February alone.

Guterres urged the parties to move quickly toward a political solution to end the war.

Israels Ambassador Danny Danon called on the Security Council to condemn this dangerous act and to put an immediate end to Iranian provocations.

Diplomats, however, said there were no immediate plans to convene a council meeting despite the sharp rise in tensions.

The council is due to discuss the crisis in Syria on Wednesday.
by Mathias Hariyadi

Fr Karl-Edmund Prier, a German-born Jesuit, suffered injuries to his back, head and hands. Catholics are urged not to spread panic and tensions via social media. For experts, extremist groups are preparing for upcoming elections by causing ethnic and religious polarisation.

Yogyakarta (AsiaNews)  Fr Karl-Edmund Prier, a Jesuit priest and liturgical music expert, was attacked and wounded in a machete attack during Mass in St Lidwina Chapel Church in Bedog, Sleman Regency (Yogyakarta).

The attack took place during todays morning Mass. Fr Prier, who works at the Liturgical Music Centre, serves the St Lidwina community on week-ends. The church is part of Kumetiran parish, Yogyakarta.

Eyewitnesses told AsiaNews that a stranger armed with a machete similar to those used by samurais entered the church compound through the front door, shouting slogans.

After striking some churchgoers sitting in front of the church facade, he marched into the building where Fr Prier was starting to recite the Gloria prayer. Once at the level of the altar, the attacker began slashing at the priest with the machete.

Fr Prier suffered major injuries to his back, head and hands and was taken to Panti Rapih Catholic Hospital in Yogyakarta where he underwent surgery.

A soldier who lives near the church, upon hearing commotion from the building, went to see what was happening. Upon seeing the attacker, he fired a few warning shots, telling the stranger to surrender. When the latter refused, the soldier shot and killed him.

Please, no social media

So far, neither the Church nor government authorities have issued any statement. A military chaplain at the Yogyakarta Air Force Academy, Fr Yos Bintoro, issued a statement, asking on all Catholics not to spread shocking pictures and "unconfirmed information" about the incident on social media.

Fr Bintoros statement follows a spate of social media posts with pictures of the attack and comments and explanations about it. The priest thinks that all this can only increase "bad feelings" by Christians against "other parties".

"Identity politics" and "warring" parties

According to some political analysts, extremist groups are intentionally creating this type of situations ahead of local elections in 171 regions in September 2018, and the presidential election in 2019.

The aim is clear, i.e. "maintain" negative feelings so that "identity politics" based on religion and ethnicity can influence elections.

For decades, Indonesian society has seen provocations that have led to acts of violence against "non-peer groups, i.e. people who are "not like us" and who do not belong to our group".

Primordial identities based on ethnicity and religion have been the "easiest" way by which emotions, violence and conflicts can be triggered between different groups in society.

Today's priest attack is the second of its kind in Indonesia. In August 2016, Fr Albertus Pandiangan, a Capuchin priest, was attacked by a stranger armed with a dagger during Mass in St Joseph Church in Medan (North Sumatera). The bishop of Medan, Mgr Anicetus B. Sinaga, also a Capuchin, and the priest later forgave the attacker.
During the Angelus, Pope Francis said that today is the World Day of the Sick. The pontiff also registered via the Internet for World Youth Day in Panama in January 2019, and mentioned that 23 February will be day of prayer and fasting for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis delivered his Angelus message today, feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick.

He told the faithful gathered in St Peters Square that With our hearts turned toward the cave of Massabielle (near Lourdes), we contemplate Jesus as the true physician of our bodies and souls  Jesus, whom God the Father sent into the world to heal humanity, marked by sin and its consequences.

After the Angelus, the pontiff noted that today is also the start of registration for World Youth Day, scheduled for January 2019, and offered his best wishes for the Lunar New Year to the peoples of the Far East.

Before the Marian prayer, the pope referred to todays Mass (Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, B, Mark 1.40-45) in which Jesus heals a leper. His condition was particularly painful, because the mentality of the time made him feel impure before God and other people. That is why the leper in the Gospel begs Jesus with these words: If you want to, you can purify me!

When He hears this, Jesus feels compassion. It is very important to focus our attention on this interior resonance of Jesus, as we did for a long time during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. We can never understand the work of Christ, we can never understand Christ Himself, if we do not enter His heart full of compassion. This is what drives Him to reach out to the man suffering from leprosy, to touch him and to say to him: I want to be cleansed! The most disturbing fact is that Jesus touches the leper, because this was absolutely forbidden by the Law of Moses. Touching a leper meant you were infected, interiorly as well, spiritually: in other words, you become impure. But in this case the impurity does not flow from the leper to Jesus to transmit the disease, but from Jesus to the leper to purify him. In this act of healing we admire both Jesus compassion, and His audacity: He is not worried about the disease or the law. He is moved only by the desire to free that man from the curse that oppresses him.

No illness causes impurity. Disease certainly involves the whole person, but in no way does it affect or impede that persons relationship with God. On the contrary, a sick person can be even more united to God. Instead, it is sin that makes us unclean! Selfishness, pride, entering the world of corruption, these are diseases of the heart from which we need to be cleansed, turning to Jesus like the leper did: "If you want to, you can cleanse me!".

Every time we approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation with a repentant heart, the Lord repeats to us too: I want to: be cleansed! Thus, the leprosy of sin disappears, we return to live with joy our filial relationship with God and we are readmitted fully into the community.

After the Angelus, the pontiff along with two young people registered for World Youth Day, set to take place in January 2019 in Panama, clicking on a tablet. I invite all young people around the world to live this event of grace and fraternity with faith and enthusiasm, either by going to Panama or by participating in their communities.

Pope Francis then offered his greetings and best wishes for Lunar New Year to millions of men and women in the Far East and around the world, adding My cordial greeting goes out to all their families, with the hope that they may live ever more solidarity, brotherhood and the desire for goodness, [thus] contributing to the creation of a society in which everyone is accepted, protected, promoted and integrated. I invite everyone to pray for the gift of peace, a precious treasure that must be sought with compassion, foresight, and courage. I accompany and bless everyone.

In greeting Romes Congolese community, Francis noted that a day of prayer and fasting will be celebrated on 23 February, especially for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lastly, the Holy Father turned to the sick. My special thoughts go to sick people who, everywhere in the world, in addition to poor health, suffer from solitude and marginalisation. May the Holy Virgin, Salus Infirmorum, help everyone find comfort in body and spirit, through proper medical care and brotherly charity, which can become actual caring attention.
By Rachel A. Ankeny, Professor of History, University of Adelaide

Social Estate on Unsplash

Science Meets Parliament, scheduled to take place this week in Canberra, is now in its nineteenth year.

Over February 14 and 15 2018, around 200 scientists and technologists will meet with parliamentarians, hear from key figures in Australian science and undergo professional development.

Positive outcomes from previous events are clear, both for attending scientists and members of the parliament. But that doesnt let the rest of us off the hook.





Read more:

Science is important but moves too fast: five charts on how Australians view science and scientists





Science Meets Parliament focuses on building understanding and connections between federal parliamentarians and those working in science and technology to ensure that science stays on the political agenda. It promotes the idea that science is important for economic and environmental reasons, but also that science has sociocultural value.

There is no doubt in these politically and socially turbulent times that this type of activity is more important than ever, even here in Australia where trust in science and scientists has remained relatively high. Globally science is under threat. It faces not only budget cuts, but also censorship of data, language, and researchers, and pressures to abolish science-related governmental agencies.

However its important to examine what needs to happen during and after Science Meets Parliament for impact to occur and be sustainable. And that requires all of us to step up.

Information is not enough

The field of science engagement and public understanding of science stresses that simply conveying information is not sufficient. The deficit model  where experts explain the science to people to change their beliefs or behaviours  has long been discredited.





Read more:

Bored reading science? Let's change how scientists write





The deficit model tends to persist in action because simply talking at people feels more comfortable or familiar than other approaches. But research shows that providing information and increasing scientific literacy in fact can contribute to polarisation. It can make people more sceptical or conflicted, especially about emerging technologies or complex policy decisions with scientific underpinnings.

True engagement must involve not only a focus on facts and technical details, but also the underlying values. Scientists can be encouraged to present their discoveries and success stories, but also to tell us about the bumps, warts, and complications of science as a human practice. Our understandings of the world have evolved over time, often in non-progressive and unexpected ways  and the history of science has repeatedly shown this. Consider stomach ulcers, which were thought to be caused by stress but are now known to be linked to bacterial infection.

It is essential to deliberately design interventions that catch the attention of parliamentarians not only over the two days of Science Meets Parliament, but also over longer time frames and through engagement with local, community-based initiatives. Scientists need not just provide information, but also wrestle with deeper issues associated with peoples fears and hopes about what science and technology can contribute.

Trust me, Im an expert

There are some risks in speaking publicly as a scientist. Scientists need to be cautious about positioning themselves as experts on everything, as being seen as politically or socially superior, or as somehow more well-placed than others to dictate how society should shape itself.





Read more:

Who are you calling 'anti-science'? How science serves social and political agendas





Science Meets Parliament is tricky territory, as scientists become lobbyists for their field, and may risk being viewed and treated as just another interest group which is rent-seeking rather than promoting the broader social good. The answer to this dilemma is not to stress how science is special or different, or why scientists are objective authorities and hence more deserving than other causes. Instead, scientists need to be honest - to talk about what science is, and isnt. The outside or even the inside observer can have a rarefied view of science, which can result in overblown expectations.









Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash





Not an island

Science is a form of knowledge which often competes with other forms of knowledge, but ideally collaboration should be the goal here.

Some groups (for instance, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) have unique knowledge systems and experiences which can fruitfully contribute to science-based activities including management of Australias natural resources.

Scientists are engaged in a practice which is simultaneously scientific and social. The norms which govern it have been negotiated over time and evolved since the professionalisation of scientific fields, including everything from peer review to standards of reproducibility and statistical significance, which also differ across particular subspecialities.

Various fields within science use different techniques and approaches, and even have diverse ways of weighing up evidence or considering risks (and benefits): consider views of public health practitioners as compared to plant scientists on genetic modification.





Read more:

Perceptions of genetically modified food are informed by more than just science





Parliamentarians and indeed members of the public should be encouraged to confidently view science as a heterogeneous undertaking. This will will not weaken the status of science in society, but should allow it to maintain and indeed build public trust.

Were all in this together

The average scientist  that is, she or he who will not be at Science Meets Parliament  is a critical part of this picture.

We tend to focus on those who are professional scientists, without considering scientists in training, those involved in various scientific and technological applications, or even everyday people who use science in their jobs, homes, and communities. Instead of making science special, technical, and inaccessible, all who use and depend on science need to be encouraged to engage with it.

The growing citizen science movement presents one strategy, particularly when used to help to solve pressing community problems in which there are likely to be shared interests, for instance in the case of the Flint water crisis.

In turn, involvement in these sorts of initiatives allows members of the public to participate in decision-making and priority setting for their communities, build community capacities (not just in science and technology but important sociocultural skills), and more generally empower communities.

To truly achieve the goals of Science Meets Parliament, we need Science Listens, Engages, and Collaborates with the Public not only for two days in February, but every day.

Rachel A. Ankeny works for the University of Adelaide, and receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Originally published in The Conversation.
Just out of curiousity does anyone know how this works.



So hypothetically. If you applied for a 651 visa and came to Australia. Decided you liked it and applied for a 600 visa onshore. And that 600 visa came with a "no further stay" condition. And you left the country as per your visa requirements before the 600 was finished. Would any future visas you apply for carry the no further stay condition. For example. If you applied for another 651 visa would it have the no further stay condition?



Thank you.
Now that 2018 is here and cannabis is officially legal in California, the City of Arvin is going full-steam ahead with its plan to license ind
Commentary: Trump should lead from the front if he wants a military parade
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  Conflict in Mindanao is one of the country's biggest issues that dates back decades, tracing its roots to disputes over land and religion.

The Moros, faced with land grabbing of their ancestral lands, have been fighting for what their say is rightfully theirs. Rebel groups such as the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) turned to violence and demanded for a separate state.

Past administrations tried to attain peace in the south through negotiations, but none have succeeded. The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is the latest of the government's efforts to quell the conflict in Mindanao.

2008

July

Under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration, the government and the MILF, a breakaway faction of the MNLF, announced the creation of the Memorandum of Agreement-Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), a document that outlined the creation of a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity with its own police, military and judicial systems.

The MOA-AD proposed the creation of an autonomous political region.

October

After issuing a temporary restraining order on the signing of the MOA-AD, the Supreme Court declared the agreement unconstitutional and illegal.

2012

October

Under then President Benigno Aquino III, the government and the MILF concluded its 32nd round of exploratory talks with the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Marvic Leonen, head of the government panel, and Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF's chief negotiator, signed the peace accord in Malacanang.

December

President Aquino created the 15-member Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) that would craft the BBL, following a technical impasse in the 34th round of peace talks.

2014

March

After multiple rounds of talks, the government and MILF signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which serves as the basis of the draft BBL.

The two panels signed annexes on transitional arrangements, wealth, power-sharing, and water territories.

April

The BTC submitted a partial draft of the proposed BBL to Malacanang for review.

August

A second draft of the proposed BBL was submitted to Aquino.

September

Aquino handed Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte the draft BBL. The House of Representatives created a "supercommittee" to tackle the bill, while the Senate conducted its first briefing on the proposal.

The BBL provided a basic structure of government focusing on the rights of the Bangsamoro people, described as "natives or original inhabitants of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago and its adjacent islands including Palawan."

The measure paves the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro, the successor to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) established in 1989 through Republic Act 6734.

It also delineates authority in the region by assigning jurisdiction reserved powers for the Central government, exclusive powers for the Bangsamoro government, and concurrent powers for both the Central and the Bangsamoro governments.

Senator Bongbong Marcos, chair of the Senate committee on local government, criticized the bill for creating a sub-state, citing the Supreme Court decision on the MOA-AD.

2015

January 25

Forty-four members of the police Special Action Force were killed in an encounter with the MILF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, despite a ceasefire. They were on a mission to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias "Marwan." At least 18 rebels and five civilians were also killed in the botched operation.

January 26

Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and JV Ejercito withdrew as co-authors of the BBL. Marcos indefinitely suspended hearings on the BBL under his committee.

February 2

Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the House special committee on the BBL, said no hearings would be held until concerned agencies in the Mamasapano encounter submitted their reports.

March 6

Congress leaders set a new deadline for the passage of the BBL: June 30, the end of the second regular session.

March 19

A survey by Pulse Asia showed that after the Mamasapano encounter, public disapproval of the BBL rose to 44 percent. The same survey "showed that disagreement with the bill was more evident in Mindanao at 62 percent," while public awareness of the BBL rose to 88 percent.

April 13

The Senate resumed its hearing on the BBL.

May 18

The House began its two-day discussion on the 109-page BBL draft, which included 220 provisions. The hearings tackled which provisions should be included in the final draft, which would create a political unit to replace the ARMM.

May 20

With a 50-17 vote and one abstention, the House Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL approved the draft and the committee report of the proposed measure, which was then renamed the Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BLBAR).

May 25

Marcos invited to a hearing representatives of the sultanates and various indigenous people of Mindanao who were allegedly not consulted by the government when it created the proposed BBL with the MILF.

May 28

Representatives Lito Atienza, Michael Velarde Jr., and Irwin Teng filed criminal complaints of treason and sedition before Manila's Senior Deputy City Prosecutor Eufrosino Sulla against members of the government peace panel and the MILF, for allegedly selling out the country in order to cater to the interests of Bangsamoro rebels in crafting a flawed BBL.

June 5

Marcos hinted at sponsoring a substitute bill, saying he would start with the draft version of the BBL and remedy constitutional, administrative, and economic issues, among others.

June 11

Members of the House of Representatives set a new September deadline for the passage of the draft BBL, having failed to pass the bill before it adjourned for its break in June.

August 11

Marcos said 17 senators had signed the committee report on the substitute bill on the BBL, which was then renamed the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Law. He said 80 percent of the provisions had been amended, including creating more inclusivity in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

November 26

After Congress missed its new September deadline, the chief negotiators of both peace panels urged lawmakers not to lose more time.

December 8

Aquino met with lawmakers to discuss what would become of the BBL, as the measure had been pending in the House plenary for second reading since September due to lack of quorum, while it was still in the period of interpellation in the Senate.

The 16th Congress eventually failed to pass the BBL when it adjourned in February 2016.

2016

June 30

Rodrigo Duterte assumed office as the first Philippine president from Mindanao. During his campaign, he promised to bring peace in the south through the passage of the BBL. He also pushed for a federal form of government.

August 12

Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said he hoped a new version of the BBL could be crafted "as quickly as possible while our national government is working toward federalism."

August 16

Members of the BTC increased from 15 to 21, to include representatives from the indigenous people communities, local government, sultanates, and other groups in the talks.

2017

May 5

Duterte said he had lost optimism over peace negotiations with Moro rebels, as there were still conflicts between the MILF and the MNLF.

Some leaders of the two competing groups initially agreed to push for the passage of the BBL. But the MNLF later rejected it, saying there were complicated issues surrounding the proposed law.

June 8

Government of the Philippines Implementing Panel Chair for the Bangsamoro Irene Santiago said the final draft of the proposed BBL would be submitted to Duterte before his second State of the Nation Address on July 24.

July 17

Duterte received the final draft of the proposed BBL as approved by the BTC.

July 19

Duterte met with MNLF founder and leader Nur Misuari to discuss the BBL and the shift to federalism.

September 5

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said he planned to author a bill creating the BBL after Malacanang sent its version.

November 27

Duterte said he would push for a special session in Congress in a bid to fast-track the BBL. Some senators, however, said not even a special session would be enough to pass the BBL before the yearend.

2018

January 16

The House of Representatives resumed its discussions on the proposed BBL. Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Wilter Palma II, who presided over the joint subcommittee hearing, said they replaced the term "territory" with "geographical area" to avoid constitutional questions.

January 19

Duterte said a bigger war in Mindanao may erupt if Moro rebel groups do not see any significant development in their fight for autonomy, which meant either the passage of the BBL or the shift to federalism.

January 25

Senators Miguel Zubiri, Sonny Angara, JV Ejercito, and Risa Hontiveros conducted the first public consultation in Mindanao on the proposed BBL, taking place in Cotabato City in Maguindanao.

January 26

Senators held their second public consultation in Mindanao in war-torn Marawi. They said the proposed BBL would help fast-track the city's rehabilitation as the Bangsamoro region would gain access to more funding as an autonomous entity.

February 9

Zubiri said the Senate is determined to pass the proposed law by March 22, to give a legal foundation for the creation of a new Bangsamoro region that would replace the ARMM.

February 11

Dureza said Duterte wants Congress to prioritize the passage of the BBL over the shift to a federal form of government. Critics have slammed this move, saying the BBL should happen ahead of charter change since setting up a new autonomous region required amending the 1987 Constitution.

February 12

The Senate committee on public government resumed its public hearing on the proposed BBL.

February 28

The Senate Committee on Local Government, Ways and Means, and Finance, and the Subcommittee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law submit Senate Bill No. 1717 or the "Bangsamoro Basic Law." The Bill, sponsored by Zubiri, was filed after 11 public hearings, and six days of technical working group meetings.

May 29

A day before the regular session of Congress adjourns, Duterte certified the proposed BBL as urgent. The certification means the Senate and House of Representatives do not need to wait three days before voting on the measure for the final reading.

May 30-31

Voting 227-11-2, the House of Representatives approved its version of the proposed BBL, or House Bill 6475, on third and final reading on May 30. The Senate, after discussing provisions of the bill for about ten hours, voted 21-0 early May 31 to approve its version, Senate Bill 1717.

July 9

The 28-member bicameral conference committee led by Zubiri and House Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Farinas started its deliberations to iron out the provisions of the BBL. The panel said they will ensure the constitutionality of the measure to avoid eventual roadblocks.

July 18

After six days of deliberations, the bicameral committee approved the final version of the BBL, now called the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Some contentious provisions in the bill included the preamble, the opt-in clause, the block grant, the included territories, and generation, transmission, and distribution of inland waters and electricity.

According to the OLBARMM, the Bangsamoro government will be parliamentary-democratic in form, a first in our country's political history. It will be headed by the regional leader called the Chief Minister, who will preside over an 80-member parliament.

July 23

The Senate ratified the OLBARMM. Duterte was supposed to sign it into law during his third State of the Nation Address, but was unable to do so as the House of Representatives failed to ratify the proposed measure due to a change in leadership in the House of Representatives.

Duterte promised to sign the bill within 48 hours.

July 24

The House of Representatives, now at the helm of new House Speaker Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, ratified the OLBARMM.

October 11

The Sulu provincial government, through its governor Abdusakur A. Tan II, filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition asking the Supreme Court to review the measure's constitutionality.

Tan noted the province is "being coerced" to be part of the soon-to-be-established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region without consulting the stand of the majority.

December 7

The campaign period for the Bangsamoro plebiscite kicked off.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced it will hold a two-day plebiscite on January 21, 2019, and February 6, 2019 for the ratification of the law.

This was done to accommodate other local government units which petitioned for voluntary inclusion in the region.

December 18

The Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa) asked the high court to issue a temporary restraining order on the ratification of the Bangsamoro law. Philconsa called the measure unconstitutional.

2019

January 8

The Supreme Court asked the executive and legislative branches to submit their comments on the petitions against the Bangsamoro law.

January 18

Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi urged Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas to inhibit from the Bangsamoro plebiscite. She said Abas is the nephew of Mohagher Iqbal, the Chief Peace Negotiator of MILF.

President Rodrigo Duterte also visited Cotabato City to personally campaign for the Bangsamoro law.

Duterte made a final pitch to Mindanaoans, and urged them to say "yes" to the measure's ratification.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11)  Senator Grace Poe called out Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Saturday for saying that holding public officials to account for spreading fake news is unconstitutional.

Roque, in response to a bill Poe filed on fake news, said the measure violates the "equal protection clause" in the Constitution as it singles out government employees.

Under Senate Senate Bill 1680, Poe seeks to amend Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, to penalize government employees who publish or disseminate false news or information in any platform.

Poe in a statement disagreed with Roque's interpretation of the Constitution.

"His false annotation of the fundamental law is as flawed as is his protective stance over the spread of false information. That is tragic," she said.

Poe added there is a clear difference between a private individual and those who work for government, and are thus held to different standards.

"Public office is a public trust....We, as public officials and employees, are required to be at all times accountable to the people and we are expected to discharge our duties with utmost responsibility and integrity, and we should uphold public interest over personal interest," she said.

The senator said amending the law will ensure that public officials will be liable for the act of publishing false information, and also keep them up-to-date with the digital age.

The Senate held its first hearing on fake news in October 2017, where Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson was among the resource persons.

Uson has been accused of spreading fake news and misleading information on her Facebook blog, which has more than 5 million followers.

The former leader of dance group "Mocha Girls" has denied being a source of fake news.

Senators have also called on her to draw the line between being a blogger and a government official.

RELATED: Senator: Mocha Uson has to draw the line on blogging

Poe during the hearing said there was a need to assess the laws already in place, with another pending bill seeking to penalize "malicious distribution of false news" filed by Senator Joel Villanueva.

RELATED: Senate tackles spread of 'fake news'

CNN Philippines digital producer Pia Garcia contributed to this story.
Can the secret to success be as easy as skipping unscheduled coffee and smoke breaks? To most, machine or line breakdowns mean a free 5 or 10 minutes, but over the course of months and later years, those accumulated minutes have served Al Sautner, plant manager of the Otis Spunkmeyer facility in Cayce, SC, well. Unexpected downtime became an opportunity for observation, learning and problem solving.

The time-rich management lessons began in 1977 with a part-time job at Richmond Bakery/Cryotherm Foods, a producer of rye bread, hard rolls and frozen dough in Philadelphia, PA, where his father worked. Deciding that baking was more play than work, Mr. Sautner advanced to full-time employment by his third week and began searching for a role model. He found that person in Hugh Reid, a retired Air Force pilot. "He is one of smartest men alive," Mr. Sautner said. "I listened to his sayings and watched his actions  those were the reasons I picked him." When his mentor Mr. Reid left Richmond Bakery and took a job at Genes Bagels, Mr. Sautner asked to see the operation. Recognizing an opportunity to learn about bagels, Mr. Sautner began working nights at the company. "Frequently Im asked if Im just in the right place at the right time," he said. "For me, the bagel operation was just a chance to learn something new."

Practicing the same no-coffee-break strategy, employees at Genes Bagels discovered his proclivity for troubleshooting and repairing machinery. "I started to get calls all hours of the day and night asking how to fix things," he added. "You soon earn a reputation as someone who can get the job done."

In 1989, Mr. Sautner ascended to plant manager in what was then known as Pestritto Foods. While preparing to take his first vacation in 13 years, Mr. Sautner was instead persuaded by company owner Tony Pestritto to observe the companys Blackwood, NJ, plant. Analogous to the skipped coffee break, Mr. Sautners decision to forgo a vacation propelled him to the next step in his career path.

3-YEAR PLAN.

The invitation resulted in a job offer to start a similar plant in Vinita, OK, a town of 6,000 people. Buying a house in one day, Mr. Sautner settled with his wife, three sons and two daughters in Vinita for the next three years. "Of all the places Ive worked, the Midwest has one of the best workforces," Mr. Sautner said. "Many of the employees farmed by day and then worked second or third shift. We were a success because of the town."

Mr. Sautners dedication to Pestritto Foods extended far beyond typical job responsibilities. In response to the companys acquisition by H.J. Heinz Bakery Products, Mr. Sautner welcomed its officials to town with the Vinita high school marching band, a red carpet and a Heinz logo painted on the side of the building, which was later used on Heinz business cards. While the band played Carly Simons "Anticipation," it wasnt just Heinz officials taking notice. His drive and dedication also caught the attention of baking industry leaders.

After three years at the Vinita plant, Heinz Bakery asked Mr. Sautner to replicate the success of the Vinita plant in Bakersfield, CA. Following its successful turnaround, Mr. Saunter received a call from Paul Sneddon, H.J. Heinz c.e.o. Heinz sold its Canadian-based bakery business to Pillsbury in 1998.

"I knew the request to meet the c.e.o. either meant you were going to be promoted to another bakery or let go," Mr. Sautner said. The 1994 meeting resulted in the offer to become the Canadian operations manager overseeing the production operations at four Heinz manufacturing facilities in Toronto, ON; Montreal, QB; Edmonton, AB, and Buffalo, NY.

Despite the obvious promotion, Mr. Sautner experienced a moment of concern that this position would take him away from a familiar role. "Up until then, I had always lived in the town of the plant I ran," he said. "Im a hands-on baker, and I live to wear the whites and play with dough," he said. "Baking is not work, its just fun."

Doubts aside, innovative thinking and a no-excuses attitude continued to be Mr. Sautners calling card. During his tenure with Heinz Canadian operations, he accepted an opportunity to produce the flagship bagel for Dunkin Donuts. The thing was, Heinz didnt produce bagels nor did it possess the equipment to make bagels. Undeterred, Mr. Sautner accepted Dunkin Donuts 2-week deadline for a preproofed, frozen bagel, obtaining carte blanche from the c.e.o. He tapped into his earlier experience working nights at Genes Bakery and filled in missing aspects with his network of baker and supplier contacts. "Bakers dont hide secrets," Mr. Sautner said. Despite competition from two dedicated bagel producers, Heinz won the Dunkin Donuts bid, leading the company into mainstream bagel production. The winning bid led Mr. Sautner to set up the companys first bagel line in Montreal just nine months later.

BACK IN THE US.

Tired of the cold and snow in Canada, Mr. Sautner found his ticket back to the US in 1996 with a job offer from Richard Lan, president of Maple Leaf Foods, to become plant manager of the Oxnard, CA, bakery producing sourdough breads. Mr. Lan recalled that it took repeated calls to reach Mr. Sautner, but that looking back, it was one of the most important calls hes made in his baking career.

"Al has the ability to visualize a project from the ideation stage right on through to completion," Mr. Lan said. "If you have something that needs to grow and start up smoothly, Al is the only guy to call."

After three successful years in Oxnard, Mr. Lan dispatched Mr. Sautner to the companys Roanoke, VA, plant. He arrived in 1999 to find the plant reliant on misguided consultant decisions and incompatible equipment. "After much needed equipment adjustments, overhauls and complete reformulation of products, we began producing 21,500 cases daily and 85,000 per month positive to budget," Mr. Sautner said.

Known for his desire to ensure employee success, Mr. Sautner obtained financial backing from Mr. Lan to build a test lab and a 26-seat classroom where the companys employees could learn the art of baking. The learning center was affectionately dubbed the Breaducation Center with Mr. Sautner as dean and vice-president of operations. The facility brought together sales, marketing and production staffs along with people from the floor as teachers.

In 2006, Mr. Sautner left the Roanoke plant and set up an office for his new position as Maple Leafs vice-president of engineering, US. Fielding problem calls from bakeries throughout the US, Mr. Sautner began to miss his bakers whites and being on the floor working with dough.

Later that year, he received a call from Jim Zakian, vice-president of manufacturing, Otis Spunkmeyer, which would return him to his baking roots. "Al is someone who wants to get started on a project and run fast," Mr. Zakian said. "Hes able to deal with anything that comes up."

Mr. Zakian first heard of Mr. Sautners enthusiasm and dedication to baking after his welcoming bash for Heinz officials in Vinita in the early 1990s. With experience in frozen dough, sours, cakes, donuts and bagels, this would be Mr. Sautners first opportunity to learn about muffin and cookie production as well as his first plant producing packaged products.

NO LONE RANGER.

Since 2006, Mr. Sautner continues to make his mark at Otis Spunkmeyer. In his current role as plant manager, Mr. Sautner oversees production, maintenance, shipping and receiving, sanitation, human resources, quality control/assurance and plant accounting. Ideas generated from the flagship Cayce plant are shared with the other three Otis Spunkmeyer plants.

Mr. Sautners openness to change and a willingness to explore the unknown continues to define his career as well as the productivity and success of the companies that employ him. "When you combine Als addiction to making people better with detailed attention to urgency and the ability to get the job done, you have a man who grows both people and profits, and thats an ideal combination," Mr. Lan said.

A paper-covered desk and plan diagrams on the dry-erase board attest to the fact that Mr. Sautner is always on the lookout for new ideas that could come from staff, networking or the Discovery Channels "How Its Made." "I surround myself with good people, and thats how youre successful, but I also like to take chances," he said.

Soon after his arrival at Otis Spunkmeyer, Mr. Sautner created a one-of-a-kind lights-out freezer that eliminated the aisles and pathways of a typical freezer. The first-in, first-out freezer holds 960 pallets and uses a Pallet Runner robotic remote cart, providing added space, an enhanced retrieval method and one less worker in the freezer.

MAXIMAZATION AND EFFICIENCY.

Mr. Sautners attitude of measured risk is compatible with Otis Spunkmeyers goal to be first to market  meaning its fine if things arent done conventionally. "Creativity is a great thing for us, and its also a way to rise to the challenges and the expectations of our customers," Mr. Zakian said. The company works hard to maintain its entrepreneurial spirit with a minimum of hierarchy.

Drawing on his experience with the Breaducation Center, Mr. Sautner promotes continuing education both for himself and his staff. "You have to teach people how to handle things when something happens," he said. "Training is fine, but you also have to know what and how to change things."

The companys most recent success was a cookie dough bag-in-box concept. After an initial quote from a co-packer in the $1 million dollar range, the Otis team completed the project in less than two weeks with minimal investment. Despite his enthusiasm for new ideas and projects, Mr. Sautner admitted that while hes learned to be more careful about what he asks for, he asserted that "it cant be done" is never the right answer.

"Ive always believed that its better to do something than nothing at all, and if people arent afraid to share their ideas, then everyone benefits. The secret to our quality and success is people," he concluded.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11)  Senators want assistance ready for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will be sent home from Kuwait.

"Bukod sa pagsiguro sa kanilang kaligtasan, dapat ay may trabaho at tulong pangkabuhayan na naghihintay para sa ating mga kababayan mula sa Kuwait," Senator Sonny Angara said in a press release Saturday.

(Translation: Aside from securing their safety, we should have jobs and livelihood assistance ready for the repatriated OFWs from Kuwait.)

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday ordered Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello to bring home distressed OFWs in 72 hours, after a body of a Filipina worker was discovered inside a freezer in Kuwait.

READ: Duterte wants distressed OFWs home from Kuwait in 72 hours

Angara, one of the sponsors of the law governing the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) signed in 2016, said the government should strengthen its job creation programs.

"Kung may sapat na trabaho sa bansa, hindi na nila kailangang magtrabaho abroad at iwan ang kanilang pamilya," Angara said.

(Translation: If there are enough jobs in the country, there will be no need for Filipinos to go abroad and leave their families.)

Detained Senator Leila de Lima also called on the Labor and Foreign Affairs departments to provide assistance.

"The government should ensure that OFWs would be assisted in finding decent jobs back home or other overseas destinations, if not help them set up business and livelihood in the country," she added.

The OWWA, an attached agency of DOLE, provides for cash grants and loans for repatriated OFWs, as well as educational and legal assistance for their dependents.

While the ban on the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait stays, Senator Kiko Pangilinan said it should be the last resort.

"Madali kasing sabihing itigil eh. Eh iyan ang kumikita para sa mga pamilya nila at mga mahal nila sa buhay," Pangilinan said in a radio interview Sunday.

(Translation: It's easy to order a ban. But these OFWs go abroad for their families and loved ones.)

If possible, the Senator added, the government should discuss with Kuwait officials how they can better protect Filipino workers there.

"Maybe we should precisely figure out a mechanism na kung saan magkakaroon ng paraan na ang ating gobyerno ay takbuhan ng ating mga kababayan," Pangilinan added.

(Translation: Maybe we should precisely figure out a mechanism where the Filipinos can ask for help from the government.)

Senator Win Gatchalian echoed the same, adding the government should not send any more OFWs in countries where there are no laws for the protection of migrant workers.

Kuwait is a top destination for Filipino workers. The latest data from Philippine Overseas Employment Administration show there are some 86,019 Filipinos in the country as of 2015.

The DOLE said it has been waiting on the Kuwaiti government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, which provides additional protection for Filipino workers in that country. The document has been pending for three years.
A Florida Polytechnic University student is working to reduce depression and anxiety amongst astronauts in space.

Student designing sensors for astronaut spacesuits

Goal is to make missions in space more enjoyable

Project funded through NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium



James Holland and his professor, Dr. Arman Sargolzaei, are working to create wireless sensors for astronaut spacesuits, hoping to make missions in space more enjoyable.

They dubbed their product, Smart Sensory Skin, and said its much needed technology.



The sensor James Holland and his professor, Dr. Arman Sargolzaei, are developing for astronauts in space. (Photo: Stephanie Claytor)



Being in microgravity for extended periods of time has various effects on the human. The emptiness of space can cause mental wear and tear and just the stress of being in that environment, explained James Holland.

To help alleviate the mental wear and tear, the wireless sensors will detect emotional and physical deficiencies in the astronauts.

It monitors various vitals such as heart rate, temperature, pulse, oxygen consumption and saturation, Holland said.

The sensors would then communicate with other smart technology to change the environment accordingly.

It could adjust lighting, sound, temperature, to make you more comfortable and less stressed, Holland said.

Sargolzaei said other technology exists but its passive, relaying the information to doctors on Earth who then make decisions on how to change the environment. These sensors would be more instantaneous.

Holland, in his second year of studying computer science at the university, said this is the most attention hes ever received from a school project.

Ive always loved space. Ive always loved NASA so its nice to be involved and do something like that. Its the dream of every little kid, Holland said.

The duo said the NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium gave them a grant to help fund the project.

They hope to have a prototype completed by the end of the summer.
(CNN)  Editor's Note: This story contains graphic images of injured children.

At least 27 people were killed and 60 more injured Wednesday in Syrian government air strikes on three towns in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Twelve children were among the dead, the UK-based monitoring group said.

It's the third day running the besieged area, to the east of the Syrian capital, has been targeted by Russian-backed Syrian forces.

At least 80 people -- including 19 children and 20 women -- were killed and 160 injured in a heavy bombardment on Tuesday, SOHR said.

That made it the deadliest day in the Syrian conflict since 83 people were killed in an attack on a market in the town of al-Atareb, in the western countryside of Aleppo, nearly two months ago, according to the monitoring group.

The rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area has been surrounded by Syrian government forces for more than four years. The siege intensified last May after government forces conducted a large-scale offensive in the area.

Airstrikes by Russian-backed Syrian government forces have escalated in recent days following the shooting down of a Russian warplane in the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib over the weekend.

According to Syrian activists, conditions under the siege in Eastern Ghouta are the worst they have been in four years and continue to deteriorate, with hundreds of thousands of people suffering a lack of food and medical supplies.

The situation has worsened since most makeshift tunnels used to smuggle food and other essential materials from Damascus were found and blocked by Syrian regime forces.

UN officials expressed "deep concern" this week over the escalation of violence in Eastern Ghouta and Idlib.

Human rights experts are investigating reports of alleged chlorine bomb attacks on civilians in two Syrian towns, Douma in Eastern Ghouta and Saraqeb in Idlib, the UN's commission of inquiry on Syria said.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Wednesday that recent allegations of chemical weapons use were of "grave concern" and that its fact-finding mission in Syria continued to investigate.

Syria: Army responding to attack

A video shared by the rebel-affiliated Ghouta Media Center on Wednesday shows an unnamed old man standing next to two children he claims were killed in recent attacks on Eastern Ghouta.

"We call on the United Nations and Arab Muslim countries to come see what the Syrian regime is doing in our towns and homes. The Syrian regime claims to kill terrorists -- are those terrorists?" he asks. "They are killing innocent people, women and children, in cold blood. They are not killing Nusra Front fighters or ISIS or any other militant group, but they are killing civilians," he says.

Syrian state-run media said Tuesday that the Syrian army was responding to a shelling attack in Damascus by "armed groups" -- an attack that they say killed five people, including two children, and injured 13 others.

Regime forces targeted "areas from which the shells were launched in Eastern Ghouta, inflicting heavy losses upon the armed groups' ranks and destroying a number of their mortar launchers," the state-run SANA news agency said.

The office of Russia's trade mission in Damascus was damaged Tuesday by a mortar fired from Eastern Ghouta, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, according to SANA.

Israeli missiles claim

Israeli warplanes fired several missiles from Lebanese airspace targeting a Syrian military position in the Damascus countryside early Wednesday, according to a statement from SANA, citing the Syrian regime.

"The army air defense intercepted the missiles and destroyed most of them," SANA said, quoting a Syrian army statement.

There was no mention of any damage caused or casualties.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the Syrian reports.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the Israeli Security Cabinet visited the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights where they were briefed by senior military officials. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981.

"I am impressed by the major work the IDF is doing to defend our borders and our state," Netanyahu tweeted. "We want peace but are prepared for any scenario and I suggest that no one test us."

Meanwhile, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had arrived Wednesday in Tehran for talks likely to focus on Syria, among other regional issues.

Iran's official news agency IRNA said he would meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Turkey last month launched a military operation in northern Syria aimed at ending the US-allied Kurdish militia control of Afrin and the surrounding region along the Syrian-Turkish border.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Deadly airstrikes pummel Syria's besieged Eastern Ghouta."
(CNN)  At least 33 people have tested positive for HIV in northern India after a fake doctor allegedly used a tainted needle while treating them.

Police in Bangarmau in the state of Uttar Pradesh arrested Rajendra Yadav, who allegedly passed himself off as a doctor. He visited his patients on foot or by bicycle at their homes and also provided medication, said Sushil Choudhary, Unnao district chief medical officer.

Yadav used to treat a range of conditions for just a few cents, citing an overburdened health system that is too expensive for most Indians.

Suspicions over malpractice were raised in November when health officials detected an alarming number of patients from the same area testing positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

"We realized that a lot of cases are coming from just one area," said Choudhary. "We set up a tent, awareness sessions and provided treatment to the patients."

The infected individuals all claim they were treated by Yadav and complained that he never changed needles before giving them injections.

"There is no way to confirm how this happened. It may have been through an infected needle that was not changed," said Choudhary.

Arrest made

Police officials arrested Yadav at a relative's home in Bangarmau Wednesday. He will be charged in court Thursday for spreading a dangerous disease, attempting to commit culpable homicide and for impersonating a doctor.

"We are trying to identify how officials found out that this is the main guy, how they knew and who told them about him," said Arun Pratap Singh, a Bangarmau police official. "We are investigating the case to make sure that he is responsible."

Few people in the city knew about the case until the news broke. Mohammed Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Bangarmau, heard about Yadav from the local news but a friend came to his shop months ago and told him that he had contracted HIV. "His treatment is going on in Kanpur. He did not know how he got the infection," said Ahmad.

Not enough doctors

For a country with a population of 1.33 billion people, India's health care system is unable to meet the demand for services.

With a lack of sufficient healthcare, many Indians, especially those in rural areas, often resort to seeking treatment from unqualified doctors who charge a nominal fee.

In 2017, there was one doctor for every 1,596 Indians, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Indian government has been taking steps to increase the quality of health care by establishing new medical colleges and upgrading existing ones.

At the start of the month, the government announced its plan to offer free health care to 500 million people across India but has not provided more details on the ambitious project. According to the 2017-18 economic survey, India spent only 1.5% of its GDP on health services. The government is aiming to increase this to 2.5% by 2025.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Fake doctor suspected of infecting at least 33 people with HIV."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11)  Hundreds of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Kuwait have arrived in Manila on Monday.

Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Pedro Villa told CNN Philippines Sunday, around 400 Filipinos, including at least 18 children, will be repatriated after applying for amnesty in Kuwait.

This is only the first batch, as there are at least 1,300 of 2,500 applicants who have been allowed to leave, Villa said.

All 1,300 had either overstayed or escaped from their employers. Under the amnesty program, all overstaying workers will be allowed leave without suffering fines or penalties.

"Karamihan ng mga tumakas ay may complaint against their employers (Most of those who escaped have complaints against their employers)," Villa said.

He said of 10,000 overstaying OFWs, 8,000 are domestic workers and majority of whom have claimed abuse from employers.

For Filipinos who want to apply for amnesty, he said they should go to the embassy and get clearance from the Immigration office in Kuwait. Tickets will then be issued and a bus will take the workers to the airport.

The application for amnesty began on January 29 and will end on February 22.

Villa, however, said they will request the Kuwait government to extend it.

"(Sana) samantalahin nila 'yung pagkakataon na ito na binigay ng Kuwait government at ng ating gobyerno na makauwi sila habang may amnesty," he said. "Sana ay pagbigyan yung ating kahilingan na ma-extend 'yung amnesty para lahat ng nag-overstay at tumakas na kababayan, tumakas sa kanilang employer, ay makauwi na."

(Translation: I hope they would take advantage of the chance given by the Kuwait and the Philippine government to go home. I hope the Kuwait government would also extend the amnesty so all who are overstaying and those who escaped from their employers can go home.)

Villa also hopes the two governments can sit and talk about the welfare of migrant workers.

"Sana matuloy na rin 'yung pag-uusap ng Kuwait at Pilipinas tungkol doon sa Memorandum of Understanding on the deployment of domestic workers para makapagbigay ng karagdagang proteksyon sa ating mga kasambahay na nagtatrabaho sa Kuwait," Villa said.

(Translation: I hope Kuwait and the Philippines can talk about the Memorandum of Understanding on the deployment of domestic workers so we can assure protection of domestic workers in Kuwait.)

He said Kuwait's Ministry of Interior has approved the draft agreement, which has been pending for three years. It is now up to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to approve it, and Villa hopes it will be signed within the year.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, meanwhile, said Duterte gave priority to the right to life of our OFWs and will not allow further inhuman treatment to be inflicted to the Filipino workers in Kuwait.

He added repatriated workers will receive financial assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and may be deployed to more humane countries such as Oman and Bahrain.

Kuwait is a top destination for Filipino workers. The latest data from Philippine Overseas Employment Administration show there are some 240,000 Filipinos in the country as of 2016.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday ordered Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to bring home distressed OFWs in 72 hours, after a body of a Filipina worker was discovered inside a freezer in Kuwait.

Senators are seeking assistance for Filipino workers who will be sent home from Kuwait, saying there should be jobs or other means of livelihood ready.

CNN Philippines' Yvette Morales contributed to this report.